The last half of the 18th century brought many changes to Europe one of them being the emerging middle class. No longer was music something only to be enjoyed by royalty in their courts but the common person could now enjoy hearing recitals of music. One of the problems that the early pioneers of piano recitals had to decide was how to sit vis a vis the audience. With his back to the audience? Facing the audience? It was finally settled by a young and handsome pianist who came from Bohemia by the name of Jan Ladislav Dussek. It was his decision to sit sideways to the audience and raise the lid of the piano to act as another sounding board and project the sound into the audience. Also, sitting sideways allowed the audience to admire his handsome profile, or as he was described in Paris – le beau Dussek!
Enjoy listening to another composition of Franz Liszt, Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 first played by Adam Gyorgy.
And then another rendition given by the comedian Victor Borge.
If you’ve ever wanted someone to blame for the tradition of having to memorize your pieces for a performance, then this week’s listening assignment composer will introduce you to the culprit – Franz Liszt. Franz Liszt was an Hungarian composer who lived from 1811-1886 and he was famous in his time as a pianist, composer, conductor and teacher. He actually was not the first to play his recitals from memory, Clara Schumann, wife of composer Robert Schumann is credited with being among the first to play in concert from memory, but Liszt was enormously popular with the general public and “Lisztmania” spread across Europe in the 1840-1850’s, and therefore all the other pianists tried to copy Liszt with his playing from memory, and soon it became the norm. His performances were so electrifying that people were known to faint at the concerts and try to be the first to grab a handkerchief or scarf as a souvenir.
Liszt is best known for his piano compositions and he added many beautiful and enduring pieces, such as Liebestraum, the Hungarian Rhapsodies, Annees de Pelerinage and many others to the repertoire. The selection for this week is one of the Consolations nicknamed, “Un Sospiro” or “the sigh”
For the next few weeks you will be listening to music from the Romantic period which spanned from 1820-1900. When the word “romantic” is applied to music it is not romance such as we usually thing of in terms of flowers, chocolates and a hallmark card. Rather, the word “Romantic” when referring to music means that the focus of people living and writing music during this time period was more inwardly focused on their emotional and psychological states. Culturally, this was a period of nationalism, where people were proud of their country’s characteristics such as dance, folklore or myths. People were drawn to more imaginative stories, supernatural and psychologically complex. And the music absorbed and expressed all of these changes.
Romantic era music is characterized by the following:
Descriptive titles such as “Soaring”, “The Storm”, “In the Night”
Nationalism- use of folk melodies or rhythms
More complex harmonies
Extreme dynamics and sudden changes of mood and character
Emphasized emotional content over form
The composition you are listening to this week was written by Robert Schumann (1810-1856) and is one movement from a suite entitled Fantasiestucke Op. 12. The selection you are listening to is called Aufschwung or Soaring (sometimes translated rapture), played by Stanislav Bunin.
The German composer, Ludwig van Beethoven who lived from 1770- 1820 wrote music that is the most well known and appreciated of all the classical composers. Many people know the beginning melody of Fur Elise, or the opening motive of the 5th symphony and the melody Ode to Joy from the 9th symphony.
Beethoven lived during a time of seismic changes in Europe and elsewhere. Our Declaration of Independence was signed when Beethoven was 6 years old! He lived during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars and the rules of society were changing and new ideas were being talked about and acted upon. Beethoven embraced these new ideas and his music was as dynamic and revolutionary as the times in which he lived.
Many people mistakenly think that Beethoven was deaf his entire life. This is not true. He began to experience ringing in his ears when he was about 31 years old. He sought medical help but the condition continued to worsen over the years and eventually he became completely deaf. When he realized that he was losing his hearing he became so discouraged that he thought about taking his own life and wrote a very famous letter to his brothers called the Heligenstadt Testament. In this letter he describes how lonely he was and how devastating it was to be losing his hearing. But, fortunately for all of us, he never sent the letter and he chose to live. He was determined to write the music that was in his mind and live with his deafness and many other physical problems as well. He wrote to a doctor friend, “If possible I will bid defiance to my fate, although there will be moments in life when I will be the unhappiest of God’s creatures. . .I will take faith by the throat. It shall not overcome me. Oh how beautiful it is to be alive- would that I could live a thousand times!”
Perhaps that is one of the reasons we love Beethoven’s music so much, because he writes in the language of music of the determination to not give up and to push through and triumph over whatever challenge we face.
Sonata in F minor Op. 57 “Appassionata Sonata” played by Valentina Lisitsa
Our composer for this week is none other than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, an Austrian composer who lived from 1756-1791. Though he lived for only a short 35 yrs. he composed over 600 works which include 41 symphonies, 27 piano concertos, 23 operas, in addition to sonatas for piano, violin, horn, bassoon, flute and compositions for various combinations of instruments. Just as Bach brought to its fullest expression the music of the Baroque era, so Mozart developed and created, to what some have declared perfection, the style of the Classical era.
The Concerto in A Major K. 488 is a much-loved and frequently performed concerto. Listen to the themes introduced by the orchestra as the piano plays along as just another instrument. When the piano part finally enters as the soloist notice how the thematic material is played back and forth between the orchestra and the piano as if they were having a conversation. And can you say scale skills?! Much of the development of themes in music of the Classical era is done by use of scales and arpeggios. Listen for cadences which are often preceded by a trill. And finally, listen for the cadenza which is at the very end of this movement played right after the big half cadence played by the orchestra. The pianist in this performance is Zoltan Kocsis.
Just as Haydn was called the “father of the modern orchestra”, the composer you will be listening to this week is called the “father of modern pianoforte playing.” Muzio Clementi was Italian by birth (1752-1832) but had spent much of his life in England prior to the famous musical duel between himself and Mozart which took place in 1781. A few weeks ago you listened to a reenactment of that duel, set up by Emperor Joseph II. It was hotly debated afterwards as to who won the contest, which gives us an idea of how popular Clementi was and how his technique and ability to improvise even rivaled that of Mozart’s.
The reason Clementi is called the father of modern pianoforte playing is because he not only influenced the way the piano was played by his own performances but he also wrote his ideas down in a book called, The Art of Playing the Piano Forte which continued to be used long after his death. He wrote many exercises and skill development passages which are still used today. Remember that the piano was a relatively new instrument and many people still played it just like they played the harpsichord. The standard way of playing in the 18th c. was to detach one note from another. It was really Clementi and Mozart also, who championed and promoted the more legato style of playing the piano in contrast to the detached style of the Baroque era.
Many of you have learned or are currently learning one of Clementi’s Sonatinas, but he also wrote twelve, full length Sonatas some of which are on par with those written by Beethoven. This week you will listen to the Sonata in b minor, Op. 40 No. 2. Listen to the dramatic opening which is similar, in that it moves from a slow opening to a faster development, to the Pathetique Sonata of Beethoven. The performer is Gianluca Luissi.
This week we will continue to get better acquainted with “Papa Haydn” as we listen to a complete performance of Sonata No. 54 in G Major played by Latvian pianist, Vestard Shimkur. This sonata is a wonderful example of elements that characterize the music of Haydn. For example, the primary theme is a very tidy four measure “question” phrase followed by a four measure “answer” phrase. In this sonata, Haydn uses fermatas to separate themes and add drama and sforzandos are scattered liberally throughout the first movement. Pay attention to how he develops the main theme each time it returns with added scale passages or changing the rhythm pattern of the bass line. How many times does the opening theme return?
The second part of this Sonata is marked Presto and you will immediately hear the change of tempo. The energy and speed of this movement sounds as if someone hit the fast forward button! Notice how close to the keys the pianist keeps his fingers as he flies over the scale passages. This movement illustrates another typical Haydn sound which is the way he breaks up the melody between the hands giving a lively and playful feel to the music. It is no wonder that when describing Haydn’s music, adjectives such as witty, playful, humorous,and surprising are used. How would you describe this music?
Generally speaking, a symphony is a sonata for orchestra, and while there have been groups of instruments playing together for centuries, the beginning of the modern orchestra is linked to the first symphony of Franz Joseph Haydn or as he was affectionately called, “Papa Haydn.” (1732-1809) You will remember that a few weeks ago you listened to some of Haydn’s sonatas for piano as he was a prolific writer for that instrument as well. Haydn wrote 106 symphonies, though they were not as long as the symphonies written after Haydn by composers such as Beethoven and Brahms.
In this week’s listening assignment you will be hearing one movement from a symphony by Haydn called the “Surprise Symphony” because of the sudden loud chord in a quiet passage. It was reported that the “surprise” shocked the ladies present at the concert! The Classical symphony consists, generally, of four movements: 1.) an opening allegro sometimes with a slow introduction 2.) a slow movement with a beautiful melody 3.) sometimes a minuet and trio 4.) a fast and exciting finale.
This movement is the Andante which is where you will hear the “surprise.” It is a typical Classical era them written in 8 bars in question and answer style. After the theme has been stated, which includes the “shocking” surprise, there is a series of variations on the theme. Listen for how he varies this simple but lovely theme, through ornamentation, changing tonality (major to minor) rhythm, and instrumentation (which instruments play the theme). Does this movement end quietly or loudly? By the end of the week can you play this theme on the piano?
For this week’s listening assignment, you will be listening to the Sonata Op. 27 No. 2 composed by Beethoven or as it is more commonly known – The Moonlight Sonata. This wonderful music was written by Beethoven in 1801 (he was 31 yrs. old) and he gave it the title of Sonata quasi una Fantasia and he dedicated it to one of his students, Countess Julietta Guicciardi. The title “Moonlight Sonata” was given five years after Beethoven’s death and people have argued about it’s merit ever since, but the name has stuck.
The traditional practice in the Classical Era (1750-1820) for Sonatas was to have the first movement of the Sonata be fast, the second movement, slow and the third movement again, fast. In the Moonlight Sonata Beethoven experiments with that formula and writes the first movement, Adagio sostenuto- or slowly and sustained. The second movement is marked Allegretto- fairly fast, and the third movement is marked Presto agitato- or very fast and agitated. So rather than following the fast-slow-fast tradition Beethoven wrote this Sonata with the tempos building up in speed to the last movement.
Nearly everyone is familiar with the haunting first movement. It has well-deserved popularity. But try to listen to it this time a little differently. Try playing just the melody without the accompaniment and notice how very simple it is. What pitch of the C# minor scale does the melody begin on? What is the last pitch of the first movement? Are there any measures in the first movement that do not have the triplet figure in them? Why do you think he wrote it that way?
But now rather than just being satisfied with listening to only the first movement, listen now to the second and the third movements. Only hearing the first, is like listening to only part of a story and not finding out what happens in the end. I would like for you to give me three adjectives to describe each movement; that is three words that describe the character/mood/energy of each movement. Here is what a famous musician- pianist and historian and author- Charles Rosen said about the third movement of the Moonlight Sonata:
“It is the most unbridled in its representation of emotion. Even today, 200 years later, the ferocity is astonishing.” Charles Rosen
Sonata Op. 27 No. 2 Adagio Sostenuto / composer Ludwig van Beethoven/ performed by Wilhelm Kempff
Last week we focused on the history of the piano, learning about it’s beginnings in the harpsichord workshop of Cristofori in 1709. But the piano continued to undergo many changes over the years and the sound we now have on our modern pianos is far different from the sound of even Mozart and Clementi’s time.
One of the changes that has had a dramatic effect on the sound of the piano is the pedal. There are three pedals; the damper pedal- on the right, the una corda pedal – on the left, and the sostenuto pedal- in the middle. This week try exploring the pedals and listening to the sound that is created by the use of each one.
The music that is posted for this week was written by Claude Debbusy, a French composer who lived from 1862-1918. His music is classified as Impressionism, a word first used to describe paintings from that same time period. The titles of Debussy’s compositions also reveal the change in how music was heard and written, in contrast to the music of the Classical era. The two pieces you will listen to this week are entitled: Reflections in the Water and Goldfish. Quite a change from Sonata or Sonatina!
I especially want you to listen for the variety of sounds, the layers of sound, that Debussy creates, partly by use of the pedals. In Reflections in the Water, listen to how smooth and “watery” the sound is, which is in part created by the good technique of the pianist but also by the use of the pedals. Try experimenting this week with using the damper pedal, holding it down half-way or even a quarter-way and then adding the una corda pedal. The whole tone scale is a grateful sound with which to experiment with the pedals. Have fun!
Claude Debussy Images Book I Reflet’s Dans l’Eau played by Claudio Arrau
Kirsten West Piano Studio 