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Program Notes for Sunday, 03/10/2013

Snapshot of a Century of Music
'A Musical Feast' offers a taste of music spanning the last 100 years


Paul Hindemith composed his Konzertstück für Zwei Altsaxophone in 1933, the same year that the Nazi's came to power in Germany. Hindemith had already written frequently for the saxophone during the second half of the 1920's, before he composed this piece for the saxophone virtuoso Sigurt Rascher, who left Germany in October of that same year. Many of Hindemith's works were banned by the Nazis in April 1933, and all performances of his works were banned in 1936, ultimately leading to Hindemith's immigrating to America, where he spent time in 1943 teaching at the University of Buffalo, before gaining a position at Yale.

"Minstrels" is the 12th and last of the Book I Preludes by Claude Debussy. Characterized by popular song harmonies and biting rhythms, the sardonically sharp dissonances of the piece foreshadow elements in the music of Stravinsky and Poulenc.

Belgian composer Eugène Ysaÿe was equally renowned as a celebrated violin virtuoso, and he composed his romantically elegant Poème élégiaque for his own concert use.

The music of Igor Stravinsky is receiving special attention this year, due in part to the centenary of the 1913 premiere of his ballet, The Rite of Spring, one of the most important compositions of the 20th century. Composed in 1932 for violin and piano, Stravinsky's Suite italienne is derived from his music for the neo-classical score of his later, 1920 ballet, Pulcinella.

The late Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla can be justly credited with bringing the attention of the classical music world to the tango, the quintessential dance form of his native land. The bandoneón, or Argentine concertina, an instrument essential to a tango ensemble, features prominently in Piazzolla's popular Three Dances, which includes the irresistible 'Oblivion', a work that has taken on a concert life of its own.

Jason Bauers and Robert Fullex formed the Crossfire Percussion Duo during their graduate studies at the State University of New York at Buffalo. From its inception, the Duo has been devoted to performing new and lesser-known works of the percussion duo repertoire. The duo's fearless quest for new music has led to collaborations with a variety of contemporary composers, including Richard Festinger, Matt Sargent, Jacob Gotlib and Megan Grace Beugger. Currently based in Buffalo, NY, Crossfire Percussion Duo continues to build its unique repertoire and give a voice to a new generation of composers.

Matt Sargent is a musician based in Buffalo, NY.  His music grows out of an appreciation of natural resonances, acoustic spaces, field recording, and outdoor listening.  A Chesapeake Bay native, his interests are often focused on the movement of bodies of water, tides, and possible musical analogues to these natural processes. His music has recently been heard in performances and installations at the Wulf (Los Angeles, CA), the Machine Project (Los Angeles, CA), Hemphill Fine Arts (Washington D.C.), Elastic Arts Foundation (Chicago, IL), Norwegian Academy of Music, June in Buffalo, SEAMUS, and Yale University Haskins Laboratory, along with residencies at the Goldwell Open Air Museum (Rhyolite, NV), Atlantic Center for the Arts, and University of Nevada Las Vegas. Matt holds a Presidential Fellowship at SUNY Buffalo, where he is working on a PhD in Music Composition.  He is a graduate of the Hartt School of Music and St. Mary's College of Maryland.  His principal composition teachers include David Felder, Cort Lippe, Robert Carl, Ingram Marshall, Ken Steen, and David Froom.

Tickets: $20; Burchfield Penny members/students: $10. Phone: 878-6011.
Information: www.amusicalfeast.com , or: www.BurchfieldPenny.org