La ronde des lutins | |
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Scherzo fantastique | |
Scherzo by Antonio Bazzini | |
![]() Portrait of the composer | |
Opus | 25 |
Published | 1852 |
Scoring | Violin and piano |
La ronde des lutins (The Dance of the Goblins), Scherzo fantastique, Op. 25
Background
editAntonio Bazzini (1818–1897) was an Italian violinist and composer from Brescia. He began performing at a young age, and in the 1840s he embarked on several concert tours, living in Germany, Denmark, and Spain. In 1852, he moved to Paris and lived there for the next 12 years.[1] La ronde des lutins, a scherzo for violin with piano accompaniment, was published by S. Richault in 1852, shortly after Bazzini's move to Paris.[2] A virtuosic character piece, it is typical of Bazzini's compositional style during the first half of his life; after returning to Brescia in 1864, he focused primarily on composing chamber and orchestral works.[1][3]
La ronde des lutins is one of several compositions around that time that were labeled scherzo fantastique. Stephen Heller and Joachim Raff published similarly-titled works for solo piano in 1845 and 1847, respectively. Perhaps influenced by La reine Mab (Queen Mab), a scherzo from Berlioz's Roméo et Juliette, these pieces were written for salons or concert settings and are evocative of supernatural beings such as elves, fairies, or gnomes. Francesca Brittan, a musicologist, described La ronde des lutins as "by far the best known of these early examples" of the new style of fantastique scherzi.[2]
Bazzini dedicated the composition to his peer, the Moravian violinist and composer Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst;[2] the two of them, along with Joseph Joachim and Ferdinand David, had previously performed Maurer's concerto for four violins together in 1844.[4]
Music
editThe composition is in the form of a rondo with an "ABACA" pattern. According to Brittan, the rondo form contributes to the supernatural imagery by creating "a familiar sense of stasis" and causing the listener to "literally go around in circles, mesmerized by the whirling fairy ring".[2]
Recordings
editTitle | Violinist | Pianist | Label | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|
Salut d'amour – Strauss Violin Sonata and Favorite Encores[5] | Li Chuan Yun | Robert Koenig | Hänssler OCLC 315749382 |
2007 |
Antonio Bazzini: Virtuoso Works for Violin and Piano[6] | Chloë Hanslip | Caspar Frantz | Naxos OCLC 264799296 |
2008 |
The Artistry of Oleh Krysa Vol. 3: Kaleidoscope[7] | Oleh Krysa | Tatiana Tchekina | Troppe Note/Cambria OCLC 51315072 |
2010 |
Bazzini: La ronde des lutins – Music for Violin and Piano[8] | Luca Fanfoni | Maria Semeraro | Brilliant Classics OCLC 930923030 |
2015 |
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Carli Ballola, Giovanni; Marvin, Roberta Montemorra (20 January 2001). "Bazzini, Antonio". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.
- ^ a b c d Brittan, Francesca (2017). Music and Fantasy in the Age of Berlioz. Cambridge University Press. pp. 306–309. ISBN 978-1-107-13632-8.
- ^ Friedland, Bea (January 1970). "Italy's Ottocento: Notes from the Musical Underground". The Musical Quarterly. 56 (1): 40. doi:10.1093/mq/LVI.1.27. JSTOR 741143.
- ^ Rowe, M. W. (2016). Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst: Virtuoso Violinist. Routledge. p. 134. ISBN 978-1-138-24610-2.
- ^ Maxham, Robert (May 2008). "Collections: Instrumental – 'Salut d'Amour'". Fanfare. Vol. 31, no. 5. p. 309–310. ProQuest 1268718.
- ^ Maxham, Robert (May–June 2009). "Bazzini: Calabrese. 3 morceaux lyriques, op. 41. Le carillon d'Arras. 2 morceaux de salon, op. 12. 2 grandes études, op. 49. 3 morceaux en forme de sonate, op. 44. La ronde des lutins". Fanfare. Vol. 32, no. 5. p. 75–76. ProQuest 223095298.
- ^ Maxham, Robert (March 2011). "What's New in Troppe Note/Cambria's Oleh Krysa Collection". Fanfare. Vol. 34, no. 4. p. 189–193. ProQuest 859516887.
- ^ Maxham, Robert (January–February 2016). "Bazzini: La Ronde des lutins, op. 25. Violin Sonata, op. 55. La traviata: Fantasia brillante, op. 50. Elegia, op. 35/1. La Calma serenata, op. 34/3. Mulattiere, op. 35/3. Carillion d'Arras, op. 36". Fanfare. Vol. 39, no. 3. p. 196. ProQuest 1789138374.