Violist Emily Brandenburg joins Cassatt String Quartet
Cassatt String Quartet announces violist Emily Brandenburg to join in Fall 2024
Cassatt String Quartet celebrates 40th anniversary in 2024-25 season
"an extraordinary quartet" – The New York Times
The violist Emily Brandenburg joins the Cassatt String Quartet beginning in Fall 2024.
"Muneko, Jennifer, and I are overjoyed to welcome Emily Brandenburg to the Cassatt Quartet as our new violist, and to look forward to the years of shared adventures and music-making ahead! Emily brings to the CSQ her extraordinary experience as a lifelong chamber musician and an especially devoted quartet player; she balances a brilliant analytical mind with a rich, compelling, unusual voice that is deeply layered and beautiful," says CSQ cellist Gwen Krosnick.
Emily Brandenburg says “I am thrilled to be joining the Cassatt String Quartet as their new violist. I have admired the quartet for their artistry, and for their long standing commitment to new music, working hand-in-hand with a diverse array of composers. I look forward to beginning this chapter with them as they enter their 40th season and to all the years of memories and music making to come."
Ms. Brandenburg holds degrees from Yale, New England Conservatory, and McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University. She was previously artist-in-residence at the University of Evansville in Indiana where she was principal viola of Evansville Philharmonic and a member of the Eykamp String Quartet.
The announcement follows the departure of violist Rosemary Nelis, who joined the group in 2022, and is leaving to focus on other projects.
The Cassatt String Quartet celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2024-2025 with premieres by Joan Tower, Victoria Bond, Mari Kimura and Shirish Korde, all written for the group. The season includes a tour of Italy with guitarist Eliot Fisk, concerts across the United States, teaching residencies at major universities and conservatories, the CSQ's bi-annual Cassatt in the Basin residency in West Texas, and the Seal Bay Festival in Maine.
Cassatt String Quartet Biography
Hailed for its “mighty rapport and relentless commitment,” the New York City-based Cassatt String Quartet has performed throughout the world since 1985, with appearances at Alice Tully Hall and Weill Recital Hall; Tanglewood Music Center; the Kennedy Center; Théâtre des Champs-Élysées; Centro National de las Artes; Maeda Hall; and Beijing’s Central Conservatory. The Quartet’s prolific discography – featured three times in Alex Ross’s “10 Best Classical Recordings” column in The New Yorker – includes over forty recordings, for the Koch, Naxos, New World, Point, CRI, Tzadik, and Albany labels. The CSQ is named for the American Impressionist painter Mary Cassatt.
Insider Interview with composer Karen Tanaka
Orli Shaham is pianist, narrator, and instructor in a new video series. The Adventures of Anya is a musical fairy tale with music and original story written for Shaham by Karen Tanaka, illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke. Originally published in the Japanese magazine Musica Nova, the series features 22 episodes with Shaham narrating the story, performing the music, and giving lessons on how to perform each of the corresponding compositions. (Full series available on Youtube)
In this interview with Tanaka, the composer talks about taking inspiration for her backyard, collaborating with Shaham and Beeke, and more.
What inspired you to write this story and its music? How did you come up with the idea for the story about Anya and her adventures?
The animals featured in this piano collection - the rabbit, small bird, and squirrel - visit the backyard of my home in Southern California, and they were the inspiration for this collection.
In March 2021, the Tokyo-based music publisher Ongaku no Tomo commissioned me to compose a series of piano pieces for their magazine Musica Nova. With the series set to begin in June, I had to decide on the subject matter quickly.
In my previous piano collection, I collaborated with the British picture book illustrator Tiphanie Beeke. When I received the new commission from Ongaku no Tomo, I emailed her again to request illustrations for this collection. After writing a rough story overnight, I sent it to her, and she agreed. Her picture books, filled with charming and adorable illustrations of animals, perfectly matched my ideas. Naturally, the main characters in "The Adventures of Anya" were animals, and I wanted to create an adventurous story infused with fantasy, love, and thrills. Each month, Tiphanie sent me a new illustration, which inspired and influenced my composing. Also, the story developed when I was working with her.
After completing the monthly series with Musica Nova, Schott Music in New York decided to publish "The Adventures of Anya" in two volumes with fully colored illustrations. Project Schott New York has published my recent chamber, orchestral, and choral works.
Tell me about your process collaborating with Orli? How did you adapt the music, knowing that you were writing specifically for her? How did she influence your composition and story?
In May 2021, the Juilliard Pre-College commissioned me a solo piano piece to be premiered by Orli Shaham. During our Zoom meeting that month, I mentioned that I was working on a new piano collection featuring animals and asked if she would be interested. Orli shared that she had a dog named Milo and sent me a picture. After our meeting, the idea of "Orli the Witch" came to mind. I shared a picture of Orli and Milo with Tiphanie Beeke, and she created an adorable illustration.
Working with Orli Shaham was a delightful and joyful experience. She demonstrated deep insight and wonderfully expressed the composer's intentions through her piano performance. She is a natural storyteller, and her piano playing effortlessly evokes emotions beautifully, which I believe is a rare talent among pianists. Her narration was also incredible.
What age level is the music for players? For listeners?
I hope people of all ages will enjoy playing and listening to The Adventures of Anya.
Chou Wen-chung at 100 - concert review
On March 21, 2024 professor Frank J. Oteri brought students from his class “Analyzing and Placing Music in Historical Context” at The New School College of Performing Arts to the Chou Wen-chung Centennial Concert at Miller Theatre in NYC. The students reviewed the concert for an assignment, this is one of those reviews.
Chou Wen-chung Centennial Concert Review
By Jaden Lewis-King
”Analyzing and Placing Music in Historical Context” Spring 2024
Professor Frank J. Oteri | The New School College of Performing Arts
The Chou Wen-Chung Centennial Concert “A Retrospective” on March 21, 2024 at Columbia University's Miller Theatre was a celebration of life, music and legacy. Chou’s music was performed by the Continuum group, Joel Sachs, conductor, which is an ensemble dedicated to the performance of works by live composers. Five different and distinct musical selections and a panel discussion held by his closest friends, historians and family members helped to put his life and legacy into perspective and humanize his music and point of view through firsthand accounts and stories. The panel was a lens which allowed the audience to see Chou’s impact on Chinese and Western music.
The concert had five musical selections: In the Mode of Shang (1956), Yu Ko (1965), Twilight Colors (2007), The Willows are New (1957), and Ode to Eternal Pine (2009), followed by a repeat performance of In the Mode of Shang to close the concert. These selections highlighted pillar points in Chou Wen-Chung’s music and acted as a timeline for his life and compositional career.
Joel Sachs, an intimate friend and collaborator of Wen-Chung was perfect at leading from a place of tenderness and care and it showed in the response from the musicians right from the opening of In the Mode of Shang. Rightfully so, as In the Mode of Shang and The Willows are New were the foundations of the night. Luyen Chou, one of the composer’s two sons, described them as love songs. The story however is overshadowed by grief, given that Chou dedicated In the Mode of Shang to his first wife, Katherine “Poyu” Chou, who died within months of their wedding. The work remained unpublished until after Chou’s death and the world premiere of the piece as Chou originally envisioned was given by the Xinghai Conservatory Orchestra conducted by Bing Chen in November 2023. The performance heard at the New York concert was only its second time being heard in its original orchestration (three times total, if you were to count the replay).
One of the main things touched upon on the panel was love being the impetus behind most of his works, and particularly In the Mode of Shang as the depiction of a man in love. For me this also showed the intricacies of Chou and his homogenization of traditional Chinese music and traditional Western contemporary music. What was so effective about most of his orchestration was the small size of the wind section (one player per instrument) which added a layer of transparency to the music.
The Willows Are New, Chou’s sole piece for solo piano, had no dedication, but during the panel discussion, his son Luyen Chou mentioned it was inspired by his father’s chance meeting with pianist Chang Yi-An, whom Chou wen-Chung would ultimately marry. This composition is inspired by text about bonds and parting ways. It's safe to say that the emotions and symbolisms of this piece to his life and family history are prolific, and it has a nostalgic feel which Sachs enacted well with a lot of pace and emotion. There was a care to his notes and silence wasn't a fear but an ally in his performance.
Highlights of the concert were some of Chou’s other works: Twilight Colors and Ode to Eternal Pine. In Twilight Colors, Chou sought to capture the changing skies over the Hudson River, which has been a source of inspiration for many artists. Interestingly enough it brought him back to his past life as an architect where he was able to take artistic inspiration in a visual medium and turn it into the ambient, beautiful soundscape he created in this work. The piece was scored for double trio, and solos by the violin, English horn and cello were stand-outs. Ode to Eternal Pine was composed in the spirit and style of traditional Korean chong ak (upper class/higher class) music and is the only piece Chou composed with an Asian, but non-Chinese, inspiration. The ancient form of chamber music sought to express the range of human emotion inspired by natural phenomena which have inspired East Asian minds for centuries. The emphasis is on the fluidity of the concurrent flow of instrumental voices, characteristic of chong ak, rather than exploitation of novel instrumental colors. This piece was different than all the others in that the percussion (bells, cymbals, chimes, gong, drums) dominated. Although it wasn't my favorite piece its contrast was stark and needed.
The other piece on the program, Yü Ko, showed more of Chou’s interest in ancient Chinese traditions. Translated to “fisherman’s song”, it is a pure example of the tablature notation from the thirteenth century. The notation is similar to that used for lute and modern guitar music which indicates the actual placement of the fingers instead of showing the physical notes. Ending the night with a second performance of “In the Mode of Shang” felt redundant at first but as it went, the lyricism and beauty carried through and was a great way to end all that had been heard leaving nothing more to be desired.
Pianist Şahan Arzruni records works by Armenian Women
Pianist Şahan Arzruni’s new album celebrates Armenian women composers spanning 150 years
Album on AGBU/Positively Armenian released July 26, 2024
Includes world premiere recordings by eight composers, including Pulitzer Prize finalist Mary Kouyoumdjian
Two of the earliest women composers in the world were Armenian: Sahakdukht and Khosrovidukht in the 8th century. The Armenian pianist Şahan Arzruni has recorded an album celebrating women composers from the region. “By Women: piano works by Armenian women composers” is released on July 26, 2024 on AGBU/Positively Armenian. The album -– almost entirely world premiere recordings – continues Arzruni's exploration of music from his home country, including his 2021 recording of solo piano works by Alan Hovhaness.
From Lucy (Lusine) Hazarabedian – the first Armenian woman to write specifically for the piano – to 2024 Pulitzer Prize finalist Mary Kouyoumdjian, the music on "By Women" spans 150 years. Hazarabedian composed “The Nightingale of Armenia” when she was 16 years old, and died tragically young six years later. Kouyoumdjian wrote “I Haven’t the Words” in 2020 during the racial reckoning of George Floyd's murder and subsequent protests. The composer describes the composition as a ‘sonic journal entry’.
The album includes music by Koharik Gazarossian, a Constantinople-born student of Paul Dukas. Gazarossian lived across from the founder of the Armenian National School of Music, Komitas. After Komitas’ exile in the Armenian genocide, Gazarossian copied many of his manuscripts of folk songs and used them as the basis of her own works, including the two preludes on this album.
Alicia Terzian's “Ode to Vahan” was written for Arzruni on a commission by Mr. & Mrs. Vahakn Hovnanian. The work is based on a liturgical chant created by Khosrovidukht in the 8th century, which continues to be sung in the Armenian Church today.
Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical CD or digital copy of this recording.
Pianist Şahan Arzruni
BY WOMEN
piano works by Armenian women composers
Release date: July 26, 2024 | AGBU/Positively Armenian
TRACK LISTING
World premiere recordings (except as noted)
GEGHUNI CHITCHYAN (b. 1929)
Sonatina
[01] Allegro (2:10)
[02] Moderato cantabile (3:54)
[03] Presto (1:56)
[04] Prelude (4:04)
KOHARIK GAZAROSSIAN (1907-1967)
[05] Prelude: "My Child, Your Mother is Dead" * (3:19)
[06] Prelude: "Your Name is Shushan" (2:40)
MARY KOUYOUMDJIAN (b. 1983)
[07] "I Haven't the Words" (3:26)
SIRVART KARAMANUK (1912-2008)
[08] "Dance-Song" (3:43)
SIRVART KAZANDJIAN (1944-2020)
[09] “The Bells of Ani” (5:40)
GAYANE CHEBOTARYAN (1918-1998)
[10] Prelude in E-flat minor (3:56)
[11] Prelude in G minor (1:52)
[12] Prelude in B-flat minor * (2:35)
[13] Prelude in E-flat minor (1:48)
[14] Prelude in B-flat minor (4:18)
[15] Prelude in F-sharp minor (2:48)
ALICIA TERZIAN (b. 1934)
[16] “Ode to Vahan” (9:58)
LUCY HAZARABEDIAN (1863-1882)
[17] “The Nightingale of Armenia” (2:57)
* Previously recorded by Şahan Arzruni in the 1980s
Suggested tracks for classical radio
[1] - [3] Chitchyan: Sonatina
[6] Gazarossian: Prelude
[8] Karamanuk: Dance-Song
[12] [13] [15] Cheboaryan: Preludes
[17] Hazarabedian: The Nightingale of Armenia
Out today: Guitarist David Leisner's "Charms to Soothe"
Guitarist David Leisner's "Charms to Soothe" is released on Azica Records on May 24, 2024
Album includes rare 19th century gems by Mertz, Sor, Guiliani, Schulz and Regondi
Over 45 years, the guitarist David Leisner has recorded 20 albums, from The Viennese Guitar in 1979 to Charms to Soothe, released on May 24, 2024 on Azica Records. This latest album includes early 19th century music by Mertz, Sor, Guiliani, Schulz and Regondi.
"Some of these gems are not played often, and I hope that this recording might call attention to them. In addition, it is my hope that these lovely compositions may offer some solace during a very challenging period in history – 'charms to soothe the savage breast'," writes Leisner in the liner notes.
One of the composers represented on the album is the Vienna-born Leonard Schulz, who spent most of his career in London. Only a few of his compositions were published in his lifetime. Leisner speculates the reason may have been due to "a lessening of interest in guitar music in England in his generation. Or perhaps because, as reported by his contemporary, Makaroff, he was reputed to be 'the worst drunkard in 'London'." Among the extant compositions are the 12 Studies, L’indispensable, op. 40, a beautifully inventive and harmonically rich collection, three of which are included on this album.
Mauro Giuliani’s Giulianate, op. 148, is a collection of some of his finest pieces. First in the set is La Risoluzione, a stand-alone sonata allegro movement. "I always felt it was a shame that Giuliani didn’t follow through with writing more movements to form a Sonata. So, to appease that personal desire of mine, I chose three other pieces from the same opus to go with it, to make an unofficial Sonata – a scherzo, a slow movement and a rondo."
Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical CD or digital copy of this recording.
TRACK LISTING
Johann Kasper Mertz
Nocturne, op. 4, no. 2
[01] Andantino - Allegro con brio (4:24)
Leonard Schulz
Three Etudes (from op. 40)
[02] No. 6, in G major (3:22)
[03] No. 8, in D major (1:54)
[04] No. 9, in A major (1:38)
Fernando Sor
Two Etudes
[05] op. 31, no. 23, in E major (2:13)
[06] op. 6, no. 11, in e minor (3:58)
Mauro Giuliani
Four Pieces (from op. 148) [in the form of a Sonata]
[07] La Risoluzione, no. 1 (6:54)
[08] Scherzo, no. 4 (4:30)
[09] La Melanconia, no. 7 (4:12)
[10] Il Sentimentale, no. 6 (3:48)
Giulio Regondi
Two Etudes
[11] No. 6, in d minor (6:04)
[12] No. 8, in G major (5:40)
Johann Kaspar Mertz
Two Pieces (from Bardenklänge, op. 13)
[13] Lied ohne Worte, vol. 11, no. 1 (4:17)
[14] Mazurka, vol. 11, no. 2 (3:15)
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
David Leisner is an extraordinarily versatile musician with a multi-faceted career as performing artist, composer and teacher. “Among the finest guitarists of all time” according to American Record Guide, he has an extensive discography on the Azica, Naxos, Telarc, Bright Shiny Things, Koch and Mel Bay labels. David Leisner has performed as a soloist throughout North America, Australasia and Europe. He is also a frequent guest at important chamber music festivals around the country.
Celebrated for expanding the guitar repertoire, David Leisner has premiered works by David Del Tredici, Virgil Thomson, Ned Rorem, Philip Glass, Richard Rodney Bennett, Peter Sculthorpe, Osvaldo Golijov and others. He was a pioneer in the rediscovery of 19th-century guitar composers, Johann Kaspar Mertz and Wenzeslaus Matiegka.
Mr. Leisner is a highly respected composer, whose music Fanfare magazine described as “rich in invention and melody, emotionally direct and beautiful”. His works are performed, recorded and published worldwide. In 2023, the legendary guitarist Pepe Romero premiered Wayfaring, a concerto for guitar and orchestra, at the Hamptons Festival in New York. The work was commissioned by Brian Hays.
A distinguished teacher, Leisner has served on the faculty of the New England Conservatory, is on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music, teaches master classes around the world, and is a frequent adjudicator of international guitar competitions. His popular book, Playing with Ease, is published by Oxford University Press.
Aug 3-6: Seal Bay Festival across Maine
The Cassatt String Quartet gives performances across Maine at the Seal Bay Festival of American Chamber Music August 3-6
Programs in Vinalhaven, Portland, and Belfast
Works by Wang Jie, Shirish Korde, Vineet Shende, Daniel Strong Godfrey, and more
"an extraordinary quartet" – The New York Times
The world-renowned Cassatt String Quartet (Muneko Otani & Jennifer Leshnower, violins; Anna Griffis, guest viola; Gwen Krosnick, cello) performs in Maine as the longtime ensemble of the Seal Bay Festival of American Chamber Music. From the island of Vinalhaven to Portland, the quartet's itinerary includes public performances August 3-6, as well as numerous concerts in retirement homes and community centers across the state September 25-29. Details are in the calendar listing below.
The 2024 festival brings composers Wang Jie, Daniel Strong Godfrey, Shirish Korde, and Vineet Shende to Maine for concerts in Vinalhaven, Belfast, and Portland. Along with guest vocalist Dominique Eade and bassist Peter Weitzner, the Cassatts perform works by these composers throughout the festival.
Founded in 1994, the Seal Bay Festival fosters the relationship between American composers, performers, and audiences. At SBF’s annual Composer Institute, composers Wang Jie, Shirish Korde, and Daniel Strong Godfrey are mentors to composers who are at the beginning of their careers. Music by these Fellows is premiered by the Cassatts on August 5, after several days of workshop rehearsals.
Complete program and venue information is below.
Seal Bay Festival Calendar Listing and Program Details
August 3, 1 pm: Open Rehearsal with the Cassatt String Quartet
Vinalhaven Public Library (6 Carver St, Vinalhaven)
Free admission
Zexuan Ding: String Quartet++
Zhang Chuqiao: String Quartet++
August 3, 7 pm: Partners in Island Education Fundraising Concert
with the Cassatt String Quartet, Dominique Eade, voice, Peter Weitzner, Bass & Wang Jie, piano
Smith Hokanson Memorial Auditorium at Vinalhaven School, 22 Arcola Ln, Vinalhaven
Suggested donation of $25, children attend free
Daniel Strong Godfrey: Amazing Grace (2020)
Wang Jie: Songs for Mahler in the Absence of Words+
Duke Ellington/Shirish Korde: Moods of Ellington (rev. 2024)++
August 4, 7 pm: Concert
with the Cassatt String Quartet, Dominique Eade, voice, Peter Weitzner, Bass & Wang Jie, piano
Smith Hokanson Memorial Auditorium at Vinalhaven School, 22 Arcola Ln, Vinalhaven
Free admission, donations are welcome
Daniel Strong Godfrey: Amazing Grace+
Vineet Shende: Solo for viola++
Wang Jie: Songs for Mahler in the Absence of Words+
Shirish Korde: God Bless the Child for voice and cello
after Billie Holiday and Eric Dolphy (2024)+
Duke Ellington/Shirish Korde: Moods of Ellington (rev. 2024)++
August 5, 7 pm: Emerging Composers Concert, presented by Composers Institute at Seal Bay Festival
with the Cassatt String Quartet
The Colonial Theatre, Dreamland, 163 High St, Belfast
Tickets are $10, available at door
Zexuan Ding: String Quartet++
Zhang Chuqiao: String Quartet++
Daniel Strong Godfrey: Amazing Grace+
Vineet Shende: Solo for viola++
Florence Price: String Quartet No. 1
August 6, 7:30 pm: Concert
with the Cassatt String Quartet, Dominique Eade, voice, Peter Weitzner, Bass & Wang Jie, piano
Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland
Tickets are $12-29, available at door and online (link coming soon)
Daniel Strong Godfrey: Amazing Grace+
Vineet Shende: Solo for viola++
Wang Jie: Songs for Mahler in the Absence of Words+
Shirish Korde: God Bless the Child for voice and cello
after Billie Holiday and Eric Dolphy (2024)+
Duke Ellington/Shirish Korde: Moods of Ellington (rev. 2024)++
+denotes Maine premiere
++denotes world premiere
Community Outreach Events September 25-29, 2024
Programs TBA
September 25
1 pm: 75 State Street (Portland)
3 pm: Atrium at the Cedars (Portland)
September 26
11 am: House concert (Brunswick)
1:30 pm: Thornton Oaks (Brunswick)
3:15 pm: The Highlands (Topsham)
September 27
11 am: Avita (Brunswick)
September 28
11 am: Village Square (Kennebunkport)
6 pm: House concert (Kennebunkport)
September 29
3 pm: Wells Reserve at Laudhol (Wells)
Cassatt String Quartet Biography
Hailed for its “mighty rapport and relentless commitment,” the Cassatt String Quartet has performed to critical acclaim across the world since its founding in 1985, with appearances at Alice Tully Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Tanglewood Music Center, the Kennedy Center, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Centro National de las Artes, Maeda Hall, and Beijing’s Central Conservatory. The group’s discography includes over forty recordings, including three discs that were named “10 Best Classical Recordings” in The New Yorker. The CSQ is named for the American Impressionist painter Mary Cassatt.
Seal Bay Festival is supported by The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, The Aaron Copland Music Fund, Alice M. Ditson Fund, Davis Family Foundation, Maine Arts Commission, and Amphion Foundation
Shea-Kim Duo's All Roads reviewed in Gramophone
"City Without Jews" at Baruch PAC: Get Classical (preview)
Cassatt String Quartet: Boston Music Intelligencer (Review)
'Manuscripts Don't Burn' in LA and NYC
Pianist Inna Faliks highlights new album and book in performances in LA and NYC
May 19: BroadStage (Santa Monica, CA) &
May 23: National Sawdust (Brooklyn, NY)
Recitals feature works written for Faliks by Clarice Assad, Maya Miro Johnson, and more
Pianist Inna Faliks highlights her forthcoming album Manuscripts Don't Burn (rel. May 17, 2024, Sono Luminus) and her new book with recitals in Southern California and New York City. On May 19 at 2 pm, she performs at the BroadStage in Santa Monica, CA and on May 23 at 7:30 pm she performs at National Sawdust in Brooklyn. Tickets and program details below.
The program features many works featured on the new album, including the premiere of Mike Garson's "Psalm for Odesa" (written in tribute to the Ukrainian city in which she was raised), and works written for the pianist by Ljova, Veronika Krausas, and Maya Miro Johnson. Other program highlights include Beethoven's "Eroica" Variations alongside works by Rodoin Shchedrin, Chopin, Paganini, and Bach.
The forthcoming album Mansucripts Don't Burn features five world premiere recordings alongside works by Schubert, Fanny Mendelssohn, and Fazil Say. Several of the selections on the album relate to a seminal novel of art censorship - Mikhail Bulgakov's "Master and Margarita"; and others speak to the pianists' homeland of Ukraine and her Jewish heritage.
"I consider this very personal recording to be something of a mirror image to my memoir, as it intertwines the literal images from "Master and Margarita" with more autobiographical themes and layers," says the pianist who first read the book as a child growing up in Soviet Ukraine. "I took it with me when my parents and I immigrated to the U.S. Throughout the years, the book played a role in my life. My childhood best friend from Odesa reread the book in adulthood and decided to find me - we are now together for 20 years, with two kids."
The recitals also feature Inna Faliks reading excerpts from her recently published memoir The Weight in the Fingertips: A Musical Odyssey from Soviet Ukraine to the World Stage (Backbeat Books, October 2023). The memoir has been widely praised, most recently in the LA Review of Books. Anne Midgette (formerly of The Washington Post) writes "There are a lot of musician's memoirs out there; this one, about a piano prodigy turned professional, is a standout. Highly recommended."
Pianist Inna Faliks
Manuscripts Don't Burn in recital
MAY 19, 2024 at 2 PM
BroadStage (1310 11th St., Santa Monica, CA)
Tickets start at $30 and are available at BroadStage.org
MAY 23, 2024 at 7:30 PM
National Sawdust (8 North 6th St, Brooklyn, NY)
Tickets are $25 and are available at NationalSawdust.org
PROGRAM
Ljova Zhurbin: Sirota for piano and historical recording*
Mike Garson: Psalm for Odessa (world premiere)*
J.S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp minor, Book 1
Rodion Shchedrin: Basso Ostinato
Veronika Krausas: Have You Stopped Loving Me?*
Veronika Krausas: 14th on the Month of Nisan*
Maya Miro Johnson: Manuscripts Don't Burn*
Frederic Chopin: Polonaise-Fantasie
L.V. Beethoven: "Eroica" Variations and Fugue on an Original Theme
Paganini (arr. Liszt): La Campanella
*written for Inna Faliks
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
“Adventurous and passionate” (The New Yorker) Ukrainian-born American pianist Inna Faliks has made a name for herself through her commanding performances of standard piano repertoire, as well genre-bending interdisciplinary projects, and inquisitive work with contemporary composers. After her acclaimed teenage debuts at the Gilmore Festival and with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, she has performed on many of the world’s great stages in recital and with many major orchestras, performing with conductors Leonard Slatkin, Keith Lockhart and many others.
Ms. Faliks collaborates with and premieres music by some of today’s most significant composers, including Billy Childs, Richard Danielpour, Timo Andres and Clarice Assad. She is known for her poetry-music series Music/Words, and has worked with a number of prominent poets. She regularly tours her monologue-recital Polonaise-Fantasie, the Story of a Pianist, which tells the story of her immigration to the United States from Odessa (recorded on Delos). Her discography includes Manuscripts Don't Burn (Sono Luminus, May 2024), which consists of world premiere recordings alongside 19th and 20th century works. Also in her catalogue: Reimagine: Beethoven and Ravel (Navona), and all-Beethoven and Rachmaninoff/Ravel/Pasternak discs on MSR Classics.
In addition to her other impressive accomplishments, she is is head of Piano Studies at UCLA and is a critically acclaimed writer. Her memoir, Weight in the Fingertips (Backbeat Books) was published in October 2023, and her articles and essays have appeared in Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post. Inna Faliks is a Yamaha Artist.
May 31: Sylvan Winds @ 45 at Merkin
Sylvan Winds celebrates 45th anniversary season on May 31 at Merkin Hall
"Mighty Winds" program features music by Richard Strauss, Mozart, and Elizabeth Brown
On May 31, 2024 at 7 pm the Sylvan Winds, hailed by the New York Times for their "adventuresome programming and stylishness of performance," celebrates their 45th anniversary season at Kaufman Music Center's Merkin Hall (129 W 67th St., Manhattan). A ticketed reception will follow the concert. Details here.
The program features larger works for winds, including Mozart's Serenade in C minor for 8 players, and Richard Strauss's Suite in Bb Major for 13 players, alongside a contemporary work by Elizabeth Brown. The current members of the ensemble (Svjetlana Kabalin, flute; Kathy Halvorson, oboe; Nuno Antunes, clarinet; Gina Cuffari, bassoon; and Zohar Schondorf, horn) will be joined by former members and guest artists for this special performance.
Brown's "Pentalogue" was written for the quintet in 2021 in the shadow of the Black Lives Matter protests and COVID-19 pandemic. "I was trying to write something with beauty and hope, but the five movements contain all my anxiety about breath. Maybe that’s why three dark musical quotes insinuated themselves into my subconscious so many times that I gave up trying to get rid of them," says Brown. The work quotes from a Bach cantata, a Mahler symphony, and "Three Blind Mice."
Over 45 years ago, flutist Svjetlana Kabalin joined forces with her colleagues to form what would become one of the most long-lived wind quintets in the country. Since then, the Sylvan Winds have performed under the auspices of Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival, Caramoor International Music Festival, and venues across the globe. They have recorded for Koch Classics, CRI/New World, North/South, and Albany record labels, enjoyed collaborations with such distinguished artists as Gerard Schwarz, Ransom Wilson and the Guarneri String Quartet, and commissioned dozens of works.
Calendar Listing
Friday, May 31 at 7 pm
Mighty Winds
Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Music Center
129 W 67 St, New York, NY
Tickets are $30 general admission
(Premium seating: $45; Seniors/Students: $25; Children $15)
Sylvan Winds
Svjetlana Kabalin, flute; Kathy Halvorson, oboe; Nuno Antunes, clarinet;
Gina Cuffari, bassoon; Zohar Schondorf, horn
Program to include:
Elizabeth Brown: Pentalogue
W.A. Mozart: Serenade in C minor, K.388
Richard Strauss: Suite Bb Major, Op. 4
Program subject to change, additional works TBA
These concerts are made possible, in part, with funding from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council
New album from Inna Faliks: "Manuscripts Don't Burn"
Pianist Inna Faliks releases new recording on May 17: Manuscripts Don't Burn
Features works written for Faliks by Clarice Assad, Ljova Zhurbin, Veronika Krausas, Maya Miro Johnson, and Mike Garson
Plus music by Fanny Mendelssohn, Fazil Say, and Schubert
Album is companion piece to Faliks' memoir Weight in the Fingertips (Backbeat Books, 2023)
"Inna Faliks is a superb concert pianist" – Berkshire Fine Arts
The pianist Inna Faliks’ new album, Manuscripts Don’t Burn, is released on May 17, 2024 on Sono Luminus. “It is my most personal album yet, with five premieres written for me in celebration of my favorite book, Mikhail Bulgakov's Master and Margarita, my Ukrainian-Jewish heritage, my hometown of Odesa, and so much more,” says Faliks. "This collection of music speaks to my love of dialogue between music and words. The connections between text and sound here are not just literal but emotional, based on memory, intuition, dreams and hopes."
Master and Margarita is a seminal Russian novel of art censorship and dictatorship. Several of the works on the album are directly related to this book: Maya Miro Johnson's theatrical and extended techniques-filled "Manuscripts Don't Burn" (the phrase is a crucial line in the book) and the elegant, understated "Master and Margarita Suite" by Veronika Krausas. Clarice Assad's "Godai" for speaking pianist features a poem by Steve Schroeder depicting the same imagery of the "manuscripts don't burn" line. The lieder of Schubert transcribed for solo piano by Liszt alludes to the mythical and Faustian lore that is also in Master and Margarita: "Gretchen [Margarita] at the Spinning Wheel," a mystical love story "By the Sea," a monstrous Elf King and the death of a child in "Erlkonig." The rarely heard "Notturno" by Fanny Mendelssohn* connects to the story through the dark, impassioned character of Margarita.
The other works tie into the pianist's experiences and memories growing up Jewish in Ukraine. Fasil Say's "Black Earth"* takes the listener on a journey from Odesa across the Black Sea, while Mike Garson's "Psalm to Odesa" pulls from a well-known Odesan song and features improvisatory elements. "Voices" by Ljova Zhurbin features historical recordings of Jewish cantorial and klezmer music alongside Faliks' piano.
The recording is a mirror image to Faliks's newly-published memoir, The Weight in the Fingertips: A Musical Odyssey from Soviet Ukraine to the World Stage (Backbeat Books, rel. October 2023), as it intertwines the literal images from Master and Margarita with more autobiographical themes and layers. The memoir has been widely praised, most recently in the LA Review of Books. Anne Midgette (formerly of The Washington Post) writes "There are a lot of musician's memoirs out there; this one, about a piano prodigy turned professional, is a standout. Highly recommended."
* the works by Fanny Mendelssohn and Fazil Say are only available on the digital album
Pianist Inna Faliks
Manuscripts Don't Burn
Release date: May 17, 2024 | Sono Luminus (DSL-92275)
Note: physical CD (DSL-92259) does not include Fanny Mendelssohn & Fazil Say tracks
TRACK LISTING
Veronika Krausas (words by Mikhail Bulgakov, trans. Inna Faliks)
Master and Margarita Suite for Speaking Pianist^
[01] I. Time to Go – a Sarabande 1:37
[02] II. 14th of the Month of Nisan 3:06
[03] III. Night Streets of Moscow – a Polonaise 2:00
[04] IV. Yellow Flower Waltz 2:40
[05] V. Fantasia, “Have you stopped loving me?” 2:30
[06] VI. Behemoth’s Somersaults into Cognac – a Bagatelle 2:08
[07] VII. Listen to the Silence – Epilogue 2:330
Franz Schubert (arr. Franz Liszt)
[08] Gretchen am Spinnrade (Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel) S. 558/8 4:30
Maya Miro Johnson (words by Mikhail Bulgakov, trans. Inna Faliks)
[09] Manuscripts Don’t Burn, for Speaking Pianist^ 6:59
Fanny Hensel-Mendelssohn (digital album only)
[10] Notturno in G minor, H337 4:23
Franz Schubert (arr. Franz Liszt)
[11] Erlkonig (Erlking) S.558/4 4:43
[12] Am Meer (By the Sea) S. 560/4 4:37
Fazil Say (digital album only)
[13] Black Earth 7:06
Mike Garson
[14] A Psalm for Odesa^ 4:36
Ljova Zhurbin
Voices, Suite in Three Movements for piano and historical recordings^
[15] I. Sirota 6:51
[16] II. Alter(ed) Zhok 5:16
[17] III. Freydele 6:05
Clarice Assad (words by Steve Schroeder)
Godai, the Five Elements, for Speaking Pianist^
[18]I. Dry Bones – Wind 2:30
[19] II. Absence – Fire and Water 3:07
[20] III. Earth 2:01
[21] IV. Ascension-Sky 2:19
[22] Hero for piano solo 2:22
Total Time = 84:10
^ – signifies world premiere recording
ARTIST BIO
“Adventurous and passionate” (The New Yorker) Ukrainian-born American pianist Inna Faliks has made a name for herself through her commanding performances of standard piano repertoire, as well genre-bending interdisciplinary projects, and inquisitive work with contemporary composers. After her acclaimed teenage debuts at the Gilmore Festival and with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, she has performed on many of the world’s great stages in recital and with many major orchestras, performing with conductors Leonard Slatkin, Keith Lockhart and many others.
Ms. Faliks collaborates with and premieres music by some of today’s most significant composers, including Billy Childs, Richard Danielpour, Timo Andres and Clarice Assad. She is known for her poetry-music series Music/Words, and has worked with a number of prominent poets. She regularly tours her monologue-recital Polonaise-Fantasie, the Story of a Pianist, which tells the story of her immigration to the United States from Odessa (recorded on Delos). Her discography includes Manuscripts Don't Burn (Sono Luminus, May 2024), which consists of world premiere recordings alongside 19th and 20th century works. Also in her catalogue: Reimagine: Beethoven and Ravel (Navona), and all-Beethoven and Rachmaninoff/Ravel/Pasternak discs on MSR Classics.
In addition to her other impressive accomplishments, she is is head of Piano Studies at UCLA and is a critically acclaimed writer. Her memoir, Weight in the Fingertips (Backbeat Books) was published in October 2023, and her articles and essays have appeared in Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post. Inna Faliks is a Yamaha Artist.
Chou Wen-chung Centennial Concert Review
On March 21, 2024 professor Frank J. Oteri brought students from his class “Analyzing and Placing Music in Historical Context” at The New School College of Performing Arts to the Chou Wen-chung Centennial Concert at Miller Theatre in NYC. The students reviewed the concert for an assignment, this is one of those reviews.
Chou Wen-chung Centennial Concert Review
By Claire Coven
”Analyzing and Placing Music in Historical Context” Spring 2024
Professor Frank J. Oteri | The New School College of Performing Arts
The Miller Theatre at Columbia University was bustling with fans, friends, and family of Chou Wen-chung Thursday evening for his Centennial Concert. Performed by Continuum, led by Joel Sachs, the evening was exciting and enlightening for those who knew and were new to Chou Wen-chung and his music.
The retrospective opened, and later closed, with the American premiere of In the Mode of Shang, composed in 1956. Continuum filled the stage as a complete ensemble and enraptured the audience throughout the seven-minute piece. One need not read the program notes–although they are illuminating–to appreciate how Chou developed the theme: he seamlessly alternated the melodic line between the entire ensemble and solos, duos, and trios from each section, building and changing the line with each pass. This became a defining characteristic of the work we heard Thursday evening: an avid calligrapher, Chou simultaneously drew melodies from and inspired by ancient Chinese techniques with those of the Western twentieth century, melding them just enough that something new is created while maintaining a distinct deference for each culture.
Upon the first listen, In the Mode of Shang paints vivid scenes through the solo melody. The discernable sections of the piece were marked by the entire orchestra coming together before returning to solo or small ensembles continuously developing the theme. The final piccolo solo, singing like a bird with unrelenting melodious legato, left us just satisfied enough to end the piece, yet it felt as though the piece could have continued. Continuum’s vivid playing allowed us to experience Chou’s early musical landscape in those few minutes.
Next we heard Yü Ko. Composed in 1965, this piece was perhaps the most traditional in its use of ancient Chinese techniques we heard that evening. Performed by a smaller ensemble led by winds and brass, with piano, violin, and percussion, it was interesting to hear how Chou was able to achieve such authentic ancient Chinese idioms and colors from Western instruments alone. To produce this, he had both the violinist and pianist pluck strings, and had a mute on the trombone to manipulate the sound. Again, the theme was played by few and then all.
The first half of the concert closed with Twilight Colors. Composed in 2007 and scored for a double trio–one with flute, oboe, and clarinet and the other with violin, viola, and cello–this piece consisted of vignettes in four movements and a coda. “A Thread of Light” began the series with a deep cello drone solo that continued to penetrate when the other instruments joined in. “Colors of Dawn” followed without pause, employing both trios in chaotic bowing until they calmly unwound. Next, in “In the Mist,” Chou programmatically writes a thick layer of mist by having the strings repeat narrow, chromatic intervals that the flute and clarinet permeate. In “Mountain Peaks Rising,” the ensemble created a topography with ascending and descending intervals. After playing a chord together, each musician continued to play their own unique theme, creating at once unexpected harmony and juxtaposition. The penultimate movement concluded with a hauntingly beautiful woodwind trio, as if birds were flying out of and around the mountain peaks. “Coda” flourished in a full ensemble sound reminiscent of late-Romantic quartets.
After intermission there was a panel discussion moderated by Kathryn Knight, music publisher and President of Edition Peters USA from 2019 to 2023, and included Chou’s sons Luyen and Sumin, and former students Lei Liang and Shyhji Pan. They spoke not only of the important mentor that Chou Wen-chung was, but also shared stories of his life that gave new meaning and insight to the pieces performed and his compositional process. Lei Liang said that Chou asked every student “When is a line not a line?” One can hear in his music that he taught by example, constantly asking himself the same question. Shyhji Pan synthesized Chou’s mission and technical philosophy stating that the “Confluence of East and West is what he dedicated his life to,” and that, “...technique lies in delicacy of details, that was consistent throughout his life.” His sons provided insight about the posthumously-published In the Mode of Shang: Chou wrote the piece in 1956 for his first wife who died a few months after the first partial performance in 1957. Bereaved, this is perhaps why Chou never published this early work, and why works composed after this tragedy reflected his “profound grief.” Chou later married concert pianist Chang Yi-an in 1962. Luyen described that “big leaps of faith defined” both his parents’ lives, and that music saved his father’s life.
Next we heard Joel Sachs perform The Willows Are New. Composed in 1957, this is Chou’s only composition for solo piano. At once dark with sprinkles of light, Sachs brought the single line to life through subtle and drastic dynamic shifts. After that we heard Ode to Eternal Pine, composed in 2009. Originally composed for an ensemble of traditional Korean instruments, we heard this piece performed on Western instruments. Notably, the piano was played in traditional Western style. Despite the Western instrumentation, we could hear the inspiration of traditional Korean music in each movement. The ensemble was tight and attuned to each other, maintaining continuity through tough transitions.
Ending the program the way it began, the whole Continuum ensemble came out to play In the Mode of Shang once again. With the information from the panel discussion and from listening to pieces ranging throughout Chou's career, the piece had a new levity to it. This was especially so after Sumin Chou described how his father wrote this piece when he was young and full of hope, and before experiencing the profound grief of the death of his first wife. The ensemble played with a robust and infectious sense of excitement. It was a wonderful way to end a meaningful evening of inspiring music.
Born in Yantai, China in 1923, Chou immigrated to the United States in 1946 leaving war-torn China to study architecture at Yale. However, it was on the ship that he realized he must pursue his passion for music, and upon arrival, gave up his fellowship at Yale. He subsequently began his music studies with Nicolas Slonimsky and Edgard Varèse in Boston, the latter of whom Chou became closest mentee and lifelong champion. Chou later studied at Columbia University where he became instrumental in the establishment of the Electronic Music Center (later revitalized into the Computer Music Center), the Fritz Reiner Center for Contemporary Music at Columbia, and the US-China Arts Exchange. Not only is Chou the first world-renowned Chinese-born composer, but he is also responsible for the success of the following generations of Chinese composers who he mentored through his US-China Arts Exchange. In his music you can hear the sounds of his childhood in China, adulthood studying with Varèse and other luminaries, and–above all–his dedication to fusing cultures of the East and West in harmony.
Insider Interview with classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang
On April 19, Baruch Performing Arts Center presents classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang in recital. Acclaimed for her “staggering virtuosity,” Ms. Wang is the only accordionist to ever win the Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. Her wide-ranging recital features works by Piazzolla, Bach, Boulanger, Gubaidulina and others. We spoke with her about being a pioneer for her instrument, the differences between classical accordion and similar instruments, and the upcoming program at Baruch PAC.
What first attracted you to the accordion?
When I was around five years old, I had a chance encounter with an accordion while watching a classical Italian movie called "Cinema Paradiso" with my parents. The soundtrack immediately caught my attention and I noticed a unique sound that I had never heard before from any other classical musical instrument. I became intrigued and since then, I wanted to learn how to play the accordion.
How did you come to the unusual focus of classical music on your instrument? Do you think of yourself as a classical musician who plays accordion, or as an accordionist who plays classical music?
I consider myself a classical musician who plays the accordion. Unfortunately, the classical accordion is not yet commonly recognized in the US. I have noticed that the accordion is generally associated with folk music. However, the classical accordion has the potential to perform many types of music. The main difference between the classical accordion and the regular accordion is the left-hand part. While the regular accordion produces an "Oom-pa-pa" sound, the classical accordion has single tones in the left hand which allows us to perform polyphonic music such as Bach or any great classical composers.
What are the challenges of playing classical music on the accordion? How is your performance approach different from popular or folk music?
Playing the classical accordion can be quite challenging. The right-hand side has 107 buttons while the left-hand side has 120 buttons, none of which are visible while playing. Additionally, the player's left wrist and arm must control the compression and bellows turning. Therefore, there are technically three things going on simultaneously while performing.
Tell us about your instrument. Where's it from? What makes it unique? How long have you had it?
For almost two decades, my accordion has been with me, its origins tracing back to the picturesque town of Castelfidardo in Italy - the "accordion city" situated along the stunning coast of Ancona. With every passing year, the sound of my instrument only gets better and better.
Classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang at Baruch PA
Award-winning classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang in recital at Baruch PAC
April 19 program features music by Piazzolla, Bach, Boulanger, Gubaidulina and more!
“Staggering virtuosity that held the audience in a state of breathlessness, as thrilling to watch as to hear.” – Oberon's Grove
On Friday, April 19 at 7:30 pm the award-winning classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang performs at the intimate Engelman Recital Hall at Baruch Performing Arts Center (55 Lexington Ave (entrance on 25th St), New York, NY). Tickets are $35, available here.
Highlights of Ms. Wang's program include selections from Bach's Goldberg Variations heard fresh in this arrangement for accordion, a work by Katherine Balch written for Ms. Wang, an original work by the accordionist, and music by Sofia Gubaidulina, Rebecca Clarke, Lili Boulanger, and Astor Piazzolla. Full program details below.
Acclaimed for her “staggering virtuosity,” Ms. Wang is praised for her captivating stage presence and performances that display passion and finesse. A groundbreaking artist, Hanzhi was the first accordionist to win Young Concert Artists International Auditions, the first to be named Musical America’s “New Artist of the Month,” and the first solo accordionist on WQXR Radio’s Young Artists Showcase. Ms. Wang earned her Bachelor’s degree at the China Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. She completed her Master’s degree and Soloist Diploma at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen with the renowned accordion professor Geir Draugsvoll.
Baruch Performing Arts Center is at 55 Lexington Avenue (enter on 25th Street between Third and Lexington Avenues, on the south side of the street) in the heart of Manhattan. Praised for its superb acoustics, the Rosalyn and Irwin Engelman Recital Hall has been called "a perfect hall for chamber music" by Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times. This spring Baruch PAC presentations include the PUBLIQuaret & Harlem Quartets; pianist Maxim Lando; toy-piano/electronic Chromic Duo; Heartbeat Opera's annual spring festival in a co-presentation; and classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang.
CALENDAR LISTING
Friday, April 19, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Baruch Performing Arts Center presents:
Accordionist Hanzhi Wang
Engelman Recital Hall at Baruch Performing Arts Center
55 Lexington Ave., New York, NY
(enter on 25th St. between 3rd and Lexington Aves)
Tickets are $35 available at bpac.baruch.cuny.edu
PROGRAM
J.S. Bach: selections from Goldberg Variations
Sofia Gubaidulina: De Profundis
Rebecca Clarke: Lullaby & Grotesque
Lili Boulanger: Cortège
Katherine Balch: Impromptu for Hanzhi
Hanzhi Wang: My Story
Astor Piazzolla: Chinquilin de Bachin, Milonga del Angel, and La Muerte del Angel
Program subject to change
(Photo credit: Matt Dine)
Pianist Inna Faliks: Insider Interview
The pianist Inna Faliks is gearing up for an action-packed year. Her forthcoming album Manuscripts Don’t Burn (Sono Luminus; rel. May 17, 2024) features world premiere recordings written for her by Clarice Assad, Mike Garson, Ljova Zhurbin, Maya Miro Johnson, and Veronika Krausas. Her memoir Weight in the Fingertips was released October 2023, and has been widely critically acclaimed, and this spring she performs the premiere of a piano concerto by Clarice Assad. We recently spoke to her about the forthcoming album, its connection to a cult Ukrainian novel, and more.
The centerpiece of the concept of your new album, Manuscripts Don’t Burn is the cult novel The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, which the album’s title work by Maya Miro Johnson is based on. What is the significance of the book to you?
This book is about so many things, and has so many layers. It is, fundamentally, about the power of art to survive, transcend evil regimes, in this case Stalin's totalitarian murderous Soviet Union. It is about censorship, it is also a great love story, a retelling of Faust and the story of Christ, all in one book. It is a book that many Russian speakers are obsessed with.
I first read it at age 10 and brought it with me through immigration. It had been banned in the USSR, and my grandfather had typed it out on his typewriter, a "Samizdat" thing. I had memorized the book, because I read it so many times. It is also a burlesque, magnificently funny and whimsical. It, in some ways, continues Nikolai Gogol's literary tradition, as far as its fantasy elements go. Bulgakov was born in Ukraine, as, of course, was Gogol.
When at 15, I had won the Illinois Young Performers Competition and played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, they made a short biographical clip about me , and in this clip, I am reading the book out loud - and also playing Tchaikovsky Concerto # 1, 3rd movement, with Chicago Symphony.
When my best friend from childhood, Misha, read the book as an adult, he remembered me. That made him want to find me. And now we are married and live in LA with our two kids. When my Mom had a stroke and I flew, during Covid, to help her regain language and movement skills (this was before we found out that she had brain cancer), I read the book to her out loud and she read it back to me.
A film version of The Master and Margarita will be released in the US year. What do you make of that timing?
It is completely coincidental but delightful. I had the luck to be at a screening and love what the director Michael Lockshin had done with the film - I think it is the first truly successful screen adaptation of the very complicated material. And, of course, politically it makes a stand. As the book did.
How does the work by Johnson tie into the overall program of the new album?
It complements the other Master and Margarita piece on the disc - the Suite by Veronika Krausas. Maya's piece is wild, it imagines Margarita, the muse of the Master, in the moment that she has become a witch and is about to meet Woland the devil. The piece uses a lot of extended techniques and has me whisper a phrase from the novel, in Russian. In contrast, Veronika's Suite plays on the Baroque dance suite. It is very elegant, understated, extremely beautiful and evocative, powerful in its contained grace.
You recently premiered a piano concerto by Clarice Assad, called “Lilith” at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Lilith is a primordial she-demon, and “The Master and Margarita” is essentially a retelling of Faust. Am I seeing a throughline? (Devil in literature, perhaps? Or, Famous Devils I have known?)
What can I say. Devils are fun! It somehow is a coincidence too, Lilith and Master and Margarita. In the novel, Satan actually saves the main character, the master. And, as Goethe says, "I am that power that always wishes for evil but ends up doing good." Bulgakov really plays on this phrase.
NYC-Arts Top 5 Picks: Chou Wen-chung Centennial Concert
Praise for Orli Shaham's Complete Mozart Piano Sonatas
The internationally renowned concert pianist Orli Shaham released the final two volumes of her multi-year endeavor of recording all of Mozart’s piano sonatas in February 2024. Volumes 5 & 6 of "Mozart: The Complete Piano Sonatas" (Canary Classics CC24) is available on CD and on digital streaming and download platforms. The complete box set with all six volumes will be released in spring 2024.
The set has been incredibly well received across North America, Europe and the United Kingdom. Here’s what the critics are saying:
“A top-tier and consistently satisfying Mozart cycle.” – International Piano
“a significant recording achievement for Mozarteans ... brilliantly handled ... it is time to mark this as one of the significant releases in the Mozart discography and now one can even listen through all the sonatas in chronological order, though the pairings throughout the series have been intelligently determined and help each sonata stand on its own well. Highly Recommended!" – Cinemusical
"Shaham’s artistry... easily holds its own alongside some of my favourite modern-day Mozart sonata cycles" - Gramophone
“Shaham avoids the common pitfall of painting Mozart's portrait as a dainty child prodigy, and instead brings out his free and youthful spirit, an essential feature of his melodic lines. ... Under her hands, this is not simply the music of cute little powdered-wig Wolfgang, but the music of a master of the keyboard who knew exactly how to make the piano sing and dance.” – Classical Music Sentinel
"a remarkable set" - Classical Candor
Visit OrliShaham-Mozart.com for streaming audio, liner notes, purchase links and critical acclaim.
Orli Shaham interview on WWFM's "A Tempo"
Pianist Orli Shaham released the final volumes of her 6-disc recording cycle of Mozart’s complete piano sonatas in February 2024. In a recent interview with WWFM’s Rachel Katz, Shaham speaks about the recording project, Mozart’s longevity, championing women composers, and commissioning new works. Below are some excerpts from the interview.
To listen to the full 30-minute interview “Finding Tradition and Cutting Edge in Mozart,” stream the program at WWFM.org.
On Mozart:
I spent a lot of time in my formative years studying historical musicology, especially with the wonderful Mozart scholar Elaine Sisman at Columbia University. It's something that one talks about with music of the Enlightenment and the logical distinctions between ideas that was so important at the time. Mozart’s sonatas were used as teaching tools to show not only how to play a sonata, but also how to decorate and embellish a sonata, as any good pianist was expected to be able to do on the spot.
They really span his adult life, the piano sonatas. It's a wonderful way to look at Mozart’s entire development as a mature composer. He also had the incredible experience of living in a time that was the most exciting moment for keyboard instruments. The instruments couldn't possibly have been changing more. The invention of a pedal that you don't have to whack with your knees completely changed how he could sit at the keyboard, the kinds of sounds he could make, and the imagination that he could pour into it. He was clearly so inspired by these changes.
On commissioning new works:
I'm always thinking about the next project I'm doing with a living composer, and the next project I'm doing with a no longer living composer. This season I'm playing a new piano concerto which my husband, conductor David Robertson, wrote for me. I've also been working a lot with the composer Karen Tanaka. We premiered a piece of hers at Juilliard Pre-College last year, and I'm premiering another work of hers in April 2024.
I really think the composers should be as free as possible to be creative and come up with whatever makes their heart excited. It's very important for a composer to write what they love, and so you get to know their writing. Once that happens, you have some idea that you can trust them, but you never know what's going to come out.
On Clara Schumann and other overlooked composers:
In the last couple of years, I've become obsessed with Clara Schumann, a woman not only worthy of our admiration, but also worthy of great study. She is a special, influential person in the whole of music history. She shaped at least two generations of pianists, and had a teaching legacy that lasted into a very, very long old age. As many as a third of Europe's pianists came to study with her. It's an enormous legacy for piano and pianism and how to interpret music at the instrument.
In conjunction with these Clara Schumann-based programs, over the pandemic I discovered Amanda Röntgen-Maier. She composed a number of incredible chamber works, including a violin sonata, which I just think is the cat's pajamas. I'm thrilled that every violinist I have played it with says, “Where has this piece been all my life?” They're all putting it into their repertoire permanently. How wonderful for us that we live in a time when we can discover these overlooked composers.