Oxford May Music Day 3 – Concerto!
2 – 3.30 pm
Concert 4 – Contrasts
L. van Beethoven Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 16
B. Bartók ‘Contrasts’
F. Poulenc Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (arr. Accordion)
Performers
J. Liebeck, violin; A. Raikhlina, violin; B. Roskams, viola; D. Djordjevic, cello; A. Brendel, cello; K. Chong, piano; D. Driver, piano; J. Crabb, accordion.
Beethoven’s Op. 16 was originally inspired by Mozart’s Piano and Wind Quintet, K442 and appears in a version with the same forces and indeed key. Simultaneously however Beethoven produced the version we hear this afternoon, modified for piano and strings. This contrast in wind compared to strings is exploited to the full by Bartok in his piece, hence its title. Benny Goodman commissioned the Bartok work; the Poulenc sonata was also commissioned by him. He intended to perform the premier with the composer but Poulenc died just before the performance.
5.30 – 6.30 pm
The Movement and the Musicality of Mental Time Travel
Professor Nicola Clayton FRS and Mark Baldwin OBE
Mental time travel refers to the subjective experience of recalling the past and imagining the future. Memories are not fixed repositories of the past but move in flexible ways because they evolved with the future in mind. We will explore these concepts scientifically and artistically through our joint interest in choreography, the ways in which we explore the movement and musicality of wordless thoughts in humans and in other animals with whom we share the planet.
8 – 10.30 pm
Concert 5 – Concerto!
A. Dvořák Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81
Interval
P. Vasks ‘Lonely Angel’
E. Elgar Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in E minor, Op. 85 (chamber music arrangement)
Performers
J. Liebeck, violin; A. Raikhlina, violin; B. Roskams, viola; L. Anderson, viola; D. Djordjevic, cello; A. Brendel, cello; K. Jenkinson, cello; S. Watton, double bass; K. Chong, piano.
The Piano Quintet is one of Dvořák’s most monumental and engaging works. The Peteris Vasks ‘Lonely Angel’ is a breath-takingly lovely meditation for violin and strings. The Elgar Concerto, his last major work, needs no introduction – although you have almost certainly never heard it in this arrangement!
