|
The earliest of Mendelssohn’s sonatas for violin and piano, in F major was written in 1820 when he was just 11 years old. Mendelssohn wrote this piece as a compositional exercise for his teacher Carl Friedrich Zelter but, like the third sonata (also in F major) it was left undiscovered for over a century, being published for the first time in the second half of the 20th Century. Although it is quite conservative in its structure and heavily influenced by the Classical period (mainly Haydn and CPE Bach) there are recognisable moments of Mendelssohn’s compositional style that was already beginning to develop, especially in his distinctive way of writing for the violin.
The Swiss composer, Ernest Bloch, wrote a large number of works celebrating his Jewish heritage. Among the best is the set of three pieces for violin and piano, Baal Shem, composed in 1923, named after a Jewish miracle worker, Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer (Baal Shem Tov) and subtitled ‘Three Scenes from Hasidic Jewish Life’. ‘Vidui’ is part of the atonement and confession liturgy spoken on the holiest day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur. ‘Nigun’ has become the most famous piece of the set, the meaning of the word in Yiddish is ‘song’ and in Jewish custom it has acquired an additional depth of meaning, referring to Hassidic melodies sung to elevate the soul. The third piece, ‘Simchas Torah’, is the most exuberant. This depicts the festival that marks the end of the yearly cycle of public Torah readings, celebrated by dancing with the Torah for several hours. While studying at the Curtis Institute of Music, Leonard Bernstein wrote this short Sonata for Violin and Piano. It is a rare example of his chamber music and is one of his earliest works, written in 1940, aged only 22. In that same year, he gave the first public performance in Cambridge, Massachusetts alongside violinist, Raphael Hillyer. Despite his young age, it is a mature work that to him deserved not to be forgotten. Ten years later, he reused material from this sonata in The Age of Anxiety (his second Symphony). Old Viennese Dance-Melodies is a set of three pieces by the Austrian-Jewish violin virtuoso, Fritz Kreisler. The three pieces - published in 1905 - are entitled ‘Love’s Joy’, ‘Love’s Sorrow’ and ‘Lovely Rosemary’. Kreisler wrote them as encores for his own concerts, and they are often heard separately. But they cohere well as a set, magically conjuring up the elegant sound world of pre-First-World-War Vienna. They are pervaded by a sense of nostalgia and loss, which is particularly poignant when one remembers had to flee his homeland for exile in the United States after the Anschluss in 1938. |
ProgrammeFelix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Sonata in F major (MWV Q 7) i. Allegro ii. Andante iii. Presto Ernest Bloch (1880-1959) Baal Shem (B.47) i. Vidui ii. Nigun iii. Simchas Torah Interval Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) Sonata for Violin and Piano i. Moderato assai ii. Variations on Movement I Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962) Alt-Wiener Tanzweisen i. Liebesfreud ii. Liebesleid iii. Schön Rosmarin |
Leora Cohen |
|
|
British-American violinist, Leora Cohen, enjoys a diverse career performing as a recitalist, soloist and ensemble musician around the world. She has been described by Suzi Klein as “a brilliant player”, by Nicola Benedetti as having a “natural feel for melody” and with “the sound of heavenly beauty” by Maxim Vengerov. Leora holds a double first-class degree from the University of Cambridge and two postgraduate Diplomas from the Royal College of Music.
During her studies at the RCM she toured internationally with the LGT Young Soloists, and was chosen as soloist to perform to Liechtenstein Royalty, open the 2022 Heidelberg Festival, and participate with the RCMSO in a public masterclass with Maxim Vengerov. Currently, Leora appears as a regular soloist with the Piccadilly Sinfonietta and the Albion Chamber Orchestra but her creative and unique concert-programming has resulted in a notable enthusiasm for performing recitals. She is represented by the Kenneth Carol Agency in the USA. Leora is regarded as a prominent concertmaster of her generation; she is an ex-leader of the NYO, RCM Symphony Orchestra and Cambridge University Orchestra. Having led concerts in major concert halls globally, and concert series such as the BBC Proms, she now plays alongside professional orchestras on top of her solo engagements. Leora plays a Vincenzo Panormo violin on loan from the Harrison-Frank Family Foundation and is currently seeking sponsorship to purchase an instrument. To find out more, or discuss kindly contributing to or helping Leora raise the funds for this investment, please feel free to approach her after the concert or email her. |
Parvis Hejazi |
|
|
Award-winning pianist Parvis Hejazi is known for his captivating interpretations of the most demanding works of piano repertoire. From Mozart and Brahms to Liszt and Messiaen, Parvis Hejazi shines not only with sparkling technical skill and analytic clarity, but also with his ability to capture the psychological and emotional nuances of the music which transcends to the audience. Continuous exploration of the entire range of sound colours, highly contrasting and innovative programming and a passion for the historical, cultural, and religious contexts of music are some of the trademarks of the London-based pianist, who was born in Germany in 1999.
Parvis Hejazi calls both national and international stages home. In 2016, he made his debut at the Salzburg Festival. Since, he has performed in more than 30 countries on three continents, in some of the most prestigious venues, such as the Federal Chancellery and Dom Berlin, Laeiszhalle Hamburg, Die Glocke and Sendesaal Bremen, Wiener Saal Salzburg, St James' Piccadilly London, and Gnessin Institute Moscow. He has also been invited to perform in Budapest, Frankfurt, Kyiv, Lisbon, Lyon, New York City, Munich, Paris, Rome, Tel Aviv, Vienna, and many other cities. During his career, Parvis has developed a particular love for the Viennese classics, the German romantics, and Olivier Messiaen. His performances have been met with frenetic applause and highly enthusiastic reviews. Parvis has studied with some of the greatest pianists of the present day. In Germany, Austria, Italy and the US, Parvis worked with Konrad Elser, Markus Groh, Christopher Hinterhuber, Igor Levit, Jerome Lowenthal, Gilead Mishory, Jerome Rose, Anatol Ugorski and Lars Vogt. In 2017, Parvis moved to the United Kingdom to study with Norma Fisher and Vanessa Latarche at the Royal College of Music in London. Having graduated from the prestigious Artist Diploma in Performance programme with the highest distinction, Parvis now pursues a PhD on Portrayal and Contemplation in Olivier Messiaen’s Music at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Birmingham City University. |
|