Frederic Chopin (1810 – 1849)
Adrien-Francois Servais (1807 – 1866)
Chopin – Introduction et Polonaise brillante pour piano et violoncello, Op. 3
Servais: Souvenir de Spa pour violoncello et piano, Op. 2
Servais: grande Fantaisie Polonaise sur des air du ballet ‘Le Noce de Cracovie,’ Op. 19
Edmond Baert, Cello
Serge Bemant, Piano
Recorded 1985, Switzerland
———————
ONE-SENTENCE REVIEW:
There’s a reason I bought this CD so many years ago – it was two composers from the Romantic era writing for Cello & Piano – and it does not disappoint!
_____________________
NO LINER NOTES (BUT HERE’S SOME INFO ABOUT CHOPIN AND SERVAIS):
FREDERIC CHOPIN (1810 – 1849)
Frédéric François Chopin (born March 1, 1810 –October 17, 1949) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leading composer of his era whose ‘poetic genius was based on a professional technique that was without equal in his generation.’
Chopin was born in Żelazowa Wola and grew up in Warsaw, which in 1815 became part of Congress Poland.
A child prodigy, he completed his musical education and composed his early works in Warsaw before leaving Poland at age 20, less than a month before the outbreak of the November 1830 Uprising; at 21, he settled in Paris.
INTRODUCTION AND POLONAISE BRILLANTE IN C MAJOR, OP. 3
Introduce and Polonaise brillante in C major, Op. 3, was one of Chopin’s first published compositions.
The Polonaise was written between October 20 and 28, 1829, during a visit to the estate of Antoni Radziwill in Antonin. In a letter to Chopin’s friend Tytus Woyciechowski, Chopin indicated that he wanted Princess Wanda, the daught of Prince Antoni, to practice it.
The Introduction was written in April 1830. The work was published in 1831 and dedicated to the Austrian cellist Joseph Merk. In a letter, Chopin wrote, ‘On Thursday, there was a soiree at Fuch’s when Limmer introduced some of his own compositions for four violoncellos. Merk, as usual made them more beautiful than they really were by his playing, which is so full of soul. He is the only violoncellist I really respect.’
GRAND DUO CONCERTANT POUR PIANO AND VIOLONCELLO IN E MAJOR, B.70
The Grand Duo concertant in E major, B. 70 is a composition for piano and cello writting jointly by Frederic Chopin and Auguste Franchomme. It was written in 1832 and published in 1833.
Chopin had initally been contracted by his publishers to write a work for piano based on Giacomo Meyerbeer’s opera Robert le diable. He had attended a performance and liked the work, but was disinclined to write a ‘fantasia’ (as he put it in a letter to his family) on another composer’s music.
However, his friend Auguste Franchomme persuaded him to jointly write a piece for cello and piano using themes from the opera. Chopin devised the general structure of the piece and wrote the piano part, with Franchomme writing the cello part.
ADRIEN-FRANCOIS SERVAIS (1807 – 1866)
Adrien-Francois Servais (June 6, 1807 – November 26, 1866) was one of the most influential cellists of the nineteenth century. he was born and died in what is now Halle, Belgium. He is one of the founders of the Modern Cellistic Schools of Paris and Madrid which began through collaboration with his friend Auguste Franchomme and his disciple Victor Mirecki Larramat.
His compositions are still studios, performed and recorded all over the world.
_______________________
TRACK LISTING :
Frederic Chopin (1810 – 1849)
Adrien-Francois Servais (1807 – 1866)
- Chopin: Introduction et Polonaise brillante pour piano et violoncello, Op. 3 [9:40]
- Servais: Souvenir de Spa pour violoncello et piano, Op. 2
- Chopin (in co-operation with Auguste Franchomme): Grand duo concertant pour piano et violoncello sur des themes de ‘Robert le Diable’ de Meyerbeer [12:44]
- Servais: Grande Fantaisie Polonaise sur des airs du ballet ‘Le Noce de Crecovir,’ Op. 19
FINAL THOUGHT:
Look, over the years, these pieces have been played by some of the great pianists and cellists in the world. This recording is great but I have to leave some room in my scale for all those I have not heard (for any haters out there, 82 is a great score).
Emily Sachs – President – Manka Music Group (A division of Manka Bros. Studios – The World’s Largest Media Company