Rubinstein - Piano Concerto No. 1 In E Minor

In the beginning of the Romantic era in the early 19th century, the virtuoso pianist/composer emerged. Major composers such as Hummel, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Thalberg and many others dazzled audiences with their own compositions for piano and orchestra. At the top of them all were Liszt and Rubinstein.

Due to musical tastes changing with time, Liszt's music has been more appreciated now than in his own time. The politics of the music scene of late 19th century Romanticism, the Wagner versus Brahms debate, no doubt added to the problems Liszt's music had in gaining a more solid foothold in the repertoire. The opposite has happened with the music of Rubinstein. Once regarded just as important a composer as pianist, his works are now performed infrequently, more of a novelty than anything else.

Perhaps Rubinstein himself put his finger on the reason that his compositions suffered so much neglect later on when he said:

I write on the spur of the moment, driven by an inner force; I could not... criticize, file and brood over my compositions. They are indeed improvisations and have the virtues and vices of improvisations.

Rubinstein's piano concertos fare better than some of his other works and a few are occasionally performed.  He wrote 5 in all, along with three other works for piano and orchestra. His first concerto was written in 1850 and is a rather traditional piano concerto in form, but the force of Rubinstein's personality and prowess at the keyboard can be felt in it. It is in the traditional 3 movements:

I. Moderato - The first movement is in a traditional concerto sonata form. The orchestra plays through the themes of the concerto before the soloist enters playing the main theme of the movement. The lyrical second theme appears in a piano solo with a very slight orchestral accompaniment. A third dance-like theme is taken up by the piano. The development section expands on the themes. The recapitulation follows the same order of themes along with modulations to other keys. Further development of themes occur in the coda and Rubinstein increases the drama with a short section for piano and timpani. The tempo quickens as the beginning of the main theme is tossed about in different keys.  The virtuosity of the piano part increases as the orchestra helps build tension. There is a sudden dying away of volume as the piano and clarinet have a short dialog. The piano plays quietly, and a sudden loud chord for piano and orchestra sounds to end the movement.

II. Andante con moto - The horn plays the beginning of the main theme of the second movement. The piano takes up the theme. The horn and piano alternate with the theme. A dramatic middle section  presents the strings playing a persistent long-short-short rhythm as the low strings and bassoon play a short motif. The piano accents the proceedings with loud chords. The horn and piano have a dialog between presentations of the strings dramatic pulse. The main theme come to the fore again after a short transition and continues to play until near the end of the movement when the strings dramatic pulse interrupts a few times until the lyrical main theme ends the movement.

III. Con moto - There is a short introduction by the woodwinds before the main theme of the movement is played by the piano. This theme occurs throughout the movement along with other themes, most notably a march-like theme,  until the coda is reached. The coda is a double octave tour de force for the soloist as the orchestra plays the march-like theme at full volume.

Reinecke - Piano Concerto No. 1 In F-sharp Minor

There is hardly a musician of the 19th century who was the pupil of so many famous musicians as well as the teacher of so many famous musicians as Carl Reinecke. He was born in Germany in 1824 and studied withLiszt, Schumann and Mendelssohn. Some of the students he taught as a teacher were Edvard Grieg, Isaac Albéniz, Max Bruch, Felix Weingartner and many others. In his teen years he was an orchestral violinist as well as pianist.

Reinecke held many positions in various conservatories in Germany and in 1860 was appointed music director of the Gewandhaus Orchestra concerts in Leipzig and was professor of piano and composition at the Conservatorium until 1895. After his retirement from directorship of the orchestra in 1895  and from the Conservatorium in 1902 he concentrated on composition and at the time of his death in 1910 his opus numbers ran to almost three hundred pieces.

By most accounts he appears to have been a genial man as well as belonging to the more conservative group of composers in the middle and late 19th century. He admired Liszt's piano playing abilities, but disregarded Liszt's compositions as well as Wagner's.  He was also a virtuoso pianist and gave many recitals in his life.

He completed the Piano Concerto No. 1 In F-sharp Minor in 1867 and the concerto was very popular for many years, but like much of Reinecke's music it was almost forgotten. It is in 3 movements:

I. Allegro -  The first movement begins with a short introduction before the strings sound out the first impassioned theme. The full orchestra enters and the theme is played until the solo piano joins in as the theme is repeated and expanded upon. The strings segue to the second theme and after a few bars of it the piano enters and this theme is expanded upon. The development section begins as the dotted rhythm of the first theme returns in the strings. The piano takes up a different section of the first theme and develops it over the accompaniment of the winds. The solo piano returns with the dotted rhythm of the first theme and develops it, with the orchestra adding to the texture. The second theme returns in the orchestra as the piano throws out an accompaniment in octaves. There is a slight pause and the cadenza for soloist comments on both themes until a chain of trills in both hands which leads to a change to a 12/8  time signature and an increase in tempo molto più animato as the first movement races to its close.

II. Adagio, ma non troppo -  This movement is written in the key of D-flat major (which is the enharmonic equivalent of C-sharp major). A gentle D-flat major chord is played by the orchestra with a violin solo followed by a D-flat minor chord. This musical sigh is repeated after which the theme proceeds to the entrance of the piano that plays an accompaniment to the sigh. A second theme is played by the piano and echoed by the solo violin. The solo violin is joined by a solo cello as the piano plays a rippling accompaniment. The opening sighing theme is then played on the piano with a light accompaniment. The cello and violin continue their duet until the final chord.

III. Allegro con brio - The dominant theme of this movement is in F-sharp major and first played by the solo piano:

This theme appears throughout the movement, sandwiched between various episodes. The concerto comes to an end in the major mode.

Reinecke remained a musical conservative all of his life. He himself said that his compositional ideal was found in the works of Mendelssohn. He lived a long life of dedication to music making and music instruction. He died in 1910 at the age of 85.

Mendelssohn - The Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave)

The Hebrides are made up of a group of islands off the west coast of Scotland, some of which have a long history of human habitation that goes back to 6500 BCE. The islands have been further divided into two areas; the Outer Hebrides and the Inner Hebrides.  Felix Mendelssohn toured the area in 1829 and while in the Inner Hebrides group he visited the uninhabited island of Staffa where the famous tourist attraction Fingal's Cave is located.  Staffa is noted for its hexagonal columns of basalt that form the island and the opening to the cave. The cave has a naturally formed arched ceiling and is known for its bizarre echoing effects caused by the waves of the ocean.  The cave has been known for centuries, but came to be called Fingal's Cave after the hero of an 18th-century epic poem by James McPherson.

Fingal's Cave

Mendelssohn was inspired by the sounds of the echoing waves in the cave and wrote down his first sketches for the overture shortly after he visited the cave and sent them in a letter to his sister Fanny. Mendelssohn completed the overture in 1830 and originally called it The Lonely Island, but he revised the score in 1832 and renamed it The Hebrides. The overture was first performed in London in 1832.

The overture begins with a theme that Warner Brothers cartoon aficionados will recognize, for it was used in their cartoon of 1943 titled 'Inki and The Myna Bird', a  cartoon that has not withstood the test of time because of its racial political incorrectness. There is a Myna bird that appears throughout the cartoon and every time it does, this theme accompanies it. It wasn't the first time Warner Brothers, Walt Disney and other animators used parts of classical music pieces for a cartoon. If nothing else, the music was free to use as it was in the public domain.

This first theme was inspired by Mendelssohn's visit to the cave, the sketch he sent to his sister Fanny. It is in B minor and begins in the low pitched instruments of the orchestra and swells up into the higher pitched instruments in imitation of the swells and waves of the sea.  The second theme is in a major key and also begins with the low pitched instruments and is more expansive in nature. These two themes comprise the basic elements of the overture. Mendelssohn transforms them and modifies them in various ways as he works towards the coda which develops the opening theme until a climax is reached. The clarinet states the first theme once more in muted dynamics, the flute echoes the clarinet in a short fragment and the work ends.

Raff - Piano Concerto In C Minor

Joachim Raff was born in Switzerland in 1822. He was a very prolific composer and at the time of his death in 1882 was one of the most well known musicians in Europe.  Raff studied music on his own while he was teaching school in various towns in Switzerland. He sent some of his eraly piano compositions to Felix Mendelssohn, and upon Mendelssohn's recommendation the pieces were published. The pieces were also favorably reviewed by Robert Schumann.

Most modern references to him are in conjunction with Franz Liszt. He visited Liszt in Wiemar in 1845 and  became friends with pianist and conductor Hans von Bülow. From 1850 to 1853 he was Liszt's assistant in Weimar. He helped Liszt in learning orchestration and Raff claiomed to have orchestrated some of Liszt's early tone poems. By 1878 he divided his time between composition and being the Director of the music conservatory in Frankfurt. He was especially known for his craftsmanship and orchestration.

Raff wrote pieces in most every genre, including salon music for the piano. von Bülow had this to say about his friend's music:

Raff ...combined the most diverse styles and yet preserved the purity of all of them : the salon style in the best sense, and the strict style. Raff never aspired to appear more than he was, but to be what he was. How few are able to say that about themselves !

In 1873 Raff composed his only piano concerto. The premiere occured the same year with Raff conducting and his friend von Bülow at the keyboard.  The Piano Concerto In C Minor is in three movements:

I. Allegro - After a short introduction that pits the orchestra versus the piano, the first of three themes appears. It is repeated immediately in a different guise before the second lyrical theme is played by the piano. The third theme, more heroic in nature, is played by the orchestra while the piano adds decoration. The third theme is repeated, this time it is the piano that plays it while the orchestra decorates. The development section expands on the first theme. The recapitulation brings back the three themes, and before the close of the work Raff weaves all three themes together to be played simultaneously. A cadenza for soloist leads to the powerful ending of this movement in sonata form.

II. Andante, quasi larghetto - The slowly unwinding first theme is first played by the oboe. The low strings repeat the theme while the piano decorates it. The second theme is similar to the first and isplayed by the piano. There is a sense of tension as the themes grow more complex until a lush climax is reached as the orchestra and piano alternate. The first theme is given a full blown treatment, and the music returns to the idyllic mood of the beginning.

III. Allegro - The finale begins straight away with a referemnce to the first theme of the first movement. A theme in march time pushs aside this short reference. A second theme of a contrasting nature appears after the march. Raff takes full advantage of the contrast of these themes in the middle section ofthe movement. As the end approaches, the piano becomes more animated. Fragments of the march theme appear, and ushers in the ending.

Berlioz - Les Francs-Juges Overture

The earliest composition for orchestra by Hector Berlioz that is still in the repertoire is the overture to his opera Les Francs-Juges.  Berlioz wrote the opera to a libretto by Humbert Ferrand, a close friend of Berlioz. The name means The Free Judges  and refers to trials held in medieval Germany by a fraternal order of lay judges, or free judges. These Vehmic courts operated in the area of Westphalia in Germany, and sometimes held trials in secret.  They were one of the few organizations that derived their power directly from the Holy Roman Emperor and as such had the power to use the death penalty.

Berlioz tried to get the opera performed shortly after its composition in 1826, but funding was not available to stage it. He revised the opera twice and tried to get it performed, but after 1833 he destroyed most of the work except for the overture and a few excerpts.  The plot of the opera concerns a wicked uncle that tries to cheat his nephew out of his throne and beautiful fiancee. The nephew is brought before the Free Judges who convene in The Black Forest in Germany, and is sentenced to death. The fiancee manages to escape the clutches of the evil uncle and save her beloved.

Berlioz wrote the overture while he was still a student at the Conservatiore and was unsure that his writing for

Humbert Ferrand

the trombone was playable. Berlioz years later wrote,

I was at that time so ignorant of the mechanism of some of the instruments that after I had written the trombone solo in the Introduction in the key of D flat, I feared it might be too difficult to play. So I took it to one of the trombone players of the Opéra who examined it and reassured me by saying that ‘D flat as it happens is one of the best keys for the instrument, and you may count on the passage having a grand effect’.

 The orchestra begins with a slow introduction that includes loud music from the brass that perhaps represents the Free Judges convening. The rest of the overture has main themes that are presented and developed in Berlioz's own style of sonata form.
Berlioz was also one of the great orchestral conductors of his era, and he performed Les Francs-Juges Overture many times in his career.

Even at this early time in his career, Berlioz's penchant for large forces and novel orchestration is evident in this work. Berlioz's reputation for using large forces grew and when Berlioz visited Vienna Prince Klemens von Metternich asked him, “Is it not you who writes for an orchestra of 500 players?” Berlioz replied, “Not always, Monseigneur, I sometimes write for only 450.”

Widor - Piano Concerto No. 1 In F Minor

If someone has heard any music by Charles-Marie Widor (1844 - 1937) it is most likely the Toccata from his Symphony For Solo Organ No.5.  That Widor would be well known for an organ piece is understandable as he came from a family of organ builders and players, and was an organist himself at Saint-Sulpice Catholic Church (the top appointment for a French organist) in Paris for 64 years.  He was a strong influence in the French revival of organ playing and taught organ and composition at the Paris conservatory.

But Widor was also a master of orchestration and wrote a treatise on the subject. Besides the ten symphonies for solo organ, he composed many piano pieces, chamber works, operas and orchestral works. Widor composed the Piano Concerto in F Minor, Opus 39 in 1876. The premiere was in November 1876 with Louis Diémer as soloist. Le Ménestrel, a French music journal, printed the following review about the concerto:

Louis Diémer

"The concerto for piano and orchestra by M. Widor is a very remarkable work. Perhaps the young and already wise organist of Saint-Sulpice has yielded a little to the inclination of the most recent school of composers to favour form over substance, but there are some beautiful harmonic effects and interesting development of ideas. The finale is the best of the three movements, I think—despite all the success of the Andante—based on a motif that is very lively and forthright with rather the appeal of a scherzo. Thanks to his playing, so precise and so firm, M. Diémer … made the most persuasive case for the concerto."`

The concerto is in three movements:
I. Allegro con fuoco -  The piano opens the first movement and is in the forefront until the second theme is announced by piano and orchestra. These two ideas are explored and expanded upon for the entire movement. The first theme builds to a climax in the coda, and the movement ends.

II. Andante religioso - Woodwinds make the first statement of a theme, the piano enters playing chords that will eventually evolve to another theme, but not before the first theme is restated by the strings. These two kernels are developed by piano and orchestra. There are beautiful passages for the piano playing arpeggios over a quiet accompaniment by the lower strings. Later in the movement the piano plays high in the treble with the strings, giving an impression of Widor's instruction of religioso.  The movement ends with the piano playing chords over a gentle accompaniment.

III. Finale: Allegro - Widor begins the finale with loud C octaves in both hands and the music has the feel of a scherzo:

 The rhythmic scherzo takes up much of the finale until a cadenza for soloist appears that makes a passing reference to some of the other themes heard earlier. The music shifts to F major and the concerto ends.

Widor was not only a master of organ compositions. He was also a first-rate orchestrator, so much so that he wrote a treatise on the subject. This concerto shows his mastery of the orchestra as well as the piano.

Tchaikovsky - String Sextet 'Souvenir de Florence'

When Tchaikovsky was made an honorary member of the Saint Petersburg Chamber Music Society in 1886 he promised to compose a chamber work and dedicate it to the society. After he decided the work was going to be a string sextet, he made some preliminary sketches in 1887 , but it wasn't until June of 1890 that he started to work on it in earnest. Tchaikovsky mentioned the sextet in letters to his friends and told of the difficulty he had in writing in what was a new form for him.  By November of 1890 the work was completed, but Tchaikovsky would not allow it to be published until he heard it in performance. There was a private performance of the work in Tchaikovsky's apartment in December, after which Tchaikovsky decided to rework the last two movements. It wasn't until December of 1892 that the first public performance of the original work was played.  Tchaikovsky's revised version was heard the same month and year. The revised version was published in June of 1892 and as promised carried a dedication to the Saint Petersburg Chamber Music Society. The title of the sextet refers to a trip Tchaikovsky made to Florence, Italy where he had sketched one of the work's themes. The work is for two violins, two violas, and two cellos. It is in 4 movements:

I. Allegro con spirito - The movement begins straight away with a spirited theme in D minor. The second theme is more lyrical and expansive in nature. The exposition is not repeated. The development section contends with the D minor first theme by way of a fugal treatment, the second theme expands its singing qualities. There is a short section where both themes play off each other that leads to the recapitulation which is followed by a coda. The first theme grows in intensity, speed is increased followed by the final chords.

II. Adagio cantabile e con moto - Full chords open the second movement in music that is in sharp contrast to the preceding movement. The gently sad D major theme is played by a violin to a pizzicato accompaniment. Soon the cello enters with the theme while the violin plays a counter melody. There is a mysterious middle section marked moderato that is more of an interlude, as it doesn't have any thematic connection with the rest of the movement. It is in D minor and consists of rapid sixteenth note triplets played up and down the fingerboard and Tchaikovsky instructs the players to play with the tip of the bow which gives a different texture to the sound. After this short diversion, the melody returns in the cello, the accompaniment is varied as the tune is expanded. The music is marked cantabile and slowly winds down, ending with a dynamic marking of  a hushed quadruple piano.

III.Allegretto moderato - A scherzo in all but name, it is in the key of A minor and time signature of 2/4 rather than the more conventional triple time of a scherzo. The theme is first stated by a viola and then by a violin. The trio is in A major and even more energetic. The scherzo returns and continues ot bounce and sway until it reaches a short coda ended by a pungent pizzicato chord by all six instruments.

IV.Allegro con brio e vivace - The finale continues the energy of the scherzo. It returnsto the home key of D minor, with the first theme played by a violin. After it runs its course a short fugal section appeas before the second theme appears. It is no less energetic than the first theme and after it has its say the development begins with the first theme being worked up to a fever pitch. The fugal section reappears but is more involved and complex this time around. The first theme gives way to the second theme once again and the music continues ot grow in intensity until the coda arrives which is marked piu vivace with a quadruple forte. The music becomes yet more intense as the strings run breathlessly to the closing chords.

Tchaikovsky was a man of incredibly complex and powerful emotions which caused him to have many a personal crisis, including periodic episodes of severe depression. The work is emotional in the extreme and caused Tchaikovsky much anguish and work to finish it, but he was justly proud of what he had accomplished and said so in a letter to his brother:

"What a sextet - what a fugue at the end - it's a pleasure! It is awful how pleased I am with myself: I am embarrassed not by any lack of ideas but by the novelty of the form."

The  Souvenir de Florence has within its pages the passion Tchaikovsky had for Florence as evidenced in the first two movements and the love he had for his native Russia which can be heard in the final two movements. It is a masterpiece of composition and emotion. The Souvenir de Florence was the only sextet he would write and it came late in his career, but three years before his controversial death in 1893.