~ Program ~

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart(1756-1791) Sonata No.7 in C Major, K. 309 Allegro con spirito Andante un poco adagio Rondo – Allegretto grazioso Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart(1756-1791) Sonata No.12 in F Major, K. 332 Allegro Adagio Allegro assai ~ intermission ~ Franz Liszt (1811-1886) from Années de Pélerinage I: Suisse Les Cloches de Genève: Nocturne Franz Liszt (1811-1886) from Harmonies poétiques et religieuses Benediction de Dieu dans la solitude S173.3 Alexander Scriabin (1871-1915) Sonata No. 3 in F-sharp minor, Op. 23 Drammàtico Allegretto Andante Presto con fuoco   Jim McDonald of The Boston Musical Intelligencer said in his review: "Amazed Pianist Salutes Amazing One" that : "Hong Xu, one of China’s most accomplished musicians, opened yet another of the notable Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts recitals at Jordan Hall. On Saturday night his mastery stretched this writer’s descriptive arsenal. … Only a few seconds in, we realized that something special was unfolding. … one of the finest musical performances and piano recitals I have had the privilege to witness. … "

photos: Chung Cheng
  




photos:  Chou Chuzhe, Chi Wei Lo, Xiaopei Xu, and Gila Goldstein

 

徐洪紐英崙音樂學院喬登廳首演會後新聞稿 武漢音樂學院鋼琴系現任主任徐洪，被紐約時報稱為"擁有輝煌技巧，敏銳的洞察力，並有著無限潛力", 被英國泰晤士報稱為"一個值得強烈推薦的鋼琴家"，被BBC音樂雜誌和國際鋼琴雜誌(IPQ)等媒體稱為是"一顆冉冉升起的明日之星"的鋼琴家徐洪，應中華表演藝術基金會邀請，9/28/2019 晚上八點在紐英崙音樂學院喬登廳(Jordan Hall)舉行鋼琴首演獨奏會。四百多位從美國各地來的音樂愛好者,包含許多波士頓當地的音樂名人，還有從紐約市和舊金山前來的朋友和學生。他在茱莉亞音樂學院的老師，現年90歲的杰羅姆·洛文塔爾(Jerome Lowenthal)在女兒的陪同下，不辭辛勞從紐約市撘火車前來出席，且在演出後給學生徐洪打了滿分。演出後，觀眾熱情地起立與以熱烈掌聲。  徐洪多次獲得國際比賽的最高獎項，已經在世界各地演出，曾與眾多世界一流大師合作演出過，屢次出現在頗負盛名的舞台上。然而徐洪表示，這次在喬登廳的首演有不同的感覺。喬登廳完美的聲音和觀眾的熱情，讓他感受到歡迎，也讓他心神放鬆，當時就有一種非常希望能與在場觀眾分享自己最喜愛的音樂的願望。 波士頓音樂雜誌(The Boston Musical Intelligencer)的樂評 Jim McDonald寫了一篇名為"了不起的鋼琴家向了不起的音樂家致敬"的樂評。他寫道:"徐洪是中國最傑出的鋼琴家之一。上星期六晚上，他為著名的中華表演藝術基金會新的音樂季開幕在紐英崙音樂學院喬登廳首演。當他開始演出才幾秒鐘之後，我們就知道我們將要欣賞到一個不同凡響的演出。我很幸運的能夠見證和聽到我所有聽過最精彩傑出的音樂演出之一。他的精湛技藝純熟演繹，督促我這作者必須擴展我的描述性的詞彙。" 另一位著名的鋼琴家羅伯特·芬利(Robert Finley)在他的博客中寫道："我從未聽過李斯特作品如此神奇的演繹。徐洪創造了一個魔幻的聲音世界，將觀眾深深吸引。我就那樣被迷住了。 中華表演藝術基金會接下來的第二場音樂會，將於2020年1月31日，星期五晚上7:30至10:30，在喬登廳舉行。邀請小提琴家林以信(Joseph Lin)為慶祝巴赫小提琴獨奏奏鳴曲和組曲的300週年，舉行一場長達三個小時的音樂會。林以信將表演完整的6首巴赫小提琴奏鳴曲和組曲(BWV 1001–1006)。 林以信是現任茱莉亞音樂學院小提琴教授。是2011年至2018年茱莉亞弦樂四重奏的第一小提琴。他是音樂藝術家協會(Concert Artists Guild)國際比賽的第一名和新西蘭國際小提琴比賽邁克·希爾(Michael Hill)的第一名。請不要錯過這難得的機會。詳細信息

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Notes on the Program by: Jannie Burdeti (DMA candidate at the Peabody Conservatory of Music) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonata No. 7 in C Major, K. 309 Allegro con spirito Andante un poco adagio Rondo – Allegretto grazioso   @rehearsal By early 1777, Mozart had grown discontent with his position under Archbishop Colloredo in Salzburg. Not only had the composer become disenchanted by a lackluster Salzburg orchestra and opera, but tensions in his relationship with the Archbishop grew, not least due to Mozart's low salary. After much back-and-forth with the Archbishop, Mozart was granted an extended leave of absence. He decided to visit Paris, with stops in Munich, Augsburg and Mannheim. In Augsburg on October 22, 1777, the composer improvised what would become his Piano Sonata in C major, K. 309, which at the time featured a different slow movement. He wrote, "I then played... all of a sudden a magnificent sonata in C major, out of my head, with a rondo at the end – full of din and sound." Later, he would write down the work in Mannheim. There, he reacquainted himself with the concertmaster, Christian Cannabich, and his daughter, Rosa who became his pupil at the piano during his stay. Rosa, with whom Mozart flirted inadvertently,(Mozart thought that she was fifteen instead of thirteen years old,)became the catalyst for the substituted slow movement. The first movement begins with a polarity between a fanfare of unison octaves followed by a five-bar gentler response. According to musicologist Daniel Heartz, this opening anticipates the beginning of the "Jupiter" symphony and other important orchestral works. The energy in this movement, created by dynamic contrasts and symphonic figures, undoubtedly harken back to the Mannheim symphonists. The development commences with a reinstatement of the opening theme but in G-minor. Harmonic shifts and an increase in rhythmic intensity ensues, leading to a sequence based on the opening theme before the actual home key is restored and the recapitulation occurs. While Mozart had intended the second movement to be "a tonal picture of Rosa’s character," and had written of Rosa as "pretty...charming...intelligent...amiable.... she is exactly like the Andante," it has also been recorded that she had to practice carefully to become "exactly like the Andante." Despite all the dynamic markings in this movement, the Andante does not exhibit the contrasts featured in the first movement and instead is written as a set of variations based on the first sixteen measures. Of the last movement, musicologist William Kinderman writes, "...the spacious closing "Rondeau" seems to embrace....the brilliant textures and orchestral feeling of the first movement.....yet the principal character is more intimate and graceful." While the music opens with a gracious theme unlike that of the initial movement, numerous orchestral techniques abound – fast tremolo textures in the right hand, the orchestration of the different registers on the piano, and the Mannheim-like motivic figures. The movement ends gently, as it began, in pianissimo and at the lower registers of the piano. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonata No. 12 in F Major, K. 332 Allegro Adagio Allegro assai While its compositional history is debated among scholars, it has been firmly established that Mozart’s Sonata in F major was ultimately published in Vienna in 1784 as a triptych, which included the Sonata in C major, K. 330 and Sonata in A major K. 331. At the time of publication, Mozart had been wed to his wife Constanze for two years and had his first child, Raimund. As many scholars and pianists alike have pointed out, the Sonata in F major constantly reaches across genre borders into the expressive language of opera buffa(comic opera)and concerto writing. Alfred Brendel writes that within the first movement, one hears a total of "eight different musical ideas which appear in quick succession, all of which have their own character." The first theme is lyrical and gracious in its first four measures, answered by a mini-contrapuntal study and followed by writing that resembles a wind fanfare, "befitting Papageno" according to Kinderman. A dramatic Sturm und Drang(storm and stress)section ensues in the very dark key of D minor, emulating the sound of the string section of an orchestra. After this dizzying array of musical expressions, a second subject in C major is heard, sparkling and upright. The development begins yet with a different theme, illustrating the "intensely dramatic, quicksilver quality of an opera in miniature," in the words of Kinderman. In contrast to the first movement, which is almost fragmented by all its diversity(a "harlequinade," in the words of Wye Allanbrook), the second movement is intentionally and continuously lyrical with long arching phrases. Eschewing any sort of development, the return of the exposition features an elaborate embellishment of the opening melody, published in the first edition by Artaria, offering a glimpse as to how Mozart may have embellished and improvised his own works. The last movement is unequivocally virtuosic in its swirling figurations. Mozart uses silence effectively and despite this sonata’s repletion of themes and contrasts, the music ends simply and quietly. Franz Liszt: Années de Pélerinage I: Suisse Les Cloches de Genève: Nocturne Liszt's first book of Années de Pélerinage(Years of Pilgrimage), entitled Switzerland, represents Liszt's portrayal of the landscapes and literature that inspired him, which includes the writings by Lord Byron, Senancour, and Schiller. Liszt writes in the forward of Album d'un Voyageur, the name of its first incarnation, before it was revised: "Having in recent times traveled in many new countries, throughout different landscapes and places consecrated by history and poetry; having felt that the varied aspects of nature, and the different incidents associated with them, did not pass before my eyes as empty images but produced deep emotions in my soul; and that between us a vague but immediate affinity had established itself, an undefined but real rapport, an inexplicable but irrefutable communication – I have tried to present in music some of my strongest sensations and my most lively impressions." Years later, Liszt realized the scope and the bigger picture behind his journey – "Album d'un voyageur" would eventually be absorbed into the first of three books making up "Années de Pélerinage," with the three books covering more than fifty years of his artistic career. The first two books are directly inspired by his eleven-year romance with Marie d’Agoult, the mother of his three children, and member of the highest ranks of French aristocracy. The second book is Liszt’s musical portrayal of different pieces of art from Italy, while the final set gives us a glimpse of his spiritual meditations at that time of his life. The first Year of Pilgrimage in Switzerland was published in 1842 and concludes with the piece Les Cloches de Genève. The opening lines of the piece convey the newly found peace and tranquility in Geneva, after Liszt and Marie D'Agoult had fled the gossiping crowds of Paris. Set in the key of B Major, an atmosphere of quietude is established by notes which hover in the air before the first thematic material, full of hope, makes its entrance. The melody is then transferred to the baritone voice of the piano while bells continue to ring in the backdrop in the right hand. A second theme is heard above falling, harp-like notes. As the music builds steam, it rises to a climax and then quiets down, ending in an attitude of repose, as it once began. Dedicated to his new-born daughter, Blandine, the work certainly bespeaks of the purity and joy he felt at this event. He prefaces the piece with a passage from Lord Byron’s Childe Harold: "I live not in myself, but I become portion of that around me." Franz Liszt: Harmonies Poétiques et Religieuses Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude S173.3 As a lifelong Catholic who later took minor orders, Franz Liszt juxtaposed a deeply spiritual inner life with an outer life of intense productivity as a performer, teacher, composer, writer, humanitarian, and philanthropist. Born in Hungary, his artistic turning point came when at the age of twenty, he attended a performance by the virtuoso violinist, Niccolo Paganini. The concert had such a profound influence on Liszt that it prompted him to adapt the violinist’s technique for the piano. In addition to his lengthy hours of practice at this time, he educated himself endlessly with great literature. It was during this time period that he came into contact with the poetry of Alphonse de Lamartine, the inspiration behind his Harmonies Poétiques et religieuse(named after Lamartine’s book of poetry with the same name). Liszt's musical rendition of Lamartine's writings lasts about 90 minutes and is dedicated in its entirety to the Princess Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittegenstein, the second of his significant romances, and with whom he shared a deep sense of spiritual yearning. The third piece in the set of ten, Bénédiction de Dieu dans le Solitude, is the most extensive offering in terms of scope. While its compositional history is disputed among scholars, the work has its first reference in a letter dated 1832 by Marie d’Agoult. It was finished in 1847 during his first prolonged stay with the Princess in Woronince, Ukraine. Benediction de Dieu dans le Solitude is set in F-sharp major, a key that Liszt often associated with holy and transcendent subject matters, as expressed in his St. Francis of Assisi Preaching to the Birds and Les Jeux d’eaux a la Villa d’Este. The work is comprised of three main sections. Opening with a meditation, an expansive and soulful melody in the tenor is accompanied by sonorous eighth-note figurations in the right hand, harkening to the sound world of his perennially famous Liebestraume No. 3. The second section in B-flat major is extraordinarily benevolent and builds in rapture. Liszt ends the work with a reprise of the first section where the left hand is now invigorated with a sense of urgency, quickened and more ecstatic. Pianist Vladimir Feltsman describes the experience of the piece as, "An infinite succession of ascending landscapes(soundscapes)unfold in which Divine and human, spiritual and mundane are fused in one supreme harmony that contemplates itself." This mystical striving expressed in the music reflects the following quoted stanza from Lamartine's book of poetry, quoted at the beginning of this work: Whence comes to me, O my God, this peace that overwhelms me? Whence comes this faith in which my heart abounds? -Lamartine Alexander Scriabin: Sonata No. 3 in F-sharp minor, Op. 23 Drammàtico Allegretto Andante Presto con fuoco Completed in 1898, the Third Sonata is a four-movement piece firmly rooted in the classical form, yet expressively chromatic and tragic. Rightfully so, the piece is closely tied to his personal, financial, and spiritual struggles of the time. The marriage with first wife, Vera did not last, and he started to drink again as they gradually grew apart. Retroactively, in 1906, the third sonata is accompanied by a program that explains each movement. While scholars consider its weight lightly(as the program was written by Scriabin’s second wife, Tatyana), it was approved by the composer: States of Being a)The free, untamed soul passionately throws itself into pain and struggle b)The soul has found some kind of momentary, illusory peace; tired of suffering, it wishes to forget, to sing and blossom—despite everything. But the light rhythm and fragrant harmonies are but a veil, through which the uneasy, wounded soul shimmers. c)The soul floats on a sea of gentle emotion and melancholy: love, sorrow, indefinite wishes, indefinable thoughts of fragile, vague allure. d)In the uproar of the unfettered elements the soul struggles as if intoxicated. From the depths of Existence arises the mighty voice of the demigod, whose song of victory echoes triumphantly! But, too weak as yet, it fails, before reaching the summit, into the abyss of nothingness. The first movement, marked 'Drammatico' sets the tone for the tragic hero with almost ceremoniously dotted rhythms. The narrator-like introduction gives way to a traditionally contrasting second theme. In the midst of its development, all the themes are combined, as is characteristic of Scriabin's writings. The second movement is striving, a bit like a restless march but in the form of a scherzo and trio. The ravishing slow movement contains some of the most beautiful music Scriabin ever wrote. It gives way to chromatic weaving lines. The melody is entwined with a halo of sound above and under, not unlike textures found in his second and fourth sonatas. When Elena Beckman-Shcherbina performed the piece to the composer, Scriabin is recounted of saying at this moment, "Here the stars are singing!" In the last movement, Scriabin creates a "vortex of unleashed elements." The contrasting second theme is said to be his young child's first lullaby, according to Scriabin scholar Faubion Bowers. A work truly symphonic in nature, its intense chromaticism and counterpoint brings the movement to a valiant and defiant close.

 

Hailed by the New York Times as "technically brilliant, insightful musician and seemingly limitless potential", Hong Xu is one of China's most accomplished pianists of his generation.

He has performed with world-renowned conductors such as Vladimir Ashkenzy, Mikhail Pletnev, Yannick Nezét- Seguin, Sir Mark Elder, Yan Pascal Totelier, Hans Graf, Markus Stenz and Robert Spano. Recent Concerto appearances with London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, Russian National Orchestra, Orchestre Nacional de Portuguesa, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Beijing's NCPA Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal.

Mr. Xu has appeared in many important recital series and venues, including Wigmore hall, Royal Festival Hall, Weill Recital hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City, Terrace Theater at the Kennedy Center, Beijing's NCPA, Taipei's National Concert Hall and Seoul Arts Center. BBC Magazine and International Piano Quarterly have named him as one of the most promising rising stars.

A devotee of new music, Hong Xu has premiered works by Frederic Rzewski who wrote "Rubinstein in Berlin" for him in 2008. Since then, he has premiered many works by American composers both in China and abroad, including those by Bolcom, Corigliano and Rochberg.

He received his early training at the Wuhan Conservatory of music with Liping Jiang and subsequently went to the United States studying with Douglas Humpherys at the Eastman School of Music, and with Jerome Lowenthal and Robert McDonald at the Juilliard School. During his studies in the USA, he won prizes at the Bachauer, Hilton Head and Honens International Piano Competitions.

In 2010, he accepted a teaching position at the Wuhan Conservatory of Music where he is currently an associate professor. His students have won many prizes and awards both nationally and internationally. Recently Mr. Xu was invited to give masterclasses at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Oberlin College, New York University, Boston University, London's Trinity School of Music, Taiwan's National University of Arts, Beijing International Music Festival & Academy and the Amalfi Coast and Perugia Music Festivals in Italy.

Hong Xu 徐洪,  武漢音樂學院鋼琴系副教授

國際鋼琴演奏家，被紐約時報稱為"擁有輝煌技巧，敏銳的洞察力，並有著無限潛力的中國鋼琴家! "他曾與諸多世界超一流大師合作演出，如阿什肯那齊(Vladimir Ashkenazy)，普列特涅夫(Mikhail Pletnev)，塞金(Yannick Nezet-Seguin)，馬克•艾爾德爵士(Sir Mark Elder)，列夫斯基(Frederic Rzewski)等。最近幾年他曾被倫敦愛樂樂團，曼切斯特哈雷交響樂團，中國國家大劇院管弦樂團邀請在亞洲範圍和英國進行巡迴演出此外他還與諸多世界著名團體合作，如:英國BBC管弦樂團，俄羅斯國家交響樂團，葡萄牙國家交響樂團，美國羅切斯特愛樂樂團，猶他交響樂團，加拿大卡爾加里愛樂樂團，馬其頓國家愛樂樂團，香港管弦樂團他的演奏足跡遍及世界各大音樂演出場所:如倫敦皇家節日大廳，巴比肯中心，威格摩廳，葡萄牙聖卡洛國家大劇院，馬德里卡那爾大劇院，美國肯尼迪中心，卡內基音樂廳，蒙特利爾藝術中心，首爾國家藝術中心，中國國家大劇院，人民大會堂，香港文化中心，台北兩廳院等等。

在頻繁的演奏之餘，他在其他領域同樣是業內的領軍人物。2010年回到母校武漢音樂學院工作以來，學生曾多次在國際，國內重大比賽中獲獎，如美國伊斯曼(伊士曼)國際青年藝術家鋼琴比賽，Hilton Head國際青年藝術家比賽，央視CCTV電視大獎賽等。教學成績得到業內普遍的好評。

在海外，他曾在美國奧柏林音樂學院，舊金山音樂學院，紐約大學，波士頓大學，休斯敦大學，倫敦聖三一音樂學院等高等學府舉辦鋼琴大師班。同時在夏季他任教於著名的意大利阿爾瑪菲(阿馬爾菲)國際鋼琴音樂節，佩魯賈音樂節，北京國際音樂節(BIMFA)和美國加州北岸國際音樂節，

在中國，除了在西安音樂學院，星海音樂學院，深圳藝術學校，台灣藝術大學，台南藝術大學，廣西藝術學院，等高校舉辦大師班之外，他所主持的"徐洪武漢音樂學院網絡直播課"在新浪微博平台上受到非常強烈的關注與歡迎。他將鋼琴，音樂課程免費在互聯網平台上進行傳播，讓更多音樂學院之外的音樂愛好者有機會深入學習，造福廣大愛樂人。

作為一個演講者，他曾多次在各地舉辦講座，教師培訓等。過去幾年裡講授關於"古典主義風格"，"奏鳴曲式研究"，"舒伯特流浪者幻想曲"，"莫扎特系列講座"，"肖邦全套敘事曲"等各類題目數十場，旨在鋼琴界普及音樂學類知識，並提高國人對於古典音樂歷史的了解。

在閒暇之餘他作為部落格作者，多年來在微博上用文字來傳遞古典音樂，撰寫幾百篇音樂類隨筆，受到廣泛地閱讀和傳播，他始終認為音樂的普及需要音符和文字的共同努力。

徐洪曾就讀於武漢音樂學院附中，美國伊斯曼音樂學院，茱莉亞音樂學院。在求學期間曾在2006年加拿大赫尼茲(Honens)，2001年美國吉娜巴考兒(Gina Bachauer)，2004年希爾頓海德(Hilton Head)等重大國際鋼琴比賽中獲得大獎。2010年獲紐約茱莉亞音樂學院最高藝術家文憑，被校長頒發魯賓斯坦大獎。他的老師包括蔣立平，漢弗雷斯(Douglas Humpherys))，羅文泰爾(Jerome Lowenthal)，麥克唐納(Robert McDonald)等諸多教授。目前徐洪擔任武漢音樂學院鋼琴系主科教研室主任，副教授，碩士生導師，中國音樂家協會鋼琴學會理事，湖北省文化藝術交流協會鋼琴專業委員會副會長，以及武漢BIG HOUSE當代藝術館音樂總監。

 

From Robert Finley, posted on FaceBook, 2019-9-28 Hong Xu have an absolutely wonderful recital last night in Jordan Hall, Boston, organized by the Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts. The first half of the recital consisted of two of Mozart's sonatas, K309 and K332. They were most enjoyable, and I was very impressed with the beautiful poetic phrasing and song like dynamic shaping, and the clarity of detail. The opening measures of the 1st movement of the K332 sonata reminded me of Mozart's operatic works, perhaps the Marriage of Figaro. The second half of the recital consisted of Les Cloches de Geneva from Franz Liszt's Swiss book of Annees de Pelerinage, the Benediction of God in Solitude which is the 3rd piece in the set of Liszt's 12 Harmonies Poetiques et Religieuses, and the third sonata by Alexander Scriabin. These are all of my favourite pieces which I have performed myself in recital. Hong Xu created a magical sound world with all of these pieces and mesmerized the audience. I was spellbound. Les Cloches de Geneva starts with the sound of distant bells, and then follows a lovely melody in B major rather like a song without words, accompanied by harp-like arpeggios. This builds up to a climax and then you hear hear melody played in octaves. Hong achieved an orchestra effect at the piano with a magnificent sound. The ending was gorgeous with more sounds of the harp, followed by the sound of distant bells as in the beginning of the piece. This performance has inspired me to play this beautiful piece again after several years! The Benediction of God in Solitude is in my opinion one of Liszt's most intimate and best compositions. It achieves an incredible atmosphere of peacefulness. Hong Xu played this at a slightly higher range of tempo compared to most other performances but it was very effective. He achieved a perfect balance between projecting the melody in the left hand and the harmonious right hand accompaniment(which contains 10th intervals)that was maintained at a low level. Although most of this piece is very serene, it builds up to a tremendous climax. The ending was quite glorious, perhaps representing angels playing harps in heaven, and I have never heard this played more magically than Hong's rendition. I noticed that he split the arpeggios between the hands, which I never thought of before, but must try. The ending of the Benediction always makes me wonder if Liszt included a quotation from the slow movement of Beethoven's 4th piano concerto. The Scriabin 3rd sonata was played with tremendous expression and emotion. I was particularly moved by the slow movement and the gorgeous singing line he achieved. The ending of the sonata is most triumphant and joyous, similar to the ending of Scriabin's 4th and 5th sonatas, and Rachmaninoff's 2nd Sonata. Hong Xu received a standing ovation and tremendous applause. He gave a very nice performance of Debussy's Claire de lune for an encore. The corridor was packed with students and others waiting to congratulate Hong Xu. I am very much looking forward to hearing him again. Thanks so much to Cathy Chan, the Founder of the Foundation