| KZN Midlands: Ian Watson & Marek Pasieczny |
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Friday, 07 August 2009, 19:30 - 21:30
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Hits : 167
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Ian Watson and Marek Pasieczny - Violin and Guitar
“Virtuosity meets music making of the highest order”… Martin Autrum (Maggini Quartet).
“It was a joy to listen to this technically demanding work being played with such ease and imagination for a change” … Julian Clayton (Conductor).
Ian Watson is amongst the leading South African musicians of his generation. He was awarded the ABRSM International Scholarship in 2005, enabling him to complete his MMus Degree in Performance (with distinction) at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow (2008).
His duo partnership with virtuoso guitarist and composer Marek Pasieczny has been invited to Festivals in Poland, the UK and China. In 2008, they made their debut in the Lutoslawski Hall (Laureates of the ‘Nova Tradycya’ Competition) in Warsaw, which was broadcast live from Polish Radio across Europe. The duo recently returned from Poland, where they adjudicated and gave master classes at the 8th International Haydn Festival in Elk. Ian has edited for PWM and performed the world premieres of Pasieczny’s Sketches on Phillip Glass, La Casa, and Six Polish Folk Melodies. He has also played the South African premieres of works by Hendrik Hofmeyr and Roeloff Temmingh. As a soloist and chamber musician, he has also won several of the major competitions at the RSAMD.
A passionate orchestral musician, Ian was ‘Associate Principal’ of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra (’04–’06) and since moving to Glasgow, he freelances with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Ballet, Symfonia Cymru (Wales) and is currently on trial for ‘Principal 2nd Violin’ with the Ulster Orchestra (BBC Northern Ireland). He has appeared as a soloist with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, RSAMD Symphony Orchestra, University of Stellenbosch Symphony and the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra.
Ian Plays on a ‘Thompson and Sons’ Violin, circa 1770.
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Sonata No. 1 for violin and guitar Op. 1 Niccolo Paganini (1782 – 1840)
Paganini is the only composer and instrumentalist who accomplished both the violin and the guitar. His intimate knowledge of the violin in his 24 Caprices is unquestionable, as is his understanding of the fundamentals of guitar technique. His first sonata is split into Introduzione, Larghetto and Rondoncino and marks his virtuosic streak from such an early time in his life – Op. 1 itself!
Romanian Folk Dances (Sz. 56) Béla Bartok (1881 – 1945)
The Romanian Dances was originally written in 1915, as a suite of six short pieces for the piano. It was based on seven fiddle tunes of the Romanian folklore. It comprises of the following dances:
Dance with Sticks, Waistband Dance, Stamping Dance, Hornpipe Dance, Romanian Polka.
Quick Dance
The dances were later transcribed for violin and piano. Due to the simplicity of both the dance titles and the music itself, there is the tendency not to take them seriously. However, within this simplicity, the character of each dance should clearly demonstrate folkloristic elements of gypsy fiddle playing and perhaps even the ‘inaccuracy’ and non-Classical elements – an integral part of this music.
La Casa Donde Vive Miedo Marek Pasieczny (1980 - )
The haunted house
“This piece was composed in 2001 and re-composed throughout 2005 – 2006. It was edited by my violinist Ian Watson in 2007. Sub-titled ‘Homenaje a Joaquin Rodrigo’ and dedicated to Rodrigo, I was largely inspired by his strongly recognizable unique harmony and the individual mood of his works, rather than any works in particular.
Pepe Romero (close friend of Rodrigo) spoke of his music as being “like a haunted house of ghosts. The inside in dark and grumpy…only sometimes can you see that there is light…only sometimes”
This is my tribute to Rodrigo – a leading guitarist-composer of the 20th Century. It was commissioned in 2000 by Lukasz Kuropaczewski of the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, USA.”
INTERVAL
Fratres (for violin and guitar – arr. Pasieczny) Arvo Pärt (1935- )
Arvo Pärt has for many years been one of the leading figures in ‘Minimalistic’ writing. His music has strong associations with spirituality and often consists of a principal theme, which is endlessly repeated, whilst the other musical line(s) develop variations on this theme. This style of writing is evident in Fratres meaning ‘friar’ or ‘twin’. The clue to this odd choice of title is found in the harmony. Within every harmonic progression, there is the close interval of a 2nd to be found, hence ‘friar’. The piano religiously repeats and develops the theme whilst the violin plays ten very different variations.
Six Polish Folk Melodies Marek Pasieczny (1980 - )
1. Up There Near the Mill Rowan Grows
2. On the Green Boundary Strip Birds Eat Oats
3. On the Dry Poplar a Bird Sat Down
4. In the Field Grew Berries
5. Oh Swing, Swing Linden Cradle
6. The Furious Polka
“I wrote this piece during December 2007. Each movement is very short and quite easy technically but effective due to a great deal of internal energy built into a small framework. They are similar in concept to Witold Lutoslawski’s ‘5 Folk Melodies’ for string orchestra. The folk melodies used in my piece originate from my home town, a place in Poland called ‘Zamojszczyzna’.
This work was premiered and awarded to violinist Ian Watson (South Africa) and myself during the 11th International Polish Radio Festival “The New Tradition” in Lutoslawski’s Hall, Warsaw (Poland) in May 2008. I dedicate this piece to my friend and advocate of the classical guitar for over 20 years in Poland and worldwide – journalist Colin Cooper.”
Miniatures Op. 57 (Selection) Mauro Giuliani (1781 – 1829)
Giuliani is one of the most important exponents of the guitar in its music of the nineteenth century. It is thanks to the steps he took as a travelling virtuoso guitarist that led to the belief that the guitar is in fact a serious instrument, which was previously undervalued. He influenced Europe, particularly Vienna, and they in turn convinced the world. The ‘miniatures’ Op. 57 are among his most characteristic compositions, underlining the Italian style of guitar composition during the early nineteenth century.
For more info, visit Music Revival .
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Location: 35 Montgomery Drive Athlone, Midlands, KwaZulu-Natal
Contact: Music Revival: (033) 342-3051
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| Tickets: R80 includes wine and coffee |
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