Remembering Alberto Ginastera
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The Max Factor: A Conversation with Busoni Sonatinas 11 an Editorial tribute Rachrnanlnoff - Basil Maine [Musical Opinion Opera Reports from Lennox Berkeley: Around the World Archives: a memoir by John McLeod VI] Mark Ooran on Richard Whitehouse on Yehudi Menuhin centenary Schoenberg and John Pickard's Symphonies appreciation other matters Contents April-June 2016 Number 1507 • Volume 139 www.musicalopinion.com Editorial 2 Coming Attractions 5 Classical Music Mastermind - 37 65 Features Ronald Corp: composer, conductor 8 - and more Roderic Dunnett Lennox Berkeley - a Memoir 12 John McLeod Yehudi Menuhin - a centenary 14 appreciation and reminiscence Robert Matthew-Walker A Conversation with Rachmaninoff 16 A conversation with Rachmaninoff : page 16 Basil Maine Remembering Alberto Ginastera 18 - a centenary tribute I NTH E J U LY - S E PT E MBE R 2016 I SS U E I Barbaro Nissman Including: Joseph Horovitz at 90 • BBC Proms highlights· Max Reger Centenary· I Wolfgang Holzmair 21 and programming the art-song today Composers of Barnes • David F Glolightly: My First Symphony, 'The Middlesbrough' • Andrew Davidson Gregor Tassie on Boris Tischenko • Robert Thompson at 80 • The Symphonies of John Pickard: 22 _ Extended CD Review Section· Hurstwood - a New Carbon Fibre Pia~o_---i an overview Richard Whitehouse LL.;;;;;_"'. Ferruccio Busoni - The six Sonatinas: 24 MUSICAL OPINION Back. Issues Advertisements An Artist's Journey 1909-1920- 1 Exford Road Display Advertising: conclusion. 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MUSICAL OPINION QUARTERLY APRIL-JUNE 2016 Remembering Alberto Ginastera - a centenary tribute Barbara Nissman t's hard to believe that April 11, 2016 brilliance of the orchestration, his affinity conductor wanted to rehearse with only Imarks the 100th birthday of the Argen- for the instrument, the richness of the the piano soloist, the harp and the tine composer, Alberto Ginastera. His colour palette, but most importantly, his percussion section, which was certainly a music still sounds as young, fresh and unique gift to take us on a magical journey good idea considering the difficulty of joyful as the first time I heard it. I was a within his fertile musical imagination and these parts. Ginastera was in the hall freshman university student, and it seem- make us respond emotionally. listening and every one of us was amazed ed as if every pianist in the school was My first encounter with Alberto Ginast- by what we heard. The Concerto had learning Ginastera's First Piano Sonata. I era was in 1971. He had been invited as seemingly morphed into another self- was immediately smitten. The infectious the featured composer to the University of contained composition. It was after that Latin American dance rhythms coming Michigan's Contemporary Festival. I had first rehearsal that Alberto said, "Batbara, from the practice rooms were irresistible. just learned and been invited to perform the work / write for you willbe a concerto This was pure "gut" music: music that his First Piano Concerto, written in 1961. for one piano and percussion" (as teased the brain, went directly to the heart The Concerto contained all the elements opposed to the Bartok concerto for two and was felt strongly in the pit of the that initially attracted me to his First Piano pianos and percussion). How exciting! As stomach. I confess that I was initially drawn Sonata, written nine years earlier: sharp far as we both knew, no one had yet to its visceral energy, its brilliant virtuosity contrasts, sudden accents, syncopations, written a work for that medium. and natural pian ism, and those strong, Latin rhythms, motoric rhythmic energy, As the years passed we spoke many driving rhythms. This was fun music- and a respect for form and structure, times about "our concerto," but there were sheer magic- and so well crafted. combined with an even wider palette of always other commissions awaiting Ginastera had an instinctive knowledge orchestral colours and fantastic effects. The completion. The Papal Vuh, his orchestral of the keyboard. He possessed an un- rock group Emerson, Lake and Palmer also depiction of the birth of the world accord- canny ability to exploit a wide range of its responded to its energy and orchestrated ing to Mayan texts, a commission from coloristic and rhythmic possibilities, as well the toccata finale for one of their popular Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia as its lyrical and percussive qualities. albums, thus bringing Ginastera's music to Orchestra, was long overdue. Ginastera Similar to Liszt, he always knew what was an even wider audience. was notorious for writing slowly. The innately "pianistic," what would work and We first met at rehearsal. I remember birthing process of any new work took fit comfortably under the hand. Whether him sitting alone in the empty hall, many years to come to life. Then sadly, he was writing a string quartet, a concerto listening; he seemed to be enjoying Ginastera become ill with terminal cancer. for harp, piano or violin, or exploring the himself. I also recall that he did not look at Because of these circumstances, my possibilities of the human voice in one of all as I had imagined. He was impeccably "piano concerto" evolved into the short his remarkable operas, this talent was dressed in a well-cut pinstriped suit and Third Piano Sonata,Op. 55, written in 1982. always evident. I knew that he had studied could have easily passed for a rich South Ginastera had intended to write an Adagio the piano, but wondered after hearing his American banker. The conductor had introduction, but unfortunately died before Harp Concerto if he had ever studied the stopped the rehearsal and was asking him it could be realised. The Third Piano harp- what it could do and couldn't do. about specific measures in the hard-to- Sonata in one movement became his final I asked him, to which he laughed and read orchestral parts- what note did he work. replied, ''Yes, and the things they said it want here, how should it be played? What I remember most from all of our couldn't - but really could do. That's the Observing Ginastera as he listened, I musical discussions over the years was creative imagination and also the realised that this composition, written ten how important form and structure were to technique." years earlier, was very distant from his Ginastera's craft. '/\ work without form is a One of his masterpieces, the Variac- memory and consciousness. It was as if he work de-formed," was one of his favourite iones Concertantes, featuring twelve were hearing the work for the first time. sayings. It is not surprising that Ginastera members of the orchestra as soloists, And, totally amazed by its wonderful produced three Piano Sonatas based on perfectly manifests his skillful virtuosity. As effects, he was thoroughly enjoying the the classical sonata form - the perfect he himself said: "t write as a spiritual experience. After that performance of the home for those strong musical contrasts. necessity ... and above all/ want my work First Concerto, he promised to write a His sense of structure reaffirms my belief to be understood. The music must reach Piano Concerto for me. That was the that any performer must start work at the the public through an interpreter; and a beginning of our friendship. instrument initially with an understanding successful work, / think, must emerge as Five years later in 1976, we met again of the larger design. Then, all the details a virtuoso piece for the players." when he invited me to perform the First can follow. Ginastera talked often about We hear in all of his music the Concerto at his 60th birthday celebration contrast within music as a vital element. "In extraordinary virtuosity of his craft: the in Geneva. At the first rehearsal, the aesthetics, os in nature, there exists the 18 APRIL-JUNE 2016 MUSICAL OPINION QUARTERLY low of contrasts: day and night, the sun and the moon, block and white, allegro and adagio.