【HKU MUSE House Programme】Cateen! Hayato Sumino in Recital

UT DEB HK 首 演 港 香

© RYUYA AMAO

CATE E N ! 角 野 隼 斗 鋼 琴 獨 奏 會

HAYATO SUMINO IN RECITAL

13-14 OCT 2023

F R I - S AT 8PM

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13 OCT 2023 | FRI | 8PM Grand Hall, The University of Hong Kong

Hayato Sumino, piano Grande Valse brillante in E-flat major, Op. 18

SUMINO

Big Cat Waltz

CHOPIN

Ballade No. 2 in F major, Op. 38

SUMINO

Recollection

CHOPIN

Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48, No. 1

SUMINO

New Birth

CHOPIN

Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53

J.S. BACH

13 OCT PROGRAMME

CHOPIN

- INTERMISSION -

Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971

[Allegro] Andante Presto

GERSHWIN

I Got Rhythm (arr. SUMINO)

GERSHWIN

Rhapsody in Blue

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14 OCT 2023 | SAT | 8PM Grand Hall, The University of Hong Kong

Hayato Sumino, piano Grande Valse brillante in E-flat major, Op. 18

SUMINO

Big Cat Waltz

CHOPIN

Ballade No. 2 in F major, Op. 38

SUMINO

Recollection

CHOPIN

Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48, No. 1

SUMINO

New Birth

CHOPIN

Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53

J.S. BACH

14 OCT PROGRAMME

CHOPIN

- INTERMISSION -

Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971

[Allegro] Andante Presto

J.S. BACH

Inventions, Nos. 4, 13, 14 (arr. SUMINO)

KAPUSTIN

Eight Concert Etudes, Op. 40

No. 1 Prelude No. 2 Reverie No. 3 Toccatina No. 4 Reminiscence No. 5 Shuitka (Raillery) No. 6 Pastoral No. 7 Intermezzo No. 8 Finale

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© RYUYA AMAO

HAYATO SUMINO Hayato Sumino began his full-fledged musical career as the Grand Prix winner of the PTNA Piano Competition while he was a graduate student at The University of Tokyo in 2018.

In 2021, Sumino garnered international attention as a semi-finalist in the 18th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland. In addition, he also won the third prize at the 2019 Lyon International Piano Competition, a gold medal at the 2017 International Chopin Competition in Asia, and many more accolades. He studied with Jean-Marc Luisada, and Katsuko Kaneko.

He has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Symphoniker Hamburg, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon 4

Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Dohnányi Orchestra Budafok.

Hayato Sumino completed his Master of Engineering degree at The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Information Science and Technology in March 2020. Sumino received The University of Tokyo President’s Award, recognising his outstanding achievements in both music and academics.

Alongside his academic endeavors, he actively conducted research on Music Information Processing at the Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music (IRCAM) for six months, beginning in September 2018.

Sumino is recognised for his distinctive style, which blends classical techniques, arrangements, and improvisational skills. He shares his unique musical style through performances in North America, Europe, and Asia, captivating audiences at Boston Symphony Hall, Wiener Konzerthaus, Salle Cortot (Paris), Bulgaria Concert Hall, Suntory Hall ( Tokyo), The Symphony Hall (Osaka), National Concert Hall (Taipei), Victoria Concert Hall (Singapore), Lotte Concert Hall (Seoul), Incheon Arts Center, and more.

In addition to performing concerts in Japan and abroad, Sumino also writes, arranges, and streams his own music on YouTube under the name 'Cateen', amassing over 1.2 million subscribers and 160 million views (as of September 2023). He also achieved significant milestones, including becoming the official navigator for BBC Proms JAPAN and earning a coveted spot on the Forbes Japan 30 Under 30 list.

In 2023, Sumino relocated to New York, United States. During this season, he also made his American debut, performing with the Boston Pops Orchestra under the direction of Keith Lockhart in Boston. He recorded Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 with Marin Alsop and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, released in 2022. In 2020, he released his debut album, HAYATOSM (eplus music).

Since 2021, he has been a Steinway Artist and CASIO electronic musical instrument ambassador. As he continues to establish a strong presence as a classical pianist, he also draws audiences as an entirely unique musician, known for his thoughtful exploration of music that transcends genre boundaries.

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FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN (1810-1849)

PROGRAMME NOTES

Grande Valse brillante in E-flat major, Op. 18 Ballade No. 2 in F major, Op. 38 Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48, No. 1 Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53 Often referred as the 'poet of the piano', the Polish composer Chopin was prolific in piano works—and he did begin writing poems since the age of six.

An accomplished pianist himself, he composed two concertos, three sonatas, as well as preludes, études, impromptus, waltzes, mazurkas, nocturnes, ballades, polonaises, and scherzos for the piano.

Chopin wrote and dedicated the Grande Valse brillante in E-flat major, Op. 18 to his student Miss Laura Horsford in 1833. This Waltz is not to be confused with any of the three "Grandes Valses brilliantes" of Op. 34, which were written in 1838, in the keys of A-flat major, A minor, and F major respectively. In 3/4 meter, the Viennese waltz evolved from a German and Austrian dance genre called the Ländler . But whereas the Ländler was considered a peasant dance, the waltz served ballroom purposes. The waltz in E-flat major consists of seven dance themes, and each one allures the audience with charm and elegance. Arthur Rubenstein discerned a certain Schubert-like character in it: "…despite all its glitter and dash, it is of the type that Schubert compose shyly".

Chopin's Ballade No. 2 in F major is dedicated to Robert Schumann after Schumann dedicated Kreisleriana , Op. 16, to Chopin. Schumann was thrilled to have received such a gift. He rejoiced in his diary in October 1840: "A new Chopin Ballade has appeared. It is dedicated to me. It gives me greater joy than if I'd received an order from some ruler." Impressed by the Ballade's tonal contrasts and emotive content, he particularly highlighted the sublime moments in the final measures which reintroduce the tranquil theme in F major in a distant A minor. He wrote in Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (New Journal of Music ), a music review magazine which he co-founded with Friedrich Wieck (the father of his wife Clara), that "…when Chopin played the Ballade here [Leipzig], it ended in F major; now it closes in A minor…its impassioned episodes seem to have been inserted afterwards."

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According to Schumann, Chopin acknowledged that the poems of the Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz inspired the piece. Scholars generally agreed that the Ballade was specifically based on the legend Świtezianka , which Mickiewicz turned into a ballad poem. Świtezianka centers on the love story of a handsome young man and a water nymph, who transformed herself into a human to seduce the man. Infatuated, the young man promised her love—and yet as the nymph returned to her original form, he could no longer recognise her and broke his vow. In bitterness, the nymph swallowed the young man into Lake Świtez.

Chopin was the composer who popularised nocturnes—having composed 21 of them—even though it was the Irish composer John Field who established the genre. Chopin's Op. 48 consists of two nocturnes, and No. 1 in C minor is often considered among his greatest given its emotional depth. Composed in 1841 and dedicated to Chopin's pupil Laure Duperré, this nocturne sings and grieves in lyricism. It draws the listener into despair with a poetic melody, supported by an accompaniment comprised of hefty bass in octaves. The nocturne later changes to C major, expanding in power with triplets and crescendos increasing the feeling of agitation. It eventually returns and settles in its home key, C minor, in melancholy.

Chopin dedicated the Polonaise in A-flat major, composed in 1842, to his good friend Auguste Léo who was a German banker. Chopin himself did not name the piece "Heroic". This descriptive title, however, was closely associated with his lover George Sand's interpretation of this piece. Sand heard the Polonaise as a representation of the spirit of the French Revolution of 1848.

She remarked about the Polonaise in her letter to Chopin: "The inspiration! The force! The vigour! There is no doubt that such a spirit must be present in the French Revolution. From now on this Polonaise should be a symbol, a heroic symbol." While the tempo marking of the piece Alla polacca e maestoso , which means "like a polonaise and majestic", proclaims boldness and valour, robust musical devices such as the many fervent arpeggios, passionate grand octave scales, and wide leaps all contribute to such perceptions of the heroic, which bursts forth dignity and brilliance.

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Jordan Gheen keyboard Alan Kwan guitar

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Mike Luzecky bass Matt Young drums

HAYATO SUMINO (b. 1995) Big Cat Waltz is written as a tribute to Chopin's famous Valse du petit chien (Puppy Waltz) in D-flat major, Op. 64, No. 1. Just as Chopin wrote the 'Puppy Waltz' as a result of watching a puppy circling around its own tail, Sumino composed the light and fun Big Cat Waltz after his big cute cat named 'Pudding', who is rather chubby and yet flexible.

Recollection is a reharmonised and modern interpretation of the melody of Chopin's Ballade No. 2. Sumino employs the method known as 'recomposition', which in recent years has become quite popular in the post-classical genre.

Recollection has an intimate sound as if one is reminiscing about his or her own past in a dark and narrow room; or perhaps the person is having a quiet conversation with Chopin. Fragments of Chopin's works repeatedly appear and disappear like revolving lanterns, unfolding in a narrative that reveals Sumino's love for Chopin.

New Birth is inspired by Chopin's Etude Op. 10, No. 1. It involves the idea of​​ adding a new melody in the bass. However, in this piece, the part that matches the original theme only lies within the first two bars. After repeated key changes and a momentary silence, the melody shifts from the bass to the right hand, releasing a gorgeous D-flat major sound that indicates hope for new creations in the future.

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750) Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971 J.S. Bach's Italian Concerto was published in 1735 in the second volume of his Clavier-Übung (Keyboard Practice), which also contains the French Overture. Whereas the Overture was written in the solemn key of B minor, the concerto was conceived in the optimistic key of F major. Bach composed the solo concerto, which consists of three movements, for the double-manual harpsichord. While Bach learned elements of the Italian style from various composers, Antonio Vivaldi was perhaps the one who influenced him the most.

The first and third movements adopt the Italian ritornello form: characterised by recurring instrumental sections that alternate with contrasting episodes, 9

the ritornello was initially developed by Giuseppe Torelli but later expanded and systemised by Vivaldi. The beautiful Andante shows an understanding of Vivaldi's expectation for the second movement: the first concerto composer to establish the importance of the slow movement, Vivaldi emphasised the need to write a cantabile melody that sings like an adagio aria or arioso while giving the performer room to add embellishments. Bach accordingly wrote a lovely melody in D minor, the relative minor of F major. Nevertheless, he himself had already embellished the melody, making further additions rather unnecessary.

Inventions Nos. 4, 13, 14 (14 Oct only) arr. HAYATO SUMINO In the year of 1720, when Bach was serving as the music director at the court of Köthen, he composed various pedagogical materials for his eldest son Wilhelm Friedemann, who was then only nine. These materials were gathered in a notebook, and among them were 15 two-part pieces, titled Præambulum (Preamble) and 15 three-part works labelled as Fantasia (Fantasy). In 1723, Bach decided to revise the Præambulum and Fantasia , renaming them as Inventio and Sinfonia respectively. Today, however, they are usually called the Two- and Three-Part Inventions. Bach made clear his pedagogical aim in the preface to the 1723 manuscript of the Inventions: "Straightforward instruction, whereby lovers of the keyboard, and especially those eager to learn, are shown a clear method, not only (1) of learning to play cleanly in two parts, but also, after further progress, (2) of managing three obbligato parts correctly and satisfactorily; and in addition not only of arriving at good original ideas but also of developing them satisfactorily; and most of all of acquiring a cantabile style of playing while at the same time receiving a strong foretaste of composition."

In the original notebook, the works are arranged according to the order of difficulty; and when revising Inventions, Bach started with the C-major piece in ascending order—just as he did with The Well-Tempered Clavier collection.

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GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898-1937) I Got Rhythm (13 Oct only) arr. HAYATO SUMINO Born to Jewish immigrants, Gershwin grew up in Brooklyn and began to play the piano at around the age of 10 or 11. Gershwin's piano teacher described him as a prodigy, and Gershwin dropped out of school when he was 15 to work as a song-plugger in Tin Pan Alley, a group of music publishers and songwriters in Manhattan. Gershwin wrote and published I Got Rhythm in 1930 as part of the celebrated musical, Girl Crazy , which premiered at Broadway in the same year. Gershwin's brother Ira prepared the lyrics for the song, but Gershwin also arranged the song into a set of variations for piano and orchestra in 1933. The song remains influential and appears in the musical film, An American in Paris (1953) directed by Vincente Minnelli. Gene Kelly performed the song with tap dance. Sumino has arranged this song in his style; previously, pianist Earl Wild has also transcribed I Got Rhythm as well as six other songs by Gershwin, including Liza , Somebody Loves Me , The Man I Love , Oh , Lady Be Good, Embraceable You , and Fascinatin' Rhythm as virtuosic etudes.

Rhapsody in Blue (13 Oct only) Composed in 1924, Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue was commissioned by the American bandleader Paul Samuel Whiteman. Written for solo piano and jazz band, Rhapsody premiered in a concert titled 'An Experiment in Modern Music' in 1924 at New York City, with Gershwin himself performing on the piano with Whiteman's band. It was Ferde Grofé, however, who was responsible for the orchestration. Gershwin had also created versions of Rhapsody for solo piano and two pianos. Although Gershwin was not a jazz musician, this work redefined the possibility of fusing classical music with jazz elements in his age, attracting audience of all sorts. Gershwin once described his understanding of the piece, which he conceived during a train ride from New York City to Boston, as "a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America, of our vast melting pot, of our unduplicated national pep, of our metropolitan madness". The Library of Congress has recently digitised the original manuscript of Rhapsody , making it available for the wider public's appreciation.

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NIKOLAI KAPUSTIN (1937-2020) Eight Concert Etudes, Op. 40 (14 Oct only) The music of Kapustin is best known for its synthesis of jazz and classical elements. Kapustin became interested in jazz music when he was still a student in Moscow Music College. He befriended Andrei Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky whom he stayed with—and they would listen to the radio station, Voice of America, to hear performances by jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole. Kapustin's music has gained much more attention since 2000, especially with Marc-André Hamelin's effort in promoting his works.

Kapustin's Eight Concert Etudes are among his more well-known compositions and have been performed quite often in major piano competitions today. His other celebrated works include Variations, Op. 41, 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 82, modelled on J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier , as well as the 24 Preludes, Op. 53, influenced by Chopin's 24 Preludes, Op. 28.

The etude genre traditionally serves pedagogical purposes. Back in the Baroque period, however, the term 'etude' derived from the French term étude (which literally means 'study' in English) was not used. Instead, pedagogical keyboard pieces were usually described as exercises or studies, as J.S. Bach's Clavier-Übung demonstrates. The romantic era saw an increase in the emphasis of virtuosity, as heard in the etudes of Chopin and Liszt.

Kapustin's Eight Concert Etudes, Op. 40, written in 1984, consists of eight pieces. Each etude focuses on different technical challenges. For example, No. 3 (Toccatina ) deals with repeated notes, whereas No. 7 (Intermezzo ) concentrates on double thirds. Perhaps one of more common critiques that Kapustin has received is that his music can be characterised as written-out improvisation, which contradicted the principle of jazz music. Kapustin himself had nevertheless stressed that he never considered himself a jazz musician or pianist.

Programme notes by

Keri Hui PhD in Musicology The University of Hong Kong and Kings College London

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SOURCE OF I NSPIRATION

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