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enrich your life as a RECITAL member of TSO Friends. Stott Sign up TODay! SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER 2.30PM FEDERATION CONCERT HALL

J S BACH RAVEL Prelude and Fugue in C, Le tombeau de Couperin The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, No 1 Prélude Fugue GRIEG Forlane Holberg Suite Rigaudon Prelude Menuet Sarabande Toccata Gavotte Air SHOSTAKOVICH Rigaudon Prelude and Fugue No 24 RACHMANINOV This recital will end at approximately Variations on a Theme of Corelli 4.30pm.

INTERVAL Duration 20 mins

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5393 TSO Friends Ad for Program.indd 1 22/08/13 10:55 PM ABOUT THE MUSIC

Almost all of the works being performed dance in triple time. The third movement, in this recital were composed between a buoyant Gavotte, includes a musette the 1880s and the 1950s yet, to a greater “B section”, a brief episode which makes or lesser extent, they draw upon or pay use of drones. The Air ushers us into the homage to music of the 18th century. That key of G minor and introduces a mournful, being the case, where better to begin than almost tragic, tone. The Rigaudon, which is Kathryn Stott has been the artistic vision KATHRYN STOTT with an actual piece of 18th-century music: back in G major, brings a return to a more behind several major festivals and concert the Prelude and Fugue No 1 from the cheerful world. This is offset by a tranquil series. Piano 2000 and Piano 2003 first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier by “B section”, a trio in G minor, before the (, ) established Kathryn Stott is internationally recognised Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)? In the principal material returns and the suite ends her reputation as an astute programmer, as one of Britain’s most versatile and “white” key of C major, the prelude’s gently with a brilliant chordal flourish. In 1885 and following the earlier Fauré and the imaginative musicians and is one of today's rippling arpeggios and narrow range offer Grieg arranged the Holberg Suite for string French Connection she was appointed most engaging pianists. A regular visitor the musical equivalent of a blank slate. With orchestra. In fact, the work is probably Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des to international festivals both as soloist the spinning out of the musical material better known in its orchestrated version Lettres by the French Government. From and chamber musician, she has recently from such simple beginnings, it is as though than the original for solo piano. 2009 to 2014 she was Artistic Director of performed at the Kennedy Center, Tonhalle we are witness to creatio ex nihilo. The four- the Manchester Chamber Concerts Society Baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli Zurich and the BBC Proms. Other recent voice fugue which, by definition, is more and was Guest Artistic Director of Incontri (1653-1713) is not, in fact, the author of the highlights include a tour with cellist complex than the prelude, is built from a in Terra di Siena in 2010 and 2011. In 2014 theme attributed to him in Variations on a Giovanni Sollima in the UK and Italy, and gentle and flowing subject (i.e. theme) that she curated a series of six concerts for Theme of Corelli, by Sergei Rachmaninov performances with J P Jofre and his Hard proceeds mostly by stepwise motion. First Tango Chamber Band in New York. She Leeds International Concerts, called Dance! (1873-1943). Heard at the outset, the enunciated by the alto “voice”, the subject 16-bar theme is “La Folia”, a harmonic makes her first visit to New Zealand in 2015 Born in Lancashire, Kathryn Stott studied at is subsequently taken up by the soprano, and melodic pattern that was prevalent and returns to Australia for engagements the and the Royal tenor and, finally, the bass. As the fugue throughout the Baroque and used by Corelli with the Tasmanian and West Australian College of Music and was a prize-winner at progresses, Bach builds a seamless texture as the basis for a set of violin variations, as it Symphony Orchestras. the Leeds International Piano Competition from the subject and motives derived from had been used by many composers before in 1978. In addition to her busy career as a Kathryn Stott has developed shared it and demonstrates that, far from being a him. Composed in 1931, Rachmaninov’s performer, she is a visiting professor at the musical interests with an amazing array cold, academic exercise, a fugue can be a Variations on a Theme of Corelli is his in London and was of performers and has always enjoyed thing of great beauty. last original work for solo piano. It is recently made an Honorary Member. collaborations with other musicians. She has The clue to understanding the Holberg in 23 section: the theme (“La Folia”), been performing and recording with Yo-Yo Suite by Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) is to 20 variations, a coda and a digressive Ma for nearly 30 years, a collaboration that take note of its more formal title: From movement, marked “intermezzo”, between resulted in the Grammy Award-winning Holberg’s Time. Danish-Norwegian man of variations 13 and 14. “La Folia” (which CD, Soul of the Tango, and its successor, letters Ludvig Holberg (1684-1754) was a is actually a sarabande) remains easily Obrigado Brazil. She has maintained a contemporary of J S Bach, Handel, Rameau recognisable in the first few variations. keen interest in contemporary music and other Baroque composers. What Surface decoration obscures it somewhat and her close musical relationship with Grieg did in the Holberg Suite (which was in variation 5, and in variations 6 and the composer has led to written in 1884, on the 200th anniversary 7 it almost becomes lost in a web of seven world premières. In the recording of Holberg’s birth), was compose an fantastically difficult piano figuration. studio she has created a large and eclectic original work that called to mind music Variation 8 has a kind of teasing lilt (it is body of work including concertos and from Holberg’s time. Thus, the movements marked Adagio misterioso) and variation solo repertoire; of particular note is her are Prelude, Sarabande, Gavotte, Air and 9 (Un poco più mosso) has a somewhat recording of the complete solo works Rigaudon, familiar to us from the Baroque dreamy quality. The tempo is picked up of Fauré for Hyperion and the complete suite. No one would mistake Grieg’s work markedly in variation 10 (the first variation Kabalevsky concertos for Chandos. Apart for an actual piece of Baroque music – for not in 3/4 time) and is maintained through from her CDs with Yo-Yo Ma, she has one thing, it is informed by 19th-century the next few variations. The Intermezzo recorded with Truls Mørk, Christian Poltéra, pianism – but its bones can be traced to brings a slower tempo and a number of the Hermitage String Trio, , the 18th century. The bravura, toccata-like cadenzas, the last of which modulates to the Doric String Quartet, Prelude, which establishes the key of G the key of D-flat major, the key of variations 14 and 15 (all of the previous variations and Tine Thing Helseth. major, is followed by a Sarabande, a slowish

48 49 have been in D minor). D minor is re- Clavier, i.e. a total of 48 preludes and established with variation 16 and remains fugues). Shostakovich, taking his cue from in place until the end. That said, variations Bach, likewise wrote each prelude and 19 and 20 summon torrents of chromatic fugue pair in a different key. It seems that notes. The tempestuousness of these two he was inspired to create the work when HOBART variations gives way to a reflective coda he sat on the judging panel for the Johann which, in its final summing up, offers a brief, Sebastian Bach International Competition, 29 Oct – 7 Nov largely unadorned echo of “La Folia”, the in Leipzig, in 1950. The winner of that point where our journey began. competition was Russian pianist Tat’yana Nikolayeva, who gave the première of Le tombeau de Couperin, by Maurice 3 ROUNDS Shostakovich’s 24 Preludes and Fugues in Ravel (1875-1937), is a homage to French Leningrad (now St Petersburg) in 1952. The 7 CONCERTS music of the 18th century, in particular final work in the collection, the Prelude the clavecin suites of François Couperin 12 FINALISTS and Fugue No 24, which is in the key of “le Grand” (1668-1733). Like Grieg in the D minor, is thought by many to be the Holberg Suite, Ravel, in Le tombeau de greatest of all of Shostakovich’s works for Couperin, offers a “modern” version of piano. The prelude is built around two a Baroque suite. (Also, like Grieg, Ravel ideas, a powerful, bass-heavy paragraph later orchestrated the work – or, at least, heard at the outset and a more flowing, four of its six movements – bringing it to almost lyrical, second theme. Unusually, the a still wider audience.) That said, the suite second theme is taken up as the subject of abounds in old-fashioned touches such as the fugue. But Shostakovich has a surprise modal harmonies, dance forms and archaic in store: the fugue turns out to be a double cadences. The moto perpetuo Prélude is fugue. That is to say, it has two subjects. A followed by a three-voice Fugue (soprano, contrasting subject – somewhat frenetic and alto and bass). Major seventh intervals give proceeding by semitone – is introduced at the Forlane a particular piquancy while around the midway point. The two subjects the Rigaudon makes extensive use of a are combined in counterpoint as the work two-bar motto heard at the outset. The builds to its dazzling conclusion. All in Menuet comes closer than any of the other all, Shostakovich pulls off a remarkable movements to an actual piece of French feat of contrapuntal writing in this work. harpsichord music of the 18th century Sadly, pianist Tat’yana Nikolayeva, who while also making use of the thoroughly did so much to promote Shostakovich’s 24 pianistic sustaining pedal. The suite comes Preludes and Fugues, suffered a cerebral to a close with a fiendishly difficult Toccata. haemorrhage while performing the work in Composed during the First World War, Le San Francisco in 1993 and never recovered. tombeau de Couperin is, broadly speaking, See 12 of Australia’s finest young musicians battle it out for the title of a homage to French culture during a time Robert Gibson © 2015 2015 Young Performer of the Year. On Saturday 7 November at the Federation Concert of national trauma. More specifically, it Hall, each of the three remaining finalists will perform a concerto with the is a poignant memorial to six of Ravel’s Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra conducted by Johannes Fritzsch. friends who died during the conflict. Each movement is dedicated to a fallen comrade. ABC Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards Grand Final Having begun with the first Prelude and Federation Concert Hall, Saturday 7 November 7.30pm Fugue from Bach’s The Well-Tempered Tickets $25 through TSO www.tso.com.au Clavier, it is fitting that this recital should close with Prelude and Fugue No 24 from the 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op 87, by (1906-1975). A particular novelty of Bach’s collection is that each prelude and fugue pair is composed in a different key, giving 24 all up (Bach wrote two volumes of The Well-Tempered symphonyinternational.net

For details of all 2015 YPA finals concerts visit: symphonyinternational.net/artist-development/performers

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