Esther Walker -Ludus Tonalis & Piano Sonata 27 April 1945 -First Hand Records CD Grooves.land/Playthek

Details / Tracklist:

01. "Ludus Tonalis I. Praeludium"

02. "Ludus Tonalis II. Fuga 1 in C: Slow"

03. "Ludus Tonalis III. Interludium: Moderato, with energy"

04. "Ludus Tonalis IV. Fuga 2 in G: Gay"

05. "Ludus Tonalis V. Interludium: Pastorale, moderato"

06. "Ludus Tonalis VI. Fuga 3 in F: Andante"

07. "Ludus Tonalis VII. Interludium: Scherzando"

08. "Ludus Tonalis VIII. Fuga 4 in A: With energy - Slow, grazioso - Tempo"

09. "Ludus Tonalis IX. Interludium: Fast"

10. "Ludus Tonalis X. Fuga 5 in E: Fast"

11. "Ludus Tonalis XI. Interludium: Moderato"

12. "Ludus Tonalis XII. Fuga 6 in E flat: Quiet"

13. "Ludus Tonalis XIII. Interludium: March"

14. "Ludus Tonalis XIV. Fuga 7 in A flat: Moderato"

15. "Ludus Tonalis XV. Interludium: Very broad"

16. "Ludus Tonalis XVI. Fuga 8 in D: With strength"

17. "Ludus Tonalis XVII. Interludium: Very fast"

18. "Ludus Tonalis XVIII. Fuga 9 in B flat: Moderato, scherzando"

19. "Ludus Tonalis XIX. Interludium: Very quiet"

20. "Ludus Tonalis XX. Fuga 10 in D flat: Moderately fast, grazioso"

21. "Ludus Tonalis XXI. Interludium: Allegro pesante"

22. "Ludus Tonalis XXII. Fuga 11 in B (Canon)"

23. "Ludus Tonalis XXIII. Interludium: Valse"

24. "Ludus Tonalis XXIV. Fuga 12 in F sharp: Very quiet"

25. "Ludus Tonalis XXV. Postludium"

26. "Piano Sonata '27 April 1945' [Manuscript II] I. Bewegt"

27. "Piano Sonata '27 April 1945' [Manuscript II] II. Marcia funebre: Lento"

28. "Piano Sonata '27 April 1945' [Manuscript II] III. Allegro risoluto"

Number of discs:

Extra-Infos:

Esther Walker

Description:

Paul Hindemith and Karl Amadeus Hartmann were born a decade apart and died in the same month. Hindemith was the more inclusive artist while Hartmann more fully reflected the cultural concerns of his time; as conveyed by the contemporaneous but aesthetically very different pieces on this release. Composed in 1942 during his stay in the United States, Ludus Tonalis was first performed in 1943 in Chicago. It is one of the greatest solo piano works of the mid-20th century, exploring matters of technique, theory, inspiration, and communication. This masterpiece comprises all 12 major and/or minor keys and was intended to be the 20th century equivalent to J.S. Bach's The WellTempered Clavier. Written just three years after Ludus Tonalis, Hartmann's Piano Sonata [No.2] depicts the shuffling feet of 20,000 camp prisoners from Dachau whom Hartmann watched being marched away from the approaching Allies. The subtitle of Hartmann's work, '27 April 1945', is clarified by an epigraph the composer (in his own words) positioned at the head of the score: 'On the 27th and 28th of April 1945 trudged an endless stream of Dachau prisoners of war past us... unending was the misery... unending was the sorrow'. This is made explicit by the (central) Lento, a 'Marcia funebre' that ranks with Hartmann's finest utterances; it's sombre and fatalistic tread - shot through with fanfare-like elements - reaching an impassioned climax before regaining it's mood of numbed sorrow. Esther Walker is pianist who combines "virtuoso fire and musical temperament" with "lyrical sensibility" in an almost ideal way.

No. of tracks:

Manufacturer No.:

05712361

Product Safety