Nancy McFarland Gaub

Violin

Eugene Gaub

Piano

    PROGRAM NOTES

SONATA NO. 2 IN A MINOR, by Franz Schubert

    Franz Schubert studied the violin with his father, and played viola in his family’s string quartet reading sessions.  In 1816, when he composed three sonatas for violin and piano, his interest in the piano was coming to the forefront.

    The Sonata in A Minor begins with a plaintive melody in the piano, accompanied with eighth-note repeated chords in the left hand.  The violin enters with a dramatic melody quickly leaping almost three octaves.  Although a modulation to the relative major soon brings us to a happier mood, the storminess returns throughout this movement.

    The second movement,  Andante, is in a major key, and leaves its sunny mood only for a few moments.  The third movement is a menuet, but begins very dramatically with more sudden changes of dynamics and key.  The trio section has a balletic quality.

    The agitated theme of  the final movement returns unchanged several times, making this movement a rondo form.  Schubert was already a master of the Classical forms, as well as melody and harmony when he composed this piece at the age of 19!

PRELUDES AND FUGUES from “The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I”, by J.S. Bach

    It is sometimes said that Bach’s “Well-Tempered Clavier” is  the Old Testament for keyboardists (and Beethoven’s 32 Piano Sonatas are the “New Testament”).  Certainly these masterful works of contrapuntal writing have fascinated and inspired composers from Mozart to Keith Jarrett, as well as many generations of pianists.

    Bach composed one prelude and fugue in every possible key in the first volume, and then repeated the feat in the second book.  At the time, the new system of tuning a keyboard (equal temperament) made it possible to do this, as every key now had the same relationships between the scale degrees.  (Your piano tuner can probably tell you more.)

HAVANAISE, by Camille Saint-Saëns

    Saint-Saëns travelled a great deal during his life, including journeys to South America.  The music he heard there, as well as performances by Spanish musicians in Paris, inspired the Havanaise.  There are two striking rhythms that create the character of the piece.  One is the habañera, familiar especially from Bizet’s opera “Carmen.”  This is heard in the piano part, and at the end in the violin.  The other rhythm is a form of hemiola, where beats are divided into first three equal parts, and then two, with an accent on the second duplet giving the figure a unique syncopated twist.

SONATA IN A MAJOR, by Gabriel Fauré

    Fauré studied composition with Saint-Saëns, and in turn taught many other French composers, including Maurice Ravel.  His unique musical language, highly Romantic in character, yet subtle and restrained, uses modes and chromaticism in ways never explored by his teacher’s generation.  Melodies modulate to unexpected keys, and chords are used in many untraditional combinations.

    The first movement begins with an expansive, urgent-sounding opening in the piano.  The violin introduces the second major theme, four rising quarter notes followed by a descending interval of a fifth.  After interludes and development, the instruments join together to play the original material at the recapitulation.

    A dactylic motive of an 8th note followed by a quarter note sets a somber mood at the beginning of the slow movement, which is in 9/8 time. The figure is reversed later, and transforms into a soaring, almost waltz-like rhythm.  The harmonies and melodies are achingly beautiful.

    The Scherzo movement has hints of Mendelssohn and Schumann, but is uniquely French.

Fauré’s witty use of accents and pizzicato on off-beats creates a delightful texture.

    The final movement, in a soaring 6/8 time, begins serenely, but becomes very dramatic.  In the coda, Fauré calls for virtuosity, but also for lightness and restraint.

Design and copyright 2009 Freddy Niagara Fonseca

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