Concert #4 - Saturday, January 12, 2008, 8:00 pm
Lucas Theatre for the Arts

The Savannah Concert Association presents

Hong Xu - Pianist

Hong Xu was born in Wuhu, China. He made his solo recital debut and won his first national gold medal at the age of 12. Subsequently, he won numerous prizes and awards in China, England and America.

At the age of 17, Mr. Xu came to the United States to study with Douglas Humphreys at the Eastman School of Music. He continued winning awards in the international music scene, including Second Prize at the 2004 MTNA National Steinway Piano Competition, Second Prize and Audience Prize at the 2004 Hilton Head International Piano Competition, and a prize at the prestigious Cleveland International Piano Competition. Mr. Xu made his first piano concerto debut with the Wuhan Symphony Orchestra performing Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto at the age of 16. Since then, he has appeared as the soloist with many symphony orchestras including the Utah Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra.

A frequent solo performer, Mr. Xu has given numerous solo recitals throughout China. In the U.S., his recitals have taken him to many cities including his recent debuts at the Kennedy Center, Washington D.C. and at Carnegie Hall, New York.

On September 23, 2007, Mr. Xu was the soloist with the Juilliard Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy. After a memorable performance of the Concerto No. 3 by Rachmaninoff, the New York Times critic wrote, "Mr. Xu's playing was lithe and elegant. He was revealed as a technically brilliant, insightful musician of limitless potential." Today Xu works towards his master's degree with Jerome Lowenthal at Juilliard.

PROGRAM

Adagio in B minor K. 540  —  Mozart

Sonata in F Major K. 332  —  Mozart
     I. Allegro
     II. Adagio
     III. Allegro assai

Sonata in A minor K. 310  —  Mozart
     I. Allegro maestoso
     II. Andante cantabile con expressione
     III. Presto

— INTERMISSION —

"Four Tunes from Hainan"  —  Huang Ruo
     1. Li Li Mei Tune
     2. Sun Man Tune
     3. Luo Ni Tune
     4. Diao Sheng Tune (Lu-Sheng Dance)

Selections from Romeo and Juliet Op. 75  —  Prokofiev
     "The Young Juliet"
     "Montagues and Capulets"
     "Father Lorenzo"
     "Romeo and Juliet Bid Farewell"

Fantasy in B minor Op. 28  —  Scriabin

PROGRAM NOTES

Adagio in B minor, K. 540  —  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Mozart used the key of B minor rarely in his voluminous output of musical oeuvre. Eleven years before composing the Adagio in B minor, K. 540, he wrote another adagio movement, also in the key of B minor, for his Quartet for flute, violin, viola and cello, K. 285. This seems to be the extent of his use of that key. Obviously, he had special feelings and reservations about this particular mode.

Composed in 1788, the K. 540 Adagio evokes a profound depth of feeling and emotion in the listener throough use of such compositional musical techniques as diminished seventh chords and suspensions. In sonata form, the opening theme outlines a B minor chord which undergoes varied rhythmic developemnt. The second theme, in the relative key of D Major, is presented in the lower register and is based on an inverted arpeggio. A short coda brings the piece to a close in the key of B Major.

Sonata in F Major, K. 332  —  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Of the eighteen piano sonatas (not counting the so-called four lost sonatas) written by Mozart between the years 1775 and 1788, the F Major sonata follows a typical structural format while exploiting the full dynamic range of possibilities of the relatively new fortepiano. The opening allegro movement announces a relatively lengthy theme of simple melodic makeup over an albeit bass (broken chord or arpeggiated accompaniment). A wealth of melodic development follows. The second movement adagio is noted for its depth of expression and exquisite ornamentation. The finale, marked allegro assai, offers an exuberant contrast and is another treasure trove of melodic ideas.

Sonata in A minor, K. 310  —  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
One of the best known of the extant eighteen sonatas, this sonata was one of only two written in a minor mode. Composed in Paris in 1778, it is tempting to speculate that his choice of a minor key may have been prompted by the death of his mother in July of that year. Following his usual three movement plan, Mozart opens the first movement, marked allegro maestoso, with a lively and vigorous theme accompanied by persistent bass chords - not the more delicate alberti bass heard in the preceding F Major sonata. The development section employs extensive use of counterpoint and the recapitulation sends the main theme down into a lower register. The middle movement, a lyrical andante in F Major, continues in sonata form and in its development section makes interesting use of thematic material in the bass range. A short, spirited final movement, marked Presto, rounds out this masterful piece of writing in the sonata genre.

Four Tunes from Hainan Island  —  Huang Ruo (b. 1976)
Huang Ruo is a Chinese-born American award-winning composer who is currently serving as artistic director and conductor of the International Contemporary Ensemble in New York City. These program notes are adapted from the composer's own words:

"My piano suite Four Tunes from Hainan Island is based on local folk tunes from this most southern tropical island of China. The name of each tune indicates its mood, style, character and origin. For example, Li Li Mei is from the LI Minorities who live in the Palm Mountain area of the central island. It is like a prelude, free and less rhythmic. In contrast, Sun Man is the song people sing while hunting, so it is the most rhythmic of the four. Luo Ni, the equivalent of a western nocturne, is the night song that lovers sing to each other. The last one, Diao Sheng, is a kind of dance accompanied by the Lu Sheng (Chinese mouth organ with bamboo pipes attached to a wind reservoir). Each piece is built on an individual and specific scale related to its tune. The entire suite aims to capture the essence and spirit of the folk idiom instead of showing off pianistic techniques.

Born on Hainan Island, I grew up with rich traditional folk music played by the local opera groups, village bands, and street musicians. All of these 'strange sounds from my childhood' unconsciously appear in my composition as a reminder of my cultural roots. Although I like to travel to different regions of the world to hear the local music, I never like to record it down on paper or tape, as I believe nothing can replace the original version. As a result, the Four Tunes from Hainan Island are not necessarily taken directly from the folk tunes. They are actually newly composed in the essence of the folk spirit. From this point of view, they are original in their own way."

Romeo and Juliet Suite, Opus 75  —  Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Sergei Prokofiev composed the ballet Romeo and Juliet during the years 1935 and 1936 on commission from the Kirov Ballet. This was an inhospitable era for a certain type of music in the Soviet Union. The newspaper Pravda had just published two editorials criticizing Shostakovich and others whom they considered to be degenerate modernists.

In this atmosphere of uncertainty and hostility, the Kirov Ballet withdrew its commission and Prokofiev turned to the Bolshoi Ballet Theater. After they declared the work undanceable, Prokofiev extracted three orchestral and one piano suite from the ballet. The Piano Suite, Opus 75, consists of ten pieces selected from the ballet which Prokofiev himself premiered in 1937. Both the symphonic suites and the piano transcription were warmly received by the public. The ballet ultimately received acceptance after a successful performance in Czechoslovakia, and was performed by both the Kirov and Bolshoi Ballet companies in the 1940s.

Emulating the Wagnerian idea of the Leitmotif, Prokofiev employed the development of musical themes to develop his plot, the characters and the drama. The four excerpts chosen for this program demonstrate that plan. Juliet as a Young Girl portrays a vivacious, carefree and innocent teenager; ponderous and ominous harmonies represent the tragic internecine struggle between the Montagues and Capulets; Friar Laurence and Romeo and Juliet Before Parting capture the essence of the story in similarly vivid characterizations.

Fantasie in B minor, Opus 28  —  Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915)
The Fantasie in B minor was written in 1900 while Scriabin was serving as a professor at the Moscow Conservatory. It is in sonata form and bridges the gap between his third and fourth piano sonatas. It opens with a dark, melancholy atmosphere which leads to a second subject with traces of canonic treatment. The third theme is supported by massive chordal textures and chromatic harmonies. It continues in virtuosic style, with a long coda that ends emphatically in the key of B Major. As one of Scriabin's most accessible works (his mysticism as not yet advanced to more esoteric realms), the Fantasie in B minor deserves to be heard more often. Its considerable technical difficulties lie within the grasp of many current pianists, especially this evening's artist.

Program notes by Dr. Sterling Adams.

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