A Student Recital of Music by Schumann, Smith and Gliere
A student recital of music by Schumann, Gabriella Smith and Reinhold Gliere featuring:
Schumann: Fantasiestücke, Op. 73
Tessa Seymour, cello; Ashley Hsu, piano
Schumann created these three charming miniatures over a three-day period in 1849. Although he originally wrote these "fantasy pieces" for clarinet and piano, Schumann stipulated that they could also be played on violin or cello. Reflecting the composer's typical mood swings, the music alternates between bravura and wistfulness.
Gabriella Smith: Reflection Nebulae
Rebecca Anderson & Zoe Martin-Doike, violins; Ayane Kozasa, viola; Gabriel Cabezas, cello
California native Gabriella Smith was born in 1991, and is a composition student of Richard Danielpour at the Curtis Institute. Here, she takes inspiration from the vastness of interstellar space, creating a work that celebrates the heavens, both astronomically and philosophically.
Glière: Concerto for Harp and Orchestra, Op. 74
Danyi Xia, harp; Lio Kuokman, piano
Chiefly known for his ballet "The Red Poppy" and the symphony "Ilya Muromets," Gliere created a charming concerto for harp in 1938. He relied heavily on the advice of a Russian harpist, and even offered to give her co-composer credit, which she declined. We hear it in its reduction for harp and piano accompaniment.
Musical Word of the Week: Cadenza
An elaborate flourish or showy solo passage, sometimes improvised, introduced near the end of an aria or a movement of a concerto. (from dictionary.com)
