Westminster College opens its concert series on Jan. 27 by exploring the sonata.
On the program are works by a quartet of the most important composers of the 19th and 20th centuries: Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and Ives.
“Our original idea was to do sonatas for violin or cello and piano by Brahms, Ives and Rachmaninoff,” said Karlyn Bond, director of the Westminster College Concert Series. “But [assistant director Yuki MacQueen] suggested we add a sonata for two violins.” That work is Prokofiev’s Sonata in C, op. 56.
“The concert has two flavors of romanticism and two flavors of modernism,” Bond said, “although they’re spread apart widely.”
Bond, who is also a pianist, will join forces with violinists MacQueen and Alex Martin and cellist Pegsoon Whang. The three string players are members of the Utah Symphony.
Alex Martin and Karlyn Bond rehearsing Brahms' Sonata in G major, op. 78.
“I love doing chamber music in all sizes,” Bond said, “but there is something special in teaming up with just one other person. I think it’s the most intimate form of chamber music.” She enjoys it so much, in fact, that Bond is thinking of including a sonata recital each season. “I like the idea of doing this kind of recital on a regular basis. And we have the perfect venue [Vieve Gore Concert Hall] for small chamber groups.”
Bond has collaborated frequently with players from the Utah Symphony. She’s performed together with MacQueen and Whang several times in the past, but this concert will be the first time she’s played with Martin, who is a fairly new member of the symphony. They’ll be doing Brahms’ Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano in G. “[The G major Sonata] utter perfection,” she said. “It’s not turbulent like some of his other works. It’s serene and pastoral, but I hear it as fundamentally sad, especially the third movement. It’s not a bright or sunny work.”
Ives’ Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano, which Bond and MacQueen will be playing, is new for Bond. “It’s the least accessible of the four, but it’s a fascinating piece,” she said. “There is so much in it, and it is so full of Americana.”
Many different tunes come together in Ives’ piece. Among them are the hymn “O Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” and folk tunes like “Turkey in the Straw.” “The sonata is really a patent combination of melancholy, nostalgia and humor,” Bond said.
Rachmaninoff’s Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor is a work that Bond has been wanting to play with Whang for many years. “I’ve been wanting to play this with her for 10 years,” she said. “It’s such a great piece filled with gorgeous melodies.”
Rounding out the concert is Prokofiev’s Sonata in C for Two Violins which will be played by Martin and MacQueen. “Violinists love it. It’s a very lyrical piece.”
There will be four concerts this season. All concerts begin at 8 p.m. and take place in Vieve Gore Concert Hall. Tickets are $15. All students and Westminster College faculty and staff are admitted free. Tickets are available by phone at 801-832-2457 or online at http://www.westminstercollege.edu/cultural_events. Listed below is the concert schedule.
- Jan. 27 – “Four Great Sonatas,” music by Brahms, Prokofiev, Ives and Rachmaninoff.
- March 3 – Quattro Amici in Concert, music by Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart and Fauré.
- April 7 –“Four Seasons of Song,” vocal music celebrating the seasons.
- May 12 – “The Black Dragon: Music of the Time of Vlad Dracula,” Utopia and guest ensemble Cançonièr perform music of the 15th century.