About the Music

Italian composer, choir master, Roman Catholic priest and string player Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (1567-1643) was a crucial transitional figure between the Renaissance and Baroque periods. He is credited with helping develop the new genre of opera and also helped bring a secular spirit to church music. One of the most romantic moments in all of opera is at the end of his final opera, L’incoronazione di Poppea (Act III, Scene 7), the duet Pur ti miro, pur ti stringo (I gaze at you, I delight in you). The setting and story of the opera recounts more or less historical facts around the decadent Roman emperor Nero, who, despite being married to Empress Octavia, falls in love with mistress Poppea. Leaving aside for the moment the unsavory aspects of the story as well as the collateral damage (for example, philosopher-advisor Seneca is ordered to commit suicide, Empress Octavia is set adrift at sea) Pur ti miro is one of the most glorious love duets ever written.

Austrian born Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) unexpectedly lost support as a court composer when his benefactor, Prince Nikolas, passed away. An opportunity arose when the German composer and impresario Johann Peter Salomon encouraged Haydn to present his new symphonies in London, where he already had very strong reputation. As such he successfully pivoted from a court composer to an independent musician at age 58.  His visits to London were highly successful both for his fame as well as financially. A confluence of events led to exploration of Art Songs. The first was becoming acquainted with the poet Anne Hunter, a successful and influential lyric poet. The second was the development of a new technology keyboard instrument by Broadwood which had a stronger more robust tone with a greater dynamic range and sustaining power compared to the Viennese Stein pianoforte which had a lighter touch and sound more akin to the harpsichord. While Beethoven is credited with developing the first song cycle, Haydn produced the first marriage of keyboard, voice and poetry which was to become the foundation of the 19th century Art Song. Piercing Eyes comes from the second set of English Canzonettas; the text by an anonymous poet reassures that their piercing eyes know well what is in their already captured lover’s heart. The mood is light and energetic, fitting for young love.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) composed Abendempfindung an Lara, K. 523 (Evening Thoughts) in 1787, a month after his father Leopold died. In an earlier letter to his father Wolfgang wrote “Now I hear your are seriously ill!...I have accustomed myself in all things to anticipate the worst - that death (properly understood) is the true goal of life. So in the last few years have become so well acquainted with this true best friend of humanity that its visage not only no longer inspires terror in me but actually arouse deep feelings of calm and reassurance...”

The text of this this melancholy poem is thought to be by Joachim Heinrich Campe. Lara is the name used since Petrarch to refer to the universal cherished woman, and the narrator asks her to “gather one violet for my grave...look down on me with longing glance. Don’t be ashamed to weep for me, for your tears whall become the most beautiful pearls in my diadem.”

Venezuelan born French composer Reynaldo Hahn (1874-1947) is well known for his songs in the French tradition Mélodie. He entered the Conservatoire de Paris at age 12 and studied composition with Jules Massenet. Early in his career Hahn became acquainted with Marcel Proust who instilled in him a deep appreciation of poetry, which had a profound effect on his approach to vocal writing. Beyond composition, he was a consummate singer and actor, leading him to become the director of the Paris Opera. With À Chloris, Hahn sets the text of the 17th century poet Theophile de Viau in which the singer professes his love in part spoken confidence mixed with sung melodic lines. While it is a bit of a neo-Classical-Romantic pastiche with obvious homage to the Air from Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3, À Chloris is ravishingly beautiful and may well be Hahn’s most popular composition.

Native of Pamiers in the south of France, Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) was one of the most influential of French composers, linking the end of Romanticism (when he was born, Chopin and Berlioz were still composing) with the beginning of the modern era (at the time of his death, jazz and atonal music of the Second Viennese School were being heard). Born into a cultured though not especially musical family, he showed an early aptitude for music. At 9 he was sent to a music college in Paris, and training ensued for him to become an organist and choir master. One of his most influential teachers was Camille Saint-Saëns, who also became a lifelong friend. American composer Aaron Copland observed that while Fauré’s works could, as with many composers, be divided into “early,” “middle” and “late” periods, there were no radical differences between the first and last - “the themes, harmonies, form have remained essentially the same, but with each new work they have all become more fresh, more personal, more profound.” Fauré was of the first generation of composers, along with contemporary Henri Duparc, who were greatly influential in developing the French mélodie.

Fauré’s set of three songs Op. 23 were completed 1879 and 1881 after a visit to Germany where he became inspired by Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, and after returning to Paris, discovered the poems by Armand Silvestre noted for their admiration and devotion to women. Notre amour, the second in the Op. 23 cycle, delineates several essential characteristics of love. In the text by Armand Silvestre.  Notre amour (Our Love) is light, enchanting, sacred, infinite and eternal. 

Émile Paladilhe (1844-1926) was a musical prodigy who entered Conservatoire de Paris at age 9 and, at age 16, was the youngest composer to win the prestigious Prix de Rome. He wrote a range of compositions including works for stage, a symphony, sacred works and an opera Patrie which was probably his greatest success. He also wrote over a hundred mélodies. Psyché, was published a year after his opera, and with the text by Pierre Corneille tells the story of Psyché, a princess so beautiful that Venus becomes jealous. She sends her son Cupid to make Psyché fall in love with a hideous monster but instead he falls in love with Psyché himself.

Spanish composer Fernando Obradors (1897-1945) studied piano with his mother but was largely self taught in composition, harmony and counterpoint. He conduced the Gran Canaria Philharmonic Orchestra and taught at the Las Palmas Conservatory. His output included  orchestral and stage music but he is remembered mostly for his four sets of Canciones clasicas espanolas, written between 1921-1941, capturing the essence of Spanish folksongs. Composed in 1921, Del cabello mas sutil (Of the softest hair) is a heavenly plea to be close to one’s love. The poet for the text of this song is unknown.

Born in Belemdo Para, Brazil, Jayme Ovalle (1984-1955) was essentially self-taught as a composer. He was one of “Second Nationalist Generation” of Brazilian composers along with Oscar Fernandez and Wlater Burle-Marx. As an officer of the Ministerio de Fazenda, he lived in mostly in New York and London. Ovalle’s most popular work is Azulão (Bluebird), which was co-written with poet Manuel Bandeira. In the text, the singer beseeches a bluebird to fly to his ungrateful lover to tell them that nothing is the same without them.

Italian pianist, composer and conductor Pietro Cimara (1887-1967) was a student of Ottorino Respighi at the Accadenua di Santa Cecilia in Rome. His output included two suites for orchestra, two string quartets three pieces for violin, several pieces for piano and 70 songs.  He spent much of his life in America and conducted at the Metropolitan Opera from 1950-1957. Unfortunately he suffered a stroke while conducting and returned to Italy where he ultimately passed away in Milan. Stornello, composed in 1910, is based on a text by Arnaldo Fratelli, which uses sensual images such as velvet and vermillion lips, sweet smelling buds, life-giving essence - popular in the poetry of that time.

A native of Palermo, Italy, Stefano Donaudy (1879-1925) was a composer active at the turn of the 20th century. There is relatively little known of his life, but it is clear from songs written in his early teens that he was a precocious talent. In 1918 he published 36 Aire di Stile Antico, a set which contained many songs which brought him considerable recognition, including O Del Mio Amato Ben (Oh, lost enchantment of my dearly beloved). The text tells the story of love that extends beyond death. Best known for his songs, he also composed chamber and orchestral music as well as operas. Unfortunately, his final opera, La flamminga (The Flemish Woman), premiered in 1922, was a failure and, so affected by the public rejection, he abandoned composition for the remainder of his life. 

At the age of 24, Bohemian composer Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) had already published two symphonies, his first cello concerto and a clarinet quintet. While playing viola in the Provisional Theater, he made the acquaintance of actress Josefa Cermakova who began studying music with him. He fell madly in love with her, but the feelings were not returned. The recently published collection of poems by Gustav Pfleger-Moravsky resonated with his state of mind and he set all 18 poems to music in his first song cycle, Cypřiše (Cypresses), composed in a feverish 13 days. Later, he selected eight of the songs for Pisne milostne (Love Songs), Op. 83, and reordered the narrative although the basic story line of the unhappy lover was retained. Cermakova never knew the extent of Dvořák’s infatuation and indeed was never aware that Cypřiše was even composed as they remained unpublished and unperformed in their first draft. Although the two remained friends, Dvořák ultimately married her younger sister, Anna. The last of eight songs, Písně milostné is Ó, duše drahá, jedinká (Oh, you, my soul’s only dear one, also known as The Singing Swan). The text by Pfleger-Moravsky tells of love enduring forever - “...if I were a singing swan...I would sing my heart out to you with my last breath.”

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) is the most significant Norwegian composer and one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. He began piano lessons with his mother at an early age and, encouraged by renown violinist Ole Bull, a family friend, transferred to Leipzig Conservatory at age 15. After meeting fellow composer Rikard Nordraak in Copenhagen, he developed a great interest in the sagas, landscape and music of his home country. As such, he incorporated traditional Norwegian music into his compositions. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, written shortly after marrying Nina Hagerup, and for his incidental music Peer Gynt, composed for the premier of Henrik Ibsen’s play. Grieg composed Hjetets melodier (Melodies of the Heart), Op. 5  in 1864, set to the texts by Hans Christian Andersen. Grieg presented Melodies of the Heart to Nina as an engagement gift. Jeg elsker dig! (I Love Thee), the third song of the set, became the most popular of his early songs and spread his fame far and wide. It even entered the realm of popular music, as evidenced by a recording in English by Frank Sinatra. The text by Hans Christian Andersen tells of his heart’s first beloved, and “I love you as no one else here on earth, I love you now and to eternity.”

German composer Robert Schumann (1810-1856), son of a bookseller, showed interest in composition at an early age, as well as a passion for poetry and literature. Never considered a musical prodigy by standards at the time, he initially studied law. But it didn’t take long for him to abandon this for music. At 20 he studied piano with Friedrich Wieck in Leipzig and lived in the Weick household. A hand injury ended any hopes of a career as a virtuoso pianist but he turned his focus to composition and music criticism. His initial compositions were well accepted and he founded the New Journal for Music, serving as its editor. He used this media outlet both to criticize what he felt was weak or undeserving musical practices of the time as well as promote the brilliance of Chopin and Brahms. Robert fell in love with his teacher’s daughter, Clara Wieck. Her father opposed the union but they persevered and were married in 1840. That year was Robert’s famous Year of Song, which may have been his happiest year, resulting in over 130 songs. It included Myrthen, Op. 25, dedicated “to his dear bride” Clara Wieck-Schumann as a wedding gift. In Widmung (Dedication), part of Op. 25, with text by Friedrich Ruckert, Robert declares to Clara that she is his angel, spiritual support, his entire world. 

Austrian composer Joseph Marx (1882-1964) was largely self taught in his early years as his parents discouraged him from studying piano. In his mid twenties, after earning a PhD in philosophy, he became famous in Austria and internationally known for his early songs. Compositionally, he eschewed the direction of his contemporaries such as Schoenberg, embracing instead the ideals of Brahms, Reger, Mahler, Korngold and Strauss. Some consider him to be the rightful successor to Hugo Wolf and his tradition of lieder. Selige Nacht (Blissful Night), a setting of a poem by Otto Erich Hartleben, celebrates the bliss of love-making. It would not be too much of a stretch to believe that the hands crossing technique in the piano part might be inspired by the opening words “in the beloved arms.”

Native of Munich, Germany, Richard Strauss (1864-1949) was born into a musical family. His father, principal horn player at the Court Opera in Munich, was musically conservative and forbade young Richard from studying scores by Wagner. He started receiving violin instruction from his father’s cousin, Benno Walter at the Royal School of Music. As a result of his father’s strict guidance Strauss’s  early compositions had more in common with Schumann or Mendelssohn. When he entered college at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, he studied Philosophy and Art History. However a year later he went to Berlin where he took an assistant conducting position under Hans von Bülow who ultimately named Strauss as his successor. Although many considered Strauss’s music to be very conservative, particularly considering his contemporary Arnold Schoenberg was exploring atonality and twelve tone technique, actually Strauss’s place in history is now thought to be that of a modernist, albeit one who stubbornly clung to tonality, but employed his signature novel advanced harmonic style. Strauss married soprano Pauline de Ahna, described by many as an irascible, outspoken and eccentric woman, but to outsiders their marriage seemed happy enough. In his works with voice he strongly preferred soprano and in his operas, sopranos were always heavily featured. While Strauss is best known for his symphonic poems and operas, he composed nearly 200 songs throughout his life, the earliest of which he composed at age 6 and his Four Last Songs, his final composition, came just a year before his death, age 84.  Morgen! (Tomorrow!), last in a set of four songs, Op. 27, is a rapturous love song, a gift to Pauline when they married. (Text by John Henry Mackay)

Composer Roger Quilter (1877-1953) was born into a wealthy English family, was educated at Eton then studied at Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt under the Russian professor Ivan Knorr. Fellow students included Cyril Scott and Percy Grainger. Quilter’s output spanned light orchestral music, theater works, incidental music but he is known primarily for his songs, of which there are over 100, many of which continue to be performed in concerts today. One factor in the longevity of his songs was his choice of texts, which he drew from Shakespeare, Herrick, Shelly and Blake. Music, When Soft Voices Die is a major poem by Percy Shelley, written in 1821 is one of the most anthologized, influential and well known of Shelley’s works. Besides Quilter, many other composers have set Shelley’s text to music, including Frank Bridge, Ralph Vaughan Willians, Wergei Taneyev, Rebecca Clarke, Peter Warlock, Henry Cowell, Samuel Barber, John Harbison and David Diamond to name a few. Shelley’s poem celebrates love enduring beyond death.

American composer Margaret Ruthven Lang (1867-1972) was born into a musical family in Boston Massachusetts. Her father B.J. Lang was a successful conductor, pianist, organist and composer, directing many choral groups. He was a well connected in the musical aristocracy of Boston, hosting well known musicians such as Maude Powell, Antonin Dvořák, Ignacy Paderewski, and was a friend to Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner. Margaret showed a talent for composition at an early age and traveled to Munich to study violin and composition. She was unfortunately not allowed to enter the Royal Conservatory of Music, which did not admit women at the time. After returning to the United States, she studied composition with George Chadwick who was a professor at the New England Conservatory. She composed symphonic works which were well received - she, with Amy Beach were the first women composers whose works were performed by American symphony orchestras. She also composed over 200 songs which are considered American treasures.  Irish Love Song from 1895 is among Lang’s most popular songs - it was her best selling composition, and was even set in Braille. She does not identify an author of the text of Irish Love Song, a practice she was compulsively careful about, and it is thought that she herself is the author. 

Little is known about the Japanese composer Tatsunosuke Koshitani (1909-1982), who wrote Hatsukoi (First Love). The text as well as the tone of the music recounts memories of a first love, surrounded by regret.

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943), Russian pianist, conducutor and composer, fell into a deep depression following poor reviews after the debut of his first Symphony. With the help of Dr. Nikolai Dahl, Rachmaninoff finally emerged from this dark period and his first compositions post creative block were his highly successful Piano Concerto #2, Op. 18 as well as his Cello Sonata, Op. 19. His Songs Op. 21 followed soon thereafter. The 7th song in this set is Zdes’ khorosho, which has been translated as “How Fair This Spot” but I prefer “All Is Well Here” as it more directly gets to the tone of the poem by Glafira Galina which describes utter contentment and serenity in a beautiful and peaceful scene shared by his love. Rachmaninoff composed this song in 1902 immediately before his wedding and dedicated it to his bride, Natalya Satina. 

I conclude with two pieces for piano 4-hands.

French composer Georges Bizet (1838-1875) is best known for his operatic masterpiece Carmen. Unfortunately, he died of a heart attack shortly after its first performance, at age 36. Like other composers whose lives were cut tragically short (Mozart at age 35, Schubert at age 31, Mendelssohn at age 38) Bizet was a prodigy, admitted to the Paris Conservatory at age 9. Great composers who influenced his development included Charles Gounod, Leo Delibes, Camille Saint-Saëns, Jules Massenet and Jacques Offenbach. Jeux d’Enfants (Children’s Games), Op. 22 was composed in 1871, originally a suite of 12 pieces for piano 4-hands, but in 1873 Bizet orchestrated five of the movements calling this abbreviated collection Petite Suite. Jeux d’Enfants is filled with youthful wonder, depicting childhood scenes and games. Petit mari, petite femme (Little husband, little wife) may have been inspired by children playing at tender domesticity. Despite being a “children’s piece” it is not only beautifully crafted, it has significant emotional depth. Jeux d’enfants was likely a model that paved the way for others to compose works for piano 4 hands, including Maurice Ravel (Ma mère l’Oye), Claude Debussy (Petite Suite), and Gabriel Faure (Dolly Suite).

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) composed Ma mère l’Oye (Mother Goose) in 1908-1910, originally as a suite of five children’s pieces for piano 4 hands. These were inspired by children’s stories from 17th and 18th century French collections, especially Charles Perrault’s Contes de ma Mère l‘Oye (Mother Goose Tales, 1697). Although Ravel’s Ma mère l’Oye may have been described as children’s pieces, they are musically innovative, exquisitely crafted, and convey great emotional depth. Ravel later expanded the suite into a ballet, which premiered in 1912. In the original suite for piano 4-hands, the fourth of the five movements is Les entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête which tells the age old story of Beauty and the Beast. Highly programmatic, the meter is in 3, a waltz form, important for the interactions between Belle and the Beast. The movement opens with Belle’s theme, full of innocence, light and beauty. The Beast’s theme enters, dark and menacing, though it is not totally lacking in charm. Per the story line, Belle initially spurns the Beast, but upon understanding him better - the musical themes intertwine beautifully - she ultimately accepts him, thereby breaking the magic spell allowing him to return to his original handsome form. The powerful message that “love conquers all” has a lesson for us all in this modern era with seemingly limitless conflicts both at home and abroad.