Conservatorium of Music
Thursday Concert Class
Thursday Concert Class
| Concerto for Bassoon and Strings (arranged for Bassoon and Piano) | Gordon Percival Septimus Jacob (1895 - 1984) |
| Arranged by the composer | |
| I AllegroII Adagio | |
| Ellan Hyde, Bassoon | |
| Leigh Harrold, piano | |
| This concerto was written for and premiered by Archie Camden at Albert Hall in the year of it's composition. At this time Camden was one of Europe's premiere bassoonists and Jacob was a composer noted for his thoughtful understanding of wind instrument writing. His larger works are still most commonly played by wind bands. Despite publishing over 400 pieces over his working life, Jacob is best known for his arrangements. While still a student, R.V. Williams asked him to orchestrate his 'English Folk Song Suite.' His arrangement of the English National Anthem was commissioned for and performed at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. | |
| Légende Op. 66 | Florent Schmitt (1870 - 1958) |
| Michellina Chan, Saxophone | |
| Leigh Harrold, piano | |
| Florent Schmitt was a French composer most famous for his piece La tragédie de Salome and Psaume XLVII. Légende Op. 66 was commissioned by the wealthy Boston socialite Elise Hall who was instructed under doctor's orders to take up a wind instrument for health reasons. At the time, there was hardly any music for classical saxophone so she wrote to composers such as Claude Debussy, Andre Caplet and Schmitt for music. Schmitt uses modal, whole tone as well as synthetic scales to capture the exotic and oriental setting. In order to bring out the two prominent melodies, the performer has to be more virtuosic in expression rather than technique. | |
| Piano Sonata in A minor, D. 784 | Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828) |
| I. Allegro giusto | |
| Paul Ton, Piano | |
| Schubert's Sonata D. 784 was composed in February 1823, when he already knew that he had a life-threatening illness. During this year, Schubert also wrote a poem called 'Mein Gebet' (My Prayer), in which he expressed a longing for the comfort of death. This Piano Sonata marks a dramatic change in Schubert's treatment of this genre. Schubert's motivic development and orchestral piano writing are key features in this composition. | |
| Prelude et Ballade | Guillaume Balay (1871 - 1943) |
| Karen Simons, Trumpet | |
| Leigh Harrold, piano | |
| Guillaume Balay is a French composer who wrote many works for solo cornet and other wind instruments, chamber music and band repertoire. Most of his cornet music will feature in a trumpet player’s repertoire today. Balay was a cornet player during his service in the French military and later become the head of music for the 119th Infantry Regiment. In 1894 he won the Paris’ National Academy of Music’s cornet competition.. He was a respected teacher, bandleader, composer and soloist. | |
| Sonata for Flute and Piano, Op. 17 | Harry Sdraulig (1992 - ) |
| 1. Prelude 2. Badinerie 3. Romanza 4. Finale | |
| Kim Falconer, Flute | |
| Leigh Harrold, piano | |
| The Sonata for Flute and Piano was completed in September 2014 and is dedicated to Kim Falconer. The work is in four movements. A mysterious, introverted Prelude precedes a humorous, flickering dance, entitled Badinerie. The third movement, a more expansive and outwardly expressive Romanza, is followed by the Finale: a fast, virtuosic show-piece to round off the work. - Harry Sdraulig | |
| Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano | Edison Denisov (1929 - 1996) |
| I. Allegro II. Lento | |
| Anthony Vouliotis, Alto Saxophone | |
| Leigh Harrold, piano | |
| Edison Denisov composed his saxophone sonata at a point in time which is now regarded as the birth of contemporary saxophone music. While the piece itself is not entirely written in the classical sonata form, he stated that each movement still possesses the basic structural foundation of the sonata movements. The work is highly influenced by jazz, a genre of music which Denisov took great interest in, where jazz improvisation elements are a main feature in the first movement. The second movement is a monologue for the solo saxophone, where it captures the essence of a barren and still desert landscape. | |
| Ballade No.1 Op. 23 | Frédéric François Chopin (1810 - 1849) |
| Ann Nguyen, Piano | |
| Ballade No.1 was composed in 1831 during the composer's early years in Vienna, was a reflection about his loneliness in the city far away from home, where a war was happening against the Russian Empire's oppression. Like many of Chopin's works, this First Ballade contains many technical and interpretive challenges for the soloist. | |
| Reflets dans l¡¦eau | Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918) |
| Jane Ng, Piano | |
| Reflets dans l'eau (Reflections in the water) is the opening piece in Debussy's first volume of Images, and one of many works in the composer's output inspired by water. The piece opens in a slow tempo with a soft and graceful melody. Later in 'quasi cadenza' section, he builds swirls of sound to a fantastic climax. Sweeping arpeggios abound throughout the piece, creating the impression of little ripples or waves that distort the reflected image. The mood then returns with a touch of solemnity and ends quietly. | |
| Three Pieces for Snaredrum | Ian Cleworth (/ - /) |
| II (for Colin) | |
| Therese Ng, snare drum | |
| Cleworth has been Artistic Director of TaikOz since its inception in 1997. In 2005 he became full-time with the group after having spent 20 years as Principal Percussionist with the Sydney Symphony and 16 years with the percussion group Synergy. In 2007 Ian received the APRA-AMC Classical Music Award for Long-term Contribution For The Advancement Of Australian Music. These concise and dynamic works draw on musicality and technique. Dedicated to the Sydney Symphony percussionists. | |
| Delta City Blues | Michael Brecker (1949 - 2007) |
| Arranged by Transcribed by Ledbetter, Edited by Emily Clarke | |
| Emily Clarke, Tenor Saxophone | |
| Michael Brecker was an American saxophonist, best known for his Tenor saxophone playing in the jazz arena, and is often referred to as the greatest saxophonist since John Coltrane. His composition Delta City Blues first appeared on his album 'Two Blocks from the Edge' in 1998, Brecker then performed this, not only with his band, but as a completely solo virtuosic i.e. this version. Brecker was not only a jazz saxophonist, but was classically trained, and renowned for his impeccable technique. Parallel's between this rendition of Delta City Blues can be drawn from Blue Caprice (1997, V. Morosco) & also Caprice en form de Valse (Paul Bonneau | |