November 1, 2009 3:00 p.m.
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Program
Bohuslav
Martinů (1890-1959)
Three Madrigals for Violin and
Viola (Duo No. 1), H. 313
Susan
Eddlemon, Violin
Hillary Herndon, Viola
Variations for Four Drums and Viola
Hillary
Herndon, Viola
Scott Eddlemon, Percussion
World Premiere
Quintet for Geiger Counters
Susan Eddlemon
Karen Kartal
Hillary Herndon
Ihsan Kartal
Scott Eddlemon
World Premiere Forever I Have Known You
(But Knew Not Where You Were) for Melinda
Susan
Eddlemon, Violin
Karen
Kartal, Violin
Hillary Herndon, Viola
Ihsan
Kartal
Scott Eddlemon,
Percussion
Program Notes
Physics of music…
For our
demonstration work of the physics of the viola, we turn to
Three Madrigals for Violin and
Viola. Czech composer
Bohuslav Martinů studied at the Prague Conservatory (1906-10), then
worked as a teacher and orchestral violinist before going to Paris in
1923. There he studied with Roussel and developed a neo-classical style,
sometimes using jazz. When
Martinu wrote this duo he was recuperating from a dreadful accident: He
had broken his skull in a fall of over ten feet to concrete. During his
recuperation he concentrated on chamber music because it was easier to
write pieces for a half-dozen or fewer instruments than to write
orchestral music, which requires a composer to fill in over as many as
two dozen or even more staves of music.
This work was written for Susan’s teacher, Joseph Fuchs and his
sister, violist Lillian Fuchs in 1947.
Music of physics…
In recognition of
Richard Feynman’s interest in drumming, we present the Colgrass’
Variations for Viola and 4 Drums.
This work was written very early
in Colgrass’ career (1959), while he was in New York. The work was
commissioned by Emanuel Vardi, and was premiered by Vardi and Colgrass
at the Five Spot Cafe in New York City. It has become a standard in the
viola literature. The "4 Drums" are roto-toms, which are small, shallow
drums tuned to encompass all the chromatics between middle c and the
e-flat below. These are tapped variously with small-headed timpani
sticks, wool-covered and exposed-tip sticks, and by hand.
Scott first performed this work in 1975 at the
Festival dei Due Mondi in
Spoleto, Italy with violist Walter Trampler.
In a unique display of musical physics instrumentation we present
Quintet for Geiger Counters. The Geiger counters, portal monitor and
surgical gamma probe used in the work are provided through the courtesy
of Wm. B. Johnson
Instruments, Care Wise Medical Products and Pulcir, Inc.
The three movements of the quintet are entitled “Quiet Nights at
K-25,” “Last Tango at Y-12” and the finale, “La Fiesta(ware) X-10.”
The finale incorporates the use of dishes called Fiestaware
which, according to Joe Eddlemon, contains uranium oxide in the pigment.
Joe relates an incident in the 40’s in which an Oak Ridge
National Laboratory employee was checked for radiation exposure because
his film badge indicated high dose rates.
It turns out the employee placed his badge on a Fiestaware dish
every day when at home. This
work concludes with an “alarming” climax.
Forever I Have
Known You, But Knew Not
Where You Were
is a work commissioned by Isotone from UT composer Ken Jacobs in honor
of Richard Feynman. It
apprises four Movements for string quartet and percussion and is dedicated to
Melinda, the Composer’s Wife.
Gentle and lyrical but also lively and energetic, the ideas for
this work came about as the direct result of the composer’s courtship in
2008–9. All of the movements are the same length except for the third,
which is slightly shorter. Syncopated and sensuous, the work employs the
traditional string quartet (two violins, viola, and cello) plus
percussion instruments – glockenspiel, chimes, vibraphone, marimba, bass
drum, tom-toms, tam-tam, suspended cymbal, tambourine, and especially
timpani. In fact, the timpani play a role as important as the strings.
The title was inspired by the feelings aroused upon meeting the
composer’s soul-mate – after so many years of searching.
February 22, 2009 Concert
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November 2, 2008 Concert
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