ProgrammeF. Chopin Songs Op. 74(1810-1849) Życzenie [TheWish] Gmajor,1829(S.Witwicki); Smutnarzeka[TheSadRiver]Fsharpminor,1831(S.Witwicki); Gdzielubi[WhatSheLikes]Amajor,1829,(S.Witwicki); Hulanka[Merrymaking]Cmajor,1830(S.Witwicki); Wiosna[TheSpringSong] Gminor,1838(S.Witwicki); Ślicznychłopiec[HandsomeLad] Dmajor,1841,(B.Zaleski); Preczzmoichoczu[OutofMySight] Fminor,1827,(A.Mickiewicz); Wojak[TheWarrior] Aflatmajor,1831,(S.Witwicki); Narzeczony[TheBridegroom] Cminor,1831,(S.Witwicki); Leciliściezdrzewa[Leavesarefalling] Eflatminor,1836,(W.Pol) Song without opus number: Dumka [Reverie] Aminor,(B.Zaleski) Songs Op. 74 Melodia[Melody] Gmajor,1847,(Z.Krasinski); Pierścień[TheRing] Eflatmajor,1836,(S.Witwicki); Piosnkalitewska[LithuanianSong] Eflatmajor,1831,(L.Osinski); Mojapieszczotka[MyDarling] Gflatmajor,1837,(A.Mickiewicz);

-Intermission–

F. Chopin Trio in G minor, Op. 81. Allegro con Fuoco 2. Scherzo 3. Adagio Sostenuto 4. Finale: Allegretto

Sonata in G minor, Op. 651. Allegro moderato 2. Scherzo (Allegro con brio)5. Largo6. Finale (Allegro)

Friday, May 14, 2010 8 PM,Magee Theatre, Vancouver

Urszula KrygerMezzo-soprano

An Evening of Songs and Chamber Music

Zbigniew RauboPiano

Libby YuPiano

Joseph ElworthyCello

Joan BlackmanViolin

The Chopin Festival, May 14-16, 2010commemorating 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth

Sunday, October 18, 2009 Sun-Wook KimSaturday, November 7, 2009 Dina YoffeSaturday, April 10, 2010 Dmitri AlexeevSunday, May 16, 2010 Zbigniew RauboThe 200th Anniversary of the Chopin birthMay 14 - 16, 2010 Chopin Festival Saturday, May 15 “Weeping Muse, Broken Lyre” by Don Mowatt

The Vancouver Chopin Society 2009/2010 Concert Season

ConcertSponsors:

Urszula KrygeristhegraduateoftwofacultiesoftheLodzMusicAcademy:instrumental(piano)andvocalandactingunderJ.Pietraszkiewicz.ShecontinuedvocalstudiesunderAndréOrlowitzinCopenhagen,whichledtomanysuccessesinvariousinternationalvocalcompetitions.Betweenyears1992-1994shewasawardedthe1stprizeintheMoniuszkoCompetitioninWarsaw,theBrahmsCompetitioninHamburg,andtheARDMusicCompetitioninMunich.UrszulaKryger’srepertoryextendsfrombaroqueoratoriesthroughGermanandItalianoperatoromanticandmodernsongs.Shehasperformedconcertsandsongrecitals in thebiggestmusicvenuesofEuropesuchasMunich,Paris,Frankfurt(AlteOper),Berlin(Schauspielhaus),Milano(LaScala),Stuttgart,Madrid.Shehasco-operatedwith famousconductors: JerzySemkow,JanKrenz,RafaelFrübeckdeBurgos,SirColinDavis.SheperformsregularlyatwellknownmusicfestivalssuchastheMenuhinFestivalinGstaad,theBerlinerFestwochen,theKissingerSommer,theWarsawAutumn.UrszulaKrygerisparticularlykeenonchambermusicandhasbeenaccompaniedbysuchgreatmusiciansasHartmutHöll,CharlesSpencer,MelvynTan,PascalRogé,theclarinetistPaulMeyeraswell as stringquartets: theTokyoStringQuartet, thePetersenQuartet and theSineNomineQuartet.Her internationaloperadebut tookplace in1996 in theSemperOper inDresdenasAngelina inRossini`s“Cinderella”.ShehasrecordedforradiostationsinPoland,France,GermanyandSwitzerland.HerCDrecordingsinclude Poulenc`s “Polish Songs”with P. Rogé (Decca 1999), Chopin Songswith Ch. Spencer(Hyperion1999),RussianDuetswithJ.RappéandT.Herbut(Dux2001),MoniuszkoSongs(Dux2002),SzymanowskiSongs(Dux2002).In 2003 a recording of Beethoven’s arias was released (BNL) followed in 2004 by a completerecordingofSzymanowski’ssongsforChannelClassics.ThelatterwontheFryderykPrizefortheMostOutstandingPolishMusicRecordinginthesameyear.InJanuary2006UrszulaKrygerreceivedTheSzymanowskiFoundationPrizeforhermasterlyinterpretationsofSzymanowki’ssongs.Zbigniew Raubo’sbiographyisprintedinSunday’sprogram.Pianist Libby Yu has graced international audiences on stages such as the AmsterdamConcertgebouw,LaChatreinFrance,WarsawPhilharmonicHall,NewYork’sWeillHallatCarnegieHall,JordanHallinBoston,AmbassadorAuditoriuminPasadena,andthroughoutCanada.Ms.YuhasalsoperformedassoloistwiththeNetherlandsPhilharmonic,IPalpitiChamberOrchestraandmajorCanadiansymphonyorchestrasincludingMontreal,Toronto,Winnipeg,ManitobaChamber,Vancouver,EdmontonandVictoria.OneofCanada’sleadingyoungpianists,shecapturedtheFirst-Prizeinthe27thCBCRadioNationalCompetitionforYoungPerformersandaDiplomaofHonourattheprestigious13thInternationalFredericChopinPianoCompetitionheldinWarsaw,Poland.Ms.YuhasstudiedwithProfessorLeeKum-SingatboththeVancouverAcademyofMusicandtheUniversityofBritishColumbia.ShehasrecentlyreleasedtwosoloalbumsofChopin’spianoworks.Joan Blackman, Associate Concertmaster of the VSO, enjoys a vibrant musical life in ourcommunity.Besidesplayingintheorchestra,sheissoughtafterasafirstclasschambermusicianinCanada.Sheisalsoanactiveteacher,givingmasterclassesthroughoutB.C.Joanhasperformedand recorded as soloistwithVancouverSymphony,VictoriaSymphony,CBCRadioOrchestra,andtheBanffFestivalOrchestra.“Shapelier phrases and sweeter tone would be hard to imagine”,“a ravishing tone”, “first rate soloist”, “exchanged lines meltingly in a flawless performance” “playing with lyricism, precision, and evident joy”;areaccoladesthathavegracedJoan’sreviews.AsArtisticDirectoroftheVettaChamberMusicandRecitalSociety,sheprogramsandperformsinafirstclassconcertserieswhichfeaturesthebestofBCtalentalongwithinvitedguestsfromafar.JoanhasalsoperformedchambermusicwithpremiergroupssuchasthePendereskiStringQuartet,PurcellStringQuartet,Curio,MusicintheMorning,VancouverNewMusic,TurningPointEnsemble,andinrecitalbroadcastsonCBCradio.SheisamemberoftheacclaimedAmericanStringProject,whichbringstogetherconcertmastersandsoloiststhroughoutNorthAmerica,andhasparticipatedseveraltimesinthePenderHarbourChamberMusicFestival.Joseph Elworthyhasreceivedcriticalacclaimforhisinterpretiveinsightandtechnicalprowess.Mr.ElworthybeganhismusicalstudieswithAudreyNodwellattheVancouverAcademyofMusic;followingsixyearsinprivateinstructionwithEricWilson(UBC),hecontinuedhiseducationatYaleUniversityand theJulliardSchoolstudyingwithesteemedpadagague,AldoParisot.UpongraduationfromYale,Elworthyreceivedthe“AldoParisotPrize”-thehighesthonourissuedbyYaletoagraduatingcellist“showingmostpromiseforaninternationalcareer.”Elworthy has been a featured soloist, recitalist, and chambarmusician throughout Canada, theUnited States,Asia and Europe, performing on such stages asAlice Tully Hall, Suntory Hall,CarnegieHall,theLibraryofCongress,andSeojongHall.HehasappearedonnumeroustelevisionandradiobroadcastsaroundtheglobeincludingCBC,Arts & Entertainment,BRAVO,PBS,RadioEurope,andNHK.HisrecordingscanbeheardonEMI,Sony,Achtype,andBoserecordlabels.HeisHeadoftheCelloDepartmentattheVancouverAcademyofMusic,wherehealsoservesasDirectorofChamberMusicandConductoroftheAcademyChamberStrings.Josephplaysona rare1760FerdinandoGagliano thatoncebelonged to the legendaryGermancellist,HugoBecker.

Friends ($100 - $499) Victor BastowAsaf BennyTeresa & Jan BobrowskiMargo BudytaMalgorzata & Krzysztof BurczyckiIko BylickiVincent CardellaDr. Maria DaszkiewiczAnna DomanskaAlex DrennanColette ElblHenry EwertJohn GrahamKen HongKen Hsieh (VMO)Ewa & Jerzy Jakobs

Eric WilsonGloria WongSi Yi WuBernice Wylie

WelcometothefirstChopinFestivalinVancouver’shistory,aswejointheworldincelebratingthebicentennialyearofFredericChopin’sbirth.

Preparinga three-day festival in themidstofa regular season isamajorundertaking foranyorganization,particularlyforasmallsocietyrunentirelybyvolunteers.

Whenwewereseverelychallengedbysuddenandunexpectedcutsfromgovernmentfunding,wehopedwewouldbesupportdedby the individualsandorganizationswehaveservedover theyears,andwewerenotdisappointed.

Asafoundingmemberandthecurrentpresident,Iwouldliketothankmypredecessorsinthisposition:TadeuszvanWollen(foundingmember),MateuszvanWollenandBillSteen,aswellastheesteemedArtisticDirectorsofthepasttwelveyears:ErikSitkowiecki(foundingmember),GrzegorzNowakandourdearLeeKum-Sing.

Iwouldalsoliketoacknowledgethecontributionofallfoundingmembers,whohelpedtoformthisorganiza-tion:Dr.MariaBleszynski,MalgorzataBurczycka,TeresaBobrowska,TadeuszDuksztaandEwaWadolna.

Iamdeeplygratefultoallpastandpresentboardmembersandthosewhogavesuchgenerousfinancialsupportovertheyears,tomakethisfestiveoccasionpossible.

The VCS would also like to thank the many volunteerswho have made tonight’s event possible.

Lee Kum-Sing - Artistic DirectorIko Bylicki - PresidentNiels Andersen - Vice-PresidentTeresa Bobrowska - SecretaryJason Ng - Treasurer

Malgorzata Burczycka - DirectorVince Cardella - DirectorDon Mowatt - DirectorOri Kowarsky - DirectorDawn Short - Honorary Board Member

Artists Biographies Programme Notes Message From The President

VCS Board of Directors

Sponsors ($1,000 - $4,999)

Peter Chan Consulate General of theRepublic of PolandDr. Zenon CieslakMarla IgnaszewskiDr. Andrew Jakubowski

Partner ($5000 +)

Anonymous DonorLOHN Foundation

Benefactors ($500 - $999)

Niels AndersenRonald HaglerDr. Robin GarvinDr. Marianna KlimekJack LiPaul Osmanski

The VCS would like to thank the following donors for their generosity and support of our 2009-2010 Season

Danuta & Janusz Jaworskiin memory of Zbigniew JanNiwinskiOri KowarskyMatthew KurnickiLee Kum-SingFrances LamMichael LamErnest LangHorng Dih LeeDr. Samuel LichtensteinJacek LipowskiLois LiuGwen LoweDr. Andrzej MajorAdam MarcMasanao Morimura

Jason NgWalter & Mila OrlowskiNina PopovskaKrystyna Radwan-PytlewskaConscious Living RadioBrigitte SakulerDawn ShortVictoria SmusIza SobieskiWilliam SteenTom StefanskiMaxine StonemanRuth TubbesingMargaret Xu Xuhong XuEdward Weinstein

Hanna Niwinski in memory of Zbigniew Jan NiwinskiHanna McGee,Katsuko OchiaiJadwiga Prenosil

#400 - 601 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 4C2 CanadaTel. 604-871-4450 Email: info@chopinsociety.orgwww.chopinsociety.org

Chopin, Songs

ChopinwroteandimprovisedPolishsongs throughouthiscareer,butnonewerepublishedinhislifetime.HisfamilyaskedFontana,aPolishfriendofhis,tocollectthemafterhedied,andeventuallythesebecamehisOp.74(1859).Ofthenineteensongsthatsurvive,fivewerewrittenwhenhewasstillinWarsaw,fivewereprobablycomposedinViennawhenhewasonhisfirsttourin1831,fourarefromthelater1830sinParis,andthelastfivearefromthe1840s.Thepoemswerewrittenbypeopleheknew,eitherinWarsaw,oramonghiscircleofacquaintancesinParis.Instyle,theyaremostlytypicalfortheirtime,basedontextswithromantic,supernaturalorpatrioticthemes.Theyrangeintonefromfolk-likeandcharmingtopoignantexpressionsofdeepestsorrow.Manyarestrophicandhavetherhythmofthemazurka,adancethatwasclosetohisheart.Someof the later ones are particularly beautiful,with complex harmonies, evocative piano parts andevolvingform.SixofthesongsweretranscribedbyLisztaspianosolos.

Chopin, Trio in G minor, Op. 8

Thisevening’sprogrampresentsanopportunitytocomparetwolarge-scalechambermusicpiecesbyChopin,thefirstfromearlyinhiscareerandtheotherfromtheyearbeforehedied.Thisishisonlytrio,writtenwhenhewasjust19yearsold,inhislastyearattheHighSchoolforMusicinWarsaw.HisinspirationforthepiecemayhavecomefrommeetingPrinceAntoniRadziwill,thePrussiangovernorofPoznanprovince,whowasanenthusiasticcomposerandcellistwithtwomusicaldaughters.ThetriowasperformedwithRadziwillandhisdaughterinOctober1829,whenChopinwas stayingwith themat their summerhunting lodge. He also composed aPolonaise brillanteforfatheranddaughterinthecourseofthatstay. Thetriofollowsthebasicplanofaclassicalchamberpiecewithfourcontrastingmovements.Ithasbeendescribedasapianoconcerto indisguise,because thecelloandviolinpartsarenotfullyintegrated,butithasmanyoriginalandfelicitousideasmakingitaworthyadditiontotriorepertoire. Thelongsonata-formfirstmovement,Allegroconfuoco,showstonalexperimentationthatforeshadows some of Chopin’s later thinking: instead of the usual two keys areas in the firstsection, it remains in the tonickey. In therecapitulation,which traditionallystays in the tonic,twocontrastingkeysareused.Thedramaticgestureoftheopeningreturnstosignalthebeginningof both the development and the recapitulation. A virtuosic coda for the piano concludes themovement. TheScherzoischarmingandlyrical,withthemainthemeappearingasastringduet. TheAdagio is elegant anddecorative. A swinging, folk-like theme is thebasisof theFinale. It isannouncedbythepiano,andthenpassestothestringsasthepianistplaysflamboyantfigurations.

Chopin, Sonata in G minor, Op. 65

ChopindedicatedthissonatatohisclosefriendAugusteFranchomme,afinecellistwhotaughtattheParisConservatory.Thisistheonlylargeduosonatahewrote,althoughthereareacoupleofearliercelloshowpieces,theoneforRadziwillandaGrandDuohewrotewithFranchommein1831.ItisthelastworkChopinpublishedinhislifetime,anditsfirstperformancein1848washislastpublicappearanceinParis.Manysketchesexistforthiswork,spreadoveraperiodoftwoyears;thecomposerworkedlongandhardtogetitright.Hewrotetohisfamily,“SometimesIamhappywithit,sometimesnot.Ithrowitinacornerandthenpickitupagain.” ChopinscholarJimSamsondescribedthesonataas“meditative,introspective,andprofoundlyoriginal.” A unifying element is themotivewe hear as the first three notes the cello plays, arisingandfallingsemitonewithadottedrhythm.Thistinymotiveoccursinallfourmovements,incorporatedintothemesanddevelopmentsinmanytransformations.LeikinnoticedthemotivemayhavebeenborrowedfromSchubert’ssongcycleWinterreise,whichdescribesthefeelingsofamanwhohasbeendisappointedinlove.PerhapsinpartweseeChopinprocessingthedisintegrationofhisrelationshipwithAuroreDudevant(a.k.a.novelistGeorgeSand). Thefirstmovementhas an ever-changingflowofmelodyarranged in a long sonata form.Celloandpianoareequalpartners,togetherdevelopingthematicmaterial.TheScherzoshowstheinfluenceofthemazurkainitsdance-likerhythms;initstrio,thecelloplaysasoaringtuneoverapropulsiveaccompanimentofbrokenchords. TheLargoisan intimateconversation inB-flatmajor,withcelloandpianooftenexchangingparts.ThepassionateFinaleisinsonata-rondoform,concludingwithanoptimisticGmajorcoda.ThismagnificentsonatasuggeststhatChopinwouldhavekeptevolvingasanartisthadhebeengrantedalongerlife.

RuthEnnsMay2010

Other Contributors ($20 - $99)

Janusz Budzynski,L W CampHugh CottonSusan E. FifeSylvia GirardAnne KaplanMan-Kim LiKathleen Lok

In-kind Sponsors CorporateClark, Wilson LLPConsulate General of theRepublic of PolandDaniel ChocolatesWest Van FloristsSikora’s Classical RecordsTom Lee Music