Sacher-torte Valse - (2017)   

for piano duo

in memoriam Franz Sacher

 

Sacher-torte is a specific type of chocolate cake, or torte, invented by Austrian Franz Sacher in 1832 for Prince Wenzel von Metternich in Vienna, and among the most famous of Viennese culinary specialties.

 

 

Franz Sacher

 

The weekend passes as I composed this, and my bride baked a chocolate cake for a friend's birthday party. The conversation turned to Franz Sacher and the another Sacher -- Paul Sacher -- whose musical life included becoming a supporter and patron of many twentieth century composers. For Paul Sacher's seventieth birthday, cellist Mstislav Rostropovich sought out twelve to compose cello pieces on a musical cryptogram known as eSACHERe. This hexachord spells a family name which is common to many, in the same way that many generations of the Bach family served as musicians, making the name synonymous with such. Even so B-A-C-H is mostly usually reserved to mean Johann Sebastian Bach. The institute which carries Paul Sacher's name carries on a family name, but so does this wonderful and now traditional chocolate cake after the recipe of Franz Sacher and its hotel namesake in Vienna.

 

Combining this cipher intended for Paul Sacher with thoughts of Franz Sacher, a piano duo came to mind mixing such ingredients into a musical confection thinking of that pictured below, with rich polytonal flavors and coloring.

 

 

 

14 pages, circa 6' 45" - an MP3 demo is here: 

 

The score is available as a free PDF download, though any major commercial performance or recording of the work is prohibited without prior arrangement with the composer. Click on the graphic below for this piano score.

 

Sacher-torte Valse