Au bord d'une source
Encyclopedia
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
; it is the 4th piece of the first suite
Suite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
of Années de Pèlerinage
Années de Pèlerinage
Années de pèlerinage is a set of three suites by Franz Liszt for solo piano. Liszt's complete musical style is evident in this masterwork, which ranges from virtuosic fireworks to sincerely moving emotional statements. His musical maturity can be seen evolving through his experience and travel...
(Years of Pilgrimage).
There are three separate versions of Au bord d'une source. The first version appears in Liszt's set Album d'une voyageur (1834–1838), and the second in the first suite of Liszt's Années de pèlerinage (1836–1855). The last version is almost identical to the second, except for the final nine bars, which were added by Liszt as a coda for his Italian piano student Giovanni Sgambati
Giovanni Sgambati
Giovanni Sgambati was an Italian composer.Born to an Italian father and an English mother, Sgambati, who lost his father early, received his early education at Trevi, in Umbria, where he wrote some church music and obtained experience as a singer and conductor...
, who was also a composer; this lengthened the piece by about 30 seconds. The coda was written in 1863.
The second version of Au bord d'une source is often regarded as the most popular. In the first version the technical difficulties are considerably higher to the pianist, whilst the last version adds nothing but a flashy coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
.
Analysis
The main theme of Au bord d’une source comprises a pattern of arpreggiated semi-quavers in the right hand accompanied with the melody in the left, firstly played below the right hand and then played two octaves higher, above the right hand. This constant crossing over of hands places considerable technical demands on the pianist.Liszt links the various sections of the piece together with passages of intricate scale and arpeggio patterns ascending high into the upper register, descending back down and magically transforming back into the beautiful melody, this allows the whole piece to flow as one. These complex passages require a flawless technique at the keyboard to properly execute.
The piece has a relaxing mood but is a challenge to master for even the most competent performers.
Recordings
The following pianists have recorded the piece:| Pianist | Duration | Record Label | Recording Date | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vladimir Horowitz Vladimir Horowitz Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz was a Russian-American classical virtuoso pianist and minor composer. His technique and use of tone color and the excitement of his playing were legendary. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.-Life and early... |
03:31 | Philips Records Philips Records Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also... |
1947 | Vladimir Horowitz II |
| Vladimir Horowitz Vladimir Horowitz Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz was a Russian-American classical virtuoso pianist and minor composer. His technique and use of tone color and the excitement of his playing were legendary. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.-Life and early... |
04:12 | RCA Victor Red Seal RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label... |
1975 | Horowitz Rediscovered /Carnegie Hall Recital 1975 |
| Wilhelm Kempff Wilhelm Kempff Wilhelm Walter Friedrich Kempff was a German pianist and composer. Although his repertory included Bach, Liszt, Chopin, Schumann, and Brahms, Kempff was particularly well-known for his interpretations of the music of Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert, both of whose complete sonatas he also... |
Decca Decca Records Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades.... |
1950s | Franz Liszt: Années de pelèrinage / Deux Légendes | |
| Sviatoslav Richter Sviatoslav Richter Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter was a Soviet pianist well known for the depth of his interpretations, virtuoso technique, and vast repertoire. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.-Childhood:... |
03:07 | Parnassus | 1958 | Sviatoslav Richter in the 1950s, Vol. 3 |
| Jorge Bolet Jorge Bolet Jorge Bolet was a Cuban-born but mostly American-resident pianist and teacher.-Life:Bolet was born in Havana, and studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he himself taught from 1939 to 1942... |
03:59 | Philips Records Philips Records Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also... |
1983 | Jorge Bolet II |
| Claudio Arrau Claudio Arrau Claudio Arrau León was a Chilean pianist known for his interpretations of a vast repertoire spanning from the baroque to 20th-century composers, especially Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Brahms and Debussy... |
04:08 | Pearl | 1928 | The Early Recordings |
| Eugen d'Albert Eugen d'Albert Eugen Francis Charles d'Albert was a Scottish-born German pianist and composer.Educated in Britain, d'Albert showed early musical talent and, at the age of seventeen, he won a scholarship to study in Austria... |
03:33 | Pearl | 1916 | The Pupils of Liszt |
| Leslie Howard Leslie Howard (musician) Leslie Howard AM is an Australian pianist and composer. He is best known for being the only pianist to have recorded the complete solo piano works of Franz Liszt, a project which included more than 300 premiere recordings... |
04:56 | Hyperion Records Hyperion Records Hyperion Records is an independent British classical record label.-History:The company was named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology. It was founded by George Edward Perry, widely known as "Ted", in 1980. Early LP releases included rarely recorded 20th century British music by... |
1996 | Liszt: Deuxième Année de Pèlerinage - Italie/Venezia e Napoli |
| Tony MacAlpine Tony MacAlpine Tony Jeff MacAlpine is an American guitarist and keyboardist. Having released ten studio albums over a career spanning more than two decades, he is best known as an instrumental solo guitarist, although he has worked with many different bands and musicians in the form of guest appearances and... |
03:18 | Shrapnel Records Shrapnel Records Shrapnel Records is a guitar-oriented record label started in 1980 by record producer Mike Varney. Guitarist Marty Friedman , one of the label's most successful artists, first appeared on the album Unsung Guitar Heroes II in 1980 with the band Vixen. Vixen would later change their name to Hawaii... |
1999 | Master of Paradise |
External links
- Album d'un Voyageur, S.156 Scores at the IMSLPInternational Music Score Library ProjectThe International Music Score Library Project , also known as the Petrucci Music Library after publisher Ottaviano Petrucci, is a project for the creation of a virtual library of public domain music scores, based on the wiki principle...
. - Années de Pèlerinage: 1ère Année: Suisse, S.160 Scores at the IMSLPInternational Music Score Library ProjectThe International Music Score Library Project , also known as the Petrucci Music Library after publisher Ottaviano Petrucci, is a project for the creation of a virtual library of public domain music scores, based on the wiki principle...
. - [ Au bord d'une source] at Allmusic
- Au bord d'une source played by Vladimir HorowitzVladimir HorowitzVladimir Samoylovich Horowitz was a Russian-American classical virtuoso pianist and minor composer. His technique and use of tone color and the excitement of his playing were legendary. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.-Life and early...
, from The Last RomanticThe Last RomanticThe Last Romantic is a documentary filmed within the home of concert pianist Vladimir Horowitz. The film contains mainly performances of classical works, but also provides an intimate look into Horowitz's private life.-Description:...
(YoutubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
)