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FL72408-booklet*.indd, Spread 1 van 6 - Pagina’s (12, 1) 15-06-2006 10:36 ANTON ARENSKY: Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, op. 32 Anton Stepanovich Arensky (born 1861 in Novgorod, died 1906 in Terijoki, Finland) was a Russian composer, conductor and pianist. Arensky grew up in a musical family and composed his first songs and piano pieces at the tender age of nine. He was a pupil and protégé of Rimsky-Korsakov at the St Pe- tersburg Conservatory and later taught harmony and counterpoint at the Moscow Conservatory where his pupils included Rachmaninov and Scriabin. His works include two symphonies and three operas, but the best known of his compositions is his first piano trio. He suffered from alcohol and gambling dependency from a young age, which caused him even more problems towards the end of his short life. He would ultimately spend the last years of his life in a sanatorium in Finland in an attempt to recover from the tuberculosis that he was battling. Although many of his works have a Russian feel, he was not as nationalistic as Rimsky-Korsakov. His greatest influence was Tchaikovsky (particularly his lyrical style), whose music drew inspiration more from traditional elements than from Russian nationalism. This is also a strong feature of Arensky’s music: his harmonies are euphonious, rich and romantic, his phrasing is poetic. RANDAL CORSEN Rimsky-Korsakov predicted that Arensky would be forgotten, and to an extent he was right. Fortu- nately, however, his successful and ingenious Trio in D minor, composed in 1894 and dedicated to the virtuoso cellist and director of the St Petersburg Conservatory, Karl Davidov, who had died in 1889, has stood the test of time. It demonstrates his skill and mastery of compositional techniques, whilst also Corsen plays showing something of the influence of Mendelssohn (Piano Trio no. 2 in C minor, op. 66). CORSEN JOSEPH SICKMAN CORSEN The first movement, Allegro moderato, is dominated by three themes. It begins with a simple melody in the violin, which is taken over by the cello. The piano is largely an accompaniment. The second theme is a charming cantilena, whilst the third theme is energetic and very lively. The movement ends with a subtle coda. 12 The main theme of the second movement, a capricious Scherzo, is a fast, light waltz with a splendid, FL FL72408-booklet ins.indd 1 15-06-2006 14:30:25 FL72408-booklet*.indd, Spread 2 van 6 - Pagina’s (2, 11) 15-06-2006 10:37 Credits Executive Producer: S.E.L. Maduro Muziekstichting Recorded on 4 & 5 December, 2004 by Gilbert Steurbaut at Studio Steurbaut in Gent, Belgium Musical supervision and editing: Florian Heyerick Pictures: Ivan Calmes Artwork: Marcel van den Broek Liner Notes: Wim Statius Muller Management & bookings: Amsterdam Jazz Agency www.amsterdamjazzagency.com Visit Randal Corsen at www.randalcorsen.com Randal would like to thank Henry van der Kwast and S.E.L. Maduro Muziekstichting for making all of this possible Fons Rutten for preserving Corsen’s work by writing the most beautiful book ‘Leven en Muziekwerken van de Dichter Musicus J.S. Corsen’ Frans van der Tak for your enthusiastic involvement in this project, and for feeding my love for classical music during my studies Wim Statius Muller and Robert Rojer for your expert advice and suggestions during the master-classes, and Wim Statius Muller for your most beautiful liner notes Gilbert Steurbaut, Florian Heyerick, Joep van der Plas, Ivan Calmes. Also thanks to Governor Frits Goedgedrag and his family, to allow us to have the photo shoot at the Governor’s palace in Curaçao. I would like to dedicate this recording in loving memory to ‘ oom Jo’ Joseph Sickman Corsen (1919 – 1996), who was the fi rst one to open my eyes on my musical heritage, and to my whole family for being so supportive during all those years -Randal Corsen 2 11 FL72408-booklet ins.indd 2 15-06-2006 14:30:28 FL72408-booklet*.indd, Spread 3 van 6 - Pagina’s (10, 3) 15-06-2006 10:37 NOTES FROM THE INTERPRETER THE MUSIC OF JOSEPH SICKMAN CORSEN -Waltzes no 5, 6, 11 and 12 (tracks 5, 8, 13 and 18) 1853 – 1911 These waltzes were numbered by Fons Rutten, as documented in his book ‘Leven en Muziekwerken van de Dichter-Musicus J.S. Corsen’. The original titles are unknown. (By Wim Statius Muller) -2nd Mazurka Nocturne (track 4) The recording of a substantial number of compositions by Joseph Sickman Corsen, a 19th century The ending was missing; some repeats were added and the last tree measures of the ending were newly pianist and composer from Curaçao, is an event of historical significance for music lovers on the island composed by the interpreter in order to restore the piece. of his birth. Indeed, it should be of interest to musicians in the entire Caribbean region and beyond. In this recording, the composer’s great-grandson, Randal Corsen, performs his forebear’s music -Waltz no 6 (track 5) with the utmost respect and dedication, and the resulting CD is a most felicitous recognition of Corsen’s The introduction was added by the interpreter. contribution to the musical heritage of the Netherlands Antilles in general, and of Curaçao in particular. -Waltzes no 6, 11 and 12 (tracks 5, 13 and 18) It took three generations for this to come about, for Corsen’s primary legacy is not as a musician, but as the In some parts the left hand figurations have been adapted to the typical Antillean waltz movement. poet who awakened his community’s literary interest in the vernacular Papiamentu. Until recently it was not generally known that he had earned his living as an organist and bandmaster, teaching piano and violin, -Mazurka (track 12) and writing articles about music. The poet’s musical identity was overshadowed by that of several other From the original manuscript just the first page could be found, the rest of the piece is lost. The page composers of salon dances, a genre that evolved on the island during the second half of the 19th century. ends with the first 2 measures of the second part of the trio (in F minor). 14 newly composed measures were added, using material of the first 2 measures of the F minor part, some repeats were added, and While these traditional Caribbean dances like waltzes, danzas, mazurkas and tumbas represent the most the ending was newly composed by the interpreter in order to complete and restore the piece. The authentically Antillean music, neither Corsen nor his contemporaries were satisfied with writing only original title could not be traced. popular dance music. All wrote some “art” music besides, in which they competed not only with each other, but also with the music bequeathed them by composers such as Schubert, Chopin, Liszt and Mendelssohn. In such a daunting musical environment, a composer’s mettle is put to a severe test. Besides the indefinable gift of creativity, a composer’s training, discipline and sensitivity will tell, and all indeed do so in both Corsen’s art-music and his salon-dances. One would listen in vain for poor voice leading; not a single parallel fifth will be heard. His writing is pianistically clever and idiomatic; his 10 3 harmonic structures interesting, his modulations smooth. All this is no small feat for a partly autodidactic composer living far away from the music capitals of the world in a small community, FL72408-booklet ins.indd 3 15-06-2006 14:30:28 FL72408-booklet*.indd, Spread 4 van 6 - Pagina’s (4, 9) 15-06-2006 10:37 where the challenges to making ends meet were so great that leisure was rarely spent on things artistic. RANDAL CORSEN It would be unfair to measure Corsen’s melodic writing by the standards of the great romantic composers; With the distinctive way he blends Jazz with influences from classical, Antillean and however, he does compare favorably to many internationally recognized predecessors or contemporaries, Latin-American music, the Antillean pianist Randal Corsen has gained much recognition. such as Henri Bertini, whose etudes he would assign to his pupils. In the latter half of the 19th century In 2004, he was honoured with the EDISON Jazz Award, the most prestigious music award much European romantic music was trivialized by sentimentality common to many of the short piano in the Netherlands, for his album ‘Evolushon’. pieces that were favorites of diligent piano students. Corsen was no doubt influenced by now forgotten figures such as the Frenchman Ignace Leybach and the German Gustav Lange, who were being lionized Randal was born on the island of Curaçao, the Netherlands Antilles, in 1972. He comes from a family when he set out to write his art-music. He does use their idiom, but judging by the subtlety of his Rêverie, that has played a prominent role in the development of Antillean music and literature. He is the the Meditación, and his Mazurkas and Nocturnes, he recognized – and avoided - an excess of Schmaltz great-grandchild of the well-known Curaçaoan poet and musician Joseph Sickman Corsen and he is when he heard it. As a child of his time, Corsen loved Italian opera, much of which came to Curaçao related to composer and conductor Chris Ulder and poets Oda Blinder and Charles Corsen. filtered through the Spanish zarzuela, and its theatrical element is never quite absent from his music. Before his 18th birthday, Randal left home for the Netherlands, to study music at the Fontys Conservatorium How can one best approach that music today? Corsen’s great-grandson, by training and inclination a in Tilburg.