Booklet AR 0023 2

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works by:

Mozart, Sibelius,Granados, Debussy,and Schubert

A N T O N N ELp i an o r e c i t al

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ANTON NEL piano

Anton Nel, winner of the first prize in the 1987

Naumburg International Piano Competition atCarnegie Hall enjoys a remarkable andmultifaceted career that has taken himthroughout North and South America, Europe,Asia, and South Africa. Following an auspicious

debut at the age of twelve with Beethoven’s CMajor Concerto after only two years of study, the

Johannesburg native captured first prizes in allthe major South African competitions while still in his teens, toured hisnative country extensively and became a well-known radio and television

personality. A student of Adolph Hallis, he made his European debut inFrance in 1982, and in the same year graduated with highest distinctionfrom the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He came tothe Unites States in 1983, attending the University of Cincinnati, wherehe pursued his Masters and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees under Bela

Siki and Frank Weinstock. In addition to garnering many awards from hisalma mater during this three-year period he was a top prizewinner at the1984 Leeds International Piano Competition in England and won severalfirst prizes at the Joanna Hodges International Piano Competition in PalmDesert in 1986.

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SCHUBERT Wanderer Fantasy

This great masterpiece of the literature is one of Franz Schubert’s

quintessential works for the piano. The term “Wanderer” stems fromthe theme of the slow movement, which is then linked to its separate

movements. The work was composed in 1882 just before his UnfinishedSymphony. The “Allegro” is more of a Rondo than a regular sonata form.

The “Wanderer” theme is introduced in the “Adagio” and developed into

variations.The “Scherzo” and a “Trio” follow and the “Finale” starts witha fugue and freely develops again the “Wanderer” theme.

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GRANADOS Allegro de Concierto

Enrique Granados was a pupil of Pedrell and later of Charles De Beriot,

the famous violinist and composer for the violin. He was born in Leridain 1867. He was himself a brilliant pianist.

He wrote a large amount of music in various forms but was mostlyrecognized for the success of his piano music. The rather short

work “Allegro de Concierto” displays the affinity Granados hadfor the piano in a display of fervor and melancholy in a typicallySpanish manner.

DEBUSSY Estampes

Estampes meaning “prints or etchings” was composed in 1903. The worksare images and describe particular moments and atmospheres. The first

“Pagodes” uses the pentatonic scale simulating tolling bells. The secondcreates an atmosphere of moonlight upon the water. The third capturesthe changing atmosphere of the elements of nature.

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Highlights of Mr. Nel’s nearly three decades of concertizing include

performances with the Cleveland Orchestra, the symphonies of Chicago,San Francisco, Seattle, Detroit, and London, among many others. (He has

an active repertoire of more than 100 works for piano and orchestra.)Anton Nel has performed the Beethoven piano concerto cycle several

times, most notably on two consecutive evenings with the CapePhilharmonic in 2003. He was also chosen to give the North American

premiere of the newly discovered Piano Concerto No. 3 in E Minor by

Felix Mendelssohn in 1992. Stephen Paulus composed a pianoconcerto for Mr. Nel and the acclaimed world premiere took place

in New York in 2003.

As recitalist he has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the

Metropolitan Museum and the Frick Collection in New York, at theAmbassador Auditorium in Pasadena, Davies Hall in San Francisco,and the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Internationally he has

performed recitals in major concert halls in Canada, England (WigmoreHall in London), France, Holland (Concertgebouw in Amsterdam), Italy,

Russia, Japan (Suntory Hall in Tokyo), Korea, and South Africa.

A favorite at summer festivals he has performed at the Ravinia Festival,

at Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival, as well as at the Aspen MusicFestival (where he is on the artist-faculty), among many others. Possessing

an encyclopedic chamber music repertoire he has, over the years,regularly collaborated with some of the world's foremost string quartets,

instrumental soloists, and singers. With acclaimed violinist Sarah Chang

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he completed a highly successful tour of Japan as well as appearing at aspecial benefit concert for Live Music Now in London, hosted by HRHthe Prince of Wales.

Eager to pursue dual careers in teaching and performing he wasappointed to the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin at the age of

23, followed by professorships at the Eastman School of Music, and theUniversity of Michigan, where he was chairman of the piano department.

In September 2000, Anton Nel was appointed as the Priscilla Pond FlawnRegents Distinguished Professor of Piano and Chamber music at theUniversity of Texas at Austin, where he teaches an international class of students and now heads the Division of Keyboard Studies. Since hisreturn he has also been the recipient of both the Austin-American

Statesman’s Critics Circle Award for his performance of the RachmaninovSecond Concerto, as well as the University Cooperative Society/Collegeof Fine Arts award for extra-curricular achievement. In 2001 he was

appointed Visiting “Extraordinary” Professor at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa, and continues to teach master

classes worldwide.

He has three solo CDs (including a recital disc for EMI) as well as severalchamber music recordings to his credit.Anton Nel became a citizen of the United States of America on September 11, 2003.

His website is www.antonnel.com

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MOZART Sonata in A Major,K331

Mozart’s Sonata in A major is the second in a set of three sonatas. The

work was composed around 1781 since it is not clear whether it waswritten before or after his move to Vienna, although there is some dispute

regarding the accuracy of this date. The first movement is a set of themeand variations. As is typical with Mozart, his handling of the variationsdisplays his genial sense of improvisation which he was so well known

for. The third movement titled “alla Turca” captures the spirit of the effectof Turkish band music which Mozart used in several other of his works

including the violin concerto K219.

SIBELIUS Romance,Op.24,No.9

The piano music of Jan Sibelius (1865-1958) is contained in 19 opuses,

mostly comprising sets of smaller works grouped together. Generally

overshadowed by the symphonies and other orchestral works, Finland'sgreatest composer nevertheless created richly imaginative andstrikingly individualistic works for keyboard, drawing upon the wealth

of folkloric traditions associated with his native land. The Romance inD-flat is one of the most successful in this genre. The haunting

melody, stirring middle section and rousing climax have made it verypopular with pianists and audiences alike.

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Producer

Laura Harth Rodriguez

Recording Engineers

Francisco Rodriguez andAlex Rodriguez

Mastering

Digital Dynamics Audio Inc.,

Francisco Rodriguez - Engineer

Graphic Design Jim Manly, DDAI

Photography

Patrick Wu

Recorded May 25-26, 2005, atBates Recital Hall, University of Texas School of Music.

Thanks

Charles Ball (head piano

technician at the University of

Texas School of Music) andFrank Simon

ARTEK

[email protected]

AR-0023-2

322005 ARTEK.All rights reserved.Unauthorized

duplication is a violation of applicable laws.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Sonata in A Major, K. 331

1 Andante grazioso 13:34

2 Menuetto - Trio 6:23

3 Alla Turca. Allegretto 3:26

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

4 Romance in D-flat, Op. 24, No. 9 3:30

Enrique Granados (1867-1916)

5 Allegro de Concierto 8:01

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Estampes

6 Pagodes 4:54

7 La Soirée dans Grenade 5:25

8 Jardins sous la pluie 3:44

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Fantasy in C Major, D. 760(Wanderer Fantasy)

9 Allegro con fuoco ma non 21:34

troppo - Adagio - Presto -Allegro

total time: 70:37

Documents

Booklet AR 0023 2