St Norbert College Music Department Presents Senior Recital Ashley Reif
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St Norbert College Music Department presents Senior Recital Ashley Reif, percussion & piano Saturday, April 24th, 2021 Dudley Birder Hall ~ Program ~ Mystic Fire..............................................................................................Julie Davis (1965-) Engine Room..................................................................................James Campbell Lyric Pieces Op. 12..............................................................................Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) I. Arietta II. Waltz III. Watchman’s Song IV. Elfin Dance V. Folk Song VI. Norwegian Melody VII. Album Leaf VIII. National Song Arabesque No. I..............................................................................Claude Debussy (1862-1918) The Ball from Children’s Games........................................................Georges Bizet (1838-1875) Sicillienne....................................................................................................J.S Bach (1685-1750) Transcribed by Gottfried Galstron (1879-1950) Romance Sans Paroles Op. 17, No 3...................................................Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) Rustles of Spring...........................................................................Christian Sinding (1856-1941) A Bright New Future..............................................................................Ashley Reif (1998- ) Composition Encore This recital by Ashley Reif is presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Music Performance Degree. Ashley is in the studio of Mrs. Elaine Moss ~Program Notes~ Mystic Fire Inducted into the WGI Hall of Fame in 2014, Julie Davila is a renowned percussionist, a performer, music educator and composer, creating fun and challenging pieces for all who perform. “Mystic Fire” came from her collection of 10 four mallet solos for the marimba, where before each piece she also provides materials and for the performer to work on in difficult spots if they so choose. Though full of technical challenges, Mystic Fire provides a beautiful and enchanting lyrical melody, allowing for areas of flare and grace. Engine Room A performer, pedagogue, and composer in the realm of percussion, James B. Campbell is known extensively throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe. Full of syncopations and odd rhythms, his multi-percussion piece provides a nice variety of various instruments to play on, allowing for the ear to really listen and explore the scene of an ‘engine room’ Arabesque No. 1 Between the years 1888-91, Claude Debussy composed “Deux Arabesques”(Two arabesques) while he was still in his twenties. This first piece of the two really show off the style of the impressionistic music, which followed the French visual art form of impressionist painting. Allowing himself to wander in this piece through various keys, Debussy is able to create beautiful scenes allowing your imagination to wander and get lost within the music. His view on his arabesque was that the musical line was curved in accordance with nature, and his music reflected shapes of nature created by artists of the time. “That was the age of the ‘wonderful arabesque' when music was subject to the laws of beauty inscribed in the movements of Nature herself.” -- Claude Debussy The Ball Jeux d'enfants ("Children's Games") is a suite composed by Georges Bizet for four hands in 1871, but by no means is this meant to be played by just children. Each piece takes you to a place of childhood, ‘The Doll’, ‘The Spinning Top’, ‘The Swing’, ‘Wooden Horses’, ‘The Ball’, and so on. This suite is considered to be a forerunner of other childhood works that would come from Debussy, Ravel and Faure. It is noted that while these pieces are short, this suite shows his true musical nature, giving a beautiful or exciting melody to each of them in turn. Sicillienne Sicillienne or Siciliano was an Italian dance that was prominent around the Baroque era. Originally written for a flute sonata with a harpsichord accompaniment, this Bach composition was transcribed in 1935 as a solo piano piece. This piece provides a beautiful(and almost haunting) melody with a flowing sixteenth note accompaniment as the base to keep it moving forward. Romance Sans Paroles Faure wrote three “Romance Sans Paroles” or ‘Romance without Words’ in 1863 while he was still a student at theÉcole Niedermeyer. They are almost considered to be a counterpart to Mendelssohn’s ‘Songs without Words’, holding an affectionate and gallic tribute to Mendelssohn’s agitation and ease. Although compared to Mendelssohn’s work, Faure’s voice and writing is completely different and able to be recognized. While in a normal three piece set the slowest piece is usually in the middle, Faure chose to switch the order, ending it with the slower movement and a fade to nothing Rustles of Spring Born on January 11 1856, Christian August Sinding grew up in Kongsberg in Buskerud, Norway where he studied music in addition to all his academic studies. Realising that music was the path for him he left Norway in 1874 to travel to Leipzig Germany, following in the footsteps of the most Famous Norwegian composer some years before him, Edvard Grieg. Sinding is known for creating short lyrical pieces and songs that many saw him as the heir to Edvard Grieg as a Norwegian composer with an international reputation. “Rustle of Spring” is one of his most famous pieces, especially here in the United States, written in Salon style during the impressionist period. A lot of this piece is played with a very rapid agitation to show the exciting yet restlessness of springtime as it begins to appear. In the beginning of the piece the melody is seen in the left hand as the right keeps even agitation and rapid series of notes. It starts very quiet to show the very beginning of spring as it blooms before it moves to the middle section and the melody switches to the right hand with more exciting and flourishing chords. This is a very showy and speedy piece which evokes nature’s explosiveness. This specific piece allows the listeners to enjoy the party while listening to enjoyable and virtuosic music. A Bright New Future Composed by Ashley Reif 2021, ‘A Bright New Future’ holds a powerful meaning for her and those who surround her. Going through many hoops and hurdles, some larger than others, Ashley wanted to compose a piece that would allow her to show how thankful she is for the support and love she has received. This goal for her senior recital would not have been attainable by herself, but it is because of everyone around her that she was able to succeed. St. Norbert College Music Department Events Spring 2021 April 27 Fresh Ink Concert, Birder Hall, 7:30 p.m.* 30 Noah Kuchta, saxophone & Marquise Weatherall, percussion Jr. Recital, Walter Theatre 4:00 p.m.* 30 String Ensemble Concert, Birder Hall, 6:00 p.m.* May 1 Bell Choir Concert, Birder Hall, 4 pm* 4 Honor’s Recital, Birder Hall, 7:30 p.m.*.