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Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland (Now comes the peoples Saviour)
The music of the Baroque era reached its height with the genius of J. S. Bach. A devout protestant, Bach
drew most, if not all of the inspiration for his composing from the Lutheran church. The original hymn
"Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland" was composed by Martin Luther as a reformed version of the verse
"Veni, redemptor gentium" of Ambrose of Milan's Gregorian chant "Intende qui regis Israel'. Bach
embellished and reharmonized Luther's hymn to make of it a new composition, far removed from the
original chant. Ferruccio Busoni has here transcribed Bach's original organ version for piano.
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Piano Sonata in E-flat, Op. 81a "Les Adieux"
Beethoven's 26th Piano Sonata, entitled "Les Adieux" (the Farewell), was dedicated to his patron the
Archduke Rudolph, who was forced to flee Vienna after Napoleon Bonaparte proclaimed himself emperor.
This Sonata, with its programmatic element, consists of three movements: "the Farewell," "the Absence,"
and "the Return." The harmonic content of each movement, with its extensive chromaticism and
diminished 7th chords, depict both the story behind Rudolph's departure and Beethoven's emotional
response. Beethoven marked the syllables "Le-be-wohl" over the three-note motive which begins the
Sonata. It is as if he, Beethoven, through the piano, was singing a sorrowful song to a lost friend.
Frederick Chopin (1810-1849)
Scherzo in B-flat minor, Op. 31
The 2nd Scherzo in B-flat minor is one of four composed by Chopin, and certainly one of the most
frequently performed of the composer's works. The word "scherzo," translated into English as joke or jest,
raises question to the solemn and sometimes disturbed nature by which Chopin composed these works.
Chopin himself said of this Scherzo that the opening section, which is composed of dramatic and abrupt
changes in character, should be played as if one were in a "house of the dead."
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Orage from Annees de pelerinage (Years of Pilgrimage)
The Swiss Years, the first set of pieces from the trilogy Years of Pilgrimage, was composed by Franz
Liszt in 1855. Each of the nine pieces in the set displays a musical portrayal of an inspired event during
Liszt's travels, such as an image of nature or art, or even the reading of selected literature popular at the
time. The fifth piece, Orage, is an unsettling yet heroic depiction of a thunderstorm. Liszt evokes the
sounds of thunder, lightning crashes and swirling winds by use of special pianistic effects and bold
harmonic innovations.
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Feux d'artifice (Preludes, Book Two)
Debussy's Feux d'artifice (Fireworks) is the pyrotechnic finale concluding the composer's two sets of
Preludes. This piece is considered one of the earliest examples of atonal composition, in which Debussy,
by means of swirling scales and arpeggios sets the music in motion, evoking an impressive and brilliant
visual display. "The slumbering smoke of Bengal candles emitting single sparks, the crackling of rockets,
the gradual parabolic descent of stars... the entire magic of light is contained in this music." (Alfred
Cortot)
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Etudes Op. 2, No. 1 - Allegro
This etude (study) was composed using an abundance of exotic scales and chordal sonorities, in which
Prokofiev created a robust and virtuosic display of pianism. Tonality here is obscured, but not absent. The
primary difficulties of this study are those of polyrhythmic overlap, large leaping gestures, and thin
melodies, which can be produced, only be means of the fifth finger of the right hand.
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