perature to

a blazing inferno. There isa feeling ofgreat urgency in its

opening bars ofrapid-fire single notes. Sustained throughout the en­

tire movement, the tempo becomes a virtual motoperpetuo.

About The Birth ofShivafor Solo Piano, Dan Welcher writes:“This

ten-minute work isa distillation of the first movement (Time) of my

1994 piano concerto, which has the subtitle Shiva’sDrum. All the ma

­

terials, and even the basic order ofevents, follow the progression ofthe

orchestral version, but the piano soloist must here provide percussion,

the semblance ofstrings, and woodwind textures, in addition to what

was alreadya formidable solo part. The Hindu god Shiva, who was the

protagonist in the concerto, is revealed in this new work to be an en­

tire universe. Since Shiva is both creator and destroyer, and since this

piece could not attempt to replicatea concerto that lasts more than

thirty minutes,I decided to feature him solely in his“creator” role. In

the ten minutes of The Birth of Shiva, we can observe his birth, his

growth, and his creative power.

The piece proceeds froma‘lightning bolt’ opening, in which the

cosmos is instantly created. The pulsating music that follows it sup­

portsa sequence of candenzalike passages, in which the deity is seen

gathering and organizing matter, creating, as it were, the world. The

music is strong, but unfocused at first, as ifthe newly made matter has

not yet found its form. As it proceeds, the materials become more and

more cohesive and metered. Midway through the piece,a very lyric

theme emerges: Shiva, the Creator. At once tender and gentle, it is

also self-assured and confident.

A slow middle section, (resting music

to follow the creative energy?), is meditative and serene. At length, it

leads back to the lightning bolt figure, and the Creator theme reap­

pears, resplendent in new colors. The piece concludes with the happy

pulsing of new-created time. The Birth ofShiva was written for the

same excellent musicianwho commissioned the concerto,James Dick.”

In the PolonaiseNo.5in F-sharp Minor, Op. 44, Chopin moved from the

ABA form that characterized his etudes and his earlier polonaises to

something more like a fantasia. The old form was not suitable for this

new mode of expression, so he came up witha new expanded form,

the grandepolonaise. The Polonaise inFSharp Minor is seldom played,

perhaps because ofits incredible difficulty, which demands enormous

strength from the performer. It is martial and impassioned. There are

dashing double octaves, expressing an immediate urgency, that bring

forth the puissant rhythm of the polonaise. Following this emotional

upheaval,a serene mazurka appears. The contentment is not to last, 

however. At its conclusion, the“storm and stress” of the first section

return and the heat ofthe emotions is once again inflamed. As ifthis

were not enough, the movement hasa coda thatjettisons toa climax, 

fizzles out, and ends with

a startling clap ofthunder.

-Program notes by Elmer Booze

The Fifty-eighth Season of

THE WILLIAM NELSON CROMWELL and

F. LAMMOT BELIN CONCERTS

National Gallery ofArt

2321st Concert

JAMES DICK, pianist

Sunday Evening, 31 October 1999

SevenO’clock

West Building, West Garden Court

Admission free
PROGRAM

Ludwig van Beethoven

(1770-1827)

Bagatelles, Op. 126

(1823-1824)

Andante con moto

Allegro

Andante

Presto

Quasi allegretto

Presto

Sonata No. 23 in F Minor (“Appassionata”)

Op. 22 (1833-1838)

Allegro assai

Andante con moto

Allegro ma non troppo

INTERMISSION

Dan Welcher

(b. 1948)

’’The Birth of Shiva” Fantasy

(1999)

World Premiere Performance

Frederic Chopin

(1810-1849)

Polonaise No. 5 in F-sharp Minor

Op. 44 (1841)

Recognized as one ofthe truly important pianists of his generation,

pianistJames Dickbrings keyboard sonorities ofcaptivating opulence

and brilliance to performances that radiate intellectual insight and

emotional authenticity. Dick’s early triumphs as a major prizewinnerin

the Tchaikovsky, Busoni, and Leventritt International Competitions

were a mere prelude to an eminent career. In addition to enthusiastically received recitals in the KennedyCenter and at the National Gallery (1996), Dick has undertaken annual recitals and concerto

performancesin the world’s premierconcert halls, includingNewYork’s

Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Town Hall, and 92nd Street “Y”. In

Europe, he has been heard in London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall,Wigmore

Hall, and Purcell Room, and Paris’ Theatre du Chatelet and Salle

Gaveau. Dick was elected an Honorary Associate of London’s Royal

Academy of Music; recently, he received the signal honor of being

named a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French minister of culture.James Dick appears at the Gallery by arrangement with Alain G. 

Declert & Associates, ofRound Top, Texas.

Beethoven’s three sets ofBagatelles, which he called Kleinigkeiten (trifles

or frivolities), were written at various times: Op. 33 in 1801-1802, Op.

119 in 1820-1821, and Op. 126 in 1823. Although each piece in Op. 126

is relatively briefand without profundity, the six pieces making up this

set “strike one as having absorbed [Beethoven’s] whole creative faculty” (Eric Blom). Beethoven’s mood swings are notorious. It is not

difficult to surmise that these musical epigrams are his “diary” entries,

personal and more revealing of his character than anything he composed before or after them. As the noted Austrian pianist Alfred

Brendel remarked, “One should never forget that Beethoven played

them himselfand probably did so with the art that conceals art. Ifone

treats them as trifles, trifles they remain. Ifone plays them for all they

are worth, they are a true delight.”

At its completion, the SonataNo. 23in FMinor, Op. 57 (“Appassionata”)

was considered by Beethoven to be his greatest creation in this genre.

The Hamburg publisher Cranz supplied the title. The sonata could

not have been more aptly named, given the ardorfound in each movement. In addition, the technical and musical demands required ofthe

performer are stupendous. The first movement {Allegro assai) is awesomely quick and acerbic, which gives the music its incredible driving

force and energy. The second movement {Andante con moto), using a

simple tune, is constructed over a set ofvariations. While the setting

gives the aura ofserenity, its layout is a smoke screen, for under closer

examination, the movement’s effect is like that ofsinging and praying

over banked fire: The finale {Allegro, ma non troppo) raises the tern-