Innova 607
Through an Open Window
Lucy Wenger, Piano
Paul Schoenfield
Six Improvisations on Hassidic Melodies
1. Ufaratsta
2. Achat
Sha’alti
3. Vah’hi
Vishurun Melech
4. Kozatske
5. Nigun
6. Rikud
Janice Giteck
Tara’s Love will Melt the Sword
7. Light
Suspended
8. Tear
“drops”
9. Rocking,
Blue Interior
10. Affectionately
Outward
Bill Rea
A Dissimulation of Birds
11. A
Host of Sparrows
12. A
Chattering of Choughs
13. An
Ostentation of Peacocks
14. A
Watch of Nightingales
15. A
Party of Jays
16. An
Exalting of Larks
Alan Hovhaness
Sonata: Fred the Cat
17. Give
a Cat a Twig and He Takes
a Tree
18. Purr
Dance
19. Fred
the Cat and Distant Mountains
20. Fred
the Cat Flies to Heaven
Bill Rea
Variations on an Irish Song
(Down by the Salley Gardens)
21. Theme
22. Variation
1
23. Variation
2
24. Variation
3
25. Variation
4
26. Variation
5
27. Variation
6
28. Variation
7
29. Variation
8
30. Variation
9
31. Variation
10
32. Variation
11
33. Variation
12
Lucy Wenger, Piano
PAUL SCHOENFIELD
Six Improvisations on Hassidic Melodies
I. Ufaratsta
(And you shall spread forth to the west and to the east, to
the north and to the south. Genesis 27:14)
II. Achat Sha’alti
(One thing I ask from the Lord, one thing I desire-that I may
dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the
pleasantness of the Lord and to meditate in His Temple. Psalm 27:4.)
III.Vay’hi Vishurun Melech
(And He was King in Jeshurun. Deuteronomy 33:5)
IV. Kozatske - Cossack Dance
V. Nigun - melody
VI. Rikud - dance
Paul Schoenfield was introduced to Hassidic music in 1985
after having been given a book of Hassidic melodies and asked to provide dinner
music for a synagogue banquet. According to the composer, “The tunes
— some ecstatic, others reflective — enchanted me, and becoming
absorbed by them eventually led to the composition of a piano suite, Six
Improvisations on Hassidic Melodies. Although three of the movements are based
on Biblical texts, much Hassidic song is wordless, employing only vocalized
syllables. This is because, according to the Hassidic Rebbes, melody was of
primary significance. It was the melody that brought one to the heights of
ecstasy and true religious fervor.
There is a philosophy behind Hassidic music quite distinct
from traditional Western or synagogue music. Hassidism regarded the expression
of exuberant joy and union with God as primary religious duties. The intangible
facets of music were recognized as higher worlds, and one finds expressions
such as “Song is the soul of the universe,” “Impurity knows
no song, because it knows no joy,” and “Music originates from the
prophetic spirit with the power to elevate one to prophetic inspiration.”
Not surprisingly, in modern times the significance of these melodies is such
that they are becoming a form of religious exercise, even when not joined to
the set occasions of religious service or joyous gatherings.
Paul Schoenfield, a man whose music is widely performed and
continues to draw an ever-expanding group of devoted fans, is among those
all-too-rare composers whose work combines exuberance and seriousness,
familiarity and originality, lightness and depth. His work is inspired by the
whole range of musical experience — popular styles both American and
foreign, vernacular and folk traditions, and the 'normal' historical traditions
of cultivated music making, often treated with sly twists. Like certain other
20th-21st century composers, he looks for his inspiration in the national
spirit, which in his case he describes specifically as that of the Jewish
American. The spirit is, however, multifaceted: like Charles Ives, he enjoys
the mixing of ideas that grew up in entirely different worlds, making them
converse, so to speak, and delighting in the surprises that their interaction
evokes. Above all, he has achieved the rare fusion of an extremely complex and
rigorous compositional mind with an instinct for accessibility and a reveling
in sound that sometimes borders on the manic.
A native of Detroit born in 1947, Paul Schoenfield began
musical training at the age of six, eventually studying piano with Julius
Chajes, Ozan Marsh, and Rudolf Serkin. He holds a degree from Carnegie-Mellon
University, as well as a Doctor of Music Arts degree from the University of Arizona.
A man of broad interests, he is also an avid student of mathematics and Talmud.
He held his first teaching post in Toledo, Ohio, lived on a kibbutz in Israel,
was a free-lance composer and pianist in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, and
ultimately moved to Cleveland and then to Israel. He and his family currently
have homes in Israel and the United States.
Mr. Schoenfield has received commissions and grants from the
NEA, Chamber Music America, the Rockefeller Fund, the Minnesota Commissioning
Club, American Composers Forum, Soli Deo Gloria of Chicago, the Juilliard
School, the Cleveland Orchestra, and many other organizations. Although he now
rarely performs, he was formerly an active pianist, touring the United States,
Europe, and South America as a soloist and with groups including Music from
Marlboro. Among his recordings are the complete violin and piano works of
Bartok with Sergiu Luca. His compositions can be heard on the Angel, Decca,
Innova, Vanguard, EMI, Koch, BMG, and the New World labels.
— Joel Sachs
JANICE GITECK
Tara's Love Will Melt the Sword
The piece is dedicated to and addresses two female
manifestations of Buddha, in particular the Blue Tara-healing Buddha and White
Tara-compassionate Buddha.
What a mess we are in, in the world now. I believe that possibly the only way out
of all this primitive violence is to fully surrender to the place of the
heart/mind which "draws us closer to the face we long to love." (Isa
Upanishad). This place in the
human psyche is universally available and known to all on some level of
personal, incarnate, experience. We are all responsible to find this place
within us, as there is no external fix-it, God, no magical way out of the
acceleration toward human annihilation.
I think of each of the four movements of the piece as
purposefully modest and intimate meditations:
1) Light
suspended: gamelan style,
bitter-sweet, static, modality, available light, but in suspension, potential
state. A view of the possible beauty, serenity, but we're not quite there.
2) Tear "drops": as in the Baroque Doctrine of Affects, a repeated musical
gesture of tears, weeping, softening response to grief, broken-heartedness,
hoping for a humanizing result.
"Drops", in the Buddhist sense of potency. This is in the
spirit of my initial idea for the piece, hence, I had first wanted to call the
overall piece "Tinctures", but this seemed too obscure (as if the
present title isn't!!)
3) Rocking, blue interior: I was thinking about the mandala experience of walking the
interior of a Buddhist palace, ie. one of Blue Tara. This allusion is my fantasy of practicing the tradition of
utilizing a mandala in this way.
There is a rich, quiet, passion to this movement. It hovers close to the bone, near
hopelessness, no pretense of how difficult it is to turn this madness
around. The piece nudges on the human
spirit, unrelenting in its rocking meters and minor modality.
4) Affectionately outward: the most tonal (bitonal, polytonal, in any case there's
modulation!), far reaching, nearly a promenade in spirit! Almost jaunty and frenchy at times. This one is a release from the
introversion of the other movements.
Although this music is the most recently composed, I know the least
about it consciously. But I think
it will balance the first one pretty well. Where the first used a huge range on the piano with lots of
open octave doublings as the harmonic palette, this one uses its large range with
kind of matter-of-fact pianisms.
Janice Giteck (b. 1946, New York) is the composer of Emiko
Omori's feature film-memoir Rabbit in the Moon which received both national Emmy and Sundance awards in
1999; Tikkun-Mending (2000), for tenor and orchestra; and Navigating the Light,
a collaboration with Seattle poet Judith Roche (2001) based on the lives of
inmates at Echo Glen Children's Center (Washington State Correctional Center).
Other concert-music commissions include the San Francisco Symphony, Bang on a
Can Festival in New York, Thamyris of Atlanta, and Relache of Philadelphia and
currently the Seattle Chamber Players.
She has scored three award-winning films by Pat Ferrero and is recorded
on CD for Mode, New Albion, Periplum, as well as PBS, Wabi Sabi, Hearts and
Hands, Persistent Visions films.
Works have been performed and broadcast throughout the US, Canada,
Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and India and she has received funding
from Meet The Composer, NEA, NEH, Seattle Arts Commission, California Arts
Council, Lila Wallace, Djerassi and Gerbode Foundations, the French
government. Janice Giteck is
included in New Grove Dictionary of Music, American Music in the 20th Century
among others and holds BA, MA in Composition from Mills College and an MA in
Psychology from Antioch University. She attended the Paris Conservatory and
primary teachers include Darius Milhaud, Olivier Messiaen and Rebecca
Weinstock. "Much of her music just hangs in the air... it is touched by
light... it glows transparently."
(Seattle Weekly). Janice Giteck's Om Shanti is a deeply spiritual work." (MS. Magazine).
BILL REA
A Dissimulation of Birds
The wellspring of musical inspiration sprung from birdlore
is well represented in the musical realm. From Daquin’s The Cuckoo to
Messiaen’s monumental Catalog of the Birds, to the second movement of
Bartok’s third piano concerto, the image of birds and often the
“bird calls” themselves have served as the musical material for
many composers’ palettes.
This fascination is certainly justified. On a direct level, birds are,
by nature, perhaps the world’s most musical creatures, with songs both
unique and richly diverse. This has led many a composer to transcribe to paper,
as accurately as possible, these bird songs, and to present them, in
conjunction with his imagination and sense of order, as a musical offering.
I set about writing these pieces for piano based not upon
the musical sounds of the birds themselves, but rather on the names bestowed
upon them found in the Book of Saint Albans and the Egerton Manuscript. These
ancient “hunting” terms, coined by the gentry, express a colorful
and poetic sensibility of the habits, characteristics, and
“personalities” of the birds. Although other animal groups are
represented in these ancient texts, it was the bird groupings that caught my
eye (and ear) with their anthropomorphic magic.
A Few Observations:
A Host of Sparrows
Sweeping across the winter dusk, arcing majestically into
the setting sun. Snow drops silently from a fir branch. The sparrows sweep,
like a palindrome, back across the frozen sky.
A Chattering of Choughs
A twittering and nervous conversation, seemingly erratic to
everyone but them.
An Ostentation of Peacocks
The peacocks, clothed in their finery, strut about in pompous
display. This showy spectacle begins to disintegrate and fall apart. It ends,
as vanity often does, in a grotesque caricature of itself.
A Watch of Nightingales
A distant bell tolls the onset of darkness. The vigilant
nightingales watch and protect throughout the night until the first light of
dawn.
A Party of Jays
The foolhardy and mischievous jays band together. Snippets
of song cascade into one another as the revelers sing and dance throughout the
night.
An Exalting of Larks
An image seen from afar, silent, as if in slow motion.
— Bill Rea
The music of Bill Rea has been described both as
“purposely crafted iconoclasm” and “spontaneous
eclecticism”. He has composed chamber works, compositions for piano,
harpsichord, voice, percussion, electric bass guitar, orchestra, and works for
dance.
Born in Alabama in 1951 he developed, at an early age and
without the aid of a teacher, the ability to read standard music notation and
acquired an understanding of harmony.
In his twenties, while performing throughout the United States and
Europe with guitarist Glenn Phillips, he studied the theory and counterpoint
methods of Palestrina, Walter Piston, and Paul Hindemith. Primarily self-taught as a composer,
his only “formal” study was from 1991 to 1997 with Hannetta Clark,
former assistant to Arnold Schoenberg, Ingolf Dahl, and Halsey Stevens.
His commissions often include works for diverse
instrumentation, the challenge of which he seems to relish. Planum Temporale (1981) is written for
two basses and percussion; Tango (1990) is scored for trumpet, trombone,
accordion and marimba; Verticals and Transitions (1999) calls for electric bass
guitar and percussion; and Terra Sancta (2001) is set for harpsichord, marimba
and bass drum.
Rea’s music has a controlled improvisatory aesthetic,
derived in part from thirty years of performing in Phillips’ innovative
and groundbreaking ensembles. His work does not fit easily into any
“school” or trend, but rather, is a culmination and assimilation of
many musical ideas and experiences. Commissions have come from Ondine and
Company Dance, Atlanta Council for the Arts, the Cultural Olympics (Atlanta
1996), Music Teachers National Association (Georgia Composer of the Year,
2000), and performers Laura Gordy and Peggy Benkeser of Thamyris, Lucy Wenger
and Mayu Tsuda, David Buice, and Duncan MacMillan.
ALAN HOVHANESS
Sonata: Fred the Cat
Alan Hovhaness can be considered a true musical
multiculturalist; East meets West in perfect synthesis in his works. The list
of influences on his work is long and diverse, and ranges from Renaissance
polyphony to Armenian, Hindu and Japanese musical traditions. An amazingly
prolific composer, with opus numbers running well above 400, Hovhaness wrote 67
symphonies, more than any composer since Haydn, besides a vast array of other
orchestral music, chamber music, vocal and choral music, and stage works. A
significant percentage of his instrumental output is for piano solo, including
over twenty sonatas which are titled rather than numbered.
The Sonata "Fred the Cat" was commissioned by the
Canadian broadcaster and journalist Jurgen Gothe upon the death of his cat,
Fred. A perfectly proportioned miniature (the work lasts barely six minutes),
it is constructed of the simplest materials. Except for the third movement, a
hymn-like piece consisting mainly of chords, the writing is restricted to two
parts. The outer movements feature steady left-hand ostinati over which the
right hand weaves arabesques; the second movement, "Purr Dance,"
functions as a tiny scherzo. The entire sonata breathes a certain dignity and
elegance, and serves as a heartfelt memorial to a feline friend.
— Bryan Bishop
Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000) was born near Boston,
Massachusetts to an Armenian father and a Scottish mother. He began composing at the age of four
and by age fourteen had written an opera.
His parents, however, were less than encouraging and he finally had to
compose covertly, sometimes hiding the manuscripts under the bathtub.
Determined to pursue a career in music, Hovhaness enrolled
in the New England Conservatory where he studied composition with Frederick
Converse. Later, at Tanglewood, he
studied with Bohuslav Martinu. It
was here at Tanglewood that he encountered harsh criticism from some of his
contemporaries such as Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein and others. This only
seemed to further encourage him to proceed along his own stylistic path.
Hovhaness was influenced by both East and West, particularly
Armenian, Indian and Japanese music.
He traveled extensively to these parts of the world to further study the
music there.
Although Hovhaness loved Western counterpoint, his music
does not use the standard Western scales or harmonic progressions. One often finds an ever-changing melody
over a static bass. The harmonies
are consonant and are organized modally, rather than in the conventional tonal
manner. Hovhaness said, "To me, atonality is against Nature. There is a center to everything that
exists... the planets have the sun, the moon has the earth... all music that
has a center is tonal."
There is a decidedly mystical and religious feeling to many
of Hovhaness’ works. During
the 1940's, he was greatly influenced by the mystical Greek painter Hermon
Giovannis. During the 1970's and
later, Hovhaness’ works show more of a Western influence, including that
of Renaissance polyphony. He is considered by many to be a foreshadower of
Minimalism.
BILL REA
Variations on an Irish Song (Down by the Salley Gardens)
Poem by William Butler Yeats
Tune set by Herbert Hughes
Down by the *salley gardens
my love and I did meet;
She passed the salley gardens
with little snow-white feet.
She bid me take love easy,
as the leaves grow on the tree;
But I, being young and foolish,
with her would not agree.
In a field by the river
my love and I did stand,
And on my leaning shoulder
she laid her snow-white hand.
She bid me take life easy,
as the grass grows on the weirs;
But I was young and foolish,
and now am full of tears.
— William Butler Yeats
From Crossways (1889)
*A salley is a willow tree. The English usage of salley for
willow tree may come from the Gaelic.
This theme and twelve variations is a 21st century work
decked out in 19th century finery. It is, both symbolically and literally, a
looking back on what might have been; a looking back to lost chances and missed
moments. Its structure has a traditional pattern: a simple theme of sixteen
measures in ABA form, with variations extending over the course of the work,
using aspects of the theme’s melody or harmony in the ensuing variations.
But here, for the most part, the similarities with the past end.
The challenge of working with this most “tonal”
of themes, and then expanding the variations into a contemporary musical
language was solved primarily by changes in harmony, time, tonality, and
texture. Throughout the course of
the variations, this simple melody is transformed, turned inside out, upside
down, and subjected to various 20th-21st century compositional techniques:
bitonality, fragmentation, ostinato patterns and modal treatment to name a few.
This work begins and ends with unadorned simplicity, but within is a fantastic
journey that not only looks back with a tinge of sadness, but also rushes
forward into an imaginary world of crashing waves, magical dreams and mythic
legends.
Variations on an Irish Song was commissioned by and
dedicated to pianist Lucy Wenger, and appears on this CD as the premier
recording.
— Bill Rea
LUCY WENGER
Lucy Wenger was born in New York City. She began studying piano at the age of
13 after moving to Tucson, Arizona.
She attended Mills College in Oakland, California on a piano scholarship
and studied there with Bernhard Abramowitsch and Darius Milhaud. During this time she had the honor to
be chosen by Igor Stravinsky to perform at the International Stravinsky
Festival in Berkeley, California.
During her years in California, Lucy's musical horizons were
broadened through studies at Fontainebleau, France and master classes in
England with Denise Lassimonne and Frank Mannheimer.
After receiving her B.A. degree, Lucy went on to earn an M.A
in Music History from University of Oregon-Eugene. More graduate studies followed in the Doctoral Program at
the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Lucy has taught at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
Canterbury University in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she played with the Fine Arts Quartet and recorded
with flutist Israel Borouchoff.
After moving to Atlanta, Georgia, Lucy took a leave of
absence while raising her three sons.
When she returned to her career, she again became involved in chamber
music, accompanying and solo performances. Many of her performances were with
members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and she appeared on many college
recital series as well. In 2001
she and violinist Mayu Tsuda gave the premiere performance of Invisible in
Bright Light, written for them by the composer Bill Rea.
Lucy Wenger's playing has an extraordinary ability to reach
the listener, and has been called "warm and lyrical" with "great
clarity and intensity."
Lucy recently moved to Seattle, Washington, where she is
continuing her active career as a teacher and performer.
Producer: David Frost
Recording Engineer: Jonathon Stevens
Assistant Engineer: Inbae Han
Digital editing: Brian Richards
Piano Technician: Denis Brassard
Produced and recorded using the facilities of the Music
& Sound Program at The Banff Centre, Banff, Alberta, December, 2003.
Theresa Leonard, Director of Audio.
This CD is dedicated to Jonathan, Michael and Daniel. May they always see possibilities around
the corner.
This CD could never have materialized without the
encouragement, generous support and creative guidance of my good friends
Roxanne and Bill Rea.
I am grateful also to the composers Paul Schoenfield, Janice
Giteck and Bill Rea, whom I know and with whom I have been privileged to work.
Thank you for letting me bring your wonderful music to life.
Thanks also to producer David Frost, whose expertise,
patience, sense of humor and superb musical instincts were invaluable.
Finally, a thank-you to my friend Kiki for showing me the
way to Banff!
Innova is supported by a grant from the National Endowment
for the Arts and by an endowment from the McKnight Foundation.
Philip Blackburn: Director, Design