Music department presents faculty recital
Assistant professor of music Joy Hayner performs in the Chapel
by Alan Ritter
Issue date: 9/22/08 Section: A&E
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Her selections for the recital included works from the Baroque and Classical eras, as well as music from the 19th century.
The concert began with a work by Jean-Philippe Rameau entitled L'Entretien des Muses, written for harpsichord. It can be described as an elaborate largo ornamented with a series of trills, all beautifully articulated by Hayner's delicate hands.
While a largo can evoke the image of an extensive line of musical phrases, Rameau's piece, like the pair to follow, was quite short.
J. S. Bach's Prelude and Fugue XV in G-Major was the second piece Hayner performed. Both sections of the piece were highly decorated, possessing a light and bouncy tone, characteristic of the instrument for which they were written. The Baroque period is marked by such ornamentations in art, among other styles.
Bach's piece, too, was written for harpsichord.
Mozart's Sonata No. 13 in B-flat Major was to follow. This piece, composed of three movements, painted a happy image. The Allegro and Andante cantabile were respectively playful and serene.
The Allegretto grazioso, while just as bright, was much more long-winded, like others of Mozart's pieces, namely some of his concertos. Mozart would write several sonatas in his short lifetime.
After a quick break, Hayner was ready to perform her final piece. Franz Liszt wrote this piece for organ.
Liszt was a gifted composer, capable of reaching an octave and a third, making his keyboard music more difficult to play. Mrs. Hayner performed this piece quite well, however, filling the Chapel with haunting music.
The song, Fantasy and Fugue on 'Ad nos, as salutarem undam' reminded me of an old horror movie. It began with a diabolically strong musical phrase and mellowed out into a soft, almost ghostly sound, luring the audience into a deceptive calm before blaring more chaotic melodies.
This famous piece was performed on the organ. I believe I speak for the majority of the audience when I say this version was a bit too lengthy to hold your attention.
At the same time, I did enjoy the mysteriousness of it and the dissonance incorporated throughout. Sometimes it sounded as though there were minor chords trying to pass as major chords and vice versa.
After a few places where I assumed the piece would make its conclusion, Liszt's organ work finally ended with the organ trumpets blaring a major chord.
Hayner's remarkable performance exited the Chapel hall with much applause.
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