This disc contains three works for piano by George Rochberg: Twelve Bagatelles (1952), Three Elegiac Pieces (1947, revised 1998; 1945, revised 1998; and 1998), and Sonata Seria (1948, revised mid-1950s, revised and published 1998). This recording, made at Spaulding Auditorium on the campus of Dartmouth College in 1998 and 2001, was first released on the Gasparo label (GSCD-354) in 2002. The tone and sound of the disc are excellent and reflect the highest level of recording quality.

This recording is the ninth compact disc of music by George Rochberg (1918–2005) released in the Naxos American Classics Series. The second of four volumes of Rochberg piano works, this disc features some of his earliest works for the instrument. With the exception of the Twelve Bagatelles, these pieces remained unknown and unpublished during most of the composer's prolific career.

The CD package includes a three-page set of original notes by the recording's pianist, Evan Hirsch, and a curiously irrelevant twenty-four–page American Classics catalog that includes a “conversation with Gloria Coates.” Nonetheless, these Naxos recordings are noteworthy and represent the finest works by one of the country's most important twentieth-century composers.

Rochberg's Twelve Bagatelles (1952) are among his best-known and most accessible works. Extensive academic scrutiny of, and scholarship on, these short pieces exists in numerous dissertations as well as writings by Rochberg. These bagatelles are short character pieces that stand squarely in the historical continuum of such titles. Despite their wide range of subjects, ranging from “teneramente e liricamente” to “burlesca” and “drammaticamente,” each piece strictly adheres to a twelve-tone sequence. As is typically the case in his works for piano, Rochberg exploits the full capability of the instrument and calls for every imaginable dynamic indication, articulation, tempo, and color. Hirsch's performance painstakingly displays the uniqueness of each piece.Footnote ¹

The Three Elegiac Pieces and Sonata Seria, written by Rochberg in the 1940s, were revised in the mid-1950s (remaining unpublished) and later returned to their original forms before publication in 1998. Two of the three elegies were first composed as student works and bear little musical resemblance to Rochberg's later style. The first is quite tonal and Brahmsian (more of a lullaby than homage). The second could easily be mistaken for Debussy and/or a contemporary jazz artist and/or any one of numerous other twentieth-century composers. Although Rochberg utilized jazz and romantic harmonies in later pieces, he did so often as a parody or collage. Nevertheless, his propensity for writing long melodies and his dark philosophy of life are present in the work. This viewpoint dominated Rochberg's thoughts even long after his army service in World War II and the death of his son, Paul, in 1964. Thus, it is not surprising to find that these pieces were reworked and published near the end of his life, perhaps as an epitaph.

The following quotations are provided by Rochberg with the Three Elegiac Pieces:

1. I. Molto cantabile e flessibile. “Once upon a time / There was a king and queen / The queen died / And the story ended.” (source unknown)

2. II. Poco adagio. “The clock turns / and casts up the minutes of life. I breathe and deny / for now / The fate that is no end / But circular.” (Paul Rochberg)

3. III. Adagio-Grave-Sorrowing. “. . . but I am bound; Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears; Do scald like molten lead.” (King Lear, Shakespeare)

At five to nine minutes per movement and more than twenty-two minutes for the entire set, the elegies demand a mature interpretation and performance. Even in his early period, Rochberg's overtones were dark and foreboding and not “easy” listening. Still, the third movement—the final piano work composed by Rochberg (1998)—clearly reflects a more mature style than the first two, and each of these pieces could easily stand alone (in both publication and performance). Hirsch's shaping and phrasing in this recording are exceptional and demonstrate a thorough understanding of the musical language and forms employed by the composer.

The final work on the recording, Sonata Seria, is a virtuosic, contrapuntal tour de force. The second movement, “Poco andante con expression e flessibilitá,” is particularly striking and effective. The transparent use of only two complementary voices (for nearly seven minutes) is a rare technique in piano literature. The writing is exceptional and is given an exciting and masterful interpretation in this recording. The first movement, “Vigoroso,” is a traditional sonata form with basic tonal centers. In many ways, it is similar to Rochberg's later Sonata-Fantasia. Its jagged rhythms and Brahmsian textures could be said to be influenced by Arnold Schoenberg (a comparison that Rochberg always vehemently denied—he much preferred to be compared to Bartók). The final movement, “Giocoso ma non troppo,” is a three-voice fugue utilizing a minimal amount of motivic material based on a minor third. Of the three selections featured on this recording, the Sonata Seria is the most representative of Rochberg's overall style.

This CD represents a valuable study tool for anyone interested in the early compositions of George Rochberg. These works foreshadow the musical output that was to come later, especially after the death of the composer's son, Paul. Although much of the writing is from Rochberg's formative years, it is fortunate that such pieces have been published and made available. Both the performer and publisher are to be commended for their work on this project.