Note that Louis Victor Bak will perform one of the movements from Gaspard de la nuit - Ondine.
Berg’s Piano Sonata, Op. 1, was published in 1910. It is Berg’s only piano work to which he gave an opus number. The sonata is not in the typical classical form of three or four contrasting movements, but consists of a single movement centred in the key of B minor. Berg originally intended for the Sonata to be a more traditional multi-movement work, the opening movement followed by a slow movement and a finale. However, for a long period he lacked any ideas for these other movements. Berg turned to Schoenberg, who commented that the lack of inspiration meant that ‘[Berg] … had said all there was to say’. Following Schoenberg’s advice, Berg decided to publish the finished movement and let it stand by itself.
i Ondine, ii Le Gibet, iii Scarbo
Written in C♯ major and based on the poem “Ondine”, an oneiric tale of the water nymph Undine singing to seduce the observer into visiting her kingdom deep at the bottom of a lake. It is reminiscent of Ravel’s early piano piece, the Jeux d’eau, with the sounds of water falling and flowing, woven with cascades. There are five main melodies. The opening melody evokes a line of song and is similar in form and subject to the main theme in Sirènes from Debussy’s Nocturnes. This is interrupted by the second theme before opening up a longer melodic passage formed from the latter part of theme 1. Then a short simple melody introduces shimmering harmonic side-shifting. The final distinct melody is a menacing short rising figure, which prefaces the menace of Le Gibet and which later provides a bridge to the main climax. Ravel prioritises melodic development to express the poetic themes, keeping subordinate the simmering coloration of the right hand. By contrast, Claude Debussy’s works such as Reflets dans l’eau tend to treat melody more equally with harmonic and figurative impulsivity, and often position virtuosity more in the foreground.
Dissonance is at the heart of the Third Scherzo, and even today the opening octaves can seem harshly novel and uncompromising. The principle theme was inspired by Adolf Gutmann, Chopin’s pupil who could – with a taste of karate – apparently punch a hole in a table. The contrasting chorale with its cascading reply may well echo a liturgical chant heard at the monastery in Valdemosa (where Chopin was a guest in 1842) and its final transformation and expansion in the coda is among Chopin’s most daring masterstrokes.
The nocturnes, along with the barcarolles, are generally regarded as the composer’s greatest piano works. Fauré greatly admired the music of Chopin, and was happy to compose in forms and patterns established by the earlier composer. Morrison notes that Fauré’s nocturnes follow Chopin’s model, contrasting serene outer sections with livelier or more turbulent central episodes. The composer’s son Philippe commented that the nocturnes “are not necessarily based on rêveries or on emotions inspired by the night. They are lyrical, generally impassioned pieces, sometimes anguished or wholly elegiac.”
i Allegro con moto, ii Lied, iii Choral et variations
Henri Dutilleux's Piano Sonata (1947–1948) was his only piano sonata. It is dedicated to and was premiered by his wife Geneviève Joy on 30 April 1948. The Piano Sonata has since become one of the most acclaimed post-World War II works in the genre and has been championed by major pianists such as John Ogdon, Robert Levin, John Chen and Claire-Marie Le Guay.
Louis Victor Bak - Piano
Described as “a young artist to watch closely” (Diapason), French pianist Louis-Victor Bak is based in London. After beginning piano at age 14, he studied at the CRR de Lyon before joining the Royal College of Music, where he studied with Edna Stern and completed his Bachelor and Master of Performance, supported by the Ilona Eibenschütz Award. He has performed at major venues including Wigmore Hall, La Seine Musicale, Royal Albert Hall, and Conway Hall, and has appeared across the UK, France, and Europe. Louis-Victor has worked with conductors such as Mathieu Herzog, Paul Newbold, Emilie Postel-Vinay and Paul Jenkins, and orchestras including Appassionato Orchestra, Dorking Philharmonia, Orchestre de la Bastille and the Knighton Chamber Orchestra. A laureate of several international competitions, he was a candidate at the 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition. His debut album, released in 2024 on Indésens-Calliope and dedicated to Debussy and Chaminade, was praised by Diapason, Classica and France Musique, and presented by Gautier Capuçon on Radio Classique.
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