THE BELFAST MUSIC SOCIETY in association with THE ARTS COUNCIL OF NORTHERN IRELAND and THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT, QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY presents PETER FRANKL (Piano) Saturday 17 January 1987 7.30 p.m. Elmwood Hall

Fantasy in d minor, K 397 Adagio in b minor, K 540 Menuet in D major, K 355 Rondo in D major, K 485 - 1 - W.A. Mozart (1756-1791) Mozart's output for the piano includes not only some 22 sonatas, but also a large number of smaller pieces, including over a dozen sets of variations, and many miscellaneous pieces, from K 1, written when he was 5 years old, to such pieces as the well-known f minor fantasia, K 616, originally for mechanical organ, dating from the very last year of his life. bred Mozart actually composed four works which he called Fantasia; the first two probably date from 1782, one in c minor, and the other the better known work in d minor. The comparatively few piano works composed at this time show Mozart's interest in the music of the Bach family; both J.S. (in his fugues, prelude and fugue K 394, and the suite K 399), and, in the fantasias, Bach's son, C.P.E., whose free-form and wide-ranging fantasias are among his most interesting compositions. In fact Mozart's interest seems to have waned rapidly, as most of the fugues and fantasias were left incomplete and were finished by hist friend, the composer Stadler. The d minor fantasy was left by its composer on an inclusive dominant 7th chord, and the last ten bars were added later. There are three. sections: an opening andante, built on arpeggios, an adagio, whose material quickly breaks down into sighing melodic fragments, and is twice rudely interrupted by sudden presto scale passages, and a final D major allegretto. Belugbdo The fantasia-like Adagio in b minor was, according to its composer, written on 19th March, 1788, in Vienna. It is a remarkably emotional work; highly chromatic, basisb characterised by suspensions and diminished 7ths, and one of the very few works Mozart composed in that particular key. Its mood perhaps reflects the composer's at a

particular difficult period, especially with regard to his financial state. - 2- Mozart's earliest piano pieces were simple minuets, but they are a long way from the D major minuet, composed possibly in 1786, which contains in its short length all the hallmarks of its composer's mature keyboard style. The Rondo in D, dated on the manuscript 10th January, 1786, isn't in fact really a rondo at all in the normal use of the term, though the opening theme, which Mozart used in a number of other compositions throughout his career, does appear regularly through the course of the movement. Sonata no 3 in b minor, Op 58 allegro maestoso dora scherzo: molto vivace largo finale: presto non tanto (agitato) 1380N F. Chopin (1810-1849) The last of Chopin's sonatas was composed in the summer of 1844- that is, five years after the well-known 'funeral mar ch' sonata. Both sonatas were written at the chateau at Nohant owned by the novelist George Sand, with whom Chopin was living. The b minor sonata, although containing many typically Chopinesque fingerprints, breathes a distinctly German atmosphere, compared to the Polish-flavoured Italianate character of much of his music. The first movement is characterised by a host of subtle, minutely detailed motivic, harmonic and rhythmic cross-references. It would be quite beyond the scope of these notes to detail these here, and in any case, such description would be meaningless without a score, but even for the casual

- 3 - listener, the opening bars provide a good example of Chopin's skill - a descending phrase, echoed a bar later by its ascending mirror image. The interested listener is recommended to read the masterly study of Chopin's life. and music, recently published by Jim Samson, one of Queens' most distinguished graduates. Briefly, however, underlying all these details is a basic sonata form structure, with a lyrical second subject in D major, a brief development section and telescoped recapitulation, rounded off with an eloquent coda. beye The E flat scherzo is a light-fingered moto perpetuo. The contrasting central section is in B major, a seemingly totally unrelated key, but the final E flat of the scherzo is tied to the opening D sharp of the trio - i.e. the same note, but now the 3rd of the new key. This trio is warm and sonorous, with a fluidity due to the frequent tying of the internal melodic line across the onsorie barlines. The nocturne-like largo, also in B major, begins with a forceful call to attention. What follows, however, is one of Chopin's most beautifully lyrical themes. Equally exquisite is the E major central section with its constant quaver motion, painting, for this listener at any rate, a scene, perhaps moonlit, (à la Beethoven) of gently flowing water. ni boldiana The finale is a lively tarantella, with a second theme that is harmonised in Chopin's richest vein. The two themes alternate, becoming increasingly more tempestuous as the movement rushes to its fortissimo conclusion. INTERVAL

Three Intermezzi, Op 117 - 4- J. Brahms (1833-1897) The piano occupies a central position in Brahms's life. His career as a pianist began inauspiciously as a pub pianist in Hamburg in his early teens, continued through concert tours and performances of most of his major works, including both concertos, and ended with his performance with Mühlfeld of the two clarinet sonatas, in Vienna, two years before his death. As might be expected, then, the piano features in the majority of his compositions. A very self-critical composer, he destroyed not just many, but most, of his early works, but his Opp. 1 to 5 include three sonatas for his instrument. Towards the end of his life, in 1892-3, he composed four sets of piano pieces; 7 Fantasias, Op 116, 3 Intermezzi, Op 117, and two sets of mixed pieces, Opp 118 and 119, containing ten pieces in all. Seven of these bear the title 'Intermezzo' too; and counting the four intermezzi in Op 116, a further four in Op 76, and the third of the early Op 10 Ballades, that makes nineteen in all obviously the intermezzo was a popular title with Brahms for his smaller pieces. The first of the aforementioned Op 10 pieces was inspired by the old Scottish ballad 'Edward', printed in a German translation in a collection of folksongs by Her der.. The opening theme of the ballad is actually a setting of the opening words of the poem. Another Her der Scottish folksong inspired the first of the Op 117 Intermezzi - in E flat one of Brahms's best known piano pieces. At the top of the manuscript, Brahms quotes the opening of the poem - 'Schlaf sanft, mein Kind..' (sleep softly, my child..) - which fits the opening theme, characteristically appearing in the middle of the texture. The middle section of this first intermezzo, in the minor, retains the simple phrasing of the opening, but the return of the opening states the material in a developed form with more complex textures.

Brahms's love for the character of the lullaby is clearly shown in this first piece, which is very obviously a close relative of the piece popularly known simply as 'Brahms's lullaby..The third intermezzo, in c sharp minor, and in duple time, with its opening theme stated in parallel octaves, is less obviously a lullaby, but Brahms himself called the piece 'the lullaby of all my griefs'; it is again in simple three part form. In contrast, number 2, in b flat minor, has a continuous structure, with a clear second subject in D flat major. from Preludes, book 2 1. 2. 3. 4. - 5- 11. Brouillards (mists) (modéré, extrêmement égal et léger) Feuilles mortes (dead leaves) (lent et mélancolique) C. Debussy (1862-1918) La Puerto del Vino (movement de Habanera - avec de brusques oppositions d'extrême violence et de passionnée douceur). Les fées sont d'exquises danseuses (fairies are exquisite dancers) (rapide et léger) Les tierces alternées (alternating thirds) (modérément animé) 12. Feux d'artifice (fireworks) (modérément animé) Debussy's two sets of preludes, each consisting of 12 pieces, were published in 1910 and 1913 respectively. Each prelude has a title, significantly placed by Debussy at the end of each prelude, not at the beginning; perhaps

- 6- this implies that the composer wishes each piece to be heard primarily as an abstract, rather than a descriptive, movement. Most of the titles are self-explanatory, but it is worth pointing out that the Puerto del Vino is a gateway of the Alhambra Palace in Granada; apparently the composer Falla sent Debussy a postcard of the scene. The music portrays not so much the gateway itself, but the turbulent life of the piazza in front of it, with its 'violent contrasts of extreme violence and passionate gentleness', as Debussy described the music. It was Falla who described Debussy as the greatest composer of Spanish music; yet ironically, Debussy never set foot in that country. The last prelude of the set is one of Debussy's most virtuoso compositions; a glittering picture of a Bastille Day firework display. And listen out for the brief echo of the Marseillaise at the conclusion of this exciting piece. L'Isle Joyeuse C. Debussy This is a display piece like Feux d'artifice, but this time from earlier in Debussy's career (1904); it was actually originally intended for inclusion in the Suite Bergamasque. One of the most extrovert and immediately accessible of all its composer's compositions, L'Isle Joyeuse was inspired by Watteau's painting 'The Embarkment for Cythera', a painting that also, incidentally, inspired a charming two-piano piece by Poulenc. Perhaps it is worth concluding with Debussy's own thoughts on L'Isle Joyeuse: 'God, how difficult it is to perform... it seems to assemble all the ways to attack a piano, since it unites force and grace'. Alec Macdonald

- 7 - TONIGHT'S ARTIST PETER FRANKL is recognised as one of the outstanding pianists of his generation and is in exceptional demand internationally. Living in London, he plays an active part in the city's musical life, per forming regularly with the major orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, London Symphony and the BBC Symphony. He has often participated in the London Promenade concerts and at the Edinburgh Festival. Peter Frankl was born and studied in Budapest. He won first prize in the Marguerite Long Competition in Paris in 1957 and first prize in the 1959 Rio de Janeiro International Competition. It was his first major North American tour which confirmed his international status: this tour culminated in appearances in New York and cleveland under George Szell, and ever since he has appeared with the most famous American orchestras - the Chicago Symphony, Cleveland, Washington National Symphony, Boston Symphony, Philadelphia, Los Angeles Philharmonic etc. His tours have taken him to all five continents: last season he returned once more to New Zealand and this season he returns to Australia. Peter Frankl plays regularly in the major European centres and, amongst others, has appeared with the Berlin Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, Concertgebouw and Israel Philharmonic. Some of the many great conductors with whom he has worked include Sir George Solti, Sir Colin Davis, Bernard Haitink and Klaus Tennstedt. Future engagements include concerts in the U.S.A., Israel, West and East Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and the U.K. This summer he will appear at various festivals in Finland, at the Lichfield and

-8- Cheltenham Festivals in the U.K. and the London Promenade Concerts. Every season he returns to give a series of concerts in Hungary. wa ni ai bus no Mr Frankl also enjoys playing chamber music and, together with the violinist Gyorgy Pauk and the cellist Ralph Kirshbaum, forms a highly successful trio partnership giving concerts throughout the world. This season their engagements will include their second tour of the U.S.A. and a Beethoven cycle in London. to psd Peter Frankl has made a number of recordings of concertos, chamber music and solo works, including the complete piano music of Debussy and Schumann. **** NEXT RECITAL er nose youdest Saturday 28 February 1987 7.30 pm, Elmwood Hall 41300 LONTANO bas lal 0024