55th Dubrovnik Summer Festival 2004 Croatia PETER VANHOVE piano Rector's Palace Atrium 23 July 9.30 pm.
Prosper Van Eechaute: PASTORALE Lodewijk Mortelmans: SAÏDJAH S SONG: Intermezzo in A major Fra Angelico s dansende engelen / Fra Angelico s Dancing Angels Het Wielewaalt en Leeuwerkt / Like a Singing Bird Joseph Ryelandt: NOKTURNO op. 81 / NOCTURNE, Op. 81 Frédéric Chopin: LENTO CON GRAN ESPRESSIONE (Nokturno op. post. u cis molu / Nocturne Op. Posth. in C sharp minor) Peter Benoit: FANTASY No. 3 **** Prosper Van Eechaute: PAVANA / PAVANE (from Suite Ancienne Op. 6) Joseph Ryelandt: APPASSIONATO / Liebeslied (from Fünf Phantasiestücke Op. 9) Frédéric Chopin: NOCTURNE in C minor Op. 48, No. 1 Arthur De Greef: COUCHER DE SOLEIL (SUNSET)
Belgian pianist Peter Vanhove graduated and got his MA degree in the piano and chamber music from the Royal Conservatory in Brussels, the Lemmens Institute in Leuven and the Maastricht Conservatory. He studied under Jean Brouwers, Daniel Blumenthal, Jo Alfidi and Frans van Beveren. Laureate at the competitions Axion Classics and Pieter-Jan Van Paesschen in 1997, he was the first finalist at the European Piano Competition in Ostuni (Italy). At the same year he won the 1st Prize at the International Young Musicians Competition in Rovered (Switzerland) and was awarded the special Brahms Award at the International Piano Competition Città di Lodi (Italy). He got excellent critics' reviews for his first CD (for Pavane ADW) with pieces by Flemish romantic and impressionist composers and in 2003 he released another successful CD called Intermezzo (for sezanome) with pieces by Brahms, Chopin, Liszt, Bach-Busoni and Rachmaninov. In the words of a music critic: «This is a combination of a fresh approach and brilliant technique... Getting acquainted with this young musician is a precious discovery». Frédéric Chopin, Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms were undoubtedly a deep source of inspiration to the 20th century Flemish piano composers on their way towards the internationally established standards. It is therefore not surprising that the Chopin's anthological way of arranging certain Polish mazurkas or polonaises and Liszt's, i.e. Brahms' epochal transferring the Hungarian rhapsodies and dances will be repeated in a particular way in their arrangements of the most characteristic Flemish dances. Their successors did not hesitate to continue along the trodden path, colouring it with more modern devices. The piano thus becomes a magic mirror of the Flemish composing soul of the two previous centuries, which, in its beauty, opens up in front of the beforehand undeservedly suspicious music world. Flemish composer Prosper Van Eechaute (1904-1964), born in Ghent, was admitted at the conservatory in his hometown at the age of eight. He studied counterpoint and fugue with Martin Lunssens and composition with Lunssens and Moeremans. In 1933 he was awarded the Prix de Rome for cantata The Conversion of St. Hubert. He later lectured at the Ghent Conservatory and was the head of the music academies in Eekl and Kortrijk. In 1946 he founded the Conservatory Concert Society, which organised concerts with the world-renowned artists. He composed a large number of songs and pieces assigned to the open-air performance and his most successful piece is the String Quartet. His piano music mainly consists of lyrical miniatures in impressionist mood. In its structure, it is closer to Ravel than to Debussy; clear and well-developed melodies are accompanied with the subtle and soft harmonies. This is particularly noticeable in the impressionable Pastoral, with which the tonight's concert begins. The Pavan, from Suite Ancienne Op. 6, also reveals the Ravel-like tonal world, the lament for the music and atmosphere long gone and surpassed. In this suite, Prosper van Eachaute included a series of the 18th century dances, the authentic elements of which (from the slow cadenzas to the utterly simple structures) get the light, almost transparent modern clothing. The Pavan, the introductory movement to the Suite Ancienne, radiates with an unattainable peace and unrepeatable sublimity from the wide space of the persistently repeated rhythmic pattern. Flemish composer Lodewijk Mortelmans (1868-1952) studied with Peter Benoit and Jan Blockx in his native Antwerp. He continued his studies in Brussels with Arthur De Greef. In 1891 he won the Prix de Rome for his cantata Lady Mac Beth. He taught counterpoint at the Antwerp Conservatory since 1901 and was the head master there from 1924 to 1933. At the
same time he lectured at the Lemmens Institute in Mechelen. Among his students, particularly gifted were Marinus De Jong and Flor Peeters. From 1903 to 1921 he was head of the New Concerts Society that used to invite famous soloists and conductors to Antwerp. He was a passionate nature lover and was intensively interested in literature and painting. A special infatuation with Homer inspired him to compose his Homer Symphony. His songs are the apogees both of his composing and of the Flemish music expression in general. They reveal a refined choice of poetry (Gezelle s songs in the first place) and its tonal arrangement. Particularly successful were also his short piano pieces; his output also includes several volumes of the piano Miniatures (1937, 1943 and 1905). His source of inspiration in the visual arts is clearly seen, among others, in Fra Angelico s Dancing Angels (1943), while his affinity for literature is evident in the pieces the Saïdjah s Song, or Het Wielewaalt en Leeuwerkt (Like a Singing Bird), in which he refers to Multatuli s Max Havelaar. This poetically evocative title resulted in a virtuous piece full of heavenly arabesques and rich harmonies that often appeal to the tonal world of the early Debussy. The tragic story of Saïdjah and Adinda is the Indonesian version of the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. The young couple in love is separated by the war. Coming back from the war Saïdjah finds out that bad people caused the death of his beloved. The piece begins with a musical description of love of the young couple, the central part includes the dramatic culmination, the moment when Saïdjah finds the dead Adinda and the final part is the young man s lyrical, but painful memory of his beloved. The composer himself, or the publisher, additionally gave the name Like s Singing Bird to the piece Het Wielewaalt en Leeuwerkt. The original title, however, hides the nonexistent names of the two species of birds in Flanders, i.e. Belgium that the composer himself invented and by which he called them (probably in vain). The composer prefers the narrative style of a simple expression, often remembering the superb clarity of Chopin s melody and form. Flemish composer Joseph Ryelandt (1870-1965), born in Bruges, took private lessons from Edgard Tinel. Since 1924 he was head of the Bruges Conservatory and also taught counterpoint at the Ghent Conservatory. He is above all known as the composer of religious oratories in Tinel's style. His other works reveal the influence of César Franck, while his piano pieces follow the romantic tradition: his unattainable ideal is Chopin's way of composing. Nocturne Op. 81 is a delicate day dreaming that in many segments reminds of the Fauré's passages, while his Five Fantastic Pieces, Op. 9 reveal the skilful composing manner with attentive blending of the main melodic and accompanying elements. Everything is under a strict composer's control, particularly when the rhythm is concerned. Ryelandt's speciality are the harmonies; he eagerly uses modulations and chromatic changes, which only contributes to the richness of the sound colours. This music drifts through the dreamy, floating spaces so that with the occasional clearly evident Schumann's or Brahms' influence it belongs to the pronouncedly romantic piano expression. Flemish composer Peter Benoit (1834-1901), born in a poor family from Harelbeke, studied the piano and organ with Pieter Carlier, Desselgemo and Gregorian. In 1851 he was admitted at the Brussels Conservatory where he studied harmony, counterpoint, fugue and composition for three years. In 1857 he was awarded Prix de Rome for The Killing of Abel. His travel to Germany greatly enriched his music expression. Since 1863 he lived in Paris, where he did not manage to succeed as opera composer, but became a successful conductor. As composer, Benoit was best noted for his saloon piano pieces that are often based on the style of Chopin and Liszt, but also of Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Weber and Schumann. This is the programme music, most evident in the collection Fairy-tales and Ballads (1861-1866), inspired by the Flemish folk tales the composer was told by his grandfather. Chopin's influence is most apparent in the Five Mazurkas from 1860, while a more complex composing manner is
noticeable in his Four Fantasies, among which the powerful Fantasy No. 3 is a true masterpiece still performed in the present time. Flemish composer Arthur De Greef (1862-1940) first studied at the music school in his native Leuven. He later studied composition with August Gevaert (who influenced many major Flemish composers including Paul Gilson and Edgard Tinel) at the Brussels Conservatory, where he graduated in 1879. Followed his studies with Franz Liszt in Weimar and Camille Saint-Saëns in Paris. He returned to Brussels in 1881 and started lecturing at the Conservatory. Renowned pianist as well, he is particularly remembered for his interpretation of Grieg's Piano Concerto and his output therefore mainly consists of the piano pieces. The romantic style of his piano pieces is imbued with the impressionable dramatic segments and brilliant sound inspired by the Liszt's or Rachmaninov's composing manner. His interest in folklore made him the forerunner of the famous Flemish national school. The Sunset, composed in 1913, is preceded by a quote by Pieter Dyl: «While the wide Flanders sky is illuminated by bright and glamorous beauty of the sunset, my dreams weep...». The piece begins with a peaceful motive and transparent texture as a light image of the dusk, yet it is gradually disturbed by the more and more stirred accompaniment. The expressive culmination of the piece is hidden in the section with the markedly changeable rhythms, chromatic alterations and far-reaching tonal movements. After a double interchange of the calmness and excitement, the light eventually fades out in the murky depths and the all-present stillness. The Sunset is more a description of a symbolic meaning than strictly a programme music piece. It is therefore like some of the pieces by Lodewijk Mortelmans close to the paintings of the symbolist painter Fernand Knopff. Like the serenade, the nocturne is also a night music form, yet, contrary to the serenade, it is not foreseen for the open-air or group performance. It is therefore a lonely instrumental night song, most often a sad monologue in which neither the composer, nor the performer, count with the presence of the being it was dedicated to. The nocturnes by the Irish composer and Clementi's disciple, John Field (1782-1837), served as models to probably the greatest magician of this composing genre Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849). Field, whose melodicharmonic imagination Chopin very much appreciated, composed altogether 18 nocturnes. It is probably a mere coincidence that Chopin published the same number of nocturnes as Field during his lifetime. The additionally found nineteenth nocturne was published by Fontana only in 1855. Chopin first grouped these lyrical miniatures (composed from 1828 to 1846 in the form of a three-part song) into the groups of three (Op. 9 and 15) and then into the groups of two (Op. 27, 32, 37, 48, 55 and 62). The only one preserved independently is Nocturne in E minor, Op. 72. Characteristic of all these masterpieces are: a moderate tempo, mainly still, but richly nuanced dynamics, above all expressive melody of a wide span accompanied by the refined ornaments and the harmony completely filled with secretive modulations and dense chromatics. D. Detoni