Chow Ching Lie : Journey in Music

 by Georg Predota, Interlude

“I was born into a China of misery and tears. The China of my birth was a vast, undeveloped country, where poverty, banditry, and civil war were rife, and where it was particularly unwise to be born female.” With these poignant words, Chow Ching Lie begins her personal memoirs, Le Palanquin des Larmes (Journey in Tears), a vivid narrative that pits the stark realities of traditional Chinese society against the seismic shifts brought by the Communist revolution.

Chow Ching Lie’s personal memoir ‘Le Palanquin des Larmes’ (Journey in Tears)

Forced into an arranged marriage at the age of 13, becoming a mother by 14 and a widow at age 26, her memoirs detail her journey from a child bride to fulfilling her dream of becoming an internationally recognised pianist. It is not just a tale of personal triumph over adversity but also a critical look at gender roles, societal expectations, and a quest for personal freedom.

Chow Ching Lie Documentary Trailer 

Yellow River Concerto

Her “Journey in Tears” is also a “Journey in Music,” as it becomes a source of solace in her darkest times and simultaneously a tool for empowerment. It symbolises her resilience, her fight for autonomy, and her way of reclaiming her identity. She and her two children find a new home in Paris, and by connecting with people across cultures, music becomes a profound commentary on the power of art to heal, transcend, and transform lives.

Chow Ching Lie

For Chow, who passed away on 16 February 2025, Music was always woven into the narrative of her life, highlighting significant emotional or transformative movements. It served as both a backdrop and a reflection of her personal evolution. As such, we decided to choose compositions that found thematic resonance with her life’s journey, from the melancholy of early struggles to the hopeful notes of her later achievements. 

Yellow River Concerto

The Lark

Chow’s enchantment with music started at the age of six when a student at her school sat down in front of a piano to give a small recital. She writes, “this strange, shining black object stood at the centre of the stage… Suddenly, her hands flew over the keyboard like enchanted birds, and the sound that was emitted from that strange black object was more beautiful than anything I had ever heard.”

Her father rented a piano and provided first lessons to her and her sister. She managed to make considerable progress by the end of her first year. She first appeared in front of an audience at the age of 10, performing Glinka’s “Lark.” That composition would later serve as a metaphor for her newfound freedom and the sense of lightness she felt in Hong Kong. Away from the oppressive environment she had known, Chow felt that she could convey not just her technical skills but her personal joy and relief.

Glinka/Balakirev: The Lark 

Moonlight Sonata

Chow Ching Lie

Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” holds a special place in Chow Ching Lie’s narrative, serving as a poignant emblem of her inner world amidst the external chaos of her life. She first played the work when she was still a young girl, trapped in the confines of her arranged marriage. For Chow, the opening movement allowed her to express the deep-seated melancholy and yearning for freedom that she was unable to voice in her real life.

The “Moonlight Sonata” reappears at various junctures, each time marking a significant milestone in her life. When she performed the work at a concert in Hong Kong, her first major performance after departing from Shanghai, it became more than just a piece of music. For Chow, it captured her journey from darkness into light, from silence to expression, embodying the essence of her transformation through music.

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14, Op. 27 No. 2 “Moonlight”

Clair de Lune

Chow Ching Lie’s performance poster in December 1973

Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” becomes a significant piece in Chow’s musical journey, particularly after her move to France. She describes her first encounter with that composition as “a revelation, as the music’s delicate and nuanced expression resonated with my soul.” Her performances of “Clair de Lune” highlight several key moments in her life, most notably at a concert in Paris.

For Chow, “Clair de Lune” became a medium through which she could share her journey of healing and self-discovery. Every note seems to echo her newfound peace and love for life, in stark contrast to the tears of her earlier years. As she called it, “this music was a way to heal from past wounds while embracing the beauty of the present.”

Claude Debussy: Clair de Lune 

Alla Turca

For Chow Ching Lie, the “Alla Turca” from Mozart’s A-Major sonata represents moments of great personal joy and public acclaim. It represents music that contrasts with the much more introspective pieces she had previously associated with her life’s struggles. It came to represent the playful, confident, and exuberant parts of her personality.

The “Alla Turca” is frequently mentioned in the context of teaching music, where Chow finds delight in sharing the playful energy with her students. She vividly recalls a concert in France, where she decided to lighten the programme with a performance. Apparently, the audience, initially drawn in by her interpretations of classical works, is surprised and delighted by the sudden shift to the vibrant and spirited “Alla Turca.”

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major, K. 331 “Alla Turca” 

Ave Maria

Chow Ching Lie

The ideas of music and healing in Chow’s narrative are of primary importance, as music transforms her suffering into resilience and purpose. Her pursuit of music emerges as her salvation and as a means of emotional escape and eventual physical liberation. Music was not simply an art form but a powerful healing force.

The healing power of music operates on both a personal and symbolic level. Personally, it offered a way to process trauma, and symbolically, music became the conduit for transcending cultural and personal wounds. During a visit to the pilgrimage site of Lourdes, Chow was so touched by what she saw that she spontaneously started to play the “Ave Maria.” The very same piece sounded when Chow played in public for the last time; tellingly, the performance took place in a hospital under the title “Music and Healing.”

Chow Ching Lie’s Hospital Performance 

Throughout Chow Ching Lie’s life, music transcended mere art and became her voice of liberation, her sanctuary amidst adversity, and ultimately the melody through which she transformed her story from one of tears into one of triumph.

Edward Elgar: 10 Famous Quotes and Thoughts

by Georg Predota  February 24th, 2025

As a musician and composer, Edward Elgar was largely self-taught, learning through experimentation and playing in local ensembles. His music is characterised by its emotional depth, rich orchestration, and a sense of nostalgia that captures a time when the British Empire was at a peak.

Edward Elgar

During his later years, a period of personal struggles and the changing musical landscape, Elgar’s music endured by evoking a sense of pride and the pastoral beauty of England. Blending English elements with a personal, sometimes melancholic style, Elgar left behind a legacy that continues to resonate with audiences around the world.

Edward Elgar was reserved and private in his personal life, and he often felt like an outsider in the social circles of the time. While he did engage with the public through his music, Elgar was not known for making bold or controversial public statements. Later in life, Elgar became even more withdrawn and moved to a quieter part of England where he could continue composing in relative solitude.

On the occasion of Elgar’s passing on 23 February, let us offer some insight into his personality by exploring 10 of his most famous quotes and general thoughts.

Edward Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 “Land of Hope and Glory” 

“I always said God was against art, and I still believe it”

Attributed to Elgar, this quote is not tied to a specific documented event or piece of correspondence, and it might have been said in private conversation or during a moment of reflection. To be sure, Elgar’s statements often carried a tone of introspection or philosophical musing about the nature of art and life.

In this case, however, we get a clue from the second part of this quote when Elgar said, “Anything obscene or trivial is blessed in this world and has a reward, I ask for no reward, only to hear my work.”

Elgar had a complex relationship with his own creativity, experiencing periods of great success but also times of deep personal and creative depression. And during his early career, Elgar faced great challenges in getting his music recognised. He certainly believed that the divine forces were not necessarily on the side of the artist.

Edward Elgar: Salut d‘Amour, Op. 12 

“The music is in the air. Take as much as you want.”

This particular quote encapsulates Elgar’s philosophy on creativity, music, and its omnipresence. Throughout his life, Elgar spoke about music as something that was not just created but discovered or captured from the environment around him.

Edward Elgar

Elgar implies that there is no limit to the inspiration one can draw from the world. It is a democratic view of the arts, where inspiration is not in the exclusive domain of the professional composer but available to all.

It aligns with the ideas of the Romantic movement and its emphasis on emotion, nature, and the individual’s experience. In Elgar’s mystical view of creativity, music does not need to be laboriously contracted but exists all around us. It’s simply an invitation for everyone to engage with music. In a sense, it also expresses Elgar’s idea about the universal nature of music and its ability to transcend cultural and linguistic barriers.

Edward Elgar: Sea Pictures 

“I believe in the power of music to bring people together, to heal, and to inspire.”

Not directly attributed to Edward Elgar, the above statement does encapsulate sentiments that align with Elgar’s known views on the role of music and society and personal life. Elgar expressed his strong belief about the communal and therapeutic aspects of music throughout his life.

Elgar lived through turbulent times in history, and his music was often seen as a means to foster national identity. His saying possibly reflects his understanding of music’s role in bringing people together during times of national crisis and war.

Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius

Music therapy had not yet been a formalised practice during Elgar’s time, but the therapeutic qualities of music were something Elgar might well have appreciated personally, especially considering his bouts with melancholy. To be sure, the idea that music can soothe the soul or help with emotional recovery would have strongly resonated with him.

Edward Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius (excerpt) 

“Music has the power to express the deepest emotions when worlds are insufficient.”

Elgar was known for his introspective nature, and he certainly felt that music was his most effective means of communication. That was particularly true for complex or deep emotions that he found difficult to articulate in words.

For Elgar, music had the ability to transcend the limitations of verbal language. When words fail to capture the nuances of emotion, music can step in to express what is felt but not easily said. As such, music does not simply function as surface-level communication but reaches into the depths of human experience.

Elgar also seems to acknowledge music’s universal appeal. The world of emotions is part of the human condition across cultures, and music’s ability to express these emotions can connect people universally.

Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations 

“The object of art is to give life a shape.”

According to Elgar, art reflects the human condition, capturing moments, emotions and concepts that might otherwise be fleeting or inexpressible. For Elgar, art had a higher purpose, offering a lens through which we can view our existence.

For Elgar personally, this quote reflects his own composition process, in which he turned his personal experiences, like his love for his wife Alice or his contemplation of death and afterlife, into musical expressions that shaped his life’s narrative.

While he was speaking from the perspective of a composer, Elgar’s ideas resonated across all art forms. He strongly believed in the transformative power of art, not merely mirroring life but its ability to actively shape our perception, understanding, and experience of it.

Edward Elgar: Symphony No. 1 

“Music is like a dream. One that I cannot hear.”

Later in his life, Elgar suffered from hearing loss. His hearing began to deteriorate around the time of World War I, but by the end of his life, his ability to hear was significantly impaired. His personal struggle with hearing loss reflected the irony of a composer who could no longer fully experience his own art.

Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations

As Elgar aged, his composition took on a more reflective and sometimes melancholic tone. Music, which he spent his life creating and his means of expression, was becoming inaccessible to him in its most literal sense.

Elgar often spoke of music in terms that suggested it was something one could feel or sense beyond just hearing. In that sense, it aligns with the idea of music being dreamlike or existing on a plane beyond the physical. This quote, not explicitly attributed to Elgar, tells of the joy of creation juxtaposed with the personal tragedy of losing one’s ability to hear. 

“This is what I hear all day, the trees are singing my music. Or have I sung theirs?”

Edward Elgar was born in Worcestershire and lived in and around Malvern and the Malvern Hills for many years. He was routinely seen cycling around the surrounding countryside and village lanes, and the natural landscape inspired many of his well-known compositions.

His music often evokes the pastoral, serene, and melancholic beauty of nature. But Elgar is also musing on the origin of music. Is it his own creation, or is he merely channelling something that already exists in nature?

Elgar seems to suggest that by expressing his intimate experiences with nature, his music is not just a scenic backdrop but an active participant in his creative process. There is a great sense of humility in this quote, as Elgar acknowledges the fact that his music might be part of something larger than his individual self. 

“I never thought I was a genius. I knew I was a composer.”

Despite his eventual recognition as one of England’s greatest composers, Elgar’s early career was marked by struggles for recognition. In fact, he did not gain significant acclaim until much later in life, specifically after the premiere of his “Enigma Variations” in 1899.

His ideas of genius are often associated with Romantic idealism, the idea of an artist as someone touched by divine inspiration. Elgar certainly felt that way and accepted a sense of isolation and of being misunderstood.

Despite his achievements, Elgar was known for his humility. He often felt out of place among the more formally educated musicians of his time as he learned his craft through personal study and practice rather than academic training.

Edward Elgar: Piano Quintet in A minor, Op. 84 

“It is curious to be treated by the old-fashioned people as a criminal because my thoughts and ways are beyond them.”

Elgar’s innovative musical style often clashed with the more conservative tastes of his contemporaries. He lived during a transitional period in history when music was transitioning from the Romantic era into 20th-century modernism. As his work spanned both periods, his music was somewhat of a bridge between the traditional and the new.

Elgar’s Cello Concerto manuscript

His music was often seen as both traditional in its beauty and innovative in its orchestration and harmonic language. As he was writing during a time when a significant portion of the British musical establishment preferred music that adhered strictly to classical norms, he wasn’t appreciated by those with a more conservative musical palate.

While his music was rooted in tradition, it also pushed boundaries. Elgar’s music, which was controversial in his day, is now celebrated for its originality and depth. Elgar was well aware of the fact that in the evolution of culture, what was once avant-garde can become mainstream over time.

“I have no regrets, except that my music is not better known.”

Primarily known for his orchestral works, and despite significant contributions to music, Elgar long felt that his work did not achieve the universe recognition he believed it deserved. This quote likely stems from a period when Elgar was reflecting on his career, possibly near or after his retirement from active composition.

While his music was celebrated in Britain, it did not enjoy the same level of international fame accorded to his contemporaries Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler. Elgar lived a life largely filled with personal satisfaction and acceptance; however, his deep-seated desire for broader recognition of his musical legacy did not come to pass during his lifetime.

While he initially lamented a lack of broader appreciation for his artistic vision, history has somewhat alleviated Elgar’s regret. His compositions are now seen as emblematic of English music, greatly influencing subsequent generations of composers and remaining a significant part of the classical music canon.

Elgar’s music continues to captivate audiences worldwide as an embodiment of English musical identity at a pivotal time. His music is now universally recognised as a testament of his genius, resonating through time and cementing his status as a musical icon whose impact is profound and enduring.

Buried Treasures: Felix Mendelssohn: Concerto for Piano, Violin and Strings in D Minor (1822)

by Georg Predota, Interlude

Felix Mendelssohn

When Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) died at the incredibly young age of thirty-eight, he simply had not yet made arrangements for literally hundreds of unpublished musical manuscripts and artworks, alongside thousands of personal letters to and from the composer. During his lifetime, and for a short period thereafter — with a large number of music published during a period of two years following his death — Mendelssohn was almost universally lauded musical genius. What is more, Mendelssohn was also the artistic director and chief conductor of The Gewandhaus (Garment House) in Leipzig, a venue that has long been recognized as one of the most important performing centers in Europe. Under his tutelage and leadership, the Gewandhaus Orchestra became a cultural institution. Mendelssohn not only initiated the revival of music by Bach, Handel, Haydn and Mozart, he also assured that his brand of musical historicism was disseminated throughout Europe and beyond. With the help of Richard Wagner who declared “Judaism the evil conscience of our modern civilization” in his 1850 treatise Judaism in Music, Mendelssohn and his music were quickly subjected to deliberate and systematic forms of historical revisions. And when Wagner declared Mendelssohn’s music “an icon of degenerate decadence,” publishers far and wide declined to make his manuscripts and letters public.

Of course, Wagner was not able to completely erase or dismiss Mendelssohn’s influence on Germanic arts, nor was he able to excise him from music-historical memory. This, of course, led to serious irritation within the propaganda machinery of Nazi Germany, and his name was promptly added to various lists of forbidden artists. At that time, according to Stephen Somary, founder and artistic director of the Mendelssohn Project, “a majority of Mendelssohn manuscripts — both published and unpublished — were housed in the basement of the Berlin State Library. They were smuggled to Warsaw and Krakow during the winter of 1936/37, and when the city fell under Nazi control in 1939, they were hurriedly smuggled out again and disbursed to locations wide and far between.” Following WWII, the majority of manuscripts remained buried behind the Iron Curtain. Haltingly, various unknown versions and unknown compositions were discovered and made available in one form or another.

The Gewandhaus

Initially, these efforts focused on works Mendelssohn composed before his 14th birthday, pieces that had originally been presented at private concerts at the Mendelssohn home. Among them various sonatas for viola and for violin, religious choral music, numerous piano compositions and even a fourth opera. But it also included a succession of concertos, among them a concerto for piano and string orchestra in A minor (1822) and two concertos for two pianos and full orchestra in E and A-flat, originating from 1823 and 1824, respectively.

The concerto for violin, piano and string orchestra in D minor was composed for an initial private performance with his best friend and violin teacher Eduard Rietz. On 3 July 1822, Mendelssohn revised the scoring, adding timpani and winds and the premiere of this version was apparently performed on the same day. For reasons detailed above, it remained unpublished until 1960, when the Astoria Verlag in Berlin issued a miniature score, edited and arranged by Clemens Schmalstich. In 1966, Theodora Schuster-Lott and Frieder Zschoch prepared a scholarly edition for the Deutsche Verlag für Music as part of the new Mendelssohn complete edition, “which was engraved, but never published except in a reduction by Walter-Heinz Bernstein for violin and two pianos.” Finally, in 1999 the 1960 miniature score was reissued in a scholarly edition with the wind and timpani parts added. And just in case you are wondering, the A-minor Piano Concerto of 1822 had until recently been unavailable in any edition, and the Concerto for two pianos and orchestra in E major, composed as a birthday gift for his sister Fanny, had to wait until 2003 before audiences could get a listen to the original version.

And just in case you are interested in all the works and versions by Felix Mendelssohn, they are now available to the general public and performing artists, have a quick look at this link!

Heavenly Soundscapes: The Church Sonatas of Mozart

by Georg Predota, Interlude

Mozart‘s birth was nothing short of miraculous, a moment that would go on to change the world of music forever. Born on 27 January 1756 in the heart of Salzburg, Austria, he arrived into a family already steeped in musical tradition. His father, Leopold, a composer and violinist, immediately recognised his son’s prodigious talent, and before long, young Wolfgang Amadeus was dazzling everyone around him with his unparalleled musical genius. From the very start, it was clear that Mozart wasn’t just a child prodigy; he was a once-in-a-lifetime musical force destined to push the boundaries of classical music to new heights.

Portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the age of 13 in Verona, 1770

As we celebrate Mozart’s birthday on 27 January, we decided to showcase masterpieces of a very special kind. And I am talking about his church sonatas, sometimes also known as the “Epistle Sonatas.” Mozart wrote 17 of these short works, musical gems of concentration on the small form. As the composer himself said, “you need a special kind of training for this kind of composition.” 

Forgotten Gems

Don’t feel bad if you are not familiar with these charming miniatures. These works were part of the religious service at the cathedral in Salzburg, written for a very specific function. Today, they no longer have that particular function in the liturgy of the Catholic mass, and they certainly have no fixed place in the concert repertoire. The church sonatas by Mozart have led a life in the shadow; it’s high time to bring them into the light! 

Official Church Musician

Salzburg Cathedral

The church sonatas date from a time when Mozart served at the court in Salzburg in an official capacity for 10 years. Initially he was hired as an unsalaried “concert master “on 27 October 1769, but was officially on the payroll in this particular position from August 1772 to August 1777. He was then promoted to “cathedral and court organist,” with a salary of 450 guilders in January 1779. This position would be terminated by the famous “swift kick to the backside” in May 1781.

Archbishop Colloredo

Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo

Mozart had a famously turbulent relationship with his boss, Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo. Colloredo was in charge for much of the 1770s and early 1780s, but their dynamic was strained from the start. Mozart, known for his independent spirit and desire for creative freedom, was at odds with the archbishop, who was more interested in maintaining control and adhering to formalities. The tension escalated as Mozart resented the rigid, often patronising treatment he received, especially when Colloredo limited his opportunities to compose freely and perform outside Salzburg.

Liturgical Function

Mozart’s Church Sonata No. 7 in F Major, K. 224 music score excerpt

So, what was the specific liturgical function of Mozart’s church sonatas? We get the answer from a Mozart letter to Padre Martini from September 1776. Mozart wrote in Italian, “our church music is very different from that of Italy, since a mass with the whole Kyrie, the Gloria, the Credo, the Epistle Sonata, the Offertory or Motet, the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei, even the most solemn one, may not last more than a maximum of three-quarters of an hour when the Prince attends it; and yet it must be a mass with all instruments, war trumpets and timpani.”

Epistle Sonata

From Mozart’s letter, we learn about the position of the “Epistle Sonata” in the liturgy, but it’s still not straightforward. One scholar wrote the following explanatory footnote to Mozart’s letter. “While the priest reads the Epistle, the organist played softly a sonata with or without violin accompaniment.” We do know that this type of musical composition probably originated in northern Italian churches in the 17th century and subsequently made their way into Austria.

Solemn Occasion

I can’t believe that Archbishop Colloredo would have tolerated any kind of music to interrupt the reading of the Epistle. It is much more likely that these short instrumental works sounded between the reading of the Epistle and the Gospel as the priest solemnly walked from the southern part of the church to the Nave.

Musician Placement

Now that we know when the Epistle Sonatas would have been performed within the liturgy, we still don’t know where the musicians would have been placed inside the church. Presumably, the position would have been close to the various organs in the Salzburg Cathedral, and we are fortunate to have an exact account of the number and dispositions of the organs from Leopold Mozart.

Organs of the Cathedral

Salzburg Cathedral main organ

Leopold writes, “In the Archiepiscopal Cathedral, the large organ is placed at the back near the entrance of the church; nearer the front, at the choir, there are four auxiliary organs, and below, in the choir itself, there is a small choir-organ about with the singers are placed. During an elaborate service, the large organ is used only for playing the prelude; for the remainder of the service, however, one of the four auxiliary organs is constantly employed, particularly the one nearest the right side of the altar, where the solo singers and basses are stationed.”

Large Forces

Mozart’s Church Sonata No. 4 in D Major, K. 144 music score excerpt

Leopold continues, “opposite, at the left auxiliary organ, are the violinists, etc., and the two groups of trumpets and kettledrums are near the remaining auxiliary organs. The lower choir organ and violins join in at fully scored passages. The oboes and flutes are seldom heard in the Cathedral, and the horn never. All these players are able to play violins if necessary. The full number of persons connected with music, or who receive pay for musical service at the court, is ninety-nine.”

Mozart the Organist

Since every epistle sonata features the organ in one way or another, maybe we also have to look at Mozart’s relationship with that instrument. He held an immense appreciation for the organ, and in a letter to his father in 1777, he wrote, “In my eyes and ears, the organ is the king of instruments.” However, Mozart composed virtually no works for the organ, aside from a few fugues or fragments of fugues.

Mozart the Improvisor

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart © media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com

However, when it came to playing the organ, Mozart was an undisputed master. The composer Carl Czerny reported that Mozart was able to play the organ with great virtuosity and could improvise intricate music on the spot. That impression is confirmed by Johann Friedrich Doles, Kantor of St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. After hearing Mozart improvise, he wrote, “I was enchanted by his playing and thought that my teacher, old Sebastian Bach, had been reborn.”

The 17 Church Sonatas

Mozart composed a total of 17 Church Sonatas during his tenure at Salzburg Cathedral. They correspond, as Martin Haselböck has observed, with the seventeen instrumental masses composed by Mozart. Scored predominantly for strings and organ, which function either as a solo instrument or as continuo, these works display Mozart’s genius for melody, form, and instrumentation. The first three sonatas, K. 67-69 were possibly written when Mozart was only about eleven years old.

Early Efforts

The actual date of Mozart’s earliest church sonatas is uncertain, but together with K. 144 and 145, they were probably written in the first year of Mozart’s appointment at the cathedral. As you can tell, they are really very short and probably exactly what the Archbishop wanted. As a general observation, the 17 Sonatas are written in 7 keys. Although they are all in major, Mozart does include some striking modulations into the minor key. In Mozart’s hand, as we well know, two bars of minor harmonies can say more than an entire symphony elsewhere.

Central Group

The sonatas in the group ranging from K. 212 to K. 278 originate between 1775 and 1777 and were written for the same ensemble as the first five, for two violins, cello, organ, and bass. There are only two exceptions, K. 263 added a pair of trumpets, and K. 278 featured trumpets, timpani, and a pair of oboes as it was a festive piece written for Easter Sunday in 1777.

Delicious Variety

Let us briefly look at two specific examples, first the sonata K. 244, dating from April 1776. Delicately structured and emphasising a light musical texture, this Sonata opens with a stately and invigorating yet charming musical theme. Independently contributing to the musical discourse, the organ plays a separate concertante part, clearly audible in the slightly subdued thematic contrast.

Composed in 1777, the sonata K. 274 begins with a sprightly unison passage that quickly gives way to an energetic theme. A subtle modulation gradually directs the music towards a delicate dialogue between the instruments before the opening section is repeated.

Final Efforts

The last three church sonatas, K. 328, 329, and 336, have a much more important organ part. Since Mozart would have been playing the organ, he made sure that he would have something interesting to do. K. 328 immediately displays a festive character, one that is not necessarily bound to its sacred function. Operatic in character and symphonic in its overall formal and musical structure, the independent organ part once more enriches the musical texture and provides colourful timbral contrasts.

In fact, K. 336 follows the character and convention of an instrumental concerto. Introduced in the strings, the thematic material is immediately taken over by the organ and thoroughly embellished. This miniature concerto even includes a dedicated cadenza, in which the organist performs an elaborate and virtuosic improvisation.

Stylistically, the works written during the course of one decade mirror the rapid development of Mozart the composer. While the spirit of the Italian opera pervades the early compositions, “the polyphonic structure is increasingly interrupted in favour of a symphonic development.” The great movements “correspond to the symphonic and concertante pieces written around the same time in both their construction and thematic work.”

As Gerald Larner writes, “Mozart gradually asserted his authority from K. 224 onwards, enriching both the texture and the construction, adding harmonic and colour interest, and finally achieved mastery of a peculiar Salzburg form by expanding its limitation.” I am pretty sure that Mozart managed to irritate the impatient Archbishop! While these sonatas are not as widely known as some of Mozart’s other works, they are certainly impressive in their depth and spiritual expressiveness. Happy Birthday!

Giacomo Puccini

by Georg Predota, Interlude

“Inspiration is an awakening”

Giacomo Puccini

One of the most important and influential composers in the history of opera, Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) produced works of emotional depth, melodic beauty, and rich orchestration. Bringing a new level of realism and expressiveness to the genre, Puccini’s masterworks are famous for their vivid characterisations and the ability to convey complex human emotions.

As Michele Girardi writes, “Puccini revolutionised Italian opera by mastering the orchestra and introducing bold harmonic progressions, aligning with European trends rather than traditional Italian styles. His innovative blending of lyrical vocal lines with intricate orchestral textures produced tender moments of sublime vocalism nestled within the passionate “verismo” style.” On the occasion of Puccini’s birthday on 22 December, let us explore this revolutionary composer through his music. 

Giacomo Puccini: Turandot, “Nessun Dorma” 

Early Days

Giacomo Puccini

Giacomo Puccini, born on December 22, 1858, in Lucca, Italy, was part of a prominent musical family that had held the position of maestro di cappella for over a century. His father, Michele, was a church organist and choirmaster who died when Puccini was only six, marking a significant turning point in his life. Despite early academic struggles, including a reputation for being a bit of a troublemaker, Puccini pursued music under his uncle and later at the Pacini School of Music, eventually earning a diploma in 1880.

Giacomo Puccini continued his studies at the Milan Conservatory, composing his first Mass and submitting the Capriccio Sinfonico, a work that earned him recognition, as his graduation project. His first opera, Le Villi, dates from 1884 and was the result of a collaboration with poet Ferdinando Fontana. Puccini continued to revise and expand the opera, and the final version was issued in 1889. In terms of harmonic delicacy and dramatic orchestration, it laid the foundation for his future opera career.

Giacomo Puccini: Le Villi, “Torna ai felici di”

Edgar and Beyond

Giacomo Puccini’s Edgar

Based on a poem by Alfred de Musset, Puccini’s next opera Edgar premiered at La Scala in 1889. Lacking dramatic cohesion and despite a number of revisions, the work was poorly received and ultimately was Puccini’s only true failure. However, Puccini clearly learned his lesson and Manon Lescaut of 1893 became a great success. The libretto underwent a rather complicated development until librettist Luigi Illica strengthened the score and improved the drama.

A scholar writes, “drawing from Wagner’s idea of the leitmotif and combining it with the Italian dramma in musica, Puccini advanced the integration of music and drama.” In other words, Puccini uses recurring themes to represent the emotions and destinies of his characters, as Manon’s theme is repeated throughout the opera, symbolising the heroin’s fate and relationship with her lover. According to scholars, “Puccini’s skilful use of symphonic structures and thematic relationships in Manon Lescaut pushed the boundaries of the operatic genre.”

Giacomo Puccini: Manon Lescaut, “Sola perduta abbandonata”

Realism and La Bohème

Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème

La Bohème is based on Henri Murger’s Scènes de la vie de Bohème, a collection of loosely related stories all set in the Latin Quarters of Paris. Puccini collaborated with librettists Illica and Giacosa to create a seamless integration of text and music. In fact, a good many people consider it Puccini’s finest libretto. La Bohème, premiered in 1896, stands out for its blend of realism and poetry. Puccini moved beyond traditional operatic forms by using continuous music to reflect everyday life.

Puccini uses lyrical melodies, varied orchestration, and recurring motifs to deepen emotional and narrative impact. The opera’s realism is highlighted in the second scene with dynamic and fast-paced action as cinematic events bring the environment to life. A scholar writes, “a cyclical structure elevates the personal tragedy to a universal level, leaving the sorrow fixed in the timeless realm of art.” In Bohème, Puccini was able to achieve that perfect balance of realism and romanticism, of comedy and pathos, which makes it one of the most satisfying works in the operatic repertory.

Giacomo Puccini: La Bohème, “Quando m’en vo” 

Realism and Tosca

Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca poster

In Tosca, Puccini focused on personal conflicts rather than social status. The story pits the passionate opera singer Floria Tosca and the painter Mario Cavaradossi against the heinous chief of police, Baron Scarpia. The opera explores the fleeting nature of Tosca and Cavaradossi’s love against a backdrop of political and religious conflict. The operatic realism is grounded in historical details and in the choice of three famous Roman locations.

Tosca is the most Wagnerian of Puccini’s operas. It musically relies on a web of musical leitmotivs, providing glimpses of a character’s thoughts and emotional state. Puccini’s musical language, featuring diatonic melodies and successions of unrelated chords, perfectly complements the theatrical and dramatic aspects of the work, and his blending of dramatic realism with modern operatic technique “marked his entry into the 20th century.”

Giacomo Puccini: Tosca, “Vissi d’arte” 

The Exotic

Giacomo Puccini’s Madame Butterfly

Puccini saw the one-act play Madame Butterfly, written and produced by the American playwright David Belasco in London in 1900. Drawn to the emotional depth of the story, Puccini crafted a powerful exploration of love, delusion, and tragedy. In terms of music, Puccini was striving for a sense of Japanese authenticity, engaging in exhaustive research to find, or at least approximate that sense of musical identity.

In all, Puccini revised his Butterfly for a grand total of five times, with the 1907 version considered to be his final say. In Butterfly, Puccini found a wonderful balance between the sentimental and the overwhelming, as moments of great delicacy alternate with emotional outbursts. The conflict is both personal and cultural, and through his unforgettable melodies, not to mention his sophisticated style of orchestration that cleverly aligns specific instrumental groups and orchestral timbres to match distinct dramatic moments, Puccini’s timeless creation will continue to resonate on a variety of psychological and cognitive levels.

Giacomo Puccini: Madama Butterfly, “Vogliatemi bene” 

Evolution

Giacomo Puccini’s La fanciulla del West poster

Puccini called his opera La fanciulla del West (The Girl of the West) his “greatest work.” The work had been seven years in the making and originated during a period of severe family strife. As his long-time collaborator Luigi Illica had died in 1906, Puccini struggled to find a replacement. Puccini was also looking for new directions as he had grown disillusioned with conventional opera genres. A scholar writes, “La fanciulla departs from his earlier operas’ reliance on strict realism and instead delves into more symbolic, emotional expression.”

The opera’s dramatic complexity, innovative use of orchestration, and its departure from rigid realism show a composer at the height of his powers, experimenting with new ways to connect with modern audiences. Clearly, he was not able to please everyone as a good many commentators suggested that Puccini’s music represented a debasement and cheapening of pure Italian values. And his considerable fame abroad was seen as proof that the composer had “wilfully sacrificed national character for cheap commercial exploitation.”

Giacomo Puccini: La fanciulla del West, “Ch’ella mi creda libero e lontano” 

Unity

Giacomo Puccini’s Il Trittico recording cover

After the success of La fanciulla and La Rondine, Puccini eagerly explored this convergence of theatre and music. He began work on a one-act opera in 1913, however, he ended up with a collection of three one-act operas entitled Il Trittico. Comprising Il Tabarro (The Cloak), Suor Angelica (Sister Angelica), and Gianni Schicchi, Puccini attempted to draw together three different operatic genres, the dramatic, sentimental and comic, respectively, in a single project.

In Il trittico, Puccini shows himself to be the undisputed master of musical-dramatic continuity. This continuity becomes apparent within both the constraints of each singular one-act opera, as well as spanning a whole evening of operatic entertainment. This fascinating exploration of contrasting genres continues to be “one of the most innovative and complex works in the operatic canon.”

Giacomo Puccini: Gianni Schicchi, “O mio babbino caro” 

Final Effort

Poster of Turandot‘s performance

Puccini began working on his opera Turandot in the winter of 1919/20, urging his librettists Adami and Simoni to supply him with an Italian translation of Schiller’s adaptation of Carlo Gozzi’s play. Depicting distant lands and customs was a centuries-old musical tradition and Puccini demanded to “find a Chinese element to enrich the drama and relieve the artificiality of it, and to make use of Chinese syllables to give it a Chinese flavour.”

Puccini, once again, looked for a sense of authenticity in this musical characterisation. He visited a former diplomat in China, who owned a music box of genuine Chinese tunes. Three melodies from this music box ultimately found their way into the operatic score. Puccini left his last and most ambitious project unfinished, and Turandot has been described as “the last great Italian opera.”

However, much of the work is not Italian, as it draws on other cultures. Yet, it is in no way authentically Chinese either. A scholar writes, “it is a Western projection of the East, rife with contradictions, distortions, and racial stereotypes, and yet is also one of the most exhilarating and impressive works ever to take the operatic stage.”