Music for the Dance No. 2
Music for the Dance No. 2 | |
---|---|
Composition for piano by Leonard Bernstein | |
Composed | June 14, 1938 |
Performed | June 12, 1938 - Brookline, Massachusetts |
Published | 2010 - New York |
Publisher | Amberson Holdings Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Company Boosey & Hawkes |
Recorded | Alexander Dossin (2014) |
Duration | 4 to 5 minutes |
Movements | 3 |
Scoring | Solo piano |
Music for the Dance No. 2[a] is a composition for piano by American composer Leonard Bernstein. It was finished in 1938.
Background
Music for the Dance No. 2 is most notable for being one of the first Bernstein pieces to be performed in public by the composer, together with his Non troppo presto. It was finished in 1938. The date of completion is a source of controversy, since it was first performed by Leonard Bernstein at the studio of Heinrich Gebhard, in Brookline, Massachusetts on June 12, 1938.[1] However, the inscription at the end of the original manuscript reads June 14, 1938, which probably means that the composer revised the piece after performing it. The piece was dedicated to "Mildred on her 22nd birthday in friendliest affection" and was first performed on his birthday. In this case, the name "Mildred" refers to Mildred Spiegel Zucker, a music teacher and childhood friend of Bernstein, with whom Bernstein had a lifelong friendship and shared a fair amount of correspondence.[2][3] It was initially edited in 1938 by Amberson Holdings but remained unpublished for many decades. The manuscript was left in the Leonard Bernstein Archive at the Library of Congress until the Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Company and Boosey & Hawkes released it in 2010.[1]
Structure
This composition is scored for solo piano and has an approximate duration of four to five minutes. It consists of three short untitled movements, the most commonly used title of which is taken from the tempo marking at the beginning of each movement.[1] The movement list is as follows:[1]
Movement No. | Tempo marking | Bars | Time signature |
---|---|---|---|
I | Moderato | 36 | 6 8[b] |
II | Waltz time | 42 | 3 4[c] |
III | Allegro non troppo, with force | 55[d] | 3 4 (6 8)[e] |
Recordings
Given the fact that Music for the Dance No. 2 was published relatively recently, recordings are not very well known and are typically released within cycles of complete music for piano by Bernstein. Here is a list of recordings of this composition:
- Alexander Dossin gave the world premiere recording with Naxos. The recording was taken some time between January 3 and 5 and March 24 and 26, 2014, at the Beall Concert Hall in the University of Oregon, in Eugene, Oregon. The recording was released in 2015.[4]
- Leann Osterkamp also recorded the piece with Steinway & Sons in a collection of complete solo piano works by Bernstein. The piece was recorded at the Steinway Hall in New York City and was released on compact disc on September 15, 2017.[5]
- Andrew Cooperstock recorded the piece with Bridge Records. The recording was also released on compact disc in 2017, in a compilation of works for piano by the composer.[6]
- Katie Mahan recorded the piece for a Deutsche Grammophon release of Bernstein's full oeuvre. The recording was taken on November 25 and 26, 2017, at the Meistersaal, in Berlin. The recording was released first as a compilation of solo piano works by Bernstein[7] and then as a compilation of all complete works by Bernstein, both in 2018.[8]
- Michele Tozzetti recorded the piece under Piano Classics. The recording was made between December 8 and 10, 2017, at the Musicafelix - Studio Benelli Mosell, in Prato, Italy. It was released on compact disc on May 24, 2019.[9]
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d Bernstein, Leonard (2010). Music for piano. [New York, NY]: Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Company. ISBN 9781423475149.
- ^ "New Finding Aid: Mildred Spiegel Zucker Collection of Leonard Bernstein Correspondence and Related Materials". Library of Congress. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ DeWald, Frank K. "BERNSTEIN, L.: Piano Music - Anniversaries / Piano Sonata / Music for the Dance No. 2 / Non Troppo Presto (Dossin)". www.naxos.com.
- ^ "BERNSTEIN, L.: Piano Music - Anniversaries / Piano Sonata / Music for the Dance No. 2 / Non Troppo Presto (Dossin) - 8.559756". www.naxos.com. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ "Complete Solo Piano Works of Leonard Bernstein - Steinway & Sons". www.steinway.com. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ "Leonard Bernstein: The Complete Music for Piano; Andrew Cooperstock, piano; BRIDGE 9485A/B". Bridge Records. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ "CD bernstein piano works – Katie Mahan" (in German). Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ "BERNSTEIN Complete Works". www.deutschegrammophon.com. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ "Bernstein: Complete Solo Piano Music - Brilliant Classics". www.piano-classics.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 August 2021.
See also
- Non troppo presto (Bernstein)
- v
- t
- e
- Trouble in Tahiti (1951)
- Candide (1956)
- A Quiet Place (1983)
- On the Town (1944)
- "New York, New York"
- "Lonely Town"
- Peter Pan (1950)
- Wonderful Town (1953)
- "Ohio"
- West Side Story (1957)
- "A Boy Like That"
- "America"
- "Cool"
- "Gee, Officer Krupke"
- "I Feel Pretty"
- "Maria"
- "One Hand, One Heart"
- "Something's Coming"
- "Somewhere"
- Tonight"
- "Tonight Quintet"
- A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green (1958, collaboration)
- The Race to Urga (1968)
- 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (1976)
- The Madwoman of Central Park West (1979, contribution)
- Fancy Free (1944)
- Dybbuk (1974)
- Symphony No. 1 (Jeremiah) (1942)
- Symphony No. 2 (The Age of Anxiety) (1948–49, revised 1965)
- Symphony No. 3 (Kaddish) (1963)
- Fanfare for the Inauguration of John F. Kennedy (1961)
- CBS Music (1976)
- Slava! A Political Overture (1977)
- Divertimento (1980)
- Concerto for Orchestra (1986, 1988, 1989, originally Jubilee Games)
- Prelude, Fugue and Riffs (1948)
- Serenade after Plato's "Symposium" (1954)
- Ḥalil (1981)
- Piano Trio (1937)
- Clarinet Sonata (1942)
- Dance Suite (1989)
- Hashkiveinu (1945)
- Chichester Psalms (1965)
- "Olympic Hymn" (1981)
- Missa Brevis (1988)
- Psalm 148 (art song, 1935)
- I Hate Music (song cycle, 1943)
- La Bonne Cuisine (song cycle, 1947)
- "So Pretty" (1968)
- Songfest: A Cycle of American Poems for Six Singers and Orchestra (1977)
- "My Twelve Tone Melody" (1988)
- Non troppo presto (Music for the Dance No. 1) (1937)
- Music for the Dance No. 2 (1938)
- Sonata for the Piano (1938)
- Anniversaries (1942—1988)
- Seven Ann. (1942–43)
- Four Ann. (1948)
- Five Ann. (1949–51)
- Thirteen Ann. (1988)
- Four Sabras (ca. 1950)
- Bridal Suite (1960)
- Touches (1980)
- The Lark (incidental music) (1955)
- Mass (1971)
- Opening Prayer (1986)
- On the Town (1949 film)
- West Side Story (1961 film)
- West Side Story (2021 film)
- Academy for the Love of Learning
- Artful Learning
- Bernstein–Mahler cycle
- Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution
- Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts
- New York Philharmonic concert of April 6, 1962
- Pacific Music Festival
- The Unanswered Question (lecture series)
- Young People's Concerts
- Maestro (2023 film)
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