Camille Saint-Saëns, Introduction and Rondo capriccioso

The French romantic composer Camille Saint-Saens, born in Paris in 1835, as well as a child prodigy, was a lucky being. Although he was predicted to endure meager health, he managed to live up to 86 years, an unusual occurrence for the time.
Camille had learned to read at age three. As a true child prodigy, he made his first public presentation at age five and at ten he gave his first piano recital. This, in the field of music, of course. But Camille was a multifaceted guy. In adolescence, he became interested in botany and archeology. Then he became a mathematical expert. Later, as an adult, he became interested in numerous subjects: acoustics, occult sciences, Roman theater and ancient instruments.

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921)

A philosopher, a poet, and an astronomer
He also wrote a philosophical work, where he argued that art and science would replace religion. He was a poet, too. As if all this were not enough, he was a member of the Astronomical Society of France, where he gave some lectures on astronomical mirrors. Then he made for himself a telescope according to its own specifications. His passion for astronomy may have taken him a little far because as a grown-up he used to plan his concerts according to astronomical events, such as the next solar eclipses.

A prolific musician
All these occupations did not prevent him from becoming the author of more than three hundred musical works, including operas, orchestral music, chamber music, concertos for various instruments and orchestra, piano transcriptions from various authors, plus sacred and choral music. Among the music for violin and orchestra, stand out his two Concertos, Havanaise and the Rondó capriccioso.

Introduction and Rondo capriccioso
In 1859, when he was just fifteen years old, another child prodigy, a prodigy of violin, Pablo de Sarasate, had asked Saint-Saëns for the composition of a concerto for that instrument, a request that Camille complied with the publication of his Concerto No. 1 in A minor. Quite pleased with Camille's work, four years later Pablo tried again and asked for another piece for violin and orchestra, if possible in a style evoking the spirit of Spanish dance, a very fashionable trend among French romantics of the time (Edouard Lalo, Georges Bizet, to name but a few). Saint-Saens fully complied with the request and the result is the beautiful piece Introduction and Rondó capriccioso in A minor, premiered by Sarasate in Paris in 1867.

The rendition is by the impetuous Dutch violinist Janine Jansen, accompanied by the Berlin Philharmonic, led by Estonian conductor Neeme Jarvi. Surprisingly, the piece begins with the Introduction; in the minute 1:35 it starts to take off to give way to the agile rondo.

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Verdi, Rigoletto, Aria "Caro Nome"

Quite a few difficulties had Giuseppe Verdi to overcome before the premiere of his opera Rigoletto at Teatro La Fenice, in Venice, in 1851. The play on which it is inspired belongs to Victor Hugo. With the title Le Roi s'amuse, the play staged a cynical and immoral seductive king. For that reason, it had been banned in France for twenty years and would continue for another thirty. Although it was the very Teatro La Fenice that had asked Verdi for a new play, it seemed difficult to perform it in Venice, due to Austrian censorship.

With great caution, Verdi and his librettist, Francesco Maria Piave, moved to Busetto, Verdi's hometown, to work out of sight and ears of the censors. It didn't help much because three months before the premiere, censorship got there in letter format:

"The military Governor of Venice, il Signore Gorzowsky, deplores that the poet Piave and the famous musician Verdi have failed to choose another field to make their talents emerge than that of the disgusting immorality and obscene triviality of the libretto entitled La maledizione [its working title]. His excellence has thus arranged absolutely veto the representation ... and be advised to refrain from any further insistence on this."

Joining wisdom with goodwill, Giuseppe and his librettist decided to make some changes to the libretto. Starting with the title, which was changed to Rigoletto (from French rigoler - laugh), then the king of France became a duke who governs Mantua (a duchy that no longer exists), and, going beyond, the Duke became part of the Gonzaga family, a family no one remembered because had been extinguished in Italy many years ago. The censor approved the representation.

Caro nome
The aria belongs to scene II of Act I. The deceived girl (there is always one), named Gilda, daughter of court jester Rigoletto, has just met a formal, circumspect and respectful young man in the church, whom she falls in love with and who has identified himself as a student, a poor student, to be precise. Actually, he is the cynical and evil duke. Gilda sings recalling the false name he has told her: Gualtier Maldé. Caro nome (dear name), she says, to top it off.
The Russian soprano Ekaterina Bakanova sings, in a performance in Austria for the Opera Festival of St. Margarethen, where, it is seen, no expenses were spared.

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George Gershwin, Three Preludes

When George Gershwin was born in America, in 1898, the great northern country was beginning to emerge as a powerful and expansionist power. It had just taken Spain's last possessions in the Caribbean and the Philippines and was on its way to becoming the great imperialist power of the twentieth century. The country was settling territorially, and at the same time, thousands of emigrants were approaching North America due to the shock wave of the Industrial Revolution in the European continent.

Coming from St. Petersburg, the Gershovitz family arrived in the promised land in the second half of the 19th century, and soon after, in an understandable desire for integration, they Americanized their last name by changing it to Gershwin. His children will be George and Ira, the first one would be a musician and pianist, and the later, lyricist of his younger brother's songs.

Three Preludes

George Gershwin (1898 - 1937)

The three short pieces known as Preludes – which should be understood as a unique work – were released in 1926, a year after the premiere of the Piano Concerto. They immediately became an indisputable success, because they perfectly fit with the "simultaneistic" atmosphere that proclaimed the integration of jazz with serious music, a task that, in the opinion of his contemporaries, George Gershwin was the one in a position to carry out. This had been outright illustrated with his 1924 Rhapsody in blue.

The rendition is by Krystian Zimerman. Each of these three preludes does not last more than two minutes. In the video, the rest are applause between prelude and prelude. The second prelude, a slow and melancholic melody, allows a blues to act as an adage in this little masterpiece of which, incidentally, transcriptions have been made for orchestra, one of them, emerged from Arnold Schönberg's invention.

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Rimsky-Korsakov, Scheherazade, mov I

In the household of the Rimski-Korsakov, in the small town of Tihvin, 120 miles east of Saint Petersburg, all the family was fond of music. The mother of the future composer Nikolai played the piano a little and the father a little less. An uncle who lived with the family liked to walk around the rooms singing popular songs. Despite all this, in 1850, little Nikolai began serious musical studies at age six with a much older neighbour who made him know the first musical rules. Then a governess would come and then the daughter of a neighbour who put him in touch with Beethoven's works.

The family, somewhat aristocratic, had a military background. An uncle of Nikolai was admiral of the Russian imperial fleet. His older brother, also a sailor, sent letters from the Far East that excited the child's imagination with the mysteries and adventures of the sea and the matters of navigation. And there being no other musicians in Tihvin who encouraged the boy to pursue a musical career, in 1856 he left the town and arrived in St. Petersburg to join the Imperial Russian Navy.

Midshipman Rimski-Korsakov, in 1864

The future composer left the naval school in 1862 as a midshipman and was assigned to a frigate that was preparing for a long cruise. However, throughout his training as a sailor, Nikolai never abandoned his musical studies, which disgusted his older brother who constantly scolded him for being more interested in music than in the marina.
Mili Balakirev, future member, as Rimski, of the Five mighty (Balakirev, Musorgsky, César Cui, Rimski and Borodin) had encouraged him to write music while he was not on the open seas. He did so producing in these conditions at least one symphony. Perhaps Nikolai Rimski-Korsakov is the only musician in the world been taught "under the wing" of a military institution.

Symphonic Suite "Scheherazade", opus 35 - First movement
Composed during the summer of 1888, the suite is a work in four movements inspired in some way in One Thousand and One Nights. Or at least that was the first intention if we look at the guidelines that originally headed each movement. In a second edition, the author suppressed them because, according to his own confession, he only intended to show some oriental scenes and so orientate the listener's fantasy. Nevertheless, these indications are kept up to date in handheld programs.
The first movement of the suite is entitled: "The Sea and Sinbad's ship." A musical motif is maintained throughout the work: the voice of Scheherazade, represented by the solo violin.

The rendition is by the Leipziger Gewandhausorchester, led by the German conductor Kurt Masur.

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Beeethoven, Arrau and the Moonlight Sonata

Ludwig van Beethoven settled down in Vienna in 1793, at a privileged moment. That was, at least, the feeling of some of his contemporaries. Mozart had just left his throne when dying two years earlier in the same city at thirty-five. Therefore, as soon as Count Waldstein learned of Beethoven's trip to Vienna, he sent a letter to young Ludwig, aged 23, suggesting him to study with Haydn, still alive, so that he "inherited the spirit of Mozart."

But Beethoven was not willing to inherit anyone's spirit. Moreover, with both personalities in antipodes, Haydn's teaching could not work. The same was true with other teachers. The exception was Antonio Salieri, alleged poisoner of the one whose spirit was desirable to inherit. Beethoven studied with the Italian teacher until 1802; subsequently, he was always willing to make use of his advice.

In 1801, being still a disciple of Salieri, maestro Beethoven was already a personality in Vienna and lived according to the comforts of a bourgeois home, thanks to his own effort and also to the patronage of some friends: Prince Lichnowsky, to whom he would dedicate the Pathetic sonata, "has sent me a commission of 600 florins," he said in a letter that year.

But his health was fragile. In the same letter, he noted that "my sense of hearing has progressively weakened." Later he confesses to being living a hermit's life: "for almost two years I have tried to avoid all company, simply because I cannot tell people that I am deaf."

Anyway, 1801 was the year he wrote the sonata that, from then to the present time, has obtained the greatest favour from the public: the Sonata No 14, Op 27 No 2, popularly known as the Moonlight Sonata.

Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2: "Sonata quasi una fantasia”
The complete sonata is presented here, its three movements, in the rendition by the maestro Claudio Arrau (born in Chillán, Chile, in 1903 and passed away in Austria, in 1991, when he was on his way to give a recital in an Austrian city). The video is a little gem, as noted by a good number of comments on YouTube. The most enthusiastic exhorts young teachers to observe and understand, listening to Arrau, "the true meaning of the art of playing the piano."

Movements:
00:00  Adagio sostenuto
06:54  Allegretto
09:22  Presto agitato

Chopin, Étude Op 25 No 1

The second set of Études composed by Frédérick Chopin, the Opus 25, is dedicated to Countess Marie d'Agoult, companion of Franz Liszt for those years. The Hungarian composer had already received the dedication of Opus 10, whose "exercises" (as Chopin called them) he would play in an exceptional way. So, Frédéric assumed that he would do well by dedicating this "second part" of the exercises to his friend's lover, although Marie was not a pianist. But she did sing. She used to write, as well, but not romantic stories. Under the pseudonym "Daniel Stern", Marie is the author of an essay entitled History of the Revolution of 1848, which, it is said, Karl Marx held in high esteem, to the point of becoming an invaluable source to carry out his own essay on class struggle in France.

The Études of Opus 25 were composed in Paris, during the years 1834-1836, and published in 1837. Those years are pleasant for Frédérick. Having arrived in Paris in 1831, after a couple of years he has made friends among musicians: Liszt, Berlioz, Mendelssohn and many others. And despite living only from his lessons with a little more than was fair (he was a prodigal being in gifts and loans to compatriots in distress), he is the fashion man in Paris...

One day he has lunch with the ambassador of England, another with the baron of Rothschild. Of course, it's a must to attend well dressed, as elegantly as possible. A Polish friend, in a letter to Chopin's parents, says: "Chopin is in good health and vigorous, turning the heads of all the French women, and arousing the envy of the men. He is currently in fashion, and soon the world will see gloves à la Chopin."

Étude Opus 25 No. 1
This Étude, in A-flat major, demands from the performer's hands a great lightness, especially if both hands must play arpeggios embracing a large section of the keyboard. Added to this is a great ability to give the upper singing a perfect legato despite the use of a single finger, which at times must move, fast, at a great distance.

Robert Schumann, who heard the Étude played by Chopin himself, said:
"... this study is more a poem than a study. ...Would be wrong who believed that Chopin made each small note clearly heard ... through harmonies, the wonderful melody was perceived in long notes. Halfway through, alongside this song, a tenor voice emerges from the wave of chords ... ".

The rendition is by Daniel Barenboim. The tenor voice that Schumann discovers "halfway through" is heard here around minute 0:40.

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Adolphe Adam, Giselle - Act II

At the rearguard of the great musical geniuses of the 19th century, a group of musicians of lesser depth was modestly gravitating. They are the so-called "minor composers". The French composer Adolphe Adam was one of them. The son of a pianist who had acquired a certain reputation, he did not highlight much during his time at the Conservatory in Paris, where he entered at age 21. Nevertheless, since he was twenty he was recognized in Paris as a skilled composer of songs for the French vaudeville.

As an author of 48 operas and 15 ballets, Adam bequeathed to humanity the famous, eternal and beautiful ballet Giselle, released in 1843. It is the only production of his vast work that is performed until today on the stages of every corner of the globe, with each more diverse and innovative staging. In 1993, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of its premiere, Giselle was staged in Havana by the National Ballet of Cuba, under the direction of the very prominent Cuban dancer and choreographer Alicia Alonso. In a box from which a divine light emerged, Fidel and Raul were seen tasting the function, with similar delight to that of the European aristocracy and high bourgeoisie of the mid-19th century. The magic of music.

Adolphe Adam (1803 - 1856)

The work is a ballet in two acts, based on a legend collected by the German poet Heinrich Heine. The story takes place in the medieval Rhineland. At the end of act I, Giselle, the protagonist villager, has already gone mad and then died, pierced by the sword following the deceit of her beloved Prince Albrecht.

In the second act, Giselle is welcomed by the queen of the dead virgins – together with her cohort of female ghosts, the Wilis – with a dance. Giselle joins them. Afterwards, Prince Albrecht appears, repentant, to mourn over his grave. The queen of the dead virgins rejects him but Giselle is there to protect him and save Albrecht's life, condemned by the queen to dance for life. Giselle holds him until the dawn lights force the ghosts to retreat. Then Giselle returns to her grave.

The celebrated Grand Pas de Deux and Variations of act II is presented here, with the Ukrainian ballerina Svetlana Zakharova playing the role of Giselle.
I apologize for the end of the video, something sloppy in the cut.

One last word about Adolphe Adam. From nowhere else but from his modest creative inspiration is that this miraculous wonder that Adolphe gave to the world arose. Aware of his moderate worth, Adam – according to Wikipedia – did not hesitate to say in a French newspaper in January 1855:
"I have no more ambition, in my music (...) than to make it clear, easy to understand and fun for the public. I can not do anything other than small music, it is a fact. Hence, I am content to do what I can, what I know, and I hope the audience gets tired of me to stop writing."
This blog subscribes his words, one by one.

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Schubert's death - Impromptu Op 90-4

Shortly after finishing the composition of the Impromptus, in late 1827, Franz Schubert's health worsened. In search of relief for his lungs, in the summer of 1828, he moved to the home of his brother Ferdinand, on the outskirts of Vienna.
His health was already very resentful, however, he was encouraged to make plans for the future and decided to perfect his musical knowledge by taking classes of harmony and composition with a famous teacher, in order to learn the technique of the fugue and counterpoint. He could only attend one class, that of November 4.

In those days, he contracted typhus. His doctor, very clever by the way, forbade him to eat (the medicine of the time killed many artists with the same method). He got even worse.
In his last days, he received almost no visits, for fear of contagion, and was accompanied only by his brother Fernando. His friends learned of his death during a friend's wedding celebration.

According to his wishes, little Franz was buried near Beethoven, in the Währing Cemetery. In 1888, the city of Vienna moved the remains of both musicians to the Central Cemetery, in what has been dubbed the "Pantheon of musicians."

With a feeling of regret for the loss of masterpieces caused by his early death, Franz's epitaph reads:

"The art of music has here interred
a precious treasure,
but yet far fairer hopes" 

"Here rests Franz Schubert
born on January 31, 1797
died on November 19, 1828
at the age of 31"

Impromptu N ° 4 Opus 90
The last of impromptus of Opus 90 is an Allegretto in A-flat minor/major, with an A-B-A form. At the start, we can hear a cascading sixteenth notes arpeggios. Later, Schubert inserts a delightfully swinging melody into the upper voice of the left hand. Section B is more lyrical, at 2:20.

The rendition is by the South Korean pianist, Dong-Min Lim.

Schubert: Impromptus Op 90 (2 - 3)

Franz Schubert composed eight impromptus in 1827, but only two of them were published in the composer's lifetime: the first two of Opus 90. The remaining and the four of Opus 142 only saw the public light in 1857, thirty years after its composition. The Impromptu No. 2 of Opus 90, which we are now listening to, is part, together with No. 1, of that pair of impromptus that Schubert was able to see published.

It has been wanted to see in it a study, or the germ, of those that will come later from the hand of Chopin and Liszt (at the time, 17 and 16 years, respectively). The laborious task entrusted to the right hand supports this proposal. A very careful while lively articulation becomes essential to make this almost endless series of triplets in tempo allegro sound perfectly clear.

The rendition is by Grigory Sokolov.

Despite his frail health, Schubert's last year of life was prodigal in compositions, but this was not reflected in an improvement in his economic situation, mainly due to the stinginess of his editors. Even in 1821, when Franz's name already appeared in the newspapers and his "light" works were heard in the salons of the high aristocracy, the publishers were reluctant to publish his work. And to show something, when a group of Schubert's friends addressed to the editor Peters, in Leipzig, requesting him to publish certain pieces of Franz, he responded by pointing out:

"My effort goes to the already established artists, with whom I can earn more money ... the mission of revealing new talents is for another. The day the composer has made a name and his works are recognized, I will be the man who seek, because in this case, the publication of his works will come into my plans."
Nothing new under the sun.

The Impromptu 90-3 is undoubtedly the most beautiful in the series, as well as the most cherished by the audience and also by the pianists, because of its tender and serene singing, commissioned to the right hand that makes a "self-accompanying" with broken arpeggios in permanent mute so as not to turn off the melody. The left hand makes "trills" in the bass, when Franz deemed them necessary.

The rendition is by the Russian pianist Olga Jegunova.

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Schubert: Impromptu No 1, Op 90

Little Franz Peter Schubert was never able to recover from the low glamour disease (as opposed to tuberculosis) he contracted around 1823: syphilis, a somewhat shameful disease and with no cure at the time. By 1827 he had already suffered several relapses; one of them, shortly after visiting Beethoven that year in his dying bed, whom he revered with all his soul and heart but barely knew.
For more than twenty years, both musicians lived in the same city, Vienna, Schubert's hometown, and the one Beethoven adopted. But they never became close because they would frequent very different social circles.

Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828)

Beethoven's death was a serious blow to Franz and it accentuated the depression that would accompany him the last years of his life. The courageous, jovial and sociable Franz in his twenties became sullen and withdrawn at thirty (almost the crossing of Ludwig due to deafness). However, this did not prevent him from working hard at the end of 1827, perhaps in an attempt to fight the depression. The Trios for piano and string, the Musical Moments and the Impromptus are from that time.

The name "impromptu" is a suggestion of his editor. Schubert was not the first to use it, although it can be said that he owes the boom it acquired in the romantic period. Impromptus are short pieces, formally close to Chopin's nocturnes, with a deep musicality along with a certain drama despite belonging to a musical language full of grace and charm.

Schubert's Impromptus are a series of eight pieces, divided into two groups of four, Opus 90 and Opus 142 (also named D. 899 and D. 935, respectively; the D recognizes the work of Otto Erich Deutsch, who managed to summarize all of Schubert's work in 1950).

Impromptu No. 1, from Opus 90, in C minor, is presented here in the rendition of  Chinese-American pianist Eric Lu.

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