Plush 8 ~ Discovery Concert

Transcription

1 Plush 8 ~ Discovery Concert Imogen Cooper, Adrian Brendel & Tim Horton Saturday 25 th July 2015 ~ 6pm A. Scriabin Piano Sonata No. 7, Opus 64 White Mass Allegro (Horton) C. Debussy Cello Sonata 1. Prologue: Lent, sostenuto e molto risoluto 2. Serenade: modérément animé 3. Finale: Animé, léger et nerveux (Brendel, Cooper) ~ C. Debussy Élégie (Cooper) A. Scriabin Vers La Flamme, Opus 72 Allegro moderato (Horton)

2 PROGRAMME There can have been few musical evolutions as stark and intriguing as that of Alexander Scriabin. Born in 1871, Scriabin was a composer and pianist whose first works remind one of Chopin. By the end of his relatively short life in 1915, Scriabin had developed a substantially atonal and progressive musical language (quite apart from Schoenberg) that impressed Prokofiev, Stravinsky and scores of others. He was deeply influenced by synesthesia, associating colours with the various harmonic tones of the 12-note scale. Scriabin wrote only for solo piano and orchestra, completing ten published sonatas that have become a staple of the repertoire. Having said that, Scriabin s legendary status whilst alive was followed almost immediately by near total obscurity. Tolstoy described his music as a sincere expression of genius, but he seems to have been the Marmite of his day. As a publication of his time said, No composer has had more scorn heaped on him or greater love bestowed. Scriabin s eccentricities extended to a deep fear of his own 6th sonata, which he believed was inhabited by demonic forces. The opening piece of tonight s discovery concert was subsequently written as an exorcism against the darkness of this sonata, and given the nickname White Mass in order to reflect its celestial nature. The 7th sonata is one of the most chromatic and complex of all his works, causing him great difficulty in composition. Concluding the concert is another work with a peculiar backdrop. Scriabin intended his piece Vers La Flamme to be his 11th sonata, but financial concerns forced him to publish it on its own. Written in 1914, it is a piece of great intensity as suggested by its title. One of Scriabin s most celebrated champions was the pianist Vladimir Horowitz, who suggested that the piece was inspired by Scriabin s conviction that a constant accumulation of heat would ultimately cause the destruction of the world. The piece s title reflects the earth s fiery destruction, and the constant emotional build-up and crescendo throughout the piece lead, ultimately, toward the flame. If Scriabin s musical world was amongst the more singular in the pantheon of composers, Debussy has a place at the top table of original voices. Like Scriabin, his music evolved from Late Romanticism into one of the most important early voices of Modernism, completely on his own terms. Scriabin was thought of as the most important Symbolist Russian composer, and Debussy too had very close ties with French symbolist poets such as Mallarmé, whose texts he often set to music. Whilst not as avowed a synesthete as Scriabin, colour is very high on the agenda when one thinks of Debussy s music. Both Debussy works on tonight s programme are 100 years old in One is almost completely unknown, a sombre and beautiful elegy for piano whose theme bears a resemblance to one of Debussy s greatest chamber works, the sonata for cello and piano. Described by the composer as Pierrot howling at the moon, this cello sonata is one of the most thoroughly new musical statements of the early 20th century. Its design combines commedia dell arte with grandiose lyricism and constantly shifting characterisation. It is short, but packs a wealth of material into its concentrated three movement form including pentatonic scales and modes, and an array of demanding cello techniques including rapid pizzicato, flauntando and spiccato. Adrian Brendel Music Director Musicians Imogen Cooper piano Recognized worldwide as a pianist of virtuosity and poetic poise, Imogen Cooper has established a reputation as one of the finest interpreters of

3 the classical repertoire. During the 2014/15 season she will perform the Ravel G major Concerto with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Beethoven Piano Concerto No 2 with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Music of the Baroque in Chicago and Mozart with the Seattle Symphony. Towards the end of the season Imogen will travel to the Far East, to play solo recitals in Hong Kong, Seoul and Singapore. Last season, Imogen performed with the London Symphony Orchestra and also made her debut with the Cleveland Orchestra. She played many solo recitals in the USA, UK and the Netherlands and an extensive tour to Australia. Following a performance of the Ravel G major concerto in 2012, Imogen played twice at the BBC Proms during 2013, in a Britten chamber concert and a Schubert Recital at the Royal Albert Hall; a solo sonata and the Grand Duo with Paul Lewis. Imogen Cooper has a widespread international career and has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Budapest Festival, NHK Symphony Orchestras, Camerata Salzburg and Orpheus Chamber Orchestras. Imogen has played with all the major British orchestras and has particularly close relationships with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Britten Sinfonia. Her recital appearances have included New York, Tokyo, Paris, Vienna, Prague, London and the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg. As a supporter of new music, Imogen Cooper has premiered two works at the Cheltenham International Festival: Traced Overhead by Thomas Adès (1996) and Decorated Skin by Deirdre Gribbin (2003). In 1996, she also collaborated with members of the Berliner Philharmoniker in the premiere of the quintet, Voices for Angels, written by the ensemble s viola player, Brett Dean. Imogen is a committed chamber musician and performs regularly with the Belcea Quartet and cellist Sonia Wieder-Atherton. As a Lieder recitalist, she has had a long collaboration with Wolfgang Holzmair in both the concert hall and recording studio. Her discography also includes Mozart Concertos with the Royal Northern Sinfonia (Avie), a solo recital at the Wigmore Hall (Wigmore Live) and a cycle of solo works by Schubert recorded live and released under the label Schubert Live. Her first recording for Chandos Records features music by Brahms and Schumann. Imogen Cooper received a CBE in the Queen s New Year Honours in 2007 and was the recipient of an award from the Royal Philharmonic Society the following year. In 1997 she was awarded an Honorary Membership of the Royal Academy of Music and in 1999 she was made a Doctor of Music at Exeter University. Imogen was the Humanitas Visiting Professor in Classical Music and Music Education at the University of Oxford for Tim Horton piano Tim studied at Chetham s School of Music with Charles Hopkins and Heather Slade-Lipkin and graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, in In the same year he replaced Alfred Brendel at short notice in two performances of Schoenberg s Piano Concerto with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle at Symphony Hall, Birmingham and the Royal Festival Hall, London. Since then he has played with the RLPO, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and Trondheim Symphony Orchestra. In 2005 Tim was chosen as the scholar of the Klavier Festival Ruhr at the recommendation of Alfred Brendel, an honour that included a recital at the Festival and a bursary. Tim has a duo partnership with cellist Adrian Brendel with whom he has given tours of Spain, Germany, Italy and the UK, including concerts at the Wigmore Hall, London and in 2011 they made their debut at the Enescu Festival in Bucharest. He has played regularly at the Plush, Aldeburgh, Bath and Elverum Festivals and has collaborated with many leading chamber musicians including Paul Lewis, Peter

4 Cropper, the Elias Quartet, the Vertavo Quartet and the members of the Kungsbacka Piano Trio. He has been playing with violist Robin Ireland since 2008 and they have toured Britain extensively. Their Nimbus Alliance disc of Shostakovich and Prokofiev was highly acclaimed on its release and they have just released a disc of the Brahms Sonatas and the Schubert Arpeggione Sonata. With the Leonore Piano Trio Tim has given concerts in Italy and throughout the UK, touring New Zealand in 2012, and they have future engagements throughout Europe and in They recorded a disc of the two Arensky Piano Trios for Hyperion and have plans to record the Trios of David Matthews. Tim is currently engaged in a four-year cycle of the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas at the Crucible, Sheffield. Kraggerud and Lisa Batiashvili. Over the last two years he has visited international festivals from Aldeburgh and Cheltenham to Verbier, Salzburg and the Schubertiade, and is a frequent visitor to leading venues in Europe. He has performed concertos with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, RSNO, SCO and orchestras across Germany and eastern Europe. His annual visit to the International Musicians Seminar in Prussia Cove is of great artistic importance and inspired him to create his festival at Plush in1995. Musical outreach has included projects in Bolivia, Argentina, Ukraine and east Africa, including a trip to Baaba Maal s Senegalese music festival for BBC Radio 4 in Adrian is cello professor at London s Guildhall School and in 2014 became a member of the Nash Ensemble. Adrian Brendel cello Adrian Brendel has travelled the world as a soloist, collaborator and teacher. He studied the cello with William Pleeth, Alexander Baillie and Frans Helmerson, also frequently attending the masterclasses of György Kurtág, Ferenc Rados, members of the Alban Berg quartet and his father Alfred Brendel. Projects with contemporary artists, including Kurtág, Thomas Adès and Peter Eotvos, have inspired Adrian to cultivate new music in his programmes, while a rapport with Sir Harrison Birtwistle has led to premieres of his song cycle Bogenstrich and a piano trio released by ECM in He also premiered York Hoeller s cello concerto Mouvements in January 2014 with NDR Hamburg alongside Bernd Alois Zimmermann s Canto di Speranza. Adrian s performing partners include Aleksandar Madzar, Imogen Cooper, Tim Horton, Henning

5 Thank you to all of our Patrons, Friends, volunteers and contributors. Patrons HISTORY Founded in 1995, Plush Festival is a summer concert series of classical and contemporary music run by the Brendel family. Musicians visit Plush from around the world, and have included Radu Lupu, Andras Schiff, Paul Lewis, Imogen Cooper, John Taylor, Louis Lortie, Mark Padmore, Lawrence Power, Stian Carstensen, Gwilym Simcock and the Szymanowski Quartet to name a few. Programmes span a diverse repertoire of solo and ensemble works, from Bach Cantatas and Beethoven quartets to contemporary jazz and song. In 2013 the festival embarked on a new annual education project connecting aspiring young players in Dorset with visiting musicians. SUPPORT Plush Festival is kept alive and thriving by its community of supporters and sponsors. Patron 200, ( 400/couple) Advance season programme priority booking annual drinks party Friend 20, ( 40/couple) Advance season programme priority booking after Patrons Sponsor a Seat 45 per seat, or for 200 you will receive the best available seats for any concert you attend Sponsor a Concert Make a lasting impact on the festival while enjoying the benefits of having your name or company directly associated with the event/artist. Sponsorship starts at 500 for an individual or as a group. Music at Plush Ltd Charity no Nicola Beauman Susan Belgrave Antony & Pandy Brown Lucy Carter Amabel Clarke Jennifer & Derek Coombs Dione Digby D.B.E., D.L. Viscountess Dilhorne John & Felicity Fairbairn Roy Foster Jonathan & Tessa Gaisman Hans Götz Ken Hitz Raymond Jack Andrey & Sara Kidel Georgia Langton and Giorgio Moltoni Maria Makris-Gouvas & Mr. Graham Williams Mr Bob Maguire Mr Lupus Maltzahn John McBratney Adam & Nelly Munthe Patrick Neill of Bladen Peter Pagnamenta Anthony Palmer John Pearson Jane Peretz Anthony & Val Pitt-Rivers Paul Rogan Quarrie Francesca Radcliffe Pamela Ramsey Guy & Valerie Smallwood Duncan Veasey Joachim Voigt CONTACT Adrian Brendel Music Director Kat Brendel Festival Manager Tel: info@plushfestival.com Facebook/Twitter: plushfestival Office address: 13 Well Walk, London NW3 1BY Festival address: St Johns, Plush, DT2 7RJ