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Belfast Music Society
in association with
THE ARTS COUNCIL OF NORTHERN IRELAND
and
M
THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT, QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY
presents
NIGEL KENNEDY (Violin)
PETER PETTINGER (Piano)
Tuesday, 19th April 1988
7.30 p.m.
Elmwood Hall
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On Fire
1
Dave Heath was born in Manchester and studied in London as
a flautist with William Bennett at the Guildhall. He has
built a career as a player (notably in the free-jazz
group, Monk, with Nigel Kennedy) and as a composer,
writing film music, music for dance groups such as London
Contemporary Dance Theatre, music for pop groups, for the
saxophonist John Harle, and for new music ensembles.
1999
999
the fame
On Fire was originally written for the cellist Caroline
Dale in 1986, and re-arranged for Nigel Kennedy, who gave
the work its American premiere with Peter Pettinger at the
Kennedy Centre in Washington.
no. Hays
Dave Heath (b. 1956)
Dave Heath writes of the work "On Fire" is in one
movement, fast - slow, fast, with a quiet coda section.
The first part is a combination of contemporary rock linn
drum patterns in the piano part with Jimi Hendrix-like
north Indian violin lines. It builds up, before giving
way to a quiet section. Out of this comes a slow movement
and a cadenza for the solo violin. In the final section you
all the elements of the piece at last come together.'
Allemande
Courante
Sarabande
Partita in D minor for solo violin, JS Bach (1685-1750)
for solo violin, BWV 1004
Gigue
Chaconne
Janos
The years Bach spent as Kapellmeister and director of
chamber music to Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cothen were
perhaps the happiest of his life. Encouraged by the
prince, a keen amateur player of violin, viola da gamba
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and harpsichord, instrumental music poured from Bach's
pen.
Six sonatas for unaccompanied violin and six suites
for unaccompanied cello date from around 1720, supreme
examples of the polyphonic art, wonderfully concentrated
by the fact that only one instrument is involved, and
yielding rich rewards for the player and listener alike.
The violin set consists of three church sonatas and three
chamber sonatas or partitas. This partita has the four
conventional suite dances, each in two repeated sections.
A sensuous, flowing allemande is followed by a jaunty
courante, or running dance, which contrasts tripping
dotted figures with triplets. The stately, thoughtful
sarabande makes use of double-stopping, and the gigue is
breathtakingly nimble, exploring two and a half octaves on
the violin from its lowest note. The famous and
monumental chaconne which ends the partita is built on aer
constantly repeating bass pattern of only seven notes (D,
D, C sharp, D, B flat, G, A), occasionally simplified,
sometimes concealed in the texture, and, in the middle
major section, subtly varied. Above its strict design is
woven a filigree of improvisatory material, exploring the
language of the violin to an amazing extent.
Sonata No. 9 in A major,
Op. 47 ('Kreutzer)
* * * * * *
INTERVAL
********
Adagio sostenuto. Presto
Andante con variazioni
Presto
L van Beethoven (1770-1827)
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The Kreutzer sonata is a product of 1803, the marvellous
year in which Bethoven was also to write the Waldstein
piano sonata and the Eroica symphony. It was written
quickly for a performance in May by Beethoven himself and
a virtuoso violinist George Bridgetower; the dedication by
which it is known is to a Parisian violinist who never
played the work - Beethoven was anticipating a possible
e move to that city, a plan which came to naught.
concerts with
It is a pity that Bridgetower has not received his due
in fame by a dedication (the two men are supposed to have
to quarrelled over a girl), as his flamboyant playing style
undoubtedly inspired Beethoven. Born in Poland of a
PET European mother and an African father, he lived mainly in
England and was patronised by British royalty. For him,
Beethoven turned the sketches of a violin sonata into a
recevirtuoso work; 'written in a very concertante style like
that of a concerto' he wrote on the title-page of the
Bur first edition.
The slow introduction opens, unusually for the time, with
a gesture for solo violin, and, as the presto takes its
Els course, it can be seen that Beethoven not only sees the
Battinstruments as equals, but also is thinking in terms of a
alb public concert hall rather than the private salon.
en Although the opening violin phrase suggests A major, the
al piano establishes A minor. A two-note figure which does
emerges in the introduction becomes the catalyst for the
presto, where dramatic movement is relieved only by a
serene second subject in E minor; a polonaise-like closing
theme provides the main material for the development. The
recapitulation is delayed by a series of false starts but
then proceeds normally until the long coda draws all the
material together.
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WILLIA
18880008
The middle movement is a set of variations in F major
which allows both instruments to show their
characteristics. The mellow andante theme is in the form
of a minuet and trio: the first section heard twice, a
contrasting section (gracefully extended by cadences), and
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a return to the first idea, with those two sections again
repeated. This allows for a very full set of four
variations which never lose interest. The first is an
ornamented version for piano, the second gives the violin
its head, the third, in the minor, allows both instruments
to proceed together, so that it is noticeable when they
part company, and the fourth explores the upper reaches of
the treble of both instruments with thrills and
pizzicato.
A thoughtful coda sums the movement up.
An A major chord introduces a lively tarantelle in sonata
form which comprises the final movement. There are really
three main tunes, so like each other that they propel the
dance inexorably to a rousing conclusion.
Programme notes by Hilary Bracefield
NIGEL KENNEDY
✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
TONIGHT'S ARTISTS
Nigel Kennedy was born in Brighton and studied at the
Menuhin School and then at the Juilliard School in New
York. The BBC chose him as the subject of a 5-year
documentary on the development of a soloist, which
culminated in his Festival Hall debut with the
Philharmonia Orchestra and Muti in 1977. Since then he
has appeared with all the major British orchestras and at
all the leading UK festivals.
Nigel Kennedy has also toured Australia, New Zealand, the
Far East and the USA. In August 1985 he made his
successful Tanglewood Festival debut with the Boston.
Symphony and Previn, and later that year performed with
the orchestras in Detroit, Minnesota and Montreal, where
he was immediately re-invited to participate in their
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major tour of Canada. In January 1987 he joined the BBC
Symphony on their American tour, including his orchestral
debut in New York. He also performed with the Washington
National Symphony. In the 1987/88 season he is performing
with the Toronto Symphony, Minnesota Symphony and Montreal
Symphony, and will make his recital debut in Washington.
He is interested in all types of music. He has given jazz
concerts with Grappelli and his schedule includes concerts
with his own jazz group. He performed on Kate Bush's
single "Experiment IV" and there are plans for the artists
to do more work together in the future.
PETER PETTINGER
Peter Pettinger was born in Peterborough in 1945. He
received his classical training at the Royal Academy of
Music; since then he has travelled extensively throughout
Europe, Japan, Australia and the USA. He has composed and
arranged music for television for many years and, like
Nigel Kennedy, takes a particular pleasure in playing jazz.
His recordings include the violin and piano sonatas of
Bartok with Sandor Vegh, Elgar with Nigel Kennedy and an
album of jazz standards 'Strad Jazz' - also with Nigel
Kennedy. His recording of the complete piano music of
Elgar was released last year on the Chandos label.
*******
Plans for our next season include concerts by the BUDAPEST
WIND ENSEMBLE, MELISSA PHELPS, cello, the TRIO RAVEL,
WILLIAM HOWARD, piano, the STAMIC QUARTET from Prague, and
THE SONGMAKERS' ALMANAC. NICHOLAS AUSTIN, the young
Belfast pianist, will give a recital after the AGM.
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Full details will be sent in the next few weeks to BMS
members and to recipients of the ARTSLINK information from
the Arts Council. If you are not already a member of the
BMS and would like details of our plans, please leave your
name and address with one of the committee members at the
door tonight.
6
Name :
Please send me details of the 1988/89 BMS season
Address :
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