Chamber Music Series features César Franck
Dr. Robert Hallquist graces the keys with the music of César Franck. Photo by: Veronica Fulton
By Veronica Fulton. Staff Writer//
On a rainy Sunday afternoon, the student body of HPU was treated to the next performance in the Chamber Music series, a collection of concerts throughout the year that show the various stylings of different musical instruments. Mrs. Susan Bates, instructor of organ, Dr. Robert Hallquist, assistant professor of piano, and Dr. Laura Stevens, instructor of flute and director of the Flute Ensemble, presented a beautiful representation of famous nineteenth century composer César Franck’s music. In the Hayworth Chapel, the organ, piano and flute worked together to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Franck’s death. Bates, having been the university’s organist since 2011, played the Prelude, Fugue and Variation, M. 30, published in 1868. Hallquist then graced the keys of the piano with the Prelude, Chorale and Fugue, M. 21. Finally, Stevens played the Sonata for Violin and Piano, M. 8, with the help of Dr. Hallquist. “During our rehearsals we work on how to play as an ensemble, making sure that we have the same musical ideas about tempo changes, phrases and how best to interpret the music to an audience as one unit, as opposed to two different people,” Stevens said. Belgian-French composer César Franck was a pianist, organist, and music teacher who lived through the middle of the nineteenth century. He is known for bringing “seriousness” to French music, which lived on after his death through the pupils he had spent his life teaching as an organ professor at the Paris Conservatory. The emotion and work put into this music program was obvious. “We’ve only recently begun HPU’s Chamber Music Series, and it has been well received thus far. Speaking as one of its founding “members,” let me say that there’s much more that we have in mind to do with the series, but it’s one of those things in life that needs to proceed a step at a time. So far, so good,” Hallquist said.
“When you present a performance, you never really know who will end up attending. I noticed a lot of people from the community in attendance for this particular concert, which pleased me greatly. However, I wish there were more HPU students in attendance,” Stevens said.
The next performance will be on Nov. 8 at 3:30 p.m. in the Hayworth Chapel.