"Six American Painters was commissioned by radio station WGUC Cincinnati in honor of Ann Santen, for performance by Cincinnati Symphony principal flutist Randall Bowman. Each of the movements was begun as a musical description of six paintings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Eventually they ranged further and it seemed more helpful to name them for the painters rather than for the specific paintings. I wanted to evoke the artists' afterimage, rather than any of the individual paintings. When you look at a picture, you take away with you a general impression, a mood or color, that dominates the details; in music, on the other hand, one is apt to remember the details, a tune or a harmony. I wanted these movements to be a perceivable whole, and act of seeing. The movements tend toward brevity. I had two intentions: not too slow, and not too long." Notes provided by the composer

Gambits: Six Chess Pieces for Horn and Piano was commissioned by Charles and Sarah Riehm as a gift to their son Andrew Riehm. In this work, motifs from the game of chess unite the music and titles of the work's six short movements. Notes provided by the composer

I.  In the aggressive opening fanfare, “White vs. Black” (marked Andante bellicoso), the piano plays only the white keys while the horn plays pitches corresponding to the black keys of the piano, alternating stopped and open pitches.  At the end, the piano quietly “captures” some of the black keys, whereupon the horn immediately wins by taking possession of the white tonic note (C) with a triumphant rip (glissando). 

II.  The title, “Giuoco Piano” (“Quiet Game”), refers to the chess opening of that name. 
A simple cantilena in the horn flows over a gently rippling piano sequence. 

III.  “Muy Ruy” pays homage to the sixteenth-century Spanish chess master who created the most popular of all chess openings, named in his honor, the Ruy Lopez.  The music, accordingly, is a Spanish fandango, with variations of increasing intensity in the horn over a driving piano ostinato.

IV.  The slow introduction of “French Defense,” is built on a French sixth chord in the piano answered by small intervals in the horn, corresponding to the small pawn moves which characterize the French defense in chess.  An expansive allegretto follows, in the style of a Parisian cabaret song.

V.  “Sicilian Defense” is built on the traditional Baroque six-eight Siciliana dance rhythm. 

VI.  “Copa Capablanca” celebrates the Cuban chess master, José Raoul Capablanca.  The music is cast in the Afro-Cuban rhumba form, with alternating syncopated strains in major and minor.  The work ends with brilliant horn glissandi,as in the opening movement. 

Metamorphoses was commissioned by friends, colleagues and students of L. Hugh Cooper, Professor of Music at the University of Michigan, on the occasion of his retirement and in appreciation of his many contributions to performance, teaching and research. Each of the eight Metamorphoses emerges and unfolds from a brief source, a fragment drawn from orchestral bassoon literature. Tempos, pitches and rhythms may be substantially changed from the original, yet the sources remain clearly recognizable, giving rise to the new music which follows; homage rather than quotations. The sources are Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Prokofiev’sPeter and the Wolf, Tchaikovsky’sSymphony No. 4, Beethoven’s Symphonies No. 3, 1, and 8, Scriabin’sPoem of Ecstasy, and Chabrier’s Espana. Notes provide by the composer.

Gunther Schuller’s Romantic Sonata was composed when he was only 16 (although he revised the work in 1983). Like most of Schuller’s music, Romantic Sonata combines elements of classical and jazz music in what he dubbed a “third stream.” The first movement is slow and bluesy. The second movement is backed by a gently rocking chordal piano accompaniment over which the clarinet and horn play long sustained melodies. The last movement is fast and jaunty, with a simple ABA form. Notes by David Heuser

 “Retrouvailles, commissioned by the Royal Festival Hall in London, was written to celebrate the birthday of my friend, Pierre Boulez, March 26, 2000. The score returns to the motto used in my Esprit Rude/Esprit Doux I (for his 60th birthday) and Esprit Rude/Esprit Doux II (for his 70th). Retrouvailles begins by recalling the end of Esprit Rude/Esprit Doux II and ends by recalling the opening of Esprit I. I hope this work gives some small suggestion of the great admiration I have for this extraordinary musician.” Notes provide by the composer.

Elliott Carter celebrated his 99th birthday last month, and he continues to write works of extraordinary power and imagination. Retrouvailles is included on this concert as part of the world-wide celebration of his upcoming centennial.

"Suite cantabile was commissioned by 35 woodwind quintets and 22 individual commissioners in December 2006, and was completed in April 2007. The word 'cantabile' (in a singing style) refers to the long singing melodic lines that occur throughout most of the piece. In the first movement, these have a particularly "Bach-ian" flavor and are combined with African rhythms. The second movement is based on a half tone-whole tone scale and has sections influenced by fund rhythms alternating with more lyrical sections. The third movement is based on a modal blues progression, and the fourth combines lyrical melodies with rhythms influenced by South American music and jazz". Notes provide by the composer.

Program notes complied by Stephanie Key and David Heuser

BIOS

SA native of San Diego, Tallon Sterling Perkes began his professional career as a teenager substituting with the Pacific Symphony and the San Diego Symphony. He received his B.M. and Performer' s Certificate at the Eastman School of Music with Bonita Boyd where, in his first year, he won a position with the Rochester Philharmonic. Before assuming his present positions as Principal Flute of the San Antonio Symphony and Flute Instructor at Trinity University, Perkes was Assistant and Acting Principal Flute of the City Orchestra of Barcelona for five years. He is a member of the Olmos Chamber Ensemble, and in past summers has been the Principal Flutist of the Santa Fe Opera.

Stephanie Shapiro received her musical training at New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and the University of Michigan. She has won several competitions, including the National Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition in Washington D.C., and was a semi-finalist at the Munich International Music Competition in Germany. Ms. Shapiro has performed with the Oregon Symphony, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Michigan Opera Theatre, the Columbus Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and the Toledo Symphony Orchestra. Currently she is on sabbatical from her position as English Horn/Oboist of the San Antonio Symphony.