Posted March 20, 2012
By NWC News Desk
POWELL, Wyo. - Popular pianist Tim Schoessler performs his annual spring recital Saturday, March 31, in the Nelson Performing Arts Center Auditorium.
A Northwest College instructor in music and piano, Schoessler takes the solo spotlight at 7:30 p.m. showcasing the works of German and Russian composers.
The program begins with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, a four-movement work written in 1795 and dedicated to Franz Joseph Haydn. Though very classical in style, it gives hints of the inward-looking compositional techniques that made Beethoven the father of the Romantic Movement in the 19th century.
Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Elegie in E flat minor is next on the program. Written in 1892, it’s the first in a set of five fantasy pieces entitled “Morceaux de Fantaisie.” The first piece in the set, the “Elegie” is often overlooked because of the collection’s more familiar Prelude in C sharp minor.
Following intermission, the program continues with Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 7 in B flat major. Written during World War II, this work is the second of his three so-called war sonatas. The famous last movement is written in 7/8 time and shows off the motoric and rhythmic drive that is so prevalent in Prokofiev’s compositions.
The program closes with Russian composer Mily Balakirev’s “Islamey Fantasy,” also known as the “Oriental Fantasy.” Inspired by the composer’s trip to Turkey, this spectacular work features melodies and harmonics inspired by the folk music he heard there. Generally agreed among pianists to be the hardest solo work ever written for the piano, this piece shows off just about everything that is possible for the instrument.
Admission to the recital is free.
