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Guitar aficionados may by now be thinking that the work sounds surprisingly familiar, and indeed the work enjoys an alternative incarnation as the Guitar Concerto No 3, Op 70, by Mauro Giuliani. An anonymous writer in The Musical World of 17 November 1837 clearly believed that the Giuliani came first, and that Czerny arranged the entire guitar concerto as an act of hommage ('And here we will bring no less a testimony than Czerny, the celebrated piano forte player, who, in his great admiration of one of Giuliani’s concertos, has actually written the whole piece for the piano forte …'), but on what authority is not known. Both works would have been written around the same time, and early—but undated—publications are inconclusive. Both in their different ways demonstrate effective and idiomatic writing for their respective soloists, which is how both may best be enjoyed.
After the first movement’s rousing conclusion, the second offers a contrast with a simple air and variations in C major in the lilting 6/8 metre of the siciliana. The lively first variation (1'30") is completed by the orchestra alone and introduces a second variation (più lento) in C minor (one wonders if the young Chopin knew these pages). Variation 3 (4'12") is marked vivace e brillante. Here Czerny asks the soloist to play con fuoco before the movement’s distinctive ending: a gradual morendo, a sudden solitary fortissimo quaver tutti and a final sustained pianissimo chord from the two horns, bassoons and single flute. The finale is a polonaise of the kind that puts one in mind of Weber but without, perhaps, his melodic appeal. Czerny, it seems, is more interested in dazzling his audience and challenging his soloist to ever greater heights of prestidigitation. It is difficult not to conclude in such passages that Giuliani’s guitar is put at an impossible disadvantage.
from notes by Jeremy Nicholas © 2017
Après la conclusion exaltante du premier mouvement, le deuxième présente un contraste avec un air simple et des variations en ut majeur sur le rythme mélodieux de la sicilienne. La première variation pleine d’entrain (1'30") est complétée par l’orchestre seul et mène à une deuxième variation (più lento) en ut mineur (on se demande si le jeune Chopin connaissait ces pages). La troisième variation (4'12") est marquée vivace e brillante. Ici, Czerny demande au soliste de jouer con fuoco avant la véritable fin du mouvement: un morendo progressif, un soudain tutti isolé en croches fortissimo et un accord final des deux cors, des bassons et d’une seule flûte tenu pianissimo. Le finale est une polonaise qui fait penser à Weber mais, peut-être, sans son charme mélodique. Il semble que Czerny cherche davantage à éblouir son auditoire et à stimuler son soliste pour qu’il aille toujours plus loin dans la prestidigitation.
extrait des notes rédigées par Jeremy Nicholas © 2017
Français: Marie-Stella Pâris
Nach dem überschwänglichen Ende des ersten Satzes sorgt der zweite mit einem schlichten Thema und Variationen in C-Dur im schwingenden 6/8-Siziliano für Kontrast. Die lebhafte erste Variation (1'30) wird vom Orchester allein gespielt und leitet die zweite Variation (Più lento) in c-Moll ein—man fragt sich dabei, ob der junge Chopin diese Musik wohl gekannt hat. Variation 3 (4'12) ist mit Vivace e brillante überschrieben. Hier weist Czerny seinen Solisten an, con fuoco zu spielen, bevor der Satz in charakteristischer Weise zu Ende geht: ein allmähliches Morendo, eine plötzliche alleinstehende Tutti-Achtel im Fortissimo und ein ausgehaltener Schlussakkord im Pianissimo von den beiden Hörnern, Fagotten und einer einzelnen Flöte. Das Finale ist eine Polonaise, die an Weber erinnert, jedoch vielleicht ohne dessen melodischen Reiz. Czerny war offenbar eher daran interessiert, sein Publikum zu überwältigen und seinen Solisten zu immer höheren Gipfeln der Fingerfertigkeit anzuspornen.
aus dem Begleittext von Jeremy Nicholas © 2017
Deutsch: Viola Scheffel
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