by Jarrett Hoffman
LOCAL 4 & ASO: BRIDGETOWER & “KREUTZER”
Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” Sonata has recently cropped up in a couple places in the area. First, violinist Emily Cornelius (above, left) played it during last week’s recital sponsored by the Local 4 Music Fund. She also shared some of its complicated and frankly strange history.
That includes how Beethoven finished it so late that violinist George Bridgetower (center) had to sight-read the premiere — which turned out to be very well received. Soon afterwards, the two had a falling out, and the violinist’s name was withdrawn from the work’s dedication. (That story involves some alcohol, and an off-color remark about a woman Beethoven admired.)
Details aside, the fact is that as a result of that argument, history has largely lost sight of an important Black violinist. Instead, the name that lives on in the piece is that of Rodolphe Kreutzer — one of the great virtuosos of his era, to be sure, but who never actually played the sonata, and who even looked down upon it.
The fraught relationship between Bridgetower and Beethoven is the backdrop for the first several entries in the Akron Symphony’s new podcast, Unorchestrated, co-hosted by music director Christopher Wilkins and director of marketing Thomas Moore.
Joining them in the opening 14-part series is Akron-born poet and Pulitzer Prize winner Rita Dove (above, right). They discuss her book of poems Sonata Mulattica, which uses fact and fiction to tell the story of Bridgetower and to explore the nature of fame and of public memory. Three episodes have been released so far — click here to find out where you can listen, and here to watch last week’s Local 4 concert.
ONLINE TODAY:
Locally, tonight brings two live-streamed performances from area music schools: check out the CIM Orchestra or the Kent State Percussion Ensemble, both at 7. And if you’re curious about any streamed events further afield, check out the weekly guide from Musical America.
TODAY’S ALMANAC:
It doesn’t often take long to be drawn into the flavorful and expressive, yet stylistically very different, music of Spanish composer Manuel de Falla and Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki, who were both born on this date in history — in 1876 and 1933, respectively. That’s certainly the case in the two works with which we’ll commemorate them today, which don’t waste any time ramping up their energy.
Listen to Penderecki’s Duo Concertante in a performance by violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti and bassist Nathan Farrington from ChamberFest Cleveland’s 2018 season. And as for de Falla, here’s a unique arrangement of selections from his El amor brujo, thanks to the Davin-Levin Duo (CIM faculty guitarist Colin Davin and Dallas Symphony principal harp Emily Levin).
Photo of Rita Dove by Fred Viebahn