Belfast Music Society in association with THE ARTS COUNCIL OF NORTHERN IRELAND and THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT, QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY presents MELISSA PHELPS (cello) JULIAN JACOBSON (piano) #emoo Saturday 5 November 1988 7.30 pm Elmwood Hall

1 5 Stücke im Volkston Op 102 Robert Schumann (1810-1856) Schumann's two works for cello and piano, the pieces in folk-style and the Phantasiestücke, originally composed for clarinet, both date from 1849. At this time, Schumann was at the height of his powers, with no sign of the mental breakdown that was to cut him down only a few years later. A rapid succession of new works poured from his pen; apart from the two cello works, he composed the adagio and allegro for horn and piano and the Konzertstück for 4 horns and orchestra, as well as various songs and choral works. The 5 folksong pieces were written in just three days in April. Within weeks his life was to be disrupted, fortunately only temporarily, by an uprising in the city of Dresden which forced him and his family to flee. (This was in contrast to Wagner, incidentally; he stayed and helped to man barricades!) The first piece is marked 'with humour', bears the subtitle 'Vanitas Vanitatum' (Vanity of vanities), and is a sort of stamping dance. It is followed by a slow, lyrical, song-like movement, then a lilting movement in 6/8. There follows a rather stormy piece, perhaps the most overtly Schumannesque in the set, which begins with forceful octaves and continues with a beautifully yearning phrase. Finally there comes a lively. movement, marked 'vigorous and accented', which alternates groups of 2 and 3 in a way that provides great rhythmic interest.

Cello Sonata in C Op 102 no 1 Ludwig van Beethoven imagined p (1770-1827) Andante-allegro vivace Adagio-andante-allegro vivace de Beethoven composed five sonatas for cello and 10 piano, and they span the whole of his career; the two early sonatas of Op 5 date from 1796, the great A major from 1808, and the last two, which make up. Op 102, from 1815. The C major sonata is a typical. product of Beethoven's later period, with experiments in form, including linking of movements, coupled with a rather austere musical idom, pared down to its bare essentials, brief motifs, and an often jagged melodic line with abrupt changes of bob register. The cello is used in both the lowest and highest parts of its range. 1913 yieaudemq ploodgmye edd lend a oni bodlew sd) dagblaas The opening andante in 6/8 leads directly into the allegro vivace movement whose key is A minor. A brief and troubled recicative-like adagio follows, passing directly into a brief reminder of the 1d opening andante and straight on into the final movement which is based on a rising four note motif. At the end the music gradually fades away on this motif, before a final flourish from both instruments. the Elégie Op 24 Papillon Op 77 2 10101 ***** INTERVAL * * * * * * Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) Fauré enjoyed a long composing career that lasted well into the 20th century, and wrote his two major works for cello and piano, the two sonatas, when he was over 70. He also composed a

3 number of shorter pieces for cello, including the two being played tonight: the Elégie in C minor (1880), one of his best loved pieces, later orchestrated, and Papillon (Butterfly). Cello Sonata in A Allegretto ben marcato Allegro César Franck (1822-1890) Recitativo-fantasia Allegretto poco mosso 146900 Franck, who was of Belgian nationality, was a famous organist, and the great majority of his mature music was for the organ. His three best known composition not for this medium all date from the last five years of his life, which ended. prematurely from the after-affects of a street accident (he walked into a bus); the Symphonic Variations, the Symphony in D minor and this sonata, which is actually the violin sonata in another guise. It was written in 1886 and dedicated to the great Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaye. The sonata is one of the best examples of what is called cyclic form, where themes from earlier movements recur in later parts of the work, or where there is a main 'motto theme that reappears in different guises throughout. In the violin/cello sonata, the motto theme is stated at the opening, and the whole sonata grows from it. It is characterised by the interval of a third, and this melodic shape dominates the music of the other movements. The main theme is almost always heard on the cello with the piano playing a purely accompanying role; the second theme, however, is largely heard on the piano. When the cello comes back in after the piano theme, there is a hint of the canonic writing that is to be such a feature of the finale.

The D minor scherzo is chromatic and animated, and involves a notoriously tricky piano part. It ends triumphantly in the major. Franck the organist seems to be in the foreground in the 3rd movement, which begins with a long recitative and expands in a powerful rhapsodic style of impassioned eloquence. The opening of the rondo finale is a famous example of a canon, with the cello following the piano at one bar's distance, and canonic writing abounds in this movement. The development section is full of rich harmonies and modulations. The work ends with a virtuoso coda. TONIGHT'S ARTISTS Alec Macdonald Described by the Sunday Telegraph as 'one of the most enterprising of our younger cellists', Melissa Phelps has demonstrated a wide range of musical interests in her flourishing career. She has been heard in Britain and in Europe both as a concerto soloist and recitalist, and is in wide demand as a chamber music player; she is a member of the Trio of London and the Prometheus and Arienski Ensembles. She also teaches at the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she was appointed a professor in 1979. Melissa Phelps studied with Paul Tortelier and Joan Dickson; another major musical influence was the late Jacqueline Du Pré. Melissa appeared in Miss Du Pré's master classes on BBC Television. Julian Jacobson is widely acknowledged as a pianist of exceptional breadth and authority. He enjoys a busy career in Britain and abroad, encompassing both solo work, in recital and with orchestra, and chamber music with many

5 distinguished instrumentalists. His solo repertoire includes Ligeti's recent Etudes for piano. He has appeared at the major British and European festivals, broadcasts frequently on Radio 3, and has made several commercial recordings, as well as a series of encore pieces for various artists. abo NEXT RECITAL THE TRIO RAVEL Elmwood Hall Saturday, 22nd January 1989 4 p.m. (please note time)