BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY OF NORTHERN IRELAND 1969-1970 FIFTH RECITAL under the auspices of THE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST RUGGIERO RICCI ERNEST LUSH Price VIOLIN PIANOFORTE SIR WILLIAM WHITLA HALL Queen's University, Belfast FRIDAY, 6th FEBRUARY, 1970 1/-

Sonata No. 12 in E major Pergolesi Although Pergolesi had a very short professional life (he died in 1736 at the age of 26) he managed to write a considerable amount of music. He is probably best known for his sacred music, such as the famous Stabat Mater for female voices and orchestra, and his dramatic works, the best known being the Intermezzo 'La Serva Padrona'. Doubt has been cast on the authenticity of a number of his instrumental works. Sonata No. 1 in F minor Op. 80 Andante assai Allegro Brusco Andante Allegrissimo Prokofieff This sonata, which is dedicated to David Oistrakh, occupied Prokofieff on and off during the late 30's and early 40's. The rhythmic interest of the work is reflected in the multiple time- signatures of two of the movements. The first movement is in 3/4 and 4/4. The last movement has three time-signatures at its head: 5/8, 7/8, 8/8. The two basic ideas from which the first movement is constructed are the opening melody with its emphasis on the fall- ing fifth, and the melodic interval of a semitone, first heard as the violin enters. A striking texture is heard in the second half of the movement where a piano chordal-melody is accompanied by run- ning scales on the violin. The brilliant second movement, in C, opens marcatissimo e pesante and makes great play with the repeated-note rhythms heard at the opening. After a short transition the second main idea occurs, a big tune on the violin marked eroico, which is in two spans, the second being a varied and expanded form of the first. An enormous de- velopment, which is almost the main part of the movement, makes much use of the two main ideas, and then they are heard again, more or less complete, before the movement comes to its fiery end. The ternary shape of the Andante is clearly heard, the first section being characterised by the triplet accompaniment heard on the piano at the beginning, over which a tune eventually unwinds itself. A few tremolando notes are heard on the violin, in accompanying fashion, just before the middle section. This is in 12/8, in G, and the falling 6th followed by rising 5th of the melody is most insis- tent. The opening section returns with a more elaborate treatment and the tremolando violin notes again accompany the final notes on the piano. The last movement begins like some fiendish dance; a more tran- quil almost folk-song-like tune follows and provides a moment's respite before it accelerates back into the allegrissimo. The more tranquil tune is not heard again complete, as, towards the end of

the movement, it is replaced by a return to the piano-chordal melody with violin scale accompaniment first heard in the first movement. A short reference to the above-mentioned more tranquil folk-song-like tune brings the work to a quiet close. Partita in D minor for solo violin Allemande Courante Sarabande Gigue Chaconne If ever there was an enormous, outstanding monument not only in the history of violin music, but also in the minds and imaginations of all violinists, professional and amateur alike, then this is it. This kind of unaccompanied violin music, i.e. in which not only melody and harmony but also counterpoint is evident or implied, was peculiar to Germany until after Bach's time. There is no early Italian violin music of this kind. Bach's contemporary Telemann, for instance, wrote some engaging Fantasias for unaccompanied violin but probably the real precursor of this particular work is the Chaconne in G minor by Biber (1644-1704). Pianists will recognise the familiar pattern of the French Suite in the first four movements, though the movements of this Partita are on a larger scale. In the French Suites any extra movements (e.g. Minuet, Gavotte, etc.) are inserted between the Sarabande and the Gigue. In this work the chaconne is put at the end because of its epic size and character. It is really an enormous set of variations on the four-bar sequence of chords heard at the beginning. No superlatives are superlative enough to describe this music and though it has been arranged for other instruments, such as the well- known Busoni arrangement for piano, the little-known Brahms arrangement for piano left hand, and even the arrangement (was it Stokowskis?) for symphony orchestra, its size and grandeur only achieve perfect realisation when it is performed on the instrument for which it was intended. INTERVAL Bach Sonata in A major Op. 13 Allegro molto Andante Allegro vivo Allegro quasi presto Fauré Such is the lyrical, flowing quality of the music of the first move- ment of this work and such is the nature of Fauré's harmony and

key-establishment that it is difficult for the ear to pick up the second subject, especially as it consists of little more than a rising scale passage. Nevertheless there is a second subject and a development and recapitulation of the 1st and 2nd subjects in the classical pattern. Although the music may seem undynamic because of this, its endless limpidity does bring something new and beautifully ex- pressive to classical sonata form. This same texture is continued in the second movement, though the one and two-bar phrases which are repeated in answer to each other in a kind of dialogue give the music a slightly more motivic character. The third movement is a kind of scherzo with the unusual time of one crotchet in a bar. The 'trio' is in three in a bar. The last movement has two main musical ideas, the opening tune and a later, rising, syncopated scale passage. Though this move- ment can be considered a kind of rondo, the music is continuous. in feeling in the same way that the first two movements are, and so the distinctly different leggierissimo coda provides a satisfying end to this melodious work. Introduction and variations on 'Nel cor piu non misento' Caprice No. 9 Op. 1, La Chasse Paganini Everyone knows that Paganini was the world's greatest ever virtuoso violinist. Most people realise that he lived in the nineteenth century. The incredible thing is that he lived so early in that cen- tury. He was born in 1782 and died in 1840, facts which make his astonishing technical ability as reflected in his music as well as in contemporary accounts of his playing all the more astounding. The Caprice No. 9 shows some of the magnetic effects with which he entranced his audiences. It begins 'Sulla tastiera imitando il Flauto' and the answering passage is 'imitando il Corno sulla IIIa e IVa Corda'. The middle section is full of the wide leaps and spiccato bowing with which the 24 caprices abound. The reprise of the opening is taken in double harmonics, a passage which only the most super of super-human violinists can play. Members are asked to make every effort to avoid coughing during the performance In lieu of The Quartetto di Roma there will be a recital by PRO ARTE QUARTET on Friday, March 20th, 1970.