Supplement to The Aspen Times
FESTIVALFOCUS | YOUR WEEKLY CLASSICAL MUSIC GUIDE
ABDURAIMOV Continued from Festival Focus page 1
reached a point where he actually is more defined and definitive about his view on the music that he’s performing.” For his August 4 recital, Abduraimov will perform two sonatas by Scarlatti, Schumann’s Kreisleriana, and Rachmaninoff’s Variations on a Theme of Corelli. Regarding his choice of recital repertoire Abduraimov says, “In general, there is always an overarching connection in my program building. I strived to build a program that is designed to exhibit the scope of piano literature from the different eras and schools.” Santourian echoes this, explaining that “Scarlatti represents the bridge between Baroque and Classical, and then we have the Schumann, which is the height of nineteenth-century Romanticism, and the Rachmaninoff, which is the culmination of Romanticism—so we have a spread of 150 years in musical style and idiom represented in the program.” Where Santourian calls the two Scarlatti sonatas “little flourishes that are concert openers,” the Schumann and the
Rachmaninoff are “real, substantive concert pieces.” A quintessential early Romantic composer, Schumann would compose musical character studies to describe people around him. His Kreisleriana is one such work, created
“My fascination with Rachmaninoff . . . goes back to my childhood . . . . I do have a special affinity towards the man, the artist, and his music.” Pianist Behzod Abduraimov
as an homage to the character of ‘Kreisler’—the nom de plume of writer, critic, and thinker E.T.A. Hoffman, of whom Schumann was a deep admirer. Abduraimov looks forward to performing this work, admitting that “it is my very first time
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playing Schumann’s music. Perhaps I wasn’t feeling ready for it, so it’s definitely a very special occasion for me.” On the other hand, Abduraimov is no stranger to Rachmaninoff. “My fascination with Rachmaninoff and his music goes back to my childhood years. I will never forget my first encounter with his Concerto No. 2 that I performed with the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan when I was 12,” he recalls, continuing, “I do have a special affinity towards the man, the artist, and his music.” In the Corelli variations, Santourian explains that Rachmaninoff takes the recognizable “La Folia” tune “through its paces in a very virtuosic way, through different keys and different piano techniques.” He continues, “It will be extraordinarily interesting to see what Behzod does with this because Rachmaninoff had unusually large hands and therefore had a very large reach. Some of these chords are quite full and the demands are muscular.” For his part, Abduraimov looks forward to returning to the Tent and performing this work, saying, “While I have no doubt the audience will enjoy this real gem, I myself can’t stop enjoying it as a pianist for its absolute ingenuity.”
ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL AND SCHOOL BOX OFFICE: 970 925 9042 or ASPENMUSICFESTIVAL.COM
NOW – AUGUST 22: Daily, 12 pm – start of the day’s final concert
AMFS Brings Free Concerts to the Valley SHANNON ASHER
Festival Focus Writer
New this summer, the Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) is offering free one-hour concerts in community locations up and down the Roaring Fork Valley. The series, called Music on the GO, comprises 36 light-hearted musical events, performed by the talented music students of the AMFS. Concerts run July 27 to August 15 (see sidebar for dates and locations). The concerts are presented in a modified box truck that opens up to be a miniature concert venue, which allows significant flexibility in location. Says AMFS President and CEO Alan Fletcher, “Since it’s a mobile concert, they can go to places that we wouldn’t reach, to people who might have never thought of driving up to Aspen and purchasing a ticket. Now, we come to them. We come into their community and are able to do something really great.”
The Concert Truck, which converts into a fully functioning stage, will allow AMFS student musicians to perform throughout the Roaring Fork Valley.
Music on the GO concerts typically will occur at popular community gathering places from Aspen to Glenwood Springs, such as parks, libraries, and churches. Staff will mark out where the audience should set up, so that patrons may assemble appropriately. “It’s all very organized for the pandemic period,” Fletcher says. “They will be great concerts. We will have singers, strings, winds, brass, and piano, all very talented, very serious rising young musicians who are here to study at the Festival. We’re excited about it.”
BRINGING THE MUSIC TENT TO YOU! Keep an eye out for free, hour-long MUSIC ON THE GO concerts, soon making a musical appearance near you! JULY 27 | 12 PM JULY 27 | 7 PM JULY 28 | 1 PM JULY 28 | 6 PM JULY 29 | 1 PM JULY 29 | 6 PM JULY 30 | 6 PM JULY 31 | 1 PM JULY 31 | 6 PM AUG 1 | 11:30 AM AUG 1 | 6 PM AUG 3 | 12 PM AUG 3 | 7 PM AUG 4 | 1 PM AUG 4 | 6 PM AUG 5 | 1 PM AUG 5 | 6 PM AUG 6 | 6 PM AUG 7 | 1 PM AUG 7 | 6 PM AUG 8 | 1 PM AUG 8 | 6 PM AUG 10 | 1 PM AUG 10 | 7 PM AUG 11 | 1 PM AUG 11 | 6 PM AUG 12 | 1 PM AUG 12 | 6 PM AUG 13 | 6 PM AUG 14 | 1 PM AUG 14 | 6 PM AUG 15 | 1 PM AUG 15 | 6 PM
Anderson Ranch Arts Center Molly Gibson Park Koch Park, Aspen The Arts Campus at Willits Wheeler/Stallard Museum Lawn Wheeler Opera House (outside) Willits Town Center, Triangle Park Aspen Saturday Market The Gant Aspen Christ Episcopal Church Aspen Koch Park, Aspen Anderson Ranch Arts Center Molly Gibson Park Koch Park, Aspen The Arts Campus at Willits Roaring Fork School District Offices Basalt Regional Library Willits Town Center, Triangle Park Aspen Saturday Market Snowmass Base Village Snowmass Base Village Koch Park, Aspen Carbondale Branch Library Molly Gibson Park Koch Park, Aspen The Arts Campus at Willits Aspen High School (outside) Red Brick Arts Center Lawn Willits Town Center, Triangle Park Ducky Derby 2.0 at Aspen Highlands Basalt Regional Library Glenwood Springs, location TBA Koch Park, Aspen
Clark’s Market is one of the proud sponsors of the Music on the GO concerts, underwriting three at Molly Gibson (Smuggler) Park on July 27, August 3, and August 10. Owner Tom Clark is especially looking forward to this collaboration. “We are delighted to partner with the AMFS this summer,” Clark says. “We are certain our customers and community will enjoy the extraordinary classical music that is to be provided by the Aspen Music Festival. Access to the arts is always a challenge and we are proud to be a small part of making it more accessible to everyone.” The young musicians coming from around the world to study with the elite artist-faculty at the AMFS represent some of the most promising rising talent in the classical music today. With an average age of 26 this year, they are often finishing graduate programs, or just launching into their early professional careers. “These are the same musicians we are presenting on our stages at the Benedict Music Tent and Harris Concert Hall,” notes Fletcher. “They are tremendous artists and in some cases have been preparing the works they will be playing for weeks or months.” The mobile venue being used for Music on the GO is a 16-foot box truck, converted into a fully functioning mobile concert venue, complete with lights, a sound system, and a piano. Called The Concert Truck, it was created by pianists Nick Luby and Susan Zhang in 2016 and they contract to work in cities and communities all over the country. Luby came up with the concept six years ago while traveling, when he would inadvertently draw in audience members while practicing piano in local churches. Those interactions made him think about how he could bring music into public spaces—an idea he then presented to Zhang who joined him in the endeavor. “In addition to creating artistic experiences that inspire and bring joy and togetherness, our aim is to expand what classical music can be and who it is for,” Zhang says. Of their upcoming performances in the area, Zhang said, “This is an incredibly beautiful place, and we hope to share what we do with this unique community of people who call the Roaring Fork Valley home.” For more information and concert schedule updates, visit aspenmusicfestival.com/music-on-the-go.
