I had a long look at the programme on the gold chairs in one of the reception rooms in San Anton earlier this month, and knew it was a treasure trove of music and musicians.
The pianist Sofia Narmania,gave us much pleasure with her rendering of Rachmaninov's delicious Italian Polka. She has amazing technique and was having fun playing this polka, not an easy piece to play. Far from it. It has now become, for me, another favourite Rachmaninov composition, the others being Piano Concerto Nos 2 and 3, Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini and Vocalise. It has been in and out of my cd player a lot recently.
Rachmaninov is considered to be a Romantic composer. But he was not only a composer but also a stunningly good pianist and conductor. He was never the happiest of souls. It was something that his fellow Russian composer, Igor Sravinsky noticed: 'Rachmaninov's immortalizing totality was his scowl. He was a six-and-a-half-foot-tall scowl... he was an awesome man.'
Although Rachmaninov left Russia and went to live in Switzerland for a number of years he later was to achieve enormous success in the States where he loved his Cadillac, and often offered to drive guests home from his house, just so that he could show it off. He built himself a home in Los Angeles that was identical to the one he had left behind in Moscow but he is buried in New York.
Soprano Tatiana Lisnic, accompanied by Sofia, sang How Fair This Spot another Rachmaninov composition. It was sublime. One could imagine a host of angels surrounding the soprano and playing on their lyres. Tatiana looked stunning in a red décolleté beautifully cut dress, her black hair swept away from her very pretty face. Of course it is her singing which was important but no matter which way you look at it, this was also a visual feast and Tatiana has wide experience and knows that it helps to look good too.
Sofia Narmania played one of Liszt's most popular pieces, Liebestraum No 3. Her next pieces were Chopin's Minute Waltz (op. 64, Nr 1) and Etude op. 10, Nr 12. The last Chopin piece that evening was the Nocturne in C sharp minor. Chopin's music played such an important part in The Pianist. A German officer and a Polish-Jewish pianist have the love of music in common and the officer not only saves the life of the pianist but supplies him with food in a derelict house, which, as fate would have it had a grand piano in it
Chopin's music touches the deepest recesses of the soul.
Sofia loves the piano and plays with great ease. I have heard her play several times before and she really is such a good, 'natural' musician. She is a soloist and sometimes her accompaniment to the soprano was a little too loud. But how can we not forgive her!
I am reading George Sand's Un Hiver à Majorque most of which was subsequently published in the Revue des Deux Mondes.The authoress of Romantic novels, in search of winter warmth, was there from 11th November 1838 to the 13th February 1839. She was accompanied by Frederick Chopin who was a good ten years her junior and her latest companion. She also took along her children, Maurice and Solange Dudevant as well as her French maid.
The intimacy of George Sand and Chopin, which she wished to turn into a new experience, was undoubtedly a failure. Among other things, because a sick man whose illness (it was finally diagnosed as tuberculosis) was aggravated there, felt in need not of intimate relationships but of care and attention; and these in Majorca could not be provided in the measure and form that his lady companion wanted.
Moreover his need of a piano can be understood. He had bought one from Pleyel in Paris, choosing it himself and ordering it to be sent out to Majorca. Majorca in those days, especially when it came to transport, was one of the last corners of the world. The piano arrived three weeks before their departure. Chopin however, wrote or completed some of his most loved works including his Prelude in D flat major, appropriately known as the 'Raindrop' in cold and damp Majorca. But then he realized that his sickness was incurable. What a shock! He was only 28 years old.
Thank you Poland for giving us Chopin.
If Paganini was the ultimate violin showman, then Franz Liszt steals the crown in the Romantic piano world. His piano compositions are fiendishly difficult to play - but he wrote them in the knowledge that he would be able to pull off even the seemingly impossible, because of his own brilliant musicianship. He was undoubtedly a superstar of his day and lived the rock'n'roll lifestyle a good century or so before it was invented, with a string of sexual liaisons. He finally took the decision to take Holy Orders. However it looks as if he did not let that dampen his ardour.
He is also responsible for a change in concerts involving piano and orchestra, which is still in place today. He wanted his adoring fans to be able to see his hands flying up and down the keyboard, so he had the piano turned around. Before then, pianists used to sit with their backs to the audience.
It is impossible not to believe in a God when you hear his music.
We tend to seek out music to match our moods rather than change them. Sometimes life sucks and then you die, but there's something amazing to listen to while you contemplate that. This was high quality music making, a treasure trove on a February evening.
I find it very sad that there are more popular heroes in sport than in music. What kind of world is this I ask you.
Puccini and Bellini were also on the programme. Ah! Casta diva from Bellini's Norma, another heartrending piece. Chi il bel sogno di Doretta from Puccini's La Rondine. Tatiana Lisnic is such a fine singer.That evening we also enjoyed Sposa, son disprezzata from Vivaldi's Bajazzat; Porgi amor, the aria from Nozze di Figaro by Mozart (go and enjoy it at The Manoel Theatre, starting next Tuesday). Lisnic sang an aria from Dvorak's Rusalka, Les chemins de l'amour by Poulenc and Les filles de Cadix by Delibes which could have so easily been composed by Bizet.
Great balls of fire! Nothing, for me, can be wrong in an evening when on the programme there are both Chopin and Liszt. And not only that but two beautiful and talented women playing in the exquisite surroundings of San Anton Palace.