Jason Hardink just sent us a surprise—a full solo recital!—and asked if we’d share it with NOVA’s fans. Who can turn down an offer like that?
A video version of this episode is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrsMs5ei6W8.
Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Hammerklavier” Sonata is one of the most monumental works in the piano repertoire. The work’s nickname came from its title page, which indicated that it was written for the more modern “hammer keyboard” piano, rather than the harpsichord or other contemporary instruments. The “Hammerklavier” certainly makes full use of the piano’s dynamic range and expressive power.
Brittany Green is a composer from North Carolina whose works often explore the relationship between sound, movement, and text. “Portraits” is a suite of character sketches based on poems by Bessie Irene. These movements “depict people we all know,” says the composer, ranging from “Le garçon qui passe”, who is “trying to hold onto something that cannot last” to “La fille dans les nuages”, a woman facing “the complexity of struggling between who you are and who the world thinks you should be.”
You can hear more music by Brittany Green at https://www.brittanyjgreen.com.
Brittany Green: Portraits
I. La femme complexe (Complicated Woman, based on “I am You”) (01:25)
II. Le garçon qui passe (Boy Passing By, based on “Fleeting”) (05:52)
III. La mère dans le marché (Mother in the Market, based on “Mother in City Market”) (06:37)
IV. L’homme durci (Hardened Man, based on “Confinement”) (10:00)
V. La fille dans les nuages (Girl in the Clouds, based on “Beyond the Clouds”) (12:24)
Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat Major “Hammerklavier”, op. 106
I. Allegro (15:49)
II. Scherzo (26:38)
III. Adagio sostenuto (29:25)
IV. Introduction & Fugue (46:31)
Jason Hardink | piano
recorded December 10 and 14, 2020, Caine Wanlass Performance Hall, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
recorded by Michael Palmer and Wesley Morrison
recording mastered by Michael Carnes
hosted and produced by Chris Myers (https://www.argylearts.com)
Transcript available at https://www.novaslc.org/novapodcast/novapodcast009
Copyright © 2020 NOVA Chamber Music Series. All rights reserved.
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