Concert in aid of Faith in People Charity

Date: Thursday 14th June 2018

Time: 7pm

Venue: Burgh House and Hampstead Museum

Location: New End Square, London NW3 1LT

Artists: Tania Lisboa - Cello Elizabeth Mucha - Piano

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I’m delighted to be performing with my longstanding colleague, Brazilian cellist, Tania Lisboa at Burgh House in Hampstead, Thursday 14th June at 7.00pm in aid of ‘Faith in People Charity’, which raises money to support the homeless.
In the 30 years that Tania has called London home, her mission has been to promote cultural exchange between the UK and Brazil. Our programme will showcase short works by well-known Brazilian composers. Modinha by Francisco Mignone is a fusion of Brazilian warmth and soulfulness followed by Ponteio e Dança by Camargo Guarnieri, which exploits typical native Brazilian rhythms. Guarnieri carried on the work of developing a unique sound world which Brazil’s most famous composer, Heitor Villa-Lobos began and we end this group with his beautifully lyrical piece, ‘O canto do cisne negro’, (The song of the black swan). This rhapsodic work clearly shows the influence of French music on Brazilian music, especially that of Claude Debussy, whose life and work are being celebrated this year. His cello sonata, which opens the programme was written in 1915, three years before his death. It is one of Debussy’s most experimental works whilst at the same time acknowledges France’s immensely rich Baroque past. It was amongst several chamber works composed in response to the Great War. He confided to a friend that these were composed, “not so much for myself, but to offer proof, small as it may be, that 30 million Boches cannot destroy French thought”.

Meantime in England, composer Frank Bridge was pouring his feelings about the futility and destruction of World War 1 into his epic cello sonata. The 2nd movement, in particular, throws a medley of emotions at the listener: an intense melodic opening is followed by an agitated fast section. Interwoven is a sad nursery-like theme first heard in the cello, which returns repeatedly. The piece ends with a return to the long sweeping melody and rich harmonic textures of the 1st movement like a remembrance of a world now forever destroyed.

Claude Debussy
Cello Sonata

Lent
Modérément animé – Animé

Francisco Mignone
Modinha

Camargo-Guarnieri
Ponteio e Dança

Heitor Villa-Lobos
O Canto do Cisne Negro

Frank Bridge
Cello Sonata

Allegro ben moderato
Adagio ma non troppo