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Antoine Fougeray's Scriabin Preludes

This document provides program notes for six musical pieces that will be performed. It introduces the composers and historical context for each work. The pieces include two Preludes by Scriabin arranged by Fougeray, Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Sonata "Omaggio a Boccherini", an original Prelude 7 by Francisco Luis, Mertz's Liebeslied from Bardenklange, Tansman's Hommage a Chopin, and Rudnev's The Old Lime Tree. The document discusses the pieces' musical styles, influences, and significance within the classical guitar repertoire.

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141 views3 pages

Antoine Fougeray's Scriabin Preludes

This document provides program notes for six musical pieces that will be performed. It introduces the composers and historical context for each work. The pieces include two Preludes by Scriabin arranged by Fougeray, Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Sonata "Omaggio a Boccherini", an original Prelude 7 by Francisco Luis, Mertz's Liebeslied from Bardenklange, Tansman's Hommage a Chopin, and Rudnev's The Old Lime Tree. The document discusses the pieces' musical styles, influences, and significance within the classical guitar repertoire.

Uploaded by

Almeida
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
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  • 1, 2 Preludes by A. Scriabin
  • Sonata “Omaggio a Boccherini” by M. Castelnuovo-Tedesco
  • Liebeslied by J.K. Mertz
  • Hommage a Chopin, by A. Tansman
  • Prelude 7 by Francisco Luis
  • The Old Lime Tree by S. Rudnev

Program Notes

1. 2 Preludes by A. Scriabin (Arr: A. Fougeray)

Alexandre Scriabin (1872-1915) was a Russian composer from the late 19th century and
beginning of 20th century. Since he was a pianist, most of his works were written for that
instrument, especially in his early compositions, but he has developed his compositional
techniques and expanded his repertoire for orchestral pieces as well, being some of his most
famous the Poéme de Extase and Piano concerto Op. 20, for example. His compositional
language was, at the start, highly influenced by F. Chopin in terms of style, musical forms, and
character, but later developed towards a more unconventional harmonic structure in his
pieces, arriving, in his last days, to almost atonal sonorities.

The Op. 11 is a set of 24 preludes, and it is one of the clearest examples of the influence by
Chopin in his compositional styles at early ages, which can easily be hearable in the harmonic
textures that the piece presents. The same happens with the prelude for left hand, Op. 9.

Scriabin has always been one of my favorite composers of all time and has soon as I discovered
these transcriptions from Antoine Fougeray, I didn’t hesitate in looking into it and perform it
live.

2. Sonata “Omaggio a Boccherini”, by M. Castelnuovo-Tedesco


As the name suggests, the Sonata “Omaggio a Boccherini” is a work inspired by the Italian
composer Boccherini, from the classical era, and represents one of the biggest sonatas of the
classical guitar repertoire.

The sonata was written by M. Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968), an Italian pianist from the
20th century, who wrote most of his works for guitar. It was, at that time, revised and
performed by the Spanish guitarist Andres Segovia, who altered several things from the
manuscript, due to the technical difficulty and inconvenience of many passages. The Segovia
version was, until not long ago, the only one available, but later, new editions came, and the
manuscript also became accessible, creating a lot of diversity in the interpretation and
performance of the piece.

It is fair to say that this composer was particularly obsessed with articulation details, and
many times wrote those articulation notes has he would for the piano. Obviously, these
needed a bit of adaptation for the classical guitar, which is a “drier” instrument than the piano,
therefore there is a need to balance the staccato and legato features.

The sonata “Omaggio a Boccherini” is a 4-movement work, with a contrasting character


between all of them, and it was one of the most famous compositions of his repertoire. Other
remarkable pieces by M. Castelnuovo-Tedesco are the 24 Goya caprices; the guitar concerto
Op. 99, etc.
3. Prelude 7, by Francisco Luis

As explained in my artistic reflection, composing is an activity that has accompanied my


musical development since young ages, and it is rewarding to see the result of such work
gaining shape by playing live. It is also strongly linked to one of my main practices, improvising,
which I also perform frequently in concerts.
The prelude 7 is part of 10 set prelude, a work which will feature 4-5 pieces, all of them in
different tonalities, exploring the harmonical and melodical possibilities of the instrument.

This prelude is highly influenced by early Scriabin language, which, as I referred, consists in one
of my favorite composers. I believe that those influences will be noticeable in the harmonic
textures and voice leading of some modulations, together with the romantic character that the
piece contains.

4. Liebeslied, by J. K. Mertz

Liebeslied is a small piece which literally means, translated from German, “love song”. This
gem is part of the large set Bardenklange, one of the most significant works of J. K. Mertz.

J. K. Mertz (1806-1856) was a composer from the first half of the 19th century, which, opposed
to most of his guitarist contemporaries, follows the trends of composers such as Schubert,
Schumann, Chopin, etc.

The Bardenklange is a work that contains many guitar miniatures, which have most of times a
purely romantic character, with simple harmonical and melodical structure, and are technically
very fitting for the instrument. These works are frequently used as study pieces or music for
small and intimate venues; however, I believe that these contain a musical language which is
not very common in the classical guitar repertoire, having a strong of power of expression with
an extremely rewarding effect for any kind of audience.

5. Hommage a Chopin, by A. Tansman

This piece represents one of my favorite works of the classical guitar repertoire, and it is a
tribute to Chopin’s compositional style.

A. Tansman (1897-1986) was a polish composer from the 20th century, a virtuoso pianist and a
composer that travelled and performed in various tours around the world, such as in the U.S,
Italy, Japan, etc. Tansman has also wrote many works for classical guitar, some of them very
famous in our repertoire such as Cavatina, Piece en forme de Passacaille, Variations sur un
theme de Scriabin, etc.
One of his renowned works was precisely the Hommage a Chopin, a 3-movement piece which
builds up to the 3rd movement, the Valse Romantique, where the Chopin’s influence is
especially detectable: a grazioso character, with a romantic harmonical language and mazurka
feeling (3/4 meter).

Some people define Tansman’s music as a combination of the French neoclassical style with
some features of Polish popular influences. I believe that his compositional style has
developed through times, but there is no question about the existence of unconventional
harmonies that include many times 7th and 9th chords, or harsh dissonances, with rhythmical or
structural aspects of folk forms of Poland, such as the Mazurka, Polonaise, etc. The influence of
composers such as Chopin, Scriabin or Ravel are also quite visible in many of his compositions.

6. The Old Lime tree, by S. Rudnev

The old lime tree is a piece by the Russian composer Sergei Rudnev, and it is a folk song from
an original Russian tale, which speaks of a sacred tree with magical powers.

S. Rudnev (1955-) has written many pieces for classical guitar, most of them inspired by
popular and folk theme songs, being the Old Lime tree one of his most famous works. The
piece is a theme and variations, and in contrary to other pieces of the exam’s repertoire such
as Tedesco Sonata and Tansman’s Hommage a Chopin, it is supposed to be a “guitaristic” and
physically suitable work for the instrument, offering an extremely romantic and expressive
language.

Common questions

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Scriabin's compositional style evolved significantly over his lifetime, starting with a strong influence from Chopin in his early compositions, characterized by forms and harmonies similar to those of Chopin. As he developed, his music transitioned towards more unconventional harmonic structures, eventually reaching almost atonal sonorities by the end of his life .

Andres Segovia revised and performed M. Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s "Sonata 'Omaggio a Boccherini'," altering several passages due to technical difficulties. His version was the only one available for a long time, significantly influencing how the piece was interpreted and performed .

Segovia's version of Castelnuovo-Tedesco's "Sonata 'Omaggio a Boccherini'" was significant because it was the primary version available for performance for a long time. The availability of other editions and the original manuscript later on introduced more diversity in interpretation and performance, allowing musicians to explore various approaches to the piece .

"The Old Lime Tree" by S. Rudnev is designed to be "guitaristic," meaning it is composed to be physically suitable and comfortable for the guitar, unlike works such as Castelnuovo-Tedesco's "Sonata 'Omaggio a Boccherini'," which required adaptations for easier performance. Rudnev’s piece features a romantic and expressive style, aligned with the instrument's capabilities .

J. K. Mertz’s "Bardenklange" enriches the romantic guitar repertoire through its collection of miniatures that embody a strong romantic character, with expressive and simple harmonic structures. These pieces are popular for their emotional expression and are suitable for intimate settings, providing a unique style distinct from other classical guitar works of the time .

A. Tansman’s music incorporates elements of Polish folk traditions through rhythmical structures and forms such as the Mazurka and Polonaise. His use of unconventional harmonies, including 7th and 9th chords, alongside rhythmical patterns, also aligns with Polish folk characteristics, reflecting a blend of French neoclassical style and Polish cultural elements .

M. Castelnuovo-Tedesco's "Sonata 'Omaggio a Boccherini'" poses significant interpretative challenges due to its technical demands and the need for adaptation of articulation marks intended for piano. Musicians must balance the staccato and legato articulations effectively on the drier-sounding guitar, handling the sonata's contrasting movements and complex passages .

A. Tansman's "Hommage a Chopin" reflects Chopin's influence through its romantic harmonic language, grazioso character, and use of mazurka-like rhythms, particularly in the third movement, 'Valse Romantique.' This piece combines the French neoclassical style with Polish folkloric elements, showcasing intricate harmonies including 7th and 9th chords, and rhythmical structures reminiscent of Chopin's compositions .

Francisco Luis's Prelude 7 is influenced by Scriabin's early compositional language, reflecting Scriabin's harmonic textures and voice leading. The piece captures a romantic character similar to Scriabin’s works, with noticeable influences in the modulations and harmonic progressions employed by Luis .

Unlike most of his contemporaries who wrote for guitar, J. K. Mertz followed the romantic trends of composers like Schubert, Schumann, and Chopin. His pieces in "Bardenklange" feature simple harmonic and melodic structures with a strong expressive power, differing from the more complex classical guitar works of his contemporaries .

Program Notes 1. 2 Preludes by A. Scriabin (Arr: A. Fougeray) Alexandre Scriabin (1872-1915) was a Russian composer fr
3. Prelude 7, by Francisco Luis As explained in my artistic reflection, composing is an activity that has accompanied my
One of his renowned works was precisely the Hommage a Chopin, a 3-movement piece which builds up to the 3rd movement, the Va

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