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Cover Design: Lisa Baron
Sarah Chang Photo by Colin Bell | Sonya Ovrutsky Fensome Photo by Bacharach Photographers
CANDLER CONCERT SERIES
Sarah Chang, violin
Sonya Ovrutsky Fensome, piano
Friday, September 20, 2024, 8:00 p.m.
Emerson Concert Hall
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts.
This concert is presented by the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts and is made possible by a generous gift from the late Flora Glenn Candler, a friend and patron of music at Emory University.
Program
Sonatensatz in C Minor, WoO 2 Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
Sonata No. 3 in D Minor, op. 108 Brahms
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Un poco presto e con sentimento
IV. Presto agitato
Intermission
Sonata No. 2 in D Major, op. 94a Sergei Prokofiev
I. Moderato (1891–1953)
II. Presto
III. Andante
IV. Allegro con brio
Program is subject to change.
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Sarah Chang records for EMI Classics.
Program Notes
Sonatensatz (Scherzo) in C Minor, WoO 2, from the “F.A.E. Sonata”
The Scherzo was intended to be a part of a collaborative sonata, conceived as a welcoming gift for Joseph Joachim, the Hungarian violinist, composer, and teacher. It was composed in Düsseldorf in October 1853 with a first movement written by Albert Dietrich, the second and fourth by Robert Schumann, and this third movement by Brahms. [The F.A.E. of the title are the letters of Joachim’s motto, Frei, aber einsam (Free, but lonely), and are used as notes of a motif of the sonata.]
Brahms’s influence is unmistakable—his youthful energy (age 20) is clearly present in the music. This is evident in the repeated-note fanfare motif recalling Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, the syncopations, and the intermezzo-like lyricism of a Trio that incorporates main section themes to maintain unity. The grand finale reflects the “young eagle’s” (Schumann’s appellation) soaring aspirations and his deep admiration for Joachim.
—Program note assembled by Aleksandra Tevdoska Hawkins. Stephen Johnson, “Naxos Music Library,” 2021, naxosmusiclibrary.com
Sonata No. 3 in D Minor, op. 108
Between 1879 and 1887, Johannes Brahms wrote his three numbered violin sonatas, all for Joseph Joachim. Brahms and Joachim met while Brahms was on tour in Hanover in 1853. Both were in their early 20s, and they became fast friends. Brahms was still an unknown at this point, but Joachim was already a rising star, and the two men spent a lot of time together. By the time Brahms wrote the D-Minor Sonata, Joachim had introduced him to Robert and Clara Schumann, two figures who would deeply affect Brahms’s musical and personal life.
The D-Minor Sonata is the only one of the three with four movements. It is also much more agitated than his prior two sonatas. The beginning Allegro follows traditional sonata-allegro form and is immediately stormy; the violin plays a very lyrical line and the piano dramatically enters in a high register. The violin’s music becomes more watery, and the piano echoes calmly. The instruments wind their way down and start over. There is a final restating of the theme across three octaves, and a cadence on D major, leading directly into the Adagio.
A lilting violin melody in 3/8 fills the second movement, with piano accompanying throughout. The melody repeats itself up an octave and with more strength. The two softly repeat a chord together at the cadence.
In the very short Un poco presto e con sentimento, the piano plays a halting theme and the violin accompanies. Violin and piano twist in and out of minor mode, and the violin interrupts the jittery line and rhapsodizes for a moment. The piano returns with the main theme, and the movement ends abruptly with two short chords.
In the Presto agitato, furious, fast runs consume the movement, barely slowing. The frenzied tarantella-like 6/8 rhythm has piano and violin egging each other on and vying for attention, bringing each other to new heights. The ending arrives with lots of buildup leading to a thundering cadence.
—Program note assembled by Debra Joyal. Woodstra, Brennan, and Schrott, All Music Guide to Classical Music: The Definitive Guide to Classical Music, Backbeat Books, 2005
Sonata No. 2 in D Major, op. 94a
The sonata was premiered by Nikolai Ivanovich Kharkovsky on flute and Sviatoslav Richter on piano, in Moscow, December 7, 1943. One year later, Prokofiev transposed the flute part for violin upon the request and with the assistance of violinist David Oistrak. Prokofiev probably accepted the commission because of the creative challenge but more so because of the generous compensation, and what he described as a lifelong interest in the instrument.
Unifying contemporary musical devices with classical instrumental style and form, Prokofiev was able to use all the resources of the instrument and achieve a neoclassical clarity supported by a fascinating contemporary harmony. The first movement of the sonata is written in classical sonata form, with an interesting exposition consisting of lyrical first theme and dance-like second theme. The Scherzo contrasts the first movement with the fast tempo and emphasizes rhythm increase, sense of vitality, and gracefulness. The third movement is a lyrical Andante that brings back the simplicity present in the first movement. The last movement, Allegro con brio, evokes the spirit of eighteenth-century classicism with its sonata-rondo design, its ornamentation, and its precise rhythm.
—Program note assembled by Aleksandra Tevdoska Hawkins. Sergei Prokofiev, Anthony Philips, Autobiography, Articles, Reminiscences, compiled by S. Shlifstein, translated by Rose Prokofieva, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow, 1964
Performer Biographies
Sarah Chang, violin
Recognized as one of the foremost violinists of our time, Sarah Chang has performed with the most esteemed orchestras, conductors, and accompanists in an international career spanning more than two decades. Since her debut with the New York Philharmonic at the age of eight, Chang has continued to impress audiences with her technical virtuosity and refined emotional depth.
Highlights from Chang’s recent and upcoming seasons have included performances with such North American orchestras as the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Cleveland Symphony, Montreal Symphony, Houston Symphony, Detroit Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and New Jersey Symphony. She has also performed at the Hollywood Bowl and at the Tanglewood, Ravinia, and Aspen music festivals, among others. With a career that has blossomed internationally, her European engagements have taken her to Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, and her engagements in Asia have brought her to audiences in China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. As an accomplished recital and chamber musician, Chang regularly travels the world, performing with such artists as Pinchas Zukerman, Yefim Bronfman, Leif Ove Andsnes, Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern, Wolfgang Sawallisch, and members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
“. . . Chang is a mature artist in the fullest sense of the term. Her Heifetzian pitch, her sound, her sense, her trills, her dynamic range, her passion, her assurance, her deep penetration of the substance and nature of the music all combine to make her the best violinist I have heard in years, surely one of the foremost virtuosi of her time.” —Toronto Globe and Mail
Sarah Chang’s most recent recording for EMI Classics—her twentieth for the label—featured the Brahms and Bruch violin concertos with Kurt Masur and the Dresdner Philharmonie, and was received to excellent critical and popular acclaim. Her recording of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons attracted international commendation, with BBC Music Magazine stating: “She has never made a finer recording.” She has also recorded Prokofiev Violin Concerto No.1 and Shostakovich Violin Concerto No.1 live with the Berliner Philharmoniker under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle; Fire and Ice, an album of popular shorter works for violin and orchestra with Placido Domingo conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker; the Dvořák Violin Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra and Sir Colin Davis; as well as several chamber music and sonata discs with artists including pianists Leif Ove Andsnes and Lars Vogt.
Along with Pete Sampras, Wynton Marsalis, and Tom Brady, Chang has been a featured artist in Movado’s global advertising campaign “The Art of Time.” In 2006, she was honored as one of 20 Top Women in Newsweek Magazine’s “Women and Leadership, 20 Powerful Women Take Charge” issue. In March 2008, Chang was honored as a Young Global Leader for 2008 by the World Economic Forum for her professional achievements, commitment to society, and potential in shaping the future of the world. In 2012, Chang received the Harvard University Leadership Award, and in 2005, Yale University dedicated a chair in Sprague Hall in her name. For the June 2004 Olympic games, she was given the honor of running with the Olympic Torch in New York, and that same month, became the youngest person ever to receive the Hollywood Bowl’s Hall of Fame award. Also in 2004, Chang was awarded the Internazionale Accademia Musicale Chigiana Prize in Siena, Italy. Other previous distinctions include the Avery Fisher Career Grant, Gramophone’s “Young Artist of the Year” award, Germany’s “Echo” Schallplattenpreis, “Newcomer of the Year” honors at the International Classical Music Awards in London, and Korea’s “Nan Pa” award. In 2011, Chang was named an official Artistic Ambassador by the United States Department of State.
“[Sonya Ovrutsky Fensome played] the 2nd Piano Concerto with passion and virtuosity. Her crystalline playing is devoid of excessive pathos, and her solid technique plays with the dizzying strokes that punctuate the score.”
L’impartial (Neuchatel, Switzerland)
Sonya Ovrutsky Fensome, piano
Sonya Ovrutsky Fensome is a classical pianist, composer, and educator. She is a professor at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts and the director of M. Steinert and Sons Piano Academy in Boston. Her performances are known for their fresh, imaginative, and passionate interpretation. Her extraordinary artistry brings new life to a wide array of piano repertoire—from Baroque to the twenty-first century. Her album Dreams in Black and White is streaming on numerous platforms including Apple Music and Spotify, and her YouTube channel “From My Piano Room” is gaining recognition around the world.
Ovrutsky Fensome has performed in major venues in the United States, Europe, Russia, and South Africa—including Weill Carnegie Concert Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Aspen Music Festival, Palace de Beaux Arts in Brussels, and Lucerne Music Festival. She performed as a soloist with the Aspen Festival Orchestra, Reno Philharmonic and Neuchâtel Festival Orchestra in Switzerland. She has performed in recitals with world renowned violinist Sarah Chang and collaborates with her brother, violinist Mikhail Ovrutsky. Earlier in her career she worked as a collaborative pianist in the master classes and private lessons of professors Zakhar Bron, Dorothy DeLay, Mauricio Fuks, Itzhak Perlman, Vadim Repin, and Pinchas Zukerman. Her numerous competition awards include the Aspen Music Festival Competition and Concert Artist Competition in New York. Her duo CD with Mikhail Ovrutsky Turning Points recorded for Berlin Classics has earned outstanding reviews and was selected as “CD of the Week” by RBB Kulturradio.
Born in Moscow, Russia, into a family of classical musicians, Ovrutsky Fensome gave her first performance at age five. At age fifteen, she gained world recognition upon winning the International Piano Competition in Senigalia, Italy. She was invited to study at the Juilliard School of Music as a full scholarship recipient, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano performance, studying with legendary professors Herbert Stessin for piano and Felix Galimir for chamber music. Ovrutsky Fensome resides in Boston, Massachusetts, with her husband and son.
Upcoming Schwartz Center Concerts
Visit schwartz.emory.edu to view complete event information. If a ticket is required for attendance, prices are indicated in the listings below in the following order: Full price/Emory student price (unless otherwise noted).
Friday, September 27, 8:00 p.m., Global Bach: Jack Mitchener, organ, Schwartz Center, Emerson Concert Hall, free
Sunday, October 6, 4:00 p.m., Todd Qualls, piano, Artist Affiliate Recital, Schwartz Center, Emerson Concert Hall, free
Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12, 8:00 p.m., A Choral Tapestry, Atlanta Master Chorale, Schwartz Center, Emerson Concert Hall, $42/$10 (all students), tickets required
Friday, October 18, 8:00 p.m., Zee Zee, piano, Candler Concert Series, Schwartz Center Emerson Concert Hall, $35/$10, tickets required
Sunday, October 20, 4:00 p.m., Emory Wind Studies Concert, Schwartz Center, Emerson Concert Hall, free
Saturday, October 26, 8:00 p.m., Emory University Symphony Orchestra: Family Weekend Concert, Schwartz Center, Emerson Concert Hall, free, tickets required
Sunday, October 27, 7:00 p.m., Emory Choirs, Schwartz Center, Emerson Concert Hall, free
Friday, November 1, 8:00 p.m., PUBLIQuartet—Rhythm Nation, SchwartzArtist-in-Residence Program, Schwartz Center, Emerson Concert Hall, $30/$10, tickets required
Saturday, November 2, 8:00 p.m., Friends and Mentors, ECMSA: Emerson Series, Schwartz Center, Emerson Concert Hall, free
Sunday, November 10, 4:00 p.m., Emory Chamber Ensembles, Schwartz Center, Emerson Concert Hall, free
Wednesday, November 13, 8:00 p.m., Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra, Schwartz Center, Emerson Concert Hall, free
Schwartz Center Staff
Rachael Brightwell, Managing Director
Terry Adams, Box Office Coordinator
Kathryn Colegrove, Assoc. Director for Programming and Outreach
Lewis Fuller, Associate Director for Production and Operations
Jennifer Kimball, Assistant Stage Manager
Jeffrey Lenhard, Operations Assistant
Brenda Porter, House Manager
Caroline Renner, Program Coordinator
Bebe Rogers, Communications Specialist
Alan Strange, Box Office Manager
Nicholas Surbey, Senior Graphic Designer
Alexandria Sweatt, Marketing Assistant
Mark Teague, Stage Manager
The Schwartz Center for Performing Arts offers a variety of classical, jazz, and crossover music each season. Visit schwartz.emory.edu for more event details and up-to-date information.
Next in the Candler Concert Series
Zee Zee, piano
Friday, October 18, 8:00 pm | Schwartz Center, Emerson Concert Hall
“a powerful, passionate and compelling representation of pure artistry”—Los Angeles Times
The imaginative and electrifying pianist Zee Zee takes audiences on a musical journey in her debut at the Schwartz Center. Built around selections from Années de pèlerinage (Years of pilgrimage) by Franz Liszt, the concert also features works by Wagner, Schönberg, and Ravel.
