150th Celebrations: Concert Series 2009

7th February, 2009 4pm

'Pastorale' for Trumpet, Bass Trombone and Piano       Eric Ewazen (1954- )

Nick Sholl - Bass Trombone
Pete Mankarious - Trumpet
Stavroula Thoma – Piano

The Satori Trio: Flautists: Nicola Tagoe and Ami Lodge, Pianist: Stavroula Thoma 

Andante and Rondo, Op. 25                   Franz Doppler (1821 – 1883)
Well known for composing works for flute as well as opera and ballet with his brother Karl, Franz Doppler was the more successful of the two. Making his debut at 13, he continued to perform and compose pieces for flute and piano, and later for the accompanied flute duo which he formed with his brother. Andante and Rondo is an example of one of his compositions for this combination. The lyrical style of the first movement contrasts with the more lively second movement, which is written in rondo form. 

Minueten Walzer, Op. 64, No. 1  Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
Displaying musical talent from a young age, Chopin matured into a great virtuoso pianist and composer of Romantic music. Published in 1847, this piece is taken from of the last set of surviving waltzes, and has since been used in a number of films and television programmes, including ‘It Takes Two,’ ‘The Desperados,’ and an episode of ‘I Dream of Jeannie.’ Along with the majority of Chopin’s compositions, this piece was originally written for solo piano but is one of few that have been arranged for other instruments.  As a representative of the early 20th century art of flute playing, Ary van Leeuwen skilfully modified the original piece in order to make it 'suitable' for the combination of two flutes and piano.

INTERVAL

 ‘Allegro’ from Duo Concertant No. 1, Op. 87            Freidrich Kuhlau (1786-1832)
Although Kuhlau was primarily a concert pianist, he is well known for composing repertoire for the flute. His first work was published when he was just 14 years old, and he continued to compose for a wide range of genres, such as piano quartets, string quartets, operas and various combinations for flute. Kuhlau’s style has been said to reflect his admiration for the great Romantic composer, Ludwig van Beethoven, and there are a number of compositions that are regarded as his most prominent works, including the Op. 87 duets from which this movement is taken. 

Impromptu No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 142                       Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Born in Austria, Schubert generated an amazing 1000 works during his relatively short career, ranging from lieder, symphonies opera and pieces for solo piano. The term impromptu implies the playing style be in an offhand, almost improvisatory manner. The genre was first initiated by the composer Jan Vorisek in 1822, but was further explored by various other composers, including Schubert, who composed two sets of impromptu in 1827, the Op.90 and Op.142.

Fantaisie on Hungarian Motives, Op. 35 Franz and Karl Doppler (1821 – 1883, 1825 – 1900)
A myth tells that the Doppler brothers performed their duets shoulder to shoulder as a mirror image of each other, one holding his flute extending to the left, contrary to how it is most commonly played, to the right. Fantaisie was composed through the collaborative efforts of the two, exhibiting their trademark style of grandeur which has led to many of their pieces being used to showcase the virtuosic possibilities of the flute.

The Satori Trio was first formed at the end of 2007, beginning with a performance of Doppler’s Andante and Rondo at a chamber concert in the Windsor building of Royal Holloway University of London. Within the following years, they have received formal coaching from the Barbican Trio, and performed at various venues, including Sunningdale, Holy Trinity Church and Crown Court Church in Covent Garden. The trio met whilst studying music at Royal Holloway, with Nicola Tagoe and Ami Lodge specialising in performance on the flute and Stavroula Thoma on the piano. While Nicola and Stavroula are in the process of completing the final year of their degree, Ami has graduated and is now starting a career as a flute teacher for Surrey Arts. As an ensemble, they are looking forward to expanding their repertoire and performance experience and the possibility of progressing to a professional status.