BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY OF NORTHERN IRELAND 1954 1955 SECOND RECITAL under the auspices of THE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST ROSALYN TURECK (Pianoforte) The Sir William Whitla Hall Queen's University, Belfast SATURDAY, OCTOBER, 30th 1954

A Recital of Works JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750) From: 48 PRELUDES AND FUGUES FOR THE WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER Book I by Book II Book II No. 2 in C Minor. No. 12 in F Minor. No. 15 in G Major. In 1722 Bach published a collection of 24 Preludes and Fugues entitled Das wohltemperirte Klavier, a work designed to prove the utility of a new method of tuning key-board instru- ments. In 1744 a second set of 24 was published, simply called. 24 New Preludes and Fugues. Between them they go through all the major and minor keys. The profundity of Bach's musical. scholarship is everywhere in evidence in the "48", but it is as records of the most varied and deeply-felt of human emotions that they have won their unique place in the affection of pianists. The three chosen for this evening are among the most popular and easily understandable of them. The fugues, like the majority in the two series, are three-part fugues.

ENGLISH SUITE IN D MINOR, No. 6 Prelude Allemande Courante Sarabande Double Gavottes 1 and 2 Gigue Bach published much of his work in sets of six (6 Branden- burg Concertos, 6 French Suites, 6 English Suites, 6 Partitas). A Suite is a series of movements in dance form, which, in Bach's day, compulsorily included an Allemande (in moderate 4-4 time), a Courante (in 3-2 time), a Sarabande (in slow 3-2 time) and a Gigue (our Jig, in some kind of animated triple time). These are normally in the same key. Other dances could be added. Double in the above list means variations. The reason for the title English is not certain, whether from some examples that had reached Bach from England, or out of compliment to some English visitors on the Continent. They are, on the whole, of a more weighty content than the French suites and the Partitas, and are distinguished by the length and seriousness of their Preludes. This partita, in D minor, is the longest and most serious of the set. INTERVAL From the ANNA MAGDALENA BUECHLEIN Two Minuets G Major; G minor. Two Marches-D Major; E flat Major. Anna Magdalena was Bach's second wife. She seems to have been a model woman. A professional singer, she appar- ently carried on her work for some time after she married. She

was an excellent housewife, and bore him 13 children (only four of whom, according to the well-known 18th century pattern, grew to maturity). For her leisure occupation Bach taught her the harpsichord, writing for her five of the French suites, two of the Partitas and a large number of shorter dances from which the above are taken. Truly Bach's clavier cannot have been the only well-tempered object in his surroundings. PARTITA IN C MINOR, No. 2 Sinfonia Allemande Courante Sarabande Rondeau Capriccio Partita was merely the Italian name for a Suite. It differed from the suites only in having a freer choice of dances. This is another of the compositions for Anna Magdalena. NEXT CONCERT FRIDAY, 12th NOVEMBER THE VEGH QUARTET Schubert, Quartet in A minor, Op. 29. Dvorak, Quartet in A flat major, Op. 105. Ravel, Quartet in F major.