Nicola Tait Baxter & Mina Miletić
30 January @ 12:45 pm – 1:45 pm
Tickets on the door (cash or card). Under 18s and carers go free
Doors open at 12:15 pm
Performers
Notes on the performers
Nicola Tait Baxter
Cello
Nicola Tait Baxter studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Lionel Handy, winning prizes for both solo and chamber music and graduating with a first-class honours degree. Further scholarships took her to Germany and London, studying with cellists Johannes Goritzki and William Pleeth. At the age of 24 she gave her first solo broadcast for Radio 3 and she joined the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields chamber orchestra. For 5 years she was cellist in the renowned Fitzwilliam String Quartet, performing and giving masterclasses throughout Europe, Russia, North America and South Africa.
Very much in demand as a soloists and chamber musician, her repertoire includes most of the major ‘cello concertos and she has performed the 6 solo suites by Bach in festivals in Scotland, England and Germany and has appeared as soloist in Switzerland and the USA. Nicola is also a rather active chamber music player, regularly performing with her pianist Mina Miletic, Amabile Clarinet Trio and the Bochmann String Trio. More details can be found on her website.
Nicola holds teaching posts at Harrow and Merchant Taylors’ schools and has co-founded Leading Notes Chamber Music courses, for aspiring young string players. She has also written and published Five Fantasy Pieces for solo cello. A nature lover to the core, Nicola lives in leafy Amersham with her family of boys, cats and hens!
Mina Miletić
Piano
Prize-winner of many awards, Mina Miletic established her career regularly appearing in recital, as a chamber musician and concerto soloist in concert halls across Europe, Asia and the USA. She completed a PhD on ‘Interpretation of Impressionistic Piano Music’ and is regularly engaged as an adjudicator for festivals and competitions. Mina is passionate about education and learning and she currently teaches piano at Eton College and Harrow School. Further details may be found on her website.
Programme
Programme notes
Ludwig van Beethoven
7 Variations on “Bei Mannern, welche Liebe fuhlen” Wo0 46
The set of variations on the duet ‘Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen’ from Die Zauberflöte dates from 1801. Here the music is already laid out in such a way that the two instruments are in essence equal partners. It is especially delightful to follow the dialogue of the duet, with the piano in the role of Pamina and the cello answering it as Papageno. In the ensuing variations Beethoven once more demonstrates his gift for structural clarity, producing extremely attractive exchanges which combine the instruments in both light-hearted play and dramatic rivalry. A strong contrast is provided by the mysterious minor-key variation, which presents the cello in its low register but conserves transparency of texture thanks to the sensitive piano-writing. In the coda to the final variation Beethoven springs the surprise of letting the opening theme blossom anew before the brilliant conclusion on two imperious chords. Here is yet more evidence of the mastery Beethoven deployed in his outstanding contribution to the cello repertoire.
Source: Daniel Müller-Schott
Nadia Boulanger
Three Pieces for Cello and Piano (1914)
- Modere
- Sans vitesse et a l’aise
- Vite et nerveusement rythme
Originally written for organ, Nadia Boulanger transcribed this piece for cello and piano in 1914. The first piece, Moderato, has a mysterious feel. The second piece is a peaceful lament and the final piece resembles the hustle and bustle of life.
Source: performersmusicchicago
Edvard Grieg
Sonata in A minor op 36
- Allegro agitato
- Andante molto tranquillo
- Allegro molto e marcato
Edvard Grieg composed the Cello Sonata in A minor, Op. 36 for cello and piano, and his only work for this combination, in 1882–83, marking a return to composition following a period when he had been preoccupied with his conducting duties at the Bergen Symphony Orchestra as well as illness.
The work borrows themes from Grieg’s own Trauermarsch zum Andenken an Richard Nordraak (Funeral March in Memory of Rikard Nordraak) and the wedding march from his Drei Orchesterstücke aus Sigurd Jorsalfar (Three orchestral pieces from ‘Sigurd Jorsalfar’).