Conservatorium of Music
Thursday Concert Class
Thursday Concert Class
| Concerto in D Major, Op. 61 | Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) |
| I: Allegro ma non troppo (D Major) | |
| Willard Zhong , Violin | |
| Gina Gataveckaite, piano | |
| An incredibly innovative man, Beethoven’s concerto is no different. Reaching for warmth and depth instead of the usual virtuosic goals of other concerti, Beethoven wanted this concerto to show “extremely delightful tenderness and purityâ€. As such the whole concerto is essentially centred around harmony and Scalic patterns- some passages are just one chord wanting to resolve, going on and on for thirty bars! The form of the first movement also reflects this innovation, departing from the traditional sonata allegro form into one where he usually two themes of the same key at the start, while even extending a rhythmic motif throughout | |
| Suite no. 1 in G major BWV1007 | Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750) |
| Transcribed by Amy Porter | |
| 1.Prelude 2. Allemande 3. Courante 4. Sarabande 5. Minuetto 1 & 2 6. Gigue | |
| William Rigby, Flute | |
| This work is the first of the 6 famous cello suites by Johann sebastian Bach. They were originally considered as technical excersizes for the cello and were overlooked until they gained popularity in the early 20th century. This transcription by American flautist Amy Porter and attempts to make the suite more idiomatic for the flute. | |
| Prelude Op. 45 | Frederic Chopin (1810 - 1849) |
| Timothy Kan, Piano | |
| A slow lyrical piece filled with beautiful suspensions and resolutions in the main theme. As the piece progresses, one can observe Chopin's more advanced uses of harmony in his compositional style. | |
| Ballade No. 2 | Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886) |
| Timothy Kan, Piano | |
| This ballade has often been linked with the story of Hero and Leander, but it is more generally accepted to have been inspired by Gottfried Bürger’s ballad Lenore. The piece opens up with a chromatic undertow that sets up an ominous atmosphere. It is then contrasted with a lighter and sweeter theme. Throughout the piece, one can observe the episodic elements of a ballad and how Liszt uses them for thematic transformation. | |
| Legend No.2 "St. Francois de Paule marchant sur le flots" | Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886) |
| Anna Gao, Piano | |
| The second of Liszt's Deux Légendes, a set of two works. The second work is based on a story of st francis of Paola, according to which he performed the miracle act of walking on water after he was refused passage across the strait of Messina by the boatman. | |
| Rondo Op.16 in E flat major | Fryderic Chopin (1810 - 1849) |
| Lefei Chang, piano | |
| The piece is written in rondo form. It begins with a passionate introduction in C minor, followed by the joyful main theme in E-flat major. The second theme is still lively, but somewhat more subdued than the first. To conclude, the main theme returns, followed by the coda. The piece as a whole is varied and interesting, but challenging for the pianist. The average performance of this piece lasts around 10 minutes. | |
| Nocturne Op.32 No.1 | Fryderic Chopin (1810 - 1849) |
| Lefei Chang, piano | |
| The Nocturne in B major is initially marked andante sostenuto and is in 4/4 meter. There are several ritardando markings throughout, followed by a tempo marking in the next measure, such as in measure 7, 8,17 and 18. The piece transitions to adagio in the last two measures, starting in measure 64. The piece is 65 measures long and, unusually, ends in the tonic minor key, B minor, although some editions (such as those by Rafael Joseffy as well as Chopin's student Carl Mikuli) and performances (such as that by Arthur Rubinstein) end with a B major chord, which has the effect of a Picardy third in the context of the minor-mode coda. | |