Four great composers

Konstantinos Destounis, originating from Chios, is an Assistant Professor of Piano in the Department of Music Studies of the Ionian University and a Doctor of the Royal College of Music in London. Born in 1991, he is one of the most prominent young Greek musicians and has distinguished himself in international piano competitions, most notably the Grand Prix Maria Callas (Athens), Southern Highlands (Australia, Canberra) and the Bremen European Piano Competition. 

As the winner of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) National Competition, he represented Greece at the Eurovision Young Musicians competition in Vienna. He has also been awarded by the Academy of Athens, the Union of Greek Critics for Drama and Music, the Yamaha Music Foundation, the Spanish association “World in Harmony”, the Union of Agia Paraskevi Residents of Krini, Asia Minor and many other organisations.

His discography includes, amongst other works, the complete piano works of Maurice Ravel (Brilliant Classics), Theodore Antoniou (Naxos) and Naresh Sohal (Toccata Classics), whilst he is currently recording Beethoven’s 32 Sonatas.

As a soloist, he collaborates with numerous orchestras in Greece, England, Germany, Spain, Australia and Malta, and gives recitals at international festivals.

On 16 August, Konstantinos Destounis will mark the opening of the 10th, anniversary edition of the Chios Music Festival, performing works by iconic classical composers. 

Performance by: Konstantinos Destounis

Programme

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)

Nocturne in C sharp minor, Opus posthumous 

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)

Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Prelude No. 24, “Feux d’artifice”

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Mephisto Waltz No. 1 in A major, S. 514

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53 “Waldstein”

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)

Nocturne in C sharp minor, Opus posthumous 

In the 18th century, the “Notturno” was known as a genre of light music, usually for instrumental chamber ensembles. In the early 19th century, however, the genre came to be composed primarily for the piano as a “character piece”, under the French title Nocturne. Chopin’s contribution to this genre (21 pieces) stood out amongst his contemporaries and continues to hold a firm place in the concert repertoire for the piano to this day.

The Nocturne in C sharp minor was composed in 1830 but was published in 1870, 21 years after the composer’s death. The first part, Lento con gran espressione (slowly, very expressively), gives the impression of a funeral march. The melody evokes a sorrowful mood, whilst the accompaniment creates an undulating backdrop. In the second part of the piece, the rhythmic alternation between 3/4 and 2/4, as well as the melodies drawn from the Piano Concerto No. 2, which was written at the same time, clearly create a brighter and more hopeful tone. The typical, brief, three-part structure is nevertheless rounded off by the appearance of rapid, light and ethereal scales (fiorituras), whilst in the epilogue (Coda), a rare and serene Picardy third (a final chord in C sharp major rather than minor) conveys a sense of redemption.

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)

Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23

Chopin’s four Ballads are masterpieces of musical composition and storytelling, with each one creating its own unique world. Ballade No. 1 in G minor remains one of the most popular and technically demanding works of the world repertoire for piano. It was composed between 1835 and 1836 whilst the composer was staying in Paris. It is dedicated to “Monsieur le Baron de Stockhausen”, the ambassador of the Hanover region in Paris. The ballad became widely known when it was also used as part of the soundtrack for Roman Polanski’s masterpiece, “The Pianist” (2002), which won three Oscars, as well as the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

The piece begins with one of the most thrilling introductions imaginable, as the performer’s hands sweep with emphasis and power from the low bass notes right up to the high prima notes, building a sense of intense anticipation for the main lyrical theme that follows. It is an exceptionally beautiful and nostalgic melody, in 6/4 time. In contrast, the second theme, in E flat minor, is a bright and warm melody full of nocturnal sweetness and hope. Interwoven with lyricism, the piece abounds in dazzling passages and technical challenges, culminating in a dynamic, brilliant “presto con fuoco” coda of dazzling difficulty. 

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Prelude No. 24, “Feux d’artifice”

In the oeuvre of the French “Impressionist” composer Claude Debussy for solo piano, the two books comprising a total of 24 preludes occupy a prominent place. Each prelude has a different descriptive title and explores different moods and scenes. The composer rarely described the soundscapes he was trying to “paint” beyond the words of each piece’s title.

In “Feux d’artifice” (Fireworks), the centrepiece of the second book, he captures the splendour and excitement of fireworks through their dynamic contrasts and dazzling textures, in a mesmerising tribute to the performer’s artistry. As the pianist Taka Kigawa so aptly puts it, this prelude is like a summary of all the preludes. The rhythmic composition, the styles and the colours make for a dazzling result. Although this piece lasts less than five minutes, the musical ideas seem endless. We observe a variety of small moments that bring to mind the 14th of July. A military parade, folk dances, wandering around coffee shops, picnics in the woods and, of course, fireworks. Once all the excitement of the celebrations has died down, we hear a few notes from the “Marseillaise”.

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Mephisto Waltz No. 1 in A major, S. 514

The Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Liszt, who was himself a virtuoso pianist, wrote some of the most innovative and technically demanding works for solo piano, including the four Mephisto Waltzes. The first remains the most famous, subtitled “Der Tanz in der Dorfschenke” (The dance in the village tavern), and is a typical example of programmatic music based on the poetic epic “Faust. Ein Gedicht” by Nikolaus Lenau. The story goes that Faust and Mephistopheles enter a tavern where a village wedding feast is underway. Faust is attracted to the bride, but he is too shy to approach her. Mephistopheles snatches the fiddler’s violin and plays a demonic, intoxicating melody that whips everyone into a frenzy. Faust plucks up his courage under the influence of the music, drawing the girl into a wild dance. They then disappear together into the dark forest, while the sound of a nightingale can be heard in the distance. Lenau’s story is told through the piano’s use of specific musical motifs and innovative techniques. At times, the instrument is transformed into a violin, and at others, it becomes an entire orchestra. It is regarded as the quintessential bravura piano solo piece; that is to say, it is performed with great boldness, brilliance, the utmost virtuosity and a passionate style.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53 “Waldstein”

In 1804, Ludwig van Beethoven composed the famous “Waldstein” Sonata and dedicated it to Count Ferdinand von Waldstein, a close friend and patron of his. It was a landmark work in the composer’s development, as well as in the evolution of the sonata genre within Western European musical culture. It marks his shift towards large-scale piano works with symphonic influences. 

The compositional audacity of the first movement surpasses anything that had been attempted up to that point by any composer. In the first movement of the sonata, we can discern one of Beethoven’s characteristic features. He takes minute musical building blocks and develops them beyond the limits of their perceived potential. The second movement is a slow, atmospheric introduction to the third movement, and constitutes a similar exploration of the opening motif at its core. The opening of the finale presents us with a long melody of true poetic beauty, giving the sonata its widely recognised artistic nickname, “L’Aurora” (The Dawn). A series of episodes follows, most of them turbulent, with the last one leading to a striking coda. There, everything is extreme. The tempo (marked prestissimo, the fastest possible), dynamics and technical difficulty culminate in a section of glissando octaves, which often require inventive solutions from the performer on modern pianos, whose keys are much heavier and deeper than those of the composer’s era.