September 21, 2015.Shostakovich and Rameau.Several composes were born this week, among them the English composer Gustav Holst, the Polish Andrzej Panufnik and the ever-popular George Gershwin.We owe it to the devotees of English music to dedicate an entry to Holst, as we’ve never done so before, but this time we’ll write about Dmitry Shostakovich instead, who was born on September 25th of 1906, and Jean-Philippe Rameau, born on the same day in 1683.We acknowledge the tremendous talent of Shostakovich, even if we do have problems with his politics and esthetics.We’re not going to analyze the reasons why the music of Shostakovich became so much a part of musical Social Realism: whether he did it out of fear, as a way to adapt and survive or whether he had a sincere and natural affinity for the musical tastes of the era.(Testimony by Solomon Volkov might be one place to go for a comprehensive, if somewhat one-sided, discussion).Suffice it to say that some of his music is difficult to listen to, so blatantly “communist” it sounds (just try his Festive Overture, the essential music of any Soviet parade).Many of his symphonies suffer from the same; on the other hand, much of his chamber music is quite “apolitical,” his great quartets being in that category.Shostakovich wrote quartets most of his creative life.His String Quartet no. 1 was composed in 1938, when Shostakovich was 32. It was written during a difficult and turbulent time: on the one hand, it followed the triumphal premier of his Symphony no. 5, on the other, Shostakovich felt compelled to withdraw his Fourth symphony after the criticism of the Lady Makbeth of Mtsensk; also, his patron, Marshall Tukhachevsky, had recently been arrested on trumped-up charges and shot.The Quartet no. 1 (here) has none of the bombast of the 5th Symphony; it’s a contemplative work, which Shostakovich himself said visualizes childhood scenes. His last quartet, no. 15, was completed in May of 1974, a year before his death.We’ll hear Quartet no. 8 from 1960.It starts with Shostakovich’s musical signature, DSCH: D, Es, C, H in German musical notation, or D, E flat, C, B natural in commonly accepted American notation.The Quartet, which runs for about 30 minutes, consists of five movements.In each of them Shostakovich quotes from his other compositions, from the Cello concerto no. 1 to Lady Makbeth.It’s performed, here by the Emerson Quartet.
Here’s what we wrote about Rameau a couple years ago: Jean-Philippe Rameauwas born on September 25th, 1683, when Louis XIV, the Sun King ruled France, but he didn’t come to age as a composer till the 1720s during the reign of Louis XV.Rameau was approaching 50 when he wrote his first opera, but once he started, he wouldn’t write anything else.He wrote more than 30, and in toto they represent a major development in music history of the 18th century.His very first opera Hippolyte et Aricie, written in 1733, was premiered at the Palais-Royal, his second, Samson, had none other than Voltaire as the librettist.(Unfortunately, it was never performed, even though it went into rehearsals, and its score has been lost).The third opera, Les Indes galantes, was a big success.A curious historical anecdote relates to this opera.In 1725 the French settlers convinced several Indian chiefs, Agapit Chicagou among them, to go to Paris.Many Indian chiefs decided to travel to France, but as they were about to board the ship, it sunk; after the accident, most of the chiefs returned home.Apparently the ones who went had a good time in Paris and eventually were brought to Fontainebleau, were they met with the King.The chiefs pledged allegiance to the French crown, and later performed ritual dances at the Theatre Italien.Rameau was inspired by this event; the fourth act (entrées) of Les Indes galantes is called Les Sauvages and tells the story of a daughter of an Indian chief being pursued by a Spaniard and a Frenchmen.
Here’s the famous aria Tristes apprêts from Rameau’s 1737 opera Castor & Pollux. The soprano is Agnès Mellon; William Christie leads the ensemble Les Arts Florissants.
Shostakovich and Rameau, 2015
September 21, 2015. Shostakovich and Rameau. Several composes were born this week, among them the English composer Gustav Holst, the Polish Andrzej Panufnik and the ever-popular George Gershwin. We owe it to the devotees of English music to dedicate an ent
ry to Holst, as we’ve never done so before, but this time we’ll write about Dmitry Shostakovich instead, who was born on September 25th of 1906, and Jean-Philippe Rameau, born on the same day in 1683. We acknowledge the tremendous talent of Shostakovich, even if we do have problems with his politics and esthetics. We’re not going to analyze the reasons why the music of Shostakovich became so much a part of musical Social Realism: whether he did it out of fear, as a way to adapt and survive or whether he had a sincere and natural affinity for the musical tastes of the era. (Testimony by Solomon Volkov might be one place to go for a comprehensive, if somewhat one-sided, discussion). Suffice it to say that some of his music is difficult to listen to, so blatantly “communist” it sounds (just try his Festive Overture, the essential music of any Soviet parade). Many of his symphonies suffer from the same; on the other hand, much of his chamber music is quite “apolitical,” his great quartets being in that category. Shostakovich wrote quartets most of his creative life. His String Quartet no. 1 was composed in 1938, when Shostakovich was 32. It was written during a difficult and turbulent time: on the one hand, it followed the triumphal premier of his Symphony no. 5, on the other, Shostakovich felt compelled to withdraw his Fourth symphony after the criticism of the Lady Makbeth of Mtsensk; also, his patron, Marshall Tukhachevsky, had recently been arrested on trumped-up charges and shot. The Quartet no. 1 (here) has none of the bombast of the 5th Symphony; it’s a contemplative work, which Shostakovich himself said visualizes childhood scenes. His last quartet, no. 15, was completed in May of 1974, a year before his death. We’ll hear Quartet no. 8 from 1960. It starts with Shostakovich’s musical signature, DSCH: D, Es, C, H in German musical notation, or D, E flat, C, B natural in commonly accepted American notation. The Quartet, which runs for about 30 minutes, consists of five movements. In each of them Shostakovich quotes from his other compositions, from the Cello concerto no. 1 to Lady Makbeth. It’s performed, here by the Emerson Quartet.
Here’s what we wrote about Rameau a couple years ago: Jean-Philippe Rameau was born on September 25th, 1683, when Louis XIV, the Sun King ruled France, but he didn’t come to age as a composer till the 1720s during the reign of Louis XV. Rameau was approaching 50 when he wrote his first opera, but once he started, he wouldn’t write anything else. He wrote more than 30, and in toto they represent a major development in music history of the 18th century. His very first opera Hippolyte et Aricie, written in 1733, was premiered at the Palais-Royal, his second, Samson, had none other than Voltaire as the librettist. (Unfortunately, it was never performed, even though it went into rehearsals, and its score has been lost). The third opera, Les Indes galantes, was a big success. A curious historical anecdote relates to this opera. In 1725 the French settlers convinced several Indian chiefs, Agapit Chicagou among them, to go to Paris. Many Indian chiefs decided to travel to France, but as they were about to board the ship, it sunk; after the accident, most of the chiefs returned home. Apparently the ones who went had a good time in Paris and eventually were brought to Fontainebleau, were they met with the King. The chiefs pledged allegiance to the French crown, and later performed ritual dances at the Theatre Italien. Rameau was inspired by this event; the fourth act (entrées) of Les Indes galantes is called Les Sauvages and tells the story of a daughter of an Indian chief being pursued by a Spaniard and a Frenchmen.
Here’s the famous aria Tristes apprêts from Rameau’s 1737 opera Castor & Pollux. The soprano is Agnès Mellon; William Christie leads the ensemble Les Arts Florissants.
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