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Home , Lied, Morceaux de fantaisie, Olga Kern, Preludes (Rachmaninoff)

Olga Kern SAT / FEB 9 / 7:30 PM

PROGRAM

Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) 3 Sonatas 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 “Fascinating Rhythm” from Seven Virtuoso Etudes (arr. Earl Wild)

Intermission

Sergei (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 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 (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 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 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 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 in chromatic descending figure. George Gershwin’s Three Preludes are 1973. his only known surviving works originally conceived as solo piano pieces. He wrote at least six preludes and there is Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) , 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 . 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 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 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. He dedicated them to his his ambitions for a career as a composer gave a copy of the set to friend, Bill Daly, a Harvard-trained composer. After a period of Tchaikovsky, who told Rachmaninoff’s musician who was a great help to him in depression, he took a post as assistant harmony teacher, , that acquiring the craft and the technique conductor of a minor company he was very impressed, especially with he needed to apply his extraordinary while trying to restore his spirit and the “Prelude” and the “Mélodie.” natural talent to work in larger musical regain his hopes, and in the summer of Before his 20th birthday, Rachmaninoff forms than the popular song. 1898, he began to write again. His premiered the pieces in Kharkov on Moments Musicaux (“Musical December 27, 1892. He dedicated the Each of the three preludes is generally Moments”), Op. 16, written in 1896, a whole set to Arensky. (He later revised based on a single persistent rhythmic year after he completed his Symphony all the pieces in the set.) figure, melodically varied and extended. No. 1, revealed his piano style in a The first and third preludes are quick The complete de Fantaisie is rarely formative period, when he was and jazzy, Allegro ben ritmato e deciso. performed as a whole today. The beginning to write his characteristic Prelude No. 2, Andante con moto e penultimate piece, “Polichinelle” in yearning themes, on the way to that of poco rubato, is blues-derived. F-sharp minor, takes its name from the the popular Preludes, Op. 23. suggestion of Rachmaninoff’s fellow George Gershwin, arr. Earl Wild Rachmaninoff’s set consists of six student Mikail Slonov, who came up (1915-2010) musical moments: No. 4 in E minor, is with the descriptive title. “Polichinelle” Fascinating Rhythm from Seven very fast, Presto; it is improvisatory in translates into Punch, and comes from Virtuoso Etudes nature and requires the playing of a the character in the popular Punch and skilled virtuoso. It is turbulent, in three- Judy marionette shows. Punch, an Earl Wild created a large number of part form, and displays great contrasts, arrogant wife-beater, was a hump back transcriptions and for from very soft to very loud. with a big hooked nose. This small- the piano including a set of Seven scale virtuosic scherzo is said to depict Virtuoso Études on Gershwin Songs his enraged appearances, his boasts (1989), based on favorite songs from Sergei Rachmaninoff and his sly threats. The piece is in the Broadway musicals of George and 7 Morceaux de salon, Op. 10, No. 3 ternary form, and the critic Baylor has Ira Gershwin. The seven Gershwin songs “Barcarolle” in G minor commented that to achieve his effect, for piano solo are “Fascinating Rachmaninoff composed the seven Rachmaninoff uses “brilliant chordal Rhythm,” “Oh, Lady, Be Good!” Salon pieces in the winter of 1893-94. fanfares, deep bell-like pedal tones and “Somebody Loves Me,” “The Man I As it was early in his career, the style of lightening fast figurations.” Love,” “Liza,” “I Got Rhythm” and the pieces varied, some sounding “Embraceable You.” immature or derivative in certain passages. The “Barcarolle” is probably (1872-1915) Wild’s arrangements of Gershwin’s the best known piece of the set. In ABA Two Etudes, Op. 42, Nos. 4 and 5 songs are not just transcriptions, but form with a coda, it features an Although the music Scriabin composed elaborate, virtuosic re-compositions of attractive and melancholy Russian had a very different character than that the original, fairly conventional song melody in the beginning in the left of his countryman, Rachmaninoff, the forms of George Gershwin. They are full hand, accompanied by right hand two became friends in childhood and of spontaneity and flamboyant bravura sounds imitating a boat rocking on the studied piano with the same teacher. and reflect the jazz idiom with the

10 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Scriabin’s works for the piano, generally Op. 8. These compositions reach there. In 1869, he wrote an “oriental” considered avant-garde or decadent diverse nuances of depth and intricacy. fantasy for piano, entitled Islamey that when he wrote them, include 10 piano Étude No. 4 in F sharp major is placid he based on themes he collected there sonatas and many collections of short and serene, and Scriabin gives it a during his travels. It is mostly a piano pieces that display his delicate air. Étude No. 5 in C sharp Kabardian dance from the north of the extraordinary creative imagination. minor is the most famous of the Op. 42 Caucasus. It also includes a Tartar etudes. This work, by contrast, has a melody from the Crimea in its slow In his early piano works, Scriabin colossal feel. There are undulating middle section that Balakirev emulated Chopin and Liszt as sounds and ones that create the sense presumably heard an American actor composers for the piano, combining of large booms. Overall, the feel is sing when he visited Tchaikovsky's elements of expressivity and virtuosity rebellious and daring, and the etude house in Moscow. Although the subtitle that he found in their music with hints has a rousing effect. of the piece is of the advanced musical language that “Oriental Fantasy,” Balakirev used that term in the sense of he would later develop. Like them, he eastern Russia, not the Far East or the wrote many etudes, or studies, works in (1837-1910) Orient, as it was then known. which the composer concentrates on Islamey one or more technical problems of Mily Balakirev organized a musical Rubinstein, who was the first to performance, but with such intrinsic group that became known as the perform the technically demanding musical interest that they become Balakirev Circle, whose aim was to work at one of the Free Music School concert pieces rather than just make a cause of Russian music of a Concerts, remarked, “I am working, practice exercises. national character in order to combat poor wretched fellow that I am, at your the profusion of imitations of classical piece, which fills me with terrible In addition to two freestanding etudes, German compositions, which at that delight, and for which I thank you; I Scriabin composed 24 Etudes in three time seemed dominant in Russia. shall certainly play it at my concert in sets: Op. 8, published in 1894; Op. 42, Simultaneously, he founded the Free Moscow; but it is so difficult that few in 1903, and Op. 65, in 1912. The earliest Music School in St. Petersburg and gave will cope with it; I want to be one of grouping, Op. 8, illustrates the young concerts there of works primarily by those few.” Through it, Balakirev's Scriabin as he was developing, still Russian musicians. The dream of uniting name became known throughout influenced by Chopin and Liszt, but all Slavic nations under Russian in the 19th century; both also making his own voice ring through influence animated Balakirev and other Rubinstein and Liszt played it these short works as he begins journeys musicians of his time. frequently in many cities. on the new paths that he would later regularly tread. Balakirev became fascinated with the quasi-oriental melodies and rhythms of All program notes are copyright Scriabin's third period is represented the Caucasus in the eastern area of Susan Halpern, © 2019. by the Eight Études of Op. 42, which Russia during several trips he made were composed almost 10 years after

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Russian-American pianist OLGA KERN is now recognized as one of her generation’s great pianists. She jumpstarted her U.S. career with an historic Gold Medal win at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas, as the first woman to do so in more than 30 years. First-prize winner of the Rachmaninoff International Piano Competition at 17, Ms. Kern is a laureate of many international competitions. In 2016, she served as Jury Chairman of both the Seventh Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition and the first Olga Kern International Piano Competition, where she also holds the title of Artistic Director. Kern served as Artist-in-Residence for the San Antonio Symphony’s 2017/18 season, appearing in two subscription weeks as well as a solo recital. She will also perform with the Madison Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Copenhagen Philharmonic, Austin Symphony, New Mexico Philharmonic, Arizona Musicfest , Colorado Symphony and Hawaii Symphony Orchestra. Olga will premiere her first American concerto, Barber’s Piano Concerto, with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Leonard Slatkin. She will give recitals at the University of Arizona; the Lied Center in Lincoln, NE; the Sanibel Music Festival in Sanibel, FL; and abroad in Mainz and Turin. Additionally, Ms. Kern will perform in the Huntington Estate Music Festival with Musica Viva in Australia. In addition to opening the Baltimore Symphony’s 2015/16 centennial season with Marin Alsop, Ms. Kern has appeared with the Royal Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, Rochester Philharmonic, Orchestre National De Lyon and the San Antonio, Detroit, Nashville, Madison, New Mexico, Austin and NHK . She has toured South Africa with the Cape and KwaZulu Natal Philharmonics and Israel with the Israel Symphony. As an avid recitalist, she has appeared in solo and collaborative recitals at Carnegie Hall, the Great Hall of the , Symphony Hall in Osaka, Salzburger Festspielhaus, La Scala in , Tonhalle in Zurich, Chatelet in , Van Wezel Hall in Sarasota, 92nd Street Y, Meany Hall in Seattle and the University of Kansas’ Lied Center. Ms. Kern´s discography includes her GRAMMY®-nominated recording of Rachmaninoff’s Corelli Variations and other transcriptions (2004), Brahms Variations (2007) and Chopin Piano Sonatas No. 2 and 3 (2010). She was featured in the award-winning documentary about the 2001 Cliburn Competition, Playing on the Edge.

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 11