79e CONCOURS DE GENÈVE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITION
Programme note In this program, I have chosen works by G. Enescu, V. Gaigerova, H. Vieuxtemps, and P. Hindemith. Each of these composers had already developed a deep understanding of their own instrument before turning to composition and was an outstanding performer in their own right. They also share a common thread: while remaining rooted in their national traditions, they each sought to expand and transform these traditions into new musical languages. In their respective eras and cultural contexts, they played vital roles whose efforts and artistic messages continue to inspire us today. Bringing together the works of these four composers has prompted me to reflect anew on the themes of tradition, innovation, and culture. In each piece, one can feel the composers’ pride in their cultural heritage and their sincere dedication to the evolution of music. In this sense, their voices transcend the boundaries of time, nation, and language — resonating with one another, and with us who continue to live and create in the present day.
V. Gaigerova: Suite for Viola and Piano, Op. 8 V. Gaigerova was born on October 17, 1903, in the Moscow region of western Russia, and studied at the Moscow Conservatory. Although much about her life remains obscure, she lived through the turbulent social and political transformations of early 20th-century Soviet history and must have witnessed the uncertainties and hardships of that time. In this Suite, one can hear a wide range of influences—Scriabin, opera, and beyond—revealing her insatiable curiosity. Gaigerova was deeply interested in the cultures of ethnic minorities within the Soviet Union, collecting, transcribing, and studying folk songs, which she often incorporated into her works. This piece frequently evokes melodies reminiscent of Russian folk songs resonating across vast plains. The choice of the title Suite, rather than Sonata, is meaningful: each movement is brief and vividly contrasting in character.
The first movement of the Suite opens with draG. Enescu: Concert Piece for Viola and Piano matic piano chords in D minor, followed by a passionate viola melody that seems to struggle In Romania, a distinct national musical cul- to escape from desolation. The second moveture emerged relatively late compared to oth- ment is gentler and less tragic, suggesting the er European nations. G. Enescu, with his in- warmth of walking with a dear friend or loved ternational outlook and openness to diverse one under the summer sun. The third movestyles, greatly contributed to the development ment is a lively scherzo, evoking hunting scenes of Romanian music as a composer, violinist, or galloping horses, with a heartfelt, lyrical trio pianist, conductor, and educator. section inserted as a brief respite. The fourth movement recalls a funeral march, returning to The Concert Piece overflows with the youth- the desolate atmosphere of the first movement. ful passion of the composer. Ever-changing in It ends quietly with an open fifth, D–A, as if character, fuses French lyricism with Romanian accepting an inevitable fate from which there folk-like melodies, blending inner poetry and is no escape. energy. Within its refined beauty lies a vibrant strength that embodies the Romanian spirit.