Student Recital: Bach, Godard, Higdon

Bach: Suite No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1008
Zachary Mowitz, cello

The six suites for unaccompanied cello by Bach are popular among performers. Zachary performs the second out of the six suites, Suite No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1008 which is one of two minor-key suites among the six for solo cello. There are six movements: Prélude; Allemande; Courante; Sarabande; Menuet and Gigue. He describes the piece as being very dark and very desolate.

Benjamin Godard: Suite de trois morceaux, Op. 116
Lydia Roth, flute; Micah McLaurin, piano

Suite de trois morceaux, Op. 116 is immensely popular among flutists and pianists. Composed by French composer Benjamin Godard in 1890, this short piece has three movements: Allegretto; Idylle and Valse.

Higdon: In the Shadow of Sirius
Aizuri Quartet and Rachel Sterrenberg, soprano

In the Shadow of Sirius, written by Composer Jennifer Higdon who currently holds the Milton L. Rock Chair in Composition Studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, and performed by The Aizuri Quartet, who recently finished their two year residency at the Curtis Institute of Music.
Miho Saegusa, (Violin); Zoë Martin-Doike (Violin ’13); Ayane Kozasa (Viola ’12); Karen Ouzounian, (Cello) and Rachel Sterrenberg (Opera ’15) performed the piece. Dr. Higdon inspiration for In the Shadow of Sirius came from five poems from the book called In the Shadow of Sirius by W. S. Merwin. The movements are as followed: The Nomad Flute; Grace Note; Parts of a Tune; The Laughing Thrush; From the Start and The Nomad Flute. Dr. Higdon used The Nomad Flute, as bookends for the piece.