Page 161 - PDF Flip TR Program Demo

a sonata for solo viola, a sonata for viola and piano, and an unusual sonata for viola d’amore (a nearly obsolete Baroque instrument) and piano.
The Solo Cello Sonata’s five movements are laid out in longer and shorter sections: the first, third, and fifth movements
are each a few minutes long, while the second and fourth
are extremely brief. Lebhaft, sehr markiert, (Lively, very marked) makes for a strident, brutish, introduction. Mäßig schnell, Gemächlich (Moderately fast, comfortable) fluters in its opening before elaborating in a folksy style; the movement also has a recurring chirp, like a quick skip in unexpected moments. Langsam (Slow) coaxes gossamer textures from the cello as it dwells on mysterious lines. Lebhafte Viertel (Lively, at the quarter note) scurries at a constant whisper— Hindemith instructs the cellist to play it “without expres- sion.” The final movement, Mäßig schnell (Moderately fast), is a muscular conclusion, capped by a sturdy pizzicato. All five movements make dazzling use of the cello—including meaty chords, a menagerie of articulations, and a full display of the instrument’s range—and the music is angular, bracing, and elemental.
HENNING KRAGGERUD (b. 1973) Variation Suite for Violin and Cello
Henning Kraggerud is a Norwegian violinist, composer, and artistic director of the Arctic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. He often writes pieces for himself to perform: the Variation Suite we hear today dates from 1994, and Kraggerud still plays it as an encore, usually with the princi- pal cellist of whatever orchestra he is soloing with.
The Suite has four movements, beginning with a lyrical theme and then continuing with a Scherzo, Waltz, Jig (played entirely in pizzicato), and Stick Dance. Like so many violinist-composers of the past—whose works were originally written for their own performances, but later taken up by others—Kraggerud’s works are now being borrowed by his colleagues.
2018 Summer Season 161