4 Nisan 2019 Perşembe

Claude Debussy: Sonata for cello and piano in D minor – Sophia Bacelar, Daniela Hlinková (HD 4K)

Music Archive Nisan 04, 2019 Claude Debussy, Daniela Hlinková, Sophia Bacelar

Cuban-Chinese-American cellist Sophia Bacelar and the extraordinary and sensitive Slovak classical pianist Daniela Hlinková perform Claude Debussy's Sonata for cello and piano in D minor. Recorded live at the Berliner Philharmonie, on January 22, 2017.

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Although they represent only half of a projected series of works, Debussy's three chamber sonatas bear testimony to the composer's developing identification with a more abstract – that is, less visually, textually, or otherwise extramusically oriented – musical process. The first of these works, the Sonata No.1 for cello and piano (1915), is cast in three movements, the last two of which are played without break. The Prologue opens with a noble keyboard statement in D minor, well defined harmonically (an unusual feature in Debussy's music) and tinged with modal color, to which the cello provides a highly ornamental response. The entire movement is but 51 measures in length, yet encompasses a wealth of expression. Throughout, musical phrases are allowed to develop and collapse with no clear boundaries; as with much of the composer's later music, the distinction between melody and ornamentation is deliberately obscured.

The absolute saturation of the ensuing Sérénade (marked Modérément animé) with the percussive tones of the cellist's pizzicati came as a great shock to Parisian audiences of Debussy's own time. The few arco passages that invade the texture quickly dissolve away, save for an outburst of triplet rhythms midway through the movement. The bass staccati in the piano serve to make the occasional melodic, legato inserts all the more powerful.

The finale, marked Animé, follows without pause. At 123 bars, it is of greater length than the two previous movements together. Although in performance its quicker tempo compensates for its proportions to some degree, a great deal of the Sonata's musical weight is invested in this energetic movement. Debussy calls for the cello to play with a "light and nervous" character, while he includes no fewer than 17 tempo indications that emphasize the psychological tension. The music builds to several climaxes, only to have the bottom drop out each time in one of Debussy's favorite musical strategies. The cello makes a final passionate, unaccompanied melodic plea, as at the beginning of the entire work, before the Sonata concludes in a flurry of great percussive strength.

Source: Blair Johnston (allmusic.com)

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

♪ Sonata for cello and piano in D minor, L.144 (July-August 1915)

i. Prologue. Lent. Sostenuto e molto risoluto [0:34]*
ii. Sérénade. Modérément animé. Fantasque et léger [4:51]
iii. Finale. Animé. Léger et nerveux [8:00]

Sophia Bacelar, cello
Daniela Hlinková, piano

Berliner Philharmonie, January 22, 2017

(HD 4K / 2160p)

* Start time of each movement

Cuban-Chinese-American cellist Sophia Bacelar is quickly gaining recognition as one of classical music's young rising stars. Recent seasons saw her debuts as soloist at renowned venues such as The Berliner Philharmonie and The Tonhalle Zürich, a series of six concerts broadcast by Medici.tv at the auditorium of La Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris as one of the laureates of the prestigious "Classe d'Excellence de Violoncelle" of Gautier Capuçon, and various solo performances throughout North America, South America, and Europe.

Sophia has performed at Carnegie Hall, The Berliner Philharmonie, The Tonhalle Zürich, Le Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Victoria Hall, Cité de la Musique, and Alice Tully Hall, among others, and has appeared in several renowned festivals, including Festival Napa Valley, The Seiji Ozawa International Academy, The Mendelssohn Festival, and The Piatigorsky International Cello Festival. She has also been a laureate of several international competitions, with most recent prizes including 2nd Prize at the Berliner International Competition (2017), 2nd Prize at the Janigro International Competition (2016), and the Mondavi Center's Career Development Award (2015).

Sophia is passionate about promoting classical music to a new, younger generation of listeners, as well as bringing it to less-reached communities throughout the world. After being inspired by the positive response of audiences during her experiences performing in South America and after concerts broadcast online, Sophia decided to aim to broaden the reach of her music by introducing it in alternative venues and through contemporary mediums. Among her past and current projects include a series of live-streamed concerts in cooperation with Classeek Music, community outreach projects and concerts with children in South America, performances in nightclubs such as Le Poisson Rouge, and collaborations with musicians outside the traditionally classical sphere, including Jazz pianist/composer Dan Tepfer and various electronic musicians. In addition, she maintains an active social media presence on her Instagram account, @sophiabacelar.

Born in 1996 in the United States, Sophia began her musical studies at the age of two. At the age of ten, she was accepted to The Juilliard School, where she studied under the tutelage of Clara Kim for six years. After graduating at age 16, Sophia went on to further her studies at Le Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris in the class of Philippe Muller, from which she graduated two years later. During the 2016-2017 season, she also worked under the mentorship of Gautier Capuçon at La Fondation Louis Vuitton as part of the "Classe d'Excellence de Violoncelle". She is currently pursuing her graduate studies at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in the class of Nicolas Altstaedt. Other close musical mentors have included composer Kendall Durelle Briggs, pianist Noreen Polera, and Bernard Greenhouse, with whom Sophia studied privately for several years.

In addition to music, Sophia studied visual arts for several years, is an avid reader, and is enthusiastic about food, health, and fitness; when not occupied with her musical activities, she devotes the majority of her spare time to these interests.

Source: sophiabacelar.com