2024 Mozarthaus, Vienna Recital
Fantasia in C minor, K 475 (1785) Wolfgang A. Mozart (1756-1791)
Variations, Op. 27 (1936) Anton Webern (1883-1945)
10 Preludes, Op. 28 No. 15 - 24 (1839) Frédéric F. Chopin (1810-1849)
No. 15 in Db major: Sostenuto (“Raindrop”)
No. 16 in Bb minor: Presto con fuoco
No. 17 in Ab major: Allegretto
No. 18 in F minor: Allegro molto
No. 19 in Eb major: Vivace
No. 20 in C minor: Largo
No. 21 in Bb major: Cantabile
No. 22 in G minor: Molto agitato
No. 23 in F major: Moderato
No. 24 in D minor: Allegro appassionato
La Valse (1920) J. Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
PROGRAMME NOTES
Mozart’s Fantasia K 475 in C minor for piano was composed on May 20th, 1785 in Vienna during the time he resided at the Mozarthaus. In this extended single-movement work, the home key of C-minor suggests drama and musical tragedy, but a clear sense of tonality is already undermined from the outset. The seriousness of expression gives way to lyrical melody, harmonic surprise and sections of changing tempos and character – all part of one of Mozart’s most improvisatory and adventurous sounding compositions. Additionally, the music often suggests an ensemble of strings, wind instruments or even the human voice. The ending section marks a return of the opening musical gestures, foreshadowing a sense of closure with a final cadence confirming the overall tragic nature of the work. There are opposing perspectives as to whether this work should be played independently or purposefully precede the Piano Sonata K 457, also in the key of C minor.
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Anton Webern’s concise and meticulously crafted three-movement, Variations, Op. 27 was completed between 1935 and 1936. Composed in Vienna and using Arnold Schoenberg’s 12-tone technique, the third movement alone is in Variation form. The first movement has a three-part ABA structure and the second movement is in a brief but lively two-part AB form. The work was Webern’s only solo piano composition from his mature years and the final one published in his lifetime. For several months prior to the premiere performance in Vienna on October 26th 1937, Webern coached pianist, Peter Stadlen by conducting, making gestures and singing through the music with him.
The composition employs various technical musical devices such as symmetry, palindrome, inversion and canon technique. From the performer’s perspective, the pleasure in playing it comes from making connections between various musical gestures and hand-crossings; from feeling groups of notes that feel phrased together; developing the overall musical character; finding a flow in the rhythms, articulations and gestures; developing aural recognition in dissonant, widely spaced intervals and muscle memory in the connections between pitches, and also in playing details of articulation, dynamics and rhythms precisely. In these respects, the pianism required is completely new while at the same time, abstractedly rooted in the traditions of the First Viennese School.
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Frédéric Chopin’s Preludes Op. 28 were composed between 1835-1839 on the island of Mallorca, Spain. A deep admirer of Mozart’s music, Chopin’s compositions similarly display a natural gift for vocal melody, a sophisticated approach to harmony and musical emotions, and the influence of dramatic Italian opera. As with J.S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, Chopin’s 24 Preludes cover all 24 major and minor keys. Rather than following Bach’s chromatic arrangement however, Chopin follows each major key Prelude with one in the relative minor key before continuing in this manner through the cycle of fifths. Chopin gives each Prelude a distinct poetic character, mood and pianistic style appropriate for the key chosen in each (the Ab major Prelude is romantic and lyrical, the G minor is forceful and dramatic, the C minor is funereal etc.), prompting Robert Schumann and Franz Liszt to remark on the collection’s fascinating diversity of expression. Some publishers and performers gave nicknames to certain Preludes that matched the particular musical character, such as the “Raindrop” Prelude for No. 15 in Db major.
The range of textures and technical demands in the Preludes covers a wide spectrum but virtuosity is always aligned to musical poetry. Chopin performed four of the Preludes at a concert in 1841: modern performance practice similarly allows for personal selections and orderings from the entire set. Pianists often select a group that makes discernible musical sense as a collection and in going from one to the next so that each piece becomes a Prelude to the one that follows. Chopin’s contribution was in revitalizing the short, improvisatory Prelude as an independent concert piece. Among others, Alkan, Fauré, Debussy, Messiaen, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich and Gershwin all followed Chopin’s example with sets of their own piano Preludes.
The 24 Preludes were not performed as a complete cycle until the late 19th Century with Ferrucio Busoni’s performances. Busoni also made the first recording in 1915 on piano rolls and in 1926, Alfred Cortot made the first acoustic recording of the cycle. Today’s performance includes 10 Preludes Op. 28, No. 15-24.
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La Valse is a single movement orchestral work from 1920 by Maurice Ravel. Originally composed as ballet music in homage to the music of Johann Strauss II, Ravel had even considered naming it, “Vienna”. He described it as: “a kind of apotheosis of the Viennese waltz”, placing it, “in the setting of an imperial palace, around 1855”. The music begins full of mystery with snippets of melody emerging until the waltz character finally reveals itself. Ravel takes the listener on a fantastic journey of romance, intrigue and suspense. La Valse is a highly dramatic composition that easily suggests images or a narrative content. By its end, the heartbeat of the dance has become so wild as to suggest whirlwinds of movement.
Ravel’s solo piano transcription presents a challenge for the performer to arrange multiple orchestral parts (including extended glissandos at the final climax) in an idiomatic manner for the piano. Just as important is to suggest the musical colors of different instruments and to pace transitions that move seamlessly from section to section. Today, La Valse is well established as an orchestral concert work and a major recital and competition piece for professional pianists.