PAUL CROSSLEY FIRS 0 NEW VOICES FOR Piano PROGRAMME ARTS COUNCIL Des

PAUL CROSSLEY (PIANO) Paul Crossley studied the piano with Fanny Waterman, and in Paris, with Olivier Messiaen and Yvonne Loriod. He is particularly renowned as one of the world's foremost authorities on 20th- century music, a fact recognised by many leading composers who have written works especially for him. His extensive discography includes the complete solo piano works of Tippett, Janacek, Fauré, Ravel and Poulenc. He has also recorded the major works for piano and orchestra of Messiaen and Stravinsky; the latter with the London Sinfonietta, was awarded several international prizes. Under his exclusive contract with Sony Classical, he is currently recording the complete solo piano music of Debussy, Paul Crossley is also well-known as a The monumental 'Vingt regards...' dates from the period of Messiaen's life immediately after his release from prisoner-of-war camp when he was appointed Professor of Harmony at the Paris Conservatoire. The work has been. described as one of the great peaks of twentieth-century piano writing' and consists of twenty separate but inter- related movements, each representing a 'view' or contemplation of the infant Jesus. Three themes in particular make appearances throughout the work and serve to unify the music: Messiaen calls these the 'God' theme, 'The Star and the Cross' theme and the theme of harmonies/chords'. The first of these is heard in 'Première communion de la Vierge', a movement representing the Virgin on her knees, surrounded by a halo of light, in adoration of the precious child in her womb. She is overwhelmed with broadcaster. In the last five years he has written and presented two critically- acclaimed series for Channel 4 on major figures of 20th-century music, featuring the London Sinfonietta of which he has been the Artistic Director since 1988. Additionally there have been programmes for German television on Poulenc and for the BBC on Ravel and Liszt, with a major project on Debussy in preparation. "PREMIÈRE COMMUNION DE LA VIERGE NÖEL” FROM "VINGT REGARDS SUR L'ENFANT JÉSUS” (1944) MESSIAEN Highlights of this season include the world premiere of Takemitsu's "quotation of dream", a work for two pianos and orchestra, with Peter Serkin, and performances of the Lutoslawski Piano Concerto with the composer conducting. Born in Glasgow in 1952, Oliver Knussen is one of the best known British composers of his generation, and a much sought-after conductor of contemporary music both in Britain and abroad. After Paul Crossley has recently been elected an Honorary Fellow of Mansfield College, Oxford. wordless love for the infant, whose beating heart is symbolised in the slow, pulsing rhythm of the music. In 'Nöel' we hear the carillon of Christmas bells celebrating the holy family. Though Messiaen is independent of any 'school' of compositional thought, his approach to harmony and rhythm have. much in common with those of Stravinsky and Debussy. Debussy's piano music makes particularly interesting comparison with that of Messiaen for the way in which rhythm seems independent from pulse or harmony and is treated freely, almost without reference to the restraints of the bar lines. In Messiacn's case, however, the importance of rhythm as a musical ingredient is taken a stage further: abandoning the rhythmic function of the bar line altogether, he explores independent rhythmic ideas of different durations in a complex but strictly controlled web of counterpoint. "VARIATIONS Or. 24" (1989) OLIVER KNUSSEN studies in America, he returned to the UK in 1975 and has since lived near London where he is Associate Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and appears regularly with the major London

and national orchestras. The Variations (Op 24) were written between September and October 1989. Knussen has commented on the inspiration provided by the variations of Stravinsky, Copland and Webern, which were constantly in his mind during the composition of the piece: all three are examples of rich inventiveness combined with extreme concision, and the twelve variations of Knussen's own set last little longer than six minutes in all. He says "I have tried to integrate some highly Michael Vyner was for many years Artistic Director of the London Sinfonietta, and an ardent and influential supporter and promoter of contemporary music. His death in 1990 was marked by a memorial concert in London on 6th May that year, for which new pieces were commissioned from composers with whom Vyner had been closely associated. This brief work, lasting one-and-a-half minutes, was especially written for the memorial concert, and was premiered by Paul Crossley. Berio has for many years been resident in the United States, and is active all over the world as a composer, conductor and teacher. Early visits to the US had proved crucial to Berio's musical development, stimulating amongst other things an interest in electronic music which resulted in the mid '50's in his "LEAF" (IN MEMORIAM MICHAEL VYNER) BERIO Born in Tokyo in 1930, Takemitsu is widely regarded as the foremost Japanese composer since the Second World War. In 1990, his sixtieth birthday year, his music was honoured with Festivals and concerts around the world, and he was a key figure in last year's Japan Festival. Takemitsu's work 'Litany', which is an adaptation of his first composition 'Lento in due movimenti', received its first performance at the memorial concert for Michael Vyner in 1990. contrasted textural and expressive approaches to a very limited amount of raw material (the theme is itself variations on its first six notes) within a three-part dramatic design: an initial group of five character variations, and al final set of three, more étude-like variations functioning as coda to the whole". The original piece dated from 1950, and had been written while the composer was often confined to his bed with tuberculosis. Only a few sketches remained, the original score having been lost since the first (and only) performance, and the new work was The variations are dedicated to the pianist Peter Serkin, for whom they were commissioned. "LITANY" (IN MEMORIAM MICHAEL VYNER), “LES YEUX CLOS" TORU TAKEMITSU created from these and Takemitsu's memories of the earlier piece. Nothing extra was added, and 'Litany' is both a tribute to Michael Vyner and a recollection of the time when Takemitsu himself felt 'close to death'. Allegro molto, con fuoco Grave pesante e corale Allegro vivace Gorecki was born in 1933 in Polish Silesia. In recent years, increasing political freedom in Poland has brought Gorecki's music to a wider audience in establishing an influential electronic music studio (Studio di Fonologia') at Milan Radio Station. Much of Berio's output has focused on text-setting and the peculiar timbral qualities of the voice: his first wife, the American singer Cathy Berberian, was the chosen exponent of many of his works. In particular, he developed a style known as 'new vocalism' characterised by the use of a text both in its entirety and fragmented into phonetic sounds. The voice becomes pure timbre, but onc which is enhanced by semantic suggestions. Much of this experimental writing took place in the '50's and '60's, and its influence can be felt in many of Berio's instrumental works, which are notable for their powerful dramatic quality. Many of Takemitsu's works are inspired by extra-musical stimuli, and 'Les Yeux Clos' was composed in reaction to a series of paintings of the same title by the French artist Odilon Redon. Two of these are lithographs in black and white, and the third is a painting in colour: Takemitsu refers to the music as 'a study in the colour variation the painter uses on his canvas... greatly influenced by the process by which the monochromatic shifts to the polychromatic in these paintings'. "PIANO SONATA No 1, Or. 6" GORECKI the West, which has led to several new commissions, recordings, and a weekend devoted to his music in the London Sinfonietta's 'Response' series in 1988. The style of his music has been described as 'simple yet monumental', and many of his earlier works explore the folk music

traditions of his native country. The original version of the Piano Sonata no. 1 dates from 1956. It was withdrawn for revision, and Gorecki did not return to it until 1984 when he was inspired to write something for his one-time pupil, Eugeniusz Knapik, to play at the Lerchenborg Festival in Denmark. In fact only the revised first movement was completed and performed at the Festival, and the work was put aside again until 1989 when Gorecki received an invitation from Paul Crossley to write a new piece. The result was a completed revision of Les tierces alternées Feux d'artifice INTERVAL Brouillards Feuilles mortes La puerta del vino "Les fées sont d'exquises danseuses" Bruyères General Lavine - Eccentric La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune Ondine Hommage à S. Pickwick Esq. P.P.M.P.C. Canope "PRÉLUDES" BOOK 2 the Sonata in December 1990, the first performance of which was given by Crossley. DEBUSSY Debussy's second book of piano Préludes was published in 1913, and forms a natural sequel to his first book of twelve. Préludes published three years earlier. In writing about Debussy's piano music, E. Robert Schmitz said of the Préludes: 'Debussy has paid the highest compliment to the performers and public, for he has entrusted to their care his intimate thoughts, his reactions and impressions to a multitude of varied and delightful subjects, sharing many moods, bringing not only the realism of his sharp etching of his subject matter, but also his personal comments...'. The Sonata is approximately 12 minutes in length. The first movement replaces the conventional development section with a quiet passage marked 'molto lento', followed by a recapitulation which reverses the order of the two main subjects. The second movement forms a brief intermezzo before the finale, whose second idea reappears before the coda in a beautiful 'tranquillo' transformation. Debussy placed an evocative title at the end of each Prélude, an indication perhaps of his belief that extra-musical stimuli were of secondary importance to the music itself, and sometimes more of a hindrance than a help. However, several of the Préludes are scenic depictions of startling clarity: in this second book, 'Brouillards' uses bitonal means to portray the other-worldly quality of fog- at once blanketing stillness and shifting veils of light while the subtle harmonic gradations of 'Feuilles mortes' suggest the faded yet rich colours of dead leaves as well as the gentle melancholy of autumn. Humour is also much in evidence: 'General Lavine - Eccentric' is a comic sketch of a music hall juggler, described in his own time as 'half tramp and half warrior, but more tramp than warrior', while 'Hommage à S. Pickwick Esq.' suggests the genial pomposity of the character with a rendering of God Save the Queen in the bass. The final Prélude, 'Feux d'artifice' serves as the culmination not only of the second book but of all twenty-four Préludes, as well as a foretaste of the masterful books of Etudes which were to follow. The piece is a dazzling yet controlled display of pyrotechnics evoking the excitement and kaleidoscopic brilliance of fireworks on the 14th July; as evening falls and the bustle gives way to an atmosphere of wistful nostalgia, strains of the Marseillaise linger on, and bring the music to a satisfying close. (OXO) ARTS COUNCIL Programme notes by Pamela Smith DOWNPATRICK, DOWN ARTS CENTRE Wednesday 8 April PORTSTEWART, FLOWERFIELD ARTS CENTRE Thursday 9 April ARMAGH, ROYAL SCHOOL, ASSEMBLY HALL Friday 10 April BELFAST, ELMWOOD HALL (B.M.S.) Saturday 11 April ALL PERFORMANCES BEGIN AT 8.00P.M. EXCEPT BELFAST 7.30P.M. PROMOTED BY DISTRICT/BOROUGH COUNCIL ARTS COMMITTEES AND IN BELFAST BY BELFAST MUSIC SOCIETY Supported by the WITH ENDL THE A NICHT