Perspectives On Light and Shadow: Sonatas By Beaser, Ysaÿe, Bartók

“A glimmer of light cannot truly be seen without much that is dark, and darkness cannot truly be felt without shadowy forms rising from the blackness.” Anonymous The three works on this album explore sounds evocative of both darkness and light. While these distinctive sounds are at times juxtaposed, at other moments they transition gradually from one to the other, inhabiting a shadowy world between darkness and light. Originally composed for flute and piano in 1981, Robert Beaser’s reworked version, Sonata for Violin and Piano, was premiered in 2002. On the surface, it has a traditional three-movement form. However, its unusual underlying structure is revealed upon closer examination to be a theme and fifteen variations; each movement consists of five variations. Beaser (b. 1954) writes of this work, “The underlying argument comes from a developing dialectic between gentle, diatonic material -- the cornerstone six-note cascading sequence of minor thirds-- and its more spectral, chromatic opposites.” The diatonic and chromatic material, reflective of the difference between light and shadow, provide the kernels for divergent characters that develop throughout the work, both on the small and large scales. For example, the theme, which begins with a dolce character, quickly becomes agitated, featuring sharp dynamic changes. While Variation 1 begins brutale, Variation 2 is fluid and haunting. On the large scale, the second movement, entitled Nocturne (which is suggestive of the night), begins dreamily and gradually builds to a climactic violin cadenza, only to return to the opening tender character for the final variation of the movement. In contrast to the reverie-inspiring second movement, the Con fuoco sonata-allegro third movement is, in the composer’s words, a “sprint, culminating in a final, explosive coda.” Belgian composer, violinist, and conductor Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931) was inspired by Bach’s iconic Six Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo when composing his Six Sonatas for Violin Solo, Op. 27 (1923-1924). This influence can be heard in his adaptation of Allemanda and Sarabande stylized dances in the first and second movements of the Sonata No. 4 in E Minor. Unlike Bach’s works, however, this sonata is composed using the harmonic language of the early 20th century. This work also features the virtuosity of the composer, himself a celebrated violinist, and the sonata’s dedicatee, Fritz Kreisler. The first movement, Allemanda, features a serious, improvisatory-sounding (though carefully prescribed) introduction, which is followed by the body of the movement. Dotted rhythms permeate the more dance-like sections of the movement, creating a character of stern nobility. The shadowy mood begins to turn to light in the second movement, Sarabande, when the music cadences in G Major several times. However, in spite of the seemingly lighter mood, there is an underlying unease fueled by an ostinato figure comprised of the pitches G, F-sharp, E, and A (hints of E minor). This figure, which is present throughout the entire movement, is embedded even in the final three chords. The movement ends ambiguously on a single, lingering pizzicato A, an inconclusive ending in the keys of both G major and E minor. The Finale returns unambiguously to E minor and is in ABA form: the driven and excited outer sections surround the giocosamente, lighthearted middle section in G Major. While the Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano (1921) by Béla Bartók (1881-1945) is often brooding and dark, it is also witty and playful in passages. The mood of the first movement, Allegro appassionato, alternates between a ghostly quality and an impassioned pleading. After the first movement ends in a dream-like state, the Adagio movement opens with a haunting violin solo. This supernatural character continues after the entrance of the piano until Bartók introduces threatening marcato material that gradually builds, but never completely climaxes, before returning to the shadows. The Adagio’s dark mood, lonely violin melodies, and feeling of expansiveness are suggestive of Bartók’s Night music. The few humorous (albeit forebodingly humorous) moments in the sonata occur during the concluding movement. The Allegro is characterized by its folk idioms, mercurial tempo and character changes, and virtuosity on the part of both instrumentalists. It provides an electrifying and boisterous finale to the sonata. One striking characteristic of this sonata is that the two instruments do not share musical material: they build and decline in energy and often arrive together, but they do not play the same music. They occupy different realms of sound, both in terms of musical material and, at times, character. To be clear, the composers did not necessarily have the idea of light and shadow in mind when composing these works; nonetheless, the end result is music that is evocative of light and shadow through its exploration of harmonies, colors, characters, and textures. -Ann Miller Pianist Sonia Leong has performed in Canada, the United States, England, Romania, Switzerland, and Hong Kong. She has appeared with the Filarmonica de Stat Dinu Lipatti in Romania, the Banff Festival Chamber Orchestra, the Stockton Symphony, the St. John Chamber Orchestra, and has performed live on Radio Suisse Romande in Geneva. She was a prizewinner at the Concours Piano 80, in Switzerland, and a finalist at the Concorso Pianistico Nazionale “Città de Cesenatico” in Italy. Ms. Leong studied at the University of British Columbia, the Peabody Conservatory, and the Université de Montréal, as well as at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London) on a Commonwealth Scholarship. The St. Galler Tagblatt (Switzerland) wrote of Ms. Leong’s “richly colorful and tender playing,” saying “she balances intelligence and sensitivity, revealing the depths of each score.” Violinist Ann Miller has appeared in concert halls throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. A proponent of new music, Ms. Miller made her New York debut as a soloist with the New Juilliard Ensemble in Alice Tully Hall. In addition, she participated in an exchange program between the Juilliard School and the Lucerne Festival Academy that culminated in performances in Switzerland and New York under the direction of Pierre Boulez. An avid chamber musician, she is a member of Trio 180, which recently released its debut album on the record label North Pacific Music. Ms. Miller is an associate professor of violin at the Conservatory of Music of the University of the Pacific. She holds her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the Juilliard School, and she received her Bachelor of Music, summa cum laude, from Rice University. Her teachers have included Ronald Copes and Kathleen Winkler. Recorded at Fantasy Studios. Recording engineer: Alberto Hernandez. Mastered by Ken Lee. Photo of Ann Miller by Sasha Photography. Funded in part by a Scholarly and Artistic Activity Grant and an Eberhardt Research Fellowship from the University of the Pacific. Special thank you to Nina Flyer, Sean Forte, Lauren Kasper, and Eugene and Letitia Miller for their help and support in the production and manufacturing of this album. Thank you also to Robert Beaser for his helpful feedback.