Maličkosti Munchies?
If you’re hungry, beware. Every time I talk about those pieces in classical music called “bagatelles,” I immediately think about paper bags stuffed with bagels or baguettes. That’s what the word sounds and looks like.
Bagatelle is the French word for “trifle.” It comes from the Italian word “bagatella.” It’s been used in classical music for short pieces, like the word “miniature.” But I’ve often thought that the label isn’t at all inviting. Can you really get excited about listening to pieces of music in the category of “trifles?”
For years now, I’ve tried to pump a little enticement into the word by mentioning that Für Elise, Beethoven’s famous piano miniature, is one of his bagatelles. But that example was getting old. So, I decided I would search for the Czech word which Antonín Dvorak used. Though often listed as “bagatelles,” he called his pieces “maličkosti” (pronounced MAH lich KOH stee). It’s a new word for me, and probably for many of you. It too means trifles or bagatelles. Dvorak’s 5 Maličkosti are scored for harmonium, violin, viola, and cello. It’s the typical piano quartet instrumentation, though with a harmonium instead of a piano. That’s because the household where they were first performed had a harmonium. The instrument looks like an organ. But it sounds like an accordion, since it has metal reeds instead of pipes.
Dvorak’s are the only harmonium quartets I know of. I’m not sure that it would earn him the title “Father of the Harmonium Quartet.” Franz Joseph Haydn is sometimes referred to as the “Father of the String Quartet.” That didn’t make his younger brother Michael Haydn the “Uncle of the String Quartet.” But it led to assumptions that works written by Michael Haydn which were well-received must have been written by his brother or by his friend: Mozart. Michael Haydn’s Symphony No. 22 was once mistaken for Mozart’s music. And Michael Haydn’s String Quintet in C major, written in 1773, was once so popular that it was published in London as a work by Franz Joseph Haydn. Given all that, the first recording of the quintet was made only 32 years ago.
Franz Joseph Haydn has also been called “Father of the Symphony” and “Papa Haydn” for the fatherly way he had with musicians. A couple of weeks ago, when I played a mandolin concerto by the violinist/composer Emanuele Barbella, who was born 15 years before Haydn, I found a memorable quote about him. It was by the English music historian Charles Burney (1726-1814). He once visited Naples and wrote that Emanuele Barbella was: “the kindest human being that I’ve ever known.” That’s quite a title!
So is “The Windmill City,” which Batavia, Illinois earned for having been the largest manufacturer of windmills in the world from the middle of the 19th to the middle of the 20th century. I had fun glancing through a book online about the historic windmills of the Chicago suburb. My curiosity had been sparked by François Couperin’s harpsichord piece: Les petits moulins à vent (The Little Windmill). It always brings to mind storybook windmills. And I went looking for some visuals to go along with the tune in my head.
Speaking of tunes, the soprano aria “O mio babbino caro,” from Giacomo Puccini’s opera Gianni Schicchi is one that has captivated listeners. Type just the first two words in a search, and it shows up at the top of the results. That’s famous!
In a time of playoffs and the World Cup, I gave myself about 10 minutes to enjoy the “O mio babbino caro” competitions online. I glanced at a couple of websites that rated the best recorded performances of the aria. Then, I went looking for instrumental arrangements and listened to sound samples of those for solo piano, solo guitar, and 4 flutes with piano. None of them came close to the arrangement we’ve been enjoying for years on Classic Mornings with violinist Joshua Bell & the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields led by Michael Stern.
It's not really a competition, but how many famous musicians can turn 85 in one week? As it turned out, at least three. The Dutch conductor (and oboist) Edo de Waart turned 85 on June 1. Pianist Martha Argerich, who was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, celebrated her 85th on June 5. And violinist Jaime Laredo, who has a stadium named for him in his native Bolivia, had his celebration on June 7.
If you’re into competitions, see how many times can you join us each week for at least a portion of Classic Mornings? There are no medals or trophies. But there are lots of great pieces of classical music. So, tune in Monday through Friday from 9-noon on Illinois Classical FM 90.9 or online at will.illinois.edu.
