Malcolm Bilson, a fortepiano specialists and Cornell University professor, performed a collection of freewheeling works by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven on September 18th at the Cornell University Barnes Hall. Playing each of the works on the standard fortepiano, an attentive listener could easily pick up on not only Bilson’s attention to minor details but also the creative liberties that he took to personalize each work in the performance.
The three movement opener, “Sonata in E Minor” (1784), by Joseph Haydn, involved fluid and light piano melodies. The work begins in E minor with a motive that includes an eight-note arpeggio. The first phrase ends in a half cadence with and then transitions into G major and ends in a half cadence. The main phrase is repeated and then ends in G major until the end of the section. The beginning section returns and modulates to the development that continues to modulate between C major and E minor until the end, when the work moves back to E minor with a small development section.
I enjoyed Bilson’s interpretation of this work. One major characteristic that I found interesting was that each time that he returned to the main theme he exaggerated the dynamics, which helped to shape the melodic lines and to contrast the different textures within the melody. The first movement was my favorite. As the downbeat began in the bass, Bilson intertwined each component of the accompaniment and melody making it clear that he is gearing towards the end of the phrase. Also in the first movement, there were several fermatas that Bilson tended to hold longer than other recordings that I have heard, however, he regained his original tempo throughout the rest of the piece.
Second on the program was “12 Variations on ‘Ah, vous dirari-je, Maman’” (1783), a series of variations on a melody from a French folk song by W.A. Mozart. Today the melody of the work is the same to many children’s works such as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” Apart from the fact that the beginning variations, due to their familiarity, caused laughter among the audience, Bilson managed to give an amusing and spirited interpretation of each variation. Originally composed for solo piano, the first section is the theme and the subsequent sections are variations.
In the variations, I felt that Bilson worked to show some differences that Mozart made between each one. For example, in variation 2, there is a series of non-harmonic tones. In variations 2, 3 and 4 there is a series of cadences. In variation 5 the two voices go back and forth. And in variations 10 and 12 there is a series of diminished sevenths. Although the melody is something that each member of the audience heard since they were children, I felt that it was one of the most important works in the concert because Bilson performed each variation completely different from one another –with its own energy. Ultimately, depending on what sounds and textures a person likes to hear, there was at least one variation that adhered to that.
Third on the program was Mozart’s “Sonata in F Major” (1783), in which, the first movement especially, was my favorite work on the program. Mozart puts few chromatics and suspensions throughout the work to transition the listener into the non-chord tones that come later in the work. Although there is a smooth and continuous melody in the beginning, there is a grand crescendo that transition into the second phrase. Their dynamics then drop back and returns to the first phrase. What I find most interesting is that during the second phrase there is a rhythmic contrast, arpeggios in the accompaniment while the melody continues, that is not found any where else in the piece. I liked that although the melody is an important factor in any piece, Bilson managed to incorporate the accompaniment nicely with the melody in way that they were complementing each other rather than supporting.
Throughout each of the movements, especially in the first movement, Bilson took several repeats. I was appreciative for the fact that he continued to return to the main theme, because although I have heard this piece several times, it was beneficial to hear the melody and the transitions between them each time. Also, each time that Bilson returned to the first phrase, he emphasized the melody in a different way –rather it be emphasis on the dynamics or the small details such as the grace notes. What I noticed most about Bilson’s playing was that during the second and third movements, he continued to mute the fortepiano to play certain sections. Not only did I not realize that the work called for this alteration in sound, but it was interesting to see how it is done on the fortepiano.
Beethoven’s “Sonata in D Minor” (1802) opened up the second half and reinforced Bilson’s commitment to detail. The development began very slow and mellow and then build up to the exposition. Then modulates to the recapitulation until the end, which is fast and very suspenseful. The second movement begins in B flat major and resembles the largo section of the first movement. It continues to stay very steady with lots of rising melodic ideas. The third movement is the climax of the entire work. It re-emphasizes the main melody in the first movement and then transitions into the recapitulation, which has a cadenza in the melody. The melody continues to build up to the climax and then slowly returns to the beginning phrase.
A distinguishing factor of the work is how Beethoven developed the first part, which contains both Largo and Allegro. Due to the two tempos during the first movement, I think that of all of the works on the program, Bilson did an excellent job at distinguishing between the two tempos. I really liked how he used the dynamics to add a more dramatic effect to the tempo change. During the slower passages, the mood was more peaceful rather, during the allegro sections; there were extensive passages of rage and havoc.
Bilson closed the program with “Sonata in E-Flat Major” by Beethoven. The first movement consisted of lots of harmonic color throughout the introduction. The main melody is constantly repeated and then transitions to the development. During the second movement, although common of a scherzo, there were several unexpected playful pauses. Also as the melody carried on, the accompaniment included staccato which added a very interesting texture to the piece. The very serious yet sweet third movement consists of a minuet and trio and the fourth movement is filled with energy and spirited.
I think that during the fourth movement especially, Bilson took full advantage of the lively nature of the work. Although it was fast and upbeat, I liked that Bilson didn’t allow the notes to over power the total character of the work, rather it was clear that he had full control of every aspect of the work. Overall, I really enjoyed the concert. In each of the works, I really felt that Bilson seemed very knowledge about the history behind each of the works. Through his thorough knowledge he was able to produce a very insightful and enjoyable concert.
