Faculty Recital: "An Eclectic Potpourri"

October 1, 2017
3:00 p.m.
Wilson Concert Hall

Faculty members and students from the Washington and Lee University Department of Music will present a recital entitled “An Eclectic Potpourri” due to its diverse repertoire. The program will begin with Tircis et Climène, a duet cantata by Michel Pignolet de Montéclair. Dr. Gregory Parker, baritone, and Lori Parker, soprano, will appear in the title roles and will be joined by Ting-Ting Yen at the Department’s recently refurbished Watson harpsichord as well as Maggie Ma ’18 and Emma Rabuse ’20 on violin and cello, respectively.

The second piece on the program is also French, but is about 150 years younger than Montèclair’s cantata. Gabriel Fauré’s Violin Sonata No. 1 in A Major, Op. 13 was premiered by violinist Marie Tayau in 1877 and will be performed on this occasion by Washington and Lee Lecturer in Music, Jaime McArdle with Yen accompanying at the piano. The sonata is an example of Fauré’s deft use of rich sonorities, counterpoint, and lyricism.

The final selection on the recital, David Conte’s American Death Ballads, is a set of four songs to be performed by Dr. Parker with Dr. Yen at the piano. The set won the 2016 National Association of Teachers of Singing art song competition and was premiered at the NATS National Conference in Chicago in July of that year. Conte, Professor of Composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, uses colorful, rhythmic accompaniments and an orchestral treatment of the piano to enlighten each text.

No tickets are required.