Bridge Ensemble Leeds performing at Harehills Lane Baptist Church on Saturday 7th March at 7pm, conducted by Yannis Daoutis.

Faust Overture (1880)

Emilie Mayer (1812 – 1883)

Mayer was a German Romantic composer whose output was prolific for a female composer of her generation. She composed numerous chamber works, orchestral overtures and eight symphonies all of which are noted for their originality and craftsmanship.

The Faust Overture is one of her later compositions, inspired by one of the greatest works of German literature, Goethe’s tragic play Faust. The story centres around a pact that Mephistopheles (the Devil) makes with God to seduce a scholar (Faust). Faust agrees to serve the Devil in Hell if he can have a blissful time on Earth. The tragic development of the story involves Faust’s seduction of Margaret and the fatal consequences.

Mayer sets the opening Adagio in B minor. The Allegro moves the action on until we meet a more lyrical section depicting Margaret. The Allegro theme returns to remind us of the confused battle in Faust’s mind and the persuasive power of the Devil. A short venture into B major perhaps tells us all is not lost – that Margaret may be saved and enter Heaven.

Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 54 (1845)

Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856)

1. Allegro affettuoso (A minor)

2. Intermezzo: Andante grazioso (F major)

3. Allegro vivace (A major)

Schumann was a German Romantic composer and pianist. The A minor concerto is the only piano concerto that he completed but is one of the most widely performed concertos of this era. Starting life as a single-movement composition in 1841, Schumann was encouraged by his wife Clara, also an accomplished pianist, to revise and develop the piece. The three-movement full concerto was finished in 1845.

The first movement opens with an energetic descending motif on the piano followed by a lyrical melody from the oboe. The piano takes up this theme and plays with it in various ways and moods. The opening motif returns in the orchestra reminding us of the two musical characters Schumann depicts and develops in this movement. The reprise returns with the opening motif moving into a huge virtuosic Cadenza. A Coda concludes this movement.

The Intermezzo is in ternary form (3 sections, A-B-A) in F major. A delicate tune opens the movement from the piano and strings, heard throughout the A section. In the B section, the cellos and other strings pick up on a flourish heard in the piano earlier in section A. After a shortened reprise of the A section’s theme the piano moves straight into the final movement.

The strings enter with a big flourish to open the Allegro vivace, and the piano takes up the main A major theme. The movement is full of colour and energy, with an extended ending.

– INTERVAL 20 minutes –

Symphony No.3 in Eb Major – ‘Eroica’ (1804)

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)

The Eroica Symphony is from German composer Beethoven’s middle period of work and is recognised as a transition from Classical to Romantic music. It is innovative in its structure, length, use of harmony and emotional content. Originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, Beethoven reportedly tore up the title page of his manuscript in disgust at the tyranical behaviour he believed was displayed when Napoleon later proclaimed himself Emperor of the French. The symphony was retitled ‘Eroica’.

Allegro con brio

The first movement is in sonata form (three main sections: an exposition, a development, and a recapitulation) and begins with two loud E flat chords played by the orchestra. The exposition opens with a cello theme completed by the violins. The woodwind develop the theme moving through various keys. Other motifs taken from the main theme are played in canon, upward and downward scales from the strings followed by a lyrical melody. Six loud chords interrupt the flow. The main theme returns at the end of the exposition before moving into the development section, which has rhythmic and harmonic tension and various intertwining ideas taken from the main theme. The recapitulation returns in E flat but briefly changes to F major before concluding with a long coda.

Marcia funebre: Adagio assai

A solemn C minor funeral march in ternary (A-B-A) form introduces a theme which reappears many times across the movement. Both a second theme in E flat major and the first theme are developed. The shorter B section is in C major. The return to the A section quickly develops into a fugue in F minor using an inversion of the original second theme. A stormy section follows on before the A theme reappears and quietly dissolves away.

Scherzo: Allegro vivace

This lively movement whispers in the dominant key of B flat before exploding out of the orchestra in the tonic key of E flat. Syncopated melodic intervals of fourths draw us back to a repeat of the main theme. The Trio section features three horns – the first time this appears in a classical symphony. The Scherzo is repeated shortened but interrupted briefly by a unison motif in two time.

Finale: Allegro molto – Poco andante – Presto

The final movement is a complex set of variations using two themes – a melodic one and a bass one. After a short flurried introduction a quiet theme in E flat major appears, which is developed in various forms over 10 variations. The 2nd variation has a triplet accompaniment. The 3rd variation introduces a new melody over the original bass theme. Variation 4 is a fugue in C minor. Variation 5 is playful leading to the 6th in a stormy G minor mood. The 7th is brief before another fugue appears in the 8th variation. Variation 9 changes tempo and is more tranquil. The final variation is triumphant and “heroic” with full brass sounding the victory. The symphony ends with a section marked ‘Presto’ and the full orchestra rushes to the final three chords in E flat major.

Programme notes by Elaine Levene