Thursday, August 16, 2007

Modest Mussorgsky


When I first heard Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain" in a 2002 New York Philharmonic concert conducted in the Philippines, I never forgot the first few lines. I was humming the tune in my head for months until I acquired a recording. It turned out the version I heard live was that with revisions by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, another Russian composer. With further internet reading, I was amazed to see that there are many versions of this work, but I am not able to hear everything yet. The original Mussorgsky version is a rare track nowadays - whether it be live or recorded. But I do like the one with Rimsky-Korsakov's inputs.

Back to the piece - it was very delicate, the way everything all started. From a pianissimo (very soft) rustling of violin strings growing into a harmony with winds and then linking to a commanding series of notes from the brasses. Yes, the title suggests something. It was depicted in the first set of Fantasia animations - very evil representations, but it wasn't really the way I perceived it. The way I see it, there are so many things going on in that mountain. It was dark all throughout, but I just really associate it with a lot of vegetation - shades of moonlight over barren fields and fear-evoking trees (hence, not evil? haha). Funny it's called bald mountain, therefore connotes a structure devoid of trees.

Main elements I consider in Mussorgsky's music are the dynamism and/or character. There's a certain zing to it, especially in musical pieces that I've already acquainted with. There is much character in each movement of his "Pictures at an Exhibition", with titles such as "The Old Castle", "Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks", and my favorites: "Dispute between Children at Play", "The Gnome", and "Cattle". Very moving, these pieces of music. Some may say that "Pictures at an Exhibition" is too overrated a piano (or orchestrally arranged) piece. But neither is it too underrated or too overrated for me. Just average, the way I see people receive it - it's just that there are preferrers and non-preferrers of the piece.

Heavy outpouring and drama in "Cattle" - popularly known as "Bydlo" (title in Polish). "Dispute between Children at Play" ("Tuileries" in French) has a fleeting and light tone, but never a forgettable piece of music - with a lot of vibrance and personality to it. "The Gnome" ("Gnomus", Latin) - for me, it's fear-evoking. With touches of darkness and sneakiness just by listening to it.

These pieces are of high difficulty. I thought "Promenade" was too easy (the first movement and the title of several other movements of "Pictures at an Exhibition", but in different variations). Yet I was proven wrong. It does require technique and learning - the chords are not that easy to follow - the patterns are complicated but with sounds that are simple, pleasing, and effortless to the ear.

Maybe that was the way Mussorgsky really wrote his music - a bit disorganized, complicated, unpredictable. Could be just the reason why many other composers tend to finish his work or create other versions of it. Well, maybe that's really just what he is - my favorite 'dark' composer.

Pictures at an Exhibition (Orchestral arrangement by Maurice Ravel)
(Esa Pekka-Salonen + Philharmonia Orchestra)
Promenade I
Gnomus (The Gnome)
Promenade II
Il Vecchio Castello (The Old Castle)
Promenade III
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Saturday, August 04, 2007

Claude Debussy


It was a warm Sunday morning in 3rd year college when I woke up after sleeping over at my college friend's house. That was the first time I heard Debussy's "Clair de Lune". I borrowed Petita's piano CD, and took it home with me. It was a delightful collection, most of which are my favorites today: Beethoven's Menuett in G; Chopin's Etude in E, Op. 10, No. 3 "Tristesse" and Prelude in D-Flat, Op. 28, No. 15 "Raindrop"; Dvorak's Humoresque; Grieg's "To the Spring" from Lyrical Pieces, Op. 43 and "Butterfly" from Lyrical Pieces, Op. 43; and Rubinstein's Melody in F. But apart from all this it includes a composition that, to me, never ceases to amaze - Debussy's "Clair de Lune" (from Suite Bergamesque).

Before listening to it, I already saw its sheet music. I never got attracted to it before. While my father was trying to play it in our mini electronic piano back then, I thought it was too tacky and too expressive. He only played it until the tempo rubato part.

Later on, too expressive turned to considerably impressive when I heard it completely for the first time. It sounded so beautifully, chord by chord. Brilliant transition from one development to the next.

It took me about a year or so to play the piano piece on its whole - on and off, learn-unlearn-relearn. I was able to play it eventually (amateurishly), and even so, I was happy that I was able to play it no matter how horrible it sounded.

I moved around looking for other works by this French composer and loved several other compositions as well. His Two Arabesques each conjure a specific, memorable mood. The one I heard first is Arabesque No. 1, which lends a very romantic feeling. Heightens the mood as the work progresses and yet controlling that feeling, blossoming, opening up the soul. The recording I first had was not of the original intended piano piece, but had what sounded like a mini orchestra (a harp, strings, flute, and some brass instrument - maybe a horn or a trumpet). Not to compare with the piano version, but it was a charming interpretation, too. Depth and sheer beauty, the way those instruments blended together.

Debussy is a so-called impressionist composer. With impressionist music using the following definition (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impressionism)

[Musical Impressionism is the name given to a movement in European classical music that arose in the late nineteenth century and continued into the middle of the twentieth century. Originating in France, musical Impressionism is characterized by suggestion and atmosphere, and eschews the emotional excesses of the Romantic era. Impressionist composers favored short forms such as the nocturne, arabesque, and prelude, and often explored uncommon scales such as the whole tone scale.

The influence of visual Impressionism on its musical counterpart is debatable. Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel are generally considered the greatest Impressionist composers, but Debussy disavowed the term, calling it the invention of critics. Musical Impressionism beyond France includes the work of such composers as Ralph Vaughan Williams and Ottorino Respighi.

The term Impressionism has also been used to describe works of literature in which a few select details suffice to convey the sensory impressions of an incident or scene. Impressionist literature is closely related to Symbolism, with its major exemplars being Baudelaire, Mallarmé, Rimbaud, and Verlaine. Authors such as Virginia Woolf and Joseph Conrad have written works which are Impressionistic in the way that they describe, rather than interpret, the impressions, sensations and emotions that constitute a character's mental life.]

My father introduced me to that term - impressionist music. My understanding was that it, well, creates an impression - conjures a certain image or visualization. Some of those that come to mind may be waterfalls, a mountain, midnight, dawn, children, dollhouse. Anything. I think this generally has some influence in the way I listen to Debussy - that it has to create some impression. His work, "Images" (in two sets of three movements each), for instance. The first movement of Images I is entitled "Reflets dans l'eau" / "Reflections in the Water". A title that without a doubt suggests something impressionistic. Lovely piece, with touches of modernity due to some atonalities in the piece. Small waves and ripples of lake water come to mind.

And there's also his L'Isle Joyeuse - a live piano performance of which I was able to watch in Raul Sunico's concert last August 2, 2006 in St. Paul's Auditorium. Awesome piece, brilliant interpretation.

Now, I wonder why Debussy rejects the term? Labeling issues, perhaps? But the music's great, it doesn't really matter.

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Friday, August 03, 2007

Edvard Grieg


I was listening to some recordings of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg last night, and it never fails to entertain me. If not for my father, I would have never thought this composer existed - it was during my teenage years when he bought this album collection of Grieg's compositions (not for me, but for himself). I borrowed it later on to immerse myself on his works and I instantly fell in love with the Piano Concerto in A minor (the first track). It practically pulled me in to start listening to Grieg. Now, I'm a huge listener of his other works, even more than his popular (overplayed?) piano concerto.

In my discovery of Grieg, I have found much entertainment in his works. The best thing about his compositions are high retention and emotional value. There's something in his works that really creates a mood.

From "Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46"
Aase's Death. Very emotional piece ("may kirot"). There's this repeating of three chords at the start, and in went from piano (soft) to forte (loud) - really intense (in sound), but gentle (in mood)

Morning Mood. Great with lazy Sunday mornings or getting myself ready for bedtime on a workday (conclusive yet breathtaking - much like Debussy's "Claire de Lune"). The first time I heard this Grieg work, the scene of Bugs Bunny having a monologue under the tree first came to mind. I've been searching the internet for that background music, asking around, and it turned out to be part of Rossini's "William Tell Overture". But this work by Grieg is encompassing - landscapes, gentle breeze of the cool daytime wind, rays of sunlight over his native Norway. Brilliant, brilliant composition.

From "Lyric Pieces, Opp. 12, 38, 43, 47, 54, 57, 62, 65, 68, 71"
Butterfly. Like one hopping from flower to flower, flying high, flying low, struggling. It's a short piece that's really good to listen to in the evenings, too. I really wanted to play this on the piano someday. I have a copy of its sheet music, and I found it rather difficult for my level of skill.

Nocturne. Very rich piece. Reminds me of the scene with Baroness Schraeder and Captain Von Trapp in the Sound of Music. Evening sky in the background. Calm, with a little bit of mystery.

There are a lot more beautiful works aside from these mentioned above. The Lyric Pieces (there are 10 books, with 6 to 8 pieces per book), just to name a good place to start.

Which reminds me I have to explore his other works yet. I've downloaded several but I think I heard only a few. I might continue with that.
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