Monday 6 October 2014
Violin
and Piano Recital
HAYK MELIKYAN
/ PIANO & HUGO TICCIATI / VIOLIN
The Shoe Factory, Nicosia / 8:30pm
Entrance €10
Recognized internationally as one of the most versatile and
imaginative performers of the 20th century and Contemporary Music and among
today's most engaging virtuoso pianists pianist Hayk Melikyan returns to
Cyprus to join forces with the fascinating violinist Hugo Ticciati, who has
been described by the great Arvo Pärt as “an artist who has a rare ability
to convey a profound understanding of the music and shed light on its
spiritual intent”. The recital will include a number of contemporary
classics by composers such as Messiaen, Lutoslawski, Pärt, Takemitsu,
interspersed with works by the younger generation of internationally
renowned composers such as Evis Sammoutis, Vito Zuraj, Esaias Järnegard and
Albert Schnelzer.
The story of the genesis of Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time
(1941) is widely known, oft repeated, but what is often ignored in the
telling is the remarkable nature of what was produced, given what one would
have expected in the circumstances. Born in the midst of war, death, frost
and famine, the Quartet, though explicitly apocalyptic, is not a fiery
Requiem, striving to translate divine wrath, but rather an intensely
devotional, transcendent composition, that reaches a realm in which such
worldly troubles matter little, or not at all. Played in the chilly night
for the prisoners and the German guards, Messiaen’s meditative chamber suite
was received with rapt silence: “Never have I been heard with as much
attention and understanding,” he later recalled. So impressed was his guard
patron that Messiaen was smuggled back to Paris to continue his work. It is
little surprise, for the Quartet is one of the most remarkable compositions
of the 20th century. A deeply committed Catholic, Messiaen composed not a
lament of war or death, or a bitter strike at oppression, but instead a
paean to the world beyond (and above) of transcendence, redemption, and
even, of joy. Takemitsu’s Rain Tree Sketches II (1992) was composed as a
memorial piece for Messiaen, who was a strong influence on the composer. He
had composed several pieces based on Kenzaburo Oe's short stories about the
rain tree, whose many small curved leaves trap the rainfall then release the
water to the ground over time long after the rain has ceased. "An ingenious
tree, isn't it?" asks the story. The work is French in sound, somewhere
between Messiaen and Debussy in harmonic language. The short piece is one of
the most joyful and accessible pieces Takemitsu wrote. It was also his last
piano piece.
Witold Lutoslawski’s fame rose to international stardom after the Second
World War and the premiere of his First Symphony in 1948. He composed his
Partita for Violin and Piano in the autumn of 1984 for Pinchas Zuckerman and
Marc Neikrug at the request of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Consisting
of five movements, three of which give the impression that they rhythmically
belong to the tradition of the Baroque keyboard music, the Partita is
nevertheless quite ground-breaking in terms of its harmonic and melodic
material. Regarding his choice of title Lutoslawski has explained: "The word
'partita,' as used by Bach to denominate some of his suite-like works,
appears here to point out a few allusions to Baroque music, e.g. at the
beginning of the first movement, the main theme of the Largo, and the
gigue-like Finale.
Arvo Pärt (b. 1935) is an Estonian composer, often identified with the
school of minimalism, though he rejects this label (and, even more
vehemently, the label of "holy minimalism", which he describes as
meaningless). He composed Fratres, originally for string quintet and wind
quintet, in 1977 for Hortus Musicus, an early-music ensemble in Tallinn. The
title refers to the fraternal spirit of the Hortus Musicus. In the decades
since then he has written versions of this popular piece for many different
combinations: wind octet and percussion, strings and percussion, and string
quartet— and versions in which violin, cello, or guitar take a solo role.
PROGRAMME:
Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992): Louange à l’immortalité de Jésus from the
Quartet for the End of Time (1941)
Esaias Järnegard (b. 1983): Stretto (2010)
Albert Schnelzer (b. 1972): Solitude (1999)
Witold Lutoslawski (1913-1994): Partita (1984)
Interval
Arvo Pärt (b. 1935) : Fratres (1977)
Vito Zuraj (b.1979) : Tango (2000)
Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996): Rain Tree Sketches II (1992)
Evis Sammoutis (b. 1979): Prelude (2002)
Albert Schnelzer (b. 1972): Apollonian Dances (2003)
HUGO TICCIATI / VIOLIN
“Hugo has a rare ability to convey a profound understanding of the music and
shed light on its spiritual intent”
—Arvo Pärt
Hugo Ticciati is an exceptional violinist with a uniquely intellectual
approach to his work, incorporating aspects of literature, philosophy,
spirituality and meditation. Since his debut at the age of twelve, Hugo has
performed concertos with orchestras in Britain, Sweden, Romania, Japan,
Korea, North America and Estonia, and collected numerous international
prizes. His carefully balanced programme is certain to soothe the mind and
refresh the senses!
Ticciati embraces the world of contemporary music, collaborating with
composers such as Sven-David Sandström, Albert Schnelzer, and Anders
Hillborg, among others. In the coming seasons he will be performing world
premières of concertos dedicated to him in Europe, Asia, and North and South
America. He also loves devising concerts and events that combine music with
the other arts, notably dance and literature. He is currently working with
the English composer Bill Connor on An Improvised Violin Concerto. Last
season’s highlights included concertos by Bach, Mozart, Prokofiev, Schnittke,
Hartmann, Shchedrin, Piazzolla, Auerbach, Glass, Lutoslawski, Takemitsu and
world premieres of concertos by Tobias Broström, Sergey N. Evtushenko and
Albert Schnelzer in venues including Carnegie Hall, Mariinsky Theatre
Concert Hall, Chicago Symphony Hall and Cadogan Hall (London). Next season
features tours in China and the USA with his own string orchestra, a series
of concerts at the Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, Amsterdam and a weekend of
concerts at the Wigmore Hall.
Hugo Ticciati has a passion for chamber music and gives regular recitals in
prestigious halls across Europe and the Far East, collaborating with artists
such as Anne-Sofie von Otter, Steven Isserlis, Angela Hewitt, Evelyn Glennie,
Michael Collins, Torleif Thedéen, Leslie Howard, Staffan Scheja, Michael
Tsalka and Henrik Måwe. He is also regularly invited to renowned music
festivals such as The Baltic Sea Festival (Sweden), Hermitage Music Festival
(St Petersburg), St-Denis-Festival (Paris), Cervantino (Mexico), Edinburgh
Festival (England), Gotland Chamber Music Festival (Sweden). Hugo is the
artistic director of his own festival O/MODƏRNT at Ulrikdal’s Palace Theatre
Confidencen, Stockholm, and a string festival in Kazan, Russia.
HAYK MELIKYAN / PIANO
“I am very grateful to Hayk Melikyan that he took the risk of creating that
piece…”
György Kurtág
Hayk Melikyan is recognized internationally as one of the most versatile and
imaginative performers of the 20th Century and Contemporary Music and among
today's most engaging virtuoso pianists. His international concert début
took place at the “Concerto di Concerti” International Festival of the 20th
Century Music in Rome in 2000. He leads an active concert life, playing
throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas.
After having won the Second Prize in the International Piano Competition of
the 20th Century and Contemporary Music “Premio Valentino Bucchi” in Rome in
2000 he included contemporary music as the leading part of his concert
programmes. In 2012, Hayk Melikyan was awarded a Gold Medal by the Moscow
Composers Union for his contribution and promotion of the World Contemporary
Music, while in 2013, he was awarded the Title of an Honorary Artist of the
Republic of Armenia. He is the first performer of numerous works by many
composers of our time and dozens of pieces were especially composed for him.
In 2009, Melikyan initiated the Concert Series of “1900+”, which promotes
the piano music of composers born after 1900. Several solo albums by Hayk
Melikyan have been released since 2007 and in 2014 his solo album was
released by NAXOS. Hayk Melikyan is regularly conducting master-classes on
Contemporary music all over the world and he is regularly invited to perform
in music festivals such as Festival de Valmagne and Festival de Musique en
Côte de Nacre (France), Festival O/MODƏRNT (Sweden), the Geneva Piano
Festival , the Warsaw Royal Arcades of Art Festival, and the Nuovi Spazi
Musicali Festival (Italy). As a composer, Melikyan has produced a number of
piano solo, chamber, instrumental, vocal and symphonic works. His piano
transcriptions, concert paraphrases and arrangements are among the favourite
ones in the repertoires of many pianists worldwide. Hayk Melikyan has earned
a reputation as one of the most creative improvisators by world audience,
which adds an unusual value to his recitals.
Information: Pharos Arts Foundation Tel. +35722663871 /
www.pharosartsfoundation.org
Tickets: €10
Box Office: Directly from the Foundation’s website
www.pharosartsfoundation.org/Tickets_online.htm
or Tel. 9666-9003 (Monday - Friday 10:00am-3:00pm)