Saturday, June 3, 2017 2:00 p.m Sarah Christianson Senior Recital DePaul Recital Hall 804 West Belden Avenue Chicago
Saturday, June 3, 2017 2:00 p.m. DePaul Recital Hall Sarah Christianson, percussion Senior Recital Christian Hughes, George Tantchev, & Sarah Weddle, vibraphone Sharon Pugh, piano PROGRAM Pius Cheung (b. 1982) Etude in D Major (2008) Zach Zubow (b. 1984) Hiking the Cascade Creek Trail (2011) Milton Babbitt (1916-2011) Homily (1987) Jan Freicher (b. 1980) KODA (2008)
Program Andres Valero-Castells (b. 1973) Impromptu Zeta (2010) Elliot Cole (b. 1984) Postludes (2012) No. IV No. VI No. VIII Christian Hughes, George Tantchev, Sarah Weddle Arr. Nathan Daughtrey (b. 1975) Absent-Minded Woman (2010) Sharon Pugh, piano Sarah Christianson is from the studios of Ian Ding, and David Herbert. This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of the degree Bachelor of Music. As a courtesy to those around you, please silence all cell phones and other electronic devices. Flash photography is not permitted. Thank you.
PROGRAM NOTES Pius Cheung (b. 1982) Etude in D Major (2008) Duration: 9 minutes In both composition and performance, Pius Cheung has been pushing the boundaries of percussion repertoire. His debut album, Goldberg Variations arr. for Solo Marimba (2006) was met with critical acclaim and is still the only album of its kind. Cheung s Etudes for Solo Marimba reflect this same passion for a musical sense of adventure. Etude in D Major was written as part of Cheung s goal to compose 24 marimba etudes in each of the 24 major and minor keys. While these pieces employ the word etude in their titles, Cheung thinks of them as short musical moments rather than technical exercises. This perspective is demonstrated through the musical instructions used in each piece. Etude in D Major conveys a variety of expressions described in words such as dance-like, singing, frantically, and even as fast as possible! Thus, rather than using etudes as a means to develop specific technical goals, the performer can use these pieces as character studies to develop a fresh musical vocabulary. Zach Zubow (b. 1984) Hiking the Cascade Creek Trail (2011) Duration: 5 minutes Zubow wrote Hiking the Cascade Creek Trail for a friend from Alaska who was an avid hiker. The Cascade Creek Trail, Zubow s inspiration for the piece, winds through Tongass National Forest and passes by a variety of landscapes including beaches, cliffs, waterfalls, and lakes. While the steady rhythms of Zubow s piece might depict an easy gait, the trail is actually quite steep with only primitive development. Zubow conveys the rigor of the hike with incessant eighth-notes, and each rhythmic hiccup denotes a change in terrain. The middle of the piece depicts a waterfall in the forest, and the opening material returns again at the end to symbolize returning back down the trail--although this time shorter, because the way back always seems faster than before! Ironically, while Zubow carefully composed his piece to accurately convey the hiking experience, neither he nor his friend have ever actually hiked the Cascade Creek Trail. Special thanks to Zach for graciously providing his piece and for staying connected throughout the learning process!
Program Notes Milton Babbitt (1916-2011) Homily Duration: 4 minutes While Homily remains unique among Babbitt s vast collection of works (Babbitt wrote only three pieces for solo percussion, and only one piece for a non-pitched percussion instrument), the piece is typical of his distinct compositional style. The title Homily, like several of Babbitt s titles, is a pun referencing an excerpt from the homilies of St. John Chrysostom: And why, is it asked, are there so many snares? That we may not fly low, but seek the things that are from above. Most significant in Babbitt s compositional style is his passion for writing music that is literally as much as possible, or in other words, notated so specifically that nothing is left to question. Homily was composed based on an all-partition array (structural serialism method) used in two of his other compositions. The result is a snare drum solo with oddly specific dynamic indications on each note and non-traditionally subdivided rhythms, all played according to Babbitt s written instructions throughout the piece. As difficult as it may be for both the performer and the listener to fully comprehend, Babbitt even admits, The snare drum piece, to me, was in many ways the hardest piece I ve ever had to write. Jan Freicher (b. 1980) KODA Duration: 8 minutes Composer, pianist and vibraphonist Jan Freicher considers himself as both a classical and jazz musician; consequently, his compositions reflect a well-versed musical vocabulary. KODA, winner of the PAS Italy Composition Competition in 2008, contains jazz/pop musical idioms while being entirely composed. Though conveying a simple, memorable melody, the piece is rich in polyphonic voicings and busy Latin-American inspired rhythms. Freicher wrote the piece on two staves as a melody and accompaniment between the hands. Typical of pop music, the primary melody recurs frequently while often conveying a new melodic or harmonic twist. Although KODA is rather complex in terms of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic material, the piece conveys both an upbeat and relaxing mood with which a multitude of listeners can connect.
Program Notes Andrés Valero-Castells (b. 1973) Impromptu Zeta (2010) Duration: 7 minutes Impromptu Zeta explores both the many timbral effects of timpani as well as the development of a simple Spanish dance rhythm. The piece opens with the zortzico rhythm--a steady dotted figure pattern in 5/8 meter. This rhythm and its manipulations are played independently in each hand, and while the performer may feel as if she is playing two unique melodies, the sonic result is a composite phrase. Throughout the piece, Valero-Castells gradually introduces new sounds created through micro-tonal adjustments, varying the beating spot around the entire instrument, and employing different playing implements. Valero-Castells unique compositional style that involves both rhythmic and timbral independence sets this work apart from most other percussion solos. Whereas most percussion music is comprised of two hands working together to create one musical line, Impromptu Zeta almost exclusively depicts two rhythmic or timbral concepts at a given time. In fact, the only instance when both hands come together in one musical line is in the piece s final minute! Elliot Cole (b. 1984) Postludes Duration: 6 minutes Postludes, an 8-piece collection for percussion quartet, utilizes a traditional percussion instrument in a way that creates original sonorities. When Cole was asked of the inspiration behind writing this collection, he simply replied I liked the sound, that s all. Rather than striking the vibraphone with mallets, the four players are required to bow the bars throughout the piece, and the only striking motions occur occasionally with the fingers. The calm, rather fragile sonorities produced by the bowing motions influenced Cole to title the piece Postludes. Because percussion ensemble literature often involves intense volume and variety of sounds, Cole intended his composition to contrast standard repertoire by introducing peaceful, quiet timbres as a sort of magical closer.
Program Notes Arr. Nathan Daughtrey (b. 1975) Absent-Minded Woman (2006) Duration: 2 minutes Absent-Minded Woman comes from a collection of xylophone solos entitled Celtic Xylophone. Daughtrey compiled this collection into two volumes, and each volume contains three different kinds of Irish tune--jig, ballad, and reel. While a ballad is a lyrical song, the jig and the reel are both types of Celtic dance differentiated by meter. Absent-Minded Woman, a reel, is in simple meter (2/2) and is thus more basic in step than the compound meter jig. Because the tune is simple in nature, Daughtrey embellishes it with flashy glissandi, rapid rhythms, and even a taste of classic xylophone rag. Notes by Sarah Christianson.
804 West Belden Avenue Chicago, IL 60614 773.325.7260 music.depaul.edu