Show 199: Listening Guide
This week’s broadcast was taped at the Plaza Theatre in El Paso, TX on June 13, 2009. Here is what the performers had to say about the music they played:
Sage Po
Sage Po, 15, harp
III. Sarabande and IV. Courante from Classical Suite for Harp Alone by Lynne Wainwright Palmer
“This is a piece I like to play whenever I am frustrated with the harp. Whether it’s late and I’m tired of practicing or I’ve been working on the same passage for ten minutes and seeing no progress, this reminds me how much I love playing. When I visualize this piece, Sarabande is earth, peaceful but with surprising intricacies and bursts of passion; Courante is water, bubbling and cascading to her heart’s content.”
Khari Joyner, 17, cello
Pampeana No. 2: Rhapsody for Cello and Piano, Op. 21 by Alberto Ginastera
“This piece is one of the most exciting pieces that I have played! One thing that is unique about this piece is that it encompasses many aspects of cello playing in one piece. For example, the piece contains fast eighth notes passages, double stops, pizzicato, and high register jumps. The fact that it opens with a virtuosic cadenza makes it exciting to play.”
Matthew Dykeman, 17, clarinet
III. Furioso from Sonatina, Op. 29 by Malcolm Arnold
“The Furioso movement from Malcolm Arnold’s Sonatina is straight fury. If it’s not fast and dynamically extreme, then you aren’t doing the piece justice.
I have a story about this piece: My school sent several singers, actors and me to play at an Italian restaurant in Baltimore. As the singers perform, I realize that they are all singing popular Broadway tunes and tasteful art songs. So I come up to play this piece, seemingly issued from the depths of hell. While it seemed to go over well, I couldn’t help thinking that some patrons might have spit out their pasta when I started.”
Jingxuan Zhang, 16, piano
Chanson Bohème de l’Opéra Carmen de George Bizet by Maurice Moszkowski
“I think this has been one of the most compact pieces I have ever learned. It is just under six minutes, a very short piece, however it contains so much excitement and moods that there seems to be a change every page!”
Natanya Washer, The Young Ladies Choir
“Cantate Domino” by Ken Berg
“This song is very energetic. The section where all the parts are different and the descant starts emphasizes the excitement. The descant is the hardest to sing but sounds really cool.”
Amanda Roquillo, The Young Ladies Choir
“Cantate Domino” by Ken Berg
“This piece of music makes me feel alive and energized…it’s very inspirational and moving.”
