Sei pezzi per pianoforte
Sei pezzi per pianoforte | |
---|---|
Piano music by Ottorino Respighi | |
English | Six pieces for piano |
Catalogue | P 044 |
Composed | 1903 | –05
Published | 1905 | –07
Movements | 6 |
The Sei pezzi per pianoforte[note 1] ("Six pieces for piano"), P 044, is a set of six solo piano pieces written by the Italian composer Ottorino Respighi between 1903 and 1905. These predominantly salonesque pieces are eclectic, drawing influence from different musical styles and composers. The pieces have various musical forms and were composed separately and later published together between 1905 and 1907 in a set under the same title for editorial reasons; Respighi had not conceived them as a suite, and therefore did not intend to have uniformity among the pieces. The set, under Bongiovanni, became his first published work. Five of the six pieces are derived from earlier works by Respighi, and only one of them, the "Canone", has an extant manuscript.
The "Valse Caressante" displays elements of French salon; lyricism and
Overview
The set consists of six pieces:[3][note 2]
- "Valse Caressante" – E-flat major ("Tempo lento di Valzer.")
- "Canone" – G minor ("Andantino")
- "Notturno" – G-flat major ("Lento. (. = 50)")
- "Minuetto" – G major (No tempo marking)
- "Studio" – A-flat major ("Presto")
- "Intermezzo-Serenata" – E major ("Andante calmo")
These predominantly salonesque pieces are eclectic, drawing influence from music of earlier periods, and demonstrate Ottorino Respighi's neoclassical compositional style. A more mature compositional technique brought on from studying abroad with the composers Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Max Bruch is also seen.[5] The set contains various musical forms: waltz, canon, nocturne, minuet, étude and intermezzo.[6] The pieces were composed separately between 1903 and 1905, and then published together between 1905 and 1907 in a set under the same title. Although they were published together, Respighi had not composed them conceiving them as a suite, and therefore did not intend to have uniformity among the pieces; thus, publishing them together was merely an editorial decision. The Sei pezzi per pianoforte, published by Bongiovanni, complete the piano output of his youthful period and was his first published work.[7][8] Five of the six pieces are derived from earlier works by Respighi.[note 3] The manuscripts of the compositions, except for the "Canone", are lost.[10]
Pieces
"Valse Caressante"
The first piece, with the French title "Valse Caressante" ("Caressing waltz"),
The piece begins with an introduction four
"Canone"
Originally a part of the unfinished Suite, P 043,[10] the "Canone" ("Canon") in G minor is a canon at the octave, demonstrating a more romantic, serious texture that shows the influence of Johann Sebastian Bach, César Franck and Ferruccio Busoni,[20][21] as well as the Baroque period in general.[14] The entire piece stays at the octave, with the comes (the voice following the leading voice) appearing in the tenor, something Hess compares with Bach's 24th variation of the Goldberg Variations.[22]
The canon is composed of four sections. The first is the
"Notturno"
The most popular of the set,
Hess compares the work with Chopin's
The "Notturno" has been arranged for piano and organ,[44] as well as for harp.[45] Stand-alone recordings of the piece by distinguished pianists include those by Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli,[46] Sergei Babayan[47] and Imogen Cooper.[48]
"Minuetto"
The "Minuetto" ("Minuet") in G major is based on an earlier composition by Respighi, the Minuetto per archi ("Minuet for strings") from 1903. Dedicated to the composer's study companion Adele Righi, it illustrates Respighi's adoration for archaism, showing influence of Baroque and Classical music, but also Maurice Ravel and Debussy. The piece is in rounded binary form with a trio and has no tempo marking. Cubisino associates the work with Ravel's Menuet antique.[11][41][49][50]
The minuet is characterized by thematically contrasting four-measure phrases. The first phrase is a simple doubled melodic line played by both hands an octave apart, as well as a tonic
"Studio"
The "Studio" ("Study") in A-flat major is an
The study opens with fast and p sixths which, according to Pedarra & Gatto, create a "timid melodic line". The melodic line gains texture in bar 21 when a motivic dialogue emerges between treble and bass. After a crescendo that leads to the B-flat major climax, the piece gets darker while the motivic dialogue fizzles out. A coda of continuous hand-crossing begins from the middle register and gradually moves to the higher register, bringing the piece to its Chopinesque ending.[52][56][57][58] Hess states that the "Studio" is the hardest piece of the set to perform.[57] Faurot compares the interlocking chords of the nocturne with the study, opining that the latter is "more brilliantly exploited."[33]
"Intermezzo-Serenata"
Respighi's "
The opening marked Andante calmo unfolds with a salon-like accompaniment resembling a lute, consisting of four sixteenth notes followed by an eighth note; this persists throughout the piece. Meanwhile, the right hand plays a simple but intimate melody, showing Respighi "at his most romantic." In the B section, passages of irregular rhythms are introduced, such as octuplets and triplets. Concurrently, radical changes of harmony are highlighted, such as a sudden switch from F-sharp minor to F major when the first passage is repeated. Pedarra & Gatto show the similarities between the B section and the louder f section, highlighting that hints of the B section "are crossed with a chordal motif". A variation of the opening is repeated, leading to a brief coda, ending the work.[62][63][64][65]
Reception and recordings
The Sei pezzi per pianoforte have attracted some attention, receiving a mixed reception. Alan Becker said that the pieces are "brief, tuneful, and fall in the realm of occasional pieces."[66] Sergio Martinotti opined that the set reveals "the birth of an unmistakable stylistic direction", while Giuseppe Piccioli dismissed the set as "lovely but insignificant compositions".[9] Michael Oliver found the set "mildly attractive morceaux de salon, charming but slight."[67] In a Gramophone review of Bongiovanni (Qualiton) recording 5099, which included the Sei pezzi per pianoforte, Jonathan Bellman concluded:
None of these pieces lies outside a salon aesthetic: pretty, elegant, non-virtuoso music. This is not a crime, but it isn't futurism either. These are sweet and fairly unchallenging listening, sometimes growing frankly trivial, but always attractively played. The transformation of Italian lyricism into a 20th Century aesthetic would wait for Luigi Dallapiccola.[68]
Recordings of the Sei pezzi per pianoforte | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Pianist | Label | Ref |
1997 | Konstantin Scherbakov | Naxos Records
|
[69] |
2000 | Riccardo Sandiford | Bongiovanni | [70] |
2016 | Michele D'Ambrosio | Brilliant Classics | [71] |
2021 | Giovanna Gatto | Toccata Classics | [72] |
Notes
- ^ Or simply Sei pezzi[1][2]
- ^ Three of the pieces—the "Valse Caressante", "Minuetto", and the "Studio"—have a dedicatee.[4]
- ^ The "Valse Caressante" is derived from his Six pieces for piano and violin (1901–06).[9] The "Canone", "Studio", and the "Intermezzo-Serenata" are all part of the unfinished Suite, P&;043.[10] The "Minuetto" is a transcription of the Minuetto per archi ("Minuet for strings") from 1903.[11]
- ^ Despite its popularity, Alan Becker states that it is a rarely heard nocturne compared to other nocturnes.[32]
- ^ Cubisino surmises that it is not certain whether the "Intermezzo-Serenata" came before or after his opera.[61]
References
- ^ Barrow 2004, p. 230.
- ^ Webb 2019, p. 219.
- ^ Respighi 2006.
- ^ Pedarra & Gatto 2021, pp. 10–12.
- ^ Hess 2005, pp. 34, 91.
- ^ REPP 2022, pp. 82–83.
- ^ Pedarra & Gatto 2021, pp. 9–10.
- ^ Cubisino 2018, pp. 33, 91.
- ^ a b c d Pedarra & Gatto 2021, p. 10.
- ^ a b c d e Cubisino 2018, p. 91.
- ^ a b Pedarra & Gatto 2021, pp. 11–12.
- ^ a b Hess 2005, p. 35.
- ^ a b Respighi 2006, p. 1.
- ^ a b Hess 2005, p. 91.
- ^ a b Cubisino 2018, p. 92.
- ^ Hess 2005, pp. 35–36.
- ^ Respighi 2006, pp. 1, 2, 4, 5.
- ^ Cubisino 2018, pp. 92–93.
- ^ Wright 2017, p. 170.
- ^ a b Hess 2005, p. 37.
- ^ Cubisino 2018, p. 94.
- ^ Hess 2005, pp. 37–38.
- ^ Respighi 2006, pp. 6–9.
- ^ Hess 2005, pp. 37–39.
- ^ Cubisino 2018, pp. 94–95.
- ^ Pedarra & Gatto 2021, pp. 10–11.
- ^ a b c Hinson & Roberts 2014, p. 813.
- ^ Pedarra 2016, pp. 5–6.
- ^ a b Cubisino 2018, pp. 95–96.
- ^ a b c d Pedarra & Gatto 2021, p. 11.
- ^ Webb 2019, p. 20.
- ^ Becker 2013, p. 197.
- ^ a b c Faurot 1974, p. 251.
- ^ Jacobi 2012, p. 29.
- ^ March et al. 2007, p. 1077.
- ^ a b Respighi 2006, p. 10.
- ^ Cubisino 2018, p. 96.
- ^ Hess 2005, pp. 39–40.
- ^ Respighi 2006, pp. 11–14.
- ^ Hess 2005, pp. 40–41.
- ^ a b Cubisino 2018, pp. 96–97.
- ^ Steinberg 2007, p. F3.
- ^ Distler 2011, p. XI.
- ^ The Diapason 1953, p. 29.
- ^ Brodeur 2021, p. E.1.
- ^ Pedarra 2016, p. 6.
- ^ Pro Piano 1998.
- ^ Chandos 2021.
- ^ Respighi 2006, p. 15.
- ^ Hess 2005, p. 41.
- ^ Respighi 2006, pp. 15–17.
- ^ a b c Pedarra & Gatto 2021, p. 12.
- ^ Hess 2005, pp. 41–43.
- ^ Cubisino 2018, pp. 98–99.
- ^ Hess 2005, p. 43.
- ^ a b Cubisino 2018, p. 100.
- ^ a b c Hess 2005, p. 44.
- ^ Respighi 2006, pp. 18–21.
- ^ Young 1998, pp. 202–203.
- ^ Pedarra & Gatto 2021, pp. 12–13.
- ^ a b Cubisino 2018, p. 101.
- ^ Respighi 2006, pp. 22–25.
- ^ Pedarra & Gatto 2021, p. 13.
- ^ Hess 2005, p. 45.
- ^ Cubisino 2018, pp. 101–102.
- ^ Becker 2017, pp. 143–144.
- ^ Oliver 1998, p. 68.
- ^ Bellman 2000, p. 278.
- ^ Naxos Records 1997.
- ^ Bongiovanni 2000.
- ^ Brilliant Classics 2016.
- ^ Toccata Classics 2021.
Sources
Books
- Barrow, Lee G. (2004). Ottorino Respighi (1879–1936), an Annotated Bibliography. Lanham: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-5140-5.
- Faurot, Albert (1974). Concert piano repertoire: A Manual of Solo Literature for Artists and Performers. Metuchen: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-0685-6.
- Hinson, Maurice; Roberts, Wesley (2014). Guide to the Pianist's Repertoire (4th ed.). Bloomington: Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-01022-3.
- March, Ivan; Greenfield, Edward; Layton, Robert; Czajkowski, Paul (2007). March, Ivan; Livesey, Alan (eds.). The Penguin Guide to Recorded Classical Music (2008 ed.). London: Penguin Group. ISBN 978-0-14-103336-5.
- Respighi, Ottorino (2006). Ancient Airs and Dances & Other Works for Solo Piano. New York: Courier Corporation. ISBN 978-0-486-45292-0.
- Webb, Michael (2019). Ottorino Respighi: His Life and Times. Kibworth Beauchamp: Troubador Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-78901-895-0.
Articles
- Becker, Alan (2013). "Nocturnes". American Record Guide. Vol. 76, no. 1. Washington, D.C. p. 197.
- Becker, Alan (2017). "Respighi: Piano Pieces". American Record Guide. Vol. 80, no. 2. Washington, D.C. pp. 143–144.
- Bellman, Jonathan (2000). "20th Century Italian Piano". American Record Guide. Vol. 63, no. 6. Washington, D.C. p. 278.
- Brodeur, Michael Andor (2021). "Beyond Vivaldi, a classical playlist to bring on the spring". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. p. E. 1.
- Distler, Jed (2011). "Gramophone – Sounds of America". Gramophone. London. p. XI.
- Jacobi, Peter (2012). "Variety is spice of life in local music scene". McClatchy-Tribune Business News. Washington, D.C. p. 29.
- Oliver, Michael E. (1998). "Gramophone – August 1998". Gramophone. London. p. 68.
- REPP (2022). "Respighi: Piano Pieces 2". American Record Guide. Vol. 85, no. 1. Washington, D.C. pp. 82–83.
- Steinberg, David (2007). "Pianist rocks Beethoven at El Rey Theater". Albuquerque Journal. Albuquerque. p. F3.
- "New Music for the Organ". The Diapason. Vol. 44, no. 8. Chicago: Scranton Gillette Communications, Inc. 1953. p. 29.
- Wright, Stephen (2017). "Respighi: Piano Concerto; Sonata; Valse Caressante". American Record Guide. Vol. 80, no. 7. Washington, D.C. p. 170.
- Young, John Bell (1998). "Respighi: Piano Pieces including Ancient Airs and Dances; Sonata in F minor; Preludes on Gregorian Melodies". American Record Guide. Vol. 61, no. 6. Washington, D.C. pp. 202–203.
Online
- Cubisino, Luca G. (2018). Ottorino Respighi: Published and Unpublished Works for Piano Solo. ProQuest (PhD thesis). University of Miami.
- Hess, Nathan A. (2005). Eclecticism in the piano works of Ottorino Respighi. ProQuest (PhD thesis). University of Cincinnati.
- Pedarra, Potito (2016). Booklet to Brilliant Classics recording 94442 (CD booklet). Translated by Rollins, Helen. Brilliant Classics.
- Pedarra, Potito; Gatto, Giovanna (2021). Booklet to Toccata Classics recording TOCC0605 (PDF) (CD booklet). Translated by Napoli, Alberto. London: Toccata Classics.
Recordings
- Full set
- D'Ambrosio, Michele (2016). Respighi: Complete Solo Piano Music (Recording). Brilliant Classics – via AllMusic.
- Gatto, Giovanna (2021). Ottorino Respighi: Complete Piano Music, Vol. 2 – Original Piano Works II (Recording). Toccata Classics – via AllMusic.
- Sandiford, Riccardo (2000). 20th Century Italian Piano Music (Recording). Bongiovanni – via AllMusic.
- Scherbakov, Konstantin (1997). Respighi: Piano Music (Recording). Naxos Records – via AllMusic.
- The Notturno
- Babayan, Sergei (1998). Messiaen: From Vignt Regards sur l'Enfant Jésus; Vine: Sonata; Respighi: Notturno & Prelude; Ligeti (Recording). Pro Piano – via AllMusic.
- Cooper, Imogen (2021). Le Temps Perdu…: Fauré, Liszt, Ravel, Respighi (Recording). Chandos – via AllMusic.