Queens College Aaron Copland School of Music Edward Smaldone, Director mandolinists Luperce Miranda and by the most discerning Brazilian uPcOMiNG yeAR Of eveNtS Jacob do Bandolim and guitarists listeners, lay and musically trained Garôto and Dilermando Reis. alike. Except for more meticulously

Contemporary composers of arranged pieces intended for recording, cONceRt who lean more toward the jazz one will rarely see a single sheet From Bach to Brazil side often abandon the traditional of music among the players. An AABBACCA formal scheme for ever-expanding body of repertoire is Wednesday, December 18 NEW SCHOOL more compact forms amenable to committed to memory and subjected 7:30 pm • Lefrak Concert Hall improvisations upon the harmonic to evolving melodic, harmonic, QC Vocal Ensemble and Baroque Ensemble content. These composers include and rhythmic interpretations of its James John, conductor the prolifi c Hermeto Pascoal, Jovino themes, basslines (baixarias), and Featuring new Boukas choral arrangements of Santos Neto, Guinga, Hamilton de chordal accompaniments. It is this Brazilian composers Ernesto Nazareth, Sérgio Santos, Holanda to name but a few. The interpretive aspect that characterizes and Milton Nascimento informal rodas (choro jam sessions) choro’s symbiotic interactions BRAZILIAN and saraus (soirées) typify the among the musicians. This strong bohemian atmosphere in which sense of tradition through repertoire Thank you for attending today’s performance. daring instrumental virtuosity mastery combined with seasoned A contribution to the Aaron Copland School of Music and keen group interactions are license taken in interpretation has Scholarship fund would be graciously welcomed. CHORO ENSEMBLE Celebrating Year of Brazil & Ernesto Nazareth’s 150th Birthday demonstrated. With the exception permitted choro to fl ourish despite Donations may be mailed to the School of Music in care of of a few standout artists, most its continued marginalization by Queens College/CUNY, choro musicians maintain separate more commercialized Brazilian 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Queens, NY 11367-1597. professional careers, maintaining an musical forms. uncompromising artistic integrity Today in Brazil there are in the mastery of this repertoire. In schools, workshops, clubs, and broader terms, choro is a way of life. archival/cultural institutions The stylistic parallels between dedicated to the preservation of choro, turn-of-century ragtime, choro’s legendary composers and and early jazz are striking. Like their repertoire. These include most jazz, choro’s instrumentation Instituto Jacob do Bandolim and features small groups of string, Instituto Moreira-Salles, both wind, and percussion instruments, located in . and a repertoire that is revered Notes by Richard Boukas

Richard Boukas would like to express his deep appreciation to Aaron Copland School of Music Director Edward Smaldone for inviting his extensive participation in Queens College’s Year of Brazil. Special thanks also to Jane Cho for her artistic coordination, the Offi ce of Communications for its editorial and creative design input, and Justin Tricarico and Rick Krahn for their technical assistance. For more information about the Choro Ensemble and Brazilian music in general, email Richard Boukas at [email protected] or visit: http://boukas.com/special-projects-and-ensembles wedNeSdAy, NOveMBeR 20, 2013 6:30 pm • Music Building, Recital Hall 264 Celebrating Year of Brazil and PROGRAM Program Notes Ernesto Nazareth’s 150th Birthday

Ainda me Recordo Remexendo New School Brazilian (I still remember) where Brazil’s aristocratic salons (flirting) Choro Ensemble –choro– –choro– featured popular European trio Pixinguinha (1897–1973) Radamés Gnattali (1906–1988) The New School Brazilian Choro dance forms such as polka, minuet, Ensemble was founded in 2008 by valsa, quadrille, and schottische. Batuque Assanhado (sassy, witty) Richard Boukas, faculty member Incorporating Classical and –baião– –tango caraterístico– of the New School for Jazz and Romantic melodic and harmonic Apanhei-te, Cavaquinho Jacob do Bandolim (1918–1969) (I’ve caught you, cavaquinho) Contemporary Music (NSJCM) influences, these forms gradually –polca– Nó na Garganta since 1995 and a recipient of the synthesized with the socially (lump in the throat) Carioca Distinguished University Teaching “provocative” Afro-Brazilian dances –tango– –choro– Award. The ensemble achieves a lundu, batuque, maxixe, and corta Ernesto Nazareth (1863–1934) Guinga (b. 1950) professional level and interactive jaca. Their syncopated melodic and Salve Copinha dynamic akin to contemporary rhythmic characteristics ushered Jubileu (Jubilee) (hail, Copinha) chamber music. With over fifty in a new Brazilian nationalism –dobrado– –choro– arrangements and authoritative vanguarded by composers, Santinha Hermeto Pascoal (b. 1936) –schottische– transcriptions by Boukas, their including virtuoso flutist Joaquim Os Boêmios (the Bohemians) repertoire presents a 125-year Callado, pianists Ernesto Nazareth, –maxixe– Choro Moreno lineage of keynote composers Chiquinha Gonzaga (the first Anacleto de Medeiros (1866–1907) (dark choro) New School Brazilian Choro Ensemble –choro lento– and representative pieces from significant Brazilian woman Richard Boukas, director Mané Silveira (b. 1960) Brazil’s unique genre of popular composer), and later Anacleto de instrumental music. To date, it is Medeiros, famous for his bombeiro Lamentos do Morro flute (laments from the hills) Um Choro Feliz likely the only dedicated Brazilian (firehouse) repertoire. Most of these Jill Ryan –-choro– (a happy choro) Choro ensemble in North America pieces are in the form AABBACCA, Garôto (Anibal Augusto Sardinha) –choro-baião– under the aegis of a university music a modified rondo form. (1915–1955) Mário Laginha (b. 1960) soprano saxophone program. As one of the guitarists The origin of the term choro has Yehonatan Cohen in the group, it is from the player’s been attributed to two main sources. D Major Prelude Revisited woodwinds –segue– perspective (rather than that of a Most commonly, it is derived from Jasper Dutz Bach (arr. Boukas) teacher) that vital aspects of choro the Portuguese verb chorar, “to performance practice are imparted cry”—connoting the expressive, 6-string guitar, cavaquinho by Boukas. highly ornamented quality of the Tom McCaffrey Aside from its regular concerts melodic phrasing. The second origin at NSJCM and this special concert dates to a special genre of festive 6-string guitar, cavaquinho as part of Queens College’s Year of Afro-Brazilian songs called xolo. Richard Boukas Brazil, the ensemble has performed Long before accruing its own vast 7-string guitar, cavaquinho at Dizzy’s Club-Coca Cola and the repertoire, choro in its formative William Ruegger Union Club. years was considered more a manner of interpreting existing European- 5-string electric bass based pieces. After the seminal About Choro Enrique Mancia-Prieto Nationalist period, subsequent

Choro’s roots trace back generations were championed by drums, percussion Please remember to turn off all pagers and cellular phones Zan Tetickovic approximately 150 years to the the great saxophonist Pixinguinha, prior to the start of the performance. Thank you for your cooperation. fertile environs of Rio de Janeiro, pianist Radamés Gnattali,