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PAN PIPES • SUMMER 2017 • sai-national.org 24 SCHUBERT'S REPUTATION FROM HIS TIME TO OURS Geoffrey Block. Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 2017. I n the introduction to this monograph, Geoffrey Block writes: "It is my thesis that around the time of Schubert's bicentennial, in 1997, the composer's critical fortunes changed to the point of achieving a rough parity with those of his famous contemporary [Beethoven]. Today Schubert enjoys a reputation and prestige equaling and frequently surpassing that of nearly any other classical composer. This book tells the story of how and why this happened" (4). Wordiness made the story somewhat overwhelming; at times reading the book was like putting together an intricate 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle with an extra 500 pieces from another puzzle placed throughout. In addition, the copy editor failed to remove several obvious repetitions and fix some mechanical errors. Nonetheless, I persisted reading to the end and acquired some fascinating information. For example: The composer's nickname was "Schwammerl" ("Mushroom" or "Toadstool") because he was only 5 feet 1 1/2 inches tall. No one knows for sure why Schubert's "Unfinished Symphony" wasn't completed. Block offers three possible explanations: "Perhaps Schubert was unable to come up with a third and fourth movement…Perhaps a possible commission was aborted. Perhaps Schubert concluded that the symphony was sufficiently complete as a work in two movements" (Block 213). The composer's life has been the subject of three films: Blossom Time (1934),The Melody Master: The Life of Franz Schubert (1941), and Notturno (1986). Schubert aficionados who are movie buffs may appreciate the tables in Chapter Seven identifying the exact time each Schubert piece is heard therein. Block describes how other composers tried to improve upon and promote Schubert's music. For example, Liszt made transcriptions, Brahms edited the autographs posthumously, Schumann reviewed his pieces, Mendelssohn conducted the premiere of the "Great" Symphony, and Mahler retouched some scores. The author provides the percentages of Schubert works in concert repertoire through the years and chronicles and critiques both performances and recordings of Schubert by concert pianists, such as luminaries Vladimir Horowitz, Rudolf Serkin, Artur Schnabel, and Alfred Brendel. A professor of music history at the University of Puget Sound, Geoffrey Block is undoubtedly at his best analyzing in detail, comparing and contrasting musical passages, particularly the "Ode to Joy" melody in both Schubert's "Great" C Major Symphony and Beethoven's "Choral" Symphony No. 9. His book's target audience would be musicologists. The information in the book is far beyond the need of either a concertgoer or an amateur musician like me who loves Schubert's music. It is not a volume for a general reader to take to the beach; rather it a tome for graduate students of music history to use as a reference. It was sad to find out that negative opinions about the length of some Schubertian works and the perceived femininity of other ones haunted the composer's early reputation and that these views continued to influence it for more than a century. Now Schubert typically ranks among the top ten on lists of greatest classical composers. As an aside, I was tickled when an acquaintance told me her new Samsung dishwasher played the melody from Schubert's "Trout" Quintet when the cycle was complete! To an otherwise scholarly text, Block's own recollections like this one added a personal touch: "The aural and visual image of our daughter, blissfully rocking and crying to the music of Schubert's Ave Maria . . . has remained indelible" (Block 368). — Jayne I. Hanlin REVIEWS ROBERT CASADESUS AND HENRI DUTILLEUX: SELECTED PIANO WORKS Cicilia Yudha, piano Navona Records, NV 6053 I ndonesian pianist, Cicilia Yudha, performs works by two French 20th century composers, Robert Casadesus and Henri Dutilleux. Her connection to both composers provides a reason for this pairing. Her doctoral dissertation was on several works by Casadesus, and she has since become interested in his lesser known works. Yudha's former teacher, Abdul Sjukur (1935-2015) was a pupil of Dutilleux. Both composers write in a neoclassical style while retaining elements which are distinctively French in character. Cicilia Yudha was educated at the Cleveland Institute, New England Conservatory, and holds a doctorate from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Her concerts have been featured on several of the world's leading radio stations. She has given performances in the Unites States, Canada, France, Germany, and Indonesia. She is currently on the faculty at the Dana School of Music in Youngstown, Ohio. The disc begins with two works by Casadesus. Sonata No. 3, Op. 44 is neoclassical with the first movement being rhythmically energetic and spirited. This is followed by a second movement, more contrapuntal and lyrical in style. It is the epicenter of the work, and in it, Casadesus explores the many color possibilities of the piano. The last movement contains dance-like, forcefully driven rhythms. The Toccata, Op. 40 was written in 1946 and is one of Casadesus' best known works. It is full of passage-work requiring a highly skilled technique and crisp articulation from the performer, which Ms. Yudha stylishly delivers. While the style of the Casadusus works may be described as generally more lyrical than that of Dutilleux, the latter could be said to be more dissonant. Blackbird was written in 1950 and is immediately reminiscent of Messian's own work with the same title. The following work, Au Gre des Ondes: 6 Petites Pieces Pour Piano, translates into "Along the Waves: 6 Little Pieces". Here Dutilleux quickly establishes a different mood in each movement which is expressed with great economy. The final work on the disc is the Sonate written in 1947-8. Dutilleux clearly displays his understanding of the classical style with his skillful piano writing. The first movement contains a perpetual rhythm, while the second movement is lyrical and reminiscent of a French Art Song. This is followed by a lengthy and virtuosic finale. It provides an effectively dramatic end to the work and to the disc. Throughout the performances, Ms. Yudha shows meticulous study and preparation. Her playing is powerful and shows her great understanding of the technical and color challenges of these works. All performances were recorded at Oberlin Conservatory on a Steinway Model "D"Hamburg. Extensive album liner notes may be found online. — Kim McCormick

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