Friday, May 11, 2007
8:00 P.M.
Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
With this recital, Paul Lewis brings his epic journey through the entire cycle of Beethoven’s piano sonatas to a close, an endeavor he began here in February 2005. This concert consists of the towering, enigmatic, final sonatas, opus nos. 109, 110, and 111. A reception honoring Lewis will immediately follow the performance. See associated events on October 13, January 26, and March 9.
Performing Arts Series Director Paul Nelson commented, "In the last chapter of Aldous Huxley’s novel Point Counter Point, the character Spandrell speaks about a movement of a late Beethoven string quartet, “You can’t understand anything until you have heard it. It proves all kinds of things—God, the soul, goodness—inescapably. It is the only real proof that exists; the only one, because Beethoven was the only man who could get his knowledge over into expression.” There are other late works of Beethoven for which the same might be claimed, the 9th Symphony for one, the final piano sonatas, as well. Paul Lewis concludes his Middlebury cycle of all of Beethoven’s piano sonatas by playing the final three works, opp. 109, 110, and 111."
Reserved Seating: $15/12/5. http://go.middlebury.edu/tickets or 802-443-MIDD (6433).
Pre-performance dinner: Rehearsals Cafe, 6:30 p.m. Reservations required. http://go.middlebury.edu/tickets or 802-443-MIDD (6433).
Concert Program:
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Piano Sonata Cycle – Concert Eight
Piano Sonata No.30 in E major, op. 109
Vivace, ma non troppo – Adagio espressivo
Prestissimo
Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung
Piano Sonata No.31 in A flat Major, op. 110
Moderato cantabile molto espressivo
Allegro molto
Adagio ma non troppo – Fuga. Allegro ma non troppo – L’istesso tempo di Arioso – L’istesso tempo della Fuga
poi a poi di nuovo vivente
Intermission
Piano Sonata No.32 in C minor, op. 111
Maestoso – Allegro con brio ed appassionato
Arietta. Adagio molto semplice e cantabile
For program notes, please contact Events and Residency Manager Allison Coyne Carroll at carroll@middlebury.edu
Artist Biography:
Paul Lewis is one of the most sought after artists of his generation, appearing regularly at the world’s major musical venues and festivals. He studied with Ryszard Bakst at Chetham's School of Music and Joan Havill at the Guildhall in London, after which he received regular coaching from Alfred Brendel. After many competition successes, including the 1994 London International Piano Competition, he was selected for the BBC’s inaugural “New Generation” artist scheme, and was chosen by the Wigmore Hall for the European Concert Halls Organisation’s “Rising Stars” Scheme. His highly acclaimed Schubert piano sonata series, presented at venues throughout the UK, including the Wigmore Hall, won him both the South Bank Show Classical Music Award, and the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Instrumentalist of the Year Award in 2003, and his recordings for Harmonia Mundi have won many international awards including 2 successive Edison awards in Holland in 2004 & 2005. More recently he was awarded the 25th Premio Internazionale Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena. Following on from the success of his Schubert Sonata series Paul Lewis is currently performing a complete cycle of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas at venues across Europe and the US through to the end of 2007.
His recent international schedule has included recital and concerto debuts throughout Europe, the USA, Canada, Japan, and Australia. He has also appeared regularly at the BBC Proms, including the televised “Last Night” in 2005, and at both the Cheltenham and the Edinburgh international festivals, the Schubertiade Festival in Schwarzenberg, the Roque d’Antheron Festival, and both the Risor and Vancouver Chamber Music Festivals. He has appeared with many of the worlds leading orchestras including the Vienna Symphony, London Philharmonic, London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, the Philharmonia, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, The Hallé, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, CBSO, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Wiener Kammerphilharmonie, Cologne Chamber Orchestra, Sydney Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, and Seattle Symphony, under such conductors as Bernard Haitink, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Mark Elder, Sir Chalres Mackerras, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Marin Alsop, Ivor Bolton, Richard Hickox, Emmanuel Krivine, Alexander Polianichko, Joseph Swensen, Vassily Sinaisky and Gerard Schwarz. As a much sought-after chamber musician, he has performed with Yo-Yo Ma, Michael Collins and Ernst Kovacic, Adrian Brendel, Steven Osborne, the Sine Nomine Quartet, and the Leopold String Trio.
In addition to his ongoing Beethoven Sonata series the 2005-2006 season also included concerts with the London Symphony Orchestra under Bernard Haitink, and the London Philharmonic, the Mozart Concerto for 2 Pianos with Till Fellner at the 2006 BBC Proms, and a nationwide recital tour of Australia for Musica Viva.
Paul Lewis’s recordings for Harmonia Mundi include two all Schubert CDs, the first winning a Diapson d’Or Choc de l’Année in France in 2002, and the second won the 2004 Edison Instrumentalist Award in Holland. His third disc for them featuring the Liszt sonata, also won the Edison Instrumentalist Award in 2005. The first CD of his complete series of Beethoven Sonatas was released in September 2005, and the second volume, a triple CD box set, will be released in the UK in October 2006. He has also recorded both Mozart Piano Quartets and Schubert’s Trout Quintet with the Leopold String Trio for Hyperion Records.
Press Quotes:
"Lewis's performance (Waldstein Sonata) was faultless as he brought out the poetry, warmth and exuberance that pervades this monumental work. Beg or steal a ticket for the concerts in March and May.” -- The Scotsman 11/30/2005
"There is in Lewis's playing a strong physicality, a firm connection between his deep thinking about the music and his articulation of it. He knows and can define its character, and can show how its rhythmic, harmonic and melodic components coalesce. This was playing of intellectual rigour and imaginative vigour." -- Geoffrey Norris, The Daily Telegraph
"For a young pianist to tackle three of the most elusive and sublime masterpieces in the repertoire all in one recital may seem an act of hubris. But Paul Lewis's odyssey through the complete sonatas of Schubert brought him last night to the trio of great sonatas from the composer's last year. Any one of these on its own would have been a challenge. To bring off all three in such superlative performances is a feat of extraordinary concentration. With his tousle-haired appearance and singing tone, Lewis enables one to imagine Schubert - only a few years older than him when he wrote these works - at the piano. Certainly, he offers a very convincing solution to their interpretative dilemmas.... Lewis gets the balance exactly right for my taste... the overriding impression was of perfectly weighted chording and immaculately executed phrases throughout. This was Schubert playing of the highest order."
-- Barry Millington, The Evening Standard