Sunday, November 8, 2009 at 3 PM Cypress Recital Hall - California State University Northridge, Cypress Hall Admission: $20 To request tickets, please call / e-mail Paderewski Music Society or mail your check to us (for address, phone, or e-mail go to Contact page) or use PayPal link Please park in Student Lot B1 (paid parking) For recital hall and parking locations go to: http://www.csun.edu/maps/cm1.html
PROGRAM
Frederic Chopin Polonaise in A-Major, Op. 40 No. 1 (dedicated to Julian Fontana) Fantasy-Impromptu in c sharp-minor, Op. 66 * Four Mazurkas, Op. 68 * No. 1 in C-Major No. 2 in a-minor No. 3 in F-Major No. 4 in f-minor
Julian Fontana Fantasy Brillante, Op 14 on “La Sonnambula” by V. Bellini “Uneasiness” Caprice, Op.1 No. 2
Louis Moreau Gottschalk “La Gitanella” Caprice characteristique, Op. 35 (dedicated to J. Fontana) “Jota Aragonesa” Caprice espagnol
Julian Fontana “Havana” Fantasy, Op. 10 on Spanish and American themes I. Introduction II. Mexican song III. Negro Song from the Island of Cuba IV. “La ley brava” Hawaiian Contredanse V. Aragonian Hota
Intermission
Ignacy Jan Paderewski Nocturne in B-flat Major, Op. 16 No. 4 Cracovienne Fantastique, Op. 14 No. 5
Theodore Leschetyzki Barcarolle (Venice), Op. 39 No. 1 Six Meditations, Op. 19 No 1.“Melusine” No 2. “Answer” No 3. “Presage of Spring’” No 4. “Lullaby” No 5. “Discouragement” No 6. “Consolation” Aria, Op. 36 No.1 (dedicated to Anton Rubinstein) “Les deux Aluettes", Impromptu op.2 “Hommage a Schumann” Fantasiestuck, Op. 46 No.8 “Hommage a Czerny” Toccata, Op. 46 No. 5 “Hommage a Chopn”, Op. 46 No. 9 (dedicated to I. J. Paderewski)
* Works published posthumously by Fontana; performance based on the Fontana edition, Paris, J. Messoniers Fils, 1855
PROGRAM NOTES By Magdalena Oliferko, Hubert Rutkowski, and Marek Zebrowski
Chopin’s A-major Polonaise from Op. 40 is probably the best-known among his many popular works. Composed in 1838, it later acquired its title “Military” perhaps because of the defiant and triumphant tone of this majestic Polish national dance. It became a musical symbol of Poland’s independent spirit during the nineteenth century, and once again during the dark days of World War II.
Judging by their late opus number, Mazurkas Op. 68 might seem to be among Chopin's last compositions. Actually, the first three date from 1830, 1827 and 1830 respectively -Chopin’s last years in Warsaw - whilst the last one in the cycle, the wistful and chromatic Mazurka in F minor was written in Paris in 1849, the year of Chopin’s death.
Chopin wrote four Impromptus - a French term for something spontaneous or improvisatory - and all four are indeed beautifully poetic and virtuosic compositions. The additional title “Fantaisie” applies only to the last Impromptu in C-sharp minor. According to Chopin’s friend, Julian Fontana (who also may have added the title “Fantaisie”), this Impromptu was written in 1834 but published only posthumously, since Chopin requested that the work be destroyed after his death.
The entire group of Chopin’s pieces on tonight’s program is closely connected to Chopin’s friend and confidant, Julian Fontana. The opening Polonaise is dedicated to him, whilst the Mazurkas Op. 68 and the Fantaisie-Impromptu are among several of Chopin’s works that were edited and published by Fontana after Chopin’s death. [mz]
Julian Fontana (1810-1869) Fantaisie Brillante on themes from Bellini’s La Sonnambula, Op. 14, | Capriccio, Op. 1 no. 2 | La Havanne - Fantasiesur des motifs américains et españols, Op. 10
A devoted friend and pupil of Chopin, Julian Fontana was a lawyer, composer, pianist-virtuoso, music editor, journalist, translator, soldier, and a world traveler. The drama of his rich and eventful life, which came to a tragic end, found its reflection in Fontana’s works. Fontana traveled the world in search of acclaim and fulfillment, briefly finding - and losing - love and happiness in Cuba. His music is suffused with a note of deep sorrow that echoes Chopin’s often melancholy tone.
Julian Fontana was born in Warsaw to a family of Italian architects who arrived in Poland in the 18th century. He attended Warsaw Grammar School where he befriended Chopin. The two then continued their education at the Warsaw Conservatory. In 1828 Fontana began his studies at the Department of Law and Administration but his education was disrupted by the outbreak of the November 1830 Uprising in Poland. Fontana took an active role in fighting against the Russians and was awarded the rank of second lieutenant of artillery. Following the collapse of the insurrection, he was forced into exile. He arrived in Paris in 1832 and renewed his friendship with Chopin, who was exiled there as well. Fontana studied with Chopin briefly and resettled in London in 1833, where he earned his living as a piano teacher and concert pianist. He returned to France in 1835, and became Chopin’s copyist and personal secretary.
Fontana began to compose in 1841 and by 1844 several of his works were published in France and Germany. He then traveled to Cuba, where he successfully introduced Chopin’s music to local audiences. His performances for the Havana Philharmonic Society led to his appointment as the Society’s director. In Havana Fontana met the love of his life, Juana Camila Dalcour (1818-1855), a wealthy landowner who was already married. Deeply disappointed, Fontana left Cuba and settled in New York, where he concertized with the famous (and sole) pupil of Paganini, Camillo Sivori (1815-1894). In 1850 Fontana was able to marry his Cuban loved one and they resettled in France. The couple’s happiness did not last long - Camila died in 1855, left no will, and her brothers deprived Fontana of access to his wife’s inheritance.
In the early 1850s Fontana was commissioned by Chopin’s family to publish compositions that still remained in manuscript. Fontana’s work took almost ten years and helped preserve many of Chopin’s masterpieces. Unfortunately Fontana’s health began to decline and he gradually lost his hearing. Facing financial difficulties, he became a writer and translator. He authored the first version of Cervantes’ Don Quixote in Polish (an unpublished manuscript of it was burnt). Fontana also wrote a study on Polish spelling (Kilka uwag nad pisownią polską), and contributed articles to various magazines, including a Astronomia ludowa [Folk Astronomy; 1869], Czas [Time] and Dziennik Poznański [Poznań Daily]. Unable to find employment, he was forced to live partly off the capital that his son had inherited from Fontana’s wife. He committed suicide on the night before the Christmas Eve of 1869, poisoning himself with carbon monoxide. His closest companion, Stanisław Egbert Koźmian, recalled him with the following words, “He had a golden heart, a hot soul, and a quick and clear mind.”
Fontna left a number of fascinating piano pieces and songs. His Fantaisie Brillante based onBellini’spopular opera La Sonnambula derives its themes from two arias in the opera’s second act: Ah! non credea mirarti [Oh flower, I knew not that you would wither so quickly] sung by Amina, and Tutto è sciolto! [All is lost!], performed by Elwin. Fontana’s Fantaisie commences with Amina’s subject and the culmination is slowly reached on Elwin’s confession, depicted in Fontana’s transcription with much pathos within a dense texture of chords. The Fantasia closes with a lively dance-like conclusion.
Capriccio, Op. 1 no. 2 is the first composition by Fontana written in 1841. It dates from an extremely difficult period that the composer later described as “ten years of hardship, trouble and poverty.”
La Havanne. Fantaisie sur des motifs américains et españols [La Havanne. Fantasia on American and Spanish Motives] is Fontana’s most unusual piece. Fontana was the first European composer to employ the exotic Caribbean folk elements in his music. La Havanne was composed for a concert of the Philharmonic Society in Havana on 27 July 1844 - Fontana’s last performance on the island. The work has five movements. The Introduction heralds thematic material that will appear throughout the work, juxtaposing fiery and impulsive Cuban rhythms with lyrical melodies. The second movement, Chanson mexicaine [Mexican Song], has three virtuoso variations. The third movement, Chanson de negres de l’Ile de Cuba [Song of the Negroes from the Island of Cuba] and its brilliant variation lead into the Havana Contredanse - La ley brava. Characteristic syncopations and strong ostinato rhythms in the accompaniment make this dance very sensual. La Havane is rounded off by a Spanish Jota aragonesa, a brilliant finale with impressive piano figurations that intersperse lively dance rhythms with lyrical motives. It is a dazzling virtuoso work that places substantial technical demands on the performer. [mo]
Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-1869) La Gitanella - Caprice caractéristique, Op. 35 | LaJota aragonesa - Caprice espagnol, Op. 14
Louis Moreau Gottschalk was one of the most original and pioneering American composers. A native of New Orleans, he was widely acknowledged as a child prodigy and made his pianistic debut there in 1840. Two years later, at the age of thirteen, Gottschalk sailed for Europe in search of further musical education. Although he was prevented from entering the Paris Conservatoire, he was instantly recognized as an exceptional talent by Chopin, Liszt, and Berlioz. Gottschalk’s many piano compositions were undoubtedly inspired by Chopin’s delicate virtuosity and the use of folk idioms. Gottschalk, who was later called “Chopin of the Creoles,” applied many Afro-Caribbean motives in his piano music, which he very successfully performed throughout Europe and later on many of his US tours. He returned to America in 1853 and gave numerous concerts not only on the mainland, but also in Puerto Rico and Cuba. He established himself as the most prominent pianist in the New World and the first American-born artist to hold this distinction. His performances were rapturously received and amply rewarded. Gottschalk was also a brilliant writer whose impressions of America, based on the travel diaries that he kept in French, provide a fascinating glimpse of the Civil War era. In the aftermath of an affair with a young female student, in 1865 Gottschalk was forced to flee to South America. He became a court pianist for Dom Pedro II, the Emperor of Brazil. He died in Rio de Janeiro of malaria at the age of 40.
Gottschalk’s La Gitanella was published in 1865. It is dedicated to Jules Fontana, who must have met the composer during his stay in Cuba. A delicate and melancholy tune in a minor key draped over the lilting 6/8 rhythm is the mainstay of this charming salon piece. The middle section, cast in a major key, is an amiable barcarolle that successfully applies the Venetian boat-song style that Chopin and other Romantic composers often evoked in their music.
According to the subtitle provided by the composer, La jota aragonesa is a movement from Gottschalk’s “grand symphony for 10 pianos, El Sitio de Zaragoza” [The Siege of Saragossa]. The piece is vintage Gottschalk - heroic-sounding themes and rippling passagework provide plenty of excitement for the listener. A strong Spanish flavor resonates throughout this very effective work, amply proving Gottschalk’s pianistic gifts and his phenomenal musical imagination. [mz]
Paderewski’s compositions are few and they represent mostly the well-worn genre of Romantic piano miniatures. After his triumphant Paris debut in 1888, Paderewski found little time for composing, touring the world with countless concerts and later venturing into the field of politics as well. Thus, most of his catalogue of compositions dates from Paderewski’s days of studying piano in Warsaw and Vienna. Both the Légende and Nocturne recognize Paderewski’s famous predecessor - the Légende echoes Chopin’s Ballades, whilst the Nocturne represents Paderewski’s interpretation of a genre that Chopin made famous by writing twenty poetic essays under this title.
Paderewski’s Cracovienne fantastique is the last colorful flourish in a suite of six charming salon pieces gathered under the title Humoresques de Concert and first published in 1880. Along with the celebrated Menuet that opens the cycle, the Cracovienne is one of the most famous of Paderewski’s compositions. It combines lively rhythms of a folk dance from the Kraków region with catchy melodies and bravura passagework - a winning recipe for a perfect fin de siècle salon piece. [mz]
Teodor Leschetizkywas a Polish pianist, pedagogue, and composer. He was one of the most distinguished musical personalities of the Victorian era who taught over one thousand pianists, including Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Henryk Melcer, Ignacy Friedman, Artur Schnabel, Mieczysław Horszowski, Benno Moiseiwitsch, Ossip Gabrilowitch, Annette Essipoff, Alexander Brailowsky, Elly Ney, and Paul Wittgenstein. “If I became a pianist, I owe it to him,” Paderewski wrote well after he became Leschetizky’s pupil in Vienna at the age of 24. Even today, the leading twentieth century pianists are successors of the Leschetizky school. They include Sviatoslav Richter, Vladimir Horowitz, Sergei Prokofiev, Van Cliburn, Garrick Ohlsson, Josef and Rosina Lhévinne, as well as John Cage.
Leschetizky was born at the Potocki’s Palace in Łańcut, Poland, on 22 June 1830. He began studying piano when he was five with his father and made his debut in Lwów playing Czerny’s Concertino in C major under the direction of Mozart’s son, Franz Xavier. Since 1841 Leschetizky studied piano in Vienna with Carl Czerny, a friend of Beethoven and one of the most outstanding piano teachers. Franz Liszt, who also studied with Czerny, became a close friend of Leschetizky. In addition Leschetizky studied composition with Anton Bruckner’s teacher, Simon Sechter, as well as philosophy at Vienna University.
In 1852 Leschetizky moved to St. Petersburg where he lived for the next twenty-six years. He concertized throughout Russia, Italy, Germany, England, and Finland, where he was enthusiastically greeted, and also appeared as a conductor. As a chamber musician, he accompanied the most illustrious nineteenth-century artists, including violinists Josef Joachim, Eugène Ysaÿe, Leopold Auer, Pablo Sarasate, and Henryk Wieniawski. Together with Anton Rubinstein, Leschetizky established the Conservatory in St. Petersburg in 1862, where he headed the piano department. Among his students at that time was Annette Essipoff, who later became a prominent pianist and Leschetizky’s wife. In 1878 Leschetizky settled in Vienna, devoting his time to private teaching and composing. His last concert was in Frankfurt am Main in 1887. He died in Dresden on 17 September 1915. Leschetizky’s catalogue of compositions includes works for solo piano, songs, a Piano Concerto, and two operas. During his lifetime, his compositions enjoyed widespread popularity but today they remain almost completely forgotten.
Ballade Venitienne opens Souvenirs d’Italie Op. 39, a piano suite written after Leschetizky’s sojourn in Italy. Its main theme depicts a conversation between two lovers aboard a gondola. The culminating moment in the center section features fast progressions of thirds accompanied by Wagnerian-style chords in the left hand. A dramatic link leads to a lyrical coda that musically recalls Leschetizky’s youthful love for a Venetian girl.
The cycle of Six Meditations begins with La Mélusine, a sea-fairy depicted in a fourteenth-century French legend. Short phrases of this miniature seem to imitate the mermaid’s sighs. Antwort [Answer] is a musical illustration of reading a letter from the beloved. Frühlingsnahen [Presage of Spring] is an enthusiastic portrayal of sunshine, birds, and the nature waking up to life. Wiegenlied [Cradle Song] is a tender lullaby that echoes Chopin’s delicate pianistic style. Entmuthigung [Discouragement] is a restless and stormy piece reminiscent of works by Johannes Brahms, who was a good friend of Leschetizky. The cycle closes on Trost [Consolation], a musical picture of solace and relief.
Aria,Op. 36 dedicated to Anton Rubinstein, is a poignant song without words that recalls the friendship between Leschetizky and Rubinstein in St. Petersburg. The two competed for the heart of a prominent Russian singer, Anna de Friedebourg, who later became Leschetizky’s first wife. Rubinstein’s ability for lyrical playing is reflected in the main subject of this work. In the recapitulation, this melody is allotted to the left hand thumb, which mimics one of Rubinstein’s distinctive performing techniques.
Contes de jeunesse Op. 46 [Tales of Youth] are a series of nine musical portraits-pastiches of the best-known Romantic composers. The three choices on tonight’s program include Hommage à Schumann: Fantasiestück, which refers to Schumann’s famous Op. 12 cycle of eight popular miniatures written in 1837. Hommage à Czerny: Toccata imitates the style of Czerny’s countless piano etudes and exercises. Hommage à Chopin, dedicated to Paderewski, reflects the importance of Chopin’s music in Leschetizky’s artistic development. [hr]
ABOUT THE PIANIST Hubert Rutkowski was born in 1981. He graduated from the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw from Prof. Anna Jastrzębska-Quinn studio (a diploma with highest distinction in 2005). He studied chamber music under Prof. Krystyna Borucińska and at the same time studied at the Warsaw University of Technology. Since 2005, he has been working on perfecting his technical and artistic skills in the master class of Prof. Evgeni Koroliov at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg. Presently he is working on his doctoral thesis under the direction of Prof. Alicja Paleta-Bugaj at the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw.
Mr. Rutkowski is the winner of several international and domestic piano competitions, including: the Chopin Competition in Hanover (2007 / Main Prize); 15th Elise Meyer Competition in Hamburg (2006 / Second Prize); “Medalla per Unanimitat” – 52nd International Maria Canals Piano Competition in Barcelona (2006 / with Distinction); All-Poland Piano Festival in Warsaw (2000 / First Prize); and International Fryderyk Chopin Competition in Vilnius (1999 / Third Prize).
He has taken part in many prestigious master courses led by distinguished artists, such as: Halina Czerny-Stefańska, Andrzej Jasiński, Vera Gornostajewa, Victor Makarov, Jan Micheils, Valerij Kozlow, Tatiana Szebanowa, Epifanio Comis, Inge-Susann Römhild, and the Artemis Quartet. In 2005, he participated in workshops of the 10th International Hamamatsu Piano Academy in Japan, where he worked with Piotr Paleczny, Hiroko Nakamura, Piero Rattalino, Michel Beroff, and Arie Vardi.
Mr. Rutkowski has performed both solo and with orchestra in Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Italy, Spain, Japan, Cuba and Cyprus. In the summer of 2004, he performed with the Orchestra Sinfonica Giovanile Internazionale under the baton of Tomasz Bugaj, as part of the Catania Summer Music Festival in Italy (Sicily). He has made archival recordings for the German broadcasting stations Südwestrundfunk and Norddeutscher Rundfunk.
His interests focus on the unknown works of pupils of Fryderyk Chopin. He recorded a CD featuring the World premiere recording of piano works by Julian Fontana for Acte Préalable label. Most recently he recorded the piano works of Theodor Leschetizky for Acte Préalable (Polish premiere).
Hubert Rutkowski is the founder and President of the Theodor Leschetizky Music Society in Warsaw.
