Music for the Dance No. 2

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Music for the Dance No. 2
Composition for piano by Leonard Bernstein
ComposedJune 14, 1938
PerformedJune 12, 1938 - Brookline, Massachusetts
Published2010 - New York
PublisherAmberson Holdings
Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Company
Boosey & Hawkes
RecordedAlexander Dossin (2014)
Duration4 to 5 minutes
Movements3
ScoringSolo piano

Music for the Dance No. 2 [lower-alpha 1] is a composition for piano by American composer Leonard Bernstein. It was finished in 1938.

Contents

Background

Music for the Dance No. 2 is most notable for being one of the first Bernstein pieces to be performed in public by the composer, together with his Non troppo presto . It was finished in 1938. The date of completion is a source of controversy, since it was first performed by Leonard Bernstein at the studio of Heinrich Gebhard, in Brookline, Massachusetts on June 12, 1938. [1] However, the inscription at the end of the original manuscript reads June 14, 1938, which probably means that the composer revised the piece after performing it. The piece was dedicated to "Mildred on her 22nd birthday in friendliest affection" and was first performed on his birthday. In this case, the name "Mildred" refers to Mildred Spiegel Zucker, a music teacher and childhood friend of Bernstein, with whom Bernstein had a lifelong friendship and shared a fair amount of correspondence. [2] [3] It was initially edited in 1938 by Amberson Holdings but remained unpublished for many decades. The manuscript was left in the Leonard Bernstein Archive at the Library of Congress until the Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Company and Boosey & Hawkes released it in 2010. [1]

Structure

This composition is scored for solo piano and has an approximate duration of four to five minutes. It consists of three short untitled movements, the most commonly used title of which is taken from the tempo marking at the beginning of each movement. [1] The movement list is as follows: [1]

Structure of Music for the Dance No. II
Movement No.Tempo markingBarsTime signature
IModerato366
8 [lower-alpha 2]
IIWaltz time423
4 [lower-alpha 3]
IIIAllegro non troppo, with force55 [lower-alpha 4] 3
4 (6
8) [lower-alpha 5]

Recordings

Given the fact that Music for the Dance No. 2 was published relatively recently, recordings are not very well known and are typically released within cycles of complete music for piano by Bernstein. Here is a list of recordings of this composition:

Notes

  1. ↑ Some editions and recordings also use alternative spellings, such as Music for the Dance, No. II and Music for the Dance No. II.
  2. ↑ One bar is in 9
    8    .
  3. ↑ One bar is in 2
    4    .
  4. ↑ 63 bars with repetitions.
  5. ↑ One bar is in 7
    8    .

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Bernstein, Leonard (2010). Music for piano. [New York, NY]: Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Company. ISBN   9781423475149.
  2. ↑ "New Finding Aid: Mildred Spiegel Zucker Collection of Leonard Bernstein Correspondence and Related Materials". Library of Congress. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  3. ↑ DeWald, Frank K. "BERNSTEIN, L.: Piano Music - Anniversaries / Piano Sonata / Music for the Dance No. 2 / Non Troppo Presto (Dossin)". www.naxos.com.
  4. ↑ "BERNSTEIN, L.: Piano Music - Anniversaries / Piano Sonata / Music for the Dance No. 2 / Non Troppo Presto (Dossin) - 8.559756". www.naxos.com. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  5. ↑ "Complete Solo Piano Works of Leonard Bernstein - Steinway & Sons". www.steinway.com. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  6. ↑ "Leonard Bernstein: The Complete Music for Piano; Andrew Cooperstock, piano; BRIDGE 9485A/B". Bridge Records. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  7. ↑ "CD bernstein piano works – Katie Mahan" (in German). Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  8. ↑ "BERNSTEIN Complete Works". www.deutschegrammophon.com. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  9. ↑ "Bernstein: Complete Solo Piano Music - Brilliant Classics". www.piano-classics.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 August 2021.

See also

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