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Harrison Jarvis, Piano

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Harrison Jarvis, Piano presents A Degree Recital: Harrison Jarvis, piano Thursday, May 27, 2021, at 3:00 PM View the concert on: Bard Conservatory YouTube. Phrygian Gates (1978) John Adams (b. 1947) Les Adieux (in Janáček’s Manier) György Kurtág (b. 1926) Perpetuum Mobile (Objet Trouvé) György Kurtág (b. 1926) The Banshee (1925) Henry Cowell (1897-1965) Piano Phase (1967) Steve Reich (b. 1936) Program Notes Phrygian Gates by John Adams Phrygian Gates, along with its companion piece China Gates, is what John Adamas considers to be his opus 1, a breakthrough moment where the composer rebelled against the 12- tone dogma of classical music schools and forged his own path in a post-minimalist style. Titled after electronic music gates, the confluence of electronic and acoustic inspirations is evident in the music’s systematic journeying through the circle of fifths and its cool flows of patterns. At nearly 30 minutes, Phrygian Gates is the longest piece on this program, and without a traditional beginning, middle and end, it almost sounds automated, as if it’s eternally playing, and we just happened to listen in to a slice of it. Selections from Játékok, by György Kurtág: Les Adieux (In Janáček’s Manier), Perpetuum Mobile (Objet Trouvé) Unlike most classical composers, György Kurtág is a master of tiny forms. The pieces in his ongoing collection Jatekok rarely run over a couple of minutes, but each has intricate infrastructures that reveal increasing complexity the closer one looks. While much of the music in today’s program is American composers explicitly cementing an American tradition, Kurtág music belongs snuggly in the European classical lineage. Despite Jatekok’s unabashed joy for dissonance or childlike approach to keyboard techniques, one can sometimes catch glimpses of the composers that came before it, whether it’s Schumann, Beethoven or Bach. The Banshee by Henry Cowell The Banshee is the first piece written that uses the inside of the piano as an instrument. It came from composer Henry Cowell’s desire to innovate the landscape of piano technique. Despite being nearly a hundred years old, The Banshee still sounds cutting edge. I enjoyed learning it because it turned me into a beginner again, as I had, sadly, never explored extended techniques. It also gave me a newfound appreciation for the harmonic richness under the hood of the piano. Piano Phase by Steve Reich Piano Phase was one of the crown jewels from Steve Reich’s exploration of a then- novel rhythmic idea known as phasing. Reich stumbled upon the effect during his experiments with tape loops, in which two tape machines play loops simultaneously and slowly fall out of sync. The famous works from this era are Come Out and It’s Gonna Rain. Piano Phase is very similar to these tape loop pieces. It’s written for two pianos, with one pianist playing the pattern in a steady pulse and the other phasing ahead one note at a time. This was Reich’s first attempt to replicate phasing entirely with live acoustic instruments, something he would continue to iterate upon with Violin Phase, Phase Patterns, and the masterpiece Drumming. Now, over 50 years later, Piano Phase is a classic of the minimalist repertoire. Recently, a new challenge has presented itself; playing it solo. I want to extend a huge thank you to my teacher Blair McMillen for helping me attempt this. There have only been a few people in the world that have learned to phase solo, so Blair and I had to figure most of it out for ourselves. It was difficult, but I’m grateful we stuck it out. Artist Biography Pianist Harrison Jarvis experienced his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of sixteen and was subsequently named to CBC Music’s “30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30”. He has soloed with orchestras at Lincoln Center in New York City, at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and with the Etobicoke Philharmonic in Toronto. A finalist in CBC’s Piano Hero competition, he has also studied and performed at Curtis Summerfest in Philadelphia, Orford Music Festival in Quebec and Klaviersommer in Cochem, Germany. Passionate about genres of music beyond his classical foundations, Harrison has broadened his artistic horizons by creating with analog synthesizers, digital audio workstations, improvisation, singing and songwriting. Harrison holds his ARCT in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music. He is a Conservatory Merit Scholarship recipient at Bard College Conservatory in New York, where he is exiting his final year of studies pursuing both a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and a BA in Written Arts-Poetry. He has been a staff accompanist for the Bard College Conservatory Preparatory School and holds a private studio, teaching both children and adults. Acknowledgements First and foremost I want to thank my teacher Blair McMillen for his dedication and enthusiasm. It’s been a privilege to study with a teacher who is interested in journeying into unconventional territories within the classical tradition. I’m going to miss our lessons. Thank you to Mack and Connor Wright for filming and recording the performance. Thank you to my parents and family for supporting me throughout my time at Bard. And thank you to the Bard Conservatory staff and faculty. Studying here has transformed me. I’m so blessed to be a part of this community. .
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