First appearance as a pianist in quite a while! I will contribute to a concert of Deutscher Tonkünstlerverband on the following Tuesday, 16 November, 8 pm, at Schwartzsche Villa Berlin-Steglitz. I’ll be performing two of my own piano transcriptions: Aria and Fughetta after Bach’s Drum schließ ich mich in deine Hände from BWV 229, and an abundantly ornamented version of Reger’s beautiful Nachtlied, Op. 138 No. 3. Apart from that, there will be music by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Strauss, Scriabin, and others. Meeting some amiable people would be so much of a delight!
Sonatas of the East
After having presented a paper with the catchy title The Eastern Sonata at conferences in Detmold, Bonn, and Moscow, I have now finally completed the written version (in German language) which includes further examples and references to secondary literature. For everybody interested in my discussion of Beethoven’s legacy and reception in Russia, Sergei Taneyev‘s theory of sonata form, and Nikolai Medtner‘s early piano sonatas, please refer to this source. As always, feedback and suggestions are much appreciated.
Who Owns Pseudo-Beethoven?
I am wondering if standard copyright applies to the score of the AI-generated orchestral work constructed after the drafts of Beethoven’s 10th Symphony, which was performed recently by Beethoven Orchester Bonn and Dirk Kaftan for the Beethoven 2020 anniversary. Given that it isn’t actually a human work, and that it is uncertain how significantly Walter Werzowa contributed to it, shouldn’t it be in the public domain? Maybe the Beethoven-Haus Bonn can clarify.
Board Membership at DTKV Berlin
I am happy to announce that I have been elected vice president of Deutscher Tonkünstlerverband Berlin. Looking forward to representing our members’ professional interests and to shaping the association’s future work together with my colleagues on the board, Elizabeth Franzen, Jens Domeyer, Agnes Stein von Kamienski, and Simon Borutzki, who now serves as president.
This Autumn’s Activities
There’s a tough schedule of travels and appearances ahead for the following two weeks. However challenging, I look forward to being on the move again, and to meeting friends and colleagues on the following occasions:
(a) 23 September, 8.30 pm: Online participation in the 10th European Music Analysis Conference, hosted by the Moscow Conservatory, with a paper on Beethoven, Taneyev, and Medtner. Please get in touch, should you wish to join.
(b) 24 September, 12.00 noon: 20th Symposium of the German Shostakovich Society at Berlin University of the Arts. I’ll be presenting on Shostakovich’s passacaglia movements of the 1940s.
(c) 29 September, 5.30 pm: 17th International Conference of the Gesellschaft für Musikforschung at Bonn University, discussing Beethoven, Taneyev, and Medtner again.
(d) 2 October, 3.00 pm: 21th Annual Conference of the Gesellschaft für Musiktheorie at Basel Music Academy, presentation of the website Musiktheorie Digital with three fellow panelists.