Curtis on Tour
A student/faculty recital entitled "Curtis on Tour." This January, 2012 concert was a preview of Curtis' North American Tour, and as such, features music and performances emphasizing the many aspects of the school. The program:
Barber: Summer Music
Patrick Williams, flute; Beverly Wang, oboe; Stanislav Chernyshev, clarinet; Julia Harguindey, bassoon; Levente Varga, horn
Along with Leonard Bernstein, Gian Carlo Menotti and Jennifer Higdon, Samuel Barber is the most renowned of all Curtis-trained composers. His Summer Music, dating from 1953, was a commission by the Chamber Music Society of Detroit. It has since established itself as one of the most prominent works in the woodwind literature.
Piazzolla: Oblivion (transcribed by Julien Labro)
Nadir Khashimov, violin; Eric Han, cello; Jason Vieaux, guitar
Astor Piazzolla, who lived from 1921 to 1992, was renowned as a tango composer and a virtuoso on the bandoneon, a South American variant of the accordion. He was a pioneer of blending music from the tango halls of Argentina into jazz and classical forms. Our guitarist, Jason Vieaux, is a nationally-known virtuoso who helped create the new classical guitar program at Curtis.
Zhou Tian: Red Trees, Wrinkled Cliffs
Nadir Khashimov, violin; Roberto Diaz, viola; Eric Han, cello; Jason Vieaux, guitar
This is a Curtis-commissioned work by Curtis graduate Zhou Tian. On these final two works, Jason Vieaux is joined by another Curtis faculty member, Roberto Diaz, who also serves as the school's president. Mr. Diaz is the former principal viola of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Paganini: Quartet in A minor
Nadir Khashimov, violin; Roberto Diaz, viola; Eric Han, cello; Jason Vieaux, guitar
Known chiefly to musical history as a violinist, Niccolo Paganini also trained himself to become a virtuoso guitarist, chiefly as the story goes, under the sway of a young female virtuoso. Paganini went on to compose numerous chamber works for guitar, including 15 quartets, of which this is the last. Guitarist or no, the composer gives the most prominent voice here to the viola.
Musical Word of the Week: Portamento
A musical term that describes pitch sliding from one note to another. It is also applied to one type of glissando as well as to the "glide" function of synthesizers. (from wikipedia)
