KARMEN PEČAR (VIOLONČELO/CELLO), GOTTLIEB WALLISCH (KLAVIR/PIANO): POULENC - LIPOVŠEK – BEETHOVEN

Classical and Modern Music

Format: CD

Code: 113826

EAN: 3838898113826

The French composer Francis Poulenc (1899–1963) belonged to the so-called Les Six, a group of young composers under the tutelage of Erik Satie. Just as Satie, Poulenc also gave a wide berth to institutions of musical education – he was more influenced by the music from various cabarets and bars rather than academic circles. Poulenc’s music with its aggressive motorics, technical ease, provoking simplicity and melodic turnarounds, taken from popular music, clearly denotes the radical withdrawal from Wagner’s expressionism, and also the impressionistic suppression of colour. However, we still notice internalised elements – practically the composer’s entire life work is an interlacement of a profane and sacral world and winds between the surrealistic humour, night bars, and spiritual religiosity.
The Sonate pour violoncelle et piano was dedicated to the great virtuoso Pierre Fournier (1906–1985), who had helped with the technical aspects of the cello part. Poulenc wrote the outlines for the Sonate as early as in 1940, however, the maelstrom of war stopped his work, and he only gave another thought to this piece eight years later. The slow progress was also due to the author’s doubts regarding the technical issues of the instrument, and the fact that the composer was not very fond of stringed instruments – he was mostly enthusiastic about the human voice and wind instruments, which he understood as extensions of a human being's musical breath. Poulenc obviously bore in mind Fournier in this work, as there are mostly melodic lines, meanwhile the stressed lyricism also characterised Fournier’s manner of playing.
All four movements in the sonata are composed of three parts. Despite the fact that the first movement is entitled Tempo di marcia, it is nothing like a march – it is mostly melodious, and decorated with a few humorous undertones.  The Cavatina (already its title suggests a “singing” act) starts with a short gamelan citation from the composer’s Concerto for Two Pianos, which returns at the end like a mysterious echo. The third movement flirts more strongly with popular music genres, meanwhile the last movement is a meeting-point of ceremonial music and new invasions of popular music, but they are always facing with bitter and spicy neoclassical harmonies. In the final movement, the composer also concludes the cyclic scheme of the work: after reminding us to the Cavatina, and the Sonata ends similarly as it started.

The Slovenian composer Marijan Lipovšek (1910–1955) was referred to in the history of the Slovenian music as a versatile musician and intellectual: he proved his mastership as a sensitive chamber musician and pianist, he was engaged in musical institutions (director of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, dean of the Academy of Music, editor of the magazine Slovenska glasbena revija), he taught many generations, and created numerous compositions that represent the foundation stone of Slovenian music of the 20th century. Despite being very well educated with regard to the international musical world, Lipovšek never undertook radical contemporary compositional trends, but remained true to the proven means of expression. The following statements by him, which are quoted frequently, are very eloquent: “I love modern music, but I hate charlatans and musical con artists. [...] Modern music, the one I love, will find its way to the surface, meanwhile those one-hit-wonders, similar to bare constructions, will vanish by themselves.” We could describe Lipovšek’s style as a mixture of neoclassical formal transparency and an expressionistic commitment to a deeper expression.
Both of these characteristics also mark the composer’s Ballad, which was written in 1944. Just like the title suggests, this is a liberal form, which puts the most emphasis on a dark feeling of drama. However, the composer’s touch for a transparent formation has also put in form the rhapsody-like ballad mood, which gives us the impression of becoming a sonata. Hence the start is denoted by the entry of two themes: the first one is determined, almost like a recitative, and characterised by a downward jump of a third, and three brusque notes upwards, meanwhile the second theme is more melodic and intended as a sequence of second drops. From a melodic point of view, this theme is the main one in the Ballad, as it repeats several times. The middle section of this composition (Allegro agitato) may be seen as a derivation, as both themes are drastically confronting, and after the peak, the finish is reserved for more and more resigned repetitions of the melodious themes, dropping in seconds.

Classicism “brought” the genres of symphony, string quartet and piano sonata. Composers were trying to link this sonata logic according to their form also with other instruments, especially the violin and cello, however, from this point of view composers still put too much trust in the Baroque figured bass tradition. There the basic melodic line was accompanied by a chordal instrument with a harmonic base, and an additional bass melodic instrument, which reinforced the base fundamentals. This meant that they were not yet capable of creating soloist sonatas for non-chordal instruments, where the solo instrument would be able to shine in all its glory and “sing”, but they placed these instruments together with a chordal piano. Even more: the relationship between this soprano instrument and piano was, for quite a long time, inclined in favour of the latter one. Thus, in Mozart's time, a violin sonata was intended as a piano sonata accompanied by a violin. This form was also introduced to the young Ludwig van Beethoven, who of course wanted to outgrow his idol Mozart and teacher Haydn, the “father” of the symphony and string quartet, therefore he had been looking for his opportunity in piano trios and soloist sonatas – those for the violin and cello.
In 1792, Beethoven moved to the imperial Vienna in order to show his great talent. But things did not go smoothly at the beginning – despite the fact that the aristocrats from Vienna were thrilled with Beethoven’s skill at improvisation and his passionate piano playing, they were even more astonished by the young man’s compositions, which had seemed full of modulations and without an explicit melodic line. But Beethoven was of course seeking his own path. In 1796, he was already certain enough and anchored in the city music life, that he was able to go on a tour, which lead him to Berlin via Prague and Dresden, where he met among others the King of Prussia, Frederick William II, an ardent music lover and amateur cellist. Beethoven obviously wanted to win the king over, and so he dedicated his first cello sonatas to him, however, on the premiere they were not played by the king, but his first cellist, the prominent virtuoso Jean-Pierre Duport.
In his first cello sonata, Beethoven still followed the old model, which was so much more persistent in the cello music, as composers understood the combination of a chordal piano and “bass” cello simply as a typical figurative bass ensemble, which resulted mostly in the duplication of a piano bass by the cello. Such understanding of the combination of both instruments went even so far that many classic authors of similar sonatas did not even write down the cello part – it was clear that the cellist must play the lowest piano line. In this point of view, Beethoven dedicated more attention to the cello, as he wrote the cello part in both of his early sonatas.
Both sonatas from Opus 5 have a similar two-movement form, which, as a matter of fact, is getting very close to a classic three-movement sonata – namely the introductory movement in both sonatas is expanded by an almost independent slow introduction, which if followed by a quicker rondo movement. In the Cello Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5 (No. 2), the cello has a much more independent role than in his first piece – the piano part is less repetitive, and it is placed in the entire composition with an increasingly typical individuality. In the introduction, the cello is also an important participant in the presentation of the theme, and becomes a bearer of longer melodic lines. Many researchers were puzzled by the extensiveness of the introduction, therefore they were asking whether this is not an independent movement, especially because the initial Adagio does not bring only a presentation of the theme, but also its elaboration. However, the scope of this elaboration is not the repetition of the initial theme, but the quick Allegro. This proves that the composer’s musical thinking was characterised by a drama logic, which is proven by the predominant atmosphere in the first two movements, which is dark, full of gloomy premonitions, and a feeling of unrest. The cello and the piano are intertwined in a dialogue, similar to a lively and decisive nature just as in one of the composer’s symphonies, which in this case is approaching the world of dark shadows. This only ends in the last movement, as its lively spirit chases away the unpleasant worries from the introduction.

dr. Gregor Pompe

Karmen Pečar was born in Ljubljana. She started studying cello at the age of five. In 2003, she obtained her certificate of secondary education at the Maribor Music and Ballet Secondary School; the same year she received her first degree at the Academy of Music at the University of Zagreb. In 2005, she also received a master's degree in the class of Professor Valter Dešpalj. She pursued further studies under the mentorship of Professor Reinhard Latzko at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. 
Karmen Pečar came to the attention of the Slovene music community as a thirteen-year-old girl when she had her debut with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, performing Elgar's Cello Concerto. In 2001, Karmen Pečar won the prestigious International cello competition “Dr. Luis Sigall” in Chile (Viña del Mar). In 2002, at the Eurovision Young Musicians competition, she placed third, and in 2004, at the International Cello Competition “Antonio Janigro” in Zagreb, she placed second.
As a soloist, Karmen Pečar has already performed with numerous orchestras and ensembles. Among Slovene ones are The Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, The RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra of Slovene National Theatre in Maribor. Outside Slovenia, she performed as a soloist with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Santiago Philharmonic Orchestra, the Zagreb Soloists ensemble, the Spirit of Europe orchestra, the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, The Varaždin Chamber Orchestra and the Cellomania ensemble. Karmen has worked with great conductors, such as Marek Janowski, Martin Sieghart, Marko Letonja, En Shao, Vjekoslav Šutej, Israel Yinon, Sian Edwards, Uroš Lajovic, Pavle Dešpalj, Alain Francis and David del Pino Klinge. She has played alongside many renowned artists, such as Boris Pergamenščikov, Misha Maisky, Giovanni Sollima, Gottlieb Wallisch, Melina Mandozzi, Dmitri Ferstman, Božo Paradžik, Monika Leskovar, Latica Honda-Rosenberg, Rudolf Leopold and others.
Karmen Pečar has given concerts in Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, France, as well as Italy, the Czech Republic, Russia and Central America. As a soloist and as a member of chamber ensembles she has performed at numerous festivals, and numerous venues in Slovenia and abroad, for example at the Ljubljana Festival (Slovenia), Cankarjev dom (Slovenia), Narodni dom Maribor (Slovenia), the Dubrovnik Festival (Croatia), Cellobienale Amsterdam (the Netherlands), Varaždin Evenings (Croatia), Zadar Music Evenings in S. Donat (Croatia), Bruneck Music Evenings (Italy), and Piran/Pirano Music Evenings (Slovenia).
In 2006, the publishing house ZKP RTV Slovenija released Karmen Pečar’s first CD with her performances of Dvořák and Shostakovich Cello Concertos. Since then, she has participated in the recording of many CDs (Nejc Kuhar – composer, Marko Hatlak “The Musical Offering”, Duet Marko Hatlak & Karmen Pečar, authorial CD by the composer Črt Sojar Voglar, authorial CD by the composer Janez Matičič), and recorded numerous concerts for cello and orchestra for the Slovenian Radio and Television (Lojze Lebič, Janez Matičič, Črt Sojar Voglar, Aram Khachaturian, Edward Elgar). 
Karmen Pečar was for several years appointed an assistant professor of Professor Valter Dešpalj at the Academy of Music of the University of Zagreb. At the moment, she works as a cello professor at the Conservatory of Music and Dance in Ljubljana.

Gottlieb Wallisch is one of the fastest rising representatives of the younger generation of Austrian artists; virtuosity and sovereign individuality are the hallmarks of his playing. Born to a Viennese family of musicians, Gottlieb Wallisch was admitted to the Vienna University for Music and Performing Arts at the age of six years, and later graduated with distinction from the class of Heinz Medjimorec. He has participated in master classes given by Oleg Maisenberg and Dmitrij Bashkirov, and studied with Pascal Devoyon in Berlin and with Jacques Rouvier in Paris. Gottlieb Wallisch is a prize winner of several international piano competitions, amongst which is the 1st Prize and the „Grand Prix Ivo Pogorelich“ at The Stravinsky Awards (USA). He was also a finalist both at the 1999 Queen Elizabeth Competition in Brussels and at the XXI. Concours Clara Haskil in Vevey in 2005.
Gottlieb Wallisch has performed with leading orchestras including the Wiener Philharmoniker, the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, the Sinfonia Varsovia, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, the Camerata Salzburg, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, under conductors like Giuseppe Sinopoli, Dennis Russell Davies, Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Louis Langrée, Sir Neville Marriner, Christopher Hogwood, Philippe Entremont, Kirill Petrenko, Lawrence Foster and Walter Weller. Numerous concert tours have taken him to the USA (Carnegie Hall, Washington DC, Krannert Center West Palm Beach), Great Britain (Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall), Japan, Hong Kong, South America, the Middle East, Africa, and many European countries, including Spain, Germany and Switzerland. In the season of 2001/02 he participated in the international cycle "Rising Stars", and gave solo recitals in the largest European capitals as well as in the USA (Musikverein Vienna, Konserthus Stockholm, Societé Philharmonique in Brussels, the Athens Concert Hall, Wigmore Hall, London and the Carnegie Hall, New York). He has made appearances at renowned festivals and concert halls, for example the Lucerne Festival, Klavierfestival Ruhr, Beethovenfest Bonn, Schubertiade Schwarzenberg, Tonhalle Zürich, Festival de Wallonie, Singapore Arts Festival. In the summer of 2002, Gottlieb Wallisch gave his much-acclaimed debut at the Salzburg Festival. Recent seasons have seen him performing at the Musikhalle Hamburg, the Kölner Philharmonie, “De Doelen” Rotterdam, the Budapest Spring Festival, the December Nights in Moscow and his China-debut with the Camerata Salzburg in Beijing and Guangzhou. In the Mozart anniversary year 2006 and the Haydn anniversary year 2009 he gave a cycle of concerts in the Musikverein Vienna dedicated to the works of these composers.
As a respected artist of the Viennese piano tradition Gottlieb Wallisch records exclusively for the British label „LINN records“. Three highly acclaimed albums dedicated to the music of Mozart have been issued since 2010, his latest album, released in 2014, features Haydn’s London Piano Sonatas.
Besides his soloistic activities Gottlieb Wallisch is a passionate performer of chamber music and serves as professor for piano at the Geneva University of Music. In 2013 he was visiting professor at the Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest. Furthermore he held master-classes at the University of Illinois, the Nagoya College of Music and the St. Petersburg Conservatory. He was named a "Steinway Artist" in early 2012.

TRACKS:

Francis Poulenc: Sonate pour violoncelle et piano, FP 143
1. Allegro - Tempo di Marcia (listen!)
2. Cavatine
3. Ballabile
4. Finale

5. Marijan Lipovšek: Ballad for Cello and Piano

          
Ludwig van Beethoven: Cello Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5 (No. 2)
6. Adagio sostenuto e espressivo – Allegro molto più tosto presto
7. Rondo: Allegro