January-March 2019

Woldemar Bargiel's Piano Trios

The initial opportunities which led to the success and recognition Woldemar Bargiel (1828-97) enjoyed during his lifetime were in large part due to the fact that he was Clara Schumann’s half brother. Bargiel’s father Adoph was a well-known piano and voice teacher while his mother Mariane had been unhappily married to Clara’s father, Friedrich Wieck. Clara was nine years older than Woldemar. Throughout their lives, they enjoyed a warm relationship. Bargiel received his first lessons at home and later with the well-known Berlin teacher of music theory, Siegfried Dehn. Thanks to Clara, Bargiel was introduced to both Robert Schumann and Felix Mendelssohn. Upon the suggestion of the former and the recommendation of the latter, Bargiel at age 16 went to study at the famous Leipzig Conservatory with two of the leading men of music: Ignaz Moscheles (piano) and Niels Gade (composition). After leaving Leipzig in 1850, he returned to Berlin where he tried to make ends meet by giving private lessons. Eventually, Clara and Robert were able to arrange for the publication of some of his early works, including his First Piano Trio. Subsequently, Bargiel held positions at the conservatories in Cologne and Rotterdam before accepting a position at the prestigious Hochschule fur Musik in Berlin where he taught for the rest of his life. Among his many students were Paul Juon and Leopold Godowsky. Besides teaching and composing, Bargiel served with Brahms as co-editor of the complete editions of Schumann’s and Chopin’s works. While Bargiel did not write a lot of music, most of what he composed was well thought out and shows solid musical craftsmanship. His chamber music—he wrote four string quartets, a string octet and three piano trios—represents an important part of his output.

Bargiel’s Piano Trio No.1 in F Major, Op.6 dates from 1851 and was begun just after he left Leipzig. Schumann gave him help in the way of suggestions and criticism. In gratitude, Bargiel dedicated the Trio to him. It met with immediate success upon its publication in 1855 and became one of Bargiel’s best known works. It begins with a lovely, pensive Adagio introduction. No sooner is this concluded than we hear the triumphial march-like theme from the main movement, Allegro energico (our soundbite begins with the march). The second movement, Andante sostenuto, begins with two extraordinarily lovely themes. In the middle section, there are two dramatic episodes, which briefly disturb an almost other-worldly calm. The third movement is a Scherzo-presto. The rhythm of the syncopated main theme bears some resemblance to the scherzo from Beethoven’s Symphony No.9. It is Halloween music, a dance of ghosts or goblins. The finale, Allegro con fuoco, is based on a massive fugue. The opening theme is stated first by the piano with the cello entering next and then the violin. What makes this fugue particularly interesting is the fact that it is a breathtaking moto perpetuo. In 1861, the prestigious music journal Neue Zeitschrift für Musik wrote, “This trio (Op.6) belongs to the most important works of the post-Schumann era in the field of chamber music.” This outstanding work deserves to be heard and played in concert and will also be enjoyed by amateurs.

In the 1861 review of Bargiel's Piano Trio No.2 in E flat Major, Op.20 in the prestigious Neue Zeitschrift für Musik the author stated, "Since Robert Schumann's piano trios, Bargiel's Op.20 is, in my opinion, the most important such work known to me from this period and I know practically all the trios by Volkmann, Rubinstein, Berwald and Reinecke and so on up to X, Y and Z." Strong praise indeed from the mid-19th century high oracle of German Music. Bargiel’s Piano Trio No.2 consists of four movements. The big first movement, Allegro moderato, begins with a leisurely theme of heroic tones. The second theme, introduced by the piano is darker. The quiet and reflective theme of the following Andante takes its time, like a flower in the sun, unfolding the leaves of its melody. When restated in dramatic fashion, it assumes the guise of a dignified march. A ghostly Scherzo, molto allegro, comes next. Heavily syncopated, it brings forth a spooky atmosphere. Bargiel begins the finale with a long Andante poco adagio introduction which builds suspense and leads to the impression of something unhappy impending. However, the main part of the movement, Allegro, is both joyous and affirming. It, too, has a heroic quality.

Bargiel’s Piano Trio No.3 in B flat Major, Op.37 dates from 1870. The opening movement,  Allegro moderato con grazia, begins with a sweet, little dance-like tune. The strings play it with for a bit before the piano enters restating it in a more authoritative framework. The development, a series of scale passages, leads to the highly lyrical second theme. The lovely main theme to the second movement, Andante molto sostenuto, sounds like it was based on a folk melody. It proceeds peacefully, almost dreamily. The second theme has a Schubertian quality and leads to a powerful and dramatic and powerful middle section.  The Scherzo, allegro which follows begins abruptly with a series of powerful chords and in fact the main theme has a muscular Brahmsian thrusting quality, while the finely contrasting second theme strikes a sad, pleading note. The trio provides further contrast with a distant, other worldly feel. The finale, Allegro moderato, begins with the cello introducing a highly romantic melody, which the violin and then the piano further develop in turns. The development involves a highly accented rhythmic episode. This in turn leads to the heroic-sounding second theme.

You can hear soundbites to all three piano trios by clicking on the links above. And all are available from Edition Silvertrust.