FACULTY RECITAL Terry Klinefelter, piano Dalí String Quartet WCU Chamber Orchestra Joseph Caminiti, Director MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022 MADELEINE WING ADLER THEATRE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 8:00 PM
PROGRAM PIANO CONCERTO NO. 9 IN E♭ MAJOR, K. 271 ................................................. W. A. Mozart (1756-1791) I. Allegro II. Andantino III. Presto-Menuetto-Presto
Terry Klinefelter, piano WCU Chamber Orchestra, Joseph Caminiti-Director
PIANO QUARTET IN A MINOR .............................................................................Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) I. Satz-Nicht zu schnell
Terry Klinefelter, piano Carlos Rubio, violin Adriana Linares, viola Jésus Morales, cello
SONIC LANDSCAPES (2022) WORLD PREMIERE*................................................. Clarice Assad (b. 1978) I. Continuum II. Circular Motion III. Rodapião
Terry Klinefelter, piano Ari Isaacman-Beck, violin I Carlos Rubio, violin II Adriana Linares, viola Jésus Morales, cello
Please silence all cell phones and electronic devices. *Partial funding provided by the Benjamin Whitten Fund
PROGRAM NOTES The first two pieces on this evening’s program are important not only for their inherent musical value, but also as early manifestations of genius; these are works that stand alone as fully developed masterpieces, but that also portend the towering achievements that follow for their composers. Interestingly, both works figure prominently in film; Mozart’s Piano Concerto in Eb Major, K. 271, appears in the iconic 70’s movie, Five Easy Pieces (a nod perhaps to Stravinsky’s four-hand work), starring Jack Nicholson as a troubled drifter, who has rejected his family—a classical music dynasty living a cloistered existence on an island—to play saloon piano and work on an oil rig. When he arrives home to visit his dying father, the scenes of two-piano rehearsals of the slow movement signal the emotional turmoil of Nicholson’s character. Mahler’s Piano Quartet in a minor appears in Martin Scorcese’s 2010 film Shutter Island, in which a U.S. marshall (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is sent to investigate the disappearance of a child murderess who has escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane. The dark, brooding character of Mahler’s work perfectly complements this sinister film noir, in which there are no easy answers and nothing is as it seems. Mozart’s Piano Concerto in Eb Major, K. 271, written when the composer was only twenty-one years of age, is his first true masterwork in this genre. An avid student of the innovations of J.C. Bach in early Classical concerto form, Mozart here went far beyond the model of that master in expanding the role of the soloist, and elevating the second movement to a more substantial, and emotionally expansive, role. Inspired by a visiting French virtuoso, Mlle Jeunehomme, Mozart increased the technical demands, and also greatly developed the relationship between soloist and orchestra. The first movement features an unconventional early entrance of the pianist, as well as other surprising elements in an otherwise traditional first movement form. The second movement, in c minor, is a deeply expressive Andantino (Mozart’s most common marking for second movements). The third movement is an expanded rondo with brilliant passagework whose forward thrust is interrupted by a graceful minuet, a welcome contrast before the return of the presto tempo into the finale. Mahler’s Piano Quartet in a minor, a youthful work written when the composer was only 15 years of age and a student at the Vienna Conservatory, is a single movement piece (additional movements were planned but not completed) that exhibits an astonishing mastery of form and structure for a composer of such a young age. The Henle edition of this work references a conversation quoted in the memoirs of Mahler’s friend Natalie BauerLechner, in which the composer reminisces about his early works: “The best of them was a piano quartet that was written at the conclusion of my four years at the Conservatory and that found great favor.” Despite Mahler’s status as a piano major at the conservatory (with minors in harmony and composition), the piano part in this work is not particularly pianistic, instead reflecting a more symphonic approach. It is Mahler’s only surviving chamber work; the autograph currently resides in the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York. The final work on this evening’s concert, Sonic Landscapes is a commission born out of a long-standing friendship with the composer. I first met Clarice when I was hired to accompany her several years ago at the Deer Head Inn in Delaware Water Gap, PA. She sang in Portuguese and Spanish, and wowed the audience with virtuosic displays of mouth and body percussion. We hit it off immediately and became fast friends. I was struck by the wide range of her talents as a composer, singer and pianist and was thrilled when she agreed to write a piece for me and the Dalí String Quartet. As a result of our shared love of jazz and improvisation, she has incorporated sections of improvisation (for the pianist) into all three movements. The first movement, a propulsive allegro, features an alluring Irish jig-like theme. When I asked Clarice about it, (mentioning that I was of almost 100% Irish descent, something she hadn’t known), she said that it was a medieval Irish tune that she had stumbled upon and had no idea how it had made its way into the piece. The second movement consists of kaleidoscopic chord changes that emphasize sonority and move mostly in thirds. The third movement, Rodapião, according to the composer, depicts a “toy once popular in Latin America, especially among children of the middle and lower classes. Known in the US as a trompo (or whipping top), the game consists in throwing these wooden pear-shaped objects on the ground with a string, having it spin within a circle. As a child growing up in a Latin American country, I developed an obsession for the game, spending hours alone and with friends to improve my throwing techniques for a perfect spin. Though the game is pretty much obsolete now…rodapião is a step back in time, a sonic representation reminiscent of spins, laughter, sounds of childhood and Brazilian groovy beats.”
UPCOMING WELLS SCHOOL OF MUSIC EVENTS For full event details visit wcupa.edu/music or call (610) 436-2739 Tuesday, May 3, 2022, 7:30 PM Collegium Musicum Concert Mark Rimple, director Ware Family Recital Hall Swope Music Building
Wednesday, May 4, 2022, 8:15 PM Chamber Winds Concert Andrew Yozviak, director Philips Autograph Library Philips Memorial Building
Thursday, May 5, 2022, 11:00 AM WSoM Spring Convocation Recital Emily Bullock & Ralph Sorrentino, chairs Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre Performing Arts Center
Thursday, May 5, 2022, 5:30 PM 5th Annual Concert on the Quad featuring the WCU Symphony Orchestra Joseph Caminiti, director WCU Academic Quad (in front of Main Hall) Main Hall
Thursday, May 5, 2022, 8:15 PM Trumpet Ensemble Concert Robert Skoniczin, director Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre Performing Arts Center
Friday, May 6, 2022, 7:30 PM Criterions Jazz Ensemble Concert Jonathan Ragonese, director Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre Performing Arts Center
Saturday, May 7, 2022, 7:00 PM Kennett Symphony Children's Chorus Concert Eileen Keller, musical director Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall Philips Memorial Building
Saturday, May 21, 2022, 22nd Annual WCU International Organ Competition Anita Greenlee, director 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