Music on Thursdays
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Thursday 6th November 2025
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The last of 7 concerts in the Leatherhead Fringe
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Basil Alter
and Dafydd Chapman are Masters students of the Royal Academy of Music |
I Due Pulcinelli
The Two Pulcinellas
Programme
Stravinsky on Pergolesi (and others)
In 1925, Stravinsky published his Suite d'après des thèmes, fragments et morceaux de Giambattista Pergolesi, a violin and piano duet retelling of his runaway hit ‘Pulcinella’.
Yet, in 1932, he began rewriting the piece with violinist Samuel Dushkin, editing it down into what we now know as the Suite Italienne, a staple of modern 20th century violin repertory. This turned out to be a pivotal decision – most violinists today are unaware that the original 1925 version exists, while Suite Italienne continues to be a popular choice in the standard violin recital repertoire.
Whether or not we are able to answer the question of 'why' Stravinsky chose to rewrite, what we are left with is a rare opportunity to explore the 'how', and all the facets and implications of having a second go at a piece: from a compositional outlook, a performer’s perspective, a violinist’s hands, and an audience’s view. Through discussion of this rarely played masterpiece, a story emerges of how small changes can make or break a legacy.
The concert opens with a short lecture comparing Stravinsky's treatment of the themes in the two versions, which will be interspersed with examples, and followed by a playing of one of the works.
This comes from a 90-minute MMus presentation Basil Alter gave at the Royal Academy of Music on 22 September 2025.
• some themes are by other composers
• did he mean crescendo or diminuendo ?
• we'll hear passages which are similar between the two works, but certainly not the same!
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (1882-1971)
The Two Pulcinellas
Programme
Stravinsky on Pergolesi (and others)
In 1925, Stravinsky published his Suite d'après des thèmes, fragments et morceaux de Giambattista Pergolesi, a violin and piano duet retelling of his runaway hit ‘Pulcinella’.
Yet, in 1932, he began rewriting the piece with violinist Samuel Dushkin, editing it down into what we now know as the Suite Italienne, a staple of modern 20th century violin repertory. This turned out to be a pivotal decision – most violinists today are unaware that the original 1925 version exists, while Suite Italienne continues to be a popular choice in the standard violin recital repertoire.
Whether or not we are able to answer the question of 'why' Stravinsky chose to rewrite, what we are left with is a rare opportunity to explore the 'how', and all the facets and implications of having a second go at a piece: from a compositional outlook, a performer’s perspective, a violinist’s hands, and an audience’s view. Through discussion of this rarely played masterpiece, a story emerges of how small changes can make or break a legacy.
The concert opens with a short lecture comparing Stravinsky's treatment of the themes in the two versions, which will be interspersed with examples, and followed by a playing of one of the works.
This comes from a 90-minute MMus presentation Basil Alter gave at the Royal Academy of Music on 22 September 2025.
• some themes are by other composers
• did he mean crescendo or diminuendo ?
• we'll hear passages which are similar between the two works, but certainly not the same!
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (1882-1971)
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Suite after themes, fragments and pieces by Giambattista Pergolesi, for violin and piano (1925)
1 Introductione - Allegro moderato 2 Serenata - Larghetto 3 Tarantella - Vivace 4 Gavotta con due Variazione - Allegro moderato Allegretto Allegro più tosto moderato 5 Minuetto e Finale - Moderato - Molto vivace |
Suite italienne (from Pulcinella), for violin and piano (1934) (in collaboration with Samuel Dushkin)
1 Introduzione 2 Serenata 3 Tarantella 4 Gavotta con due Variazioni 5 Scherzino 6 Minuetto e Finale |
Scroll down after the biographies to listen to recordings of these two works.
Lecture-Recital duration approx: 50-60 minutes
At the end of today's concert, as we were chatting over tea and coffee at the back of the church, Basil Alter received a text message from the RAM informing him that they were awarding him his MMus. These days, MMus tends to be reserved for a more musicologist style of study, whereas pure performance graduates are awarded the MA (Music).
Please donate to help fund these concerts at: cafdonate.cafonline.org/14455
Wikipedia Links:
Lecture-Recital duration approx: 50-60 minutes
At the end of today's concert, as we were chatting over tea and coffee at the back of the church, Basil Alter received a text message from the RAM informing him that they were awarding him his MMus. These days, MMus tends to be reserved for a more musicologist style of study, whereas pure performance graduates are awarded the MA (Music).
Please donate to help fund these concerts at: cafdonate.cafonline.org/14455
Wikipedia Links:
Basil Alter, violin
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Dafydd Chapmen, piano
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Basil Alter
In the 2025–2026 season, violinist Basil Alter joins the 2025 roster of the City Music Foundation. He enjoys a busy schedule between the US and Europe, including concerto appearances of Bruch, Korngold, and Tchaikovsky with orchestras in greater London under the batons of conductors Christopher Stark, Christopher Braime, and Darrell Davison, and regular recital appearances across the country with collaborators including pianists Dafydd Chapman, Julian Chan, Jamie Cochrane, and Ariel Lanyi.
In the US, upcoming performances include appearances in New York City at the Frick Collection and on the Memphis Chamber Music Society with Evan Solomon. He is a prizewinner at several international competitions, including most recently 2nd prize at the Julio Cardona competition in Portugal.
He is a recent Masters graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he enjoyed working alongside figureheads of the UK music scene including Ed Gardner and Tasmin Little, as well as pursuing a highly-commended academic project related to the violin works of Stravinsky.
He was selected for many engagements and led the Academy orchestra in their appearance at the Aldeburgh Festival, as well as working on a project involving Ravel’s Duo and long-distance performance. Before living in London, he studied in New York at Manhattan School of Music, where he led the orchestra on several occasions and won the school’s chamber music prize. He is supported in part by the Craxton Memorial Trust.
In the US, upcoming performances include appearances in New York City at the Frick Collection and on the Memphis Chamber Music Society with Evan Solomon. He is a prizewinner at several international competitions, including most recently 2nd prize at the Julio Cardona competition in Portugal.
He is a recent Masters graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he enjoyed working alongside figureheads of the UK music scene including Ed Gardner and Tasmin Little, as well as pursuing a highly-commended academic project related to the violin works of Stravinsky.
He was selected for many engagements and led the Academy orchestra in their appearance at the Aldeburgh Festival, as well as working on a project involving Ravel’s Duo and long-distance performance. Before living in London, he studied in New York at Manhattan School of Music, where he led the orchestra on several occasions and won the school’s chamber music prize. He is supported in part by the Craxton Memorial Trust.
Dafydd Chapman
Dafydd Chapman is in his first year of the Masters course at the Royal Academy of Music studying Ensemble Piano under Mei-Ting Sun and James Baillieu.
Originally from Cardiff, he spent most of his childhood studying at the Junior Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where he studied with Nicola Meecham for 9 years. He became the first recipient of the Junior Conservatoire ABRSM Scholarship, won several prizes such as the Junior Conservatoire Prize for Solo Piano and won the Junior Conservatoire Chamber Prize. Most notably at his time there, he won the 2015 Junior Conservatoire Concerto Competition, in which he was given the opportunity to perform Chopin's Concerto No.1 with an orchestra at the conservatoire.
Dafydd has also competed in several competitions including becoming a semi-finalist at the Gregynog Young Musician Competition and winning the national Urdd Eisteddfod 3 times. In 2012 and 2017, he also won the Piano Solo and the Repertoire classes at the Mid-Somerset Competitive Festival and also went on to win the Piano Concerto competition there in 2019.
During his time at the Royal Academy of Music, Dafydd has gone on to perform a wide range of chamber and ensemble repertoire and internal competitions, notably, the Harold Craxton prize and performing with Trio Arisonto.
Originally from Cardiff, he spent most of his childhood studying at the Junior Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where he studied with Nicola Meecham for 9 years. He became the first recipient of the Junior Conservatoire ABRSM Scholarship, won several prizes such as the Junior Conservatoire Prize for Solo Piano and won the Junior Conservatoire Chamber Prize. Most notably at his time there, he won the 2015 Junior Conservatoire Concerto Competition, in which he was given the opportunity to perform Chopin's Concerto No.1 with an orchestra at the conservatoire.
Dafydd has also competed in several competitions including becoming a semi-finalist at the Gregynog Young Musician Competition and winning the national Urdd Eisteddfod 3 times. In 2012 and 2017, he also won the Piano Solo and the Repertoire classes at the Mid-Somerset Competitive Festival and also went on to win the Piano Concerto competition there in 2019.
During his time at the Royal Academy of Music, Dafydd has gone on to perform a wide range of chamber and ensemble repertoire and internal competitions, notably, the Harold Craxton prize and performing with Trio Arisonto.
Recordings of the works compared in today's concert
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (1882-1971)
Suite after themes, fragments and pieces by Giambattista Pergolesi, for violin and piano (1925)
Our recordings of the original Suite after themes are performed by Ray Chen, with Timothy Young, piano:
Suite after themes, fragments and pieces by Giambattista Pergolesi, for violin and piano (1925)
Our recordings of the original Suite after themes are performed by Ray Chen, with Timothy Young, piano:
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4. Gavotta con due Variazione
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Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky
Suite italienne (from Pulcinella), for violin and piano (1934) (in collaboration with Samuel Dushkin)
This recording includes the violin and piano score as the pianist would see it.
The performers are Nina Sandberg, violin, and Chee-Hang See, piano:
1. Introduzione
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Previous concert
30 October 2025 - Capricci Duo: Mackenzie Richards, violin & Julian Latham, viola - click here
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Next concert
13 November 2025 - Nocturnalia Ensemble (Baroque trio) click here
