Streaming on FACEBOOK &YouTube: Glendale Noon Concerts 8/4/21

Streaming on FACEBOOK & YouTube

Glendale Noon Concerts  8/4/21

CATHERINE DEL RUSSO -oboe

MARK ROBSON -piano

 

During the Covid-19 "Safer at Home" period,
Glendale Noon Concerts will bring our programs
to you via streaming on Facebook and YouTube:
The AUGUST 4, 2021 program can be viewed 

at this link beginning at 12:10 pm PT. 

(VIDEO will be available ongoing)

LINKS TO VIEW THE CONCERT: 

On Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/catherine.delrusso/videos/310947007169728

On YouTube:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCVVU6VTayI

 

The program will be archived on the

Glendale City Church Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt6zEXA-8F7CPOixLDWxGBA
 

Watch previous Glendale Noon Concerts streams: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oAfaPgGGMw&list=PLms1LJpnTpJzK7Yf6ryh2zyFMlkl7qC2z

Read about the previous programs:   

http://glendalenoonconcerts.blogspot.com

Facebook stream: GLENDALE NOON CONCERTS
Every FIRST & THIRD WEDNESDAY at 12:10 pm PT
On Wednesday AUGUST 4, 2021 at 12:10 pm PT:

 

Catherine Del Russo –oboe

 

Mark Robson –piano

 

Program:

 

Gordon Jacob, “Interludes”

    1. Pastoral

    2. Scherzetto

    3. Siciliano

    4. Air

 

Carl Nielsen, “2 Fantasies” Op. 2

    1. Romanze 

    2. Humoresque

 

Walter Piston, “Suite for Oboe and Piano”

    1. Allegro moderato

    2. Sarabande

    3. Minuetto

    4. Nocturne

    5. Gigue

 

Benjamin Britten, “Two Insect Pieces”

    1. The Grasshopper

    2. The Wasp

 

Jacques Ibert, “Escales” No. 2 ‘Tunis-Nefta’ for Oboe and Piano

    Modéré, très rythme

---

 

(Scroll down for artist bios & program notes)

Facebook AUGUST  4 event page:

https://www.facebook.com/events/853441008638934/

 

Please keep checking the site below for updates.

http://glendalenoonconcerts.blogspot.com

 

Streaming on Wednesday AUGUST 18, 2021 at 12:10-12:40 pm PDT:

DUO RECITAL

Adriana Triggs –violin

Phillip Triggs –viola

Program:

Duos by Reger, Krenek, Gliere, & Beethoven

 

 

PLEASE HELP THESE CONCERTS TO CONTINUE WITH A DONATION: 

https://adventistgiving.org/#/org/ANPPGL/envelope/start 

Or by mailing it to 610 E California Ave, Glendale, CA 91206 to the Friends of Music.

The Glendale Noon Concerts series is presented by Glendale City Church every first & third Wednesday at 12:10-12:40 pm. www.glendalecitychurch.org

Concert schedule: www.glendalenoonconcerts.blogspot.com

Glendale City Church also presents the Second Saturday Concert Series,

http://glendalecitychurch.org/index.php/ministries/second-saturday-concert-series.html  and sponsors the Caesura Youth Orchestra http://www.mycyo.org

Much appreciation to the Hennings-Fischer Foundation for their mission to support art & education and their generous grant to GNC.
RELAX DURING YOUR LUNCH HOUR WITH LIVE MUSIC 

 

ARTIST BIOS:

 

Catherine Del Russo received her Bachelor of Music

Degree and Performance Certificate at the Eastman

School of Music where she studied with Robert

Sprenkle. She also received her Masters of Music

Degree from Ohio University where she studied

with John Mack in Cleveland.

Since then, Ms. Del Russo has performed around

the world, beginning with the Eastman Wind

Ensemble to the Far East as Principal Oboe. After

that, she performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic,

Orchestra Filharmonica de Caracas, and Orquesta

Municipal in Caracas, Venezuela. Ms. Del Russo has

played with many orchestras in Los Angeles,

including the Glendale Symphony Orchestra, the

Santa Barbara Symphony, Santa Barbara Chamber

Orchestra, the Desert Symphony, Long Beach

Symphony, the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra,

Riverside Symphony, San Bernardino Symphony,

and was Associate Principal Oboe with the Honolulu

Symphony. Currently, she is Principal Oboe of Opera

Santa Barbara, Orchestra Santa Monica, Downey Symphony, Asia America

Orchestra, Second Oboe and English horn with the Mozart Classical Orchestra,

and solo English horn with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Catherine has enjoyed

playing on films, commercials and television shows. She has been a promoter of

chamber music and new music in Los Angeles. In 2011, she won the Consortium

of Southern California Chamber Music Presenter's with a chamber music trio for

oboe, viola and piano. Catherine is the founding member of Lobo Ensemble, a

chamber music group, consisting of oboe, violin, and cello, for which she performs

recitals regularly. Catherine is Professor of Oboe at Westmont College and

Occidental College.

 

Mark Robson has been hailed by the Los Angeles Times as a pianist with “one of the great techniques,” “an inquiring mind” and a performer capable of evoking an “exquisite engulfing pastel haze,” and he continues to impress with his multi-faceted career as a soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. Mr. Robson is equally comfortable in styles ranging from early music played on the harpsichord and organ to the great Romantic repertoire and beyond to contemporary piano works demanding theatrical participation from the performer. As a collaborative artist with singers and instrumentalists, he commands the respect of his peers in both the recital and chamber settings. He presents an annual recital for the LA series Piano Spheres and has performed for Jacaranda on numerous occasions. As an organist, he has also appeared as a soloist in the Minimalist Jukebox at Disney Hall and has performed on the organ in Mahler’s 8th Symphony at the Hollywood Bowl in their 2008 season.

 

After completing conservatory and university training, Mr. Robson amplified his musical studies with extensive study in Paris-where he was a pupil of Yvonne Loriod, widow of composer Olivier Messiaen-and through his work as an assistant conductor and assistant chorus master for the Los Angeles Opera. During this time he worked with renowned international singers and conductors, gaining great insight into the lyric art. He has also been a musical assistant at the Salzburg and Spoleto (Italy) festivals. As a composer, Robson has been programmed on concerts in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Barcelona and Paris. The Brentwood-Westwood Symphony Orchestra has premiered two of his orchestral works, Apollo Rising and Christmas Suite. Soprano Patricia Prunty has recorded his song cycle A Child of Air and the same piece was presented by Sari Gruber at the winter Ravinia Festival.

 

The recipient of several scholarships and awards (including the Certificate of Excellence from the Corvina Cultural Circle for artistic contributions to Hungary), Mark Robson has received degrees from the University of Southern California and Oberlin College. He has worked as a vocal coach for the faculties of USC, Chapman University, the California Institute of the Arts and Cal State Fullerton. Among his formidable musical projects has been the performance in eight concerts of the complete piano sonatas of Beethoven and numerous performances of Messiaen’s massive cycle, Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus.

 

PROGRAM NOTES:

 

Gordon Jacob – Interludes

Gordon Jacob was born in 1895, in Upper Norwood, South London. He wrote his first musical pieces at Dulwich College.  He attended the Royal College of Music after “The Great War,” after being captured by the Germans.  He wrote music in the prison camps for a small orchestra whose entire repertoire he arranged and composed.  One of his most famous works is the William Byrd Suite for military Band, published in 1923. (Emerson Edition) Interludes, written at the end of 1976, is a short, four movement piece, with the following titles: 1. Pastoral, 2. Scherzetto, 3. Siciliano, 4. Air. Jacob has written a charming work, well written for oboe and piano.   The movements, as you can imagine, contain characters of their own, defined by their titles. The first, Pastoral, in 9/8, features eighth notes, in G Major, winding around a pretty melodic line throughout. Scherzetto, in C Major, is eighth notes, and accents, with contrasting dynamics. The Siciliano, in F Major, is soulful. The final movement, Air, in ¾ and d minor, ends the piece quietly. (Del Russo)

Carl Nielsen – Fantasy Pieces (Fantasistykker) for Oboe and Piano

 Nielsen (1865-1931) was a Danish composer, conductor, and violinist, still recognized today as the most famous composer from his country. Neilsen was best known for his six symphonies, his wind quintet, and concerti for violin, flute, and clarinet. (Wikipedia) Fantasy Pieces is a lovely, almost vocal piece written for oboe and piano.  There are only two contrasting movements.  The first movement, Romance (Andante con duolo,) is a song without words in g minor.  It starts off with a soulful, plaintive melody, continues until the high point with a low d in the oboe and an exciting expressive piano accelerando, calming down into the return of the beginning, sad, melancholic melody. The second movement, Humoresque, marking of Allegro scherzando, is a delightful, fun movement in 2/4, starting out in F Major. The combination of duples and triplets keeps your attention combined with contrasting articulations. Another aspect of interest is attained when the final section of the movement transitions to the key of D Major, in a contrasting and developed melodic line, ending with a slight accelerando and group of tight sixteenths. (Del Russo)

 

Walter Piston – Suite for Oboe and Piano 

Walter Piston, (1894-1976,) was an American composer, a classical music theorist, and professor of music at Harvard University. The main origin of his family was English, although his paternal grandfather was Antoine Pistone, who changed his name to Anthony Piston when he came to Maine, USA, from Genoa, Italy. Piston played piano and violin in dance bands and later in an orchestra led by Georges Longy. He taught himself most of the wind instruments while playing in a service band. He has written

Eight symphonies and many other works.  (Wikipedia) Suite for Oboe and Piano was written in 1931. There are five movements. Prelude, Sarabande, Menuetto,  Nocturne, and Gigue.   The movements’ titles are descriptive of their characteristics. The Prelude is in d minor and highly chromatic. Sarabande is an Andante in ¾ time, slow and smooth. The Minuetto in G Major is an Allegretto, also in ¾.  The Nocturne in 4/8, is a very slow Andante, and is marked pp. The final movement, Gigue, is in 6/8 time, marked Allegro.  The character is “giocoso,” mostly eighth notes, either staccato or marcato, surprisingly, as you will note, in d minor. (Del Russo)

 

Benjamin Britten – Two Insect Pieces

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He has written many famous pieces, including The War Requiem, Peter Grimes, and Billy Budd. His operatic works were considered the finest English operas since Henry Purcell. He also wrote The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, which is a piece mostly likely performed by every orchestral musician in the 20^th and 21^st Centuries. He attended the Royal College of Music in London. His chamber music, including the Phantasy Quartet for oboe and string trio is among some of his most famous chamber music pieces.  He also wrote The Six Metamorphosis after Ovid, for solo oboe. (Britannica, and Wikipedia) Two Insect Pieces, written in 1935, has two movements or oboe and piano.  The first, The Grasshopper, is written in 6/8 time, marked Allegretto leggiero.  Apparently, a grasshopper is meandering around in the grass.  In the middle of the movement, might be threatened by a predator, jumps and runs, only to find some taller grass to hide, ending the movement in a quiet and soft manner.  The second movement,      The Wasp, is an Allegro molto e con fuoco, in 4/4 time.  The dotted rhythms represent the wasp flying around quickly, perhaps looking for a place to land. In the middle of the movement is a Lamentoso, where he lands, but quickly takes flight again at the “A tempo giocoso,” and makes a poco accelerando disappearing after the grand finale sting! (Del Russo)

 

Jacques Ibert – Escales No. 2 “Tunis-Nefta”

After serving in the French army during World War I, Ibert (1890-1962) won the Prix de Rome in 1919. This prize, awarded every year from 1803 to 1968, gave a composer a four year, totally paid stay at the Villa Medici in Rome, just to study and compose! While in Rome, he wrote Escales (“Ports of Call,”) a three-movement orchestral-tone poem depicting his steamship sojourn to three Mediterranean ports: Palermo, Tunis-Nefta, and Valencia. It is his most popular piece. Toward the end of his career, Ibert composed an oboe concerto called Symphonie Concertante (1948.) Escales No. 2 “Tunis-Nefta”  Tunis is the capital of Tunisia on the northern coast of Africa.   Nefta is an inland city to which Ibert must have journeyed. The metronome mark (quarter note = 180) is by the composer, and his words in French mean, “moderate, very rhythmic,” “soft-textured and melancholy.” I prefer a slower tempo, so I will take it approximately 98 to the quarter note. The texture of the piano is percussive, although to add an exotic touch, it would have been nice to add a soft drum or tam-tam. (Elaine Douvas/Catherine Del Russo)