《Aria and Swing – Violin and Piano Duo Recital 》【Fringe Festival 26】

Classical music is often stereotyped as “serious” music, yet it is way beyond – we hope to bring a refreshing impression to the audience, showcasing its variety and innovative aspect. This hour-long duo recital celebrates an imaginative blend of musical genres and cultures, presented through works for violin and piano, as well as solo piano. 

Divided into two halves, the first half explores some of the most dramatic operatic music, reimagined on violin and piano. The scene opens with Godowsky’s virtuosic piano transcription of Strauss’ light-hearted comic operetta Die Fledermaus, fully exploiting the vocal and symphonic qualities of the piano. The violin then takes over in Lensky’s Aria from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, where Lensky laments and bids farewell before entering the fatal duel. The first half finishes with the virtuosic classic with daring colours – Hubay’s Carmen Fantaisie.

Moving on from the dramatic, poignant and intense operatic world, the second half offers a completely different atmosphere, featuring relaxing and uplifting music with strong jazz influences. Starting with Weissenberg’s jazzy piano transcription of Trenet’s “En Avril, à Paris”, originally a French chanson that pictures the unique charm and romance of the city, it then takes audiences to the States with two songs by Gershwin, the pioneer of combining jazz and classical styles – “Summertime” & “It Ain’t Necessarily So” from Porgy and Bess. The recital concludes with Schoenfield’s Four Souvenirs for Violin and Piano, a work in four dance movements that infiltrates jazz and modern elements into folk and popular genres.