Fall 2016 Guitar Ensemble II

In our second of this semester's two Ensemble concerts, more mixed chamber music was featured, in a program startlingly wide-ranging in style and mood. Here is the run-down:

Abigail Hekel-Garcia sang beautifully a group of songs I arranged over 20 years ago--selections from our amazing heritage of vaudeville popular song. Known by most, especially of our grandparent's generation, they are charming to hear and the accompaniments are surprisingly successful on the guitar. Collin Sterne did a great job of delivering the sentimental and humorous harmonies while Abby sold them most successfully, both the weepy moments and the saucy ones, to an appreciative audience.

Next, Sophie Davis and Brian King played a brilliant rendition of the time-honored Arpeggione Sonata of Schubert. A dip into traditional grand-tradition classicism, this piece places plenty of demands on both players (the guitarist plays the piano part). This duo played with sensitivity, style and total command. The audience loved them.

Next, Aidan Wiley Lippke played with flutist Yuan Fei Chen and violist Jason Butler a set of pieces based on Bulgarian folk music. Wild and exotic, the pieces were executed with enthusiasm and understanding. After much instrumental dialoguing in 7/8, the crowd hooted and whistled its approval.

Finally, the program concluded with a virtuoso duet by Cuban composer José Lezcano for flute and guitar. Flutist Karisma Palmore joined guitarist Mohit Dubey for a second outing together (last spring they played the famous Shankar Raga). They knocked the piece down handily, demonstrating impressive interpretive nuance and ensemble sympathy. The crowd went crazy. 

Bravo to all who participated! The full program is reproduced below.