Teaching qualities in piano works by Henryk Pachulski in the context of the development of piano technique in children and youth. Part 1

Henryk Pachulski (1852-1921) – a Polish composer, pianist, and teacher. He graduated from the Warsaw Institute of Music, having studied piano with Rudolf Strobl. His harmony and counterpoint teachers were Stanisław Moniuszko and Władysław Żeleński. After that, he studied piano at the Moscow Conservatory with Nicolai Rubinstein and then Pawel Pabst. He learnt harmony from E. L. Langer, then Anton Arensky with whom he also had a special course in counterpoint. In 1886 he started his teaching career at the Moscow Conservatory, which lasted over 30 years. He also performed as a pianist in Moscow, Petersburg, and Warsaw. Pachulski was acknowledged for his technical aptitude, but he gained the greatest recognition as a teacher and a composer. He created over a hundred piano works, including three sonatas, two cycles of variations, two polonaises, two mazurkas, three waltzes, preludes, studies, impromptus, and more. He also wrote chamber, vocal and orchestra compositions, as well as piano transcriptions for orchestra and chamber pieces. This article presents the composer’s music and teaching activity, it also touches on teaching qualities of his piano works. It pays special attention to technical aspects, and the analysis also covers the formal side of these compositions. While preparing the text, the author used information included in the Polish music press from the turn of the 20th century, music collection of the National Library in Warsaw, archive documents, and foreign sources.

Music of Razak Abdul Aziz: Preparing Chosen Solo and Collaborative Piano Works for Two Academic Recitals

For the first time in history, full-scale performances on musical compositions by a Malaysian composer, Razak Abdul Aziz, were presented through two academic recitals—27 July 2019 and 6 February 2020—at Orchestra Hall, Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA). These recitals consisted of solo and collaborative piano works, performed by me and a team of music collaborators that were specifically selected for this purpose. Razak Abdul Aziz, who is still actively composing, spent most of his career life as an academic, first serving for Institut Teknologi MARA (ITM), then Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) until his retirement in November 2019. Besides fulfilling the academic requirements set by Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) for my doctoral degree, I had chosen to perform works by this composer as he is generally known to the local music community as one of the earliest contemporary composers in the country (started composing in the 1980s). Yet, a full-scale performance of his works was long overdue, though he had the opportunities to have some of his works premiered and performed on local and international platforms as part of concert programmes. This artist project talks about the preparation I made for both recitals, briefly explaining the creative process I journeyed through and the challenges I faced during this time span, discussing each work I had selected for these academic recitals. These recitals could, perhaps, be the pioneers in studying and performing works by Razak Abdul Aziz, hoping to expand this effort to national and international levels.

Արտահայտչամիջոցների գործառույթները Կոմիտասի «Անտունի» երգում (Ի՞նչ է լսել Դեբյուսին «Անտունի» երգում)

Հոդվածը նվիրված է Կոմիտասի «Անտունի» երգին: XX դարասկզբին Փարիզում Կոմիտասի դասախոսությունների և համերգների շնորհիվ ֆրանսիացի անվանի գործիչները ծանոթացան հայ հոգևոր և ժողովրդական երաժշտության գլուխգործոցներին: Դրանք արժանացան Ռոմեն Ռոլանի, Գաբրիել Ֆորեի, Լուի Լալուայի և այլոց բարձր գնահատականին: Ի թիվս այլ երգերի՝ հնչեց «Անտունին», որը խորապես հուզեց հատկապես Կլոդ Դեբյուսիին: Սույն հոդվածում փորձ է արվում լուսաբանելու Դեբյուսիի բարձր գնահատականի շարժառիթները: Վերլուծվում է բանաստեղծական տեքստը, մեղեդին, այնուհետև Կոմիտասի՝ երգից բխեցրած դաշնամուրային նվագակցությունը: Անշուշտ, Դեբյուսին նկատած կլիներ Կոմիտասի զգայուն, յուրօրինակ վերաբերմունքն առանձին հնչյունին, նրբերանգներին, լուսաստվերներին, ինչը բնորոշ էր հատկապես իմպրեսիոնիստներին: Օրինակ՝ «Անտունի» երգի միայն վերջին 12 տակտում Կոմիտասը զետեղել է 35 կատարողական ցուցում: Ավելին՝ հատկանշական են նվագակցության և ռեգիստրների հնչուժի հուժկու հակադրումները, բևեռացումները՝ հատկապես 37-38-րդ տակտերում: Այստեղ վոկալի հնչողությունը երկու ֆորտեից նվազում է մինչև երկու պիանո, մինչդեռ նվագակցությունը հնչում է երկու ֆորտե: Դաշնամուրի այդ «մռնչյունը», տիեզերական կոչը հոդվածագիրը համեմատում է Հրեշտակապետի փողի հետ, որը «Ցասման օրը» պիտի ազդարարի «Ահեղ Դատաստանի» սկիզբը: Նման սուբյեկտիվ մեկնաբանությունը չի բացառվում, քանի որ երգն ունի նաև գոյաբանական հնչեղություն: Բացի այդ՝ նախքան ձայնի մուտքը դաշնամուրային նախաբանը նմանակում է եկեղեցական զանգերին, ինչը ոչ միայն երգի համար ստեղծում է հնչյունային դաշտ, այլ նրան հաղորդում է խորհրդավոր բնույթ: Ահա նաև այս զանգերն են, որ կարող էին Դեբյուսիի հոգում արթնացնել իր իսկ «Զանգեր սաղարթի միջով» և «Ջրասույզ տաճարը» դաշնամուրային պիեսների կերպարները: This article is dedicated to the song Antuni by Komitas.At the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to Komitas's lectures and concerts held in Paris, famous French figures got acquainted with the masterpieces of Armenian folk and sacred music. They were highly praised by Romain Rolland, Gabriel Faure, Louis Laloy, and others. Among other songs, Antuni was performed there, which deeply touched Claude Debussy. This article attempts to shed light on the reason of Debussy’s high appreciation. The poetic text, the melody, and then the piano accompaniment are analyzed which are derived from the song itself. Debussy would have noticed Komitas's sensitive and unique attitude to individual sounds and nuances, which was especially typical of the Impressionist artists. For example, in the last twelve bars of the song Antuni, Komitas has written as much as 35 performance marks. Moreover, the strong contrasts of dynamics in different ranges in the accompaniment are to be noted, especially in the bars 37-38. Here the volume of the voice decreases from ff to pp, while the accompaniment continues sounding ff. The author of the article compares this "roar" of the piano, the cosmic call, to the trumpet of the Archangel, which will announce the beginning of the “Day of Wrath” on the “Doomsday.” Such a subjective interpretation is not excluded, as the song also has an ontological meaning. In addition, before the voice enters, the piano accompaniment imitates church bells, which not only creates a sound environment for the song, but also endows it with a mysterious character. These are the bells that could awaken in Debussy's soul the characters of his own piano works.

Performance and Reception of Bartók’s Violin Music during His First Concert Tour of the United States (1927–1928)

During his first concert tour of the United States (1927–1928) Bartók played primarily his own music in lecture-recitals, orchestra performances, and chamber music concerts in fifteen American cities. Over the course of the tour, he collaborated with violinists Jelly d’Arányi and Joseph Szigeti to present a few of his works for violin and piano to members of musical clubs in New York City and Philadelphia, and before dignitaries at the Hungarian Embassy in Washington, D.C. – namely his Sonata for Violin and Piano no. 2 (1922), Hungarian Folk Tunes, for violin and piano (arranged by Joseph Szigeti, 1926), and Romanian Folk Dances for Violin and Piano (arranged by Zoltán Székely, 1925). In Boston and New York, Bartók played on recitals that also included performances of his String Quartets nos. 1 and 2. In this article I document the American reception of Bartók’s violin music during his U.S. recitals of early 1928. Music criticism in American newspapers and music journals, as well as detailed program notes from the string quartet performances, have been taken into account to reveal the assessment of Bartók’s violin music and string quartets and the characterization of the composer in the American press and concert halls. The reviews have also been considered in comparison to later recordings of the violin and piano works made by Bartók and Szigeti.

Carlos Chávez

Carlos Antonio de Padua Chávez y Ramírez (b. 1899–d. 1978) was one of Mexico’s leading composers, conductors, administrators, and musical educators during the 20th century. Born in Popotla, a suburb near Mexico City, on 13 June 1899, Chávez’s began his musical career with piano lessons, studying initially with Manuel M. Ponce. Then, at the age of sixteen, he became a music teacher during the changing social and political landscape of the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920). After successful publications of some of his short piano works, he soon received a commission from the Secretary of Public Education (SEP), José Vasconcleos, to compose a ballet. For this charge, Chávez chose an Aztec legend, labeling his work El fuego nuevo. Unfortunately, this work was never performed in Mexico, which led Chávez to seek other opportunities, first in Europe, then in New York City. Chávez’s collaborations with modernist composers and artists in New York City proved to be transformative for the composer, leading to a wave of compositions that reflected the modernist currents of the time. Upon returning to Mexico City, Chávez took on new roles, including the director of Orquesta Sinfónica Mexicana (later called the Orquesta Sinfónica de México), and then an appointment as the director of the Conservatorio Nacional, where he provided robust changes to the curriculum. In 1933, Chávez served as the chief of the Department of Fine Arts for the SEP and later collaborated with Paul Strand on his film project Redes (1935). His varying positions in Mexican institutions and his search for a Mexican musical identity initiated a wave of nationalism that can be heard in his works H.P. (1932) and Sinfonía India (1935) and his participation in the Twenty Centuries of Mexican Art Exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Later works reflected an approach to universalism and cosmopolitanism, such as the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1938). During the 1940s, Chávez became the director of the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes (INBA), which oversaw several national artistic projects in Mexico. After resigning from INBA, Chávez returned to composition and taught courses at the Conservatorio Nacional. Chávez’s musical career was eclectic and diverse, spanning several important areas of Mexican musical and artistic culture. He rose to become one of the most recognized musicians in Mexico during the 20th century.

Performing skills of Li Yundi in the context of China's leading trends in the piano art development

The article examines how the performing skills of the outstanding Chinese pianist Li Yundi have been formed. Chinese piano art in a short time has reached the significant success. As Chinese performers have made a rapid rise in their skills, we can speak about the formation of special musical-performing principles, based on a strong national basis. Li Yundi's career success owed not only to a successful teaching methodology, but also to a deliberate state policy. The formation of Chinese piano pedagogy lies in the assimilation of European pianist-teachers' experience and the preservation of ancient Chinese national traditions. Chinese pedagogues-pianists often use elements of ancient art ‘Qigong’. The use of teaching methods in the two performing styles of "Wen" and "Wu" traditionally established in Chinese culture is also important. This work is intended to identify the leading developmental trends in Chinese piano performing and their role in the formation of young Chinese pianist Li Yundi's performing skills.The article reveals the peculiarities of Chinese piano performing, with its integration of European piano school performing traditions. Emphasis is placed on the performing problems of Chinese pianists' interpretation of European composers' piano works. Li Yundi, one of the finest performers of Frideric Chopin's works, is a notable example of Chinese piano pedagogy's successes in the multifaceted development of the pianist's personality.

A Midsummer Night’s Gene: The familial Neurological Illness of Felix Mendelssohn

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1805–1847) is widely regarded as one of the musical geniuses of the Romantic period. A prodigy akin to Mozart, Mendelssohn composed piano works, symphonies, and concertos at an early age but died young, at 38. His death has been attributed to neurological disease, but the mystery of his diagnosis is amplified by the fact that his sisters died under similar circumstances, including the renowned composer, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel. Mendelssohn died after years of suffering from headaches, earaches, and mood disturbances. In the final year of his life, his acute decline was marked by stepwise, progressive neurologic deficits: gait disturbance, loss of sensation in the hands, partial paralysis, and, finally, loss of consciousness. The similar pattern of disease within his family suggests an underlying genetic link, though this may be multifactorial in nature. We present a thorough, posthumous differential diagnosis for Mendelssohn's illness, given his medical history, the familial pattern, and hints from within his music. Possible diagnoses include ruptured cerebral aneurysm with resultant subarachnoid hemorrhage, familial cerebral cavernous malformation, and cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL). Continued research into Mendelssohn's life may yield more information about his illness, death, and possibly true diagnosis.

INTERPRETATION PECULIARITIES OF THE CAPRICE GENRE IN F. MENDELSSOHN’S PIANO CREATIVITY

Statement of the problem. The centuries-old development of the genre of piano caprice (capriccio), which led to its flourishing in the work of romantic composers, is considered as an integral part of the genre system in Western European piano music. Insufficient study of Mendelssohn’s piano works, in particular caprices, determines the relevance of the research. The purpose of the article is to generalize stylistic qualities of the composer’s piano caprices in the context of genre evolution and their performance features. Analysis of research and publications. The genre of caprice is studied in the historical research of T. Livanova (1983), who equates the form of fantasy and capriccio-ricercare. V. Protopopov (1979) reveals the connection between fantasycapriccio and fugue in the early 17th century. K. Agisheva (2007) examines the historical aspects of the study of the capriccio genre. Modern Western European researchers, analyzing the genre of piano caprice, emphasize that its musical texture is filled with elements of vocal lyrics and mood swings (Lewandowski, 2017; Keym, 2009). At the same time, the issues of performance features remain unclear. Methods. Complex methodological approach applied in the article (historical, genre, structural-functional, performаnce research methods) allows us to trace the development of caprice from the Baroque era to Romanticism and conduct an intonational-dramatic analysis of Mendelssohn’s works in accordance with the following criteria: musical form (dramaturgy), textural presentation, thematic development, tempo-rhythmic characteristics, nature of thematism. Analysis of recent research and publications. Baroque caprice is a work of polyphonic composition and improvisational construction (J. S.Bach, G.F. Handel, I. Sweelink, J. Frescobaldi). In the era of Viennese Classicism, caprice was not very popular due to its improvisational, bizarre nature, contradicting to the aesthetic ideals of the time. The genre of piano caprice became widespread in the era of Romanticism in the works of F. Mendelssohn, whose distinguished style is marked by virtuosity, melody, grace, sentimentality, clarity of presentation. Among the works of F. Mendelssohn there are seven caprices for solo piano and with orchestra. The intonational-dramatic analysis of Mendelssohn’s piano caprices makes it possible to trace the main stylistic qualities of the genre and to reveal its performance features. Conclusions. The work outlines the stylistic traits of Mendelssohn’s piano caprices ассording to such parameters: – compositional structure of his piano caprices is a one-movement composition or a cyclic one, composed of two or three movements; – texture of the music is determined by polyphonic orchestral elements and broad cantilena themes; – thematic development is based on repetition, variability or variation; – tempo-rhythm is characterized by three-beat pulsation, syncopation of rhythm, sharp accentuation; – thematicism is determined by synthesis of lyrical and decisively acting images inherent in the style of Mendelssohn. Hence, the main task for the performer is clarity, expressive intonation of the melody in combination with a “pearl” light touch and energetic dynamic tempo rhythm.

A LOOK AT AZER DADASHOV’S PIANO WORK

The article we presented is devoted to the analysis of A.Dadashov's piano music. Although some of the composer's piano works have been examined in various studies, this heritage has not been examined in its entirety. The images created by A.Dadashov include the relationship between man and the universe, the desire for the creation of the individual world, as well as aspects related to the inner world of man. Piano music, which is an important part of A.Dadashov's work, is represented by various genres, large and small. Here you can find all kinds of genres, from piano and orchestral concerts to small preludes. Thus, the composer's piano music offers a wide choice for pianists of different ages. Azer Dadashov's piano works include three concerts written for piano and camera orchestra, as well as a series of small miniatures and independent plays. The composer composed three concerts for piano and orchestra. The first concert took place in 2004, the second in 2009 and the third in 2010. Miniature genres dominate Azer Dadashov's piano music. The series for young pianists is particularly noteworthy here. A.Dadashov’s “Six Preludes”, “Six Miniatures”, “For the Flower” consisting of seven dances, as well as four sonatinas, pastoral, etc. There are piano works. Taking into account the technical abilities of the young pianist, who has mastered the art of performance, the composer tried to portray the children's colorful dance power, the world of bright images and create interesting musical panels. The composer's piano series “Six Preludes” (1966), “Six miniatures” (1968), “Six melancholy miniatures” (1985), “For Flowers” (1986), and “Atmacalar” (2001) are included in the children's music teaching repertoire. These miniatures are widely included in the concert program of school and young pianists. As the name suggests, most of these sequences are programmed. In sequences of a particular genre, each instance has its own image-emotional content and is ordered within the sequence according to a certain linking principle. Azer Dadashov's piano music is also characteristic of independent plays of different volume and content. These include “Poema” (2012), “Space song” (2015), “Bagatel” (2010), “Praise”, “Funny dance” (2009), four sonatas, “Three almonds and a walnut” for piano and chamber orchestra. ”, “Sacrifice of God”, “My Flag”, “Trial”, “Grace” and others. Although the use of modern means of expression and the writing techniques of the composer are observed in A.Dadashov's piano music, the composer prefers classical traditions to embody the form. In the composer's music, each motif serves to embody the main idea down to the smallest detail, depending on its general content.