Apollo Arts is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating classical artistic experiences through ballet, music and theater performances.
Romantic Cello Recital
Dmitry Kouzov, cello
Yulia Fedoseeva, piano
Sunday, March 22, 2020
5:00 PM
APOLLO FESTIVAL HALL
Program Notes
by Ruth Atkins
Beethoven
Seven variations on Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte Wo0 46
Beethoven’s second set of cello and piano variations on music from Mozart’s Magic Flute derives from a duet between Pamina and Papageno. At this point, Pamina waxes lyrical, having just learned that Tamino loves her, and Papageno once again laments his loveless state. This set from 1801, written five years after the previous variations on Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen, still features the ambitious playfulness of Beethoven’s early period, but in a more sophisticated setting. Princess Pamina warrants a more elevated level of discourse than had been required by Papageno’s solo aria, for instance, so Beethoven’s simple melodic textures of the earlier work are here supplemented with elegant counterpoint.
The musical design by Mozart is laid out to showcase the two instruments equally. In the exposition of the theme one can follow the dialogue of the duet, with the piano as Pamina and the cello responding as Papageno. As the variations emerge, Beethoven‘s gift for structural clarity monitors ingenious exchanges between the instruments, articulating both light-hearted play and dramatic rivalry.
Beethoven
Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69
Allegro ma non tanto Scherzo
Allegro molto (in A minor)
Adagio cantabile
Allegro vivace
Composed during Beethoven’s middle period, this sonata bears similarities to the other major compositions of 1808: Piano Trios Op. 70 and the Choral Fantasy . Its spirit of serene assurance shows some resemblance also to the Sixth Symphony, which had its premiere that year. In general, the writing in op. 69 is thinner in texture than in the early cello sonatas, and it has been suggested that a more experienced compositional technique allowed Beethoven the confidence to exploit silences and “negative capability” - a hallmark of much of his music from this point onward.
The lyrical A major world of this third Sonata conveys Beethoven’s sublime creative stance before the French invasion of Vienna in following year would change his circumstances completely. The first movement opens rather like the slightly earlier Fourth Piano Concerto in which the work blossoms from a hushed statement by the piano. In this case, the cello enters softly and unaccompanied with a theme that gradually builds to a short piano flourish, to be repeated with the roles reversed. The contemporary cellist Steven Isserlis cites this as the first cello sonata in history to give the two instruments equal importance.
The Scherzo (ital. “joke”) finds the two instruments meandering from A minor to E minor and C major. They exchange fragments of a syncopated melody before staggering into the trio section, which affords a more melodic experience, with the cello singing in masterful double stops. In its final appearance, the scherzo, obviously amused with itself, tiptoes away on pizzicati.
The Adagio cantabile - technically only the prequel to the last movement - consists of a sweet lyrical moment which seems prematurely concluded by the Allegro vivace. Here, the vigorous whirling first theme is paired with a second one referencing the opening movement. After both instruments exercise their virtuosity as the themes are developed, an imaginative and gentle coda ushers the work to conclusion.
In his tragic letter known as the Heiligenstadt Testament, written in October 1802, Beethoven admitted that he had harbored thoughts of suicide. "It was only my art that held me back. Oh, it seemed to me impossible to leave the world until I had produced all that I felt was within me." Yet, in 1808, when his deafness was acute, this sonata, like several other works from the same period, resounds with a spirit of affirmation.
Schumann
Fantasiestücke, Op. 73
I. Zart und mit Ausdruck (Tender and with epression)
II. Lebhaft, leicht (Lively, light)
III. Rasch und mit Feuer (Quick and with fire)
The three short “Fantasy Pieces” of 1849 were written in just over two days. Each is in the A-B-A song form typical of Romantic miniatures, creating a sequence of nested patterns, each filled with abrupt changes in mood. Moments of deep introspection, followed by bursts of euphoria, represent the voices of Florestan and Eusebius, the split personalities which Schumann created to define the almost schizophrenic characteristics of his music. In these “songs without words”, each harmonic twist finds us in a new world of expression. Musical fragments toss and turn as they search for an ultimate resolution. The large ascending melodic intervals are characteristic of Schumann’s questioning nature and create a poignant atmosphere, even as the tempo increases. In the last movement, the opening motive introduces itself, repeats, and pauses. Listen at the end as it slips in at last for resolution.
Tchaikovsky
Pezzo capriccioso, op. 62
The first performance of the Pezzo capriccioso, in its arrangement for piano accompaniment, took place on February 28, 1888 during Tchaikovsky's visit to Paris. His friend, the cellist Anatoly Brandukov for whom he had conceived the work, was soloist, with the composer at the keyboard.
Tchaikovsky may have valued this version even more than the orchestral rendering, since in a letter to his publisher accompanying the piano arrangement and full score he included the note: “ I’ve written the full score anyway, and I don’t mind whether or not you print it or the parts; but I would be very glad if you print the piano arrangement. This piece is the single fruit of my musical spirit from the whole summer.”
The capriccioso aspect of the work comes from Tchaikovsky’s fanciful treatment of various aspects of the work’s simple theme, rather than from any lighthearted intention. Couched in B minor, the key most often associated with somber occasions, it resonates emotionally with the composer’s Pathétique Symphony. Despite some rapid passages and a nod to the major key, Tchaikovsky maintains a consistent pulse and sober mood throughout. The circumstances surrounding its creation compounded Tchaikovsky’s characteristic disposition to suffering: he was caring for a close friend in the last stages of illness. His ability to transform suffering is often exercised to a limit but here, as elsewhere, never exceeded.