PROGRAM NOTEs

PIANO CONCERTO NO. 1 IN E MINOR, OP. 11

FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN (1810-1849)

Frédéric Chopin holds the enviable position of being the Romantic composer who is perhaps most closely associated with piano composition. Chopin produced works full of delicate nuance and subtle virtuosity. He gave fewer than ten public performances throughout his career, preferring the intimate atmosphere of the salon over the grandeur of the concert hall. It was possibly his somewhat fragile constitution that led to this preference; the composer was in poor health for most of his life and died at age 39. Though Chopin’s greater legacy lies in the smaller piano forms which gained him the most notoriety, he did pen a handful of larger-scale works for piano as well, including two concertos. He composed his Piano Concerto No. 1 in 1830 at just 20 years of age and premiered the work in Warsaw as part of a farewell concert before leaving his native Poland to settle in Paris, where he spent the remainder of his short life.

Opus 11 is structured in the standard three-movement format (fast-slow-fast) typical to instrumental concertos of the time. In this work Chopin delegates the orchestra to a supporting role for the piano rather than the dramatic, dialoguing one more common to the Romantic era. The orchestra takes center stage just once in this work, at the very top: the first movement begins with a full orchestral introduction which serves to build anticipation and introduce the main theme. At length it subsides in preparation for the piano, which enters with a series of dazzling flourishes before presenting the first theme in E minor and the second in E major, both of which are lyrical in character (another departure from the norm of contrasting themes). The remainder of the movement plays on these two ideas; there are no fireworks here, but rather a succession of the composer’s signature rich and decorative passages.

Of the concerto’s second movement, Chopin wrote in a letter to a friend, “The Adagio of my new concerto…is not meant to create a powerful effect: it is rather a Romance, calm and melancholy, giving the impression of someone looking gently toward a spot which calls to mind a thousand happy memories. It is a kind of reverie in the moonlight on a beautiful spring evening.” The movement is earnest in its beauty and reminiscent of the composer’s nocturnes: graceful, song-like, and divinely expressive.

The Rondo finale is based on a Polish folk dance in syncopated duple meter called the Krakowiak. The movement is suffused with a lively, rhythmic energy as the soloist employs the entirety of the keyboard’s range in lightning-quick figurations and concludes in a head-spinning virtuosic rush. It is no wonder that upon the concerto’s premiere a notable music critic declared, “There is spirit in these melodies, there is fantasy in these passages, and everywhere there is originality.”

Note by Laney Boyd

FRANZ SCHUBERT CHAMBER SYMPHONY IN B-FLAT MAJOR, D. 960 [1828]

When Franz Schubert, in a state of declining health, moved into his brother’s apartment in a Vienna suburb in the fall of 1828, he might have guessed that he was dying from the late stages of the syphilis infection he had contracted six years earlier. He still managed to complete some of his most significant works in those final months, including the String Quintet in C Major (D. 956) and three extraordinary piano sonatas (D. 958-60).

It’s hard for us to appreciate today how unorthodox Schubert’s compositions were, especially when he approached tradition-laden forms like symphonies and piano sonatas. (As one publisher put it in a rejection letter to Schubert, ‘The public does not yet sufficiently and generally understand the peculiar, often ingenious, but perhaps now and then somewhat curious procedures of your mind’s creations.”) As in so many other aspects of his composing career, Schubert had to reckon with the shadow of Beethoven, whose 32 piano sonatas left little headroom for future composers; faced with that baggage, only half of Schubert’s attempts reached the final double-barline, and just three were published in his lifetime.

Schubert might have started sketching the piano sonatas in the spring of 1828, and he finished them in September. Two months later, he was dead at the age of 31, and the sonatas were sold posthumously to a publisher who then waited a decade to print them. (Many scores fared worse—they were essentially deemed worthless and left with Schubert’s brother, including the Ninth Symphony.)

Schubert’s final sonata in B-flat technically fulfills the formal requirements of a sonata in the Haydn-Mozart-Beethoven mold, but it is so enigmatic and expansive that it bursts any conventional definition. In that sense, it is a perfect candidate for transcription to a larger medium, as in this Chamber Symphony version created in 2006 by the German conductor and composer Heribert Breuer. He designed the instrumentation to match another of Schubert’s most celebrated creations, the Octet from 1825 for clarinet, bassoon, horn and string quintet. In the performance, Orpheus uses string sections to further draw out the symphonic dimensions of Schubert’s far-reaching score.

The Chamber Symphony disturbs expectations from the start, setting off in a Molto moderato tempo more suited to a slow movement than a sonata-form exposition. This hushed chorale in the warm key of B-flat breaks off after seven measures for an ominous trill from the bass, and then the chorale picks right up again as if nothing has happened. The next trilling interruption maintains its grip and transports the music to a new point of arrival—the distant yet strangely comforting key of G-flat major. When the crucial secondary theme arrives, it recasts that G-flat as its doppelganger F-sharp, and shifts to a wistful minor mode. These deft manipulations of harmony set up an emotional arc that pulls us away from familiar comfort, and leaves us suspended between hope (in the major key) and despair (in the minor key). Even when we reach the bravura coda at the end of four movements, a sense remains that some resolutions are unknowable in this lifetime.

© 2022 Aaron Grad.

FUNDING CREDIT:

This concert is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Orpheus is represented by Dorn Music. Orpheus has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, Sony Classical, EMI Classics, BMG/RCA Red Seal, Decca, Nonesuch, Verve, Avex Classics, and its own label, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Records

ANABETH H. COX

As the only member of the Piano Circle without a history on the piano, I must admit that my love of piano performance comes as a result of my sister, MarySue Harris. Her love of the piano, her 40+ years of teaching piano, and her joy in the performance on the piano, have sealed my commitment to perpetuating that love for the children, and the children at heart, in the beauty of the music written for the piano. I’m grateful to be a part of bringing that beauty to the Lincoln community. I can’t play the piano, but I can love it!

Marysue Harris

The Piano Series, offered by the Lied Center, is truly an opportunity to hear first-rate piano performances throughout the year! Before the Piano Series, we had some poor attendance at piano concerts, but there is so much interest now, both in the Series and in the active response to the pianists, it is most gratifying and fulfilling!! There is an increased awareness of the excellent pianism and an expectation from the audience of a higher standard of performance overall!

As a life-long, performing pianist who taught piano for over 40 years, and had many students win top honors in competitions, I am so thrilled with the resounding success of the Piano Series; and I look forward to another outstanding year with the powerful pianistic performances the series offers. MarySue has moved to the West Coast to be close to her son and daughter.

MRS. LARRY H. LUSK

The piano and music have played an important part in my life. From my early childhood piano lessons, through high school, college and beyond, there has always been music and especially the piano. Once again, the Lied Piano Series brings beautiful music and outstanding artists to the Lied stage, showcasing the endless variety, creativity and beauty of this grand and glorious instrument. We welcome these artists to the Lied stage for all to enjoy!

JOAN M. REIST

It’s wonderful that the Piano Series has received such a positive and enthusiastic response, and I’m delighted that is has become a permanent fixture in Lied Center programming. It’s especially gratifying that this program continues to reach out to young people, giving them a unique opportunity to hear great music and observe great artists interact with the instrument. In the end, all who enjoy these concerts will walk away with something new and exciting that can enhance their personal—and positive—relationship with the piano.

I really appreciate continuing efforts to engage interested and enthusiastic piano students beyond the concert hall. The initial Piano Academy was a success and the next events followed suit. What a great opportunity for piano students to engage with talented and experienced mentors and with peers who have similar passion for making music at the piano!

Keith Heckman

Having been a dealer in fine pianos for more than forty years, it gives me great pleasure to continue to provide Lincoln and the surrounding area the opportunity to hear some of the great artists of the world. It is also fulfilling to assist young piano students with interacting with excellent teachers and clinicians. What a treasure the Piano Circle is for the Lied.

Mary-Ann

K.Clinton

My late husband (John) and I have loved music all our lives. However, our passion for classical piano started in 1967 when we learned that our four-year-old son Mark had extraordinary musical talent. From that time, we dedicated our efforts to help him develop his God-given talents. We recently discovered that Mark’s paternal grandmother was such an accomplished pianist that she had been awarded a music scholarship to attend Boston University in the 1930’s. Due to family reasons, she never fulfilled that dream. This made us realize that although God works in wonderful and mysterious ways, family genes may also have been involved. Following our move to Lincoln, John and I soon found a home for all things musical and cultural at the Lied Center. The growth of the Lied Piano Circle allowed us to contribute to having some of the best piano music in the world on the Lied stage. Our musical journey has been wonderful one, and my continued participation in the Piano Circle is an honor and privilege. I look forward to this year’s Piano Circle artists as they provide another season of exciting performances for our Nebraska audiences.