Belfast Music Society 1ly westten for in association with THE ARTS COUNCIL OF NORTHERN IRELAND and i a quiet THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT, QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY presents NIGEL KENNEDY (Violin) of the PETER PETTINGER (Piano) Tuesday, 19th April 1988 7.30 p.m. Elmwood Hall

On Fire 1 Dave Heath (b. 1956) 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. 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. 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 all the elements of the piece at last come together.' rather than the Partita in D minor for solo violin, J S Bach (1685-1750) for solo violin, BWV1004 se Allemande the a Courante Sarabande Gigue lonai for the d es of Tal Chaconne 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

2 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 a 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. INTERVAL Sonata No. 9 in A major, Op. 47 ('Kreutzer) Adagio sostenuto. Presto Andante con variazioni Presto L van Beethoven (1770-1827)

3 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 move to that city, a plan which came to naught. It is a pity that Bridgetower has not received his due fame by a dedication (the two men are supposed to have quarrelled over a girl), as his flamboyant playing style undoubtedly inspired Beethoven. Born in Poland of a 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 virtuoso work; 'written in a very concertante style like that of a concerto' he wrote on the title-page of the first edition. He has composed The slow introduction opens, unusually for the time, with a gesture for solo violin, and, as the presto takes its course, it can be seen that Beethoven not only sees the instruments as equals, but also is thinking in terms of a public concert hall rather than the private salon. Although the opening violin phrase suggests A major, the piano establishes A minor. A two-note figure which 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. 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

4 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 TONIGHT'S ARTISTS NIGEL KENNEDY 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

5 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.

6 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. Please send me details of the 1988/89 BMS season Name: . Address:. bos H Logou ... Post Code 12 bes γελα πλ 35 os onsiq bns n