Conservatorium of Music
Thursday Concert Class
Thursday Concert Class
| Cello Sonata No. 2 in F major, Op. 99 | Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897) |
| 1. Allegro Vivace | |
| Jason Lim, violoncello | |
| Amir Farid, piano | |
| Brahms' Second Cello Sonata was written in 1886, during his vacation in Switzerland. The grandeur of the mountains is in the symphonic sweep of the opening challenge, where the cello leads with a leaping extrovert theme over a thunderous tremolando in the piano. The full range of the cello is exploited and the balance between the instruments is perfectly judged. The tremolando becomes a major feature of the mysterious development, its vibrant sonority adding to the emotional excitement of the movement. Tremolandi in both instruments are a prominent feature of the coda creating a magical time-stopping effect before the final outburst. | |
| Obéissons quand leur voix appelle | Jules Massenet (1842 - 1912) |
| Rhian, Voice | |
| Amir Farid, piano | |
| This aria is sung by Manon in Act III of the opera. The beautiful yet fragile, pleasure seeking Manon has abandoned her true love Des Grieux in favour of the luxurious life offered to her by De Brétigny. Sumptuously dressed, Manon sings this aria in front of a crowd of admirers. In it, she celebrates the pleasures of youth and encourages the crowd to take advantage of having fun while they are still young. | |
| Si mes vers avaient des ailes | Reynaldo Hahn (1875 - 1947) |
| Corryn Rattray, Voice | |
| Amir Farid, piano | |
| Although Reynaldo Hahn was born in Venezuela, his family originally hailed from Hamburg, Germany. At 11, he entered the Paris Conservatoire and, influenced by his teachers Massenet and Saint-Saens, composed “Si mes vers avaient des ailes” only three years later. The work demonstrates Hahn’s approach to song composition; according to one writer, “One of the most immediately noticeable features of Hahn’s songwriting is the absolute simplicity of the piano accompaniments; they are never used as anything more than a support to the vocal line.” Written for his sister Maria, the song borrows an affectionate text by Victor Hugo. The melody is repeat | |
| Piano Sonata op 31 no 2 | Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) |
| I. Largo - Allegro | |
| Ivana Gonzales, Piano | |
| After Beethoven's death, Anton Schindler, Beethoven's secretary, told people many untrue story including about this sonata. Schindler stated that when he asked the composer about this sonata, he had to read Shakespeare's "The Tempest" to understand the music. For this reason, the sonata was known as "The Tempest" until now. The first movement begins with long rolled chord, then moving to a short storm-like passage. This theme alteration is repeated many times throughout the piece. | |
| Sonatina for Trombone and Piano | Kazimierz Serocki (1922 - 1981) |
| I. Allegro II. Andante molto sostenuto III. Allegro vivace | |
| Man Ting Lo, Tenor Trombone | |
| Kazimierz Serocki's Sonatina for Trombone and Piano has long been considered a staple of the tenor trombone literature. This sonatina consists of three movements, the first of which is very rhythmically driven with frequent changes in the time signature, leading to colourful diversity in phrasing. The second movement is slow and mournful, taking full advantage of the singing qualities of the trombone. The third movement, "Allegro vivace", garners the return of the rhythmic drive and rapidly changing time signatures adding an exciting interplay between the soloist and accompanist. | |
| Trio elegiaque No 1 in G minor | Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943) |
| Ling Ling Chen, Piano | |
| Camille Stevenson Mentiplay - Cello, Jack Cross - Violin | |
| This work is cast in only one movement, in contrast to most piano trios, which have three or four. This movement is in the classical form of a sonata, but the exposition is built on twelve episodes that are symmetrically represented in the recapitulation. The elegiac theme is presented in the first part Lento lugubre by the piano. In the following parts, the elegy is presented by the cello and violin, while the spirit is constantly evolving (più vivo - con anima - appassionato - tempo rubato - risoluto). The theme is ultimately recast as a funeral march. | |
| Sambalamento | Luiz Bonfa (1922 - 2001) |
| Joanna Chan, Guitar | |
| The two pieces will be played as a medley. Luiz Bonfá is a renowned Brazilian guitarist, his work Sambalamento features a contemporary Bossa Nova feel to the chord changes in the piece. This piece sings contrasting tonalities of chords and intriguing rhythmic patterns. | |
| Grauna | Joao Pernambuco (1883 - 1947) |
| Joanna Chan, Guitar | |
| One of his most successful works, Pernambuco's Brazilian style Grauna, meaning Blackbird features the key elements and chordal movements of a Brazilian dance. This piece is of Northeastern inspiration and influenced by songs folk. | |
| Cantilène et Danse | Marc Eychenne (1933 - ) |
| 1. Cantilène 2. Danse | |
| Michellina Chan, Alto Saxophone | |
| Michellina Chan (Alto Saxophone), Peiyi Ng (Violin) & Sean Barry (Piano) | |
| Algerian composer and violinist Marc Eychenne graduated from the Conservatory in Algiers. He then relocated to France where he focused more on composition. His chamber compositions include interesting combinations of instruments; he wrote a Petite Suite for oboe, soprano saxophone and five horns as well as a Sextet for wind quintet with saxophone. His Cantilène et Danse is composed in two contrasting movements, the first is slow with beautiful lyrical passages passed around the three instruments. The second starts off with an energetic piano solo in a 7/4 meter. It is an upbeat and rhythmically complex movement with several meter changes. | |
| \'Etude-Tableaux\' No. 6, Opus 39. | Sergei Rachmaninov (1873 - 1943) |
| VI. | |
| Louis Nicoll, Piano | |
| This Etude-Tableaux begins with bassy chromatic growl in the very low range of the keyboard, and is followed by a skittish motif in the piano’s upper registers. These two opposing ideas pull and strain at each other, before giving way to a menacing march, which then evolves into a macabre polka. Towards the end of the piece, it seems as if the nervous theme from the beginning will escape the morbidity of the middle section, but it is swallowed up by a grotesque utterance from the bass, ending the piece as it begun. | |
| Prím | Askell Masson (1953 - ) |
| for snare drum solo | |
| Therese Ng, snare drum | |
| The works of Áskell Másson (*1953) stand out for their depth of expression and brilliance of sound. A freelance composer since the early eighties, his music for percussion already in the seventies was gaining international attention for originality and unusual approach. Prím is based on a rhythmic pattern which the first fifteen of the prime numbers (1,2,3,5,7,11,13,17,19,23,29,31,37,41,43) give, when one uses 32nd-part notes as a basic unit. Famous percussionist Evelyn Glennie has now played this piece in most parts of the world, but it was commissioned by the Danish percussionist Gert Mortensen, and written in 1984. | |
| Pit Band | William Albright (1944 - 1998) |
| Anthony Vouliotis, Alto Saxophone | |
| Louis Nicoll, piano | |
| Anthony Vouliotis (Alto Saxophone), Hayden Brown (Bass Clarinet), Louis Nicoll (Piano) | |
| William Albright was a 20th century American composer who combined elements of tonal and atonal classical music with popular Western & non-Western music. His works are described as being "polystylistic", where multiple styles of music are explored in the one work. Pit Band is a perfect example of this; the piece is divided up into nine separate sections, each with a distinct style. This work, with its unusual ensemble of three haphazard instruments, a pick-up band, attempts to digest an evening-long musical comedy in a few minutes. | |
| O71A Excerpt form Nutcracker Suite | Pyotr Ilyich Tchiackovsky (1840 - 1893) |
| Arranged by Mathew Chalmers | |
| Alyse Faith, Bassoon | |
| Alyse Faith - Flute Liesl Ho - Flute Mahalia Stamford - clarinet Zoe Suckling - Oboe Mathew Chalmers - Bassoon Emma Morrison - Bassoon Ryan Cooke - French Horn Ned Dixon - Piano | |
| Musical Direction: Andrew Groch Choreography: Alyse Faith Costumes: Mathew Chalmers "Music is a pastime, A relaxation from more serious occupations" | |