| Sei pezzi per pianoforte | |
|---|---|
| Piano music byOttorino Respighi | |
| English | Six pieces for piano |
| Catalogue | P 044 |
| Composed | 1903 (1903)–05 |
| Published | 1905 (1905)–07 |
| Movements | 6 |
TheSei pezzi per pianoforte[note 1] ("Six pieces for piano"),P 044, is a set of six solopiano pieces written by the Italian composerOttorino Respighi between 1903 and 1905. These predominantlysalonesque pieces areeclectic, drawing influence from different musical styles and composers. The pieces have various musical forms and were composed separately and later published together between 1905 and 1907 in a set under the same title for editorial reasons; Respighi had not conceived them as asuite, and therefore did not intend to have uniformity among the pieces. The set, underBongiovanni, became his first published work. Five of the six pieces are derived from earlier works by Respighi, and only one of them, the "Canone", has an extantmanuscript.
The "Valse Caressante" displays elements of French salon; lyricism andBaroque are highlighted in the "Canone"; the most popular of the set, the "Notturno", shows signs ofImpressionism; the "Minuetto" is reminiscent of theClassical era; the "Studio" is molded afterChopin's Études; The "Intermezzo-Serenata", resemblingFauré's music, demonstrates Respighi'sRomanticism.
The set consists of six pieces:[3][note 2]
. = 50)")These predominantlysalonesque pieces areeclectic, drawing influence from music of earlier periods, and demonstrateOttorino Respighi'sneoclassical compositional style. A more mature compositional technique brought on from studying abroad with the composersNikolai Rimsky-Korsakov andMax Bruch is also seen.[5] The set contains various musical forms:waltz,canon,nocturne,minuet,étude andintermezzo.[6] The pieces were composed separately between 1903 and 1905, and then published together between 1905 and 1907 in a set under the same title. Although they were published together, Respighi had not composed them conceiving them as asuite, and therefore did not intend to have uniformity among the pieces; thus, publishing them together was merely an editorial decision. TheSei pezzi per pianoforte, published byBongiovanni, complete the piano output of his youthful period and was his first published work.[7][8] Five of the six pieces are derived from earlier works by Respighi.[note 3] The manuscripts of the compositions, except for the "Canone", are lost.[10]
The first piece, with the French title "Valse Caressante" ("Caressing waltz"),[12] is a solo piano arrangement of awaltz in E-flat major that Respighi composed for hisSix pieces for piano and violin (1901–06). It is dedicated to Cesarina Donini Crema, the wife of thelibrettist of Respighi's operaRe Enzo.[9][13] The waltz, displaying elements of French salon,[14] is in ABACArondo form with an introduction and acoda, drawing influence from composers such asAuguste Durand andFrédéric Chopin.[12][15]
The piece begins with an introduction fourmeasures in length,[13] which sets the structure for the rest of the waltz, as every phrase of the waltz is in four measures.[15] In his thesis about Respighi's music, Nathan A. Hess points out the influence Durand's Waltz in E-flat major has on Respighi's waltz: both pieces start with an ornate introduction on thedominant, with Durand employing aritardando leading to the A section while Respighi uses afermata following arallentando, and both pieces mark the first beat of each measure.[16] The A section of the waltz is composed of twomotives; the first is an ascending melody in longernote values and the second consists of fallingeighth notes. The B section has the melody on the left hand consisting of four measures of ascending and four measures of descending notes; Respighi scholarPotito Pedarra [it] and Respighi researcher Giovanna Gatto hint at its resemblance to acello. The C section consists of a group of eight notes withaccents constantly switching from note to note, which, in a study of Respighi's music, Luca G. Cubisino compares to Chopin'sWaltz in F major, Op. 34 No. 3. The A section is repeated a final time and is followed by a coda that ends the work.[9][17][18] Stephen Wright calls the piece "suave and urbane."[19]
Originally a part of the unfinished Suite, P 043,[10] the "Canone" ("Canon") in G minor is a canon at theoctave, demonstrating a more romantic, serious texture that shows the influence ofJohann Sebastian Bach,César Franck andFerruccio Busoni,[20][21] as well as theBaroque period in general.[14] The entire piece stays at the octave, with thecomes (the voice following the leading voice) appearing in thetenor, something Hess compares with Bach's 24th variation of theGoldberg Variations.[22]
The canon is composed of four sections. The first is theAndantino, a canon in two wherein thedux (the leading voice), played at the higher register, is echoed by thecomes one octave lower and two beats later. Following a varied repetition of the Andantino, theAgitato appears, switching to the key ofE-flat minor. It is characterized by ascendingsixteenth notes followed by three descending notes (of longer value), where thecomes is on the seventh beat. The section uses two-note grouping reminiscent of the first section, a pattern prevalent in the works of Respighi. The grouped notes eventually transform into technically challenging doublesixths that ascend, while the left hand plays a descending scale leading to the grand climax—theLargamente C section. Here, the canon from the opening, now in the majortonic, reappears as triumphantff octaves with thedux on the left hand. Subsequently, the second half of the A section is repeated and is followed by an expressive coda that ends the piece.[23][24][25][26] The piece was praised for its lyricism,[27] which led Hess to opine that "we sometimes lose track of imitation between the existing voices."[20]
The most popular of the set,[28] the "Notturno" ("Nocturne") in G-flat major, represents one of Respighi's finest piano compositions and is often featured as a stand-alone piece in recitals by distinguished pianists.[29][30][31][note 4] An eclectic work showing signs ofImpressionism andRomanticism, this modern piece is signified by tranquil alternating chords (arpeggios) accompanying a "mesmeric melody" with long pedal holds;[33][29] it has been described as "an exercise in musical moonlight and shadow",[34] and as having a "distinctlyRachmaninovian feel".[35] The metronome marking shown on the first page ("Lento. (. = 50)"[36]) was most likely added by the publisher, as Respighi only wrote verbal tempo indications in his early period.[37][30]
Hess compares the work with Chopin'sNocturne in D-flat major, Op. 27, No. 2, emphasizing the influence of the left handostinato which in Respighi's work is an arpeggio split between both hands. The opening unfolds with this pattern in double thirds, similar to the music ofClaude Debussy with its chord progression: E-flat minor – G-flatmajor seventh – C-flat major seventh. At measure seven, an A natural appears in the predominantlypentatonic opening, which resolves to B-flat two measures later, likewise showing resemblance to Chopin.[36][38] The ostinato becomes more note-dense with increased harmonic instability on the second page, passing through the relative minor—E-flat minor. The theme is then played in a gradualcrescendo manner, propelling it to the middle section. Dense, accentedf chords are played incommon time in the middle register, and are immediately answered with the soft ostinato arpeggios in a higher register incompound quadruple meter. Runs of ascendingsixty-fourth notes replace the arpeggio ostinatos, preparing for the climax. After affhalf-diminished chord at the climax, an embellishedcadenza-likecoloratura resembling that of Chopin appears, bringing the piece to the coda that echoes the beginning of the piece.[30][39][40][41] Themusicologist Albert Faurot calls the Notturno his "best piece",[33] and the musicologists Maurice Hinson and Wesley Roberts call it Respighi's "finest work for piano."[27] Sergio Martinotti[30] and Elias-Axel Pettersson[42] also spoke fondly of the composition. Jed Distler said that it has "more than a few muffled, overpedalled moments."[43]
The "Notturno" has been arranged for piano andorgan,[44] as well as forharp.[45] Stand-alone recordings of the piece by distinguished pianists include those byArturo Benedetti Michelangeli,[46]Sergei Babayan[47] andImogen Cooper.[48]
The "Minuetto" ("Minuet") in G major is based on an earlier composition by Respighi, theMinuetto per archi ("Minuet for strings") from 1903. Dedicated to the composer's study companion Adele Righi, it illustrates Respighi's adoration for archaism, showing influence of Baroque andClassical music, but alsoMaurice Ravel and Debussy. The piece is inrounded binary form with a trio and has no tempo marking. Cubisino associates the work with Ravel'sMenuet antique.[11][41][49][50]
The minuet is characterized by thematically contrasting four-measure phrases. The first phrase is a simple doubled melodic line played by both hands an octave apart, as well as a tonicpedal point on G reminiscent of amusette. The third beat of the first and third measures are accented, which Hess suggests creates a "hemiola effect to go along with the minuet's dance steps, which involve a six-beat pattern spanning two measures." The second phrase consists of detached major triads around the dominant. The second section markedPoco più vivace begins with a cascade of sixteenth notes while also using four-measure phrases; Pedarra & Gatto assess that it "looks forward to theAntiche danze per liuto". The trio section markedUn poco più mosso contrasts the minuet with a faster tempo and a shift toC minor. Here, the right hand plays double thirds grouped in two while the left hand plays repeated pedal notes in C, which Pedarra & Gatto compare with thepizzicato of alute. The last line has anossia which Cubisino points out is a cadenza modeled after the sixteenth-note runs of the second section, which leads to the piece repeatingD.C. al fine.[51][52][53][54]
The "Studio" ("Study") in A-flat major is anétude that focuses on interlockingfifths and sixths. Dedicated to the Countess Ida Peracca Cantelli, it is characterized by its "distinctly French character."[52][55] The piece is inspired byChopin's Études, using the same structure and form as Chopin: changing key signatures, alternating hands, and necessary details to master a technical challenge. Due to its harmonies andpedaling, the study has also been compared to Debussy.[56] Interlocking hands and double-note technique are commonplace throughout the study, which becomes evident as the piece progresses.[57][27] The study is also derived from the unfinished Suite, P 043.[10]
The study opens with fast andp sixths which, according to Pedarra & Gatto, create a "timid melodic line". The melodic line gains texture in bar 21 when a motivic dialogue emerges between treble and bass. After a crescendo that leads to the B-flat major climax, the piece gets darker while the motivic dialogue fizzles out. A coda of continuous hand-crossing begins from the middle register and gradually moves to the higher register, bringing the piece to its Chopinesque ending.[52][56][57][58] Hess states that the "Studio" is the hardest piece of the set to perform.[57] Faurot compares the interlocking chords of the nocturne with the study, opining that the latter is "more brilliantly exploited."[33]
Respighi's "Fauré-like"[59] last piece, the "Intermezzo-Serenata", is a composition from the unfinished Suite, P 043,[10] which itself is a solo piano transcription of a passage of the third act of his operaRe Enzo. Although he was not entirely satisfied with the opera, Respighi did isolate passages that he liked into stand-alone pieces. The "Intermezzo-Serenata" is one of three transcriptions, all of which omit the first ten bars of the original passage.[60][61][note 5]
The opening markedAndante calmo unfolds with a salon-like accompaniment resembling a lute, consisting of four sixteenth notes followed by an eighth note; this persists throughout the piece. Meanwhile, the right hand plays a simple but intimate melody, showing Respighi "at his most romantic." In the B section, passages ofirregular rhythms are introduced, such as octuplets and triplets. Concurrently, radical changes of harmony are highlighted, such as a sudden switch from F-sharp minor to F major when the first passage is repeated. Pedarra & Gatto show the similarities between the B section and the louderf section, highlighting that hints of the B section "are crossed with a chordal motif". A variation of the opening is repeated, leading to a brief coda, ending the work.[62][63][64][65]
TheSei pezzi per pianoforte have attracted some attention, receiving a mixed reception. Alan Becker said that the pieces are "brief, tuneful, and fall in the realm of occasional pieces."[66] Sergio Martinotti opined that the set reveals "the birth of an unmistakable stylistic direction", while Giuseppe Piccioli dismissed the set as "lovely but insignificant compositions".[9]Michael Oliver found the set "mildly attractivemorceaux de salon, charming but slight."[67] In aGramophone review of Bongiovanni (Qualiton) recording 5099, which included theSei pezzi per pianoforte,Jonathan Bellman concluded:
None of these pieces lies outside a salon aesthetic: pretty, elegant, non-virtuoso music. This is not a crime, but it isn't futurism either. These are sweet and fairly unchallenging listening, sometimes growing frankly trivial, but always attractively played. The transformation of Italian lyricism into a 20th Century aesthetic would wait forLuigi Dallapiccola.[68]
| Recordings of theSei pezzi per pianoforte | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Pianist | Label | Ref |
| 1997 | Konstantin Scherbakov | Naxos Records | [69] |
| 2000 | Riccardo Sandiford | Bongiovanni | [70] |
| 2016 | Michele D'Ambrosio | Brilliant Classics | [71] |
| 2021 | Giovanna Gatto | Toccata Classics | [72] |
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