Chopin was not known to compose music for orchestra, so it’s not a surprise that composers took to rewriting the orchestration of his concerti. Mily Balakirev, a late 19th century Russian composer, took to this task nearing the end of his life, the version premiering in early 1910. Although his orchestration at times can feel starkly Russian, hence why it is not often played, it offers an often more satisfying approach that uses more instruments, expanding to that of a large orchestra with 4 horns, an english horn, 2 trumpets, and a trombone and making more use of the woodwinds and brass than did Chopin in the original.
0:00 I: Allegro Maestoso
18:52 II: Romanze - Larghetto
28:05 III: Rondo - Vivace
Performers: Freidrich Gulda, London Philharmonic Orchestra (Sir Adrian Boult)
Here are some of the changes that struck me as significant:
0:21 - Even at the beginning Balakirev makes more use of the reeds and distributes melodic lines to a wider variety of instruments
1:39 - Giving the 2nd theme melody to the Clarinet and other woodwinds (rather than the strings) gives a sense of change, again ushering the woodwinds into the spotlight
2:56 - From the sharply different woodwind writing to the pizzicato in the strings, Balakirev makes more use of instrumentation
5:25 - This clarinet line (instead of long tones held by the horns in Chopin’s original) gives a second line to the section, diversifying it and providing more complexity
6:08 - Again use of woodwinds in harmony and second voices provides a fuller orchestration than in Chopin’s original
6:56 - The bass pizzicato gives more harmonic grounding to this lyrical second theme
8:18 , 8:39 - Here Balakirev brings in lines reminiscent rhythmically and in melodic contour of the first theme, developing motifs that Chopin almost never develops in his original
8:58 - This timpani roll serves to heighten the building intensity of the section
9:13 - Putting the violins an octave higher than in the original gives this tutti a sense of gravity and climax
9:52 - 4 horns on a second line provide greater complexity and heaviness to the tutti
10:05 - Usage of the english horn and transferring the line from one instrument to the other makes this orchestration more diverse than Chopin’s original (which doesn’t make use of as many combinations of timbres)
12:50 - Usage of woodwinds instead of strings gives more variety and the timpani roll aids the build that eventually returns to the main theme
13:41 - The bassoon trill gives a small bit of suspense that helps the cadence
15:23 - Countermelodies as well as only using the bass aid this transition and give it more breadth orchestration-wise
16:31 - This small line in the violins makes the melody fuller, helping it to be larger sonically than the previous iteration
17:10 - The staccato clarinets successfully create an atmosphere without the somewhat excessive instrumentation used by Chopin
17:15 - Here Balakirev repeats the theme first played by the piano in the orchestra in the celli followed by the violins, something that Chopin hesitates to do and only uses sparingly
17:30 - Balakirev again reiterates this theme, this time more powerfully, utilizing the woodwinds, and finally with the strings
18:07 - Here Balakirev makes use of call and response with the first piano theme, preparing for the final tutti section
21:00 - Balakirev places the countermelody in the english horn, which is a welcome change from what would be in the shy, softer register of the bassoon
23:55 - This countermelody in the cello again creates a call and response texture in the orchestra
26:12 - Balakirev uses the clarinet in tandem with the strings to add a level of complexity to the timbre of the melody
28:31 - Here Balakirev makes more use of the pizzicato to add more diversity to the texture
29:03 - Using both the strings and the winds makes this orchestral section more diverse than that of Chopin’s original
29:51 - Again writing this in the strings first and then in the winds
30:20 - Another instance of a second/third line in the winds that provides motivic development
30:35 - Usage of a note held in multiple instruments (woodwinds) sequentially not present in the original
32:22 - Bringing in woodwinds with light tonguing and brass with dark forbidding timbres to accompany the piano in this section give more character to the section
32:44 - Using light orchestration here provides a more reserved quality, appropriate as this is a slower precursor to the main theme with an almost delicate atmosphere
34:08 - The thematic development and harmonic complexity that the timbres of woodwinds bring to this segment heighten its purpose as a developmental section
34:39 - Another example of the melody going from the piano to the orchestra (specifically the flutes)
34:47 - More thematic development by Balakirev in this seemingly dominant-chord section
36:01 - More countermelodies in the orchestra, giving more complexity to the coda
6 авг 2024
