ALPIN HONG FRIdAy, APRIL 8 – 7:30 p.m.
Black Hills Energy is pleased to be the Lied Center’s VIP Sponsor for tonight’s concert with Alpin Hong. This presentation is supported by Mid-America Arts Alliance with generous underwriting by the National Endowment for the Arts, Kansas Arts Commission, and foundations, corporations and individuals throughout Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. This program is presented in part by the Kansas Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, which believes that a great nation deserves great art. This event is sponsored, in part, by the Lied Performance Fund. Audio description services and recorded program notes are provided through a partnership between the Lied Center and Audio-Reader Network. Please turn off or silence cellular phones and other electronic devices during performances. Food and drink are not allowed inside the hall. Performing Arts Cameras and recordinglied.ku.edu devices are strictly prohibited in the auditorium.
Alpin Hong Variations Sérieuses Op. 54.................................................................................... Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Preludes in C# Minor, G# Minor and G Minor............................................... Sergei RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943) Concert Etude No. 3 Un Sospiro................................................................................................ Franz LISZT (1811-1886) Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52......................................................................................Frederic CHOPIN (1810-1849) INTERMISSION La Vega (from Alhambra Suite No. 1)...................................................................................Isaac ALBENIZ (1860-1909) Nocturne for left hand alone....................................................................................... Alexander SCRIABIN (1872-1915) Rhapsody in Blue...........................................................................................................George GERSHWIN (1898-1937) Other selections to be announced from the stage by the performer.
Program is subject to change
Management: Little Revolution Artists | contact@littlerevolutionartists.com Booking: Gregory C. Little, New Frontier Touring | newfrontiertouring.com
alpin hong
program notes Variations Sérieuses Op. 54 Felix Mendelssohn Born Feb. 3, 1809 in Hamburg, Germany Died Nov. 4, 1847 in Leipzig, Germany Mendelssohn, much like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was regarded as a child prodigy in both performance and composition. His home was a center of the intellectual elite, and as an adolescent, a private orchestra often premiered his early works for associates of his wealthy parents. Mendelssohn’s genius for composition at an early age is demonstrated by his 12 string symphonies written between the ages of 12 and 14, his first symphony (Op. 11 in C Minor) at age 15, and the famous E-flat Major String Octet and Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream written at the ripe old age of 16. The Variations Sérieuses were written in 1841, and are one of the great masterpieces of Romantic music. The opening theme contains almost religious gravity, combining hymn-like simplicity with chorale-like four-part harmony. The following variations require extreme virtuosity in many cases, giving homage to composition styles such as Baroque counterpoint, Classical driving rhythmic passages, and purely Romantic interludes that bring to mind the music of Chopin, Liszt and Schumann that were to follow. Owing to their virtuosic nature, these variations were favorites of legendary pianists such as Ferrucio Busoni, Vladimir Horowitz and Sviatoslav Richter. Preludes in C# Minor, G# Minor and G Minor Sergei Rachmaninoff Born April 1, 1873 in Semyonovo, Russia Died March 28, 1943 in Beverly Hills, Calif. Rachmaninoff is considered one of the greatest piano virtuosos of all time, and his compositions remain among the grandest and most difficult conceptions for the instrument. His romantic melodies and expressive harmonies are among the most widely recognized in piano literature, due to being used in numerous theatrical, television and movie soundtracks. Rachmaninoff used his incredible skills as a concert performer to explore and extend the expressive and technical possibilities of the piano to its limits, and found a champion in the genius of his close friend and compatriot Vladimir Horowitz.
The first Prelude in C# Minor is perhaps the most famous solo piano work by the composer, requested so often during his lifetime that he apparently grew to hate the work. However, in most cases he would bow his head in resignation and play it. It’s grim minor tonality and tolling-bell sounds have been interpreted and used by artists as widely ranged as Blackalicious, Charles Mingus, the Marx Brothers and the character Ben from the television show, Lost. The G# Minor Prelude and G Minor Prelude are also well known miniatures, the former containing a fluttering repetition that is maintained throughout the piece along with the composer’s signature descending chromatic chords. The G Minor Prelude epitomizes Rachmaninoff’s very Russian nationalism in a march of dark majesty. This march is interrupted briefly by a lyrical middle section whose melody and counter-melody create an atmosphere of almost Arabian mysticism. Before long, the march continues with increasing gravity and tension, finishing with an ascending arpeggiated pianissimo wink. Concert Etude No. 3 Un Sospiro Franz Liszt Born Oct. 22, 1811 in Raiding, Hungary Died July 31, 1886 in Bayreuth, Germany Liszt is often credited with being the greatest pianist of all time. His rock-star status was due in part to his pyrotechnic displays of technique, but also to his reportedly scandalous affairs with noblewomen such as the Countess Marie d’Agoult. His performances, particularly in the time after 1842, were received with an adulation that can only be described as hysterical. Women fought over his handkerchiefs and gloves with a frenzy that was comparable to the hero worship modern musicians enjoy today. It is said that his performances raised audiences to an emotional level of mystical ecstasy, and his widely publicized donations to charity and humanitarian causes only added to his legend. The Concert Etude No. 3 is a clear display of his virtuosic approach to piano compositions, its melodic beauty concealing the difficulty of making two hands sound like three. It contains many passages where the hands dramatically cross over one another in order to create seemingly unbroken lines, echolied.ku.edu
Performing Arts
ing the mythical technical skill that pervades even Liszt’s simplest works. Its familiarity with modern listeners may be due to its use in several films, including the 1948 Max Ophüls film Letter from an Unknown Woman and more recently, the pilot of the television show, Kings. Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52 Frédéric François Chopin Born March 1, 1810 in Zelazowa Wola, Poland Died Oct. 17, 1849 in Paris, France Chopin is perhaps the best known of all Romantic piano composers, his innovations to traditional forms such as dances, sonatas and preludes transformed piano repertoire forever. All of his works are technically demanding, but require even more study in the areas of nuance, voicing and expressive depth. Also a musical prodigy, he would begin to give public performances and compose Polonaises at the age of 7, prompting comparisons to Mozart and Beethoven. In 1829, he heard the legendary violinist Niccolò Paganini and met the German pianist and composer Hummel, who contributed to the inspiration that made his Vienna debut a huge success. His success opened the door to Western Europe and Paris, where he fell into the company of an artistic and literary aristocracy. This led to a friendship with Franz Liszt and his mistress, the aforementioned Countess D’Agoult, through which Chopin met the infamous French author and feminist George Sand. Their tumultuous relationship gave us the most compelling descriptions of his personal life and creative processes, as well as his frail health that plagued him until his death at age 39. He left a repertoire unmatched in its creativity, passion and beauty that included his four masterwork Ballades. The Ballade No. 4, composed in Paris in 1842, is considered by many to be the most exalted, complex and sublimely beautiful of his compositions. It is distinctive from the other three Ballades because of its abundant counterpoint that is found throughout the entire work. It achieves heights and depths of emotion such that its 12 minutes seems to describe a lifetime.
La Vega (from Alhambra Suite No. 1) Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual Born May 29, 1860 in Camprodon, Spain Died May 18, 1909 in Cambo-les-Bains, Spain Albéniz was a Spanish Catalan pianist and composer best known for his folk musicbased works. A successful concert artist from the age of 9, he traveled the world in the company of his father, a customs official. In 1880, he went to Budapest with the intention to study with Franz Liszt, but found that Liszt had moved on to Weimar, Germany. In 1883, he met the teacher and composer Felipe Pedrell, who inspired Albéniz to investigate Spanish nationalist music and tradition. This association caused the composer to explore flamenco dance rhythms as well as ‘cante jondo,’ the deepest and most moving varieties of Spanish gypsy song. The exotic scales of flamenco music and the transfer of guitar idioms into piano writing also distinguished Albéniz’s music, culminating in his masterwork Iberia. With the Moorish invasion of the Iberian peninsula in 711 A.D. came Arabic cultural influences that profoundly affected Spanish music and architecture for centuries; especially that of Andalusia, the southern-most region of Spain from where Isaac Albéniz drew most of his artistic inspiration. The Alhambra itself is a spectacular palace crowning the city of Granada, one of the most well-preserved examples of Moorish architecture of the time. The intricacy of the carvings that adorn every inch of the walls, as well as the magical spaces of its many gardens, bring to mind a time when the Arabs and Syrians who settled Spain were not puritanical; indeed the palaces of the rich were wholly given to the delights of musicians, singers, poets and artists. The romance of the era and the palace itself are displayed in this work, with the echoes of the strummings of a flamenco guitar, the whisper of forbidden desires and the glory of a time long past. Nocturne for left hand alone Alexander Scriabin Born Jan. 6, 1872 in Moscow, Russia Died April 27, 1915 in Moscow, Russia Scriabin was born to an aristocratic family in Russia, which had firm roots in the Russian military. He was reportedly small, weak and sickly as a child, but precocious nonetheless—
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he was known to perform his immature plays and puppet shows for anyone, and apparently built pianos as a child and gave them away to unsuspecting house guests. He drew much of his artistic inspiration from the music of Chopin, reflected in his writings of preludes, etudes, nocturnes and mazurkas. His earlier works, such as the Nocturne, are written in a fairly conventional late-Romantic idiom, but his later pieces ventured into new, original territory occupied by composers such as Schoenberg and Copland. The latter composer simultaneously praised his thematic individuality and inspiration yet criticized Scriabin for shackling it in the old sonata form. Scriabin was well known for his interest in theosophy and metaphysics, and his association of color and sound gave rise to claims that he experienced synesthesia (a condition wherein one experiences sensation in one sense in response to stimulus in another). The two pieces for left hand alone, Op. 9 are examples of Scriabin’s early works that leaned heavily toward traditional Romantic literature. It is not well known why he composed these works; however it’s been conjectured that a teenage injury to his right shoulder might have resulted in these compositions.
before the concert, when his brother Ira read an article in the New York Tribune. He hastily strung together the ideas for the Rhapsody on a train trip to Boston, stating: “It was on the train, with its steely rhythms, its rattle-ty bang, that is so often so stimulating to a composer – I frequently hear music in the very heart of the noise... And there I suddenly heard, and even saw on paper – the complete construction of the Rhapsody, from beginning to end. No new themes came to me, but I worked on the thematic material already in my mind and tried to conceive the composition as a whole. I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America, of our vast melting pot, of our unduplicated national pep, of our blues, our metropolitan madness. By the time I reached Boston I had a definite plot of the piece, as distinguished from its actual substance.” It remains one of the most recognized pieces of American music of all time. Program notes by Alpin Hong
Rhapsody in Blue George Gershwin Born Sept. 26, 1898 in Brooklyn, N.Y. Died July 11, 1937 in Hollywood, Calif. The music of George Gershwin spanned both popular and classical genres, and his melodies will be forever intertwined with the worlds of Broadway, film, television and jazz in addition to the classical concert hall. He published his first song, When You Want ‘Em You Can’t Get ‘Em, When You’ve Got ‘Em, You Don’t Want ‘Em, at the age of 17, earning him $5. He began his career in Tin Pan Alley, recording piano rolls and ventured into vaudeville theatre. A move to Paris brought him into contact with Nadia Boulanger and Maurice Ravel, the latter actually rejecting him as a student so as to not ruin his jazz-influenced style. Perhaps his most ambitious composition was Porgy and Bess, which is now widely regarded as the most important American opera of the 20th century. Rhapsody in Blue was composed in 1924 for a concert by Paul Whiteman’s concert band in New York. He apparently found he was responsible for writing the work five weeks
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Performing Arts
ALPIN HONG Whirlwind American tours and performances across the globe have earned pianist Alpin Hong the reputation as a modern day Pied Piper. His combination of stunning technique, emotional range and rare humor continues to bring audiences young and old to their feet. The New York Times lauded his “crystalline energy…clear and persuasive ideas…and remarkable breadth of coloration” and called him “a pianistic firebrand” in a review of his standing-room only New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. Other critics have raved about his performances: “Hong’s warmth, charm and seemingly boundless energy were contagious, and he brought those qualities in abundance to his performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 37 in C Minor with the Mobile Symphony Orchestra,” praised the Mobile Press-Register. The Idaho Statesman said, “Hong cut a magnetic physical presence and charmed the audience with engaging, powerful movements that were fun to watch. Throughout the piece he and the orchestra showed a wonderful give and take.” Rooted in extensive classical training and a background in skateboarding, snowboarding, martial arts and videogames, Hong is a creative force unmatched in his youthful vivacity and boundless energy. His astonishing ability to connect to people of all ages, experiences and backgrounds distinguishes him and shapes his evolving performance style. The Ocala StarBanner has called Hong “Classical for the iPod generation.” Recent performances included his debut with the Mobile Symphony Orchestra in “Beethoven in Blue Jeans”, an “evening of casual elegance” that displayed his “warmth, charm and seemingly boundless energy;” a sold-out tour of Hawaii, and a unique collaboration with the Kettle Moraine Symphony at the Schauer Arts Center in Wisconsin that redefined the orchestral concert experience. His fundraising efforts for classical music in the Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas areas brought renewed hope to entire communities dedicated to the arts. His collaborations with world-renowned artists such as Jean Francoise Detaille and Mary Sano shattered the boundaries of classical arts presentation. Hong smashed attendance records at the City of Henderson Events plaza this summer in a triumphant performance. Hong
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appeared at the Rockport Chamber Music Festival in a sold out performance to inaugurate the new Shalin Liu Performance Center last summer. In the fall of 2010, Hong embarked on a 30 city tour of the United States performing almost exclusively at major performing arts centers. Gramophone magazine declared his self-titled first recording, Alpin Hong (works of Scarlatti, Brahms, Debussy and Stravinsky) on MSR Classics “a debut that enhances this young pianist’s reputation,” praising his “strong finger-work and keen ear for voice-leading.” The release of his second album, friendtaskmasterteacher, sold out of its first run within a matter of weeks and garnered critical acclaim. Hong’s uniquely humorous and visionary approach to arts education has resulted in artistic residencies from coast to coast. In recognition of the pianist’s gift for communicating his passion for music to audiences of all ages, The McGraw-Hill Companies honored him with the Robert Sherman Award for music education and community outreach. His tireless pursuit to find, inspire and collaborate with talents in every community results in unforgettable presentations that both expand worlds and hit close to home. Hong is a native of Michigan and made his orchestral debut with the Kalamazoo Symphony at the age of 10. He moved to Los Angeles soon after and garnered competition victories at a young age with wins at the 1989 Stravinsky Piano Competition, the 1993 SYMF Competition and the 1994 Los Angeles Spotlight Awards Competition. He was the winner of the Concert Artists Guild Competition in 2001. His teachers include Mark Richman and Emilio del Rosario. He completed his master’s degree as a student of Jerome Lowenthal at the Juilliard School.
Building opportunities at the Lied Center This is an exciting time at the Lied Center. With the newly expanded lobby space and a nearly-completed 2,400 square foot pavilion addition, the possibilities for community engagement, education and contextual activities related to the performing arts have just soared.
“The performances are just one part of what we do at the Lied Center,” said Executive Director Tim Van Leer. “Education and community involvement are also essential to the Lied Center, and essential to the performing arts.” Not only has the lobby—now named the Kemper Foyer—expanded to double its former size, the new pavilion is well on its way to be ready for the 2011-12 season. “The Kemper Foyer is such a peoplefriendly space now with so much potential. The additional area has already helped with growing the performing arts experience; we’ve held pre- and post-performance discussions and look forward to all the possibilities of the new pavilion,” Van Leer said. The new pavilion will bring unrivaled arts opportunities and experiences to Lawrence. A multipurpose space, the pavilion will become a destination for visiting and local artists to engage with the community in Lied
Center forté education and engagement programs including intimate concerts, lectures, discussions, workshops, master classes, seminars, exhibitions and a lot more. “The new pavilion will be a great resource for forté education programs,” said Director of Education Anthea Scouffas. “With the planned technological capabilities of the space, the Lied Center would be able to reach classrooms throughout the state of Kansas with master classes, lecture/demonstrations and even some performances.” The pavilion will also increase the possibilities for Friends of the Lied to enjoy the performing arts, interact with performing artists and with each other. “There’s never been a better time to be, or become a Friend of the Lied,” said Director of Development Megan Poindexter. “The new pavilion will create opportunities for special events—exclusively for Friends of the Lied—to learn more about Lied Center performing artists and gain a deeper experience of what the arts have to offer.” These exciting changes at the Lied Center are made possible by generous gifts from the Lied Foundation Trust, Christina Hixson, trustee and the William T. Kemper Foundation, Commerce Bank, trustee.
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Performing Arts
PERFORMING ARTS
UPcomIng 2011 PeRfoRmAnces
Jay Ungar & Molly Mason Family Band Grammy award-winners perform music of the civil War era and beyond
wednesday, APRIL 13 – 7:30 p.m.
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American Legacies The Del McCoury Band & The Preservation Hall Jazz Band The mosT honored Group in bluegrass meeTs a NeW orleaNs jazz naTional Treasure
Thursday, APRIL 14 – 7:30 p.m.
785-864-2787 lied.ku.edu
A fiddle ride back in time Jay Ungar and Molly Mason are combining folk classics from the Civil War era with original compositions to transport audiences back in time. This husband-and-wife duo is one of the most celebrated acts on the American acoustic scene, able to warm the heart, feed the soul and appeal to all ages. Observing the sesquicentennial of the Civil War in 2011, Ungar and Mason perform music related to military conflict and civilian life, as well as songs from the late 19th and early 20th century. “During the civil war period, (American) music really took on its own character. So it has roots in Scottish and Irish music but also a lot of influences from African and other cultures that have mixed together here in America,” said Ungar. Times have certainly changed in the last 150 years, but some things remain the same, “Back in the 1860s there were no records, no films, no DVDs, no Facebook or any of these things,” Ungar said. “People entertained themselves by playing music, singing and spending time together.” Joining the statehood on Jan. 29, 1861, the state of Kansas is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year and Executive Director Tim Van Leer saw this as an opportunity, “2011 is the 150th year of Kansas, but another important reason we scheduled this particular event in April was to recognize the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the
Civic War. The Confederates opened fire on Fort Sumter in South Carolina on April 12, 1861,” Van Leer said. Ungar is perhaps best known for his deeply moving composition, Ashokan Farewell, which was chosen as the theme song for Ken Burns’ momentous 1990 PBS documentary series, The Civil War, earning him a Grammy Award and an Emmy Award nomination. Ungar’s inspiration for Ashokan Farewell came from a music camp in the Catskill Mountains. He wanted to express the loss and longing he felt about being away from Ashokan after a summer full of music and friends. When approached by Burns about using the song as a primary component of The Civil War, Ungar initially did not see a connection between the two. “At first I thought ‘I don’t get it’, I didn’t understand why it would fit. But, when we saw that tune together with some of the visual images, it was remarkable how well it fit and how it connected,” said Ungar.
Morgan Sheedy, senior journalism student at KU spends her time interviewing for jobs, cooking and singing in her car. alpin hong
2010-11
Friends of the Lied Update This list includes individuals and businesses that have initiated or renewed their Friends of the Lied membership since the original list was published. BUSINESS FRIENDS Benefactor ($1,000+) Bigg’s Barbecue Patron ($500+) Capital City Bank Commerce Bank The Chiropractic Experience Sponsor ($250+) Orchards Drug Dr. Jim & Vickie Otten Piersol Foundation, Inc. Friend ($100+) 715 Restaurant First State Bank and Trust Hamm, Inc. Maceli’s Mariscos Petefish, Immel, Heeb and Hird, LLP
INDIVIDUAL FRIENDS Benefactor ($1,000+) Ken & Katie Armitage Keith & Karen Ely Becky & Harry Gibson Phil & Phoebe Godwin Francois Henriquez & Laura Stephenson Ken & Sheila Martinez Jeannot & Todd Seymour Linda & John T. Stewart III Kevan & Gail Vick Patron ($500+) Nancy & Ray Allen Karen & Dennis Christilles
Chris & Kaye Drahozal John & Rosemary Elmore Terrence & Polly Jones Daniel & Annie Merriam Charlotte A. Mueller Kenneth & Annette Wertzberger Sponsor ($250+) Mark & Gretchen Edwards Don Fambrough Steve & Bobbie Gish Adele & Donald Hall Larry & Susan Krische Carol & Dave Kyner Margaret Mahoney Lucy Price G.E. & Ruth Rutledge Gary R. Samuelson & Lee M. Hubbell Margery Smith Judy & Jack Wright Robert & Barbara Wunsch Contributor ($100+) Jan-Eric & Cara Anderson Lynn M. Bretz Carladyne Knox Conyers Doug & Becky Eason Cap & Kitty Gray Alice Clayton & Bob Honea Sharon Graham & Anthea Scouffas Ted & Nancy Haggart Kent & Brenda Hatesohl Kristin & Blake Hedges Russ & Jackie Hilton C. Shaffia Laue Fernando Merino & Caroline Chaboo C.M.S. & Janet Mody
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Jerry & SanDee Nossaman Jesse & Kitty Pacheco Alejandro & Claudia Padilla Chris & Amy Phalen Mary Miller Ross Mary Ann & Norman Saul Barbara & Richard Schowen Gary Schwartzkopf Fred & Lilian Six Steve & Jung Spooner Steve & Pat Sublett Tom & Helen Sullivan Frances Van Blaricum Arnold Weiss Sandra & Allen Wiechert Friends ($50+) Frank & Betty Baron Elaine & Virgil Brady Rex Buchanan Jim & Yun Butler Jerry & Kathy Clausing Willis Dr. Mark & Gretchen Edwards Cheri Esmond Diane Frankenfield Sheri & Alex Hamilton Alan & Lareeda Hickey Christine Kenney Ellen Loomith Charles & Laurie McLane-Higginson Terry & Mary Beth Miller Edward K. Morris Carol Thompson Sara Trautman-Yenenoglu Sarah Trulove & James Woelfel Lorie Vanchena Alice M. Weis
Performing Arts
A salute to our VIP Sponsors
We proudly recognize our very important partners. Not only do our VIP Sponsors offer essential financial contributions, they also provide valuable and enthusiastic promotion of Lied Center performances to their customers, employees and the community. Their commitment to the performing arts allows us to provide education activities, free school performances and high-quality events each year. We honor our VIP Sponsors throughout the season on our electronic sign and with onstage recognition at their selected performances. We hope you will also thank them when you visit their businesses. For more information regarding our sponsorship program, contact the Lied Center Director of Development, Megan Poindexter, at 785-864-2788.
Alpin Hong
Legally Blonde The Musical
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Carnival of the Animals & Peter and the Wolf
THE ELDRIDGE & THE OREAD American Legacies: The Del McCoury Band & The Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Black Violin
Fiddler on the Roof
Bayanihan Philippine National Dance Company
An Evening with Garrison Keillor
Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys
Jim Brickman 15th-Anniversary Holiday Concert
A salute to our Media Sponsors Media sponsors provide important underwriting for Lied Center performances. Their contributions give invaluable support for advertising, promotions and marketing. For information on becoming a media sponsor, please call 785-864-2794.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
sponsors
An Evening with Garrison Keillor
William Inge’s Bus Stop