Friday, October 14, 2022

Midtown Concerts - In the Middle of Mozart. Yi-heng Yang, fortepiano; Aisslinn Nosky, violin. October 13, 2022.

Livestreamed.  Free.
Event location: St. Malachy's Church, New York.

Program
Trio a due violini e basso in B-flat Major (arranged for violin and fortepiano) by Maddalena Lombardini Sirmen (1745-1818).  Allegro no tanto - Adagio - Allegro.
Sonata in E-flat Major, KV. 302 by Mozart (1756-1791).  Allegro - Rondo: Andante grazioso.
Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 1, No. 2 by Jane Mary Guest (1762-1846).  Allegro - Minuetto Grazioso.
Sonata for piano and violin, Op. 16, No. 3 by J.C. Bach (1735-1782).
Sonata for piano and violin in E minor by Mozart.  Allegro - Tempo di Menuetto.

CS alerted us to this concert, which we enjoyed in the comfort of our living room.

It was a delightful performance of easy-listening pieces, five of them in 45 minutes.  Clearly we had a period instrument in the fortepiano, but I couldn't tell if the violin was a period instrument.  The bow looked modern, the violinist used a moderate amount of vibrato, but she had to tune her instrument often: so either gut strings, or new ones.

This was my first encounter with the early women composers Sirmen and Guest.  And I was happy to "meet them."

The only piece I know well is the last one on the program.  I suspect most violin students would have encountered it in their relatively early student days.  It sounded a bit hurried, and consequently a bit chaotic.  Perhaps the performers were watching the clock?

The Sirmen piece was originally written for 2 violins and a bass.  I wonder who did the arrangement for the piano/violin combination.  There are no doubt many more notes involved in doing the arrangement.

Nosky is the concertmaster of the Boston Handel-Haydn society.  Yang teaches at Julliard.

A recording of this concert is available on YouTube  Above is a screenshot.

One of the benefits of living in the NYC area is access to these intimate events on a regular basis.  This "Midtown Concerts" organization has a weekly program that lasts the good part of a year.  (On good authority) they seem to pay the performers a minimal amount.

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