Painting Satie

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Rondo in A major Op. 107 D 951

Eric Satie (1866 – 1925)

Trois Morceaux en forme de Poire (Three Pieces in the Shape of a Pear)

• Manière de Commencement (In order to begin)
• Prolongation du même (Prolongation on the Same)
• I
• II
• III
• En Plus (once again)
• Redite (a Gratuitous Repetition)

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Bilder aus Osten, Op. 66 (Pictures from the East), a set of 6 Impromptus

i.Lebhaft (lively) ii. Nicht schnell und sehr gesang voll spielen (not too fast, singing), iii. Im Volkston (in folkstyle), iv. Nicht schnell (not fast), v. Lebhaft (lively), vi. Renig andächtig (reverent)

Elena Kats-Chernin

The Rain Puzzle

The rondo is a favourite form of Schubert’s, often a movement within a sonata, but in this case its on its own. In form, the rondo presents a ‘tune’, which recurs with some minor elaboration, between sections of different material. I like to think of this rondo, with its steady, reassuring, downward moving arpeggio, as a walk along a familiar trail, one where small changes are noted, like a flower or raindrops on a spider web, every time that path is taken. The sections between have a different character to the main tune – perhaps there’s been a sudden downpour, or a conversation with a stranger.

Satie’s enigmatic epigrams that adorn this suite of seven pieces, sort of make sense in terms of continuity, but what do you make of the overall title Trois Morceaux en forme de Poire? (Three pieces in the shape of a pear). It took me ages to realise that the work proclaiming three movements actually was the one with seven!! Satie was renowned for his eccentricity, both in his personality and his musical expression. Often within these morceaux he seems to be heading in one direction, only to veer off into another in the space of a breath – tender/rough, sweet/raucous, moving/still. Satie admired and even envied Debussy, but realised to be true to himself, he should be himself – mercurial, funny, meditative, all to be found in this one work. We have tried to obey his instructions to the letter because he is very explicit.

Schumann was inspired to write this set of six impromptus in 1848 upon hearing a reading of Freidrich Rückert’s poetical interpretation The Tales of Al-Hariri (Makamen), based on the writings of Al-Hariri from Basra, c. 1054-1122. Though allegedly inspired by this popular literary work, Schumann’s stand-alone duets are not noticeably Arabic in style. Rather, his inspiration is the actions of the hero Abu Seid. Hence we notice the first impromptu is (emotionally speaking) agitated/thoughtful, relaxed; the second tender;  the third grandiose/playful; the fourth sweet; the fifth confident, exuberant/doubtful, gentle; and the sixth, beginning ‘reverently’ touches on all of the above.

The Rain Puzzle is a set of four little pieces, all structured and harmonized the same way. The difference between them lies in the way Elena breaks the chord up. Written in 2014 for the magazine The Piano Teacher, she says ‘it explores the symmetry and asymmetry of the falling of rain. Patterns which may seem the same are often changing ever so slightly and are constantly in motion’. She says the performer can change how the pieces are played according to whim – fast or slow, smooth or staccato, loud or soft. She also says they can be played on any sort of keyboard. We have chosen to play them simultaneously – one on top of the other. With piano and harpsichord.