Joan Pearson & Wendy Gonsalkorale. Piano Duet Recitals

Transcription

1 Joan Pearson & Wendy Gonsalkorale Piano Duet Recitals

2 Duet recitals given by Joan Pearson & Wendy Gonsalkorale This booklet includes a list of all the pieces that Wendy and myself have played at about 15 recitals during the last seven years or so, that we have given in Manchester and the surrounding area. After the first performance played to an appreciative audience we were encouraged to do some more recitals. We both enjoy selection and preparation of the pieces and it is a delight to listen to the final recording that Jim has made. Wendy and I belong to the Alberti Group of Pianists which meets every fortnight to play and discuss the pieces that members prepare and play. We do thank the members for the support that they have given us in these activities. The list also includes recitals given together with John Resek violin and David Butterworth piano, both in Didsbury and The Friends Meeting House in Manchester.

3 Preparations for a piano duet recital January 2003 By Joan Pearson, secretary of The Alberti Group of Pianists, Manchester UK. This recital was to be one of a series of monthly lunchtime recitals given by soloists and small groups, some of whom are professional musicians. The recitals take place in the chapel where our regular meetings are held. A member of our group, Wendy Gonsalkorale, and myself had been practising as a piano duo for some time, playing duets and two piano music. We were suprised and delighted when we were asked to play at one of these lunchtime recitals. Since this was to be our first public recital and Wendy had been to one or two piano duo workshops we decided to go to get some professional guidance. This was a 3 day workshop held in the Royal Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. This is a fine new building with a full sized Steinway Concert Grand piano in the hall where the workshop took place. The tutors were Anne Applin and Geoffrey Pratley. They are accompanists, teachers and examiners who also give many Piano Duo recitals. We prepared pieces by Clementi, Mozart, Schubert and Dvorak. On arriving at the workshop any feelings of apprehension we had were quickly replaced by being completely absorbed in playing and listening to other duos as well as learning about the finer points of Duo -Pianism. It was also good to meet and exchange ideas with other duo players too. Both tutors helped us to regard Duo pianism as an art form in its own right. We learned how to cope with the overlapping of parts when 4 hands are playing on one keyboard, and how we might think of some pieces orchestrally especially when playing arrangements. We were encouraged to alter the score sometimes to make it easier for 4 hands to negotiate some tricky cross overs as a well as matching or changing the dynamics to create a more musical effect. Success in communicating with an audience meant making sure that the person in the back row could hear every note and that the music came across seamlessly from 4 hands. We now felt the full benefit of the workshop in preparing for our recital in which we played Faure, Schubert, Moskowski, and Bizet. The day of our recital arrived. We had prepared as well as we could, building in "fail safe" mechanisms to keep our ensemble playing secure. Being an unknown duo we felt surprise,delight and increasingly nervous as we saw the hall filling up to between 70 and 80 people! We went into the hall and by way of introduction, I heard myself saying to the audience "If you enjoy listening as much as we have enjoyed preparing our programme then maybe we'll all have a good time!" After playing the first piece we turned to see smiling faces and heard warm applause. From then onwards we really enjoyed playing all the music. I have to admit that after receiving so many appreciative comments afterwards Wendy and I went home on cloud 9! A new experience of delight after our work on the pieces. Feelings that I suppose many people must have after succeeding, following a time of preparation. We also made a CD of the recital which can be heard on our Website We now have bookings for 2 more recitals in 2004 and look forward to the preparation and the fun that comes along with it of course!

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5 Joan Pearson & Wendy Gonsalkorale Piano Duet Recital Unitarian Chapel Jan 2003 Fauré Overture Masques et Bergamasques Schubert Variations Op 10 Moszkowsky - Two Polish Dances Bizet Jeux d'enfants Programme Notes for Piano Duet Lunchtime Recital, Friday January 31st 2003 Gabriel Faure Overture from Masques et Bergamasques Suite This Suite was originally written for orchestra and then arranged by Faure for piano duet. The Overture is the first of 4 movements and provides a lively opening to the Suite and to this recital. Franz Schubert. 8 Variations in E Minor Op10. The theme of the variations is from a French song " Le Bon Chevalier"- The good horseman - rather more Sir Lancelot than Don Quixote. They were written when Schubert was a young man and are said to have beenplayed by Beethoven who it is said had "encouraging "words for Schubert. In parts the writing is very reminiscent of parts of the composer's well known Trout Quintet. Moritz Moszkowski 2 Polish Dances Op55 1. Polonaise 2. Krakowiak -Moszkowski was a Polish composer, teacher and pianist who wrote manyworks for piano duet. The most well known are the Spanish dances but he also wrote German Dances, and this set of Polish dances. Duettists appreciate them for their craftmanship and fresh melodic invention which make them fun to play and enjoyable to listen to. Georges Bizet Jeux D'enfants (Children's Games ) Op22 This delightful Suite is one of Bizet's most famous works. Written originally for piano duet it is said to contain some of his finest writing and 8 of the 12 pieces will be played. 1. The Little Swing The arpeggios suggest the swaying of the swing. 2.The Top. The top spins very fast before falling over at the end. 3 The Doll This takes the form of a lovely lyrical melody overa quiet bass. 4.The Fairground Horses. Going round in a gentle joyful and cantering rhythm. 5.The Trumpet and the Drum. A Little March finally fading into the distance. 6.Blind Man's Buff. 7 Little Husband and Little Wife. An expressive dialogue with a small disagreement followed by a tender reconciliation. 8.Dancing. A joyful musical game. Joan Pearson and Wendy Gonsalkorale are members of The Alberti Group of Pianists which meets fortnightly on Wednesdays at the Unitarian Chapel.

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7 Joan Pearson & Wendy Gonsalkorale Piano Duet Recital Cross St Unitarian Chapel, 30th Jan 2004 Kuhlau- Sonatina No 2 C major Schubert -Grand Sonata in Bb op 30 Grieg- Norwegian Dances nos 3,4 Richard Rodney Bennett Skip and Sadie Suite Thomas A Johnson Rumba Programme Notes Friederich Kuhlau ( ) Sonatina No2 op 44 in C major. 1. Allegro con spirito. 2. Romanza. 3. Allegro alla Polacca. Kuhlau was a German flautist and composer who settled in Denmark. He wrote operas, piano concertos and chamber music, but is best known for his flute pieces and Sonatinas for solo piano and piano duet. This sonatina does suggest an operatic style of writing. Kuhlau once met Beethoven in Baden, near Vienna, where it is said they exchanged musical canons after a day of walking and music making with friends. Franz Schubert ( ) Grand sonata in Bb, op Allegro moderato. 2. Andante con moto. 3. Allegretto. This sonata with its opening solo cadenza-like passage, charming youthful energy and deeply felt melodic writing, is said to bear a likeness to the composers 5th symphony in the same key. This early work shows a mastery of form and skill in melodic and harmonic writing. Schubert is said to have preferred writing for piano duet than for solo piano and the Andante of this Sonata is said to be one of Schubert s most beautiful creations. Not only was Schubert one of the most prolific composers of the four -hand medium, but his contributions to duet literature are,for the most part, of uniform excellence. Edvard Grieg ( ). Two Norwegian Dances, nos 3 and 4. Grieg, a Norwegian composer of Scottish ancestry, wrote these pieces as piano duets; they are often also heard as an orchestral version. In addition to his famous Piano concerto, Peer Gynt Suite and Holberg Suite, he wrote many piano works such as the Lyric Pieces. The Norwegian dances particularly show strong nationalistic characteristics. Richard Rodney Bennett. ( ). Suite for Skip and Sadie. 1. Good Morning. 2. Sadie's Waltz. 3. Skip's Dance. 4. Goodnight. Richard Rodney Bennett can be said to be one of the most versatile of British 20th Century composers. He studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London and took up the chair of composition there in He writes for the concert hall, films and performs as a jazz pianist and singer and has toured extensively. The world premier of his trumpet concerto was played in the 1990s by the Royal Northern College of Music's Wind Ensemble. He also wrote the incidental music to the BBC broadcast in the drama "Gormanghast" early in The pieces for this suite were inspired by the antics of the two cats that the composer had with him in his New York flat. Thomas A Johnson ( ) Rumba. This Rumba is one of many short pieces that Johnson wrote during his long and active musical life. After playing as a pianist for silent movies he gained diplomas at the Manchester College of Music, and broadcast on the BBC as a solo pianist and duettist. He wrote music for solo piano and piano duet as well as music for other instruments and pieces for students. He wrote several books and articles on music and also enjoyed the music of British Light Music composers such as Edward German. Joan Pearson and Wendy Gonsalkorale are members of The Alberti Group of Pianists which meets fortnightly on Wednesdays at the Unitarian Chapel.

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9 Violin & Piano Recital Friends Meeting House Manchester 10th September 2004 Schubert Sonata no 3 Vivaldi The Seasons Sarasate Spanish Dances Habanera op 21 no2 Playera op23 no1 Zapateado op23 no 2 Malaguena op 24

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11 Puppet Show Piano Duet by John Carmichael Played by Joan Pearson and Wendy Gonsalkorale 5th November 2004 Puppet Overture Marionette Waltz Parade of the Puppet Ponies Lullaby of the Sleeping Doll Finale

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13 Piano Duet Recital Played by Joan Pearson and Wendy Gonsalkorale November 2004 J. C. Bach - Sonata no 3 in F major Allegro Rondo F Schubert - Variations op 82 no2 in Bb major Allegro John Carmichael - Puppet Show Puppet Overture Marionette Waltz Parade of the Puppet Ponies Lullaby of the Sleeping Doll Finale A. Dvorak - Slavonic Dances op 46 no 6 op72 no 2 op 46 no 8

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15 Joan Pearson & Wendy Gonsalkorale Recital 1st April 2005 Cross St Unitarian Chapel Beethoven Sonata op 6 - allegro molto Beethoven Sonata op 6 - rondo Schubert Variations & Finale D603 Dvorak Slavonic Dance op 46 no 6 Dvorak Slavonic Dance op 72 no2 Dvorak Slavonic Dance op 46 no 8 Carmichael Puppet Show

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17 Recital 2nd June 2005 at St Andrew & St George, Bolton Poulenc -Sonata Dvorak -Legend no 1 Dvorak -Legend no 3 Dvorak -Legend no 4 Dvorak -Legend no 6 Dvorak -Legend no 10 Moszkowski -Spanish Dance John Carmichael - Habanera John Carmichael - Bahama Rhumba Lennox Berkley - Palm Court Waltz William Walton - Touch her soft lips and part

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19 Didsbury Rotary Music Festival - Emmanuel Church Didsbury 23rd June 2005 John Resek - violin David Butterworth - piano Wendy Gonsalkorale & Joan Pearson - piano duo Fritz Kreisler - Praeludium and allegro Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonata op 24 F major Spring Sonata Allegro Adagio molto expressivo Allegro molto Allegro ma non troppo Bedrich Smetana - From the homeland Edward Elgar - Chanson de Matin Antonin Dvorak - Legends op 59 no 3 no 10 Moritz Moszkowski - Spanish Dance op 12 no 3 John Carmichael - Latin American Suite Habanera Obsession Bahama Rhumba Claude Debussy - Petite Suite En bateau Cortege Menuet Ballet Richard Rodney Bennett - Suite for Skip and Sadie Good Morning Sadie s Waltz Skip s Dance Good Night

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21 Piano Duet Recital 27th January 2006 Cross St Chapel, Manchester Joan Pearson & Wendy Gonsalkorale Sonata in D, K123A Mozart A Midsummernights Dream Mendelssohn March of the Elves Intermezzo Dance of the Clowns Nocturne Scherzo From Foreign Parts Moszcowski Germany Italy " Ain't misbehavin' " arranged by K.B.Mallion " Tea for Two " arranged by Youmans " Fiddle- faddle " Leroy Anderson

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23 Joan Pearson & Wendy Gonsalkorale Piano Duet Recital Cross St Unitarian Chapel, 23rd February 2007 Arrival of the Queen of Sheba from" Solomon" G.F.Handel ( ) String Octet Op. 20 (1st mvmnt) Two Hungarian Dances Automne Sonatina for Piano Duet Polovtsian Dances "Manhattan " Felix Mendelssohn ( ) Johannes Brahms ( ) Cecile Chaminade ( ) Jim Pearson (1929- ) Alexander Borodin( ) Richard Rodgers; arr.by Keith Mallion

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25 Joan Pearson & Wendy Gonsalkorale Piano Duet Recital St Andrew & St George, 25th October 2007 Overture In the Italian Style in D major Sonata in Bb major KV 186 Schubert Mozart Automne Chaminade Le Matin Chaminade Theme Ich Denke Dein and 6 variations Sonatina for piano duet Manhattan ( arranged K.B.Mallion ) Tea for Two Qui Vive Beethoven Jim Pearson Richard Rodgers Vicent Youmans Wilhelm Ganz

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27 Unitarian Chapel, Cross St, Manchester 25th January 2008 Piano - Benny Hui, David Butterworth, Wendy Gonsalkorale, Alan Myerscough, Joan Pearson Violin - John Resek Vocal - Ann Gajda Organ - Ronald Frost Welcome from John Midgely Masque & Bergamasque Overture - Fauré Morgen - Richard Strauss " Oh John, don't go..." Spring Sonata - Beethoven Hungarian Rhapsody no 2 - Liszt Sortie- Leféburé-Wély Farewell from John

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29 Joan Pearson & Wendy Gonsalkorale Piano Duet Recital Cross St Unitarian Chapel, 30th May 2008 Antonin Dvorak - Legend op 59 no 1 Claude Debussy - Petite Suite En Bateau Cortege Menuet Ballet Sergei Rachmaninoff - Six Morceaux op 11 Barcarolle Scherzo Theme Russe Valse Romance Slava Vincent Youmans arr. K B Mallion - Tea for Two Cha Cha

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31 Programme for PIANO DUO Recital Unitarian Chapel, Cross St Manchester. Friday, 28th August 2009 JOAN PEARSON and WENDY GONSALKORALE Roger Quilter Franz Schubert Antonin Dvorak A Children's Overture Marche Caracteristique no 2 From the Bohemian Forest op 68 - Silent Woods Manuel de Falla John Carmichael Danse Espagnol no 1 Moto Perpetuo - Caribbean Style Tourbillon Camille Saint-Saens Dance Macabre

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