besenarts: 2020-2021 artists & repertorybesenarts.com/besenarts-rep2020-21.pdf · alexander...

24
2020-2021 ARTISTS & REPERTORY BesenArts LLC | Robert Besen, Director 7 Delaney Place | Tenafly, NJ 07670-1607 T: 201-399-7425 | E: [email protected]

Upload: others

Post on 10-Jan-2020

8 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

2020-2021 ARTISTS & REPERTORY

BesenArts LLC | Robert Besen, Director 7 Delaney Place | Tenafly, NJ 07670-1607

T: 201-399-7425 | E: [email protected]

Page 2: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

2

Alexander String Quartet

The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens of times in

various formats. Please inquire for more details about performances of the

cycle, individual all-Beethoven programs, and other special programs.

FoghornClassics 1996, 1999, and 2002

“The performances are unfailingly fresh and musically compelling.

The interpretations are crisp and polished, full of perceptively

observed detail; alert to the smallest change of accent and nuance. …

The ASQ can take considerable credit from these superb

interpretations. Their dedication and insight have paid off as this set

is one of the very finest available. … Unquestionably one of my

‘Records of the Year.’ “

— Michael Cookson, MusicWeb International

Page 3: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

3

Alexander String Quartet

Mozart-Shostakovich-Brahms Three programs bringing the works of these composers together.

MSB-A Mozart: String Quartet No. 23 in F major, K. 590 (1790) Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 7 in F-sharp minor, Op. 108 (1960) Brahms: String Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 51, No. 1 (1873)

MSB-B Mozart: String Quartet No. 21 in D major, K. 575 (1789) Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat minor, Op. 138 (1970) Brahms: String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 51, No. 2 (1873)

MSB-C Mozart: String Quartet No. 22 in B-flat major, K. 589 (1789) Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 4 in D major, Op. 83 (1949) Brahms: String Quartet No. 3 in B-flat major, Op. 67 (1875)

World War II Commemorative Haydn: String Quartet in C major, Op. 76, No. 3 “Emperor” (1796-7) Bartók: String Quartet No. 6, Sz. 114 (1939) Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op. 68 (1944)

Alexander String Quartet Favorites FAV-A Mozart: String Quartet No. 22 in B-flat major, K. 589 (1789) Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 7 in F-sharp minor, Op. 108 (1960) Schubert: String Quartet in D minor “Death and the Maiden” (1824)

FAV-B Mozart: String Quartet No. 20 in D major, K. 499, “Hoffmeister” (1786) Ravel: String Quartet (1902-3) Beethoven: String Quartet in C major, Op. 59 No. 3 “Razumovsky” (1808)

Viola Quintet Extravaganza! (with guest violist TBA) 1. Mozart: String Quintet No. 1 in B-flat major. K. 174 (1773) 2. Mozart: String Quintet No. 6 in E-flat major, K. 614 (1791) —OR— Mozart: String Quintet No. 4 in G minor, K. 516 (1787) 3. Brahms: String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op. 111 (1890)

Collaboration with pianist Joyce Yang Continue to Page 4 for more details on this collaboration, which focuses on

programs of three works for piano and strings.

“British Invasion”: Collaboration with guitarist William Kanengiser The Alexander String Quartet and guitarist William Kanengiser are pleased

to announce an unusual collaborative program, “British Invasion,” available

beginning in 2020-2021. Continue to Page 6 for details.

Page 4: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

4

Alexander String Quartet & Joyce Yang

Joyce Yang courtesy Arts Management Group.

“Alongside her burgeoning career as a soloist and concerto

performer, the pianist Joyce Yang has also demonstrated impressive

gifts as a chamber musician. Here [FoghornClassics CD2014] she

joins the excellent Alexander String Quartet for passionate, soulful

readings of two pinnacles of the chamber repertory.”

–The New York Times

“Their approach reminds me of such conductors as Rodzinski,

Toscanini, Munch, or Gielen, a straight-ahead reading in which one

hears inner voices as if X-rayed, yet never loses the lyrical flow of the

music or its ability to surprise the listener with innumerable small

details. … If you enjoy these two works, you owe it to yourself to

Page 5: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

5

Alexander String Quartet & Joyce Yang

hear what the Alexander Quartet and Joyce Yang make of them.”

–Fanfare

“I truly hope that the collaboration between Joyce Yang and the

Alexander String Quartet will continue, as it’s a match like no

other.”

–San Francisco Classical Voice

PROGRAMS OF WORKS FOR STRINGS & PIANO The focus of this collaboration is to offer audiences a full program of works for strings and piano – rather than the more standard constellation of two string quartets and one piano quintet. (However, that program configuration, or one including a set of solo piano works and a string quartet as well as a piano quintet, is available by request.) Here is a list of works available:

Brahms: Quintet for Piano & Strings in F minor, Op. 34 (1864) * Dvořák: Quintet for Piano & Strings in A major, Op. 81 (1887) Mozart: Quartet No. 1 for Piano & Strings in G minor, K. 478 (1785) ** Mozart: Quartet No. 2 for Piano & Strings in E-flat major, K. 493 (1786) ** Alfred Schnittke: Piano Quintet (1972-6) Schumann: Quintet for Piano & Strings in E-flat major, Op. 44 (1842) * Shostakovich: Quintet for Piano & Strings in G minor, Op. 57 (1940)

NEW WORK FOR PIANO QUINTET

Samuel Adams: Quintet (2018) The Alexander String Quartet and Ms. Yang are pleased to announce the commissioning of a new work for them by a consortium including the Arizona Friends of Music, Mondavi Center, San Francisco Performances, and Soka University. The premiere took place in Tucson, Arizona, in February 2019. * FoghornClassics 2014 ** ForghornClassics 2018

Page 6: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

6

British Invasion:

William Kanengiser and the Alexander String Quartet

The Alexander String Quartet and guitarist William Kanengiser

are pleased to announce an unusual collaborative program,

“British Invasion.” The germ of this project is a work co-composed by Sting and Dušan

Bogdanović, “Prisms – Six Songs by Sting” (2013). The work reinterprets, for guitar and string quartet, the songs “Every Breath You Take,” “Message in a Bottle,” “Shape of My Heart,” “Fields of Gold,” “Roxanne,” and “Desert Rose.” This will be the U.S. Premiere of this work. The musicians decided to craft a program of quintet works, all with a British connection: Sting/Bogdanović

Prisms – Six Songs by Sting [2013] – U.S. Premiere Leo Brouwer

From Yesterday to Today: Seven Songs After the Beatles [1995] Ian Krouse

Labyrinth (on a theme by Led Zeppelin) [1995] Ian Krouse

Music in Four Sharps (on Dowland’s Frog Galliard) [2004]

Page 7: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

7

Viva Tango! Featuring Cho-Liang Lin & David Shifrin

The Project… Letters from Argentina, composed by Lalo Schifrin, was premiered in 2005 at a performance of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. The work was presented soon after by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, the La Jolla SummerFest, and Chamber Music Northwest, which joined the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in commissioning the work. This commission gave birth to the program Viva

Tango!, which pairs Schifrin’s work with music of Ástor Piazzolla.

The Artists… Cho-Liang Lin, violin ∙ David Shifrin, clarinet ∙ Héctor Del Curto, bandonéon ∙ Alex Brown, piano ∙ Pablo Aslan, double bass ∙ Satoshi Takeishi, percussion

The Music…

Ástor Piazzolla: Tangos… Michaelangelo 70 ∙ Porteño ∙ Adiós Nonino La muerte del Angel ∙ Oblivion ∙ Libertango

Lalo Schifrin: Letters from Argentina… “Like the clear sky, like the rain, like the clouds, music has always been part of the Argentinean atmosphere, ever present in the literature, in the visual arts, and in the history of the country.” –Lalo Schifrin In these eight vignettes, the composer weaves the nostalgic sounds of his childhood into a wistful musical impression. He draws from the auditory imprints of having grown up in the vibrant sonic landscape of his homeland – his father’s violin playing, the drums of

indigenous peoples, the impassioned strains of tango that emanate from forbidden cafés and radio speakers, the festive dance music that saturates the streets of entire villages and barrios, the faint strumming of the gauchos’ guitars on tranquil evenings in the pampas – and fashions an imagined reawakening of these experiences. (From the program note by Patrick Campbell Jankowski.)

Availability: March 15-23, 2021 and by inquiry.

Page 8: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

Argus Quartet

Lightness of Being Music, like life, is fundamentally ephemeral: it exists in linear time, and once the final chord echoes through the concert hall, the music is gone. Milan Kundera’s

novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being is a meditation on ephemerality, exploring the idea that each person only has one life to live, that the events in one’s life occur

only once and never again: the “lightness” of being. Centered around Beethoven’s

final string quartet (and the last major work he completed before his death) – whose famous “Muss es sein?” (“Must it be?”) motive plays a major role in Kundera’s

novel – this program spans centuries, asking questions about fate, transcendence, destiny, necessity, and lightness and weight.

LB-A Shuying Li: A Strange Story - Miss Ying-Ning (15’) * Christopher Theofanidis: Five (25’) Camila Agosto: Blemish (12’) ---OR--- A.J. McCaffrey: New Work * Beethoven: String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135 (25’)

LB-B Shuying Li: A Strange Story - Miss Ying-Ning (15’) * Beethoven: String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135 (25’) Camila Agosto: Blemish (12’) ---OR--- A.J. McCaffrey: New Work * Ravel: String Quartet (25’) ---OR--- Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel: String Quartet in E flat (25’)

Page 9: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

9

Argus Quartet

noise/SILENCE The language we use to describe sound is rich with metaphor: both noise and silence can be deafening, we speak of both “brain chatter” and a “quiet mind,” noise can be “white” or “static.” It’s been said that “silence is the sharper sword.” To humans,

noise and silence can both empower and oppress us – from the cheering of a crowd to something left unsaid by a loved one, from chirping birds to an incessant alarm. John Cage – whose 4’33’’ famously explores the power of silence – aimed in his String Quartet in Four Parts to write a work that praised silence without actually using it. He described the piece “like the opening of another door; the possibilities implied are unlimited.” This program explores the endless possibilities from silence to sound,

emptiness to saturation, a drop in the ocean to the ocean itself.

NS-A John Cage: String Quartet in Four Parts (20’) Camila Agosto: Blemish (12’) Anton Webern: Five Movements for String Quartet (12’) Katherine Balch: drip music (9’) * ---OR--- A.J. McCaffrey: New Work * Beethoven: String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135 (25’)

NS-B Anton Webern: Five Movements for String Quartet (12’) Camila Agosto: Blemish (12’) John Cage: String Quartet in Four Parts (20’) Katherine Balch: drip music (9’) * ---OR--- A.J. McCaffrey: New Work * Ravel: String Quartet (25’)

Pale Blue Dot The leaves fly over the window and utter a word as they pass To the face that leans from the darkness, intent, with two dark-filled eyes That watch for ever earnestly from behind the window glass. -- D.H. Lawrence

Whether we are reaching a mountain summit just as the sun rises or tracing rain down a windowpane, humans are in constant -- and often awestruck -- dialogue with the natural world in which we reside. Artists throughout the centuries have used this planet as their muse, from its physical landscapes to ideas of the transience of time and space. In the words of Albert Einstein, “Look deep into nature, and then you will

understand everything better.”

PBD-A Haydn: String Quartet in D major, Op. 20, No. 4 “Sunrise” (25’) John Cage: String Quartet in Four Parts (20’) Katherine Balch: drip music * (9’) Ravel: String Quartet (25’) → CONTINUE TO NEXT PAGE

Page 10: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

10

Argus Quartet

PBD-B Haydn: String Quartet in D major, Op. 20, No. 4 “Sunrise” (25’) Juri Seo: Winter-Spring * (13’) Shuying Li: A Strange Story - Miss Ying-Ning * (15’) Ravel: String Quartet (25’) Complete Season Repertoire * Argus Quartet Commissions

Camila Agosto: Blemish (12’)

* Katherine Balch: drip music (9’) Commissioned for the Argus Quartet by Concert Artists Guild, with support from the Adele and John Gray Endowment Fund.

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 16, Op. 135 (25’)

John Cage: String Quartet in Four Parts (20’)

Joseph Haydn: String Quartet “Sunrise” (25’)

* Shuying Li: A Strange Story - Miss Ying-Ning (15’) Written for the Argus Quartet. Commissioned by the Composers’ Guild of New

Jersey for the CGNJ/Argus Quartet Commissioning Competition.

Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel: String Quartet (22’)

* A.J. McCaffrey: New Work (TBD’) Commissioned by the Argus Quartet for premiere in 2020-21 season.

Maurice Ravel: String Quartet (25’)

* Juri Seo: Winter-Spring (13’) Written for the Argus Quartet. Commissioned by The Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress and dedicated to the memory of Serge and Natalie Koussevitzky.

Christopher Theofanidis: Five (25’)

Anton Webern: Five Movements for String Quartet (12’)

Page 11: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

11

Page 12: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

12

Formosa Quartet

KIND OF BLUE Dvořák: String Quartet in F major, “American” Gershwin (arr. Formosa Quartet): Summertime Debussy: String Quartet Grappelli (arr. Jasmine Lin): 4 Grappelli Jazz Tunes

Hints of blues and spirituals sound in Dvořák’s America-birthed quartet of 1893, while latent jazz seeds brew in Debussy’s watershed string quartet of the same

year, composed when his harmonic inventions were about to join the genetics of jazz. The pentatonic scale, prevalent in both composers, adds a splash of Asian to the fusion — incidentally allowing programmatic reflection of Formosa’s dual

ethnic identity. The two slow movements vocalize the bittersweet heartache of “blue”, with French-inspired Gershwin interspersing a lighter blue in between. Topping it all off is Formosa’s own arrangement of four sizzling tunes by French

jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli.

Page 13: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

13

Formosa Quartet

UNPOPPED Mozart: String Quartet in B-flat major, K. 589 Clancy Newman: Pop-Unpopped: #1 Songs from Around the World Bartók: String Quartet No. 5

This program revolves around a new work commissioned by the Formosa Quartet from Clancy Newman. Mr. Newman’s work will comprise a set of six pieces inspired by hit tunes from around the world. HIGH FIVE Haydn: String Quartet in D minor, Op. 76, No. 2, “Fifths” Formosa Quartet Set (SEE NOTE BELOW) Haydn: String Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 33 No. 2, “Joke” (Also available as a one-hour program without intermission)

This unusual program brings together two of the cleverest works of the “Father

of the String Quartet” and a “Formosa Set.” Prepare to be enthralled and

entertained! WHAT IS A FORMOSA QUARTET SET? Formosa Quartet Sets vary in length and comprise selections from the Quartet’s

exclusive collection of world, folk, jazz, and poetry arrangements. It’s

recommended that you let the Formosa decide – on the spot! – what to play. Guaranteed fun will ensue! But they are also most happy to plan out a set in advance. Quartet Set repertory includes (but grows daily!): • Jasmine Lin’s Grappelli arrangements (“Djangology,” “Star Eyes,” “Chasing

Shadows,” “In the Still of the Night,” “Shine, Bricktop,” “Minor Swing,”

“Sweet Lorraine,” and more) • Short pieces that involve speaking and playing by Dana Wilson such as “The

Night of h’s,” “Apart,” and “Shakatong” (the first two are settings of poetry of

Jasmine Lin) • “Autumn in New York,” arranged by Wei-Chieh Lin • Taiwanese folk songs • Fiddle tunes arranged by Ben Russell (including “Orange Blossom Special”

and “Cherokee Shuffle”)

Page 14: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

14

Horszowski Trio

PROGRAM 1: Censorship - Art vs. Religion and Politics There are many examples of censorship from classical music history. The Nazis

banned Jewish composers such as Mendelssohn. In the Soviet Union, the State

controlled musicians and artists; Shostakovich composed his masterworks under

this pressure. The Estonian composer Arvo Pärt did not compose for eight years

after references to Jesus Christ in one of his works offended government officials.

In the 17th century, Pope Clement XI banned opera performance, including

works by Handel. And more recently, Bright Sheng was one of many artists

stifled in China during the Cultural Revolution. We admire all of these

composers, who expressed themselves through music, and we celebrate their

prevailing legacy.

Handel: Sonata for Violin and Keyboard with basso continuo in F major Bright Sheng: Selections from “Seven Tunes Heard in China” for solo cello Mendelssohn: Trio No. 2 in C minor, Op. 66 Arvo Pärt: “Für Alina” for solo piano Shostakovich: Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67

Page 15: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

15

Horszowski Trio

PROGRAM 2 Dvořák: Trio in E minor, Op. 90 “Dumky” Mozart: Trio in C major, K. 548 Ravel: Trio

PROGRAM 3: Gentle Titan Morton Feldman: Trio (1980) (90 min)

PROGRAM 4: Heartfelt Notes Music of Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann, and Johannes Brahms, with

readings from their letters. Three alternative program:

HN-1 Brahms: Trio No. 3 in C minor, Op. 101 C. Schumann: Trio in G minor, Op. 17 R. Schumann: Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 63

HN-2 R. Schumann: Trio No. 2 in F major, Op., 80 C. Schumann: Trio in G minor, Op. 17 Brahms: Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8

HN-3 Brahms: Trio No. 2 in C major, Op. 87 C. Schumann: Trio in G minor, Op. 17 R. Schumann: Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 63

Beethoven and an American Champion The Beethoven cycle in two concerts, alongside the very last composition by an

American innovator.

BAC-1 Beethoven: Trio in G major, Op. 1, No. 2 Carter: Epigrams (No. 1-3) Beethoven: Trio in C minor, Op.1, No. 3 Carter: Epigrams (Nos. 4-6) Beethoven: Trio in E-flat major, Op. 70, No. 2

BAC-2 Beethoven: Trio in D major, Op.70, No. 1 “Ghost” Carter: Epigrams (Nos. 7-9) Beethoven: Trio in E-flat major, Op. 1, No. 1 Carter: Epigrams (No. 10-12) Beethoven: Trio in B-flat major, Op. 96 “Archduke”

COLLABORATIONS

The Horszowski Trio will continue its collaboration with Masumi Per

Rostad in 2020-2021. Inquire for more details and other possibilities.

Page 16: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

16

Polonsky-Shifrin-Wiley Trio

Following are works for piano, clarinet, and cello that can form the basis of

setting a program for the Polonsky-Shifrin-Wiley Trio. Programs may also

include works for clarinet/piano and/or cello/piano listed below. All program

combinations are subject to approval by the Trio.

Works for Clarinet, Cello & Piano Ludwig van Beethoven: Trio in B-flat major, Op. 11 (22’) Ludwig van Beethoven: Trio in E-flat major, Op. 38 (composer’s arrangement of the Septet, 35’) Johannes Brahms: Trio in A minor, Op. 114 (30’) Max Bruch: Eight Pieces, Op. 83 (36’ total; best in groups of 3 or 4) Gabriel Fauré: Trio in D minor, Op. 120 (21’) Mikhail Glinka: Trio (originally piano, clarinet, bassoon, 17’) Vincent d’Indy: Trio in B-flat major, Op. 29 (20’) Robert Muczynski: Fantasy Trio, Op. 26 (15’) Francis Poulenc: Trio (originally piano, oboe, bassoon, 18’) Paquito d’Rivera: Danzon (6’) Nino Rota: Trio (15’) Alexander Zemlinsky: Trio, Op. 3 (25’)

Page 17: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

17

Polonsky-Shifrin-Wiley Trio

Works for Clarinet & Piano Johannes Brahms: Sonata in F minor, Op. 120, No. 1 (23’) Johannes Brahms: Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 120, No. 2 (22’) Francis Poulenc: Sonata (15’) Claude Debussy: Rhapsody (9’) Works for Cello & Piano Samuel Barber: Sonata in C minor, Op. 6 (19’) Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata No. 1 in F major, Op. 5, No. 1 (24’) Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5, No. 2 (24’) Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69 (27’) Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata No. 4 in C major, Op. 102, No. 1 (16’) Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata No. 5 in D major, Op. 102, No. 2 (19’) Johannes Brahms: Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38 (26’) Johannes Brahms: Sonata No. 2 in F major, Op. 99 (29’) Frédéric Chopin: Sonata in G minor, Op. 65 (32’) César Franck: Sonata in A major (28’) Shorter pieces including the Beethoven Variations and works by Schumann

Page 18: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

18

Atlantic Brass Quintet

A typical Atlantic Brass Quintet program comprises one or two

each from various categories of works – Flashy Openers,

Baroque/Romantic works, ABQ Commissions, and Jazz/World

Music. Here are works available in the 2020-2021 season.

Flashy Openers (choose one) Jan Dismas Zelenka: Sinfonia from the Overture-Suite in F major, ZWV 188 (1723) Luciano Berio: Call (1985) G.F. Handel: Vivace from the Concerto Grosso in D major, Op. 3, No. 6 (1734) David Maslanka: Arise (1987) Baroque & Romantic (choose one or two) J.S. Bach: French Suite No. 4 in E-flat major, BWV 814 (1722) J.S. Bach: Preludes & Fugues from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II (1742) Anton Bruckner: Christus Factus Est (1884) (continued next page)

Page 19: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

19

Atlantic Brass Quintet Baroque & Romantic (continued; choose one or two) Johannes Brahms: Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen, from Chorale Preludes, Op. 122 (1896) Victor Ewald: Quintet No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 5 (1890) Victor Ewald: Quintet No. 3 in D-flat major, Op. 7 (c. 1912) Alberto Ginastera: Danzas Argentinas, Op. 2 (1937) Dmitri Shostakovich: Prelude and Fugue in A major, Op. 87 Atlantic Brass Commissions (choose one or two) Alan Ferber: Kopi Luwak (2010) Andrew Sorg: Voices in Da Fan (2014) Catherine Likhuta: Apex Predators (2015) Shane Endsley: Declamatory Ascent (2017) Steven Juliani: Coruscate (2018) Jazz/World Music (choose one or two) Balkan Brass Band Music (“Balkan Invasion”) Brad Mehldau: Airport Sadness (2000) Ben Monder: Luteous Pangolin (2000) Dave Douglas: Private Music (2001) Alan Ferber: Kopi Luwak (2010) SPECIAL SETS Many Atlantic Brass programs feature one of these special sets:

Latin American Sylvestre Revueltas: Ocho por Radio (1933) Alberto Ginastera: Danzas Argentinas, Op. 2 (1937) Enrique Crespo: Suite Americana No. 1 (1977) “Brass Voices” Byrd: Christ Rising Again (Easter Anthem, 1589) Anton Bruckner: Christus Factus Est (1884) Johannes Brahms: Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen, from Chorale Preludes, Op. 122 (1896) Andrew Sorg: Voices in Da Fan (2014)

Page 20: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

20

New Century Saxophone Quartet

New Century Mix 1 1. Bach: Contrapunctus XIX from “The Art of Fugue” 2. John Mackey: Unquiet Spirits 3. Gurdjieff/de Hartmann: Suite from “Asian Songs and Rhythms” —Intermission—

4. Thierry Escaich: Tango Virtuoso 5. Leonard Mark Lewis: New Century Settings 6. Stephen Pollock: O Northern Star 7. Jacques Press: Wedding Dance

New Century Mix 2 1. Bach: Italian Concerto, BWV 971 2. Guillermo Lago: Cuidades 3. Paul Harvey: Robert Burns Suite —Intermission—

4. Stephen Pollock: O Northern Star 5. John Mackey: Unquiet Spirits 6. Thierry Escaich: Tango Virtuoso 7. Gurdjieff/De Hartmann: Suite from “Asian Songs and Rhythms” 8. Dimitri Shostakovich: Folk Dances

Page 21: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

21

New Century Saxophone Quartet New Century Fun 1. Gershwin: Selections from Porgy & Bess 2. Bernstein: Selections from West Side Story 3. Thierry Escaich: Tango Virtuoso

—Intermission—

4. Jacques Press: Wedding Dance 5. Paul Harvey: Robert Burns Suite 6. American Trad. Fiddle Tune: Five Miles from Town 7. Dimitri Shostakovich: Folk Dances

New Century Contemporary 1. John Mackey: Unquiet Spirits 2. Barbara Kolb: Franciscan Chant * 3. John Fitz Rogers: Prodigal Child * —Intermission—

4. Michael Torke: May, June and July * 5. Ben Johnston: Night Reach * 6. Ben Johnston: O Waly, Waly Variations * 7. Leonard Mark Lewis: New Century Settings *

* New Century commissions

New Century Performs “The Art of Fugue” Standard concert or multimedia performance with animations

Inquire for details and options

A New Century Christmas The New Century Saxophone Quartet’s holiday album, “A New Century

Christmas” (Channel Classics 14698) was released to wild critical acclaim and was featured on National Public Radio’s “Weekend Edition,” leading to a Command Performance at the White House. “A New Century Christmas” is a series of delightful and moving arrangements of holiday standards by over a dozen composers from the worlds of classical, jazz, and popular music. Among the composers who joined in the fun were Lenny Pickett (leader of the Saturday Night Live Band), Ben Johnston, David Ott, Ronald Rudkin, and Lawrence Dillon. Inquire for Program Details.

“The aural equivalent of spiked eggnog.”

—Chicago Tribune

Page 22: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

22

William Kanengiser, guitar

William Kanengiser continues the launch of “The Diaspora Project”

in the 2020-2021 season.

For “The Diaspora Project,” Mr. Kanengiser has commissioned seven new compositions for classical guitar, each reflecting the individual composers’ personal perspectives on issues of musical and cultural identity.

• Sergio Assad: “The Walls” for Solo Guitar & Guitar Orchestra • Dusan Bogdanovic: “The Castle in Cloudland” – a work based on

Serbian folktales • Andrea Clearfield: A re-imagining of traditional Tibetan dramyin music • Matthew Dunne: An exploration of Central American migration to the

United States • Bryan Johanson: “The Bootlegger’s Tale” – a reflection on the

composer’s Irish-American immigrant grandfather during Prohibition • Golfam Khayam: “Lost Land” – a transfiguration of ancient Persian

music • Carlos Rafael Rivera: The composer’s take on Mayan/Guatemalan

music

Page 23: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

23

William Kanengiser, guitar Selections from these works will be integrated into a program of Spanish masterworks for solo guitar. NOTE: Mr. Assad’s work includes the participation of a local guitar orchestra. If you are interested in including this work in your program, please request further details as to preparation and rehearsal. British Invasion:

William Kanengiser and the Alexander String Quartet

The Alexander String Quartet and guitarist William Kanengiser are pleased

to announce an unusual collaborative program, “British Invasion.”

Please Turn to Page 6 for Details.

REPERTORY WITH GUITAR ORCHESTRA This work, written for Mr. Kanengiser, is for solo guitar with a guitar ensemble

of 15 or more players (and conductor).

Sergio Assad The Walls (2018) Shingo Fujii Concierto de Los Angeles (2006) REPERTORY WITH ORCHESTRA Isaac Albeniz (arr. Steven Goss) The Albeniz Concerto (2009) Malcolm Arnold Concerto, Op. 67 (1959) Dusan Bogdanovic Kaleidoscope (2004) Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 99 (1939) Ernesto Cordero Concierto Antillano (1983) Manuel Ponce Concierto del Sur (1941) Joaquin Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez (1939) Fantasia para un Gentilhombre (1954) Craig Russell Concierto Romántico (1977) Heitor Villa-Lobos Concerto (1951) Antonio Vivaldi Concerto in D major, RV 93 Concerto in C major, RV 425 Concerto in A major

Page 24: BesenArts: 2020-2021 Artists & Repertorybesenarts.com/BesenArts-rep2020-21.pdf · Alexander String Quartet The Beethoven Cycle The Alexander has performed the Beethoven cycle dozens

24

7 Delaney Place | Tenafly, NJ 07670-1607

T: 201-399-7425 | E: [email protected]