JiayiGeng05/12SeniorPianoRecitalProgram
Prelude and Fugue in A-flat major, BWV 862
Papillons, Op.2
Etude Op. 25 no.12
J.S.Bach (1685-1750）
RobertSchumann (1810-1856)
FrédéricChopin （1810-1849）
Concert Etudes Op.2, “Gnomenreigen” FranzLiszt （1811-1886）
–Intermission–
Etude Op.40 no.1
Excursions, Op.20
NikolaiKapustin （1937-2020）
SamuelBarber
I.Unpocoallegro (1910-1981)
II.Inslowbluestempo
III Allegretto
IV.Allegromolto
JohannSebastianBach(1685-1750);Germancomposer
ThePreludeandFugueinA-flatMajor,BWV862,
Composed 1722
The concept of equal temperament first emerged in the worksofZhuZaiyu,aChinesemusician during the Ming Dynasty However, the completion of equal temperament in the West was around the mid-17th century. In 1722, Bach's keyboard work "The Well-Tempered Clavier" playedaveryimportantroleinpromotingequaltemperament.
The Prelude andFugueinA-flatMajor,BWV862,istheseventeenthpieceinthefirstvolumeof the Well-Tempered Clavier. The overall style of this piece is lively and energetic. The whole piecemakesonefeelpositiveanduplifted,andtheplayingstyleisfreshandnatural.
The prelude refers to the music played on the lyre used in ancient Europe. The characteristicof this prelude is improvisation. There isathemeinthepreludethatremainsunchangedthroughout thewholepiece,whichcirculatesrepeatedlyintheleftandrighthandsandisreflectedrepeatedly indifferentvoicelines,differentregisters,anddifferentchords.
The theme of this fugue is not very long, but it appears repeatedly in each part, with many changes. The musicality of this fugue is flowing. Simple notes combine to produce unexpected effects, the phrases are smooth like the river When Bach composed this piece, he used fortepianos, which differ significantly from modern pianos in their tonal requirements. Consequently, playing it demands a focus on fingertip technique and a pronounced sense of articulation.
FrédéricChopin(1810-1849);Polandcomposer
Etudes,Op.25no.12,inCminor
Composed
1832-1836
In this grandiose etude, the music resembles the sea, stirring up huge waves. Each passionately powerful melody emerges and recedes amidst the waves, creating an image that alternates between near and far The entire piece is in arpeggio form, with a complex and varied chord structure, full of rich core. The progression of the piece is propelled layer by layer through changes in chords, the continuous chords seem like surging waves, expressing Chopin's intense emotions, and conveying to the listener the boundless energy of the sea. This not only reflects Chopin'sdiscontentwithinvadersbutalsoepitomizestheresilientspiritofthePolishpeople.
FranzLiszt(1811-1886);Hungariancomposer
TwoConcertÉtudes,no.2Gnomenreigen,inFsharpminor
Composed
1862-1863
Liszt's Concert Etudes, S.145, are a set of two piano etudes, composed by Franz Liszt in Rome around 1862-63 and dedicated to Dionys Pruckner for use at the music schools of Sigmund LebertandLudwigStark.Itconsistsoftwoparts:"Waldesrauschen"and"Gnomenreigen".
GnomenreigenisthepieceIamgoingtoplaytoday
Atthattime,LisztservedasthemusicdirectorattheWeimarcourt.Hedecidedtowithdraw fromhisillustriousperformingcareerandfocusentirelyoncomposition,criticism,andteaching.
ThetitlesofalmostallofLiszt'stitledetudeswereaddedwhentheywerepublished,butthese twoweretheonlyonesforwhichLiszthadthetitlesinmindbeforehestartedwritingthem.
Forme,thethemeofthispieceisthemysterious"Elf".ThisisalightandplayfulPresto Scherzando,andthewholepieceislivelyandcheerful.Thecomposerusedmanyornamentsto describethepetite,flexible,anddelicateelves,whosestepshavethecharacteristicsofjumping.
WhenthemusicenterstheBsection,themelodybecomessmoothandregular,whichisinsharp contrasttotheprevioussection.ThemusicalimagesofsAandsBappearalternately,andthe brightlycoloredtimbrerunsthroughtheentiremusic,givingoneacheerfulandlivelysenseof rhythm.
NikolaiKapustin（1937-2020);Sovietcomposer
EightConcertEtudes,Op.40no.1inCmajor"Prelude"
Composed
1984
NikolaiKapustinisaSovietcomposerandpianistofRussian-Jewishdescent.Themoststriking personalfeatureofhispianoworksisthefusionofclassicalmusicandjazzmusic,whichhe blendsjustright.
This set of etudes is Kapustin's most widely recognized and popular solo piano work. "Eight Concert Etudes" consists of: Prelude, Reverie, Toccatina, Remembrance, Raillery, Pastorale, Intermezzo,andFinale;foreachetude,Kapustinusesadifferentstyleofwriting.
This "prelude" has a lot of syncopated rhythms, accent shifts, andteststheplayer'scoordination of both hands. Syncopation and dotted rhythm are the sources of inspiration and motivation for the entire etude, which runs throughout the piece.Inaddition,afterenteringthetheme,Kapustin also added elements of jazz-rock. In the end of the etude, it begins to crescend, and the tension continues to stretch, bringing a perfect end to the opening piece. The whole piece is bright and uplifting,andthejazzstyleisinterspersedthroughout.
SamuelBarber(1910-1981);Americancomposer
Op.20,Excursions
Composed
1944
Samuel Barber is an American composer, pianist, conductor, baritone, and music educator, He wasalsooneofthemostfamouscomposersofthemid-20thcentury.
Barber was born in the United States and studied in Europe, so his musical style was greatly influenced by traditional European music. Due to the development of music in Barber's period, he was deeply influenced by modern composition techniques and musical elements. Unlike the modernist composers of the time, Barber's music contained romanticism, so his style was also calledNewRomantic.
Barber's Op.20, Excursions combines the compositional characteristics of 20th century modernism with the romantic music style of the 19th century and incorporates the national characteristics of the United States. This work is divided into four movements, each movement represents a different "American voice." The rhythms, folkcharacteristics,andlocalinstruments inthisworkarealleasilyidentifiable.
I.Unpocoallegro
The piece adopts the rhythmic characteristics of Boogie-Woogie, a blues music genre that became popular in the late 1920s and developed in African-American communities since the 1870s. It features a regular left-hand bass pattern that istransposedwithchordchanges.Theleft
hand repeatedly plays a fixed bass pattern, while the right-hand plays mainly syncopated rhythms. The rhythms of the two hands make a sharp contrast. This piece is divided into four parts. The first three parts have different tones but similar structures. Barber uses triplets as the connectingpartbetweeneachthemeasifusingtripletstoconnectthejourney
II.Inslowbluestempo
The piece is a slow blues, a genre and form of music thatoriginatedintheUnitedStatesaround the 1860s. Blues incorporates work songs, field shouts, simple narrative ballads, etc. from African American culture. This piece of music is composed of twoparts,eachparthasasimilar structure.Inthispiece,tripletscanbeseeneverywhere.Thelefthandandrighthandcomplement each other to play a lazy and seductive melody Both the rhythm and the mood of the blues are consistentthroughout,providingastrongcontrasttothefirstmovement.
III.Allegretto
This piece mainly uses part of a melody from the American western cowboy song,"TheStreets of Laredo" as the theme of this piece. The accompaniment characteristics of the lefthandinthe first movement are similar, both using fixed bass patterns. The seven-to-eight rhythmic characteristics of the left and right hands create a wonderful effect, making the melody sound morenaturalandflowing.
IV.Allegromolto
This piece is a fast Allegro, completely differentfromthepreviousthreemovements.Themusic islivelyandpassionate.Thepiecefeatureselementsofthe"HoeDown,"anAmericanfolkdance andmusicalformassociatedwithit.Thisworkischaracterizedbyalivelyandsimplerhythm.
RobertSchumann(1810-1856);Germancomposer
Op.2,Papillons
Composed
1831
This piece was composed byRobertSchumannin1831,attheageof21.Aliteraryandromantic emotional fusion of musical works, Schumann used the language ofmusictooutlineJeanPaul's novel "Flegeljahre" in The Masquerade of the Twelve Stories. The piece depicts two main characters with distinctive personalities and reflects Schumann's conflicted and complex psychologicalstateatthetime.
Introduction: The beginning of the piece is like a question or a curtain slowly drawn for a ball; theballisready,theupwardarpeggioisinfullswing,andeachnotepiquesaudience’scuriosity.
No. 1, The melody is beautiful and gentle, with averycharacteristicroundwaltzstyleintheleft hand. The succession of octaves is deftly expressed in the bustling atmosphere of thebeginning ofaball.
No. 2, this part takes the form of mainly fast upward arpeggios and downward octaves, going from bright sections to gentle,likethemaincharacterandhispartnerdancingonthedancefloor, with alternating left and right hands depicting their perfect understanding. The music is bright andgentle.
No. 3, this melodyismainlyinoctaveprogression,firstupwardandthendownward;thelastline is in fugue mode with left and right hands echoing. This section contrasts sharply with the
previous section, reflectingtheagitatedenthusiasminSchumann'sthought,andSchumann'sdual characterisalsoexpressedinthissection.
No. 4, which begins with a soft and beautiful melody, brings up the next story, as if there is a beautifulbutterflyintheflowersdancingwiththeball.
No. 5, two voices for each of the left and right hands, representing two characters,respectively.
The melody of the soprano voice is soft and serene, depicting the heroine's graceful dance. The lower voices are song-likebasses,withsoftcontrolledtoucheshighlightingthehigherright-hand melody,andthesevoicesareinterwoventoshowtheinteractionbetweenthetwocharacters.
No.6,witharondostyle,isatmosphericandmasculine.
No. 7, the beginning of the music is soft; the beautiful melody shows a misty and wonderful tone,likeamysteriousveilforthewholeball.
No. 8, adopts the rhythmic characteristics of mazurka; the music is thick and powerful, letting people feel the contradictory psychological changes of the protagonist as if they were in the scene.
No. 9, the melody of this part is quite explosive, and the music has a sense of echoingbutfeels rushed,vividlydescribingtheepisodeofthetwobrothersexchangingmasksandcostumes.
No.10,theopeningusesagitationtoattracttheaudience'sattention,anditsmelodyintwostyles, brilliantandeuphonious,reinforcestheemotionalconflictofthecharacters.
No. 11 is the largest piece in the entire work, with a lively, witty, and humorous melody, and a sudden change of style and mood in the middle of the piece that resembles a baby's lullaby beforebedtime,butthenimmediatelyshiftsbacktoitsoriginalstate,likeadream.
The No. 12 theme echoes No. 1, using polyphony to express the picture of the end of the ball, andthewholepiececoncludeswiththeweakeningringingsoundofbells.
This piece unites Schumann's inner mental world and shows the core of his romanticism and talent for composition. The musical images of this piece show overwhelming and tremendous power,showingpeoplethetouchingaestheticbeautyofhisdreamyandbeautifulmusiccreation.