Allan Manhas - American Preludes: 20th-Century Piano Music of the Americas (2025)
BAND/ARTIST: Allan Manhas
- Title: American Preludes: 20th-Century Piano Music of the Americas
- Year Of Release: 2025
- Label: Da Vinci Classics
- Genre: Classical Piano
- Quality: flac lossless (tracks)
- Total Time: 01:11:07
- Total Size: 212 mb
- WebSite: Album Preview
Tracklist
01. Cinq Préludes pour Guitare: No. 1, Andantino espressivo
02. Cinq Préludes pour Guitare: No. 2, Andantino
03. Cinq Préludes pour Guitare: No. 3, Andante
04. Cinq Préludes pour Guitare: No. 4, Lento
05. Cinq Préludes pour Guitare: No. 5, Poco animato
06. Preludios Encadenados
07. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 1, Para los acentos
08. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 2, Triste
09. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 3, Danza Criolla
10. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 4, Vidala
11. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 5, En el primer modo pentáfono menor
12. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 6, Homenaje a Roberto Garcia Morillo
13. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 7, Para las octavas
14. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 8, Homenaje a Juan Jose Castro
15. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 9, Homenaje a Aaron Copland
16. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 10, Pastoral
17. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 11, Homenaje a Heitor Villa-Lobos
18. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 12, En el primer modo pentáfono mayor
19. Preludes for piano: No. 1, Leggiero
20. Preludes for piano: No. 2, Torment
21. Preludes for piano: No. 3, Pensive
22. Preludes for piano: No. 4, Aubade
23. Preludes for piano: No. 5, Dirge
24. Preludes for piano: No. 6, Turbulence
25. Preludes for piano: No. 7, Introspection
26. Preludes for piano: No. 8, Song
27. Preludes for piano: No. 9, Innocence
28. Preludes for piano: No. 10, Fury
29. Preludes for piano: No. 11, Spoof
30. Preludes for piano: No. 12, Dark Mood
31. Preludes for piano: No. 13, Illumination
Etymologically, a “Prelude” is something which comes before something else; indeed, what comes after the Prelude should normally be the main dish on the menu, since praeludium means “before the game” (or the play). Ludus, the game or play, is the portrait; the prelude is the frame. Many preludes were not even written, for a rather long time, since they were improvised on the basis of some fixed formulae which were then moved upwards and downwards on the keyboard. The performer could therefore, once a pattern was selected, replicate it through modulations and chordal sequences, which – originally – had also the purpose of allowing the keyboard player to familiarize him- or herself with a keyboard and its pros and cons.
Several Preludes from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier follow this model, albeit magnificently. They are mainly characterized by a technical structure, whose repetition also works as a technical exercise; there are also, of course, more lyrical Preludes, whose melodic quality is more pronounced and evident.
The point is, however, that Bach’s Preludes are all Preludes to something else, i.e. to the Well-Tempered Clavier’s Fugues. The fact of being coupled with a Fugue and of constituting a “pre-lude” to them does not subtract in the slightest from their beauty and perfection; however, it is virtually impossible to conceive Bach’s Preludes in isolation from their Fugues.
Even though Bach’s figure and output were nearly forgotten for almost a century, some of his works did not wane and his influence lasted almost continuously and continuingly. For instance, musicians such as Beethoven and Chopin were educated, formed, and nourished in their artistic personality by the Preludes and Fugues by Bach. And, indeed, the Well-Tempered Clavier was Chopin’s faithful companion, and, probably, his only solace, during his unfortunate stay in Mallorca. There, Chopin wrote his own 24 Préludes, which are, indeed, “fugueless” Preludes. They are closely modelled on those by Bach, but, by losing their fundamental appendage, they inaugurated a series of collected Preludes which are self-standing, or, to be more precise, which need each other but not a Fugue or another kind of piece after them. Chopin’s 24 Préludes were enormously influential in turn, and they inspired directly, for instance, Debussy’s two series of 12 Préludes each. Series of twelve or twenty-four Preludes now started to emerge with increasing frequency, at times provided with Fugues (as is the case with Shostakovich) but more frequently without.
This Da Vinci Classics album features some (original or transcribed) works for solo piano, in the form of Preludes (indeed… “the form of Preludes” does not exist, since a Prelude is by definition a free form), and written by American composers.
This choice is meaningful. America is a “young” continent, meaning that European culture reached it in relatively recent times. Some American artists felt the wish and the need to provide their nations with works of art (musical, literary, visual) to match those found in Europe. It was therefore also a claim of identity, an affirmation of personality, a statement that American culture was perhaps younger, but by no means inferior to that of Europe.
Heitor Villa-Lobos composed his Five Preludes for solo guitar in the summer of 1940, dedicating them to Arminda Neves de Almeida (“Mindinha”), who was his wife. This concise creative effort marked a shift from the composer’s earlier, more spread-out work on the guitar. Yet, their total number has not always seemed fixed: writing to Manuel Ponce, Andrés Segovia remarked, “Villa-Lobos […] came to my house with six [sic] preludes for guitar, dedicated to me.” This enigmatic mention of a sixth prelude, never located to date, continues to intrigue musicologists and performers alike—José Vieira Brandão, a trusted friend of Villa-Lobos and future arranger of these pieces, also claimed, along with other witnesses, to have seen this elusive work.
The present recording highlights the Preludes as piano works through Brandão’s masterful transcription. A respected pianist, he did far more than simply transfer Villa-Lobos’ notes from one instrument to another. With the composer’s blessing, he thoughtfully reshaped the harmonic language, phrasing, and textures to suit the piano’s unique sonorities. In doing so, Brandão elevated the transcriptions into fully realized piano compositions, revealing new facets of the Preludes’ intrinsic beauty, complexity, and lyricism.
The Preludes’ titles, likely from Villa-Lobos’ circle, reflect varied themes: the first honors Brazil’s sertão region; the second references Rio’s “Marauder” and capoeira; the third pays homage to Bach, blending Baroque and Brazilian styles; the fourth celebrates indigenous culture; and the fifth highlights Rio’s vibrant urban social life.
We have briefly mentioned Manuel María Ponce, who was one of the protagonists of the musical scene in Mexico. Despite being a musical icon of his country, he derived profound inspiration from his two-year stay in Cuba, to where he fled during the Revolution. Another fundamental experience in view of his development of a personal style was the longer time (eight years) he spent in Paris, where he came into contact with the newest trends of musical composition and was able to absorb and reinterpret them. In particular, the influence of Paul Dukas was crucial for him. It was during that stay that he composed the Preludios Encadenados, where his penchant for local inspiration seems to be more silent than usual (with the exception of the last piece). The four Preludes forming the complete work are very different from each other, but at the same time display some inner coherence: they are Preludios, i.e. a group of several Preludes, but they are also “chained” to each other by virtue of their consistency.
With Alberto Ginastera, the famous Argentinian composer, we reach a set of a dozen Preludes, mirroring more closely the models of Bach, Chopin, and Debussy. Written in 1944 and published two years later, these Preludes resemble more closely a series of Etudes: both their titles and their content reveal that each Prelude focuses on a specific type of technical or musical issue. Furthermore, the “American” quality of the set is revealed by the composer’s constant reference, in the manner of an homage, to some of the great American composers of his time, such as Juan José Castro, Aaron Copland, Roberto García Murillo, and Villa-Lobos himself. The first prelude focuses on irregular accentuation patterns; the second is an expressive meditation on “sadness” in music; the third is an enthralling and lively Creole dance, once more with unexpected rhythmical turns; then comes the touching Vidala, and a modal piece (“first pentatonic minor more”) with an exotic flavour in terms of both rhythm and scale. After the galloping homage to García Murillo, there comes another piece which challenges the performer’s technique with its combination of octaves and leaps. After the homage to Castro, which translates into a tango piece exuding nostalgia from its every note, the homage to Copland refers to North America and to one of its musical symbols, i.e. jazz music. A calmer mood characterizes the Pastorale, no. 10, with a “three-hand” effect in its multi-layered writing, whilst the penultimate piece, paying tribute to Villa-Lobos, alludes to the Brazilian composer’s use of syncopation. Finally, the last piece, again in the pentatonic (“Major”) mode, is a representation of “a slow Inca processional march […] connected with the worship of the sun”.
Copland is also present, albeit as a mentor, in the life and creative output of Jean Coulthard. A woman composer whose long life embraced almost the entire twentieth century, this Canadian musician was educated in her country, in England, where she studied with Ralph Vaughan Williams, and in the US. Her musical style, open to many modern trends, nevertheless maintains a deep connection with tradition. At first this alienated her from the fame and reputation her music deserved, since she was felt as being out of step with the contemporary trends of musical composition. Later, however, in her old age, she began to be appreciated and was honoured and revered both in her country and abroad. This set of Preludes mirrors a typical dualism often found in Coulthard’s music, i.e. that opposing “sparkling lyricism and brooding introspection”, as she acknowledged herself, but also another polarization, i.e. that keeping together virtuosity and intimate poetry. Here too the Preludes have both a specific technical/musical focus and a particular dedication; an endearing trait of Coulthard’s personality is her engagement with the younger generations of musicians, who feature prominently in her dedications. The collection includes many musical and technical challenges, but at the same time offers itself to the listener in a very friendly and engaging way. Interestingly, Coulthard’s set is unorthodoxly composed of thirteen, rather than twelve pieces, with a deliberate turn from tradition which adds to the series’ originality.
If none of the 34 preludes recorded in this album actually “preludes” to something, nonetheless the listening experience offered by this CD proves that self-standing Preludes can be positively thrilling and highly captivating to the listener.
01. Cinq Préludes pour Guitare: No. 1, Andantino espressivo
02. Cinq Préludes pour Guitare: No. 2, Andantino
03. Cinq Préludes pour Guitare: No. 3, Andante
04. Cinq Préludes pour Guitare: No. 4, Lento
05. Cinq Préludes pour Guitare: No. 5, Poco animato
06. Preludios Encadenados
07. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 1, Para los acentos
08. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 2, Triste
09. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 3, Danza Criolla
10. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 4, Vidala
11. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 5, En el primer modo pentáfono menor
12. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 6, Homenaje a Roberto Garcia Morillo
13. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 7, Para las octavas
14. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 8, Homenaje a Juan Jose Castro
15. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 9, Homenaje a Aaron Copland
16. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 10, Pastoral
17. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 11, Homenaje a Heitor Villa-Lobos
18. Doce Preludios Americanos, Op. 12: No. 12, En el primer modo pentáfono mayor
19. Preludes for piano: No. 1, Leggiero
20. Preludes for piano: No. 2, Torment
21. Preludes for piano: No. 3, Pensive
22. Preludes for piano: No. 4, Aubade
23. Preludes for piano: No. 5, Dirge
24. Preludes for piano: No. 6, Turbulence
25. Preludes for piano: No. 7, Introspection
26. Preludes for piano: No. 8, Song
27. Preludes for piano: No. 9, Innocence
28. Preludes for piano: No. 10, Fury
29. Preludes for piano: No. 11, Spoof
30. Preludes for piano: No. 12, Dark Mood
31. Preludes for piano: No. 13, Illumination
Etymologically, a “Prelude” is something which comes before something else; indeed, what comes after the Prelude should normally be the main dish on the menu, since praeludium means “before the game” (or the play). Ludus, the game or play, is the portrait; the prelude is the frame. Many preludes were not even written, for a rather long time, since they were improvised on the basis of some fixed formulae which were then moved upwards and downwards on the keyboard. The performer could therefore, once a pattern was selected, replicate it through modulations and chordal sequences, which – originally – had also the purpose of allowing the keyboard player to familiarize him- or herself with a keyboard and its pros and cons.
Several Preludes from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier follow this model, albeit magnificently. They are mainly characterized by a technical structure, whose repetition also works as a technical exercise; there are also, of course, more lyrical Preludes, whose melodic quality is more pronounced and evident.
The point is, however, that Bach’s Preludes are all Preludes to something else, i.e. to the Well-Tempered Clavier’s Fugues. The fact of being coupled with a Fugue and of constituting a “pre-lude” to them does not subtract in the slightest from their beauty and perfection; however, it is virtually impossible to conceive Bach’s Preludes in isolation from their Fugues.
Even though Bach’s figure and output were nearly forgotten for almost a century, some of his works did not wane and his influence lasted almost continuously and continuingly. For instance, musicians such as Beethoven and Chopin were educated, formed, and nourished in their artistic personality by the Preludes and Fugues by Bach. And, indeed, the Well-Tempered Clavier was Chopin’s faithful companion, and, probably, his only solace, during his unfortunate stay in Mallorca. There, Chopin wrote his own 24 Préludes, which are, indeed, “fugueless” Preludes. They are closely modelled on those by Bach, but, by losing their fundamental appendage, they inaugurated a series of collected Preludes which are self-standing, or, to be more precise, which need each other but not a Fugue or another kind of piece after them. Chopin’s 24 Préludes were enormously influential in turn, and they inspired directly, for instance, Debussy’s two series of 12 Préludes each. Series of twelve or twenty-four Preludes now started to emerge with increasing frequency, at times provided with Fugues (as is the case with Shostakovich) but more frequently without.
This Da Vinci Classics album features some (original or transcribed) works for solo piano, in the form of Preludes (indeed… “the form of Preludes” does not exist, since a Prelude is by definition a free form), and written by American composers.
This choice is meaningful. America is a “young” continent, meaning that European culture reached it in relatively recent times. Some American artists felt the wish and the need to provide their nations with works of art (musical, literary, visual) to match those found in Europe. It was therefore also a claim of identity, an affirmation of personality, a statement that American culture was perhaps younger, but by no means inferior to that of Europe.
Heitor Villa-Lobos composed his Five Preludes for solo guitar in the summer of 1940, dedicating them to Arminda Neves de Almeida (“Mindinha”), who was his wife. This concise creative effort marked a shift from the composer’s earlier, more spread-out work on the guitar. Yet, their total number has not always seemed fixed: writing to Manuel Ponce, Andrés Segovia remarked, “Villa-Lobos […] came to my house with six [sic] preludes for guitar, dedicated to me.” This enigmatic mention of a sixth prelude, never located to date, continues to intrigue musicologists and performers alike—José Vieira Brandão, a trusted friend of Villa-Lobos and future arranger of these pieces, also claimed, along with other witnesses, to have seen this elusive work.
The present recording highlights the Preludes as piano works through Brandão’s masterful transcription. A respected pianist, he did far more than simply transfer Villa-Lobos’ notes from one instrument to another. With the composer’s blessing, he thoughtfully reshaped the harmonic language, phrasing, and textures to suit the piano’s unique sonorities. In doing so, Brandão elevated the transcriptions into fully realized piano compositions, revealing new facets of the Preludes’ intrinsic beauty, complexity, and lyricism.
The Preludes’ titles, likely from Villa-Lobos’ circle, reflect varied themes: the first honors Brazil’s sertão region; the second references Rio’s “Marauder” and capoeira; the third pays homage to Bach, blending Baroque and Brazilian styles; the fourth celebrates indigenous culture; and the fifth highlights Rio’s vibrant urban social life.
We have briefly mentioned Manuel María Ponce, who was one of the protagonists of the musical scene in Mexico. Despite being a musical icon of his country, he derived profound inspiration from his two-year stay in Cuba, to where he fled during the Revolution. Another fundamental experience in view of his development of a personal style was the longer time (eight years) he spent in Paris, where he came into contact with the newest trends of musical composition and was able to absorb and reinterpret them. In particular, the influence of Paul Dukas was crucial for him. It was during that stay that he composed the Preludios Encadenados, where his penchant for local inspiration seems to be more silent than usual (with the exception of the last piece). The four Preludes forming the complete work are very different from each other, but at the same time display some inner coherence: they are Preludios, i.e. a group of several Preludes, but they are also “chained” to each other by virtue of their consistency.
With Alberto Ginastera, the famous Argentinian composer, we reach a set of a dozen Preludes, mirroring more closely the models of Bach, Chopin, and Debussy. Written in 1944 and published two years later, these Preludes resemble more closely a series of Etudes: both their titles and their content reveal that each Prelude focuses on a specific type of technical or musical issue. Furthermore, the “American” quality of the set is revealed by the composer’s constant reference, in the manner of an homage, to some of the great American composers of his time, such as Juan José Castro, Aaron Copland, Roberto García Murillo, and Villa-Lobos himself. The first prelude focuses on irregular accentuation patterns; the second is an expressive meditation on “sadness” in music; the third is an enthralling and lively Creole dance, once more with unexpected rhythmical turns; then comes the touching Vidala, and a modal piece (“first pentatonic minor more”) with an exotic flavour in terms of both rhythm and scale. After the galloping homage to García Murillo, there comes another piece which challenges the performer’s technique with its combination of octaves and leaps. After the homage to Castro, which translates into a tango piece exuding nostalgia from its every note, the homage to Copland refers to North America and to one of its musical symbols, i.e. jazz music. A calmer mood characterizes the Pastorale, no. 10, with a “three-hand” effect in its multi-layered writing, whilst the penultimate piece, paying tribute to Villa-Lobos, alludes to the Brazilian composer’s use of syncopation. Finally, the last piece, again in the pentatonic (“Major”) mode, is a representation of “a slow Inca processional march […] connected with the worship of the sun”.
Copland is also present, albeit as a mentor, in the life and creative output of Jean Coulthard. A woman composer whose long life embraced almost the entire twentieth century, this Canadian musician was educated in her country, in England, where she studied with Ralph Vaughan Williams, and in the US. Her musical style, open to many modern trends, nevertheless maintains a deep connection with tradition. At first this alienated her from the fame and reputation her music deserved, since she was felt as being out of step with the contemporary trends of musical composition. Later, however, in her old age, she began to be appreciated and was honoured and revered both in her country and abroad. This set of Preludes mirrors a typical dualism often found in Coulthard’s music, i.e. that opposing “sparkling lyricism and brooding introspection”, as she acknowledged herself, but also another polarization, i.e. that keeping together virtuosity and intimate poetry. Here too the Preludes have both a specific technical/musical focus and a particular dedication; an endearing trait of Coulthard’s personality is her engagement with the younger generations of musicians, who feature prominently in her dedications. The collection includes many musical and technical challenges, but at the same time offers itself to the listener in a very friendly and engaging way. Interestingly, Coulthard’s set is unorthodoxly composed of thirteen, rather than twelve pieces, with a deliberate turn from tradition which adds to the series’ originality.
If none of the 34 preludes recorded in this album actually “preludes” to something, nonetheless the listening experience offered by this CD proves that self-standing Preludes can be positively thrilling and highly captivating to the listener.
| Classical | FLAC / APE
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