Friday, April 3, 2015

Chopin and Beyond


Two Three piano recitals
 by
Evgeny Starodubtsev



Laureate, Honens International Piano Competition, 2009
First Prize, 2008 Parnassos International Piano Competition, Monterrey, Mexico
First Prize, Ciurlionis Competition, 2011
Equal First Prize (with Andrey Gugnin) Valsesia Competition, 2014


"An accomplished and probing artist" New York Times



Friday, 3rd April, 6pm

All Chopin



Four Scherzi
Chopin elevated the classical 'scherzo' movement to a stand alone work. They follow the form of the classical scherzo (A-B-A) but are much more elaborate. Chopin wrote four scherzi and we are going to hear the complete set.
Barcarolle
 A sumptuous waltz depicting a gondola in Venice.
12 Etudes op. 25
Chopin's second set of 'studies'. Even though each study focuses on a technical gesture, these works are far more than mere technical exercises. They comprise some of Chopin's most engaging music.


Sunday, April 5th, 5pm 


Beyond Chopin 
(or 'Men in Hats')
- music of the 20th century and a bit of Liszt





Szymanowski, Two Mazurkas
Szymanowski, Two Masques, opus. 34, Note program change

No. 2 Tantris the Clown and 
No. 3. Don Juan Serenade
Polish composer, Karol Szymanowski, was much influenced by Chopin. His piano works follow the form and mood created by his predecessor, but with a distinctive style. Szymanowski's Masques were written in 1915 to 1916, 75 years after Chopin's etudes and among his most popular piano works.

Prokofiev, Sonata no. 5 

Written in 1923 in Paris, Prokofiev commented that the sonata was inspired by "the Parisian atmosphere, where complex patterns and dissonances were the accepted thing".

Liszt, Spanish Rhapsody
This mature Liszt work, written in 1863, features variations on Spanish themes, including the spanish dance, the jota and the "La Folia" theme, used by Beethoven in the slow movement of the Fifth Symphony.

Scriabin, Sonata no.7
Subtitled, "The White Mass", this sonata was written in 1911, towards the end of Scriabin's interrupted life-span. Scriabin allegedly wrote the sonata as an exorcism of the dark forces conjured up in his sixth sonata. According to Vladimir Ashkenazy, Scriabin intended the mood of the piece to be ecstatic, evoking images of winged flight, voluptuous rapture and overwhelming forces.

Stravinsky, Three Movements from Petrushka
This is a wonderful, vibrant adaption of themes from Stravinsky's opera, Petrushka. 

Monday 6th April, 6pm, Encore Program  
newly added program

Selections from the two programs on 3rd and 5th plus:

Schubert's magnificent Fantasia in F minor for four hands 



Evgeny and his wife, Alexandra Lotova, also a talented pianist, will play Schubert's Fantasy in F minor for four hands, one of the most beautiful works for four hands in the repertoire.


Price for this concert is:
500 baht if you booked for both other concerts - children free
800 baht if you booked for one other in this series (either 3rd or 5th)
1200 baht if you booked for neither 3rd nor 5th April but want to come to this one.

Evgeny Starodubtsev is a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory. He came to fame as a laureate of the Honens Competition in 2009. Honens is a Canadian CD label which operates a piano competition. As part of the prize Evgeny recorded a CD which was described by the New York Times as, "an impressive recording". The magazine Audiophile wrote that Starodubtsev's fingers 'glisten and sing' with 'delicious sauvity'.



Evgeny (left) and Andrey Gugnin receiving first prize at the Valsesia Competition last year




Evgeny performing the Spanish Rhapsody of Liszt


Reservations: 1,200 baht for one concert. 2,000 baht for both. 


Email asiachart@hotmail.com for reservations. For more information call 038 069681 during office hours. Due to limited number of places payment must be received before the day. 

Directions to Eelswamp: can be found at the bottom of this page:  http://eelswamp.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-music-room-at-eelswamp.html. If you haven't been here before I strongly urge you to find the venue before the day of the concert.

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