8 Morceaux caractèristiques (8 Characteristic Pieces), Op. 36

Composer: MOSZKOWSKI, Moritz
  • 8 Morceaux caractèristiques consists of eight pieces for solo piano:
    1. Pièce rococo – dedicated to Madame Bertha Moszkowski, the wife of the composer’s brother, Alexander.
    2. Rêverie – dedicated to composer and pianist Arthur de Greef
    3. Expansion – dedicated to Giuseppe Buonamici
    4. En automne – dedicated to Józef Wieniawski
    5. Air de ballet – dedicated to Wilhelm Goldner
    6. Étincelles (Sparks) – dedicated to Max Schwarz 
    7. Valse sentimentale – dedicated to Francesco Berger 
    8. Pièce rustique – dedicated to Alexander Lambert
  • Published in 18861
  • The crowd-pleasing “Étincelles” is by far the most popular piece from the collection and evokes Domenico Scarlatti in its virtuosic Baroque stylistic character.2
    • Fun fact – “Étincelles” was a frequently-heard work on Vladimir Horowitz‘s concert programs.

Sources

  1. “8 Morceaux caractéristiques, Op.36 (Moszkowski, Moritz),” IMSLP, accessed March 23, 2023, https://imslp.org/wiki/8_Morceaux_caract%C3%A9ristiques%2C_Op.36_(Moszkowski%2C_Moritz).
  2. Bryce Morrison, Notes in accompanying booklet, Stephen Hough’s New Piano Album performed by Stephen Hough, Hyperion 67043, 1999, compact disc.

Cut IDs

11523 25150