Album insights
In 1913, Leo Ornstein, a rising concert pianist of Ukrainian descent, was on the brink of a promising career. Admitted to the St. Petersburg Conservatory at age ten, he fled Russia in 1906 due to anti-Semitic violence. Settling in New York, he secured a scholarship at the Institute of Musical Art, later known as Juilliard, for comprehensive concert preparation.
Ornstein's trajectory took a unique turn when he began hearing strange, dissonant sounds and composing avant-garde pieces. Initially puzzled by his new musical direction, he quickly gained recognition as a modern music sensation. Critics hailed him as a musical force surpassing even Stravinsky and Schoenberg.
By the 1920s, Ornstein underwent a drastic transformation in both personal life and artistic style, veering away from extreme dissonance and the concert stage. Fearing the chaos in his compositions, he transitioned to a more expressive, lyrical approach rooted in 20th-century harmonics. His work, like the Second Violin Sonata, revealed a profound shift towards a more melodic-poetic aesthetic.
Crafted during the late 1920s, works like the Piano Quintet and String Quartet No. 2 marked this new phase in Ornstein’s career. Through intuitive composition, he maintained a deeply personal and poignant style characterized by abrupt shifts and haunting melodies. Despite initial complexities, the works resonated with audiences for their emotional depth.
Ornstein's Piano Quintet led with a vigorous Allegro barbaro, transitioning into a melancholic Andante lamentoso and ending with an animated Allegro agitato. His virtuosic piano skills were showcased alongside chromatic harmonies and rhythmic diversity, revealing the composer's profound musical language.
Little is known about the genesis of Ornstein's String Quartet No. 2, possibly completed in 1928. Unlike his quintet, this work displayed a more contrapuntal approach, hinting at fugue-like elements without fully engaging in strict counterpoint. The Quartet, with its poignant Cello solo and vibrant third movement, stood as a testament to Ornstein’s versatility and innovation.
After a 40-year hiatus following the quartet, Ornstein made a late return to composition in the 1970s, culminating in his final major work, the Eighth Piano Sonata, at the age of 98. His legacy as a visionary composer endured until his death in 2002 at 108 years old.