Programme Notes

Candidate’s Name: Liom Yit Ching

Candidate’s No.: 1-1407245779
Centre: Pahang (1196)
Examination Session: May 2019
Diploma: LTCL Recital
Module: Recital (Solo Piano)
Date: 30th June 2019
Time: 1:40pm.
1. Johanne Sebastian Bach
Prelude and Fugue No. 24 in B minor, BWV 893
(5’32”)

2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Sonata in A minor No. 8 KV310/300d
 Allegro Maestoso (5’52”)
 Andante Cantabile (7’10”)
 Finale: Presto (3’55”)

3. Franz Schubert
Impromptu in B flat Major No. 3 Op. 142/D.935
(9’10”)

4. Ernest Von Dohnanyi

Rhapsody In C Major Op.11 No. 3
(10’30”)

Total Duration: 42’09”

Johann Sebastian Bach was one of the greatest composers and musician in
the Baroque era with his influence towards Baroque era was so great that his
death was considered as the end of Baroque period.
Prelude and Fugue in B minor is the final prelude and fugue from the
well-known collection The Well-Tempered Clavier WTC II. The whole series
was built from 2 sets with pairs of prelude and fugues from each major and
minor, compiled with each key rising in chromatics.
The prelude is an energetic two-parts invention, mainly consist of quaver
notes and ornaments that flows through the whole piece with left hand
imitating the right hand and exchanging melody parts while shifting through
related keys. A brief episode occurs leading back to the theme, approaching
the end with momentary divisions then closes the prelude.
The fugue is composed more likely in the rhythm of dance with three
voice lines based on two principal themes. Starting with the alto voice
announcing the beginning of the fugue and then introduced other voices
subsequently while countersubject accompaniment was added without
differencing itself from the main theme. The second half was introduced with
a new element combining with the two themes. Then, the fugue comes to an
end with a major differencing from the original minor key that forms a light-
hearted ending.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is among the most influential and popular

composer in the classical era, from Salzburg. Apart from a keyboardist and
violinist, he composed many well-known symphonies, concertos and opera.
The sonata piece is written in 1778 during his hardest times when his
mother passed away. It is the first sonata in the only 2 minor key works as most
of Mozart’s works are in major keys, creating a dramatic and tragic-sounding
piece that differs from the usual happy and light-hearted style. The piece
consists of three movements, Allegro Maestoso, Andante cantabile can
espressione and Presto.
The first movement, Allegro Maestoso, permeates a violent intensity
throughout. The movement begin with the launching of the first theme with
repeated chords and heavy dotted rhythms, reflecting a string quartet style or a
Turkish military march music. An outbreak of running notes against the
repeated-chord idea occurs bringing a contrapuntal texture, creating a great
tension when accompanied with driving dotted rhythms towards the whole
exposition, highlight and recapitulation.
Andante cantabile con espressione, the second movement declares a
sorrow tenderness in a singing style with expression. The movement can be
split into three parts with the first and third parts sharing the same idea. While
the second part mainly consists of triplets accompanying a running melody line
switching between both hands as the agitation that builds turbulence in the
development. Ornaments and extreme contrast in dynamics are inserted to add
colours throughout the exposition.
The third movement is just as the title Presto moves rapidly and restless
throughout. The movement begins with the shadowy feeling. The
inventiveness shows when a folk-like style episode was inserted as a contrast.
Then the shadow return and move on to a dark and intense conclusion.

Franz Schubert was a well-known Austrian composer originally from

Himmelpfortgrund, Vienna. He composed 600 vocal works, number of piano
and chamber music, symphonies, sacred music and incidental music which
made him one of the most prolific composers and one of the leading exponents
in the early Romantic era. People started to have interest in his works after his
early death at the age of 31.
Impromptu in B-flat is the third piece from the second set of four
impromptus he wrote in 1827, built from a theme and five variations as well as
a brief coda. The theme was often referred to the Entr’acte No.2 of Rosamunde,
having a simple but graceful melody without any big modulations.
The first two variations played the main idea of the theme with
improvisation. It improvised with dotted rhythm upper-voice accompanied by
semi-quavers while lower voice plays in syncopated rhythm. Second variation
was more to a singing style with running notes that creates lively and spirited
expression. The third variation comes in with an expressive mood
accompanied by heavy chords in the neighbor key.
The fourth variation plays the role of modulation as it was written in G-
flat major and has a warm expression compared to the third variation. The last
variation then returns to the original key, bringing back the main idea but with
bright and flying triplets throughout the variation. At last, the piece ends with
an epilogue leading to a soft ending.

Ernst von Dohnanyi, a late-Romantic Hungarian composer, pianist and

conductor has a very personal but conservative composing style. He composed
various of works and one of it is the Four Rhapsodies. The Four Rhapsodies
are rarely performed in concerts.
Rhapsody in C major is the third piece in the Four Rhapsodies and it is
the only one to be in major key. This piece differs from the other rhapsodies,
it is written in a much lively tempo, demonstrating the brighter side of
Dohnanyi.
A lively and energetic idea was introduced at the begining Repeated
intervals accompanied the melody voice exchanging between both hands
creating a conversation. The detached finger works create the cheekiness that
brings out the whole spirited idea. The second idea is a dance-like and grand
with heavy chords as the main voice while triplets and quavers as
accompaniment. The smooth playing and ascending melody allow the bright
register of the piano to shine, showing contrast from the first idea. The intensity
turns softer and dying away at the end until an outbreak of grand full chords
closed the entire piece in a blast.

(936 words)