Writings on Music
 Speyer, Germany  Claude Vivier 
 François Couperin
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Hans Werner Henze Ballet Variationen 1949 Matthias Pintscher En Sourdine I Tempo molto Moderato, quasi Adagio Franz Schubert Unfinished fragments for String Quartet and Piano Beethoven Sonata Op. 110 I Moderato Cantabile II Allegro molto III Adagio non troppo; Fuga Society has always maintained a very confused relationship with Beethoven. Now that he is universally revered, almost as the epitome of 'serious classical music' it is often difficult to form a real and personal appreciation of his music. Beethoven himself aided this unfortunate process by composing piano sonatas which (while it was understood would be sold mainly to talented amateur pianists) contained fingering and passage-work of a technicalcomplexity which discouraged and later barred this same class of musician from performing his music...(continued) ©Jonathan Ayerst Schumann Etudes Symphoniques Op.1 Jehan Alain Trois Pieces pour Grand Orgue 1. Variations sur un thème de Clément Jannequin “Cette pièce doit ètre jouée comme les Préludes dont parlait Couperin... ...avec fraîcheur et tendresse.” Jehan Alain With this instruction Alain sets a melody from the early 16th Century. True to the spirit of Couperin's organ solos the 'Hautbois' and 'Cromorne' stops are featured in the melodies, though the blend of early (strict) harmonisation with Parisian chromaticism is entirely unique....(continued) ©Jonathan Ayerst Gerard Grisey Quatre Chants pour franchir le seuil Gerard Grisey 1946-98 is another composer whose musical life has been dedicated to an intensive search for an original language. Applying a refined, intellectual approach to the study of acoustics and electronic music, Grisey was a founder member (with TristanMurail) of L'Itinéraire, a group of composers who produced the first pieces of 'Spectral Music'. This expression refers to their musical and philosophical approach to composition, accepting individual sounds not as objects within a system (such as tonality or twelve-tone music) but as “being living objects with a birth, lifetime and death”...(continued) ©Jonathan Ayerst Jorge E. Lopez Kammersymphonie Elliott Carter Eight Etudes and a Fantasy Born in New York 1908 Elliott Carter's amazing life span was celebrated in centenary concerts throughout the world during 2008. The extent of his creative journey, (which continues in a steady stream of composition to this day) is revealed in the meeting of Carter as a teenager with Charles Ives who sold insurance to his family and who encouraged and inspired the younger man's interest in composition. Educated at Harvard University, Elliott Carter was able to hear criticalAmerican premieres of the time, hearing works by Varese, Ives and in 1924 Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, which led him to Paris in 1932 to study with the celebrated teacher Nadia Boulanger. .. (continued) © Jonathan Ayerst Gordon Jacob Four Old Tunes J.S.Bach Lobet den Herrn alle Heiden BWV 225 Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Missa Brevis arr. J.S.Bach
Frederick Rzewski Coming Together Francois Couperin The
musical lineage of the Couperin family began with three brothers
Louis (c.1626-61), François (c.1631-1701) and Charles (1638-79) and
continued thereafter for nearly two centuries. Charles, who was the
father of today's composer was appointed organist at St. Gervaise in
Paris in 1661 and having undertaken his son's education it was
natural that François should be considered as a replacement for him
at St. Gervase. However by the time his son had reached seventeen
years old, the transition was already accomplished and what could not
be anticipated was that François should have also attained a level
in composition leading to the publishing in 1690 of the Pièces
d'orgue Consistantes en deux Messes. (continued) © Jonathan Ayerst Arnold Schönberg Three Pieces for Chamber Orchestra Anton Webern/ Friedrich Cerha Eight Fragments György Kurtág ...quasi una fantasia Op.27 Mauricio Kagel Chorbuch fur Vokalensemble und Tasteninstrumente 1. O mensch bewein2. Das neugeborne Kindelein 3. Nun komm den Heiden Heiland 4. Der du bist drei in Einigkeit 5. Puer natus in Bethlehem 6. Ich freue mich in dir 7. Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig 8. Ein feste Burg 9. Christ lag in Todesbanden 10.Christus der uns selig macht 11. Das walt mein Gott 12.Es ist genug |
