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Robert HELPS AMERICAN CLASSICS (1928-2001) ROBERT HELPS Shall We Dance Piano Quartet • Postlude • Nocturne Spectrum Concerts

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Robert Helps (1928-2001) ROBERT HELPS (1928-2001) Shall We Dance • Piano Quartet • Postlude • Nocturne • The Darkened Valley (John Ireland) 1 Shall We Dance for Piano (1994) 11:09 Robert Helps was Professor of Music at the University of Minneapolis, and elsewhere. His later concerts included Piano Quartet for Piano, , and (1997) 25:55 South , Tampa, and the San Francisco memorial solo recitals of the music of renowned Conservatory of Music. He was a recipient of awards in American composer Roger Sessions at both Harvard and 2 I. Prelude 10:24 composition from the National Endowment for the Arts, Princeton Universities, an all-Ravel recital at Harvard, 3 II. Intermezzo 2:24 the Guggenheim, Ford, and many other foundations, and and a solo recital in Town Hall, NY. His final of a 1976 Academy Award from the Academy of Arts compositions include Eventually the Carousel Begins, for 4 III. Scherzo 3:02 and Letters. His orchestral piece Adagio for Orchestra, two pianos, A Mixture of Time for guitar and piano, which 5 IV. Postlude 8:12 which later became the middle movement of his had its première in San Francisco in June 1990 by Adam 6 V. Coda – The Players Gossip 1:53 Symphony No. 1, won a Fromm Foundation award and Holzman and the composer, The Altered Landscape was premièred by and the Symphony (1992) for organ solo and Shall We Dance (1994) for 7 Postlude for Horn, Violin and Piano (1964) 9:11 of the Air (formerly the NBC Symphony) at the piano solo, No. 2, and a piano quartet Metropolitan Museum of Art in City. His commissioned by the Koussevitzky Music Foundation. 8 Nocturne for (1960) 8:09 Piano Concerto No. 1 was commissioned by the Thorne He died in 2001. Music Fund and first performed by the composer with the Shall We Dance was written in 1994, after a long JOHN IRELAND (1879–1962) Conservatory orchestra. His Piano Concerto hiatus, a period of silence from the composer. It was No. 2 was commissioned through the Ford Foundation by written for the pianist Russel Sherman who gave the 9 The Darkened Valley for Piano (ca. 1919) 3:41 Richard Goode and performed by him with the Oakland world première of the piece on the 2nd of April, 1996, in (CA) Symphony. Robert Helps served as professor of the Kathryn Bache Miller Theatre at the Columbia piano at the New England Conservatory, the San University School of the Arts. Robert Helps often referred Francisco Conservatory, , Stanford to it as one of his most powerful pieces. Janine Jansen (tracks 2-8), Quinten de Roos (track 8), Violin University, the University of California at Berkeley, and He wrote: The title Shall We Dance came to me Ronald Carbone (track 8), Hartmut Rohde (tracks 2-6), Viola the Manhattan School of Music. He was artist-in- compellingly and spontaneously about half way through Frank S. Dodge, Cello residence (pianist) at the University of California-Davis in composing this piece. I never fight a title that emerges in 1973. He was recorded extensively as pianist, composer, this fashion. Despite the casual sound of the title, this is Ron Schaaper, Horn and pianist/composer on such labels as Victor, Columbia, not a flippant piece. It is, however, sensual. “Dance” Daniel Blumenthal, Piano (tracks 2-7) Composers Recordings Inc., Deutsche Grammophon, intrudes all over the place, both consciously (i.e., the Robert Helps, Piano (tracks 1 & 9) New World, Desto, Son Nova, and GM Recordings. “tune” of a Mischa Levitski waltz that my mother played Many of his compositions, including his Symphony No. 1 a lot when I was a kid) and unconsciously (i.e., American (Naumburg Award) and Gossamer Noons for voice and “popular” music – Ravel – etc.). The dance rhythm orchestra, are recorded. He was very active as a solo and disintegrates, basically self-destructs towards the climax Shall We Dance recorded live in the Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie on November 6th, 2000 pianist throughout the . His of the piece only to regenerate slowly later and proceed to major teachers were for piano, and the end. Shall We Dance pays a special homage to the Piano Quartet recorded in the Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie on April 1st, 2003 Roger Sessions for composition, and he toured pedal, that fabulous pianistic resource that only pianists Postlude recorded live in the Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie on September 16th, 2002 extensively with such internationally famous performers have, the lack of which makes even the wonderful Nocturne recorded in the Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie on January 22nd, 2003 as Bethany Beardslee, Isidore Cohen, Rudolf Kolisch, orchestral transcriptions by Ravel of his own piano works The Darkened Valley recorded live in the Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie on November 6th, 2000 Phyllis Curtin, soprano, and Aaron Copland, and for fade when compared to the original. many years performed solo and chamber works, many of The Quartet for piano, violin, viola and cello was them world premières, for internationally known chamber written in 1997 for the Sergey Koussevitzky Music Producer and Engineer: Christian Feldgen, Schalloran Tonstudio, Berlin music and contemporary music organizations in New Foundation in the Library of Congress and dedicated to York City, Chicago, , San Francisco, Boston, the memory of Sergey and Natalie Koussevitzky. The 8.559199 2 7 8.559199 559199 bk Helps US 12/01/2004 11:54 am Page 6

Frank Dodge world première took place on the 14th of December, somewhat the perception; 1997, in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. 5 a good-natured finale. The title of the movement, The cellist Frank S. Dodge is founder and artistic director of Spectrum Concerts by members of the Dunsmuir Piano Quartet. Coda – the Players Gossip, pretty well describes one Berlin. He studied with Aldo Parisot at the Yale Graduate School of Music, and after The composer wrote as follows: In music, long way of looking at it. his move to Europe in 1982 continued working with the cellists Eberhard Finke, Pierre (several movement) pieces deal with “emotions” and Fournier and Maurice Gendron. He has performed often with the “rhythm” (pacing) as does a long prose narrative (novel), The Postlude for horn, violin and piano was written Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Spain and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Frank but without the encumbrance of words (i.e., a “plot”). in 1964. It is Part III of Serenade, a series of compositions Dodge plays a cello by Antonio Casini from Modena that dates from 1676. His How music gets at us in this fashion, directly, without commissioned by the Fromm Music Foundation. musical endeavours have received international support and acknowledgement from words, how a composer can set up a mood through the use The Nocturne for string quartet was completed in the Ernst von Siemens Foundation, the Martha Baird Rockefeller Fund for Music, the of only twelve pitches, that produces a similar emotion in November of 1960. It is Part II of Serenade. Robert Helps Koussevitzky Foundation for Music, the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, the Robert practically all sensitive people listening, remains a inscribed the original score with, “for my parents”. In his Helps Music Trust, and others. He has recorded numerous twentieth-century works by mystery. The quartet, in five movements, is a bit like own note on the work he wrote: It belongs to an esoteric American composers with Spectrum Concerts Berlin for RIAS (DeutschlandRadio) looking at a piece of jewellery or a painting from five very genre of pieces that hardly ever get performed, single and RBB (Radio Berlin/Brandenburg). He has also recorded for CRI and Naxos. different angles, getting very different perceptions, but movement pieces for string quartet. I later incorporated basically just one new look each time. The titles suggest the Nocturne into a yet more apt-not-to-be-performed Ron Schaaper something of the mood content – Prelude, Intermezzo, work - a chamber music “happening” entitled Serenade, a Scherzo, Postlude and, perhaps a bit on the odd side, coda work in three movements, performable as a single work The horn player Ron Schaaper plays regularly with the Royal Orchestra in – The Players Gossip. The inspiration for this somewhat or as separate works, of which the Nocturne is the middle Amsterdam. His teachers include Peter Hoekmeijer and Richard Bissil, and he is winner of peculiar title comes from a comment made by Chopin movement. It is very much a mood piece, the mood being numerous competitions including the Princess Christina Competition in The Hague and the before the publication of his famous “Funeral March” in the tradition of the numerous Mahler and Bartók “night National Youth Horn Competition in Amsterdam. Piano Sonata No. 2. The last movement of Chopin’s music” movements which make their appearances in Sonata, the movement after the funeral march, is well these composers’ string quartets and symphonic works. It known to us by its popular sub-title “The Wind Over the is predominately a gentle movement, “night music” heard Grave”, a title probably as unknown to Chopin as from afar. It does, however, have its share of “filigree” “Moonlight Sonata” was to Beethoven. In a letter to a passage-work and an occasional “muted” climax. The friend Chopin described the last two movements of his combination of delicacy, even wistfulness, and Sonata as “a funeral march followed by a bit of gossip”. consistently high register employed in all four Keeping in mind that composers can be, and often enjoy instruments presents, I feel, an interesting performance being, a bit frivolous (verbally) about basically serious challenge. Daniel Blumenthal things (non-verbal), the “mood” of Chopin’s comment One might refer to Robert Helps at times as a soul- entered my mind after finishing the fifth movement and mate of John Ireland. Certainly Robert Helps was Daniel Blumenthal is internationally recognized as one of the leading pianists of our day. His felt peculiarly appropriate to its mood. intrigued by the beauty of John Ireland’s music, musical activities include numerous appearances with Barry Tuckwell, Pierre Amoyal and A capsule description of the mood of each movement performed it often and transcribed some of his songs for José van Dam, and he has some 75 recordings on his list of credits. He appears might read something like: solo piano. Although he was respected in his time, John internationally as a soloist and chamber musician and has been a jury member of Ireland was never as well known as some of his international competitions such as the Queen Elisabeth in Belgium. Daniel Blumenthal 1 (a piano solo movement)…Radiance, but of a contemporaries such as Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav began his musical training at the age of five in Paris; he received his doctorate from the subdued sort; Holst and Frank Bridge. This live recording of The . 2 The most ‘human’ movement – perhaps Intimacy, Darkened Valley (Walking along the darkened valley/ again of a subdued sort; With silent melancholy) was Robert Helps’ fourth and 3 at last some Speed, falling into an ABA shape, in final encore on the 6th of November, 2000, in the this case, defined as such mostly by, LOUD, soft; Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie in Berlin. 4 the return of movement no. 1, the piano being joined by the other instruments, thus altering Robert Helps and Frank Dodge 8.559199 6 3 8.559199 559199 bk Helps US 12/01/2004 11:54 am Page 4

Spectrum Concerts Berlin Quinten de Roos

Spectrum Concerts Berlin was founded by the cellist Frank S. The violinist Quinten de Roos is a member of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and the Dodge in 1988. The American composer John Harbison regards Berlin Symphony Orchestra. He was a student of Peter de Leeuw, Alexander Kerr and Spectrum as one of the most vital musical organizations in Berlin Thomas Brandis. He has attended the master classes of Lewis Kaplan, Herman Krebbers because of its commitment to introducing contemporary American and the Altenberg Trio. chamber music to Germany. Indeed, Berlin audiences and critics have been particularly responsive to Spectrum’s innovative programming, which from its inception included many twentieth and twenty-first century American chamber works in its repertoire.

Website: www.spectrumconcerts.com

From left to right: Christian Poltéra, Janine Jansen, , Janne Saksala, Annette von Hehn, Nigel Shore, Daniel Blumenthal, Lars Wouters van den Oudenweijer, Joël Waterman. Ronald Carbone

Ronald Carbone is principal violist of American Ballet Theatre Orchestra, member of the Orchestra of St Lukes and an associate member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He is Janine Jansen also a faculty member of Vassar College and the Chamber Music Conference at Bennington College. Janine Jansen was described by Berlin critics after her recital in the Spectrum Concerts Berlin series in 2002 as one of the world’s finest violinists. She has appeared notably with such orchestras and conductors as the Concertgebouw, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra of London and the Rotterdam Philharmonic, Oramo, Ashkenazy and Gergiev. She has won numerous coveted international prizes and has collaborated with musicians that include Yuri Bashmet, Julian Rachlin, , , Christian Poltéra and . The outstanding instrument that Hartmut Rohde Janine Jansen plays is the ‘Barrere’ Antonio Stradivarius, Cremona, 1727. The extended loan of this instrument is made possible by the Stradivari Society ® of Chicago and the Hartmut Rohde is a very highly respected violist in Europe. He is currently professor of Elise Mathilde Fund. Janine Jansen appears in these recordings by courtesy of the Decca viola at Berlin’s UdK, the University of Arts. He is also a member of the Kandinsky String Music Group. Trio and the Mozart Piano Quartet. He has appeared with Bruno Canino, Heinrich Schiff, David Geringas, Thomas Brandis and Roger Norrington, among others, and has recorded for Decca, Arte Nova and Dabringhaus & Grimm. His teachers include Hatto Beyerle, Walter Levin and Pinchas Zukerman. He was first prize winner of the German Music Competition, the International Academy Mozarteum in Salzburg and the Best Interpretation of Contemporary Music at the International Viola Competition Naumburg, New York.

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Spectrum Concerts Berlin Quinten de Roos

Spectrum Concerts Berlin was founded by the cellist Frank S. The violinist Quinten de Roos is a member of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and the Dodge in 1988. The American composer John Harbison regards Berlin Symphony Orchestra. He was a student of Peter de Leeuw, Alexander Kerr and Spectrum as one of the most vital musical organizations in Berlin Thomas Brandis. He has attended the master classes of Lewis Kaplan, Herman Krebbers because of its commitment to introducing contemporary American and the Altenberg Trio. chamber music to Germany. Indeed, Berlin audiences and critics have been particularly responsive to Spectrum’s innovative programming, which from its inception included many twentieth and twenty-first century American chamber works in its repertoire.

Website: www.spectrumconcerts.com

From left to right: Christian Poltéra, Janine Jansen, Julian Rachlin, Janne Saksala, Annette von Hehn, Nigel Shore, Daniel Blumenthal, Lars Wouters van den Oudenweijer, Joël Waterman. Ronald Carbone

Ronald Carbone is principal violist of American Ballet Theatre Orchestra, member of the Orchestra of St Lukes and an associate member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He is Janine Jansen also a faculty member of Vassar College and the Chamber Music Conference at Bennington College. Janine Jansen was described by Berlin critics after her recital in the Spectrum Concerts Berlin series in 2002 as one of the world’s finest violinists. She has appeared notably with such orchestras and conductors as the Concertgebouw, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra of London and the Rotterdam Philharmonic, Oramo, Ashkenazy and Gergiev. She has won numerous coveted international prizes and has collaborated with musicians that include Yuri Bashmet, Julian Rachlin, Mischa Maisky, Menahem Pressler, Christian Poltéra and Kathryn Stott. The outstanding instrument that Hartmut Rohde Janine Jansen plays is the ‘Barrere’ Antonio Stradivarius, Cremona, 1727. The extended loan of this instrument is made possible by the Stradivari Society ® of Chicago and the Hartmut Rohde is a very highly respected violist in Europe. He is currently professor of Elise Mathilde Fund. Janine Jansen appears in these recordings by courtesy of the Decca viola at Berlin’s UdK, the University of Arts. He is also a member of the Kandinsky String Music Group. Trio and the Mozart Piano Quartet. He has appeared with Bruno Canino, Heinrich Schiff, David Geringas, Thomas Brandis and Roger Norrington, among others, and has recorded for Decca, Arte Nova and Dabringhaus & Grimm. His teachers include Hatto Beyerle, Walter Levin and Pinchas Zukerman. He was first prize winner of the German Music Competition, the International Academy Mozarteum in Salzburg and the Best Interpretation of Contemporary Music at the International Viola Competition Naumburg, New York.

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Robert HELPS AMERICAN CLASSICS (1928-2001) ROBERT HELPS Shall We Dance Piano Quartet • Postlude • Nocturne Spectrum Concerts Berlin

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Frank Dodge world première took place on the 14th of December, somewhat the perception; 1997, in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. 5 a good-natured finale. The title of the movement, The cellist Frank S. Dodge is founder and artistic director of Spectrum Concerts by members of the Dunsmuir Piano Quartet. Coda – the Players Gossip, pretty well describes one Berlin. He studied with Aldo Parisot at the Yale Graduate School of Music, and after The composer wrote as follows: In music, long way of looking at it. his move to Europe in 1982 continued working with the cellists Eberhard Finke, Pierre (several movement) pieces deal with “emotions” and Fournier and Maurice Gendron. He has performed often with the Berlin Philharmonic “rhythm” (pacing) as does a long prose narrative (novel), The Postlude for horn, violin and piano was written Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Spain and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Frank but without the encumbrance of words (i.e., a “plot”). in 1964. It is Part III of Serenade, a series of compositions Dodge plays a cello by Antonio Casini from Modena that dates from 1676. His How music gets at us in this fashion, directly, without commissioned by the Fromm Music Foundation. musical endeavours have received international support and acknowledgement from words, how a composer can set up a mood through the use The Nocturne for string quartet was completed in the Ernst von Siemens Foundation, the Martha Baird Rockefeller Fund for Music, the of only twelve pitches, that produces a similar emotion in November of 1960. It is Part II of Serenade. Robert Helps Koussevitzky Foundation for Music, the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, the Robert practically all sensitive people listening, remains a inscribed the original score with, “for my parents”. In his Helps Music Trust, and others. He has recorded numerous twentieth-century works by mystery. The quartet, in five movements, is a bit like own note on the work he wrote: It belongs to an esoteric American composers with Spectrum Concerts Berlin for RIAS (DeutschlandRadio) looking at a piece of jewellery or a painting from five very genre of pieces that hardly ever get performed, single and RBB (Radio Berlin/Brandenburg). He has also recorded for CRI and Naxos. different angles, getting very different perceptions, but movement pieces for string quartet. I later incorporated basically just one new look each time. The titles suggest the Nocturne into a yet more apt-not-to-be-performed Ron Schaaper something of the mood content – Prelude, Intermezzo, work - a chamber music “happening” entitled Serenade, a Scherzo, Postlude and, perhaps a bit on the odd side, coda work in three movements, performable as a single work The horn player Ron Schaaper plays regularly with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in – The Players Gossip. The inspiration for this somewhat or as separate works, of which the Nocturne is the middle Amsterdam. His teachers include Peter Hoekmeijer and Richard Bissil, and he is winner of peculiar title comes from a comment made by Chopin movement. It is very much a mood piece, the mood being numerous competitions including the Princess Christina Competition in The Hague and the before the publication of his famous “Funeral March” in the tradition of the numerous Mahler and Bartók “night National Youth Horn Competition in Amsterdam. Piano Sonata No. 2. The last movement of Chopin’s music” movements which make their appearances in Sonata, the movement after the funeral march, is well these composers’ string quartets and symphonic works. It known to us by its popular sub-title “The Wind Over the is predominately a gentle movement, “night music” heard Grave”, a title probably as unknown to Chopin as from afar. It does, however, have its share of “filigree” “Moonlight Sonata” was to Beethoven. In a letter to a passage-work and an occasional “muted” climax. The friend Chopin described the last two movements of his combination of delicacy, even wistfulness, and Sonata as “a funeral march followed by a bit of gossip”. consistently high register employed in all four Keeping in mind that composers can be, and often enjoy instruments presents, I feel, an interesting performance being, a bit frivolous (verbally) about basically serious challenge. Daniel Blumenthal things (non-verbal), the “mood” of Chopin’s comment One might refer to Robert Helps at times as a soul- entered my mind after finishing the fifth movement and mate of John Ireland. Certainly Robert Helps was Daniel Blumenthal is internationally recognized as one of the leading pianists of our day. His felt peculiarly appropriate to its mood. intrigued by the beauty of John Ireland’s music, musical activities include numerous appearances with Barry Tuckwell, Pierre Amoyal and A capsule description of the mood of each movement performed it often and transcribed some of his songs for José van Dam, and he has some 75 recordings on his list of credits. He appears might read something like: solo piano. Although he was respected in his time, John internationally as a soloist and chamber musician and has been a jury member of Ireland was never as well known as some of his international competitions such as the Queen Elisabeth in Belgium. Daniel Blumenthal 1 (a piano solo movement)…Radiance, but of a contemporaries such as Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav began his musical training at the age of five in Paris; he received his doctorate from the subdued sort; Holst and Frank Bridge. This live recording of The Juilliard School. 2 The most ‘human’ movement – perhaps Intimacy, Darkened Valley (Walking along the darkened valley/ again of a subdued sort; With silent melancholy) was Robert Helps’ fourth and 3 at last some Speed, falling into an ABA shape, in final encore on the 6th of November, 2000, in the this case, defined as such mostly by, LOUD, soft; Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie in Berlin. 4 the return of movement no. 1, the piano being joined by the other instruments, thus altering Robert Helps and Frank Dodge 8.559199 6 3 8.559199 559199 bk Helps US 12/01/2004 11:54 am Page 2

Robert Helps (1928-2001) ROBERT HELPS (1928-2001) Shall We Dance • Piano Quartet • Postlude • Nocturne • The Darkened Valley (John Ireland) 1 Shall We Dance for Piano (1994) 11:09 Robert Helps was Professor of Music at the University of Minneapolis, and elsewhere. His later concerts included Piano Quartet for Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello (1997) 25:55 South Florida, Tampa, and the San Francisco memorial solo recitals of the music of renowned Conservatory of Music. He was a recipient of awards in American composer Roger Sessions at both Harvard and 2 I. Prelude 10:24 composition from the National Endowment for the Arts, Princeton Universities, an all-Ravel recital at Harvard, 3 II. Intermezzo 2:24 the Guggenheim, Ford, and many other foundations, and and a solo recital in Town Hall, NY. His final of a 1976 Academy Award from the Academy of Arts compositions include Eventually the Carousel Begins, for 4 III. Scherzo 3:02 and Letters. His orchestral piece Adagio for Orchestra, two pianos, A Mixture of Time for guitar and piano, which 5 IV. Postlude 8:12 which later became the middle movement of his had its première in San Francisco in June 1990 by Adam 6 V. Coda – The Players Gossip 1:53 Symphony No. 1, won a Fromm Foundation award and Holzman and the composer, The Altered Landscape was premièred by Leopold Stokowski and the Symphony (1992) for organ solo and Shall We Dance (1994) for 7 Postlude for Horn, Violin and Piano (1964) 9:11 of the Air (formerly the NBC Symphony) at the piano solo, Piano Trio No. 2, and a piano quartet Metropolitan Museum of Art in . His commissioned by the Koussevitzky Music Foundation. 8 Nocturne for String Quartet (1960) 8:09 Piano Concerto No. 1 was commissioned by the Thorne He died in 2001. Music Fund and first performed by the composer with the Shall We Dance was written in 1994, after a long JOHN IRELAND (1879–1962) Manhattan Conservatory orchestra. His Piano Concerto hiatus, a period of silence from the composer. It was No. 2 was commissioned through the Ford Foundation by written for the pianist Russel Sherman who gave the 9 The Darkened Valley for Piano (ca. 1919) 3:41 Richard Goode and performed by him with the Oakland world première of the piece on the 2nd of April, 1996, in (CA) Symphony. Robert Helps served as professor of the Kathryn Bache Miller Theatre at the Columbia piano at the New England Conservatory, the San University School of the Arts. Robert Helps often referred Francisco Conservatory, Princeton University, Stanford to it as one of his most powerful pieces. Janine Jansen (tracks 2-8), Quinten de Roos (track 8), Violin University, the University of California at Berkeley, and He wrote: The title Shall We Dance came to me Ronald Carbone (track 8), Hartmut Rohde (tracks 2-6), Viola the Manhattan School of Music. He was artist-in- compellingly and spontaneously about half way through Frank S. Dodge, Cello residence (pianist) at the University of California-Davis in composing this piece. I never fight a title that emerges in 1973. He was recorded extensively as pianist, composer, this fashion. Despite the casual sound of the title, this is Ron Schaaper, Horn and pianist/composer on such labels as Victor, Columbia, not a flippant piece. It is, however, sensual. “Dance” Daniel Blumenthal, Piano (tracks 2-7) Composers Recordings Inc., Deutsche Grammophon, intrudes all over the place, both consciously (i.e., the Robert Helps, Piano (tracks 1 & 9) New World, Desto, Son Nova, and GM Recordings. “tune” of a Mischa Levitski waltz that my mother played Many of his compositions, including his Symphony No. 1 a lot when I was a kid) and unconsciously (i.e., American (Naumburg Award) and Gossamer Noons for voice and “popular” music – Ravel – etc.). The dance rhythm orchestra, are recorded. He was very active as a solo and disintegrates, basically self-destructs towards the climax Shall We Dance recorded live in the Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie on November 6th, 2000 chamber music pianist throughout the United States. His of the piece only to regenerate slowly later and proceed to major teachers were Abby Whiteside for piano, and the end. Shall We Dance pays a special homage to the Piano Quartet recorded in the Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie on April 1st, 2003 Roger Sessions for composition, and he toured pedal, that fabulous pianistic resource that only pianists Postlude recorded live in the Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie on September 16th, 2002 extensively with such internationally famous performers have, the lack of which makes even the wonderful Nocturne recorded in the Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie on January 22nd, 2003 as Bethany Beardslee, Isidore Cohen, Rudolf Kolisch, orchestral transcriptions by Ravel of his own piano works The Darkened Valley recorded live in the Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie on November 6th, 2000 Phyllis Curtin, soprano, and Aaron Copland, and for fade when compared to the original. many years performed solo and chamber works, many of The Quartet for piano, violin, viola and cello was them world premières, for internationally known chamber written in 1997 for the Sergey Koussevitzky Music Producer and Engineer: Christian Feldgen, Schalloran Tonstudio, Berlin music and contemporary music organizations in New Foundation in the Library of Congress and dedicated to York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, the memory of Sergey and Natalie Koussevitzky. The 8.559199 2 7 8.559199 559199 rr Helps US 12/01/2004 11:55 am Page 1

CMYK N Playing Robert AXOS Time: 58:04 HELPS (1928-2001) 8.559199 h broadcasting and copying of this compact disc prohibited. translations reserved. Unauthorised public performance, All rights in this sound recording, artwork, texts and

& AMERICAN CLASSICS g 1 Shall We Dance for Piano (1994) 11:09 2004 Naxos Rights International Ltd. • Made in Canada Piano Quartet As a concert pianist, Robert Helps for Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello (1997) 25:55 performed with conductors such as Pierre Monteux; as one of America’s 2 I. Prelude 10:24 most remarkable composers, he had

3 HELPS: Shall We Dance II. Intermezzo 2:24 his First Symphony premièred by 4 III. Scherzo 3:02 Leopold Stokowski and the San 5 IV. Postlude 8:12 Francisco Symphony. Robert Helps 6 V. Coda – The Players Gossip 1:53 came to Berlin for the first time in 7 Postlude for Horn, Violin and Piano (1964) 9:11 1997 and again in 2000, where a new 8 Nocturne for String Quartet (1960) 8:09 audience, similar to the one he has in John IRELAND (1879–1962) America, came deeply to admire his music, his piano playing and his 9 The Darkened Valley for Piano (ca. 1919) 3:41 presence. His Nocturne for String Quartet was performed on the opening program of Spectrum Frank S. Dodge, Artistic Director Concerts Berlin on January 22nd, 1988. The release of this CD was made possible with the generous HELPS: Shall We Dance We HELPS: Shall DDD Janine Jansen (tracks 2-8), Quinten de Roos (track 8), Violin support of the Aaron Copland Fund Ronald Carbone (track 8), Hartmut Rohde (tracks 2-6), Viola for Music, Inc. and the Robert Helps Frank S. Dodge, Cello Music Trust. Ron Schaaper, Horn Daniel Blumenthal, Piano (tracks 2-7) 8.559199 Robert Helps, Piano (tracks 1 & 9) Booklet notes in English Producer and Engineer: Christian Feldgen, 8.559199 Schalloran Tonstudio, Berlin www. Booklet notes: Robert Helps, Frank Dodge naxos.com Full recording details can be found on page 7 of the booklet Cover Painting: “Dancer” by Alan Magee © 2003 AXOS

N American flag, folk artist, 1880s.