By Ainsley Green, Staff Writer
Jess Schaefer ’24 performed their Senior Recital on April 7. (Photo Courtesy of Jess Schaefer)
On Sunday, April 7 at 2:30 p.m., environmental studies and music double major Jess Schaefer ’24 performed their Senior Recital in Paul Recital Hall. The audience was full of family members, friends and other members of the Gettysburg community coming to support Schaefer on their performance, a culmination of all of the hard work put into their four undergraduate years at the Sunderman Conservatory of Music. The program included a variety of works, both for solo piano and chamber with other musicians playing onstage.
When reflecting on the process of putting together the recital, Schaefer said, “The process of preparing for my recital started back during the spring of my junior year, so it’s been in the works for a long time. The first couple months of this semester leading up to my recital were a bit of an emotional roller coaster of switching between feeling terrified and excited.”
The first piece of the program was “Norwegian Dance Op. 35 No. 4, ‘Allegro molto’” by Edvard Grieg, for which Schaefer was joined by fellow piano student Lizzie Fuscaldo ’24. The pair both played piano, as it was a piece written for four hands. The piece contained a variety of different themes and moods throughout, creating an entertaining musical journey for the audience. It was clear that Schaefer and Fuscaldo had a lot of fun preparing the piece, and their communication throughout made for a great performance to start the recital.
Next, Schaefer performed a famous chamber work alongside friends and fellow music majors Dylan Hewett ’24 on cello and JJ Jordan ’24 on violin. The piece, “Piano Trio in D Major Op. 70 No. 1, ‘Ghost’” by Ludwig Van Beethoven, had three movements called “Allegro vivace e con brio,” “Largo assai ed espressivo” and “Presto,” each setting a different tempo and style. The piece showcased the talents of all three performers as they worked together to give their interpretation of this famous trio. The melodies were eerie-sounding as much as they were beautiful, giving it its nickname, “Ghost Trio.” Schaefer, Hewett and Jordan each utilized techniques on their instruments from pizzicato on the strings to tremolos in the lower register of the piano to convey the themes of the piece. A short intermission followed before the second half of the program.
The second half of Schaefer’s recital featured two solo works for piano. The first piece was “Concert Etude S. 144 No. 3, ‘Un Sospiro’” by Franz Liszt, one of the most beloved works of the famous virtuoso, who was known for writing equally technical and expressive pieces. Etudes are meant to improve a specific skill on the instrument, and in this particular piece, the passing of the simple yet beautiful melody between both hands underneath an array of arpeggios was executed with a lot of musicality by Schaefer.
They remarked in their program notes, “‘Un Sospiro’ [is] one of my favorite pieces, and I’m so excited to be able to share it with you all.”
This excitement about playing the piece was clear to everyone in the audience up through the very last resonating chord.
The final piece that Schaefer performed was “Piano Sonata in C Minor, Op. 21” by Cecile Chaminade, a work with three distinct movements titled “Allegro appassionato,” “Andante” and “Allegro.” Each movement brought a new emotional ambiance into the recital hall, from the first movement’s intense theme in the left-hand bass that grabbed the audience’s attention to the second movement’s sentimental and rubato melody and to the third movement’s fast technicality. Schaefer was able to give an amazing rendition of each of these movements, and the piece was definitely fit to be the grand finale of the performance, earning a standing ovation from the audience.
“My double major with environmental studies has also helped me develop an interdisciplinary point of view and see how music fits into my other interests,” Schaefer shared. “I’m looking for jobs in either of those fields in addition to playing gigs and teaching piano on the side.”
When asked about their time with the Sunderman Conservatory, Schaefer said, “I’ve made lifelong friends through the conservatory community, and it’s been so special to grow as people and as musicians with them over the last few years. My piano professor, Dr. Swigger, has been an amazing teacher and mentor throughout my undergraduate experience and has had a large impact on my musicianship.”
With the semester coming to a close, be sure to mark your calendars for several more upcoming recitals, concerts and events of the Sunderman Conservatory, especially to celebrate the talented class of 2024.
Schaefer was joined by friends and fellow music majors Dylan Hewett ’24 on cello and JJ Jordan ’24 on violin. (Photo Courtesy of Jess Schaefer)
