Stephanie isn't wasting her time getting down to business this morning. She is opening her collaborative recital with Schumann's Toccata in C major, Op. 7. If you're looking for a good finger work-out, this is the piece in which to accomplish that. Octaves, undulating intervals in one or both hands and scales are the prominent features of this piece.
On to the richness of the first movement of Brahms' Sonata for cello and piano in E minor, Op. 38, Allegro non troppo. Scott Tisdel, cellist, is joining Tang for this piece. Brahms is an amazing composer. His work is very demanding requiring the ability to create long lines and maintain a tensile intensity even through softer, seemingly more relaxed sections. In pieces like this, I always appreciate listening to how the string player maintains, decreases or increases intensity through his/her bowing. Tang and Tisdel are presenting a beautiful performance of this movement.
Next is the first movement of Beethoven's Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37, Allegro con brio. Tang gave us some information on this concerto: This concerto's key of C minor is a key that appears throughout Beethoven's works including his Pathatique sonata, Op. 13, his final piano sonata, Op. 111, and his 5th symphony. This concerto also tips it's hat to Mozart's 24th piano concerto, in C minor too. Beethoven very much admired this particular Mozart piano concerto and that can be seen not only in the key, but also in the opening theme. When this concerto was first performed, it was put on a program that included Beethoven's first and second symphonies plus his oratorio. Whew, what a night that must have been. It was a long one, for sure. It was also a long day for the musicians performing the concert as they rehearsed virtually the entire day. Beethoven himself played the piano for the concerto. He had not had enough time to completely write out the piano part. According to his page-turner, the manuscript Beethoven used had almost nothing on it and what was there looked like Egyptian hieroglyphics. Bet that page-turner had a rough night. Brava to Tang and Jacobs on a terrific performance!
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