Donald F. Cook Recital Hall M.O. Morgan Building

Saturday, 8 April 1995 at 7:30p.m.

THOMAS YEE • ptano

Prelude and Fugue in g minor, BWV 885 from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book Two

Sonata Op. 81a in E flat major (Les Adieux) Adagio- Allegro (Les Adieux) Andante espressivo (L'Absence) Vivacissimamente (Le Retour)

Mephisto Waltz No. 1

Der Wanderer D. 489

INTERMISSION

Michelle Pitcher, soprano

Fantasie inC major (Wanderer), D. 760 Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo Adagio Presto Allegro

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Franz Uszt (1811-1886)

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Franz Schubert

Presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for Music 455B.

·~ lr, •• ·- University of Newfoundland

048-030-04-95- 15,000

PROGRAM NOTES

Prelude and Fugue in g minor, BWV 885 Bach . . . >;>.

The Prelude of J.S. Bach's Prelude and Fugue in g minor evokes majestic tragedy, for its dotted rhythms >.s-~

suggest the style of the French overture of Bach's time. The tragic character of the Prelude continues in the --"" four-voice fugue. It begins with a subject containing seven repeated notes which, according to critics, suggests · :~ · death knocking at the door. No other fugue by Bach employs the effective contrapuntal device of stretto as · ·~;

dramatically as in the conclusion of the g minor fugue. . > ·.

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Sonata Op. 81a in E flat major (Les Adieux) Beethoven -~,~~: ::::,:~.

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Beethoven's Sonata Op. 81a (Les Adieux) was dedicated to Archduke Rudolph, a dedicated patron and pupil of ·; ·~~~­Beethoven. Their relationship was characterized by genuine respect on both sides. In the summer of 1809, -~~r:. Napoleon and his French army invaded Vienna, forcing the Archduke to flee, leaving Beethoven behind. His ··~t~::: · thoughts about his absent patron and student are expressed in this sonata. The German "Lebewohl" (Farewell), Jt fits the opening three note motif, which permeates the frrst movement, depicting his sorrowful farewell to .:.-.?}:,

Rudolph. The overlapping phrases near the end of this movement suggest a prolonged leave of absence. The ··~l-.. ·L~ .

middle movement "L'Absence", portrays his sadness at Rudolph's absence while the extraordinarily merry and · -;.:_~if

high-spirited-final movement, "Le Retour", depicts his rejoicing at seeing Rudolph again. :·:;:;:-.

Mephisto Waltz No. 1

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Of the many and diverse characters that co-existed in Liszt, none was more fascinating than the diabolic. =:--:'; .

Mephisto Waltz No. 1 is programmatic and is derived from Lenau's Faust. The poem describes Faust and ;. · Mephistopheles straying into a village inn where wedding festivities are in full swing. Mephistopheles seizes a violin from a band member, tunes it, and by the demoniacal frre of his playing, whips the dancers into a frenzy. ..;. Faster and faster gets the dance, more and more unbridled the dancers. Faust finds himself a beautiful girl who ·:. follows the sound of Mephisto's violin into the woods where only the sound of the nightingale's song is heard · ·­and where the couple is "swallowed by the roaring sea of lust".

Fantasie in C ~ajor (Wanderer), D.760

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Schubert :~: j '·. i

Schubert's Wanderer Fantasie is without doubt his most monumental work for piano. It is a pioneering work .-,

in many ways. Never before had a composer taken the elements of symphonic structure and worked them into ,ti~:-~,

linked movements based on a single expressive idea. The theme takes its name from a figure in his song "Der ~~;- · =~--~~.

Wanderer", which depicts a traveller pacing along through a cold and empty world. It is characterized by a :~;~;

rhythm of one long and two short notes, followed by a rushing arpeggiated figure. From this, everything grows ~p with a mastery of thematic development to rival Beethoven himself.

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