Senior Recital Program Notes

Fantasia in C minor BWV 906

J. S. Bach

The Fantasia in C minor was composed around 1738 in Leipzig. It is the latest of Bachs individual Prelude/Fantasia and Fugue works. His style of keyboard writing was highly advanced at this time and Bach fills this piece with a wide variety of ornaments and gestures. The fantasia has a clear binary form, the first half starts with a C minor descending arpeggio, which later is heard in the dominant key. Its texture is lighter than most of Bachs works, detaching somehow from the core of the Baroque period, it is based on arpeggio motion and chromatic imitation. There was a fugue annexed to it in old copies, however, it is doubted that they belong together and even if they do, this fugue was not completed and only 47 measures of the fugue were found. Impromptu Op. 142, no. 3 in B-flat major F. Schubert

This impromptu is part of the second set of four impromptus written in 1827. This set was published after Schuberts death and intended to be the continuation of the Opus 90. Its form is a Theme and Variations which address different aspects of technique, from polyphony finger dexterity. The variations develop by adding ornamentations and use of faster passages and denser textures. The first two variations are in the tonic. The third variation is presented in the parallel minor key (B-flat minor) and moves into G-flat major for the next variation before returning to the home key in the last variation. Apart of the technical complexity, the challenge of this impromptu as in most of the theme and variations pieces is to give each variation its unique character without detaching from the whole context of the piece. Etude Op. 10, no. 3 in E major F. Chopin

An Etude is a piece designed to train and refine a specific aspect of a performers technique, just like an exercise. However, Chopin was the first to use the etude as an art form and included musical development instead of just a repetition. Chopins Etudes are known for their impressive displays of virtuosity, and demanding technique. Etude Op. 10, no. 3, composed in 1832, can be set aside from other etudes most noticeably for its tempo (marked lento ma non troppo). The main challenge of this etude in the first section, is to clearly play all three voices which demands great control and independence of every finger. The middle section brings contrast and virtuosity with fast chromatic tritones followed by a mirrored pattern of sixths, before returning to the main theme. However, this etudes main feature is the nostalgia and Chopins love for his homeland Poland Etude Op. 25 no. 11 in A minor F. Chopin

Composed in1836, the Winter Wind is the longest of the etudes and is considered to be the parallel of the Revolutionary etude. The opening theme can be heard throughout the piece in different forms and obscured by a turbulently descending chromatic scale. This etude is a true challenge for any pianist regardless their experience, it requires a great amount of physical stamina and musicality. Valle dObermann F. Liszt

Obermanns Valley is part of Liszts Annes de Plerinage, Premire anne: Suisse (Years of Pilgrimage, First Year: Switzerland) composed between 1848 and 1854. It is the longest piece in its set and each section requires a different technique. Liszt was inspired not by a landscape but by a scene of tienne Pivert de Senancours novel Obermann that takes place in Switzerland. The book is a series of letters supposedly written by a solitary and depressed man, and it is often described as a book of the soul in darkness, a darkness broken by flashes of strange light. The valley is where Obermann would find peace for his soul. Liszt reflected the nature of the novel in this work using interesting changes of harmony and noticeably contrasting sections. The opening paints a desolate picture, almost like a deep personal lament. This main motif is transformed in the middle section into a beautiful theme evoking emotions of yearning. The final section ends with greatness but maintains the same nostalgia that has been carried through the entire piece. Prelude Op. 23 no. 5 in G minor S. Rachmaninoff

Written in 1901 and included in a set of ten preludes, this prelude shows Rachmaninoff Russian nationalism in its rich full chords and march-like theme. It is written in ternary form, the opening A section consists of repeated rhythms that technically require strong wrists for the articulation but also finger legato gestures to bring out the melody. The contrasting middle B section takes place in the dominant key and consists of waving arpeggios in the left hand with a mysterious melody above it. The recapitulation of the A section is embellished with chromatically ascending notes in the top voice.

Prelude X, Book I La Cathedrale Engloutie

C. Debussy

Debussys music is usually classified as the musical approach of the artistic movement known as impressionism. Like the paintings of Monet and Renoir, musical impressionism has a feeling of ambiguousness rather than clearly defined strokes or articulations. This prelude, known as the Sunken Cathedral, is not the exception; it tells (or paints) the story of a Breton legend in which the Cathedral of Ys was drowned by a giant wave as a punishment for peoples impiety. However, the

cathedral rises from the ocean floor on clear mornings and tolls its bells before returning to rest at the bottom of the sea. Debussy avoids clearly defined harmonies, rhythms, and melodies on purpose to suggest a mood or atmosphere instead of a concrete image. He uses parallel harmony through the prelude to picture the churchs bells. This prelude has been arranged for orchestral setting by Leopold Stokowski.