Music Chamber

Jose Zalba Smith (flute), Leanne Singh-Levett (piano) perform flute sonatas by JS Bach:

 

Sonata in Eb Major BWV 1031

Allegro moderato ~ Siciliano ~ Allegro

 

Sonata in G minor BWV 1020

Allegro ~ Adagio ~ Allegro

 

Sonata in E Major BWV 1035

Adagio ma non tanto ~ Allegro ~ Siciliano ~ Allegro assai

 

Sonata in A Major BWV 1032

Vivace ~ Largo e dolce ~ Allegro

 

Bach is believed to have composed his flute sonatas between the 1720s and 1741, following the innovation of the transverse flute, the instrument that superseded the recorder. After Johann Joachim Quantz demonstrated the new instrument throughout Europe in the early 1720s, Bach celebrated its technical and expressive qualities and newly available tonal colours in this series of sonatas, which are among his best known chamber works. The first three of the six sonatas, BWV 1030-1032, are three-movement obligato sonatas in which Bach wrote out the right hand notes to the accompaniment; BWV 1033-1035, by contrast, are continuo sonatas in four movements in which the composer provided only the bass line of the accompaniment. There is some debate over the provenance of the Sonata BWV 1020 in G Minor, which some believe was composed by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, rather than by his father. C.P.E. Bach, however, gave the credit to his father. Joshua Smith, Delos label flautist says of the sonatas “Using deep symmetries of structure, expressive rhetorical gestures, and daring manipulations of tonality, Bach strove to render the human experience in sound. He did so fervently and with grace, creating an art that impresses us with its great form, rhythmic scope, gesture, and color. At the deepest level, his music speaks to us because it holds out the alchemical promise that we can transform all of these devices into inspiration in our imaginations.”

 

Born in Havana, Cuba, Jose studied flute and piano at the Alejandro G. Caturla and later at Amadeo Roldan Conservatory, where he received first Prize from the National Union of Artists and Writers of Cuba in their Woodwind Competition. Jose has given chamber music concerts with the violinist Evelio Tieles and Havana Player’s Ensemble at the Auditorium Amadeo Roldan and Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asis in Havana. He was also invited to be part of the Bach Festival 2002 in Havana giving concerts in a variety of venues such as National Theatre “Garcia Lorca” and Caturla’s Concert Hall. He got a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2003 and played with Guildhall Symphonia and Wind Orchestra. Whilst a student he was invited to play with the Morley College’s Orchestra and the Eureka Foundation Orchestra. Jose was accepted as a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Spain (2006-2007) and as an extra player for the National Welsh Opera (2007-present). Finally, on completing his Masters, Jose was chosen to be part of the 2008-2009 Foyle Future Firsts Training Scheme with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and also given a place with the Southbank Sinfonia with whom he has enjoyed many exciting opportunities to play an extremely varied programme in a variety of venues across the UK. Jose has performed several times as Principal and Sub Principal with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and is currently Professor at Newham College of Further Education.

 

Leanne holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Performance from the Royal College of Music, where she studied with Andrew Ball and Roger Vignoles. In 2009 Leanne completed theFoyle Future Firsts apprenticeship programme with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, studying orchestral playing with Catherine Edwards. Leanne has performed at venues including the Purcell Room and Royal Festival Hall at London’s South Bank Centre, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St James’s Piccadilly, the Austrian Cultural Forum and the V&A. She is a Resident Pianist at Charterhouse International Music Festival, and works regularly at the Royal College of Music, playing for song classes and opera. In summer 2009, Leanne participated in the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme at Aldeburgh, and worked in France on Opéra de Baugé’s productions of Verdi’s La Traviata, Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Mozart’s La finta giardiniera.