Chan Sze Yan Programme notes of Piano ATCL Recital
Venue: Parsons Music, Room no.39, 14/F, Tower 1, Time Square, Causeway Bay, HK (P17A) Date: 17th August, 2017 Time: 10:40am
Index
Prelude and Fugue in Aâ™ BWV 862 Book 1
Johann Sebastian Bach
Sonata in Eâ™, Hob. XVI/49 I. Allegro II. Adagio e cantabile III. Finale (Tempo di Minuet)
Joseph Haydn
Intermezzo in A op.118 no.2
Johannes Brahms
La plus que lente
Achille-Claude Debussy
Total time is 33'30"
Johann Sebastian Bach
J.S. Bach - Prelude and Fugue in A♭, BWV 862 (4’45”)
Bach wrote ‘48’ for Wohltemperirtes Clavier (well-tempered keyboard) to promote equal temperament. ‘Prelude and Fugue in A♭,was composed in the first twenty-four of the ‘48’ (Book 1) in 1722. Prelude of BMV 862 first starts in A♭ major and change to dominant (E♭ major) in bar 9, it goes back to A♭ major in bar 22 and it is in binary form. Fugue consists of four voices which has irregular entries. Tenor begins the subject in A♭, and then bass has a tonal answer in E♭. After that, soprano goes back to tonic which is the subject again, and alto answer in E♭. This pattern repeats throughout the piece.
Joseph Haydn
Haydn - Sonata in e♭, Hob.XVI/49 (17’05”)
This sonata was written in 1789/90 for Maria Anna Edle v. Gennzinger which consists of three movements. It marked the beginning of Haydn’s late, mature style with frequent use of alternation between staccato and legato. The transitions were much smoother compare to his early and middle works, with large first and second movements, and a smaller third movement. In the exposition part of first movement, first subject begins in E♭ major with concise five-note pattern. The second subject in bar 42 starts from low pitch and codetta in bar 53 has brass-like imitation. Development section in bar 65 like imitative countapoint further expand the first, second subject and codetta. There is a candenza at the end of bar 130. First subject is the same as exposition in recapitulation part; second subject has higher pitch and shorter phrase. Codetta develop the second part of first subject (bar11-13) but swap left and right hand part. Second movement is divided into three parts. First section (bar 1-80) is in compound ternary form, which is A-B-A-B-A. It starts with B♭ major and changes to B♭ Minor in ‘B’. Every time it switches, variation seems occur. Second section (bar 57-80) in B♭ minor is in ternary form (A-B-A), and code (bar 81-124) is also in ternary form. Like the title of the movement-Adagio e cantabile, the melody is very lyrical. Third movement combines minuet and trio. Minuet (bar 1-60) in E♭ major is in ternary form (A-B-A). Trio part (bar 86-115) is in E♭ minor with similar opening as minuet. Recapitulation is more of less the same as minute with section B omitted. Variations are employed to the same rhythm, like use of triplets in left hand part (bar 103) create points of interests for the listeners.
Johannes Brahms
Brahms - Intermezzo in A (6’00�)
Intermezzo in A is the second piece in op.118. It was composed in 1893 which has 6 pieces, including 4 intermezzi, 1 Ballad and 1 Romance. Intermezzi of Brahms more like independent pieces than transition pieces used between opera scenes or movements in 18th and 19th century. This intermezzo is in ternary form. The first section (bar 1-48) begins and ends in A major; the middle section (bar 49-64) is an episode in F# minor and F# major; and the recapitulatory section is the same as the first one, except for little decoration in the first few bars. The texture is rich and warm, with soft pedals, sometime syncopated; and a cross-rhythm, like hemiola, of three against two is frequently used.
Achille Claude Debussy
Debussy - La plus que lente (5’40”)
La plus que lente is a waltz written in 1910. The title may be translated word-for-word as ‘the more than slow’; however it was not meant to be played slowly. It refers to the value lente genre of Debussy which represents his reaction to the vast influence of the slow waltz in France. The piece is marked ‘Molto rubato con morbidezza’ indicating flexible tempo with delicacy. It is in rondo form that is A-B-AC-A. Part A (bar 1-32) starts with B double flats which make it sounds like G♭ minor, indeed the piece begins with G♭ major. Very passionate section B (bar 33-59) is modulated to E♭ minor and E♭ major. Recapitulation of A goes up an octave, harmony changed and is shortened to one phrase. Section C (bar 76-103) is in A major.
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