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Concert Report Beethoven

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I attended the concert of Anton Nel and Bion Tsang at Bates Recital Hall on Friday night, April 15, 2016. Anton Nel played piano and Bion Tsang played cello. The concert lasted about an hour and thirty minutes. The performers total performed three Sonata by different composers, but my favorite one is the first one, which is Sonata in C major, Op.102, No. 1, composed by Ludwig Van Beethoven.
The pianist, Anton Nel, is first holder of the new Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Endowed Chair in Piano at the University of Texas at Austin since January 2010. When he was twelve, he performed his first debut after only two years of study. He was a student of Adolph Hallis and graduated with highest distinction from the University of the Witwatersrand in …show more content…

1, by Ludwig Van Beethoven. Ludwig Van Beethoven, Born in Bonn, Germnay, on December 17, 1779, was one of the most influential composers in the 19th century, important for the transition of western music from Classicalism to Romanticism. Taught by his father at early age and studied under great composer Joseph Haydn in Vienna, Beethoven gained a reputation of virtuoso pianist at a young age. However, due to declining hearing in his 20s, Beethoven’s career of concert pianist and his personal was challenged. In 1802, he wrote the Heiligenstadt Testament expressing his pain and despair caused by his growing deafness, and he was prepared for his final destination. Beethoven’s music are often separated into three period, each marked a different stage of his life. The Sonata in C major, Op.102, No. 1 played at the concert was composed in 1815, which was when Beethoven’s late period began. During this period, Beethoven’s works were characterized by self-reflectiveness and shifted the style to become more …show more content…

Both movements in this sonata began with slow introduction played by cellist, and later accompanied by the piano. The first movement, Andante, was first gentle and soft, giving me a sense of serenity and peace. However, the tempo suddenly increased after the abrupt shift to Allegro vivace. The sudden change in tempo, rhythm, and dynamic surprised me like a ringing alarm suddenly wake me up from a sweet and placid dream, bringing me back to the cruel reality. The second movement, Adagio, also started with a slow introduction but both performers played together instead of just the cellist. As the second movement progressed the tempo became faster and the melody became more playful and animated, along with unexpected pauses. The second movement reminded me of the story of Alice in Wonderland. I could imagine a little girl experiencing a wonderful adventure in the wonderland and encountering and playing mysterious characters and objects. I enjoyed all three sonatas performed by Anton Nel and Bion Tsang, but I especially loved the Sonata in C major, Op.102, No. 1, by Ludwig Van

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