Olga Kern SAT / FEB 9 / 7:30 PM
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Olga Kern SAT / FEB 9 / 7:30 PM PROGRAM Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) 3 Sonatas Piano Sonata In A Major, K. 24, L495 Piano Sonata In D Minor, K. 9, L413 Piano Sonata In C Major, K. 159, L104 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53 “Waldstein” i. Allegro con brio ii. Introduzione. Adagio molto iii. Rondo. Allegretto moderato George Gershwin (1898-1937) Three Preludes “Fascinating Rhythm” from Seven Virtuoso Etudes (arr. Earl Wild) Intermission Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) Moments Musicaux, Op. 16, No. 4 in E minor 7 Morceaux de salon, Op. 10 No. 3 “Barcarolle” Morceaux de fantasie, Op. 3 No. 4 “Polichinelle” Alexander Scriabin (1871-1915) 2 Etudes No. 4, Op. 42 No. 5, Op. 42 Mily Balakirev (1837-1910) Islamey, Op. 18 Pre-show Spotlight Talk with Santa Monica College Faculty Shanon Zusman at 6:45 PM Classical Music Series at The Broad Stage made possible in part by the generous support of the Colburn Foundation. PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 8 ABOUT THE PROGRAM Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1787) very special little sonata. Its opening three-movement work, although the Piano Sonata in A Major, K. 24 L495 imitates a fanfare of hunting horns. central slow movement is only 28 Piano Sonata in D minor, K. 9 L413 Although its general form could be measures long and runs directly into Piano Sonata in C major, K. 159 L104 called classical (because the main the finale without any pause. As theme reappears at the end of the originally composed, the sonata did Scarlatti was the founder of modern second half), we have no indication in have a long and lyrical Andante slow keyboard technique and one of the other works that Scarlatti was, in any movement but, in a stormy argument, greatest keyboard virtuosos of his time. way, aiming at the classical sonata a friend persuaded Beethoven that it Although he composed some operas form. made the work much too long, so he and sacred music, Scarlatti is replaced it with the Introduction. The remembered mostly for his more Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) sonata was published in its present than 500 sonatas for the harpsichord. Piano Sonata No. 21, in C Major, Op. 53 form in the spring of 1805. That autumn His sonatas were forerunners of the (Waldstein Sonata) he issued the discarded Andante as a classical sonata, although for him a separate work. Beethoven's pupil, Carl Count Ferdinand Ernst Joseph Gabriel “sonata” meant little more than music Czerny, wrote that the composer often von Waldstein, who was born in that was to be played rather than sung. played it for his circle of friends and Bohemia just eight years before All of his sonatas fit into one general called it his “favorite Andante,” and Beethoven, was the composer's earliest shape, binary form: a single movement from 1807 on, it appeared in many noble benefactor. He helped to make divided into two sections, each of editions as Beethoven's . Beethoven’s career. When they met, Andante favori which is repeated. Many of the sonatas Beethoven was the 17-year-old son of The Waldstein Sonata is Beethoven's are rich in colorful echoes of the songs an indigent choir singer. Waldstein first great, mature work for piano. By and dances of the Spanish people. furnished him with a good piano, was the time he composed it, he was in This sonata was included in the 30 instrumental in securing him a sufficient complete control of his materials. His Essercizi of 1738, and was published allowance to make it possible for him to unique technical skills on the piano during Scarlatti’s lifetime. In one continue his studies and also personally helped him master large forms and movement, it presents many ideas that provided him with additional financial gave him the facility for an intense seem to be unrelated, but a lot of the support. power of expression. In France this music has toccata-like lines that sonata used to be known as In 1791, Beethoven and Waldstein L'Aurore incorporate scales as well as repeated ( ) perhaps because some collaborated on two compositions: a “The Dawn” notes. pianists imagined the opening pages to set of variations for four hands for be a depiction of daybreak. In the Published in London in 1738 as one of piano on a theme Waldstein had energetic and exciting first movement, the Essercizi per gravicembalo, Sonata created as well as a ballet. The Count tense melodic fragments and entire in D minor, K.9, often nicknamed continued to invest in Beethoven’s themes seem to grow out of one “Pastorale,” Allegro moderato, may career the following year when he sent another. It, the longest movement have been written as much as 20 years the young composer to Vienna. Upon Beethoven had written in a piano before it was published. A light and Beethoven’s departure, Waldstein sonata until then, has a theme that melodic work, it is occasionally playful wrote that Mozart’s genius “had found begins with a rapidly repeated chord and projects a bucolic charm as well as a refuge but no occupation with the that becomes broken up. Charles a pervasive quality of serenity. It has a inexhaustible Haydn,” but that with Rosen, in his book , fanfare-like beginning, followed by a serious work, he thought it would be The Classical Style has said that this movement reflects an repeated note figure. In the second half possible for Beethoven to “receive the “energetic hardness, dissonant and yet of the work, Scarlatti develops the spirit of Mozart from the hands of curiously plain, expressive without expository material of the first half. It is Haydn.” Beethoven was received, richness.” He says that effect is caused known for the variety of its themes and nourished and encouraged in the by the harmonic treatment of all the the orchestral nature of the writing. palaces of aristocratic connoisseurs as themes growing from an initial “kernel,” a result of Waldstein’s backing. K. 9 and K. 159 are both Allegros. The each theme moving in a stepwise sense of the natural-length breath and In subsequent years, Waldstein became fashion based on scale progressions. the dance phrase are present in much Chancellor to the Emperor of Austria The second theme, more chordal, of Scarlatti’s keyboard writing. Usually, and followed Beethoven to Vienna, but makes a contrast, and the closing the dance phrase dominates the they only rarely met there because, by theme consists of arpeggios. The last Allegros, but sometimes the “panting” then, they had developed critical movement, after its brief and slow rhythm created by his use of political differences; nevertheless, Introduction, takes the shape of a fragmentary repeated phrases is Beethoven immortalized Count brilliantly formed Rondo, whose caused by the sense of where the Waldstein when he dedicated this principal theme resembles a German breath would come if the music were sonata to him in an act of friendship folksong from the Rhineland. sung. and gratitude. Beethoven began the The movement ends with a great sonata in 1803 and completed it in the Sonata K. 9 is universally known by the rushing Prestissimo, which doubles the summer of 1804 while also working on designation pastorale, but that subtitle speed of the principal tempo. As in the the Eroica Symphony Op. 55. appears to have originated in the 19th first movement, Beethoven utilizes the century, not with Scarlatti. K. 159 is a This sonata is often treated as a PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 9 ABOUT THE PROGRAM combination of a slow harmonic rhythm powerful technique and style Gershwin water. The middle section has fast and quick figuration. had captured. Wild’s Fascinating figurations and extreme dynamics from Rhythm etude, in particular, demands very, very soft to loud, characteristic of George Gershwin (1898-1937) technical prowess from the pianist. the sound often produced by the Three Preludes Gershwin wrote Fascinating Rhythm in youthful Rachmaninoff, as well as a 1924; Wild created his arrangement in chromatic descending figure. George Gershwin’s Three Preludes are 1973. his only known surviving works originally conceived as solo piano pieces. He Sergei Rachmaninoff wrote at least six preludes and there is Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) Morceaux de Fantaisie, Op. 3, No. 4, speculation that there may be more as Moments Musicaux, Op. 16, No. 4 “Polichinelle” yet unpublished extant in the Gershwin in E minor In the autumn of 1892, Rachmaninoff family archives. At a recital he gave in As a composer, Rachmaninoff wrote his set of five pieces entitled New York in 1926, Gershwin played five represents late Russian Romanticism. In Morceaux de Fantaisie (Fantasy Pieces), Preludes, which were probably these his early works, the influences of his first publication for solo piano. He three plus two pieces that he Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky and had graduated from the Moscow sometimes billed as Novelettes. The other Russian composers of the day are Conservatory, and at that time he was music that begins the finale of his Piano somewhat evident, but his writing soon poor, depressed and generally in ill Concerto was originally sketched in acquired its individual lyrical character. health. 1925 as a Prelude. In 1897, the young Rachmaninoff The style of Morceaux de Fantaisie, Gershwin worked over these pieces for suffered a great disappointment in the although it is an early work is very a long period of time, and he at last failure of the premiere of his Symphony characteristic of Rachmaninoff. Just fixed them in final form for publication No. 1, an event that for a time shattered after completing the work, the in 1927.