THE BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY OF NORTHERN IRELAND in association with THE ARTS COUNCIL OF NORTHERN IRELAND ord sbon ber ety and THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT, QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY moe 30 AS RALPH HOLMES (violin) GEOFFREY PRATLEY (piano) om nepodpis alif Fisherwick Presbyterian Church 14--0793-43600 ## 3 patby 7.30 p.m. PEPPA PI 258 Saturday 27 March 1982 odj 1000 dod

SONATA in E minor, K304 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Allegro Tempo di Minuetto Mozart's first sonatas for violin and piano were juvenilia (insofar as anything Mozart wrote could so be described); at the age of 22 he was fired by the perusal in Mannheim of some sonatas by Joseph Schuster to try his hand again at the medium. Seven works resulted, written in Mannheim and in Paris in 1778, and six were published in Paris in the same year. Mozart and his mother had made the trip from Salzburg in search of new patronage and possibil- ities for him: tragically his mother died in Paris and Mozart eventually returned to Salzburg with very little to show for his eighteen months away. The sonatas, however, show an interesting grasp of the possibilities of equal partnership between the two instruments rather than writing a keyboard sonata with instrumental obbligato. This duality of texture is their main importance, for most of the works (all in two movements) are of a witty and light, if expressive, Mannheim nature. The E minor sonata is an exception. Firstly, it is the only work that Mozart ever wrote in that key - a curious fact. Secondly, its greater depth and strength, despite the deceptively simple two movement form suggests that it might indeed have been written in the aftermath of coping with his mother's death. It certainly has a melancholy attraction which has made it the most played of these sonatas, is a pervading feeling of latent grief. there. The first movement is in sonata form, starting with both instruments in unison and according them equal weight. as the movement progresses. The second subject, introduced. by the piano, is in G major and builds on the dotted rhythm

2 already presented in the transition; the exposition ends, however, in a codetta anticipatory of Beethoven, in B minor. A very short development leads to a recapitulation of these) first subject in the violin with a more passionate piano accompaniment. The second subject returns in E minor, and vo the recapitulation is fully extended by a coda which hauntingly re-presents the main subject once more. The minuet of the second movement certainly sounds French and has a courtly grace. It is treated as a Rondo with two episodes, the first building on the actual material of the minuet, the second (in E major) a gentle contrast. SONATA in A major Allegretto ben moderato Allegro César Franck (1822-1890) Recitativo-Fantasia: Ben moderato Allegretto poco mosso This much-loved work dates from 1886 and is one of Franck's last compositions. It was written out of the friendship of the composer with the great Belgian violinist Eugene Ysaye, and particularly exploits the lyrical qualities of both violin and piano. None of the movements is in any conventional 'sonata' form, and the keys of the first three movements are never firmly established, but even without the definite re-quotation of themes from movement to movement in a cyclic structure modelled on Liszt, there is a feeling that the work is all of a piece, leading to the triumphant A major tune of the finale. The opening movement builds its arpeggiated violin subject on the opening dominant ninth chord, but extends it into a warm lyrical theme. The second theme is a passionate tune for piano, and in further restatements each always recurs in the instrument which introduced it. Indeed, the themes are so tuneful that the movement virtually consists of restatements in different keys.

The second movement functions as a scherzo and trio (each section occurring twice) essentially in D minor. Much of the material is akin to the violin subject of the first movement, but in listening one is more conscious of the development of line from beginning to end, notwithstanding the restless modulations and the beautiful arrest of tempo in the slow sections. 3 The third movement, Recitativo - Fantasia, could be said to be a meditation on what has gone before and an anticipation of what is to come. In key it seems to be hesitating between A minor and F sharp minor. Its very free form perhaps sug- gested itself from Franck's knowledge of organ literature. When the fourth movement begins we feel at home at last (despite considerable modulation) in A major; its chordal foursquare tune, played in canon, and its several episodes, all lead inexorably to the brilliant coda. SONATA (1917) ******************* 083 INTERVAL ******************* Claude Debussy (1862-1918) Allegro vivo Intermède: fantasque et léger Finale: très animé ROD The violin sonata was the third of a planned set of six sonatas 'for divers instruments' of which the last three were never written. It was completed early in 1917; Debussy himself was the pianist at its premiere. All commentators refer to these works as being in a neo-classic style, and Debussy invites this by his title and

published comments. Certainly this sonata is less impres-02 sionistic than much of his music: there is a clear melodic and harmonic design strongly diatonic in texture. Formally, however, the structure is so condensed that only close analysis reveals the many melodic and harmonic intervallic relationships. The first audiences for Debussy's late works felt uncomfortable in his new purity; the modern listener will find them forward-looking rather than backward, and. curiously appealing. The material of the first movement is all found in the opening section, but is considerably altered throughout. A middle section (a sort of development) moves magically vd through several keys, using a Chopin-like enharmonic change to return to the home key of G minor for a free recapitulation and increasingly impassioned coda.sevos teritors to dedue A whimsical middle movement is all stops and starts w and is reminiscent of such pieces as Golliwogg's Cakewalk. Here, too, there are moments of great passion and beauty.asd The ambivalent cadence seems to decide that the movement Leit has been heading for C major, but the music slyly continues downward to settle on G. The finale begins with an impressionistic wash of colour, through which is heard a reference to the first. movement theme, but explodes into a kind of perpetuum mobile interrupted by some still, faraway moments. It all becomes more menacing and disturbed, culminating in high trills for bi the violin and a sudden unconvincing cadence in G major. One is reminded that the work was written in the darkest days of World War I. shisid doa

5 SONATA no. 2, in A major, op. 100 Allegro amabile Andante tranquillo-Vivace Johannes Brahmsdug (1833-1897) ancie Allegretto grazioso (quasi Andante) -616303 Brahms's three sonatas for piano and violin (the order he uses in his titles) were all written in his maturity. The second sonata dates from the happy summer of 1886 spent at Lake Thun in Switzerland. Brahms was not only affected by the scenery and atmosphere written around the same time. at the lake, but also by songs Quotations from three or potr four of these are used in the sonata, notably for the second subject of the first movement, based on Wie melodien (op: 105 No. 1), and certainly the whole sonata has a warm melodious flow. The violin sings its way through the movements, the piano providing a sure accompaniment, but never, as in the b best songs, reduced only to a foil; the counterpoint between the two is part of Brahms's structure and is crucial to it. countdoo yiyle sleum da to 2 sot patouen head The first movement is in sonata form, both subjects woh being presented first by the piano. The second movement is a fascinating mixture of slow movement and scherzo, alternating between Andante and Vivace, in duple and triple.com time, and vascillating between its home key, F major, and von its relations D major and minor. Brahms has altered each idea on subsequent rehearings by subtle changes wrought by com key change or variations in treatment. The third movement d is a lyrical outpouring, with appearances of the opening 900 melody interrupted firstly by a passage akin to Brahms's ab piano intermezzi, and secondly by a more substantial episode rising to a passionate climax before a last return of the main theme, fading to a coda which blends the main theme with that of the episode. Programme notes by Hilary Bracefield

6 TONIGHT'S ARTISTS RALPH HOLMES is recognised as a violinist of the front rank, both in Britain and internationally. His teachers were David Martin at the Royal Academy of Music, Enescu in Paris and Galamian in New York. He is particularly admired for his performances of 20th century music: his concerto repertoire includes the concertos of Bartók, Berg, Schönberg and Shostakovich. In addition to his solo recitals, he also leads a piano trio and has made fine recordings, including sonatas by Delius and the unaccompanied Sonata of Bartók. Tonight's audience will perhaps know him for his recent best-selling Harty record with the Ulster Orchestra. GEOFFREY PRATLEY studied with Egerton Tidmarsh and John Willis at the Royal Academy of Music. He is well-known for his regular collaboration with Janet Baker and Paul Tortelier, with whom he has performed throughout Britain and in many other countries. His association with Ralph Holmes dates from 1964. He has made new realisations of several Baroque vocal and instrumental pieces, including a hitherto unknown Handel Cantata premiered by Janet Baker in New York. He is married to the distinguished soprano Wendy Eathorne.

SA Levox ad De SM bivad stew NEXT RECITAL Saturday 17 April, 7.30 p.m. Fisherwick Presbyterian Church act op diy belbade VI Colaul 30 BERNADETTE GREEVY (mezzo-soprano) HAVELOCK NELSON (piano) won oben B sa nemue s Ispo Mahler: Kindertotenlieder and songs by Purcell, Debussy, Stanford and Rodrigo