Program Notes

Images, Book I, L. 110…………………………………………………………………………….…….. Claude Debussy

The three ‘sonic pictures’ that Debussy published in 1905 as the first book of his Images are remarkably different in
tone, but each stands at a distinct distance from the musical practice of its time. Traditional diatonic harmonies
have little driving force in these pieces, replaced by modal melodies and harmonic constructions based on whole-
tone scales that elicit less hierarchical aural expectations in the listener. Tonal ambiguity and blurred harmonic
focus have changed from defects to prized features. The ear thinks it’s an eye, gathering in the ‘impressions’ that
give this style of music its common descriptor: Impressionism.

Reflets dans l’eau begins by evoking in gentle splashes of sound color the outwardly expanding pattern of rippling
waves in a pool of water into which a pebble—the opening perfect 5th in the bass—has been tossed. Widely
spaced sonorities measure the distance outwardly travelled. The highest register glistens dazzlingly with glints of
sunlight.
Hommage à Rameau presents an austere but nostalgic remembrance of composer Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-
1764). The composer is remembered in a slow, purposeful sarabande, moving forward at a processional pace. Its
melody walks within the narrow range of the pentatonic scale, and its rhythm is virtually flat. But this apparent
surface serenity is made emotional and impactful by the bright harmonic colouring that Debussy attaches to these
simple compositional elements.
Mouvement, as its name suggests, is a study in movement-movement propelled forward by a constant whirl of
triplets in the mid-range around which fanfare motives blare out on either side. The very obstinacy of these moto
perpetuo 16ths suggests mechanized motion, a twirling lathe, perhaps. While the idea is fancifully anachronistic,
the present writer can’t repress the image of a dog chasing a car, attempting to nip away at the tires.

Sevilla, from Suite Española, Op. 47 No. 3…………………………………………….…………… Isaac Albéniz

In Sevilla, this third part of the Suite Española, a festive atmosphere is reigning. The stylization of a dance-like rhythm
is its most prominent characteristic. The persistent cheerfulness allows some moments of subtle melancholy with a
melody in jondo (profound) style, the essence of the thrilling world of flamenco. It is interesting to note the use of
the repetition of a single note, which is one of Albéniz’s particular signatures.

Polonaise in A major, “Military” Op. 40 No. 1………………………………………………… Frédéric Chopin

Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2
Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 31

The A major Polonaise could hardly be more succinct, synthetic and condensed in its style and character. It has
neither an introduction nor a coda, and the theme strikes one with its firmness and grace. As Jan Kleczyński put it,
‘Each note, each accent, glows with life and power’. The theme that complements the main part of the polonaise
contains more of those pungent, robust sonorities, referring to the style of military music. But the pinnacle of
succinctness and firmness is presented by the Polonaise’s trio, in D major.

“Chopin, in his poetic Nocturnes, sang not only the harmonies which are the source of our most ineffable delights,
but likewise the restless, agitating bewilderment to which they often give rise.” - Franz Liszt

In Chopin’s 21 Nocturnes we encounter some of the most sublimely beautiful music ever written for piano. The
Romantic idiom of these “night songs,” with their atmosphere of yearning nostalgia, was perfectly matched with
Chopin’s talents and inclinations. The genre of the nocturne was first developed by the Irish composer John Field.
Chopin knew Field’s nocturnes well and built upon his foundation. Another source of inspiration was Italian bel
canto opera, exemplified by the works of Chopin’s friend Vincenzo Bellini. Whatever his sources of inspiration,
however, Chopin’s nocturnes represent the highest realization of the form, despite the fine subsequent efforts of
composers including Schumann, Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Fauré, Scriabin, and Szymanowski.

Before Chopin, the world scherzo (literally, "joke") referred to a movement in a longer symphonic or chamber
work, which had taken the place of the 18th-century minuet. It was always in A - B - A form and almost always in
3/4 time; it was filled with harmonic surprises and other playful effects. In his four scherzos written between 1831
and 1843, Chopin gave the term a whole new meaning; his scherzos are free-standing, independent pieces that
retain the outline of the scherzo form yet are more serious than playful in tone (with the possible exception of No.
4).

In the Scherzo No. 2 of B-flat minor (Op. 31) from 1837, both the A and the B sections comprise several contrasting
themes; their connections and developments show Chopin at his most original. From the mysterious opening
(Chopin wanted it to sound soft and sepulchral) emerges first a startling alternation of pianissimos and fortissimos
and then, one of the composer's most glorious soaring melodies. The Trio introduces an innovative harmonic
device by which Chopin makes the transition between two very distant keys completely seamless: he moves from
B-flat minor to A major by "re-contextualizing" the note D-flat as C-sharp (the same key on the piano). After a
hesitant beginning, the Trio takes off on a fantastic journey that includes passionate melodies, fluid figurations and
combinations of both. Then the A section returns with even more dramatic power than the first time. At the
height of the excitement, Chopin "forgets" to return to the initial key of B-flat minor and closes the piece instead in
the relative major, D-flat, which is another of the many departures from tradition in this unique masterpiece.

Grandes Études des Paganini…………………………………………………………………………………. Franz Liszt

No musician before Paganini had been able to combine the supreme mastery of an instrument with hypnotic
dramatic power to such an extent, enabling him to rouse an audience to a frenzy of enthusiasm. It was the catalyst
for which Liszt had been searching. ‘René, what a man, what a violinist, what an artist!’ Liszt wrote to a friend in
Geneva. ‘Heavens! What sufferings, what misery, what tortures in those four strings.’ Remarkable as his own
technique was, Liszt realized that compared with Paganini’s wizardry he had much to learn. He resolved
consciously to turn himself into the pianistic equivalent of the demonic Italian.

III. G sharp minor (‘La Campanella’) based on the Rondo (third movement) of Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in B
minor. The most famous piece of the set, ‘La Campanella’ is alone in having a different tonality to Paganini’s
original. In the first (1838) version of the study Liszt transposed the theme from B minor to A flat minor; in this
1851 version it is notated in G sharp minor. The delicacy of the conception conflicts with the tricky jumps, dazzling
effects (mostly at the upper end of the keyboard) and demanding repeated-note sections.

VI. “Theme and Variations” So many composers have written variations on the theme of the 24th Caprice (Brahms,
Rachmaninov and Lutoslawski the most notable) that it must be one of the most recognizable tunes in the world.
Paganini wrote eleven variations and a coda, a pattern which Liszt follows.