Marshall Wayne Maurice Steger - Leonard Bernstein: Piano & Chamber Music [CD]

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This 3 CD Anniversary Edition celebrates what would have been Leonard Bernstein's 100th birthday. The impressive, high calibre artist roster led by Wayne Marshall play little known works for piano and chamber music written by Bernstein over five decades. rr

Games with codes, cyphers, codenames and identities run through Bernstein's entire output: references to himself, to people in his private circle, or to works by other composers from all periods and almost all genres from Baroque to jazz. They are easiest to detect in Anniversaries, a series of brief cycles he started writing in the 1940s, soon after his rapid ascension to become one of the most adulated stars on the American music scene. He finished composing the last group of Anniversary pieces in 1988, two years before his death. All in all, Anniversaries comprises a total of 29 pieces: one could affectionately describe them as rapidly sketched portraits without necessarily having to dismiss them as 'sweet nothings' (even though Bernstein admittedly changed the dedication of some; others were admittedly written more out of politeness than out of a strong inner need). He dedicated the first piece to his friend and mentor, composer Aaron Copland; the very last one is based on a song entitled First Love, which he had written in fond memory of his mother.rr

The Sabras cycle, written in four parts (originally planned as six), emerged in the early 1950s in conjunction with Bernstein's first visits to Israel. Hailing from the name for a cactus fruit, 'Sabra' designates a Jew born on Israeli territory. The first piece resurfaces as a Lamento in the musical Candide, and structural similarities with the middle of three movements of the Piano Sonata (composed when Bernstein was still a Harvard student) are also noticeable. The Piano Sonata is a challenging, elaborate work that clearly reveals the influence of Aaron Copland. rr

Bernstein did not compose any other relatively extended or significant work for solo piano until 1981, when he wrote Touches as a commission for the Van Cliburn Competition. Inspired by a model by Copland, the work consists of eight variations and a coda, all based on a chorale theme borrowed from Virgo Blues, written, in turn, for his daughter Jamie's 26th birthday in 1978. rr

Leonard's Vision belongs to that late phase in which Bernstein, following early worldwide successes such as West Side Story, seems to have fallen out of luck as a composer, while as a conductor he conversely went from strength to strength. rr

Likewise written during Bernstein's days as a student, the Piano Trio is a further instance where he confronted his outlook with a traditional form u2013 in this case, one of the most distinguished genres of chamber music. Apart from Classical-Romantic and Impressionist reminiscences, the Piano Trio alsortreads in the footsteps of Bela Bartok by incorporating a number of motifs from folklore. Bernstein re-used certain sections of the Piano Trio in his first musical, On The Town.rr

Although brief, the Dance Suite is a further highly significant ensemble piece for winds, and, what is more, a true legacy for posterity, since it was premiered just a few months before Bernstein's death within the framework of an anniversary celebration of the American Ballet Theatre at New York Metropolitan Opera. The suite consists in a homage to modern ballet and to five of its main representatives, each mentioned by name, and with whom Bernstein cultivated close musical and personal friendships.rr

From Bernstein's late period, the Variations on an Octatonic Scale are small miniatures he wrote at his retreat in Key West for the recorder-playing daughter of a friend. The variations found their way into the Concerto for Orchestra, which Bernstein premiered himself at the conductor's desk in 1989, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.rr

Two compositions for four-hand piano viz. two pianos reveal much about Bernstein's evolution in terms of style. The first is clearly a work of youth, written when he was still a piano student of Heinrich Gebhard in Boston and performed in public in tandem with a female colleague at a class recital.r(Excerpts from the Booklet Notes by Johannes Jansen) rr

ArtistsrWayne MarshallrFernando NinarJeffrey KantrHans NickelrJennifer MicallefrMaurice StegerrPaul van ZelmrMaria KliegelrAndy MilesrLisa SchumannrChad HoopesrPeter Mxf6nkediekrPeter RothrBenyamin Nuss

Five Anniversaries (1954) - I. For Elizabeth Rudolf

Leonardou2019s Vision Leonardou2019s Vision

Elegy for Mippy I for Horn and Piano (1948)

Five Anniversaries (1954) - II. For Lukas Foss

Sonata for Clarinet and Piano - I.

Elegy for Mippy II for solo Trombone (1948)

Five Anniversaries (1954) - III. For Elizabeth B.

Sonata for Clarinet and Piano - II.

Waltz for Mippy III for Tuba and Piano (1948)

Five Anniversaries (1954) - IV. For Sandy Gellhorn

Sonata for Clarinet and Piano - I. Moderato assai

Rondo for Lifey, for Trumpet and Piano (1948)

Five Anniversaries (1954) - V. For Susanna Kyle

Sonata for Clarinet and Piano - II. Var. 1 - Allegro

Dance Suite for Wind Quintet (1990) - I. Dancisca

Four Anniversaries (1948) - I. For Felicia Montealegre

Sonata for Clarinet and Piano - III. Var. 2 - Prestissimo

Dance Suite for Wind Quintet (1990) - II. Waltz

Four Anniversaries (1948) - II. For Johnny Mehegan

Sonata for Clarinet and Piano - IV. Var. 3 - Lu2019Istessa temp (ma un poco piu libre)

Dance Suite for Wind Quintet (1990) - III. Bi-Tango

Four Anniversaries (1948) - III. For David Diamond

Sonata for Clarinet and Piano - V. Var. 4 - Andante teneramente

Dance Suite for Wind Quintet (1990) - IV. Two-Step

Four Anniversaries (1948) - IV. For Hellen Coates

Sonata for Clarinet and Piano - VI. Var. 5 u2013 Allegro agitato

Dance Suite for Wind Quintet (1990) - V. MTV

Seven Anniversaries (1943) - I. For Aaron Copland

Sonata for Clarinet and Piano - VII. Var. 6 u2013 (Finale)

Fanfare for Bima for Wind Quartet (1948)

Seven Anniversaries (1943) - II. For my sister, Shirley

Piano Trio (1937) - I. Adagio non troppo u2013 Allegro Vivace

Variations on an Octatonic Scale for Recorder and Cello (1988) - I. Theme u2013 Andante sostenuto

Seven Anniversaries (1943) - III. In Memoriam: Alfred Eisner

Piano Trio (1937) - II. Tempo di marcia u2013 Presto

Variations on an Octatonic Scale for Recorder and Cello (1988) - II. Var. 1 u2013 Piu mosso

Seven Anniversaries (1943) - IV. For Paul Bowles

Piano Trio (1937) - III. Largo u2013 Allegro vivo e molto ritmico

Variations on an Octatonic Scale for Recorder and Cello (1988) - III. Var. 2 u2013 Piu mosso ma comodo

Seven Anniversaries (1943) - V. In Memoriam: Nathalie Koussevitzky

Three Mediations from u201cMassu201d for Cello and Piano (1971) u2013 Meditation No. 1

Variations on an Octatonic Scale for Recorder and Cello (1988) - IV. Var. 3 u2013 Ancora piu mosso, agitato

Seven Anniversaries (1943) - VI. For Sergei Koussevitzky

Three Mediations from u201cMassu201d for Cello and Piano (1971) u2013 Meditation No. 2

Variations on an Octatonic Scale for Recorder and Cello (1988) - V. Var. 4 u2013 Piu mosso, quasi allegro

Seven Anniversaries (1943) - VII. For William Schuman

Three Mediations from u201cMassu201d for Cello and Piano (1971) u2013 Meditation No. 3

Variations on an Octatonic Scale for Recorder and Cello (1988) - VI. Coda u2013 Adagio

Thirteen Anniversaries (1989) - I. For Shirley Roads Perle

Bridal Suite for Piano four Hands (1960) - Prelude, Moderato (Beginning Part I)

Thirteen Anniversaries (1989) - II. In Memoriam: William Kapell

Bridal Suite for Piano four Hands (1960) - Variation on Adolph Filis Green No. 1: Love Song

Thirteen Anniversaries (1989) - III. For Stephan Sondheim

Bridal Suite for Piano four Hands (1960) - Variation on Adolph Filis Green No. 2: Chaplinesque

Thirteen Anniversaries (1989) - IV. For Craig Urquhart

Bridal Suite for Piano four Hands (1960) - Variation on Adolph Filis Green No. 3: Chaplinade

Thirteen Anniversaries (1989) - V. For Leo Smit

Bridal Suite for Piano four Hands (1960) - Interlude (Beginning Part II)

Thirteen Anniversaries (1989) - VI. For My Daughter, Nina

Bridal Suite for Piano four Hands (1960) - Wedding dance No. 1: The first waltz

Thirteen Anniversaries (1989) - VII. In Memoriam: Helen Coates

Bridal Suite for Piano four Hands (1960) - Wedding dance No. 2: Cha-Cha-Cha

Thirteen Anniversaries (1989) - VIII. In Memoriam: Goddard Lieberson

Bridal Suite for Piano four Hands (1960) - Wedding dance No. 3: Hora

Thirteen Anniversaries (1989) - IX. For Jessica Fleischmann

Bridal Suite for Piano four Hands (1960) - Encore No. 1 u2013 Modern music

Thirteen Anniversaries (1989) - X. In Memoriam: Constance Hope

Bridal Suite for Piano four Hands (1960) - Encore No. 2 u2013 Old music

Thirteen Anniversaries (1989) - XI. For Felicia, on Our 28th Birthday (& and her 52nd)

Bridal Suite for Piano four Hands (1960) - Encore No. 3 u2013 Magyar lullaby

Thirteen Anniversaries (1989) - XII. For Aaron Stern

Music for Two Pianos (1937)

Thirteen Anniversaries (1989) - XIII. In Memoriam: Ellen Goetz

Four Sabras (1950?) - I. Ilana. The Dreamer

Piano Sonata (1938) - I.

Four Sabras (1950?) - II. Idele. The Chassidele

Piano Sonata (1938) - II.

Four Sabras (1950?) - III. Yosi. The Jokester

Touches (1981) - I. Chorale

Four Sabras (1950?) - IV. Dina. The Tomboy Who Weeks Alone

Touches (1981) - II. (Var. 1)

Touches (1981) - III. (Var. 2)

Touches (1981) - IV. (Var. 3)

Touches (1981) - V. (Var. 4)

Touches (1981) - VI. (Var. 5)

Touches (1981) - VII. (Var. 6)

Touches (1981) - VIII. (Var. 7)

Touches (1981) - IX. (Var. 8)

Touches (1981) - X. Coda

• Product Type: AUDIO CD
• Barcode: 4260085534708

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