VCH Organ Series: Isabelle Demers by Singapore Symphony

20 November 2017 Victoria concert Hall

ISAbeLLe DemerS isabelle Demers, organ JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 532 10’00 SERGEI PROKOFIEV excerpts from Cinderella 9’00 (transcribed by isabelle Demers) introduction Gavotte – the Dancing lesson Duet of the Sisters with the oranges cinderella Goes to the Ball SIR GEORGE THALBEN-BALL Variations on a theme by Paganini 7’00 RACHEL LAURIN three Short Studies, op. 68 8’00 1. Monologue 2. Flight of the Hummingbird 3. Dialogue of the Mockingbirds LOUIS VIERNE Final from Symphony no. 5, op. 47 10’00

ISAbeLLe DemerS ORGAN

“There is no shortage of organists who make their instruments roar; and while her power was never in question, Demers made the instrument sing.” Peter Reed, Classical Source.com, England, 2016

With playing described as having “bracing virtuosity” (Chicago Classical Review) and being “fearless and extraordinary” (AmarilloGlobe News), organist isabelle Demers has enraptured critics, presenters, and audience members around the globe for her spellbinding performances. a native of Québec and a graduate of the Juilliard School, Demers is an organ Professor and Head of the organ Program at Baylor University in texas. She is in continual demand by her colleagues with numerous invitations to perform at conventions by the american Guild of organists and the royal canadian college of organists. Her recital for the joint iSo-aio convention in 2010 so enchanted the audience that she “left the entire congress in an atmosphere of ‘Demers fever’.”

Demers’ 2015-2016 performance calendar included appearances at longwood Gardens (Pa), Stambaugh auditorium (oH), a concerto performance with the Madison Symphony orchestra (Wi), and a solo recital at london’s royal albert Hall. in the summer of 2016, she appeared in recitals in canada, Germany, Great Britain and china. Her critically acclaimed recordings on the acis and the Proorgano labels have been heralded as “expressive…profound and searching” (rScM’s Church Music Quarterly) and they, along with her live performances, have been featured on american Public Media’s PipeDreams. isabelle Demers is represented exclusively in north america by Phillip truckenbrod concert artists, llc.

ProgrAmme NoTeS JoHANN SebASTIAN bACH (1685 – 1750)

SergeI ProKoFIev (1891 – 1953)

Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 532 10’00

Excerpts from Cinderella 9’00 (transcribed by Isabelle Demers)

J.S. Bach is usually recognised as the greatest composer for the organ, and today we start our concert with one of his most virtuosic and beloved works, his Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 532. the prelude is famous (or infamous!) among performers for its opening pedal scales, which are terrifying even for the most seasoned of organists! it eventually moves on to a central episode featuring exquisite four-part counterpoint before a final coda with dissonant chords and double pedal. the fugue’s main subject is built on multiple repetitions of two short patterns, which are quickly joined by some spirited countersubjects. the relentless rhythmic energy of the fugue is contagious and eventually leads to an extended pedal solo, looking back to the beginning of the prelude.

Prokofiev wrote his ballet Cinderella between 1940 and 1944, when he was constantly evacuated from one city to another because of World War ii. in the Introduction, the first and third sections remind us of cinderella’s plight at the beginning of the story, while she daydreams about a better future in the middle section. The Dancing Lesson features the two stepsisters arguing about a shawl, which they eventually tear in two. in Three Oranges, refreshments are served during the ball, and cinderella is given the honor of choosing one; Prokofiev cleverly introduces one of his earlier compositions – the March from his opera The Love for Three Oranges – in that excerpt, almost as a clin d’oeil. in the last excerpt, cinderella frantically tries to get ready for the ball, running and leaping around until a loud crash is heard. a lyrical melody follows, constantly interrupted by echoes of a waltz and the ticking of the clock, reminding cinderella that she must be home by midnight.

SIr george THALbeN-bALL (1896 – 1987) Variations on a Theme by Paganini 7’00 Sir George thalben-Ball was born in australia but spent most of his adult life in Great Britain, where he was organist at temple church in london as well as at the Birmingham town Hall. He was renowned as a great virtuoso and wrote the Variations on a Theme of Paganini as a display for his own pedal technique. the theme is the Twenty-Fourth Caprice of Paganini, which had been used as a theme in the past by many other composers such as Brahms, liszt, and rachmaninov. thalben-Ball’s set starts rather simply but quickly moves on to greater technical challenges – everything from chords and arpeggios to glissandos! the two penultimate variations are studies in expressivity, or, as one of my friends put it, “how to sing with one’s feet!”

rACHeL LAUrIN (b. 1961) Three Short Studies, Op. 68 8’00 canadian composer rachel laurin hails from Québec, and is very active as a performer, composer, and guest clinician. the Three Short Studies were written in 2014 and have quickly gained great popularity. the first one, Monologue, is a short study for the feet.

in the Flight of the Hummingbird we are reminded of rimsky-Korsakov’s Bumblebee, though laurin’s version is far gentler, with echoes of Debussy and ravel in the central episodes. the last one is Dialogue of the Mockingbirds, a witty conversation between two mockingbirds, which have the rare ability of learning new songs throughout their lives. in laurin’s piece, the first one is very content to sing only one theme while the second one wants to display the vast extent of his knowledge; clearly this bird has attended many organ concerts as he is familiar with a wide variety of organ works! Most of the quotations are very easy to recognise, though a few are cleverly hidden here and there.

LoUIS vIerNe ( 1870 – 1937) Final from Symphony No. 5, Op. 47 10’00 louis Vierne was organist at notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, and is known as one of the most important representatives of the French Symphonic organ school. Vierne was nearly blind from birth and was very unhappy throughout his life, marked by one tragedy after another. His Fifth Symphony was composed in 1924 and is entirely based on two themes. While the first four movements are very dark, most of the final is joyful, even exuberant. the movement is made up of five sections, based alternately on themes a and B; the former is reduced to its most basic expression at the very end, bringing the movement to its triumphant conclusion.

Programme notes by Isabelle Demers

THe KLAIS orgAN First installed in 1987, the Victoria concert Hall’s Klais organ was purchased through fundraising efforts from the then-newly formed SSo ladies’ league as a replacement for the St. clair organ that had been built some 50 years earlier in 1931. the St. clair organ was named after Major W. G. St. clair, founder of the old Philharmonic Society and the first editor of the Singapore Free Press, and its façade was retained after the installation of the Klais organ. in 2010, with the redevelopment of the Victoria concert Hall and Victoria theatre, the organ – consisting of a total of 2,012 pipes – was methodically removed piece by piece, repaired and stored in climate-controlled warehouses during the refurbishment period. Being the only mechanical organ in Singapore, the Klais organ has strong emotional links with generations of audiences and many donors and supporters of classical music, notably the lee Foundation, who have stepped forward to provide financial support for the restoration. When the Victoria concert Hall reopened in the second half of 2014, the organ once again took centrestage, providing awe-inspiring and delicate strains of music to old and new audiences.

We would like to thank the following organisations and individuals for donating towards the restoration of the Klais Organ. lee Foundation, Singapore Goh Yew lin Far east organization Ho ching Mrs christina ong low check Kian tan Kong Piat (Pte) ltd tow Heng tan Bernard tan tiong Gie Winston Hauw Michael Koh ann Kheng richard P armstrong Joseph Grimberg one north capital Pte ltd tan corporate advisory Pte ltd United overseas Bank ltd

leong Wai leng Wing tai Holdings limited Yeoh chee Yan comfortDelGro corporation limited Paul a. J. Supramaniam auric Pacific Group limited Heidrick & Struggles Bryan Manaf Ghows Santa lucia asset Management andreas Sohmen-Pao tan Boon ngee american Women’s association chng Hak-Peng Dr Warren lee’s Paediatrics Growth & Diabetes centre Pte ltd

UPComINg eveNTS

vCH PreSeNTS SerIeS: goLD 50: THe KINg’S SINgerS 23 February 2018, 7.30pm

THe KINg’S SINgerS WITH THe SINgAPore SYmPHoNY CHILDreN’S CHoIr 24 February 2018, 7.30pm

SSo CHAmber SerIeS: rUSSIAN AT HeArT 1 April 2018, 4pm

vCH orgAN SerIeS: IN everY CorNer SINg 8 April 2018, 4pm

AboUT THe KLAIS orgAN Mechanical Stop and Keyboard action Windpressure: Manuals: 100mm Pedal: 120mm 3 Manual combination Pedals Builder: Klais, Bonn 1987 SWeLL

greAT

Hautbois Basson Scharff Sesquialter octavin Blockflöte Principal Vox coeleste Gamba rohrflöte tremulant

8’ 16’ 4 ranks 2 ranks 2’ 4’ 4’ 8’ 8’ 8’

couplers:

i/Ped ii/Ped ii/i ii/ii 16’

Patron SPonSor

cromorne trompete Mixture larigot Superoctave traversflöte octave offenflöte Principal Quintaton tremulant

PeDAL 8’ 8’ 4 ranks 1 1/3’ 2’ 4’ 4’ 8’ 8’ 16’