Judy Kim
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
7:30 pm
Recital Hall
MARCH 25, 2025, 7:30 PM
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I (1722)
Prelude and Fugue No. 8 in E-Flat minor, BMV 853
Keyboard Sonata in E-flat major, Hob. XVII:52 (1794)
Allegro
Adagio
Finale: Presto
Etude No. 7 pour les degrés chromatiques (1915)
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)
Claude Debussy (1862–1918)
Variations sérieuses, op. 54 (1841)
Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)
The Garden of Eden (1969)
The Serpent's Kiss
William Bolcom (b. 1938)
This recital is presented as a degree requirement for a Bachelor of Music in music performance.
Judy Kim is pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance under the guidance of Sonia Leong. She has performed across the U.S., including at the Brevard Summer Festival and Mannes School of Music. She participated in summer studies with pianists such as Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń, Danwen Wei, and Lisa Stepanova. A scholarship recipient of the American Guild of Organists, Kim serves as pianist, organist, and music director at First Presbyterian Church of Stockton.
PROGRAM NOTES
Bach: No. 8, Prelude and Fugue in E-flat minor
Johann Sebastian Bach composed two volumes of a work titled The WellTempered Clavier. This consists of 48 preludes and fugues, organized across all 24 major and minor keys. The collection was written for two primary purposes: first, as a pedagogical tool for both amateur musicians and connoisseurs, and second, as a demonstration of the efficiency of the well-tempered tuning system for the harpsichord. Notably, E-flat minor was a relatively rare key in the Baroque period, and it remains uncommon in contemporary compositions. The eighth prelude and fugue in E-flat minor presents a somber, introspective prelude, followed by a three-voice fugue. It displays Bach's well-crafted balance of technique and expressiveness.
Hayden: Keyboard Sonata in E-flat major
Composed during Haydn’s time in London, this work reflects his exploration of the broad sounds of the newly developed English fortepiano, an ancestor of the modern piano. The piece takes advantage of the instrument's range and fuller sound. Haydn’s playful nature shines through with unexpected fermatas, sudden fortes, and sudden pianos throughout all movements. The sonata also contains many elements of improvisation, as Haydn himself noted, “I would sit down at the piano and begin to improvise, whether my spirits were sad or happy, serious or playful.” The sonata consists of three movements, largely following a traditional structure. The first movement is in sonata form in E-flat major, marked Allegro (fast, happy). The second movement is in ternary form in E major (an unusual key choice), marked adagio (slow). The third movement, returning to the home key of E-flat major, is marked presto (very fast).
Debussy: Etude No. 7 pour les degrés chromatiques
Debussy is associated with impressionism, a movement that western composers took part in during the late nineteenth century. This style focuses on the overall mood of a piece over small details, much like the paintings of Monet. However, Debussy was not fond of this label. He instead preferred ‘symbolism’ for his music, since it was a literary movement that inspired him. Symbolism rejected naturalism and realism. This etude is a counter example of impressionism. He used the whole tone scale in many of his compositions, and it is clearly heard in this etude.
Debussy described these etude books as “a warning to pianists not to pursue the musical profession unless they have remarkable hands.” His works feature a combination of virtuosity and lyrical elements. Each etude in this collection targets a specific technical skill. For instance, the second etude, Étude 2: pour les tierces, is designed to practice third intervals, while Étude
PROGRAM NOTES
11: pour les arpèges composes, focuses on composite arpeggios. Similarly, Étude 7, marked Scherzando, animato assai, emphasizes chromatic degrees and is meant to convey a playful and lively character.
Mendelssohn: Variations sérieuses
Mendelssohn was a prodigy, making his first public concert appearance at age nine and astonishing Goethe and his circle in Weimar at the age of 12. He was brought up in an intellectual environment, receiving the best education possible alongside his sister, Fanny. His genius is demonstrated in this piece through the creativity of each variation. The theme consists of a subject in D minor, marked Andante sostenuto (smooth and sustained), followed by 17 variations. The main theme is presented in different forms as the melody is transformed.
Mendelssohn composed this piece as part of a collection in which its proceeds were used to fund the statue of Beethoven in Bonn, which still stands today. Well known composers like Liszt and Chopin also contributed to this effort; other compositions by them were created to help raise funds for the statue. At the time, Chopin had already written a collection titled Variations Brillantes (Brilliant Variations) for piano, and Mendelssohn titled his Variations Sérieuses (Serious Variations) to distinguish it from Chopin's work.
Balcom: The Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is a piano rag suite, with "The Serpent's Kiss" as the third of its four movements. The solo piano version was published in 1974, although a version for two pianos was released in 1969. Bolcom's writing is filled with chromaticism, straying from the traditional ragtime form. This composition can be classified within the third-stream Americana style, a fusion of jazz and classical music rooted in American traditions like ragtime. It also reflects Bolcom's own American heritage. His score contains explicit instructions, such as “Now really speed up!” A distinctive feature of this piece is its use of extended techniques, including heel stomping, tongue clicking, and finger-knuckle knocking against the fallboard. The title "The Serpent's Kiss" refers to the biblical story in Genesis, where the snake/serpent tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. This theme is encapsulated in the piece, hence tempo marking “fast, diabolical.”
— all program notes by Judy Kim