Eckhardt-Gramatté 's Dissonant Dacha

Started by Scion7, March 19, 2012, 04:04:23 PM

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Scion7

Her recorded work is pretty minimal - a Hamelin sonatas CD, a bassoon concerto, and what looks like a long OOP Canadian vinyl LP anthology.

So you'll have to pretty much hit YouTube or some similar internet site to hear it, or go to the SCEG foundation to order it?

I like the Symphony Concertante (No.3) for Piano and Orchestra, the 2nd Symphony, and the bassoon concerto quite a bit.

Some interesting reading in the New Grove, and: http://www.classicalarchives.com/work/623250.html#tvf=tracks&tv=about
                                                                      http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/emc/sc-eckhardtgramatte
                                                                      http://www.egre.mb.ca/sc/index.html








When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

Szykneij



I like the photo on the right. Lots of rosin dust on the strings and fingerboard, and her hand in what looks like a D major arpeggio in second inversion. This lady means business!
Men profess to be lovers of music, but for the most part they give no evidence in their opinions and lives that they have heard it.  ~ Henry David Thoreau

Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines. ~ Satchel Paige

Scion7

They made a film about her - looks like the artist Walter Gramatté (banned by the Nazi regime as being 'degenerate art'), her first husband, is a large part of the story.

http://www.winnipegfilmgroup.com/cinematheque/the_work_of_paula_kelly_appassionata.aspx
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

Szykneij

I just did a search and found all of her recordings, both CD and vinyl, on the pricey side.
Men profess to be lovers of music, but for the most part they give no evidence in their opinions and lives that they have heard it.  ~ Henry David Thoreau

Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines. ~ Satchel Paige

Scion7

Yeah - small printings if/until she becomes more of a commercial property.   Like Bacewicz, much of her stuff is unpublished, let alone recorded.

She was a virtuoso, and I think most of her music is too hard for most at-home musicians to play?

For example:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIlFFHXCZJQ
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

Szykneij

Quote from: Scion7 on March 19, 2012, 05:36:01 PM
Yeah - small printings if/until she becomes more of a commercial property.   Like Bacewicz, much of her stuff is unpublished, let alone recorded.

She was a virtuoso, and I think most of her music is too hard for most at-home musicians to play?

For example:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIlFFHXCZJQ

Terrific piece! It's a real feat to write an unaccompanied violin composition of that length and have it remain captivating throughout.
Men profess to be lovers of music, but for the most part they give no evidence in their opinions and lives that they have heard it.  ~ Henry David Thoreau

Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines. ~ Satchel Paige

Scion7

#6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoK8mM7jtZo

Exactly!   About the 60 second mark - - - !  And around 9:30!

By the way - Nandor Szederkenyi - damn, boy!  Go go go!
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

starrynight

I prefer other pieces by her on youtube such as the bassoon concerto (yeh unfashionable instrument but interesting music) and the Caprice No. 1 and the Suite de Mallorca (shorter constructed pieces but I don't mind that at all).

UB

If you go to the Canadian Music Centre you can listen to 89 recordings of her music for free.
I am not in the entertainment business. Harrison Birtwistle 2010

snyprrr

Quote from: Szykneij on March 19, 2012, 04:57:55 PM


I like the photo on the right. Lots of rosin dust on the strings and fingerboard, and her hand in what looks like a D major arpeggio in second inversion. This lady means business!

I'm sorry, but that left pic looks like a thinner, white Oprah.

Nice stuff!

Scion7

hey, UB - that's really cool !

http://www.musiccentre.ca/apps/index.cfm?fuseaction=avarchive.playByComposer&authPeopleId=182

Note that some of these archival recordings almost sound like acetates and are kinda unlistenable but many are radio broadcasts of good quality.
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

mc ukrneal

I'm confused. Dmitri has a dacha too...  :'(
Be kind to your fellow posters!!

Scion7

They're both Russians.  She moved to Germany with her mother in her teens, then to Canada during her 2nd marriage.

I figgered 'dacha' sounded better than log-cabin (from the Canadian western-lands).
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

Scion7

Ah, on the CMC streaming site, they have Mark Hamelin doing the Piano Concerto - with some discussion with him prior.  Interesting.
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

Szykneij

Quote from: mc ukrneal on March 20, 2012, 06:51:00 AM
I'm confused. Dmitri has a dacha too...  :'(

From what I've listened to so far, I'm not sure "Dissonant" is the best descriptor, either.
Men profess to be lovers of music, but for the most part they give no evidence in their opinions and lives that they have heard it.  ~ Henry David Thoreau

Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines. ~ Satchel Paige

Szykneij

Quote from: Scion7 on March 20, 2012, 06:46:34 AM
hey, UB - that's really cool !

http://www.musiccentre.ca/apps/index.cfm?fuseaction=avarchive.playByComposer&authPeopleId=182

Note that some of these archival recordings almost sound like acetates and are kinda unlistenable but many are radio broadcasts of good quality.

During the introduction to the first piece listed there (Concerto for Orchestra), the announcer states it was composed in the 12-tone idiom. Has anyone listened to this one? Is it indeed a 12-tone piece? It sounds tonal to me.
Men profess to be lovers of music, but for the most part they give no evidence in their opinions and lives that they have heard it.  ~ Henry David Thoreau

Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines. ~ Satchel Paige

Brahmsian

I did not realize there was an Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatte composer thread.  Cool!  :)

Love her piano sonatas, and her works for solo violin.  I've also heard some of her orchestral works (3 Piano Concertos, the Bassoon Concerto, her Triple Concerto for Trumpet, Clarinet and Bassoon, and Molto Sostenuto).

Here is a link to the Eckhardt-Gramatte Foundation website.  It includes bios of Sophie-Carmen (Sonia), her first husband, a talented painter, Walter Gramatte, who died at a young age, and her second husband, art historian Ferdinand Eckhardt.

http://www.egre.mb.ca/

kyjo

Eckhardt-Gramatte is a difficult-to-pin-down composer in terms of both her style and nationality. She was born in Russia, moved to Paris, and finally settled in Canada. Her earlier works (e.g. PC 1, found on YT) seem to be influenced by Prokofiev and Rachmaninov, while her later works (e.g. PC 3, also found on YT), are more dissonant and austere in tone. Her piano sonatas (recorded by Hamelin) are really unique (and, above all, staggeringly virtuosic) works that have flashes of brilliance contrasted with dark, inward moments. In addition to the two PCs I mentioned, other works of hers can be found on YT. I'd say she had an individual voice and is sadly neglected for this reason.

Brahmsian

Quote from: kyjo on September 21, 2013, 01:44:40 PM
Eckhardt-Gramatte is a difficult-to-pin-down composer in terms of both her style and nationality. She was born in Russia, moved to Paris, and finally settled in Canada. Her earlier works (e.g. PC 1, found on YT) seem to be influenced by Prokofiev and Rachmaninov, while her later works (e.g. PC 3, also found on YT), are more dissonant and austere in tone. Her piano sonatas (recorded by Hamelin) are really unique (and, above all, staggeringly virtuosic) works that have flashes of brilliance contrasted with dark, inward moments. In addition to the two PCs I mentioned, other works of hers can be found on YT. I'd say she had an individual voice and is sadly neglected for this reason.

I agree with this.  Definitely you could feel the Russian influences mentioned, but she did have her unique voice.  I hate to say this, because she lived the last 20+ years of her life in Winnipeg, Canada, my home city.........but it might have served her better to remain living in Europe.  She was a virtuoso piano and violin player in her early years, but devoted her life almost solely to composition once her first husband, Walter Gramatte, passed on.