PROGRAMME
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791): Sonata for Piano and Violin in E flat major KV 26
I. Allegro molto
II. Adagio poco Andante
III. Rondeaux (Allegro)
Performed by Ysan Suit Yin and Mathias Boegner
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Chaconne from Partita No.2 in D minor BWV 1004
Performed by Mathias Boegner
Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931): Ballade in D minor Op. 27 No.3
• Lento sostenuto - Allegro giusto e con bravura
Performed by Mathias Boegner
INTERMISSION
Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992): L’alouette Lulu from Catalogue d’oiseaux, 3e livre No.VI
Performed by Ysan Suit Yin
Leoš Janáček (1854-1928): Sonata for violin and piano
I. Con moto
II. Ballada
III. Allegretto
IV. Adagio
Performed by Ysan Suit Yin and Mathias Boegner
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791): Sonata for Piano and Violin in E flat KV 26 Mozart's early piano-and-violin sonatas give a sample and proof of what great philosophers agreed on: that he is the number one wonder child in human history. This sonata shows Mozart's affinity for these two instruments, violin and piano, and the piano part is always outshining the violin part. Mozart's style has widely been associated with the "Mannheim School" characteristics. His first visit to Mannheim was in 1763, the sonata KV 26 is the first sonata of a set of 6 (KV.26-31) which was written in 1765. Though this sonata has Baroque elements, some of the Mannheim characteristics are evident, such as: drumming basses, the so-called "orchestra tremolo", and rocket figurations. It has the Classical 3-movements which ends with a rondo form, in the style of ‘Minuet & Trio”
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Chaconne from Partita No.2 in D minor BWV 1004
Bach wrote 6 unaccompanied violin works, 3 called sonatas and 3 called partitas, between 1717 and 1720. Partita No.2 in D minor is a compositional cycle of Allemande; Courante; Sarabande; Gigue; Chaconne. This famous Chaconne is and remains a milestone in every violinist's life. Complete as it is regarding “violinistic” demands - chords, melodies, arpeggios, bowing characteristics - it goes far beyond, by being a monument in three parts (minor - major - minor), in the form of variations. Technically challenging, this gives a slight picture of what the expression and interpretation demands: a balance between moments and phrases, like a temple with its ornaments as part of the whole building.
In total, there are 64 variations in the length of 4 bars each. The D major middle part symbolizing heaven and resurrection, includes the church tune "Vom Himmel hoch da komm' ich her" (From Heaven high I am coming here), referring to his Christian religion. The D minor symbolizing the passing away, has an association with the passing of Bach's wife during the time of this composition. This Chaconne’s theme is taken from the American Indian tribes’ funeral dance and dramatically described as mortality - eternity rebirth.
Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931): Sonata for Violin Solo in D minor “Ballade” Op. 27 No.3
Ysaÿe’s Ballade was written in 1923 is a one movement sonata from the set of Six solo Sonatas for violin. It starts with a slow introduction in a recitative style and moves directly to the fast section with some bravura style.
This work is probably Ysaÿe’s most famous work, and certainly has been inspired by Bach's Chaconne, which Ysaÿe himself has successfully performed many times. It has been argued on how much or little his 6 solo sonatas have similarities with Bach's Six. Both the Ballade and Chaconne are in the key of D minor. The other similarity is the rhythm of the Ballade is taken from the Chaconne and some from the Sarabande of the same work.
Ysaye's style is of course linked to his contemporaries, namely in France, and the so-called “Franco-Belgian” culture. Besides the highly ‘violinistic’ demands, one can find associations with his contemporary fellow and friend composers: Debussy’s arabesque passages and extended scale/arpeggio patterns; Chausson’s portato/flottato sequences; Franck’s "recitativo" sequences; Saint-Saens’ sweetly expressive melodies. Complete as this piece is, it may give an idea about Arthur Rubinstein's testimony, saying "Ysaye made everybody else look like children".
Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992): L’alouette Lulu from Catalogue d’oiseaux, 3e livre No.VI
The Catalogue d’Oiseaux of Olivier Messiaen has an extraordinary and varied tribute to the landscape and bird-life of France Messiaen like to think that his music is separated from the world around him, inspired by God and the birds whom he called God’s musicians. A total of 13 compositions in 7 catalogues (books), L’alouette Lulu No.VI is in catalogue 3. This piece is in a kind of antiphonal poem where a tawny owl hooting at night and responded by a wood lark (L’alouette Lulu). In the middle section, the nightingale responded to the wood lark intermittently in a loud and brilliant manner. Messiaen described this as ‘the voice of earth’ (nightingale) and the ‘the voice of heaven’ (wood lark). In this work, Messiaen explored new harmonies and exploited the melody and rhythm. Highly original in his writing, he successfully created the atmosphere and imitated the birds and the interaction between the two. The Catalogue d’Oiseaux is extremely pianistic in demands and was claimed could only met by Messiaen’s wife, pianist Yvonne Lorriod who was the first performer and the dedicatee of the work.
Leoš Janáček (1854-1928): Sonata for violin and piano
This sonata was written during World War I in 1914, is a unique work in the common violin-piano sonata repertoire. While it follows a common form of 4 movements, it involves Janáček’s opera features. There is the Katja Kabanova theme - a story Janáček has been personally moved with. As he was very fond for Katja Kabanova, he used the theme in several of his compositions such as both string quartets.
World War I brought death and destruction to many people in Europe and this sonata could be a reaction to the war with Czech folk music. The first movement consists of the turbulent and emotion which reflected the mood of ‘uncertainty’. Though the second movement starts with a sweet melody, it has an intense moment towards the end. The third movement starts with Katja Kabanova’s theme where this could represents his young partner, Kamila Stoesslova. The last chord of the third movement is the same chord of the fourth movement where we decided to move straight on without a break. With the influenced of the war and the tragedy death of Janáček’s beloved, Kamila,
this finale emerges struggles, confused, faith and acceptance.