Waldegrave Ensemble: Anastasia Arnold (flute) Marissa Pueschel (oboe) Elliott DeVivo (clarinet) Alison Bach (horn) Emily Blake (bassoon) play:
Mozart: 1st mov (Allegro molto) Divertimento No. 14 KV270
Endre Szervanszky: Wind Quintet 'FuvoSotos'
Jaques Ibert: Trois pieces breve
M Ravel: Piece En Forme De Habanera
Denes Agay - Five East Dances
Jacques Ibert studied with Paul Vidal at the Paris conservatoire and later was a student of Fauré. He was the director of the French Academy in Rome for many years and was also assistant director of the Paris Opéra and Opéra-Comique. His Trois Pièces Brèves were written in 1930 and constitute one of the most popular works in the woodwind quintet repertoire Scored for the classical wind quintet, Trois Pièces Brèves (Three Short Pieces) is just that. The first movement, Allegro, has a lively skipping feel which contrasts between light and delicate sections and a heavier feel. The second movement, Andante, is a slow and beautiful duet between the flute and the clarinet with only a short statement made at the end by the other three instruments. The third movement begins with a slow motive that hints towards a brass fanfare with the melodic interjections of the horn and bassoon. The movement then changes mood when the clarinet takes over with a lively melody. The piece ends with a somewhat raucous cadence and surprising cadence that completes the intentions of three short yet sparkling pieces.
Ravel’s Piece en forme de habanera is a short and evocative piece combining the composer’s own style with the sounds and native dance idioms of Spain. This work was originally written as a vocalise for bass voice and piano in 1907, and shares much in common with Mendelssohn’s Song without Words format. Ravel soon made his own arrangements for other instruments, and this languid work is now performed in several different instrumental combinations.
Born in Hungary in 1911, Denes Agay studied piano and composition at the Liszt Academy in Budapest. In 1939 he migrated to the United States, where he worked for the remainder of his career, earning an international reputation as a piano teacher. As a composer and arranger of piano music, he is particularly noted for his ”Joy of… (here fill in your favorite style of music)” series. On his photograph he has a small portion of a framed sheet of Gregorian chant hanging behind his piano, unfortunately not clear enough so I could decipher any text. Five Easy Dances for woodwind quintet were published in 1956. All are relatively short, with faster ones quite lively and the slower ones romantic in their concept.
After their public debut in 2009 the Waldegrave Ensemble has continued to give recitals in around London, exploring repertoire for various wind chamber groups from quintet to dectet and playing original works from classical through to 21st century.
