Schumann holds a very special place in my heart. When I was young, I found his music to be pretentious, overly heavy, and unbearable. It wasn’t until I was well into my adult years that I came to appreciate his music.
Two of his best-known works are the “Album for the Young” and “Scenes from Childhood.” Many pianists studied this music in their youth – I was no exception. The pieces in this collection are fairly short and repetitive, and makes for great recital music for young pianists. And, like many young pianists, I endured, but never enjoyed playing these pieces. I always had a picture in my mind of a very serious Schumann towering over a young pianist, saying “not good enough! Practice more!” But now I think that while these pieces might be written for young fingers, their emotional content is intended for adults. There is a longing, a nostalgia, in this music that is too mature for little minds. If you play the piano, I would encourage you to get a copy and learn them; you will be richly rewarded.
Today’s pieces are two separate pieces from the Album for the Young. I believe they were meant to be played together.
The end of the 19th century saw a sudden explosion of interest in folk music, especially of non-Western-European cultures. From the spicy Spanish-Gypsy flavor of Bizet‘s Carmen, through the Hungarian dances of Liszt and Brahms, to the misty temples of Debussy‘s Pagodas, audiences soaked up music that they had never heard before.
Harry T. Burleigh was an African-American musician who helped to bring the folk music and spirituals of African-Americans to the concert stage. He achieved fame as a singer and arranger in New York, where he met and sang for Dvořák. It is said that Burleigh’s singing influenced Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony.
This cheerful little piece for violin and piano is a perfect example of Burleigh’s skill at blending African-American melodies and rhythm with the European style of composition.
When enjoying art, music, literature, etc., it’s so easy to get fixated on big names – the Picassos, Beethovens, or Dickens (Dickenses?). Over-indulgence of these big names often means little gems get overlooked. José Silvestre White Lafitte was an Afro-Cuban virtuoso violinist who left us only a few composed works. He lived a long life, traveled the world, and received accolades for his violin playing. Here is his “La Bella Cubana”, a habanera, which (likely) captures the sound of 19th century Cuba in a more authentic way than some more famous 20th century American examples.
The music is great. The video, however, changes camera angles WAY too often. The piece ends at 5:45, and after that it’s a fade-out replay.
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