“Dearest Nols (the composer’s nickname) I have still got the sound of your music in my ears, my mind and my heart.”
So began, in this letter dated February 11th 1943, a warm, twenty-year long correspondence between Dame Myra Hess and Arnold van Wyk, after the performance of his First Symphony.Myra Hess always maintained an interest in the development of van Wyk as composer, elaborating on her tours in America whenever a letter reached her in New York, Chicago, or San Francisco. Van Wyk was an enormously self-critical composer, and destroyed or erased many of his works (Hess often quipping that he should rather compose in pen), and he also languished over works for years before he was satisfied with their final form. The Pastorale e Capriccio wascompleted in1955, and published the following year.The atmospheric Pastorale as well as the light-hearted Capriccio with its irregular phrasing and rhythm, serves as a fit introduction to one of South Africa’s most respected (but also most complicated) music personalities.Pieter Grobler
Classical Music | Piano Music
Arnold van Wyk
Pastorale e Capriccio Play
Recorded on 08/07/2013, uploaded on 04/01/2014
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
“Dearest Nols (the composer’s nickname) I have still got the sound of your music in my ears, my mind and my heart.”
So began, in this letter dated February 11th 1943, a warm, twenty-year long correspondence between Dame Myra Hess and Arnold van Wyk, after the performance of his First Symphony. Myra Hess always maintained an interest in the development of van Wyk as composer, elaborating on her tours in America whenever a letter reached her in New York, Chicago, or San Francisco. Van Wyk was an enormously self-critical composer, and destroyed or erased many of his works (Hess often quipping that he should rather compose in pen), and he also languished over works for years before he was satisfied with their final form. The Pastorale e Capriccio was completed in 1955, and published the following year. The atmospheric Pastorale as well as the light-hearted Capriccio with its irregular phrasing and rhythm, serves as a fit introduction to one of South Africa’s most respected (but also most complicated) music personalities. Pieter Grobler
Performances by same musician(s)
Three Novelettes for piano
Prelude and Fugue in B-flat Major, Op. 87, No. 21
Allegro de Concert, Op. 46
Classical Music for the Internet Era™
Courtesy of International Music Foundation.