Singapore International Piano Festival 2024

MESSAGE FROM THE

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Lim Yan

A very warm welcome to the 2024 Singapore International Piano Festival.

I am especially thrilled to present this year’s edition, which features two pianists with whom I have a close connection: I knew Jin Ju from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester when we were students and she was cleaning up all the intra- and intercollegiate awards in addition to her international successes; and Ashley Wass who was a few years my senior at Chetham’s School of Music, and whose achievements at the London and Leeds International Piano Competitions continued to be an inspiration after he had graduated.

Together with the dazzling brilliance and artistry of Yeol Eum Son and Mei Yi Foo (who need no introduction!), the festival features, on consecutive evenings, three epic works by Beethoven (his Sonata Op. 109 matching the Diabelli Variations and the Hammerklavier in depth and intensity, if not sheer duration), paired with cornerstones of the repertory from the Romantic period (Chopin and Brahms in Jin Ju’s recital); and lesser-known gems (Variations by Bizet, Czerny and Alkan in Yeol Eum Son’s recital). The theme of variations continues in Beethoven’s Sonata No. 30 (Ashley Wass’s recital), who also explores polyphony and counterpoint in works by Shostakovich and Franck; whose mild brands of dissonance and gallicism are then turned up to eleven and celebrated in Mei Yi Foo’s recital, bringing the festival to a barnstorming close with the Regard de l'Esprit de joie

Just writing these words has me in eager anticipation for this year’s festival to start, and I hope that you too will have an exhilarating, exciting and epic experience at SIPF 2024.

Lim Yan Artistic Director

Lim Yan Artistic Director

Walter Haass piano technician

THU, 6 JUN 2024

Jin Ju in Recital

7.30pm, Victoria Concert Hall

Works by Beethoven, Chopin and Brahms

FRI, 7 JUN 2024

Yeol Eum Son in Recital

7.30pm, Victoria Concert Hall

Works by Bizet, Czerny, Liszt, Alkan and Beethoven

SAT, 8 JUN 2024

Masterclass by Mei Yi Foo 3.30pm, Victoria Concert Hall Dance Studio

Ashley Wass in Recital 7.30pm, Victoria Concert Hall

Works by Beethoven, Shostakovich, Schumann and Franck

SUN, 9 JUN 2024

Masterclass by Ashley Wass 3.30pm, Victoria Concert Hall Dance Studio

Mei Yi Foo in Recital 7.30pm, Victoria Concert Hall

Works by Ravel, Unsuk Chin, Bartók, Berio and Messiaen

Digital Releases

FROM SAT, 15 JUN 2024

Tengku Irfan in Recital

Singapore Symphony YouTube Channel

Works by Beethoven, Fauré, Koh Cheng Jin, Schumann and Villa-Lobos

FROM SUN, 16 JUN 2024

Jonathan Biss in Recital

Singapore Symphony YouTube Channel

Works by Schubert, Schumann, Mozart, Kurtág and Beethoven

Digital recitals recorded live at the Victoria Concert Hall in June 2023, during the 29th Singapore International Piano Festival.

THU, 6 JUN 2024

VICTORIA CONCERT HALL

JIN JU IN RECITAL

BEETHOVEN Diabelli Variations 51’00

Intermission 20'00

CHOPIN Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58 30’00

BRAHMS Fantasies, Op. 116 23’00

Concert Duration: approximately 2 hrs 20 mins (including 20 mins intermission)

Post-concert autograph session with Jin Ju at Door 3, Level 2

Jin Ju

Born in Shanghai, Jin Ju is a professor at the Imola Piano Academy, the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music, an artist-in-residence at the Florence Accademia Bartolomeo Cristofori, the founder and artistic director of the Florence International Fortepiano Festival, and an exclusive artist of MDG record company. In 2012, she received the “Annual Solo Recording Award (19th Century) - Piano” at the German Echo Klassik Awards. In 2015, she received the “Honorable Mention Award” from the 8th International Chopin Record Competition, becoming the only Chinese artist to receive this honor in the past 40 years.

Jin Ju won the bronze medal at the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in 2002, and placed 6th for the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2003. In 2009, she was invited by Pope Benedict XVI to give a recital at the Vatican's Sala Nervi, received high praise from the Pope, who called her “a great artist whose music has the power to uplift the human soul”.

In 2020, at the invitation of the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, she held a concert in the presidential palace in Rome, which was broadcast live on RAI3. In recognition of her outstanding achievements, President Mattarella awarded Jin Ju the title of “Knight of the Republic” in December.

Jin Ju has performed at world-renowned venues like the Berlin and Vienna Konzerthaus, Bridgewater Hall, Palais de Beaux Arts, major concert halls in China such as the Forbidden City. Jin Ju has collaborated with world-class orchestras like BBC Philharmonic, Belgian National Orchestra, Orchestra of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, and the China National Symphony.

jinjupianist.com

jinjupianist

jinjupianist

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770

– 1827)

Diabelli Variations

Theme

Var. 1

Var. 2

Var. 3

Var. 4

Var. 5

Var. 6

Var. 7

Var. 8

Var. 9

Var. 10

Var. 11

Var. 12

Var. 13

Var. 14

Var. 15

Var. 16

Var. 17

Vivace

Alla marcia maestoso

Poco allegro

L’itesso tempo

Un poco più vivace

Allegro vivace

Allegro ma non troppo e serioso

Un poco più allegro

Poco vivace

Allegro pesante e risoluto

Presto

Allegretto

Un poco più moto

Vivace

Grave e maestoso

Presto scherzando

Allegro

Allegro

Anton Diabelli was a composer and music publisher in Vienna in Beethoven’s time. Having quite the entrepreneurial spirit, Diabelli composed a waltz in 1819, and sent it to every known composer in Austria, soliciting from each a variation on it. Franz Schubert and the 11-year-old Franz Liszt were among the composers who took up this call, but Beethoven, when initially approached, refused disdainfully.

This commercial ruse must have intrigued Beethoven though, for in late 1822, he presented not 1, but an assemblage of 33 variations to Diabelli. It was like a complete and unabridged manual of Beethoven’s mastery over variation technique. How ironic that what was perceived as a gimmick provoked one of the composer’s most revered masterpieces. Why did Beethoven initially reject the theme, only to later become so drawn to its development?

Perhaps the answer to that is humour. The Diabelli Variations are filled with it. Parts of the work are slapstick. However, there exists at the same time a more profound emotional

Var. 18

Var. 19

Var. 20

Var. 21

Var. 22

Var. 23

Var. 24

Var. 25

Var. 26

Var. 27

Var. 28

Var. 29

Var. 30

Var. 31

Var. 32

Var. 33

Poco moderato

Presto

Andante

Allegro con brio – Meno allegro –

Tempo primo

Allegro molto, alla “Notte e giorno faitcar” di Mozart

Allegro assai

Fughetta: Andante

Allegro (Piacevole)

Vivace

Allegro

Adagio ma non troppo

Andante, sempre cantabile

Largo, molto espressivo

Fuga: Allegro

Tempo di Menuetto moderato

and psychological drama, hinting at the gradual process of transcending the frivolity of the theme towards spirituality.

The repeated chords which introduce the waltz are subject to Beethoven’s merciless ridiculing from the get-go. A wonderful example is in the very first variation, where a grandiose march is juxtaposed wryly against bland repeated chords. These repeated chords make further appearances as an incessant hammering (Variation 21), a teasing tremolo (Variation 10), with playful flicks (Variation 9) and as blaring trumpet calls (Variations 16 and 17).

In the most preposterous instance, Beethoven simply omits chords, leaving an undeniably awkward void between notes (Variation 13).

Beethoven’s skill in variation form is demonstrated in his ability to transform comic repetition into deeper sentiments. A more lyrical, pastoral mood appears early on (Variations 2 and 3) and is revisited regularly (Variations 8, 11, 12, 18, 26). At times, this morphs into a probing and philosophical atmosphere (Variations 14 and 20).

The extremity of its contrasts in this work can leave one feeling a tad disconcerted. In one such moment, the serene stillness of Variation 20 is rudely overthrown by the cackling trills of Variation 21, following which are two cheeky variations: Variation 22 mocks Mozart’s aria Nott’ e giorno faticar (Day and night slaving away) from Don Giovanni, and Variation 23 is a parody of a piano etude by Cramer which would have been well known in Beethoven's time. Some may argue that these musical spoofs were expressions of Beethoven’s grave dissatisfaction with Diabelli for being seen as just one of many composers then working in Austria.

References to J.S. Bach can be found in the form a fughetta, a tragic largo in the style of a Baroque arioso and a double fugue which transforms the repeated notes into a heroic gesture (Variations 24, 31 and 32 respectively). Parody, homage or plain harmless humour? Take a guess.

A simple minuet is a clear signal that the end of the work is looming. It symbolizes transformation, for a banal waltz has undergone such transfiguration into a more dignified form. The coda that follows elevates us into a state of calm contemplation, reminiscent of similar moments in the last piano sonata, Op. 111.

FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN (1810 –

1849)

Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58

I. Allegro maestoso

II. Scherzo: Molto vivace

III. Largo

IV. Finale: Presto non tanto

Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor is a pinnacle in Chopin’s compositional output. Composed in 1844 during one of the most productive periods of his life, it also coincided with the happiest years of his relationship with George Sand. The Polish composer experimented with

contrapuntal techniques and challenged himself to explore writing in sonata form, which churned out some of the most imaginative works for this genre: the Sonata no. 2 in B-flat minor op. 35 “Funeral March” and the Sonata no. 3 in B minor.

A bold, descending musical statement opens the first movement. It is a brazen call, and a motif that is exploited throughout the movement. A series of emphatic moments ensue with shifting tonalities, persistent chords and a cascading chromatic scale in the left hand, before the turbulence evaporates into a lyrical nocturne-like secondary theme in D major. The development is a daring harmonic manoeuvre. Chopin marries chromaticism and polyphony, drawing out the sonata form’s relentless pursuit back to the home key of B minor, except that the composer bypasses the first theme, and the music finds its way to the second theme in B major instead. These stratagems are akin to the spontaneous narrative flow of a ballade, a form Chopin was most adept in, even though the work is a sonata.

The second movement is a Scherzo. With its brilliant streams of rapid runs, it is a virtuosic feat of strength. The middle section does provide some respite with sustained chords, transporting us into a dream world before the exhilaration returns.

A grand gesture in dotted rhythms heralds in the Largo, the third movement. These dotted rhythms then become the hallmark of a lilting accompaniment to a tender and inviting melody. The lyricism demonstrated is a testament to Chopin’s love of Italian bel canto. In the inner segment of this movement, the gentle swaying of the music gives way to introspective stillness, as the harmonic pace slows down dramatically.

The finale is an unstoppable Rondo, with endless surges that inject the refrain with a sense of epic might. Moments of bravura are heard with flashes of fast, descending scales,

but this never impedes the endless swelling of energy. It is one of the most satisfying experiences when the height of this build up is reached. A virtuosic coda then sweeps us towards a conclusion of this masterwork.

JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833 – 1897)

Fantasies, Op. 116

I. Capriccio in D minor

II. Intermezzo in A minor

III. Capriccio in G minor

IV. Intermezzo in E major

V. Intermezzo in E minor

VI. Intermezzo in E major

VII. Capriccio in D minor

“Fantasy” refers to the idea of improvisation and unexpected. Brahms’s Fantasies, Op. 116 certainly depict that, and yet, sophisticated compositional craft belie these miniatures. Whilst the structure of these character pieces are simple, for each is in ternary form, the atmospheres evoked may be intensely passionate or deeply soulful, with the term capriccio referring to those with a more extraverted character and intermezzo, to those that more introverted in style. The entire set opens and closes with a robustly energetic Capriccio in D minor. Four other Intermezzos and another Capriccio that comprise the rest of the work are bound together by keys closely related to D minor and to each other, and through motivic unity apparent in melodic chains of descending thirds. Clara Schumann, a close friend to Brahms and champion of his works, wrote to him, “I like the deeply passionate ones as much as the dreamy ones, in which such exquisite sounds are conjured out of the piano.”

These “exquisite sounds” are actually built upon basic musical elements such as rhythm, harmony, melody and tone colour, just that these are constantly interacting with each other, subtly morphing as we listen. The predictability

of rhythm is often challenged through the appearances of hemiolas, syncopations and metric displacements. Rich bass tones that weave its way into the texture of the music, as well as delayed resolutions that play with our expectations are a trademark of Brahms’s use of harmony. Amidst the varied orchestral tone colours, contrapuntal duets weave itself onto the musical fabric. Pianist Paul Lewis aptly describes this experience as having “the real meaning of these pieces … being whispered to you in the middle voices.”

Programme notes by Khoo Hui Ling

FRI, 7 JUN 2024

VICTORIA CONCERT HALL

YEOL EUM SON IN RECITAL

BIZET Variations Chromatiques de concert 13’00

CZERNY Variations on a Theme by Rode, Op. 33 “La Ricordanza” 8’00

LISZT Transcendental Étude No. 9 in A-flat major “Ricordanza” 10’00

ALKAN Variations on a Theme of Steibelt, Op. 1 11’00

Intermission 20'00

BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major, Op. 106 “Hammerklavier” 40’00

Concert Duration: approximately 2 hrs (including 20 mins intermission)

Post-concert autograph session with Yeol Eum Son at Door 3, Level 2

Yeol Eum Son

Pianist Yeol Eum Son, born in South Korea, in 1986, is renowned for her exceptional artistry and captivating performances. From a young age, she displayed remarkable talent, beginning piano lessons at just three-and-a-half years old. Yeol Eum has captivated audiences worldwide with her boundless artistic exploration and profound musicality, establishing herself as one of the foremost pianists of her generation.

Yeol Eum’s playing is marked by its poetic elegance, nuanced expressiveness, and a gift for conveying dramatic contrasts. Her artistry is underpinned by breathtaking technical prowess and a deep emotional connection to the music. She possesses an insatiable curiosity that drives her to explore a diverse range of musical genres.

Her extensive repertoire spans classical masterpieces by composers such as Bach and Mozart to contemporary works by Shchedrin and Kapustin, chosen for their quality and depth. Yeol Eum is highly sought after as a recitalist, concerto soloist, and chamber musician, earning critical acclaim for her intelligent interpretations.

Throughout the 2022-23 season, Yeol Eum served as an Artist-in-Residence with the Residentie Orkest in The Hague, performing works by Mozart, Gershwin, Saint-Saëns, and Ravel. She made impressive debuts with renowned orchestras, including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Her international reach extends to collaborations with esteemed orchestras like the Konzerthaus Orchestra Berlin, BBC Philharmonic, and Budapest Festival Orchestra. Yeol Eum’s discography features a range of remarkable recordings, including Mozart’s Complete Piano Sonatas, hailed as Classic FM’s Album of the Week in March 2023. Her discography also includes works by Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Ravel, and Schumann.

yeoleumson.com

GEORGES BIZET (1838 – 1875)

Variations Chromatiques de concert

Theme

Moderato maestoso

Un pochissimo più allegretto

Tempo rubato

A tempo risoluto

Con fuoco

Più lento

Agitato

VII.

Più lento, ma non troppo

The Germanic domination of piano music in the middle of the 19th century is such that people sometimes think of Chopin as the finest French composer — a very cheeky quip, since Chopin was actually half-French, and one that is really not far off the mark. French composers of the 19th century largely concerned themselves with grand opera and ballet, and even Berlioz’s orchestral output was seen as a bit strange, despite the success of the Symphonie Fantastique

Against this poor background, Bizet’s “Chromatic Variations” stands out as a rare example of a piece that has almost survived the test of time. Stylistically, it draws from the technique of the great early-Romantic composers, and one can hear touches of Mendelssohn and Schumann in the piano textures. Some of the dance rhythms are

CARL CZERNY (1791 – 1857)

VIII.

IX.

X.

XI.

XII.

XIII.

XIV.

L’istesso tempo

Un peu plus vite

Alla polacca

Andante

Plus animé

Mouvement des 1res variations

L'istesso tempo

distinctly drawn from Chopin, especially in the multiple “alla Polacca” variations, but the overarching influence must come from Beethoven himself, whose 32 Variations in C minor Bizet was known to have admired.

Bizet was known in his time as an excellent sight-reader and he spent so much time rehearsing and arranging other composers’ works that he left himself much less time to work on his own compositions. By some estimates, more than three-quarters of the music he published were recastings of others’ work! That operatic knack for rearrangement steals in here, with a quote from Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette in Variation 13. Ultimately the piece winds its chromatic way to the beginning, with a full scale up and down the octave and a final cadence tacked on.

Variations on a Theme by Rode, Op. 33 “La Ricordanza”

Theme

Var. I

Var. II

Var. III

Var. IV

Var. V

Andante espressivo

L’istesso tempo

L’istesso tempo

Vivace

Sostenuto

Allegro vivace

Czerny is known today for his large body of teaching pieces, which is an unfair reputation to have given the skill with which he wrote

his finest music, a lot of which is still being discovered today. He composed symphonies, songs, string quartets and chamber music, masses and choral works, and even an excellent piano concerto that sometimes gets performed. His transitional status between Beethoven and Liszt cements his place in music history, since he was no brave groundbreaker, but rather someone who honed his craft with quiet competence.

Borrowing the theme (“La Ricordanza”) from the French virtuoso violinist Pierre Rode, Czerny’s set of variations does not stray far from the classical model. Technically speaking, there is nothing here that is not also in a Beethoven set of variations, but this music was attractive enough for pianists of the stature of Horowitz and Alexis Weissenberg to perform regularly and record for posterity.

FRANZ LISZT (1811 – 1886)

Transcendental Étude No. 9 in A-flat major “Ricordanza”

Liszt’s own take on La Ricordanza is less strict in variation form and closer to a rondo instead. The form most commonly heard today is from the second version of the Transcendental Studies, Liszt having revised the first version 15 years after he had written them as a concertising virtuoso. In this form, the musical material is more concentrated and made more beautiful, requiring the utmost in delicate playing from the performer.

Despite being based on the same tune, Liszt’s version is much more improvisatory, with an extended introduction, several cadenzas, and a beautifully considered coda. This is the mature Liszt on the brink of stepping back from the concert circuit to focus on his composing career, and while the virtuosity is still there, the overarching mood is one of real calm and tenderness.

CHARLES-VALENTIN ALKAN (1813 – 1888)

Variations on a Theme of Steibelt, Op. 1

Charles-Valentin Alkan is somewhat of a mysterious figure. His cause of death, purportedly from being crushed by a bookshelf while reaching for a copy of the Talmud, is almost certainly an urban legend, as was his supposed desire to set the whole of the Bible to music. He did have a burgeoning career in the 1830s and was a staple in Parisian salons, along with the likes of his good friends Chopin

and Liszt, but his career did not flourish like theirs and his music began fading into obscurity even while he was still alive.

However, unlike many more unknowns that have really receded into the mists of time, Debussy came across Alkan’s music while a student at the Paris Conservatoire, and eventually Ravel and Rachmaninoff would also cotton on to it. Such was his fate: his memory is kept alive even today by a small group of hardcore “pianophiles”, with many pianists intimidated by the technical challenges his music presents. This set of variations, borrowing a theme from Beethoven’s contemporary rival Daniel Steibelt, is an early composition that goes a little easier on the pianist, and is a little foretaste of the fully-fledged composer to come.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770 – 1827)

Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major, Op. 106 “Hammerklavier”

I. Allegro

II. Scherzo: Assai vivace

III. Adagio sostenuto

IV. Introduzione: Largo, Allegro –Fuga: Allegro risoluto

Beethoven’s Große Sonate für das Hammerklavier, now known as simply The Hammerklavier, is his most technically challenging piano composition, and was only publicly performed after his death by Liszt. It was radical and unconventional and Beethoven was cautious enough that he advised his English publisher to print the sonata cut into half, with an “Introduction and Fugue” as the title to the final movement.

Throughout this work, Beethoven paints in broad brushstrokes. Huge contrasts in sound and texture abound, with the lightning speed of the opening giving way to a lyrical tune. It seems sometimes like this work is a reduction of a huge symphony, such is its sense of scale and time. Beethoven even drops knowing nods

back to the past, with multiple fugal sections, and looks toward the future with long sections of introspection and stillness, pointing the way to his own final works and especially the string quartets.

The Scherzo is extremely short and sounds uneasy and unbalanced; the interlude before the finale sounds like the pianist is improvising their way out of a thicket of strange harmonies. The final fugue starts with a series of trills, but halfway through is interrupted by a new subject, and Beethoven finishes off this huge work with a great double fugue.

Programme notes by Thomas Ang

SAT, 8 JUN 2024

VICTORIA CONCERT HALL

ASHLEY WASS IN RECITAL

BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109 20’00

SHOSTAKOVICH Prelude and Fugue in E minor, Op. 87 No. 4 8’00

SHOSTAKOVICH Prelude and Fugue in D minor, Op. 87 No. 24 12’00

Intermission 20'00

SCHUMANN Kinderszenen, Op. 15 20’00

FRANCK Prélude, Choral et Fugue, FWV 21 20’00

Concert Duration: approximately 2 hrs (including 20 mins intermission) Post-concert autograph session with Ashley Wass at Door 3, Level 2

Described as an ‘endlessly fascinating artist’, Ashley Wass’s musical career is one of unusual creativity and variety. Alongside his work as soloist and chamber musician, he is co-founder of Mash Productions, was Artistic Director of the Lincolnshire International Chamber Music Festival for 11 years, has devoted over 15 years to music education, and is currently the Director of Music at the Yehudi Menuhin School. The diverse list of people and organisations with whom he has collaborated include film festivals, art galleries and animators, children’s television presenters and stars of the stage and screen, illustrators, literary festivals and renowned authors, and mime artists and comedians.

Ashley has performed at many of the world’s finest venues, as soloist with numerous renowned orchestras and conductors, as recitalist, and as a chamber music partner to some of the leading artists of his generation. He was winner of the London International Piano Competition (1997), a prizewinner at the Leeds Piano Competition (2000), and a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist.

Renowned for a broad and eclectic repertoire, Ashley has received critical acclaim for his recordings of Liszt, Franck, Beethoven and Bridge. His discography boasts a number of Gramphone Editor’s Choice recordings, and BBC Music Magazine Choices.

Music education is a central focus of Ashley’s professional life. He was Professor of Piano at the Royal College of Music from 2008 – 2018, Deputy Head of Keyboard Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music from 2018 – 2020, and is currently the Director of Music of both the Yehudi Menuhin School in the UK and its sister school in Qingdao.

Ashley Wass

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770 – 1827)

Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109

I. Vivace ma non troppo – Adagio espressivo

II. Prestissimo

III. Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung. Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo

Beethoven’s piano sonatas form one of the cornerstones of modern piano repertoire, and with an ever-expanding selection to choose form (ABRSM’s publishing arm famously trying to add three early works to the “canonical” 32 sonatas) they have never left the concert stage since they were written. These works command fanatical devotion among their champions, with turn-of-the-century marathon Beethoven sonata performances by Hans von Bülow, Rubinstein and Busoni.

Programming tastes have thankfully changed in the meantime, and tonight’s recital is a lot more varied, featuring one of the “lighter” Beethoven works from his heavy last years. Notes and sketches suggest that this was originally intended to be a bagatelle for a teaching compilation, but Beethoven’s original conception ended up spiralling out to include several fantasia-like episodes. Among his last sonatas, Op. 109 diverges from the expectations of sonata forms the most, with consciously “Classical” passages contrasted with harsh dissonances. Like its predecessor, the great “Hammerklavier”, it also makes use of several fugal sections, as well as extremes of register. Beethoven also subverts the expected order of events, with the first movement joined to the Prestissimo by holding the pedal down, and the third movement being replaced with a set of theme and variations.

DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH (1906 – 1975)

Prelude and Fugue in D minor, Op. 87 No. 24

Shostakovich’s big set of 24 Preludes and Fugues in all keys suffered from a chilly

reception for decades, with many musicians dismissing them as merely Bach pastiche, or sketches from Shostakovich’s workbench, to be more fully fleshed out in symphonic work. But paying close attention to them makes these opinions seem far-fetched, especially when top-drawer musicians as diverse as Tatiana Nikolayeva (the dedicatee) to Keith Jarrett (free-jazz extraordinaire) have recorded them incredibly well.

The E minor prelude and fugue is a meditative piece, with a lyrical melody supported by what is essentially a cantus firmus in the bass line. The middle line imitates Baroque articulation and phrasing, and the prelude moves into the double fugue without pause. This fugue, despite its slow burn, is one of the most complex in the whole series, involving all manner of counterpoint — inversions, stretti, retrogrades, and so forth — all over very clean, modal harmonies.

The final pair in the series, in D minor, makes reference to Bach’s The Art of Fugue, and here the fugue is also a double fugue. The inexorable tread of the chaconne-like prelude is a foreshadowing of the first subject, and when the second subject is finally introduced a little later, the pace picks up (as in the E minor fugue). Again, as befitting a Bach homage, Shostakovich employs all his contrapuntal skill, culminating in a glorious ending.

SCHUMANN (1810 – 1856)

Kinderszenen, Op. 15

I. Von fremden Ländern und Menschen (Of Foreign Lands and Peoples)

II. Kuriose Geschichte (A Curious Story)

III. Hasche-Mann (Blind Man's Buff)

IV. Bittendes Kind (Pleading Child)

V. Glückes genug (Happy Enough)

VI. Wichtige Begebenheit (An Important Event)

VII. Träumerei (Dreaming)

VIII. Am Kamin (At the Fireside)

ROBERT

IX. Ritter vom Steckenpferd (Knight of the Hobbyhorse)

X. Fast zu ernst (Almost Too Serious)

XI. Fürchtenmachen (Frightening)

XII. Kind im Einschlummern (Child Falling Asleep)

XIII. Der Dichter spricht (The Poet Speaks)

Schumann’s Kinderszenen, or “Scenes from Childhood”, came at a turbulent point in his life. He was deep into experimenting with form and overt emotional display in his music, and much of it ended up stumping audiences and critics alike. He was also still fighting Clara’s father in court over his objection to them getting married.

Given this background, it was surprising to many that Schumann’s series of 13 miniatures became an instant bestseller. Its lighter topic probably had a big part to play in that success, as were the lighter technical demands, but despite its title, this is not “children’s music” for didactic purposes, but an emotionally complicated look into the past, inspired by his soon-to-be-wife’s quip that he “sometimes seemed like a child”.

CÉSAR FRANCK (1822 – 1890)

Prélude, Choral et Fugue, FWV

21

César Franck came late to success, spending most of his life as an organist and improviser in what is today Belgium and France. It was only after he took French nationality and became a professor at the Conservatoire that he could dedicate real effort to composing, with timeless works such as his Symphony and his Violin Sonata now firmly established in the repertoire.

Apart from this singular piece, Franck’s piano music was not a priority in his musical output. He was always foremost an organist, though as he moved away from religious considerations he seemed to find a clearer artistic voice. Inspired by Bach’s keyboard works, the Prelude, Chorale and Fugue was an affirmation that there was spirituality to be found even in abstract music,

with a strong focus on cyclic form and the Chorale section forming the emotional core of the piece. Franck’s masterful balance of this Romantic impulse with the more “academic” demand of the fugue form includes the use of an extended cadenza which ties the whole piece up and leads to a triumphant finish in the major key.

Programme notes by Thomas Ang

SUN, 9 JUN 2024

VICTORIA CONCERT HALL

MEI YI FOO IN RECITAL

RAVEL Ma mère l'Oye (trans. Jacques Charlot) 17’00

UNSUK CHIN Six Piano Études 20’00

Intermission 20'00

BARTÓK Out of Doors, Sz. 81, BB 89 15’00

BERIO Six Encores for Piano 13’00

MESSIAEN

Regard de l'Esprit de joie from Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus 9’00

Concert Duration: approximately 1 hr 55 mins (including 20 mins intermission)

Post-concert autograph session with Mei Yi Foo at Door 3, Level 2

Winner of the 2013 BBC Music Magazine’s Best Newcomer award, Mei Yi Foo is recognised internationally as an innovative pianist with a diverse and eclectic repertoire. Described as ‘an artist with courageous individualism’ (Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen), Mei Yi’s concerts are lauded for their ‘liberating’ and ‘virtuoso display’ (The Times) that shows ‘astounding perfection and creativity’ (Unsuk Chin).

A prolific concerto soloist, Mei Yi has appeared with the likes of the English Chamber Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, Iceland Symphony, London Chamber Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. She has performed at the world’s most eminent festivals such as the Lucerne Festival and Ultraschall Festival Berlin. Her recent and future highlights include appearances at the Wigmore Hall, Tokyo Opera City Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and Victoria Concert Hall (Singapore).

As a new music advocate, Mei Yi works regularly with living composers including Dai Fujikura, Richard Baker, Chris Harman and Unsuk Chin. Her award-winning album Musical Toys featuring the world-premiere recording of Unsuk Chin’s complete Piano Etudes, and her chamber concerto recording ConNotations with the Britten Sinfonia have been met with critical acclaim.

A native of Malaysia, Mei Yi resides in the UK after completing her studies at the Royal College and Royal Academy of Music in London with Yonty Solomon, Chris Elton and Alexander Satz. Currently she holds a teaching position at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Mei Yi was also awarded the medal of Setiawan Tuanku Muhriz for her contribution towards art and music in her home country.

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Mei Yi Foo

JOSEPH MAURICE RAVEL (1875 – 1937)

Ma mère l'Oye (trans. Jacques Charlot)

I. Pavane de la belle au bois dormant (Pavane of Sleeping Beauty)

II. Petit poucet (Little Tom Thumb)

III. Laideronnette, impératrice des pagodes (Little Ugly Girl, Empress of the Pagodas)

IV. Les entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête (Conversation of Beauty and the Beast)

V. Le jardin féerique (The Fairy Garden)

Considered France’s greatest living composer in the 1920s – 1930s, Joseph Maurice Ravel was also a pianist and conductor — a fact often overshadowed by the groundbreakingly experimental nature of some of his music and his talent for orchestration. He often composed large works at the piano, producing a piano score first, which he later orchestrated, and he also made orchestral versions of piano music by other composers.

Ma mère l’Oye (“Mother Goose”) was initially written as a piano duet for Mimi and Jean Godebski, aged 6 and 7. Their father was Ravel’s friend Cyprian Godebski, a Polish sculptor active in St Petersburg, Vienna, and Paris, and to whom Ravel had earlier dedicated a work. Ma mère l’Oye was published in 1910 and immediately transcribed for solo piano by Ravel’s friend Jacques Charlot.

As the work’s subtitle cinq pieces enfantines (five children’s pieces) suggests, the work is a suite of five movements based on children’s tales. Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant (“Pavane of Sleeping Beauty”) tells of the Princess Florine who falls asleep after pricking her finger on the spinning wheel. In Petit Poucet (“Little Tom Thumb”), Tom Thumb loses his way in the forest when he is unable to find his way out, as the trail of bread crumbs he dropped has been eaten up by birds. Laideronnette, impératrice des pagodes (“Little ugly girl, empress of the pagodas”) depicts a Chinese girl under a curse of ugliness from a witch, rescued by a Green Serpent,

who takes her to strange lands before turning into a prince and restoring her beauty — listen out for the pentatonic Oriental-style melodies. Les entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête (“Conversation of Beauty and the Beast”) gives us the transformation of Beast into the Prince. Le jardin féerique (“The Fairy Garden”) brings us back to the story of Sleeping Beauty, and Princess Florine is woken by Prince Charming with a kiss and, with the blessing of the Good Fairy, they marry and live happily ever after.

UNSUK CHIN (b. 1961)

Six Piano Études

1. In C

2. Sequenzen

3. Scherzo ad libitum

4. Scalen

5. Grains

6. Toccata

Born in 1961 in Seoul, South Korean composer Unsuk Chin (진은숙, 陳銀淑) was a selftaught pianist, and later studied composition under György Ligeti in Hamburg. Her influences include electronic music, Balinese Gamelan, Mediaeval composers, and numerous extramusical associations and art genres. As a collection, her Six Piano Études are remarkably abstract, though playful, and require great technical precision.

Etude No. 1 was inspired by Balinese Gamelan that Chin heard on a stay in Bali in 1998, and utilises the overlapping of three different rhythmic pulsations, as well as a hovering around the tone C. Etudes Nos. 2–4 were written in 1995 as a group. While Scherzo ad libitum is a character piece, the other two have titles that describe the content.

Etude No. 5 contrasts with No. 1 in its forward motion, while also based on the tone C. No. 6 was commissioned for Pierre Boulez’s 75th birthday in 2000 and reflects Chin’s time in electro-acoustic music. It attempts to simulate the concept of ‘grains’, which are ‘sound seeds’

obtained by dissection of recorded sounds, recombined into new sounds by granular synthesis.

BÉLA BARTÓK (1881 – 1945)

Out of Doors, Sz. 81, BB 89

I. With Drums and Pipes

II. Barcarolla

III. Musettes

IV. The Night's Music

V. The Chase

Hungarian pianist and composer Béla Bartók wrote Szabadban (Out of Doors) in 1926 as a response to hearing Stravinsky playing his own Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments in Budapest that same year. In this collection of five seemingly unrelated pieces, Bartók explores the percussive possibilities of the piano, going back to the roots of the piano as a percussion instrument.

Unusually for Bartók’s instrumental output, the movements of Szabadban have programmatic titles describing them. Bartók was a passionate ethnomusicologist, travelling from village to village to collect local music and songs, even recording them on the newly-invented Edison machine, making an invaluable documentation of Hungarian, Slovak, Romanian, and Bulgarian folk music. The unabashed dissonances and tone clusters of these traditional repertoires formed how Bartok saw music, and all five movements richly describe the sound world of Hungarian country life ‘out of doors’. This is reflected particularly in the first piece With Drums and Pipes, which contains a quote from a Hungarian folk song dating from the period of Ottoman occupation, the deep register representing the drums and the higher representing the pipes. Barcarolla may depict the gentle progress of a gondola through the meandering Venetian canals, with occasional choppiness of the water, the continuous quaver motion underlining the forward movement of the craft.

The third movement Musettes, seems to have been inspired by the warming-up exercises of a Balkan bagpipe player, and is particularly dissonant. The Night’s Music paints an eerie sonic soundscape of a humid summer night, complete with the croaking of frogs, a nighttime folk song, and the flute playing of a lone shepherd. The suite ends with The Chase, a furious piece which employs a polyrhythm where the right hand has three notes in the same time as the left hand has five. The result is a bundle of shrieks and gunshots over progressively challenging left-hand ostinatos, making for one of the most challenging pieces of Bartók’s piano output.

LUCIANO BERIO (1925 – 2003)

Six Encores for Piano

1. Brin

2. Leaf

3. Wasserklavier

4. Erdenklavier

5. Luftklavier

6. Feuerklavier

Italian composer Luciano Berio was noted for experimental work and pioneering work in electronic music. Taught piano by his organist father and grandfather, he was conscripted in World War II but injured his hand on the first day of training, an incident that turned him towards composition instead of performing. His influences and interests included serialism and the incorporation of recorded elements and live electronic elements into live performances. Vivid and innovative, his music is meant to felt and thought about.

His Six Encores for Piano are a collection of various short works composed at different times, and thus make for an interesting representative (some might say randomised) selection of his work at various points in his career. Brin and Leaf were written in 1990, and are epigraphic miniatures which symbolise the passage of an ephemeral entity. Brin is

sparse and still, making for a contrast with Leaf, which is busier and perhaps reminiscent of the random movements of leaves in the sunshine and breeze. The remaining four: Wasserklavier (Water-piano, 1965), Erdenklavier (Earthpiano, 1969), Luftklavier (Air-piano, 1985), and Feuerklavier (Fire-piano, 1989), represent the four elements of nature—Water, Earth, Air, and Fire, named in German. Wasserklavier is soft, flowing, clear, watery, and feels much more like traditional piano music. Erdenklavier has a firmness and solidity of texture to it, though even this terra is not quite firma. Luftklavier is more of a persistent wind than merely air, and gives the effect of flying through the air. Feuerklavier flickers and crackles, building to a warm finish.

OLIVIER MESSIAEN (1908 – 1992)

Regard de l'Esprit de joie from Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus

In addition to being a major composer of the 20th century, Frenchman Olivier Messiaen was a noted organist and ornithologist. He held the post of organist at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Paris for 61 years until his death, with his Roman Catholic faith being a major influence in his life, and several of his compositions were inspired by aspects of that faith. Among those was Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus (“Twenty Contemplations on the Infant Jesus”), a suite of 20 pieces meditating on various elements on the infancy of Jesus, commissioned by Maurice Toesca to accompany a reading of his twelve poems on the Nativity of Christ. Completed shortly after the Liberation of Paris in August 1944, the complete premiere of the work (with Messiaen himself reading the poems) only happened in March 1945.

No. 10 in this collection is entitled Regard de l’Esprit de joie (“Contemplation of the Spirit of joy”), and is notable for its fast chord changes, perhaps representing the swiftly moving Holy Spirit. Messiaen had some decidedly unusual ideas about the relationship between colours and chords, and these combinations were a key factor in his compositional process, and he

maintained a lifelong fascination with complex rhythms and non-Western music, including Indonesian, Japanese, Ancient Greek and Indian music. This movement exemplifies the diverse influences in Messiaen’s music, juxtaposing Western jazziness (vide the boogie-woogie in the middle section) with Hindu dance rhythms. Irrepressible joy and enthusiasm permeate the piece, and it ends with a flurry of birdsong—a reference, perhaps, to the Holy Spirit as a dove.

Programme notes by Edward C. Yong

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