PROKOFIEV: SYMPHONY NO. 5 IN B FLAT

PROKOFIEV: SYMPHONY NO. 5 IN B FLAT

JUDY ADAMS

Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, David Oistrakh, conducting Melodiya/Angel (R-40003) newly recorded in the USSR

Aesthetically

There is a very important factor concerning classical musicߞyou don’t get rired or bored after listening to a piece more than once at a sitting. In fact, each time you hear it, you find in it something new. In general, classical music of xthe twentieth centry certainly emphasizes this. Since the Impressionistic period, composers have disregarded pure from for the more aesthetic aspects in music. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that contemporary music is more profound, because that is primarily up to the listener; but it deals with more abstract things.

Prokifiev’s Fifth Symphony is a perfect example of the above. It doesn’t dictate to you how you’re supposed to feel. Of course, it gives you subtle hints, but never obvious ones. Unlike pieces that will let you experience something of the composer, the Fifth Symphony enables you to relive your own experiences. Because sections of the symphony are melancholic, while others are majestic and elated, you will find it easy to listen to, no matter how you are feeling.

Practically

The Fifth Symphony was written by Prokofiev to refute the idea that the medium of pure philosophic symphonism is alien to him. It is true that much of his symphonic works had been bom of theatrical images (Suite from Romeo and Juliet, the Scythian Suite, his third and fourth symphonies, the Alexander Nefsky Cantat), but the Fifth Symphony dared to break the tradition.

The originality of the first movement is in its slow singing strato, in the domination of elevated thought over concrete, living action, in the very method of its development: slowly built layers of selfsufficient melodic lines and instrumental dialogues.

Listening to the second movement, it is possible to remember the scherzo moods of Prokofiev’s lyrical comedies and the enchanting atmosphere of light, youthful pranks in which theater her os fall in love. Halfway through, his fantasy-like scherzo appears for just a moment-a naive song like that from a piece of children’s music. It suddenly discloses a fragment of reality as concrete and familiar. Everything is then turned upsidedown-the jolly masks become menacing jesters of wicked freaks, and monsters launched into an evil dance, laughing and sneering at the world of rainbow hopes.

The third movement, an adigio, opens with a special power of light lyricism, ripe, healthy and life offering. The song element in the beginning soon gives way to dramatic declamation, even more inspired, reaching climactic points

saturated with funereal tragedy, and then again appears the light of calm, noble meditation.

Reminiscences from the first movement opening the path toward the final movement (allegro giacoso) again establish the basic philosophical direction taken by the whole composition-the idea of the triumphing, courageous and mature spirit. And then unrolls a colorful festive panacea and an incessant flood of brilliant carnival activity. Towards the end, the contagious merriment of the festivity again triumphs, echoing with living peals of human laughter.

In the clear, optimistic tone of the Fifth Symphony, Prokofiev’s “feeling of a healthy country and energies and forces hidden in it” are expressed in the thoughts and mood of the piece. Here in the images is hidden a living presence of the hard-won morrow of the Soviet Union. _

Hora Staccato

The Philadelphia Orchestra/

Eugene Ormandy Conducting Columbia-MS 7146 PRACTICALLY: AND AESTHETICALLY

Hora Staccato is another musical Reader’s Digest. Performed by the strings of the Philadelphia Orchestra, it is very disappointing to see a great orchestra stoop to playing the “Oldies but Goodies” album Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops should have done. The pieces chosen are all semi-classical “hits” with no intrinsic value except for background music at the A&P.

Nelson Freire-lJ S.

Debut Recording Tchaikovsky: Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Minor for Piano and Orchestra Grieg: Concerto in A Minor for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 16 Schumann: Concerto in A Minor for Piano and Orchestra, Op.24

Columbia-M2X 798

PRACTICALLY

Tchaikovsky’s first piano concerto’s immense popularity is due to its tunefulness, brilliant orchestrations and its somewhat theatrical exhibition of Romantic emotionalism. In the programmatic tone-poems, Tchaikovsky was not plagued with the need of fitting his ideas into the conventional mould of the concerto.

The first movement begins in a majestic manner with a rather lengthy exposition. Both the orchestrations I and solos are dramatic throughout the movement. The most important aspect about the second nhovement is that Tchaikovsky included a solo for violin and cello|in piano concerto. The third rhovement clearly indicates that Tchaikovsky was a nationalistic composer because of its resemblance to Slavic folk dances.

Nationalism in Norway was represented by Edvard Grieg (1843-1907). 0ne of his better known works is |his Piano Concerto in A Minor. The! weaknesses in this work stem frorp his tendency to think always in tjwo or four measure phrases and his problem of achieving ; rhytmic continuity and formal unity in long passages, jffis piano style with its delicate melahcholic grace owes something to Chapin, but his biggest influences were Norwegian folk songs and dances.

The Schumann concerto was not originally intended to be a concerto. The three movements were composed separately, with the first (Phantasie) to be sold on its own—but a full length concerto was more marketable.

Schumann intended his music not only to be considered as patterns of sounds but in some manner to suggest extra-musical poetical aspects.

The twenty-four year old Brazilian pianist Nelson Freire gives each of the concertos a bright new sound. He gives them all of the Romantic expression the three composers intended them to have.

AESTHETICALLY

These concertos are are all culminating points of the Romantic period. They emphasize expression over form. All being of minor tonality, they have that hypnotic quality of sensualistic pathos. The Tchaikovsky concerto is probably the most famous but only because of • Van Cliburn, who to some people is the world’s greatest pianist only because he played this concerto to win the Tchaikosky competition in Russia. The Schumann concerto and the Grieg concerto are my favorites mainly because there are many dramatic moments to stir emotional reflexes as well as continual melodic and harmonic surprises and subtle plays of rhythm.

The Virtuoso Brass of Three Great Orchestras Performing the Antiphonal Music of Gabrieli Philadelphia Brass Ensemble Cleveland Brass Ensemble Chicago Brass Ensemble

Columbia-MS 7209

PRACTICALLY

In the sixteenth century, Venice, (next to Rome) was the most significant city in the Italian peninsula. The focal point of Venetian musical culture was the great eleventh century cathedral of St. Mark with its Byzantine domes, its bright gold mosaics and it massive interior swimming in faint greenish-gold light. Giovanni Gabrieli, (1557-1612) greatest of the Venetian masters, was a choice master there.

The majority of the pieces on this album were taken from his Sonata Pian’e Forte and his Sacrae Symphoniae. The Sonata is essentially nothing but a double-chorus motet for instruments. This piece owes its prominent place in music history books less to its intrinsic musical worth than to the fact that it is one of the first instrumental ensemble pieces printed which designated particular instruments for each part. It is also one of the first pieces that indicates dynamic markings. His Sacrae Symphoniae (1597) is from the same collection in which his Sonata was published.

It must be remembered that in the sixteenth century, trombones came in five sizes from bass to soprano and that their tone was considerably softer than that of the modern instrument.

AESTHETICALLY

The music of the late Renaissance, especially brass ensembles, is often difficult listening at first. Because sixteenth century music has less expressive qualities than nineteenth century music, for example, a listener does not get as involved emotionally. This particular album of Gabrieli’s music for brass is ultra-formal and sounds as if it should only be performed in a medieval castle.