View the Program Book

cover Illustration by Amy Yang
RESURRECTION CHURCH
May 20th & 21st, 2011
Concerts
Building
Community
Message from the Aptos
Community Foundation
President
Dear friend and chamber music lover,
“The only way we
will ever reach a sane
and peaceful society is
through the power of
art, in all its forms…
something we need
today as much as if not
more than ever before. ”
– David Kaun
“ Music is life. Music
is hope. Music is peace.
I cannot ask for more. ”
-David Arben
It is with great pleasure that I welcome
you to this year’s Music in May Chamber
Music Festival. Three years ago, when
founding Mim, Rebecca Jackson said
she wanted to bring some of the most
acclaimed classical musicians in the world
to perform here in her hometown. With
the inclusion of Michael Tree and Richard
Rood in this year’s festival in a stunning
program with some of the greatest
masterworks in chamber music literature,
Rebecca has more than achieved her aim.
In an effort to reach out to the community,
Rebecca, Amy Yang, Danielle Cho,
and John Wineglass visited schools to
inspire children. In addition, Mim 2011
is proud to support area organizations
including Aptos Community Foundation,
Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Cabrillo
Festival, and the music program at Tierra
Pacifica Charter School. Rebecca is to
be commended for her vision, dedication
and service to our community in bringing
this great cultural experience to Santa
Cruz. Please join me in supporting and
welcoming all of the stellar musicians,
dedicated students and community
organizations that are embraced by
Music in May.
Sincerely, John Orlando
President, Aptos Community Foundation
Director, Distinguished Artists Concert &
Lecture Series
About the Aptos
Community Foundation
125 Via Juanita Lane, Aptos, CA, 95003
The Aptos Community Foundation is a
locally formed 501C organization whose
main purpose is to enhance the quality of
life for Santa Cruz County residents and
visitors to our area. This includes support
for individuals and organizations in local
services and the arts. The ACF is a proud
sponsor of The Distinguished Artists Concert
& Lecture Series and Music in May.
For more information about ACF,
please visit: www.AptosCF.org
Board of Directors
Dr. John Orlando, President
Maydene Fisher, Chief Finance Officer
Winifred Johnsen, Secretary
Richard Alloy, Member of the Board
Susan Bruckner, Member of the Board
Welcome to Mim ‘11
from the Artistic Director
Welcome to Mim ‘11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Thank You from Mim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Musician Biographies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
May 20th: Resurrection Church. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Program Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 - 11
May 21st: Resurrection Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Program Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Supported Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Music in May in Review, A Picture History . . . . . 15
Welcome to the fourth annual Music in
May. It is such a pleasure to see Mim grow in
impact each season. In 2010 I was delighted
to hear that one of our performances at local
schools inspired a 5th grader, Sharley, to
start studying violin! This year we visit four
elementary schools and play before music
students at Cabrillo College. Thank you to
EVERYONE who has helped in seasons
past and present. For 2011 I am truly appreciative of the work by Aptos Community
Foundation, John, Enda, Daniel, Nerio,
Peggy, Hilda, Patti, Scot, Dad, Mom,
University Inn and many other volunteers.
May the music tonight inspire you to dream
of your own Acropolis…
Sincerely,
Rebecca Jackson
Founder and Artistic Director
Thank you, Kai, for adding another
dimension to enrich Mim’s audience. It has
been a new adventure while we awaited the
commissioned work of EMMY AwardWinning John Wineglass. Thank you, John,
for our very first world premiere, for your
generosity and dedication to music! I want
to extend special thanks to the all-star roster
of musicians, most of whom have generously
donated their time to bring you this music.
Each one of you will be witness to a once
in a lifetime performance. Once in a
lifetime because these concerts will never
be replayed as you experience them tonight,
in this church, with these musicians, in this
moment of time. For my 30th birthday a
couple months ago, sister Elizabeth and I
traveled overseas to visit the Ephesian ruins
of Turkey, Italy’s Pompei and the Acropolis
of Greece. It is hard to fathom the endurance
of these structures, how much history has
taken place within and around their walls. In
a similar way, the composers on our programs
have built timeless musical monuments that
we the musicians are honored to present to
you this May.
David Arben and Rebecca Jackson
celebrating the close of the first
annual Music in May 2008
1
Thank you From Mim
The Aptos Community Foundation
and Music in May would like to thank
the following individuals, businesses,
and organizations whose support has
made this festival possible:
Angels ($1,000+)
Anonymous
John and Annette Jackson
David Kaun
Rowland and Pat Rebele
Sponsors ($500+)
Anonymous
Joan Cook
Erik and Pamela Hanson
Krishna Pulavarti
Donors
Thomas and Jeanette Applegate
Elizabeth Katherine Gray
Don and Hilda Hodges
Roy Jackson
Patti Maraldo
Hila and Jack Michaelsen
Neal Park
Anne and Lin Wyant
Maria Zeta Jones
A Special Thanks
Be’eri Moalem
Dynamic Press
Enda Brennan & Soif Wine Bar
GOOD TIMES
John Anderson of Sundance Lane Recording
Kai Christiansen
KUSP
Resurrection Church
Scot Goodman Photography
Kelly Welty, Video Recording
volunteers…
Peggy Pollard – Publicist
Anne Lober – Assistant Publicist
Patti Maraldo – House Manager
Milo Barisof
Bill and Robin Cunningham
Eve Eden
Don & Hilda Hodges
John & Annette Jackson
Elizabeth Jackson
Lilly Kim
Lois Lopez
Joan Peros
Anne & Lin Wyant
Musician Biographies
Guest Artist
richard rood
Richard Rood (born
1955, in Cleveland,
Ohio) is an American
violinist, and
is
currently a leading
member of the internationally acclaimed
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra a well as a 1st
violinist of the New York City Opera and
the Associate Concertmaster of the Santa Fe
Opera during the summer season. He was
appointed membership with Orpheus after a
history of regularly performing, touring, and
recording with the group for 15 years. He
was a principal player with Lincoln Center’s
Mostly Mozart Festival for 15 years He is a
member of the New York City Opera and
American Ballet Theater orchestras, as well
as the American Symphony Orchestra. He
has performed in over 20 countries, appeared
on over 75 recordings, and as a member of
Orpheus, he has been awarded three Grammy
Awards. The New York Times praised him as
“an especially fine young violinist”, and the
Newark Star-Ledger similarly raved that “he
is worth his weight in gold”. His recordings
of concerti of Bach and Vivaldi have been
critically acclaimed, as well as chamber
recordings of Copland and Dvořák. Rood
received an Honorary Doctorate from Case
Western Reserve University in 2010 as a
member of Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
He is currently on the violin and chamber
music faculty of Columbia University.
Guest Artist
Michael Tree
We are indebted to the Santa Cruz
Chamber Players for contributing to
our birth, as umbrella organization for
the formative first two seasons of Mim.
2
Mr. Tree studied with Efrem Zimbalist, Lea
Luboshutz and Veda Reynolds. In 1954, the
New York Herald Tribune wrote, “A 20year-old American violinist, Michael Tree,
stepped out upon Carnegie Hall stage last
night and made probably the most brilliant
young debut in the recent past... the violinist
evidenced not one lapse from the highest
possible musical and technical standards”.
Subsequent to his debut, Mr. Tree has
appeared as a violin and viola soloist with
the Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Baltimore,
New Jersey and other major orchestras. He
has also participated in leading festivals,
including Marlboro, Casals, Spoleto, Israel,
Aspen, Santa Fe and Taos. As a founding
member of the Guarneri String Quartet, Mr.
Tree has played in major cities throughout
the world. In 1982, Mayor Koch presented
the Quartet with the New York City Seal
of Recognition, an honor awarded for the
first time. One of the most widely recorded
musicians in America, Mr. Tree has recorded
over 80 chamber music works, including
piano quartets and quintets with Artur
Rubinstein. Other artists with whom he
has recorded include Emanuel Ax, Richard
Goode, Jamie Laredo, Yo-Yo Ma, Sharon
Robinson, Rudolf Serkin, Isaac Stern and
Pinchas Zukerman. Mr. Tree is co-founder
of the Schumann Trio, featuring works
for clarinet, viola or violin, and piano. His
colleagues include Anthony McGill and
Anna Polonsky. Mr. Tree is on the faculties
of the Curtis Institute of Music, The Juilliard
School, Manhattan School of Music, Bard
College and the University of Maryland at
College Park.
Michael Tree was
born in Newark, New
Jersey and received
his
first
violin
instruction from his
father. Later, as a scholarship student at the
Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia,
3
Musician Biographies
Da n i e l l e Ch o
A native of Los
Angeles,
cellist
Danielle
Cho
has
been
seen
in
performance
throughout
the
United States, Europe, and Asia. Awarded
the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship,
she studied with renowned cellist Lluís
Claret in Barcelona, Spain. Most recently,
she performed with the Palau de Les Arts
orchestra in Valencia, Spain under the
baton of Lorin Maazel and Zubin Mehta.
A dedicated contemporary music advocate,
she has performed new music at the Spoleto
USA Festival “Music in Time” series, the
Santa Fe New Music series, and the Lucerne
Festival Academy where she worked with
Pierre Boulez and the Ensemble Intercontemporain. Other festivals she has
performed at include the Holland Music
Sessions, the International Musician’s
Seminar at Prussia Cove, Taos, Sarasota,
Schleswig-Holstein, and the New York
String Seminar. An avid chamber musician,
she has worked closely with members of
the Takacs, Guarneri, Juilliard, Brentano,
and Borromeo String Quartets. Danielle
is a graduate of the University of Southern
California and the New England Conservatory. She currently resides in the Washington
DC metropolitan area where she is a founder
of the innovative new chamber ensemble
CounterPoint, whose mission is to bring
relevance to the classical music experience in
the 21st century.
Rebecca Jackson
4
Hailed as “riveting”
by The San Francisco
Examiner, founder
and artistic director
of Music in May,
Korean-American
Rebecca Jackson (violin), is a native of
California. Ms. Jackson received her B.M.
from The Juilliard School and received a
graduate degree from UC Santa Cruz where
she studied with Roy Malan. She is a member
of the Cabrillo Festival and Sarasota Opera
Orchestra and regularly performs with the
San Francisco Opera. Always looking for a
good cause, Ms. Jackson has performed in
numerous benefit concerts that have raised
a total exceeding $100,000. She was part of
the broadway musical South Pacific during
its run at the Golden Gate Theater in San
Francisco. Ms. Jackson’s acting and original
composition was featured April 2010 at Exit
Theater (San Francisco) in the production,
“The Wind and Rain.” In addition to being
an age group triathlete, she served as Miss
Santa Cruz County 2005. www.rjviolin.info
Alexandra L eem
Violist
Alexandra
Leem is a graduate of
the Eastman School
and Yale University.
A recipient of the
Yale
University
scholarship, she worked closely with the
Tokyo Quartet during her Yale quartet-inresidency graduate program. From 1997
until 2010 she was principal viola of the
Concerto Soloists and Chamber Orchestra
of Philadelphia, performing with many
influential conductors and soloists and
herself as soloist on many occasions. She
was also a member of the Opera Company
of Philadelphia and substitute for the Philadelphia Orchestra. She has performed with
numerous orchestras and festivals in US and
in Europe, more recently with Pennsylvania Ballet, Orchestra 2001 and Network for
New Music and is an active chamber and
contemporary musician. She has recorded
for Philadelphia’s Larry Gold Studios
as their principal violist, appearing on
countless projects of all genres ranging from
Gospel’s Kirk Franklin to Rap’s Jay Z on
MTV Unplugged.
She is currently a member of the Santa
Fe Opera and San Francisco Chamber
Orchestra and resides in California with her
husband and their three very active boys.
Amy Yang
Hailed by Harris
Goldsmith of The
New York Concert
Review
as
“a
magnificent
artist
and poet: everything
she touches turns to gold—a Midas touch
for tone and music”, twenty-six-year-old
pianist Amy Jiaqi Yang is already a seasoned
performer and collaborator. A rising star
who, “artistically, has fully arrived” (Philadelphia Inquirer), Yang’s performances “elevate
joy to the edge of rapture” and “convey
the exuberance and enthusiasm of youth”
(Star-Telegram).
Most recently, she performed at Marlboro,
Caramoor and OKMozart Festivals,
Steinway Hall, Perelman Theatre, Marlboro
College, on the Dame Myra Hess Series, and
in the Van Cliburn Competition. Upcoming
performances include a chamber recital at
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall with
violinist Hye-Jin Kim, recitals in New York,
Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Marlboro,
San Francisco, and Spain. In the summer,
she’ll appear at the festivals of Music In May,
OK Mozart, Chamber Music Northwest,
and Olympic Music Festival.
Three recordings also expect imminent
release: a CD with violinist Chen Xi
(Chinese National Record Label) and a live
CD and DVD (Itinerant Records) from a
tour of Spain with clarinetist Jose FranchBallester. Ms. Yang is currently planning her
solo debut CD featuring works composed by
and influenced by Robert Schumann as well
as initiating The Schumann Project, a special
series of concerts to present Schumann’s
complete solo piano and chamber works.
Commanding an immense repertory, in the
recent season she performed works ranging
from Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire, to
Beethoven’s Sonata in Bb, Op. 106, “Hammerklavier”, and to Ezra Laderman’s Third
Piano Sonata.
An experienced performer, Ms. Yang
has concertized at Weill Hall a Carnegie
Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Gardner
Museum, The White House, Philadelphia’s
Academy of Music, Perelman Theatre, Jones
Hall, Bennett-Gordon Hall, The Beinecke
Library, Columbia, Miami, and Rockefeller
Universities, The New School, Cemal Resit
Rey Concert Hall (Istanbul), and at The
Ravinia Festival and Lubus International
Festival of Poland.
An avid chamber musician, she has collaborated with extraordinary artists as
Richard Goode, David Soyer, Peter Wiley,
Arnold Steinhardt, Michael Tree, Ida and
Ani Kavafian, Miriam Fried, Ida Levin,
Philip Setzer, Judith Serkin, Fred Sherry,
Tara Helen O’Conor, Paul Neubauer,
Anne-Marie and Kerry McDermott, Marina
Piccinini, Cynthia Raim, Joseph Lin, and
Kim Kashkashian. In 2007, she toured with
Musicians from Ravinia.
Ms. Yang has garnered exclusively first prizes
at the International Corpus Christi Young
Artists’ Competition, the National Chopin
Piano Competition of the Kosciuszko
Foundation, and the Lennox National
Young Artists Competition. She has been
a soloist with the Houston Symphony,
Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra,
Corpus Christi Symphony, and Richardson
Symphony. Festival credits include Prussia
Cove, Music Academy of the West, Verbier
Academy, Music from Angel Fire, Ravinia
Festival, Canandaigua Lake Festival, OK
Mozart, and Marlboro Music Festival.
Ms. Yang is graduate of The Curtis Institute
of Music, The Juilliard School, and The
Yale School of Music, where she received
the Parisot Prize for an Outstanding Piano
5
Musician Biographies
Student as well as the Alumni Association
Prize. Her principal teachers are Timothy
Hester, Claude Frank, Robert McDonald,
and Peter Frankl. She loves drawing and
painting and often contributes artwork
to benefit concert series. She also loves
literature, poetry, art history, psychology,
and the classical guitar. Ms. Yang’s drawings
have adorned the pages of both 2010
and 2011 Music in May program books.
www.amyjyang.com
Mendelssohn
O ct e t:
ROBIN SHAR P
6
Violinist
Robin
Sharp, a native of
California, is a solo
performer, chamber
musician, concertmaster, and teacher. In
addition to maintaining private teaching
studios in San Francisco and Palo Alto,
Ms. Sharp performs as concertmaster of
the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra
with conductor Benjamin Simon, and is
on the music faculty at Stanford University
as full-time Lecturer in Violin. Ms. Sharp
has appeared in recital at many prestigious
venues including Carnegie Hall in New
York, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the National
Music Hall in Taipei, and the Palace of the
Legion of Honor in San Francisco where
she performed on Jascha Heifetz’s Del
Gesu violin. In January 1998 Ms. Sharp
represented Carnegie Hall in their Rising
Stars Series, when she and her duo partner
Jeremy Denk played a recital at Carnegie’s
Weill Recital Hall following a European
tour. The duo also performed on Carnegie
Hall’s main stage under the guidance
of Isaac Stern. Ms. Sharp has been a
professor of violin at the San Francisco
Conservatory of Music in both the
Preparatory and Collegiate divisions, at
Santa Clara University, and at Sacramento
State University of California. Among
her collaborators in performance have
been such artists as Dimitri Ashkenazy
(clarinet), Jon Nakamatsu (piano), Lori
Lack (piano), and conductors such as
Raymond Leppard, Peter Oundjian,
and Vladimir Ashkenazy. Ms. Sharp is
a Laureate prize winner of the 1994 Indianapolis Violin Competition and is
featured in a documentary about the
competition.
Mendelssohn
Octet:
DEBRA FONG
Debra
Fong,
violinist, has held the
position of Lecturer
in Music at Stanford
University since 2004, teaching violin and
chamber music. She received her Bachelor
and Master of Music degrees in Violin
Performance with Honors and Distinction
from the New England Conservatory
of Music in Boston, where she studied
under the guidance of Eric Rosenblith,
James Buswell, Eugene Lehner, and Louis
Krasner. Debra has been a participant
in numerous summer chamber music
festivals, such as the Taos School of Music,
Yale/Norfolk Chamber Music Festival,
Yellow Barn Music Festival, Grand Teton
Music Festival, and the Sarasota Chamber
Music Festival. She has been a guest
artist of the St. Lawrence String Quartet,
Stanford University’s Pan-Asian Music
Festival, Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra,
Chicago Chamber Musicians, the North
American New Music Festival, Santa Fe
Pro Musica, and the New Music Festival
at Santa Clara University, and she has
been heard on live radio broadcasts from
WGBH/Boston and WFMT/Chicago.
Debra has also held the post of Assistant
Concertmaster of the Virginia Symphony
and Virginia Opera in Norfolk, and is a
former faculty member at The Music
Institute of Chicago, The College of
William and Mary in Williamsburg,
Virginia, and the New England Conservatory of Music Preparatory School.
She performs frequently throughout the
Bay Area with several ensembles such as
the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra
(as Principal Second Violin), Opera San
José, and Symphony Silicon Valley. Debra
spends her summers as a first violinist
with The Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico,
where she has collaborated with esteemed
conductors such as Alan Gilbert, Edo
DeWaart, and Leonard Slatkin. In her
leisure time, Debra enjoys traveling,
reading modern fiction, practicing yoga,
and tinkering with her digital camera.
Mendel ssohn
Oc tet: WARREN
WU
Cellist Warren Wu,
a Bay Area native,
is an Engineer
developing medical
diagnostic instrumentation in Mountain
View, CA. Warren began his musical
studies on violin at age 5 and fortunately,
soon thereafter switched to cello so
that he could play sitting down. His
principal teachers include Irene Sharp
and Aldo Parisot.
As an undergraduate, he soloed with the
Yale Symphony Orchestra performing
the Brahms’ Double Concerto with
Melvin Chen. While earning his Ph.D. in
Electrical Engineering at the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
Warren was a member of Sinfonia da
Camera and the Champaign-Urbana
Symphony Orchestra.
Warren has participated in numerous
music festivals including the Music
Academy of the West in Santa Barbara
and the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo,
Japan, and in 1998, he played in the
first Concert for 1000 Cellos in Kobe,
Japan. He currently plays in the Fremont
Symphony Orchestra and is a substitute
for various other local orchestras such as
Marin Symphony, Masterworks Chorale
and Santa Cruz Symphony.
John Winegl ass
composer in
residence
John
Wineglass
has performed on
five
continents,
before every U.S.
president
since
Ronald Reagan and with several ®Oscar
and ®Grammy-Award Winning artists,
including Aretha Franklin, Whitney
Houston and Jamie Foxx to name a few. A
recent concert review in the Washington
Post described his latest commission at
the Kennedy Center Concert Hall last fall
as having ‘iridescent colors in the world
premiere of a beautifully crafted suite’
while Marvin Hamlisch congratulates the
occasion by commenting ‘… with a name
like Wineglass, it had to be good.’
John received his Bachelor of Music degree
in Music Composition with a minor
in Viola Performance at The American
University and later received his master’s
degree in Music Composition: Film
Scoring for Motion Pictures, Television
and Multi-Media at New York University,
studying with Justin Dello-Joio of the
Juilliard School.
As a recipient of three (two consecutive)
®Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding
Achievement in Music Direction and
Composition for a Drama Series, and
three ASCAP Film and Television Music
Awards, Mr. Wineglass holds seven
®EMMY nominations.
7
May 20th
resu rrection C hurch
resurrection Church
7: 0 0pm P r e - co nc e rt l e ctur e by K a i Chris tiansen
7:00 pm Pre-concert lec ture by Kai Chris tiansen
5 Melodies for Violin & Piano, Op. 35bis. . . . . . . . . . Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Andante
Lento, ma non troppo
Animato, ma non allegro
Allegretto leggero e scherzando
Andante non troppo
Beethoven Horn Sonata in F Major, Op. 17. . . Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Allegro moderato
Poco Adagio - quasi Andante
Rondo - Allegro moderato
76 0 0 S o qu e l D r . Apto s CA 9 5 003
F r i day, M ay 2 0 th , 2 011, 8 : 0 0 pm
Richard Rood, violin & Amy Yang, piano
Death of a Princess, Piano Trio No. 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Wineglass (1972-)
Grave (A Mystery)
World Premiere
Agitato con fuoco (The Chase)
Poco adagio (Diana’s Lament)
Amy Yang, piano, Rebecca Jackson, violin, Danielle Cho, cello
String Quartet No. 1, Kreutzer Sonata. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leoš Janáček (1854-1928)
Adagio - Con moto
Con moto
Con moto - Vivo – Andante
Con moto - (Adagio) - Più mosso
Richard Rood, violin I, Rebecca Jackson, violin II
Michael Tree, viola, Danielle Cho, cello
Intermission
Piano Quartet in A Minor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Nicht zu schnell
Amy Yang, piano, Richard Rood, violin
Alexandra Leem, viola , Danielle Cho, cello
8
May 21st
String Quartet No. 8, Op. 110 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Largo
Allegro molto
Allegretto
Largo
Largo
Richard Rood, violin I , Rebecca Jackson, violin II
Alexandra Leem, viola , Danielle Cho, cello
7600 Soquel Dr. Aptos CA 95003
s aturday, May 21 s t , 2011, 8:00pm
Michael Tree, viola & Amy Yang, piano
Waldszenen (Forest Scenes), Op. 82. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Eintritt (Entrance)
Jäger Auf Der Lauer (Hunter in Ambush)
Einsame Blumen (Lonely Flowers)
Verrufene Stelle (Haunted Spot)
Freundliche Landschaft (Friendly Landscape)
Herberge (The Wayside Inn)
Vogel Als Prophet (The Prophetic Bird)
Jagdlied (Hunting Song)
Abschied (Farewell)
Amy Yang, piano
Intermission
Octet in E Flat Major, Op. 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Allegro moderato ma con fuoco
Andante
Scherzo: Allegro leggierissimo
Presto
Richard Rood, violin I, Rebecca Jackson, violin II, Robin Sharp, violin III,
Debra Fong, violin IV, Michael Tree, viola I, Alexandra Leem, viola II
Danielle Cho, cello I, Warren Wu, cello II
9
Prokofiev, Five Melodies for violin and piano, Op. 35bis
Shostakovich, String Quartet No. 8, Op. 110
John Wineglass, “Death of A Princess” Trio No. 1 for Piano, Violin & Cello
Dmitri Shostakovich codified his name into four tones: D, S (Ess becomes E-flat), C, H
(B-natural in German). These tones form the obsessive motif throughout the composition, whether
embedded into a melody, as a fugue subject, or as a repetitive ostinato. Shostakovich weaves a
secret but daring manifestation of his ego under the noses of corrupt government music-censors
who seek to wipe out the political opposition. Shostakovich also inserted quotations from his
previous compositions into the quartet such as the theme from the Cello Concerto as well as the
“Jewish Melody” from the Piano Trio. The quartet is essentially an autobiography. It was composed
in Dresden, East Germany in 1960 and premiered the same year in Leningrad.
The Five Melodies were composed during Prokofiev’s stint in California. They express a mix of
radiant wonderment for exotic California, alongside a longing for the Russian homeland—the pangs
of a traveler. The Five Melodies started life in 1920 as a set of vocalises (sung melodies without)
that were adapted for violin in 1925. The violin version extends the pitch ranges, adds fast passage
work decorating the sinuous melodies, and uses sound-color techniques available only on stringed
instruments double stops, pizzicato, etc.
It was August 31st, 1997. I had just settled into my New York City apartment to start my graduate
composition studies when the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, was announced to the world.
The grief of her demise came to me immediately in the form of a dark, ascending, angular 7- note
tone row programmatically indicative of her sudden and mystical departure. This series of notes
begins to perpetuate unified motion in the first movement, “A Mystery”, which contrastingly starts
in a mystic fog of sound appropriately marked Grave in tempo and explores extended techniques
reminiscent of avant-garde composer George Crumb. Some of these techniques include, in this first
movement, plucking with fingertips and striking with palms the strings of the piano.
The second movement, which recently came to me in a dream sequence of that fateful car crash
is entitled “The Chase” and is a rapid Agitato con fuoco in 4/8 and then 7/8 mirroring the tone row
in time only with constant interplay between instruments. The second movement culminates into a
sudden, roaring halt into what came to me that tragic day as the news reports poured in – the theme
of the third movement, “Diana’s Lament”. This final movement in a “ABA” structure and very tonal
in nature, is a deliberately slow Poco adagio – a ‘funeral’ procession as she is finally laid to rest in my
mind. This quasi passacaglia explores the theme in different variations eventually shared amongst each
instrument. (notes by John Wineglass)
Janáček, String Quartet No. 1, “Kreutzer Sonata”
Janáček’s String Quartet is called “Kreutzer Sonata,” named after Tolstoy’s “The Kreutzer Sonata,” a
story that features Beethoven’s “Kreutzer Sonata” for Violin and Piano in A major, named after the
work’s dedicatee, violinist Rudolphe Kreutzer. Tolstoy’s story voices the rage of a protagonist who rails
about the evils of lechery after his amateur-violinist wife has an affair with her accompanist. They
were playing Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata (a very fiery work even for Beethoven).
The quartet is loosely based on the spirit of Tolstoy’s work. “I had in mind an unhappy, tortured,
beaten woman, as Tolstoy described her,” Janáček wrote. It begins with a lugubrious intro—jarring
harmonies that evoke a rustic ethnic ensemble from Eastern Europe rather than a classical quartet.
A confused skittering idea is passed around the instruments to answer the original jarring statement.
The interplay of these two ideas runs through the whole piece. Occasionally the music goes to some
sweet triadic harmony but these moments are invariably short-lived. Janáček often uses obsessively
repeating patterns to establish his unusual harmonic language. These ostinati have a distinctly
20th-Century mechanical quality. Played on stringed instruments, they take on a shimmer, which
combined with ponticello (playing close to the bridge), give the piece flickering restlessness.
Mahler, Movement for Piano Quartet
10
Mahler’s name is synonymous with epic symphonies; funeral marches, blasting fanfares, string lines
oozing with emotion, dazzling orchestral colors. Mahler wrote nine complete symphonies plus
the first movement of a 10th, along with a handful of songs with piano or orchestral accompaniment. Beyond this, practically nothing is published. But while studying at the Vienna Conservatory,
Mahler composed movements of two piano quartets, a violin sonata, various operas and additional
symphonies. Though regarded by some as “juvenilia,” they are still worth listening to: a genius-bud
before it forms into a full flower. The G minor Piano Quartet movement was composed in 1876,
when Mahler was 16 (same age as Mendelssohn when he composed his Octet).
Mahler never ventured from symphonic music aside from a few early songs and this piano quartet.
But it’s not as if Mahler can’t write chamber music—many of the most tender or charming moments
in his enormous 120-player symphonies shrink down to a few select instruments from the orchestra
(say a flute, an oboe, a violin, and a double bass). Mahler is well aware that the chamber music setting
allows for more complexity and intricacy than the full orchestra, where things can get blurry. The
piano quartet provides a rare glimpse into Mahler the nascent composer in his student years, writing
music with a passion that would soon find expression in his epic symphonies.
Shostakovich’s music captures the tumult and suffering of mid-20th century Europe. In addition
to the obvious physical violence, Shostakovich managed to convey inner psychological turmoil
with his music. The sound of knocks on the door by the KGB, bombs falling as huge chords under
frantic accompaniments—these are the obvious musical representations of war in Shostakovich’s
Quartet No. 8. But hidden in the notation is a solitary man’s cry for individuality under a totalitarian regime that disallows true expression of personality.
Beethoven, Horn Sonata Op. 17
The horn is usually associated with the outdoors: hunting calls, military fanfares, alp horns.
Chamber music in Beethoven’s time was played in small cozy rooms and for this reason there
aren’t a whole lot of Horn Sonatas out there. In an orchestral setting, the horn is effective for large
climactic sections. But in chamber music, more intricate and lighter passagework is required. This
is possible but difficult on the horn. With the invention of the fully chromatic valve horn, the
instrument became more versatile allowing not only for the full range of pitches, but also for softer
dynamics and smoother melodic ability. But these improvements were only invented in 1815.
Beethoven’s horn sonata dates from 1800. Beethoven’s Horn Sonata would have been played on the
natural horn, which is even more difficult to control than the modern horn.
Schumann, Waldszenen (Forest Scenes) for piano, Op. 82 During Schumann’s time, there was a tendency in the Romantic movement to go back to the wild.
Painters painted pictures of ruined gothic cathedrals overgrown by wild bush. Writers brought
back to full glory the old German fairy tales of wild animals, witches, and nymphs in the forest. In
music, this was expressed as a loosening of form. While Schumann could write a proper classical
“Sonata number so-and-so in this major or minor key,” he could also write “character pieces” with
titles like “solitary flowers,” or “hunter in ambush.” Each movement of Waldszenen is no longer
than a minute or two—little trifles for the imagination. Schumann wrote the “Forest Scenes” in
1848, returning to the genre of short piano pieces after spending much of the previous decade
learning and mastering chamber and orchestral music.
Mendelssohn, Octet Op. 20
From the very first beats of “The Octet,” every listener feels the tingle—the excitement—those
oscillating sixteenths and the syncopated eighth notes. Mendelssohn is an expert at setting the
stage with an apt accompaniment pattern. After only a few seconds of this backdrop, the melody
comes in, spanning the range of the violin from the lowest ruddy G to the upper notes of the
stratosphere on the E string.
The busy work of eight string players each buzzing away on their separate parts in the close
quarters of a chamber music setting has the effect of a bee hive generating the sweetest of all
nectars: music. While Mendelssohn steers this thriving energy to whirling climaxes and blistering
fugues, he can also suddenly conjure stillness, such as the second theme of the first movement,
where the violas play a more restful melody over a steady drone. The far-out-point before the recapitulation is another example of that calmness—long whole notes hovering in air. But one by one,
the sixteenths re-emerge for one of the finest recapitulations ever written.
Mendelssohn also of course uses his signature “elfin” texture, which he used so expertly
throughout his career and first honed right around the age of 16 with the Octet and the
“Midsummer’s Night Dream.” The famous, sprightly texture is achieved through very short, light as
well as fast and accurate bow strokes, a sound one instantly associates with Mendelssohn.
– Program Notes by Be’eri Moalem
11
Supported Organizations
A very special aspect of Music in May
comes in part from working with the
non-profit organizations described here.
We know that music exerts extraordinary
influence in all our lives. Our “collaborators”
do so too, as you will learn. We trust you
will find their work worthy of your support.
Aptos Community Foundation
Shakespeare Santa Cruz
Tierra Pacifica
The Aptos Community Foundation is a
locally formed 501C organization whose
main purpose is to enhance the quality of
life for Santa Cruz County residents and
visitors to our area. This includes support
for individuals and organizations in local
services and the arts. The ACF is a proud
sponsor of The Distinguished Artists Concert
& Lecture Series and Music in May.
Shakespeare Santa Cruz (SSC)is a professional repertory theatre company in
residence in the Theater Arts Department/
Arts Division at the University of
California, Santa Cruz. Founded in 1981,
SSC is the only true repertory theatre
company in the greater San Francisco Bay
area, performing multiple plays with the
same acting company. The summer season
is presented in the 527-seat Mainstage
Theater and the 600-seat SinsheimerStanley Festival Glen, an outdoor venue
nestled in the redwood forest that is widely
regarded as one of the most beautiful
and unique outdoor settings in which to
experience live theatre. SSC’s production
history includes more than 75 plays, 28
from the Shakespeare canon of 36, complementary work by classical playwrights
including Molière, Beaumarchais, and
Ibsen, as well as newer works by Samuel
Beckett, Thornton Wilder, and Edward
Albee, among many others. Named “one
of the nation’s top ten most influential”
Shakespeare companies by USA Today,
SSC is celebrating its 30th Anniversary
in 2011.
www.shakespearesantacruz.org
The Music Program of Tierra Pacifica
Charter School Tierra Pacifica Charter
School is a vibrant collaboration between
families and educators to create a heartfelt
K-8 school and multi-generational
community. Tierra Pacifica stimulates a
love of learning by integrating academic
instruction with the arts. Students attend
on-going classes in vocal music, instrumental music and visual arts. Performing
arts and dance movement are also woven
into the fabric of our programs.
Cabrillo Festival of
Contemporary Music
To quote Financial Times music critic
Allan Ulrich, “Cabrillo Festival has made
the contemporary repertoire sound urgent,
indispensable and even sexy.” Even at a
seasoned 49 years old itself, the Cabrillo
Festival is all about the new—the here and
now of contemporary music for orchestra.
During the first two weeks of August each
year at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium,
audiences are joined by both preeminent
and emerging composers, an orchestra
of dedicated professional musicians led
by famed conductor Marin Alsop, and
renowned guest artists from across the
globe to give voice to works which are rarely
more than a year or two old. In 2011, Alsop
celebrates her 20th anniversary season
with a sensational program including nine
west coast premieres, two U.S. premieres,
and seven world premieres written in
honor of the Maestra. The Festival will
welcome fifteen composers-in-residence,
along with guest artists including pianist
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, guitarist D.J. Sparr,
French horn player Kristin Jurkscheit,
and NPR’s Scott Simon joins Alsop for a
special anniversary event. Open rehearsals,
the Cabrillo Music Art Food & Wine
Festival, pre-concert and pre-rehearsal
talks are free and open to the public.
Music in May Alumni
• Jacob’s Heart Children’s
Cancer Support Services
• Willow Pond Ranch
• Museum of Art and History
• Homeless Services Center
• Think Local First
Specific to our music program, children
in multiple grades enjoy Orff instrument
lessons, 7th/8th graders learn and practice
pan pipes and the K-6th graders engage
with songs and music during the weekly
assembly.
We believe folding arts and culture into
our everyday lives, particularly with young
people, can ultimately create more healthy,
thriving, vibrant societies.
“I love how Tierra Pacifica brings music,
dance, painting, mosaic tiles, and so much
more into daily life for our children.”
Nicole Conley, parent
“It’s fun to play Orff instruments with my
teacher and friends. The music sounds
so good when we do it together”
Khai Halperin, student
Tierra Pacifica is blessed to be collaborating with David Kaun, a local
Arts angel, Music in May, the County
Office of Education, and many other
artists and leaders on this journey. You
are invited to join us in whatever ways
you feel inspired! Please visit us at
www.tierrapacifica.santacruz.k12.ca.us
or call us 831-462-9404.
www.cabrillomusic.org
12
13
Music in May in Review, A Picture History 2010
STAFF BIOGRAPHIES
S cot Go o dm a n , P h oto g r ap h e r
Scot is a freelance photographer in
Berkeley, working in theater, dance, and
sports. He has photographed for Smuin
Ballet, Aurora Theater, Musaic, and World
Institute on Disability amongst others.
He teaches outdoor photography classes
for the REI Outdoor School. He has two
of the greatest nephews in the world, and
loves to listen to them laugh and play music.
http://scotgoodman.smugmug.com
Daniel L e , Bus i n e s s a n d
Prod u c t i o n M a n ag e r
Daniel Le is an alumnus of Bethany
University where he received degrees in
music and business. Daniel has toured with
Ron Kenoly and has played with many other
Christian artists, including Marty Nystrom,
and the Kenoly Brothers. Currently he
plays a Hammond B3 at Progressive Baptist
Church and collaborates with several bands
in and around Santa Cruz County.
B e’eri M oa l em, P ro g r am not e s
Be’eri Moalem is a composer, writer,
teacher, violist, and violinist based in Palo
Alto. Originally from Israel, he attended
the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
He is happy to be writing program notes
for Music in May. He has also written for
the Palo Alto Weekly and San Francisco
Classical Voice. For more info, go to:
www.beeri.org
p egg y po l l a r d , Pub l i c i s t
K a i Ch r i s ti ansen ,
P r e - Co nc e rt Lec ture
Kai Christiansen is a musicologist specializing in classical chamber music. Based in
San Francisco, Mr. Christiansen writes and
lectures throughout the twin Bay Areas
working regularly with such organizations as Music at Kohl Mansion, Chamber
Music Monterey Bay and the San Francisco
Community Music Center as well as a
number of international chamber music
presenters. Leveraging a multi-decade
career in software engineering and technical
training, Mr. Christiansen is also the
founder of earsense.org, an extensive online
chamber music exploratorium featuring one
of the world’s most comprehensive databases
of chamber music literature spanning 500
years of history. While living in Santa Cruz
for over a decade, Mr. Christiansen hosted
a weekly radio show on KAZU in Pacific
Grove, an educational exploration of Blues
and Jazz. For relaxation, Kai plays cello and
guitar for his cat.
n e r i o m o n es, gra phic designer
Mim’s visit to Washington Elementary
School in San Jose last May inspired
Sharley to start playing the violin. She
says, “Seeing that people can play an
instrument, like violin, makes me want to
do the same thing and accomplish playing
the violin. When Rebecca and Tai were
here it made me feel like I was able to play
the violin and now in middle school, I
made it to being an advanced violin player.”
Washington Elementary serves a student
population that is 95% Latino; 94% of the
students qualify for the Free and Reduced
Lunch Program and 86% of the students
are English Language Learners.
Nerio Mones is a graphic designer and
illustrator in Santa Cruz. Art and music
have been prevalent in his household since
an early age. While Nerio concentrated on
art his brother focused on music. Some of
Nerio’s clients have included the Mystery
Spot, Academy of Digital Science and
the
San
Francisco
49ers.
His
portfolio can be viewed online at
www.neriomones.com/welcome.html
Peggy Pollard has written about performing
arts for newspapers in the San Francisco
Bay Area. She lives with her family in Santa
Cruz and coordinates a hospitality program
for college/university international students
and scholars, most of whom are classical
music fans.
14
Rebecca Jackson and Tai
White perform at Tierra
Pacific Charter School
Amy Yang
Rehearsing Schubert Cello Quintet at
First Congregational Church
All 2010 photos by
SCOT GOODMAN PHOTOGRAPHY
15
Music in May in Review, A Picture History 2010
Music in May in Review, A Picture History 2009
(L) Amy
and Michael
rehearse the
Pasquali Sonata
(R) Enda
Brennan and
Daniel Le
Dvořák Piano Quintet
Q&A with Michael Tree, L.P. How, Ron
Leonard, Eric Sung and Amy Yang
Celebrating the end of the season at
Soif Wine Bar
David Arben, Michael Tree
& Ron Leonard
16
Former Curtis classmates reunite
A brief moment of relaxation spent at
The Mystery Spot
Hila Michaelsen and David Arben
Konstantin Soukhovetski, Wendy Law,
Nicolle Foland, and Roy Malan rehearse
at Holy Cross Church
A beautiful lunch hosted by Hila
Michaelsen, president of the Santa Cruz
Chamber Players, and her husband Jack.
Wendy Law and Rebecca Jackson
Anne Lober generously offers her home
for Mim rehearsals each season
2009 was documented on Rebecca’s Olympus camera
17
Music in May in Review, A Picture History 2008
David Kaun with Mim musicians
Roy Malan, Rebecca Jackson, Jason Calloway,
Michael Klotz, and Laura Albers
Music in May in Review, A Picture History 2008
Good times shared at the annual lunch hosted
by Hila Michaelsen, president of the Santa Cruz
Chamber Players.
Ashkenasi dazzles in the Schubert Rondo.
Laura Albers
Rebecca with mentor, David Arben.
Host of Mim’s outreach, Kadyr Gutierrez with
an inquisitive student.
Edward Auer (right) looks on as David Arben
and Shmuel Ashkenasi reunite after many
decades.
18
All 2008 photos by
LAUREN HARDY PHOTOGRAPHY
On the right, Hila Michaelsen of the Santa Cruz Chamber Players helps Music in May distribute
checks to three local non-profits: Willow Pond Ranch, Museum of Art and History and Jacob’s Heart
Children’s Cancer Support Services.
19
QUALITY
PRINTING
GRAPHIC
DESIGN
Bone & Joint Health
challenges?
A Revolutionary Advance
Bio-Replenishment
Benefits Bones, Joints, All Organs
Safe, Effective, with Published Results
www.BoneJointHealth.info
John Jackson, M.D.
831-566-0972 or
[email protected]
PORTIONs OF The DESIGN AND LAYOUT for
these programs
were generously donated by
NERIO MONES
[email protected]