CELLO AND PIANO CLASSICS

Emily Brockett(cello) and Karolina Kubálkova(piano)
 
Sunday 17th August 2025,2.00 pm
St. Michael's Parish Church, Linithgow


 This event is part of Linlithgow Arts Guild's "Summer Concert Series" featuring current and recent former students of the Scottish Royal Conservatoire.


TICKETS:
Entry to our summer soncerts is free of charge, but we will invite donations at the door. Tickets for this event will be available at the link below from 6th June 2025 at midday.

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                                                                                                 Programme

                      Ludwig van Beethoven: Cello Sonata no. 3 in A major (Opus 69)

 Beethoven’s third cello sonata is a staple and masterpiece of classical music, showcasing perfect harmony between piano and cello. This work was composed in 1807-1808 in Vienna, the sonata embodies Beethoven's middle period style – lyrical melodies, dramatic contrasts, and virtuosic dialogue between instruments. The four movements take listeners on a journey from serene beauty to exuberant joy.
 

                                                   Sergei Rachmaninoff: Préludes for piano (no. 6 & no. 1)

In 1903, Rachmaninoff composed the Op. 23 Preludes while working as a conductor at the Bolshoi Theatre and enjoying growing success as both pianist and composer after the triumph of his Second Piano Concerto. These Preludes reflect his deep affinity for Russian liturgical music, Romantic lyricism, and his love of wide, sonorous piano textures — all composed just before the turbulence of the 1905 Russian Revolution. This afternoon features two contrasting examples: No. 6 in E-flat major, an introspective, dreamlike meditation, and No. 1 in B-flat major, a bold and majestic opening statement.
 

                                            Debussy: Cello Sonata in D minor

Composed in 1915, this sonata paints a musical picture and story of the Pierrot Lunaire; a solitude clown who wanders the streets of Paris at night, with his love unrequited. The intricate magical colours produced by the soothing timbre of both the cello and piano makes it a landmark of impressionist chamber music. It invites the listener to imagine the Pierrot Lunaire’s complex swing of emotions—from sorrow to desolation.
 

                                               Gabriel Fauré: Après un Rêve

Fauré's exquisite "Après un Rêve" (After a Dream) is a gentle, evocative piece for cello and piano, composed in 1877.
 

The Performers