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| Paganini Caprices for Violin and Piano | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 18 2008, 08:01 PM (174 Views) | |
| pianojerome | Dec 18 2008, 08:01 PM Post #1 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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In December 1922, the Russian violinist-composer Joseph Achron wrote to his friend Solomon Rosowsky: "Now I am busy at an interesting work: I am writing piano accompaniments to etudes by Paganini, for whose music I have a high esteem. Six out of 24 etudes are already completed. I consider that I did this work successfully." (the whole letter is printed in Philip Moddel's biography of Achron, which, by the way, is an excellent story-like biography, although unfortunately only 60 pages and out-of-print) As far as I know, Achron didn't get through all 24 caprices, but 11 of them were recorded by Ingolf Turban and Jascha Nemtsov, and you can hear samples of them here: http://www.amazon.com/A-capriccio/dp/B000QQUX6O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1229655298&sr=8-1 It's an interesting idea, to take a work which was composed (very successfully) to be played solo, and to try and add even more to it. The question is, does the piano part really add anything, or is it just extra fluff? Of course the first arrangement that I listened to was the 24th caprice, and I was a little disappointed -- despite my general admiration for Achron's work, my impression was that the piano part in this caprice didn't really add anything - it seems, in a way, "fluff." (although the more that I listen to it, the more it intrigues me; but the rhythm is still boring!) On the other hand, some of the others are very interesting, where Achron has added new rhythms, harmonies, chromatic lines, etc. The rhythms and harmonies in #9 remind me a little of Brahms. The chromatic lines in #13 add an interesting character to the piece. One of the potentials of doing such a project is that you can play around with the harmonies -- you can take a passage by Paganini which, by itself, implies a certain progression, but then add a piano part which changes the progression (for example, by ending a cadence on VI instead of I, or by adding a new root to create 7th chords, etc). Or you can take rhythms in Paganini's violin part, and then toy around with them in the piano part. I don't have the scores for these, but if I could find them, I think it would be really interesting to see what Achron was doing. Any thoughts, on the idea and/or the recordings? I'm trying to imagine a composer adding piano parts to the Bach solo cello suites, which is the same idea; it's hard to imagine, because Bach's music (and Paganini's) is already so good by itself! |
| Sam | |
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| Mikhailoh | Dec 19 2008, 04:43 AM Post #2 |
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
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I don't know, Sam. I listened to some of them thinking my daughter and I might try them. But I do believe they are a bit beyond our skill level. You are such a talent! |
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Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball | |
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| Phlebas | Dec 19 2008, 05:01 AM Post #3 |
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Bull-Carp
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The Achron/Paganini pieces are pretty interesting. I heard a few of them years ago - including the one for the famous #24. He adds a lot to them - especially harmonically and rhythmically. Much more than the "boom-chuck, boom-chuck" of what Schumann did with his piano accompaniment. As far as Bach goes, he used movements from the solo string suites for keyboard, so he's already added his own accompaniment - the Bouree from the 3rd suite, for example. [edit] I forgot, andother really good example is the prelude to the 3rd violin partita, Bach used as a Synfonia to one of the cantatas. |
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Random FML: Today, I was fired by my boss in front of my coworkers. It would have been nice if I could have left the building before they started celebrating. FML The founding of the bulk of the world's nation states post 1914 is based on self-defined nationalisms. The bulk of those national movements involve territory that was ethnically mixed. The foundation of many of those nation states involved population movements in the aftermath. When the only one that is repeatedly held up as unjust and unjustifiable is the Zionist project, the term anti-semitism may very well be appropriate. - P*D | |
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