Amber Emson &
Dina Duisen

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Violin Sonata No. 8 in G major, Op. 30 No. 3 (Beethoven)

i Allegro assai, ii Tempo di minuetto, ma molto moderato e grazioso – in E-flat major, iii Allegro vivace

The Violin Sonata No. 8 in G major, Op. 30, No. 3 is the third of Beethoven’s Opus 30 set, was written between 1801 and 1802 and dedicated to Tsar Alexander I of Russia.

Eugène Ysaÿe (1858 – 1931)

Violin Sonata in E minor, Op. 27 No. 4 (Ysaÿe)

i Allemanda: Lento maestoso, ii Sarabande: Quasi lento, iii Finale: Presto ma non troppo

In writing his six Opus 27 works in 1923, Belgian-born Ysaӱe had two things in mind: to pay homage to JS Bach, whose own works for solo violin were being increasingly played, and to present six fellow-fiddlers with fairly short virtuoso works which would suit their individual styles. This particular sonata was for Fritz Kreisler.

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Sonata in G minor, L.140 (Debussy)

i Allegro vivo, ii Intermède, iii Finale: Très animé

This was Debussy’s last work, and it cost him dearly. Depression induced by war, with aggressive cancer causing debilitation and intense pain, this should have been a morose piece. But, inspired by the then little known baroque keyboard music of the likes of Couperin and Rameau, it is joyous – and all too short. Like Reger and Ysaӱe he was looking back to find renewal. If you think of cats and kittens as you listen to this, you won’t be alone.

Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937)

Tzigane (Ravel)

Tzigane is a rhapsodic composition by the French composer Maurice Ravel. The original instrumentation was for violin and piano (with optional luthéal attachment). The first performance took place in London on 26 April 1924 with the dedicatee, Hungarian violinist Jelly d’Arányi, on the violin and Henri Gil-Marchex at the piano (with luthéal). In his biographical sketch of 1928 Ravel spoke of it as “a virtuoso piece in the style of a Hungarian rhapsody”. It consists of “a string of successive variations juxtaposed without development”

Performers

Amber Emson - Violin

Amber Emson won first prize at International Competition Hohenpriesnitz and second prize at International Competition ‘Szymon Goldberg’. She performed in halls as Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Berliner Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall, Singapore Victoria Hall, ANAM Quartethaus Melbourne and Rheingau Musikfestival.

Dina Duisen - Piano

Kazakh-British pianist Dina Duisen was born into a family of musicians in Almaty, Kazakhstan. At the age of five, Dina started studying piano at Kulyash Bayseitova State Special School for Gifted Children together with her two brothers Ordabek and Ilyas, who are both violinists. By the age of thirteen she had made her debut with the Symphony Orchestra. After graduating from school, Dina continued her studies at the Kazakh National Academy of Music before being awarded a full scholarship on the Artist Diploma programme at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, from which she graduated in 2008. Dina started studying for the new Master of Arts Degree in Performance at the Royal Academy of Music, under the tutelage of Christopher Elton, Hamish Milne and Kathryn Stott, and graduated with distinction in 2011. Dina took part in Rome Music Festival, Oxford International Piano Festival, Sergei Babayan’s International Piano Academy in Cleveland Institute of Music, Vibrate Festival and George Enescu Festival.