Throughout his life, Frederic Chopin loved the sound of the cello. Although he principally wrote and played piano, he wanted desperately to capture the cello in a composition of his own. Near the end of his short life (1810-1849), he finally managed to become a renowned writer for cello.
Arthur Houle, professor of music and director of keyboard studies at CMU, and Kristen Yeon-Ji Yun, assistant professor of music (lower strings) at CMU, have collaborated to create an all-Chopin program, which they will perform this Sunday. Houle will be playing the piano, and Yun will accompany him on cello.
The program is two acts of classical piano and cello duets, all of which are Chopin pieces, but most have been rearranged throughout the years by various artists. Houle relates to Chopin in the sense that both are professional pianists, but feel a deep attraction to the cello.
“While I am a pianist by profession, I’m also a shameless traitor to my species, since my favorite instrument is actually cello,” Houle said.
Thus, he asked Yun if she would be willing to work with him on several cello-piano duets, and she “enthusiastically agreed.”
The first piece in the program is an “Introduction & Polonaise,” which Chopin originally wrote to favor the piano.
“For this reason,” Houle explained, “we elected to do the Leonard Rose arrangement. Rose, a renowned cellist, arranged the piece to make it more balanced between cello and piano.”
Houle and Yun wanted to emphasize the sounds of both their instruments in this concert, so they focused more heavily on showcasing the cello than most music does.
The second piece they will play is “Prelude, Op. 28, No. 6” in B minor. The music is repeated throughout the arrangement, so Houle took it upon himself to write and arrange countermelodies into the repeated sections to allow the cello more of a chance to shine.
Houle thinks members of the audience will especially enjoy the last piece of the first act, the famous “Minute Waltz” with the cello.
Houle wrote, “Chopin revealed that this piece conveys a kitten playing with a ball of yarn, which unfurls as a result. (Hey, who doesn’t enjoy watching that?)”
The duo will also play a series called a “Mazurka Medley,” which Houle says the audience should find “delightful.” A mazurka is a traditional Polish dance tune written in a triple meter, but with “stretched” (or accented) beats on the 2nd or 3rd beats, unlike a waltz.
Houle said, “Since Dr. Yun is Korean and I am French by descent, it’s a fun challenge for us (as non-Poles) to communicate this elusive and quirky dance rhythm.”
The last piece of the concert is Chopin’s final published work: a Sonata for Cello and Piano.
“By the end of his life, Chopin had finally mastered writing for his second favorite instrument, the cello,” Houle said.
Most of the arrangements in this concert are not well-known, hence they are hard to find.
Houle said, “Listeners will find it interesting and refreshing to hear these pieces cast in a new light to include cello.”
The performance will be this Sunday, Oct. 1 at 4:00 p.m. in Love Recital Hall in the Moss Performing Arts Center.
