sign in sign up
<<
Home , Scherzo

UNIVERSITY

CONCERT

SERIES

1956- 1957 ^(M^icctccect

Presents

ARTUR RUBINSTEIN Pianist

February 28, 1957 The University Auditorium

I

Chaconne...... Bach - Busoni

Sonata in E flat major, Opus 31, No. 3...... Beethoven

Allegro Scherzo: Allegretto vivace Menuetto: Moderato e grazioso Presto con fuoco

Intermezzo in B flat, Opus 117...... Brahms

Rhapsody in E flat, Opus 119...... Brahms

INTERMISSION

(A warning bell will be sounded three minutes before the end of intermission)

II

Prelude in A Minor...... Debussy

Ondine (2nd Volume of Preludes)...... Debussy

La Plus que Lente...... Debussy

Navarra »Albeniz

Barcarolle, Opus 60...... Chopin

Berceuse...... Chopin

Scherzo, in B flat, Opus 31...... Chopin

STEINWAY RCA VICTOR RECORDS Exclusive Management: HUROK ARTISTS INC. 711 Fifth Ave. New York Program Notes Rhapsody in E flat, Opus 119...... Brahms The Rhapsodies of Brahms are not to be classified with the well-known rhapsodies of Liszt. They are much more serious in trend and thought; they i are not based on folksongs or gypsy tunes. Neither is display one of their features, and perhaps they would have been better named as Ballades. This Chaconne...... - Busoni Rhapsody is Brahms’ last work for piano and is one of the most difficult of (1685—1750) all short works for that instrument. To his contemporaries, Johann Sebastian Bach was primarily known as an organist, secondarily as a composer. To posterity, the name of Bach is INTERMISSION synonymous with music. In the history of music, Bach is the link between the II old and the new — not exclusively a reformer, an originator of new forms, but Prelude in A minor...... rather "a spectator of all musical time and existence,” wedded to no formula (1862-1918) but attracted to all musical expressions. Debussy invented what amounted to an entirely new musical language in E flat Major, Opus 31, No. 3...... in order to express the exotic, delicate, softly brilliant, and exquisite ideas (1770-1827) and pictures which came with such profusion from his fertile brain. His moods Allegro were many and varied, ranging from.bright humor to deepe st tragedy, but he Scherzo: Allegretto vivace spoke ever eloquently through his masterful scores. Menuetto: Moder ato e grazioso Ondine (2nd Volume of Preludes)...... Claude Debussy Presto con fuoco In 1802 Beethoven struck out in new roads of composition, and the three Ondine, one of Debussy’s impressionistic preludes from Book 11, is based on the poem of Aloysius Bertrand. The story tells of Ondine, a water piano in Opus 31 most obviously show this change in style. The E sprite, who falls in love with a mortal She pleads with him to visit her in flat Sonata is unsurpassed in charm and gaiety by any of the master’s works her palace, to be the king of the lakes, to be her lover. But he replies that in this form; it breathes happiness, pleasantry and humor-a relief from the he loves a mortal, and Ondine, weeping bittef tears, is gone in white drops high emotional tension of its predecessor, the D minor. along the window pane. The Allegro has an earnest beginning which seems to be filled with emotion, but which is immediately contradicted by a jocose second theme L a Plus que Lente (Valse) Claude Debussy This theme is repeated with different variations and is one of the earliest This waltz, which is half parody and half serious, was written in 1910, and most remarkable examples of musical parody. In the development section the same year that his famous Preludes were published. "Valse lente” has there are many humorous sound effects—one, a passage which might be a long been a title for a slow waltz. In naming La Plus que Lente (the waltz dialogue between a droning bass and a thin-voiced flute. that is more than slow), Debussy was poking fun, and yet the music itself The Scherzo presentsan apparently serious march tune, which presently has really beautiful effects. is parodied by buzzing staccato basses and exaggerated sforzato accents. Loud beating chords alternate with soft passages. Navarra...... Isaac Albeniz (1861—1909) The Menuetto, or Moderate grazioso, is based on one of the loveliest melodies that Beethoven ever wrote; the Trio with its striking and original Albeniz was a prolific writer for the piano. Among his works are the upward leaps of a ninth, shows Beethoven in one of his characteristic moods twelve pianistic descriptions of various regions of Spain, of which Navarra The final movement, Presto -con fuoco, in Tarantella rhythm, is replete is one region. with unrestrained and audacious merriment and brings the sonata to a bril­ Barcarolle, Opus 60...... Frederic Chopin liant and effective close. (1810—1949) in Bflat, Opus ...... Brahms This Barcarolle in F sharp major was the only one which Chopin wrote. (1833—1897) The B flat minor Intermezzo is based on the use of an arpeggio figure Tausig, the great piano virtuoso, described it as follows: "There are two and its mood is one of re stlessness with a tinge of unhappiness. The second persons concerned in the affair; it is a love scene in a discreet gondola; let part in D flat major is more tranquil, but the restlessness soon returns; again us say this mise-en-scene is the symbol of a lover’s meeting generally. This the mood becomes more quiet and the composition ends in die minor key. is expressed in thirds and sixths; the dualism of two notes — persons — is maintained throughout; all is two-voiced, two-souled. When, after three bars of introduction, the theme, lightly rocking in the bass solo, enters in the fourth, this theme is nevertheless made use of throughout the whole fabric only as an accompaniment, and on this a cantilena in two parts is laid; we have thus a continuous, tender dialogue.” Berceuse, Opus ...... Frederic Chopin The Berceuse in D Flat Major was composed in 1844 and was dedicated to Mlle. Elise Gavard. With two bars of a rocking figure in the bass and a naive little melody of four bars Chopin performs miracles. The bass remains in the same rhythm throughout the composition, the melody and the second theme are arranged in a variety of effects and are modulated exquisitely.

Scherzo in B flat minor, Opus 31...... Frederic Chopin This is the second of Chopin’s four Scherzi. Schumann remarked upon the impassioned character of this splendid work and wrote of it as "over­ flowing with such tenderness, strength, love and contempt that it may be com- pared to a Byron poem.” ^WERS/r

onnecticut YOUR STATE UNIVERSITY THE AMERICAN DREAM OF PERENNIAL OPPORTUNITY

COMING EVENTS

UNIVERSITY CONCERT SERIES

IGOR GORIN MARCH 18, 1957 Celebrated Concert and Opera Baritone

SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY EVENT

DON COSSACK CHORUS APRIL 24, 1957 Serge Jaroff, Director