LTCL Program Notes 1

Domenico Scarlatti
Sonatas for keyboard

K.426 & K.427
Domenico Scarlatti was an Italian composer of the 17th century born in 1685, the same year J.S.
Bach and Frideric Handel were born. While J.S. Bach and Handel are considered the leading figures
of the Baroque era, Scarlatti on the other hand, is known to be the pioneer of the Classical era.
Throughout his life, Scarlatti produced an enormous output of music of diverse musical forms.
However, he is best known today for his 555 sonatas for the keyboard, each of the them an original
work.
Unlike multi- movement sonata form used later the 18th century, Scarlatti's Keyboard sonatas are in
single movement and almost all of them are written in binary form. K.426 and K.427 are arranged
chronologically next to each other by Scarlatti's publisher, Ralph Kirkpatrick. This two sonatas are
often performed together as a set for their contrast in character and tonality.
In contrast to the calmer and dance-like character of the G minor, K.427 has a more lively and
festive character. The use of harmony in K. 427 are more conventional in comparison to K. 426.
Enrique Granados
Allegro De Concierto, op. 46
Granados was inevitably one of the most underrated Spanish composers of the late Romantic
period, overshadowed by his contemporaries such as Albeniz and Manuel De Falla. This may be
also due to his short lived artistic career; when a boat accident took his life in the mid of the golden
years of his creative career. Often known as the ''Spanish Chopin'' or ''Spanish Grieg'', Granados
was a true romantic in essence, both in his personal life and in his creative output. He was also
hailed as ''The Poet of the Piano'', for his poetic and intimate writing for the instrument.
A work largely neglected today, Allegro De Concierto was the work that brought Granados to
national attention. It was written in 1903 for a competition by the Madrid Conservatory. A work of
brilliance and grandeur, it features Lisztian virtuosity of fast octaves passages, rapid arpeggios and
chordal melodies. However, despite its technical and brilliant quality, it also has rich colorful
harmony and charming, cantabile melodies.
Ludvig Van Beethoven

Piano Sonata no.17 in D minor, op. 31 no.2
Ludvig Van Beethoven is one of the most celebrated musician in the history of music, both as a
composer and pianist. Beethoven's creative output covered almost all genres of music known to
him. His vast output of composition includes 9 Symphonies, Chamber Music, an opera as well as 32
Piano Sonatas which are known as the new testament of piano music, after J.S. Bach's Well
Tempered Claviers. Beethoven excelled in almost all genres he has written, for instance, his 9
symphonies has been a monument and enormous influence not only to his contemporaries, but
composers ages after him. Robert Schumann, who was a great admirer of Beethoven modelled his
third symphony after Beethoven's symphonies.
The 32 Piano Sonatas were written in the whole span of Beethoven's career. Apart from the
published sonatas, Beethoven has also written three sonatas, Woo. 47 as a child. Beethoven's Piano
Sonatas can be generally divided into three periods of his career, each represents a different style
and purpose. The early period consisted of the first 15 sonatas, op.2- op.28. In these works,
Beethoven's innovation and of the traditional sonata form can be clearly seen. For instance, the
famous "Moonlight Sonata" which is marked by the composer as " Sonata Quasi Una Fantasia",
challanges the traditional form and starts with a slow movement. The same innovation can also been
in its sister sonata, the op.27 no.1, which bears the same title marking.
The middle period marks the peak of Beethoven's career both as a composer and pianist. Sonatas in
this period are often marked with heroism and virtuosity, as a tool for Beethoven to establish
himself as a virtuoso pianist. Beethoven produced some of his best known sonatas during this
period, such as the " Walstein" Sonata, op. 53 and "Appasionata", op.57. The late period of
Beethoven's output in the form of piano sonata is often associated with the last five sonatas. This
period represents Beethoven's writing in a more complex form and polyphony. For instance, three
of the five sonatas consist of extended and complicated fugue.
The Piano Sonata op. 31 no.2 is famously known as the "Tempest". The title of which, was
introduced by Beethoven's secretary and biographer, Anton Schindler. The sonata consists of three
movements, each in itself is a sonata form. The first movement features an interplay between a slow
short section marked "Largo" and a more lively section marked "Allegro". The following movement
is arguably one of Beethoven's most successful slow movement of his piano sonatas. The closing
movement is in sonata- rondo form. This movement present a structure typical of the Classical
period.
Franz Liszt
Grandes Etudes de Paganini- Etude No.2 in E- flat major, Andante Capriccioso
Franz Liszt is known as the greatest pianist in the history of piano playing. Born in the era of
innovation and freedom of expression, Liszt not only brought piano playing to a new level, but also
produced a vast creative output throughout his life. This includes the famous Piano Sonata in B
minor, a large number of piano transcriptions of operas, symphonies, songs, ect, such as
Beethoven's five Piano Concerti, Wagner's operas, songs by Schubert and Chopin, among many
others. Apart from that, Liszt also invented a new genre of orchestral programmatic music based on
extra- musical ideas and inspirations, such as poem, story, novel and painting, which he called
''Symphonic Poem'', or ''Tone Poem''.
The Grandes Etudes de Paganini was originally composed and published in 1838 as Etudes de
Execution Transcendante d' Apres Paganini. Later, after Liszt heard the comments about its exessive
difficulty, he revised and republished them in 1851, with a thinned down texture, and omit of
excessively large stretches.
The set consists of six piece, each of them a technically demanding etude. The inspiration of the
composition comes from an event when the young composer heard the Italian violin master, Nicolo
Paganini and decided to creates the equivalent of it on the piano. It was reported that, Liszt
withdrew from his flourishing performing career and devoted years on works of technique. The
outcome of which was the set of Etudes based on works by Paganini- the 1st, 9th, 17th, 24th Caprices
and the second Violin Concerto in B minor.
The second work of the series is a study devoted to rapid and delicate running notes and octave
techniques. Marked ''Andante Capriccioso'', the etude is based on the 17th Caprice by Paganini. The
piece starts with an exclamatory introduction which leads to a delicate and lively section. Liszt used
variations and the thickening of texture to devolop the music until its climax in the middle section,
which is in the relative minor. A short trills transition leads back to its opening section and a short
coda in the main theme.

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What are some characteristics of Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas?

What are some details about Granados' Allegro De Concierto?

Domenico Scarlatti

Sonatas for keyboard

Ludvig Van Beethoven

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