Sunday, November 13, 2011

Kelly Hall-Tompkins in Debussy's Final Work & Ysayë's 'Ballade' Sonata at Harlem School of the Arts Nov. 19

[Kelly Hall-Tompkins]

On Nov. 6, 2011 AfriClassical posted: "Violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins in Recital at Harlem School of the Arts Nov. 19 at Noon." We have since learned the details of the intriguing program of violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins and pianist Craig Ketter. Kelly tells us the program at the Harlem School of the Arts in New York City will be the Debussy Sonata for Violin and Piano, and the Ysayë Ballade.

The liner notes of the CD Portrait Erik Reischl, Volume 3, explain the background of the Debussy Sonata, and have been translated into English by Elisabeth Ann Kruger:
"The Sonata for violin and piano is Debussy’s last work. It was written in 1917 and performed in Paris for the first time in May of the same year. Suffering from the symptoms of severe cancer the composer was prevented from finishing the cycle of sonatas in which each of the six sonatas was to include different combinations of musicians. Apart from the violin sonata Debussy was able to finish only the sonata for cello and piano and the sonata for flute, viola and harp.

“In his composing, Debussy considered himself a 'musicien français' (a French musician). During First World War this frame of mind was to assist in expressing national pride and to help differentiate between everything German (esp. the music of Richard Wagner). It was also intended to revive forms and values of the old French masters such as Rameau and Couperin."

Inkpot.com discusses the Six Sonatas for Solo Violin, op. 27, of Eugène Ysayë (1858-1931). It tells us the Sonata No. 3 in D Minor “Ballade” is dedicated to George Enescu.

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