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BOHEMIA ARTIST NOTE PROGRAMME NOTE A couple of years ago I was immersed in the Antonìn Dvořák (1841-1904) composed his worlds of Stephen Zweig, who has long been Violin Sonata in two weeks during March 1880, Sonata in F Major for Violin & Piano, Op. 57 Antonin Dvořák 1 I. Allegro, ma non troppo [11.05] one of my favourite writers, and of Philip only months after his Violin Concerto and not 2 II. Poco sostenuto [6.17] Roth, when the idea occurred to me to make an long before his Sixth Symphony. Before he 3 III. Allegro molto [5.45] album that could encapsulate that moment was ready to publish the sonata, he played it in time, the ‘world of yesterday’ of central through with the great violinist Joseph Joachim. Four Romantic Pieces for Violin & Piano, Op. 75 Antonin Dvořák Europe. Culturally, it was perhaps unparalleled Whereas the musically conservative Joachim 4 I. Allegro moderato [3.29] in its richness and complexity, and was in its had been unconvinced by the unorthodox 5 II. Allegro maestoso [2.36] twilight. I have always loved the music of features of Dvořák’s Violin Concerto, persuading 6 III. Allegro appassionato [2.24] central Europe, its freshness, folk inflections, him to make extensive changes yet never 7 IV. Larghetto [5.25] beauty of melody, but particularly the directness performing it in public, he thoroughly approved Four Romantic Pieces for Violin & Piano, Op. 17 Josef Suk of emotional content, that I feel is present in of the sonata. The first subject is a subtle 8 I. Quasi ballata [5.39] the works on this album. Within a few deeply theme ending with a triplet figure which 9 II. Appassionato [4.21] poignant notes, Janáček conjures an intensity Dvořák fondly repeats, until some forthright 0 III. Un poco triste [4.23] of emotional experience filled with the often transition/development takes over, with many q IV. Burleska [3.29] ambiguous and conflicted complexity of the forzando markings. Introduced pianissimo by human spirit, and visceral in its power. Dvořák, the piano, the D major second subject has Sonata for Violin & Piano Leoš Janáček more loquaciously, transports the listener a playful rhythm but maintains the essentially w I. Con moto [5.31] instantly to a world where the joy of living reigns lyrical character. Again the music assumes a e II. Ballada [5.10] supreme. His music imparts a life-affirming stronger profile, with some fortissimo muscle- r III. Allegretto [2.39] energy and a sense of wonder at the beauty of flexing, whereas the actual development t IV. Adagio [5.49] the world, even in its occasional sadnesses. section is less assertive and more exploratory. Total timings: [74.06] Suk’s pieces, which were a new discovery for me The wonderfully imaginative coda, calm and thanks to Huw’s suggestion, evoke a world of evocative, seems to enter a new territory. Among reminiscences in their bitter sweet beauty and its felicitous rescorings is a new version of TAMSIN WALEY-COHEN VIOLIN unexpected strangeness, still close enough to the opening theme, now played gently in left- HUW WATKINS PIANO taste, yet slipping away. hand octaves with repeated quavers above. Tamsin Waley-Cohen www.signumrecords.com - 3 - The rather Brahmsian Poco sostenuto in 6/4 is titles – Cavatina, Capriccio, Romance and undervalued composer, not merely an important signatures of 3/2 and 4/2. Subtitled “Un poco nobly expansive and serene, but accumulates Elegy. In the first piece – Dvořák at his most figure in Czech musical history. Many of his triste”, the third piece juxtaposes two alternating considerable tension towards two big climaxes, unselfconscious and captivating – the violin composer-contemporaries – whether progressive tempos and moods, and is suggestive of the the first approached by a stringendo/crescendo. plays a heartfelt melody (molto espressivo) or conservative – admired his works, but dumka, a form originating in the Ukraine. In a The final Allegro molto in sonata form has a above a buoyantly rhythmic piano part. Marked music historians usually pay more attention to typical dumka, as in this piece, melancholy gives dance-like main theme and subsequent themes Allegro maestoso, the second piece is based on those more “important” figures who, unlike way to exuberance - here Andante espressivo of relaxed character (in F minor and E flat major a theme comprising three spread chords and a Suk, broke new ground. He composed the leading to Moderato (poco scherzando). In the respectively), but also a development section staccato answer. The interval of an augmented Four Pieces in 1900 for Karel Hoffmann, leader Moderato passages Suk adapts a group of based on a new idea derived from elements second gives pungency to the theme, though of the Czech Quartet in which Suk played four notes from the second bar of the original of two existing themes. This all amounts to in one subsequent C major passage this is second violin. This ensemble (until 1918 known melody. Moto perpetuo semiquavers – based an engaging movement of wide expressive “normalised” into a major second. The third as the Bohemian Quartet) flourished for over on the same four-note group from the previous range. Dvořák’s Violin Sonata has always been piece begins molto espressivo in joyful, forty years, during which period they premiered piece - dominate the final Burleska, but the overshadowed by Brahms’ examples of this genre untroubled mood, with an animated piano part, major works by Dvořák and Janáček. The middle section (scherzando) is steadier, with and has never been as popular as Dvořák’s own whereas the tonally unsettled, rather dramatic opening piece of Suk’s Opus 17, Quasi Ballata a new, sprightly theme comprising arpeggio Sonatina, but it is a work of many beautiful middle section intensifies to a fortissimo (Andante sostenuto), presents an innocent patterns in leaping intervals and incorporating qualities, unfortunately neglected. passage of violin octaves. Again marked but haunting idea above a chromatically semiquavers from the first section. This set molto espressivo, the final piece is in 9/8, with inflected piano accompaniment. In the middle of pieces, richly and diversely characterised, Early in 1887, the year in which he also flowing semiquaver arpeggios in the piano section Suk dramatically transforms the mood is a remarkably mature composition from a produced the Terzetto for two violins and viola, almost throughout, and frequent double-stopping with an impassioned quasi-recitative section 26-year-old. the Mass in D and the A major Piano Quintet, enriching the violin part. which incorporates bravura writing for both Dvořák composed a set of Miniatures for two instruments. The second piece (Vivace) is Leoš Janáček (1854-1928), the most outstanding violins and viola, but only a few days later Josef Suk (1874-1935) studied violin, organ and characterised by simple cross-rhythms, while Czech composer active in the twentieth century, he transcribed the group for violin and piano piano with his father, subsequently pursuing there is a fantastic element, with the repeated wrote two much earlier violin sonatas before as Four Romantic Pieces, Opus 75. This later music theory with several other teachers, of augmented fourths suggesting even a demonic his recognised, representative work in this version is the form in which this music is whom Dvořák was the most inspirational. streak. With a slight slackening of tempo form. Dating from 1880, they were either lost known today. (The Miniatures were not heard in He became one of his favourite pupils, and the incisive rhythmic character softens to or destroyed. The mature Violin Sonata dates their original scoring until 1938.) Three married his daughter Otilie. His magnificent espressivo, but it is the middle section from a period (1914-28) in which he composed moderately fast pieces are followed by a Asrael Symphony and Four Pieces, Opus 17 (tranquillo) which brings absolute contrast, several chamber works including two string Larghetto. Curiously, Dvořák withdrew his original are occasionally performed, but he remains an an extended melodic line in alternating time- quartets. In the summer of 1917 Janáček, aged

- 4 - - 5 - sixty-three, met Kamila Stösslová, a married in this piece, begun around the outbreak of At a slight increase of tempo the violin woman of twenty-five. In this final period his World War I, such disturbances, as well as introduces a tender theme (dolce), before the obsessive but unrequited love for Ms Stösslová, the more anguished passages – may well be original piano melody is subjected to anguished to whom he wrote more than a thousand letters, connected to the trauma of this specific conflict. and increasingly animated development. A generated a tremendous creative impulse. As Janáček wrote: “[in this sonata] I could just fortissimo restatement of the opening theme Most of his greatest works – operas, orchestral about hear the sound of steel clashing in my (violin with powerful accompaniment) dominates and chamber works and a song-cycle – date troubled head.” Although the music conveys the final section, although the subversive from these extraordinarily productive years. an episodic, often rather improvisatory violin figure has the last word, fading to a Although he began the Violin Sonata in August impression, close motivic relationships provide whisper. The Violin Sonata has the mature 1914, its very protracted and complicated a connecting thread. Much of the Ballada has Janáček’s stylistic hallmarks – concentrated, history involves several revisions. Over a the character of an exquisitely tender lullaby. intensely emotional melodies, motivic ideas period of seven years Janáček reworked the Although the mood intensifies – there is one often based on the natural rhythms of his piece, completely discarding entire movements strenuous climax – this music is generally native language, and rapid patterns of notes and changing the order at least three times. less emotionally complex than the preceding repeated in the accompaniment. He completed the work in its final form in movement. A melody of child-like character 1921. Between 1919 and 1921 he was begins the third movement, with trills a © Philip Borg-Wheeler immersed in his opera Káťa Kabanová (based constant feature of the accompaniment. A on Ostrovsky’s play The Storm) and some of rapid group of notes – a kind of smear – its melodic material was absorbed into the disturbs this simplicity and very soon Janáček sonata. The work begins with an angular violin grotesquely distorts the melody. The strongly solo in declamatory style, then a passionate contrasting middle section brings sustained melody with piano accompaniment evoking, expression, the initial 2/4 changing to 3/8. with its jangling oscillations of notes, the Tempo I returns, tentatively at first, as the cimbalom, a pungent-toned folk instrument violin plays the 2/4 melody pizzicato. Elegiac of Central-Eastern Europe. Although there is and eloquent, the finale begins with an no lack of expansive melody throughout expressive melody which fully blossoms only the work, often there are disturbing interjections from bar 3, after a subversive, urgent little of a little group of notes – a distinctive figure played by muted violin (marked feroce) characteristic of Janáček’s mature style. However, has made the first of its many interruptions.

- 6 - - 7 - TAMSIN WALEY-COHEN HUW WATKINS

Born in London in 1986, Tamsin Waley-Cohen Huw Watkins was born in Wales in 1976. He enjoys an adventurous and varied career. In studied piano with Peter Lawson at Chetham’s addition to concerts with the Royal Philharmonic, School of Music and composition with Robin London Philharmonic, Halle, Liverpool Holloway, Alexander Goehr and Julian Anderson Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic and BBC at Cambridge and the Royal College of Music. In orchestras, amongst others, she has twice 2001 he was awarded the Constant and Kit been associate artist with the Orchestra of Lambert Junior Fellowship at the Royal College the Swan and works with conductors including of Music, he now teaches composition at the Andrew Litton, Vasily Petrenko, Ben Gernon Royal Academy of Music. and Tamás Vásáry. She enjoys a duo partnership with Huw Watkins, whose Concertino she Huw is one of the UK’s foremost composer-pianists, premiered, and together they have recorded for in great demand with orchestras and festivals Champs Hill and Signum Records, for whom including the London Sinfonietta, Britten Sinfonia, she is a Signum Classics Artist. With her sister, the BBC orchestras, Aldeburgh and Cheltenham composer Freya Waley-Cohen, and architects Festivals. Strongly committed to the performance Finbarr O’Dempsey and Andrew Skulina, she of new music, Huw has given countless premieres held an Open Space residency at Aldeburgh, of works by composers such as Alexander © Benjamin Ealovega culminating in the 2017 premiere of Goehr, Peter Maxwell Davies, and Mark-Anthony the Netherlands, Mexico, Canada and in the USA at “Permutations” at the Aldeburgh Festival and Turnage. Huw has established strong connections Lincoln Centre in New York, the Library of Congress interactive performance artwork synthesising with Tamsin Waley-Cohen, Paul Watkins, Mark in Washington and at the Great Lakes Chamber music and architecture. Her love of chamber Padmore and Carolyn Sampson and the Emerson Music Festival in Detroit. © Ben Russell music led her to start the Honeymead Festival, String Quartet. Other UK appearances include now in its tenth year. She is a founding Knussen’s “Reflection”, written especially for performances at Wigmore Hall, as well as in Bath, He is currently composer-in-association with BBC member of the Albion string quartet. In 2016- her and Huw Watkins. She studied at the Birmingham, Cambridge and Saffron Walden. NOW and he won the Chamber Music Society’s 2017 she was the UK recipient of the ECHO Royal College of Music and her teachers 2016 Elise L. Stoeger Prize in recognition of Rising Stars Awards, playing at all the major included Itzhak Rashkovsky, Ruggiero Ricci and Internationally he has performed in Germany, significant contributions to the field of chamber European concert halls and premiering Oliver András Keller. Austria, France, Hungary, Sweden, Portugal, Italy, music composition.

- 8 - - 9 - ALSO AVAILABLE on signumclassics

Recorded in the Britten Studio, Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh, UK from 13th to 15th March 2017 Producer & Editor – Nicholas Parker Recording Engineer – Mike Hatch

Cover and other photographs of Tamsin Waley-Cohen – © Ben Russell Design and Artwork – Woven Design www.wovendesign.co.uk

Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in D minor 1917: Works for Violin and Piano Hahn & Szymanowski: Any unauthorised broadcasting, public performance, copying or re-recording of Signum Compact Discs constitutes an infringement of copyright and will render the infringer liable to an action by law. Licences for public performances or broadcasting may be obtained from Phonographic Performance Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this booklet may be reproduced, stored Tamsin Waley-Cohen, Huw Watkins Tamsin Waley-Cohen, Huw Watkins Works for Violin & Piano in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Signum Records Ltd. Orchestra of the Swan, David Curtis SIGCD376 Tamsin Waley-Cohen, Huw Watkins SIGCD342 SIGCD432 SignumClassics, Signum Records Ltd., Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middx UB6 7JD, UK. +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 E-mail: [email protected] “Waley-Cohen makes the utmost of [the D “Respighi’s expansive sonata [is] full of “… it is the sheer melting beauty in the www.signumrecords.com minor Concerto’s] innocent, songful lyricism... rhapsodic violin lines and grandly rhetorical opening pages of the final movement that The playing from the soloists is virtuosic.” piano writing. Waley-Cohen and Watkins makes Hahn’s sonata so affecting, especially The Observer clearly relish all that” with Waley-Cohen’s hushed tone.” The Guardian BBC Music Magazine

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- 10 - - 11 - - 20 - CTP Template: CD_INL1 COLOURS Compact Disc Back Inlay CYAN MAGENTA Customer SignumClassics YELLOW Catalogue No.SIGCD510 BLACK Job Title: Bohemia

SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD510

BOHEMIA

1 - 3 Sonata in F Major for Violin & Piano, Op. 57 [23.07] BOHEMIA BOHEMIA Antonin Dvořák 4 - 7 Four Romantic Pieces for Violin & Piano, Op. 75 [13.54] Antonin Dvořák 8 q

- Four Romantic Pieces for Violin & Piano, Op. 17 [17.52] WATKINS / WALEY-COHEN Josef Suk w - t Sonata for Violin & Piano [19.11] Leoš Janáček

WALEY-COHEN / WATKINS Total timings: [74.06] BOHEMIA

TAMSIN WALEY-COHEN VIOLIN HUW WATKINS PIANO

LC15723 Signum Records Ltd, Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth SIGCD510