Four Centuries of Great Music June 5, 2022 Four Centuries of Piano Music Episode 2

Today is our second episode of piano music through the centuries.  We are going to begin with a piano concerto because I just received a new release of piano concertos before returning to solo piano.  We are opening with Edvard Grieg’ Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16.   It was composed in the winter of 1868/1869 and had it’s premiere in the Spring of 1869 to the praise of even the harshest critics.  It is said to be modeled a bit on Schumann’s Piano Concerto which Grieg heard in a live performance by Clara Schumann.  It is in three movements Allegro molto moderato,  Adagio  and Allegro moderato molto e marcato           

Lets close this first hour of our second show dedicated to piano music by returning to the solo piano with Alexander Scriabin’s Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 6.  This was actually the third of twelve piano sonatas that he composed. But the first sonata he wrote, only the first movement was found in manuscript form and published posthumously. The second, in E flat minor, was condensed and rewritten to be the single movement work Allegro Appassionato Op. 4.

The 1^st complete sonata was completed in 1892. The music is emotionally charged as much of the music was written after Scriabin had damaged his right hand through excessive piano playing. The temporary loss of his right hand facility is also credited with inciting him to develop complicated rhythmical patterns for the left hand in much of his music. This quality helps to explain, in part, why many of his pieces are considered quite challenging to perform.  The first sonata is in 4 movements: Allegro con fuoco,  Andante, Presto and Funebre

Lets open this second half of this second episode of piano music through the centuries with Leos Janáček:   ’s Piano Sonata 1.X.1905  From the Street which was written to in protest of the death of a young worker in 1905 at a protest in Brno.  It was originally 3 movements with a funeral march, but he destroyed that movement before the premiere in 1906.  So here are the two remaining movements -From the Street: I. Presentiment  and From the Street: II. Death.

Lets open this last half hour of today’s Four Centuries of great music with Maurice Ravel’s Sonatine. The first movement was written in 1903 as part a competition but I could not find if indeed he received the 100 franc first prize.  The work was completed in 1905 and premiered March of 1906.  It is in 3 movements Modere, Movuement de menuet and Anime. 

We are going to close today’s show with Aaron Copland’s Piano Sonata.  This is actually his second Piano sonata that was commissioned by playwright Clifford Odets in 1939 and completed in 1941.  The work is in three movements Molto moderato – Allegro; Vivace and Andante sostenuto.