Tuesdays at 7.30pm
The Venue Quarry Hill, Leeds
It would be no exaggeration to describe the sonata as the most important and familiar large scale form in western classical music.
For more than three centuries, sonata form has provided the foundation on which innumerable composers have been inspired to create some of their greatest works and, still today, provides a framework on which the creativity of many contemporary composers can lourish. I was delighted to be asked to put together this series of concerts surveying the history of the sonata and, considering the abundance of great works from which to choose, thought it would be a relatively easy task. The big challenge, perhaps unsurprisingly, has been to represent the form in as many diferent musical languages and from as many diferent perspectives as possible, all within the parameters of six programmes. Even without such limits, it would be impossible to create a series of concerts which comprehensively illustrates the diversity of great works which relate in some way to sonata form. Nonetheless, I hope you’ll ind plenty of familiar treasures of the repertoire in amongst these six programmes, alongside what I trust will be some beautiful and inspiring discoveries. Paul Lewis Artistic Director
Š Molina Visuals
20 October 2015
10 November 2015
8 December 2015
Dénes Várjon
Paul Lewis
Adrian Brendel
piano
piano
cello
Haydn Piano Sonata in C major Hob XVI:48 Sándor Veress Piano Sonata Haydn Piano Sonata in E minor Hob XVI:34 Liszt Piano Sonata in B minor
Beethoven Piano Sonata No 30 Beethoven Piano Sonata No 31 Beethoven Piano Sonata No 32
The irst concert of this series exploring the Sonata features one of the greatest examples of the genre: Liszt’s B minor Piano Sonata. Dénes writes: “I have always admired the unique shape of Liszt’s sonata, which has the essence of his incredible personality and, for me, forms a bridge from the late Beethoven sonatas to those composers who were living and composing after Liszt; Busoni and Bartók for example. In turn Sándor Veress was taught by Bartók and his works deserves to be much more widely known. I was lucky enough to have the chance to perform Veress' music with him on many occasions and it was the composer himself who suggested that I learn his early piano sonata composed in 1929. Bartók heard the piece and esteemed it very highly. You can hear Veress’ parlando style that is closely connected to Hungarian language and derives from the folk songs which he, like Bartók, collected for many years. I chose to include the two Haydn sonatas with the Veress as there is a clarity and transparency in all three works, along with a love of dance and the presence of folk elements.”
Paul writes: “Despite my intention to be as wide ranging and inclusive as possible, I make no apology for devoting an entire programme to Beethoven, the great innovator and master of the sonata. His inal triptych of piano sonatas is undeniably one of the great peaks of the entire piano repertoire, and remains one of the most intellectually and emotionally challenging programmes for performers. The depth of expression and originality of these late works still, almost 200 years after their composition, has the ability to astonish, unsettle, and move us in the most powerfully heartfelt way.” Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas, spanning 28 years of his career, cemented the form as a staple of the concert hall. The great conductor Hans von Bülow labelled them ‘The New Testament of Music’ (Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier being the Old Testament). Beethoven’s sonatas form a bridge between both the private home and the concert hall, and between the Classical and Romantic eras.
Tim Horton piano Bach Gamba Sonata BWV1027 Boulez Piano Sonata No 2 Crumb Sonata for Solo Cello Webern Sonata for Cello and Piano Brahms Sonata for Cello and Piano Adrian and Tim’s recital contrasts traditional sonatas by Bach and Brahms with more modern works. Tim writes: “This fascinating programme juxtaposes sonatas from ive composers over three centuries. Bach’s Gamba Sonata and Boulez’s Second Piano Sonata (1948) may seem strange bedfellows but both are steeped in each composer’s fundamentally contrapuntal styles. The Bach is essentially for three voices; the cello and each hand of the keyboard part are inter-dependent voices of equal importance. Likewise, in Boulez’s Sonata there are always several voices that the composer states have no hierarchy. It is the last time that Boulez used traditional forms (sonata, slow movement, scherzo and trio and fugue). In doing so he intended to destroy those forms, a cathartic process that freed him for the explorations of the following years. George Crumb has been another great irebrand of modernism, although his Sonata for Solo Cello is an early piece that harks back to a neo-classical, tonally-based style rather than his more familiar use of extended instrumental techniques.”
© Molina Visuals
© Øivind Arvola
26 January 2016
23 February 2016
22 March 2016
Georgy Tchaidze
Alasdair Beatsos
Antje Weithaas
piano
piano
violin
Medtner Sonata Reminiscenza Shostakovich Piano Sonata No 2 Prokoiev Pastoral Sonatina Prokoiev Piano Sonata No 8
Schubert Piano Sonata No 14 Janáček Piano Sonata 1 X 1905 From the Street Scarlatti Six Piano Sonatas Scriabin Piano Sonata No 5
Georgy’s recital explores the contrasting responses of three composers living and working in Russia in the irst half of the twentieth century. He writes: “Three very diferent composers – Medtner, Shostakovich and Prokoiev – each of them with their very own way of expression, unique vision of music and style. There are more diferences between them than similarities, but all of them were living at the same time, facing the same historical moments: the October Revolution, Civil War, emigration (Prokoiev and Medtner), the ruin of the old world, great terror and inally the Second World War. Great tragedy and great art all at the same time.” Medtner’s Sonata Reminiscenza was written in 1920, the year before he emigrated. Shostakovich composed his Second Piano Sonata in 1943 between his Seventh (Leningrad) and Eight Symphonies, whilst Prokoiev’s Eight Piano Sonata (the third of three ‘War Sonatas’) was completed in 1944.
© Chad Johnston
Alasdair writes of a recital highlighting the variety of form and feeling to be found within the sonata form: “From the inventive, jewel-like miniatures of Scarlatti to the vast emotional and dramatic span of Schubert, quite diferent beasts may lurk behind the generic ‘sonata’ title. Janáček’s Sonata 1 X 1905 From the Street is an outpouring of grief and anger at the violent death of a protestor in Brno, whilst Scriabin seems to discover new heights of euphoria in his intoxicating, sensual and ecstatic ifth sonata.” The sonatas chosen for this recital illustrate the developments in form used for sonatas across the years. Scarlatti, a very proliic sonata composer with 555 examples to his name, wrote concise single movement works, whilst Schubert’s Piano Sonata No 14 is a classic example of the three movement formula of the Classical and Romantic eras. Into the twentieth century and Janáček’s descriptive sonata features two movements and Scriabin’s Fifth Piano Sonata is expressed in one single movement, “a big poem for piano” as the composer described it.
© Giorgia Bertazzi
Bjørg Lewis cello
Aleksandar Madzˇar piano Ravel Sonata for Violin and Cello Berg Piano Sonata No 1 Tchaikovsky Piano Trio The inal recital of the series brings an exploration of pieces derived and developed from small kernels of musical material. Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Cello was dedicated to the memory of Debussy and is a study in Debussy’s idea of depouillement (economy of means). The sonata is reduced to just two instruments and the music is developed from two initial themes. Berg’s sonata consists of just one movement which follows the traditional sonata form of exposition, development and recapitulation. The thematic material however, follows Schoenberg’s idea of ‘developing variation’ in which all the material for the piece is developed from a single idea, ensuring unity throughout the piece. As in Ravel’s work all the material for Berg’s sonata is derived from two opening igures.
© Giorgia Bertazzi
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There is a lift at the front of the building to The Venue and disabled toilets in the foyer area. Patrons with disabilities and their essential carers may obtain two tickets for the price of one – via the LICS Essential Carer Scheme – details from the Box Oice 0113 224 3801. Support dogs are welcome. Please let us know when booking of any special access requirements you may have.
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THE CALLS
The Venue is equipped with an infra-red system for the hard of hearing.
The Venue Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7PD
There is a designated disabled car park beside Leeds College of Music which has spaces for at least ten cars.
To order a copy of this brochure in an alternative format, please contact 0113 247 8336 or email music@leeds.gov.uk.
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Booking dates 13 July: For existing chamber subscribers Please note: this is a separate subscription from the Endellion String Quartet series.
Requests for seat changes by existing subscribers will be processed on a irst-come-irst-served basis from 20 – 24 July and can be returned to the Box Oice any time from 13 July. 27 July: For new subscribers 22 August: General booking
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