11.18.2023 SNR Arscott Program Notes

ABOUT THE ARTISTS Lewis Arscott, Piano Lewis Arscott is a fourth-year music education major and jazz studies minor at West Chester University. Lewis’s love for music began at 4 years old with piano lessons, and learned to love it even more after participating in his high school jazz band. Throughout his time at West Chester University, Lewis has participated in several ensembles, events, and recitals such as Men’s Chorus, Jazz Combos, Latin Jazz, Statesmen, Keyboard Honors recitals, and accompanying other students at the Wells school of music. Lewis aims to continue pursuing piano performance and to use his acquired knowledge and experience to work as a piano teacher.

PROGRAM NOTES Suite, op. 14, Bela Bartok (1881-1945) Bela Bartok was a Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist, and was regarded as one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. He is best known to use elements from folk music from Hungary, Romania, and other parts of Eastern Europe. Bartok’s compositions are characterized by percussive articulation, complex rhythms, dissonant melodies and harmonies, and themes of Hungarian nationalism and folklore.

Suite, op. 14 is a collection of four movements that range in character and mood. It is distinguished by complex and irregular rhythms, as well as dissonant tones and folk-like elements. It is also considered one of his more important early works for solo piano.

Impromptu in B-flat major, op. 142, no. 3, Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Franz Schubert was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic Eras. Despite his short life, he left behind large amounts of musical works, and is celebrated for his skilled use of melody and harmony in his works.

Impromptu in B-flat major, op. 142, no. 3 is a piece from a set of four impromptus. It is a theme and variations, with the main theme is derived from the play Rosamunde, which Schubert composed incidental music for. This impromptu contains five variations, in which the theme is varied through rhythm, melody, mode, texture and character.

Prelude and Fugue in E minor, op. 35, no. 1, Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) Born in Hamburg, Germany, Felix Mendelssohn was a composer, pianist, organist, and conductor of the early Romantic period. In his time, he composed numerous compositions such as symphonies, concertos, piano music, organ music, and chamber music.

Prelude and Fugue in E minor, op. 35, no. 1 is the first of six preludes and fugues in the set. The piece alludes to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, fusing together the tightly-knit intricacies of the Baroque style with the lyrical melodies of the Romantic style. The prelude challenges the pianist to bring out the melody in the middle register, while surrounded by arpeggios in the lower and higher register. The end of the fugue quotes a Bach chorale – not far from the chorales composed and played by Bach himself.