Burleske
TheBurleske in D minoris a composition for piano and orchestra written byRichard Straussin 1885–86, when he was 21.
Background
[edit]Original title and dedication
[edit]The work's original title wasScherzo in D minor,and it was written forHans von Bülow,who had appointed Strauss assistant conductor of theMeiningen Court Orchestra.[1]However, von Bülow considered it a "complicated piece of nonsense" and refused to learn it. He said the piano part was "Lisztian" and "unplayable", particularly for a pianist with a small handspan (Strauss says that von Bülow could barely reach an octave).[2]Strauss rehearsed the work with the Meiningen Orchestra, conducting and playing the solo part himself, but then set it aside. He wrote to von Bülow: "[G]iven an outstanding (!) pianist, and a first-rate (!) conductor, perhaps the whole thing will not turn out to be the unalloyed nonsense I took it for after the first rehearsal. After the first run-through, I was totally discouraged."[1]
Renaming, rededication and premiere
[edit]In 1889, Strauss became acquainted withEugen d'Albert,who liked the work, although he suggested some cuts and changes to the piano part.[3]Strauss rededicated the revised work to d'Albert, who premiered it under its new titleBurleske,at a convention of the General German Music Association[2]atEisenachon 21 June 1890, in the same concert as the premiere of Strauss'sDeath and Transfiguration.[2][3]The word "Burleske" translates as "farce"[4]or "mockery".[1]
Reaction
[edit]Bülow was still not impressed. In a letter toJohannes Brahmsin January 1891, he wrote: "Strauss'sBurleskedecidedly has some genius in it, but in other respects it is horrifying. "[3]Despite this, he conducted the work that month in Berlin, with Eugen d'Albert as soloist.[2]
Strauss was offered a handsome sum by a publisher for the rights to the work, but he was still not convinced of its merits, so he declined. He was likely influenced in his own opinion of the work by Bülow's opinion of it. A quarter of a century later he wrote about Bülow: "For anyone who ever heard him playBeethovenor conductWagner,who attended one of his piano lessons or observed him in orchestra rehearsal, he inevitably became the model of all the shining virtues of a performing artist, and his touching sympathy for me, his influence on the development of my artistic abilities, were the decisive factors in my career. "[2]
Publication
[edit]In 1894, Strauss agreed to publication of theBurleske,although it took him a long time to regard it with great favour. It eventually became one of his favourite works, and he programmed it in his last concert in London with the Philharmonia Orchestra in September 1947,[2]along withDon Juan,theSymphonia Domesticaand the waltzes fromDer Rosenkavalier.
Strauss never allocated anopus numberto the work,[1]but the opus number 11 has often come to be associated with it, although Strauss gave that number to his Horn Concerto No. 1 in E♭.It appears as number 85 in the catalogue by Erich Herrmann Mueller von Asow, and number 145 in that by Franz Trenner (seeList of compositions by Richard Strauss#Other works).
Other premieres
[edit]The first performance of theBurleskein the United States was byHeinrich Gebhardwith theBoston Symphony Orchestra,underWilhelm Gericke,in April 1903.[2]The first performance in Australia was byVera Bradfordin 1937, with theMelbourne Symphony Orchestraconducted byGeorg Schnéevoigt.Schnéevoigt considered the piano part manageable only by a male pianist, and demanded Vera Bradford be replaced; but she stood her ground and gave a celebrated performance.[5]
Structure and scoring
[edit]The piece starts with a theme introduced ontimpaniand answered by the orchestra. The piano then enters in a state of high excitement. A second, more lyricalBrahmsiantheme emerges, followed by waltz-like measures not unlike the waltzes fromDer Rosenkavalier.The work ends quietly, again on the timpani. It takes about 20 minutes to perform.
The piece is scored forpianosolo and an orchestra ofpiccolo,2flutes,2oboes,2clarinetsin B-flat, 2bassoons,4horns(2 in F, 2 in D), 2trumpets,timpani,andstrings.[6]
Notable performers
[edit]
Notable performers who have played or recorded theBurleskeincludeMartha Argerich,Claudio Arrau,Emanuel Ax,Wilhelm Backhaus,Maurizio Baglini,Rudolf Buchbinder,Michel Dalberto,Barry Douglas,Malcolm Frager,Nelson Freire,Glenn Gould,Hélène Grimaud,Friedrich Gulda,Marc-André Hamelin,Byron Janis,Jeffrey Kahane,Alexander Lonquich,Elly Ney(1932),Sviatoslav Richter,Martin Roscoe,Rudolf Serkin,Jascha Spivakovsky(with Strauss himself conducting),Sara Davis Buechner,Jean-Yves ThibaudetandBertrand Chamayou(2021). There is a recording of Strauss himself conductingthe Philharmoniaat theRoyal Albert HallLondon, 19 October 1947, with Alfred Blumen on the piano (this was the last concert he ever conducted).[7]
In 2001, the music was used for the balletBurleske,choreographed for theNew York City BalletbyPeter Martins.[8]
Discography
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abcdMadison Symphony Orchestra Program NotesArchived2 October 2008 at theWayback Machine
- ^abcdefg"San Francisco Symphony".Archived fromthe originalon 26 September 2011.Retrieved10 June2009.
- ^abcNaxos
- ^Midi Classics
- ^Morgan, Ivor (2006)."A memoir of Vera Bradford, master pianist".History Australia.3(2): 53.1–53.7.doi:10.2104/ha060053.S2CID144827094.[permanent dead link]
- ^"Burleske, D-moll, für Pianoforte und Orchester"(PDF).,published by Steingräber Verlaug, Leipzig; Bowerman & Co, London; Edw. Schuberth & Co, New York; and Louis Rouhier, Paris, 1894
- ^Richard Strauss: The last concerts,CD issued byTestamentSBT2 1441, 2009
- ^New York City Ballet
Sources
[edit]- Liner notes from the Rudolf Serkin/Eugene Ormandy recording.
External links
[edit]- Burleske:Scores at theInternational Music Score Library Project
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