"Lost in the stars ... that are aligned" : a concert about stars

Mon 16 December 2019

Trinity College Chapel

Dame Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell will also read some poems about stars in between the songs!

Part 1: “Heavenly harmonies” (piano)
Bach, Adagio (after Marcello), BWV 974
Franck (arr. Bauer), Prélude, Fugue & Variation, Op.18
Scriabin, Préludes Op.74
Scriabin, Vers la flamme

Part 2: “Lost in the stars” (piano + songs)
Songs to include Debussy's Nuit d’étoiles, Gounod's Le soir, Weill's Youkali, Weill's Lost in the stars and Hahn's L’heure exquise

Part 3: “Stars aligned” (piano)
Debussy, Clair de lune
Yoshimatsu, To a disappeared pleiade
Rachmaninoff, Prélude Op.23, no 4
Debussy, Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut
Scriabin, Piano sonata no 10

Bach's transcription of a beautiful Adagio written for the oboe will start the concert followed by the heavenly sublime Franck, 5 cosmic Préludes and the pulsating Vers la flamme that ends as if a star is spinning and exploding. In Part 2, we get personal with music that speak of thoughts and emotions invoked by stars: memories of past loves (Debussy), rays touching our eyes (Gounod), our search for something "out there" (Weill), "impossible follies" (Weill), and the iridescent stars of the evening augur a perfect moment to dream (Hahn). Part 3 brings us the "impressionistic", classic and modern lyricisms of Debussy, Rachmaninoff and Yoshimatsu and culminates in Scriabin’s exhilarating “kisses of the sun” sonata.

Cost: £18 (£10 conc + students) tickets for seats in Section A (front to mid-chapel rows). £14 (£6 conc + students) tickets for seats in Section B (mid- to back-chapel rows).