Patricia Verhagen knows how to captivate the most sophisticated audience with her performances. Apart from the musical perfection, her solo performances have an intelligent thematic approach and often an extra dimension through the addition of dance, acting or the use of visual resources.
A verbal explanation of the pieces ensures more accessibility and ensures a connection between audience and player.
Happiness
What is happiness? Where do people find their happiness? The various ideas about happiness and feelings of happiness are illuminated from a musical and verbal perspective. The more spiritual side with a Prayer by Tchaikowsky, Pagodes by Debussy and Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude by Liszt and the more earthly side with dances and romances by Schubert, Chopin, Clara Schumann and Brahms. Finally: money! A source of happiness? Beethoven made a joke of it (Wut über den verlornen Grosschen) but ABBA devoted a successful song to it (Money, Money, Money)…..
Many philosophers over the centuries have devoted thoughts to “happiness”. I can – if so desired – talk about the ideas of for instance Solon, Epicurus, Pico della Mirandola, Rousseau and Freud.
About Medtner
The composer Nicolai Medtner is still quite unknown. Unjustly!
Medtner’s style was idiosyncratic and did not adhere to the style and sound changes of his time. In terms of timbre, Medtner wrote more in the style of Brahms and Schumann than of his contemporaries Fauré and Debussy, and as a result he was relegated to the sidelines. His further exploration of the sonata form – in which he followed Beethoven’s later sonatas – also did not appeal to the audience. Fellow composers, however, appreciated him. Rachmaninoff, for example, called him the greatest composer of his time.
Flanked by Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata and two Intermezzi and a Ballade by Brahms, this program plays a number of Tales, the Canzona matinata and the Sonata Tragica by Medtner. A verbal explanation enriched with images of Medtner (and his wife) provides a better view of Medtner’s turbulent life and way of thinking. See also the CD ‘A tribute to Medtner‘ by Patricia Verhagen – piano, and a radio broadcast with pieces of this CD.
L’eau et le Vent
A program on the theme of wind and water with works by French composers: Reflets dans l’eau and Le vent dans la plaine by Debussy, Jeux d’eau and Ondine by Ravel and a Barcarolle by Fauré. I can perform these pieces on a modern grand piano or an Erard or Pleyel from that period. Images of paintings by the impressionist painters Monet, Maillol and Sisley enrich the musical impressions.
Waltz and Tango
The waltz and the tango, from vulgar to popular: these two dance-forms were vilified when they were first played and danced as being too vulgar. Both dances have become indispensable in the world of music and dance, they are now immensely popular! Before the break: waltzes by Mozart, Schubert, Chopin, Brahms, Glinka, Grovlez, Turina, Gershwin and the Curaçao composers Palm and Capriles. After the Intermission, the tango is highlighted: from the original Argentine tango to the tango nuevo of Piazolla. Furthermore, tangos by the Brazilian composer Nazareth, the Spanish composers Albeniz and Turina and the American composer Carpenter are played.
Classical program
A program with compositions written by Haydn, Beethoven, Chopin and Rachmaninoff. A varied and fascinating program with a sonata, variations, a ballad and preludes.