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A COUPLE OF MEN FROM EIGHTEEN-TEN Piano Music of Robert Schumann and Frédéric Chopin FINDLAY COCKRELL, PIANO

WWW.ALBANYRECORDS.COM TROY1601/02 ALBANY RECORDS U.S. 915 BROADWAY, ALBANY, NY 12207 TEL: 518.436.8814 FAX: 518.436.0643 ALBANY RECORDS U.K. BOX 137, KENDAL, CUMBRIA LA8 0XD TEL: 01539 824008 © 2015 ALBANY RECORDS MADE IN THE USA DDD WARNING: COPYRIGHT SUBSISTS IN ALL RECORDINGS ISSUED UNDER THIS LABEL. Works of Robert Schumann (1810–1856) Fantasiestücke, Op. 12 1 Des Abends 3:48 Three Selected Pieces 2 Aufschwung 3:31 22 Quasi variazioni (from Op. 14) 6:24 3 Warum? 2:18 23 Romanze no. 2 (from Op. 28) 4:01 4 Grillen 3:19 24 Chopin (from Carnaval, Op. 9) 1:33 5 In der Nacht 4:06 6 Fabel 2:38 Sonata no. 2 in G minor, Op. 22 7 Traumes Wirren 2:14 25 So rasch wie möglich… This pair of CDs presents music for piano by two of the most loved and 8 Ende vom Lied 4:45 Noch schneller 7:08 prolific composers for that instrument who have ever lived, and who 26 Andantino 3:56 Kinderscenen, Op. 15 27 Scherzo: Sehr rasch just happen to have been born the same year—1810. Aside from 1685 9 Von Fremden Ländern und markiert 1:54 und Menschen 1:45 28 Rondo: Presto—Prestissimo 5:41 (J S Bach, Handel, D Scarlatti) there are few such years in the history of 10 Kuriose Geschichte 1:06 music, but indeed 1813 (Verdi, Wagner) finished an amazing period of five 11 Hasche-Mann :41 Total Time = 74:42 12 Bittendes Kind :44 years in which were born Mendelssohn (’09), our two (’10), Liszt (’11), 13 Glückes genug :42 and the two opera greats (’13). But now, on to Schumann and Chopin! 14 Wichtige Begebenheit :47 15 Träumerei 2:10 16 Am Kamin 1:08 17 Ritter vom Steckenpferd :43 18 Fast zu Ernst 1:22 19 Fürchtenmachen 1:35 20 Kind im Einschlummern 1:33 21 Der Dichter spricht 1:31 Robert Alexander Schumann (b. June 8, 1810) Clara Wieck Schumann, one of the great pianists of Europe, was a composer of some accomplishment (listen to her Trio, which I have performed, likewise her songs, and you will Schumann’s piano output is generous with groups, or sets, of recognize her contributions), and her work occasionally appears fragmentarily in Robert’s short pieces—of a genre called character pieces—often performed pieces as a “theme” or “motto.” One example of this is our choice of the slow movement complete in their group order. Carnaval, with 21 pieces, is the from the third piano sonata (F Minor), first called Concerto Without Orchestra. Clara composed most famous of these, but here on our CD we present two of his three short phrases, each one repeated, which start the piece, then Robert took over to other sets: Fantasy Pieces, Op. 12, and Scenes from Childhood, complete the ‘theme,’ and continued the piece with a complete variation, a ‘quasi’ variation— Op. 15. Thank goodness for the titles given to the pieces, so we really an Intermezzo, and a final Variation and Coda, thus the title Quasi Variationen (“As-If” know the composer’s quite specific image for each. [Compare to Variations). This separate piece works nicely, independent of the rest of the sonata. Chopin’s use of type-names: Étude, Prelude, Nocturne, Waltz, Schumann’s Carnaval (mentioned above)—a fanciful Masked Ball in his mind— etc.]. Des Abends (at evening) gives us a quiet nocturne-like contains pieces with names of Robert’s friends and more, who are thought of as members opening, with a consistent hemiola rhythm across the 6/8 meter, and Aufschwung (soaring, of his imaginary Society of David fighting against the Philistines!—true artists of real value, swung-out literally) confirms its popularity in the set, in a familiar ternary design. Warum such as the violinist virtuoso Niccolò Paganini, his beloved Clara, another musician-girlfriend, (“Why?”) back to quiet, asks but doesn’t answer. Grillen shows “whims” with impetuous his trusted compatriot Felix Mendelssohn, and his own artistic personality opposites: mood changes, and then we get to the last four more interesting but less-played ones: In the Eusebius (dreamy, introspective) and Florestan (extroverted, impetuous, energetic), and Night refers to a rescue attempt of someone marooned in a lighthouse across a stormy with them one of his favorites—“Hats off, a Genius” in a famous essay—Chopin, our other estuary—I think it ends badly!—and Fabel is a story told by an animal or about an animal, Eighteen-TEN man. So we present Chopin here, our one example from Carnaval. We will with a moralistic lesson. Dream-whirls is a mixture of images of waking sleep, and the recognize characteristics of Chopin’s style behind Schumann’s mask. (We wish Chopin had energetic End of the Song brings the set to a noble and thoughtful close. been as generous as Schumann to recognize worth in others; the story is told that Robert Our second set, Scenes from Childhood, while intended for concert performers, contains presented a copy of Carnaval for Frédéric to look at, Chopin fanned the pages, and gave it a few pieces that one hears at piano lessons and student recitals. There are extremely beautiful back, saying, “You have such good paper in Germany.” But Chopin did dedicate his second examples of Schumann’s art here, one of which—Träumerei—is one of the favorite piano pieces Ballade to Schumann; see our companion CD.) of all time. Again the titles lead us through the thirteen pieces: 1– From Foreign Lands and People, Our third “short piece” is the middle one of the Drei Romanzen Opus 28. It is a perfect- 2 – Curious Story, like a Polish mazurka; see Chopin’s later mazurka Opus 50, no. 2, where the form nocturne-like gem in F-sharp major; it is no wonder that we all play it! second subject bears an uncanny resemblance to the Schumann, 3 – Catch me!, 4 – Pleading The classical sonata went to the back burner during the Romantic Era’s predominating Child, 5 – Perfect Happiness, 6 – Important Event, 7 – Träumerei (Reverie), 8 – By the Fireside, character pieces—see my CD [FC-04] Invitation to the 19th Century, Character Pieces by 9 – Knight of the Rocking-horse, 10 – Almost too Serious, 11 – Frightening, 12 – Child Weber, Beethoven, Schubert. Indeed there were three sonatas each from Chopin, Schumann, Falling Asleep, 13 – The Poet Speaks. As in the Fantasy Pieces, the last one summarizes the and Brahms, of which one or two from each composer are heard today. A strong one is whole set, but in a very different way. It is, of course, the father who speaks, giving subtle Schumann’s in G minor, and it ends our CD. The four movements are in the traditional forms: and touching musical utterance to the events of his daily life. Schumann was a dedicated the sonata-form first movement has its repeated exposition with the normal contrast of family man, and here there is ample evidence of the love and care that existed in his home. themes, each in its own ‘key,’ the development does the reworking ‘drill’ with the material, Frédéric-François Chopin (born March 1, 1810) the recapitulation returns it with the required tonality adjustments, and there is an exciting coda which continues the closing-material figuration, with its notorious Schumann marking: As in the recital I performed in 2010, the year of Chopin’s 200th “as fast as possible” and with the last statement of the movement’s opening theme marked birthday, our CD program has one example of each type or genre in “even faster!” The songful slow movement is particularly beautiful, the scherzo has its which he wrote. Chopin’s music was you might say “classically” dance-like triple-meter energy with 2 contrasting Trios, and the perpetual-motion rondo-finale titled according to type: an étude, a waltz, a ballade, a polonaise, etc. is interrupted twice with string quartet textured lyricism, before sending us off again into a Chopin wrote four to over 50 of each genre, from which I have chosen final section marked “Prestissimo quasi cadenza” adding the proper “what’s-more-after-all- one. With “one of each” therefore, I have much to describe here. that?” ending, still in G minor, as if to say, “This is a Serious Piece, all the way to the End!” What is a prelude? For Chopin (as for Bach, with his Well Tempered Clavier) a prelude is a short piece, often with only one musical idea pursued through development and recapitulation, in a set of 24—one in each tonality (12 major, 12 minor). Bach taught us that a prelude (playing before) could introduce another piece or group of pieces, or it could be a part of a Works of Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849) set of preludes, not “before” anything. How do I pick just one from the set Chopin wrote: 24 1 Grande Valse in A-flat major, Op. 42 4:25 Preludes, Opus 28? I don’t; I take the single prelude opus 45, which as you might expect, 2 Berceuse, Op. 57 4:08 written after the set of 24 in all tonalities, visits during its course as many as 19 tonalities, 3 Barcarolle, Op. 60 8:38 one of which is its home tonality of C-sharp minor. Many listeners do not know of this single 4 Scherzo no. 3 in C-sharp minor, Op. 39 7:34 prelude, which has an attractive improvisatory character; we are happy to present it here. 5 Prélude in C-sharp minor, Op. 45 4:02 Which brings us to the choice of nocturne (song-like, quiet of the night); ours is the G major 6 Impromptu in F-sharp major, Op. 36 5:39 one, opus 37, no. 2, which moves through 21 different tonalities before the end. These two pieces 7 Nocturne in G major, Op. 37, no. 2 5:35 are the ones “all over the map” as far as tonalities go—a reminder of our composer’s total 8 Fantaisie, Op. 49 12:26 command of chromatic harmony. This nocturne lets you settle your ear in one key for a few 9 Ballade no. 2 in F major, Op. 38 6:58 measures before cleverly changing tonality. But then we notice there is one 12-measure 10 Étude in A minor, Op. 10, no. 2 1:44 segment (on page 4 out of 6) with 13 tonality changes! But the most interesting feature of this 11 Polonaise-Fantaisie, Op. 61 12:26 nocturne is the texture of the principal material which is in a fast-moving double-note melody (like 12 Mazurka in F minor, Op. 68, no. 4 4:18 an étude!), and which is contrasted with a twice-told barcarolle-like theme. This piece contrasts with most of the nocturnes, which feature a single-line melody over supportive accompaniment. Total Time = 78:02 Our choice of impromptu could be called Fantasy-Impromptu because of its free use of form. It has some variation treatment and there is a contrasting march theme from a very distant place, and a running-notes coda before a last return of an earlier segment, and there is one cr-r-razy modulation. (The piece really known as Fantasy-Impromptu—the first of the four impromptus to be written but not published until after Chopin’s death as Opus 66—is First, the meaning of ‘Ballade’: in French, ‘faire une ballade’ is to take a stroll. So not a free-form fantasy at all; it is a straightforward A-B-A-Coda.) Chopin’s ballades are narrative in character, like the medieval poems which first used the Chopin’s waltzes, of which only half were published (there are real gems in the ones name. Our choice is related to our companion CD. And why is Chopin’s second ballade, to be ‘thrown out’—they weren’t!), include two sets of three and two singles. Our single in F major and A minor, dedicated to Schumann? I think I know. Not only is it his most waltz, opus 42 in A-flat, a favorite key, is the best one. The main subject has continuous interesting, starting and ending in different keys for one thing, but do you remember Eusebius eighth notes with quarter-note stems on the first and fourth of each measure’s 6, giving us and Florestan, the two artistic personalities of Chopin’s friend Schumann, as they appeared in a 2/4 feeling for the marked notes, but the piece is in 3 beats per measure, not 2, so… a Carnaval? Are they not clearly showing in the second ballade here as well?? First, in F major, dilemma, but take my advice: keep it 3. There is a repeated refrain up and down the treble— the quiet, gentle and lilting subject carries forth for a page, and then, Wham! the Florestan listen to what happens to it at the end!—and after each refrain there is an episode, each one explosion in A minor knocks you over with no warning. Then back and forth the piece goes nicer than the last, and when the main subject returns it curiously loses its way and then a between these two, with very little connecting them. The Eusebius theme in Florestan’s key wonderful developmental coda brings us to a rousing flourish at the end. prevails in the end, and we can only say, “Of course this is Chopin’s Schumann-piece!” What is an étude? A study, you say. Yes. What is to be studied? or practiced? A Our scherzo is his third, in C-sharp minor. Think ‘threes’ with scherzo: triple meter, certain element of piano performance technique. And Chopin really gives it to us—all the ternary form, the middle section (the ‘B’ in ‘A-B-A’) is called a ‘trio,’ and in a multi-movement way through the piece, relentlessly, yet it is always a congenial piece for the listener, too; sonata or symphony the scherzo movement is often the third of four. This one as a separate thus Chopin’s are concert études, not just practice-room pieces. Ours here is a challenge for piece has the fast triple meter, the ternary form with wonderful trio section as chorale with the right hand to play legato and fast, a single-line melody of up-and-down chromatic scale cascades, and more. The Introduction is quite dramatic, and after the return of the “A” theme fragments using the top three fingers of the hand, because the thumb and second are playing we get a most remarkable coda with the return of the chorale in a new key and the presto-rush the chords. Under the RH figuration the LH gives the simplest possible bass-chord support. to the end. As I practiced this new piece for me at Juilliard, I was in heaven! All pianists “study” these pieces, 27 in all, and owing to their acknowledged difficulty The Barcarolle is an amazing creation, with its gorgeous themes and figurations, all sometimes after practicing hard we ‘get’ just one! (And sometimes we feel like incorporating emphasizing the sway of the gondola on the water. First, an arrangement is made with the another étude-idea near the end of the present one; listen carefully!) gondolier, and the voyagers set out, thinking of how lovely a place Venice is. In course they Our Berceuse is one of Chopin’s singles, along with Barcarolle and Fantaisie, and as travel far out into the bay, and the music and the perspective change. Eventually they turn you would think, it is to emulate a cradle song. The lilting rocking of the cradle is heard in around regretfully, and start on their journey home. But the greatest view is now before their the ostinato accompaniment figure, and Chopin decides to think of all possible variants of eyes, the magnificent cityscape floating on the water, ever grander as the dock is approached. melodic figurations for the upper hand, you could say, like miniature etudes one after the And the Fantaisie, in two parts: introductory march, then the main part with a other. And over it all is the thought of the loving parent, considering all the events which will Mozartean abundance of themes one after another, including a faster march, a double-note occur in the child’s life as just possibilities for now. My friend G.O. told me, “It’s his best segment, an expanding-octaves place, an Adagio, improvisatory figurations, on and on with piece!…along with several others of his best pieces.” some recapitulation—a true free-form fantasy, and again with beginning and end in different And now we discuss the big ones: a ballade, a scherzo (four of each to choose from), tonalities (F minor and A flat major)—a remarkable piece! a polonaise (eight, plus a few throw-aways—not!), the Barcarolle, the Fantaisie. And what is to be said about the last Polonaise(-Fantaisie)? The polonaise for Chopin The early years were spent in the San Francisco (principally Berkeley) region, with was the musical-heroic embodiment of his feelings for his mother country experiencing playing in orchestras (violin, viola, clarinet, bassoon), accompanying, chamber music, choral repeated political and military disaster during his lifetime. In this piece, one of his last, you get singing, playing piano recitals, and appearing as soloist with Oakland and San Francisco that, and musical looks-back to the most characteristic of Polish patriotic music. Sometimes Symphonies in youth concerts. A highlight, among various competitions and awards, was the stirring polonaise—a processional dance—emerges, and sometimes the message is to be chosen as the first performer in the first concert of the first season (1953) of the still- about other things: feelings, remembrances, longing, wishing, frustrated hopes; the intensity running Junior Bach Festival, and later winning the Alfred Hertz Memorial Scholarship (used is almost numbing, and this utterance almost devastates the listener. And some find in it for my first Juilliard semester), and performing on the nationally televised (CBS) ‘Arthur premonitions of the composer’s own death: appropriate for the penultimate on our CD. Godfrey’s Talent Scouts’ program—from the stage of the War Memorial Opera House—as And now the story which is told abou our last piece, the posthumously published F minor well as being chosen to solo in the Beethoven Choral Fantasy with the San Francisco mazurka, also a Polish genre, of which he wrote over half a hundred. As the last piece he Symphony under Arthur Fiedler. (Audience of 8000 in the Civic Auditorium!) composed it was dictated from the death-bed, Chopin being too weak by this time to be able During my two years at Harvard College—class of ’57, and the only college to which I to write, and the striking directive he added for the end, “da Capo senza Fine” (to the top applied—I won the concerto competition and sang in the Glee Club; and at the Juilliard School without end, or “go back to the beginning over and over and never stop playing”) suggests a (BS, MS, teacher: Edward Steuermann), my only conservatory application, I was awarded the very intriguing idea: the composer may die, but his music will never stop; it will continue Alumni Scholarship and the Ernest Hutcheson Prize, and also gave my debut in Town Hall, forever. On our CD we fade out during the repeated da Capos; so you think you don’t hear sponsored by Concert Artists Guild. After applying to, and getting, one college job, our family the music any more, but listen carefully! You can hear it, …going on…and on, …for ever… went ‘up river’ to Albany where right away the University provided me the opportunity to create —Findlay Cockrell and run a radio course in piano literature which I called Keyboard Masters: 28 one-hour programs with commentary and (my) recorded performances of 132 compositions by 73 composers. Later, in recitals, I played through all 32 Beethoven sonatas two times. We continue to live in An Autobiographical Note from Findlay Cockrell Albany, but with musical connections still in Northern California and in Barbados, W.I. where Why make CDs? A question for a performer who is past 80! If not a legacy I began in the mid-80s to play chamber music once a year sponsored by Partners of the of recordings, then what? While being a regional artist in NY’s Capital District Americas, and where we still return out of habit. Let’s mention conducting: Barbados—three has been satisfying indeed, and the 40-year teaching stint at the University big pops concerts, and UAlbany—three years on the podium, and two times in the pit: Peter at Albany with additional private teaching was a fine and satisfying way Pan and The Wizard of Oz, the latter taken to Moscow with six performances at the Central to earn a living—how many should be so lucky?—and I have had many Children’s Theater. And my two pick-up orchestras! With the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra, remarkable students who are now very productive in their fields; still the five pairs of concerts conducting Mozart concertos from the keyboard, and the Gershwin main objective of the trained and educated performer— Juilliard School Summer Pops Orchestra played outdoors four times. Moscow brings us to my other career and Harvard College—is to perform, live and to the microphone. The CDs highlights; after a few years of short visits performing with musicians of Tula—Albany’s not only preserve and confirm some of the favorite repertoire, but a slight sister city, south of Moscow—I was asked to play a recital of American piano music in the opportunity beyond ‘the region’ is provided through radio broadcast and internet exposure. Moscow Conservatory’s Rakhmaninov Hall, and two days later to perform in Tchaikovsky One can even hope for some performing dates to come along from being ‘out there’ in this way. Hall as soloist with the with the (Russian-instrument) Ossipov Orchestra. A COUPLE OF MEN FROM 1810 Piano Music of Schumann & Chopin A COUPLE OF MEN FROM EIGHTEEN-TEN Piano Music of Robert Schumann and Frédéric Chopin

TROY1601/02 FINDLAY COCKRELL, PIANO

CD1 CD2 This pair of CDs presents music for piano by two of the most Robert Schumann (1810-1856) Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) loved and prolific composers for 1-8 Fantasiestücke, Op. 12 1 Grande Valse in A-flat major, Op. 42 that instrument who have ever 2 Berceuse, Op. 57 9-21 Kinderscenen, Op. 15 lived, and who just happen to 3 Barcarolle, Op. 60 have been born the same year — Three Selected Pieces 4 Scherzo no. 3 in C-sharp minor, Op. 39 1810. Schumann’s contribution 22 Quasi variazioni (from Op. 14) 5 Prélude in C-sharp minor, Op. 45 contains two of his most popular 23 Romanze no. 2 (from Op. 28) 6 Impromptu in F-sharp major, Op. 36 sets of character pieces, three 24 Chopin (from Carnaval, Op. 9) 7 Nocturne in G major, Op. 37, no. 2 other independent works, and Sonata no. 2, Op. 22 8 Fantaisie, Op. 49 the mighty Sonata in G minor, 25 So rasch wie möglich 9 Ballade no. 2 in F major, Op. 38 while Chopin’s selections 26 Andantino 10 Étude in A minor, Op. 10, no. 2 comprise one example of every

27 Scherzo: Sehr rasch und markiert 11 Polonaise-Fantaisie, Op. 61 single-piece genre in which he 28 Rondo: Presto…Prestissimo 12 Mazurka in F minor, Op. 68, no. 4 worked, including many of his greatest compositions. Total Time CD 1 = 74:42 Total Time CD2 = 78:02 TROY1601/02