Saturday, April 25, 2009
Nicholas Lambson & Elisabeth Harrington
Guitarist Nicholas Lambson plays fiery and rarely heard Spanish classics, joined in song by soprano Elisabeth Harrington, on Saturday, April 25 at 8 pm in Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus. Tickets are $8 general, $3 students/seniors from the HSU Box Office (826-3928) or at the door. An HSU Department of Music Faculty Artist Series concert.
Guitarist Nicholas Lambson plays fiery and rarely heard Spanish classics, joined in song by soprano Elisabeth Harrington, on Saturday, April 25 at 8 pm in Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus. Tickets are $8 general, $3 students/seniors from the HSU Box Office (826-3928) or at the door. An HSU Department of Music Faculty Artist Series concert.
The Spanish Combination: Guitarist Nicholas Lambson and Soprano Elisabeth Harrington
Think of music from Spain, and you hear the timbres of guitar and voice. So music from Spain, from fiery Flamenco to introspective melodies, will dominate the collaboration of HSU Music Department colleagues, guitarist Nicholas Lambson and soprano Elisabeth Harrington, in concert at Fulkerson Recital Hall on Saturday, April 25.
Music from Cuba, Vienna, the U.S. and England are also represented, beginning with Lambson’s solo set and the Estudios Sencillos (Simple Studies) of Cuban guitarist/composer Leo Brouwer. Of the 20 etudes in this popular work, Lambson has “chosen five of the more difficult and interesting.” He also plays selections from “Bardic Sounds” by 19th century Romantic composer Johann Kaspar Mertz of Vienna, which “range in style from an almost operatic melodiousness to virtuosic fireworks,” Lambson said.
The featured solo guitar work is by classical Spanish composer Fernando Sor. “I will be performing his massive mature masterwork, the "Fantaisie Elegiaque," which oddly isn't performed or recorded very often,” Lambson said. “This is a substantial work on the death of a close friend of his, and is also a personal work for me.”
Elisabeth Harrington joins Lambson in the second half of the evening. They perform three songs about unrequited love by English early music composer John Dowland, and selections from “Letters from Composers” by 20th century American composer Dominick Argento, featuring personal notes from J. S. Bach, Robert Schumann, Giacomo Puccini, Frederic Chopin and others. “These songs are particularly clever, as the music reflects the tone of each letter, whether loving, mocking, complaining and so on,” Harrington noted.
They return to Spain with three songs by 20th century composer Joaquin Rodrigo. Harrington characterizes them as “wonderful pieces with ample melodic and harmonic variation to hold the listener's interest… They definitely sound Spanish!”
They also combine for five folks songs by famous 20th century Spanish poet and composer Federico Garcia Lorca, which Harrington notes are “accessible, full of Spanish idioms.”
This collaboration is unusual for both artists. ‘I feel very fortunate to work with Elisabeth,” Lambson said. “I am primarily a soloist, so it is always nice to work with other musicians and I am particularly excited about our repertoire selection.”
“It is a rare treat for me to perform with a guitarist-- only the third time in my whole career,” Harrington said. “I am enjoying learning more about the instrument and how to adjust my vocal intensity and color to balance with Nick's sound.”
This Faculty Artists Series concert by guitarist Nicholas Lambson and soprano Elisabeth Harrington begins at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 25 in Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus. Tickets are $8 general, $3 students/seniors from the HSU Box Office (826-3928) or at the door.
Media: Humboldt State Now
Think of music from Spain, and you hear the timbres of guitar and voice. So music from Spain, from fiery Flamenco to introspective melodies, will dominate the collaboration of HSU Music Department colleagues, guitarist Nicholas Lambson and soprano Elisabeth Harrington, in concert at Fulkerson Recital Hall on Saturday, April 25.
Music from Cuba, Vienna, the U.S. and England are also represented, beginning with Lambson’s solo set and the Estudios Sencillos (Simple Studies) of Cuban guitarist/composer Leo Brouwer. Of the 20 etudes in this popular work, Lambson has “chosen five of the more difficult and interesting.” He also plays selections from “Bardic Sounds” by 19th century Romantic composer Johann Kaspar Mertz of Vienna, which “range in style from an almost operatic melodiousness to virtuosic fireworks,” Lambson said.
The featured solo guitar work is by classical Spanish composer Fernando Sor. “I will be performing his massive mature masterwork, the "Fantaisie Elegiaque," which oddly isn't performed or recorded very often,” Lambson said. “This is a substantial work on the death of a close friend of his, and is also a personal work for me.”
Elisabeth Harrington joins Lambson in the second half of the evening. They perform three songs about unrequited love by English early music composer John Dowland, and selections from “Letters from Composers” by 20th century American composer Dominick Argento, featuring personal notes from J. S. Bach, Robert Schumann, Giacomo Puccini, Frederic Chopin and others. “These songs are particularly clever, as the music reflects the tone of each letter, whether loving, mocking, complaining and so on,” Harrington noted.
They return to Spain with three songs by 20th century composer Joaquin Rodrigo. Harrington characterizes them as “wonderful pieces with ample melodic and harmonic variation to hold the listener's interest… They definitely sound Spanish!”
They also combine for five folks songs by famous 20th century Spanish poet and composer Federico Garcia Lorca, which Harrington notes are “accessible, full of Spanish idioms.”
This collaboration is unusual for both artists. ‘I feel very fortunate to work with Elisabeth,” Lambson said. “I am primarily a soloist, so it is always nice to work with other musicians and I am particularly excited about our repertoire selection.”
“It is a rare treat for me to perform with a guitarist-- only the third time in my whole career,” Harrington said. “I am enjoying learning more about the instrument and how to adjust my vocal intensity and color to balance with Nick's sound.”
This Faculty Artists Series concert by guitarist Nicholas Lambson and soprano Elisabeth Harrington begins at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 25 in Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus. Tickets are $8 general, $3 students/seniors from the HSU Box Office (826-3928) or at the door.
Media: Humboldt State Now
Performers Notes
Nicholas Lambson:
I will be playing three diverse solo sets ranging from classical to modern. The Estudios Sencillos (simple studies) are well-known in the guitar repertoire. They are etudes, which are technically biased works, though I find a few of them to be very distinctive musically. I have chosen five of the more difficult and interesting of the popular 20.
Spanish guitarist/composer Fernando Sor lived in Paris for much of his mature career and contributed a wealth of fine works to the classical repertoire. I will be performing his massive mature masterwork, the "Fantaisie Elegiaque" Op.59, which oddly isn't performed or recorded very often. It may be his finest work, though other flashier pieces get performed more often such as his Variations on a Theme of Mozart, Op.9. This is a substantial work on the death of a close friend of his, and is also a personal work for me.
The Bardenklange (Bardic Sounds) of Johann Kaspar Mertz are becoming more and more recognized in the repertoire though they have been around for a century and a half. Mertz was a virtuoso active in Vienna during the Romantic period and may be the finest guitar composer of the era. The works I will be performing range in style from an almost operatic melodiousness to virtuosic fireworks. I will be performing three works: Romanze, Unruhe (restlessness), and Fingal's Hohle (Fingal's cave).
I feel very fortunate to work with Elisabeth on our voice and guitar repertoire. I am primarily a soloist, so it is always nice to work with other musicians and I am particularly excited about our repertoire selection. Some of the works are well-known, and some are relatively obscure. The classical guitar has strong associations with the Spanish idiom, and I think it is fitting that we will be performing works by two Spanish composers, though they are very different. Rodrigo is more modern and a neoclassicist, and he is well-known in the guitar world for his very famous "Concierto de Aranjuez" as well as a number of other fine works. Lorca was a multi-talented author, painter, and musician and the works we will be performing draw on the Flamenco tradition in Spain.
Elisabeth Harrington:
The concert will feature guitarist Nicholas Lambson on solo guitar for half of the evening. I will join him for the other half. The pieces we are performing together are the following four sets, two in English, two in Spanish:1. Three songs by John Dowland (originally scored for voice and lute) Typical early music with word painting in the vocal part, some tricky contrapuntal writing for guitar. They are strophic songs with some repetitions within verses. The stories are about unrequited love.
2. Three songs by Joaquin Rodrigo (the famed twentieth-century Spanish composer who became blind at the age of three, and contributed greatly to popularizing the classical guitar) Wonderful, through-composed pieces with ample melodic and harmonic variation to hold the listener's interest without losing cohesion. They definitely sound Spanish!
3. Five folk songs by Federico Garcia Lorca (accessible, full of "Spanish" idioms; include multiple verses for each melody)
4. Selections from "Letters from Composers" by Dominick Argento (featuring personal notes from J. S. Bach, Robert Schumann, Giacomo Puccini, Frederic Chopin and others, scored for guitar and high voice). These songs are particularly clever, as the music reflects both the tone of each letter, whether loving, mocking, complaining, etc., and includes motives and rhythmic references reflective of the composer's style.
It is a rare treat for me to perform with a guitarist (only the third time in my whole career). I am enjoying learning more about the instrument and how to adjust my vocal intensity and color to balance with Nick's sound.
Nicholas Lambson:
I will be playing three diverse solo sets ranging from classical to modern. The Estudios Sencillos (simple studies) are well-known in the guitar repertoire. They are etudes, which are technically biased works, though I find a few of them to be very distinctive musically. I have chosen five of the more difficult and interesting of the popular 20.
Spanish guitarist/composer Fernando Sor lived in Paris for much of his mature career and contributed a wealth of fine works to the classical repertoire. I will be performing his massive mature masterwork, the "Fantaisie Elegiaque" Op.59, which oddly isn't performed or recorded very often. It may be his finest work, though other flashier pieces get performed more often such as his Variations on a Theme of Mozart, Op.9. This is a substantial work on the death of a close friend of his, and is also a personal work for me.
The Bardenklange (Bardic Sounds) of Johann Kaspar Mertz are becoming more and more recognized in the repertoire though they have been around for a century and a half. Mertz was a virtuoso active in Vienna during the Romantic period and may be the finest guitar composer of the era. The works I will be performing range in style from an almost operatic melodiousness to virtuosic fireworks. I will be performing three works: Romanze, Unruhe (restlessness), and Fingal's Hohle (Fingal's cave).
I feel very fortunate to work with Elisabeth on our voice and guitar repertoire. I am primarily a soloist, so it is always nice to work with other musicians and I am particularly excited about our repertoire selection. Some of the works are well-known, and some are relatively obscure. The classical guitar has strong associations with the Spanish idiom, and I think it is fitting that we will be performing works by two Spanish composers, though they are very different. Rodrigo is more modern and a neoclassicist, and he is well-known in the guitar world for his very famous "Concierto de Aranjuez" as well as a number of other fine works. Lorca was a multi-talented author, painter, and musician and the works we will be performing draw on the Flamenco tradition in Spain.
Elisabeth Harrington:
The concert will feature guitarist Nicholas Lambson on solo guitar for half of the evening. I will join him for the other half. The pieces we are performing together are the following four sets, two in English, two in Spanish:1. Three songs by John Dowland (originally scored for voice and lute) Typical early music with word painting in the vocal part, some tricky contrapuntal writing for guitar. They are strophic songs with some repetitions within verses. The stories are about unrequited love.
2. Three songs by Joaquin Rodrigo (the famed twentieth-century Spanish composer who became blind at the age of three, and contributed greatly to popularizing the classical guitar) Wonderful, through-composed pieces with ample melodic and harmonic variation to hold the listener's interest without losing cohesion. They definitely sound Spanish!
3. Five folk songs by Federico Garcia Lorca (accessible, full of "Spanish" idioms; include multiple verses for each melody)
4. Selections from "Letters from Composers" by Dominick Argento (featuring personal notes from J. S. Bach, Robert Schumann, Giacomo Puccini, Frederic Chopin and others, scored for guitar and high voice). These songs are particularly clever, as the music reflects both the tone of each letter, whether loving, mocking, complaining, etc., and includes motives and rhythmic references reflective of the composer's style.
It is a rare treat for me to perform with a guitarist (only the third time in my whole career). I am enjoying learning more about the instrument and how to adjust my vocal intensity and color to balance with Nick's sound.
Friday, April 24, 2009
John Brecher
Cellist and HSU faculty emeritus John Brecher plays Beethoven and the Shostakovich Cello Sonata on Friday, April 24 at 8 pm in Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus. Tickets are $8 general, $3 students/seniors from the HSU Box Office (826-3928) or at the door. An HSU Department of Music Guest Artist concert.
Cellist and HSU faculty emeritus John Brecher plays Beethoven and the Shostakovich Cello Sonata on Friday, April 24 at 8 pm in Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus. Tickets are $8 general, $3 students/seniors from the HSU Box Office (826-3928) or at the door. An HSU Department of Music Guest Artist concert.
John Brecher Returns for Beethoven and Shostakovich
Cellist and HSU faculty emeritus John Brecher returns to HSU to play two complete works by Beethoven and Shostakovich in a Guest Artist concert at Fulkerson Recital Hall on Friday, April 24.
Brecher and pianist John Chernoff will play Ludwig von Beethoven’s last cello sonata, #5 in D, written in 1815, at the beginning of what reviewer Harry Downey calls Beethoven’s “last, great period of creativity.” It is the only one of Beethoven’s five cello sonatas to include a traditional slow movement, which Downey writes is “a truly intense and soul-searching Adagio that leads to the complex fugue of the Finale.”
They will also play the Sonata for Cello and Piano by Dimitri Shostakovich, a modern Russian composer. An early work, this sonata in four movements was composed in 1934 just before Soviet authorities began censoring his music. It was written quickly, during a period of emotional turmoil in the composer’s personal life. Reviewer Hubert Culot describes it as “a big romantic piece” that “brims with long, passionate melodies.”
John Brecher is a former conductor of the Humboldt Symphony, soloist with the Eureka Symphony and a founder of the Sequoia Chamber Music Workshop. He has performed major works in the classical repertoire in various European cities. He taught in the HSU Music Department from 1969 to 1973, and from 1990 until his retirement.
The concert begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 24 in in Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus. Tickets are $8 general, $3 students/seniors from the HSU Box Office (826-3928) or at the door.
Media: Humboldt State Now
Cellist and HSU faculty emeritus John Brecher returns to HSU to play two complete works by Beethoven and Shostakovich in a Guest Artist concert at Fulkerson Recital Hall on Friday, April 24.
Brecher and pianist John Chernoff will play Ludwig von Beethoven’s last cello sonata, #5 in D, written in 1815, at the beginning of what reviewer Harry Downey calls Beethoven’s “last, great period of creativity.” It is the only one of Beethoven’s five cello sonatas to include a traditional slow movement, which Downey writes is “a truly intense and soul-searching Adagio that leads to the complex fugue of the Finale.”
They will also play the Sonata for Cello and Piano by Dimitri Shostakovich, a modern Russian composer. An early work, this sonata in four movements was composed in 1934 just before Soviet authorities began censoring his music. It was written quickly, during a period of emotional turmoil in the composer’s personal life. Reviewer Hubert Culot describes it as “a big romantic piece” that “brims with long, passionate melodies.”
John Brecher is a former conductor of the Humboldt Symphony, soloist with the Eureka Symphony and a founder of the Sequoia Chamber Music Workshop. He has performed major works in the classical repertoire in various European cities. He taught in the HSU Music Department from 1969 to 1973, and from 1990 until his retirement.
The concert begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 24 in in Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus. Tickets are $8 general, $3 students/seniors from the HSU Box Office (826-3928) or at the door.
Media: Humboldt State Now
Friday, April 17, 2009
Opera Workshop
It’s opera with emphasis on the comic, as the HSU Opera Workshop performs Puccini, Donizetti, Gilbert & Sullivan and a children’s opera by Malcolm Fox on Friday and Saturday, April 17 and 18 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $7 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Free to HSU students with ID. Elisabeth Harrington, director. Presented by the HSU Department of Music.
It’s opera with emphasis on the comic, as the HSU Opera Workshop performs Puccini, Donizetti, Gilbert & Sullivan and a children’s opera by Malcolm Fox on Friday and Saturday, April 17 and 18 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $7 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Free to HSU students with ID. Elisabeth Harrington, director. Presented by the HSU Department of Music.
Opera Workshop Goes to the Circus
Continuing their emphasis on the comic from their March concert, the students of the HSU Opera Workshop perform a new program on Friday and Saturday, April 17 and 18 in Fulkerson Recital Hall.
The concert starts off with scenes from four different operas, directed by HSU Music professor Elisabeth Harrington.
“Sour Angelica” is part of a one act opera by Giacomo Puccini, set in a convent and featuring an exclusively female cast.
After Puccini, why not Donizetti? But this time, it’s two male singers in a comic duet from the opera “Don Pasquale.”
A duet and dance routine from Kurt Weill’s “Street Scene” is followed by the opening scene of “Ruddigore,” an outlandish comedy by Gilbert and Sullivan.
Pianist John Chernoff is the accompanist for these four scenes.
The children’s opera, “Sid the Serpent Who Wanted to Sing” by Malcolm Fox comprises the second half of the concert. “We did two scenes from this opera in the fall, and now we’re doing the whole show,” Elisabeth Harrington said. “It’s a comic, kid-friendly piece about a serpent who is frustrated with his job of slithering in the circus. He decides to become a singer, and leaves the circus to pursue his dream of finding his voice.”
Recent HSU graduate Kirsten Randrup will direct the children’s opera, with student Jonathan Webster accompanying on piano.
The HSU Opera Workshop performs on Friday and Saturday, April 17 and 18 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $7 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Free to HSU students with ID.
Continuing their emphasis on the comic from their March concert, the students of the HSU Opera Workshop perform a new program on Friday and Saturday, April 17 and 18 in Fulkerson Recital Hall.
The concert starts off with scenes from four different operas, directed by HSU Music professor Elisabeth Harrington.
“Sour Angelica” is part of a one act opera by Giacomo Puccini, set in a convent and featuring an exclusively female cast.
After Puccini, why not Donizetti? But this time, it’s two male singers in a comic duet from the opera “Don Pasquale.”
A duet and dance routine from Kurt Weill’s “Street Scene” is followed by the opening scene of “Ruddigore,” an outlandish comedy by Gilbert and Sullivan.
Pianist John Chernoff is the accompanist for these four scenes.
The children’s opera, “Sid the Serpent Who Wanted to Sing” by Malcolm Fox comprises the second half of the concert. “We did two scenes from this opera in the fall, and now we’re doing the whole show,” Elisabeth Harrington said. “It’s a comic, kid-friendly piece about a serpent who is frustrated with his job of slithering in the circus. He decides to become a singer, and leaves the circus to pursue his dream of finding his voice.”
Recent HSU graduate Kirsten Randrup will direct the children’s opera, with student Jonathan Webster accompanying on piano.
The HSU Opera Workshop performs on Friday and Saturday, April 17 and 18 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $7 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Free to HSU students with ID.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Humboldt Bay Brass Band
Humboldt Bay Brass Band plays Copland, Downie, Dusty Springfield and more in its only spring concert on Saturday, April 11 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $7 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Free to HSU students with ID. Presented by the HSU Department of Music; directed by Gil Cline.
Humboldt Bay Brass Band plays Copland, Downie, Dusty Springfield and more in its only spring concert on Saturday, April 11 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $7 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Free to HSU students with ID. Presented by the HSU Department of Music; directed by Gil Cline.
From Copland to Dusty Springfield: An Eclectic Humboldt Bay Brass Band Concert
A Londonderry Aire, a Kentucky Sunrise, a contemporary tribute to an old master, the most famous fanfare in America, and a Dusty Springfield tune—comprise just some of the eclectic program for the Humboldt Bay Brass Band spring concert on Saturday, April 11.
The program begins with Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, a familiar, stirring and emblematic work which is probably the best known fanfare in America, and was widely heard as recently as President Obama’s Inaugural celebration.
The featured work is Purcell Variations by noted brass band composer Kenneth Downie. “This piece is a major work for brass band,” said Gil Cline, conductor of the Humboldt Bay Brass Band. “It’s a roller coaster of a composition, traversing melodies and harmonies, and glued together by contemporary rhythms.” Though it does not mimic the Baroque style of composer Henry Purcell, it was written for the 300th anniversary of his death.
Also featured are Sonata Octavi Toni by late 16th century Venetian composer Giovanni Gabrieli, and The Hunt by noted British band composer Kenneth Alford. The famed Irish anthem Londonderry Aire (it’s the tune to “Danny Boy”) contrasts with the very American Kentucky Sunrise, composed by Karl King, originally for the Barnum and Bailey Circus Band. Trombonist George Epperson solos for the 1966 Dusty Springfield hit, “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me.”
The concert’s second half features music of HSU's Trumpet Consort, playing copies of 1667 natural trumpets. A week later, they'll be at Stanford University to play a concert from Hoover Tower.
Humboldt Bay Brass Band plays its only spring concert on Saturday, April 11 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $7 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Free to HSU students with ID. Gil Cline, conductor. Presented by the HSU Department of Music.
Media: Eureka Times-Standard.
A Londonderry Aire, a Kentucky Sunrise, a contemporary tribute to an old master, the most famous fanfare in America, and a Dusty Springfield tune—comprise just some of the eclectic program for the Humboldt Bay Brass Band spring concert on Saturday, April 11.
The program begins with Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, a familiar, stirring and emblematic work which is probably the best known fanfare in America, and was widely heard as recently as President Obama’s Inaugural celebration.
The featured work is Purcell Variations by noted brass band composer Kenneth Downie. “This piece is a major work for brass band,” said Gil Cline, conductor of the Humboldt Bay Brass Band. “It’s a roller coaster of a composition, traversing melodies and harmonies, and glued together by contemporary rhythms.” Though it does not mimic the Baroque style of composer Henry Purcell, it was written for the 300th anniversary of his death.
Also featured are Sonata Octavi Toni by late 16th century Venetian composer Giovanni Gabrieli, and The Hunt by noted British band composer Kenneth Alford. The famed Irish anthem Londonderry Aire (it’s the tune to “Danny Boy”) contrasts with the very American Kentucky Sunrise, composed by Karl King, originally for the Barnum and Bailey Circus Band. Trombonist George Epperson solos for the 1966 Dusty Springfield hit, “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me.”
The concert’s second half features music of HSU's Trumpet Consort, playing copies of 1667 natural trumpets. A week later, they'll be at Stanford University to play a concert from Hoover Tower.
Humboldt Bay Brass Band plays its only spring concert on Saturday, April 11 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $7 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Free to HSU students with ID. Gil Cline, conductor. Presented by the HSU Department of Music.
Media: Eureka Times-Standard.
Conductor's Notes
Kenneth Downie ....... Purcell Variations
Composed to commemorate the tercentenary of Purcell's death, this piece is based on the hymn tune 'Westminster Abbey' and offers variety, vitality and technical movements. This piece is a bona fide Tour de Force! It's a major work for brass band, in that it is organized into fivemovements and has a duration of almost 14 minutes.
Although it was not commissioned as a "contest piece" it has already been used for that purpose in the Brass Band world, including England. There, and elsewhere in the UK, bands aspire to win a national championship, beginning in regions and leading to the nationals each fall at Royal Albert Hall in London.
Purcell Variations, a contemporary work -- not baroque music like the namesake, is a roller-coaster of a composition, traversing melodies and harmonies, and glued together by contemporary rhythms in a way which challenges any brass band, and treats any audience.
Kenneth Downie is a composer of brass band music. He was born in Glasgow and educated at Greenock High School, the Royal Manchester College of Music .... His published compositions, now numbering over 50, span a period of 30 years and are mainly for brass band or choir.
Giovanni Gabrieli ..... Sonata Octavi Toni
Beautiful double choir, divided left and right, music of San Marco Cathedral, Venice, 1597.
Kenneth Alford ........... The Hunt
Begins with a posthorn, a hunting horn, solo and is a real horse race through the woods. By the noted British composer of many other works for band.
Karl King ....... Kentucky Sunrise
Very American ... 1919 ... Written for the Barnum and Bailey Circus Band.Dedicated to Rhoda Royal, horse trainer ... named for show horse Kentucky Sunrise in B&B Circus. As a former euphonium player, King made sure that the low brass players shared the best melodies.
Dusty Springfield ..... You Don't Have to Say You Love Me
Yeah, the 1960s hit! Here with trombone solo by George Epperson.
Kenneth Downie ....... Purcell Variations
Composed to commemorate the tercentenary of Purcell's death, this piece is based on the hymn tune 'Westminster Abbey' and offers variety, vitality and technical movements. This piece is a bona fide Tour de Force! It's a major work for brass band, in that it is organized into fivemovements and has a duration of almost 14 minutes.
Although it was not commissioned as a "contest piece" it has already been used for that purpose in the Brass Band world, including England. There, and elsewhere in the UK, bands aspire to win a national championship, beginning in regions and leading to the nationals each fall at Royal Albert Hall in London.
Purcell Variations, a contemporary work -- not baroque music like the namesake, is a roller-coaster of a composition, traversing melodies and harmonies, and glued together by contemporary rhythms in a way which challenges any brass band, and treats any audience.
Kenneth Downie is a composer of brass band music. He was born in Glasgow and educated at Greenock High School, the Royal Manchester College of Music .... His published compositions, now numbering over 50, span a period of 30 years and are mainly for brass band or choir.
Giovanni Gabrieli ..... Sonata Octavi Toni
Beautiful double choir, divided left and right, music of San Marco Cathedral, Venice, 1597.
Kenneth Alford ........... The Hunt
Begins with a posthorn, a hunting horn, solo and is a real horse race through the woods. By the noted British composer of many other works for band.
Karl King ....... Kentucky Sunrise
Very American ... 1919 ... Written for the Barnum and Bailey Circus Band.Dedicated to Rhoda Royal, horse trainer ... named for show horse Kentucky Sunrise in B&B Circus. As a former euphonium player, King made sure that the low brass players shared the best melodies.
Dusty Springfield ..... You Don't Have to Say You Love Me
Yeah, the 1960s hit! Here with trombone solo by George Epperson.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Composers Concert
New music by faculty and student composers on Saturday, April 4 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $7 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Free to HSU students with ID. Presented by the HSU Department of Music.
New music by faculty and student composers on Saturday, April 4 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $7 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Free to HSU students with ID. Presented by the HSU Department of Music.
Composers Concert Includes Deborah Clasquin Memorial
A program of new compositions by HSU Department of Music faculty and students, presents an “eclectic array of styles and compositional techniques for ambient synth music, dancers, piano, voice and various chamber groups,” according to Dr. Brian Post, HSU professor of Music Theory and Composition. It will be performed on Saturday, April 4 in Fulkerson Recital Hall at HSU.
One of the featured compositions is “Light at the End of the Tunnel,” which Dr. Post wrote in memory of Deborah Clasquin, noted pianist and revered teacher at HSU, who passed away on March 10. The piece will be played by Post and students who studied with Clasquin, “while reflecting on life, death and their memories of some one who was very dear to them,” Post said.
The program also features an electronic piece by Cynthia McCloud. “She created her own music composition system that utilizes numerology and is designed to influence the energy centers of the human body,” Post said. “ This piece will also have dancers interpreting the piece through movement.”
Another Post composition, “Rails of Safety,” will be performed by students in the composition program “using parts of Fulkerson Recital Hall and kitchen utensils brought from their homes for instruments,” in homage to early 20th century American avant-garde composers. “It is also designed to foster the return of improvisation to a formal music venue,” Dr. Post said.
Other works on the program are performed by acoustic chamber groups, solo piano and solo voice. The Composers Concert is presented on Saturday, April 4 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $7 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Free to HSU students with ID.
Media: North Coast Journal, Arcata Eye, Humboldt State Now.
A program of new compositions by HSU Department of Music faculty and students, presents an “eclectic array of styles and compositional techniques for ambient synth music, dancers, piano, voice and various chamber groups,” according to Dr. Brian Post, HSU professor of Music Theory and Composition. It will be performed on Saturday, April 4 in Fulkerson Recital Hall at HSU.
One of the featured compositions is “Light at the End of the Tunnel,” which Dr. Post wrote in memory of Deborah Clasquin, noted pianist and revered teacher at HSU, who passed away on March 10. The piece will be played by Post and students who studied with Clasquin, “while reflecting on life, death and their memories of some one who was very dear to them,” Post said.
The program also features an electronic piece by Cynthia McCloud. “She created her own music composition system that utilizes numerology and is designed to influence the energy centers of the human body,” Post said. “ This piece will also have dancers interpreting the piece through movement.”
Another Post composition, “Rails of Safety,” will be performed by students in the composition program “using parts of Fulkerson Recital Hall and kitchen utensils brought from their homes for instruments,” in homage to early 20th century American avant-garde composers. “It is also designed to foster the return of improvisation to a formal music venue,” Dr. Post said.
Other works on the program are performed by acoustic chamber groups, solo piano and solo voice. The Composers Concert is presented on Saturday, April 4 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $7 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Free to HSU students with ID.
Media: North Coast Journal, Arcata Eye, Humboldt State Now.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Duo Fuoco
Duo Fuoco plays fiery tangos and other contemporary and modern music for flute and guitar on Friday, April 3 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $8 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Presented by HSU Department of Music.
Duo Fuoco plays fiery tangos and other contemporary and modern music for flute and guitar on Friday, April 3 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $8 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Presented by HSU Department of Music.
Duo Fuoco: Fiery, Light and Now Half-Humboldt
“Duo Fuoco” means “two fires,” and in its concert on Friday, April 3 at Fulkerson Recital Hall, Duo Fuoco plays some fiery music for guitar and flute.
Though based in San Francisco, Duo Fuoco is now one-half Humboldt. While guitarist Jacob Kramer is still in the Bay Area, Laura Snodgrass is teaching flute in the HSU Department of Music.
Duo Fuoco’s recent appearances won praise from the San Francisco Examiner (“rhythmically punchy, spicy performance”) and the San Francisco Classical Voice (“An engaging, exciting performance by a promising new force in classical music.”)
Their April 3 program features the fiery tangos of 20th century Argentine composer Astor Piazolla, in his History of the Tango. It suggests how tango would be played in a 1900 bordello, a 1930 café and a 1960 nightclub.
They will also perform Adelita and Lagrima by 20th century Spanish guitarist Francisco Tarrega and Prelude #2 by Heitor Villa-Lobos, considered Brazil’s most significant 20th century composer.
But fiery isn’t the only mood. They play "Deep Blue" by contemporary composer Libby Larsen, who has described it as “quiet and lyrical.” Duo Fuoco follows it with Larsen’s “Salt Peanuts,” based on a 1945 jazz tune by Dizzy Gillespie and Kenny Clark. The program also includes selections from three modern French composers: Claude Debussy (his 1913 flute composition, Syrinx), Edgard Varese (his 1936 Density 21.5, also originally for flute) and Jacques Ibert (who also directed the Paris Opera-Comique.)
Duo Fuoco guitarist Kramer studied with San Francisco guitarist and composer Dusan Bogdanovic, and for this concert the Duo will perform the prelude to Bogdanovic’s recent ballet, “The Crow.”
In addition to teaching at HSU, Laura Snodgrass has performed with the Eureka Symphony as well as the Contemporary Chamber Orchestra and Monterey Symphony. She has won awards from the National Music Teacher’s Association, National Woodwind Concerto Competition, and National Public Radio Young Artists Competition.
Duo Fuoco performs on Friday, April 3 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $8 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door.
Media: Humboldt State Now.
“Duo Fuoco” means “two fires,” and in its concert on Friday, April 3 at Fulkerson Recital Hall, Duo Fuoco plays some fiery music for guitar and flute.
Though based in San Francisco, Duo Fuoco is now one-half Humboldt. While guitarist Jacob Kramer is still in the Bay Area, Laura Snodgrass is teaching flute in the HSU Department of Music.
Duo Fuoco’s recent appearances won praise from the San Francisco Examiner (“rhythmically punchy, spicy performance”) and the San Francisco Classical Voice (“An engaging, exciting performance by a promising new force in classical music.”)
Their April 3 program features the fiery tangos of 20th century Argentine composer Astor Piazolla, in his History of the Tango. It suggests how tango would be played in a 1900 bordello, a 1930 café and a 1960 nightclub.
They will also perform Adelita and Lagrima by 20th century Spanish guitarist Francisco Tarrega and Prelude #2 by Heitor Villa-Lobos, considered Brazil’s most significant 20th century composer.
But fiery isn’t the only mood. They play "Deep Blue" by contemporary composer Libby Larsen, who has described it as “quiet and lyrical.” Duo Fuoco follows it with Larsen’s “Salt Peanuts,” based on a 1945 jazz tune by Dizzy Gillespie and Kenny Clark. The program also includes selections from three modern French composers: Claude Debussy (his 1913 flute composition, Syrinx), Edgard Varese (his 1936 Density 21.5, also originally for flute) and Jacques Ibert (who also directed the Paris Opera-Comique.)
Duo Fuoco guitarist Kramer studied with San Francisco guitarist and composer Dusan Bogdanovic, and for this concert the Duo will perform the prelude to Bogdanovic’s recent ballet, “The Crow.”
In addition to teaching at HSU, Laura Snodgrass has performed with the Eureka Symphony as well as the Contemporary Chamber Orchestra and Monterey Symphony. She has won awards from the National Music Teacher’s Association, National Woodwind Concerto Competition, and National Public Radio Young Artists Competition.
Duo Fuoco performs on Friday, April 3 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $8 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door.
Media: Humboldt State Now.
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