Henryk Gorecki, 1933 - 2010

Henryk Mikołaj Górecki passed away Friday at age 76. His Symphony of Sorrowful Songs is currently being played at http://www.weta.org/fm in his honor. The recording featuring soprano Dawn Upshaw and the London Sinfonietta under David Zinman made this work famous, and that is the version being played right now.

Reprise

Tuning in to Classical WETA last night, I quickly recognized the music playing as Rachmaninov's Symphony No. 3. The more I listened, the more I was startled by evidence of fresh insights, passages that before didn't seem to serve a strong purpose but which now served as indispensable landmarks helping to propel the work forward to its end.

Because I stopped listening part of the way through the final movement, I had to wait until today to find out who the mystery conductor was. It turns out this 1990 recording was conducted by Andrew Litton (and played by the Royal Philharmonic). I consider it a nice coincidence that I should experience such an affirmation of the merits of two individuals I had so recently praised here.

Rachmaninov Triumphs in Exclusive Poll

The August 2010 issue of BBC Music Magazine features a story on "The 20 Greatest Pianists Ever." While this sounds like just another marketing gimmick, the story itself is actually interesting. You get to see who many of today's top pianists consider their three favorite pianists from among those who left behind recordings, and this gives you an idea of who their influences or idols were. You also get a quick education on some of the terminology associated with pianistic virtues.

The winner of the poll, based on the collected opinions of "100 of today's finest players" was Sergei Rachmaninov, who also appears on the front cover.

Inspiring Suggestions

"O Mozart, immortal Mozart, how many, how infinitely many inspiring suggestions of a finer, better life have you left in our souls?" --Franz Schubert

A December Concert

When Yuja Wang, Andrew Litton, and the NSO debuted Jennifer Higdon's Piano Concerto last December at Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center, I was one of those seated in the chorister seats behind the stage. (The program also included a Rimsky-Korsakov suite from The Snow Maiden and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 1 "Winter Dreams.") Even though there was nothing on the program I had been anxious to hear, this ended up being one of the best concert experiences of my life so far.

There was the experience of seeing Higdon herself walk onto the stage and address the crowd, only to find out that hers was a contemporary work I could enjoy. Then, there was the experience of watching (from over and behind the stage) Andrew Litton conduct my local orchestra, the National Symphony. I've heard them play a good number of times now, but I had never heard them sound as refined as they did that night. I wonder how many other lesser known works would be so easy to grasp and to enjoy under his baton?

This concert was also my introduction to pianist Yuja Wang, who it turns out is one of the most famous young pianists in the world today. The style of the Higdon concerto did not allow me to learn much about her playing beyond her considerable technique, but I've since listened to some of her recordings with Deutsche Grammophon and am particularly impressed with her playing of Stravinsky's Three Movements from Petrushka. Incidentally, whether or not you're a fan of Stravinsky, I recommend this work.

In the past, my choice of concerts to attend was based almost entirely on the works being performed. Now, however, I've learned how rewarding it can be simply to experience the rich elements of the classical music culture of our day. Indeed, rather than being disappointed by a mediocre performance of a favorite work, it is sometimes better to experience something wholly new under the guidance of great and inspired artists. In the case of this December concert (the tickets for which were a surprise gift from my girlfriend), I couldn't have asked for a better early Christmas present.

Essential Stravinsky

• The Firebird Suite
• Le Sacre du printemps ("The Rite of Spring")
• Les noces ("The Wedding")
  
• Petrushka
• Symphony in Three Movements
• Symphony of Psalms
• The Rake's Progress (opera)

Essential Prokofiev

• Symphonies Nos. 1 "Classical" and 5
• Piano Concerto No. 3
• Violin Concertos Nos. 1 and 2
• Lieutenant Kije Suite
• Romeo and Juliet
• Peter and the Wolf
• Piano Sonata No. 7

Essential Rachmaninov

• Piano Concertos Nos. 1, 2, and 3
• Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
• Symphony No. 2
• Preludes (Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2; Ten Preludes, Op. 23; Thirteen Preludes, Op. 32)
• Vespers

Essential Ravel

• Piano Concerto in G
• Daphnis et Chloe
• Bolero
• La valse
• Rapsodie espagnole ("Spanish Rhapsody")
• String Quartet in F
• Gaspard de la nuit ("Demons of the night", for piano)
• Le Tombeau de Couperin ("Tombeau for Couperin", for piano)
• Pavane pour une infante defunte ("Pavane for a dead infanta", for piano)

Essential Shostakovich

• Symphonies Nos. 1, 5, 7 "Leningrad", and 10
• Cello Concerto No. 1
• Piano Concerto No. 2
• String Quartet No. 8
• 24 Preludes and Fugues
• Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District (opera)

Essential Liszt

• Faust Symphony
• Les Preludes (for orchestra)
• Piano Concerto No. 1
• Annees de pelerinage ("Years of Pilgrimage", for piano)
• Hungarian Rhapsodies
• Piano Sonata in B Minor
• Transcendental Etudes

Essential Mahler

• Symphonies Nos. 1, 2 "Resurrection", 4, 5, 8, and 9
• Das Lied von der Erde ("The Song of the Earth")
• Kindertotenlieder (song cycle)

Reboot

During November of last year, I began posting lists of essential works by some of the more prominent composers. The works I chose were those that appeared at least half the time in the references I consulted; they do not reflect a personal bias (except in the collection of references I chose to consult). In this way, I tried to filter out the "championing" of certain works by different publications while retaining those works which by consensus are important and notable.

I thought these lists would be useful to someone who is approaching certain composers for the first time. As for the accompanying images, I carefully selected ones I felt projected something of the musical essences of the composers they represent here.

In the weeks ahead, I'll continue on posting essential works for several more composers. After this, CMB will return to a style closer to that found in the posts from January through March of 2009.

Essential Debussy

• La Mer
• Nocturnes (for orchestra)
• Prelude to "The Afternoon of a Faun"
• String Quartet in G minor
• Children's Corner (for piano)
• Images, Sets 1 and 2 (for piano)
• Preludes, Books 1 and 2 (for piano)
• Suite Bergamasque (for piano, includes "Clair de Lune")
• Pelleas et Melisande (opera)
  

Life Energy

Witty verbal inventions that spring to mind can seduce writers into inaccurately portraying their meanings or even losing sight of them altogether. The good artist, I would think, resists this kind of temptation over and over to produce work of integrity.

Of our experiences, it is the demonstration of life energy that inspires us and impresses upon us its vehicle. A work of art borne of patience, discipline, and strong, well-understood meanings retains the energy its creator poured into it and helps to extend the meaningfulness of its creator's existence beyond his or her physical departure from this world.