Pittsburgh Perspectives Festival- Memorial Park Church, June 21st, 2022
En Mi Menor, Mi Menor CongaGuido Lopez Gavilan (b.1944)
Suite for Violin and Piano William Grant Still
Mother and Child (1895-1978) Gamin
La Bella Cubana for two violins and piano Jose White
(1836-1918)
Primavera Portena Astor Piazzolla
(1921-1992)
Piano Quintet in A Minor Florence Price
Andante con moto (1887-1953) Juba Scherzo
I N T E R M I S S I O N
Preludio en Conga No. 2 Hilario González (adapted for Woodwind Quartet by Amaury Morales) (1920-1999) Shantanique Moore, flute Ian Woodworth, oboe Ryan Leonard, clarinet Kika Wright, bassoon Prelude for Solo Piano Andrew Griffin Amaury Morales, piano El tiempo que se va for Woodwind Quartet & Piano Jonatan Piña Duluc (commissioned by I.C.Players) Shantanique Moore, flute Ian Woodworth, oboe Ryan Leonard, clarinet Kika Wright, bassoon Amaury Morales, piano
Pittsburgh Perspectives Festival- Ebenezer Baptist Church, June 23rd, 2022
Strum for String Quartet Jessie Montgomery
(b. 1981) Strum, the piece we hear today, has evolved through several versions and instrumentations and has its roots in two of Montgomery’s professional associations: the Providence Quartet and the Sphinx Organization. She has been affiliated with the latter, which supports young African American and Latinx string players, for more than two decades. As Montgomery explains: “Strum is the culminating result of several versions of a string quintet I wrote in 2006. It was originally written for the Providence String Quartet and guests of Community MusicWorks Players, then arranged for string quartet in 2008 with several small revisions. In 2012 the piece underwent its final revision with a rewrite of both the introduction and the ending for the Catalyst Quartet in a performance celebrating the 15th annual Sphinx Competition. The string orchestra arrangement represents the 2012 final version.
“Originally conceived for the formation of a cello quintet, the voicing is often spread wide over the ensemble, giving the music an expansive quality of sound. Within Strum I utilized texture motives, layers of rhythmic or harmonic ostinati that string together to form a bed of sound for melodies to weave in and out. The strumming pizzicato serves as a texture motive and the primary driving rhythmic underpinning of the piece. Drawing on American folk idioms and the spirit of dance and movement, the piece has a kind of narrative that begins with fleeting nostalgia and transforms into ecstatic celebration.”
Negro Folksongs in Counterpoint Florence Price
Go Down Moses (1887-1953) Somebody’s Knockin’ At Yo Do’ Little David Play on Yo’ Harp Joshua Fit de Battle of Jericho