George Bridgetower (British Museum) is profiled at AfriClassical.com, with a biography and Works list compiled by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma, http://www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com
Review: Chamber Music International Concert 5 | Chamber Music International | Caruth Auditorium - Dallas
Completely Comprehensible
by John Norine Jr.published Sunday, April 1, 2012
Dallas
— The original dedication of Beethoven's Sonata No. 9 in A Major
was meant for the violinist who premiered the work: George
Bridgetower, an Afro-Polish virtuoso who lived most of his life in
England. However, the two had a falling out after the first
performance, and Beethoven (as he is known to do; see the Third
Symphony) removed the original dedication from the work and
rededicated it to Rodolphe Kreutzer, a French violinist who was
considered one of the top performers of his time. Ironically,
Kreutzer never performed the work (or, according to records, any
Beethoven sonata), labeling it "incomprehensible." So, what
happens in the annals of music history? The work is named for
Kreutzer—despite any logical reason.
The
work is unusual for the practices of the time. When performed as
notated, it lasts over 40 minutes and explores the entire range of
the instrument, challenging the violinist. Additionally, the pianist
has a greatly expanded role, often taking equal prominence to the
solo violin line. The two instrumentalists must be in sync for the
work to ride above Kreutzer's charge of incomprehensibility.
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