Chapman University Chapman University Digital Commons Printed Performance Programs (PDF Format) Music Performances 4-21-2013 Guest Artists in Recital Nicholas Isherwood Mark Robson Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/music_programs Recommended Citation Isherwood, Nicholas and Robson, Mark, "Guest Artists in Recital" (2013). Printed Performance Programs (PDF Format). Paper 1471. http://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/music_programs/1471 This Guest Recital is brought to you for free and open access by the Music Performances at Chapman University Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Printed Performance Programs (PDF Format) by an authorized administrator of Chapman University Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Guest Artists in Recital Nicholas Isherwood, bass baritone & Mark Robson, piano April 21, 2013 spring 2013 ••CHAPMAN -- UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF PERFORMING ARTS SPRING 2013 CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY february April 4-6, 11-13 February 1 Stage Door Hall-Musco by George S. Kaufman & Edna Ferber University Singers Post-Tour Dirncted by Nina LeNoir Concert Conservatory of Music April 19-21 Stephen Coker, Conductor Opera Chapman presents February 7 presents a The Merry Widow by Franz Lehar President's Piano Series Peter Atherton, Artistic Director Grace Fong & Louise Thomas, duo piano concert Carol Neblett, Associate Director February 14-16, 21-23 April 24-27 Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare Student Produced One Acts Directed by Thomas Bradac march may Guest Artist Recital May 8-11 March 7 Spring Dance Concert President's Piano Series Directed by Jennifer Backhaus Sergei Babayan May 11 March 8 Sholund Scholarship Concert Chapman Chamber Orchestra & Daniel Alfred Wachs, Conductor University Singers Nicholas Isherwood, bass-baritone Daniel Alfred Wachs, Music Director and Conductor Stephen Coker, Conductor March 14-16 Concert lntime Directed by Alicia Guy april Mark Robson, piano April 4 President's Piano Series John Perry C HA p MAN For more information about our events, please visit our website at April 21, 2013 • 8:00 P.M. u N I v E R s I T Y http://www.chapman.edu/copa orcall 714-997-6519 Salmon Recital Hall COLLEGE OF PERFORMING ARTS or email [email protected] Program Artists No Sun J\fodest Mussorgsky Nicholas Isherwood has sung in the world's leading festivals (Salzburg, Aix, Within four walls (1839-1881) Festival d'Automne, Avignon, Almeida, Biennale di Venezia, Holland Festival, You have not recognized me Munich Biennale, Wien Modern, Handel Festivals in Gottingen and Halle, The noisy festival day is ended Tanglewood, Ravinia, etc.) and opera houses (Royal Opera House, Berlin, Boredom Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Amsterdam, Lyon, Chatelet, Theatre des Champs Elegy Elysees, Rome, Torino, Genova, La Fenice, La Sc;ala, etc.), working with By the River conductors such as Joel Cohen, William Christie, Peter Eotvos, Gabriele Ferro, Nicholas McGegan, Paul McCreesh, Zubin Mehta, Kent Nagano, Mandoline Claude Debussy /Paul Verlaine Helmuth Rilling, David Robertson, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky and Arturo C'est l'extase (1862-1918) Tamayo. Isherwood has worked closely with composers such as Sylvano Le son du cor Bussotti, Elliott Carter, George Crumb. Hans Werner Henze, Mauricio Kagel, En sourdine Gyorgy Kurtag, Steve Lacy, Olivier Messiaen, Giacinto Scelsi and Iannis Chevaux de bois Xenakis. Maple Leaves Charles Ives Mark Robson has been hailed by the Los Angeles Times as a pianist with Evening (1874-1954) "one of the great techniques," "an inquiring mind" and a performer capable Afterglow of evoking an "exquisite engulfing pastel haze," and he continues to impress Thoreau with his multi-faceted career as a soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. Mr. The Indians Robson is equally comfortable in styles ranging from early music played on Like a Sick Eagle the harpsichord and organ to the great Romantic repertoire and beyond to A Farewell to Land contemporary piano works demanding theatrical participation from the performer. As a collaborative artist with singers and instrumentalists, he Uroarmana [Moon of Fate] (2012), world premiere Jeffrey Holmes commands the respect of his peers in both the recital and chamber settings. (b. 1971) He presents an annual recital for the LA series Piano Spheres and has performed for Jacaranda on numerous occasions. As an organist, he has also appeared as a soloist in the Minimalist Jukebox at Disney Hall and has performed on the organ in Mahler's 8th Symphony at the Hollywood Bowl in their 2008 season. Program Notes Program Notes Nicholas Isherwood and Mark Robson lived down the hall from each other in French House at Alas, those are only ghosts! As if again breathing in the poison Oberlin. This is the first time they have performed together. I am bored with this dead crowd, Of spring's amorous dreams, And the noise of their old chatter I resurrect in my soul the stream Claude Debussy had the score for Mussorgsky's U/ithout Stt11 on his piano. His piece Nuages for Already has no power over me. Of hopes, surges, illusions ... orchestra, later transcribed for two pianos, includes a quote from No Sun. Jeffrey Holmes is a Wag- nerian, like Debussy. Charles Ives was one of the most innovative composers of the history of And bravely I gave to her alone Only one shadow, the only one of all, American music. Holmes carries this spirit forwards. All my soul in a silent tear, Appeared to me, breathing with love, and, Unseen by no one, full of happiness, Like a true friend of the past days, Evening and approaching night, often as a metaphor for death, the night and the moon are themes In a tear I saved for so long! Bent down by the bedstead. throughout the concert. It is the protagonist of J?y the Rivet~ the last and most famous song in No Sun, transcribed and often performed by Horowitz. The Watteau "commedia dell'arte" characters 4) in Debussy's lvfandolin "whirl around in the ecstasy of a pink and grey moon." The night is present Be bored. You were created for boredom. Be bored. Be bored listening to words of love, throughout the Ives group, especially in his greatest song, A Fareivell to Land, in which "Yon sun Without burning feelings there is no joy, In1mersed in the stillness of your empty heart, that sets upon the sea, We follow in his flight." The text closely resembles those in No Stm. Jeffrey As there is no reunion without separation, Responding with a fake greeting Holmes piece has the moon in its title. The winter and ravens as harbingers of death clearly illus- As without struggle there are no victories. To the truth of an innocent dream. trate the night as endless darkness. Be bored. From birth to the grave Enjoy the night of this austere program, \vith its glimmer of hope in the music of Debussy, as the Your path is written beforehand: moon nses ... Drop by drop you'll waste your powers, -Nicholas Isherwood Then you'll die, and God be with you ... And God be with you! 5) The irrepressible whisper of life's banality, In the mist the night is in slumber. Silent star And the grim ringing of death!.. Flickering, lonely, through the veil of clouds. Modest Mussorgsky, No Sun A rising star, as if full of shyness, Sorrowfully ringing their bells in the distance, Is hiding her bright face in a joyless mist, 1) 2) Herds of grazing horses. Like my future, mute and impenetrable. A tiny room, quiet and pleasant, You have not recognized me in the crowd, As night clouds my changing thoughts An impenetrable darkness, irresponsive darkness; Your glance did not say anything. Fly above me, disturbed and gloomy; A deep thought, a sorrowful song; But I felt wonder and fright There are gleams of hopes in them, A treasured hope in the beating heart; When I caught it: which were once dear, Which are long lost, long dead. Speedy flight of moment after moment; It was only a moment; There are regrets in them ... and tears. A petrified glance at a far-away happiness; But believe me, within it I re-lived again Thoughts rush along endlessly; Plenty of doubt, plenty of endurance. All the delights of past love, At times, transformed into features of a loved face, Here it is, my night, night of solitude. All the bitterness of oblivion and tears! They call for me, awakening in my soul former dreams again, 3) At times, rnerged into black darkness, full of silent threat, Over is the idle and clamorous day; But sleep escapes from my eyes. Frighten my timid mind with the future's struggle, Human life has fallen silent and a-slumber. And by the rays of the next dawn And I hear in the distance life's discordant noise, Everything is quiet. The shadow of the May night My imagination is leafing through Laughter of the soulless crowd, the muttering of Embraces the sleeping capital. The pages of the lost years. treacherous feuding, Program Notes Program Notes 6) Pensive moon crescent, far-away stars The Sound of the Horn Admiring the waters from a blue sky. The horn sounds its distress call over by the woods To enhance this drowsy lament I look in silence at the deep waters; With a cry of grief like that of an orphan The snow is falling as long shreds of linen My heart senses magical secrets in them. And comes to die at the foot of the hill Across the blood-red sunset, They splash mysteriously, tender-caressing waves; Where the roaming north wind wails in brief outbursts. There is much mystical power in their muttering. And the air has the air of an autumn sigh, I hear boundless thoughts and passions ..