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Nights The nocturnal world and its secrets… |
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Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) (28') Arnold SCHOENBERG (1874 - 1951)
Based on a poem by Richard Dehmel
Arranged for piano trio by Eduard Steuermann
D'un Soir Triste (10') Lili BOULANGER (1893 – 1918)
Deux pièces en trio opus 95 Joseph JONGEN (1873 - 1953)
Three Nocturnes (8') Ernest BLOCH (1880 – 1959)
Notturno D.897 (9') Franz SCHUBERT (1797 – 1828)
1898. Fernand Khnopff exhibits paintings at the first exhibition of the Viennese Secession. His symbolist universe and his enigmatic portraits of women seduce and inspire Gustav Klimt who, seemingly overnight, changes his artistic style with a definitive shift away from academicism. The same year, a young Viennese man falls in love with his teacher’s sister, inspiring him to compose the great poetic work that is both the height of romanticism and the stepping-off point for the path towards modernism.
The “Transfigured Night” into which we are transported is disturbing and sensual, a place where redemption and total acceptance symbolise the power of love to triumph in even the bleakest world. Even more than the original version for string sextet, the version for piano trio mirrors the close dialogue between Schoenberg’s creation and Dehmel’s poem of the same name, as the violinist and cellist take on the role of the couple, and the pianist conjures the unique atmosphere of this miraculous night world.
In dialogue with this masterpiece, the second half of the concert features twilight-inspired works by four significant composers.
Great hope of French music, a child prodigy taken by illness at the age of 25, the gently melancholic harmonies and extraordinary tonal palette of Lili Boulanger’s D’un Soir Triste are the last reflections by a young woman on a world at war.
A great composer, perhaps unjustly neglected because he was ‘only’ Belgian, Joseph Jongen’s Elegie Nocturnale is a subtle work, evoking absence and abandonment – and a work that deserves a place in every ensemble’s repertoire.
Ernest Bloch’s three ‘miniature’ nocturnes alternate between intimacy, lullaby, and storm. The night here is never still, but contrasts and surprises!
To close the programme, one of the most beloved melodies written for piano trio: Schubert’s Notturno, a night without shadow or cloud, a classical premonition of Verklärte Nacht.
Concert with a twist:
To enhance the audience’s experience, we suggest a recitation or, better yet, a projection of Dehmel’s poem during the performance of Verklärte Nacht. This combination of two art forms will give the audience a richer understanding of the music. In addition, we suggest that the concert be presented in relative darkness. This will increase the public’s appreciation of the myriad colours and the intimacy of the music.
Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) (28') Arnold SCHOENBERG (1874 - 1951)
Based on a poem by Richard Dehmel
Arranged for piano trio by Eduard Steuermann
D'un Soir Triste (10') Lili BOULANGER (1893 – 1918)
Deux pièces en trio opus 95 Joseph JONGEN (1873 - 1953)
Three Nocturnes (8') Ernest BLOCH (1880 – 1959)
Notturno D.897 (9') Franz SCHUBERT (1797 – 1828)
1898. Fernand Khnopff exhibits paintings at the first exhibition of the Viennese Secession. His symbolist universe and his enigmatic portraits of women seduce and inspire Gustav Klimt who, seemingly overnight, changes his artistic style with a definitive shift away from academicism. The same year, a young Viennese man falls in love with his teacher’s sister, inspiring him to compose the great poetic work that is both the height of romanticism and the stepping-off point for the path towards modernism.
The “Transfigured Night” into which we are transported is disturbing and sensual, a place where redemption and total acceptance symbolise the power of love to triumph in even the bleakest world. Even more than the original version for string sextet, the version for piano trio mirrors the close dialogue between Schoenberg’s creation and Dehmel’s poem of the same name, as the violinist and cellist take on the role of the couple, and the pianist conjures the unique atmosphere of this miraculous night world.
In dialogue with this masterpiece, the second half of the concert features twilight-inspired works by four significant composers.
Great hope of French music, a child prodigy taken by illness at the age of 25, the gently melancholic harmonies and extraordinary tonal palette of Lili Boulanger’s D’un Soir Triste are the last reflections by a young woman on a world at war.
A great composer, perhaps unjustly neglected because he was ‘only’ Belgian, Joseph Jongen’s Elegie Nocturnale is a subtle work, evoking absence and abandonment – and a work that deserves a place in every ensemble’s repertoire.
Ernest Bloch’s three ‘miniature’ nocturnes alternate between intimacy, lullaby, and storm. The night here is never still, but contrasts and surprises!
To close the programme, one of the most beloved melodies written for piano trio: Schubert’s Notturno, a night without shadow or cloud, a classical premonition of Verklärte Nacht.
Concert with a twist:
To enhance the audience’s experience, we suggest a recitation or, better yet, a projection of Dehmel’s poem during the performance of Verklärte Nacht. This combination of two art forms will give the audience a richer understanding of the music. In addition, we suggest that the concert be presented in relative darkness. This will increase the public’s appreciation of the myriad colours and the intimacy of the music.