Conservatorium of Music
Friday Performance Class
Friday Performance Class
| Don Quichotte à Dulcinée | Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937) |
| 1. Chanson Romanesque 2. Chanson épique 3. Chanson à boire | |
| Nicholas Beecher, Voice | |
| ‘Don Quichotte à Dulcinée’ is a song cycle written by Maurice Ravel during 1932-33 which was originally intended to be included in a film based on Miguel de Cervante’s novel ‘El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha', and was his final composition. The three songs depict three different characteristics of Don Quixote; ‘Chanson Romanesque’ depicts Don Quixote’s chivalry and love for the character Duclinea, ‘Chanson épique’ depicts Saint Michel and Saint George as witnesses to the purity of his love and ‘Chanson à boire’ paints a picture of the laid-back and larrikin nature of a drunken Don Quixote. | |
| Poème d\\\\\\\'un jour,Op.21 | Gabriel Fauré (1845 - 1924) |
| I.Rencontre;II.Toujours;III. Adieu | |
| Nick Xiao, Voice | |
| Andrea Katz, piano | |
| A small song cycle of a love story written by Gabriel Fauré. In “Rencontreâ€, the protagonist meets a dream lover, declaring his joy and hesitation. The music reflects this mixed feeling, with dense arpeggiated piano underneath a legato vocal line, and constantly shifting harmony. In “Toujoursâ€, the mood is much more dramatic. The poet has now been rejected. Thus, he pleads with anger and desperation. This is shown in the music through many dissonances, rapid modulations, large interval jumps. To finish, “Adieu†is the simplest and calmest of all three. The conflict is now resolved, with the young man trying to accept defeat and find solace. | |
| Je te veux | Erik Satie (1866 - 1925) |
| Nick Xiao, Voice | |
| Andrea Katz, piano | |
| Although nowadays mostly as a popular piano piece, Je te veux was composed for voice and piano, a light-hearted waltz with erotic lyrics. This was written when Erik Satie was barely scraping by and playing for working class cafés for a living. He auditioned this song for Paulette Darty, a popular singer of café-concerts. The lyrics depicts the sensual desires of a woman who yearns to consummate with a man that she loves. One could imagine sitting in a busy café to unwind after a full day of labour while listening to the smooth melody and simple accompaniment playing in the background. | |
| Trio Apparition, S.155 | Franze Liszt (1811 - 1886) |
| No.1 | |
| Katniss Li, Piano | |
| Liszt took inspiration from Alphonse de Lamartine’s poem Apparitions, and used melody to convey this poem. He composed this while he was only 22 years young, living in France. It gives off the impressionistic elements that we later find in Debussy, but note this is composed by early Liszt. Apparitions alternate moments of sounds and moments of silence. The usual use of harmonies, constant tritone and chromatic changes mark these trio apparitions the unique pieces of Liszt. | |
| String Quartet in C Major, Op.76, No.3 | Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809) |
| I. Allegro II. Poco adagio, cantabile III. Menuetto allegro IV. Finale: presto | |
| Candice Yang, Jessica Leigh, Simon Song, Alex Liu, String Quartet | |
| 4 | |
| The 'Emperor Quartet' is the third of six quartets that together constitute Haydn’s last complete set of quartets. Written at the request of Viennese aristocrat Joseph Erdődy, the collection incorporates impressions from the composer’s London tours. This quartet provided the melody for the national anthems of both Austria (1797–1918) and Germany (beginning in 1922). | |
| Waltz Op. 38 | Alexander Scriabin (1872 - 1915) |
| Zihan Zhu, Piano | |
| Composed in his "middle period". His use of interesting rhythms does not detach from this piece still being a waltz. | |
| Sonata in A Major Wq.55/4 | Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714 - 1788) |
| 2nd Movement | |
| Zihan Zhu, Piano | |
| A brilliant example of empfindsumkeit (sensitive) writing. | |