Here's the recording of my sophomore recital plus the program notes.
Partita No.1 in B-flat Major, BWV 825 - J.S Bach
I. Prelude
II. Allemande
III. Courante
IV. Sarabande
V. Menuet I&II
VI. Gigue
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany in 1685. By the
time his partita was published in 1726, Bach had already established his
reputation as a virtuoso keyboard player. Serving as the cantor at St.
Thomas Church and also as director of music in Leipzig, Bach was busy
writing cantatas weekly. He was also able to write a few works in addition
to these. Bach intended the first partita as keyboard practice, as
demonstrated by his choice of publishing under the title of Clavier- Übung.
Consisting of six movements, this partita begins with a calming Prelude that
shows the listener the mood of the entire suite. It is soon followed by the
graceful yet energetic Allemande. Starting in the major key, the Allemande
travels to the minor key in the second half of the movement. Written in the
rhythm of three against four, the Courante serves as a fast dance that
precedes the Sarabande, a much slower dance. The Sarabande, with its
steady pulse, shows Bach’s remarkable ability to produce lovely melody in
his compositions. The first Menuet, written in a steady tempo, has large
leaps in melodic line, while the second Menuet, with a more conjunct line,
has a relaxed tempo, and thus serves as a contrasting section between the
first Menuet and its repetition. The Gigue, the last dance of the suite, has
brilliant color to it. Written with two lines of melody and a moving
harmony, the Gigue serves as a splendid ending to the whole partita.
Piano Sonata No.2 in D Minor, Op. 14 - Sergey Prokofiev
I. Allegro, ma non troppo
II. Scherzo: Allegro marcato
III. Andante
IV. Vivace
Sergey Prokofiev was born in Sontsovka, Russia in 1891. Beginning his
studies at age three, he studied privately with Glière before eventually
entering the St Petersburg Conservatory in 1904. His composition was
regarded as impossibly dissonant and avant-garde by the critics of his time,
but now he is seen as one of the major Russian composers in 20th century.
This composition was written in 1912, three years after he graduated from
St Petersburg Conservatory. It shows his originality in style and harmony,
making him stand out as one of the prominent Russian composers of the
20th century.
The sonata opens with a dashing first movement in the key of D minor. The
first movement starts with the first theme, which has a two-against-three
rhythmic pattern, followed by the second theme with its sweet yet strange
melody and atmosphere. The first movement is written in a version of
sonata-allegro form that differs greatly from the typical sonata-allegro form.
Prokofiev employs many different approaches in his development section:
he used a different melody from the first and second theme. The second
movement, written in the key of A minor, is quite short and requires
dexterity and precision from the performer to grasp the spirit of the
movement. It starts with an agitating atmosphere and moves to a relaxed,
dream-like atmosphere before eventually going back to the first mood. The
third movement, written in the key of G-sharp minor, has a very dense
texture. Prokofiev employed several layers in this particular movement,
making it an interesting movement between the second and fourth
movements. In this movement, the left hand plays a stagnant harmony,
working as a solemn funeral march under the long-phrased melody, written
in the highest layer. This is soon followed by a fast moving, descending
melody, filled with chromaticism. The fourth movement, the finale of the
sonata, starts with showy passages. Prokofiev demonstrated his creativity
here by improvising on themes throughout the movement. In the middle of
this movement, Prokofiev reminds us of the sweet second theme from the
first movement before eventually returning to the “ordered chaos.”
Preludes, Premier Livre - Claude Debussy
VIII. La Fille aux cheveux de lin: Tres calme et doucement expressif
Debussy ranks among the most influential composers at the turn of the
century, and his works forged a path for future composers. Born in St.
Germain-en-Laye, France, in 1862, Debussy entered the Paris Conservatory
at age ten, taking lessons in piano, composition, and music theory. His
name rose to prominence in 1894 after the publication of his Prélude à
l'après-midi d'un faune., when traditionalists criticized his music for its lack
of form, melody, and forward motion. His Préludes, written in 1910, serve as a good example of his
symbolism, a term he preferred to “Impressionism.” After listening to a
Javanese gamelan in 1889, he incorporated some elements of music
from Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia. La Fille aux cheveux de lin,
translated as “The Girl with the Flaxen Hair,” shows Debussy’s ability
to make sweet melody in a very flexible pacing.
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