Yuzhang Li &
Ji Hyo Jung

Ernest John Smeed Moeran (1894-1950)

Prelude (Smeed Moeran)

Ernest John Smeed Moeran was an English composer of part-Irish extraction, whose work was strongly influenced by English and Irish folk music of which he was an assiduous collector. The Prelude for cello and piano was published by Novello in 1944.This is a simple yet profound piece. A broad and lyrical melody in major and 4/4 time is played over an extremely simple accompaniment. Common chords and sevenths are the staple harmonic feature. The tempo is ‘Adagio ma non troppo’ throughout. Although the piece remains in the opening key, there is a brief modulation towards the middle bars of the piece.

Arnold Bax (1883-1953)

Folk Tale (Bax)

An English composer, poet, and author. His prolific output includes songs, choral music, chamber pieces, and solo piano works. While still a student at the Royal Academy of Music Bax became fascinated with Ireland and Celtic culture, which became a strong influence on his early development. Folk Tale for cello and piano was dedicated to Felix Salmond, who along with the composer gave the work its premiere in 1918. The piece was written at the conclusion of the Great War. Perhaps the composer was writing a forlorn commentary on the events in Dublin during the Easter Rising of 1916. Interestingly, the work was written in same year that the composer left his wife Elsita Sobrino for Harriet Cohen.

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)

Cello Sonata, Op. 65 (Chopin)

i Allegro
ii Scherzo
iii Largo
iv Finale : Allegro

I write a little and cross out a lot’, Chopin wrote to his sister during the composition of his final major work, the Cello Sonata in G minor Op 65, written in Paris in 1845 and 1846. ‘Sometimes I am pleased with it, sometimes not. I throw it into a corner and then pick it up again.’ No work of his gave him more trouble, as manifested by the extensive sketches. It was the last one to be published during his lifetime, written when his health was failing. The four movements (Allegro moderato, Scherzo, Largo and Allegro) show how far Chopin had developed in his ability to form a closely integrated sonata structure, with ideas developing from a variety of short but related motifs.

Performers

Ji Hyo Jung - Cello

Jihyo Jung has performed at various major venues across North America, South Korea and the U.K., and collaborated as a Soloist, Chamber musician and appeared as a soloist in the Orchestra with many major orchestras in North America and the U.K. She has won at the Seoul National Symphony Orchestra Competition and Sejong arts foundation music competition in Korea, the NY music competition in Queens, and received a cash award from the Irving M. Klein international string competition. She received degrees from the Juilliard pre-college, The Manhattan School of Music(BM) and currently pursuing her Master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Music, tutelage under Josephine Knight and Jo Cole.

Yuzhang Li - Piano

As a Tillett Artist, Yuzhang Li debuted at the Wigmore Hall and King’s Place shortly after her first UK appearance at the 2021 Leeds Piano Competition. After graduating top of her class at the Central Conservatory in China, she earned a full scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, where she completed her master’s degree with distinction. Yuzhang now performs actively across the UK and China and has embraced her new role as a researcher, having begun her PhD studies at the Royal Academy of Music.