Harold Shapero - Chamber Music

Track Listings

1. Serenade In D for String Quartet I. Adagio/Allegro

2. Serenade In D for String Quartet II. Menuetto:Allegretto

3. Serenade In D for String Quartet III. Larghetto, poco adagio

4. Serenade In D for String Quartet IV. Intermezzo: Andantino con moto

5. Serenade In D for String Quartet V. Finale: Allegro, pochetto presto

6. String Quartet I. Slowly

7. String Quartet II. Moderately fast

8. String Quartet III. Very Slowly

9. String Quartet IV. Fast

10. String Trio I. Allegro risoluto

11. String Trio II. Adagio

12. String Trio III. Allegro

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
The revival of Harold Shapero’s Symphony for Classical Orchestra by André Previn and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1988 spearheaded a renewed interest in his long-neglected major works. Nevertheless, Shapero’s (b. 1920) vastly underrated portfolio today remains the great undiscovered treasure trove of American neoclassicism. The String Trio, the String Quartet, the Serenade in D encompass a uniquely broad-based introduction to Shapero’s compositional thought processes. In this welcome release, the record-listening public is afforded an excellent opportunity to experience first-hand these important examples from his infrequently encountered body of work. The String Trio (1937) is a very early work written under the tutelage of Ernst Køenek. It was composed in approximately one week’s time on his teacher’s suggestion that Shapero look at Alban Berg’s Lyric Suite and produce something like it. Not surprisingly, the influence of this piece and of Køenek, best remembered as an early champion of serial composition, are most keenly felt here. The String Quartet (1941) bears a dedication to Walter Piston, his primary teacher during his undergraduate years at Harvard. Like the Trio, it’s by and large an intense, edgy opus, but the sound world encountered is less clangorous, demonstrating kinship to Piston’s oeuvre not only in its jagged rhythmic gestures but also in its non-triadic yet scalar harmonies built from stacked fifths. Like Aaron Copland’s Sextet for Clarinet, Piano, and Strings, the Serenade in D is a chamber arrangement of a large ensemble opus that was motivated by practical concerns. Completed in 1945, it’s a major entry from this composer’s wartime-era output, ambitious in scope and sizable in duration. Here we find the composer at the height of his powers; the astringency of the Trio and raw drive of the Quartet give way to a manner of expression both urbane and supremely confident. While there’s plenty of energy encountered here, it is channeled into delineating finely chiseled, often deliberate gestures that show an inimitable sense of self. Not unexpectedly, the work is unambiguously neoclassic, more keenly aware of music from earlier eras than that of any other composer writing in this style.

Of related interest: 80373 Harold Shapero—Symphony for Classical Orchestra 80402 Harold Shapero—Piano Sonatas Nos. 1, 2, & 3 80536 Harold Shapero—Four-Hand Sonata for Piano

Tracks:

Sonata No. 1: Allegro preciso
Sonata No. 1: Poco adagio
Sonata No. 1: MInuetto (allegretto)
Sonata No. 1: Presto
Music For Piano: Prelude
Music For Piano: Waltz-Gavotte
Music For Piano: Variations
Music For Piano: Interlude-Finale
Sonata No. 2: Allegro di molto
Sonata No. 2: Adagio
Sonata No. 2: Con brio
Evocations: 1. Largo
Evocations: 2. Andante con fantasia
Evocations: 3. Moderato appassionato
Evocations: 4. Adagio sostenuto
Sonata No. 3: Allegro marcato
Sonata No. 3: Presto lirico
Sonata No. 3: Andante
Sonata No. 3: Energico
Ricercare and Toccata on a theme from 'The Old Maid and the Thief': Ricercare
Ricercare and Toccata on a theme from 'The Old Maid and the Thief': Toccata

Customer Reviews:

Delightful, accessible collection of American piano works.......1998-12-15

Michael Boriskin has collected six delightful American piano works, all of which were composed during the first half of the 20th century. The three piano sonatas of Harold Shapero, all composed in 1944, are probably the simplest of the works collected here. Each one consists of three or four totally diatonic movements, all of them rather brief (the longest is barely in excess of five minutes.) None is of great import, but all are fun.

Somewhat more involved is Irving Fine's Music for Piano. While it is of the same general style as Shapero's music, the themes are rather more worked out. Particularly in the slow movement, he takes time to develop and vary the themes in more detail than does Shapero in his music.

Evocations, by Carl Ruggles, is the knottiest piece on the CD. Boriskin's program notes on this piece say that Ruggles's music "combines grandeur, raw power, mystery, and longing." All of these elements are present in these four chants; they provide the most thoughtful moments of the CD.

The Ricercare and Toccata by Menotti are two ways of varying a theme that he first wrote for his opera "The Old Maid and the Thief". The Ricercare reminds me of baroque pieces of the same title. Not so the Toccata, which closes the CD; this takes the same theme and turns it into a delightful perpetual motion whirligig. Cut of the same cloth as Prokofiev's Toccata, op. 11 (although Menotti's piece is much more upbeat), this makes for a rousing end to this CD.

I don't have scores to check, but Boriskin's performances sound vigorous and first rate to me. This is highly recommended to those whose taste includes rather conservative 20th century solo piano music.

Harold Shapero - Chamber Music
Average customer rating:
Harold Shapero - Chamber Music

Manufacturer: New World Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Harold Shapero: Symphony for Classical Orchestra; Nine-Minute Overture

ASIN: B0000A4G6V
Release Date: 2003-07-29

Tracks:

Serenade In D for String Quartet I. Adagio/Allegro
Serenade In D for String Quartet II. Menuetto:Allegretto
Serenade In D for String Quartet III. Larghetto, poco adagio
Serenade In D for String Quartet IV. Intermezzo: Andantino con moto
Serenade In D for String Quartet V. Finale: Allegro, pochetto presto
String Quartet I. Slowly
String Quartet II. Moderately fast
String Quartet III. Very Slowly
String Quartet IV. Fast
String Trio I. Allegro risoluto
String Trio II. Adagio
String Trio III. Allegro

Album Description

The revival of Harold Shapero's Symphony for Classical Orchestra by André Previn and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1988 spearheaded a renewed interest in his long-neglected major works. Nevertheless, Shapero's (b. 1920) vastly underrated portfolio today remains the great undiscovered treasure trove of American neoclassicism. The String Trio, the String Quartet, the Serenade in D encompass a uniquely broad-based introduction to Shapero's compositional thought processes. In this welcome release, the record-listening public is afforded an excellent opportunity to experience first-hand these important examples from his infrequently encountered body of work. The String Trio (1937) is a very early work written under the tutelage of Ernst Køenek. It was composed in approximately one week's time on his teacher's suggestion that Shapero look at Alban Berg's Lyric Suite and produce something like it. Not surprisingly, the influence of this piece and of Køenek, best remembered as an early champion of serial composition, are most keenly felt here. The String Quartet (1941) bears a dedication to Walter Piston, his primary teacher during his undergraduate years at Harvard. Like the Trio, it's by and large an intense, edgy opus, but the sound world encountered is less clangorous, demonstrating kinship to Piston's oeuvre not only in its jagged rhythmic gestures but also in its non-triadic yet scalar harmonies built from stacked fifths. Like Aaron Copland's Sextet for Clarinet, Piano, and Strings, the Serenade in D is a chamber arrangement of a large ensemble opus that was motivated by practical concerns. Completed in 1945, it's a major entry from this composer's wartime-era output, ambitious in scope and sizable in duration. Here we find the composer at the height of his powers; the astringency of the Trio and raw drive of the Quartet give way to a manner of expression both urbane and supremely confident. While there's plenty of energy encountered here, it is channeled into delineating finely chiseled, often deliberate gestures that show an inimitable sense of self. Not unexpectedly, the work is unambiguously neoclassic, more keenly aware of music from earlier eras than that of any other composer writing in this style.

Tracks:

Son, Op.51: Allegro
Son, Op.51: Aria
Son, Op.51: Finale (Toccata)
Fanfare Son: Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Fanfare Son: Passacaglia
Clarino Qt: Maestoso-Allegro Vivo
Clarino Qt: Largo
Clarino Qt: Veloce
Son: Slow
Son: Fast
Infinities Twenty-Two: Ritual
Infinities Twenty-Two: Mode
Infinities Twenty-Two: Projectile
Infinities Twenty-Two: Turnabout
Infinities Twenty-Two:Jazz-Bond

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1. Serenade In D for String Quartet I. Adagio/Allegro
2. Serenade In D for String Quartet II. Menuetto:Allegretto
3. Serenade In D for String Quartet III. Larghetto, poco adagio
4. Serenade In D for String Quartet IV. Intermezzo: Andantino con moto
5. Serenade In D for String Quartet V. Finale: Allegro, pochetto presto
6. String Quartet I. Slowly
7. String Quartet II. Moderately fast
8. String Quartet III. Very Slowly
9. String Quartet IV. Fast
10. String Trio I. Allegro risoluto
11. String Trio II. Adagio
12. String Trio III. Allegro