Krassimira Jeliazkova - Violin

Elizabeth Mucha - Piano

César Franck (1822 –1890)                                     

Violin sonata in A major

1.  Allegretto ben moderato

2. Allegro

3. Ben moderato – Recitativo-Fantasia

4. Allegretto poco mosso

Georges Bizet (1838-1875), arr. Pablo de Sarasate          

Fantaisie sur des thèmes de l’opéra, “Carmen”              

Mike Mower (1958)                                                 

Mes-Merengue

Our programme opens with possibly the best-known 19th century sonata for violin and piano. Born in Liège in Belgium, César Franck settled in Paris where he was mainly known as an organist, famous for his improvisatory skills. Later in life, he became a professor at the Paris Conservatoire. In 1886, he composed this violin sonata as a marriage present for the 28-year-old virtuoso violinist, Eugène-Auguste Ysaÿe. This is now considered to be one of Franck’s most celebrated works and it has even been posited that this sonata is one of the candidates for Marcel Proust’s fictional “Vinteuil Sonata” in his famous novel, “In Search of Lost Time”.  

2025 marks the 150th anniversary of the death of George Bizet, composer of the opera “Carmen”, who died young aged only 36 from a heart condition. It is also the year this famous opera premiered at the Opera Comique in Paris, but sadly it was a totally flop. Bizet would never witness the success that it would become. The “Fantaisie” which is an adaptation of themes from the opera for violin and piano, was composed by the Spanish violinist and composer Pablo de Sarasate, who, like so many European musicians of the time, studied at the Paris Conservatory.

We end our programme with a jazzy piece by the British composer, Mike Mower, well- known especially in the flute and jazz world, as he founded and led “Itchy Fingers”, an internationally acclaimed saxophone quartet. Pianist Elizabeth Mucha has enjoyed a long-standing collaboration with Mike, including making recordings of a number of his works for flute and piano. 

‘Mes-Merengue’ was originally part of a suite of three pieces, commissioned by flautist James Galway and the Safri percussion duo from Denmark. Mike then re-arranged it for flute and later for violin. It is inspired by ‘Merengue’ music which originated in the Dominican Republic and is now popular throughout Latin America. The style of Merengue music is repetitive and mesmerising, hence the title, Mes-Merengue. 

Source: https://www.allsaintshertford.org/images/concerts/sb2506.jpg