Edgar Palomino, Senior Minor Recital, violin and piano
Program:
Violin:
Violin Concerto No.5 in A Major, K. 219, "Turkish" (1775) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
I. Allegro aperto - Adagio - Allegro aperto
Piano:
Prelude and Fugue in D minor, BWV 875 (ca. 1740) by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op. 53, "Waldstein" (1803-1804) by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
I. Allegro con brio
Nocturne in C Minor, Op.48, No. 1 (1841) by Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Program Notes:
I. Allegro aperto - Adagio - Allegro aperto from Violin Concerto No.5 in A Major, "Turkish" (1775) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
After finishing high school, I started to feel a sense of burnout from playing the violin and for about two years, it was difficult for me to practice this instrument with the same amount of dedication as before. This was the last piece that I was working on before that troublesome time, the opening movement of Mozart's fifth violin concerto, a wonderful piece with the characteristic brilliance of the Austrian composer coupled with the famous cadenza by Joseph Joachim that most violinists perform the first movement of this concerto with. Despite being a relatively early piece by its Köchel catalogue number, it is nonetheless one with many interesting musical ideas that leave us wondering what would've happened if Mozart had written another violin concerto later on in his life. When I started studying with Prof. Price following my transfer to WashU, I decided that my main goal was to complete and perform this piece, which is why, after four semesters of hard work and practice, I'm proud to achieve this personal milestone and to present this to all of you
Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 875 from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2 (ca. 1740) by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Following in my teacher's footsteps, I've always had great appreciation for the music of Bach. However, whether it was a partita for the violin or an invention for the piano, I've constantly felt that there was something that kept escaping me and not letting me fully understand his music and his numerous ideas. Nonetheless, after carefully and attentively studying this prelude and fugue with Prof. Hinners throughout the past two semesters, I feel that I can now have a better comprehension of how to approach pieces of his such as this one, where a roaring prelude breaks the silence from the very start and takes us through various modulations and sequences until reaching a Picardy third that paves the way for a three-part fugue that is just one of countless testaments of Bach's mastery with counterpoint.
I. Allegro con brio from Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op. 53, "Waldstein" (1803-1804) by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Even though this is a piece that I only started to formally study when I started taking lessons with Prof. Hinners last semester, it is one that I've been intrigued about since I was taking my first steps while learning the piano. I remember that while listening to recordings of Beethoven's twentieth sonata, the music that would pop up immediately afterwards on YouTube would be the rhythmic low-register chords that open the "Waldstein" sonata, which would then transform and change in many unpredictable ways into delicate chorale-style melodies or beautiful arpeggios that would resonate throughout the room. The sudden changes in dynamics and grandiose moments that are scattered throughout this piece make it a staple of the music of the genius from Bonn's middle period and piano literature in general, which is why I couldn't be any happier to perform this piece today.
Nocturne in C Minor, Op.48, No. 1 (1841) by Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
This nocturne by Chopin might be an unconventional choice to close-off my recital program, especially due to its very introspective nature and the moody atmosphere that permeates through most of it. Nevertheless, I still strongly believe that it would be a wonderful piece to finish my Senior Minor Recital with because of the richness of the musical ideas contained within it. The initial Lento section has the preferred texture that Chopin used in most of his nocturnes, a broken-chord left-hand accompaniment with a melody line soaring above the diverse harmonies being created, then moving on to an intermediate and march-like Poco più lento section that slowly rises until reaching a powerful C major climax that then rapidly vanishes to transition into a Doppio movimento section that recapitulates the material from the Lento section but with incessant triplets replacing the more tranquil broken chords from the beginning. At the end, following a grand deceptive cadence that a pianist has to "pre-hear" as Prof. Hinners mentioned to me, all the tension is swiftly resolved, leaving three final C minor chords to return us to the calm yet somber ambience from the beginning.
Biography:
Edgar Palomino is a senior at WashU pursuing a major in Computer Science along with a minor in Music. He started playing the violin when he was 5 years old, a decision that was mostly made by his parents when he had to choose an instrument to learn as part of his school's music requirement, also picking up the piano along the way when he was 11 years old and his violin teacher suggested learning this instrument as a complement to his violin studies. However, even though the start of his musical stories with the violin and piano were a bit curious, he quickly grew to love the two instruments and although there were times throughout the years when he felt that he wanted to abandon or brush aside one or the other, he eventually learned that the two of them are part of his identity and part of who he is as a person and as a musician. Before starting university, he was an active member of his school's (Newton College) music ensembles such as the Newton College Orchestra, Newton College Band and Suzuki Violin Ensemble, along with being part of the Británico Symphony Orchestra of the Asociación Cultural Peruano Británica. During his initial college years at NYU Abu Dhabi, he participated in various chamber music ensembles and also played in the Abu Dhabi Youth Orchestra of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Finally, after transferring to WashU to complete his undergraduate studies, he's currently a member of the Washington University Symphony Orchestra and in spite of not being sure of what the future holds for him after graduation, he knows that music will always accompany him, no matter what happens or where he goes!
Thank You!:
I would like to dedicate this recital and this program to my mom, Ana, and to my dad, Edgar, who despite being thousands of miles away from me on this day, there is not a single moment when I don't hold them close to my heart. This music also goes to my sister, María, my brother-in-law, Alfredo, and my nephew, Elías, who are always there for me and give me their unconditional support. I would also like to thank my two music instructors at WashU, Professor Jane Price and Professor Sunghee Hinners, who have not only helped me to grow as a musician while studying with them but also become a better person. Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who has been part of my musical journey, Profesor Roberto Suárez, Miss Natasha Encinas, Profesor Roberto Gonzáles, Profesor Jaime Bazán, Profesor José Marcos Gamarra, Profesor Richard Eyzaguirre, Professor Matthew Quayle and Professor Klaudia Olborska-Szymanska. All of this wouldn't have been possible without any of your help!