CSULA Student Recital Hour (Mozart KV 310)

California State University, Los Angeles
Department of Music
Student Recital Hour
November 9, 2006, 3:20pm Music Hall

Program
Schubert (1797-1828) Fruhlingsglaube; Auf dem wasser zu singen. Naomi Peterson, soprano; Shannon Tran, piano
Mozart (1756-1791) Piano Sonata K310 in A minor, Allegro maestro. Ah-San Wong, piano
Donaudy (1879-1925) Quando ti rivedro.... Alyssa Gioscia, soprano; Ja Koo, piano
Sondheim (b. 1930) Johanna, from Sweeney Todd. Miguel Montalva, tenor; Ja Koo, piano
Debussy (1862-1918) Clair de Lune, Andante tres expressif. George K. Won, piano
Purcell (1659-1695) Sweeter Than Roses. Erika Sandoval, soprano; Twylar Meyer, piano
Puccini (1858-1924) O mio babbino caro, from Gianni Schicchi. Meghan Boswell Carungcong, soprano; Twyla Meyer, piano
Tajma Beverly, Wolf, from Looking for Tarzan, Act II, Tajma Beverly, jazz voice and piano

I haven't performed solo in a recital for many years. I signed up for the student recital hour at school.I had been to one such recital before, and I had an idea of the expected quality of performance. CSULA is not U Mich, and the recital hour gives students a chance to perform in front of an audience. Still, I was very nervous about it and did not want to make a fool of myself.

I started to learn the first movement of Mozart's A minor sonata two years ago, and this term I worked hard on it with my teacher Sarkis Baltaian. Only the last two weeks when I could listen to myself on a recorder, did I begin to enjoy practicing and improving. I never thought I could play Mozart well, because my fingers are usually messy and inaccurate, prone to wrong notes, unevenness, unsteady rhythm... everything that is not Mozartian. (Same with Beethoven--I lack his anger, his revolutionary will, his resolution.) Because of this piece, I listened to the biography of Mozart, and learned something about his personality and style.

Classical music is all about good taste, elegance, contrast and balance. Mozart believes piano music should be fluid, not angular like Beethoven. Although written during the period his mother was ill or died, this sonata was not so much about anger; although filled with dissonance, and darker (as in a minor key), it was still elegant and bright in sections.

The first theme is stately, majestic, and dignified, with interludes of quiet escape. The transition ends in an orchestral sounding cadence. The second theme comes from nowhere, is elegant, and fluid, like little pearls of light. The development section is full of dissonance and dramatic contrast, yet Mozart is never harsh or sudden. Everything is in good pace, good taste, and composure. In the coda section, the sudden interruption of diminished chords is the only striking sound in the whole movement, and this makes the final cadence effective and satisfying.

I wrote down on a piece of paper several keywords about Mozart: "elegance, balance, fluid, drama, good taste", to help me concentrate on the quality of Mozartian sound. However, when I was on stage, I lost my composure early, and did not have enough time to reflect on the Mozart quality. The action of the Yamaha grand piano was much stiffer than my Kawai upright at home. I missed some notes during the first theme, but soon I was able to get used to the action. Later I was pleasantly surprised that the keys were relatively even and the range of sounds was so much greater than my upright. I felt I could be more expressive with the grand piano on stage. However, I was still nervous, and I sped up more and more (although later when I heard a recording of my performance the tempo was not that fast). My face was all flushed and I was sweating. I kept going, and did not give up, hoping I could get better toward the end. I was glad to keep doing my best throughout. When I finished, I heard very enthusiastic applause and even some loud cheers. The audience seemed to like my performance! I was thrilled.

Backstage, Meyer told me she enjoyed my performance, and liked the drama. I did not think of drama when I was playing. I was only trying to be elegant and balanced. Maybe she was right. And my teacher and Greenberg did tell me the key to Mozart is his operas. I will have to learn more about Mozart's operas.

Overall it was not as bad as it could have been. Although technically I could only retain 60% of the skill I practiced, I might have made up in the style and air I presented. I remember several years ago when I was playing chamber music at Caltech, although technically I was not prepared, my friend George told me that I looked like a real musician while others were like students. I did not believe him. But maybe he had a good point. As my understanding of music keeps growing, I will become closer and closer to an instrument of music, and perhaps one day I will be part of music.