DATES

July 23 | 7:30pm | Historic Saranac Lake Laboratory

July 24 | 4pm | House Concert in Loon Lake - AT CAPACITY

July 25 | 10:30am | Saranac Lake Free Library

PROGRAM

Duo Sonatina by João Guilherme Ripper (1959 - )

Allegro

Calmo

Rondo-Tango

Fables by Matthew Murchison (1976 - )

Naturebound, One

Fox Den

Starshot

Naturebound, Two

Suite for Oboe, Clarinet & Viola by Randall Thompson (1899-1984)

Gaio

Adagio assai

Allegro

Lento religioso

Grave - Allegretto

Quartet No. 2 by Anton Arensky (1861-1906)

Moderato

Variations sur un thême de P. Tschaikowsky. Moderato

Finale. Andante sostenuto

MUSICIANS

Ian Wisekal, oboe

Jason Shafer, clarinet

Sonya Stith Williams, violin

Catherine Beeson, viola

Sara Fierer & Heidi Hoffman, cellos

(Shown above in alphabetical order)

Learn more about the musicians here.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Duo Sonatina by João Guilherme Ripper (1959 - )

João Guilherme Ripper is a composer, conductor, cultural manager and professor at the School of Music of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Ripper frequently collaborates with orchestras, chamber ensembles, theaters and festivals in Brazil and abroad creating new works and acting as a resident composer. Ripper is the current President of the Brazilian Academy of Music, an institution founded by renowed composer Heitor Villa-Lobos in 1945 that brings together 40 Brazilian composers, interpreters and musicologists.

"Duo Sonatina", composed in 2006, is a duet for oboe and cello in three movements (like chapters of a musical book) which is centered in the music of Brazil and Argentina. The first movement , "Allegro" (quick lively tempo) is set in a traditional classical music form which presents two contrasting themes. The second movement, "Calmo" (Calm), features a poignant melody in the fashion of a Brazilian popular tune called "cantiga" (little song). The last movement, "Rondo-Tango," is full of virtuoso passages in the style of the Argentinean bandoneon player and composer Astor Piazzolla. A typical performance lasts about 12 minutes.

Fables by Matthew Murchison (1976 - )

According to his Instagram account, Matthew Murchison is a Professor at Ithaca College, a Video Game & Media Composer, and a Human Cat Bed. Obviously leaving the best bio fact for last, nonetheless it is his composition skill that drew Sonya Stith Williams to perform and record this set of Fables for solo violin.

In its entirety, Fables is a set of 9 miniatures for solo violin. We are presenting 4 of them here which create a satisfying arc from beginning to end each with its own characteristics designed to ignite imagination in the listener.

Suite for Oboe, Clarinet & Viola by Randall Thompson (1899-1984)

Randall Thompson’s Suite for Oboe, Clarinet, and Viola, composed in 1940, is an utterly delightful Americana treat filled with hummable melodies, juicy harmonies, and jaunty rhythms. Even with its five movement structure, a typical performance lasts just under 15 minutes.

Quartet No. 2 by Anton Arensky (1861-1906)

Composed in 1894, Arensky's second string quartet is dedicated it to the memory of his friend and musical influence, composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who had died the previous year. The quartet is has an unusual instrumentation, being scored for violin, viola and two cellos rather than the standard two violins, viola, and cello. This gives the piece a richness and depth that is deeply satisfying as well as thrillingly powerful.