Pianist pairs women’s concertos with men’s
NewsAlexandra Dariescu is offering these thoughtful concert programmes in the coming season.
Florence Price Concerto in D minor 1934
Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini 1934
Both concertos were written in the same year, 1934, and both were premiered in the US
(Boston and Philadelphia). One concerto is known all over the world, the other was
played less than a dozen times.
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Germaine Tailleferre Ballade for piano and orchestra 1920
Ravel (G major) 1931
Ravel greatly influenced Tailleferre’s work, as a friend and mentor. There are a lot of
similarities between the two concertos.
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Clara Schumann Piano Concerto 1835
George Enescu Piano Concerto in one movement 1898
Enescu and Clara Schumann both wrote their respective concertos at the age of 16
(prodigy theme)
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Cesar Franck Symphonic Variations 1885
Nadia Boulanger Fantaisie variee 1912
Franck was a family friend of the Boulanger family and was present in Nadia and Lili’s life
from the beginning.
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Clara Schumann Piano Concerto (arr by Emili Rackemann for string quartet)
Robert Schumann Piano Quintet
What a thoughtful programming! I love that it’s not just about gender, it’s gender contextualized.
Fabulous. I would pay to see all of these.
Correction: Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini was premiered in Baltimore’s Lyric Opera House (not in Philadelphia) on November 7, 1934, with the composer as soloist and Leopold Stokowski conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Another facile attempt to promote diversity for its own sake.
Juxtaposing Rachmaninov’s masterpiece upon Price’s laboured mediocrity will surely promote the notion that men are greater
composers. Tailleferre’s reflective Ballade sounds like Ravel – beginning like the opening of Daphnis and Chloe – but inspiration soon yields to note-spinning. Ravel’s G major concerto – flamboyent, jazzy and richly inspired from first note to last, will blow the Tailleferre Ballade out of the water.
Enescu’s Piano Concerto is a new one on me – but judging by his other early works it will probably show originality, superb
orchestration and possible the influence of Rumanian folk melodies. Clara Schumann’s early concerto is dainty and pleasant but it’s no masterpiece. The notion of pairing two works written at the age of sixteen but 63 years apart seems faintly ridiculous. To my ears her Konzertsatz for Piano and orchestra of 12 years later is a finer piece despite heavy reliance of a motif from Chopin’s E minor piano concerto.
There are surely finer concertos by women that would have been better choices to prove the point. Ruth Gipps’s in G minor, the quirky Etruscan Concerto by Peggy Glanville-Hicks, the powerful Piano Concerto by Dorothy Howell and the Chaminade Concert Piece spring to mind and I am sure that the erudite contributors to SD will be able to supply loads more. Oh, and if programming the Glanville Hicks concerto, one could do worse than couple it with the Bartokian Third Piano Concerto by her hubby Stanley Bate wriitten only a couple of years earlier.
Spot on.The Price concerto is a meandering shambles.She should have picked the Amy Beach concerto,a nice,tuneful work in the Grieg mood…
The Beach concerto is tuneful? Where did you hear a tune?
‘blow the Tailleferre Ballade out of the water’ What a rediculous concept. It’s not a competition
Sounds a great concepy.
Tailleferre is a great, great piece, but it has maximum 1% on common with the Ravel concerto. It lives its on life and doesn’t need any “help” from Ravel.
It won’t be helped by being paired with the Ravel. No concerto benefits from being paired with the Ravel.
What an interesting way to create the programs!
Thanks for this.
How about these:
Dana Suesse: Symphonic Waltzes
George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Most intriguing pairings! I’d love to hear the Enescu, and the Franck gets outings all too rarely these days (“these” being post-1950s): this series offers the chance to experience fresh repertoire from both male and female composers.
That is inventive and interesting programming. And no atonal dreck to put up with.
Let’s be objective about the Clara Schumann Concerto – it’s a weak piece, and if hadn’t been written by her, it would never had been known.
Brava, what an inspiration!
This is amazing! Brava, Alexandra!!!
Thanks so much, Norman, for featuring my concerto pairings! Many thanks to all the commentators also, fascinating to read your thoughts and especially suggestions of repertoire, some of which, I must admit, are new to me! But every day is learning something new and I’m so grateful for this platform. As pianists, we are very fortunate to have so much repertoire to explore, to tell stories and find connections between different composers, while painting a fuller, more relatable and inclusive picture of the times and the various artistic movements. I shall keep documenting my journey and the audiences’ reactions after hearing the various pairings on social media. Thanks to all!