28709Giacomettibooklet5 29-01-2009 10:54 Pagina 1 CHANNEL CLASSICS CCS SA 28709 Paolo piano SchumannGiacometti Davidsbündlertänze | Arabeske | Gesänge der Frühe 28709Giacomettibooklet5 29-01-2009 10:54 Pagina 2 Paolo Giacometti aolo Giacometti performs all over Alois Brandhofer, Janine Jansen, Bart P the world as a soloist and as a Schneemann and Emmy Verhey. He is chamber musician, both on period and also a member of the Cristofori Piano- on modern instruments. quartet Amsterdam. Paolo Giacometti Paolo Giacometti was born in Milan in is a much sought-after musician at 1970, but has been living in the Nether- chamber music festivals in Europe, lands from his early childhood. He Canada and the United States. He has studied with Jan Wijn at the Sweelinck performed in concert halls all over the Conservatorium Amsterdam, where he world including the Concertgebouw graduated with the highest distinction. (Amsterdam), Teatro Colon (Buenos Also Gyorgy Sebök was an important Aires), Wigmore Hall (London), Théâtre source of inspiration and had a signifi- du Châtelet (Paris) and Seoul Arts cant influence on his musical education. Centre (South Korea). Paolo Giacometti has won many prizes Paolo Giacometti records exclusively at both national and international com- for Channel Classics. His impressive petitions. He has played with renowned discography has been widely acclaimed orchestras under distinguished conduc- by the international press. His recordings tors such as Frans Brüggen, Kenneth include Rossini’s complete piano works, Montgomery, Laurent Petitgirard, a remarkable project that started in Michael Tilkin and Jaap van Zweden. 1998. In Rossini’s homeland critics say: Apart from his activities as a soloist, ‘... Rossini has finally found his pianist ...’. Paolo Giacometti’s love for chamber For the third recording of this series music has resulted in a successful co- Giacometti was distinguished with the operation with leading musicians such Edison Classical Music Award 2001. as Pieter Wispelwey, Gordon Nikolich, Paolo Giacometti’s recording of Schu- 2 28709Giacomettibooklet5 29-01-2009 10:54 Pagina 3 mann’s Humoreske, Fantasiestücke and a recording with works by Schubert with Toccata has received the BBC Music cellist Pieter Wispelwey has received Magazine’s Benchmark and Perform- the Choc du Monde de la Musique ance of Outstanding Quality distinc- and Luister 10 awards, while another tions. His recording of the Dvorák and recording with works by Chopin, Fauré Schumann piano concertos have been and Poulenc, also with Pieter Wispelwey, acclaimed by Gramophone as ‘... one has been awarded the Diapason d’or. of the best concerto disks I have heard Paolo Giacometti is also a dedicated in a long while ...’. piano professor at the Utrecht Conser- Among his chamber music recordings, vatory of Music. 3 28709Giacomettibooklet5 29-01-2009 10:54 Pagina 4 Davidsbündlertänze | Arabeske | Gesänge der Frühe y late summer of 1837, the 27-year- intimate, gentle, and shy. The tensions Bold Schumann was secretly engaged between these two extremes also pro- to his beloved Clara Wieck. The power- vides a narrative thread for the Davids- ful emotions connected with this event bündlertänze. Schumann placed the were a stimulus to Schumann’s creative signature of one character or the other impulses, for he was a Romantic at the end of each of the eighteen through and through. It was at this time dances; some are even ‘signed’ by both that he composed the deeply personal characters. At the end of the cycle, ‘Davidsbündlertänze’ –18 dances the second dance, one of Eusebius’s inspired by the imaginary ‘league of melodies, returns, only to be cruelly David’. This fellowship, invented by interrupted by Florestan. But Eusebius, Schumann, consisted of Schumann’s nevertheless, has the last word. Over own alter egos, plus a number of well- the last dance, Schumann wrote ‘Ganz respected musicians and friends zum Überfluß meinte Eusebius noch including Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. folgendes; dabei sprach aber viel Selig- The group was established as a way of keit aus seinen Augen.’ [Eusebius ex- fighting against the Philistines; it was pressed the following opinion, quite Schumann’s response to contemporary unnecessarily; but at the time, great musical trends which he saw as cheap, happiness spoke from his eyes.’ excessively virtuosic, and superficial. In 1838, a year after the Davidsbündler- Two of the ‘Davidsbündler’, Schumann’s tänze, Schumann composed the ‘Ara- alter egos Florestan and Eusebius, beske’. Peaceful, equable and timeless occupy a central place in all of the are words befitting this little compo- composer’s works. Florestan, is extro- sition, meant to be a delicate ornament. verted, lively, and wild; Eusebius is The Arabesque, as a musical form, was 4 28709Giacomettibooklet5 29-01-2009 10:54 Pagina 5 later used by other composers, A day later, Schumann threw himself such as Debussy and Reger, in an into the Rhine in a suicide attempt; for expression of admiration for Schumann. me, this event is inseparably linked with The ‘Gesänge der Frühe’ (Morning the emotional content of these works. songs), like the Davidsbündlertänze, are After years of increasingly violent intimately connected with Schumann’s emotional problems, the Gesänge der inner world. On 23 February 1854, Frühe, odes to the sunrise, were the Schumann wrote to his publisher how composer’s last works before he was he had wanted to depict the sunrise confined in the asylum at Endenich. in this music, more in terms of mood- Even submerged in darkness, his unique painting than as a musical portrait. spirit continued to search for the light... Paolo Giacometti translation David Shapero n de nazomer van 1837 was de 27- Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. Het genoot- Ijarige Schumann heimelijk verloofd schap was opgericht om te strijden met zijn geliefde Clara Wieck. De hevige tegen de Filistijnen en was Schumanns emoties die daarmee gepaard gingen, antwoord op toenmalige tendensen in voedden de creativiteit van de pur sang de muziek die hij als goedkoop, virtuoos romanticus Schumann. In deze periode en oppervlakkig beschouwde. Twee van ontstonden de hoogstpersoonlijke de ’Davidsbündler’ staan centraal in Davidsbündlertänze – achttien dansen Schumanns hele oeuvre: zijn alter ego’s van het fictieve genootschap van David. Florestan en Eusebius. Florestan is Dit door Schumann bedachte genoot- extravert, uitbundig en wild. Eusebius is schap bestond uit (de alter ego’s van) intiem, zachtaardig en verlegen. De Schumann zelf en een aantal gerespec- spanning tussen deze twee uitersten teerde musici en vrienden, zoals Felix fungeert ook als rode draad in de 5 28709Giacomettibooklet5 29-01-2009 10:54 Pagina 6 Davidsbündlertänze. Elk van de achttien De in 1853 gecomponeerde Gesänge dansen heeft Schumann door één van der Frühe zijn, evenals de Davidsbünd- hen laten signeren, sommige zelfs door lertänze, intiem verwant met Schumanns alletwee. Aan het slot van de cyclus geest. Op 23 februari 1854 schreef komt de tweede dans, een zang van Schumann zijn uitgever hoe hij met dit Eusebius, terug om wreed verstoord werk de dageraad heeft willen uitbeel- te worden door Florestan. Toch krijgt den, meer als gevoelsuitdrukking dan Eusebius het laatste woord. Schumann als klankschildering. Een dag later schrijft boven de laatste dans: ‘Ganz sprong Schumann in de Rijn in een zum Überfluss meinte Eusebius noch poging zichzelf van het leven te beroven; folgendes; dabei sprach aber viel Selig- een gegeven dat voor mij onlosmakelijk keit aus seinen Augen.’ is verbonden met de lading die deze In 1838, een jaar na de Davidsbündler- werken hebben. Na jaren van steeds tänze schreef Schumann de Arabeske. hevigere psychische problemen waren Vredig, evenwichtig en tijdloos is dit als de Gesänge der Frühe, een ode aan klein ornament bedoelde, beeldende de dageraad, Schumanns laatste werk muziekwerk. De Arabeske als muziek- voordat hij werd opgenomen in de vorm kwam later terug bij componisten, inrichting in Endenich. Gehuld in zoals Debussy en Reger, als eerbetoon duisternis bleef zijn unieke ziel reiken aan Schumann. naar het licht… Paolo Giacometti 6 28709Giacomettibooklet5 29-01-2009 10:54 Pagina 7 m Spätsommer 1837 war der 27- Schumann von einem der beiden Ijährige Schumann insgeheim mit signieren, manche selbst von beiden. seiner geliebten Clara Wieck verlobt. Am Ende des Zyklus kehrt der zweite Die stürmischen Erregungen, die sich Tanz, ein Gesang des Eusebius, zurück, daraus ergaben, nährten den schöp- um von Florestan brutal unterbrochen zu ferischen Drang des naturreinen Roman- werden. Dennoch behält Eusebius das tikers Schumann. In dieser Zeit entstan- letzte Wort. Schumann schreibt über den die ganz personenbezogenen den letzten Tanz: ‘Ganz zum Überfluss Davidsbündlertänze – achtzehn Tänze meinte Eusebius noch folgendes; dabei des fiktiven Davidsbundes. Diese von sprach aber viel Seligkeit aus seinen Schumann erfundene Gesellschaft Augen.’ bestand aus (den Alter Ego von) Im Jahre 1838, ein Jahr nach den Schumann selbst und einer Anzahl Davidsbündlertänze, schrieb Schumann angesehener Musiker und Freunde, die Arabeske. Friedlich, ausgeglichen wie Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. Die und zeitlos ist dieses als kleines Orna- Gesellschaft war zur Bekämpfung des ment vorgesehene, bildende Musikwerk. Philistertums gegründet worden, und sie Die Arabeske als musikalische Form war Schumanns Reaktion auf damalige taucht später wieder auf bei Komponis- Tendenzen in der Musik, die er für billig, ten wie Debussy und Reger als Homma- virtuos