Solo Violin Recital - St Peter’s Church Wherwell

Solo Violin Recital - St Peter’s Church Wherwell

7:30pm, 18th  September 2024

Tickets Available here: TicketSource - Violin Recital Wherwell

Join me for a musical journey through some of the most technically challenging and artistically profound works ever written. Taking place in the wonderful venue that is St Peter’s Church Wherwell, this concert’s programme has been carefully designed to explore fascinating connections between the works presented and to illuminate them in a new light. The aim is to build real context around these pieces as the recital progresses, both through performance and readings. This will result in an experience which I hope to be both more accessible and more informative than a traditional classical music concert.

Programme Details:

Telemann Fantasia No. 1 in Bb Major for Solo Violin

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) was one of the most prolific composers of the Baroque era, known for his vast output and innovative approach to composition. Despite his immense productivity, his work in centuries past has been unfairly neglected, however his contributions to the repertoire are being increasingly appreciated in modern times.

The Fantasia No. 1 is part of a collection of twelve fantasias for solo violin, each exploring contrasting keys and styles. Written just 15 years after Bach’s defining set (featuring later in this programme), these fantasias offer a very different, yet still groundbreaking approach to the genre. Telemann's striking use of complex textures, virtuosic passages, and expressive lines highlight exactly why these works continue to draw in both players and listeners alike.

J.S. Bach A Minor Sonata, BWV 1003:

1. Grave

2. Fugue

3. Andante

4. Allegro

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music, and his works for solo violin are among his most revered compositions. The A Minor Sonata being played this evening is very different from its sister in the set, the Partita No2 that was played in the previous recital. It is far lighter, more open, and peaceful in character.

The work is structured in four movements, which follow a highly traditional structure for the most part. This in itself is surprising for such a radical composer, with the form of the other works in this set nearly always being much more experimental.

The opening movement is solemn and introspective, characterised by its slow pulse, improvisatory character, and harmonic richness. The second movement, a Fugue, displays Bach's trademark mastery of complex part writing, with multiple voices interweaving to create a tightly structured texture. Despite all this complexity, it is still impressively light in character and often goes as far as embracing characteristic lifts and rhythms associated with baroque dance music. This is a complete  juxtaposition from what we have heard previously in the cycle, with the highly intense and dark G Minor Fugue we heard in the first recital of this series being what we often associate with this type of movement. This is followed by an introspective and thoughtful 3rd movement. This is possibly one of the warmest and most peaceful movements not only in this cycle, but within Bach’s entire oeuvre. It encapsulates a sublime serenity and beauty through such simple means, an achievement few other composers have ever come close to obtaining so convincingly. The final movement acts as a startling and wholly unexpected end to this work. It is lively and exuberant, but also features an underlying darkness and driving quality. It is this undeniable courageous energy and determined spirit that brings the sonata to a frantic and explosive conclusion.

Ysaÿe Sonata No. 3, Op. 27 - Ballade

Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931) was a Belgian violinist who made significant contributions to musical history both as a composer and performer. His Six Sonatas for Solo Violin, Op. 27, are his most famous work, each dedicated to a different violinist of his time and showcasing the unique technical and expressive qualities of the dedicatee.

The sonata No. 3, subtitled "Ballade," is a dramatic and virtuosic work. It possesses a powerful narrative quality, with the violinist conjuring up a tale of immense passion, struggle, loss, and fiery rage. This particular sonata is dedicated to the Romanian virtuoso violinist George Enescu and therefore the piece is tailored to compliment his extraordinarily rhapsodic playing style. Whilst incorporating the folk music of Ensecu’s homeland, Ysaÿe also incorporates the sounds of contemporary Franco Belgian music alongside Germanic practices. The result is that the piece borrows heavily from impressionistic and expressionistic schools, as well as occasionally relying on more traditionalistic practices, truly making this work one of almost international origin.

Interval

Prokofiev Solo Sonata, Op. 115

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was a Russian composer known for his colourful, yet innovative approach to composition. His Solo Sonata, Op. 115, written in 1947, is a late work that reflects Prokofiev's mature style and his continued exploration of new musical idioms. Despite this work falling towards the end of Prokofiev’s life, we still find the kind of colours that made earlier classics such as Peter and the Wolf, and Romeo and Juliet so imaginative.

The Sonata is structured in four movements, each with its own distinct character and highly contrasted style. Prokofiev draws on a wide range of influences, including Russian folk music, neoclassicism, Romanticism, and modernist techniques, to create a work that is both strikingly original and deeply personal.

Niccolò Paganini Caprices for Solo Violin, Op. 1:

1. No. 18 - Corrente

2. No. 20 - Allegretto

3. No. 21 - Amoroso

Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840) was an Italian violinist and composer whose virtuosic performances and innovative compositions revolutionized the world of violin playing. His Twenty-Four Caprices for Solo Violin, Op. 1, are among his most famous works, each presenting unique technical and musical challenges for the performer.

The 18th caprice starts with an expansive, brazen fanfare, which quickly moves onto a scurrying middle section, often imitating frantic laughter and other human vocalisations. This continues until we reach another triumphant fanfare, which signifies the piece is coming to an end.

Caprice No. 20 offers a very different beginning, this time being inspired by folk music. This influence is mostly felt through the use of a continued drone (held note in the bass) throughout the opening, used to imitate the Zampogna. The Zampogna is a folk instrument which is the Italian equivalent of what is known in the UK as a bagpipe. This, like a bagpipe, also produces a continuous drone when played. This gives the opening of the caprice a feeling of peaceful calm and a grounded quality. The second section of the caprice comes as a complete shock, with it being daringly devilish, dark, and aggressive in character. This runs its course, however it eventually comes to an abrupt halt and is pushed aside by the same calm music we heard at the start which concludes the caprice.

The 21st caprice opens with a highly romantic and structurally expansive first section. This shows great operatic influence, with the two voices being played imitating an operatic love duet. This is then followed by an energetic section, which makes extensive use of several extremely challenging and unusual bowing techniques. The caprice then ends with a similar, but revised version of the love duet we heard at the beginning.

The concert begins at 7:30pm and will last approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. We request you please book tickets in advance so we can anticipate numbers. Adult tickets are £17 each, whilst under 18’s have free entry and do not require tickets. Tickets can be booked on Ticketsource via the link below (Under 18's will not require tickets) or with cash on the door. Refreshments in the form of both wine and soft drinks will be available for purchase in the interval. Please note, all transactions within the venue will be cash only due to the lack of signal for a card reader usage.

For queries, do please get in contact by sending an email to either zackstephens@live.co.uk , or ac.whiteside@googlemail.com. Tickets can be found at this link: TicketSource - Violin Recital Wherwell or bought on the door.