Reimagined Piano Classics

Program

  • Georg Friedrich Handel (1685 - 1759); trans. Moritz Moszkowski - Lascia ch'io pianga (1919) (2’)
  • Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) - 3 Novelettes (1927/1928/1959) (7’)
  • I. C major
  • II. B-flat major
  • III. E minor
  • Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750); trans. Ferruccio Busoni - Chaconne in D minor (1893) (14’)
  • Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944) - Poèmes provençaux, Op.127 (1908) (16’)
  • -Dans la lande
  • -Solitude
  • -Le passé
  • -Pêcheurs de nuit
  • The works on this program are connected by the idea of transformation. Handel's aria becomes a piano piece, Bach's violin masterpiece is reimagined for the modern concert grand piano, and familiar musical forms are reshaped through the unique voices of Poulenc, Busoni, Moszkowski, and Chaminade.
  • Georg Friedrich Handel (1685 - 1759); trans. Moritz Moszkowski - Lascia ch'io pianga (1919) (2’)
  • The recital begins with George Frideric Handel's Lascia ch'io pianga ("Let Me Weep") from the opera Rinaldo, heard in Moritz Moszkowski's piano transcription. Moszkowski preserves the simplicity and directness of Handel's writing while allowing the piano to sing in its own way.
  • Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) - 3 Novelettes (1927/1928/1959) (7’)
  • Francis Poulenc's Three Novelettes are musical miniatures that resemble short stories. The First Novelette unfolds as a lyrical, song-like piece interrupted by a contrasting central section. The Second has the lightness and wit of a scherzo, while the Third draws on a theme by Manuel de Falla, blending French refinement with Spanish influence. Though brief, each piece creates a distinct atmosphere and reveals Poulenc's gift for saying much with very little.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750); trans. Ferruccio Busoni - Chaconne in D minor (1893) (14’)
  • Ferruccio Busoni's transcription of J.S. Bach's Chaconne from the Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin occupies a unique place in the piano repertoire. Originally written for a single instrument, Bach's work possesses an extraordinary sense of scale and architectural strength. Busoni's version, created in the late nineteenth century, expands its sonorities while remaining deeply respectful of the original. The Chaconne has inspired countless musicians, including Brahms, who later produced his own version for the left hand alone.
  • Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944) - Poèmes provençaux, Op.127 (1908) (16’)
  • The program concludes with Cécile Chaminade's Poèmes provençaux, Op. 127. Although Chaminade was one of the most celebrated pianists and composers of her generation, her music is still far less familiar today than it deserves to be. I discovered this work only recently and was immediately drawn to it. The four pieces—Dans la lande, Solitude, Le passé, and Pêcheurs de nuit—suggest scenes and states of mind rather than a specific narrative. To me, however, they seem loosely connected. The music moves from open landscapes to introspection and nostalgia before arriving at the mysterious world of the final movement. Pêcheurs de nuit is unlike anything that precedes it: restless, atmospheric, and increasingly distant. By the end, Chaminade leaves us somewhere between reality and imagination, closing the program with a voice that is unmistakably her own. Program notes by Miki Aoki

Praised for “genuinely memorable performance” by BBC Music Magazine, pianist Miki Aoki is widely recognized for her diverse abilities as a pianist and collaborative artist.

Equally celebrated as a soloist, chamber musician, and collaborative artist, Miki Aoki brings exceptional versatility and depth to her performances, which have captivated audiences across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. She currently serves as Assistant Professor of Collaborative Piano at Arizona State University.

Dr. Aoki records exclusively for German Label Hänssler Profil. Her debut album, comprised of the piano works of Zoltan Kodaly, was released in the fall of 2011 and won critical acclaim. Her second CD, ‘The Belyayev Project’, features fascinating compositions varying from solo piano works by Liadow, Glazunov and Blumenfeld to the expressive and rhapsodic piano Trio by Rimsky-Korsakov. It was released in 2013. The Fanfare Magazine praised ‘The Belyayev Project’ as a “graceful, expressive and transparent performance”, and The Ensemble Magazine (Germany) wrote, “…pianist Miki Aoki interprets magically.” Her third CD, ‘Mélancolie’, was released in May 2016 and was awarded a special prize by the Japanese music magazine “Record Geijutsu”. ‘Tokyo Story’, was released in 2018. This recording is a world-premiere, featuring music from the films of Yasujiro Ozu in their original piano manuscript versions and has enjoyed an especially enthusiastic reception from the Japanese media.

A frequent guest artist in prestigious concert series and festivals around the world, Dr. Aoki made her debut at the age of 12 at the Royal Festival Hall in London’s South Bank Centre as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra. She has performed on the stages of Carnegie Hall in New York City, St. Martin-in-the Fields, St. John’s Smith Square, the Royal Festival Hall and the Purcell Room at South Bank Centre, the Barbican centre, Blackheath Halls (UK), Laeizhalle Hamburg, Gasteig München, Philharmonie Essen, Beethovenssal Hannover (Germany), Philia Hall, Munetsugu Hall (Japan), Wiener-Saal (Austria) and St Petersburg Philharmonic Hall (Russia). Dr. Aoki has performed as soloist with the National Symphony, London Soloist Chamber Orchestra, Hamburg Camerata, Korean Chamber Orchestra, Washington Sinfonietta and Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México.

As a highly sought-after collaborative pianist, Dr. Aoki has performed with leading artists including Noah Bendix-Balgley, Antoine Tamestit, Dami Kim, Ani Kavafian, Philip Setzer, Arnaud Sussmann, Amit Peled and Colin Carr, as well as members of the Vienna Philharmonic. She has been engaged by prestigious programs such as the Heifetz International Music Institute, the Perlman Music Program, and the Mozarteum Salzburg Summer Academy, and has served on the faculty of the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Kronberg Academy, as well as a staff pianist at The Juilliard School.

Dr. Aoki started playing the piano at age 4 and moved to London at age 9 where she joined the Purcell School of Music. Dr. Aoki earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana University, Master of Music degree from Yale University, and Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University (SUNY) and completed the prestigious Konzertexamen with distinction at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg.

Miki Aoki is a Steinway Artist.

About the Dame Myra Hess Concerts

The concerts are generously sponsored by the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council and by individual donors.

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