Francois Couperin
Onziême Ordre de Clavecin (pub. 1717)
Les fastes de la grande et ancienne Mxnxstrxndxsx
Robert Schumann
Faschingsschwank aus Wien (1839)
Franz Liszt
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 9, Carnival in Pest (1847)
Igor Stravinsky
Trois mouvements de Pétrouchka (1921)
Heitor Villa-Lobos
Carnaval das crianças (1919-20)
The CARNIVAL recital program owes it's genesis to the time I've spent contemplating traditions and the challenge of planting oneself in a new culture.
My daughters were born in Houston, and because my husband and I are both immigrants to the United States, I’ve thought a lot about the ways in which their cultural upbringing differs from my own. I've always been careful not to allow my daughters to feel “placeless”; meaning, I don't want to immerse them in the traditions and culture of my German-Canadian origins or my husband's Colombian origins to the exclusion of the place where they themselves were born. One way in which I’ve consciously tried to give them roots in the Gulf Coast is by celebrating Mardi Gras, a regionally important holiday.
Let me state the obvious – adopting Mardi Gras as a family tradition was a hit from the start. Who wouldn't love a holiday that celebrates transgression and excess?!
Musicians throughout history have always loved a good party, so it's no surprise that the classical tradition offers a great deal of Carnival-related music. Whether it's referred to as Shrovetide, Fasching, Mardi Gras, or Carnival; ranging from Couperin's satirical pageantry to Villa-Lobos's mischievous characters; across France, Austria, Germany, Russia, and Brazil; the celebration of this holiday is a rich trove of musical treasures, and this program represents some of the piano's greatest party music.
Onziême Ordre de Clavecin (pub. 1717)
Les fastes de la grande et ancienne Mxnxstrxndxsx
Robert Schumann
Faschingsschwank aus Wien (1839)
Franz Liszt
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 9, Carnival in Pest (1847)
Igor Stravinsky
Trois mouvements de Pétrouchka (1921)
Heitor Villa-Lobos
Carnaval das crianças (1919-20)
The CARNIVAL recital program owes it's genesis to the time I've spent contemplating traditions and the challenge of planting oneself in a new culture.
My daughters were born in Houston, and because my husband and I are both immigrants to the United States, I’ve thought a lot about the ways in which their cultural upbringing differs from my own. I've always been careful not to allow my daughters to feel “placeless”; meaning, I don't want to immerse them in the traditions and culture of my German-Canadian origins or my husband's Colombian origins to the exclusion of the place where they themselves were born. One way in which I’ve consciously tried to give them roots in the Gulf Coast is by celebrating Mardi Gras, a regionally important holiday.
Let me state the obvious – adopting Mardi Gras as a family tradition was a hit from the start. Who wouldn't love a holiday that celebrates transgression and excess?!
Musicians throughout history have always loved a good party, so it's no surprise that the classical tradition offers a great deal of Carnival-related music. Whether it's referred to as Shrovetide, Fasching, Mardi Gras, or Carnival; ranging from Couperin's satirical pageantry to Villa-Lobos's mischievous characters; across France, Austria, Germany, Russia, and Brazil; the celebration of this holiday is a rich trove of musical treasures, and this program represents some of the piano's greatest party music.