The Violin-Piano Duo, Dominika Dancewicz and Donald Doucet: Darkness and Redemption

The University of St. Thomas Music Department presents The Violin-Piano Duo, Dominika Dancewicz and Donald Doucet: Darkness and Redemption.

Presented by the University of St.Thomas Music Department and the Axiom Quartet, this last concert of The Duo’s season reaches unprecedented depths of the power of music.

Prokofiev’s Sonata in F minor stands for the most tragic time in composer’s life. Considered one of the darkest, most brooding pieces he wrote, it was composed over a period of no less than 8 years, between 1938-1946.

Shortly after Prokofiev’s arrival to Moscow in 1936, a time called “The Great Terror” commenced, during which many of Prokofiev’s friends – artists, poets, musicians – were arrested and executed by Stalin’s regime. The Sonata’s haunting quality reflects not just the anguish, fear and bereavement, but also anger and strange, folksy energy, as if reassuring the underlining beauty of the core of the Russian soul.

The redemptive aspect of The Duo’s program is one of the most beloved pieces written for the violin-piano duo, the Sonata in A Major by Cesar Franck. Broad, rich and massive work of enormous beauty, it delivers brilliant and triumphant exit, which, we think, will be wonderfully satisfying to the listeners.

Also on the program – the rarely heard short pieces by Jean Sibelius, a nod towards last year’s 150th anniversary of composer’s birth.

Artists: 

Dominika Dancewicz-violin
Donald Doucet-piano

Program:

J.Sibelius – Pieces for Violin and Piano, op.81(selections)
S.Prokofiev – Sonata No.1 in F minor, op.80
C.Franck – Sonata in A Major

Dominika Dancewicz has performed in an array of music groups in Europe, Asia and the United States on some of the world’s most prestigious concert stages including the Berlin Philharmonic, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Salle Pleyel in Paris, Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C, and Carnegie Hall in New York. She is the founding member of Meridian Ensemble and the Axiom String Quartet. She currently teaches violin for the UST Music Preparatory School.

Donald Doucet is in high demand as recital accompanist, vocal coach, and choir accompanist. He has previously held Staff and Faculty positions at The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, San Jacinto College, Central Campus, and Lone Star College in Kingwood. He is currently Faculty Accompanist and Organist at St. John’s School in Houston, and Organist at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Missouri City.