Scriabin

Sonata-Fantasie No. 2, Op. 28
Having accidentally listened to sonatas 5 and 9 before this one, I must admit several interesting realizations.

1)This does not sound more like a fantasy than the two sonatas, which are not labeled as fantasies.
2)The harmonies are easier to classify as post romantic. However the form, because this is a fantasy, is no easier to follow than the other two sonatas on our list.

I gather from all that I have heard, combined with my own research on the etudes, that Scriabin was very much concerned with being as different from his contemporaries and predecessors as possible. It is evident that in this piece the composer is still operating with the inherited tools of his hero Chopin. One can hear in the music that Scriabin’s desire for new and innovative textures will eventually guide him into his own unique style.

Sonata No. 5, Op. 53
Elements of this sonata sound highly impressionistic. The swiftly changing rhythms add to this feeling, almost making this work more of an improvisatory form than a sonata. It is interesting to glance over the score before listening to a section, only to find that the notation appears fairly confined while the music sounds limitless in its expression and technique. The harmonies which Scriabin finds in his slow passages are truly mystical, as his biography would suggest he were aspiring to. It is interesting to think that out of three contemporary Russian composers (Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Scriabin) each has their own distinct sound that makes them easily identifiable. Scriabin is obviously a master of taking contemporary harmonies and weaving them into something beautiful. I would imagine that even the average listener, one who is not experienced at all in classical music, would find enjoyment in listening to this work.

Sonata No. 9, Op. 68
The layering of timbres and motivic elements in the opening of this sonata is quite unbelievable in terms of compositional craftsmanship. To be completely honest, having never played any Scriabin, I am having an extremely difficult time following any recognizable element of these sonatas. The overall structure doesn’t help, being that it is in one movement with sudden and unexpected changes in texture and speed. Also it is becoming apparent to me that Scriabin was more interested in the creation of color and atmosphere than any recognizable or “singable” melodies. Thinking on who Scriabin was, it seems to me that this music is intended more for the enlightenment of the soul than for enjoyment purposes. Scriabin said of himself that he was the “weaver of a heavenly harmony”, meaning that this music is intended in an almost prophetic way.

Cui

Cui –

Op. 64 Preludes

Prelude No. 1 in C major: Allegro maestoso
This prelude is all about chords, of course. Cui uses them to evoke a majestic quality, similar to Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (Promenade).

Prelude No. 2 in E minor: Moderato assai
Compositionally this prelude is all about craftsmanship of the melodic placement. It is most interesting to establish the first section of the melody and then follow his treatment of it. For instance a melodic idea is stated, which is repeated but overshoots its high note by one before settling back down, followed by the same idea as the first but beginning a third higher, before settling back to the final note.

Prelude No. 3 in G major: Allegro
This playfully exciting prelude is largely based on exaggerated elements. With melodies in octaves and sweeping crescendos, giving it a feeling of uncontrolled jubilation.

Prelude No. 4 in B minor: Allegro
This prelude diverges from the Chopin style of one prelude with one idea. This prelude is more like a precursor to the preludes of Scriabin and Rachmaninoff, which often consist of powerful outside sections which enclose a soft and lyrical section at the core.

Prelude No. 5 in D major: Allegretto
This prelude contains many wonderful and lovely sounds. The style is highly song like, never moving outside of the singers ranges.

Prelude No. 6 in F sharp minor: Andante
This prelude is very similar to Chopin’s prelude in E minor, relying on slowly evolving chords to carry the melody without decay over the length of the phrase.

Prelude No. 7 in A major: Allegro non troppo
This prelude uses the canon to a highly effective degree. Had I not been looking at the score I would not have realized that the melody and accompaniment revolved around the same pitches.

Prelude No. 8 in C sharp minor: Allegro
This prelude is centered on the ideas of chords, octaves, and thrilling gestures. Most similar to Scriabin’s etude in D-sharp minor.

Prelude No. 9 in E major: Andantino
In this prelude the melody and the accompaniment, though drastically different in contour and voice, are equally as important. These attributes make this like a duet in which two singers represent two sides to one idea.

Prelude No. 10 in G sharp minor: Allegro non troppo
Cui uses arpeggios as the basis for the melody and the overall connecting idea.

Prelude No. 11 in B major: Allegretto
The most interesting aspect of this prelude is the existence of musical elements which share the same space on the keyboard at the same time, but thanks to the layout do not inhibit each other, but rather lend to one grand orchestral idea.

Prelude No. 12 in E flat major: Allegretto
A rising three-note scale ties this entire prelude together. The B section makes use of the scale, though the direction is changed for contrasting purposes.

Prelude No. 13 in F sharp major: Andante
This prelude reminds me of a slow Schumann song. The patterns are simple, but highly effective for the communication of a deserving melody.

Prelude No. 14 in B flat major: Moderato
This prelude is all about accents and slurs.

Prelude No. 15 in D flat major: Andantino
The use of odd rhythms here does not in any way stand out. This gives proof to the argument that sometimes contemporary ideas work as terrific devices in communicating romantic sounding music.

For time purposes I will proceed to the end…. Sorry.

Prelude No. 25 in C major: Allegro non troppo

This prelude is pretty simple for the final prelude in a 25-prelude set. The basic idea here is dotted rhythms and pentatonic scales.

Balakirev

Balakirev –

Sonata in Bb minor

Mvt. I
This is a wonderful use of a fugue in a sonata. I wonder if Balakirev was influenced by Berlioz, considering that Berlioz seems to begin most of his large works with fugues, though not slow and nice ones like this. Balakirev’s departure from symmetry for the second section of this first movement is wonderful, and easy to follow with all the turns to point out the melodies entrance in different areas at different times. This movement seems to be the opposite of Islamey in that it feels like nothing is for show. Very seldom does one come across a composer with the bravery to have a slow first movement to their sonata.

Mvt. II – Mazurka
This definitely feels like a mazurka. The emphasis on beat two is very clearly marked and quite Chopinesque at times. The atmosphere of this movement shares similarities with the first movement, especially in terms of delicate and feminine voice types. Once again the craftsmanship is decidedly pianistic, displaying Balakirev’s ability to compose in timbres and textures specifically for the piano.

Mvt. III – Intermezzo
When I hear intermezzo I naturally think Brahms. The rhythmic styling’s are like Brahms to me, though the piece is much more melody than motive, and a bit too free to sound like Brahms. This movement seems to me like an improvisatory intermezzo, similar to where the form originated. This sounds a great deal like a Chopin nocturne at times, and the existence of two voices is similar to many Rachmaninoff preludes.

Mvt. IV – Finale
The use of a duple meter is exactly what one would expect from a sonata. Balakirev does a great job of incorporating the elements introduced with the first three movements, making sure that each movement has the same “sound”. This movement is obviously a great deal more virtuosic than the preceding three. In this movement there are several techniques similar to Islamey, leading me to believe that Balakirev had an easily definable virtuosic language. His gift seems to me to be the voicing of his slower sections. Across all the works I find that I am the most captivated when the virtuosity ends and the singing line emerges.

Islamey

I confess that I have never really listened to this piece until now, though I have heard many stories about its difficulties. To me, and this may just be the recording I am listening to, it reminds me a great deal of Paganini, specifically the fact that the difficulty seems to hinder the musical ideas significantly. To this day I have never heard a Paganini caprice performed in a way that was aurally pleasing, sure it seems REALLY difficult, but it is not really fun to listen to. I imagine that if Paganini played it that it would be enjoyable, but it seems to me that amongst the mere mortals of modern string performance that it is only attempted for the sake of overcoming a challenge.

Balakirev’s use of a monophonic idea at the start is extremely successful, lending the folksy elements of hammered dulcimers or gypsy bands. Balakirev’s use of technical devices within a seemingly limited use of register is interesting, and I would not think that the non-pianist would ever comprehend how difficult the textures become within these registers. The use of double notes, thirds, syncopations, chords, and octaves all serve to turn this piece into a testament of those who harness the full range of piano technique.

The way in which the melody is buried in the inside voices during the tranquillo section lends a wonderful timbre to the overall use of piano. The craftsmanship of this slow section is a perfect display of music composed for piano, not just set to piano. The transfer of the scales from the low end to the high end of the piano while the melody remains untouched in the middle is a brilliant use of three-handed composition. This section would definitely seem as difficult to the audience as the performer.

The section with all the tremolo chords is definitely something that Rachmaninoff would have been influenced by. He includes this technique very often in his concertos, especially the second. The presto furioso section that closes the piece, if played on a light action piano in a hall with large amounts of reverb, would be a fantastic aural effect of manufactured vibration and echoing.

The Americans

Variations on Balkan Themes Op. 60

Theme
The opening section is extremely haunting in nature, as the composer herself states in the Preface. The voicing reminds me of Schubert and the dissonances remind me of Chopin… specifically section C of Chopin’s “Raindrop” prelude.

Var. I
It is very interesting to me that Beach would use the 1st variation as a canonic restatement of the theme. It is amazing though that the music takes on such different qualities with such a simple structural change.

Var. II
This second variation seems to get very intense very quickly. This music is definitely not what I expected, due to the natural stereotypes that exist for someone who isn’t well versed in the music of female composers. The music is heavy, masculine, orchestral, dramatic, and I would imagine that it would be one of the more difficult passages to pull of cleanly.

Var. III
This variation seems a bit like a gypsy music box to me. The use of the N6 chord here is very special to my ears.

Var. IV
This barcarolle is very sweet in nature. However, the scales are similar in treatment to Chopin’s 24th prelude. The use of double-note harmonization’s for timbre rather than technique creates a sound that seems to evoke penetrating emotions.

Var. V
The layering of sonorities here shows a high degree of musical sophistication. This music seems to contain extreme elements of dramatic emotion, yet it is able to package them in manners that are confined and never abrasive.

Var. VI
The use of raised fourth, along with parallel sixths, creates a staged introduction to the Hungarian gypsy music that is to come. The registers, ornaments, and simple harmonic treatment are extremely similar to the final sections of Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsodies

Var. VII
We transition quite easily from the gypsy tune into what sounds like the elegant music of a haunted ballroom. It is always interesting for me to consider what makes music sound “dark”, which is always weird to think about something sounding like something else appears.


Var. VIII
For the con vigore section Beach employs a large use of dramatic virtuosity to excite a seemingly simple musical idea. It is evident by the number of dynamic indications that Beach considered the craftsmanship of her compositional style to leave few questions for performance indication.


Var. IX
This funeral march is almost entirely rooted in the use of register and dynamics. The melodic content begins as second to the atmosphere, and as the variation continues the melody becomes a triumphant song, only before returning to the dark and ominous chimes from the beginning.

Var. X
Whereas the initial theme of these variations was completely functional, this variation alters to the realm of coloristic harmony. This fantasia section is used to gradually increase excitement and sound as we transition back to the 2nd variation content.

Var. XI
This section is a bit mysterious to me. It seems that Beach opted to omit the typical climax style of traditional variation sets. Instead this set seems to do more of a symmetrical arch, rather than reaching a loud and virtuosic penultimate variation with a final resolve section.

Var. XII
It ends as it began, soft and sad.


Woodland Sketches

1) To a Wild Rose
The music here contains a highly delicate nature. The upward motion of the music suggests to me the blossoming of the rose, while the “slightly marked” descending tenor scale near the end suggests a wilting quality. In this sense the music contains the idea that any elements of sorrow only eventually return to the delicate and happy qualities that complete the cycle.

2) Will-o’-the-Wisp
The monophonic element of this composition is the most interesting to me. I always find myself questioning why a composer would write anything monophonic for piano, such as Chopin’s “Wind Over the Grave” following the famous funeral march. I still have not found any answer on this subject.

3) At an Old Trysting Place
This piece reminds me again of Schubert, in the way that each voice in the piano seems to carry its own melody, almost like a choir.

4) In Autumn
This depiction of autumn seems to be attached to a mischievous quality. The use of chromaticism makes great use of a rich color in a functional setting. I find the direction to “diminish without retarding” interesting. I wonder if the piece is meant to display the games of autumn.

5) From an Indian Lodge
The rhythm of the introduction is confusing to listen to and comes across as almost improvisatory. I see the character of this piece as being like that of the totem pole: stern, strong, stubborn, and mighty.

6) To a Water-lily
The sonorities of this piece are beautiful, as well as unique to my ears. The layering is like that of Debussy. The harmonies are a mixture of folk and coloristic, all the while portraying the atmosphere of a hymn. The delicate writing seems to perfectly match the vision of a water lily floating about.

7) From Uncle Remus
The sporadic rhythm, mixed with jumping articulations, carries the same excitement of an old man telling humorous and surprising stories. You can hear that the story teller increases the movements and volume in order to make the tale as effective as possible. The goal of this piece is to excite, not to narrate.

8) A Deserted Farm
In the case of this piece I believe that the programmatic title becomes a part of the composition. The portrayal of a static image would be close to impossible, however, if you allow the title to carry the image and the music to carry the emotion then the work emerges as one complete piece of art. I do not think that the composer intended anyone to envision a farm without the aid of the program.

9) By a Meadow Brook
Here we get a variety of flowing textures: such as trills, triplets, arpeggios, swiftly broken octaves, and uses of high register.

10) Told at Sunset
This piece, like the sunset, seems to be constantly descending. There are twinkling sounds that reveal to me the rippling water reflecting the glow on the horizon. At the end of the piece there is a seemingly random use of the upper register, which one would not expect if the sun had set, almost as if this were the final statement of our setting sun.


Sketches, Op. 15

1) In Autumn
I really enjoy Beach’s method of presenting thematic material in a simple fashion before harmonically exaggerating it. This is the type of music that I would love to play for “entertainment” purposes. It possesses those salon qualities while remaining harmonically complex enough to make is fun and engaging.

2) Phantoms
This definitely sounds like a Chopin waltz to me. I enjoy Beach’s use of thick harmonies within light textures. The sound becomes folk like while remaining in the upper echelon of musical integrity.

3) Dreaming
The design of this sketch is beautiful. The treatment of the accompaniment must be at least partially derived from Chopin’s etude in E-flat minor. Her skills as a composer are obvious in her ability to keep the listener engaged despite the never-ending change in texture.

4) Fire-flies
This seems as if it must have originally been conceived as an etude in thirds. The content is lovely. However, it is obvious that this piece, unlike the others, is all about technique.


New England Idyls

1) An Old Garden
It is always interesting to listen to a piece that contains little variance in rhythm or harmony, and that could easily be like a hymn, but captivates you no differently than a supreme show of color and flare could. Having never heard American music of this type I find myself making visual associations with the music that are very rewarding for me.

2) Mid-Summer
The use of motives here creates a lovely dialogue of texture. I would imagine that the overlapping textures symbolize the drifting of lazy clouds over the swaying wheat, as suggested in the poem. The use of such variety in a confined register is interesting, as well as the fact that this piece seems to specifically evoke the sweet sounds that only a piano could, unlike that music that is for piano but meant to sound like something else.

3) Mid-Winter
This piece is much more complex than the previous two. The sound is used to portray a mixing of emotions, whereas the others seemed to represent specific and self-contained moods or scenes. The lower registers are used to create a moaning\groaning effect.

4) With Sweet Lavender
The poem suggests that this is a piece about a lost lover. The sounds represent some pain, but mostly favor only the love side of the idea. I like this outlook, favoring the better end of memories and emotions; a remembering of life rather than a mourning of death.

5) In Deep Woods
The presence of four stanzas is interesting enough to comment on, but even more interesting than the separation of stanzas is the performance indications that accompany the various stanzas. The level of involvement by the composer in the interpretation of the music is second only to that of 20th century composers.

6) Indian Idyl
The mentioning of the flute in the poem is obviously evident in the music. The harmonies here are reminiscent of what we associate with the native-americans (the title doesn’t seem to be up-to-date with politically correctness). The use of the damper pedal in this piece is similar to impressionist ideals.

7) To an Old White Pine
Crescendos and large chords are used to evoke the image and stature of a large tree. I would imagine that the lighter sections are meant to display height, or the feeling of open air.

8) From Puritan Days
I am not sure how to interpret this piece. The quote would suggest that it is a chant. The harmonies would suggest that it is meant to convey the harsh and powerful.

9) From a Log Cabin
This piece seems more about the creation of a quaint feeling than the display of any scene or character. I am beginning to see that the pieces with folk rhythms are meant to convey something from human perspective, whereas the more inventive figures are used to personify non-human elements.

10) The Joy of Autumn
This piece is quite simply a sickeningly happy work. The ending seems to contain the most virtuosic elements of the set, bringing the work to an exciting close.

Tchaikovsky and Grieg

Tchaikovsky

Dumka, Op 59
The opening of this movement combines several unique styles that I did not expect to encounter in a piano work by Tchaikovsky, being that it sounds like a folksy Russian recitative. I usually do not expect Russian melodies in a Tchaikovsky work, due to his Neapolitan nature. The somber sections are striking in their use of modal harmonies. After getting so use to hearing pieces almost exclusively in harmonic minor these harmonies seem to explore emotions upon listening that have not been accessed as regularly. The moderato con fuoco section sounds a great deal like a Mussorgsky work to me. The piece ends as it began, giving the work a cyclical feel, almost like a lonely observer exploring the past only to end up right where he left himself.

The Seasons, Op. 37b

I. January: By the Fireside
It seems immediately evident that Tchaikovsky did not intend this set to be relient on musical imagery. I believe that Tchaikovsky intended to tell stories rather than paint pictures. I think that the music here is more about describing feelings and characters, giving the listener a feeling as if they are emotionally present but visually present.

II. February: Carnival
Each one of these pieces feels connected tonally. This is probably the first time I have heard carnival music in a 2/4 context rather than in ¾. The music seems to be nothing but jubilant, almost as though you were at the carnival as a child rather than an adult.

III. March: Song of the Lark
The music is slow moving, making this lark story a sad one. I question if the swifter movements are represantative of the Lark’s movements or if they display the Larks call. This piece is drastically different from “the Lark Ascending” by Vaughan Williams. I wish I could see and hear a lark for myself to get a better idea of the music based upon it.

IV. April: Snowbell
There are definitely intervals in here that are bell-like to me. Grasping ideas about what snow would sound like is quite difficult.

V. May: May Nights
In this piece Tchaikovsky seems to use rolled chords for the portrayal of starlit skies. The use of pedalled tones increases the feeling of night air.

XI. November: Troika
I don’t have much to say about this piece… to be honest it’s a bit too happy-sounding for my tastes. It sounds a little bit like a cowboy song to me. The use of the sixteenth-note figure at the end is interestingly harmonically to me in the way that it combines the folksy melody with the sounds of chromatic swirling.

XII. December: Christmas
The use of December as a waltz is interesting to me. I wonder what Tchaikovski was thinking in terms of musical portrayal with a winter month. To me it does not really sound as though his winter was in a place where it snowed frequently.


Grieg

Lyric Pieces, Op. 43

No. 1. Schmetterling (Butterfly)
The use of chromatic scales in swift sweeping motions is used to evoke the image of a butterflies wings fluttering. Works like this seem to me to be a bridge between programmatic music and impressionist music.

No. 2. Einsamer Wanderer (Solitary Traveller)
I feel convinced that the melody being unison between the bass and soprano is a musical manifestation of two ideas: solitude and separation. The use of 6/8 represents the walking of a “traveler”.

No. 3. In der Heimat (In My Native Country)
This piece evokes images of both the pastoral and the innocent, as well as elements of nationalism. Grieg seems to be looking at his country through innocent and silently proud eyes.

No. 4. Voglein (Little Bird)
This piece reminds me of works by Ravel and Messiaen. These composers must have been aware of Grieg’s use of bird sounds in music before they added their interpretations of it. I am surprised that it took up until this point for any musicians to consider imitating natures natural singers.

No. 5. Erotik (Eroticon)
I’m not sure if this title means what I think it means… but it is obviously a love song. The mixture of beautiful harmonies with harsh and piercing tones seems to embody this concept of romance in a more accurate way than many of the early composers of this type of piece.

No. 6. An den Fruhling (To the Spring)
This is probably the first piece I’ve heard that uses chords to represent water rather than scales and arpeggios. I like this rendition of musical imagery because it clearly separates the ideas of flowing water from rising water, or even splashing water.

Lyric Pieces, Op. 54

No. 1. Gjaetergut (Sheperds boy)
I would be interested to know the story behind this piece, seeing as how this sheperds boy has an extremely sorrowful tale. Grieg’s use of the darker qualities of the piano are striking. I am already seeing a great deal more innovation in the theory behind this music: with examples of heavy chromaticism, counterpoint and polyrhythms.

No. 2. Gangar (Norwegian March)
This is a very enjoyable piece to listen to. The march seems to be symbolized by the non-lyrical bass and tenor, while the soprano begins with a song melody. Grieg’s use of folk melodies is refreshing to me, and his manner of never seeming complicated for complexities sake.

No. 3. Troldtog (March of the Trolls)
I was very excited to see a piece about trolls, not that it is that unexpected from a norwegian composer. This piece is similar in some ways to “In the Hall of the Mountain King”, however, in it’s lyrical section it proves to contain a great deal of emotional debth, giving this piece its own identity.

No. 4. Notturno
This is a wonderful lyrical work. In many ways he shows a similarity towards Chopin here, but many of his harmonies lean heavily towards those of the impressionist composers. This combination of tonalities lends an eerie quality to this work in ways that Chopin’s tonal scheme never could. There are also times when the work reminds me of nightime jazz music.

No. 5. Scherzo
In this scherzo we receive a great deal of mischief that we associate with the composers fantasy-based works. The slow section shows another great use of folk-like melodies and rhythms, this time reminding me of american folk music, such as the songs of Copeland. The exchange between hands in the fast sections seems as though it would be quite difficult to coordinate.

No. 6. Klokkeklang (Bell Ringing)
This piece may be one of the most isolated uses of fifths I have ever seen. It is usually known that in a piece about bells there will be either fifths or fourths, however, this is the first time I have seen them used almost exclusively. The music is nice, though not quite on the level of Liszt, Ravel or Rachmaninoff in terms of bell-sound usage.


Sonata ,Op 7

I Allegro moderato
Immediately at the start I am reminded of Chopins prelude in D minor. The theme begins with a simple arpeggiated minor triad. It seems that Grieg considered his use as the sonata as being one of traditionally influenced style. The left hand parts are usually extremely similar to the left hand writing of Beethoven. His use of folk melodies is existent, but highly subdued from the lyrical works. His use of technique is impressive, while all the time staying conventional. The only other striking feature of this movement is its short length, which is definitely not in the style of Beethoven.

II Andante molto
This andante movement is incredibly beautiful. Like many of Grieg’s compositions it proves to evoke an atmosphere or an image behind the music. A trait of this composition I find interesting is the manner in which Grieg alters the accompaniment or texture almost every phrase. In this usage he exhibits a skill similar to Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, and Chopi n. All these composers were able to fluidly combine texture changes to enhance the movement and mood of the music. Composers who did not seem to exhibit this skill, in my opinion, are Schumann, Schubert and Scriabin. Not to say that they are lesser in skill, just that they would typically find an accompaniment and keep it going for long periods of time, sort of a one theme one accompaniment kind of idea.

III Alle menuetto
Grieg’s traditional use of sonata form is evident in this movement once more. The movement is expectadly in E minor, the original key. He also obeys convention by using a minuet with a B section in a major key. Grieg lends originality to this form by molding an extremely somber character from the dance, almost seeming like a dance of the dead.

IV Finale
The final movement definitely sounds like it should be the last movement of a sonata. His B section is most interesting in the way that the main theme keeps mischievously appearing beneath the second theme. I find his use of scales to be quite similar to the Pathetique sonata of Beethoven. I notice