Piano Matinee David Fray
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH The Well-Tempered Piano, Vol. I, No. 1–4:
Prelude and Fugue in C, BWV 846
Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 847
Prelude and Fugue in C sharp, BWV 848
Prelude and Fugue in C sharp minor, BWV 849
GIOACHINO ROSSINI Preludio Religioso in F sharp
from Petite Messe solennelle
arranged for piano by Thomas Schenke
GIOACHINO ROSSINI Prélude Prétentieux
from Péchés de vieillesse, Vol. VIII: Album de château
FRANZ LISZT La charité
from 2 Transcriptions d’après Rossini S. 553
based on No. 3 from 3 Chœurs religieux by Gioachino Rossini
FRANZ SCHUBERT Piano Sonata in G, D. 894, "Fantasy" Sonata
Intermission approx. 11:50 a.m.
End of concert approx. 01:00 p.m.
Print programme (PDF)
Rossini withdrew from the opera stage at the age of 36 after the premiere of his last and also his first grand French opera Guillaume Tell, and from then onwards devoted himself to the art of cookery and fostering his social circles. Nevertheless, he did not want to abandon composing altogether and from 1857 he created over 160 works – piano pieces, songs, choral works and chamber music – which he described as his “sins of old age”. There was hardly anything he could not set to music, bringing pleasure to himself and his friends. Besides “normal” barcaroles and romanzas, waltzes and marches, culinary delights are to be found, such as Quatre hors d’œuvres (radishes, anchovies, gherkins, butter) or Quatre mendiants (food for students) with figs, almonds, nuts and raisins. Musical gymnastic exercises are also included, limping waltzes or even the description of his own funeral for which he combined popular melodies from his own operas with a funeral march. Rossini compiled one part of these witty and amusing pieces in four volumes and described them as “something of everything. A collection of 56 semi-comic piano pieces. Dedicated to fourth class pianists, to whom I have the honour to belong” – even though many of these miniatures require the greatest virtuosity. Another volume is entitled Quelques riens pour Album, which, like Chopin’s Préludes and Bach’s Wohltemperiertes Klavier, contains exactly 24 pieces. Tribute is paid to Bach with a fugue – Allegro brillante – of course in the style of Rossini.