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Home , Aaron Jay Kernis, Carl Czerny, Clara Schumann, James Ehnes, Johannes Brahms, Johann Nepomuk Hummel

CONCERT #12 - Released AUGUST 12, 2021

JOHANN NEPOMUK HUMMEL in , Op. 20 Allegro moderato Adagio Presto- Ancor più presto

Anton Nel

AARON JAY KERNIS Sonatine I. Oracle, Cetacea, Larkspur Oracular Proclamation - Allegro Sostenuto Dolphinic Syncopation Delphinium Pollination – Delicato Allegro, 1 II. Shaded Blue III. Catch That Train / Orion Weiss piano

JOHANNES BRAHMS for Piano and Strings minor, Op. 60 : Allegro Andante Finale: Allegro comodo Stephen Rose violin / Beth Guterman Chu / Efe Baltacıgil / Anton Nel piano dominated episode a brief moment of serentiy closes (1778-1837) the movement which ends emphatically in the minor. Sonata in F minor, Op. 20 (1807) SCMS premiere A pattern of unison notes in the nether regions of the piano begins the Adagio maestoso. Dark Romantic- Hummel, known these days primarily because of his era implications may have unsettled contemporary oft-performed and appealing , was listeners even with traces of still viable Classical a much-esteemed—even adored— in his period grace. Clearly, newly emergent Romantic day, widely considered second only to Beethoven esthetics dominate. As in the opening movement the among primarily instrumental . He emphasis is on sudden shifts of temperament and had genuine skill as a conductor, a good head for historical dislocations of style. administration, and a thoroughly pleasant personality, all of which traits facilitated his rise to positions of The Presto finale opens furiously before retreating directorship at Esterhaza (where previously Haydn in Classical courtliness, though not for long. Rapid had reigned supreme) and other important positions scurrying over the bottom half of the keyboard keeps in , , and . up the prevailing momentum, even after a brief pause in the proceedings. At one point a four-note figure His piano-playing received the highest accolades recalls the finale of Mozart’s “Jupiter” (and from no less than , equally famous at occasional works by Haydn and other composers). the time and a student of Beethoven (and whose piano exercises are the building blocks or bane of budding to this day). In his Hummel accepted the formal layout of his mentor (b.1960) and piano teacher, Mozart, though greatly extended Sonatine (2018-19) the use of decorative pianistic filigree in his writing SCMS premiere for the keyboard solo. His works for keyboard and (four concertos, a concertino, plus a few by Aaron Jay Kernis has been performed by other differently titled works) had an immediate organizations and ensembles around the world influence on Chopin’s two piano concertos, especially including the Seattle Society. In in incorporating decorative pianistic embroidery into 2019, he won two Grammy Awards (including melodic material. “Best Contemporary Classical Composition” for his with James Ehnes and the Seattle Hummel left some 25 piano plus a number Symphony). Previously, he won a , of works for piano with other instruments. The Piano for Music Composition, and Sonata in F minor, Op. 20 was recognized at the time Nemmers Award. Kernis teaches composition at Yale as a leap forward in his evolving keyboard style. He School of Music, and was inducted into the American composed the work while serving as to Academy of Arts and Letters and the Prince Esterhazy in succession to Haydn. Hall of Fame.

A kind of tentative and questioning feel, quite Kernis studied with numerous notable composers improvisatory in character, launches the opening including , , Charles Allegro moderato. One notes immediately the Wuorinen and . At age 12 he began absence of the so-called Alberti bass in the left teaching himself piano; a year later he was forging hand that was de rigueur in classical period his own way as a budding composer. keyboard music. Abrupt stops and starts abound. Some busy and scalar runs add to the The following notes were written by the composer many contrasting devices. After a mercurial scale- and appear here courtesy of James Ehnes, who

summer festival // handled the violin part in the premiere: “Sonatine is a very misleading title. The “ine” at the (1833–1897) end of Sonata would imply a small-ish, intimate Quartet for Piano and Strings in , effort —a miniature sonata, but that’s not the case Op. 60 (1875) here. This is a full fledged sonata - if anything is small Most recent SCMS performance: Winter 2017 about it, it’s the 2nd movement, which is shorter and less conclusive than my usual extended slow In 1856, Brahms began working on his Quartet for movements. Piano and Strings in C minor, his third and final essay in that format. He had been thinking about the piece “No, the reason the title is Sonatine is that it rhymes as early as 1854, shortly after his fateful meeting with my daughter Delphine’s name, and the piece is with Robert and . After producing dedicated to her. She plays the violin (though doesn’t preliminary sketches in C-sharp minor he spent more plan to go on with it as a career), and she did give the than two decades completing the task, which among actual premiere of the 2nd movement at home last other things involved recasting the music into C year. The originating idea was that I’d write a piece minor—the same key as his First Symphony, another at her level of accomplishment, but as usual I went work requiring an extensive gestation. a bit further than that, giving her a piece to work up to. A few years before, I’d written First Club Date for In the opening Allegro non troppo Brahms creates her cellist brother, and so I certainly had to complete an atmosphere of relentless tragedy through its the circle of inspiration from my children. (Over the descending main theme. Relief from the turmoil years I also wrote a number of other pieces inspired comes intermittently in Brahms’ treatment of the by those wonderful creatures.....) major-key second theme, but dark foreboding prevails. In a letter to his friend Dr. , “The first movement has a bold opening, with a a physician with a deep and knowing grasp of music, jazzy second theme and a lyrical center. The name Brahms wrote, “This quartet is only communicated as Delphine alludes to the Oracle at Delphi, dolphins, a curiosity, say as an illustration to the last chapter and the Larkspur flower (also known as wild of the man with the blue jacket and yellow vest,” Delphinium), hence the title and slightly silly internal referring to Goethe’s Sorrows of Young Werther, section headings I listed above. where the young protagonist takes his own life (as Schumann had attempted to do in 1854 before “Delphine has often colored her hair blue, so the committing himself to an asylum where he died two harmony of the second movement also has slightly years later). bluesy harmonies along with highly colorful highlights. The Quartet’s Scherzo: Allegro follows the exhausting dark drama of the opening movement, though little “I’ve always loved bluegrass and music of the respite is found in this movement’s nervous and American vernacular, and wanted to write a train- biting energy other than a brief reprieve in the calm influenced, bluegrass-inspired final movement that haven of the Trio. Since this is a Scherzo in typical reminded me of that first nail-biting day my wife A—B—A form The Trio’s serenity is shattered by a and I allowed our kids to take the subway on their repeat of the first section. own. So rather than making a new arrangement of Orange Blossom Special, I found an unaccompanied Brahms’ choice of the harmonically unrelated song sung by Sam Ballard from the Lomax folk song key of for the ensuing Andante may have collection from 1934, and based the movement on been inspired by Beethoven’s identical decision in it to end the piece as a rip-roaring end to Delphine’s that composer’s C-minor , which Sonatine.” also moves into E Major as the tonal base for a touchingly beautiful slow movement. Brahms, in the

August 12, 2021 // program notes Quartet, draws upon his often not fully appreciated gifts at sublime melody and creates what has been considered a gesture of farewell to Robert’s widow Clara, an acknowledgment that Brahms and Clara could remain close friends and musical confidantes, but nothing resembling a romantic relationship.

The Finale: Allegro comodo moves relentlessly in the manner of a moto perpetuo. Despite carrying a tranquillo marking and -key ending, this is not especially happy music; clearly the 20-year- old memories of ’s death and Brahms’ deep grief still had power to color the closing movement of the . The strings weave warmly flowing melodies while the piano— the composer’s voice—quickly noodles around the keyboard in a slightly nervous and obsessive fashion that can’t obliterate lingering sadness.

Program Notes by Steven Lowe

summer festival //