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Camille Saint-Saëns’ musical with to include the species „Pianist“ in the menagerie of his „CARNAVAL DES ANIMAUX“ and to personify them in finger exercises, is reflected, intensified and reaches a peak in the arrangement the „PIANISTS’ COCKTAIL“. The finger exercises provide only the frame for a medley in the form of a piano lesson in time lapse (super speed) technology. It is completely unnecessary to discuss the seriousness of his intention. Parallel to the entertaining aspects, this work offers the rare opportunity of uniting talented young musicians in a group capable of performing in public, which was up until now only possible in an orchestra or in a choir.
Directions for the performance:
The participating musicians (max. 68) should be grouped in a horseshoe round both of the grand pianos. In this acrobatic „musical collage“, with more than 50 excerpts and about 100 variations, pianists of all ages and abilities are given the opportunity to take part in a short but glittering performance. Certainly, the „Cocktail“ requires a rigid and well organised practice schedule. The time factor must be carefully considered by the casting of the individual roles. Especially in conjunction with the Allegro passages (T.36-166, T.171-281, T.294-332, T.349 -510), in which single elements are often joined together to form one heterogeneous passage, a clear and competent assessment of the musical ability is necessary to avoid disappointment and unpleasant surprises .The retention of a „perpetuum-mobile“ character is vital for the impact of this 15 minute long piece, in which the slightly quicker passages take over a connecting function. At this point a short explanation of the musical sequences is included in the „Cocktail“.
The everyday piano drudgery is interrupted by Gounod’s „Ave Maria“ melody to Bach’s Prelude in C-major, pianists glide through snatches of Schumann and Mendelssohn into a dream world and eventually land again in a beginner’s forgotten piano lesson to be rudely awakened by the thundering sound of Beethoven’s „Schicksalsmotiv“ which demands our attention. Purring classical music gradually swells itself up into a pompous march mounting steadily, until via an excursions in the folklore, the hearer is transported into a state of heady intoxication. Debussy’s „Clair de lune“ allows a moment of calm to dream. The „Cocktail“ now resumes with a piece, introducing Beethoven as the forerunner of the rock music, followed by a monumental crash with the Adagio from Bach’s famous organ toccata in D-minor. Finally, a brilliant toccata masterpiece out of the baroque collection, a mighty bound over the centuries with a colourful mixture of variations from every period, crowned by Tschaikowsky’s piano concert in B-flat-minor, another short, lingering moment and then the temperamental finale with Milhaud’s „Brazileira“ before the third exercises of the pianists rouse us out of our piano revelry.
The musical variations can generally be learned from the original scores. The transcriptions and connective passages are to be found in the „Aufführungsmaterial“ (HB 61110). The material is suitable for cutting out, if required. Parts for four hands, as included in the „Aufführungsmaterial“ should be played by confident youngsters, whereas it is advisable that teachers take over the more difficult secondo part. The enclosed casting planner acts as an aid for organising the rehearsing. In the practice, the performances have proved to be entertaining, invigorating, impressive and extremely valuable from the educational point of view. The „Pianists’ Cocktail“ is also suitable for the performance as a solitaire element. For this purpose alternative suggestions for the introduction and the coda can be found in the appendix.
(English Translation by Maureen Göbel)
Februar 1999 Dr. Maximilian Hofbauer
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