Arabella Steinbacher Sonata for Violin Solo in D Major, Op.115
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Sergei Prokofiev The 2 Violin Concertos Arabella Steinbacher Sonata for Violin Solo in D major, Op.115 HYBRID MUL TICHANNEL Russian National Orchestra Vasily Petrenko Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) Sergei Prokofiev until 1921 that Ala and Lolly would appear Violin Concert No. 1 in D major Op. 19 omposed in an extraordinarily tumul- in the repertoire of the Ballets Russes. A sec- 1 Andantino 10. 22 Ctuous time, Prokofiev’s First Violin ond ballet for the company, entitled Chout, 2 Scherzo – Vivacissimo 3. 59 Concerto is a work with a long and com- would have a similar fate, with, this time, the 3 Moderato-Allegro moderato-Più tranquillo 9. 09 plicated genesis and reception history. In outbreak of war as the fly in the ointment. Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor Op. 63 1915, Prokofiev completed his studies at To avoid being draughted into mili- 4 Allegro moderato 11. 20 the St Petersburg Conservatory, where he tary service, Prokofiev re-enrolled at the St 5 Andante assai-Allegretto-Andante assai 10. 06 had gained a reputation as a highly original Petersburg conservatory. This indeed ena- 6 Allegro, ben marcato 6. 12 talent who enjoyed nothing more than giv- bled him to work undisturbed on such new Sonata for Violin Solo in D major Op. 115 ing a jolt to the established musical order. compositions as a concertino for violin and 7 Moderato 5. 15 The First Piano Concerto, which he himself orchestra. He however soon shelved the 8 Theme – Andante dolce 0. 28 9 Variation 1 0. 28 had performed with none other than Serge project in order to work on a much more 10 Variation 2 – Scherzando 0. 26 Koussevizky, had already delivered him ambitious one: an opera based on The 11 Variation 3 – Andante 0. 32 the prestigious Rubinstein Prize, and it was Gambler by Dostoievski. Rehearsals for the 12 Variation 4 0. 37 not long before the European music world opera’s premiere, planned for the Mariinski 13 Variation 5 0. 41 was abuzz with his name. In Paris, he met Theatre’s 1917 season, were however 14 Con brio-Allegro precipitato 4. 07 the famed impresario of the Ballets Russes, plagued by problems: after dissatisfaction Arabella Steinbacher, Violin Sergei Diaghilev, as well as his protegé, one amongst the singers and rebellion in the Russian National Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko Igor Stravinsky. And although Prokofiev and orchestra, the director ultimately packed it Total playing time: 64.27 Stravinsky would never truly become friends, in. But, as if all that hadn’t been enough, the Recording Venues: his Sacre left an indelible impression on the actual coup de grâce came when growing Grand Hall of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory January, 2012 (Concertos) Concertboerderij Valthermond, The Netherlands, May 2012 (Violin Sonata) young composer. political instability finally led to the February Executive Producers: Rick Walker & Job Maarse Diaghilev, always on the look-out for and October Revolutions, and the premiere Recording Producer: Job Maarse Balance Engineers: Erdo Groot (Concertos), Jean-Marie Geijsen (Violin Sonata) new talent, commissioned Prokofiev to was cancelled. Recording Engineers Concertos: Roger de Schot & Igor Solovyov compose a ballet: Ala and Lolly. Although in Due to such circumstances, Prokofiev Editing: Erdo Groot; Matthijs Ruijter Diaghilev’s eyes, the ballet had the makings was now a highly promising young com- Ms. Steinbacher currently plays the “Booth” Stradivari (1716) generously provided by the Nippon Music Foundation. The Russian National Orchestra wishes to thank the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, of a worthy successor to the Sacre, it was poser with a growing catalogue of works, the Mikhail Prokhorov Foundation, and the Charles Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences nevertheless a project that, from the outset, most of which had however yet to be per- for their support of this recording. appeared destined for failure, one reason formed. But despite these sombre prospects, Biographien auf Deutsch und Französisch finden Sie auf unserer Webseite. being that Prokofiev lacked the necessary he remained undaunted: in the summer of Pour les versions allemande et française des biographies,veuillez consulter notre site. www.pentatonemusic.com experience for writing a ballet. It was not 1917, ensconced in a small village on the outskirts of St Petersburg, he commenced Union. Ultimately, it was to Marcel Darrieux, in Paris, accompanied, for want of an orches- more melody [...]. There has been too much work on his First Symphony (the Classical) leader of the orchestra of the Paris Opera, tra, by the young Vladimir Horowitz at the dissonance [...]. We want a simpler and more and resumed work on the sketches for the that the role fell. (Darrieux was a reasonably piano. melodic style for music, a simpler, less com- violin concertino. He reworked the latter respected violinist, and would also christen In contrast to the difficult birth of the plicated emotional state, and dissonance into a fully-fledged violin concerto, whose Kurt Weill’s violin concerto in 1925.) The First Violin Concerto, the Second presented once again relegated to its proper place as slow first movement is based on music conductor was Serge Koussevitzky, in a Prokofiev with substantially fewer problems. one element in music, resting principally already composed in 1915, and whose programme which also included the world The work was composed in 1935, shortly upon the meeting of melodic lines.” In an remaining two movements (the scherzo and premiere of Stravinsky’s Octet, under the after Prokofiev’s composition of the ballet article entitled, The Paths of Soviet Music slow final movement) betray the influence of baton of its composer (in his debut as a Romeo and Juliet in an amazing four months. dating from 1934, he writes that the new Karol Szymanowski, in particular his Myths conductor). He had now returned to the Soviet Union, musical style for which he stands is entirely for violin and piano, a work Prokofiev had The concerto met with mixed reac- something which clearly left its mark on his based on melody, which “should be clear heard in 1916, in a performance by Polish tions. Critics found its form too traditional musical style. Without denying his own per- and simple, without, however, becoming violinist Paul Kochanski. and the violin part not virtuoso enough. sonal idiom, Prokofiev began increasingly repetitive or trivial. [...] The same applies The concerto’s premiere was planned Composer Georges Auric even referred to it to assign greater importance to melody, to the technique, the form – this too must to take place in November 1917, with Paul as “Mendelssohnian,” prompting Prokofiev striving to give this aspect of his music an be clear and simple, but not stereotyped. Kochanski as soloist. Political develop- to respond that Tchaikovsy’s universally extremely clear, almost classical architec- It is not the old simplicity that is needed, ments however once again conspired to loved violin concerto had elicited the same ture. While it has been suggested that this but a new kind of simplicity. And this can throw a spanner in the works: the October criticism at its premiere. The renowned stylistic shift had to do with the increasing be achieved only after the composer has Revolution and Lenin’s accession to Hungarian violinist, Joseph Szigeti, was pressure exerted by the Soviet leadership mastered the art of composing serious, power had rendered the work’s premiere however fascinated by its “mixture of fairy- on artists, it is at the same time true that, significant music, thereby acquiring the impossible. In May of 1918, Prokofiev emi- tale naïveté and daring savagery, in layout already in numerous earlier works – the technique of expressing himself in simple, grated to the United States, in the hope of and texture.” He performed the work a year First Violin Concerto and First Symphony yet original terms.” encountering a climate more conducive later in Prague with Fritz Reiner and went on are prime examples – Prokofiev had exhib- The ‘inspiration’ behind Violin Concerto to artistic creativity. Nevertheless, the First to introduce it in numerous other musical ited a progression toward greater stylistic No. 2 was the French violinist, Robert Violin Concerto would not have its first pub- capitals in Europe and America. Koussevitsky simplicity. Prokofiev’s own comments on Soetens, with whom Prokofiev toured lic performance until 1923 – in Paris, but not also continued to champion it, conduct- the subject are ambiguous, such that it is extensively in 1935 and 1936. Soetens had, with Paul Kochanski, with whom Prokofiev ing the first American performance on 24 difficult to distinguish between politically together with Samuel Dushkin, given the had lost all contact. Bronislav Huberman April 1925 with Richard Burgin, leader of correct language and truth. What is never- first performance of Prokofiev’s Sonata for turned out not to be interested in the piece, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, as soloist. theless clear is that, in the 1930s, Prokofiev Two Violins. And as Stravinsky had written a and the young Russian virtuoso, Nathan The Soviet premiere was given by Nathan regularly made reference to the concept of violin concerto for Dushkin (1931), Prokofiev Milstein, was unable to leave the Soviet Milstein three days after the world premiere simplicity: “I strive for greater simplicity and decided to do the same for Soetens. The work was largely written during Prokofiev’s Above all the con brio finale demands the Arabella Steinbacher violin. In addition to all of the major concer- and Soetens’ concert tour. “The number of ultimate in ensemble playing. Like the iolinist Arabella Steinbacher, a native of tos of the Classical and Romantic period, she cities in which I worked on the concerto Sixth Symphony, it was written in 1947, but VMunich, has firmly established herself as also performs those of Barber, Bartók, Berg, directly reflects the nomad’s existence I led its first public performance would not take one of today’s leading violinists on the inter- Glazunov, Khatchaturian, Milhaud, Prokofiev, during the concert tour.