i Largo
ii Allegro
Gaetano Donizetti’s Sonata in C minor consists of two parts, a slow Largo in C minor and a lively Allegro in C major. It was composed in 1819 in the early Romantic era which can be heard in the slow melody at the beginning. The sonata is dedicated to Marianna Pezzoli Grattaroli who believed in the promise of young musicians and bought their exemptions from military service.
French classical composer Georges Hüe (1858-1948) studied under the guidance of Charles Gounod and César Franck, excelling in composition. In 1879, he achieved notable recognition by winning the prestigious Prix de Rome with his captivating cantata, Médée. This accolade marked the beginning of Hüe’s promising career in the world of classical music.
The Prelude came about when I was improvising during a rehearsal. It was very much inspired by J.S. Bach’s famous Prelude in C and I experimented with different voice leadings and harmonic development. As Bach wrote 48 Preludes and Fugues, which are highly regarded in the piano literature, I added a Fugue where the subject contains a major 7th, which is taken from the first chord of the Prelude.
i Andante molto
ii Allegretto
iii Leidenschaftlich schnell
The Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 22 of Clara Schumann, were written in 1853 and first published in 1855. Having moved to Düsseldorf in 1853, Clara Schumann, who said that “Women are not born to compose,” produced several works, including these three romances. Dedicated to the legendary violinist Joseph Joachim, Schumann and Joachim went on tour with them, even playing them before King George V of Hanover, who was “completely ecstatic” upon hearing them. A critic for the Neue Berliner Musikzeitung praised them, declaring: “All three pieces display an individual character conceived in a truly sincere manner and written in a delicate and fragrant hand.” Stephen Pettitt for The Times, wrote, “Lush and poignant, they make one regret that Clara’s career as a composer became subordinate to her husband’s.”
i Moderato
ii Adagio
iii Allegro Moderato
This very well known sonatina is also played regularly on the treble recorder. This modern work was written in 1939 and consists of three movements: Moderato, Adagio, Allegro Moderato
Adina Izarra wrote this for the Venezuelan flutist Luis Julio Toro. The work portrays thestreet cries of the knife grinder, a Spanish tradition still alive in Venezuela today. Also known to many other Latin American countries, El Amolador or the Knife Grinder is a street vendor whose job, as the title suggests, is to sharpen dull knives. The vendor usually roams the streets calling out “amolador”, and uses a harmonic flute to announce his services. The work is divided into two parts–El Amolador resembles the call of the knife grinder, while Luvina resembles the sound of the blades on the grindstone
i Andante
ii Scherzo
This is another composition dedicated to flautist Paul Taffanel in 1901 and also another examination piece at the Paris Conservatoire. However the work was used as a test piece for several years: 1901, 1915, and 1939. The piece consists of two parts, a slow lyrical Andante and then finishes with a lively Scherzo.
Elizabeth Meyer & Raymond Wui Man Yiu (Flute/Piano Duo)
Liz Meyer
Liz is a current masters student at Trinity Laban College of Music and Dance, and completed her undergraduate degree at Birmingham Conservatoire. Liz is already a successful freelancer including working with the Heart of England Chamber Orchestra, Blatherskites Folk Group, Ulmus Woodwind Trio. Liz has been principal flautist of several orchestras including the Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra and City of Birmingham Youth Symphony Orchestra. Other work includes working with the Pheonix Theatre Company. Liz has also been a finalist of the Young Artist Competition in Harrogate, and won a Powell Solid Silver Headjoint and flute.
Raymond Wui-Man Yiu
Born in Hong Kong, Raymond Wui-Man Yiu began piano lessons aged four. He moved to Aberdeen, Scotland in 2008 and attended the Aberdeen City Music School, studying with Peter Evans. He made his concerto debut performing Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20 with the Meadows Chamber Orchestra in Edinburgh in 2010. Since winning the title of Aberdeen Young Musician of the Year, he performed concertos by Schumann, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff and Grieg with orchestras in Scotland. He went on to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, obtaining his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees with Distinction. Notable prizes include 3rd Prize at 2019 Norah Sande Awards, Highly Commended Prize at 2019 Bromsgrove International Musicians’ Competition and 3rd Prize at 2018 Windsor International Piano Competition, which led to an invitation to join the KNS Classical Label. He is currently on the Artist Diploma programme at Trinity Laban Conservatoire as a Trinity College of Music scholar. He is grateful for support by the Leathersellers’ Company, Deena Shypitka Music Award, Dewar Arts Awards, Phyllis Simons Award, the Guildhall School Trust and Christine Brown Trust. Raymond teaches for London Youth Conservatoire, Encore Piano Tuition, Greenwich Music School, and THAMES.
Piano
8 June 2023
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