Friday, June 28, 2019

Summer Chamber Music Returns to Delaware Scene

By Christine Facciolo

For more than 30 years, chamber music had enjoyed a strong and secure place in the summer arts schedule in Delaware. Aficionados of the art form could count on exciting and intelligent performances each June courtesy of the Delaware Chamber Music Festival.

That came to an ended with the demise of the festival two years ago.

The good news: Thoughtful and well-played chamber music has once again found a place on the local arts scene as Serafin Summer Music debuted at The Music School of Delaware in Wilmington on Thursday, June 20.

“Bohemian Gems” was the umbrella title for the music of Dvorak and Smetana. What’s refreshing about this festival is the diversity of its repertoire with the varied lineup of instrumental combinations, including vocal music.

Case in point: Dvorak’s Terzetto in C major for two violins and viola, Op. 74. Each of the three movements explored a myriad of musical ideas and sentiments, with an emphasis on the cheerful. The playing was excellent, especially in the unison sections, which were polished to a high gloss. The performers were Kate Ransom and Hal Grossman, violins and Luke Fleming, viola.

Grossman and pianist Amy Dorfman were well-matched for a performance of the composer’s Sonatina in G major for Violin and Piano, Op. 100. Its use of Native- and African-American themes place it squarely in the company of the more familiar “American Quartet.” 


Grossman and Dorfman listened attentively to each other as they spun out the charming musical themes. Grossman imparted a poignant — yet tasteful — expressivity to the Larghetto second movement, sometimes extracted as the “Indian Lament,” while Dorfman echoed with measured atmospherics. In perfect synchrony, the performers flexed their interpretative muscle while delivering the stylish nostalgia the composer sought to impart.

The second half of the program featured compositions by the father of Czech nationalist music, Bedrich Smetana. Ransom and Dorfman collaborated on two gentle pieces for violin and piano, From My Homeland. Written in 1880, the title suggests that these lyrical works form a sort of chamber counterpart to the composer’s great cycle of symphonic poems, Ma Vlast, but in fact reflect the peace that the composer, wracked by physical and mental illness, found in the countryside of central Bohemia.

Ransom and Dorfman offered a charming, unassuming and well-played interpretation of this work by a major composer that has not been played to death.

The inaugural concert closed with the composer’s E minor String Quarter, No. 1 (“From My Life”). A happy piece this is not. True, the early movements do offer themes that reflect the composer’s early life, his youth, the joy he found in dancing and his first love, but the tragedy of his inevitable deafness increasingly added somber tones to the score, petering out on just a single chilling note.

Ransom, Grossman and Fleming were joined by cellist Charae Krueger and this ad hoc quartet performed with all the qualities of a veteran ensemble. Both in technique and artistic temperament, these musicians, drew inspiration from one another, coalescing into an instrumental choir, with the individual voices clearly heard, yet singing as one.

Serafin Summer Music continues through the weekend with performances on Friday, June 28, Saturday, June 29 & Sunday, June 30's "Finale Fireworks" of Brahms' Sextet in Bb Major, Op. 18 for two violins, two violas & two cellos and Tchaikovsky's Souvenir de Florence for two violins, two violas, two cellos. Tickets are available at brownpapertickets.com.

Thursday, June 6, 2019

Governor's Awards for the Arts Nominations Now Open

The content of this post comes from a release from the Delaware Division of the Arts...

Governor Russell W. Peterson began the tradition of honoring Delaware artists in 1970. Since then, Delaware has paid tribute to 40 distinguished individuals and organizations that have had a profound and lasting impact on the state’s artistic and cultural life.

Delaware’s Governor’s Awards for the Arts recognize individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions and a lasting and profound impact on the artistic and cultural life of Delaware.

As part of its 30th anniversary celebration, the Delaware Division of the Arts is pleased to be facilitating the 2019 Governor’s Awards for the Arts, on behalf of Governor John C. Carney. Nominations are now being accepted for this prestigious honor in these five award categories:
Categories

Arts Administration – Individual who has shown sustained, impactful, and visionary executive leadership of an arts organization.

Arts Education – Individual or organization that has made significant contributions through leadership and creativity to advance arts education in Delaware’s schools and communities, or in community organizations.

Arts Patron – Individual, foundation or entity that, over time, has sustained and enhanced the arts in their community or the state of Delaware through contributions of their time, effort, or financial resources.

Community Engagement – Individual or organization that works to create or strengthen interactive arts participation among diverse community members while increasing the public awareness about the role of the arts in community life.

Government – An elected or appointed official whose work has resulted in significant support for the arts through local or state government action.

Timeline

Now: Nomination Guidelines and Form available

June 28, 2019: Nominations due

July 2019: Selection Panel meets

September 3, 2019: Awardees announced on website

October 28, 2019: Arts Summit & Governor’s Awards for the Arts



Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Serafin Summer Music Brings World-Class Artists to Delaware

Content of this post originates from a press release from Serafin Summer Music...

Serafin Ensemble, University of Delaware Department of Music and The Music School of Delaware, present Serafin Summer Music. The 10-day festival runs from Thursday, June 20 through Sunday, June 30.

Festival artists hail from China, the Philippines, New Zealand and from around the U.S., including New York City, Oklahoma, Ohio, Kentucky, Atlanta, Florida, Pennsylvania and right here in Delaware. 

“Bringing superb artists together to prepare and share marvelous masterworks with a community of eager listeners is a thrilling creative enterprise in every respect,” comments Kate Ransom, Festival Artistic Director.

The festival’s exceptional lineup features a range of repertoire including works by great classical composers Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms, as well as works by lesser-known composers, such as Smetana, Khachaturian and Faure. Each concert has a unique theme and ensemble configuration of up to six string, wind, piano and vocal performers.

Festival sponsors are Dr. William Stegeman, Ph.D., Jacobs Music Company, Harry’s Savoy Grill, Tonic Bar and Grille, Montrachet Fine Foods, Delaware Today, WDEL and GateHouse Media Delaware.

All performances will be held at The Music School of Delaware's Wilmington Branch, 4101 N. Washington Street in Wilmington. Season subscriptions are $135 for all eight performances; a four-pack of tickets is $70 and single tickets are $20. Purchase by visiting www.brownpapertickets.com or calling 302.762.1132 (the Music School).

Serafin Summer Music Artist Roster
  • Amos Fayette, violin
  • Hal Grossman, violin
  • Kate Ransom,violin
  • Benjamin Shute, violin
  • Lisa Vaupel, violin
  • Amadi Azikiwe, viola
  • Luke Fleming, viola
  • Mary Harris, viola
  • Charae Krueger, cello
  • Lawrence Stomberg, cello
  • Guang Wang, cello
  • Miles Brown, bass
  • Jennifer Nicole Campbell, piano
  • Amy Dorfman, piano
  • Read Gainsford, piano
  • Augustine Mercante, countertenor 
  • Eileen Grycky, flute
  • Christopher Nichols, clarinet
Serafin Summer Music Schedule
Thursday, June 20, 7:00pm - BOHEMIAN GEMS
  • Dvořák “Sonatina” in G Major, Op. 100 for violin and piano
  • Smetana “Two Pieces From My Native Land” for violin and piano
  • Dvořák “Terzetto” in C Major, Op. 74 for two violins and viola
  • Smetana String Quartet No. 1 in E Minor “From MY Life”
Friday, June 21, 7:00pm - IT’S CLASSIC!
  • Michael Haydn Duo No. 2 in D Major for violin and viola
  • Beethoven Piano Trio Op. 1, No.1
  • Schubert song set
  • Schubert “Trout” Quintet for violin, viola, cello, bass, piano
Saturday, June 22, 5:00pm - FRIENDS and MENTORS
  • Brahms Scherzo ("Sonatensatz") in C Minor for violin and piano WoO2
  • Schumann “Fairy Tales” for clarinet, viola and piano
  • Niels Gade Sonata in D Major for violin and piano
  • Dohnanyi Piano Quintet No.1 in C Minor
Sunday, June 23, 4:00pm - OUT OF BAVARIA
  • Mozart D Major Quartet for flute, violin, viola, cello
  • Reger Sonata in G Minor for solo viola
  • Schumann “Fantasy Pieces” Op. 73 for cello and piano
  • Brahms Piano Quartet in G Minor, Op. 25
Thursday, June 27, 7:00pm - FRENCH FORAY
  • Leclair Duo in E Minor for two violins
  • French Song Set
  • Faure Piano Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 15
Friday, June 28, 7:00pm - THE THREE B’s
  • Bach G Minor Sonata for solo violin
  • Beethoven String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 18, No.4
  • Brahms Piano Trio in C Major, Op. 87
Saturday, June 29, 5:00pm - RUSSIAN ROMP
  • Khachaturian Trio for clarinet, violin, piano
  • Arensky Trio in D Minor, Op. 32 for violin, cello, piano
  • Borodin Piano Quintet in C Minor
Sunday, June 30, 4:00pm - FINALE FIREWORKS
  • Brahms Sextet in Bb Major, Op. 18 for two violins, two violas, two cellos
  • Tchaikovsky “Souvenir de Florence” for two violins, two violas, two cellos