Скачать или смотреть Lyapunov Op.23, Valse Impromptu No.1 in D Major

Lyapunov is one of my favourite composers outside of the 'central canon' of classical music; there's something very intriguing and charming about his work.

This Waltz-Impromptu took me a little while to warm up to initially, since it doesn't really have a 'big melody' as its primary theme, instead opting for a more gestural theme that is recognised by its contour and rhythm, which has both hands 'breathing' together at the midpoint of each phrase causing an interesting moment of silence.

The introduction (0:00) borrows the contour/rhythm of the main theme, beginning it with Bb, then Ab, then G in the bass. We find our footing at 0:12 as the A section begins with F# in the bass, a subtle continuation of the descending sequence in the intro.

The A2 section (0:24) demonstrates Lyapunov's ability to spin out a gorgeous melody. The first statement is in B minor (with a lovely, brief use of a pedal note B) and the second statement at 0:30 is in the exact same pitch but reharmonised into major.
This secondary theme reappears at 0:53, where we have a pedal note D tying us to the tonic.

The transitional material at 1:12 introduces the rhythm of the upcoming B section, where the melody leads into every second beat, causing a kind of hemiola-like effect within the 3/4 time signature. The melody here is pleasant although not as cutting and memorable as the A2 theme in my opinion.
At 1:46, the drama increases with a little elaboration that jumps the melodies between the hands to create a kind of 'machine gun' effect. The splitting of a melody between the hands is a pretty classic trick of Lyapunov's (and also used by some contemporaries like Balakirev), and in some more difficult/intense pieces than this, contributes to some of my favourite climaxes in piano writing. The use of this writing trick here is fairly brief and restrained, though.

We return back to the A section at 2:10, which mostly proceeds fairly similarly as before, with a different modulation in and out of the A2 theme to put it into F# minor.

At 2:51, we get lifted into a sparkling coda where the B theme is laid out in the key and texture of the A section. It's a pretty lovely payoff for the entire piece I think.

This recording is a little messy but I think it gets the idea of the piece across. I hope to record more of Lyapunov's works.