Sebastian Knauer, player. He had his own opera, spoken Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor, K. 457 theatre, marionette theatre, church music, (1784) piano and chamber music. Haydn had his hands Approx. performance time: 18 mins. full: he composed, he had to conduct all SMF performance history: 4/02/18, 4/02/12 the music, help with the rehearsals, give Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in MONDAY, APRIL 6, 11 AM lessons and even tune his own keyboard TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Salzburg, Austria, on January 27, 1756, and died instrument in the orchestra. He often in Vienna, Austria, on December 5, 1791. wondered how it had been possible for him NOTES BY KEN MELTZER to compose as much music as he did when Although Mozart’s life was brief, he had an he was forced to lose so many hours in extended and celebrated career, both as purely mechanical tasks. composer and pianist. By the age of 5, Mozart FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN (1732–1809) was writing music, and by the age of 6, he was Haydn composed his Piano Sonata in C minor Piano Sonata No. 33 in C minor, Hob. concertizing throughout Europe. XVI:20 (1771) (his only such work in that key) in 1771. The I. Moderato Sonata was not published until 1880, part Mozart’s contemporaries were virtually unanimous II. Andante con moto of a set of six that Haydn dedicated to the in their praise of his brilliance as a keyboard III. Finale. Allegro Auenbrugger sisters, fine amateur pianists. artist. Muzio Clementi (1752-1832), one of the These Sonatas were the first of Haydn’s works greatest pianists of his time, saw Mozart perform: WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791) to be published by the Vienna firm of Artaria “Until then, I had never heard anyone play with Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor, K. 457 & Co. Artaria would go on to publish many of so much spirit and grace.” Tenor Michael Kelly (1784) Haydn’s compositions. wrote: “His feeling, the rapidity of his fingers, I. Molto Allegro the great execution and strength of his left hand The late 1760s and 1770s were among the II. Adagio particularly, and the apparent inspiration of his most prolific and creative of Haydn’s Esterházy III. Allegro assai modulations astounded me.” In addition to his tenure. These years coincide with the Sturm und pristine technique and musicality, a key element 12 Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je Drang (“Storm and Stress”) literary movement of Mozart’s keyboard artistry was his flawless maman,” K. 265/300e (ca. 1781–2) that was sweeping throughout Germany. legato—the immaculate binding of one note to During that period, Haydn composed several the next. Mozart’s favorite phrase to describe his EDVARD GRIEG (1843–1907) works in the spirit of the Sturm und Drang legato playing was that it “flowed like oil.” Holberg Suite, Opus 40 (1884) movement, featuring minor keys, pervasive and IV. Air restless energy, startling dynamic contrasts Mozart had very strong opinions about keyboard FELIX MENDELSSOHN (1809–1847) and frequent, dramatic pauses. The Sonata in performance, and was not hesitant to express Variations sérieuses, Opus 54 (1841) C minor is a sterling example of Haydn’s Sturm them. Mozart had no patience for pianists who und Drang music. fudged difficult passages. Once, Mozart sent a group of piano sonatas to his sister, Nannerl. I. Moderato—The Sonata opens with the Piano Sonata No. 33 in C minor, Hob. Mozart encouraged her “to play them with plenty first principal theme, laden with pathos. Two XVI:20 (1771) of expression, taste, and fire, and to learn them major-key themes follow; the first elegant, by heart.” But most importantly, Mozart wrote, Franz Joseph Haydn was born in Rohrau, the second, more playful. The development they must be played “with the proper precision.” Austria, on March 31, 1732, and died in Vienna, begins in understated fashion, but soon Austria, on May 31, 1809. acquires considerable energy. The concluding While in Mannheim in the autumn of 1777, Approx. performance time: 17 mins. recapitulation presents all of the principal Mozart heard the young pianist Rosa Cannabich, SMF performance history: SMF premiere themes in the minor key. daughter of composer Christian Cannabich. Mozart wrote to his father, Leopold: In 1761, Franz Joseph Haydn began his years of II. Andante con moto— The Sonata’s slow- service to the court of the Hungarian Esterházy tempo movement, in triple meter and in the If I were her regular teacher, I would lock family. At the time, the Kapellmeister of the key of A-flat Major, opens with a flowing, up all her music, cover the keys with a Esterházy court was the Austrian composer, embellished melody. The Andante is notable handkerchief, and make her practice, first Gregor Joseph Werner. Haydn was Vice- throughout for its introspective lyricism, and with the right hand and then with the left, Kapellmeister of the Esterházy court until use of right versus left hand effects. nothing but passages, trills, mordents, Werner’s death in 1766. From then until 1790, and so forth, very slowly at first, until each III. Finale. Allegro— The Finale (Allegro) Haydn served as Kapellmeister to the ruling hand should be thoroughly trained. I would returns to the home key of C minor. The terse Prince Nikolaus Esterházy. then undertake to turn her into a first-rate descending principal theme serves as the basis clavierist. Haydn’s contemporary biographer, G. A. for numerous virtuoso passages, bringing the Griesinger, described Prince Nikolaus as: Sonata to a dramatic conclusion. Mozart also firmly believed that a pianist should employ as little extraneous movement an educated connoisseur and a passionate as possible. In 1777, Mozart visited the home lover of music, and also a good violin SAVANNAH MUSIC FESTIVAL savannahmusicfestival.org MARCH 26–APRIL 11, 2020 of the famous Augsburg piano maker, Johann melody both alternates with other episodes and, Air from Holberg Suite, Opus 40 (1884) Andreas Stein. Mozart watched Stein’s daughter, upon each reappearance, undergoes elaborate Edvard Grieg was born in Bergen, Norway, on Nanette, perform at the piano. Mozart wrote to transformations. The Adagio’s hushed lyricism is June 15, 1843, and died there on September 4, his father, Leopold: maintained to the closing bars. 1907. Anyone who sees and hears (Nanette Stein) III. Allegro assai—The finale is also in rondo Approx. performance time: 6 mins. play and can keep from laughing, must, like form. Set in 3/4 time, the finale’s principal theme SMF performance history: SMF premiere her father, be made of stone (“stein” is the is a minuet tinged with melancholy, juxtaposing Edvard Grieg wrote his Holberg Suite as part of German word for “stone”). For instead of the voices of the right and left hand. Here, the celebrations commemorating the bicentennial sitting in the middle of the clavier, she sits Mozart reverses the sequence of the opening of the birth of the Norwegian writer, Ludvig right up opposite the treble (i.e., the right movement, as the hushed opening confronts Holberg (1684-1754). Considered the father of portion of the keyboard), as it gives her a stark, forte reply. The theme alternates with Scandinavian literature, Holberg was often called more chance of flopping around and making contrasting episodes. Frequent pauses add to “the Molière of the North.” Like Grieg, Holberg grimaces. She rolls her eyes and smirks. the tension, as the C minor Sonata proceeds to was born in Bergen, Norway. a forceful conclusion. Mozart commented: “I do not make grimaces, and Grieg originally composed his Holberg Suite yet play with such expression that, as (Johann as a series of solo piano pieces he called From Stein) himself confesses, no one up to the 12 Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je maman,” Holberg’s Time. Holberg lived during the same present has been able to get such good results K. 265/300e (ca. 1781–2) period as such great Baroque composers as out of his pianofortes.” Approx. performance time: 10 mins. Telemann, J.S. Bach and Georg Frideric Handel. SMF performance history: SMF premiere But the perceived lack of effort in Mozart’s And so, Grieg sought to evoke the mood and performances was the product of tremendous Mozart was a brilliant improviser, an artist style of a Baroque keyboard suite. discipline and practice. In 1784, Mozart played for who could be given a melody and, on the spot, Grieg performed the original piano version of the the Dutch keyboard artist, Georg Friedrich Richter. create a virtuoso piece bursting with creativity Holberg Suite at the 1884 Holberg bicentennial After Mozart finished, Richter exclaimed: “Good and variety. A sense of that talent may be celebration in Bergen. The Suite immediately God! How hard I work and sweat—and yet win no gleaned from Mozart’s theme and variations earned the audience’s approval. Grieg later applause—and to you, my friend, it is all child’s compositions for the keyboard, including the arranged the work as a “Suite in the Olden Style play.” Mozart replied: “Yes, I too had to work hard, 12 Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je maman,” K. for String Orchestra.” The Holberg Suite’s expert so as not to have to work hard any longer.” 265/300e. It was at first believed that Mozart and winning combination of Baroque structure composed this work during his 1778 stay in Paris. Mozart completed his Piano Sonata No. 14, K. and Romantic lyricism has long charmed Mozart’s mother Anna Maria, who accompanied 457, in Vienna on October 14, 1784. The composer audiences.