Sergei Bortkiewicz - Ein Roman op 35 (Somero)

Sergiusz Bortkiewicz - Powieść dla fortepianu / A Novel for Piano
Published in 1928
Pianist - Jouni Somero
0:00 - I. Begegnung
3:53 - II. Plauderei
7:56 - III. Erwachende Liebe
13:16 - IV. Auf dem Ball
16:26 - V. Enttaeuschung
20:26 - VI. Vorwuerfe
22:25 - VII. Ein Brief
26:38 - VIII. Hoechstes Glueck
Biography
Sergei Bortkiewicz (1877-1952) was born into a Polish noble family in Kharkov which was then a part of the Russian Empire. His love for music and his talent was given to him by his mother, Sofia, who was a co-founder of the Kharkov school of music [1]. Growing up, he received a humanities education as well as a musical one, and he stopped just short of receiving a doctorate in Law to focus on music [1].
His musical education took place at home, then in St. Petersburg under Anatoly Lyadov and Karl von Arek, and finally in Leipzig under Alfred Reisenauer and Salomon Jadassohn. From 1904 to 1914, he lived in Berlin to focus on composing.
Unfortunately, life in the 20th Century would prove exceedingly complicated and perilous for Bortkiewicz. After the beginning of the First World War, Bortkiewicz was deported back to Russia, where just shortly afterwards, the Bolsheviks would seize power. Communists had occupied his family's estate at Artemovka, so they were only able to move back once the White Army had taken the territory. The respite was short, as the Bolsheviks would retake Kharkov soon after. Almost everything from the estate had been looted anyways, and his mother and sister, Vera, would soon die of Typhus.
Having very little left, Bortkiewicz did the sensible thing and escaped via Yalta to Istanbul, where he began impressing the locals and the many ambassadors at the embassies. The Yugoslav ambassador, Natalie Chaponitsch, arranged for Borkiewicz and his wife to obtain Yugoslav visas, moving to Belgrade at the first opportunity. For a while, the Bortkiewicz family considered staying permanently in Jugoslavia, but they decided against it and decided to wait to get Austrian visas instead [2].
Bortkiewicz was finally able to settle in Vienna and was given Austrian Citizenship. He lived there for five years only to move back to Germany whence he was cast out again by the Nazis, which was a disaster for his musical career. The Nazis began deleting his name from programmes, and at the outbreak of World War 2, they destroyed many of his scores. He returned to Vienna to stay, being kept afloat by his friend Hugo Von Dalen, thanks to whom, we still have most of Bortkiewicz's scores.
Bibliography:
[1] A. Kościelak-Nadolska, Życie i twórczość Sergiusza Bortkiewicza (1877-1952), cz. I - Sylwetka artysty,. „Notes Muzyczny”, nr 1 (5) 2016
The rest of the biographical info comes from Wikipedia

[@yagiz885]

1:14 gosh that harmonic evolution

[@stalkerstomper3304]

That particular passage is very reminiscent of Chopin's first prelude... the beginning and ending phrases especially. Almost all of us pianists loved and appreciated Chopin for his masterful contributions to piano literature, though as much as we loved him, we'd like to break totally new ground in the romantic style, yet his influence is inescapable.

[@Emilien-hy3sy]

This is very Scriabinesque, I love it!!!!

[@leonlinton634]

UA-cam recommendations have blessed me once again with another score channel unbeknown to me - instant subscribe!

[@JouniSomeroMusic]

Thank You!😇

[@tarikeld11]

27:31 this is the same as Scriabin's 4th Sonata, the ending

[@tarikeld11]

Wow, what a nice idea to compose a "novel" (Roman) in music! Especially Plauderei (conversation) is loveley and really captures the feelings of a couple talking. But the biography is really tragic..

[@kaleidoscopio5]

Ein Roman op 35:
00:03 1) Begegnung (Meeting)
03:53 2) Plauderei (Conversation)
07:57 3) Erwachende Liebe (Dawning love)
13:17 4) Auf dem Ball (In the Ballroom)
16:29 5) Enttäuschung (Depression)
20:26 6) Vorwürfe (Reproaches)
22:25 7) Ein Brief (A letter)
26:38 8) Höchstes Glück (Supreme happiness)

[@tarikeld11]

"Enttäuschung" is more "Disappointment"

[@SvetlioTheG]

This is incredible, Thank you endlessly for these masterpieces

[@beecolor]

Vorwuerfe= Chopin Prelude 24

[@MofosOfMetal]

Yes a clear influence! And the finale piece is clearly influenced by Scriabin's 4th Sonata.

[@draganvujovic6019]

@@MofosOfMetal you forgot Wagner and Debussy...

[@user-lj1sc9bs4t]

スクリャービンと言うよりは直のリストの影響の方が色濃いです

[@HeraclitusEphesus]

More like Schumann Op.11's intro, which is previous.

[@emilyhutjes]

So beautiful, thank you 🎹🎵🌷🌷🌷 (Netherlands)

[@davidthomson4610]

00:03 1) Begegnung (Meeting)
20:26 6) Vorwürfe (Reproaches)

[@Vincent_Xia]

16:00 The ending of No. 4 resembles the ending of Chopin's mazurka Op. 24 No. 4, especially since the grace note figuration is the same.

[@FoziCoD]

6:00

[@Alkadondon]

9:30

[@FoziCoD]

3:15

[@ilway25]

First piece sounds like Lyapunov's Tarantella (middle section)

[@user-lj1sc9bs4t]

最初の曲はリストのメフィスト・ワルツ4番(未完成)に触発されていますね

[@christianwouters6764]

To me it sounds like accompaniment to a silent roaring twenties movie.

[@wcsxwcsx]

Does anyone know if this is based on a specific novel? Is there some specific story attached to it?

[@chriscologne8490]

After Tolstoi's "Family Happiness" (Семейное счастие, tr. Seméynoye schástiye)