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Program Notes 27TH APRIL, FRIDAY, 7 PM, CONSERVATORY CONCERT HALL SENIOR RECITAL: “ANOTHER STEP ON THE BRICK ROAD” ANDREW NG WEN HAO, VIOLIN Johann Sebastian Bach (15’) Sonata for Solo Violin No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1005 I. Adagio II. Fuga. Alla breve Einojuhani Rautavaara (9’) Lost Landscapes I. Tanglewood IV. West 23rd Street, New York -Intermission- Mervyn Lee (9’) Fantasy for Violin and Piano (Premiere) Karen Khachaturian (15’) Violin Sonata in G Minor, Op. 1 I. Allegro II. Andante III.Presto Programme Notes A whimsical journey along an winding brick road path provides endless possibilities for a vivid imagination to conjure up numerous fantastical apparitions; in the case of this one, a tiny and stern-looking reporter gnome with tiny octagonal glasses and a fastidious approach to modern journalism. I heard you’re graduating soon, she said. Yes. What was it like? What was? Your university life. Ah! My four years. Hardship and struggle, my friend. But if I had to do it all over again, I probably would have. There has been much I have learned about love, life and friendship throughout the journey. -pause- And about music. Yes. But that no longer is the sole focus. Tell me more. You know, I started on this road with a single-minded intent to study the classics of violin repertory and get good at them. Bach, Mozart, Paganini. Especially Bach. I loved Bach. His solo works for violin? Simply sublime. The opening of the third solo violin sonata sounds like church bells for a funeral, doesn’t it? Doleful and full of sorrow. Probably written after the passing of his first wife, Maria Barbara, actually. The Fuga however metamorphoses this despair into an outburst of joy through a series of complex transformations involving multiple iterations of the theme. The intricate contrapuntal architecture and cascading harmonies just makes the piece all the more satisfying. What a piece! Mmm… As I progressed through school however in my Wanderjahre*, the thought of being solely a classical musician slowly lost its appeal. There was so much more to learn and take in, from period performance music, to jazz to bluegrass and even thing theatre! Performances became more about connecting with audiences and less about showing off. Visiting places like Finland and Slovenia served as opportunities for me to explore other concepts and experience more about life itself. You know what they say, life is a journey. The trees sway and the air whistles, thick with sounds of buzzing insects and the damp scent of earthen moist. Wanderjahre. Sounds like what Rautavaara did, right? Indeed! He studied abroad in Switzerland, Austria, and the States. America was for him a highly enriching experience, as he went to study composition with the likes of Aaron Copland and Roger Sessions. He composed Lost Landscapes for the famous violinist Midori when he was an old man, looking back at Tanglewood and New York as being memories and atmospheres he once encountered in life. What can I say about those pieces? Tanglewood almost sounds like he is unsure of himself, yet determined to make his mark on the world. New York, on the other hand sounds like stereotypical New York, tireless, never endingly energetic, yet in Rautavaara’s own recollections there are slight tinges of agitation and subtle hints of uncertain restlessness. Wouldn’t exactly describe the mood as being happy, but once you listen to it, you’ll hear what I mean. Speaking about being happy… I feel a short sharp blow to the back of my head, making the world spin. Everything slowly fades to black. “Hey.” *Wandering years I jolt awake, feeling a stinging sensation in my arm and a mild headache. Sitting before me is a white rabbit in a top hat and a most bemused expression. Y’alright? Touch of sun got to ya, I imagine, it said. Well, no, uh, maybe, I’m not sure, I replied. Just found ya lying in the middle of the brick road. I don’t remember what happened, though. One moment I was talking about music and the next… Found this in your pocket though. The rabbit brandishes in the air my copy of the Karen Khachaturian Violin Sonata score. I give a start in utter surprise. Yer a musician or something? Yeah, something like that. Could I have that back? Only if you tell me something about this piece. Ya know, just to make sure you’re okay. Ah.. okay. Well….you see, my teacher knew Karen Khachaturian personally, him being Aram’s nephew, and having worked with and played his First Symphony in Russia. Like every great Soviet composer before him, he studied at the Moscow Conservatory, winning the first prize at the World Youth Festival composition competition with this Violin Sonata. Very quintessentially Russian, this piece. From agitated passages, great lush melodies to dance rhythms, this sonata has it all checkboxes ticked! Ah see, ah see, seems you’re quite all right then! Where are ya off to? Well, the way I see it, after university the world’s basically your oyster right? To keep exploring, to learn more about everything, to see and experience everything life has to offer. All the while making friends and eating good food along the way, of course! -slight pause- But hang on, that’s not what I asked abou.. Who cares, the audience are coming in now! Might as well stop this whole charade now we’re at it. What do you mean? Is this even real? Is this all happening in my head? Of course it is happening inside your head, wabbit, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real? Appendix Composer’s notes for Fantasy for Violin and Piano The Fantasy for Violin and Piano was started in 2016 and saw its completion this year. I composed it with Andrew in mind, to whom I am grateful for kindly agreeing to play and give it its premiere on this very day. The piece itself is structured into roughly four regions of distinctly contrasting textures and moods, representing different emotional facets and personalities. Flowing cantabile lines amidst periodic interjections and violent surges characterise both the violin and piano parts. Feelings of melancholy permeate the slow middle section which sees the violin at its most lyrical, before transitioning back into a sort of recapitulation where the opening theme is reinstated. This constant interaction between both parties culminate into a frantic coda-like finale which sees the piece unravel itself amidst a whirlwind of shifting time signatures and running notes. Motives and ideas derived from the opening section make their appearance throughout the piece in various forms. Mervyn Lee .
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