The Complete Sonatas and Variations for Solo Piano
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ITunes Booklet JOHANNES CARLO GRANTE, PIANO BRAHMSThe Complete Sonatas and Variations for Solo Piano JOHANNES BRAHMSTHE COMPLETE SONATAS AND VARIATIONS FOR SOLO PIANO CARLO GRANTE, PIANO Part 1 (Disc 1) Part 3 (Disc 3) 1. Variations on a Theme by Händel, Op. 24 27:32 Sonata No. 2 in F-sharp Minor, Op. 2 2. Theme and Variations in D Minor, Op. 18b 10:49 1. I. Allegro non troppo, ma energico 6:11 3. Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 21 No.1 16:46 2. II. Andante con espressione 6:09 4. Variations on a Hungarian Song, Op. 21 No. 2 7:09 3. III. Scherzo: Allegro — Poco più moderato 3:45 Total Time: 62:17 4. IV. Finale: Sostenuto — Allegro non troppo e rubato — Molto sostenuto 12:44 Part 2 (Disc 2) Sonata No. 3 in F Minor, Op. 5 5. I. Allegro maestoso 9:43 1. Variations on a Theme by Paganini, Op. 35 Book 1 13:36 6. II. Andante espressive – Andante molto 11:18 2. Variations on a Theme by Paganini, 7. III. Allegro energico avec trio 5:09 Op. 35 Book 2 11:11 8. IV. Intermezzo (Rückblick/ 3. Variations on a Theme of Schumann, Op. 9 18:25 Regard en arrière) Andante molto 3:29 Sonata No. 1 in C Major, Op. 1 9. V. Finale. Allegro moderato ma rubato 7:39 4. I. Allegro 12:11 Total Time: 66:10 5. II. Andante (nach einem altdeutschen Minneliede) 5:32 6. III. Allegro molto e con fuoco — Più mosso 6:02 7. IV. Allegro con fuoco — Presto non troppo ed agitato 7:27 Total Time: 74:27 2 kinds of “Tonic Transformation” (removed, contracted, extended, JOHANNES BRAHMS: and inverted) and six kinds of “Rhythmic Transformation” (enlarged, diminished, curtailed, lengthened by repetition or “ ” interpolation, and transformed by internal variation). A composer A VIENNESE GERMAN MASTER can vary a theme in 85 ways if only four modes are combined and added together! Imagine if he used five modes! In theory — Hans von Bülow was only partly joking when he said, “my musical and creativity cannot thrive on theory alone — a composition credo is to be found in the key of E-flat major; it is the 3 Bs: Bach, may easily be built on and around a single theme, in a sort of Beethoven and Brahms!” (The joke works because in German the tautological musical logic of self-borrowing. Thematic variation note B-flat is called “B” — English B is known as “H.”) was a quintessential feature of German music. If we wished to invent a musical equivalent to Harold Bloom’s Brahms, continuing on the pathway of Bach and Beethoven, was idea of a “western canon” in literature, Bach would be the obvi- an undisputed master of this typically German compositional ous candidate for the musical Shakespeare, as his corpus of work practice, evidenced by the publication of three large-scale piano lies at the core of all of western music’s compositional languages. sonatas: Op. 1, Op. 2, and Op. 5. These were his only solo piano Following on the pathways of this musical patriarch, Beethoven sonatas and were written within his first three important years as is the most important link to the third B, Brahms. In the latter, a composer (1851-54). German music found a wonderful balance between the unfolding Brahms composed his Piano Sonata in F-sharp Minor, Op. 2 in of invention and the epic and narrative, as well as a telling repre- Hamburg, completing it in 1852. It was published in 1853 by sentative of German Idealism. Brahms’ works are highly complex Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig and dedicated to Clara Schumann. and self-coherent in the way in which they develop themes and Although it was the first piano sonata Brahms completed, it motives. They are also wise in their choice of forms, depicting to likely did not receive its public premiere until Hans von Bülow’s th the utmost the deep, thoughtful inner world of the 19 -century performance in Vienna on February 2nd, 1882. This piece was Romantics. Brahms came late in the High Romantic period, as among those Brahms played for Robert Schumann during their he was born a generation after Schumann, Chopin and Liszt; his first meeting on October st1 , 1853. This historic encounter led great late works were written in the 1890s. Schumann to publish the historic article “Neue Bahnen” (New What were the distinctive features of the “German manner” of Paths) in his journal Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, in which he these “B” composers? The most important compositional feature sang Brahms’ praises and called him “one of the elects,” as well is the so-called Thematische Arbeit, the continuous treatment of as declaring the composer’s works, “sonatas, or rather veiled elements deriving from a theme, which may appear in different symphonies (‘Sonaten, mehr verschleierte Symphonien’).” It was guises. In 1844, the German theorist Lobe said that the theme is thanks to Schumann’s benevolent pressure and influence that “the nucleus around which is woven the whole technical work of Brahms’ music got published, although the two composers did not tonic, harmonic, rhythmic, metrical, and thematic construction.” always agree on the order in which to submit the works for print. Lobe identifies two modes of “Thematic Transformation,” four Was it better to submit the weaker or the stronger works first? 3 Brahms sought advice from his friend Joseph Joachim. In a letter octave writing and virtuoso display, exhilarating for the pianist to the famous violinist he wrote, “Dr Schumann is promoting my but not especially rewarding to listen to...” interests at Breitkopf & Härtel with such seriousness and urgency that I’m beginning to feel dizzy.” His eventual decision on the But parallels commonly drawn between the generous use of order of publication is made evident in his reply to Louise Japha, octaves in this sonata and those typical of Liszt’s keyboard writing who had asked him the reason behind the opus number (4) of his break down when one listens to Liszt’s remarkably faithful piano earlier scherzo. “When one first shows one’s self,” said Brahms, “it transcriptions of Beethoven’s nine symphonies. Beethoven’s is to the head and not the heels that one wishes to draw attention.” thematic cogency can be directly traced through these pianistic The idea that the C Major Sonata should be published before the devices, putting Liszt’s use of octaves in a different light. F-sharp Minor appears to have found favour with both Schumann In line with the typical Viennese sonata tradition, thematic and Brahms, though perhaps for different reasons. Interestingly, relationships in Brahms’ second piano sonata unite the movements F-sharp minor is also the key Schumann chose for his great into a coherent whole. D’Indy identified a tendency towards a Sonata Op. 11. This was itself inspired by another tumultuous concept of cyclic form, though due in part to Brahms’ formalist work in F-sharp minor, Hummel’s Sonata Op. 81. The structure aesthetics, the result is a far cry from the ground-breaking cyclic of the beginning of the first movement of this work is emotionally thematic approach of Liszt’s B minor Sonata (composed in the mirrored even more clearly by Brahms’ Op. 2 Sonata than it is by same period). Schumann’s Op. 11. Following the publication of Brahms’ sonata in 1855, Schumann wrote to the composer, “Your second sonata, The thematic development of the main theme of the first my dear, has brought me much nearer to you. It was quite new movement of Brahms’ sonata (a compositional technique to me. I live in your music, so that I can half play it at sight, one described by Walter Frisch in his seminal book Brahms and the movement after the other. I am thankful for this. The beginning, Principle of Developing Variation) occurs as early as the transition the pp, the whole movement — there has never been one like it. section that joins the principal and subordinate thematic groups. Andante and the variations and the scherzo following them, quite This is a clear indicator of the thematische Arbeit practice, which different from those in the others; and the finale, the sostenuto, favours motivic continuity to allow a sense of Fortspinnung the music at the beginning of the second part, the animato and the (spinning forth) to permeate the movement. Siegfried Kross close — in short, a laurel-wreath for the from-elsewhere-coming explains how themes in Brahms’ music draw from the idea of Johannes.” fortspinnung, in spite of the term’s more common associations with Baroque music. As with Frisch’s concept of “developing variation,” Brahms’ F-sharp Minor Sonata is often called “Lisztian” due to the concept of Fortspinnung is borrowed from an earlier theorist, the thematic opening in octaves and its apparent flair for displays Wilhelm Fischer, who formulated the term in 1915 to “stand for of virtuosity. Malcolm MacDonald’s words are tinged somewhat by the process of continuation or development of musical material, what he feels to be overly virtuosic displays in the sonata’s outer usually with reference to its melodic line, by which a short idea movements. He writes, “less satisfactory, because less personal. or motif is “spun out” into an entire phrase or period by such Both are burdened with a great deal of hammered, teeth-gritting techniques as sequential treatment, intervallic transformation 4 and even mere repetition.” Both concepts help to clarify Brahms’ to the base of the theme as their real subject. Beethoven varies the thematic work: Fortspinnung highlights the interconnectedness melody, harmony and rhythms so beautifully.