RACHMANINOFF: Op. 3, Op. 16, Op. 23, & Op. 33

Rachmaninoff

Morceaux de Fantaisie, Op.3
This is a set of five pieces for solo piano:
1. Elegy in E-flat minor
2. Prelude in C-sharp minor
3. Melody in E major
4. Polichinelle
5. Serenade
All these five pieces are not supposed to be performed together as a group and are all in ABA form. The Elegy sounds sad and tragic to me. The Melody is lyrical yet dramatic. The Polichinelle has this march-like character. Lastly, the Serenade is a waltz.
As mentioned earlier, Rachmaninoff strongly suggests that all these pieces should reflect imagery rather than their musical form. Among the five pieces, the Prelude is probably the most popular one. The image that Rachmaninoff suggests the performer to picture is the image of the bells in Moscow. Therefore, the opening has big menacing chords that correspond to that image.

Moments Musicaux, Op.16
This comprises a group of six separate pieces. Each piece has its own mood:

1. Andantino in B-flat minor- use elements of nocturne and theme and variation
2. Allegretto in E-flat minor- use elements of etude (see melody combined with sextuplet figures)
3. Andante cantabile in B minor- use elements of funeral march
4. Presto in E minor- again, use element resembles to Chopin’s Revolutionary etude
5. Adagio sostenuto in D-flat major- barcarolle form
6. Maestoso in C major- canon, three-part texture, love the majestic ending

Interestingly, these pieces were written because he needed money.

10 Preludes, Op.23
In comparison to Chopin’s Preludes, these preludes are written mostly in polyphonic setting but still have all 24 major and minor keys. His Prelude No. 5, Op. 23 is probably the most famous one among the ten preludes. There are many modulations through the use of rising and falling chromatic pattern. This piece has a march section, syncopated rhythm, thick repeated chordal structure, meter changes, etc.

Etudes-tableaux, Op. 33
As mentioned in other blog entries, Rachmaninoff’s etudes-tableaux are picture pieces. There are nine etudes in this set. The E-flat major one (Op. 33, No. 7) is especially important because Rachmaninoff again uses the bell-like chord sounds that is typical in his compositions. The other important one is probably the eighth etude in C-sharp minor as the tonality shift between the major and minor mode. The second prelude in C major sounds Nocturne-like. The d-minor etude (Op. 33, No. 4) has a study of staccato chords in compelling rhythms. The fifth prelude in E-flat minor is in fast tempo and the harmony is chromatic.

SCRIABIN: Sonatas: Op. 19, Op. 53, & Op. 68

SCRIABIN

Sonata-Fantasie No. 2, Op. 19
This piece is in two movements: Andante and Presto. The musical style is similar to those of Chopin but also with an impressionistic feel. The second movement is in contrast to the first movement. The first movement sounds lyrical whereas the second movement is intense in faster tempo. I can see that in order to play this piece, large hands may be required due to several large intervals such as twelfth intervals.

Sonata No. 5, Op. 53
This sonata is important because it is sad that it marks the end of his Romantic period. He dives right into the style of atonality. There is a total of five themes in this piece. The idea in the opening is shockingly intense as there is use of dissonant trill and glissando. The Languido section is slow and wistful. The overall mood of the piece, I thought, reminds me of Brahms. By looking at the score, he also uses several thick chords and sixth intervals except with accidentals which make the music atonal.

There is also an epigraph to this sonata written by him which states “I summon you to life, hidden longings! You, drowned in the dark depths of the creative spirit, you fearful embryos of life, I bring you daring!”

Sonata No. 9, Op. 68
This single-movement sonata is also known as the Black Mass Sonata. As I listen to this piece, the beginning immediately gives me a sort of unstable yet distant feeling highly owing to its use of chromaticism and atonality. The interval of a minor ninth is particular used to make the dissonant sounds in this piece. I can notice that he use trills along with arpeggio to not only gives a sense of flustering tone but also to shift the harmonic structure. As the piece progresses, the tension builds up more and more and eventually reaches the climax. The original theme is again repeated at the end. Like his Sonata No. 5, Op. 53, I think this sonata is also technically demanding

MIGHTY 5: Balakirev(Op. 102 & Op. 18) & Cui (Op. 64)

Balakirev

These two composers are part of the group ‘The Mighty Five.’ The name is associated with Russian national melodies and rhythms. Balakirev is actually the mentor of Cui. He also managed to organized another group known as the Balakirev Circle with the purpose of promoting Russian national music instead o the classical German compositions.

Sonata No. 2 in Bb minor, Op. 102
What is so special about this sonata is that the second movement is a Mazurka which sounds poetic. The first movement is too uniquely designed as fugue is used in its sonata-allegro form. The mood of this piece in general is romantic. By looking at the score, it seems Balakirev often likes to use arpeggios in the left hand. The Finale is rhythmic and the ending somewhat resembles the ending of the first movement as both ends quietly.

Islamey , Oriental Fantasy, Op. 18
It is known that the members of the Mighty Five were also influenced by both Islamic and Asian musical styles. Balakirev therefore wrote an oriental fantasy for piano entitled Islamey. This piece is technically difficult as the use of double thirds, octave figurations, and scale passages are written everywhere. There are three sections in ABA form. The first section introduces the main theme. As one listens, he or she can recognize the tone in the second sections sound oriental or exotic. In the third section the main theme returns. What an electrifying piece of music!

Cui
Although Cui was born in Russia, he was not Russian by blood. His father was French, and his mother was Lithuanian. He studied composition with Balakirev.

Op. 64 Preludes
This piece reflects the sensibility of Chopin’s works as it is pianistic. The key scheme is the same as those in Chopin’s as both covered all the keys. However, in Cui’s set there is an additional prelude at the end as to make a distinction between his and Chopin’s preludes. As far as the order of the key scheme is concerened, Chopin moves upward around the circle of fifths with major keys and their relative minors. On the other hand, Cui starts with C major in his preludes and moves upward by thirds alternating between major and minor and eventually circles back to C major. The structure of most of these preludes is in ABA form. Some of them are waltzes such as in No. 3, 12, 14, and 23. There is also a canon in N0. 7. The meter in No. 15 is irregular as it changes from 7/8 to 3/4. It seems that these pieces are tonally constructed, and the intimate lyricism is what I was drawn to the most when listening.

THE AMERICANS: Beach(Op. 60 & Op. 15) & MacDowell

Amy Beach: Variations on Balkan Themes, Op. 60 & Sketches, Op. 15MacDowell: Woodland Sketches & New England Idyls

I thought Dave’s presentation is pretty thorough. I have few things to add. I really like “To a Wild Rose” by MacDowell, sounds every nostalgic. Also, I found out that Beach had spent many summers at the MacDowell Colony!
Both composers are classified as the Boston Classicists.

TCHAIKOVSKY (Op. 59 & Op. 37b)& GRIEG (Op. 43 & Op. 54)

Tchaikovsky

Dumka, Op 59
Dumka ( Russian Rustic Scene) is defined as a Slavic folksong that has both happy and sad sections. It is said that Tchaikovsky may have taken this idea from Dvorak’s “Dumky” Trio, p. 65.

The Seasons, Op 37b
The Seasons, op. 37b is a set of twelve short character pieces for solo piano by the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893). The work is also sometimes heard in orchestral arrangements produced by other musicians.The 12 pieces with their titles are:

January: At the Fireside-a sense of regret but playful
February: Carnival - joyful
March: Song of the Lark – a sense of melancholy
April: Snowdrop - bright"
May: Starlight Nights – sweet-sounding
June: Barcarolle – Chopin-like; both happy and sad
July: Song of the Reaper – several mood changes
August: Harvest – ABA form
September: The Hunt – fanfare-like
October: Autumn Song –sad, melancholy
November: Troika - playful
December: Christmas- in waltz style

Grieg
Lyrical Pieces, Op. 43 and 54: like the title suggested, these pieces sound not only lyrical but poetic as well. After listening to Lyrical Pieces and then Sonata in E minor, Op. 7, I began to have a thought about the musical style of his pieces: ‘young and fresh.’

ETUDES: Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Scriabin

ETUDES

Liszt: 2 Concert Etudes, S145 & 12 Etudes d'execution transcendante, S139
Rachmaninoff: Etudes-tableaux, Op. 39
Scriabin: 3 Pieces, Op. 2: No. 1. Etude in C sharp minor & 8 Etudes, Op. 42

Pieces in Liszt’s etudes mostly focus on the challenges of specific techniques. However, Rachmaninoff’s etudes, according to Rachmaninoff himself, are “picture pieces.” He states “I don’t believe in the artist disclosing too much of the images. Let them paint for themselves what it most suggests.” In other words, these etudes go beyond the technical challenges to explore a variety to imaginative emotions. As the practice of etudes is evolving, Scriabin had made his etudes move to atonality that to some extent reflect his mystical beliefs on his music.

FAURE: Nocturne, Op. 119 & Barcarolle, Op. 66

Faure

Nocturne No. 13, Op 119 &Barcarolle No. 5, Op 66

Faure wrote a total of thirteen nocturnes, and some of them still have those warm and expressive quality like in Chopin’s nocturnes. Of course there is some differences between both composers’ nocturnes. The Nocturne No. 13 shows that, that is, its atonality.

On the other hand, The Barcarolle, Op. 66 has bolder harmonic shifts compared to Chopin’s. Therefore, his Barcarolle sounds more restless than Chopin’s Barcarolle which is rather serene and peaceful.

REGER (Op. 36 & Op. 134) & SAINT-SAENS (Op. 111, Op. 73, & Op. 35)

Max Reger

9 Bunte Blatter for Piano, Op. 36Variations and Fugue on a theme by Telemann for Piano, Op. 134
Perhaps due to status as both a pianist and organist, his style is contrapuntally dense. He therefore wrote works in fugues or in variation form. The harmony in his music remains mostly tonal but at times the melodic lines sound atonal due to rapid modulations.Ideas -

From Bach: counterpoint
From Beethoven and Brahms: absolute music
From Liszt and Wagner: free modulation

Saint-Saens:6 etudes, op. 111Album op. 72 for pianoRhapsodie d'Auvergne, Op. 73Variations on a theme by Beethoven, Op. 35
Have never heard of these pieces, I enjoyed listening to them. Saint-Saens’s pieces have French characteristics: the music is often considered refined and never excessive. Moreover, most of them have elegant melodic lines and clean-cut expression as opposed to a great deal of rubatos of the German School.

BRAHMS: Op. 76, Op. 116, Sonatas and Variations

BRAHMS

Capriccio in B minor, Opus 76
This set contains eight pieces. As I’d already compared the four different recordings for one of the assignments, most of them are in ABA form.
1. Capriccio in F#minor- restless, lots of arpeggios
2. Capriccio in B minor- playful, gypsy-like style
3. Intermezzo in Ab major- has syncopated chords played in legato played against a staccato accompaniment
4. Intermezzo in Bb major- use chromatic harmony
5. Capriccio in C# minor- complex rhythm
6. Intermezzo in A major- very lyrical
7. Intermezzo in A minor- has a sad, melancholy melody over an accompaniment
8. Capriccio in C major- difficult to play; complex rhythm

7 Fantasias, Op. 116
1. Capriccio in D minor- virtuosic (Presto)
2. Intermezzo in A minor- meter changes in the central section
3. Capriccio in G minor- there is a trio section in the Neapolitan key of E-flat major
4. Intermezzo in E major- use of variations
5. Intermezzo in E minor- symmetrical
6. Intermezzo in E major- minuet-like
7. Capriccio in D minor- ends on D major
Most of them are in ABA form. The outer section often contrasts the inner section. Characteristics: TURBULENT capriccios and SERENE intermezzos.

BRAHMS SONATA AND VARIATIONS:
MY PRESENTATION

LISZT: virtuoso, Anness and late pieces, Sonata and Ballades

LISZT

Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No.9 & No. 13, Tannhauser to Overture(Wagner), Rigoletto Paraphrase (Verdi)
Liszt wrote a set of nineteen piano pieces based on Hungarian folk themes in three different time periods: 1846-1853, 1882, and 1885. These pieces later are arranged in versions of orchestra, piano duet, and piano trio. The idea of these rhapsodies comes from the danced called verbunkos which is a Hungarian dance during the 18th century. This type of dance has several parts, and each is in a different tempo. It is also important to note that the structure of Liszt’s Hungarian rhapsodies is credited to Gypsides and contains two important elements: the lassan (slow)and the friska (fast).

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 3.
In comparison to his Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody, No. 2, this rhapsody is much shorter and only lasts about four minutes long. Moreover, it is less technical. Therefore, this piece is often overlooked. The form is in ABA form. The A section opens up with a dark theme played in the bass. The right hand plays chords in the low register. The B section features shimmering sonorities.

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 9
The texture of this rhapsody is thin, and its harmonic rhythm is slow. The syncopation in the allegretto section is constant. The mood is much lighter than the Rhapsody No. 3.

Overture to Wagner’s “Tannnhauser”
Liszt loved to transcribe several works from other composer. In fact, he transcribed several opera works by Wagner and Verdi for the piano. This transcription Tannhauser to Overture is not as virtuosic in comparison to his own compositions.

Concert Paraphrase of Rigoletto, by Verdi
The tonal colors in this piece sound mostly brilliant throughout. The mood is generally fun and has its dramatics as opposed to profound, deep music.

Années de pèlerinage (Years of Pilgrimage)
This is a set of three suites. These works ranges from virtuosic to slow-moving emotional highlights. One can observe his musical maturity evolving through these three volumes. The third volume is distinguished as an example of his late style.

Années de pèlerinage, Deuxième année: Italy (Book II)
This is the second set of his Years of Pilgrimage. There is a total of seven pieces in this set. The first piece Sposalizio (Wedding Ceremony) was inspired by the painting, The Marriage of the Virgin, by Raphael. There is a pentatonic melody used at the beginning. The piece just sounds ‘full’ to me. The second one is named ‘The Thinker’ inspired by Michelangelo’s statue. In my opinion, the title completely matches the impression of the piece. The melodic lines move forward and stop at times, on and off, leaving an notion of what a thinker is doing. The third piece, Canzoneeta del Salvator Rosa obviously was inspired by a poem credited to Salvator Rosa who was a painter in the 17th century. The mood of this piece is light and somewhat gives a sense of carefree indifference.

Following this, there are three Petrach Sonnets, Sonnetto 47 del Petrarca, Sonetto 104 Petrarca, and Sonetto 123 del Petrarca. These works were transcribed from songs he wrote for tenor voice. The first one sounds lovely in a slow tempo. The beginning of the second one immediately tries to create some sort of tension with its peculiar harmony, and the middle section has a passionate, singable melodic lines. The third one resembles the first one. The overall mood of the third sounds lovely and gentle.

The last piece in this set is called Apres une lecture du Dante, sometimes is known as the Dante Sonata. The title is inspired by one of the poems written by Victor Hugo. The repetitive tritones in the introduction produce a demonic sound effect. Later, the piece therefore develops much more intensity and drama. Interestingly, the darkness of the mood is maintained throughout the whole piece.

Les Jeux d’eau a la Villa d’Este
This is the fourth piece from the third volume of his Years of Pilgrimage. This piece sounds impressionistic and Debussy-like. The arpeggios built on ninth chords at the beginning suggest the movement of water. It has some sort of crystalline-like sound evoking droplets of water in particular from the tremolos.

Aux cyprès de la Villa d'Este No. 1
This is the second piece from the third volume of his Years of Pilgrimage. This is Liszt’s reaction towards the cypresses surrounding the Villa d’Este. Apparently, he viewed them in the character of threnodies and gloominess. The opening begins with a heavy ringing of bass octaves against repeated chords with the aim of setting up a distressful mood. The whole entire piece gives a sense of uncertainty, yet, with frustration and anguish.

Mephisto Polka
This is a folk-dance piece of program music based on the legend of Faust by Nikolaus Lenau. The story behind this piece is about how Mephistopheles tried to make Faust waltz with a girl by playing the fiddle at a wedding feast. By looking at the score, the work is not technically challenging. The piece sounds pretty much chromatic as opposed to functional harmony. Also, there doesn’t seem to be an ending, the piece simply just dies out on the key of F.

Nuage Gris
The beginning gives me the creeps. Unlike his earlier works, it sounds very gloomy and dark and may reflect his depression regarding the late period of his life. This piece is only three minutes long. The nature of this work is not virtuosic and is technically simple. The harmony is what draws my attention the most because it is based on augmented triads.

Sonata in B minor
This piece is dedicated to Robert Schumann. What is interesting about this sonata is that it is written in one movement; moreover, it is technically a fantasia-like improvisation. There is a total of five motivic ideas that form the whole piece. The first theme sounds excitingly threatening while the second theme sings its beautiful melody. There is a chorale section in the middle. The form of this sonata is widely debated. Some say this sonata contains a four-movement structure of a sonata, and some say it is a single movement in sonata-allegro form. Whatever it is, this piece remains one of his greatest compositions for solo piano.

Ballade No. 2
The piece is inspired by a ballad poem called Lenore by Gottfried Burger:http://www.artofeurope.com/burger/burg1.htmThis ballade is more popular compared to the first one. Again, Liszt uses the lower register for the main theme to demonstrate his typical style of that menacing dark sound that represents evil. There is basically a scenario of struggles between good versus evil. The second subject is played in the high register as opposed to the first subject played in the low register. Ironically, the piece ends softly.