Conservatorium of Music
Thursday Concert Class
Thursday Concert Class
| Sonata in G minor, op.22 | Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856) |
| I. So rasch wie moglich | |
| Carmen Zheng, piano | |
| Despite its higher opus number, Schumann had started working on this sonata even before the other two, taking almost nine years to finally complete composing and publish it just in time for Clara Wieck's birthday, since she "has a particular fondness for this sonata", and for the dedicatee Henriette Voigt to also receive a copy before she passed away a month later. | |
| The Shepherd on the Rock "Der Hirt auf dem Felsen" | Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828) |
| 1. Der Berghirt 2. Nächtlicher Schall 3. Liebesgedanken | |
| Cameron Smith, Kate Louise MacFarlane , Clarinet, Voice | |
| When, from the highest rock up here, down to the deep valley I pear, And sing. Far from the valley dark and deep rushs through in upward sweep the echo of the chasm. The farther that my voice resounds, The brighter that it rebounds From under. My sweetheart dwells so far from me, I hotly long to be with her Over there. I am consumed in misery, Happiness is far from me, Hope has on earth eluded me, I am so lonesome here. So longingly did sound the song, So longingly through wood and night, Towards heaven it draws all hearts With amazing power. The Springtime wants to come, The Springtime, my hapiness, Now I get ready, To wander forth. | |
| Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54 | Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856) |
| I. Allegro affettuoso II. Intermezzo: Andante grazioso | |
| Priscilla Luu, Piano | |
| Rhodri Clarke, piano | |
| Although Schumann had worked on several piano concerti during his lifetime, this remains the only piano concerto he has completed. The concerto was initially written in 1841, as a fantasy for piano and orchestra. However, Schumann later decided to expand his composition into the 3 movement piano concerto we have now. | |
| Variations on a Theme of Corelli | Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943) |
| 20 Variations | |
| Chris Yuen, Piano | |
| The theme 'La Folia' was in fact not composed by Corelli, but was used in his Sonata for violin and continuo. It was often used for variations especially in Baroque music. Rachmaninoff has never played all twenty variations in one performance. He selected and skipped variations depending on how much coughing or fidgeting was coming from the audience. | |
| Clarinet Concerto, Op. 31 | Gerald Finzi (1901 - 1956) |
| I. Allegro vigoroso II. Adagio ma senza rigore III. Rondo: Allegro giocoso | |
| Richard Shaw, Clarinet | |
| Rhodri Clarke, piano | |
| The Clarinet Concerto, Finzi’s most widely performed and recorded orchestral work, shows his particular empathy for this solo instrument. Here the clarinet’s equal facility for sustained legato melody and rapid virtuosic figuration is supported by and interacts with his ever-imaginative writing for strings. The concerto breathes an air of fresh spontaneity, moving through baroque-inflected pastoralism, aching Elgarian echoes and lively folk-inspired melody. Artists who have become particularly associated with the work in concert and on disc in recent years include Emma Johnson, Richard Stoltzman, Michael Collins and Andrew Marriner. | |
| Keyboard Sonata in G Major, K. 455 | Domenico Scarlatti (1685 - 1757) |
| - | |
| Mark Yin, Piano | |
| Scarlatti wrote well over 500 sonatas, the vast majority of which were for keyboard. His sonatas were single movements, largely written in binary form. However, they did exhibit some of the harmonic patterns typical of sonata form, which became more established in the classical era. | |
| Étude in C Minor (Op. 10 No. 12) | Frédéric Chopin (1810 - 1849) |
| - | |
| Mark Yin, Piano | |
| Arguably one of his most well known compositions, this piece is frequently referred to as the "Revolutionary Étude" because it was written following Poland's failed revolution against Russia in 1831. After hearing of this defeat, Chopin allegedly exclaimed, “All this has caused me so much pain. Who could have foreseen it!” This étude therefore represents an outpouring of emotion, conveyed through the rumbling left hand runs and the ringing right hand melody. | |