Conservatorium of Music
Thursday Concert Class
Thursday Concert Class
| Rusalka | Alexander Dargomyzhsky (1813 - 1869) |
| Hark! There are trumpets sounding (recitative) & Days of love and fond affection (aria) | |
| Anna Plotka, Mezzo-soprano | |
| Rhodri Clarke, piano | |
| The unhappy princess laments that her prince no longer loves her. The prince is haunted by his first love, Rusalka, who drowned herself when he married the princess and who is now a mermaid. Dargomyzhsky introduced dramatic accompanied recitative to Russian opera; the use of changing melodic fragments in recitative had not previously been seen in Russian opera. | |
| Eugene Onegin, Op. 24 | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893) |
| Ah Tanja, Tanja! (aria) | |
| Anna Plotka, Mezzo-soprano | |
| Rhodri Clarke, piano | |
| Tanja's younger sister, Olga, sings a joyful song to try and cheer her up after the peasants come and sing a song which makes Tanja dreamy and sad. She sings "Oh Tanja, Tanja! You're always dreaming. But I, unlike you, I am happy when I hear the singing! "How the white hazel tree stands over the little bridge!" I am not capable of languid sadness, I don't like to dream in silence, or on a balcony in the dark night to sigh from the depth of my soul. Why sigh, when the days of my youth flow happily? I am carefree and mischievous and everyone calls me a child. To me life will always be sweet, and I shall always remain like a flighty dream!" | |
| BASTA | Folke Rabe (1935 - ) |
| Stuart McKee, Tenor Trombone | |
| Swedish born composer Folke Rabe wrote this piece for virtuosic Trombonist, Christian Lindberg. With the title literally translating to, ENOUGH, this short work illustrates a messenger who quickly delivers their message - BASTA - and rushes away. The title itself, illustrates a feeling of stress and haste, where the composer constantly fragments and juggles melodies around, creating an overwhelming sense of interruption within the soloist's part. | |
| Nacht und Träume | Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828) |
| Miranda Orford, Voice | |
| Rhodri Clarke, piano | |
| This piece, Nacht und Träume, ('Night and dream') was composed by Schubert as a meditation on the ideas of night, sleep and dreams. The piano plays broken chords 'sehr langsam' ('very slowly') in oder to reinforce this meditative state. | |
| Von ewige Liebe | Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897) |
| Miranda Orford, Voice | |
| Rhodri Clarke, piano | |
| This work by Brahms tells a story of a young man and his lover. The song title translates to mean 'love is forever.' He says to his lover that if she is ever disgraced then their love shall end, however she says to him, "Unsere Liebe sie trennet sich nicht!" ('Our love shall never end!') The piece refers to imagery of 'steel' and 'iron,' as these metals, despite their strength, they believe to still be moulded and bent. However, the lovers believe that their love is far beyond the strength of these and thus it is everlasting. | |
| Fantasie Brillante on Themes from Bizet’s “Carmen” | Francois Borne (1840 - 1920) |
| Lina Park, flute | |
| Rhodri Clarke, piano | |
| One of the most brilliant of these was composed by the obscure French composer (it is his only known work) Francois Borne. The technique required of the flutist is such that Borne himself may have been a flute virtuoso who wrote the piece to show off his own skills. Like many other composers, Borne was obviously enchanted by Bizet's Carmen and composed a virtuosic set of variations for flute based on familiar tunes (Habanera, Chanson bohéme and the Toreador march) from this most popular of French operas. | |
| Grande Etudes de Paganini, No. 1 | Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886) |
| Joshua Hooke, Piano | |
| The first from the Grande Etudes de Paganini, features many scales, arpeggios, and tremolos to showcase the colors of the various performance techniques. For all its obvious virtuosic demands, the piece does have thematic charm. | |
| Polonaise-Fantasie, Op. 61 | Frederic Chopin (1810 - 1849) |
| Joshua Hooke, Piano | |
| Chopin composed sixteen polonaises for solo piano; his first when he was just eight; and his last – the polonaise Chopin “did not know how to name” - at age 36, three years before his death. Chopin fully liberates the polonaise of his motherland to realize his innermost thoughts. Innovative and astonishing, the work literally demands the “-Fantasie” Chopin added to the title. | |
| Partita in A minor for Solo Flute, BWV 1013 | J. S Bach (1685 - 1750) |
| I. Allemande II. Corrente III. Sarabade IV. Bourrée Anglais | |
| Kim Falconer, Flute | |
| Each movement represents the contrasting dance styles of four European nations. The Allemande is a German stately dance; the Corrente is an Italian dance; the Sarabande is a slow French dance and the Bouree Anglais is a lively Englis dance. | |
| Salt Of The Earth | Catherine McMichael (1954 - ) |
| I. Tranquility II. Ferocity III. Prosperity IV. Iniquity V. Audacity | |
| Adam Richardson, Flute | |
| Adam Richardson (Flute), Alyse Faith (Flute), Andrew Groch (Alto Flute) and John Glover (Bass Flute) | |
| Salt of the Earth is music for flute quartet that is meant to evoke the sounds, sights, challenges and strengths of Oklahoma’s land and people. The movement titles are words that conjure up images of Oklahoma’s history in nature and culture. Tranquility: the virgin prairie, birds calling at dawn, the harvest in, the task complete. Ferocity: the wind, the snake, the tornado, the struggle. Prosperity: rich earth, political chicanery, and the gift of oil. Iniquity: relocation of the Five Civilized Tribes, isolation and its demons, injustice. Audacity: the will to conquer the land and to make a prosperous life. | |
| Rebonds | Iannis Xenakis (1922 - 2001) |
| 'B' | |
| Louis Sharpe, Percussion | |
| 'Rebonds' was written and completed by Xenakis from 1987-89. Like most of Xenakis' works he has composed it architecturally, with a clear foundation at the start of the work. Throughout he adds different themes and complexities to embellish and add to the groundwork. With two movements 'A' and 'B', each with their own theme and challenges, it has become a personal favourite and a stable work in the percussion repertoire. | |