March 15, 2025
Spivey Hall
Morrow, Georgia – USA
Elisabeth Brauss, piano.
J.S. BACH: Capriccio in B-flat Major, BMV 992
Stephen HOUGH: Nocturne
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN: Sonata No. 26 in E-flat Major, Op. 81a, “Les Adieux”
Robert SCHUMANN: Ghost Variations
Sergei PROKOFIEV: Sonata No. 7 in B major, Op. 83
Mark Gresham | 19 MAR 2025
Acclaimed for the maturity and sophistication of her interpretations, German pianist Elisabeth Brauss performed a thoughtfully curated program of “musical farewells” by Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, Prokofiev, and Stephen Hough at Spivey Hall on Saturday.
The program commenced with Johann Sebastian Bach’s Capriccio on the Departure of His Most Beloved Brother, BWV 992, one of the few explicitly programmatic works in Bach’s catalog. Composed around 1702–03 during Bach’s late teenage years, it is believed to have been written as a farewell tribute to his older brother, Johann Jakob Bach, who was leaving for military service in the Swedish Guard. Structured in six short movements, the Capriccio employs various musical forms to convey the stages of departure, from gathering friends trying to persuade him to stay, to their acceptance of his decision to leave and the final joyous send-off.
Brauss’ performance immediately made an impression. She brought out the work’s expressivity and playful charm. From the opening “Arioso,” imbued with nuance and fluid phrasing, to the lively “Aria di Postiglione,” Brauss avoided the mechanical rigidity that can sometimes afflict interpretations of Bach, instead offering a reading that unfolded naturally with a feeling of spontaneity.
Following that opener, Brauss inserted a piece not listed on the printed program: Stephen Hough’s Nocturne. Given its composition date—just one day before the tragic events of September 11, 2001—listeners sometimes view the piece through a retrospective lens, with listeners associating its reflective mood with the sorrow and contemplation that followed. Brauss’ sensitive handling of Hough’sl melodic and harmonic nuance evoked a sense of quiet meditation and intimacy.
Next came Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-flat Major, Op. 81a, “Les Adieux.” Composed during 1809-1810, this sonata reflects Beethoven’s feelings about the departure and anticipated return of his patron, Archduke Rudolph. The three movements—“Das Lebewohl” (“The Farewell”), “Abwesenheit” (“The Absence”), and “Das Wiedersehen” (“The Return”)—musically narrate the emotional journey associated with separation and reunion. Notably, the opening three chords symbolize the syllables “Le-be-wohl,” embedding the farewell motif into the sonata’s fabric.
Even more so than in the Bach Capriccio, Brauss gave us a very personal interpretation as she navigated the Beethoven sonata’s technical and interpretative challenges, but with moments of less clarity in a few finger-challenging passages (e.g., the right hand of measures 19 – 32 in the first movement). In “L’Absence,” she conveyed the music’s emotional depth and introspective quality well. The final movement (marked “Vivacissimamente”) burst forth with energy in its rapid, playful figurations and lively, dance-like rhythm.
After intermission, the program continued with Robert Schumann’s Ghost Variations, WoO 24. Composed during a tumultuous period in Schumann’s life, this work is imbued with an ethereal quality, reflecting his fragile mental state. The theme and its variations convey a haunting beauty, offering deep insight into Schumann’s emotional world. Brauss’ performance evoked a sense of Schumann’s melancholy and longing as if bidding farewell to a former self or a lost reality.
Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83, concluded the recital with its powerful, dissonant harmonies and stark contrasts. Composed during World War II, this sonata is the second of Prokofiev’s three “War Sonatas.” It is renowned for its dramatic intensity, rhythmic drive, and contrasting lyrical passages, encapsulating the turbulence of its time.
The opening of the first movement demanded a bold, thunderous from Brauss, while the lyrical second movement took a more introspective, contemplative approach, highlighting its quiet, somber theme. With relentless energy, the final movement showcased the pianist’s technical prowess yet also conveyed the sense of a struggle, almost as if saying farewell to the calm before the storm. The performance embodied both a farewell to the past and an uncertain look toward the future, balancing aggression and tenderness in a powerful narrative.
After receiving an appreciative ovation, Brauss returned to the stage for an encore: Schumann’s “Verrufene Stelle” (“Haunted Place”), the final movement of his Waldszenen (“Forest Scenes”), Op. 82. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Elisabeth Brauss: elisabethbrauss.com
- Spivey Hall: spiveyhall.org
Read more by Mark Gresham.
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