Stony Brook University

DMA Recital #3

Rachel Koeth

Octet for Wind Instruments (1922-23, rev. 1952)                   Igor Stravinsky

Sinfonia                                                                               (1882-1971)         

Tema con Variazioni  

Finale

Laurie Baefsky, Flute

Chester Howard, Clarinet

Jessica Kunttu, Bassoon

Brian Glass & Lucas Balslov, Trumpet

Justin Waller & Katherine Hasard, Trombone

Sonata for Bassoon and Piano (1938)                                     Paul Hindemith

Leicht bewegt                                                                      (1895-1963)

Langsam – Marsch – Beschluss, Pastorale, Ruhig

Matthieu Cognet, Piano

INTERMISSION

Cello Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009 (c1720)                  J. S. Bach

Prélude                                                                               (1685-1750)

Allemande

Courante

Sarabande

Bourrée I

Bourrée I

Gigue

Suite for Bassoon and Piano (1960)                                     Alexandre Tansman

Introduction et allegro                                                       (1897-1986)

Sarabande      

Scherzo                                                                                                          

David Brooks, Piano

This recital partially fulfills the requirements for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in bassoon performance. Rachel Koeth is a student of Mr. Frank Morelli.

 Program Notes

Igor Stravinsky was a composer, conductor and pianist who born in Russian, exiled to Switzerland, and moved to France in 1920-25 where he composed this happy and bright neo-classical Octet. Stravinsky conducted the premiere of the Octet in a Koussevitzky concert at the Paris Opera on October 18th, 1923. The form of this work is classical, but the content is highly stylized, syncopated, and is full of musical jokes and ironies. The bassoon’s role is prominent in this work and often forceful, lyrical, satirical and light. Stravinsky’s states: "The Octet began with a dream, in which I saw myself in a small room surrounded by a small group of instrumentalists playing some attractive music . . . I awoke from this little concert in a state of great delight and anticipation and the next morning began to compose." Duets, trios and varying combinations of these five different instruments are heard throughout this work.

Paul Hindemith was a German violinist, violist, teacher and a composer. In 1937 he was forced out of Germany because of conflicts with the Nazis. His family fled to Switzerland for one year before moving to America in 1940 and becoming a professor at Yale and an American citizen.  Sonata for Bassoon and Piano was composed during his time spent in Switzerland, and features a wistful melody in the first movement. The second movement begins hopefully and then makes an anxious transition into a satirical march. The trio section of the march has aspects of neo-baroque, with contrapuntal and active lines. A peaceful and lilting melody brings the sonata to and end, leaving the listener with a bittersweet memory. Hindemith has written other sonatas for other wind instruments such as: flute, oboe, English Horn, Clarinet, Trumpet, Horn, Trombone and Tuba.

Johann Sebastian Bach is revered as a genius composer and organist. This German

composer was born in Eisenach and died in Leipzig. When he composed the Cello Suites he was serving as Kapellmeister at the court of Anhalt-Cöthen. A “Suite” is a collection of dance movements, which Bach based all the movement from, with the exception of the first movement, which is a prelude. Suite No. 3 is for cello, but with a fresh perspective on creating a double stop effect on a non-stringed instrument, this piece works well for a wind instrument. Regardless of the solo instrument, the improvisatory musical lines and complex harmonies can still be satisfying to play a well and listen.

Alexandre Tansman was born in Łódź, Poland, and later moved to Paris where he was awarded French citizenship in 1938. Tansman and his family fled to Los Angeles in 1941 to escape WWII, and strengthened his ties to other emigrants like Schoenberg, Milhaud and Stravinsky. When Tansman returned to Paris in 1946, he composed two works for bassoon: a sonatina and a suite. Suite for Bassoon and Piano is a compact piece lasting only seven minutes and features haunting melodies, repeating rhythms, hemiolas, an ornamental figures. Remnants of Ravel, Stravinsky and Gershwin can be found in this brief work.