Prokofiev - Overture On Hebrew Themes

Sergei Prokofiev was 25 yeas old when the February Revolution of 1917 occurred in Russia. He was already an accomplished concert pianist and composer, and wrote about those times:

The February Revolution found me in Petrograd. I and those I associated with welcomed it with open arms. I was in the streets of Petrograd while the fighting was going on, hiding behind house corners when the shooting came too close.

Despite his enthusiasm for the revolution, Prokofiev felt that there was little need for his music in Russia at this time so he made arrangements in 1918 with the People's Commissar For Education of the new government for a travel visa to the United States. He arrived in San Francisco in August of 1918 and was soon on his way to New York where he had his debut solo concert in September of 1918. But Prokofiev's stay in the United States turned out to not be a successful artistic or financial time. He stayed until 1920, when he left for France.

While he was still in New york in 1919 he was approached by a Russian musical group, the Zimbro Ensemble, with a commission to write a composition for their combination of clarinet, string quartet and piano. The group had just arrived in the United States on a world tour that had been sponsored by a Russian Zionist organization to try and raise money for a conservatory in Jerusalem.  The leader of the group, the clarinetist  Simeon Bellison, requested that the work have a Jewish style to it, so he gave Prokofiev a notebook that had Jewish folk songs in it for possible inclusion in the work.

Simeon Bellison

Initially, Prokofiev showed little interest in the project, but he played through the Jewish folksong notebook one day at the piano and his interest increased. He finished the work and was the pianist at the premiere in 1920.

The overture is in one continuous movement and Prokofiev used two melodies from the notebook given to him, although neither melody has been identified as being authentic Jewish folksong. The clarinet plays the first theme in a style of Jewish Klezmer Music of Eastern Europe.  The second theme is more lyrical and has the quality of melancholy about it as well.  All through the development section a feeling of improvisation is kept as the themes wend their way in and out amid other material. The themes return in what amounts to a recapitulation, after which the first theme returns in a short coda that builds in speed and volume until the piece ends.

Prokofiev didn't think too highly of his composition, perhaps because he had vowed earlier in his career to use only original themes in his work and he may have written this work mainly for money. Despite the composer's own opinion, the piece has remained popular and is one of the few instances where a non-Jewish musician captured the spirit and sound of Jewish music.

Grieg - Cello Sonata In A Minor, Opus 36

Edvard Grieg was by all accounts a bad student. He had no interest in academia, quit school when he was 15 and never went back.  Luckily for him, his musical talent was noticed by the great Norwegian violin virtuoso Ole Bull, who convinced Grieg's parents to allow him to study at  the Leipzig Conservatory.  True to his nature, he didn't much care for his teachers or the conservative curriculum, but he was exposed to music of the masters and was determined to make his way as a professional musician.

In 1860 Grieg suffered from tuberculosis and other lung ailments that left him with only one functioning lung. For the rest of his life he was beset with respiratory infections plus he had a spinal deformity. He eventually developed heart disease later in life. He finished his studies in Leipzig in 1862 and began to give piano recitals.

Grieg composed his only Cello Sonata in 1882 after an extended period when illness and his conducting duties prevented him from composing. He dedicated the work to his brother John, a gifted amateur cellist, perhaps as a peace offering for the brothers were not on good terms. The premiere of the work was given by a different cellist and Grieg at the piano in 1883.

The Cello Sonata is in 3 movements:
I. Allegro agitato - One of the few pieces Grieg wrote in sonata form, this movement begins with a highly agitated theme that literally wallows in romantic emotion. The theme quickens its pace until a serene second theme begins, which slowly unwinds until it reaches a mild climax, after which other material leads to the development section. The second theme goes through key changes and flirts with the passion of the first theme until the first theme reappears for a short reprise which is followed by a brief cadenza for the cello. The recapitulation begins with the first theme and quickly segues into the second theme. A short coda brings the first theme back at a quicker pace until the final chords signal the end of the movement.

II. Andante molto tranquillo - A lyrical theme begins the movement and slowly winds its way to a more agitated middle section. The lyrical theme returns, builds to a climax, and then recedes back to calmness. The end of the movement has the cello playing high in its register, and finally playing a very soft arpeggiated pizzicato chord.

III. Allegro molto e marcato - A short introduction for solo cello begins the movement. The piano interrupts with a spirited accompaniment and the cello joins it in a rustic Norwegian dance. The dance is interrupted by episodes that range from passionate to lyrical, and each time the dance appears, Grieg develops it in some way. The movement continues in this fashion until the last utterance of the dance brings it full circle. A short coda increases the tempo and passion until the cello soars into the top of its register with a passionate, long held note while the piano plays scales that lead to the final chords.

Grieg is more well known for his short, lyrical pieces for piano, the Piano Concerto in A minor and the Peer Gynt music, but his handful of chamber music pieces are some of the most passionate and dramatic music he ever wrote.

Debussy - String Quartet in G Minor, Opus 10

The year of 1893 saw the composition or premiere of many classical music pieces that were to become standards of the repertoire; Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony 'Pathetique', Verdi's final opera Falstaff, Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 "From the New World", and Brahms' Six Pieces For Piano Opus 118, and in Paris an original and forward-looking composition -  Debussy's String Quartet in G Minor, Opus 10. 

Musical influences on the young Debussy were many; Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin, and he fell under the spell of Wagner for a short time. But Debussy was an original from the start. He took when he had learned from the masters and expanded upon it, forming his own musical aesthetic in the process. During his student years at the Paris Conservatoire he had the reputation of being a rebel. He would begin a Bach prelude by first extemporizing in strange chords and harmonies before launching into a highly romanticized performance. Debussy expressed his musical aesthetic as a student in these words:

I am sure the Institute would not approve, for, naturally it regards the path which it ordains as the only right one. But there is no help for it! I am too enamoured of my freedom, too fond of my own ideas!

The string quartet of 1893 was the only composition Debussy gave an opus number to, thus Debussy's reason for using it isn't known.  It is also the only work that has a key designation.  It is a harbinger of things to come for subsequent works. Debussy pours very different music into the old wine skin of the string quartet. The quartet is in 4 movements:
 I. Animé e très décidé (Decidedly very animated) - Debussy gives a passing nod to sonata form in the first movement. He begins with the first theme right off. This theme is also the basis of the entire quartet as it appears throughout the movements of the quartet in various guises and strange harmonies, thus Debussy also pays homage to Franck and Liszt in using cyclical form. The theme is in the Phrygian mode, a mode related to the minor scale.  The second theme is more lyrical and retains some of the qualities of the initial theme.  Instead of a more traditional development section, Debussy writes subtle variations on the second theme. They appear in different harmonies and scales.  The recapitulation weaves the two themes in and out with shifting harmonic feeling until the movement ends.

II. Assez vif et bien rythmé (Quite lively and well paced) - The movement begins with pizzicato chords in the first violin and cello. The viola plays a figure that repeats while the first violin plays a variant of the main theme of the first movement pizzicato. Debussy marks this section over the first violin part un peu en dehors, somewhat prominent. The music repeats with the roles of the instruments changing. The trio section of this scherzo is but slightly more subdued. The scherzo begins again, new material is introduced that maintains the spikiness of the music. The movement began with one sharp in the key signature, ostensibly G major, but the music is such a kaleidoscope of changing tonal colors that the listener can't be sure of where Debussy is at harmonically. The movement goes its merry way until it ends pianississimo (ppp). Debussy has written a movement that is outwardly consistent with the tradition of string quartets, that is, a scherzo. But the form he uses and the sounds he produces are hardly traditional.

III. Andantino, doucement expressif (Andantino, very expressive) -  Written in the key of D-flat, Debussy varies the main theme of the first movement drastically in sensual music that adds to the imaginative sound palette of the first two movements. The music reaches a climax, and winds down with a repeat of the theme in the last bars that are stunning in their simplicity and serene calmness.

IV. Très modéré (Very moderately) - The finale begins with a section that repeats music heard in the previous three movements, a practice used by composers to create unity within the movements of a work. After this section, the music goes off on its own variations of the main theme. The pace of the music quickens, and the final chords are played.

To our modern ears Debussy's quartet cannot create the same effect that it did to the audiences of 1893, but the premiere of the work met with mixed reactions from listeners and critics.  It went on to become a standard piece of the chamber music repertoire, along with having a great influence on many composers. Debussy began a second quartet, but soon turned his attention to orchestral writing. He wrote very few chamber music works, and only came back to the genre in the years shortly before his death in 1918.

Debussy summed up his thoughts on music later inhis career with these words:

There is no theory. You have only to listen. Pleasure is the law. I love music passionately. And because l love it, I try to free it from barren traditions that stifle it. It is a free art gushing forth — an open-air art, boundless as the elements, the wind, the sky, the sea. It must never be shut in and become an academic art.

He  demonstrated with the writing of his string quartet that he knew the musical traditions of the time very well. He was a true rebel, for he knew exactly what he was rebelling against. He knew the rules, and he chose to break them and go his own way, even in a work that at least on the surface, resembled the traditional form of the string quartet.

Beethoven - Piano Trio In B-flat Major, Opus 97, 'Archduke'

Beethoven was a man as revolutionary in his thoughts about society as he was about music. Tradition has it that Beethoven wrote his now famous opinion of the nobility in a letter to, in fact, a nobleman:

Prince, what you are you are by accident of birth; what I am, I am through my own efforts. There have been thousands of princes and will be thousands more; there is only one Beethoven! 

The quote makes Beethoven seem like a no-nonsense product of the Enlightenment, but the truth is that he was not above mingling with the nobility when it suited his purpose. Many of his most ardent supporters and patrons were members of the nobility.  It was a time when things were beginning to change, when a composer could make a living by selling their compositions to publishers. But before copyright laws and legal protection for a composer's works, the patronage of the nobility could make the difference if a composer would earn much of anything from his works or not.

Archduke Rudolph

To Beethoven's noble patron's credit, they tolerated his rude behavior, crude humor and general disrespect out of admiration for his talent. One of those noble patrons was Archduke Rudolph Of Austria. The Archduke was not only Beethoven's patron, but his piano and composition pupil dating back to 1804.  It was to his nobleman that Beethoven dedicated his Piano Trio, Opus 97, hence the nickname Archduke.

The trio was written in 1811, and was not just the last piano trio Beethoven wrote, but at its public premiere in 1814 Beethoven played the piano in public for the last time.  The trio is in 4 movements:

I.  Allegro moderato -  The piano opens the movement with one of Beethoven's most recognizable themes. This theme is expanded along with other minor themes until the second main theme is also begun by the piano. A short transitional section leads to the exposition repeat. The development section separates the first theme into smaller motives and develops them. A part of the development has the piano elaborate on the trills that are heard in the end of the exposition while the strings play a pizzicato accompaniment. The recapitulation begins with a slight variation on the opening motive and then proceeds with the first theme and second theme playing out. A short coda brings back the first theme briefly until it builds to a chord that ends one of Beethoven's most thematically rich movements.

II. Scherzo: Allegro -  The first movement's grandeur is contrasted with a witty scherzo. The trio of this scherzo is one of Beethoven's most memorable one. It begins in B-flat minor in the cello with a crawling motive that begins a canon between the three instruments which ends with a crescendo and piano solo. The crawling motive briefly returns for another crescendo, this time the climax of the crescendo has the music change key to E major for a short section. Once again the crawling motive appears and returns to the key of B-flat minor as it slithers and creeps to an even larger crescendo that climaxes to B-flat major. The scherzo returns and dances its way to a short coda that brings back a short section of the crawling motive until the scherzo makes one last quiet appearance, after which the piano plays the last four bars of the movement save for a loud final octave played by all three instruments on the note F, a fifth above the home note of B-flat.

III. Andante cantabile ma però con moto. Poco piu adagio -  A set of variations where the slowly unfolding theme is played and commented upon by all three instruments. Beethoven explores combinations and textures within the piano trio ensemble with the result that justifies Beethoven's own description of himself as a tone poet.  After a short section, the last movement begins without break.

IV. Allegro moderato - Presto -  In Beethoven's early days in Vienna, he was known for his skill and artistry as an improviser on the piano. He would play the most tender music and have his audience thoroughly entranced, and then he would delight in shifting gears and play fast and loud. Something of Beethoven's improvising prank can be heard in the sudden intrusion of the slow movement with the loud chord that signals the beginning of the finale.  The theme of this rondo is a simple tune that Beethoven decorates and expands each time it returns after being interrupted by other material. The movement continues on its way until the last appearance of the theme when the pace quickens. A very short coda marked presto makes a false start, and then the three instruments chase each other to the final B-flat chord.

Mussorgsky - St. John's Eve On The Mountain

Modest Mussorgsky finished his composition St. John's Eve On The Mountain on the very night of the celebration in 1867. St. John's Eve is named for John The Baptist and is linked with ancient pagan rituals, perhaps fertility rituals, that were performed on the day of the summer solstice. The Orthodox kept the date of the ritual but changed its meaning to a religious one by declaring it a day of feasting to honor John The Baptist.

Mussorgsky wrote several versions of the work. He originally had an idea for an opera based on a story written by Gogol titled St. John's Eve.  that involved witchcraft. He later considered writing a different opera based on a play by his friend Baron Georgiy Mengden titled The Witch. Mussorgsky wrote of his idea for the opera in a letter to his mentor Balakirev:

I have also received some highly interesting work which needs to be prepared for the coming summer. This work is: a whole act on The Bald Mountain (from Mengden's drama The Witch), a witches' sabbath, separate episodes of sorcerers, a ceremonial march of all this rubbish, a finale—glory to the sabbath... The libretto is very good. There are already some materials, perhaps a very good thing will come of it.

There is no existing music for either planned opera.  Mussorgsky then decided to write a tone poem for orchestra that incorporated the ideas from both planned operas. In turn, the written works that inspired the tone poem were themselves based on folk legends, of which Mussorgsky writes about in a letter to Vladimir Nikolsky, a professor of Russian history and language:

So far as my memory doesn't deceive me, the witches used to gather on this mountain, ... gossip, play tricks and await their chief—Satan. On his arrival they, i.e. the witches, formed a circle round the throne on which he sat, in the form of a kid, and sang his praise. When Satan was worked up into a sufficient passion by the witches' praises, he gave the command for the sabbath, in which he chose for himself the witches who caught his fancy. So this is what I've done. At the head of my score I've put its content: 1. Assembly of the witches, their talk and gossip; 2. Satan's journey; 3. Obscene praises of Satan; and 4. Sabbath ... The form and character of the composition are Russian and original ... I wrote St. John's Eve quickly, straight away in full score, I wrote it in about twelve days, glory to God ... While at work on St. John's Eve I didn't sleep at night and actually finished the work on the eve of St. John's Day, it seethed within me so, and I simply didn't know what was happening within me ... I see in my wicked prank an independent Russian product, free from German profundity and routine, and, like Savishna, grown on our native fields and nurtured on Russian bread.

Mussorgsky sent the finished score to Balakirev and was mortified when his mentor severely criticized the work, and refused to perform it. Mussorgsky continued ot revamp the music, first in the opera Mlada, another planned work that was never written, and yet again in another opera The Fair At Sorochyntsi, a work that was still not finished when Mussorgsky died in 1881. The original score  had to wait for its first performance until the 20th century after the manuscript was found in the Leningrad Conservatory in the 1920's. After a handful of performances the work languished further until the 1960's when it began to be played occasionally.

Rimsky-Korsakov

Rimsky-Korsakov revised the work a few years after Mussorgsky's death and published it as A Night On Bare Mountain.  Rimsky-Korsakov's work is not so much a revision of Mussorgsky's as it is an original composition based on the original. Rimsky-Korsakov made performing editions of Mussorgsky's unfinished works and for many years Rimsky-Korsakov's versions were all that were available. The original versions of Mussorgsky's works started to come to light when Stokowski performed the original version of the opera Boris Godonov in 1929 instead of the Rimsky-Korsakov edition.  Stokowski also made a version of Rimsky-Korsakov's work for the Walt Disney movie Fantasia in 1940.

Mussorgsky's original tone poem compared to Rimsky-Korsakov's work is more fragmented and can sound rather crude. But the music fits the subject matter, as Mussorgsy makes up for his lack of compositional technique with brilliant orchestral colors and powerful effects.  Below is a video of Mussorgsky's original, along with a video of Rimsky-Korsakov's version for comparison.

Bartók - Two Romanian Dances For Piano, Opus 8a

Along with his friend and fellow Hungarian  Zoltán Kodály, Béla Bartók explored and collected folk music of Hungary and the surrounding areas. He did this from 1908 until the First World War curtailed his ability to travel safely.  The two young composers were among a handful of musicians that laid the groundwork for the field of study that came to be called ethnomusicology.

The two young composers discovered that the so-called Hungarian music Liszt quoted in his Hungarian Rhapsodies were different than the Magyar music he heard in the small peasant villages. Bartók found that much of the old folk music he heard was based on the pentatonic scale, the scale used in Asian folk music, while the music liszt considerd Hungarian was popular tunes written by Romani (Gypsy) musicians that used different scales and structure.  For a time  Bartók was highly critical of Liszt's brand of Hungarian music, but later he came to appreciate the older composer's contributions to music.

Zoltán Kodály

 Bartók was influenced early on by the composers Strauss, Brahms and Debussy. Liszt was also an influence as well as Stravinsky. To this eclectic mix  Bartók  incorporated what he had learned from his study of authentic folk music into his compositions, and not just the folk music of his native Hungary as he writes:

I have collected Hungarian, as well as Slovak and Romanian folk music, and used it as models. And, before the world war, I even made a journey to North Africa in order to collect and study the Arab peasant music of the Sahara Desert.

The Two Romanian Dances were written in 1910 when  he was studying and collecting folk music.

Bartok recording folk songs early in the 20th century

Number 1, Allegro vivace -  The first dance begins with the pianist playing both theme and accompaniment deep within the bass registry . This theme is heard throughout the piece and is hinted at in a middle section marked lento.  The theme returns and makes its way to the end, which is a final utterance of a fragment of the theme.  Bartók manages to keep interest in the piece by frequent changes in time signature, dynamics and tempo.

Number 2, Poco allegretto - An odd mix of themes and moods that veer from humorous to violent. Bartók makes it difficult to know where the music is going, but there's no doubt it is going there with a vengence.

Dvořák - Symphony No. 7 In D Minor

Antonín Dvořák began to plan his 7th Symphony after he had heard the 3rd Symphony of Johannes Brahms. Dvořák admired Brahms' new symphony and it inspired him to write a new one of his own.  Brahms had befriended the younger composer and helped him get his works published. Shortly after Dvořák had heard the Brahms' 3rd Symphony, he had been made an honorary member of the Philharmonic Society of London on the basis of the popularity of Dvořák's music in England. To further honor the composer, the organization commissioned Dvořák to write a new symphony.

Dvořák took the membership and commission (the 7th was the only symphony written on commission) as an honor as well as an opportunity. He saw the chance for his symphonic music to reach a larger audience as well as show his support for the political struggles of the Czechs.  The symphony was begun in December of 1884 and completed March 1885. The first performance was April of 1885 in London with Dvořák himself conducting the orchestra. The symphony was a great success at its premiere, but Dvořák had to go through protracted negotiations with his publisher to publish it.

The 7th is unique among Dvořák's symphonies for its tragic undertones as well as the lessening of native Czech music influence. It was not possible for Dvořák to write music that eschewed completely the influence of his native land, but the 7th combines those influences with a more Germanic musical language.

Dvořák is seldom thought of as an overly ambitious composer. His personality was such that he maintained an honest humility most of the time, but the 7th Symphony shows that he did want his music heard by a larger audience, perhaps an audience as large as his friend Brahms' music.

The 7th Symphony is in 4 movements:
I. Allegro maestoso -  The music begins with the first theme in a movement that has many. The first theme reaches a climax after much expansion where upon the second main theme of more lyricism begins. The first theme is played again in the major mode with all indications of a repeat of the exposition, but it leads directly to the development section, which is rather short.  The recapitulation is condensed, as both themes are worked through.  The first theme returns and builds to a dramatic climax. The first theme is quietly stated once again as the music slowly evaporates.

II.  Poco adagio in F major -  At the time of the writing of the symphony, Dvořák had recently experienced two personal losses; the death of his mother and the institutionalization of his friend and fellow Czech composer Smetana.  The music of this movement is melancholy with bursts of passion with an ending almost inaudible.

III. Scherzo: Vivace – Poco meno mosso -  The movement that reflects Dvořák's Czech heritage, as it is a Furiant, a dance of Bohemia. The music trips along as some instruments play in three to the bar while others play in two to the bar cross rhythms. The trio is in a more idyllic mood and is extended out more than usual as Dvořák elaborates at length. The trio is beaten into silence by material that leads to the return of the scherzo.  The coda of the scherzo floats the feeling of tragedy from the first two movements over to the violent ending of this movement.

IV. Finale: Allegro -  The first theme begins with a grand sigh from the low strings which leads to the rest of the first theme. Then follows a march like second theme. Other minor themes that are played until a third main theme in A major is heard. The development section with a working out of the first theme which builds to an appearance of the march theme. The development of the first theme returns as lead in to a highly condensed recapitulation where the first theme gains in power and passion.  The third theme repeats, a coda builds until the music shifts to a D major ending.

Röntgen - Viola Sonata In C Minor

With very few exceptions the master composers of the Classical and Romantic eras did not consider the viola a solo instrument. Its place among the string quartet and orchestral string section was used most often to fill in the middle notes of the harmonic scheme of the work in question. For that reason some composers enjoyed playing the instrument as it got them 'inside' the harmony. J.S. Bach was said to be fond of  the instrument and when the composers Haydn, Mozart and Dittersdorf got together to play string quartets with Dittersdorf's student Vanhal, Mozart played the viola. Mozart also composed string quintets for two violins, two violas and cello, works that gave more of the thematic material to the viola than previously.

The viola was gradually given more important work to do, until in the late 19th century and 20th century the instrument was looked upon as a solo instrument as well. This was due not in small part to some musicians that raised the level of viola playing to virtuoso status, thus giving composers more incentive to write works that could exploit the viola's unique tonal qualities.

Julius Röntgen's greatest period of composing activity came after he retired from public life in 1924, a time that was ripe with experimentation and the avant garde in classical music. While Röntgen was familiar with the trends in music of his time, he remained somewhat conservative in his musical language and use of form. For that reason, his music was mostly forgotten shortly after his death in 1932, but with the passage of time his music has come to be appreciated. As his friend Donald Tovey said of him in memoriam:

Röntgen's compositions, published and unpublished, cover the whole range of music in every art form; they all show consummate mastery in every aspect of technique. Even in the most facile there is beauty and wit. Each series of works culminates in something that has the uniqueness of a living masterpiece.

Röntgen wrote three sonatas for viola and piano, one in C minor in 1924 and two in 1925; one in A-flat major and one in A minor. The Viola Sonata In C minor of 1924 is in 4 movements:

I. Allegro assai - The viola begins the movement with a motive that recurs in other parts of the work. The first section of the movement acts as an exposition for themes and fragments of others. The development section flows from the exposition and leads to the recapitulation where themes are expanded and the movement ends suddenly.

II. Andante mesto - lento, quasi fantasia -  Perhaps the most interesting of the 4 movements begins with the viola once again playing solo, this time a rhythmic motive that is somewhat related to the opening motive of the first movement, that soon accompanies the piano's theme high in its register. The instruments change places with both playing low in their registers as the viola takes the thematic material with the piano accompanying. The opening material is repeated, this time with a few loud interruptions by the piano.  A contrasting lyrical theme is played by the viola, which is briefly interrupted by the motive of the opening of the first movement. The contrasting theme alternates with the opening material of the first movement until the music quietly ends.

III. Allegro molto -  A hyperactive movement that is a scherzo. The trio is reminiscent of Debussy in its tonal palette and gentle rhythm. The scherzo is repeated, along with a final reference to the trio section, and the movement fades away.

IV. Un poco sostenuto - allegro molto -  The movement begins slowly with a section that sounds strangely modern, evidence that Röntgen was not always the musical reactionary he was accused of being.  The piano plays the theme to the viola's arpeggios until the movement shifts gears and the music becomes faster paced and the theme gets a grand treatment from both instruments. The movement ends with a brief reference to the opening motive of the first movement.