Download Booklet
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
BIS-CD-794STEREO EEDI Totalplaying time: 78'19 LECUONA,Ernesto 1r aos-r oos; TheComplete Piano Music - Volume3 tr RapsodiaCubana (on GubanAirs)* (1955)6.a.uart<s1 8'13 for Pianoand Orchestra (arr. Tlrino) PolishNational Radio Symphony Orchestra conductedbyMichael Bartos DlruznsCusnNas Danzas Afro-Cubanas E.B.Ma*s) 14'29 g LaConga de MediaNoche z',55 tr DanzaNegra E ;...Yla Negra Bailaba! zuo L!.1 Danzade losN6nigos zzo tr DanzaLucumi zJo tr LaComparsa zvJ Siete Danzas Cubanas Tfplcas E.B.Matks) 18'57 tr Nitri,Niyo z',17 tr Mientrasyo comlamaullaba un gato 3',04 @ Burlesca 1',44 E MisTristezas 3',17 tr ElMirifraque* 2'00 tr La32 z',38 tr iC6moBaila el Mufieco! 2'06 tr lEchate pa'allfl,Mar[a!* G.B.Marks) 1',12 Vnlses oe Corucrenro Vafses Fantdsticos E.B.Marks) 26'06 @ ValsApaslonado 1',52 tr ValsRom6ntico 4',25 E ValsPo6tico 2'58 @ ValsArabesque* 1'13 @ ValsPat6tico* ?,10 E ValsMaravilloso* 2'06 tr ValsBrillante* 1',47 tr VafSdel NilO* G.B.Ma*s) 5'30 tr Gardenia* lPeer-soutnernl 2',11 MrsceluHeousWoRKs tr PorcelanaChina (Danza de Mufrecos)*(1943) (E.8.Marks) 2'12 @ Polka de los Enanos* E.B.Marks) 2'20 SorucTnlruscRtPTtoNS tr Noche de Estrellas* E.B.uarxs) 1'26 @ Yo te Quiero Siempre G.B.Marks) 2'36 ThomasTirino, piano . = WorldPremidrer Recording INSTRUMENTARIUM Grand Piano: Steinway'D', Hamburg Piano technicians: [1] Janusz Paszekr12-281Kenneth A' Farnum, Jr.; Peter Long Ernesto Lecuonawith Buster Keatonand Friends, MGMCulver City Studios,1931 From leftto right: Ernesto Lecuona, Luis Lopez, Ralael Palau, Alberto Bolel, Sol pinelli, Buster Keaton,Genero Palau, Raimondo Palau, Lorenzo palau, Feljpe palau, Felix Guerrero,Alfredo ('Boca Chula') Herndndez.Fernando Dtaz. Photo by courtesyof Felix Guetreroand Sergio Garcia,A,4atrLE studios for RCA and The composerand pianistErnesto Lecuona active in recording I was one of the most importantmusicians Columbiarecords, and made over 150 piano I fromCuba. He hadan internationalcareer rollsfor many diflerentcompanies Though a thal extendedto the UnitedStates, Canada, virtuosopianist with a big technique(especially Spain,France and all of Latinand Central n,rtedfor phenomenalleft hand),after 1932 he America.Admired by and friendlywith musiclans crrncenlratedon composingand performinghis such as Bavel and Gershwin,he was at home ownworks. perlormingat CarnegieHall one evening,and Lecuonafounded the HavanaSymphony oooositeSid Caeserand Ed Sullivanat the Crrchestra(with Gonzalo Roig), La Orquestade RoxyTheater in New YorkCity two nightslater. leLHabana, the LecuonaCuban Boys Band,and Possessinga prodigiousgift for melody,Le- served as an honorarycultural attach6 to the cuonawrole in many popularidioms which Cuban Embassyin Washington,D.C. He left tendedto overshadowhis moreserious compo- Cuba in 1960 for Tampa,Florida. While on a sitions;until recently, this may havecontributed trip to Spainintended to restoreailing health, he to the lack of scholarlyattention his con- died suddenlyat the Hotel Menceyin Santa siderableachievements merit. C;ruzde Tenerile,Canary lslands. He is buried This recording,along with othersin this in the Gate ol HeavenCemetery in Hawthorne' series,commemorates the centenaryo{ Lecuo- NI.Y na'sbirth. The seriesincludes all his extant RapsodiaCubana works {or piano, many which have never been FlapsodiaCubana, writlen in 1955, receivedits recordedor availableto the publicin any form. '^/orldpremidre with David Rendon and the ErnestoLecuona y Casadowas born in comooserat two pianos on gth october 1955. Guanabacoa,Cuba on CereriaStreet (today Lecuonare-thought the work for pianoand EstradaPalma). Although his birth certificate orchestraand an arrangemenlwas made by and Cuban passporthave 6th August 1895 for F'abloRuiz Castellanos,much of which is lrag- his date ol birth, Lecuonaalways celebrated it nrented.For this recording,Thomas Tirino has as 7th August1896. Beginning piano studies n3storedthe composer'sconceplion o{ the work with his sisterErnestina, he gave his first recital for pianoand largeorchestra. He has combined at the age o{ five.He continuedhis studies with the composer'soriginal two-piano score inlo RafaelCarreras, Antonio Saaverda and Joaquin cne part.omitting nothing. worked out a new Nin, and graduatedfrom the Conservatorio a.rrangementbased on the Castellanosversion NacionalHubert de BlanckIn Havanawith a a.ndincluded some new orchestrationand a gold medalat the age o{ sevenleen.He cameto rew percussionpart. The finaleoriginally in- New Yorkin 1916and returnedagain in 1921 tlnded for the work was neverwritten down. but when he gainedhis firstinternalional success was recordedby Lecuonaas part of another Thereafter,he maintaineda highlysuccessful work, Rapsodia Tropical.Thomas Tirino has performingcareer throughout the world,was transcnbedthis materialfrom the composer's danza. Los araritsfrom Haiti introducedthe recording,and re-insertedit intothe work. cinquillo(a melodic-rhythmicformula of synco- The pieceis essentiallya pot-pourriof some pation)to Cubain the 1gthcentury, and it per- of Cuba'sbest-known traditional melodies. meatedthis new form.A danzais traditionallyin Thoughnot usingoriginal themes, Lecuona - binary(A-B) form, the secondhalf in sharpcon- like many olher composerswho wrote music trastto the first,usually faster. In rapid2/4 time, basedon traditionalor folkloricmelodies - danced independentlyby couples,it eventually combinesthe malerialas a rhapsodyfor piano disappearedinto stylizedconcert hall place- and orchestrain a strikinglyfresh and original ment.Lecuona expanded and enrichedthe way. Dividedinto six sections,it beginswith the form,sometimes using ternary (A-B-A) torm. hauntingLa Bella Cubanaby Jos6 White.(Thjs melodyis well-knownthroughout all Latin DanzasAfro-Cubanas America,linding its way into manyreligious Composedseparately, these were compiledinto celebrations.)This is lollowedby one of the a set, Album No.3. FusingAfro-Cuban rhythm 'habaneras' most famous ever wriflen.Iu bv with Spanishmelodic line, Lecuona paints vivid EduardoSdrnchez de Fuentes.An animated portraitsof AJro-Cubanculture, recreating the introductionsets up the 1gthcentury folkloric atmosphereof the Alro-Cubanand echoing dance El Cocuyd (or El Cocoy6, which came to voiceslrom the heartof Africa.With one excep- Santiagode Cuba via Haitiansknown as 'los tion,all are in ternaryform. arar6s').Connectjng material flows into the ele- La Conga de Media Noche was composed gant folkloric dance El Zapateo Cubano. from strangesounds Lecuona heard outside his Simmeringtoward a heatedfinale, the work windowat nightin Cuba. In binarytorm, it is bursts aflame into a spicy merengue. Rising stronglyaccented and impressionistic.lts bi- scalesin pianoand orchestrasizzle in a fiery tonalitydepicts a mysticalmidnight ritual: beat- conclusron. ing congadrums in the bass,and chanting aroundthe fire heard in the treble.fhe conga DanzasCubanas riseslo a feverpitch, but dissipatesinto a phan- Lecuona'sDanzas Cubanas are probably his lom glissando. mostoriginal and importantcontribution to the Danza Negra deplctsdance steps of an solo piano Iiterature.He composed47 lor solo Afro-Cubanwoman full of much charmand piano,but sadly 15 have been lost. In these grace.The bass ostinatorequires great control, worksLecuona found a voiceall his own. whilethe mrddlefeatures octaves and wide left- fhe contradanza,brought to Cuba in the hand leaps.Ravel admired this work greatly, 18thcentury by the spanish(who took it from and intendedto utilizeit at sometime. France),gave birthto the danza.lt fuses Span- 1...Yla NegraBailabalfhis Afro-Cubanladv ish melody,African rhythms and the choreo- is fiery.and her dance is fullof energyand great graphicstructure of the Frenchballroom contra- flair.The Lisztjanpiano oclaves in the piu 'Och6si' 'Elegua' mosso sectiondepict her skill and talent in un- and (correspondingto St. believablemovements. Lazarus,Virgen de la Caridad,St. Barbara, Danzade losNefiigos.l\/embers of a secrel Virgende Regla,Virgen de Candelaria,St. religiouscult knownas Abakua.Nanigos have Peter,Virgen de las Mercedes,St. Norberl,and fear and mysticismassociated with them,and the InlantBaby Jesus ol Pragueand Atocha). in demonworship and the supernatural. Theirtraditional music took the formof laments engage 'Las Foundonly in Cuba (especiallyGuanabacoa), nrixedwith loyfulmusic to Orichas'.The 'Efik'and'Ekoi theyoriginate from the tribesol o:anzaopens with a lamentand a blues-sound- Africa(the latter lrom Calabar,Nigeria). Brilliant- ing bass.The middlebursts into the Joyof 'Oricha' ly costumedin carnivalprocessions, they com- spirits,and climaxesin accentedbass bineAfrican deities with Catholicism, known as octaves,triple lorte. 'LasOrichas':'Obandio','Obeb6','Eromina'. La Comparsa:composed in 191 2, and 'Yimiko','Okrin','OniJ6','Okand6','Yarinaoriginallyknown as Danza No.2,this became Bonda, Sontemt, Obina and Efisa (corres- the popularsong For Wantof a Slar. Depicting pondingto the Virginlvlary for the firstthree, St. a traditionalcarnival procession ('comparsa'), Lazarus,St. Barbara,Virgen de Candelaria. the drumbeating in the distanceis heardin the Virgende Regla,Virgen de la Caridad[patron- left hand.As the processionapproaches, the ess of Cuba],St. Peter,souls of purgatory.and musicgets louder, building to an overwhelming St. John).They dance the coumbia, similarto frenzy.The processionpasses and fades away the rumba.Lecuona uses elementsof this untilthe last beat of the drum can be heard. rhythm,and a diabolicalpresence can be heard Lecuona'soriginal dynamics and syncopated in