THE BELFAST MUSIC SOCIETY Ci ELEBRITY CONCERTS -1989-90- Sept 897 AT THE ELMWOOD HALL

THE RT. HON. THE LORD MAYOR COUNCILLOR REGINALD N. M. EMPEY, B.Sc. (BOON.) I am very pleased indeed to have this opportunity to congratulate the Belfast Music Society on the programme of Celebrity Concerts which has been organised for the 1989/90 season. The Society has been presenting concerts of first-rate chamber music for almost 70 years. During this time its members have made a valuable contribution to the cultural life of our City and on behalf of the citizens of Belfast I wish to express sincere thanks. Belfast City Council is delighted to be sponsoring the Barry Douglas concert. This internationally renowned pianist has brought great honour to Belfast and has been an excellent ambassador for our city. It is always a pleasure to welcome Barry back to Belfast and I feel sure he will once again delight the audience in the Elmwood Hall tonight. I wish you all a very enjoyable evening. Reg. Empers. LORD MAYOR

Dut variation to from two figuration. Lacr BARRY DOUGLAS (piano) ********* Sonata in E major op 109 6 Piano Pieces op 118 INTERVAL dvo 2 Preludes and Fugues Sonata in F minor op 57 'Appassionata' Beethoven Brahms Shostakovich Beethoven logy

Sonata in E major, op 109 LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Vivace ma non troppo - adagio espressivo Prestissimo Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo After composing his mammoth Hammerklavier sonata, arguably his greatest contribution to the medium, and while working on the Choral Symphony and the Missa Solemnis, Beethoven wrote his last three sonatas. Dating from 1820-22, these masterpieces have been considered a trilogy, but it would be safer to call them complementary; all three turn traditional processes such as sonata form, fugue and variation to highly individual ends. In them Beethoven achieved a remarkable blend of intimacy and intense concentration. In the E major sonata, two very brief but strongly contrasted movements are followed by a much longer slow low finale. Equally unusually, the first movement is built sq from two themes in very different tempi - the first lively, and based on a regular semiquaver pattern of Bachian mod figuration, the other, in total contrast, slow and freely rhapsodic. The second movement, a scherzo in E minor, you breaks straight in. Again it isn't a traditional scherzo movement, as it plays continuously, with no trio. The finale is built on a simple hymn-like theme in E major. The variations that follow have widely contrasted textures in which contrapuntal procedures play an increasingly large rôle. In the sixth and final variation, the notes become increasingly more rapid until they turn into a massiveyd trill. After this the original theme returns to bring the sonata to a quiet conclusion. inequopos pnille: biasa painago edi sedy nave bns bedesign ozem si anamwom bouqsoes yliody soven el boom aloep eds Boles

6 Piano Pieces, op 118 Intermezzo in A minor Intermezzo in A major Ballade in G minor Intermezzo in F minor Romanze in F major Intermezzo in E flat minor 1105 JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-97) Apart from the early set of four ballades, written in 1854, Brahms composed five sets of short piano pieces; the eight pieces of opus 76 (1878) and then the four late sets, op 116-119, all composed around 1892. Of all the pieces in these sets, the intermezzo is by far the most popular form 18 out of a total of 28 movements; 4 of the present set, it will be noted, are intermezzi. non The first intermezzo is marked allegro non assai, ma molto appassionato. As this implies, the movement is passionate and stormy. The three note descending figure heard at the opening dominates the piece. There follows a tender intermezzo; there is a central section in F sharp minor with stormy tripiet accompaniment, which itself gives way to a brief chordal hymn in F sharp major before the minor key and the opening sections' return. The third piece is an energetic ballade with a gentler central section. The intermezzo that follows is agitated, but the central part of the movement is hushed and marked dolce sempre, always sweetly. The fifth piece is a hymn-like romance in 6/4. On its subsequent statements, the theme is decorated with beautiful inner parts and descants. The central, rocking, D major section is marked allegretto grazioso The plainsong-like melody of the sombre closing intermezzo is heard almost imperceptibly at first over a rolling accompaniment figure. The central part of the movement is more agitated and even when the opening music returns, the gentle mood is never wholly recaptured.

Prelude and Fugue no 15 in D flat major Prelude and Fugue no 24 in D minor DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-75) Although, according to his autobiography, he began piano lessons very unwillingly, Shostakovich made rapid progress, and by the time he was studying at the Conservatoire in St Petersburg, he was revealed as a Like pianist of considerable ability. His graduation recital in 1923, including a Bach prelude and fugue, and Beethoven's Waldstein sonata, was awarded an A+ by Professor Glazunov. It is surprising, then, that Shostakovich composed comparatively few works for his instrument. The set of 24 preludes and fugues was inspired by the 200th anniversary of Bach's death, in 1750, and was written in 1950-1. Bach, Shostakovich writes a prelude and fugue in each of the twelve major and minor keys; Shostakovich, however, adopts a different plan from Bach, beginning with preludes and fugues in C major and A minor respectively, moving through the sharp keys to F sharp (no 13), then moving back through the flat keys from D flat minor (no 14) to F major and D minor respectively. The styles of the pieces are many and varied, from simple folksong to grand soviet-style rhetoric, and including others that are closer in style to Shostakovich's Bachian models. The D flat prelude (allegretto) is in the composer's most quirky and sarcastic idiom. After several 'wrong' notes, it ends unmistakably in the home key. The fugue bursts straight in; in surprising contrast, its opening is hardly in a key at all, but the music manages eventually to shake itself clear of any atonal connotations and end triumphantly, correctly in D flat. The D minor pair that concludes the set sums up all the disparate aspects of Shostakovich's style. The prelude (andante) presents a simple melody in a rather grandiose way. There is a gentler second theme that turns out to be the main theme of

the fugue (moderato) that follows. Midway through the fugue, the tempo accelerates, and a second, running theme appears. Finally Shostakovich, with great compositional dexterity, and demanding similar pianistic dexterity, combines both themes. The movement, and the set, comes to a majestic close, fff. Sonata in F minor, op 57 (Appassionata) Assai allegro Andante con moto Allegro ma non troppo BEETHOVEN The dramatic expansion of form, and thus of dimensions, found in the Eroica symphony is reflected also in Beethoven's two most famous 'middle period' sonatas, the Waldstein and the Appassionata. The title of the latter wasn't the composer's, but was added by his publishers when the sonata appeared in 1807. It is, however, an appropriate title for such a moody work - alternately stormy and gentle. The first movement, indeed, is a study in great contrasts, using the full range of expression obtainable (and perhaps more) from the keyboards of the period and also using the full pitch range of the instrument. The slow movement, by comparison, is unexpectedly simple, but its simplicity is deliberate, the calm after the storm of the opening, and before the hectic finale. The movement is in the form of a theme and variations; in the context of the almost unchanging D flat harmony, the modulation to the dominant key (A flat) at the end has the effect of a world-shattering event. The finale bursts straight in. Tension builds up throughout, being only dispersed by the marvellously dramatic effect of the final coda as the sonata hurtles to its close. Jeop Alec Macdonald 1

BARRY DOUGLAS In July 1986 Barry Douglas becamse the first western pianist since Van Cliburn to win outright the coveted Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow. Born in Belfast in 1960 Barry Douglas studied in Belfast, in London at the Royal College of Music with John Barstow, and more recently with Maria Curcio in London. Although the Tchaikovsky Competition has shot him to international fame, he was already recognised in this country as a fast-emerging talent. As early as 1982 The Daily Telegraph called him "The most prodigiously talented of the younger generation of British pianists" and at his Prom debut in 1985 The Financial Times heralded him as "probably the most brilliant young pianist to emerge from these islands for many decades." Douglas has given recitals in Amsterdam, Munich, Frankfurt, Paris, Vienna, Milan, Chicago, Stockholm and London. Orchestral engagements include the Bayerischer Rundfunk, Berlin Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic and all London Orchestras. Last season he made three tours of the USA including New York and Washington recitals, and has appeared in the summer festivals in Blossom and Hollywood Bowl. This season includes his second tour of Japan and first tour of New Zealand, and three visits to the USA (including his New York orchestral debut with the St Louis Symphony and Slatkin) and a tour in Eastern Europe with the BBC Philharmonic. He has an exclusive contract with RCA, and has recorded the Tchaikovsky Concerto (London Symphony Orchestra and Slatkin), Brahms Piano Concerto No 1 (LSO and Skrowaczewski), Mussorgsky 'Pictures at an Exhibition',

Beethoven Hammerklavier Sonata, the Brahms Quintet in F minor with the Tokyo Quartet together with some Brahms solo pieces from Op 116 and the Tchaikovsky Sonata in G. Shortly to be recorded are the Liszt Concerti and Hungarian Rhapsody (LSO and Jun'ichi Hirokami). Douglas has made several TV appearances, and appears in "Madame Sousatzka", a film by John Schlesinger starring Shirley Maclaine. onl bos 083) iercipibotc ns ste atm NEXT RECITAL EMMA JOHNSON, Clarinet and GORDON BACK, piano Saturday 20 January 1990 7.30 pm Elmwood Hall puod 12A 1631197 IAR ser einz 2 2593

77 The BMS has been presenting concerts of first-rate chamber music, including masterpieces which are landmarks in European culture, for almost 70 years. Some of the world-famous artists who have played and sung for us have included the Amadeus Quartet, Elly Ameling, Claudio Arrau, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Janet Baker, Pierre Bernac and Francis Poulenc, Alfred Brendel, Kathleen Ferrier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, John Lill, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Gerard Souzay and Rosalyn Tureck. Copies of BMS brochures available from the Secretary, Janet Quigg, 48, Bawnmore Road, Belfast, BT9 6LB, tel. 660115. CITY HOSPITAL ELMWOOD HALL LISBURN ROAD camot ELMWOOD AVENUE COLLEGE GARDENS EMER METHODIST COLLEGE WELLESLEY AVENUE 1000 LOWER CRES MOUNT CHARLES DONEGALL PASS C UNIVERSITY STREET UNIVERSITY SQUARE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY BOTANIC GARDENS