JUNE 9 - 8:00PM "The Jazz Age"
Our Featured Composer - DICK HYMAN
Throughout a busy musical career that got underway in the early '50s, Dick Hyman has functioned as pianist, organist, arranger, music director, and composer. His versatility in all of these areas has resulted in film scores, orchestral compositions, concert appearances and well over 100 albums recorded under his own name. While developing a masterful facility for improvisation in his own piano style, Mr. Hyman has also investigated ragtime and the earliest periods of jazz and has researched and recorded the piano music of Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, James P. Johnson, Zez Confrey, Eubie Blake and Fats Waller, which he often features in his frequent recitals. Other solo recordings include the music of Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers and Duke Ellington. In a different vein, Mr. Hyman was one of the first to record on the Moog sythesizer, and his early explorations have now been reissued. Mr. Hyman's concert compositions for orchestra include his Piano Concerto, Ragtime Fantasy, The Longest Blues in the World, and From Chama to Cumbres by Steam, a work for orchestra, jazz combo, and prerecorded railroad sounds. A cantata based on the autobiography of Mark Twain was premiered with the choral group, Gloria Musicae, in Sarasota. In a growing catalogue of chamber music compositions, his most recent pieces are Dances and Diversions for the Kinor String Quartet, and Parable a trio for the Palisades Virtuosi. Earlier compositions include a violin/piano sonata, a quintet for piano and strings, and a sextet for clarinet, piano and strings. Mr. Hyman has often been heard in duo-piano performances with Derek Smith, in Three-Piano Crossover with Marian McPartland and the late Ruth Laredo, and in various pops concerts under the direction of Doc Severinsen. In 2004, after serving as artistic director for the acclaimed Jazz in July series at New York's 92nd Street Y for twenty years, and holding a similar role at the Oregon Festival of American Music, he stepped down from both venues but continues his Jazz Piano at the Y series in New York. There is much more about him on his website www.dickhyman.com and literally dozens of recordings of his compositions are available everywhere.
He says of Parable for a Parrot (the piece he has written for us) "The title is merely a euphonious play on words, the composition is abstract. The structure is based on the working out of a four-note phrase among the trio, who greatly modify and develop it in one brisk movement lasting about 4 minutes."
We are also delighted that he has agreed to perform a selection for our audience at this concert. This will be a thrill for all of us I'm sure.
Robert Russell Bennett [1894-1981] was a phenomenally prolific composer, arranger and musician. Talented on many instruments at an early age he came to New York in 1919. There he got a job as a copyist at G. Schirmer and began to build a vast network of musical contacts. He studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris from 1926-1929 and then returned to New York where he began his storied Broadway career. Bennett worked as an arranger for several of the greatest composers on Broadway including George Gershwin, Kurt Weill and Cole Porter, but his later collaborations with Jerome Kern and Richard Rodgers gave birth to his most well-known works. He was known to produce scores at the alarming rate of 20 or more a year for these composers! The most famous scores are still revived on Broadway and remain among the great shows of all time - Oklahoma, Show Boat, Annie Get Your Gun, My Fair Lady, The King and I, South Pacific, The Sound of Music just to name a few. He also did a lot of his own composing is famous for writing the score to the epic television series Victory at Sea.
Among his first friends in New York, were the members of the New York Flute Club. The piece we will perform on June 9, Six Souvenirs for Two Flutes and One Piano, is in six movements, each one dedicated to a flutist friend of his, including William Kincaid, Verne & Edward Powell, and Georges Barrere. The score has been lovingly transcribed from manuscript to printed form by Jan and Paul Somers and it is truly a joy to perform!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Russell_Bennett
http://www.naxos.com/composerinfo/90.htm
Pierre Max Dubois (1930 – 1995) was a student of Darius Milhaud. There are rhythmic and harmonic similarities between his music and the music of Milhaud, but Dubois added a rakish twist to his harmonies and a more lighthearted touch to his works in general. He wrote a great deal of music for saxophone including the well-known “Quartet for Saxophones” in 1962, and utilized the saxophone as both a soloist and with other winds. He won the Prix de Rome in 1955. There's not much information on him but some of his recordings are available on amazon.com and there is a list of his works at the Wikipedia site.
“Les Treteaux” is a trio for flute, alto saxophone & piano in three movements. The first is joyous and sassy, the second, longing and romantic and the third is an overblown waltz. The piece is a fun-loving romp and from the very first bars of reading it we were hooked! “Les Treteaux” in French, is literally “the trestles or tables” but is commonly used in France to mean “the stage”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Max_Dubois
Already a recognized jazz musician and composer of music of over a hundred films, Claude Bolling (b. 1930) gained international recognition in the "classical" world with his Suite for Flute & Jazz Piano, a piece designed to make any classically-trained flutist sound like an accomplished jazz player. The piece was such a hit that he created similar works for other instruments, guitar & flute, violin and cello. The Suite can be performed with just flute and piano, or with the addition of bass and drums. We're putting out own twist on it - for this concert, Don has taken the bass part and put it on the bass clarinet! We will perform the first movement of the Suite to open our program.
For more on the composer please visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Bolling or http://www.naxos.com/composerinfo/5497.htm His recordings are also widely available.
On this program, Ron will perform a set of three short piano works by George Gershwin, Aaron Copland and ... himself!The first of these, Piano Prelude No. 1 in B Flat Major [1926], is by George Gershwin.
George Gershwin [1898-1937] is probably one of the most recognizable names in American music. His music centers on the jazzier side of classical music with emphasis on the use of folk tunes and idioms for his inspiration. He started out writing ragtime music and then incorporated those syncopations and rhythyms into his own brand of jazz. His first big hit, Swanee River in 1919 became the signature tune of vaudeville entertainer, Al Jolson. He was a prolific creator of piano rolls, making several dozen of them under his own name and dozens more under several pseudonyms. In 1924 he collaborated with his brother Ira on the musical comedy, Lady Be Good. It was the beginning of a very successful partnership that resulted in some of America's favorite musicals, including Funny Face, Girl Crazy and Strike Up the Band. In 1924 he also wrote his famous Rhapsody in Blue for piano and orchestra. Other well known works include his folk opera, Porgy & Bess and American in Paris. Sadly, he died at the age of 39 from a brain tumor. He was truly a cross-over artist, bringing jazz related elements into the traditional symphonic orchestration of his day. With all the popular and well loved works that he wrote, it's no wonder that the royalty earnings from performances of his works that his estate has taken in has earned him the title of the wealthiest composer ever.
For more on George Gershwin please visit: http://www.gershwinfan.com/ or http://www.maurice-abravanel.com/gershwin_george_english.html
Recordings of works by Gershwin are widely available.
Next in his set of short piano pieces Ron will perform movement 2, Soft & languid from Four Piano Blues [1926-48] by Aaron Copland.Aaron Copland [1900-1990] is probably the other most recognizable name in American music. His influences were more in the traditional vein of classical compostition, but he often drew his inspirations from American folk music and popular culture; he also used jazz elements in his works. A student of Nadia Boulanger in the 1920's he retuned to the states in 1925 with his Concerto for Organ and Orchestra which premiered in Carnegie Hall that year. He was a prolific composer of music for ballet (Billy The Kid, Rodeo, Appalachian Spring), film (The Heiress, Of Mice and Men) and orchestral works (three symphonies, Fanfare for the Common Man, Lincoln Portrait). He went through several phases in his creative life, from the early jazz-influenced works, through the Stravinsky-inspired "Piano Variations", through the popular culture era (the western themed music that has become so associated with his music), to the later phases of his writing that seemed to be influenced more by Schoenberg than by the Shakers. By all accounts his legacy to American music is immense.
To learn more about him please visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Copland or
http://www.aaroncopland.com/
His recordings are widely available.
Lastly, Ron will perform Anderson St. Rag. He writes of this piece, "Every once in a while I have the urge (fortunately or unfortunately) to compose something. Over time, this urge has spawned many compositions for piano, voice and piano, and chamber ensembles. A considerably younger version of myself, fresh out of college, had to supplement his income with a ten-year stint in banking. During one particularly trying day at the Anderson Street, Hackensack branch of United Jersey Bank, I excused myself and went into the kitchen, where I started to pen this rag, which I later dedicated to my friend, neighbor and inspiration Max Morath, a famous ragtime pianist and advocate. Similar musical "epiphanies" have helped me remain sane [sic] over the years. Piano mavens will recognize a quote from Beethoven's Sonata Op. 109 in the rag's third section."Biographical information on Ron is available on this website and most of his recordings are available at Amazon.com and at our concerts.
No program about jazz would be complete without a tribute to Scott Joplin. The title of "Father of American Jazz" might be a little more than is called for, but he is recognized by all as the greatest promotor and creator of ragtime music, and as such, Joplin's work carried American music from 19th century romanticism to the doorstep of American Jazz. Born in 1868 (or 1867- no one is sure) he started piano at an early age, practicing in houses of the wealthy as his mother cleaned their homes. His "Maple Leaf Rag" in 1899, pushed him to the top of the list of ragtime performers and his career took off. As a pianist, he rarely performed anything other than his own works. Although he never made a sound recording, he did create several piano rolls. By studying his performance on these it is possible to better interpret his musical style. Ragtime music is not supposed to be played fast, as so many performers do. It is supposed to be a little slower, the syncopations and "pre-jazz" elements stand out even more when performed in this way. On this program we are doing our own arrangement of "Ragtime Dance - A Stop-Time Two Step" [1906].
There is much more information on him at http://www.scottjoplin.org/biography.htm
Felix Mendelssohn
!! What's he doing on a "Jazz Age" program?? Well, in their search for works to perform for this concert Don & Lou came across this arrangement of the Concert Piece No. 2 which was originally written for clarinet, basset horn & piano. I was in the other room when they read through it and I couldn't believe the opening movement. There is a constant syncopated riff that repeats throughout the movement - it's very jazzy! So we just had to include it on this program! Enjoy!For biographical information about Mendelssohn please visit http://www.felixmendelssohn.com/ or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Mendelssohn
PROGRAM NOTES for OUR MARCH CONCERTSaturday - March 31, 2007
"South (and North!) of the Border"
8:00pm
Our featured composer is ERIC EWAZEN. "Eric Ewazen's music has been performed by soloists, chamber ensembles, choruses, wind ensembles and orchestras around the world. His music can be heard on some 50 commercially released CDs, including 6 solo CDs. A member of the faculty of the Juilliard School since 1980, where he received his Doctorate Degree, he also attended the Eastman School of Music, receiving his BM in 1976. He has been Vice President of the League of Compoers-International Society of Contemporary Music, and Composer-in-Residence with the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble in NYC and the Kalamazoo (MI) Symphony. During the current season, he is a guest with the Calgary Symphony, the Orquesta Sinfonica Valladolid (in Spain), the Zagreb brass festival in Croatia, the National Trumpet Contest at George Mason U., Youngstown State U., Truman State U., Brevard College (NC), Mars Hill College (NC) and Western Michigan University. Evelyn Glennie will be giving her first performance of his Marimba Concerto with the Istanbul Philharmonic on March 28th and the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia will be featuring two evenings devoted to performances of his chamber music.
Ron & Margaret have known Eric for years. He is a charming and jovial personality, always a joy to be around. Some of you have Margaret's CD, "From the Hudson Valley" On it is his "Ballade, Pastoral & Dance" for Flute, Horn & Piano recorded with Ron and one of our past guest artists, Scott Brubaker from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Eric has said about his neo-impressionistic style that although for several years he wrote 12-tone works, he ultimately decided "to write music that people want to listen to". His music is lyrical, lush and evocative; filled with the exuberance and warmth that is evident when you meet him. We were delighted that he managed to fit a commission for us into his busy schedule. We know you'll enjoy his new work"Palisades Suite".
For more information on the composer and recordings please visit: - www.ericewazen.com
From"South of the Border" we will present works by Alberto Ginastera, Hector Villa-Lobos and Michael Colina, a New York-based composer of Cuban-American heritage.
The Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983) is generally regarded as one of the most original and important South American composers of the 20th century. His works for piano blend Argentine folk rhythms and colors with modern compositional techniques. His musical style incorporates rhythmic energy, enchanting lyricism and cerebral atmosphere.
"To compose, in my opinion, is to create an architecture... In music, this architecture unfolds in time... When time has past, when the work has unfolded, a sense of inner perfection survives in the spirit. Only then can one say that the composer has succeeded in creating that architecture." — Alberto Ginastera
Ron will be performing "Suite de Danzas Criollas", a five movement suite for solo piano.
For more information on the composer please visit:
http://www.answers.com/topic/alberto-ginastera or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Ginastera
Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959), in his lifetime considered the greatest composer of the Americas, wrote about 1,000 pieces. His importance resides in one particular fact, among others: he reformulated the concept of musical nationalism, and became its greatest exponent. It was because of Villa-Lobos that Brazilian music became known in other countries, eventually becoming universal in appeal.
In Brazilian life, a choros was an ad hoc group of musicians who played on street corners, at weddings and parties and at restaurants and cafes. Villa-Lobos spent several years playing in various choros groups and travelling around Brazil. He became facile in a variety of Brazilian musical styles and began to incorporate these into his music. Between 1921 and 1929 he created a series of Choros (fourteen works for varying ensembles). The Choros No. 2 for flute & clarinet was written in 1924. It is filled with spiky dissonances and syncopated melodies and is reminiscent of the improvisatory style of Rio's street musicians. It can also be seen as a two-part invention and as such, a precursor to Villa-Lobos' later Bachianas Brasilerias series.
For more information on the composer please visit:
http://www.museuvillalobos.org.br/mvl11.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heitor_Villa-Lobos
After 25 years of helping others create their music as a multiple Grammy® winning jazz composer and producer, Michael Colina is focusing today on the music that he has always dreamed of creating for himself. His most recent works reflect a new, classical direction, one that pulls threads from jazz, classical, and his Cuban-American heritage. Examples of this new classical direction include The Isles of Shoals, a concerto for flute and orchestra; The Idoru Piano Trio for piano, violin and cello; The People, an orchestral work for Richard Kuch commissioned by the Boston Ballet; and a modern dance score, A Time of Crickets, commissioned by Pauline Koner and supported by The National Endowment for the Arts. Colina, born of Cuban-American heritage, studied composition at the North Carolina School of the Arts with Vittorio Giannini, Louis Mennini (father of composer Peter Mennin) and Robert Ward. He continued studies at the Chigiana in Sienna, Italy with Thomas Pasatieri and Roman Vlad. He was the first recipient of the Vittorio Giannini Memorial Scholarship award.
Habanera for flute, clarinet & piano. This piece was originally written for violin, clarinet and piano. Don heard the piece and asked Mr. Colina to arrange it for us so that we could bring this piece to you!
The musical descendant of the contradanza, the habanera or contradanza habanera (Havana-style contradanza), the habanera's distinguishing musical feature is its short, repeating 2/4 rhythmic figure in the bass line. Cuban musicologist Emilio Grenet calls the habanera "Perhaps the most universal of our genres" because of its far-reaching influence on the development of many Latin American song forms such as the Argentine tango and its frequently Europeanized treatment in classical music, such as in Georges Bizet's 1875 opera Carmen, in which the title character sings the now-famous habanera aria.
In 1884 Sebastian Yradier's "La Paloma" became the first exported habanera to gain popularity in Mexico. Already a decade before, any music in Mexico with the habanera rhythm was called danza. In 1890, Eduardo Sanchex de Fuentes' habanera "Tu" became so popular, both within and outside of Cuba, that it epitomized the form. Its absorption in Buenos Aires was such that early 20th-century French publishers mistook its origin and printed the sheet music as an example of "tango habanera." According to preeminent Cuban music historian Alejo Carpentier, the habanera was never called such by the people of Havana (for them it was just the local style of contradanza). It only adopted its present name when it became popular outside of Cuba.
For more information on the composer and sound samples please visit: http://www.michaelcolina.com
Donald Draganski (b. 1936) is a life-long resident of the metropolitan Chicago area. He received his BMEd degree in 1958 from De Paul University in Chicago where he studied bassoon under Wilbur Simpson of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He also studied composition for one year with Alexander Tcherepnin. Since 1998 he as been composer-in-residence of the Pilgrim Chamber Players.
As a bassoonist to the Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra during his tour of active duty in the Army, he toured throughout western Europe – Germany, France, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands – giving concerts for the most part to civilian audiences, and functioning as one of Uncle Sam’s most effective cultural ambassadors.
He was a founding member of the The North Winds woodwind quintet. (His involvement with woodwind quintets over the years explains the preponderance of music for that combination in his list of compositions.) At present he holds first chair in the Evanston Sympony Orchestra. In addition to composing and performing, he also writes program notes for the Pigrim Chamber Players and the North Shore Choral Society.
The "Trio From Rio" incorporates two folk borrowings: the opening of the second movement is based on "Vamo abri terrero" while the 5/8 section in the same movement uses the metrical pattern (but not the melody) of "Viva a fe." Otherwise all the of the material is original and based on the style of Brazilian dances and songs rather than on literal quotes. The Trio was written for the Pilgrim Chamber Players for their January 1999 recital featuring music of Latin America.
For more information on the composer please visit: http://www.draganskimusic.com