JENNI LAYTON

SENIOR RECITAL, PIANO
KATZIN CONCERT HALL
MARCH 30, 2015 • 5:30 PM

llr"t 1· Herberger Institute

~FOR
ARIZONA

DESIGN AND THE ARTS

STATE

UNIVERSITY

School of Music

Intermezzo in A Major, Op. 118 No. 2
The piano intermezzi by Brahms (some of his last compositions) are sets of
independent character pieces not intended to connect anything else together. The
intermezzi of the 19th century are usually lyrical and melodic, especially compared
to the movements on either side, when they occur in larger works. The Brahms
piano intermezzi in particular have an extremely wide emotional range, and are often
considered some of the finest character pieces written in the 19th century. This
piece was completed in 1893 and dedicated to Clara Shumann.
French Suite in G Major, BWV 816 - Allemande
Thought to be written between thf! years 1722 - 1725, a French Suite is a set of
songs with each movement represeltting a dance during the Baroque period. An
allemande (from the French word for a German dance) is one of the most popular
instrumental dance forms in Baroque music, and a standard element of a suite.
Originally, the allemande formed the first movement of the suite, before the
courante, but, later, it was often preceded by an introductory movement, such as a
prelude.
Sonata in E minor, Hob. XVI: 34- Presto (quickly or rapidly)
Written in the late 1770s by Joseph Haydn and published in London around 1783.
The first movement (Presto in this piece) follows the sonata form of an exposition
introducing a first and second theme, followed by a development section that varies
the exposition with new material and key modulations, and finally a recapitulation of
the 151 and 2nd theme back in the original key. Haydn inserts "surprises" in his music
by inserting a stop whenever the music begins to grow and take form. The listener is
never certain what will come next with each halt in the music's progress.

Program

Intermezzo in A Major, Op. 118 No. 2

French Suite in G Major, BWV 816
1 Allemande

Johannes Brahms
(1833 - 1897)
Johann Sebastian Bach
(1685 - 1750)

Sonata in E minor, Hob. XVI: 34
1 Presto
The Seasons, Op. 37a No. 10
October "Autumn Song"
Bagatelle, Op. 6 No. 2
· Allegro Giocoso
Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 33 No. 9 in C# minor
Grave

Joseph Haydn
(1732 - 1809)
Piotr Tchaikovsky
(1840- 1893)
Bela Bart6k
(1881 - 1945)
S. Rachmaninoff
(1873 - 1943)

The Seasons, Op. 37a No. 10
Composed in 1876, The Seasons are a set of 12 character pieces each representing a
month in the northern hemisphere. No. 10, "October" represents the month of
falling leaves and a dying season. Tchaikovsky was born in Russia and composed
music that incorporated Russian folk music with Western European music styles.
Bagatelle, Op. 6 No. 2 - Allegro Giocoso (merry or playful)
Bela Bart6k was born in a small Hungarian town that is now part of modem
Romania. He was a virtuostic pianist and devoted ethnomusicologist who traveled
throughout Hungary and Romania collecting and recording onto wax cylinders
authentic folk music performances. This piece is from of set of 14 Bagatelle pieces
(in 1908) where each movement portrays a type of setting or character. When
listening to the piece, the rural countryside and sounds of farm animals can be heard.
Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 33 No. 9 in C# minor - Grave (slow and solemn)
This piece is the final movement of a piano Etude written by Serge Rachmaninoff in
1911. An "etude" is a piece that is written for a type of study and typically difficult
as it is written to strengthen and improve technical skills and performance technique.
Rachmaninoff primarily made his living as a pianist and his works reflect Russian
elements with influences from Western Romantic composers. Listeners can almost
hear and visualize elements of a storm through this exciting composition.

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