This week you will be listening to the piano music of Edward MacDowell, an American composer who lived from 1860-1908.  MacDowell was born in New York city but his family moved to Paris when he was seventeen and he attended the Paris Conservatory. He continued to live in Europe for several years, composing and teaching but eventually he and his wife, Marian, returned to the United States where he became professor of music at Columbia University.

The MacDowells purchased Hillcrest Farm in New Hampshire to have as a summer residence and Edward found that living close to nature inspired him and infused his compositions.  Many of them have titles such as To A Wild Rose, To A Water Lily In Autumn, these from a collection entitled Woodland Sketches.  He was also influenced by native American melodies and rhythms.

Upon Edward’s death, Marian founded the MacDowell Colony using their beloved property of Hillcrest Farm as the setting for this organization.  It still operates today as an artists colony where artists of all the disciplines can come and work free of charge for up to two months.  To date sixty-one Pulitzer Prize winners have worked there including such notables as Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland.

From An Indian Lodge

Hungarian Etude played by Benjamin Hopkins

One of the distinguishing characteristics of Romantic Era music is nationalism, which is incorporating into serious compositions the folk rhythms and melodies of one’s native country.  Nationalism became very popular in the mid 1800’s as the enlightenment ideas spread throughout Europe and old dynasties were crumbling.  Edvard Grieg, who was born in Norway in 1841, was trained at the Leipzig Conservatory in the German tradition of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann.  His early compositions were in the style of Schumann, Mendelssohn and the early Romantic school, but as he matured he was drawn back to the music of his native country, Norway and in 1864 he made a conscious decision to write music that reflected and incorporated Norwegian folk melodies and stories.

Grieg wrote for piano, voice, string quartet, violin, cello and one of his most popular compositions is the Concerto for piano in A minor, and another being In the Hall of the Mountain King from the Peer Gynt Suite. Though Grieg and his music were very popular in his day as noted by the fact his funeral drew crowds of 30,000 people, the interest in his music dropped after his death and it is only in recent years that people are again taking notice of Grieg and enjoying his contributions to music.

Grieg was a quiet and level-headed individual, not too swayed by the ups and downs of public popularity.  Upon hearing that he was nominated for Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau he accepted but noted the following to a friend, “Orders and medals are most useful to me in the top layer of my trunk.  The customs officials are always so kind to me at the sight of them.”

Piano Concerto in A minor played by Valentina Lasitsa and the Seoul Philharmonic

The Schumann’s circle of friends included many notable composers and authors of the day.  One of these notables was a young composer by the name of Johannes Brahms, a German composer born in 1833.  A close friendship developed between Johannes and both Robert and Clara and he often spent time in their home and found encouragement from them as he was very self-critical regarding his own compositions.  Because of the high standards he held for himself his compositional output is relatively small but it is of high quality and worthy of our attention.

One of Brahm’s most beloved composition is a lullaby that he wrote for some friends marking the birth of their child.  The version you will hear in this clip is of the cellist Yo-Yo Ma accompanied by Kathryn Stott.  The next example is an Ballade in G Minor which reveals a fiery temperament calling for technical power and pedal control contrasted with a quieter and more melodic section.

Brahms Lullaby

Brahms Ballade in G Minor Op. 118 No. 3 played Evegny Kissin

When we think of the great love stories of history and literature the names of Romeo and Juliet,  Anthony and Cleopatra, Tristan and Isolde come to mind.  But what about  Robert and Clara?  Robert and Clara you ask?  Who were they?  Robert and Clara Schumann’s love story rivals that of any of the before mentioned couples. Theirs was a love that persevered through time, distance, family objections and even death. Robert first met Clara when she was but nine years old, the daughter of the famous piano teacher, Friedrich Wieck, with whom he had come to study.  He was then nineteen.  Of course he had no interest in a nine year old “kid” but she grew up and he kept in touch with the family and when she was older their friendship developed and deepened.  Papa Wieck did not approve at all.  He didn’t want his talented daughter, destined for a concert pianist career to throw her life away by marrying a penniless unknown composer!  But in spite of the obstacles their love continued to grow and the day after Clara’s 21st birthday they married.   They were devoted to each with Robert finding much of his inspiration for composition springing from his love for Clara, and Clara championing the music of her talented husband by performing his works at her concerts. Even Clara’s father eventually softened in his attitude toward Robert and accepted their marriage.

But while they shared many happy years together, tragedy struck when Robert was in his forties, and Clara was in her thirties.  He began having mental disruptions, with depression, multiple personalities and suicidal tendencies.  Finally, at Robert’s request he was placed in an insane asylum where he died at age forty-six.  Clara was then left alone with eight children to raise and her husband dead.  She began anew her concertizing and played all across Europe being one of the most sought after pianists of her day.  She would always wear black in remembrance of her husband and continued to champion his music.  She also supported and promoted the music of Johannes Brahms who became a good friend to her family.  In addition to being a concert pianist, Clara Schumann also composed music and this week’s listening assignment feature a few of her compositions.

Piano Concerto in a minor by Clara Schumann

Quatre Visions Fugitives by Clara Schumann played by Michael Ponti

http://youtu.be/0LTqLGc65XQ

One finds in the life of Robert Schumann all of the ingredients necessary to have the  romantic life of mercurial brilliance that ends abruptly and too soon.  Schumann, a German composer born in 1810 (along with Chopin) lived only forty-six years dying in 1856 in an insane asylum.  He rejected his family’s desire to study law  after trying it for two years, and came back to his true interest and passion- music.  He had aspirations of being a concert pianist but permanently injured his fourth finger and had to give up that career choice, and so turned to composition.  He married his piano teacher’s daughter much against her father’s wishes, but they found true happiness and were devoted to each other.  She also was a musician and accomplished pianist but more about her next week!  There is much speculation as to what caused Schumann’s mental breakdown.  Some attribute it to bi-polar disorder, others think he may have had a tumor, and others think it was possibly mercury poisoning.  His music reveals clearly the style of the Romantic era, with extreme dynamic changes, extra-musical references to literature and stories, beautiful lyric melodies and complex rhythms and harmonies.

Schumann wrote many significant works for the piano but also wrote four symphonies, Lieder (songs) along with choral and instrumental and chamber music.  In addition to being a composer he was also an influential music critic and founded and was editor of a music journal called Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik translated New Journal for Music.

Symphonic Etudes Op. 13 played by Ilya Rashkovsky

http://youtu.be/FahOHk7dDxc

This week you will be listening to the music of Felix Mendelssohn, a German composer who lived from 1809-1847 living only thirty-eight short years.  He demonstrated exceptional talent as a child, which some compare to Mozart, but unlike Mozart, his talent was not exploited by his parents.  Mendelssohn pursued his interest in and study of music even though his father tried to persuade him otherwise, and eventually was recognized and well established as a musician in Europe during his lifetime.  In addition to composition, Mendelssohn also established the Leipzig Conservatory which is still in operation today, and he was also responsible for reviving interest in the music of Johann Sebastion Bach, whose music had been nearly forgotten for one hundred years.

The Andante and Rondo Capriccioso is a well-known and beloved piece in the piano literature.  Listen for the change of mood and tempo between the Andante and the Rondo sections.  The Andante presents a beautiful and dignified melody accompanied by rich chords.  It seems unhurried and unchangeable.  But within a blink we are carried to a completely different landscape.  In the Rondo section we are tossed about with the quick motive and staccato touch of the rondo theme. Capriccioso has the same root as our word “capricious” which means quick to change, flighty, and sometimes of a humorous character.  Can you hear those qualities in the rondo part of this composition?  Also listen for Mendelssohn’s use of scale passages, arpeggios, and octaves.  Can you hear any key changes in the rondo movement or changes of tonality?

Andante Rondo Capriccioso Op. 14 played by Enzo Oliva

This week you will be listening to the music of Johann Strauss who was born in Vienna, Austria and lived from 1825-1899.  He became known in his lifetime as The Waltz King,   composing over 400 waltzes and other types of dance music popularizing especially the waltz in Vienna during a good portion of the nineteenth century.  Some of his most famous waltzes include, The Blue Danube Waltz, Kaiser-Walzer, and Die Fledermaus.  The excerpt I chose to post is a combination of several of his waltzes and gives you an opportunity to see people dancing the waltz.

The second post is of an arrangement of the Blue Danube Waltz for piano 4-hands and played very admirably by two students.  This music is infectious and makes one want to get up and dance around the room!

http://youtu.be/t_eYkhMDkCA

It was difficult to decide what to choose for the listening assignment for this week from the works of Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) because nearly everything he wrote is fantastic!  Chopin is the quintessential Romantic composer whose lyricism and innovative harmonies added tremendously to the piano literature and any serious pianist has spent significant time with his music.

Though Chopin’s life was cut short by illness, he managed to create an impressive amount of music nearly all of which was written for the piano.  He wrote for piano:

• 24 Preludes
• 24 Etudes
• 20 Nocturnes
• 4 Ballades
• 4 Scheros
• 4 Impromptus
• 9 Polonaises
• 11 Waltzes
• 43 Mazurkas
• 3 Sonatas
• Berceuse
• Barcarolle
• 3 Ecossaises
• 2 Piano Concertos

The Mazurkas especially capture the originality and genius of Chopin.  The Mazurka is a polish dance in triple meter and can vary from very fast to slow and plaintive.  The one I’ve selected for this week has a beautiful and haunting melody played by one of the greatest pianist of the twentieth century- Vladimir Horowitz

Mazurka in a minor Op. 17 No.4

The next selection is from the Etudes Op. 10 No. 5 played by a remarkable young pianist, Aimi Kobayashi

I debated at length trying to decide what to post relevant to the topic for this week – Concert Pianist.  There are many fine pianists who regularly concertize, and you have listened to many of them over the course of this year through the listening assignments.  But sometimes, when watching someone perform on stage with the lights and the applauding audience, and hearing seemingly effortless music flow from the fingers we often forget what has gone before to make that experience possible.

You will listen this week to Benjamin Grosvenor, a nineteen year old, who recently performed the Liszt Second Piano Concerto at The Proms, a very prestigious British musical event.  He plays this extraordinarily difficult piece with great ease and a depth of interpretation.  But in doing some research on Benjamin, I watched some other videos taken when he was eleven years old.  He described how much he practiced each day, which was on average, eight hours a day!  That is extraordinary dedication which has brought him to the place where he can play in this venue with all of the skills necessary.

To practice eight hours a day is exceptional, even in the world of concert pianists.  And not everyone is cut out to share music in that particular way.  But to become proficient at anything, it takes consistent and focused work.  If we keep going day by day, our skills will increase which then gives us something to share and a depth of enjoyment which can only come by investing ourselves in a discipline over a long period of time.

Be inspired as you listen to Benjamin Grosvenor play the Liszt Piano Concerto No. 2

http://youtu.be/xiTHU8FaeFE