Tuesdays at 7.30pm

The VenueQuarry Hill, Leeds

It would be no exaggeration to describe

the sonata as the most important and familiar

large scale form in western classical music.

For more than three centuries, sonata form has provided the foundation on which innumerable composers have been inspired to create some of their greatest works and, still today, provides a framework on which the creativity of many contemporary composers can lourish.

I was delighted to be asked to put together this series of concerts surveying the history of the sonata and, considering the abundance of great works from which to choose, thought it would be a relatively easy task. The big challenge, perhaps unsurprisingly, has been to represent the form in as many diferent musical languages and from as many diferent perspectives as possible, all within the parameters of six programmes. Even without such limits, it would be impossible to create a series of concerts which comprehensively illustrates the diversity of great works which relate in some way to sonata form. Nonetheless, I hope you’ll ind plenty of familiar treasures of the repertoire in amongst these six programmes, alongside what I trust will be some beautiful and inspiring discoveries.

Paul Lewis

Artistic Director

© Molina Visuals

20 October 2015

Dénes Várjonpiano

HaydnPiano Sonata in C major Hob XVI:48

Sándor VeressPiano Sonata

HaydnPiano Sonata in E minor Hob XVI:34

LisztPiano Sonata in B minor

The irst concert of this series exploring the Sonata features one of the greatest examples of the genre: Liszt’s B minor Piano Sonata.

Dénes writes: “I have always admired the unique shape of Liszt’s sonata, which has the essence of his incredible personality and, for me, forms a bridge from the late Beethoven sonatas to those composers who were living and composing after Liszt; Busoni and Bartók for example. In turn Sándor Veress was taught by Bartók and his works deserves to be much more widely known. I was lucky enough to have the chance to perform Veress' music with him on many occasions and it was the composer himself who suggested that I learn his early piano sonata composed in 1929. Bartók heard the piece and esteemed it very highly. You can hear Veress’ parlando style that is closely connected to Hungarian language and derives from the folk songs which he, like Bartók, collected for many years.

I chose to include the two Haydn sonatas with the Veress as there is a clarity and transparency in all three works, along with a love of dance and the presence of folk elements.”

10 November 2015

Paul Lewispiano

BeethovenPiano Sonata No 30

BeethovenPiano Sonata No 31

BeethovenPiano Sonata No 32

Paul writes: “Despite my intention to be as wide ranging and inclusive as possible, I make no apology for devoting an entire programme to Beethoven, the great innovator and master of the sonata. His inal triptych of piano sonatas is undeniably one of the great peaks of the entire piano repertoire, and remains one of the most intellectually and emotionally challenging programmes for performers. The depth of expression and originality of these late works still, almost 200 years after their composition, has the ability to astonish, unsettle, and move us in the most powerfully heartfelt way.”

Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas, spanning 28 years of his career, cemented the form as a staple of the concert hall. The great conductor Hans von Bülow labelled them ‘The New Testament of Music’ (Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier being the Old Testament). Beethoven’s sonatas form a bridge between both the private home and the concert hall, and between the Classical and Romantic eras.

8 December 2015

Adrian Brendelcello

Tim Hortonpiano

BachGamba Sonata BWV1027

BoulezPiano Sonata No 2

CrumbSonata for Solo Cello

WebernSonata for Cello and Piano

BrahmsSonata for Cello and Piano

Adrian and Tim’s recital contrasts traditional sonatas by Bach and Brahms with more modern works. Tim writes: “This fascinating programme juxtaposes sonatas from ive composers over three centuries. Bach’s Gamba Sonata and Boulez’s Second Piano Sonata (1948) may seem strange bedfellows but both are steeped in each composer’s fundamentally contrapuntal styles. The Bach is essentially for three voices; the cello and each hand of the keyboard part are inter-dependent voices of equal importance. Likewise, in Boulez’s Sonata there are always several voices that the composer states have no hierarchy. It is the last time that Boulez used traditional forms (sonata, slow movement, scherzo and trio and fugue). In doing so he intended to destroy those forms, a cathartic process that freed him for the explorations of the following years.

George Crumb has been another great irebrand of modernism, although his Sonata for Solo Cello is an early piece that harks back to a neo-classical, tonally-based style rather than his more familiar use of extended instrumental techniques.”

© Molina Visuals © Øivind Arvola

26 January 2016

Georgy Tchaidzepiano

MedtnerSonata Reminiscenza

ShostakovichPiano Sonata No 2

ProkoievPastoral Sonatina

ProkoievPiano Sonata No 8

Georgy’s recital explores the contrasting responses of three composers living and working in Russia in the irst half of the twentieth century. He writes: “Three very diferent composers – Medtner, Shostakovich and Prokoiev – each of them with their very own way of expression, unique vision of music and style. There are more diferences between them than similarities, but all of them were living at the same time, facing the same historical moments: the October Revolution, Civil War, emigration (Prokoiev and Medtner), the ruin of the old world, great terror and inally the Second World War. Great tragedy and great art all at the same time.”

Medtner’s Sonata Reminiscenza was written in 1920, the year before he emigrated. Shostakovich composed his Second Piano Sonata in 1943 between his Seventh (Leningrad) and Eight Symphonies, whilst Prokoiev’s Eight Piano Sonata (the third of three ‘War Sonatas’) was completed in 1944.

23 February 2016

Alasdair Beatsospiano

SchubertPiano Sonata No 14

JanáčekPiano Sonata 1 X 1905From the Street

ScarlattiSix Piano Sonatas

ScriabinPiano Sonata No 5

Alasdair writes of a recital highlighting the variety of form and feeling to be found within the sonata form: “From the inventive, jewel-like miniatures of Scarlatti to the vast emotional and dramatic span of Schubert, quite diferent beasts may lurk behind the generic ‘sonata’ title. Janáček’s Sonata 1 X 1905 From the Street is an outpouring of grief and anger at the violent death of a protestor in Brno, whilst Scriabin seems to discover new heights of euphoria in his intoxicating, sensual and ecstatic ifth sonata.”

The sonatas chosen for this recital illustrate the developments in form used for sonatas across the years. Scarlatti, a very proliic sonata composer with 555 examples to his name, wrote concise single movement works, whilst Schubert’s Piano Sonata No 14 is a classic example of the three movement formula of the Classical and Romantic eras. Into the twentieth century and Janáček’s descriptive sonata features two movements and Scriabin’s Fifth Piano Sonata is expressed in one single movement,“a big poem for piano” as the composer described it.

22 March 2016

Antje Weithaasviolin

Bjørg Lewiscello

AleksandarMadzarpiano

RavelSonata for Violin and Cello

BergPiano Sonata No 1

TchaikovskyPiano Trio

The inal recital of the series brings an exploration of pieces derived and developed from small kernels of musical material.

Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Cello was dedicated to the memory of Debussy and is a study in Debussy’s idea of depouillement (economy of means). The sonata is reduced to just two instruments and the music is developed from two initial themes.

Berg’s sonata consists of just one movement which follows the traditional sonata form of exposition, development and recapitulation. The thematic material however, follows Schoenberg’s idea of ‘developing variation’ in which all the material for the piece is developed from a single idea, ensuring unity throughout the piece. As in Ravel’s work all the material for Berg’s sonata is derived from two opening igures.

© Chad Johnston © Giorgia Bertazzi © Giorgia Bertazzi

Location Access

There is a lift at the front of the building to The Venue and disabled toilets in the foyer area. Patrons with disabilities and their essential carers may obtain two tickets for the price of one – via the LICS Essential Carer Scheme – details from the Box Oice 0113 224 3801. Support dogs are welcome. Please let us know when booking of any special access requirements you may have.

The Venue is equipped with an infra-red system for the hard of hearing.

There is a designated disabled car park beside Leeds College of Music which has spaces for at least ten cars.

To order a copy of this brochure in an alternative format, please contact 0113 247 8336 oremail music@leeds.gov.uk.

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The VenueQuarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7PD

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Please note that a fee of £2.50 willapply per transaction except for subscription bookings.

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13 July: For existing chamber subscribersPlease note: this is a separate subscription from the Endellion String Quartet series.

Requests for seat changes by existing subscribers will be processed on a irst-come-irst-served basis from 20 – 24 July and can be returned to the Box Oice any time from 13 July.

27 July: For new subscribers22 August: General booking

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Leeds International Concert Season

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