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World Harmonica Championships '95Winners' Concerton 9 Feb 96 8:00pmat Theatre, City Hall
Programme
Comment of Chow Fan Fu (in Chinese)
Programme Notes If one should pick a theme for this concert, other than the apparent "winners' concert", it would be "versatility of an instrument - the Harmonica". The programme spans 300 years from Baroque to contemporary pieces and the pieces are originated from places all over the world from the heart of Europe to Russia, Spain and China. And we play all these music with harmonicas only, different harmonicas and different combinations of harmonicas. Who says harmonicas are only good for pops, blues and jazz?
"Spring" in E Major Op.8 No.1 RV269 - Allegro <<Arranged by Lau Chun Bong>> "Spring has arrived and happily... the birds welcome it in joyful song... and the streams flow at the breath of zephyrs with sweet murmuring. Meanwhile... the sky darkens, and there is thunder and lightning... Afterwards, however, the little birds return and all sing anew."
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Duetto No.2 based on Sonata in F KV376 <<SECOND in the Duo Category>> This piece is arranged for two instruments from the final movement of the Sonata KV376 for violin and piano. It is characterized by its playful mood which is a hallmark of Mozart's work.
Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921) Carnival of the Animals - "Swan" and "Elephant" (1886) <<Arranged by Kuan Man Hou>> <<FIFTH in the Harmonica for the Future Category>> The set of 14 short pieces, collectively entitled "Carnival of the Animals" and subtitled "Grand Zoological Fantasy", was written as a joke and was never intended for publication. In fact, the composer himself banned performances of it during his lifetime, with the exception of Le Cygne ("The Swan"). The Swan is the best loved piece for cellists, and the Elephant is the favourite of double-bassists. It is amazing that these two wildly different animals are appropriately expressed using the same instrument - the bass harmonica. These two pieces have been transposed down one note to accommodate the range of the instrument.
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Double Concerto in D Minor BWV1043 - Vivace (1717) This is Bach's most sublime concerto - some says this was his finest instrumental work. The piece is written in a particularly 'stringy' way, surrounded with a central out-pouring of ecstatic beauty. When played by two harmonicas, the two solo instruments work like echoing as if the performers are singing rather than playing the piece.
Concerto Grosso in A Minor Op.3 No.8 RV522 - Allegro (1711) <<FIRST in the Duo Category>> The Op.3 (called "L'estro armonico") of Vivaldi was the most influential music publication of the first half of the 18th century. It comprised 12 concertos divided equally into works for one, two and four solo violins. Quantz gave Vivaldi credit for reforming the concerto while Bach transcribed five of them for keyboard.
Frederic Francois Chopin (1810-1849) Nocturne in E flat Op.9 No.2 (1831) <<SIXTH in the Solo (Classical Senior) Category>> Chopin's nocturne type of texture isolates a right hand melody allowing the fullest possible expression in its playing while the left hand, assisted by the pedal, provides the rhythmic and harmonic background in broken chord accompaniment. This form lends itself easily to transcription for solo instrument other than the piano.
Sonatine pour harmonica et piano <<SIXTH in the Solo (Classical Senior) Category>> This is the test piece in the Chromatic Harmonica Solo (Classical Senior) category of the World Harmonica Championships ' 95. The piece is written with a combination of themes in different rhythms and dynamics going through each other. While it is started with a soft introduction, the ending is written with a energetic, and yet melodious, climax.
Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) String Quartet No.1 in D Major Op.11 - Andante cantabile (1871) <<Arranged by Lau Chun Bong & Kuan Man Hou>> <<SIXTH in the Duo Category>> Tchaikovsky's first string quartet is the earliest quartet by a reputable Russian composer still in the regular repertoire. The principal subject of the second movement Andante cantabile is a famous folk song in a supple rhythm to suit its nature, with occasional bars of 3/4 in a context of 2/4; and there is a delicate new theme to act as a foil. The original score for this string quartet is re-arranged for a duo of tenor and bass harmonicas, capturing the original atmosphere of the piece. Most of the thematic material is transposed down one octave.
Espana Cani (1932) Marquina is a Spanish bandleader. He wrote music for his band to play at bullfights in Madrid and the Espana Cani is a representative one.
Ritual Fire Dance from El Amor brujo (1915) <<Arranged by Lee Sheung Ching>> <<THIRD in the Trio Category>> El Amor brujo (meaning "Love the Magician") was a ballet based on a gypsy folk tale. The Ritual Fire Dance is the composer's best known work, due to its demonic trills and memorable theme.
Dmitry Dmitrievich Shostakovich (1906-1975) String Quartet No.3 in F Major Op.73 Moderato con moto (1946) <<Arranged by Ho Pak Cheong>> The Moderato con moto is the second of the five movements of the Quartet. It is a rondo built from three themes. The first and second themes are resolute and astringent, with obstinate accompaniment. The third theme is ghostly and shimmering. The coda is a sluggish version of the first theme.
Gabriel Urbain Faure (1845-1924) Pavane Op.50 (1887) <<Arranged by Ho Pak Cheong>> Faure has often been referred to as the French Schumann. Pavane was originally written for chorus and orchestra but we find that it is also well suited for a harmonica ensemble.
String Quartet No.12 in F Major "American" Op.96 <<Arranged by Ho Pak Cheong>> <<SECOND in the Group (4-6 Persons) Category>> The summer of 1893 was the happiest days for Dvorak during his stay in America from 1892 to 1895. He reunited with his family and spent the summer holidays in a Czech community in Iowa. Feeling at home and refreshed by the countryside, he completed the "American" Quartet in just two weeks. He wrote, "Thanks to Lord God, I am satisfied, it went quickly". The finale is energetic right from the beginning until the end except a solemn episode which suggest the composer's hours at the organ in a local church.
Romanian Rhapsody No.1 in A Major Op.11 (1901) <<Arranged by Ho Kwong Pui, Herman & Ho Pak Cheong>> The Romanian Rhapsody comprises episodic themes that bear the picturesque quality of the folk music of his country. The freedom and improvisational talents of the gypsies are reflected throughout the work.
Spring Festival Overture (1956) <<Arranged by Kuan Man Hou>> To double our wish for the coming Spring, we end this concert with one more piece about Spring. The overture is the first of the four pieces that forms the Spring Festival Suite. These works were based on peasants' songs from Northern China. The suite was originally written for western orchestra but was subsequently played by Chinese orchestras as well. The overture, due to its joyful character, is especially popular and is often played alone.
Editors: Lau Chun Bong & Lok Ying Kei, Rocky | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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