Caprice VariationsViolin Sonata

GEORGEROCHBERG

PeterSheppardSkærvedviolinAaronShorrpianomade and printed in the UK metier records division, divine art recordings group

Habeneck Stradivari 1734photograph: © Clarissa Bruce

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GEORGE ROCHBERG Violin Sonata Caprice Variations

CD ONE

Violin Sonata (1988)1 I Sarabande (Molto adagio con tenerezza) 6.10 2 II Scherzo capriccioso (con spirito) 5.143 III Ardentemente – 7.364 – Adagio 6.49

Caprice Variations (1983)5 1 Allegro energico 1:166 2 Presto 0:567 3 Allegro molto e con fuoco 1:038 4 Poco allegro ma quasi recitando 2:099 5 Poco agitato ma con molto rubato 0:4210 6 Poco allegretto ma con rubato 1:3711 7 Presto (after Beethoven Op. 74 Scherzo) 0:5712 8 Languido (after Schubert Waltz Op.9, No.22) 2:1413 9 Non troppo presto (after Brahms Op. 35, Bk.1, No.2) 0:3814 10 Vivace (after Brahms Op. 35, Bk. 1, No.3) 0:5615 11 Andante (after Brahms Op.35, Bk.1, No.11) 1:4316 12 Andante con moto (after Brahms Op. 35, Bk.1, No.12) 1:3917 13 Feroce, energico (after Brahms Op. 35, Bk.2, No.10) 1:0918 14 Alla guitarra; allegretto con molto rubato 2:2819 15 Con grazia; un poco agitato 1:4120 16 Andante amoroso 1:4521 17 Poco adagio 2:0622 18 Allegro fantastico 2:1023 19 Vivace 1:1224 20 Quasi cadenza; andante con molto espressivo 3:0225 21 Allegro con brio (after Beethoven Symphony No.7, Finale) 0:5126 22 Molto espressivo e cantando 1:5127 23 Andante grazioso e tranquillo 3:10

Total duration CD1 63.17

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Caprice Variationswasrecordedon28&30August2000atSt.John’sChurch,Loughton,Essex,England.PreviouslyissuedonMetierMSVCD92065℗2003MetierSound&VisionLtdEngineeredandproducedbyDavidLefeber

Violin Sonata wasrecordedataliveconcerton23February,2004attheSteveandJudyTurnerRecitalHall,BlairSchoolofMusic,VanderbiltUniversity,Nashville,TN,USATheartistsandMetierexpresstheirthankstoTheBlairSchoolofMusicfortheirconsenttotheuseofthisrecording.℗2011DivineArtLtd.

Photographsonthispage:PeterSheppardSkærvedandGeorgeRochberg,Germany2002andPennsylvania2000Allphotographswithinthebookletcourtesyof‘PSS’

Coverdesign:DavidLefeber,re-setbyStephenSuttonBooklet/packagingdesign:StephenSuttonCover/inlayimage:PhotographsbyVitaLitvakaftersculpturesofGeorgeRochbergbyChristopherCairns

©2011DivineArtLtd.ProducedbyMetierRecords,divisionoftheDivineArtRecordingsGroup

Caprice VariationsispublishedbyGalaxyMusicCorporation

Violin SonataispublishedbyTheodorePresser

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GEORGE ROCHBERG Caprice Variations

CD TWO1 24 Allegretto 0:412 25 Scherzo 0:373 26 Con brio 0:454 27 Aria 2:485 28 Molto agitato 1:196 29 Lento ma non troppo 2:14 7 30 Poco allegretto e leggiero 1:308 31 Molto adagio 2:399 32 Allegro assai; burlesco 1:2510 33 Moderato; con amor 1:3611 34 Molto adagio 3:0512 35 Allegro molto; fantastico 2:0513 36 Largo; sereno 4:3614 37 Barcarolle 1:5115 38 Can-can tempo; presto 1:1616 39 Elegiac; fantastico 3:1217 40 Robust; do not rush 1:0518 41 Allegro molto (after Webern Passacaglia Op.1) 0:3919 42 Nocturnal; slow 2:3920 43 Andantino 2:0521 44 Scherzo (after Mahler Symphony no. 5 Scherzo) 1.1222 45 Presto 0.2923 46 Bravura: sempre recitando: in the grand manner 1.4824 47 Arabasque: fantastico 2.4225 48 Moderately fast: fantastico 2.0026 49 Feroce 2.5527 50 Fantasy 2.5528 51 Quasi presto: robust (Paganini’s Theme – Caprice XXIV) 0.40 Total duration CD2 52.52

PETER SHEPPARD SKÆRVED (violin)AARON SHORR (piano – CD1, tracks 1-4)

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GEORGE ROCHBERG REMEMBERED: A LIVE RECORDING.byPeterSheppardSkærved(Autumn2010)

IntheSpringof2004,AaronShorrandIfoundourselvesinNashville,Tennessee.WeweretheretocelebratetheworkandlifeofGeorgeRochberg;itwashiseightyfifthbirthdaythatyear,sowetouredaprogrammeofhisviolinandpianomusic.TherecordingoftheViolin Sonata onthisCDwasrecordedlive,atthatconcert,whichwaskindlyorganisedbytheBlairSchoolofMusic,VanderbiltUniversity,undertheauspicesofGeorge’sstudent,MichaelAlecRose,himselfawonderfulcomposer.

LetterfromGeorgeRochbergtoPSS(April26th2004):“…problem is: like the Mississippi River, which literally changes course over time, the question of what ‘art’ is has shifted and changed meaning over the last 3 centuries. BUT – and very big ‘BUT’ – I hold to the variation idea that while the surface may change from variation to variation, underneath there remains a stable, unchanging core.”

In July2005, Iwas spendingaweek ‘under the radar’ inBerkeleyCalifornia.Onebeautifulmorning, thetelephonewent.IrememberclearlywhereIwas,aloneinthesmallkitchenofalittlehouseoffUniversityAvenue.Nobodyelsewasup, and I hadmademyself a hopeful cupof coffee. Thephone callwasnot asurprise.GeorgeRochbergwasdead.

Someweeksearlier,Georgehimselfhadrungme,inthemiddleofthenight, inLondon.Hehadnotbeenwell,andwasgoingintohospital.Thelastthatwehadbeentogetherwasthepreviousspring,whenAaronShorrandIhadtouredtheeasternseaboardwithaprogramme,centredontheViolin Sonata,celebratinghis85thbirthday.Since thattimeasalways,ourcommunicationhadbeenmainlyby letter,andnocturnalphonecalls.

Georgeoncewrotetomethathebelievedin:“...erasing all walls and borders based on historicity and aesthetic purities and declaring an all-at-once world within which all that matters once again is craftsmanship of the ancient kind, taste of the kind Mozart, and Haydn possessed, judgement of the kind Bach and Beeth. [sic] and Brahms and Bartók applied to every major decision they made; ‘as far as I’m concerned it’s back to basics , nothing to hide behind, not even so called ‘talent’.”(LettertoPSS,April3rd2001)

Georgewas apolemicist bynature, and liked to ringup for a fight.Onmore thanoneoccasion,when Iwason tour inAsia,havingextractedmyhotel roomnumber frommywife inLondon,hehadcalculatedthefewhoursofthenightwhenImightbesleeping,andringme,toask ‘whyIwasnotpractising?’.Thecontentofthesecallswasnormallysulphurous,uproarioustiradesonthesubjectof‘theworldgoingtohellinahandbasket’,onrepublicans,onpainters,politicians,overeating,everything–alotlikehisimpassionedcorrespondence.

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Aaron’s recordings, as well as the ongoing “Beethoven Explored” series forMetier with Peter SheppardSkærved,withwhomhehasworkedforwellovertenyears,also includediscsofrareSchubert,musicbyCesarCui,HansWernerHenzeandSadieHarrison.

In1992,AaronwasappointedProfessorofPianoattheRoyalAcademyofMusic,andsince2007hasbeenHeadofKeyboardandCollaborativePianoattheRoyalScottishAcademyofMusicandDramainGlasgow

Violins played in this recording:CapriceVariations:AntonioStradivari1734‘Habeneck’Sonata:AntoniaStradivari1699‘Crespi’

TheviolinusedforperformanceofCaprice Variations isoneofthemostrenownedInstrumentsproducedbyAntonio Stradivari. Theearliest labelled instrumentby thismakerdates from1666; this violin, the socalled“Habeneck”,wasmadebythemasterin1734,whenhewas90yearsold.Inthefirsthalfofthe19thcentury, itwas the violin playedby the great French virtuoso and conductor, François-AntoineHabeneck(1781). Habeneck was a student of Viotti’s pupil, Baillot, and was initially supported by the EmpressJosephine. He was responsible for pioneering early performances of the Beethoven symphonies, anddirected,fromthisviolin,thepremièreperformancesofRossini’sWilliam Tell, Meyerbeer’sLesHuguenots andBerlioz’sSymphonie Fantastique. In the latteryearsof the20th century, theviolinwasmostnotablytheinstrumentofthegreatEnglishvirtuoso,RalphHolmes,whodiedtragicallyyoungin1984,shortlyafterrecordingwhatisgenerallyregardedasthedefinitiverecordingoftheDeliusconcertoonthisinstrument.

The‘Habeneck’StradivariusispartofthecollectionoftheRoyalAcademyofMusic,London.

SculptorChristopher Cairns livesandworksatHaverfordCollege,Pennsylvania.Hehasassembleda roomofvarious-sizedRochbergheads,portraitsofthecomposer,madeinvariousmaterials:plaster,bronze,wax.Theself-containedroomwillalsodisplayportraitdrawingsofthecomposeraswellasvariousotherartefacts,includingperhapsportraitsofRochbergbyotherartists.

http://www.christophercairns.com

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LettertoPSS(April26th2004):“Things are really looking up as the disintegration of our world; our culture enters – what stage of self destruct I keep wondering? – into high gear.”

Butthiscallwasdifferent.Wetalkedaboutthedangerousoperationthathehaddecidedtohave,albeitinaverypragmaticway.Ingeneral,GeorgerelatedtotheEnglishapproachtolife;outspokenoneverysubjectexcepttheemotions,exceptourhopes,fears,anddreams.Butonthatnight,hepausedandsaidsomethingquiteunexpected,andwhichdisturbedmesuchalotthatIcouldnotevenbringmyselftowriteitdown,notimmediately.

“I am planning on saying a lot less. I have made a lot of noise in the world, and now it is time to make less. Now it is your turn….”(PhoneCalltoPSSSpring2005)

Thatwasthelastconversationthatwehad,andthemomentthatouractivecollaborationended.Heneverrecoveredfromtheoperation,andIfoundmyselfstandinginaCaliforniakitchen,theapparentsorrowofhispassingatmarkedoddswiththeoutrageousbeautyofthemorning.

Georgesawmenattheirworstandattheirbest.HewasbadlyinjuredinoperationOverlord,butrecoveredintimetotakepartinthemarchonBerlin.Indeed,whenheandIweretravellinginGermany,hepointedoutwherehehadfirstdreamtupthethematicmaterial,which,muchlater,wouldbecometheViolin Sonata.Hehadfacedwar’shorrorwithacouragethatIcouldnotimaginemustering,andhislifeforcedhimintointimateacquaintancewithgreatsorrowsandjoys.Allofthisisreflectedintheprofundityofhismusic.

A memory: I find myself standing backstage at the Congresshalle, Saarbrücken, waiting to go on. Theperformanceisbeingbroadcast‘live’.Acomicmoment;aguywithaheadsetleansovertome;theannouncerneedshelpwithpronouncingmylastname.“Skärwethh...”Isuggest,tryingtofindaGermanequivalenttoreproduce the troublesomeDanish. Then suddenlywe’reon. “Themarch to the scaffold”, the conductorwhispersinmyear.

I arrive atmy spot. Themusic stand is slightly in the wrong position, so I fiddle around with it, notingthepositionoftheradiomicrophone.Perhapsif Istanda longwayawayfromit lesspeoplewillhearmymistakes…alltheorchestraaresmiling.Thisisnotalwaysagoodsign.WhenZubinMehtamadehisdebutwiththeViennaPhilharmonic,hewasdelightedtoseethatduringtheconcert,everyplayerthatheturnedto as he conducted smiled and grinned at him. He was very pleased to have inspired such a sense ofbonhomieintheplayersonhisfirstappearancewiththem.Attheendoftheperformance,asistraditional,hestood inthewingsasthemusiciansfiledby,flushedwiththesuccessof theconcertandthesenseofhappycollaboration.Onebyone,astheycamepasthim,eachofthemenleantovertohim,“Maestro,die 5

THE PERFORMERS

Peter Sheppard Skærvedisthededicateeofwellover200worksforsoloviolin,bycomposerssuchasGeorgeRochberg,JudithWeir,MichaelFinnissy,PaulRuders,andHansWernerHenze.Heregularlyappearsassoloistinover30countries.Hisdiscographyisextensive,rangingfromcyclesofsoloworksbyBeethoven,Reicha,Cui,andTelemann,thecompletequartetsofDavidMatthews,MichaelTippett,andcyclesofconcertifromHaydntoHenze.HeisparticularlynotedforhisperformancesofTartini’s30solosonatas,andforhisone-eveningperformancesoftheBachSonatas&Partitas.

HehaswonawardsfromtheBBCMusicMagazine,beennominatedforaGramophoneAward,aswellasaGRAMMY for a concerto recording in 2007.He records forNMC, Chandos,Naxos,Metier and Toccata.DirectorofanacclaimedseriesofconcertsatWiltonsMusicHallinLondon,PeterSheppardSkærvedisthefounderandleaderoftheKreutzerQuartetandtheMunich-basedEnsembleTriolog.HeregularlyappearsasdirectorandsoloistwithensemblessuchastheZagrebSoloistsandAthelasSinfoniettaCopenhagen.]

Peter Sheppard Skærved is the only British violinist to have been invited to play on Paganini’s violin ‘IlCannone’more than once (five times in particular) and gives recitals on the historic instruments at theLibraryof Congress,Washington.He is also acclaimed for his collaborativeworkwithmuseums,workingregularlywiththeBritishMuseum,NationalPortraitGallery,TateGalleries,VictoriaandAlbertMuseumandworldwide.Heplaysonacurrently1698Stradivariownedby Joseph Joachim fromthecollectionsof theRoyalAcademyofMusic.

Formoredetails,visitwww.peter-sheppard-skaerved.com

SincesettlingintheUnitedKingdomin1985,Aaron Shorrhasgainedanincreasingreputationforhisdiverseandhighlyacclaimedconcerts.Hestudiedat theManhattanSchoolofMusic inNewYorkandtheRoyalAcademy of Music in London, his teachers having included Alexander Kelly, SolomonMikowski, AndréWatts and Joseph Seiger. He has since toured throughout theworld performing concertos, solo recitalsandchambermusic.Aaronhasgivencountlesspremières,includingworksbyHansWernerHenze,GeorgeRochberg, Sadie Harrison, DavidMatthews, PaulMoravec, Elliott Schwartz, JörgWidmann and KennethHesketh,tolistonlythemostrecent.

Aaron’s European festival performances have included the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad, the MunichBiennale,theMontepulcianoandPescarafestivalsinItaly,theBredaFestivalinHolland,theMitteEuropaFestival inGermany,andtheLudlow,Brighton,Chelmsford,Huddersfield,MalvernandLittleMissendenFestivalsinEngland.

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Hosen”.Hisflywasopen.Butmytrousersaresecure,soItakean‘a’fromtheprincipaloboeandturntotheaudience.

Presumablyoutof concern that the aged composer shouldnothave towalk too far to the stage for hisapplause,theorchestramanagementhadseatedGeorgeRochbergandGenehiswonderfulwife,inthefrontrow,rightatmyfeet,andrightinmyeyeline.

Twentyfiveyearsearlier, Ihadgazedat thecoverofasCBSLP lookingat IsaacStern,AndrePrevin,andGeorge,terrifiedandenrapturedbytheferocityoftheViolin Concerto ontherecord,andtheintensityoftheplaying. Itallseemedwaybeyondme.NowI foundmyselfplayingthesamepiece,which Iknewwascompletelybeyondme,liveontheradio,withthesamehandsomefacestaringatme,butverymuchalive.Sternwassadlydead. It felt like theresponsibility for thepiecehadshiftedtome.Georgemouthed“I’msorry”andshrugged,alittleamused,Ithink.Theconcertobegan.

Obviously,Georgewasdoinghisbestnot to influence theperformance,not todistractme. In rehearsal,Georgewouldsingeverynoteofhisworks,withmuchbird-likehandwaving,inordertoensurethathereallygottheshapes,thedramaandintensitythathismusicneedsandhedemands.Hewouldholdaphraseoracadenceofhismusicintheairbetweenfingerandthumb,gazingatyou,daringyoutobethefirsttobreakthelineorreleaseameaningfulpause.

Buthehadclosedhiseyesandwasevidentlydoinghisverybestnotto‘getintheway’ofhismusic.But,asthepiecewenton,Ibecameprogressivelyawarethathewas,unconsciously,movingwiththephrases,thelines,thecadencesofthishugeconcerto,signallingwhathewantedwithawistfulsmile,aleantotheleftortheright,oraraiseoftheeyebrows.Therewasnothingformetodobutsurrender,andlethimconductthepiece.

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Curiously,mostoftheassociationswhichwehavewithPaganini,thedevil’sviolinist,areanachronistictothe Caprices.ThisdiabolicImageofthevirtuosowas,toadegree,foistedonPaganinibyhishystericalaudiences,increasinglyfascinatedwiththeGothic,andthenanimagethathefostered.Themostbeautifulportraitoftheviolinist,anexquisitedrawingbyIngres,isfarfromthepopularimagination,aclassicalone,morehowwemightpicturemoresobercontemporariessuchasBaillot,orMaurin.Nodoubt,Paganini’sundoubtedlyenthusiasticendorsementofhisacquireddiabolicpersonawasapartialommagio to the IstrianViolinist,GuiseppeTartini,whofamouslydreamtofthedevilsittingontheendofhisbed,playingfantasticmusictohim,whichuponwaking,hewrotedownasIltrillo di diabolo, whichPaganiniattemptedtoanswerwithworkssuchasLe Streghe, ‘TheWitches’,themusicwhichsoaffectedtheyoungBerlioz. Inpointoffact,thereisabsolutelynoevidencethatheeverplayedthisoranyotherofthecapricesinpublic.ThiswasPaganini’sownintellectualcycle,histranscendentalcelebrationofmanin extremis,hisGoya-esqueCaprichos.

Arguably,thediabolicassociationwithPaganini’s24thCapricewasasmuchtodowiththeappearanceoftheDies Irae inhisRhapsody on the Theme of Paganini,evokingtheveryorchestralpiecewhichwasBerlioz’sownresponsetothePaganini‘myth’,Symphonie Fantastique. Thisimageofthedevilinthedreambecameall-pervasive;evenStravinskyfeltthathehadtoendorsethethematicmaterialofhisveryownpieceofdevil-music,L’Histoire du Soldat,byclaiming,accordingtoRobertCraft,thatitwasplayedtohiminadream...Wasthisasetofvariations?Ifso,howwasthethemeitselfvaried?Itwasnot.Butits‘gradient’,itscadence,wascommentedupon, inthemannerofaCiaconna.ThenineteenthcenturycametoagreewithBrahmsthatvariations,thatcouplets,weredistinctfromthatform.SohaveweactuallybeenlisteningtoaPassacailleorperhapsevenacycle,likeacycleofpreludesorcapricii,inthemannerorFiorilloorReicha...reawakeningtheearlynineteenth-centuryunityofcaprices,preludesandcyclesofpreludesandfugues,actuallyre-erodingtheartificialdistinctionbetweenpedagogicalandartistic,virtuosoand‘serious’writing?

Whathappenstotheformwhenthethemeisremoved,hidden,putattheveryendofthe‘cycle’?Theworkspendsafullhourexploringthevariousteleologicalramificationsofthetheme,harmonically,aesthetically,historically,emotionally,bywhichtime,onemighteventhinkthatitspresencewasde trop.Wemightnotevenbequitesurewhyitwasthere.Itmightevenbeappropriate,ifratherthanplayingthethemeattheend,itspresencewassimplyacknowledged,maybeeveninsilence.Wehavebeentoldaboutthethemeineverypossibleway,itsprofilehasbeencarvedoutoftheetherealmarblelikeMichelangelo’sunfinishedslaves;itsrealisationisonewhichhasastrangeimpactonaperformance,notunlikethesignatureattheendofaverycomplexcontract.Necessary,butunread...

© 2002 Peter Sheppard Skærved

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GeorgebelievedthatMusicwasasacredtrust,aflamingtorchtobepassedfromgenerationtogeneration.Andhismusicitselfburns,thesearefire-brandscores,whichthreaten,fortheplayer,tobered-hotironbarscarriedinthehand.Musicwas/is,forGeorge,a‘trialbyfire’;intheheatofperformance,basemetalscanbemoltenaway,andliquidgoldberevealed.George’swasacompletemusicalworldthroughwhichthevoicesoftheprevioustorchbearerscouldbeheard,stillsinging–Beethoven,Mahler,Brahms,Bartók,Schoenberg,andthenaturalworld.

May312002: “Incidentally, other sudden flashes overcame me last night too. Among them the realisation of how much I owe Bartók – even thought when I mentioned it Gene said she didn’t see it that way. It was not so much that there is any specific reference to Bartók, as his concerto, which I I’ve always loved and admired, carved out a world, a huge space, and it s that which I owe him: Example. We all build on each other, one way or another.”

Long after George died, something about our final telephone conversation nagged at me. There wassomethingaboutitthatwasoddlyfamiliar,asifIhadalreadyheardit.Itwasonlyin2010thatthepennydropped.GeorgewasunwittinglychannellinganothergreatAmericanpioneerandpolemicist,MarkTwain.InaninterviewwiththeNew York Tribunein1908,Twainhadsaid:“Ihavemadeallthenoiseallottedtome,andnowIintendtobequiet…”.(NewYorkTribuneApril14th1908)

Funnilyenough,IsuspectthatGeorgewouldsaythatthisserendipityprovedhispoint:

“Weallbuildoneachother,onewayoranother…”

PeterShep

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atthesheerinfectiousinventionofthem.HeseemsverykeenthatVariation40,Robust; do not rush,shouldbeplayedratherdelicately;lactuallythinkthatthe‘robusto’directionisalittleunfortunateandsimplyreferstothefirmnessofunderlyingpulsethatisnecessarytoplaythis,ratherthanthenatureoftheattack.ItisimpossiblenottoseethisvariationinthecontextofRochberg’sstatus,priortohisturning-pointopus,‘Contratempusetmortem’,asaperceivedarch-serialistoftheAmericanhard-line.NowGeorgereturnstotheverylanguagethathechallenged,andshowshowmuchitisactuallypartofhim,drawingavisionary,unprecedentedlinkbetweenWebern’slanguage,stretchedtobreakingpoint,andtheworldofromanticvirtuosity.

Inaddition,thisvariationpushesthesoloInstrumentandtheloneplayercompletelyovertheedgeofwhatitcanactuallydo,bothcontrapuntallyandtonally.Suddenly,atthis,themostovertlydramaticmomentofthewholecycle,theplayerisrevealedenfeebled,theinstrumentatthepointofcollapse,strugglingunderthecombinedweightofthelatenineteenth-centuryorchestraandlateromanticharmonyatcriticalmass.

MindfulofGeorge’sinjunctiontoplayit,quotingKoussevitzky,‘vild(sic),butcontrolled’,lwasnervousaboutthefracturedmannerinwhichlplayedthisvariation.Howevermyperformancemetwith:‘don’tplayitanyotherway’,whichisatonceliberatingandintimidating,andnowtheonusofresponsibilityclearlyisrestinguponme...

GeorgeRochberghadaveryphysical,almostcorporealresponsetoVariation42,Nocturnal; slow,makingamovementwormingacrosshisstomach– ‘as if something ismoving inmygizzard’. lmentionedHaflidiHallgrimsson’suseofbrushimageryforsuchpassages,whichhegreatlyliked.

GeorgefeltthatVariation43,Andantino, wasHaydn-esque,despitemyinstinctthatitwassomehowlinkedtothe‘Bach-ish’feelofVariation27,Aria,towhichitisindubitablyjoined,attheveryleast,in‘gradient’andrhythmicstructure.

ThegreatArmenianViolinistManougParikianoncesaidtome:“YouknowthatthegreatesttragedyisthatMahlercouldhavewrittenthegreatestviolinconcerto,but, ldon’tknowwhy,heneverdid...”.Mahleralsowrotenexttonochambermusic,justthetorsoofaBrahms-ianpianoquartet.Here,inVariation44,Scherzo,theScherzooftheFifthSymphonyisgiventhevirtuosotreatment,whereathunderingsymphonyisrenderedinthesmallestmedium,wherethehubrisofunaccompaniedviolinplayingreachesitsapogee,ornadir,dependingonthelistener’spointofview.Georgeapprovedofmyveryorchestralapproachtothisvariation.Wetalkedoftryingtogetthebustleofawholesectionofviolinistssweatingaway.InthecontextofourBachdiscussionreVariation43,lsuggested,andheconcurred,thattheillusionofa‘Passion’crowdscenewasapropos.

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PeterSheppardSkærved,GeorgeRochberg,GeneRochberg,AaronShorr

SwarthmoreCollege,2004

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GEORGE ROCHBERG Violin Sonata

Rochberg’sViolin Sonata waswrittenfortheviolinistMariaBachmannandthepianistJonKlibonoffin1988.InRochberg’swords:

“….finally, I was able to realise a lifelong ambition to produce a full-scale violin and piano duo with a complex emotional scenario embracing the intimate and public realms of expression.”

WhenIwasworkingwiththecomposerintheSaarlandin2002,hepointedoutthatwewerenotfarfromwherehehadoriginallydreamtoftheworkinJanuary1994,aU.S.soldierinadefensiveposition.Hehadalreadywrittenasonataby thispoint (1939-40),but itwas thecanonicmaterialwhichcametomindonthebattlefieldwhichfounditswayintothe1988Sonata.Beingwithhimonhisfirstreturntotheareawasmoving–andseeinghowstirreduphewas,determinedmetoworkontheSonatawithhim.ThiswouldthelastpieceonwhichIworkedwithGeorge,completinganarchwhichhadbegunwiththeCapriceVariationsfiveyearsearlier.

Whathesought toconvey in rehearsal,aswithallhisworks,wasabelief thateverymusicalandhumangestureshould‘tell’.Inrehearsal,thisrevealeditselfinpoetry.AsweAaronShorrandIreachedtheendofthefirstmovement,Sarabande,Georgewhispered,‘Blacknightfalls.’ThereisnosuchthingasathrowawaygestureforRochberg-hisScherzoCapricciosocarriesjustasmuchofapayloadasmorerhapsodicwriting:

“….unleashing the harsher, uglier side of gargoyle music.”

Georgeinsistedthatthereshouldalwaysbesenseofeffortinperformance,thatifthemusicwas‘rollingrocksupahill’asheputit,ithadtoreallybefelt,andfeltinahuman,notmechanicalway.AsIplayedtheslashingchordsoftheScherzohesang,‘Wa-oh,wa-oh,wa-oh…!’,toemphasisethisvocaleffortful-ness.

Itwasinhisresponsestothetwofoldslowmovementwithwhichthisworkends,thattheemotionofthemusicoverwhelmedthecomposer.Herehiswordssuffice,andIofferthemwithoutcomment,astheyappearinthescore:

“….as though not sure who you are, who your companion is, what you are doing in this crazy situation-don’t worry, you’ll find out…choked with emotion…acting out something non-realised…saying what is on your mind…Sing, like a god, quietly to yourself, in some kind of interior…Singing your heart out….Be-Loved-…”

(QuotesfromconversationswithRochbergin2003and2004,notesinPeterSheppardSkærved’sscoreoftheSonata,andfromFive Lines Four Spaces: The World of My Music(GeorgeRochberg2009)

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lhadchosenCaprice VariationstofinishmyconcertinBanjaLuka,infact,makinguptheentiresecondhalf.Abouttwothirdsofthewaythrough,thatis,afterplayingnon-stopfornearlyanhour,lcametotheveryslowVariation34,Molto adagio. Thismusicaldeprofundisisthebeginningofyetanother‘trilogy’butalsostandsattheverycruxofthecycle,its‘goldensection’.Thesethreemovementsmightbeseenasadeprofundis-agon-inparadisum,almostas ifRochbergwasplacingaBeethoveniancrisisandpanacea,evenaHeiligerDankgesang,attheheartofthepiece.Ploddingquarter-notesslidelugubriouslyunderakeeningdrone,notunlikeanair-raidsiren’s‘all-clear’signal.Inperformance,thisisavery‘dangerous’moment;forthefirsttime,lamabletorelaxalittle,totakestockoftheincrediblemassofnotesandemotionsthathavepouredthroughme in theearlier sectionsof thepiece.So itwashardly surprising inRpublikaSrpska that l foundmyselfsusceptibletoextra-musicalsuggestionatsuchamoment.Aslmovedthroughthischant-likeVariation,thehorrorofwhatlhadseeninthedrivethroughthehillsthatdayhitme,thrownintoharshreliefbythewantonnaturalbeautyoftheVlachMountains.Aslplayed,themusicfilledmymind’s-eyewiththebullet-sprayedhouses,snipers’foxholes,destroyedbridges,villagesintact,withonehouseselectivelytorched...Wedrovepastwallsdaubedwithneo-fascistgraffiti,andthemedievalsightofatrainofsmuggler’spackhorsespickingtheirwaythroughthefields.Eventhegreenestmeadow,fullofgrassandwildflowers,wouldbetooriskytowalkover...Themusicoverwhelmedmewithwhatlhadseen,andlwaschokedwithsorrow.Georgehasseenmanathisworst.HewasbadlyinjuredinOperationOverlord,butrecoveredintimetotakepartinthemarchonBerlin.Hehadfacedwar’shorrorwithacouragethatlcouldnotimaginemustering,andhislifehasforcedhimintointimateacquaintancewithgreatsorrowsandjoys.Allofthisisreflectedintheprofundityofhismusic.ThepowerofitsmessageleftmereelingonstageinBanjaLukaandlstaggeredsomehowtotheendofthepiece.lwasnotalittlerelievedtodescendthescaffoldintact.

Variation37,Barcarolle,isanotherofthevariationswhereGeorgeconductedwithenormousinsistenceofsensitivityandtenderness.TheresultwasanintensificationofthealreadyheighteningsenseoftheincipientpresenceofMahler.Hebewailedthelackofchambermusicbythatcomposerandwasveryparticularabouttheinnervoicesofthedevelopment.Thepianissimo subito inthismovementechoedtheoneinVariation36,Largo sereno,amovementofsimilaremotionaldepth,whichGeorge‘conducted’equallyexpressively,resultinginanendless‘opening’ofthemovement,climaxinginan‘Adagietto’subito.

In a gesture worthy of Bernd Alois Zimmerman, who attached the Jarry-esque ‘merdre’ to hisconflation of two Stockhausen piano pieces in his piano trio masterpiece ‘Presence’, Rochbergarchly up-beats Variation 41, Allegro molto, with the Dvořák-ian ’Tin Pan Alley’ of Variation 40;George spoke of the middle sections of the Dvořák Slavonic Dances, their restraint, and his wonder 13

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GEORGE ROCHBERG Caprice Variations(FromconversationsinPhiladelphia,London,andSaarbrücken2001-2002)

InBanjaLuka,lfirst‘got’Caprice Variations, orrather;itfinallyreallytookholdofme,ofmysoul.Thisrecitalhall is in the ‘BanskiDvor’ theoldseatof localgovernment.When larrived, the long listof legendswhohadlovedplayingtherewasreadouttome;Rostropovich,Gilels,Richter,Oistrakh... Iwasinitiallycynical.Musicianswillsaynexttoanythingtobe loved,oreventogetoutaliveafteraconcert.Mycynicismwasutterly confounded.Thehall iswonderful; a latenineteenth-century ‘shoe-box’witha slimgildedgalleryaroundthreesides.Theacousticiswarmandclear,anymusician’sdream.However,thestagefeaturesoneofmypethates;ithastobeapproachedfromthefloorleveloftheHall,viaanexposedsetofsteps.WhetherattachedtothestageofadrearyhallinDarmstadt,orLondon’sglamorous,butdisastrousBarbican,suchanarrangementalwaysfeelslikethestepsuptotheguillotine,andlascendthestepsimaginingBerlioz...Marche aux supplice. Thelongwalktothestageisbadenoughatthebestoftimes.

Curiously,‘CapriceVariations’beginwithanoverture,Variation1,Allegro Energico,somewhatreminiscentofTelemann.Thisisdistinguishedbyabsolutelynomemorablethematicmaterial,nothingbutthecadencethatwillbecentraltothewholeset.lhaveoftenwonderedifthisisajokeaimedatsui generis virtuosoviolinmusic,allthemoreironic,asthecyclecanbeseenasatransformationofthemostwidelyrecognisedshowpieceeverwrittenfortheinstrument.GeorgelikedtheimpactofthisVariationplayedat‘fullpelt’.

ThefirsttimethatlmetGeorgeRochberg,hetalkedaboutWordsworth.Moretothepoint,hetalkedaboutWordsworth’scouch.GeorgehadidentifiedthecouchonwhichWordsworthlayandcomposed‘Daffodils’in1799;heknewthisbecause,assoonashewalkedintoWordsworth’s‘DoveCottage’inCumbria,hesawthecouchandimmediatelyintuitedthatheandthepoetworkedinsimilarways.“Look,”hesaid“hewouldlieonthisleathercouchandthen,inthemiddleofhisdreaming,workingthepoetryout,hewouldrisefromthecouch,goovertohisdeskandwrite.”

For oft, when on my couch l lieIn vacant or in pensive mood,They flash upon that inward eyeWhich is the bliss of solitudeAnd then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

(Poems1807-‘Iwanderedlonelyasacloud’-WilliamWordsworthLines19-24)

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WeworkedonVariation20,Quasi cadenza; andante con molto espressivo,asareminderofthelost‘grandemanière’ofviolinplaying...forme,this,inmytime,wasbestevokedbythegloriouslyricismofplayerssuchasJosephGingold,thelastrepresentativeoftheplayingoftheBelgiancomposer-virtuosoEugèneYsaÿe.Andnaturallyenough,thegiantWalloon’sspirit lurksbehindnotonlythisvariation,butoverthewholecycle.In1929,Ysaÿe,ageingandunabletoplaytheviolinduetoparalysisinhisarm,sketchedoutacycleofsix‘Sonatas’dedicatedtosixvioliniststhatheadmired,inone24-hoursitting.ThiswasatrulyRochberg-esquegesture;George’smemoirsarethestoryofthemusicianswhoplayedhismusic,muchofwhichisitselfnotfarfrombeingcompositionalportraitureofthoseveryplayers,betheyIsaacStern,ortheConcordQuartet.EugeneYsaÿe’s,farfromthevignettesofaVirgilThomson,istranscendentaldepiction,inLiszt-ianvein,ofSzigeti,Bartók’sgreatcollaborator, JacquesThibaud,whoseobsessionwithBach ispilloried inBerlioz-ianmanner,themulti-talentandteacher,GeorgesEnescu,FritzKreisler,whohaddedicatedhisRecitative and Scherzo CapricetoYsaÿe,ManuelCrickboom,who,asthesecondviolinofYsaÿe’sQuartet,premièredtheDebussyQuartet,andManuelQuiroga,whowasmuggedinNewYork,andneverplayed‘his’piece.Inthiscollectionofviolinistsresidesthespiritofthe ‘grandmanner’,thesheerelegance,romanceandbravado,whichthisQuasi Cadenzaevokes, if it isnotclearquitewhat it isacadenzato, though it isansweredbyVariation46,Con bravura,Georgesmostexplicitevocationoftheviolinplayingthatheremembersfromhischildhood.

InVariation24,Allegretto, the joke isbackonvainviolinists.Georgedrawsattentionto the twopolesofnineteenth-century performance, Joachim and Paganini. Two D major concerti are referenced, the firstPaganiniconcerto,andtheBrahmsconcertowrittenforJosephJoachim,whoseapproachwascompletelyopposed to thedevilishGenovese.Of course, the joke ismore complex; by now, the audiencewill haveforgottentheearliertranscriptionsofBrahms’virtuosopianovariationsonthesamePaganinitowardswhichCaprice Variationsisinexorablymoving.

AslbeganplayingVariation32,Allegro assai: burlesco,George’swonderfulwifeGeneRochbergandGeorgebothstartedtosing:

Iwalk along the street of sorrows, The boulevard of broken dreams.

... Exaggeratingthepatheticweepingviolinmelody,andthe(Weimar-esque)nastinessofitsaccompanyingfiguration;thisconflictmirroringthatofVariation31,Molto adagio.Inthatvariation,Georgehaddemandedwhathereferredtoasa‘Verdi-esque’conflictbetweenthelyricalelementanditsthreateningostinato,foranexpressionisticunevennessinitsexecutionthatrancleancontrarytothesimplicityonthepage.

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Georgeknewthis,becausethatishowhelikedtocompose.Infact,Wordsworthhadsuccessfullydescribedtheveryactofcomposing,somewherebetweena‘vacant’ora‘pensive’mood.TalkingaboutthecompositionofCaprice Variations, hedescribedlyingonhiscouch,dreamingthemusic,workingitout,hiseyesclosed.WhenhewassurethateachVariationwasworkedout,entirelyinhishead,withoutanink-strokeinsight,thenandonlythen,wouldheleapup,likeArchimedesvaultingoutofhisbath,eureka!!,rushtohisdeskandwriteitdown.Ofcourse,George’schoiceofWordsworth,ifcoincidental,was,attheveryleast,appropriate,serendipitous.Wordsworth’sgreatestwork,regardedbymanypeopleasthegreatestpoemintheEnglishlanguage, was of course, his Prelude even if George draws more attention to Daffodils. Is the Caprice Variations George’s‘Prelude’?

InVariation2,Presto, thenotionofMahler isfirst introduced,andtheextreme languageof the ‘Mahler’Variation 44 Scherzo suggested for the first time. Of course, the fifth symphony has been historicallyimportant in Rochberg’smusic, particularlyMahler’s negotiationbetweenbaroque andmodern style, asSkorikwouldputit,his‘StylisticPlay’.Thefifthandeighthsymphoniesprovidedhimwiththejumping-offpointfortheepochalThirdQuartet(KreutzerQuartet,onMetiermsvcd92051),whichhasmuchincommonwiththeCaprice Variations, andreplaysthefuguefromMahler’sfinale.

Variation3,Allegro molto e con fuoco, revealsyetanother‘ghostinthemachine’,FerruccioBusoni.ItwasBusoniwhomostproudlyerodedthedividebetweenarrangementandwhatevercountsas‘pure’composition;simplyput,heinsistedthattheveryactofcompositionitselfwasanactoftranscription,thattheonethingthatacomposercouldnotdowasescapefromthesentenceofarranginghisownideas.Ofcourse,Busonihimselfmightbeseenasvictimofhisowncreativefallacy,ashewillneverescapefromhismostfamous‘work’,histranscription,notofhisownmusic,butBach’sCiaconna,themostrenownedpiecestraddlingthedividebetweenvariationandpassacaglia.AsBusonihimselfknew,Bach’sarchitecturalmasterpiecewasitselfatitanicpieceofoverwriting,appropriationandarrangement,drawing fromsources ranging fromCorellitoMarais, all ofwhomwere themselves drawing from the samewell, the sexual abandon of ‘Les Foliesd’Espagne’,which, legendhad it,coulddrive its listeners tosensualhysteria,andwhichwasasmuchthevictimofPapalopprobriumasthe‘Tarantella’.GeorgedrawsPaganini,withus,backtothearchetype.

This pair of couplets might be seen as the first overt reference to Bach in Caprice Variations. Variation4,Poco allegro ma quasi recitando, isnotsomuchasimplevariationwithintheset,as it isa ‘double’ofVariation 3. Bach uses the notion of the ‘double’ in his Bminor Partita, which far from being an eight-movementsuite,musten effetbeseenasasetoffourmovementsexpressedintwoways.InBach’scase,theresult isthateachpairofmovementscanbeplayedsimultaneouslyastwo-part inventions.This isan

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importantaspectforbothcomposers.Thepointofchaconnes,variations,orcouplets,isnotthattheycanbe played in different orders, simultaneously, even stacked up vertically, but that compositionally, this ishow composers think – that there is really no difference betweenmaterial experienced sequentially orcontrapuntally;allofthesepointsofview,intheglisteninglabyrinthofthecomposer’simaginationareoneandthesame,anddifferent.Amirroronwhichtodwell.Spiegl im Spiegl... ThetitleofVariation27,Aria,issignificant;itisalmostasifRochbergwereatlastacknowledgingthatthissetofvariationsisahomagetoBach’sGoldberg Variations,albeitfortheviolin,butwithasimilarlyfreeconceptionofthenotionofvariationandfantasy.

Variation7,Presto,isthefirsttimethatthe‘ghost’ofBeethovenmakesanappearanceinthecycle,raisingthequestion,albeitelliptically,ofhisgreatsetsofvariations,allthewayfromhisfirstpublishedwork,the‘Dressler’ VariationsWoO36, to the sublimeAmajor that crowns hisQuartetOp 131. This, of course, isthetonalitylurkingbehindtheCapriceVariations.TheOp74Quartet,whose Scherzomovementisdirectlyquotedhere,wasthefirstandonlyoneofBeethoven’sowncycletoendwithavariationmovement,andalsotoevokeotherinstrumentsovertly,justasCaprice Variationsdoes;thatquartetisappropriatelynicknamed‘TheHarp’.Thisvariationhastowaitalongtimeforitsownvariant;denieda‘Theme’untiltheendofthework,eachsnippetofmaterial,eachcolour,reachesoutacrossthearchitectureofthewhole, lookingforresonancesandramificationsthatremainunresolveduntiltheappearanceofPaganini,unmaskedattheend,tiesuptheseprolepticlooseends.

Georgeexperimentedwithhearingoneof theBrahms/Paganini transcriptions,Variation12, Andante con moto,immediatelyafterthefirstSchubertianVariation6,Poco allegretto, ma con rubato,emphasisingthesyntacticallink.Again,thiswasanothervariationwhichheobviouslyfeltasbeingprofoundlysensitive,andhedrewparticularattentiontothe‘tiers’ inthechainofharmonyinthe‘b’section.WhenitcametothenextBrahmsmovement,Rochbergspokeofthemetricfreedom(weagreedthatthiswaspianisticfreedom)necessarytobringoffVariation13,Feroce energico,andauthorisedmyextraoctaveattheend,thoughllatersuccumbedtobadconscienceabout thisoutbreakofviolinist’svanity,andremoved it,embarrassed.Thequestionis,whentheviolinispushedsofar,howmuchcanit,shouldit,attempttosoundlikeapiano?

Variation18,Allegro fantastico,iswherethetrue‘crisis’strikesforthefirsttimeintheguiseoftheopeningyawpsofGeorge’sthirdQuartet.WraithsofthethirdQuartetandthepianotriosdriftinandoutofthecycle,treatedliketheshadesofothertheothercomposerswhosurroundthem.ThisFantasticolooksforwardtoachainoflike-namedmovementsinthelastquarterofCaprice Variations,leadinguptothefinal,drifting‘Fantasy’movementthatunveilsthePaganiniwhichconcludesthepiece.

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violin Peter Sheppard Skærvedpiano Aaron Shorr

CD1Violin SonataPeter Sheppard Skærved and Aaron Shorr

Caprice Variations 1-23Peter Sheppard Skærved solo violin

CD2Caprice Variations 24-51

for track/movement details see booklet

Total CD duration: CD1 63.17 CD2 52.52

The musicians and Metier Records wish to thank Dean Mark Wait and ProfessorMichael Alec Rose of the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University for theirassistance and support.This compilation ℗2011 ©2011 Divine Art Limited (Metier Records division)

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