DOCSLIB.ORG

Meghan Henson

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Meghan Henson Sunday, June 4, 2017 • 4:00 p.m ​ Meghan Henson Graduate Recital DePaul Recital Hall 804 West Belden Avenue • Chicago Sunday, June 4, 2017 • 4:00 p.m. ​ DePaul Recital Hall Meghan Henson, violin Graduate Recital Beilin Han, piano PROGRAM Paul Hindemith (1895-1963) Violin Sonata in C Major (1939) Lebhaft Langsam - Lebhaft - Langsam, wie zuerst Fuge: Ruhig bewegt Beilin Han, piano Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Violin Sonata in A Major, D. 574, “Grand Duo” (1817) Allegro moderato Scherzo. Presto Andantino Allegro vivace Beilin Han, piano Meghan Henson • June 4, 2017 Program Richard Wagner (1813-1883); arr. by August Wilhelmj Albumblatt: Romanze, WWV. 94 Beilin Han, piano Claude Debussy (1862-1918); arr. by Jascha Heifetz Golliwog’s Cakewalk Beilin Han, piano Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938); arr. by Jascha Heifetz Alt Wien, No. 11 from Triakontameron Beilin Han, piano Meghan Henson is from the studio of Olga Dubossarskaya Kaler. This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of the degree Master of Music. As a courtesy to those around you, please silence all cell phones and other electronic devices. Flash photography is not permitted. Thank you. Meghan Henson • June 4, 2017 PROGRAM NOTES Paul Hindemith (1895-1963) Violin Sonata in C Major (1939) Duration: 14 minutes After the performance of his third Violin Sonata in E-flat Major in 1936, Hindemith was condemned by the Nazi regime and fled Germany for Switzerland. It was during this period of exile that he composed his fourth and final Violin Sonata in C Major, completing the work only one year before his arrival to America. This sonata is a fitting example of Hindemith’s compositional philosophy, which freely utilizes all twelve musical pitches without centering on a specific scale. The music remains tonal, but answers to a hierarchy of intervals ranked by dissonance in Hindemith’s The Craft of Musical Composition, a theoretical work begun ​ ​ in the 1930s that described his stylistic techniques. Melody is also embraced in this style, but the outlining of major and minor triads is avoided. The first movement, Lebhaft, opens with an aggressive fanfare-like theme shared by the violin and piano. This theme acts as an opening “cell” upon which Hindemith constructs the remainder of the movement. The Langsam-Lebhaft-Langsam references a canon, with the instruments in imitation of one another and the outer two sections derived from the same material. In contrast, the middle Lebhaft sustains a playful, lilting dance-like quality despite its unusual metric division. The final movement is a three-voice Fuge, where Hindemith displays his powers of contrapuntal technique combined with a unique treatment of dissonance and melody. It is a movement packed with gesture and color that culminates in an imposing climax. Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Violin Sonata in A Major, D. 574, “Grand Duo” (1817) Duration: 20 minutes Although Schubert composed his Violin Sonata in A Major at the age of twenty, the work did not receive its public premiere until 1864, some 36 years after his death. The nickname “Grand Duo” was added posthumously by Schubert’s publisher, likely to separate it from his previous set of sonatas for violin and piano. However the moniker “Grand Duo” is a just one; the sonata is more expansive Meghan Henson • June 4, 2017 Program Notes than his earlier set, with a demanding dialogue that puts the violin and piano on equal footing. Primarily a song composer, Schubert was also a great admirer of his contemporary Beethoven. His influence can be seen in the rhythmic and harmonic drama of the “Grand Duo” Sonata, as well as in the thematic link between movements. There is also Schubert’s choice to insert a lively Scherzo after the first movement - a format typical of Beethoven’s sonatas. Yet, it in the end it is the sweeping lyricism of the “Grand Duo” that captivates performers and audiences alike. Its graceful, intimate melodies capture the vocal qualities of the instrument, soaring between violin and piano to create music of great elegance and charm. Richard Wagner (1813-1883); arr. by August Wilhelmj Albumblatt: Romanze, WWV. 94 Duration: 5 minutes Albumblatt, or “Album Leaf” was a popular term among nineteenth century composers for a short expressive work, typically written for the piano. It was common for the piece to carry a dedication to a friend or loved one, composed as a gift or intended to be transcribed or inserted into another’s album (a concept similar to a scrapbook). This Romanze comes from the album of Pauline von Metternich, a Viennese socialite known for her great charm and staunch support for the works of Richard Wagner and Bedřich Smetana. Originally composed for ​ solo piano, it was arranged by German violinist August Wilhelmj, a personal friend of Wagner’s. An arrangement for cello and piano, edited by David Popper, also exists. ​ The Romanze is short in length but relentlessly passionate; following a brief piano introduction, the violin sings unhindered until the final beat. It is reminiscent of Wagner’s operatic writing, with an endless melody that is constantly building and moving forward. While the exact date of the arrangement is unknown, Wagner composed this Albumblatt 1861, with Wilhelmj’s version first published by E.W. Fritzsch in 1873. Meghan Henson • June 4, 2017 Program Notes Claude Debussy (1862-1918); arr. by Jascha Heifetz Golliwog’s Cakewalk Duration: 3 minutes Golliwog’s Cakewalk is the sixth and final movement of Debussy’s intimate suite for piano, the Children’s Corner, a set composed between 1906-1908 to ​ ​ commemorate the birth of his daughter, Claude-Emma. It is dedicated to her with a “father’s loving apologies for what follows.” Golliwog’s Cakewalk is perhaps the best known of the set, comically combining inspiration from the golliwog, cakewalk, ragtime, and the music of Richard Wagner. “Golliwog” refers to a fictional rag doll created by American author and cartoonist Florence Kate Upton. The doll was the protagonist of her immensely popular children’s books published between 1894 and 1909. The cakewalk developed from a pre-Civil War American dance in which plantation slaves danced “as in mimicry of the white man’s attitudes and manners.” Perhaps blind to the mockery, plantation owners judged the competition, awarding an elaborately decorated cake to the winning couple. The American phrase “takes the cake” derives from this practice. March-like beats and dotted rhythms create a charming effect inspired by American ragtime and jazz, all which paint a comic scene of the Golliwog doll’s clumsy dance. The middle section also parodies the opening phrase of Tristan and Isolde, a brazen ​ ​ choice given the anti-Wagnerian sentiment in France at that time. Once an admirer of Wagner, Debussy had become ardently nationalistic by the turn of the century, and to contemporary audiences this grotesque parody would have been heard as a jeer to the German Romantic. It is unknown when Jascha Heifetz transcribed this melody for violin and piano, but it was first published by Durand in 1942 (Paris). Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938); arr. by Jascha Heifetz (1931) Alt Wien (Old Vienna), No. 11 from Triakontameron Duration: 3 minutes A virtuoso pianist, Godowsky composed Triakontameron in thirty days - one piece ​ ​ per day to create a suite of thirty works. The collection carries the inscription “30 Moods and Scenes in Triple Measure,” and was inspired by Giovanni Boccaccio’s 14th century work The Decameron. The literary masterpiece contains one hundred ​ ​ Meghan Henson • June 4, 2017 Program Notes stories as told by a group of young men and women escaping the Black Plague outside of Florence, Italy. The tales range from those of love and tragedy to ones of wit, jest, and daily living. Triakontameron follows this pattern, presenting a broad ​ ​ spectrum of musical scenes depicting various cities, cultures, and personas. Some examples of Godowsky’s selection of moods and places include “Ethiopian Serenade” (No. 12), “The Temptress” (No. 15), “A Little Tango Rag” (No. 19), and “The Salon” (No. 21). “Alt Wien,” one of the most popular of the set, carries the subtitle “Whose yesterdays look backwards with a smile through tears.” It is a melancholic waltz that reminisces on the bygone glory of Old Vienna, conjuring imagery of previous elegance before the economic and political aftermath of World War I. Violinist Jascha Heifetz transcribed this gem for violin and piano in March of 1931, and it was first published by Carl Fischer in 1932 (New York). Notes by Meghan Henson. 804 West Belden Avenue Chicago, IL 60614 773.325.7260 music.depaul.edu.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Thejoy That Comes with Music
    (I Jnfernafionaf JlJRJ8Jl SEND IN YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR RECUTTING BY NICK JARRETT Mieczyslaw Manz, 75, Is Dead; I know many of us have a pet roll or rolls we would A Concert Pianist and Teacher like to see recut. I took this matter up with . Mieczyslaw Munz, a fonner major, the Brahms concerto in Elwood Hansen, owner of the plant at Turlock. He concert pianist who appeared D minor and the Franck Sym­ assured me that there is no exclusive contract to ~ith many of the.world's lead- phonic Variations. prevent such a project, and suggested that I might 109 orchestras, di~ yesterday Mr Munz made his solo of a heart attack 10 an ambu-' . co-ordinate requests from the membership. Please lance as he was being taken to debut at Aeoli:an, Hall 10 New write and let me know what ~ would like. hospital from his home at the York on Oct. 20, 1922. The Ten Park Avenue Hotel. He New York Times review called was 75 years old. him "an absorbed artist, under It has been suggested that special attention be Mr. Munz, who taught at the whose hands mere tricks and given to the type of rolls that seldom appear on Juilliard School for 12 years, graces of piano playm'.. fall was scheduled to return to the . • lists of recuts: PIANO music played by the great Juilliard School next month, away as chips from the sculp- artists of the reproducing piano's heyday. This is after a sabbatical year of teach- tor's chisel, wbliIe he lays ~are iing at Giebel University in the larger curves of sustamed not an attempt to put AMR or Klavier out of business, Tokyo.
    [Show full text]
  • Review of “22 Chopin Studies” by Leopold Godowsky by OPUS KLASSIEK , Published on 25 February 2013
    Review of “22 Chopin Studies” by Leopold Godowsky by OPUS KLASSIEK , published on 25 February 2013 Leopold Godowsky (Zasliai, Litouwen 1870 - New York 1938) was sailing with the tide around 1900: the artistic and culturally rich turn of the century was a golden age for pianists. They were given plenty of opportunities to expose their pianistic and composing virtuosity (if they didn't demand the opportunities outright), both on concert stages as well as in the many music salons of the wealthy. Think about such giants as Anton Rubinstein, Jan Paderewski, Josef Hoffmann, Theodor Leschetizky, Vladimir Horowitz, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Ferruccio Busoni and Ignaz Friedman. The era of that other great piano virtuoso, Franz Liszt, was actually not even properly past. Liszt, after all, only returned from his last, very successful, but long and exhausting concert tour in the summer of 1886. The tour, through England and France, most likely did him in. (He died shortly afterwards, on the 31st of July 1886, at the age of seventy-four). Leopold Godowsky Godowsky's contemporaries called him the 'Buddha' of the piano, and he left a legacy of more than four hundred compositions, which make it crystal-clear that he knew the piano inside and out. Even more impressive, he shows in his compositions that as far as the technique of playing he had more mastery than his great contemporary Rachmaninoff, which clearly means something! It was by the way the very same Rachmaninoff who saw in Godowsky the only musician that made a lasting contribution to the development of the piano.
    [Show full text]
  • Godowsky6 30/06/2003 11:53 Page 8
    225187 bk Godowsky6 30/06/2003 11:53 Page 8 Claudius zugeschriebenen Gedichts. Litanei, Robert Braun gewidmet, nach der DDD In Wohin?, dessen Widmungsträger Sergej Vertonung eines Gedichts von Johann Georg Jacobi, ist Rachmaninow ist, bearbeitet Godowsky das zweite Lied ein Gebet für den Seelenfrieden der Verstorbenen. Das Leopold 8.225187 der Schönen Müllerin, in dem der junge Müllersbursche Originallied und die Transkription sind von einer den Bach hört, dessen sanftes Rauschen, in der Stimmung inneren Friedens durchzogen. Klavierfassung eingefangen, ihn aufzufordern scheint, Godowskys Schubert-Transkriptionen enden mit GODOWSKY seine Reise fortzusetzen, doch wohin? einem Konzertarrangement der Ballettmusik zu Die junge Nonne, David Saperton gewidmet, Rosamunde aus dem Jahr 1923 und der Bearbeitung des basiert auf der Vertonung eines Gedichts von Jacob dritten Moment musical op. 94 von 1922. Schubert Transcriptions Nicolaus Craigher. Die junge Nonne kontrastiert den in der Natur brausenden Sturm mit dem Frieden und Keith Anderson Wohin? • Wiegenlied • Die Forelle • Das Wandern • Passacaglia ewigen Lohn des religiösen Lebens. Deutsche Fassung: Bernd Delfs Konstantin Scherbakov, Piano 8.225187 8 225187 bk Godowsky6 30/06/2003 11:53 Page 2 Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938) für 44 Variationen in der traditionellen barocken Form, Godowsky jede Strophe des Original-Lieds. Piano Music Volume 6: Schubert Transcriptions zu denen u.a. auch eine gelungene Anspielung auf den Das Wandern ist das erste Lied des Zyklus Die Erlkönig zählt. Die Variationen, in denen das Thema in schöne Müllerin, in dem der junge Müllersbursche seine The great Polish-American pianist Leopold Godowsky of Saint-Saëns, Godowsky transcribed for piano his unterschiedlichen Gestalten und Registern zurückkehrt, Wanderung beginnt.
    [Show full text]
  • Pianist, Committed to Liberty, the Lithuanian Gives New Life, with Delicacy and Gravity, to Works Neglected by Posterity
    Again, great piano. Diapason, 04.2021 • more Rubackytė infuses this monster with sonic delight, an art of great line and a delightful slaughter.. Philippe Cassard, Nouvel Observateur, 02.2021 • more A virtuoso pianist, committed to liberty, the Lithuanian gives new life, with delicacy and gravity, to works neglected by posterity. “Sophie Bourdais, Télérama, 02.2021 • more Mūza Rubackytė Pianist Biography Awards Albums Book release Concert Salle Gaveau ... Biography Mūza Rubackytė, Pianist rom Liszt’s 24 Etudes to Shostakovich’s 24 In 2009 Mūza created the Vilnius International Piano preludes and fugues, from the complete Festival of which she is the artistic director. For this Years of Pilgrimage of Liszt to the works for achievement, the City of Vilnius honours her with its F highest decoration: the Saint Christopher Award for piano from Čiurlionis, Mūza meets all challenges with elegance and commitment. the best cultural event. In 2020 Mūza payed tribute, both on stage and on Mūza was born in Lithuania and lives between Paris, record, to her compatriot the pianist and composer Vilnius and Geneva. Leopold Godowsky, on the occasion of the 150th an- After her studies at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in niversary of his birth near Vilnius. In the 20th century Moscow, she was a laureate of the famous “All Union many “Litvak” (Lithuanian Jews) went into exile, like competition” in St. Petersburg, which elected the best Godowsky, who died in New York in 1938. musicians of the USSR, and then of the Grand Prix of The repertoire of Mūza includes more than forty pro- the Budapest Liszt-Bartók International Piano Compe- grams in recital, concerto with orchestra or chamber tition.
    [Show full text]
  • « Leopold Godowsky's Fifty-Three Studies on Chopin's Études »
    « Leopold Godowsky’s Fifty-Three Studies on Chopin’s Études » by « Younggun Kim » A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of « Doctor of Musical Arts » « Graduate Department of Music » University of Toronto © Copyright by « Younggun Kim » « 2017 » Leopold Godowsky’s Fifty-Three Studies on Chopin’s Études Younggun Kim Doctor of Musical Arts Graduate Department of Music University of Toronto 2017 Abstract Leopold Godowsky (1870-1937) composed works that require pianistic fluency of an exceptional order, including fifty-three Studies based on twenty-six of Frédéric Chopin’s twenty-seven Études. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the significance of these Studies and to reveal the compositional techniques that Godowsky used to create them. This dissertation consists of a foreword and seven chapters. The foreword describes the unique position that Godowsky’s Studies occupy in the piano literature and argues that they deserve further scholarly research. Chapter one discusses Godowsky’s life and the composition of the Studies, and it provides a review of relevant literature. Chapter two is divided into ii two sections. The first section proposes five compositional techniques that are used to create the Studies: switch, condensation, superimposition/addition, reconstruction and merging. The second section examines Godowsky’s classification of the Studies into five categories: Strict Transcriptions, Free Transcriptions, Cantus Firmus Versions, Versions in Form of Variations and Metamorphoses. Chapters three, four and five are case studies of selected Studies, arranged by the compositional techniques presented in Chapter two. Chapter three deals with Studies that are composed using switch, superimposition/addition and merging technique.
    [Show full text]
  • Rachmaninoff and the Flexibility of the Score: Issues Regarding Performance Practice
    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 9-2018 Rachmaninoff and the Flexibility of the Score: Issues Regarding Performance Practice Tanya Gabrielian The Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2762 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] RACHMANINOFF AND THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE SCORE: ISSUES REGARDING PERFORMANCE PRACTICE by TANYA GABRIELIAN A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts, The City University of New York 2018 Ó 2018 TANYA GABRIELIAN All Rights Reserved ii Rachmaninoff and the Flexibility of the Score: Issues Regarding Performance Practice by Tanya Gabrielian This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Music in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts. Date Anne Swartz Chair of Examining Committee Date Norman Carey Executive Officer Supervisory Committee: Geoffrey Burleson Sylvia Kahan Ursula Oppens THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii ABSTRACT Rachmaninoff and the Flexibility of the Score: Issues Regarding Performance Practice by Tanya Gabrielian Advisor: Geoffrey Burleson Sergei Rachmaninoff’s piano music is a staple of piano literature, but academia has been slower to embrace his works. Because he continued to compose firmly in the Romantic tradition at a time when Debussy, Stravinsky, and Schoenberg variously represented the vanguard of composition, Rachmaninoff’s popularity has consequently not been as robust in the musicological community.
    [Show full text]
  • The Interval Dissonance Rate in Chopin's Études Op. 10, Nos
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 5-22-2018 The nI terval Dissonance Rate in Chopin’s Études Op. 10, Nos. 1-4: Dissecting Arpeggiation, Chromaticism, and Linear Progressions Nikita Mamedov Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Music Theory Commons Recommended Citation Mamedov, Nikita, "The nI terval Dissonance Rate in Chopin’s Études Op. 10, Nos. 1-4: Dissecting Arpeggiation, Chromaticism, and Linear Progressions" (2018). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 4588. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/4588 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. THE INTERVAL DISSONANCE RATE IN CHOPIN’S ÉTUDES OP. 10, NOS. 1-4: DISSECTING ARPEGGIATION, CHROMATICISM, AND LINEAR PROGRESSIONS A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in School of Music by Nikita Mamedov B.M., Rider University, 2013 M.M., Rider University, 2014 August 2018 PREFACE This dissertation has been submitted to fulfill the graduation requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Louisiana State University. This study was conducted under the supervision of Professor Robert Peck in the Music Theory Area. I began my initial research for this project in the summer of 2016.
    [Show full text]
  • Producing Evidence for the Beatification of a Composer: Sorabji’S Deijication of Busoni’
    Producing Evidence for the Beatification of a Composer: Sorabji’s DeiJication of Busoni’ BY MARC-ANDRÉ ROBERGE There has been in recent years an upsurge of interest in the music of a number of nineteenth and twentieth-century composer-pianists who have long been considered outsiders in European music history, such as Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813-88), Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924), Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938) and Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (1892-1988). Their status as outsiders resulted mainly from the length and complexity of several of their works and from the lack of clear boundaries between original composition and transcription, in which they had a marked interest. Their works, even though they still appear but rarely on concert programmes, are now performed with increasing frequency. First editions or reprints of their music are issued with some regularity, as are books and articles; furthermore, several enterprising pianists are now recording interesting works and masterpieces long kept in the shadow for lack of suitable performers. As I have shown elsewhere,* all these composers are part of an extensive “Busoni network”, i.e. a group of composers and performers who can be linked in one or more ways to Busoni and, to a lesser extent, to Sorabji: they had studied with Busoni or with one of his pupils; they had performed works by Busoni or Sorabji; they had written about either composer; they had transcribed or edited one or more of their works; finally, they incorporated quotations from their works into their own compositions or used them as models. To this core group of (mostly English- speaking) composers could be added numerous editors, musicologists and writers (also mostly English-speaking) as well as friends and disciples of the composers of the network.
    [Show full text]
  • C:\Faili\DARBI\Daugavpils UNIVERSITATE\Konferences Un
    Daugavpils University Vytautas Magnus University Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre MUSIC SCIENCE TODAY: THE PERMANENT AND THE CHANGEABLE Scientific Papers M˚zikas zin‚tne odien: past‚vÓgais un mainÓgais Zin‚tnisko rakstu kr‚jums 2 (10) DAUGAVPILS UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC PRESS SAULE 2018 Daugulis «., Ed. Music Science Today: the Permanent and the Changeable No 2 (10). Scientific Papers. Daugavpils: Daugavpils University Academic Press Saule, 2018. 182 p. Editor-in-chief Dr. art., prof. «valds Daugulis, Daugavpils University, Latvia Associate Editor Dr. art., prof. Baiba Jaunslaviete, J‚zeps VÓtols Latvian Academy of Music, Latvia Editorial Board Dr. hab. art., prof. Leonidas Melnikas, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, Lithuania Dr. art., prof. Baiba Jaunslaviete, J‚zeps VÓtols Latvian Academy of Music, Latvia Dr. hab. art., prof. Georgs PelÁcis, J‚zeps VÓtols Latvian Academy of Music, Latvia Dr. hab. art., prof. Tatjana Mdivani, Institute of Study of Arts, Ethnography and Folklore, National Academy of Science, Belarus Dr. phil., prof. M‚rtiÚ Boiko, J‚zeps VÓtols Latvian Academy of Music, Latvia Dr. hab. art., prof. Romualdas ApanaviËius, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania Dr. art., prof. «valds Daugulis, Daugavpils University, Latvia Dr. art., prof. JeÔena œebedeva, J‚zeps VÓtols Latvian Academy of Music, Latvia Dr. art., prof. Juozas AntanaviËius, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, Lithuania Dr. art., prof. Lolita F˚rmane, J‚zeps VÓtols Latvian Academy of Music, Latvia Dr. phil., prof. Christoph Flamm, Saarland University, Germany Dr. phil., prof. Vladimir Konecni, University of California, San Diego, USA Dr. phil., doc. Denis Collins, University of Queensland, Australia Dr. art., prof. J‚nis KudiÚ, J‚zeps VÓtols Latvian Academy of Music, Latvia Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • The Busoni Network and the Art of Creative Transcription*
    THE BUSONI NETWORK AND THE ART OF CREATIVE TRANSCRIPTION* Marc-André Roberge Recent research in the field of early twentieth-century music and musical life in Germany and Austria has shown that Schoenberg, Webern, and Berg were not 8 active in a$ vacuum but part of a wider cultural context which included composers such as (to mention only two names) Alexander Zemlinsky and Franz Schreker, and that this group of composers had links with numerous artists and writers.’ It is now possible to see them in a much wider perspective or, in other words, as part of a network. This idea can also be applied to a number of fascinating figures of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries whose music, for a variety of reasons, has long been neglected: namely, Liszt, Alkan, Busoni, Godowsky, and Sorabji-al1 of them, except for Sorabji, keyboard giants.* Their contribution has been progressively rediscovered (or even discovered) in the last twenty years or so, as is evident in the explosion in the field of literature and discography.An indication of the existence of links between these composers is that, in most cases, anyone Who plays, writes about, or simply listens to the music of one of these composers has also a strong interest in the music of the others. This would probably not be the case if they were not part of one and the same “family” of artists. It is the purpose of this article to draw attention to the fact that a number of major figures in the history of piano music and transcription since the 1850s form a closely knit group, even though they may appear to many people to be isolated eccentrics Who distinguish themselves by works which, in terms of length and virtuosity, often go far beyond anything in the standard repertoire and which, for these reasons, have remained the province of a few enterprising artists.
    [Show full text]
  • Perpetuated Genius
    VERGE 3 Grasso 1 Perpetuated Genius An Exploration of the Bach Legacy through Transcriptions by Franz Liszt, Ferruccio Busoni, and Leopold Godowsky Eliot Grasso © 2005 VERGE 3 Grasso 2 “‘Notation’ (‘writing down’) brings up the subject of Transcription, nowadays a term much misunderstood, almost discreditable. The frequent antagonism which I have excited with ‘transcriptions’, and the opposition to which an oftimes irrational criticism has provoked me, caused me to seek clear understanding of this point. My final conclusion is this: Every notation is, in itself, a transcription of an abstract idea. The instant the pen seizes it, the idea loses its original form.” - Ferruccio Busoni in A New Esthetic of Music (1907) Johann Sebastian Bach, more than any other composer in the sphere of Western art music, has reached what can only be described as the apex of musical immortality. Even during Bach’s lifetime, in an era when travel and communication came at a premium, he was known throughout Germany as an organist of the highest caliber and a consummate composer. Simply put, Bach was a genius, and the music which poured forth from his being can be judged only as such. It is genuine, unique, and above all brilliant, yet it was composed in modesty. Any hint of the pretentious, conceited or tawdry can scarcely be found among the works that bear his name. It is the music of Bach that has been rediscovered, revived, and exalted for the past 250 years. The work of a mere talent hardly enjoys such a phenomenon. One mark of genius is the facility with which a composer’s music is integrated into what is understood to be “classic” or “classical” repertoire.
    [Show full text]
  • Kaikhosru Sorabji's Rapsodie Espagnole De
    KAIKHOSRU SORABJI’S RAPSODIE ESPAGNOLE DE MAURICE RAVEL-TRANSCRIPTION DE CONCERT POUR PIANO: A COMPARISON OF THE TWO VERSIONS FROM 1923 AND 1945 Fang Yi Chu, B.M., M.M. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS December 201 8 APPROVED: Gustavo Romero, Major Professor Elvia Puccinelli, Committee Member Pamela Paul, Committee Member Steven Harlos, Chair of the Division of Keyboard Studies Felix Olschofka, Interim Director of Graduate Studies of the College of Music John W. Richmond, Dean of the College of Music Victor Prybutok, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Chu, Fang Yi. Kaikhosru Sorabji’s Rapsodie Espagnole de Maurice Ravel-Transcription de concert pour piano: A Comparison of the Two Versions from 1923 and 1945. Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance), December 2018, 47 pp., 36 musical examples, bibliography, 34 titles. Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (1892-1988) was an English composer-pianist of Parsi descent. Although he composed many works for piano, these compositions remain largely unknown to the public due to the composer's self-imposed 40-year ban on public performances of all his works and the immense technical difficulty of his music. This research proposes a comparative study of Sorabji's two versions of Rapsodie espagnole de Maurice Ravel- Transcription de concert pour piano (1923, 1945). These transcriptions are based on Ravel's orchestral work and are different in terms of the style of their arrangements: the 1923 version is more of a literal transcription, whereas the 1945 version has been expanded upon the former. This dissertation compares the differences between the two versions, as well as identifying how Sorabji infused his own style into the 1945 transcription.
    [Show full text]