NEW MUSIC AT WCU Jacob Cooper and Van Stiefel, Directors
Singularity SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022 WARE FAMILY RECITAL HALL SWOPE MUSIC BUILDING 7:00 PM
PROGRAM
The Hanged Man XII ....................................................................................... Benjamin Davan b. 2001
Haze at the Edge of the Sky.............................................................................. Malaika Paralkar b. 2001
Mourning Song .......................................................................................................... Andy Lenko b. 1993
AI Generated ..........................................................................................................Zhi Yong Tan b. 1998
Saxophone Quartet No. 1 .......................................................................................Saad Haddad b. 1992 I. Daf II. Fugha III. Nashwa
performed by Singularity Chris Sacco, soprano saxophone Cole Belt, alto saxophone Dan Kochersberger, tenor saxophone Bryan McNamara, baritone saxophone Please silence all cell phones and electronic devices.
PROGRAM NOTES The Hanged Man XII – Benjamin Davan The Hanged Man XII is one of the Major Arcana Tarot cards, which are a deck of cards that are commonly used for fortune telling. With a total of 22 of this classification of Tarot cards, these tarot represent situations everyone encounters throughout life. Tarot cards have two positions, upright and reversed, and depending on the position of the card, what it means will change. Typically, the upright and reversed positions of the card are opposite in meaning. The Hanged Man XII in the upright position depicts letting go or finding new perspectives, whereas the reversed position depicts indecision, stalling, and resistance. The Hanged Man XII Reversed can also represent being overwhelmed and needing to pause and come to terms with what your priorities are. - Benjamin Davan Haze at the Edge of the Sky – Malaika Paralkar A hazy horizon. Smog in the air. Veils of smoky air pollution drift across the sky. Haze at the Edge of the Sky refers to rising rates of air pollution. - Malaika Paralkar Mourning Song – Andy Lenko Mourning Song is an expression of grief over the passing of loved ones. Written for saxophone quartet, the piece begins by exploring the sorrow and pain of loss, followed by a middle section providing some relief with sweet memories of those passed, before returning to the sentiment of the opening section. Mourning Song was composed in honor of David DiMarino, Segei Nuissl, John Parry, and Peter Parry. May they rest in peace. - Andy Lenko Artificial Intelligence – Zhi Yong Tan Artificial intelligence (AI) has been used in so many fields today, even music. Will AI replace musicians, specifically composers one day? I believe many composers will deny it by saying AI does not have the human emotion. However, I personally feel that many human compositions today cannot be told if it was written by human or not; and music that actually generated by AI does not have many differences than music written by human. In this composition “AI Generated,” I imagine myself and the performers as AI machines by using robotic elements and patterns. That being said, AI generated music can actually sound way more complex than this. I am not sure what my purpose is. I guess since many composers are trying to prove that AI can never replace human, it might be interesting to imagine myself as a machine instead. Part of me is trying to see if anyone will believe it was written by AI, part of me is trying to prove that human does
have the unique emotion that AI can never achieve, and part of me is starting to accept that music generated by AI actually sounds like human composition. I don’t expect you (the audience) to listen to it with any specific mindset anyway. But I am thinking since AI is a trend that we cannot deny, maybe it will be good that we use it instead of against it? - Zhi Yong Tan Saxophone Quartet No. 1 – Saad Haddad This saxophone quartet deals with a large architectural structure divided into three movements entitled Daf, Fugha, and Nashwa. The work traverses many areas of traditional Middle Eastern music as they relate to pitch, ornamentation, meter, and timbre, and seeks to amalgamate those characteristics with traits typically found in Western classical music, like development, modulation, and harmony. I. Daf is named after the frame drum commonly used in traditional Middle Eastern ensembles. In a typical setting, this drum provides the meter for the rest of the ensemble to improvise within. However, in this movement, the quartet develops the rather straightforward meter that is presented in the first few moments, performing the rhythmic pulses themselves in a seemingly improvised, though thoroughly composed, manner. The subtle nuances of daf technique are showcased by using hand percussive elements on the body of the saxophone itself as a pseudo-outer ‘skin’ of the daf. II. Fugha, or ‘fugue’ in Arabic, borrows its structure from the harmonic motion of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Fugue in F-sharp minor, BWV 859, from Book 1 of The WellTempered Clavier. I have always wondered what it might have been like if Bach was born in Alexandria, rather than Eisenach, and what harmonic discoveries of sorts he might have made in pursuit of his perfect counterpoint. The movement is organized into several contrasting sections of “quasi-cadenzas” and “episodes” that directly correspond to the original fugue’s material, however told in my own personal way. III. Nashwa, or ‘trance’ in Arabic, is a fantasy on the maqamat, or Arab modes, through an aural meditation that begins with swells inspired by the resonance heard inside the oud, an Arab lute. As the movement continues, the sound profile makes its way out of the oud and into the external sounds of the qanun, an Arab zither comprised of over seventy strings and played with long plectrums. Its surface level sounds are abstractly depicted through sforzando and tremolo/flutter tonguing techniques from the quartet. The last section brings the ensemble back into the oud, eventually ending with one final swell. - Saad Haddad
ABOUT THE MUSICIANS
Photo credit: Cole Belt
Singularity is a saxophone quartet dedicated to building relationships through live performance, combining thoughtful interpretation with an honest presentation of the close friendship these four share. The quartet frequently collaborates with MERGE Art Collective, performing alongside deaf visual poet Douglas Ridloff at venues throughout New York, including the Whitney Museum, the Jewish Museum, and Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe. Singularity is currently developing a 24-hour performance and recording project with Metropolis Ensemble and composer Paula Matthusen. Singularity has been presented by Metropolis Ensemble, Nonesuch Records, and New Amsterdam Records (Brooklyn), Florida State University (Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall), Title Pending (Spectrum NYC), Music at St. Patrick (Palm Beach Gardens), Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Ethos New Music Society (SUNY Fredonia), and Roche Guest Artist Series (Mercyhurst College). The quartet has performed in opera pits with New York City Opera and The Princeton Festival, and has led educational presentations throughout the US. Singularity is a member of the Silverstein Works Pro Team. Singularity earned a Chamber Music America Ensemble Forward Grant in 2020, allowing them to develop projects with guidance from clarinetist David Krakauer. The Ensemble Forward program is made possible with generous support from the New York Community Trust.
Photo credit: Alessandro Vulcano
Saad Haddad (b. 1992) is a composer that achieves a “remarkable fusion of idioms” (New York Times), most notably in his work exploring the disparate qualities inherent in Western art music and Middle Eastern musical tradition. Recent commissions include a piano concerto for IRCAM and the Orchestre national d’Île-de-France; a clarinet concerto for Kinan Azmeh and the Princeton Symphony; two string quartets for the Lydian and Callisto Quartets; a mixed octet for the International Contemporary Ensemble; and an orchestral work for the LA Philharmonic. He is the recipient of the Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has been in residence at the Ucross Foundation, Bogliasco Foundation, and most recently as Young Concert Artists' 2019–2021 Composer-in-Residence. Saad Haddad holds degrees from Columbia, Juilliard, and the University of Southern California. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and miniature dachshund. web: saadnhaddad.com
UPCOMING WELLS SCHOOL OF MUSIC EVENTS For full event details visit wcupa.edu/music or call (610) 436-2739 Sunday, April 24, 2022, 3:00 PM Symphony Orchestra & Choirs Concert David P. Devenney & Ryan Kelly & Joseph Caminiti, directors Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall Philips Memorial Building
Sunday, April 24, 2022, 7:00 PM Student String Quartet Concert Jesus Morales, director Ware Family Recital Hall Swope Music Building
Monday, April 25, 2022, 8:00 PM Faculty Recital: Jonathan Ragonese, saxophone & Peter Paulsen, double bass Ware Family Recital Hall Swope Music Building
Tuesday, April 26, 2022, 8:15 PM Jazz Combos & Statesmen Concert Daniel Cherry, director Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall Philips Memorial Building
Wednesday, April 27, 2022, 8:15 PM Wind Symphony & Concert Band Concert M. Gregory Martin & Adam Gumble, director Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall Philips Memorial Building
Thursday, April 28, 2022, 8:15 PM Vocal Honors Recital Emily Bullock, director Ware Family Recital Hall Swope Music Building
Sunday, May 1, 2022, 3:00 PM Wind Ensemble Concert Andrew Yozviak, director Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall Philips Memorial Building
Sunday, May 1, 2022, 8:00 PM Brass Ensembles Concert Jean-Christophe Dobrzelewski, Daniel Cherry, Jonathan Fowler, Elizabeth Pfaffle, Robert Skoniczin, directors Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre Performing Arts Center
*Tickets required for this event.
Events at the Wells School of Music are often supported by individual donors and organizations. Contributions to the Wells School of Music may be made out to: WCU Foundation, 202 Carter Drive, West Chester, PA 19382 Please include “Wells School of Music Excellence Fund” in the memo line. For further information, please call (610) 436-2868 or visit wcufoundation.org A majority of performances are available to watch via live stream at Facebook.com/WellsSchoolofMusic and Vimeo.com/WSOM Mr. Robert Rust, Audio & Visual Technician Steinway & Sons Piano Technical, Tuning and Concert Preparations by Gerald P. Cousins, RPT If you do not intend to save your program, please recycle it in the baskets at the exit doors.
The Wells School of Music | West Chester University of Pennsylvania Dr. Christopher Hanning, Dean