Music on Thursdays
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Thursday 9 April 2026
12.30 lunchtime
Venue: Leatherhead Methodist Church KT22 8AY
Parking: Swan Centre multi storey KT22 7RH
Diana Brekalo
piano
Programme
Fanny Mendelssohn
from "the year"
January and February
Clara Schumann: Romance op. 21 No. 1
Anna Caroline Oury (née de Belleville, 1806-1880)
Rigoletto Phantasy
Melanie Bonis
Barcarolle
Lili Boulanger
Trois morcequx pour piano
Dora Pejacevic
Piano Sonata No. 2
Concert duration approx: 45+ minutes
Please donate to help fund these concerts at: cafdonate.cafonline.org/14455
Fanny Mendelssohn
from "the year"
January and February
Clara Schumann: Romance op. 21 No. 1
Anna Caroline Oury (née de Belleville, 1806-1880)
Rigoletto Phantasy
Melanie Bonis
Barcarolle
Lili Boulanger
Trois morcequx pour piano
Dora Pejacevic
Piano Sonata No. 2
Concert duration approx: 45+ minutes
Please donate to help fund these concerts at: cafdonate.cafonline.org/14455
Diana Brekalo
piano
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Croatian pianist Diana Brekalo was born and brought up in Stuttgart, Germany, and is of Croatian descent. Formative studies in Germany with Ana Hartauer, Monika Giurgiuman and Prof S Rudiakov revealed her talents not only as in imaginative and thoughtful solo pianist, but also as notable accompanist and fine chamber musician. By the age of twelve, Brekalo had already won four first prizes as soloist and two first prizes as a chamber musician in the German "Jugend musiziert" , and her precocious musical development was continued through generous grants from the "Oskar und Vera Ritter" foundation, the Baden-Württemberg Associations Patronage Prize, and the ZEIT grant in the "Deutsche Sitftung Musikleben". |
From 2001-2004 she was a Junior Student at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart, where, in 2004 she began studies in the class of Prof S Rudiakov. In 2006 she came to London to undertake further studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama under the guidance of Joan Havill, having gained a distinction in the Bachelor of Music (Hons) as well as in her Master of Music (performance). She was grateful for the financial support of the Leverhulme Trust and the Worshipful Companies of Innholders and Insurers as well as the Simon Phillis Award and the Sergei Rachmaninoff award.
Diana Brekalo has performed in cities and major concert halls throughout Europe, USA, Japan, China (Oriental Arts Centre Concert Hall, Shanghai, Forbidden City Concert Hall, Beijing), and Croatia - including live broadcasts on TV and radio.
She has performed in many UK cities including the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, St James Piccadilly, St John´s Smith Square, St Martin-in the-Fields, Bridgewater Hall, Fairfield Halls, and with numerous professional orchestras including the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, Dubrovnik Symphonie Orchestra and others.
Diana had her début with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Cadogan Hall in April 2011. She performed two piano cocertos in one concert: A world premiere of English composer Peter Fribbins and Shostakovich Piano Concerto No 1 to great acclaim.
Prizes and awards include:
1997: 2nd prize at the Matthaes Piano competition
1998: National first prize winner in the German "Jugend musiziert"
1999: First Prize in the international Pinerolo Piano competition
2000: First Prize in the XIV International Piano Competition in Ibiza, and Second prize in the German-French Lions Club International Piano Competition
2007: Managing Director´s prize at Jaques Samuel Piano Competition
2007: Second prize at the International Hastings Concerto Competition
2008: Third Prize at the Oxford Music Festival Competition
2009: First Prize at the International Croydon Concerto Competition
2010: Winner of the Croatian Oscar media award with the title "most succesful female Croatian artist" by the main Croatian newspaper "Vecernji list"
2012: Winner of the Cambridge Soloist competition
Winner of the Manchester Midday Concerts Society competition
Diana is a member of "Live music now" in London and Stuttgart.
Further studies included master classes with Prof M Uhde, R Gleissner, R Piernay, R Bowman, C Prégardien, J Rink, G Lohmeyer, D Borsan, G.Amiras, R O'Hora, M Roscoe, B Morrison, F Gamba, O Gardon and K Hellwig.
She was Artist in residence at Middlesex University in London 2010/2011. Since 2011 she has been working at the Musikhochschule in Würzburg. In May 2012 her live CD from the début with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Cadogan Hall (April 2011) was released.
Since 2014 she has been giving international master classes in China, England and Germany as well as adjudicating in piano competitions in England and Germany.
In 2025 she received a grant for her research about women composers which enabled her to record it at Fazioli Hall in Italy 2025. The CD will be released in 2026.
Diana Brekalo has performed in cities and major concert halls throughout Europe, USA, Japan, China (Oriental Arts Centre Concert Hall, Shanghai, Forbidden City Concert Hall, Beijing), and Croatia - including live broadcasts on TV and radio.
She has performed in many UK cities including the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, St James Piccadilly, St John´s Smith Square, St Martin-in the-Fields, Bridgewater Hall, Fairfield Halls, and with numerous professional orchestras including the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, Dubrovnik Symphonie Orchestra and others.
Diana had her début with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Cadogan Hall in April 2011. She performed two piano cocertos in one concert: A world premiere of English composer Peter Fribbins and Shostakovich Piano Concerto No 1 to great acclaim.
Prizes and awards include:
1997: 2nd prize at the Matthaes Piano competition
1998: National first prize winner in the German "Jugend musiziert"
1999: First Prize in the international Pinerolo Piano competition
2000: First Prize in the XIV International Piano Competition in Ibiza, and Second prize in the German-French Lions Club International Piano Competition
2007: Managing Director´s prize at Jaques Samuel Piano Competition
2007: Second prize at the International Hastings Concerto Competition
2008: Third Prize at the Oxford Music Festival Competition
2009: First Prize at the International Croydon Concerto Competition
2010: Winner of the Croatian Oscar media award with the title "most succesful female Croatian artist" by the main Croatian newspaper "Vecernji list"
2012: Winner of the Cambridge Soloist competition
Winner of the Manchester Midday Concerts Society competition
Diana is a member of "Live music now" in London and Stuttgart.
Further studies included master classes with Prof M Uhde, R Gleissner, R Piernay, R Bowman, C Prégardien, J Rink, G Lohmeyer, D Borsan, G.Amiras, R O'Hora, M Roscoe, B Morrison, F Gamba, O Gardon and K Hellwig.
She was Artist in residence at Middlesex University in London 2010/2011. Since 2011 she has been working at the Musikhochschule in Würzburg. In May 2012 her live CD from the début with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Cadogan Hall (April 2011) was released.
Since 2014 she has been giving international master classes in China, England and Germany as well as adjudicating in piano competitions in England and Germany.
In 2025 she received a grant for her research about women composers which enabled her to record it at Fazioli Hall in Italy 2025. The CD will be released in 2026.
Recordings of the works in today's concert (not yet adjusted for this concert)
Thomas Baltzar (c1630-1663) & Davis Mell (1604-1662)
from The Division Violin, pub 1684 John Playford (1623–1686)
John, Come Kiss Me Now (c1656) [7:30]
The players in this recording are Rachell Wong, baroque violin, Rogerio Shieh, baroque cello, and Anastasia Chin, harpsichord:
from The Division Violin, pub 1684 John Playford (1623–1686)
John, Come Kiss Me Now (c1656) [7:30]
The players in this recording are Rachell Wong, baroque violin, Rogerio Shieh, baroque cello, and Anastasia Chin, harpsichord:
Henry Purcell (1659–1695)
Trio Sonata in G minor Z780
Adagio - Allegro moderato - Largo - Vivace [6:50]
Instrumentation in this period was quite variable, so we have a recording which replaces the harpsichord with the organ, not the grand cathedral instrument, rather a house organ in scale. The players are members of the Academy of Ancient Music, conducted by Christopher Hogwood (who may be at the organ here):
Nicola Matteis (1650–1713)
from Ayres for the Violin, The First Part (c1676)
Preludio & Passaggio rotto Scaramuccia [2:40]
Andamente veloce
This solo piece is played in our recording by Isabelle Faust, violin. Here you get to hear the third movement, the Andamente veloce:
Christopher Simpson (c1605–1669)
Prelude and Divisions upon a Ground
There are several of these Preludes with Divisions (variations) to choose from. Unsure which one will be played at the concert, we have picked this prelude in E minor, played on the viola da gamba by American musician and ceramic artist (accomplished at both, it seems!) Marc Armitano Domingo:
Matthew Locke (1621–1677)
Suite in D minor
Fantazie • Courante • Ayre • Sarabande
Once again there are several choices here. Do we have the same one as appears in the concert? Nonetheless, this gives s flavour of Matthew Locke's work. Here we see the score, and with helpful addition of a moving line that shows exactly where we are in the music. It is spot on so you will not get lost! The piece finishes like a 1970s pop song, with the final bars repeating to fade. Nothing's new after all!
Matthew Locke
For the several Friends in D minor
Allemande • Ayre • Courante • Saraband
The performers here are Alexander Konstantinov, violin, Natalya Azarkina, viola da gamba, and Konstantin Shchenikov, archlute/theorbo and this comes from a concert in the MGU Hall of Lomonosov Moscow State University:
Henry Purcell
New Ground in E minor ZT683
Composers at this period seem quite lax in the naming of their works. Perhaps they did not expect them to have a long life. This is ZT682 which has quite a lot of recordings on youtube. Pastór de Lasala plays, from his collection, a spinet by Carey Beebe (1989) after an anonymous instrument of 1708, which is at the Royal Academy of Music, London:
Henry Purcell
Hornpipe ZT 685
Although flagged with a different Z number, this is the same Old Bachelor Hornpipe. Unless several people online have numbered theirs incorrectly, of course.
The rhythm shows this is undoubtedly a hornpipe, and there is a pipe (recorder) playing. The ensemble is Musica Gloria who are Nele Vertommen, recorder, Evan Buttar, viola da gamba, and Beniamino Paganini, harpsichord - now there's a famous surname that makes us want to ask questions!
This recording comes from the Begijnhofkerk in Antwerp, Belgium. A Begijnhof or beguinage is a community of lay sisters particular to the Low Countries.
John Walsh (1665/6-1736)
from The Compleat Country Dancing-Master (c1740)
Irish Bouree or Irish Boree
"John Walsh" where do we start? First, it is of course a common name, and it also appears to be a brand of bagpipes. Putting the composer's name and the name of the piece into youtube brings up excerpts from Fawlty Towers, as well as guitarist John Walsh, and Joe Walsh of The Eagles.
Here is an arrangement by the real 17th/18th century John Walsh, as heard in a 1742 Dublin concert arranged by a gent known only as "Mr Charles the Hungarian". Walsh included his arrangement of Handel's Water Music. The sneaky thing was that he wrote this arrangement and had it performed around Dublin while Handel was touring there. Truly commercial!
This brief performance of the Allegro comes from St Peter's Church of Ireland, Drogheda, which is also home to the Indian Orthodox Church of St Peter and St Paul, in the Syrian tradition. The musicians are the Irish Baroque Orchestra.
Here at last, some genuine John Walsh, an original piece called A Trip to Paris, written in 1711.
Gottfried (or Geoffrey) Finger (1660–1730)
from 12 Sonatas for Diverse Instruments Op 1 (pub 1688)
Trio Sonata in A major Op 1 No 3
Adagio
Allegro
Adagio
Allegro - Adagio
Born in Olomouc, in present day Czechia, Finger spent a fair number of years working in the Court of James II of England. In 1701 he moved to Wroclaw and then to several other cities, before settling in Mannheim for the final decade of his life.
The musicians in this performance are the Echo du Danube, under Christian Zincke.
William Viner (c17th–1716)
from 6 Violin Sonatas, or Six Solos for a Violin with a thorough bass for the harpsicord or bass violin compos'd by the late Mr. Viner of Dublin
Violin sonata No 3 in D minor
Grave - Allegro - Grave
Corente Allegro
Instead of the work we will hear at the concert, here is Viner's 6th Sonata which is in G minor. There is a full hour's music on this recording but this lively and demanding Sonata ends at around 8m30.
The musicians are The Beggar's Ensemble: Augustin Lusson, violin, Daria Zemele, harpsichord, and Matthieu Lusson, viola da gamba. They are performing in the Auditoriium St-Germain, the former church of that name, now part of the Conservatoire de Grand Poitiers, France.
Two short numbers to round of today's concert . . .
Anon, published in John Playford's The Division Violin
Duke of Norfolk or Paul's Steeple
Paul's Steeple, or Duke of Norfolk, from John Playford's Division Violin (London, 1685). Recorded at the Voices of Music Great Artists Concert, February, 2014. With Hanneke van Proosdij, recorder; Peter Maund, percussion; Elisabeth Reed, viola da gamba, and David Tayler, baroque guitar.
Playford's Division Violin contains many of the popular tunes of the 17th century. The musicians are provided with a set of variations over a simple, repeating bass line or "ground bass". It was left to the performers to arrange the music to taste. Paul's Steeple refers to the towering spire of the old gothic St Paul's in London; the tower had burned down before Playford's time, but was still celebrated in song, just as with "London Bridge."
Duke of Norfolk or Paul's Steeple
Paul's Steeple, or Duke of Norfolk, from John Playford's Division Violin (London, 1685). Recorded at the Voices of Music Great Artists Concert, February, 2014. With Hanneke van Proosdij, recorder; Peter Maund, percussion; Elisabeth Reed, viola da gamba, and David Tayler, baroque guitar.
Playford's Division Violin contains many of the popular tunes of the 17th century. The musicians are provided with a set of variations over a simple, repeating bass line or "ground bass". It was left to the performers to arrange the music to taste. Paul's Steeple refers to the towering spire of the old gothic St Paul's in London; the tower had burned down before Playford's time, but was still celebrated in song, just as with "London Bridge."
Thomas D'Urfey (c1653-1723)
from Wit and Mirth collection or Pills to Purge Melancholy (1698) pub Henry Playford
Scotch Tune
Finally, this is Jean-Luc Bresson with his arrangement of A New Scotch Tune, by Purcell, which comes from D'Urfey's collection of popular and often quite bawdy tunes!
Previous concert
2 April 2026 - Tier 3 Trio violin • cello • piano - click here
Next concert
16 April 2026 - Alex Wun, piano (from RAM) - click here
