1

GUITAR RECITAL FTCL

KALANA DE SILVA
25TH JUNE 2014
 2

FTCL RECITAL GUITAR PROGRAM

KALANA DE SILVA
Total Duration: 46.11 min.

Chaconne from Partita no. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004

- ( 12.44 min.)
Johan Sebastian Bach (1685- 1750), Transcription Andres Segovia.

Gran Sonata Eroica op. 150 (10.19 min.)

Mauro Giuliani

Rondo op. 2 no. 2 in A minor (8.41 min.)

Dionisio Aguado

Aquarelle
Sergio Assad

Divertimento ( 7.50 min.)

Valseana (2.43 min.)

Preludio e Toccatina (3.50 min.)

 3

KALANA DE SILVA
GUITAR RECITAL FTCL PROGRAM NOTES

Chaconne from partita no. 2 in D minor,

BWV 1004 Johann Sebastian Bach
In 1720, Johann Sebastian Bach was serving Prince Leopold as
Kapellmeister in the city of Cthen. This was a particularly fruitful time for
Bach; in addition to his work as Kapellmeister and his commissioned
works, he had begun work on his Brandenburg Concertos as well as the
first book of his Well-Tempered Clavier. During this period he also
composed works for unaccompanied violin. The Partita in D minor for solo
violin (BWV 1004) by Johann Sebastian Bach was written during 1717
1723. Professor Helga Thoene suggests that this partita, and especially its
last movement, was a tombeau written in memory of Bach's first wife,
Maria Barbara Bach (who died in 1720), though this theory is
controversial. The partita contains five movements, given in Italian as
Allemanda, Corrente, Sarabanda, Giga and Ciaccona (Chaconne). The
Chaconne was later transcribed for guitar by Andres Segovia.
The ciaccona (commonly called by the French form of the word,
chaconne), the concluding movement of Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV
1004, surpasses the duration of the previous four movements combined.
Along with its disproportional relationship to the rest of the suite, it merits
the emphasis given it by musicians and composers alike.
The theme, presented in the first four bars in typical chaconne rhythm
with a repeated chord progression, constructed on bass note pattern D D
C# D Bb G A D, begets the rest of the movement in a series of variations.
The overall form is tripartite, the middle section of which is in major mode.
This is a slow dance in simple triple meter, often in a minor key, using the
rhythm of sarabande with an agogic accent on the second beat. The
theme occurs at the very beginning in the first four bars, and recurs in the
form of a subject every four bars throughout the composition. Although
the basic harmonic scheme is the same throughout, there are many
changes in the variations, mostly by the use of thematic transformations
and chord substitutions.
The subject consists of a well-known four-bar bass line that descends
stepwise from tonic to dominant. However, it does not occur in a pure
form at the outset. This basso figure was known as the Romanesca in the
Renaissance and occurs in music today, even in popular styles, as a
ground for a set of variations. Notice that the subject conforms to the
descending melodic minor and recurs in that form later on. This is still one
of the most technically and musically demanding pieces for any
instrument, and the movement is a monumental test of the performers
technique and musical integrity, regardless of the instrument he is playing
on.
 4

Sonata Eroica Op. 150 Mauro Giuliani

Little is known about the circumstances surrounding the composition of

the Sonata Eroica. The only mention of the work in Giuliani's lifetime is in
a letter he wrote to Ricordi in 1821. In the letter, Giuliani offered the sale
of five pieces that he claimed to have composed "in a style never before
known." One, bearing the title, Sonata Eroica, was described by Giuliani as
a work "of great length and never heard." Nineteen years later, in 1840, a
work by Giuliani entitled Sonata Eroica was published by Ricordi as op.
150. The lack of reliable documentation concerning the composition of this
work, its late publication, and the doubtful dedication and opus number
combined with the absence of an autograph score have prompted most
present-day scholars to doubt its authenticity.
This is clearly in sonata form and in a key of good resonance for the guitar
A major. This piece starts with an introduction and change of keys to B
and E majors and a feel of E minor, due to the use of G natural. The first
theme enters in the dominant key with a pedal E quaver notes. Then the
music modulates to B major and brief visits to c major before resolving to
the key of E. The Development section begins with E major and briefly
changes to G major, G minor before establishing full resolution to G major
from this point, then it changes to C major with the use of Alberti Bass.
The introduction of rising and falling triplet arpeggios creates a relaxed
mood in character. The recapitulation starts in the key of A major with 1 st
theme modulated and with A pedal note. Finally the coda passage with
repeated root notes.

Trois Rondo Brilliants Op. 2 No 2 in A

minor
Dionisio Aguado
Spanish composer and guitarist Dionisio Aguado lived in anonymity until
1824 when he moved to Paris, a city that after the French Revolution was
open to foreign artists. Aguado is known as one of the most accomplished
guitarist and pedagogue of his time. This piece the Rondo in A minor was
one of his most famous works for the guitar. This was composed and
published in 1827 in Paris as part of a collection called Trios Rondos
Brilliants. It was written for a guitar, with a much smaller fret- board than
modern guitars, thus causing the guitarist to perform complicated
stretches on the left hand while keeping the fast tempo indicated by
Aguado. His extensive knowledge of the guitar is shown on this piece.
 5

The piece begins with introduction Andante followed by a faster Rondo.

The Andante is in A minor and has a dramatic character due to use of
rubato. The introduction is mostly between the tonic and dominant keys,
and few bars later a lowered leading note is introduced. In rondo the
original theme appears three times with slightly varied ornamentations at
a later stage and the other themes in-between he has focused on using
his stretched chords with broken chord arpeggios, pedal notes and the
piece becomes extremely technical when it moves along. Especially the
use of triplet semi quavers are challenging and this piece gives clear
example of a Spanish characteristic in Aguados work.
Aquarelle Sergio Assad
Brazilian born Sergio Assad is one of the prolific guitar composers of the
modern day. The piece Aquarelle was his first attempt for solo guitar.
This was composed in 1988 in France and he has dedicated this music to
the guitarist David Russell.
Aquarelle is the French word for watercolour. The first time he saw the
water colour painting and he was impressed with the amount of
techniques used to spread the colours different textures that give an
ethereal appearance. Following idea pigments spread on a piece of paper,
he has built a motif of three notes that as if they were three different
pigments to form the basis for the palette. Based on this single motif he
has created multiple voicing layers simulating the superposition of colours
on an Aquarelle. The three note melodic material is reinforced by the 3 3
2, rhythmical pattern which is very common in Latin music and occurs
frequently in the music from the northeast of Brazil. This piece consists of
three movements: Divertimento, Valseana and Prelude e toccatina.
Divertimento begins with an introduction formed from the gradual
development from the simple to complex. This is a fantasy which includes
four sections based on a three note motif. The first section does not define
a clear tonal centre. This displays various metrics and use of syncopated
rhythms. The second section presents a new theme and far more refined
tonal centres. The third section moves on to a slower tempo. Finally the
theme of the second section was used as a material for coda.
Valseana, came from an improvisation in studio during the recording of
the disc Latin American Music for two Guitars. There was a need of a
slower movement in order to complete Aquarelle. Valseana emerged
from the spontaneous moment. Unlike the other movements of this suite,
this does not include rhythmic complexities, character changes or
chromatics. However the complexities arise from polyphonic elaboration.
There is a short introduction followed by two main distinctive themes and
coda.
Preldio e Toccatina begins with a brief prelude in quadruple time. This
section is slow and expressive in character. The Toccatina is played with
more brisk tempo. Sergio Assad has made an excellent attempt to build
small toccata which uses the traditional form, merged with Brazilian
rhythmic elements and modern harmonic structure.
6