TRINITY Support Series oO = Preparing for Performance (1) A Brief Guide to Writing Programme Notes for Music Examinations David Robinson, MBE Regional Consultant SEAsia Trinity College LondonWhat is the purpose of programme notes? When we attend a concert, the programme notes we are given are meant to assist us to understand the music that is played, and thereby to increase our enjoyment of the performance. The recitalist cannot always judge precisely what sort of audience (s)he is playing to, and as individual listeners we may sometimes find that programme notes seem either over- technical or, possibly, too simplistic to satisfy us. Performing for Examinations Students who prepare for examinations, such as the FIRST CONCERT CERTIFICATE, PERFORMERS CERTIFICATE or ASSOCIATE/LICENTIATE DIPLOMAS of Trinity College London, can be sure of their audience ... normally one or two music examiners who are known for their musical expertise, and very experienced in the matter of assessment. Bearing this in mind, the student can firstly be guided by the advice given in the examination syllabus. From this we lea that programme notes ~ usually between 75-100 words should focus mainly on the CONTEXT, CONTENT and SIGNIFICANCE of the chosen pieces. Context refers to the ‘environment’ that existed at the time the music was composed. For example, was it a dance written in 17" century Europe where the Suite was developing to provide the basis of the later Sonata? Or, was it a short form of a more romantic quality from two hundred years later ... perhaps a Nocturne by John Field? Content. Under this heading, brief mention can be made of the structural design of the music, or its melodic or harmonic content, its ornateness or its severity. Does the music use an unusual scale? Does it lack a sense of key? Is it mainly rhythmic, or contrapuntal? Significance. In order to play really well, the performer must show a good understanding of the music (s)he plays, and must recognize its significance. Was it for some reason a special piece in the repertoire of that composer? Did it have special ‘nationalistic’ ot ‘impressionistic’ importance at the time it was written? Researching Programme Notes In compiling programme notes, the student will need to use available resources, as (s)he would if producing an essay ot paper in some other subject. Most music students will have access to dictionaries, encyclopedias, histories, biographies. Reference might also be made to CD insert notes, or to useful internet websites. One danger can be that the student gathers too much information, and then attempts to flood his/her programme notes with many facts that are irrelevant. Method 100 words is really not very many, and the restriction this imposes can be troublesome. Here are some suggestions:‘Writing Programme Notes, Page 2 (1) Iffour works are to be performed, then the programme notes should occupy a total ‘of 400 words, or less ... usually aiming to give a balanced amount of space to each item. (2) Words should be chosen very carefilly, so that they tell something useful about the music without needlessly using up precious space. (3) Remember the three “guide” words mentioned earlier — Context, Content and Significance. Simply writing a dull catalogue of bar-to-bar facts about the music is not suitable. It is far better to draw attention to something interesting in the music ~ something that the performer has him/herself found enjoyable, ‘significant’ or unique in some way. (4) Students should try to give their own identity to the programme notes, rather than simply reproducing material from a dictionary, or some other source. This shows that the performer has become genuinely involved with the music. (5) There are some aspects of examination that tend to be rather neglected until the final stages before examination. ‘The task of writing programme notes (or preparing spoken programme announcements) is as important as any other feature 6fexamination, and should be dealt with in good time. Carry out your research, write the first draft of your notes, read and re-read, checking the grammar and spelling, lengthen or shorten, trim or précis as necessary until you are entirely happy with the result. Be sure to include the actual titles of each piece, and an approximate duration. The programme should also show your name and registration number. If this sort of care is taken, there are valuable marks to be gained! The Challenge Writing programme notes provides an interesting challenge for the music student. If they are carefully written and informative they will give the examiner a favourable impression, especialy if they are neatly word-processed and compiled. SPECIMEN PROGRAMMES The ‘specimen’ notes that follow are for possible programmes at First Concert Certificate, Performers Certificate and Diploma levels. They are not intended to be perfect (and should not be copied!), but they are intended to give some idea of the compactness and clearness that examiners might expect to see in examination conditions. They are worded ina manner that would enable them to be spoken or, with minor adjustments, to be handed to the examiner in printed programme form. Remember ... The best programme notes will be those that give a brief but informative account of the music and its composers, demonstrate personal insight into th mc ands compet 1e works being performed —ATCL(Recital) DIPLOMA Clementi: Sonata in B flat, op.12 no.1 (15’) Schubert: Impromptu in G flat, op.90 no.3 (5’) Ravel: Rigaudon & Menuet from Le tombeau de Couperin (8') Sculthorpe: Mountains (5’) Born in 1752, Clementi, the English composer of Italian birth, was the first to create keyboard works expressly for the capabilities of the pianoforte. He wrote nearly one hundred and ten sonatas which were greatly admired by Beethoven, and often possess a virtuoso quality. I commence my programme with the Sonata in B flat, opus 12 no.1 —a work in three movements displaying a number of Clementi’s common technical challenges, such as octaves and double thirds. The sonata has a brisk, sweeping first movement, followed by a larghetto in the dominant key — simple and poised, and concluding with a set of variations that are both spirited and elegant in style. (108 words) Elegance and serenity are also features of my next piece, Schubert’s Impromptu in G flat. Schubert’s music tended to be less virtuoso than that of Clementi, and was generally intended to be performed for friends in more intimate surroundings. This music has a spacious quality — a song-like melody with a very fluid sextuplet accompaniment. There are a number of interesting key-changes, and a coda that gives the Impromptu a tranquil conclusion. (70 words) My next pieces are two movements from Ravel's ‘Le tombeau de Couperin’. Ravel was a French composer whose name was inevitably linked with Debussy’s, although Ravel’s music tends always to show a more polished technical finish and clear-cut forms — (Stravinsky called him a ‘Swiss watchmaker’). The suite was composed in 1917, and I shall play the 3 and 4 movements — Rigaudon — music with a sharp, incisive rhythm and an oboe-like cantabile in the middle section, and the Menuet, which has considerable charm in both its melody and harmony. (88 words) Lastly, I should like to play “Mountains” — by the Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe. First performed in 1981, ‘Mountains’ was commissioned by the Sydney International Piano Competition. The music shows a clear awareness of regional context, and paints a ‘picture in sound’ of the mountainous terrain of Tasmania, where the composer was born. The music is dominated by the opening motif, and consists of three sections. The first and third are slow and brooding, and the central section having a more ecstatic character — perhaps portraying the power of angular mountain peaks. (90 words) -0-000-0-SAMPLE PROGRAMME NOTES [CANDIDATE NAME] ASSOCIATE DIPLOMA of the TRINITY COLLEGE of LONDON PERFORMANCE on the PIANOFORTE THURSDAY, 23 NOVEMBER 2000Britten Haydn Poulenc PROGRAMME Moderato & Nocturne from Sonatina Romantica (1940) Sonata in E minor, Hob. XVI/34 I. Presto Il. Adagio Til. Molto vivace Novelette Nos. 1 & 2 from 3 Novelette No. 1 in C major No. 2 in Bb minorBritten Moderato & Nocturne from Sonatina Romantica (1940) This piece was composed during Britten's stay in the United States in the early years of the 2nd World War. in the midst of composing the Sinfonia da Requiem. he interrupted his work to pen this sonatina for friend, who was @ keen amateur pianist The sonatina was originally in 4 movements However, the composer was dissatisfied with the toccaia finale and embarked on a revision which was never completed. As for the 3rd movement Burlesque, the work is too short to make sense in it's present context. The first two movements were then presented in its current form by the publishers. J Haydn Sonata in E minor, Hob. XVU/34 Presto Adagio Molto Vivace The aesthetics of Strum und Drang and Empfindsamkait in the classical period were one of the main reasons the minor mode appealed to 18th century composers, especially to Haydn. In reflection of the Sirum und Drang, the style 1s marked by sudden shifts of moods, tonality, unexpected pauses and dissonant harmony in the rnusie. As for Empfindsamkait, meaning ‘sentimental’. the performer is aiming at a highly-personal and intimate rendition of the work or movement. ‘These styles are clearly played out in the sonata, - composed in 1784 especially in the florid Adagio, with it's aria-like melody and in the Rondo finale, where major and minor versions of the theme are alternated, coupled with sudden pauses and shifts in register. As for the opening movement, it 1s a lively yet unusual Presto which balances intimacy with display.Prelude and Fugue No.18 in G# minor The Well-Tempered Clavier has two books, Book 1 and Book 2. Each book has a prelude and fugue in each of the 24 major and minor keys. Prelude and fugue in G# minor is the number eighteen from the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier. Prelude in G# minor has a three voice texture. The opening melodic fragment is expressive and Bach used it in every voice and in almost every bar by shortened or inverted it. Fugue in G# minor has a subject entering In the order tenor, alto, soprano and bass. The subject is angular and repeats aga'0 and again until the end However, there are punctuated quavers along with the subject, give the piece a direction and bite. % Sonata in C major, KV 330 ~ Sonata in C major, KV 330 is one of the piano sonatas composed by Mozart in 1783, published in 1784 4 ‘The piece has the usual three movements. It starts with Allegro Moderato. Mozart had made it interesting by varies the opening theme and let it appear again in the beginning, The music in second movement is “Andante Cantabile. It flows out a smooth, sweet and lyrical mood in F major. However, it turns to parallel minor key, which is F minor in the middle and use A flat major in a distant area but tums back to F major again. Allegretto is used for the final movement. Virtuosity 1s the dominant mood. Moreover, the melody flows out in concerto style, with contrasting between full sections and solos.al sa ld on Poulenc Novelette Nos 1 & 2 from 3 Novelette No. 1 in C major, Modéré sans lenteur— No. 2 in Bb minor, Trés rapide et rythmé Stylish with a mix of wit would aptly describe Poulene’s music. A member of the French group of composers ~ Les Six, Poulene’s works are framed in & simple yet elegant harmonic language mixed with a tinged of Stravinskyan irony. He excelled in the genre of the French song. However, the lyrical and light character of the songs is much in evidence in today’s two Novelette. The two pieces cannot be more contrasting in character — a cantabile and flowing opening novelette followed by a crisp and witty number, abound with leaps across the whole spectrum of the keyboard. The language is suitably modern and the first piece charms the listener with distinctively French harmonic colouring, {PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PROGRAMME NOTE IS MERELY A SAMPLE. YOU ARE ADVICED TO REFER TO THE SYLLABUS AT ALL TIMES WHEN IN DOUBT OR CONTACT THE RELEVANT REPRESENTATIVES OR NATIONAL OFFICE STAFF]