Sergei Bortkiewicz - Piano Sonata No. 1 in B Major Op. 9 (Somero)

Sergiusz Bortkiewicz - Sonata Fortepianowa H-Dur
Pianist - Jouni Somero
Published in 1909, completed as early as 1903.
0:00 - Allegro ma non troppo
9:24 - Andante mesto e molto espressivo
16:46 - Presto
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 (where he may have completed this sonata).
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 in June 1919. 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. They waited to get Austrian visas in Belgrade. 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.
This piano sonata comes before the great marathon that Bortkiewicz would run from one country to another escaping hellish persecutions. That said, it is from an earlier period from which he had already established his own voice, but it was one in which his life experience had not yet changed. Bortkiewicz's style is often seen as repeating the Romantic idiom, but he has a way of breathing new life into old ideas. His counterpoint is brilliant, his melodies are inventive and heartfelt, and his harmony is lush and surprisingly dissonant at times. Here, we see an early sonata that may remind of us of Chopin and Liszt, but it exposes Bortkiewicz's own melodic brilliance.
Allegro ma non troppo - From the first few bars, we can already notice a few things: rhythmic complexity, a few spaced out motifs, and layers appearing most noticeably on bar 5. After the introduction, we start to see more romantic era tropes e.g. octaves over arpeggios, but then the layers begin to reappear along with the motifs from the introduction. There is some real melodic exuberance that is extremely characteristic of Bortkiewicz in this movement (see 5:25 - 6:33). Beyond this, the structure of this first movement, like in most romantic sonatas, is presenting the material, finding clever ways to develop and transform it, and then re-presenting it.
Andante mesto e molto espressivo - This movement invites Chopin comparisons. The atmosphere throughout has a Chopinesque quality. The introduction sound vaguely like the Prelude in C-Minor, and one can spot various remnants of his Romantic style - (Hear what sounds like a turn at 10:46 for example). Despite this, it is consistent with all of Bortkiewicz's output (Compare this with the 10 preludes Op. 33, particularly 5-8).
Presto - The sonata comes to a close with some incredibly strong energy. Like the earlier movements, there is a clear continuity with the Romantic Era (the "Brillante" style rings true here). Looking at the page, one might guess that Liszt had written it, but the music comes to life when it is played, revealing an atmosphere totally characteristic of Bortkiewicz.
One could say that the whole sonata reveals Bortkiewicz's unique voice in spite of all that reminds us of those who have come before him.
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 (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_...)
Analysis of the movements is my own
IMSLP: imslp.org/wiki/Category:Bortk...
Pianist: www.jounisomero.com/

[@enricofante4683]

had goosebumps for all the sonata, one of the most underrated compers

[@JouniSomeroMusic]

Thank You!

[@jacobnx]

Thank you Mr. Somero :)

[@nitron7162]

This piece is so beautiful and ridiculously difficult...

[@SCRIABINIST]

It's pretty approachable if you can play Chopin's Sonatas or Schumann/Liszt Sonatas well. But again, those pieces aren't for all the piano players

[@bozzigmupp510]

@@SCRIABINIST Liszts sonata lol

[@SCRIABINIST]

@@bozzigmupp510 Yeah, I think this piece is definitely easier than the Liszt B Minor, harder than Dante though

[@EmilianoManna]

@@SCRIABINIST Dante seems to me way harder than this. Here, as in much of Bortkiewicz's music, all passagework lies well under the hands without extremes

[@ChristovanRensburg]

I read through it and it is rather easy. If you're just comparing it to some other lesser known piano sonatas it is way easier than the second one by Scharwenka or the Paderewski which are two of my favourites. It is written so as to lie very well under the hands. In fact it is almost too easy which might be part of the reason many pianists won't bother with it.

[@dawidkopp850]

Nie znałem wcześniej muzyki tego kompozytora, ale bardzo mi się spodobała. Późny romantyzm to miód na moje uszy :)

[@jacobnx]

Jeśli chodzi o póżny romantyzm, Bortkiewicz jest jednym z najlepszych. Polecam jego koncerty fortepianowe (szczególnie drugi).

[@unmusicos7326]

So beautiful

[@nicolettaguglielmo7186]

Fantastic! ❤️❤️❤️

[@pianist-moko]

Beautiful😍

[@SCRIABINIST]

I definitely can see Chopin influence but this is still very highly original

[@jacobnx]

Absolutely.

[@alanleoneldavid1787]

I see some schumann

[@damiangilz]

I see some piano

[@SCRIABINIST]

@@damiangilz I see some music

[@owengette8089]

1:20/19:26 (gotta love thematic reappearances)

[@jacobnx]

Absolutely

[@damiangilz]

So many scales, at times sounds like a virtuoso piano exercise. A beautiful piano exercise.

[@ProTheRobloxer]

third movement? the absolute best. (don’t judge me by my opinion)

[@GregEckhardt]

a true banger

[@PoeCompany]

Nice

[@sovietunion4875]

2:33 holy shit

[@hyeonjae529]

4악장 대박

[@LoveFate]

2:44

[@CatkhosruShapurrjiFurabji]

Based

[@123eldest]

A bit sloppy but the 2nd movement was played really well!

[@sucroseboy4940]

i haven't heard much of this recording yet but sumero is usually very good. although it is sad that so few others have recorded Bortkiewicz sonatas and piano concertos

[@jacobnx]

He is good, but it is hard to beat the kind of attention to detail like Zimmerman doing over 70 takes on the Liszt sonata. Somero's playing can sometimes have a rushed quality, which kind of makes sense because he records so much stuff.

[@amvmaker6798]

Start 0:05

[@Starnislav_]

Баланс между руками нулевой.....

[@nandovancreij]

yeah it botheres me quite a bit too, especially in the first movement

[@Starnislav_]

​@@nandovancreijпонимаю...постараюсь выучить эту сонату к своему концерту.

[@r.i.p.volodya]

I find this performance quite unbearable! Somero is making every note equally important, which results in nothing being important. Where are the singing melodies? Where are the inner voices? EVERYTHING is played with the exact same "clarity" - VARY the texture for sanity's sake!

[@AlessioAndres]

The Russians are the best Italians. Nothing to do about it. 🤣

[@user-wj1gz5zt2g]

Borkiewicz from Kharkiv

[@Whatismusic123]

very incoherent form

[@neo9560]

I’m starting to think you actually don’t understand composition lmao

[@Whatismusic123]

@@neo9560 my understanding is so far above yours that you cannot understand it. You lack true understanding of form in music, your shitty textbooks don't actually teach you how to compose a sonata like mozart.

[@Latinosmassacre-]

sounds childish Like many composer's first sonata

[@nitron7162]

Then make a better piece if u thing this sounds childish lol

[@Latinosmassacre-]

@@nitron7162 Sorry i mean all composer made better in their later. sorry if i offende you so f shut up!!

[@Latinosmassacre-]

@@nitron7162 You should shut up!! don't talk to me.

[@michaeledwards1172]

I'd be proud of it if it were my 10th or even later piano sonata.

[@buttersauce548]

my guy what??