Classical and Modern Music
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Code: 111501
EAN: 3838898111501
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JANEZ MATIČIČ: Early piano works
The composer Janez Matičič was born in 1926 in Ljubljana, where he also received his education. He first studied violin and later took up piano, composition and conducting, graduating from the Academy of Music in 1951. His first compositions were influenced by NeoRomanticism, but after taking lessons with renowned Nadia Boulanger in Paris he turned to Modernism. After joining the famous Groupe de Recherches Musicales in 1961, he developed an interest in electroacoustic music,
which was produced in the electronic studios of the group.
All these cosmopolitan influences are evident in Matičič’s music, which is emotionally intense, excellently crafted and always inventive. The music for piano stands out among his works, as this is the instrument with which he has developed both emotionally and technically and for which he has been constantly composing new masterpieces. His piano works are among the most extensive and recognizable in the Slovenian music: from his first NeoRomantic miniature, suites and
12 studies, Neoclassical and Modernist sonatas, to highly interesting contemporary musical images (Utripi, Resonance, Gemini for two pianos, Géodes for piano and percussion, Cosmophonie for piano and magnetic tape).
Recently he has written the following works involving piano: Toccata – Fantasia, Sonata No. 4 Choralis for piano four hands and eight new studies. Matičič has also written some noteworthy electroacoustic compositions, including Tri vizije, Oscilacije and Fuzije. Works for violin and piano, string quartet and saxophone quartet could be highlighted among his chamber music compositions. His orchestral music (such as the two symphonies, Trans…, four concertos – for violin, violoncello and two for
piano) is noted for his sense of timbres and interesting formal structure.
It is also worth mentioning that Matičič has always been the best and most authentic interpreter of his piano works, what only explains his thoughtful composing and quest for original style.
For his work Matičič received numerous awards, including the prestige Prince Rainer award in Monaco (1962), Mérite Culturel et Artistique in Paris (1969), the Radio Belgrade award (1966), the RTV Slovenia award (1994), an award for his electroacoustic works in Bourges (1980) and the Prešeren award for his lifetime work (2007).
Even though Matičič’s second home as well as a source of his artistic inspiration and cosmopolitanism is Paris, he remains closely connected to Slovenian musical heritage.
Ivo Petrić
Janez Matičič: Early Piano Works
CD1
The earliest composition presented on this release, Suite No. 1, was written in the last months of the Second World War, when I was a young man of just 18 years of age. I gave the individual movements programmatic, atmospheric titles. They reflect contact with nature, and it is particularly interesting that in certain places my invention touches upon a style that I was not yet actually aware of at that time. I
found the impressionist solution on my own, without having any insight into the scores of this style. In a pianist sense, the writing is rather wild and demanding. Today I particularly appreciate this youth- ful score as extremely felicitous and, in view of the period and circumstances of its composition, surprisingly progressive stylistically. I composed Capriccio Op. 11 at the beginning of 1947, and it was performed for the first time in the small hall of the Slovenian Philharmonic in the
same year by Jelka Suhadolnik. It is lively and motorically dynamic, in places even humorous, and is constructed much more ‘strictly’ than the suite – almost in sonata form. Valse (1948) inclines gently towards Scriabin. In it the same theme comes to life in various shades – from complete refinement to ecstatic excitement. Suite No. 2 (1957) is lighter, more intimate, full of intense shifts in mood, and above all less demanding technically. It was intended for intermediate piano students. The
same is true of the Miniature
Variations, which were written in 1957, based on a compact eight-bar theme. I gave some of the variations specific titles (Loure, Toccatina, Perpetuum mobile, etc.). Particularly interesting is the concluding Magistrale (Master Sonnet), which combines the pitch material of all of the preceding variations. Passacaglia (1947) was the first work that I composed within the framework of studying composition with Lucijan Marija Škerjanc at the Ljubljana Academy of Music. I used Johann Sebastian
Bach’s superb Chaconne as a formal framework. In my composition the harmonically fertile baroque theme is animated in a series of extremely virtuoso and demanding variations. The music becomes ever more intense, and the sound ever more complex, right up to the final climax. In this work one can perceive a range of stylistic strokes from the broader Baroque and Romantic musical palette, as well as from contemporary music.
CD2
The collection of nine Preludes (1947-48) reflects a harmonic development that was rather unusual for the time. In these preludes I gradually departed from late- Romantic thinking and set out for the edge of the tonal world. They are very demanding pianistically. The form always tends towards an (orgasmic) climax of one kind or another, while the actual formal schemes vary from prelude to prelude. The cycle is
dedicated to Hilda Horak, who gave its premiere performance in the year following its composition within the framework of a recital at the Slovenian Philharmonic Hall. In 1951, I composed the Three Compositions for Piano (Prelude, Nocturne, Toccata), for which I gained the Yugoslav Composers Society Prize (at the time I was still a young composer!). I conceived them very broadly – in the literal sense, the sense of sound – and of the three pieces the Toccata stands out in terms of virtuosity.
Although it is certainly not customary, I formed it as a sonata movement. The basic motoric element is maintained throughout the entire com- position, including the lyrical sections. One year later, I composed the Nocturne poètique. Although the composition has a lyrical character there is no lack of robust, dramatic accentuations. The composition of the Three Etudes for the Left Hand (1954) was the result of an inflamed finger in my right hand, and of an irrepressible desire to nonetheless
continue composing, of course. In these etudes I thoroughly researched the problem of one-hand piano performance: how to combine melody, accompaniment, etc., within the framework of five fingers. In the first etude the melody is in the upper voice, while below is a more or less agitated flow of short notes. It is interesting that listeners often make the mistake of thinking that both hands are playing in this etude! In the second, lyrical etude the theme appears in various registers,
accompanied by contrapuntal lines. The third etude is rapid, lively, light and precise, with hints of Scarlatti’s sound world here and there. This collection of etudes is one of my most successful works. French pianist Lelia Gousseau, a specialist for left hand repertoire, always performs it at the end of her numerous recitals. The Twelve Etudes (1958) represent the last and most important works of my pre-Paris period. I conceived them in twelve keys with various technical goals:
1) C. White keys only, arpeggios. Transitions in various modes.
2) G-flat. Seconds in fast passages. Melodic accompani- ment.
3) B. Alternation of thumbs.
4) G. Span of the central three fingers.
5) D-flat. Fourths.
6) G-sharp. Sevenths. Major in the right hand, minor in the left hand.
7) E. Transfer of the melody from the upper to the lower fingers.
8) A. Bolero. Rapid withdrawal of the thumbs.
9) E-flat. Ninths. Minor at the beginning and end, major in the lyrical central section.
10) F. March. Span between the fourth and fifth fingers of the left hand. Melody in the right hand.
11) B-flat. Staccato accompaniment of a legato melody.
12) D. Toccata. Fifths.
The etudes have been accepted by many professors at the Paris Conservatory as part of their teaching programme (Vlado Perlemuter, Madamme Heucklin, etc.).
Janez Matičič
The Pianist Tatjana Kaučič
The pianist Tatjana Kaučič began her music education in her native town of Ljubljana. She studied at the Academy of Music, Ljubljana, with Tatjana Ognjanović graduating in 1996, and received her Master‘s degree in 1999, studying with Brigitte Engelhard at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. Afterwards she completed her specialist studies of chamber music with Anthony Spiri at the Cologne College of Music. In addition, she has taken summer courses led by Jose
Daniel-Martinez, Leonid Brumberg and Boris Bloch. Besides her solo performances she is devoting herself to chamber music, cooperating with many instrumentalists and composers. She has premiered works composed by Riccardo Fabris, Nenad Firšt, Lojze Lebič, Janez Matičič, Wilma Paterson, Ivo Petrić, Primož Ramovš and Ljubo Rančigaj. In 2001 she recorded the CD Sonatas for Wind Instruments and Piano by Ivo Petrić, and in 2002 some compositions for the CD The Piano Music by Janez Matičič. In the
spring 2007 the Pizzicato publishing house released her first solo piano CD Riflessi Mitteleuropei, featuring works by contemporary Italian composer Riccardo Fabris, which received favorable reviews from Slovenian news- paper Dnevnik and Italian Il piccolo.
In 1994 she and her spouse, clarinetist Dušan Sodja, formed the Claripiano duo (www.claripiano.net). They have performed across Europe, from Stockholm to Belgrade, and have recorded two CDs: Legends (2000), featuring 20th century composers, which was highly rated in the BBC Music Magazine and in the American magazine The Clarinet, and Encounters with works by Slovenian composers, dedicated to the duo.
The Pianist Milanka Črešnik
The pianist Milanka Črešnik, (1977) started her musical training at the Music School in Ravne na Koroškem. She took her diploma at the Intermediate Music School in Maribor as a pupil of Prof. Marija Serajnik. At the Academy of Music in Ljubljana she was a student of Prof. Aci Bertoncelj. She graduated in 2001 and went on to study with Prof. Vassily Lobanov at the Hochschule fur Music Cologne. In 1995 she received the Second Prize at the Slovene National Competition
for Young Musicians. She has appeard in diferent chamber music performences at home and abroad. With saxophonist Betka Bizjak Kotnik performed recitals in diferent concert cycles. They have recorded CD named Replique. They got the higest award at Competition for chamber music Primož Ramovš in Ljubljana 2007. She post graduated at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana in the class of Prof. Tatjana Ognjanović. She works as a Prof. of piano at the Music School in Nazarje.
COMPOSITIONS:
CD1
SUITA NO. 1 op. 7 (1945) piano: Milanka Črešnik
1. Promenada, 2. Odsevi na jezeru, 3. V Alpah, 4. Sanjarjenje, 5. Večer
6. CAPRICCIO op. 11 (1947) piano: Tatjana Kaučič
7. VALSE op. 9 št. 3 (1948) piano: Tatjana Kaučič
SUITA NO. 2 op. 28 (1956) piano: Tatjana Kaučič
8. PRELUDIJ, 9. VALČEK, 10. SARABANDA, 11. INTERLUDIJ, 12. ELEGIJA, 13. BERCEUSE, 14. TARANTELLA
VARIATIONS MINIATURES op. 29 (1958) piano: Milanka Črešnik
15. TÉMA 16. 1.VARIACIJA 17. 2.VARIACIJA 18. 3.VARIACIJA 19. 4.VARIACIJA 20. 5.VARIACIJA 21. 6.VARIACIJA
22. 7.VARIACIJA 23. 8.VARIACIJA 24. 9.VARIACIJA 25. 10.VARIACIJA 26. 11.VARIACIJA 27. 12.VARIACIJA
28.) PASSACAGLIA op. 10 (1947) piano: Milanka Črešnik
CD 2
piano: MILANKA ČREŠNIK
12 ETÜD ZA KLAVIR -Serija A (1958) Op. 30
1. Etüda št. 1, Allegro maestoso (listen!), 2. Etüda št. 2, Allegro comodo, 3. Etüda št. 3, Allegro con brio, 4. Etüda št. 4,
Agitato, 5. Etüda št. 5, Quasi presto, 6. Etüda št. 6, Allegro agitato, 7. Etüda št. 7, Moderato cantabile, 8. Etüda št. 8,
Allegro vivace, 9. Etüda št. 9, Presto agitato, 10. Etüda št. 10, Allegro energico, 11. Etüda št 11, Un poco andante e
molto espressivo, 12. Etüda št. 12, Allegro con fuoco
3 LEVOROČNE ETÜDE (1956) Op. 25
13. Etüda št. 1, Allegro moderato, 14. Etüda št.2, Lento tranquillo, 15. Etüda št. 3, Allegro
con fuoco
ZBIRKA 9 PRELUDIJEV (1947) Op. 14
16. Preludij št. 1, 17. Preludij št. 2, 18. Preludij št. 3, 19. Preludij št. 4, 20. Preludij št. 5, 21. Preludij št. 6, 22.
Preludij št. 7, 23. Preludij št. 8, 24. Preludij št. 9
25. NOKTURNO (Op.23) v h-molu, “POETICO” (1952)
26. PRELUDIJ (Op. 20, št. 1) v h-molu (1951)
27. NOKTURNO (Op. 20 št.2) v fis-molu , Andante
28. TOCCATA (Op. 20, št. 3) Allegro con fuoco
