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Violin Partita No 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the most well-known baroque composers today He has written over one thousand pieces during his lifetime, and each encompasses brilliant writing and a unique flare, all while staying true to his writing style Partita No 2 for solo violin was written around 1720 as only one of his six solo violin compositions This was three years into Bach’s new position as Kapellmeister in Cöthen, Germany, under the hire of patron Prince Leopold. Something that bonded Bach and Prince Leopold is that they both played the violin Bach was then able to take an instrument he had been playing since his youth and the funding of this patron to create this masterpiece that is one of his most well-known solo works to this very day. This entire work comprises the five baroque dances that often create an instrumental baroque suite. Today’s performance will highlight two of the movements from this work: the Allemande and the Corrente, to which Bach follows the typical baroque definitions of these to a tee. The Allemande is composed of a sweet and slow dance where performers keep their feet on the ground as much as possible. Its binary form in a quadruple meter is standard for all Allemande dances, filled with longing motifs and flowing passages The Corrente is a complete flip from this style As an Italian dance, we are presented with a triple meter contrast with fast, jumping lines, to which the dancers and players follow the style. The lightness of this similarly binary model would come across both in the bowing articulations of the player and the dancer's moves in a traditional Baroque performance
Sonata in D Major, K 306
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is known to be a musical prodigy who went well above and beyond the skills of many of his peers during his time. On top of being a wonderful piano player, Mozart had a unique ability to compose music from an extremely young age He was well-trained and traveled as a musician before becoming an adult, as he had already traveled with his father to study in Italy when he was just fourteen years old. As his life progressed, Mozart wrote every type of composition that one could imagine, including string quartets, operas, piano sonatas, and more Notably, Mozart composed over six hundred works before his passing in 1791 The specific composition you will hear today was written by Mozart in 1778 during his early twenties, and at this early stage, he already had a wide range of musical accomplishments! This piece is the last from a set of six sonatas that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed during a troubling period in his life. Mozart was on a nine-month getaway to Paris to grow his fame when he wrote this composition He returned home to Vienna shortly after his arrival due to his mother’s passing. Almost 250 years later, it is still being performed by musicians worldwide. The first of three movements, Allegro con Spirito, beautifully weaves between alignment and switching musical ideas between the piano and the violin Between the energy it begins with, the stunning embellishments, and the intense development, the movement is full of unforgettable motives Immediately following is the Andante Cantabile, with violin and piano parts repeating each other through a tender ABA format Finally, the Allegretto fills the room with nothing short of excitement. From the meter changes to the gorgeous ending cadenzas, Mozart finishes yet another masterpiece with triumph
Deux Morceaux pour violon et piano
Lili Boulanger
Lili Boulanger was an incredible French composer who was nothing short of a musical genius
From a young age, she played various instruments and took music classes at a local conservatory Boulanger’s family, including her older and widely known sister, Nadia Boulanger, was filled with musical talent. She always dreamt of being a composer and winning an award for one of her works at the esteemed Prix de Rome competition She accomplished this goal at nineteen years old despite dealing with various illnesses throughout her life A prestigious award like this was historically crucial because she was the first woman to win the title in the competition’s history After this, she moved to Italy but was sent back home twice; once due to the onset of World War I and the other because illness had severely struck her This sickness was what caused her to prematurely lose her life at just twenty-four years old. The first and second movements of Deux Morceaux pour violin et piano were written three years apart, one before her Prix de Rome victory in 1911 and one just two years after the win in 1914. Although this work is relatively short, it resonates with the true resemblance of French influence that Lili was known to be so connected to Each movement expertly connects the sounds of the piano and the violin, both of which Boulanger played throughout her life. The first movement, Nocturne, starts with the whispers of the instruments that transform into an incredible world of sound Filled with intricate chromatic runs, repeating ideas that build in intensity, and powerful yet elegant shifts, it is a captivating way to display the slow movement for both the audience and the players The Cortège follows right after, a technical masterpiece that tests the ability of the violinist to shift between various techniques quickly With chordal pizzicato, a mystical and modal descending passage, and unexpected tempo changes, this movement requires thorough coordination to play confidently
Sonatina in G Major, Op 100
Antonín Dvořák
Antonín Dvořák was one of the earliest Bohemian musicians to come to fame He was a violin player from a young age and understood the true dedication and commitment that becoming a violin player truly took. Dvořák’s life and music are so incredible to reflect on because he traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to study and work in New York for three years During this time, he reached the milestone of writing his 100th work, which you will hear during today’s concert. This specific piece was dedicated to two of his children back home, for he wanted to write a piece for them to play that was simplistic in analysis and rewarding to play simultaneously. He was extremely attuned to the native music of the United States, with inspiration from Native American and African American cultures. Sonatina in G Major first focuses on a melody he heard in the Czech town of Spillville, Iowa The first movement. We begin with the Allegro Risoluto movement, where Dvořák takes listeners through a journey of the town and rings with a sense of pride and adventure The next movement, Larghetto, takes a step into a minor soundscape and is rumored to have come to Dvořák while he watched a waterfall in Minnesota. The third movement, Molto Vivace, becomes more uplifting, with hoedown-resembling rhythmic motives throughout this short movement Finally, familiar musical ideas and playing styles from the first movement resurface in the fourth movement, the Allegro, which enthusiastically captures a glimpse of the true pride and beauty of the areas that he was exploring at the time