Chopin: "Fantasie Impromptu"

During the eighteen years he lived in Paris, Frédéric wrote four impromptus. The first one was composed in 1834 (he was 24) and was never published during his lifetime as Chopin himself removed it from the catalog of his works. It was his friend and pianist Julian Fontana who published it in 1856, six years after his death, ignoring Chopin's request to throw it into the fire. One wonders if Julian refrained from doing so because the composition was dedicated to him.
A wise decision, indeed! Over the years it became the most famous of all Impromptus, to the extent of acquiring —no one knows how— a name of its own: Fantasie Impromptu.

Basically, the composition is made up of two parts. Firstly, an allegro agitato that is followed by a serene and lyrical melody, moderato cantabile, which will then whithers away to allow a repetition of the first theme, finishing with the left hand replaying the first notes of the moderato section while the right hand continues playing semiquavers, as it was at the beginning, till the piece resolves, gently, on a rolled chord.

Polyrhythm is a feature of the first part, which, more accurately, its a cross-rhythm. That is, the right hand plays sixteenth notes (semiquavers) whilst the left one plays triplets, with a very accurate synchronization of the two hands. It is not that complicated, after all. It is as if you were asked to beat on a table twice every second with your left hand and three times with your right hand in the same period of time. For children living in Caribbean countries, it is literally child's play. I've seen and heard it with my own eyes and ears.

Let's listen to a little extract of the first theme running at a very slow rate, quite inadequate to appreciate the music, but perfect to illustrate the hard struggle between sixteenth notes and triplets. I hope you can hear how ugly the notes can sound, before turning into real music.



And now, let's listen to the same extract at a normal speed, coupled with a bit of magic, intention, the state of grace and the pedal.


Clearly, the composition has become more real at the speed demanded by Chopin, i.e. allegro agitato, or fast and agitated.

But I think the young woman we are about to listen to went a bit overboard in the allegro agitato. Proof of this is the fact that, a few moments before moving us with the beautiful and serene melody of the central theme, the vigorous octaves that preceded it have uncovered her lovely right shoulder in an excess of enthusiasm. Apart from this, she plays like a goddess.

Therefore, I invite you to admire and listen to beautiful Russian pianist Valentina Igoshina playing the Impromptu N°4, or Fantasie Impromptu, at a recital in 2003, when she was 25 years old, just one more than Frédéric by the time he composed the piece.

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Addinsell: "Warsaw Concerto"

The movie was called “Dangerous Moonlight", where a Polish pianist and war pilot finds himself caught in the midst of the "Battle of Britain" during World War II. The soundtrack of the 1941 British film would originally include the romantic Concerto No. 2 of Rachmaninoff, which had been published forty years before and has since captivated audiences for its unique beauty. But copyright problems impeded its use and the producers had to opt for an "original" concert piece a la Rachmaninoff, more precisely, in the mood of his second Concerto.

The composition of this work was given to the composer Richard Addinsell, born in London in 1904. Apart from his works for theater, he had created the soundtrack of many films, including the blockbuster “Goodbye, Mr Chip”, released in 1939.

"Warsaw Concert"
Addinsell responded with Warsaw Concert, a piece for piano and orchestra that became the soundtrack of the film. According to the storyline, it was  the work the protagonist, Stefan Radetzky, was composing, to be performed during the fictional narrative.

Richard Addinsell (1904 - 1977)

The work is written in the style of Rachmaninoff and more, because Addinsell borrowed from the Russian master's second concert not only its spirit, warmth and tenderness, but also, and blatantly, bits and pieces of it. This was what the British needed in 1941, which indeed, Addinsell delivered with great skill, paving the way to the fashion of including soundtracks "in the style of classical music" in many subsequent films, although none more memorable than that of Addinsell.

Of course, the beautiful and deeply romantic Warsaw Concert is not a concert in the usual sense of the term. It lasts less than ten minutes and has a single movement. Nevertheless, a screenshot in the film shows a poster stating that the concert has three movements. The magic of cinema!

The rendition is by the Hungarian pianist Laszlo Kovacs, accompanied by the Miskolc Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kovacs himself from the piano.

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Paganini: Violin Concerto No 1

The popular idol of the 19th century, Niccolo Paganini, made his debut in Parma at the age of fifteen. Then, accompanied by his father, he will tour the region of Lombardy offering concerts and seeing his fame grown with his brilliant performances and the infernal virtuosity that accompanied each of them. Thus, not by chance, before he turned twenty the distinguished violinist would have achieved his economic independence, a circumstance that together with his youth and charisma will make him a lover of bets and inclined to romantic adventures.

But the lavish lifestyle his talent allowed him to lead was no obstacle for in 1801 and 1807 to devote himself to the composition of his first great works, which will revolutionize violin technique forever. From uniting the enjoyment of life with an intense work ethic emerged his best known and performed work to date, the set of 24 Caprices for violin solo, and the two sets of six sonatas for violin and guitar. Ten years later he will compose his first violin concerto.

Niccolo Paganini (1782 - 1840)

After leaving his position as music director in the principality of Lucca and Piombino serving Princess Elisa Bonaparte (yes, sister of Napoleon) he devoted himself to touring Italy offering recitals with his own works. A good number of years would pass before he decided to conquer Europe, which apparently was waiting for him. In 1828 he gave his first recital in Vienna with great success. Three years later, presentations in Paris and London will follow with sensational results. The following year, he had to visit England and Scotland. After returning from that four-year tour, Niccolo settled in Paris in 1833. He was fifty-one years old and a rich man.

Perhaps for this reason, after a short time, he decided to retire from the stage. In 1834 he left simultaneously Paris and the concert career. Surprisingly, two years later he returned to the City of Lights as a businessman, to open a casino, the Paganini Casino, a company in which he invested much of his fortune with disastrous results. The enterprise had to close its doors just two months after it opened.

The legend
The incredible virtuosity of Paganini was attributed in his time to a pact with the devil or to hidden deals with beings from beyond the grave. His almost cadaverous countenance and a sombre picture  contributed generously to all this. The legend points out that Niccolo's music came from the souls of women with beautiful voices that were kept captives inside his violin.

Violin concerto No 1 in D major

Composed around 1817-18, concert No. 1 astonished audience and critics alike for its brilliance and demanding virtuosity. The work is in the habitual three movements, with a first movement skillfully done, showing, along with the third one, Paganini’s incredible technical ability. The second movement, by contrast, is filled with elegant melodic themes and moments of striking beauty.

The rendition is by the Russian-Israeli master Shlomo Mintz, accompanied by the Limburg Symphony Orchestra, from Maastricht, directed by Yoel Levi.

00:00  Allegro maestoso

20:35  Adagio espressivo
25:42  Rondo. Allegro spiritoso

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Mozart: Piano Concerto No 20

When in 1780, Wolfgang Amadeus learned that his first love, Aloysia, had just married another, he did not despair or contemplate suicide. (Notice. Göethe had not yet given to the world his Sorrows of Young Werther...). Instead, he turned a little and set his sights on the black eyes of Konstanze, who was nineteenth, one year younger than her sister Aloysia and was just over there, hanging around.

They married in 1782, and the following years, up until he died in 1791, were probably the happiest in Wolfgang's entire life. Two years later and still deeply in love, Konstanze and Wolfgang would write to Mozart's sister, Nannerl, on the eve of her marriage: "We wish that you two will live together as harmoniously as we two".

They immersed themselves in the dazzling artistic life of the Vienna of those years. The year 1785 found Mozart totally dedicated to his intense musical life; a period that proved to be very productive regarding publications.
Because of its popularity, the Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 20 in D minor stands out amongst his work of that time.
Beethoven, by then a fifteen years old lad, would maintain this concert in his repertoire for many years. Additionally, he would compose the cadenzas (i.e. the solo sections improvised by the interpreter or played according to prepared guidelines) for this and other concerts.

Piano Concerto No 20, in D minor, K. 466
I have chosen a rendition by the excellent Czech pianist Ivan Klansky, because of his amazing technique. He plays with such ease that his gestures seem to directly communicate with his emotions.
The work is in three movements:
00:00  Allegro
15:02  Romanza
23:53  Allegro assai

A decade of triumphs
Roundabout the time of the composition of Concerto No. 20, Mozart's fame was already considerable. A Viennese newspaper, commenting on a concert, mentioned his "well-deserved reputation" and pointed out that Wolfgang was "known universally".

To be truthful, his main source of income was still his music lessons, but he also gave concerts with some regularity, playing as a piano soloist. In addition, there were the proceeds from his numerous publications. Considered individually, they were poorly paid, but the total amount of their sale would have helped him to make ends meet.
Last but not least, one has to consider the earnings accrued from the performances of his operas. Not all yielded all that Mozart would have liked, but some of them certainly did.

The economic straits
This is why is intriguing that the couple suffered persistent economic hardship, to the extreme that Mozart had to borrow money from some fellow Masons. At the same time, he would ask them to send him students, stressing the fact that he charged "low prices".
Several scholars blame poor Konstanze, accusing her of extravagance, frivolity, and a fondness for luxury. Part of it might be true. But we have to take into account that, if one year Konstanze was not pregnant it was only because she was sick. Therefore, I prefer the more pragmatic first-hand opinion of Nannerl: "My brother did not know how to run his finances, and Konstanze was unable to help him on this".

The myth
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died on December 5, 1791, at the age of 35. The following day the myth of the mass grave and the storm was born. None of it is true. Although no one recorded the exact spot of his resting place, he was not buried in a pauper's grave. And on 6th of December, Vienna saw one of the most placid and sunny afternoons of that Autumn.

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Chopin: Waltz op 64-1, "The Minute Waltz"

The young woman in the picture is the Polish Countess Delfina Potocka, at the age of 23. Five years before she had married Count Potocki, thus acquiring both the surname and the title.
But Delfina was unhappy in her marriage, and she divorced the count in 1830. Afterwards, she began her travelling.

First, she toured across Europe, and after living for a while in London finally settled in Paris.
Sensitive by nature, Delfina gathered in her salons the musicians, poets, painters and novelists of her time. There she reencountered Frédérick Chopin in 1831, just when he was considering that giving piano lessons was the only option he had to earn a living. And he took her as a pupil.

It is still rumored that there was more than teaching going on, but there is no evidence to support those rumors. A year earlier, Chopin wrote a friend about a dinner he attended at home of "the beautiful wife of Count Potocki", but that is all.

However, they maintained a regular correspondence for many years, no matter where they happened to be at any one time. In 1847, one of those letters could have revealed to Delfina that Chopin had dedicated one of his compositions to her, a short waltz.

Delfina had been a diligent and able student with Chopin, so it is fair to assume that she was able to play the waltz at the speed specified by her teacher, i.e., molto vivace, which means very lively and animated. The little waltz became popular and came to be called "The Minute Waltz" because of its short duration.

Following, Valentina Lisitsa rendition, trying to play it in just one minute:

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