Tina Kerchner flute Steve Smith guitar November Saturday 2005 7:30 The Presbyterian Church 810 Princess Anne Street Fredericksburg Virginia 22401 American Red Cross www.redcross.org Gabriel Faure France Ravi Shankar Jacques Ibert France Mauro Giuliani Italy Allegro Moderato Andante Molto Sostenuto Scherzo Allegretto Espressivo Robert Xavier Rodriguez USA Tina Kerchner flute Steve Smith guitar November Sunday 2004 2:30 The Presbyterian Church 810 Princess Anne Street Fredericksburg Virginia 22401 PCUSA Disaster Assistance Fund, Hurricanes 2004 www.pcusa.org Enrique Granados Spain Astor Piazzolla Argentina Bordel 1900 Cafe 1930 Nightclub Concert d'aujourd'hui Steve Smith England Steve Smith England George Bizet arr. Francois Borne arr. John Dowdall arr. Janice Dockendorff Boland Fanny Power South Wind Reel/Swinging on a Gate Tina Kerchner flute Mary Ann Casey harp Sharon Hedges piano Amy Shirk piano Steve Smith guitar June Saturday 2004 7:00 The Presbyterian Church 810 Princess Anne Street Fredericksburg Virginia 22401 ALS Association www.alsa.org Osvaldo Lacerda 1927 Brazil Brazillian composer Osvaldo Lacerda began piano studies at age nine, and later studied composition with Camargo Guarnieri. His extensive knowledge of Brazilian music paired with study and expert training in composition techniques produce a refined, nationalistic style of music. Lacerda was the first Brazilian composer to be named a Guggenheim Foundation Fellow, which allowed him to study with Vittorio Giannini and Aaron Copland while in the United States. Lacerda shares the philosophy with Ralph Vaughan Williams that music should be universally understood. In accordance with that philosophy, his music attempts to capture the essence of Brazil's musical soul by incorporating its folk and popular music. Lacerda is an active music teacher and has taught in various cities in Brazil. Marguerite Beclard d'Harcourt 1884 1964 France Baile Zas! Pasna Pitaci Ripusakme Baile Khacampa Andean folk music is essentially Native Music, often played on instruments such as the pan flute, and charango (guitar-like instruments made of dried goat hooves). When French musicologist Marguerite Beclard d'Harcourt traveled to the mountains of Peru, she listened closely to the native music, which she then transcribed and orchestrated so that modern instruments may enjoy those same melodies. Chants Peruviens is a delightful collection of songs that are enjoyed by recorder, pan flute, as well as modern flute players. Astor Piazzolla 1921 1992 Argentina Bordello 1900 Cafe 1930 Nightclub 1960 Concert d'aujourd'hui Though the tango grew to define the aristocratic glamour and elegance of high society, it's roots are from the lower classes. In the late 1800's, the compadritos emerged as a result of the Conquista del Desierto (conquest of the desert). These were people who were forced to resettle in poor, suburban areas - often resorting to petty crime to make their living. THe compadritos began the tango dance as a mockery of the dances of the African-Argentine population in Buenos Aires. The dance was named after the slang name of the African-Argentine dance places - the tambos. Histoire du Tango is a journey thorugh time and change in the structure and use of the tango. This flute/guitar standard moves from the gay chatter of the 1900s bordello, to the instrospective cafes of the 1930s, to the exciting night life in the clubs of the 1960s, to the contemporary form influenced by such artists as Duke Ellington, Igor Stravinsky and Bela Bartok. Argentinean-born composer Astor Piazzolla grew up in New York city with diverse musical influences, including the old, nostalgic tangos his father played on the gramophone, as well as every stolen note he could hear standing outside the Cotton Club, which was frequented by jazz greats such as Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway The Piazzolla family returned to Argentina when Astor was 26, and he developed his own tango band and began to compose in experimental styles, introducing triple rhythms to his tangos. Astor met his influential mentor, famed teacher of composition Nadia Boulanger, when he traveled to Europe in the early 1950s. She helped him find his compositional voice of allowing his jazz and classical training influence the direction of his native tango music. When he returned to Buenos Aires, his octet and new tangos were met by anything from surprise to shock to outrage. However, his tough upbringing on the streets of New York served him well - he persisted with new ideas and eventually won international recognition. Paquito D'Rivera 1948 Cuba Vals Venezolano Contradanza The contradanza originated from the English country dances, which spread to France and Italy as the contradanse and contradanza respectively. The contradanse was played in French ballrooms, until it was replaced by the more popular Spanish quadrille and Viennese waltzes. THe Cuban contradanza is derived from French influence. The Two Cuban Dances of Paquito d'Rivera provide a glimpse of the Cuban version of the waltz, as well as its predecessor the contradanza. Multiple Grammy award winner Paquito D'Rivera found early musical success playing clarinet and saxophone with the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra. His love for music grew from classical styles to encompass Latin jazz, and he has the honor of being the first musical artist to win Latin Grammies for both Classical and Latin jazz music. As a composer, Mr. D'Rivera's work reflects his diverse performance experience, blending Afro-Cuban influence with dance music and classical training. The diversity of Mr. D'Rivera's talent is aptly summarized by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Music Critic Tom Strioni, who claims "...Cuban reed player Paquito D'Rivera has a foot in the classical world and a foot in the jazz world - and each foot is atop its respective world." Pattapio Silva 1881 1907 Brazil Amor Perdido Serata d'Amore Primeiro Amor Pattapio Silva was an extraordinary Brazilian flutist and composer at the turn of the century. His great aptitude for music can be summed up in hte fact that he completed the 6 year requirements at the National Institute of Music in only 2 years, earning top prize and a gold medal on completion of his final exam. Despit his innate abilities as a musician, Silva still had to overcome the prejudice of his day because of his mulatto origin. His success in overcoming this obstacle is described in this excerpt from his biography by Souza, Gracas, Pedrosa, Pantoja, and Cechine: Brazil, 1900: "...entering the ballroom one could notice some sultry laughter - who would be the mulatto with the right to enter that splendid place? The time for music arrived, Pattapio played. After half an hour he was the beloved of all those people." Sadly, while touring Brazil to raise money to study in Europe, Pattapio came down with Diptheria and was taken at the young age of 26. A treasure amon flute players and composers was lost that day, but his collection of nine songs for flute remain to be enjoyed. Silva's compositions reflect his ability as a flutist with their technical and tonal demands. He composed salon-style pieces that captivated audiences throughout Brazil with their charm and virtuosity. Michael Colquhoun Cuba The Cuban charanga is a dance orchestra consisting of flute, vocals, strings and rhythm section. It's origin can be traced to the French charanga francese - a chamber music ensemble consisting of flute and strings that typically played elegant ballroom dances such as minuets, waltzes and contradanses. In 1789, a group of Haitians relocated to Santiago de Cuba, bringing their French and African musical influences with them. The French contradnase became the root of many dances that were played by Cuban charanga orchestras, including what eventually became Cuba's national dance, the danzon. This dance music employed florid ornamentation on Baroque French gallant style. FLutes used in the charanga orchestras to play these virtuosic passages were the simple, wooden, 5-keyed instruments of Bavarian flute maker Georg Tromlitz. To this day the "charanga flute" is a 5-keyed, wooden instrument, used for its warm tone and its flexibility in the high register. In Michael Colquhoun's "Charanga," the modern flute of Theobald Boeehm is used to imitate not only the sounds of the "charanga flute,' but the entire charanga orchestra. The impressions of percussion rhythms recur thorughout the piece underneath the flute lead, with the added impression of supporting string chords. Compser/flutist Michael Colquhoun is currently active as a solo recitalist, as Music Director of the Latin Music Ensemble Los Caribes, and as Adjunct Professor of Music at Canisius COllege. Dr. Colquhoun's compositions draw upon both the CLassical and Jazz traditions, and often involve a mixture of composed and improvised elements working together to produce a coherent whole. Mike Mower Great Britain Salsa Montunate Rumbango Bossa Merengova Sonata Latino was composed for flute and piano to be performed by classically trained musicians. It was later re-orchestrated for flute and salsa band for a recording by the famous flutist Sir James Galway. Regardless of orchestration, however, the sonata is a tonal quilt of Latin jazz styles. From the call and response style of the Montuno, to the syncopated "drag" feel of the Merengue (national dance of the Dominican Republic), to the vivid sensuality of the Rumba, the flair, style and personality of Latin music is well capture by English composer Mike Mower. Mike Mower studied flute at the Royal Academy of Music, London, and has played flute and saxophone in many diverse ensembles. In addition to teaching and lecturing in both Europe and the USA, mike is also much in demand as a composer and arranger. Mike's playing and writing careers have always run side by side. He has written for numerous European Big Bands including the BBC Big Band and Radio Orchestra, NDR Radio Big Band and the Stockholm Jazz ORchestra. Individual artists such as James Galway, Airto Moreira and Flora Purim and the Safri Duo have commissioned works from Mike. Tina Kerchner flute Amy Shirk piano Ginger Oplinger violin Larry Casey viola Christine Abeel cello March Saturday 2003 7:00 The Presbyterian Church 810 Princess Anne Street Fredericksburg Virginia 22401 ALS Association www.alsa.org This recital was the first benefit for the ALS Association. Frederick II 'The Great' (King of Prussia) 1712 1786 Prussia Allegro Cantabile Allegro Assai Frederick II ruled Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. His passion for music helped create a musical center in Berlin consisting of some of the finest musicians of the time, including C.P.E. Bach, Franz Benda, Carl Graun and Joachim Quantz. Quantz instructed the king in flute and composition and was the only person permitted to critique the king’s flute playing. Though the king had a gift for lyricism in his playing and composition, he did not wish to have any of his compositions published. He viewed his compositions more as his own personal court entertainment rather than great musical works. Imagine how surprised he would be to learn that today we have retained 121 flute sonatas, 4 flute concertos, 2 symphonies, and 3 marches that he composed! Elliot Weisgarber 1919 2001 United States Misty Evening at Saga Village Festival Elliot Weisgarber was born in Massachussetts, studied in New York and formed his career in Vancouver, Canada where he taught at the University of British Columbia. His interest in Asia led him to spend several years of partial residence in Japan, where he made an extensive study of Japanese music and was admitted as a master to the Kinko school of shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute). “Miyako Sketches” were originally part of a group of ten short pieces written in 1970 for western flute and Japanese koto. These pieces were used as preliminary sketches for a large orchestral work, “Kyoto Landscapes.” Four of the original ten sketches were named “Miyako Sketches,” using the ancient name for the city of Kyoto. Each sketch was inspired by the atmosphere of certain places within Kyoto where the composer lived during his visits to Japan. Misty Evening at Saga portrays the end of a rainy day in summer. Suggestions of the sounds of koto and shakuhachi music are mingled with the deep resonance of the bell at Tenryuji, the venerable Zen temple situated just beyond the composer’s garden wall. Village Festival commemorates the day every year in late spring on which the new rice seedlings are transplanted in the paddies in villages througout Japan. In the countryside there is a joyful celebration of life. Around the village shrines, booths selling food and drink abound. The sounds of country shrine music, often accompanying ribald dances, echo off the surrounding hills. Albert Franz Doppler 1821 1883 Poland For the Dopplers, music was a family affair. While growing up in Poland, both Franz and his younger brother, Karl, studied music with their father, a professional oboist. Franz and Karl both became excellent flutists and toured Europe together several times, delighting audiences with their showmanship and virtuosity. Eventually the brothers grew roots in Pest, Hungary, where they became the flute section first of the German Theater and later of the National Theater. Franz became the principal flute and assistant conductor for the Viennese court opera ballet and professor of flute at the Vienna Conservatory. Both brothers composed opera and flute music. Their mastery of the instrument is quite evident in the music that they composed for flute. During their lifetime, virtuosic music was quite popular and much was written that has been long since forgotten because it was not skillfully composed. The music of the Doppler brothers, however, has remained popular and well-studied by flutists today. The Mazurka is a Polish dance performed by 4-8 couples that is characterized by stamping of the feet and clicking of heels, which were often metal to make a more dramatic sound. The dance never became popular because it is quite artistic and difficult to learn. The music to which the dance was performed, however, gained great popularity - the national anthem of Poland is a mazurka. Sigfrid Karg-Elert 1877 1933 Germany Idylle Champetre (Rustic Idyll) Coliori (Hummingbird) Lotus Evocation a Brahma Siegfried Karg was the youngest of 12 born to a poor German family. He was musically adopted by a wealthy local professor, who bought the family a piano and gave Siegfried lessons. Siegfried was an industrious student and began composing before he was taught music theory. After his education at Grimma, where he learned to play flute, oboe and clarinet, Siegfried studied at the Conservatory in Leipzig, where he became more involved with composing. When he accepted a teaching position at the Conservatory at Magdeburg, he added his mother’s maiden name, Elert, to his own. When Karg-Elert made the acquaintance of composer Edvard Grieg, he found a source of musical encouragement and inspiration, as well as a guide to publishers and performance opportunities. At Grieg’s suggested, Karg-Elert again changed his name, this time to “Sigfrid.” When the first world war broke out, Karg-Elert enlisted in the 107th infantry regimental band, playing oboe, horn, saxophone and piano. Most of his flute compositions, including “Exotic Impressions,” were written during this time. His 30 Caprices for flute, also composed during this time, were written to prepare flutists for the challenges of the new music composed by people such as Stravinsy, Schoenberg, and Webern. These Caprices have continued to be considered standard study material by collegiate flute students. Lukas Foss 1922 Germany Composer's Holiday Whoever insinuated that a “jack of all trades” inevitably is “master of none” never met Lukas Foss. Foss began his musical studies in Berlin, studying piano and music theory. He was 7 years old when he began to compose; 15 when his first composition was published. In 1933 the Foss family moved from Berlin to Paris, where Foss studied flute with celebrated flutist Marcel Moyse. Four years later, Foss moved to the United States and enrolled in the Curtis Institute of Music, from which he graduated with honors. During the summers he studied conducting with Fritz Reiner and composition with Paul Hindemith. His cantata Prairie earned him the New York Music Critic’s Award when he was 22 years old. From that time through 1950 he served as the pianist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra; and when he wasn’t busy practicing piano, he managed in 1945 to become the youngest composer to ever receive a Guggenheim fellowship. An appointment in 1953 to the faculty of the University of California (succeeding Arnold Schoenberg) afforded Foss the opportunity to form the Improvisation Chamber Ensemble, which led to the composition of many new works. Ten years later, Foss was appointed musical director for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Under his baton the BPO led the world in the performance of new music. In the Three American Pieces, originally written for violin and later adapted for the flute, Foss explores characteristics of traditional American music, including early blues and jazz. The third piece, Composer’s Holiday, contains musical allusions to the Civil War folk song “Dixie.”