Essay VIII: a key work in the piano output of Christopher Bochmann

Christopher Bochmann's pianistic language is based on a fairly conventional instrumental technique, inherited from the 19th century pianistic tradition, yet encompassing characteristic features developed by authors associated with the 2nd Viennese School and post-serialism, as well as significant experiences in the fields of free forms and aleatoric music. The permeability to a neoclassical sensibility, probably stimulated by contact with Nadia Boulanger in the formative years, has remained over time and manifests itself from time to time, both in the use of techniques, genres and forms of the past, but also, more comprehensively, in a constant search for balance and proportionality, across all of Bochmann’s works. From 1991, the year he composed Essay VIII, for solo piano, Bochmann inaugurated his maturity phase, based on what he calls a “unified technique”. The significant consistency of his instrumental language from then on results, to a large extent, from the synthesis of previously explored elements that Essay VIII operates, as I intend to demonstrate throughout this essay. Furthermore, we shall see how specific traits, not always particularly idiomatic, of Bochmann’s pianistic idiom enhance the aural understanding of the compositional principles that structure the work in analysis, and how a successful performance of the work depends largely on the understanding and highlighting, through specific performance practices, of the composer’s choices

Il Furioso, April 11, 2013

This is the concert program of the Il Furioso performance on Thursday, April 11, 2013 at 8:00 p.m., at the Boston University Concert Hall, 855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts. Works performed were Sonata Seconda, La Cesta by Giovanni Pandolfi Antonio Mealli, Preludio Decimo and Aria di Florenza by Girolamo Giovanni Kapsberger, Ricercata Ottava by Giovanni Bassano, Sonata Terza, La Melana by Giovanni Pandolfi Antonio Mealli, Corrente Seconda by Girolamo Giovanni Kapsberger, Ciaccona by Alessandro Piccinini, Sonata Quinta, La Clemente by Giovanni Pandolfi Antonio Mealli, Canzon Quinta detta Bellerofonte by Girolamo Frescobaldi, Ballo del Granduca by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Sonata No. 3 in G Minor by Francesco Barsanti, and Chaconne in G Minor by Tomaso Vitali. Digitization for Boston University Concert Programs was supported by the Boston University Humanities Library Endowed Fund

The Puccini Code

Written in the style of novelist Dan Brown and using actual quotations from Puccini’s letters and other documents, the author creates the characters Prof. Segugio and her assistant Christie Hunter who explore Puccini’s compositional practices in the unfinished opera Turandot. They work toward solving the riddles of Puccini’s technique – parallel constructions, abrupt changes in texture and style, a sense of tonal coherence in polytonal or atonal settings – by reading contemporary and modern critics and by closely examining the scores. Prof. Segugio ultimately sorts Puccini’s unusual techniques into two compositional types: direct and indirect conflation, two forms of layering that combine to create a score with a diatonic basis be- neath modernistic elements. Documentary evidence supporting these conclusions is found in an unpublished note by the composer, at Yale’s Beinecke Rare Book Library, and in a rare sketch for Turandot’s finale with written indications by the composer

Vocal piano accompaniment: A constant research towards emancipation (2)

This is the second and last article in the series dedicated to the investigation of the evolution of vocal piano accompaniment through history and the role-played by the piano in its relationship with the voice. If the previous chapter focused from the beginnings of piano accompaniment to Franz Schubert, this one will take up again the analysis of the piano part from the last lieder of Franz Schubert to Arnold Schoenberg. The research method used continues to be based on the musical analysis of the piano part, addressing both issues of the piano itself and its link with the text and the vocal part. By means of musical examples of different composers, the article investigates all those aspects that provide evidence of the change in the role of the piano in the correspondence of the piano with the voice and its repercussion on the final result of the work. In this way, we will look at the history of piano accompaniment for voice and see how the influence of Schubert's conception of vocal piano accompaniment materializes in contemporary and later composers, as well as the crucial change in the history of the piano as an accompanying instrument introduced by Schubert. The results and conclusions drawn from the evolution presented in these two articles are presented at the end of the article, based on the different aspects involved in the musical event, such as rhythm, harmony or texture

Albéniz, Malats, Iberia and the ultimate "españolismo"

Iberia, a collection of twelve piano pieces arranged in four books of three pieces each, is by far Isaac Albéniz’s most famous composition. Responding to a letter from Albéniz to the pianist Joaquín Malats, in which the composer confessed that with the third book of Iberia he carried the “españolismo [Spanishness] to its ultimate extreme,” I will argue that there are subtle stylistic differences between books one and two on the one hand, and books three and four on the other. As Paul Mast has observed, Albéniz’s use of the whole-tone scale decreased in books three and four, “after their ‘French’ aspect had undoubtedly been pointed out to the composer” (Mast, 1974). I will not only unveil Albéniz’s specific use of the whole-tone scale, but also point out an alternative compositional strategy that fulfills the same function in books three and four. Moreover, this renewed “Spanishness” entailed not only an emphasis on folkloristic elements on the foreground level, but also a more sophisticated use of the Phrygian (flamenco) mode in Albéniz’s recapitulations on the dominant. In other words, Albéniz’s conception of “Spanishness” entailed the structural translation of one of the “quintessential” features of flamenco music

Análisis ejecutivo-interpretativo de la Sonata para piano no.1, op.22 de Alberto Ginastera

Este artículo pretende ofrecer herramientas analíticas acerca de diversos aspectos que sean de utilidad a los pianistas profesionales o en formación, para el estudio y ejecución de la Sonata para Piano No.1, Op.22 del compositor argentino Alberto Ginastera -- Se incluye un corto contexto histórico de la obra, con especial enfoque en el período creativo del que hace parte la Sonata, con el fin de familiarizar al pianista con la producción del compositor -- Cuenta el artículo además con un análisis de la estructura de la obra y de cada uno de sus movimientos y con consejos prácticos enfocados al aspecto técnico ejecutivo-interpretativo, cuyo fin es facilitar, tanto el estudio como la ejecución misma de la obra -- Se incluye también un breve análisis de tres grabaciones de la Sonata con comentarios generales relacionados con los asuntos puntuales atendidos en el artícul

A Pedagogical Study of Selected Piano Music of Miguel del Aguila

Miguel del Aguila (b. 1957) is an Uruguayan American composer who was nominated three times for Grammy Awards. He considers himself a postmodernist composer. His music shows various stylistic traits and strong influence from Latin American folk dances.;This research project focuses on the pedagogical study of eight piano compositions of Miguel del Aguila: Toccata , Op. 23 (1988) Piano Sonata No.2, Op. 29 (1988) Conga, Op. 39 (1993) Vals Brutal , Op. 48 (1995) Piano Concerto, Op. 57 (1997) Nocturne , Op. 62 (1998) Music in a Bottle , Op. 67 (1999) Half of Me , Op. 68 (2000).;This study includes a discussion of del Aguila\u27s education background, career and piano music, as well as analyses of the selected piano works and suggestions for addressing pedagogical concerns

ECHOES OF THE MASTER: A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL MAPPING OF ENRIQUE GRANADOS’ PEDAGOGICAL METHOD AND PIANISTIC TRADITION

The interpretation of the piano works of Enrique Granados has challenged musicologists and performers for decades. The performances of Granados have often been described as improvisatory and spontaneous, as if his creative artistry and natural talent denied following any rigid rules. He did not like to perform the same work in the same way more than once and even his compositional process was one of continual evolution. Further, anecdotes about Granados as teacher describe the way he encouraged his students to try different approaches in the performance of his pieces. However, this description of him as a relaxed and rather free spirit might be somewhat misleading. The pedagogical methods of Granados contain painstaking descriptions and guidelines for students and his comprehensive theoretical methods are supplemented by a series of practical exercises, some of which he demanded his students follow rigidly. In an effort to reconcile both sides of his artistic temperament and to steer the student of Granados’ piano works in the right direction, attempts have been made to develop authoritative editions of his works through the analysis of his recordings and scores under the supervision of well-known interpreters of his piano music. This thesis proposes that the formulation of an authentic interpretation of Granados’ piano music involves a fresh look at the source material. It re-examines Urtext in the light of additional, more up to date analytical approaches and reveals consistencies between his pedagogical methods and his own performances. It also draws on the knowledge and reminiscences of Spanish pianists who play an incredibly important role in terms of their direct lineage to the Granados/Catalan piano school, but who are perhaps not so well-known outside of the Spanish musical community. This shared information is brought together for the first time in this thesis and helps to colour a more vivid and complete portrait of one the most important Spanish musicians of all time

Baldomero Cateura, biografía y aportaciones musicales : la mandolina española y el pedalier sistema Cateura

En este detallado estudio, la Dra. Miriam Perandones nos ofrece una panorámica inédita de la música española de la segunda mitad del siglo XIX, que gira en torno a la polifacética personalidad de Baldomero Cateura (1856-1929), tenaz hombre de negocios, que sublimaba esta faceta con su dedicación a la música, en la Barcelona de la Exposición de 1888, abierta a Europa. Inventor de la mandolina española, para la cual ideó nuevos recursos, y del pedalier para piano, que interesó a muchos pianistas del momento, especialmente a Granados, y que mereció la medalla de oro de la Exposición Internacional de París de 1896. El estudio, detallista y pormenorizado, arroja mucha luz sobre intérpretes y compositores de la época, y abre nuevas expectativas de investigación.Dans son étude détaillée, la Dr. Miriam Perandones nous présente un panorama inédit de la musique espagnole de la deuxième moitié du XIXe siècle qui tourne autour de la personnalité polyvalente de Baldomero Cateura (1856-1929), un tenace homme d'affaires qui sublimait cette facette en se consacrant à la musique dans la Barcelone de l'Exposition de 1888, ouverte à l'Europe. Inventeur de la mandoline espagnole, pour laquelle il conçut de nouvelles solutions et du pédalier pour piano qui intéressa de nombreux pianistes de l'époque, en particulier Granados, et qui mérita la médaille d'or de l'Exposition internationale de Paris en 1896. Cette étude détailliste et minutieuse projette une nouvelle lumière sur les interprètes et les compositeurs de l'époque et permet des nouvelles possibilités de recherche.In this detailed study, Dr. Miriam Perandones presents us with an unpublished panorama of the Spanish music of the second half of the XIX century, which revolves around the multifaceted personality of Baldomero Cateura (1856-1929), a determined business man who uplifted this facet with his dedication to music, in the Barcelona of the Universal Exhibition in 1888, open to Europe. He invented the Spanish mandolin, for which he designed new resources, and the Piano-Pédalier, which interested many pianists of the time, especially Granados, and which won the gold medal at the International Exhibition of Paris in 1896. The study, meticulous and detailed, sheds much light on performers and composers of the time, and opens new avenues for research.In dieser detaillierten Studie bietet uns Dr. Miriam Perandones biete ein unveröffentlichtes Panorama der spanischen Musik der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts, die sich um die vielseitige Persönlichkeit Baldomero Cateuras (1856-1929) dreht, einen hartnäckigen Geschäftsmann, der seinen Beruf mit seiner Hingabe an die Musik im Rahmen der Barcelona- Ausstellung von 1888, die offen für Europa war, in künstlerische Leistung umsetzte. Erfinder der spanischen Mandoline, für die er sich neue Mittel ausdachte, und des Pedalklaviers, das viele Pianisten dieser Zeit interessierte, vor allem Granados, und das die Goldmedaille bei der Internationalen Ausstellung in Paris im Jahre 1896 gewann. Die detaillierte Studie befasst sich mit Interpreten und Komponisten dieser Epoche und eröffnet neue Aussichten für die Recherche

Pedagogical and Performance Aspects of Three American Compositions for Solo Piano: John Corigliano\u27s Fantasia on an Ostinato, Miguel del Aguila\u27s Conga for Piano, and William Bolcom\u27s Nine New Bagatelles

This research document focuses on three American compositions: John Corigliano\u27s Fantasia on an Ostinato, Miguel del Aguila\u27s Conga for Solo Piano, and William Bolcom\u27s Nine New Bagatelles. These three pieces fall into the category of standard contemporary works which require pianists\u27 advanced technique, sound exploration, and imagination. The intention of this research is to provide guidance for pianists and piano instructors who want to learn, perform, or teach any of these contemporary pieces. There are five chapters in this document. Chapter One highlights the existing literature regarding these three pieces. Chapter Two, John Corigliano, has three main sections. Section one includes a biography of John Corigliano. Section two focuses on how Corigliano has used minimalist technique, music quotation, and aleatoric elements in his Fantasia on an Ostinato. Section three highlights the major technical challenges and their possible solutions in the Fantasia on an Ostinato. It includes discussions of Bebung effect, metric modulation, aleatoric elements, hand shifting, and dynamic control. Chapter Three, Miguel del Aguila, also consists of three main sections. A biography of Miguel del Aguila is presented in section one. Section two provides a brief history of Conga as the Cuban drum and also as the Conga dance. Miguel del Aguila\u27s inspiration in writing the Conga Line in Hell is also discussed in section two. Section three focuses on the structural analysis and the performance concerns of this Conga. Clave pattern, distorted rhythms, salsa-like pattern, tango rhythm, glissando, tempo, dynamics, wrist movement, body posture and balance are discussed in section three. Similarly, Chapter Four, William Bolcom, has three main sections. A biography of William Bolcom is presented in section one. Bolcom\u27s significant piano solo works are discussed in section two, together with the placement of his Nine New Bagatelles among his piano solo works. Section three provides brief structural analysis of each bagatelle as well as the performance concerns of tempo, articulation, pedaling, division between hands, trills, dynamics, tone quality, balance of sound, and voicing in the Nine New Bagatelles. The summary is presented in Chapter Five