Piano Studio Recital

Pealer Recital Hall, PAC

FSU’s Department of Music Presents Piano Studio and Ensemble Recital

Frostburg State University’s Department of Music will present its Piano Studio and Ensemble, directed by Dr. Jay DeWire, in its recital on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 3 p.m. in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU’s Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center. The concert is free and open to the public. This event will also be livestreamed; click the “Join Stream” button on this page a few minutes before the recital is scheduled to begin, or any time during the recital, to view the live performance.

Cayla Gavin will play a movement from “Piano Sonata No. 15 in D Major, Op. 28” (1801) by Ludwig van Beethoven. Also known as “Pastoral” or “Pastorale,” it is generally admired for its intricate technicality as well as its beauty.

Sam White will also play a piece by Beethoven: the third movement from “Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13,” commonly known as “Sonata Pathétique” (1798). It has remained one of his most celebrated compositions.

Sam Wade will perform the prelude to “La cathédrale engloutie” (“The Sunken Cathedral”) by Claude Debussy, published in 1910. The prelude is an example of Debussy’s musical impressionism in that it is a musical depiction of, or allusion to, an image or idea.

Another Debussy piece will be performed by Ava Niland. “Bruyères” is the fifth “Prélude” from Book II (1911 and 1912). Translating as “heather,” it evokes pastoral bliss, an Arcadian landscape of peace and contentment.

“Nocturne No. 20 in C-sharp Minor, Op. posth.” (1830) by Frédéric Chopin will be played by Taylor Bryan. First published 21 years after the composer’s death, the piece is usually referred to as “Lento con gran espressione,” from its tempo marking.

Jack Maust will perform the second movement of Beethoven’s “Piano Sonata No. 17 in D Minor, Op. 31, No. 2,” nicknamed “Tempest,” which was composed between 1801 and 1802.

White and Niland will perform “Ländler” (1818 and 1819), a collection of delightful dances composed by Franz Schubert. Rustic and cheerful, these miniatures display a fascinating side of Schubert’s musical persona.

Maust and Wade will play the rondo movement from Beethoven’s “Sonata in D Major for Piano Four-Hands, Op. 6,” published in 1797. A musical pattern used at its beginning and ending is similar to a pattern Beethoven used later in “Symphony No. 5.”

Gavin and Bryan will perform a Schubert piece, No. 1 of “Two Characteristic Marches, Op. 121” (1826). Both marches are scherzo-like in mood, revealing Schubert’s fondness for sudden dynamic changes, his musical wit and his fine melodic writing.

The last few selection are from “Winterreise” (“Winter Journey”). Winterreise” is a set of 24 songs for voice and piano that Schubert composed in 1827. Its mournful character reflects some of the personal trauma that Schubert was experiencing at the time. The cycle consists of a monodrama from the point of view of the wandering protagonist, in which concrete plot is somewhat ambiguous. Pianists Wade and Cat Owens, with Vincent Hangarter on saxophone, will perform “Die Krähe” (“The Crow”), and Hangarter and vocalist Owens will perform “Der greise kopf” (“The Grey Head”).

For more information, contact FSU’s Department of Music at 301-687-4109.

Music, Performance, Recital