Record No. EL-38
VIVALDI- BACH
MONO RECORD
NO. EL-38
PIANIST
returns to the original, branches off again, adds a little
here, omits something there, and worries little if the fin¬
ished work is half or twice the length of the original.
It is quite inconceivable that Bach, whose mind was
always so full of themes and motives should have had to
rely on the often commonplace ideas of others. Less tal¬
ented men than he, with less creative minds, delighted in
such transcriptions and cultivated the practice assiduously.
It is nevertheless a fact—incapable of psychological ex¬
planation—that whenever he could, Bach went to external
stimuli for his own creations. Contemporary accounts of
Bach’s feats of extemporization speak of him playing from
the scores of other composers before beginning his own
inventions. Forkel mentions the effect that the compositions
of others had in putting Bach’s creative powers in motion.
He says that if a single bass part, often badly figured,
were given to him, Bach would amuse himself by playing
a complete trio or quartet from it, or perhaps he would
extemporize to three parts a fourth of his own, thus turn¬
ing a trio into a quartet.
Then the revolution broke out. The new regime re¬
cruited every available resource in the country and mili¬
tarized every aspect of human activity, including the arts.
Sophie Stern, by now Madame Svirsky, became “Soldier
Svirsky” and was ordered to entertain the masses with her
talent. A series of recitals followed: they were held in
factories, orphanages, bakeries, military barracks-bunder
the most frustrating conditions imaginable: with, pianos
which could not be tuned, or which rested on hassocks be¬
cause their legs had been cut off to serve as firewood
an Empire of cold and hunger, where artists were paid
off in kind (bread, for the most part), living conditiorfe in
Soviet Russia were all but impossible; privations were*,
most severe and an artist could hardly get enough to eat.
In 1924 Sophie Svirsky left Russia and never return&dP.
She travelled by sea as far as Stettin and after spending
a brief time in Berlin, she joined her mother in Paris.
THE MUSIC . .
authentic beauty and life. Works which were considered
of little value take on fresh charm because of the lightness
and gaiety of her playing even at times with a sacrifice to
the vivacity of her temperament and the velocity of her
technique. Altogether, she has indicated the common bond
in these sixteen concerti of diverse origin, and that is the
genius of Johann Sebastian Bach.
The sixteen clavier concertos which Johann Sebastian
Bach (1685-1750) based on the works of other composers
first appeared in print during the years 1850-1860. They
were
German theorist, editor and teacher who prepared an
enormous number of Bach’s work for the press.
edited by Siegfried Wilhelm Dehn (1799-1858) a
These works and the interpretation given them by
Sophie Svirsky are bound to arouse the enthusiasm of the
music-lover; much more likely, then, the edition from
which they are taken will attract the musicologist to make
a more intensive study of the problems which are involved
in them.
Dehn prepared his edition of the first eleven concertos
from a manuscript found among the possessions of Johann
Ernst Bach (1722-1777) at his death. This had the title
XII Concerti di Vivaldi Elaborati di J. S. Bach with the
inscription J. E. Bach 1739. Another manuscript by
Johann Peter Kellner (1705-1788) was chiefly used to
edit the remaining concertos.
Because of the inexact titlings of these manuscripts,
Dehn and later editors attributed the originals of all six¬
teen clavier concertos, and other concertos besides, to
Antonio Vivaldi (1676-1741). Later research, and the
discovery of the original Vivaldi manuscripts, has shown
that not all these transcriptions are based on works by
Vivaldi, but since they had always been known as the
Vivaldi-Bach Concerti,” they are still referred to in
this way.
What a contrast between the cruel climate of Russia in
revolution, and Paris with a respite between two wars.
There one could find all that the West esteemed in artistic
and intellectual life; the city bubbled with ideas and the
people were exchanging opinions in all directions. Before
presenting herself to the public, Sophie made careful
preparation under the masterful direction of Lazare Levy.
CONTENTS
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Record No. EL-38
It might be reasonably assumed then, that Bach made
his arrangements of other composers’ work, not to learn
from them, neither to make them more widely known, but
simply to set his own extraordinary genius in motion, and
because it gave him pleasure.
Side One v
1. CONCERTO NO. 11 IN B FLAT MAJOR (7:55)
(Duke Joh. Ernst of Saxe-Weimar — J. S. Bach)
Allegro — Adagio, Allegro — Allegro un poco presto
i <
Concerts followed. And Sophie did not forget her
musical ancestors. Prokofiev, Glazounoff, Borodine, Rach¬
maninoff, as well as contemporaries in her adopted country
(Ravel, Francis Poulenc, Emmanuel Chabrier) all found
an important place in her repertoire. And more often still,
the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann
Bach, Handel, Haydn, Scarlatti, Pescetti, Jean-Philippe
Rameau, Mozart were well represented in her presentations
and gave evidence of her passionate interest in the musical
accomplishments of the 18th century. Indeed, this music
more properly corresponds to her taste and a temperament
which was detached, impassioned, and selfless. Whenever
her fingers touch the keyboard, Sophie Svirsky subjects a
masterpiece to the genius of her interpretation. She dis¬
sects it with methodical precision and searches for its
original message. Her disciplined technique encompasses
all the mechanical requirements needed for an exacting
presentation, solidly based on a delicately competent left
hand. Yet, losing none of the qualities of the truly femi¬
nine artist, she retains a lightness which, while excluding
fantasy, betrays at times a lively temperament, especially
in the charming acceleration of certain final cadences.
The clavier concertos derived from Vivaldi are Nos. 1,
2, 4, 5, 7 and 9. No. 3 is an arrangement of an oboe
concerto by the Venetian composer Benedetto Marcello
(1686-1739), and No. 14 is derived from a violin concerto
by the German Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767).
Notes by Kevin Mayhew
THE ARTIST . .
2. CONCERTO NO. 12 IN G MINOR (8:00)
(Unknown Composer — J. S. Bach)
Allegro — Adagio — Allegro
Madame Svirsky (nee Sophie Stern) was born in Lenin¬
grad when it was called St. Petersburg. She was the
daughter of a court attorney and was only six years old
when her mother introduced her to the art of music. Like
her sister, who was a violinist of repute, she undoubtedly
inherited talent from her mother. Sophie’s first lessons
indicated an ability so precocious that a trip to Paris for
further study seemed amply justified. There, in company
with her mother, she studied with Antoine-Emile Mar-
montel, at that time director of the piano class at the
Paris Conservatory, together with Victor Staub, and with
Raoul Pugno, who was also a professor at the Conserva¬
tory and died later in Moscow.
Bach based Nos. 11 and 16 on violin concertos by his
friend Duke Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar. This young
man died at Frankfurt-am-Main in 1715 at the early age
of nineteen. His concertos were regarded as lost until
1903, when the Bach editor Arnold Schering discovered
six of them, edited by Telemann, in the Grand Ducal
Library. It is also probable that No. 13—the first move¬
ment reappears in the first organ concerto—is by the
young Duke.
3. CONCERTO NO. 13 IN C MAJOR (7.38)
(Duke Joh. Ernst of Saxe-Weimar — J. S. Bach)
Allegro — Adagio ed affetuoso — Allegro assai
Side Two
1. CONCERTO NO. 14 IN G MINOR (6:02)
(George Philip Telemann — J. S. Bach)
Allegro — Adagio — Allegro
The originals of clavier concertos Nos. 6, 8, 10, 12 and
15 are still unknown. It is almost certain that they were
not based on works by Vivaldi, but on those of other
German or Italian masters.
Sophie’s ability and talent as a musician were so evi¬
dent that even as a child she gave recitals in the concert-
halls of Pleyel and Ehrard in Paris. Pugno tried very
hard to influence her mother to take her to the United
States. However, she returned to her own country and
continued her studies at the Imperial Conservatory under
the guidance of Annette Essipof who got her ready for her
diploma. That diploma she won with the same brilliant
distinction as her classmate, Prokofiev.
The first World War put a stop to her rising and
promising career, but circumstances helped to shape the
destiny of the young pianist. The rhythm of intellectual
and artistic life was entirely interrupted, and Sophie’s only
recourse was to offer her musical talent to the applause of
soldiers on furlough from the Imperial army, or to giving
benefit-concerts. Making arrangements for all that
necessary in the bosom of her own family, Sophie
trated on the study of chamber-music which was well-
suited to the seriousness of her artistic leanings. At this
time she developed a newly-awakened interest in the works
of the 17th and 18th century masters.
2. CONCERTO NO. 15 IN G MAJOR (4:41)
(Unknown Composer — J. S. Bach)
Allegro — Adagio — Allegro
Why did Bach make these arrangements? For a long
time it was thought that he did this work simply for his
own instruction, but except in the case of Vivaldi, Bach
was not dealing with the compositions of acknowledged
masters. Duke Johann Ernst, for example, although a
competent musician, had nothing of Bach’s versatility and
genius.
The Second World War interrupted her career again.
In 1940 she was obliged to flee to Vienna in the valley of
the Rhone and it was not until 1945 that Sophie was able
to return to Paris. Then she became completely absorbed
in teaching.
The Sixteen Concerti for Keyboard, being released by
the Gregorian Institute of America, have for the most part
never been recorded before. The only way to describe
them is to say that they were made for Sophie Svirsky.
As mentioned previously, they pose problems regarding
their composition, or rather their re-arrangements, and
even their origin. One of the interesting facets of Sophie
Svirsky’s talent is her interest in research, her concern
about tracking down the archetype and returning to the
original sources; she carefully avoids all the ornamenta¬
tions and trappings with which great pianists tend to
decorate them, and under her hand they regain their
3. CONCERTO NO. 16 IN D MINOR (6:21)
(Duke Joh. Ernst of Saxe-Weimar — J. S. Bach)
Adagio e staccato — Presto — Adagio e staccato -
Presto—Grave — Un poco allegro — Adagio —
Vivace
Another theory—that Bach wished to make these cham¬
ber works more widely known by arranging them for a
single instrument—is hardly more credible. If this was the
case he would have transcribed them as they were in the
original. Instead Bach treats them with the utmost free¬
dom, changing the basses, adding more interesting middle
parts, and even transforming the upper part when he
thought it necessary to improve the work. Not even the
plan and development were sacred to Bach. He often goes
his own way immediately after the opening bars, then
Complete Contents of
Records EL-36, 37, 38
Record No. EL-36: Concerti 1-6
Record No. EL-37: Concerti 7-10
was
concen-
Record No. EL-38: Concerti 11-16
m
RELEASED AND DISTRIBUTED BY
IAN INSTITUTE
SON AVENUE
GREGOR
2132 JEFFER
OF AMERICA
TOLEDO 2. OHIO
MADE IN U. S. A.
SIXTEEN
VIVALDI-BACH CONCERT!
MADAME SVIRSKY
1. Concerto No. 14 in G Minor
2. Concerto No. 15 in G Major
3. Concerto No. 16 in D Minor
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