York Bowen:
4 Preludes, 3 Miniatures and 12 Studies Intro to this recital My name is Oliver She and I am a third-year Doctor of Musical Arts candidate here at QCGU. This recital I am presenting this evening is an extension of my research on English composer York Bowen’s Twelve Studies, and consists of an all-Bowen program featuring a selection of four Preludes from his Twenty-Four Preludes in all major and minor keys, Op. 102; the Three Miniatures, Op. 44; and the Twelve Studies, Op. 46. As far as I am aware, this is likely the first time the Twelve Studies will have been publicly presented in recital in Australia, making this a somewhat special occasion. Composer background York Bowen (1884-1961) was one of England’s foremost composers of his time. Being a virtuoso pianist, much of his compositional output involved the piano, writing across a diverse range of genres including concertos, sonatas, preludes, studies, ballades, suites, nocturnes, rhapsodies, arabesques, fantasias, bagatelles, and numerous miniatures under different names. Characterised by an eclectic blend of stylistic influences from composers such as Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Chopin, Liszt, Grieg, Debussy, and Ravel, Bowen’s music abounds with the lyrical melodies and lush harmonies typical of the post-Romantic style, along with impressionistic overtones. Although Bowen’s music was well-received in the years leading up to World War 1, public perception to his music waned in the decades after the war. This was mainly attributed to his post-Romantic style which did not fit well with the more avantgarde styles that became the norm over much of the twentieth century. Hence, until relatively recently, much of his music remained out of the public eye, and many of his original manuscripts remain unpublished to the present day, languishing in the archives of the Royal Academy of Music in London. Within the last twenty-five years, a slow resurgence of interest on Bowen’s music has taken place. Prompted in large by British pianist Stephen Hough’s 1996 recording of a selection of Bowen’s piano works on the Hyperion label, a series of
recordings of his music by various artists, along with a small number of unpublished scholarly documents exploring his output, have emerged. At the same time, public performances of his works has proliferated somewhat, especially in the United States. It is hoped that this trend will continue and that more of Bowen’s music can be uncovered, published, and introduced to audiences worldwide in the coming years.
Works Four Preludes Op. 102 No. 1 in C major No. 6 in D minor No. 7 in E-flat major No. 8 in E-flat minor Bowen completed his Twenty-Four Preludes in all major and minor keys, Op. 102, in 1938, though they were not published until 1950. Arguably Bowen’s ‘magnum opus’ and his most often performed piano composition, these preludes were described by composer, pianist, and critic Kaikhosru Sorabji, to whom they were dedicated, as ‘the finest English piano music written in our time’. As reflected in the title, the cycle of twenty-four pieces cover every major and minor tonality, proceeding chromatically from C major in the same fashion as J.S. Bach’s Preludes and Fugues. Widely varying in style and mood, these imaginative pieces present a musical feast for pianists and listeners alike. For tonight’s recital, I have chosen a selection of four preludes. Beginning with Prelude No. 1 in C major – this prelude brings to mind the first of Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes, also in C major, with its free-flowing, almost improvisatory piano writing, use of chromaticism, and the flourish at the end which mirrors the ending of the Liszt etude. Its brevity and cohesiveness makes for an ideal opening item. The other three preludes I have selected proceed consecutively in the order Bowen wrote them in. Prelude No. 6 in D minor exudes a wistful atmosphere with its steady pulse in the left hand accompanying a gently flowing melodic line in the right, marked by a recurring dotted rhythmic figure. There are some exquisite harmonic material in this prelude.
Prelude No. 7 in E-flat major emotionally contrasts with No. 6; it is full of joyous exuberance. Long, sweeping melodic lines are accompanied by cascading runs in the left hand. There is a striking similarity to Rachmaninoff’s E-flat major Prelude Op. 23 No. 6, both in its pianistic figurations and mood. The music swells to an emotional climax before the opening theme is reinstated, following which the piece subsides in a meander, ending with a gentle but luminous arpeggiated chord. Prelude No. 8 in E-flat minor presents an antithesis to the mood of No. 7; there is a sense of dark sorrow, momentarily broken in the middle of the piece where a quick series of modulations across major tonalities takes place - a fleeting glimmer of hope as it were - before retreating back to the sorrowful mood of the opening. The character of this prelude brings to mind some of Rachmaninoff’s darker, more solemnly, works such as the famous C-sharp minor Prelude Op. 3 No. 2. Three Miniatures Op. 44 No. 1 Prelude No. 2 Intermezzo No. 3 Scherzo Completed in 1916 and published soon after, each of these three short pieces convey a different character, together forming a nicely balanced and concise set. The Prelude is lyrical and expressive, and possesses a song-like quality. The Intermezzo conveys a decidedly Spanish, dance-like flavour, with its elegant figurations. The Scherzo is full of rhythmic fervour and pianistic brilliance, almost toccata-like in places, and makes for an exuberant finish to the set. Twelve Studies Op. 46 No. 1 in C major (Chords of heavy quality) No. 2 in E minor (Light staccato chords) No. 3 in F major (For the “five fingers”) No. 4 in G-flat major (For forearm rotation) No. 5 in C major (For the glissando) No. 6 in F major (For pianissimo legato) No. 7 in D minor (To induce lateral freedom of hand and arm) No. 8 in D major (For finger staccato) No. 9 in B-flat major (For various pedal effects)
No. 10 in G minor (For octave playing) No. 11 in C minor (For brilliancy in passage work) No. 12 in C major (For trills and tremolos) The main item in tonight’s program – the Twelve Studies were written in 1916, and published in 1919. Intended as pedagogical works, Bowen dedicated these studies to his mentor at the Royal Academy of Music, renowned English piano pedagogue Tobias Matthay, and many of the technical aspects explored in these pieces were derived from or inspired by Matthay’s teachings. For each study, Bowen appended a title that describes the specific technical aspect explored. These titles bear similarity to those which Debussy appended to his Douze études (1915), incidentally written a year before Bowen wrote his, suggesting possible inspiration. The opening study is based on the playing of large, heavy chords spanning the full range of the keyboard. In terms of the chordal figurations, there is a distinct resemblance to Debussy’s twelfth étude – Pour les accords (For chords) – which is perhaps not coincidental, given that Bowen was likely aware of the Debussy études at the time of writing and possibly drew inspiration from that particular étude. The second study focusses on the playing of light, and moderately fast staccato chords, mainly in the right hand but also sporadically joined by the left. It is a deceptively challenging study as the chords need to be light and bouncy but wellbalanced at the same time, which requires the wrist to remain supple throughout and to not accumulate tension that would compromise the texture. The third study is the first of three finger studies in the cycle. This one focusses on playing fast running passagework in five-finger patterns; the entire study is played without any turning of the thumbs. Conceptually, it was likely inspired by Debussy’s first étude – Pour les “cinq doigts” (For the “five fingers”) – as reflected in Bowen’s exact imitation of Debussy’s title down to the quotation marks. Its cascading runs may be compared to those in Chopin’s F major etude Op. 10 No. 8, although the Chopin etude involves frequent thumb turning. There are passages in the middle section of this study that bear an impressionistic quality. The fourth study concerns the technique of forearm rotation, where the forearm assists the wrist and hand in making rotary actions towards either side of the hand. The opening bars of this study makes a rather obvious reference to Chopin’s G-flat
major ‘Black key’ etude Op. 10 No. 5, which also explores the same technique of rotation, suggesting possible influence. Certain passages in the middle section convey a light, Mendelssohn-like texture, with an almost jocular slant. The fifth study is an interesting one, possibly without precedent in the piano etude genre. Its focus is on glissando playing, and contains glissandi that come in various forms, including single note glissandi played with one or both hands, in thirds and fourths, in similar and contrary motion, on black keys, alternating between the hands, and transitioning from one hand to another. The focus of the sixth study is on the playing of soft and legato accompaniment lines. This is one of the more atmospheric studies in the cycle, and conveys a relaxing, pastoral mood. The texture is quasi-impressionistic in places, while in the middle section there is a passage where the melodic line is shared between the hands with soft accompanimental line above and harmonic support below, resembling some of Liszt’s melodic writing. The seventh study is based around the implementation of lateral movements of the hand and arm to navigate wide, fast-moving arpeggiated figures. The central section contains mirroring arpeggiated figures in both hands not unlike those in Chopin’s ‘Aeolian Harp’ etude Op. 25 No. 1. A strong Rachmaninoff-like mood pervades this study. The eighth study is the second finger study in the cycle, this one focussing on light, rapid staccato finger passagework. It is technically quite challenging as a fine balance between making the staccato texture somewhat clear yet without too actively articulating each note is required to create a facile and flowing quality to the passagework. Contrasting with the outer sections, the character of the middle section resembles a Spanish dance. The ninth study is another one that is rather unique in the etude genre, exploring different sonic effects produced by the pedals. There is a distinct resemblance to Rachmaninoff’s C-sharp minor Prelude Op. 3 No. 2, by way of the opening chordal patterns and how this is repeated later at a higher dynamic and intensity, much like that in the Prelude, as well as the closing ‘bell-like’ tolls which parallel the concluding bars of the Prelude.
The tenth study is based on octave playing, and contains a number of similarities to other works. The triplet grouping of the octaves are loosely comparable to those in the central section of Debussy’s fifth étude – Pour les octaves (For octaves), while the repeated octaves in the middle section are strikingly similar to those in Liszt’s transcription of Schubert’s Erlkönig. There are also two identical passages, across the climactic buildup of the opening and returning sections, that mimic the climactic octave passages in Chopin’s B minor etude Op. 25 No. 10 for octaves. Continuing the furious intensity of the previous study, the eleventh study is another finger-based study that focusses on bravura playing of rapid finger passagework, reflecting perhaps the most common form of finger technique found in other etudes. Fragments of the passagework, especially in the left hand, echo the passages in Chopin’s C minor ‘Revolutionary’ etude Op. 10 No. 12. This study can be considered the climactic peak of the cycle, when presented as such (as in tonight’s recital). The final study in the set is an atmospheric one that explores trill and tremolo technique. Stylistically, it bears similarity to Liszt’s final Transcendental Etude – Chasse-neige – with its ethereal textures. One notable feature in this study is the return of the theme from the opening study at the climactic point near the end, signifying some sort of cohesive intention on Bowen’s part for these studies to be performed as a complete cycle. In a similar manner to the Transcendental Etudes, Bowen concludes the Twelve Studies by fading into the distance like a farewell from afar. Biography – Oliver She Born in Fujian, China, Oliver She was raised in Brisbane, Australia, beginning piano studies at the age of four. A two-time winner of the ABC Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards Keyboard Finals, Oliver made his concerto debut at the age of 14 performing Liszt’s E-flat Piano Concerto with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. His 2010 performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.3 earned him the title of ABC Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year. A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester and the University of Queensland, Oliver won Second Prize at the 2019 Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition, First Prize at the 2018 Australian National Piano Award and the 2014 Brant International Piano Competition in Birmingham, and has been awarded major
prizes at the London Beethoven Intercollegiate Piano Competition, ANU Chopin International Piano Competition, Southern Highlands International Piano Competition, and the Yamaha Australian National Piano Competition. Oliver has performed widely across Australia and in the U.K., Germany, Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, in venues including the Sydney Opera House, Wigmore Hall (London), Birmingham Town Hall, Bridgewater Hall (Manchester), Seoul Arts Centre, Melbourne Recital Centre, the Polish Embassy in Canberra, and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. He has made appearances with the Sydney Symphony, Queensland Symphony, and West Australian Symphony Orchestras, and in 2014 with the RNCM Symphony Orchestra performing the Prokofiev 3rd Piano Concerto, as well as in festivals including Bath (U.K.), Musica Viva, Utzon Music Series, Byron Bay Music Society, Tyalgum Festival, Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference, and the Australian Piano Duo Festival. His performances have been broadcast on ABC Classic FM radio and telecast on ABC TV. In 2011, Oliver was invited as guest artist to perform a recital at Parliament House in Canberra in the presence of then-Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard. The same year, he performed the Australian premiere of Elena Kats-Chernin’s Double Concerto “Selenite City” with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. In addition to solo and concerto playing, Oliver is an experienced collaborative artist and enjoys performing duo repertoire. He is also a devoted teacher, having taught privately for several years, providing instruction to students ranging from early beginners to university graduates. Oliver holds Associate (AMusA) and Licentiate (LMusA) diplomas from the Australian Music Examinations Board and was awarded the Hugh Brandon Memorial Scholarship in 2005. His past teachers have been Ling-zi Li, Max Olding, Pamela Page, and Graham Scott. He is presently completing a doctorate at the Queensland Conservatorium under the supervision of Natasha Vlassenko, Catherine Grant, and Stephen Emmerson.