Aleksandar Madzar

Haydn-Schönberg, Bach-Ravel - or homage to the forefathers: In J. Haydn's (1732-1809) Sonata no. 31 in A-flat (Hob. XVI/46), three dynamic outer movements interact with an elegant middle part, which contains a graceful melodic counterpoint alluding to the Italian Concerto of J. S. Bach. This adagio is one of the most beautiful scores that Haydn ever wrote for the piano. Opus 11 and Opus 25 by Schönberg (1874-1951) are - like all other piano works by this composer - turning points in his train of thought. The melody becomes a Leitmotif. The suite dances along to a Preludium, Gavotte, Musette Intermezzo, Minuet and Gigue - into the underlying dodecaphonic figures. Bach on a Steinway? Nowadays, you need a lot of nerve to pay tribute to historical performance in such fashion. However, the transparency and the dynamic power are just a few facets, which encourage playing Bach (1685-1750) even on a contemporary piano. Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) dedicated his triptych 'Gaspard de la Nuit' to his Spanish friend, the brilliant pianist, Ricardo Vines. He based the composition on a poem by Aloysius Bertrand, which bears the same title. The three piano works allude to bizarre visions, and absurd and violent scenes.