The Waikanae Music Society Inc

PROGRAMME

READ GAINSFORD
PIANO

SUNDAY 10^th June AT 2.30PM,
WAIKANAE MEMORIAL HALL

Domenico Scarlatti
(1685 - 1757)
THREE SONATAS

Sonata in F Major, K 438

Sonata in Bb Major, K 439

Sonata in Bb Major, K 441

Scarlatti was born in Naples but spent the major part of his life in Spain in the service of the Spanish royal family. He wrote 550 of these brief one movement sonatas for the harpsichord; interestingly almost all were late in his life. They encompass some of the most varied and demanding keyboard writing of his period and are vastly different from the keyboard works of his contemporaries Bach and Handel. The influence of Scarlatti's life in Spain is often obvious in the writing - the percussive effects, the dissonances, the sounds of guitars, the use of modal scales, the infectious rhythms - all these make Scarlatti's keyboard writing distinctive and instantly recognisable.

Olivier Messiaen
(1908 - 1992)
From VINGT REGARDS SUR L'ENFANT-JÉSUS

Regards de la Vierge

Première communion de la Viege

Messiaen was one of the most influential composers of the 20^th century. His music reflects his deep Catholic faith, his celebration of human love and his love of nature. Each of the pieces in "Vingt regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus" (composed 1944) presents a different point of view on the central miracle of the Catholic faith; God's becoming human in the form of the Infant Jesus. The two pieces we hear today represent the purity of the Virgin Mary, and then her internal processing of what she has just been told will happen in and through her.

Franz Schubert
(1797 - 1828)
FANTASY IN C, OP 15 (THE WANDERER)
Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo

Adagio (The Wanderer)

Presto

Allegro

Reputed to be Schubert's most technically challenging composition for piano, the Wanderer Fantasy was composed in 1822. The four movement work, which follows a standard sonata form structure, derives its name from the theme of the Adagio second movement, which quotes Schubert's earlier song Das Wanderer. This simple musical motif, with its repeated notes, forms the basis of all four movements. An unusual feature (and possibly the reason Schubert called this Fantasy rather than a Sonata) is that all movements follow without a break.

The opening Allegro is bold and forceful in character but at the end fades gradually into the quiet mood of the Adagio, in the vastly unrelated key of C# minor. The Wanderer theme passes through a sequence of variations which are more and more intricately decorated with ever faster notes, at first very delicate, but gradually building to a climax before fading again to a transition into the light-hearted Presto movement, again in an unrelated key of Ab Major. The two chords which end this movement hearld the return of C Major in the Finale which opens as a fugue, but soon breaks into a virtuoso showpiece which provides a fitting conclusion to this mighty work.

INTERVAL
The audience is invited to join in a glass of complimentary wine or fruit juice served at the rear of the hall during the interval.
Frédéric Chopin
(1810-1849)

24 PRELUDES, OP 28
1. Agitato
2. Lento
3. Vivace
4. Largo
5. Allegro molto
6. Lento assai
7. Andantino
8. Molto agitato
9. Largo
10. Allegro molto
11. Vivace
12.Presto
13. Lento
14. Allegro
15. Sostenuto
16. Presto con fucco
17. Allegretto
18. Allegro molto
19. Vivace
20. Largo
21. Cantabile
22. Molto agitato
23. Moderato
24. Allegro appassionato
These Preludes were written in 1838-1839 in Majorca. Chopin had travelled there with George Sands and her children to escape the Paris winter. There are 24 Preludes, one for each major and minor key. When they were published in 1839 they were criticised for their lack of formal structure and for their brevity, but they have since become recognised as one of Chopin's greatest contributions to piano literature. They encompass an extraordinary variety, ranging from moments of feathery grace to episodes of romantic splendour, from joyful lyricism to passionate and tragic drama.

Chopin was opposed to programme music, in contrast to many of the composers of his day, and so these Preludes have no names. Many were bestowed nick-names but only one retains that name today - the well-known "Raindrop" Prelude (No 15). Other famous Preludes on this set (known mainly because they are accessible to pianists of modest abilities) include the relatively simple E minor (No 4) and B minor (No 6), both of which were played at Chopin's funeral. The brief graceful No 7 is familiar from its inclusion in the ballet music for les Sylphides, and No 20 is also popular for its grand chords. It is also the shortest at a mere 13 bars. It is, however, in some of the more extended and technically advanced Preludes that the set reaches its greatest depths. The calm reflective beauty of No 17 contrasts with the dramatic struggle of No 18. The 24^th and final Prelude closes the set with a bravura display of power emotion and brilliant pianism.

READ GAINSFORD studied at Auckland University with Janetta MacStay and Bryan Sayer, before receiving a grant from the Woolf Fisher Trust and the top prize in the TVNZ Young Musicians' Competition. He studied privately in London with Brigitte Wild, a protégée of Claudio Arrau, before winning a place in the Advanced Solo Studies course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he studied with Joan Havill, graduating with the prestigious Concert Recital Diploma (premier prix).

He has performed widely in the USA, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa as solo recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician. He has made successful debuts at the Wigmore Hall and Camegie Hall and has performed in many other prestigious venues. He has recorded for the Amoris label, BBC Radio Three, Radio New Zealand Concert and has broadcast on national television in New Zealand,the UK and Yugoslavia.

He moved to the United States in 1992 to enter the doctoal programme at Indiana University. Since that time he has performed widely throughout the United states. Formely on the faculty of Ithica College, where he received the Excellence in Teaching Award in 2004, he is now Associate Professor of Piano at Florida State University.

NEXT CONCERT

THE AMICI ENSEMBLE

Donald Armstrong and Andrew Thomspn (violins), Vyvyan Yendoll (viola),
Robert Ibell (cello), Hiroshi Ikematsu (double-bass), Philip Green (clarinet),
Robert Weeks (bassoon) and Greg Hill (horn).

Programme

Octet "A Huit" - Jean Francaix Octet "Octopus" - Anthony Ritchie
Octet, Opus 166 - Schubert

2.30PM SUNDAY 15 JULY WAIKANAE MEMORIAL HALL

The Waikanae Music Society gratefully acknowledges
the support of the Lion Foundation,
The NZ Community Trust and the Waikanae Community Board.

Domenico Scarlatti (1685 - 1757) THREE SONATAS Sonata in F Major, K 438 Sonata in Bb Major, K 439 Sonata in Bb Major, K 441	Scarlatti was born in Naples but spent the major part of his life in Spain in the service of the Spanish royal family. He wrote 550 of these brief one movement sonatas for the harpsichord; interestingly almost all were late in his life. They encompass some of the most varied and demanding keyboard writing of his period and are vastly different from the keyboard works of his contemporaries Bach and Handel. The influence of Scarlatti's life in Spain is often obvious in the writing - the percussive effects, the dissonances, the sounds of guitars, the use of modal scales, the infectious rhythms - all these make Scarlatti's keyboard writing distinctive and instantly recognisable.
Olivier Messiaen (1908 - 1992) From VINGT REGARDS SUR L'ENFANT-JÉSUS Regards de la Vierge Première communion de la Viege	Messiaen was one of the most influential composers of the 20^th century. His music reflects his deep Catholic faith, his celebration of human love and his love of nature. Each of the pieces in "Vingt regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus" (composed 1944) presents a different point of view on the central miracle of the Catholic faith; God's becoming human in the form of the Infant Jesus. The two pieces we hear today represent the purity of the Virgin Mary, and then her internal processing of what she has just been told will happen in and through her.
Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828) FANTASY IN C, OP 15 (THE WANDERER) Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo Adagio (The Wanderer) Presto Allegro	Reputed to be Schubert's most technically challenging composition for piano, the Wanderer Fantasy was composed in 1822. The four movement work, which follows a standard sonata form structure, derives its name from the theme of the Adagio second movement, which quotes Schubert's earlier song Das Wanderer. This simple musical motif, with its repeated notes, forms the basis of all four movements. An unusual feature (and possibly the reason Schubert called this Fantasy rather than a Sonata) is that all movements follow without a break. The opening Allegro is bold and forceful in character but at the end fades gradually into the quiet mood of the Adagio, in the vastly unrelated key of C# minor. The Wanderer theme passes through a sequence of variations which are more and more intricately decorated with ever faster notes, at first very delicate, but gradually building to a climax before fading again to a transition into the light-hearted Presto movement, again in an unrelated key of Ab Major. The two chords which end this movement hearld the return of C Major in the Finale which opens as a fugue, but soon breaks into a virtuoso showpiece which provides a fitting conclusion to this mighty work.
	INTERVAL The audience is invited to join in a glass of complimentary wine or fruit juice served at the rear of the hall during the interval.
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) 24 PRELUDES, OP 28 1. Agitato 2. Lento 3. Vivace 4. Largo 5. Allegro molto 6. Lento assai 7. Andantino 8. Molto agitato 9. Largo 10. Allegro molto 11. Vivace 12.Presto 13. Lento 14. Allegro 15. Sostenuto 16. Presto con fucco 17. Allegretto 18. Allegro molto 19. Vivace 20. Largo 21. Cantabile 22. Molto agitato 23. Moderato 24. Allegro appassionato	These Preludes were written in 1838-1839 in Majorca. Chopin had travelled there with George Sands and her children to escape the Paris winter. There are 24 Preludes, one for each major and minor key. When they were published in 1839 they were criticised for their lack of formal structure and for their brevity, but they have since become recognised as one of Chopin's greatest contributions to piano literature. They encompass an extraordinary variety, ranging from moments of feathery grace to episodes of romantic splendour, from joyful lyricism to passionate and tragic drama. Chopin was opposed to programme music, in contrast to many of the composers of his day, and so these Preludes have no names. Many were bestowed nick-names but only one retains that name today - the well-known "Raindrop" Prelude (No 15). Other famous Preludes on this set (known mainly because they are accessible to pianists of modest abilities) include the relatively simple E minor (No 4) and B minor (No 6), both of which were played at Chopin's funeral. The brief graceful No 7 is familiar from its inclusion in the ballet music for les Sylphides, and No 20 is also popular for its grand chords. It is also the shortest at a mere 13 bars. It is, however, in some of the more extended and technically advanced Preludes that the set reaches its greatest depths. The calm reflective beauty of No 17 contrasts with the dramatic struggle of No 18. The 24^th and final Prelude closes the set with a bravura display of power emotion and brilliant pianism.