Program Notes Toccata in E minor, BVW 914 …… J.S. Bach (1685-1750) I.
Prelude
II.
Adagio
Johann Sebastian Bach is responsible for many of the most beloved keyboard compositions of the Baroque period. Among his earlier compositions are his set of seven toccatas, which Bach wrote during his time as the court organist of Weimar. The Toccata in E minor, written for harpsichord, translates strikingly well to the modern piano. The Prelude opens with an improvisatory introduction, which meanders around with rising and falling lines, before fading away into the main theme. Rich contrapuntal lines demonstrate Bach’s harmonic prowess, and the modern piano adds warmth and depth to the Prelude. The Adagio bears a strong resemblance to an operatic recitative, which gently builds and falls before a climactic chordal finale.
Notturno, Op. 54, No. 4 …… Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) The Norwegian pianist composer Edvard Grieg is widely known for his wide breath of Romantic compositions, which includes works for keyboard, orchestra, and incidental music for theatrical performances. A champion of Norwegian musical culture, Grieg often injected folk elements into his works and worked to make Norwegian music known to the European sphere. Grieg’s Notturno, a part of his series of “Lyric Pieces” for the piano, begins with a serene, delicate theme. Constant polyrhythms between the pedal tone bass and the gentle melody blanket the entire main theme. Soft, high trills lead into the “piu mosso” that builds with a hemiola-like rhythm ostinato to a strong fortissimo that utilizes both extremes of the piano’s range. Grieg then expands upon the main theme, maneuvering chromatically through harmonies until the gentle trills return and carry us to the rich, chordal ending of the piece.