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Touches (Bernstein)

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Touches
Chorale, Eight Variations and Coda
Composition for piano by Leonard Bernstein
Year1980 (1980)
WrittenJuly 1980 (1980-07): Fairfield, Connecticut
Dedication"To my first love, the keyboard"
Performed24 May 1981 (1981-05-24): Fort Worth, Texas
Published1981 - New York
PublisherAmberson Holdings
Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Company
Boosey & Hawkes
Duration10 minutes
Movements10
ScoringSolo piano

Touches: Chorale, Eight Variations and Coda, often shortened as Touches (French: Touches), is a composition by American composer Leonard Bernstein. Composed in 1980, it is one of Bernstein's last compositions for solo piano.

Background

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Touches was a commission for the sixth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, which all the contestants were required to perform,[1] and dedicated "to [his] first love, the keyboard".[2] The title refers to touches, which is French for "piano keys",[3] and the feeling of the pianist's fingers, hands, and arms while playing.[4] It was composed in Fairfield, Connecticut in July, 1980, and premiered on May 24, 1981, at the piano competition in Fort Worth, Texas.[1] It was subsequently published that same year by the Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Company and Boosey & Hawkes.

Structure

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This 10-minute composition scored for solo piano is divided into ten short movements: a chorale, where the main theme is presented; a set of eight variations on the main theme; and a final coda. All movements are meant to be played continuously with no breaks between movements. The list of movements is as follows:[2]

  1. Chorale. Andante a piacere, molto rubato (with a blues feel)
  2. (Variation 1). Vivace
  3. (Variation 2). L'istesso tempo
  4. (Variation 3). Più mosso
  5. (Variation 4). Molto moderato — Scherzando
  6. (Variation 5). Larghetto
  7. (Variation 6). Andante moderato
  8. (Variation 7). Allegro molto
  9. (Variation 8). Vivace come II
  10. Coda. Largo

A piece with relatively lower technical demands for professional pianists, Touches emphasizes expressiveness and jazzy-bluesy piano performance.[3] Its general tone is dissonant and austere, but with strong character delineation in each variation.[5] According to the composer, it was greatly inspired by Aaron Copland's Piano Variations, which he became enamored with as a teen, as both compositions share references to jazz and blues and have variation sets that flow easily from one section to the next.[6] The main theme presented in the "Chorale" is similar to a piece Bernstein wrote for his daughter Jamie's 26th birthday, which was entitled Virgo Blues.[1] It is generally conceived by critics and scholars as a fine example of Bernstein's mature style.[6][3] It is often described as "austere",[5] "solitary", and "bleak".[7]

The general structure is somewhat circular, as the theme that is presented at the beginning in the "Chorale" is repeated in the "Coda" at the end, and Variations 1 and 8 (the first and last of the set) are not only almost identical, but also variations in the strict sense of the word, insomuch as they restate the theme with certain strange and uncommon turns. The rest of the variations differ greatly from the theme in a fashion similar to the composer's own The Age of Anxiety, each variation evolving from the preceding one and diverging further and further from the main theme.[7]

Recordings

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Works | Works | Leonard Bernstein". leonardbernstein.com. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b Bernstein, Leonard (2010). Music for piano. [New York, NY]: Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Company. ISBN 9781423475149.
  3. ^ a b c Cooperstock, Andrew (2017). Liner notes of Bridge 9485A/B. New York: Bridge Records.
  4. ^ Lee, Douglas A. (1988). "Review of American Piano Music". American Music. 6 (1): 118–119. doi:10.2307/3448361. ISSN 0734-4392. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b Magrath, Jane (September–October 1988). "Bernstein's "Anniversaries" and Other Works for Solo Piano". The American Music Teacher. 38 (1): 16–21.
  6. ^ a b Laird, Paul R. (15 February 2018). Leonard Bernstein. Reaktion Books. ISBN 978-1-78023-951-4. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  7. ^ a b Shawn, Allen (30 September 2014). Leonard Bernstein: An American Musician. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-14428-4. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  8. ^ Liner notes of Pro Arte Records #109. 1984.
  9. ^ "Etcetera records". www.etcetera-records.com. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  10. ^ "BIS Records - Bernstein - Symphonic Dances". bis.se. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Cala Records Limited". calarecords.com. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  12. ^ Liner notes of Koch International Classics No. 7426. Koch International Classics. 1999.
  13. ^ "Shura Cherkassky - The Nimbus Recordings". www.wyastone.co.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Touches of Bernstein: The Complete Published Piano Music of Leonard Bernstein. Touches - Chorale, Eight Variations and Coda". www.centaurrecords.com. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  15. ^ Liner notes of Frame 345. Frame. 2004.
  16. ^ Liner notes of Eroica Distribution 3223. Eroica Classical Recordings. 2005.
  17. ^ "BERNSTEIN, L. / TAN, Dun: Piano Music (Touches and Traces) (Warren Lee) - 9.70252". www.naxos.com. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  18. ^ "Complete Solo Piano Works of Leonard Bernstein - Steinway & Sons". www.steinway.com. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  19. ^ "Leonard Bernstein: The Complete Music for Piano; Andrew Cooperstock, piano; BRIDGE 9485A/B". Bridge Records. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  20. ^ "BERNSTEIN Complete Piano Works / Mahan". www.deutschegrammophon.com. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  21. ^ "BERNSTEIN Complete Works". www.deutschegrammophon.com. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  22. ^ "MENDELSSOHN: Preludes and Fugues, Op. 35 (excs) | BEETHOVEN: Eroica Variations, Op. 35 | etc – First Hand Records – FHR". Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  23. ^ "Bernstein: Complete Solo Piano Music - Brilliant Classics". www.piano-classics.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 13 January 2022.