Belfast Music Society Celebrity Concerts 119.94 Programme

show and 281 ni bosogmo disco enoit MARKHAM and BROADWAY 1sq0ol on Two Pianos and anci19v OWI PROGRAMME Variations on the St. Anthony Chorale, Op. 56b Fantasy in F minor, Op. 103oad Sonata for Two Pianos (1953) Reminiscences de Don Juan Supported by the ARTS COUNCIL odpa Saturday, 11th May 1996 Elmwood Hall at 7.30pm This concert is sponsored by the Friends of the BMS mo81pl De ELFA BEL CITY C ST utoč COUNCIL Brahms Schubert Poulenc Liszt brda NATIONAL FEDERATION OF MUSIC SOCIETIES NEMS les oqmst doe 08 nos met 1x58 ods

MAR 089 Variations on the St. Anthony Chorale Composed in 1873, this work is still occasionally given its alternative title: 'Varia- tions on a theme of Haydn', but the wind serenade, from which the theme is taken, is no longer thought to be Haydn's work, but may be by Pleyel. The Variations exist in two versions, one for orchestra, and the present two-piano one, designated opus 56 a and b respectively; musically they are virtually identical. Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) After the theme is presented, there follows eight variations and an extended finale. As in all Brahms' sets of variations, the treatment of the theme is extremely subtle, and although the listener should recognise that he is listening to a variation of the theme, an actual analysis of how it has been transformed might need copious musical illustrations. But one of the theme's most obvious characteristics, the four-note motif with dotted rhythm that opens each of its sections, can be identified in most of the variations, sometimes smoothed out, as in (3), or inverted (ie upside down), as in (5) and (6). Variation (7) is a grazioso of barcarollic character, with one piano answering the other, and later on, delicious Brahmsian cross-rhythms. Variation (8) begins as a canon; Brahms was fond of such contrapuntal tricks, and also of writing variations on a repeating ground bass pattern. The finale of the 4th symphony is his most notable example of this, but also impressive is the present work's finale, a self-contained five- bar bass theme (derived from the original chorale melody), followed by 16 further statements of it, with a great variety of 'accompaniments'. Finally, the full St. Anthony theme returns for a triumphant last proclamation. Fantasy in F minor, D940 allegro molto moderato largo allegro vivace tempo 1 vsbruis2 Franz Schubert b9102nga ai sono (1797-1828) The beginning of 1828 found Schubert in good heart. A number of his works were scheduled for performance, and he was full of ideas for new and greater compositions. But his health was deteriorating rapidly, his body ravaged by the irreversible effects of the syphilis that he had contracted some six years earlier. The music he packed into the next ten months turned out to be the last works of his tragically short life.

The great expectations with which the year opened were not to be entirely fulfilled either the promised premiere of the 9th symphony was abandoned after a few disastrous rehearsals, a benefit concert of his latest compositions, though a financial success, was eclipsed in the press by the visit of Paganini, and while he longed to get to work on more large-scale compositions, his publishers were pestering him for saleable songs and piano music. This request resulted in three works for piano duet, the longest and greatest of which is the Fantasy, completed in April, and dedicated to his friend, Countess Caroline Esterhazy. The music plays continuously, but there are four clearly defined sections, corresponding to a normal sonata pattern, with a central slow movement (in F sharp!) and lively scherzo, complete with trio, before a last section that returns us to the music of the opening. The key of the largo may be unexpected (and reached quite unceremoniously!) but should not surprise us unduly. The Fantasy is full of the melodic beauties and harmonic and tonal twists and turns that make Schubert's mature works so fascinating. Sonata for Two Pianos Prologue: allegro molto : andante lyrico: epilogue Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) Poulenc's two major works for two pianos are very different in style. The concerto of 1932 is one of his most successful works, light-hearted, and full of an infectiously Mozartian spirit. The sonata, a much later work, is tougher fare altogether. It is one of the composer's most ambitious and serious compositions, which is not to say it is in any sense 'avant-garde' - Poulenc wasn't that sort of composer - but it has never become as familiar as the early piano duet sonata, for example. It was written for the duo of Gold and Fizdale, who gave the first performance on the BBC in November 1953. The opening movement is, as its title suggests, an introduction to the work as a whole. It begins with intriguing bell sounds, from which a serious, processional theme develops. There is also a more light-hearted tune, but it is the slow music that dominates. The scherzo is full of melodic fragments of pure Poulenc, but there is a long, slower, 'trio' section, somewhat Bartokian in character. The slow movement opens with the bell sounds, now chorale-like. They introduce a movement in the style of Poulenc's most profound religious choral music. 'Properly speaking', wrote the composer, 'the Epilogue is not a finale, but a recapitulation of the other three movements, preceded by a new theme'. This theme has something of the light- heartedness 'expected' of its composer, but it never really dominates the movement. Even though the sonata ends with an extrovert flourish, the work as a whole has, in the composer's words, 'the gravity of a string quartet'.

Reminiscences de Don Juan On Christmas Eve, 1840, Liszt wrote from Dublin to his 'partner' Marie d'Agoult, at home in Paris, 'I have set about half-a-dozen motifs from Der Freischutz ... I am going to set as many from Don Juan..' Liszt was in Ireland as part of his second 'British' tour as virtuoso pianist. The party spent nearly a month on this island, and the accounts of their stay (chronicled in detail by the singer John Parry) make entertaining reading. Like all English visitors (notably Dickens), they were fascinated by the 'characters' they encountered, and the social life, especially the whiskey and porter! Franz Liszt (1811-1886) Musically the visit was a mixed success - an audience of five attended his concert in Clonmel - but he was able to incorporate Irish folksongs into some of his improvisa- tions, and wrote down some pieces, including these Don Giovanni Reminiscences, which Parry related the composer played to him on January 6th: 'La ci darem has been perceived by him as a duet, the left hand playing the harp part and the right hand the soprano - it has a very beautiful and novel effect'. The duet, and two variations on it, comprises the work's central section. The slow opening is based on the 'statue' music, while the finale is based on the 'champagne' aria. The composer subsequently made this two-piano version. As a postscript, it may be added that Liszt's last concert before crossing to Scotland was on January 15th, where he played at the Belfast Music Hall before '200 people, at seven shillings each, with seven encores'! nobsuborunina, agus EVA Alec Macdonald ban hl 1996 giugnin

TONIGHT'S ARTISTS RALPH MARKHAM, born in Vancouver, Canada and KENNETH BROADWAY, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, met as students at the Cleveland Institute of Music while studying with Vronsky and Babin. After advanced studies in Paris and Munich with Rafael de Silva, teaching associate of Claudio Arrau, they combined careers and quickly established themselves with a series of acclaimed recitals throughout Europe. The artists now maintain homes in Vancouver and in Manhattan. Growing recognition for the brilliant and unique artistry of these duo-pianists is reflected in a growing number of important orchestral debuts. This year they open the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra season in performances of Brahms' Haydn Varia- tions and the Mozart concerto for two pianos under Christoph Perick. Recent orchestral engagements include Vienna Chamber Orchestra under Yehudi Menuhin, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra under Christoph Perick, Atlanta Symphony with Yoel Levy, Vancouver Symphony with Commissiona and Pacific Symphony Or- chestra with Carl St. Clair. Recent touring projects include appearances with the Northern Netherlands Orchestra in a national tour of Holland and with the Philharmonia Hungarica in Berlin and North America under the baton of Yehudi Menuhin. Ralph Markham and Kenneth Broadway give more than thirty recitals every season. Recent appearances include London's Wigmore Hall, Dublin, Glasgow, Belfast, New York, Los Angeles and Vancouver among other cities. buloni als with Yoel Levi They have recorded the 'Carnival of the Animals' with Yoel Levi and the Atlanta Symphony on the Telarc label. Upcoming recordings include a solo recital CD of mixed repertoire and an all-Liszt recital CD. February of 1989 saw the worldwide release of their highly acclaimed recording of Vaughan Williams' Concerto for Two Pianos with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on Virgin Classics. "Gramophone" magazine acclaimed their performance as 'profoundly impressive'. The duo-pianists' first album of original works for piano duet by Anton Rubinstein was released by RCA Records.

insVoi mod MAHARAM HTIAR NEXT CONCERT Saturday, 12th October 1996 PETER DONOHOE - piano Elmwood Hall - 7.30pm Next Season's Artists include: Fretwork (consort of violas) with Robin Blaze (counter-tenor); Julian Bream (guitar); Ian Bostridge (tenor) with Roger Vignoles (piano); stor The Lowbury Piano Trio; The Emperor String Quartet; The London Winds; Young Choon Park (piano) du noq yd sub

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