ABOUT THE ARTIST Freddy Medina, piano Freddy Medina is a Keyboard Music Education Major. He has been playing the piano since the fifth grade and is completing his undergraduate studies here at West Chester University at the Wells School of Music. In his time here in West Chester Pennsylvania, he has accumulated 25 students of his own since his sophomore year and teaches at West Chester Music Academy. Freddy has served as accompanists in the Chester County area most recently serving as St. James Catholic Highschool’s Alumni Choir accompanist.
PROGRAM NOTES Prelude in D Major, Op.23, No.4, Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943) Rachmaninov’s Op. 23 is a set of ten preludes for piano solo composed in 1901 and 1903. This opus premiers the famous G minor prelude, all highlighting, lively, intense, grandeur and virtuosity with intense melancholy and lyricism. The Prelude in D Major is an example of Rachmaninov’s lyrical pieces. A tender and yet expressively intense. This prelude is one of the trademarks of Rachmaninov’s style, famous for its long beautiful melodic lyricism. ICH RUF’ ZU DIR’ HERR, BWV 639, J.S. BACH (1685-1750)
The title translates to I call to you, Lord Jesus Christ. Bach wrote the chorale cantata in Leipzig for the fourth Sunday after Trinity. The cantata text originates from the five stanzas of Johann Agricola’s hymn. These chorale cantatas were intended to be used in church services. The Preludes served as an introduction to congregational singing. This piece is somber yet beautiful, taking you on a musical journey that conveys deep mournful and yet yearning harmonies evolving into a soft finish.
Wachet Auf, Ruft uns die Stimme, J.S. Bach (1685-1750) The title translates to “Awake calls the voice to us”. This is regarded as Bach’s more well known and popular church cantata. This was composed for in Leipzig for the 27th Sunday after trinity. Just like Ich Ruf, they are based off Lutheran hymns and are meant for sacred events. Throughout the piece, the theme gradually evolves into a sort of hierarchy and illustrates faith through sound. Although in a major key, Bach travels into unfamiliar territory further transforming the theme with adornments. The sound of majesty is apparent through this piece, and he saves the best for last to unleash a choir like sound to end with.
Piano Sonata No. 23, in F Minor, Op. 57, “Appassionata”, Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827) The title translates to passionate, meaning passionate in Italian. This piece wasn’t called, “Appasionata” in his lifetime, and was labelled this name after discovery of Beethoven’s manuscript with his own handwriting on the cover of this sonata as “La Passionata”. Written in Beethoven’s middle period, his expansion of the sonata form and classical style are illustrated in this piece. This piece was composed 1804-1806 shortly after coming to terms with his irreversible hearing loss. He composed his other well-known sonata “Waldstein” around the same time. This is one of his greatest and technically demanding pieces for the piano repertoire and highlights the dramatic nature of Beethoven.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank everyone for coming to see me on such a special day. I appreciate and owe my thanks to all my high school teachers who have supplied me the with the tools to achieve the level of mastery, success, and inspiration to pass this knowledge to my future students. I’d also like to thank the Piano Faculty here at WCU, Theresa Klinefelter, Igor Resnianski, and Carl Cranmer for refining me into a better performer, musician, and educator. I’d like to add my everlasting gratitude to Vincent Craig who has recently passed away. I am forever grateful for the inspiration you’ve instilled in me as one pianist to another and know you would have been proud to see how far I’ve come. Por último, me gustaría expresar mi eterno agradecimiento y gratitud porque mi familia se ha sacrificado tanto y me ha apoyado durante mi trayectoria como músico y educador. Te amo muchísimo.