January 7, 2013.In this first post of 2013 we’d like to mention several composers whose birthdays fall on the first week of the year: Mily Balakirev, Giovanni Pergolesi, Nikolai Medtner, Max Bruch, and Alexander Scriabin.On top of this, Francis Poulenc was born on this day.A mighty handful for sure.“Mighty handful” was, of course, the name given to a group of Russian composers of the mid-19th century, and Balakirev, born on January 2, 1837, was one of them.Probably not the most talented (musically, Mussorgsky, Borodin, and Rimsky-Korsakov were in a different league), he is now known mostly as an educator and incessant promoter of classical music in Russia.He did, however, compose a piano piece which to this day is considered one of the most difficult, a poem Islamey.Here it is, performed by the Italian pianist Sandro Russo.
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s life was tragically short.He was born on January 4, 1710 and died at the age of 26, from tuberculosis.He wrote his first opera when he was 21, the first truly successful piece, an intermezzo La Serva Padrona (The Servant Mistress), at the age of 23.He wrote six operas altogether, a violin concerto, and some other secular music, but for the last two years of his life he wrote mostly sacred music.He composed two Masses, several psalm settings and more.You can listen to one of his most famous works, Stabat Mater, here; it’s performed by the Chicago authentic instruments ensemble Baroque Band.
Nikolai Medtner, born on January 5, 1880, was a younger contemporary of the much more famous Rachmaninov and Scriabin, but he wrote a number of charming piano pieces called Tales and several sonatas, some of them very interesting.Here, for example, Marc-André Hamelin plays Medtner’s Piano Sonata no.13, Minacciosa (courtesy of YouTube).As so many artists and composers, Medtner left Russia after the Revolution (he was helped by his friend Rachmaninov) and eventually settled in England.He died in London in 1951.His music is very much worth discovering.
Alexander Scriabin’s music doesn’t need to be "discovered" – it’s being widely played and recorded.Still, his popularity these days cannot be compared to the adulation he receiving during his lifetime (accompanied by some criticism as well).Scriabin was born on January 6, 1872.His early piano compositions were heavily influenced by Chopin, though even then his style was individual and idiosyncratic.Later it evolved, losing most of the romantic traces of the earlier period, and becoming more chromatic and dissonant.Scriabin’s piano works are more popular these days than his orchestra music, but in the pre-Revolutionary Russia his The Poem of Ecstasy was one of the most celebrated composition (he received one of his many Glinka Prizes for it in 1908).Here it is performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Boulez conducting (courtesy of YouTube).
We have to mention Max Bruch, born on January 6, 1838 and these days mostly famous for his Violin Concerto.He also wrote a popular Kol Nidrei for cello and orchestra, named after the ancient declaration recited in synagogues before the beginning of the Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) service.Bruch was a protestant, and introduced to the Jewish prayer by his teacher.Still, many Germans though that Bruch was Jewish, and the Nazis even banned his music.Here’s an arrangement of Kol Nidrei for viola and piano.It’s performed by Viacheslav Dinerchtein, viola, and George Lepauw, piano.
First two weeks of 2013
January 7, 2013. In this first post of 2013 we’d like to mention several composers whose birthdays fall on the
first week of the year: Mily Balakirev, Giovanni Pergolesi, Nikolai Medtner, Max Bruch, and Alexander Scriabin. On top of this, Francis Poulenc was born on this day. A mighty handful for sure. “Mighty handful” was, of course, the name given to a group of Russian composers of the mid-19th century, and Balakirev, born on January 2, 1837, was one of them. Probably not the most talented (musically, Mussorgsky, Borodin, and Rimsky-Korsakov were in a different league), he is now known mostly as an educator and incessant promoter of classical music in Russia. He did, however, compose a piano piece which to this day is considered one of the most difficult, a poem Islamey. Here it is, performed by the Italian pianist Sandro Russo.
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s life was tragically short. He was born on January 4, 1710 and died at the age of 26, from tuberculosis. He wrote his first opera when he was 21, the first truly successful piece, an intermezzo La Serva Padrona (The Servant Mistress), at the age of 23. He wrote six operas altogether, a violin concerto, and some other secular music, but for the last two years of his life he wrote mostly sacred music. He composed two Masses, several psalm settings and more. You can listen to one of his most famous works, Stabat Mater, here; it’s performed by the Chicago authentic instruments ensemble Baroque Band.
Nikolai Medtner, born on January 5, 1880, was a younger contemporary of the much more famous Rachmaninov and Scriabin, but he wrote a number of charming piano pieces called Tales and several sonatas, some of them very interesting. Here, for example, Marc-André Hamelin plays Medtner’s Piano Sonata no.13, Minacciosa (courtesy of YouTube). As so many artists and composers, Medtner left Russia after the Revolution (he was helped by his friend Rachmaninov) and eventually settled in England. He died in London in 1951. His music is very much worth discovering.
Alexander Scriabin’s music doesn’t need to be "discovered" – it’s being widely played and recorded. Still, his popularity these days cannot be compared to the adulation he receiving during his lifetime (accompanied by some criticism as well). Scriabin was born on January 6, 1872. His early piano compositions were heavily influenced by Chopin, though even then his style was individual and idiosyncratic. Later it evolved, losing most of the romantic traces of the earlier period, and becoming more chromatic and dissonant. Scriabin’s piano works are more popular these days than his orchestra music, but in the pre-Revolutionary Russia his The Poem of Ecstasy was one of the most celebrated composition (he received one of his many Glinka Prizes for it in 1908). Here it is performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Boulez conducting (courtesy of YouTube).
We have to mention Max Bruch, born on January 6, 1838 and these days mostly famous for his Violin Concerto. He also wrote a popular Kol Nidrei for cello and orchestra, named after the ancient declaration recited in synagogues before the beginning of the Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) service. Bruch was a protestant, and introduced to the Jewish prayer by his teacher. Still, many Germans though that Bruch was Jewish, and the Nazis even banned his music. Here’s an arrangement of Kol Nidrei for viola and piano. It’s performed by Viacheslav Dinerchtein, viola, and George Lepauw, piano.