Today is the birthday of Peter Mennin, who died 29 years ago- in 1983, at 60 years of age.
Notes excerpted from the back cover (enclosed):
Born in Erie Pennsylvania, May 17, 1923, Mennin attended the Oberlin Conservatory briefly before serving in the Air Force, later resuming his studies at Eastman School of Music. In 1947 he joined the composition department at the Juilliard School. As a result of awards and grants Mennin spent the year 1957-58 in Europe, during which he was appointed Director of Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. In 1962 he returned to New York as President of Juilliard.
The Concerto for Piano and Orchestra was commissioned be The Cleveland Orchestra in honor of the 40th anniversary of the founding. The premiere took place in Severance Hall on February 27, 1958, with Eunice Podis as soloist and George Szell conducting. The same forces gave the work its first New York performance, at Carnegie Hall, on March 7 of that year.
The concert is a virtuoso piece in three movements, with the solo instrument pitted against the orchestra. The intricate writing of the piano part requires a performer with extraordinary technical ability.
The music has the typical Mennin characteristics - enormous pulsating drive, expressive power and naturalness of harmonic and contrapuntal flow - and unifying all of these is a lofty, poetic grandiloquence. The Concerto was recorded in the presence of the composer and under his supervision.
Richard Yardumian, whose music Leopold Stowkowski described as "beautiful and effortlessly original" was entirely self-taught until his early twenties.
The Passacaglia, Recitatives and Fugue was composed in 1957, and had its premiere in Philadelphia on January 3, 1958, with Rudolf Firkusny, for whom it was written, as soloist and Eugene Ormandy conducting. It is a work that has been described as "Logical, brilliant in concept...built with skill, purpose and deep regard...for solo instrument and orchestra."
The first movement, which has 20 variations, was inspired by a performance of Bach's great Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor. Its piano writing is molded along Lisztian lines, and it is based on a theme of the traditional eaight measures in triple meter. The Recitatives movement, dialogues between the piano and various instruments, is poetic and introspective. The Finale is a glowing regal march, its intricate contrapuntal treatment, with numerous canons and inversions, typical of the composer's noble style.
Side One:
Peter Mennin: Concerto For Piano And Orchestra (1958)
I: Maestoso; Allegro (10:33)
II: Adagio religioso (8:28)
III: Allegro vivace (6:04)
Side Two:
Richard Yardumian: Passacaglia,Recitatives and Fugue (1958)
I: Passacaglia (8:22)
II: Recitatives; III: Fugue (9:24)
John Ogdon, Piano
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Igor Buketoff, conductor
(1) or (1)
This is wonderful music. I bought the record many years ago, before that I never heard of the two composers. I was deeply impressed and played the LP frequently and still do!
ReplyDeleteHi Sibeliusfan- Thanks for writing and
DeleteGlad you like this!
This Yardumian piece is the only thing I have by him- I like the very Personal language he uses- he's not afraid to try something which, in other hands, might come out as obvious or even a tad corny or "old-fashioned"- I find it very enjoyable - unpretentious and unpredictable.
Mennin was the reason I bought this.
I've bought every Mennin lp I've ever seen.
In the more traditional American Classicist melieu, he's a great and overlooked composer.
I prefer his smaller-ensemble works because his intense counterpoint and rhythmic ingenuity can be more clearly heard- check out the "American String Quartets, Vol II" post from back in January or so for his String Quartet No.2.
It's a knockout.
The Louisville Orchestra recorded many of his Symphonies back in the 60's.
I will post more Mennin in the future.
Greetings from Richard Yardumian's grandson. Nice to see someone out there actually remembers his music, and I would gladly share the rest with you had I a turntable with a USB...
ReplyDeleteAram-
DeleteI DO wish you had a usb connection indeed. I have never heard any other of your grandfather's works, much as I enjoy this one.
I wonder- is there as much variety in the rest of his oeuvre as there is in this single work?
As far as I know, you are the first family member of a composer to have written us- congratulations!
grey calx and I thank you sincerely for writing.
I hope to hear from you again.
Thank you. I always enjoy piano music and I am unfamiliar with these two composers. I also enjoyed the Charles Ive post.
ReplyDeleteckibelf