November 17, 2024: Chamber Delights

Northbrook Symphony
Mina Zikri, Music Director
Thomas Nickell, piano

Download program PDF (4.1MB)

Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
Aubade - Concerto choréographique for piano and 18 instruments, FP 51
I. Toccata (lento et pesante)
II. Récitatif (larghetto)
III. Rondeau (allegro)
IV. Presto
V. Récitatif (larghetto)
VI. Andante (andante con moto)
VII. Allegro féroce
VIII. Conclusion (adagio)

Francis Poulenc’s 1929 Aubade is one of the most unique works in the piano concerto repertoire for a number of reasons. As a chamber concerto, the work employs an instrumental force considerably smaller than most virtuoso concerti, made stranger by the lack of violins. The Aubade came about as the score for a ballet choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska, sister of Vaslav who gained notoriety for his controversial choreography for Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. Poulenc arranged the ballet’s story himself, using the goddess Diana as inspiration. The eight movements of the concerto depict a variety of scenes where Diana continuously loses touch with reality, culminating in the seventh movement where a wild, desperate dance leaves her inconsolable by her companions, and she resolves to go off to hunt in the forest alone. 

Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
Serenade for Wind Instruments in D minor. Op. 44 
I. Moderato, quasi marcia
II. Minuetto. Tempo di minuetto
III. Andante con moto
IV. Finale. Allegro molto

Dvořák’s Serenade for Wind instruments, composed in 1878, has become an often programmed work due to its versatility and immediate accessibility, representing Dvořák’s great talent for melody. The composition is reminiscent of Mozart’s wind serenades, which are likewise popular pieces Dvořák admired, employing a structure that allows for diverse themes and characters. In each of the four movements, Dvořák manages to evoke feelings of grandeur, Czech village wind bands, and gleeful dances.

Program notes by Thomas Nickell.

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Thomas Nickell
Piano

Inventive young composer, pianist and Young Steinway Artist Thomas Nickell has already garnered recognition throughout Europe and the United States for his thoughtful explorations of various musical genres. As a pianist, Thomas has given many highly lauded public performances of important works by Liszt, Chopin, Cowell, Glass, Stockhausen, Schnittke, Messiaen, Roslavets, as well as the U.S. premiere of David Matthews’ Piano Concerto Op. 111 at Carnegie Hall.

As a composer, Thomas specializes in contemporary classical and interdisciplinary music allowing his work to be heard in diverse settings from orchestral music to dance and film. Starting in 2021, Thomas joined the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago as curator of the newly created Avant Garden.

Recent highlights have included the premiere of Piobaireachd-Nocturne by the Northbrook Symphony in Illinois, January 2024, as well as the premiere of Piano Sonatas Nos. 1 and 2 by the composer in New York City, February 2024.