Celebrating In Schenectady?
It happens often enough. A well-known piece of classical music ends up in a film – or many films. And other pieces become well-known because they were used in films.
Recently, I wondered whether the famous “Minuet in G” by Ignace Jan Paderewski had ever been heard in a film. November 19 was the 165th birthday anniversary of the Polish pianist, composer, and statesman (1860-1941). The Menuet célèbre, as he titled it, is the first of six Humoresques de concert for piano, published in 1887 & 1888.
I decided to search for “films in which Paderewski’s Minuet has been used.” The result was a film I had never seen nor heard of: Moonlight Sonata. Yes, that’s the nickname given to Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14. It’s also the title of a 1937 British film directed by Lothar Mendes. And here’s the big surprise: the cast features, among others, Ignace Jan Paderewski as himself! The film is online. I watched portions of it.
Right from the start, he plays the opening of the Beethoven work, a Chopin polonaise, the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, and his famous minuet. He doesn’t merely appear in cameos as a pianist. He’s one of the main characters. And you don’t have to wait until long into the film to see and hear him play. The first 20 minutes of Moonlight Sonata features him performing those selections to a most enthusiastic, though staged, crowd. The scene changes to one in which he’s chatting with several persons about performance. He then begins to recall something from his past. At that point, the story told in the film begins. Check it out. And, by the way, I noticed that the film was released during the 50th anniversary year of the minuet.
The day before Paderwski’s birthday, I wondered whether they were celebrating a centennial in Schenectady. Do you know the city? It’s about 20 miles from Albany, New York. It’s where the Mohawk & Hudson Rivers come together. Actually, I should say it’s “beyond the pines.” That’s the original Iroquois Mohawk meaning of the word. The city takes its name from the Dutch spelling of it.
November 17 marked the centennial of the birth of Sir Charles Mackerras in Schenectady. His parents were Australian, living there at the time he was born. By age 3, he was in Sydney, Australia. He learned to play the violin and began to study the flute, until he heard there was a shortage of oboists. So, he switched to the oboe. He became the principal oboe of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Further studies brought him to Prague where he developed an interest in the music of Czech composers. He would be a champion of the music of Leoš Janáček.
Sir Charles was a much-admired conductor, who held posts in England, Scotland, Wales, Germany, Australia, the United States – at the San Francisco Opera, and the Czech Republic. He died in 2010 at age 84. You’ll often hear me play selections from his recordings of the complete Mozart symphonies with the Prague Chamber Orchestra.
Just over two weeks after Mackerras was born in Schenectady, George Gershwin’s Concerto in F premiered in New York City. He wrote it the year after Rhapsody in Blue. It was commissioned by the New York Symphony and its conductor: Walter Damrosch. Gershwin took it on as a challenge. There’s a famous quote in which he responds to those who thought Rhapsody in Blue was a happy accident. He said there was a lot more where that came from. Gershwin was the soloist in the first performance on December 3, 1925, 100 years ago.
One of Fritz Kreisler’s best-known works was published in 1910, 115 years ago. The Austrian-born American violinist and composer said he was inspired to write Tambourin chinois after a visit to a Chinese theatre in San Francisco. The music there didn’t suggest a theme, but he said it gave him “the impulse to write in the Chinese manner.” Tambourin chinois, was written for violin and piano. Sometimes, the title is translated as “Chinese Drum” or Chinese Tambourine. But tambourin refers to an 18th century French dance which was inspired by a folk dance from the region known as Provence. The folk dance is accompanied by a pipe or fife and a small drum known as a tabor.
Classic Mornings has been accompanied by the support of so many listeners this past year. That was demonstrated again on “Giving Tuesday,” when many contributed during the program. If you haven’t had a chance to be a part of that support, know that you may make a gift at any time at willgive.org. Thanks to all of you, we’ll continue to celebrate classical music on the radio in central Illinois, during the holidays and into the New Year!
