2020-2021 SEASON

On behalf of the Department of Music, we offer our congratulations and gratitude for your continued passion, dedication, and perseverance. This recital is the culmination of years of hard work and devotion to your instrument—and to a love of music that we hope you will continue to nurture always.

Even amid the many demands of a Princeton University education, and the challenge of a global pandemic, you have found ways to prioritize a deep commitment to the arts. Thank you for that commitment, and for adding your voice to the shared harmony of a world that needs to hear it now more than ever.

We hope you feel proud of what you accomplished — we are certainly proud of you!

Wendy Heller Michael Pratt Scheide Professor of Music History Director, Program in Music Performance

Chair, Department of Music

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2021

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PRINCETON UNIVERSITYCERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN MUSICAL PERFORMANCE RECITAL

Friday, April 30, 2021 at 7:30pmLive-Streamed from Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall

Lawrence Chiang ’21, Violin

music.princeton.edu

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Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Scherzo in C Minor from F-A-E sonata

César Franck (1822-1890) Sonata in A Major

I. Allegretto moderatoII. AllegroIII. Recitativo-FantasiaIV. Allegretto poco mosso

Amy Beach (1869-1944) Romance, op.23

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LAWRENCE CHIANG’ 21 is a senior in the music department with a certificate in musical performance while being on the pre-med track. Prior to coming to Princeton, Lawrence studied violin at the Juilliard School of Music Pre-College Division under Ms. Naoko Tanaka. At Princeton, Lawrence studies with Eric Wyrick. He is also the prize-winner of many competitions, such as the Monmouth Symphony Orchestra Goldwasser Young Artist Concerto Competition, Summit Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, Alexander and Buono International Strings Competition, Dwight-Englewood’s Concerto Competition, National Young Musicians Showcase Competition, Asian Young Talent International Competition, Concert Festival Com-petition, and AADGT International Competition. In the fall, Lawrence will be attending Sidney Kimmel Medical College in Philadelphia.

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BRAHMS SCHERZO IN C MINOR is part of the F-A-E Sonata. This sonata was designed by the great Robert Schumann, who wanted to gift it to the legendary violinist Joseph Joachim. The sonata gets its name because all of the movements are based off the notes F, A, and E. The other movements are written by Schumann and his pupil, Albert Dietrich. F-A-E is also the letters of Joachim’s maxim, Frei, aber einsam (Free, but lonely). The Scherzo is immediately recognizable by the strong rhythmic motif of short-short-short-long that repeats throughout the movement. The syncopations and cross-rhythms give this movement a sense of energy and urgency that con-trasts the other two movements of this sonata.

FRANCK’S SONATA IN A MAJOR is arguably one of his most famous com-positions and widely considered to be one of the best romantic sonatas written for violin and piano. The piece was written when Franck was 63 as a gift to the great violinist Eugene Ysaye. The four movements of this sonata are highly intertwined, as one can hear influence and themes introduced from previous movements. The work is cyclical in nature and almost has a sense of translucency and pureness, yet is still highly romantic. The first movement is dolce and gentle, with a natural rhythmic swing. The second movement is highly turbulent and energetic. The third movement allows for complete improvisation and free interpretation of the music, allowing the artist to take the driver’s seat in forming his own story within this work. It is free in tempo, structure, and expression. The last movement is joyful and contains numerous conversations between the piano and violin. One critic describes this movement as “a magnificent example of canonic writing, sim-ple, majestic and irresistible in its ample, beautifully wrought proportions.”

AMY BEACH ROMANCE was composed in 1893 for the great violinist Maud Powell. Beach is considered to be one of the best American composers and was heavily influenced by late Romantic idioms, such as those used by Brahms and Franck. Such style is particularly evident in this work, which is highly romantic. In this way, this piece can be seen as the bridge in my pro-gram. The piece showcases the wide range of the violin as well as the beauty and grace of the instrument. The tune is easy to the ear, yet still is dramatic and intense in many sections. The grand leaps in this work is especially capti-vating along with the passionate accelerando and dynamic changes.

Program notes by Lawrence Chiang ‘21

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Lawrence Chiang ‘21 Violin April 30, 2021 7:30 PM

Dorian Pousant ‘21 Voice May 1, 2021 2:00 PM

Linus Wang ‘21 French Horn May 2, 2021 7:30 PM

TJ Li ‘21 Voice May 4, 2021 7:30 PM

Ben Alessio ‘21 Jazz Percussion May 5, 2021 7:30 PM

Stella Sokolowski ‘21 Jazz Guitar & Voice May 6, 2021 7:30 PM

Mariana Corichi Gomez ‘21 Voice May 8, 2021 7:30 PM

Neel Nagarajan ‘21 Voice May 11, 2021 7:30 PM

Alexandra Lee Rice ‘21 Piano May 12, 2021 7:30 PM

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