ABOUT THE ARTIST
Pianist Benjamin Pessognelli is an experienced performer, having given numerous recitals and performances as a soloist and collaborative musician. After receiving his undergraduate degree in Piano Performance from West Chester University studying with Dr. Igor Resnianski, Benjamin was awarded a full Graduate Assistantship to continue his studies at WCU as a Master’s student in Piano Pedagogy. During his studies at WCU, he worked on and performed compositions from all major styles and composers, including Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Liszt, Ravel, and Prokofiev to name a few. Benjamin has performed extensively at WCU in Keyboard Honors Recitals and has performed as a soloist and collaborative musician in Wells School of Music Convocations and recitals. In 2023, he was a winner of the WCU Concerto Competition, performing the first movement of Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto in G minor with the symphony orchestra. In 2022 and 2023, Benjamin was accepted to a competitive summer piano festival, the New Orleans Piano Institute, where he took lessons and performed in masterclasses for nationally renowned pianists and pedagogues.
Benjamin’s love for collaborative piano began when he was in sixth grade, singing and playing the piano for the Central York School District elementary choir. Throughout middle and high school, he continued to accompany the school choirs, and in high school auditioned for and qualified to accompany the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 7 Chorus three years in a row. In his senior year, he qualified to accompany the PMEA Region V Chorus. For the past two years, Benjamin has been an official accompanist for the West Chester University Opera Theatre and voice students. He was the pianist for the chamber operetta Cendrillon by Pauline Viardot and radio opera Beauty and the Beast by Vittorio Giannini. Additionally, Benjamin had the opportunity to study and perform harpsichord in the opera Alcina by George Frideric Handel.
In his free time, Ben enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends. He is deeply grateful to have had such formative experiences at West Chester University, and is looking forward to the next chapter of his musical journey.
Benjamin Pessognelli, pianoPreludeandFugueinFminor,BWV 857, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Johann Sebastian Bach was a prolific and influential composer during the Baroque era of music. Bach wrote the WellTempered Clavier in two books, each consisting of 24 preludes and fugues in every major and minor key. Prelude and Fugue in F minor from Book I, BWV 857 is a solemn and contemplative set. A mournful, arpeggiated motive is heard and developed throughout the entirety of the prelude. The four-voiced fugue contains a highly chromatic subject that Bach interweaves to create intricate fugal texture and structure. One can imagine that through its chromaticism and lifelessness, the subject of the fugue evokes images of crucifixion.
FantasieinF-sharpminor, Op. 28, Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
My favorite composer, Felix Mendelssohn, displayed remarkable musical talent at an early age. Recognized as a prodigy in piano and composing, Mendelssohn worked in multiple genres, writing symphonies, concertos, chamber music, and even operas. A skilled conductor as well, he is credited with reviving the music of Bach by conducting a public performance of “St. Matthew’s Passion.”
The Fantasie in F-sharp minor, Op. 28 includes three movements The first movement begins with a single, low note resembling a funeral tolling of a bell. Ascending and descending arpeggios over this note create a mysterious atmosphere, exemplifying the improvisatory quality of the genre fantasia/Fantasie. The remainder of the movement expresses lament, the turbulence of a storm, and moments of hope. The second movement, inviting and endearing, is a departure from the seriousness of the first movement. The third movement is sprightly and relentless, the tempo marked Presto. The pianist is challenged to maintain clarity and play with precision at maximum speed.
Mazurkas,Op. 24, Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Frédéric Chopin is largely associated with living in Paris, France. However, he maintained a lifelong love of his native Poland despite moving away and never returning at the age of 20. Devotion to his homeland and his ever-present national identity are reflected in his composing of more than 50 mazurkas, Polish folk dances traditionally accompanied by a village band. Musical characteristics include being written in 3/4 or 3/8 time with an accent typically on the second beat. They can be light and joyous like the second and third mazurkas of Op. 24, or deeply melancholic and slower in tempo like the first and last.
BalladeNo.1inGminor, Op. 23, Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Although Frédéric Chopin lived a short life, he composed many piano pieces such as nocturnes, etudes, and ballades. A ballade implies a ballet-like interlude or dance-piece, incorporating dramatic, fantastical passages. The ballade is a stark contrast from the refined, lighthearted music of the Classical era, exploring emotional extremes such as complete despair and sheer ecstasy Chopin wrote four ballades, which are said to have been inspired by the poet Adam Mickiewicz. Some themes explored in both the poetry of Mickiewicz and the ballades include loss, longing, love, and tragedy.
Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23 is an epic narrative, opening with an arpeggio that sounds as if the protagonist is awakening. However, as if a dark cloud is cast upon the mind, the mood becomes woeful. Chopin seamlessly navigates listeners through the positive and negative of the human experience with both poignant and untroubled musical themes heard throughout the piece. Ultimately, the protagonist faces a tragic demise, as the final section of the ballade exudes a sense of fatality.
Unebarquesurl’océan, M. 43, Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
The music of French composer Maurice Ravel is associated with Neo-classical and Neo-baroque elements, as well as Impressionism. Ravel wrote Miroirs (Reflections), a suite of five pieces for solo piano, from 1904-1905. The title of
each piece suggests a certain image or idea (for example, “Noctuelles” (Night Moths)). The third piece from the suite, Une barque sur l’océan (A Boat on the Ocean) is sometimes meditative and sometimes tumultuous, capturing moments of serenity and agitation one may experience on a voyage. Sweeping arpeggios and unpredictable dynamic contrast depict images such as calm waters, a storm, and sirens luring sailors with their song. One will hear the way in which Une barque sur l’océan showcases Ravel’s capacity to create evocative and imaginative music.
Alboradadelgracioso,M. 43, Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
The fourth piece from the Miroirs suite, Alborada del gracioso (Morning Song of the Jester) is an example of exoticism, a means in which composers draw creative inspiration from foreign cultures and lands. Ravel sources Spanish elements in the piece such as the texture of a Spanish guitar and the rhythm of castanets and tambourine to instill liveliness His colorful use of harmony and dynamic contrast are further examples of Spanish influence that one can hear Alborada del gracioso includes notoriously difficult passages of repeated notes and double note glissandi that are exciting to listen to and challenging to execute. After a robust, orchestral inspired opening section, the middle section is recitative-like, depicting the jester’s strange serenade. Finally, a return to the rhythmic vitality of the opening reinforces the Spanish style of the piece, building to a dramatic and celebratory conclusion!
My deepest gratitude to all of those who have helped me to develop my musicianship. To my mom and dad, thank you for being the first to discover my interest in music, and for encouraging me to take piano lessons at such an early age. To my sisters, I am grateful for the motivation you give me to dream big. To Jack, Anna, and Millie, thank you for being my biggest fans!
To my first piano teacher Mrs. Sheila Miller, you are such an inspiration to me for your devotion. I will always be grateful for the way in which you helped me realize the value of hard work and the importance of dedication to the craft.
To the faculty of the Central York School District Music Department, because you believed in me, I believe in myself. Thank you for all of the musical opportunities that I will forever cherish.
I want to thank the voice faculty, Dr. Stephen Ng, Dr. Emily Bullock, and Dr. InYoung Lee for allowing me to accompany voice students the past two years as part of a Graduate Assistantship. A special thank you to Dr. Nicholas Provenzale for allowing me to accompany and perform with the West Chester University Opera Theatre, as well as for teaching me voice this semester. As I continue to accompany after graduation, I will always remember where my newfound interest in opera began.
Dr. Igor Resnianski, it is for your artistry and remarkable talent as an educator and performer that I am forever grateful. Thank you for continuing to motivate me and for helping me navigate the repertoire I studied under your tutelage. Additionally, I want to thank you for all of your help in preparing for this recital today. It has been an honor studying with you.
A heartfelt thank you to all in attendance of today’s recital. You mean the world to me!