Bortkiewicz - Nocturne Op.24 No.1 (Diana) (with On-Screen Commentaries)

Work: Nocturne Op.24 No.1 (Diana) by Sergei Bortkiewicz
Performed by: PianoExplained
Instrument: Yamaha P125 Digital Piano

Sergei Eduardovich Bortkiewicz (1877 - 1952) was a composer of Polish ancestry born in Kharkiv of the Russian Empire (now Ukraine) in the Romantic era, who became a naturalized Austrian citizen. Despite enjoying much success early in his career, the untimely World War I and World War II caused Bortkiewicz to fall into deep poverty from which he never truly recovered. Some of his works in manuscript form were also destroyed in air raids and bombings.

In terms of musical style, taught by Lyadov and two pupils of Liszt, Bortkiewicz's compositions received much influence from Liszt, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff. His works are often described as imaginative, emotive, colourful, detailed, and sensitive, but stayed within the established boundaries without adding too many innovations or original touches. He passionately opposed the modernization movement and firmly established himself as a Romantic composer. Bortkiewicz uses relatively rudimentary harmony and structures to craft beautiful and resonant music, which appeals to audience members who like Romantic music in general.

Nocturne Op.24 No.1 (Diana) is a gem left behind by the cruel strokes of time. Ambitiously starting with a B-natural and A-natural (both enharmonic) in a piece that is in Eb Major, the music is immediately tragic. Contrary motions are skillfully used to build up and release tension. The harmony used is generally quite basic, but the gentle flow and meticulous attention Bortkiewicz paid to each note, each chord, and each phrase make the entire piece very pleasant to listen and very easy for the audience to sink in. The two small climaxes in the piece are both emotionally intense and delicate: the triplets are resounding and melancholic, and the gradual release in tension evokes nostalgia. The piece also moves seamlessly from one section to another - it is one of those pieces that just ends so naturally that one will probably miss it the first time they listen.

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