Clementi Sonata in B-flat, Op. 24, No. 2 (cadenza after Mozart’s Magic Flute Overture) Daniel Glover скачать в хорошем качестве

Clementi Sonata in B-flat, Op. 24, No. 2 (cadenza after Mozart’s Magic Flute Overture) Daniel Glover

Muzio Clementi (1752-1832) Sonata in B-flat, Opus 24, No. 2 (Cadenza based on Mozart’s Overture to Die Zauberflöte) 0:00 introduction 00:11 I Allegro con brio 06:20 II Andante 10:10 III Rondo: Allegro assai Clementi was a man of amazing talents and accomplishments. He was born in Rome but lived the majority of his life in England. His lifespan is staggering. He was born two years after the death of Bach, and survived Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven. In the course of his life he was a prodigious composer and creator of new piano technics. He was labeled “The Father of the Pianoforte” on his grave in Westminster Abbey in London. He was also a manufacturer of pianos and publisher of music. He had a close relationship with Beethoven and published/commissioned his Triple Concerto and the piano arrangement of his Violin Concerto. His legacy for pianists includes the over 100 pieces included in his comprehensive compendium of piano technic known as Gradus ad Parnasum. He composed at least 70 piano sonatas, including some with accompanying instruments. His Sonatinas have long been standard for young fingers. This brilliant Sonata in B-flat, Opus 24, No. 2 is sometimes nicknamed “The Magic Flute.” On Christmas Eve 1781 both he and Mozart had been invited by the Emperor Joseph II to his court in Vienna to stage a duel. Mozart was four years younger. He seemed to resent being compared in such a way with another pianist. Clementi was at the height of his powers and his brilliance was undeniable. The Emperor diplomatically declared the event a “draw,” saying that Clementi was the more technically impressive, although Mozart stirred his emotions more. This was quite an astute observation. Clementi had nothing but praise for Mozart’s abilities. Mozart did not reciprocate these feelings. Several letters reveal his resentment and hostility. He said Clementi had not an ounce of feeling in his playing and was a mere “mechanicus.” He admired Clementi’s ability to play rapid thirds, but said it was a useless skill that he must have spent hours learning to do in London. Mozart advised his sister not to play anything by Clementi so she would not destroy her delicate touch and quiet arm. Mozart also made the comment that the Italians were charlatans, because they wrote presto in the score but played at half that speed. A decade after this event Mozart utilized the opening theme of this B-flat Sonata in his Overture to Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute). This could have been in jest, but Clementi noticed and made sure to notate on every subsequent edition of his Sonata that this was first performed in 1781, ten years prior to the opera. In other words, Mozart had stolen his theme, not vice versa, as is sometimes wrongly assumed even today. I have incorporated a portion of the Magic Flute Overture as my cadenza to the first movement. Mozart masterfully uses the theme in contrapuntal fashion. Clementi arranged the Overture as a piano solo, and it is possible this is the score I used to write the cadenza. The author is not identified. The two final movements are shorter, but the finale is particularly sparkling and was used as an encore by Vladimir Horowitz. It’s a delight for the fingers and displays Clementi’s tremendous piano writing skills. Recorded live: First Presbyterian Church Livermore, California February 12, 2022 Benefit concert for Valley Concert Chorale http://www.valleyconcertchorale.org Special thanks to videographers: Asako Tsumagari Alec Jeong