The concert is the latest of a 4-part concert series by the Stefan Wolpe Society entitled STEFAN WOLPE - FOUR PORTRAITS OF A VISIONARY. The coming concert and one to follow on May 11 will take place at 8pm, at Cary Hall of the DiMenna Center of Classical Music, 450 w. 37th st.
"The music of Matthew Greenbaum is distinguished by its depth of meaning and structural clarity, its refined and elegant voicings, its transparency and splendid aesthetic." Russki Musykal'nye Kdary
The Quest for New Language
part of STEFAN WOLPE - FOUR PORTRAITS OF A VISIONARY.
Wednesday January 7, 2015, 8pm
at Cary Hall of the DiMenna Center of Classical Music, 450 w. 37th st.
Tickets are $20, $10 seniors and students; cash/check at the door.
For more information about Wolpe and the series, www.wolpe.org
About the entire concert series, The Stefan Wolpe Society says: "The Quest for New Language exemplifies Wolpe's relentless creative search. Much like Beethoven, he never stood still, he always pushed limits. Works from all stages show his restless evolution: from the ‘20s, Stehende Musik and Six Yiddish Folksong Arrangements in a turbulent Expressionistic language -- to the Suite im Hexachord, a dramatic dialogue for oboe and clarinet (1936), written in Palestine, after his studies with Webern and where he absorbed the mix of Middle East musical cultures -- to his new home in the U.S. and a synthesis of diatonic and atonal elements in the 40’s culminating in the monumental Battle Piece, his response to the horrors of war modeled on Picasso’sGuernica -- and to Form for Piano, a signature piece of the late period, in which he developed a highly personal implementation of serialism and a global extension of the musical space. The Yiddish songs are Wolpe’s first musical connection with his Jewish identity, which was to be cultivated during his years in Palestine and later in the U.S. The highly unorthodox settings led a reviewer to describe pianist Wolpe as a “hyper-sensitive bundle of nerves” and his performance “a veritable tour de force of the accompanist’s art.” This outsize energy and intensity was to be carried forward in later piano works, especially in Battle Piece, to be played by David Holzman, whose spectacular performance of Passacaglia was a highlight of the series’ first concert. Holzman will also play a short piano piece by Wolpe’s last student Matthew Greenbaum. A special feature of the program will be a memorial tribute to the composer’s daughter, Katharina Wolpe, an acclaimed pianist who settled in London and passed away in 2013. Award-winning British film maker Jayne Parker’s two short films of Katharina performing her father’s music will be shown, and Ms. Parker will be on hand to speak about Katharina and her films, accompanied by Wolpe scholar Austin Clarkson. Artists are Re’ut Ben-Ze’ev, mezzo-soprano, a specialist in Yiddish song; ToniMarie Marchioni, oboe; Moran Katz, clarinet; David Holzman, Margaret Kampmeier, piano.
