NER concerts; Contemporary Chamber Players play Boulez and more, part one

From Mendel hall at the University of Chicago we bring you another in a series of concerts by the contemporary Chamber Players rough shape the music director. This ensemble of professional players was established at the University of Chicago in 1964 through the support of the Rockefeller Foundation. It is dedicated to the performance of music of our own time. Tonight's concert features easily black would be an ist and will consist of four works Caprice 1063 by John Perkins. Three short fantasies Opus 16 by Easley Blackwood. Variations 1063 by Charles Warren and the second sonata of Pierre brulé. Usually Blackwood is a composer and virtuoso pianist. He teaches harmony and score reading at the Music School of the University of Chicago. He received his bachelor and master of music degrees at Yale University's School of Music and has studied under Bernard Haydn Hindemith and Niger bologna J. His works include three symphonies two string quartets one violin sonata and one

cello fantasy. His first symphony won the Boston Symphony merit award in one thousand fifty eight and has been recorded by that orchestra. His Second Symphony was introduced in January 1961 by the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra and his third was given its world premier by the Chicago Symphony in 1965. Caprice by John Perkins was commissioned by Mr Blackwood and completed in 1963. The work is serial and could be divided into four parts the first part which begins after a brief introduction sets up a basic Temple as a point of reference. The piece then begins to speed up as a faster tempo is first superimposed on the basic one and then continued by itself. This occurs in three successive steps with the passage in the basic tempo inserted between each step. Finally a speed twice as fast as the basic tempo is reached. The second part is in the form of an unstable present followed by a brief fugue whose subject begins with four repeated notes in the third part. The piece slows down in a manner similar to the

speeding up of the first part. At the same time there is a development a very long sustained chords which have been slowly come into prominence throughout the work. After one last forty Simo fragment in the original temple the final section begins. This is a slow corral developed from the sustained chords and occasionally interrupted by pianissimo rapid figures. The work ends quietly. A soloist is the blackbird coming on stage no. Taking his place at the piano just a moment. 1863 by John Perkins. I am.

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Usually black with standing to it. Now if you guys. Next we're going to program three short fantasies basically Blackwood were commissioned by the Michaels award competition of the Rivonia Association of Chicago and were completed in May 1965 although there are some more difficult repetitions and variations. The fantasies are essentially freely composed from an expressive rather than a formal point of view. The first one is distinguished by a wide range both in register and dynamics and alternates between passages that are agitated and angular and parts of which are quieter and somewhat menacing. The second piece is very slow and melancholic and makes occasional use of major triads. The third goes through many moods in an almost whimsical manner from near a fury at the

beginning to a dialog and the rest of the teeth near the end. The Blackwood coming back on stage with. Just one woman will hear the three short fantasies of her 16 basically backward. I.

Prefer fantasies of the. 60s. If we got rid. Of the backward. Writing good knowledge of. The next we're going to have to be feeding. The variations making 53 by Charles Warner. He's presently on the faculty of Columbia University. He's active as a performer of contemporary music. He completed his variations in 163. In many respects the work is a fusion of opposites. The pattern of the tone row suggests regularity and limited register. The workover features extreme contrast register and dynamics. There is also a struggle between extremely long terms which sometimes fade away to notability and violent outbursts or very rapid notes. At the beginning. Only the long tones are heard. But as the piece progresses the rapid notes become more and more prominent gradually

taken over completely. There is a wild climax with arpeggios cascading from one end of the piano to the other. After a long pause the long tones reappear with special effects and the rapid notes once again begin to take over in an even more decisive manner. Once again the frantic climax is achieved then a brief coda recalls the beginning and the piece ends in an unsettled and inconclusive manner. Mr. Blackwood is back on stage in just a moment we'll hear variations 963 by Charles horn and.