MusicaNova Orchestra Classical Music Goes Folk: Copland to Tailleferre

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2024 Concert Series sponsored by

Aaron Copland, Appalachian Spring
Manel Burgos de la Rosa, Habana Vieja (world premiere)
Lou Harrison, Suite for Violin, Piano, and Small Orchestra
     Julian Nguyen, violin; José Salazar, piano
Germaine Tailleferre, Concerto for Piano and Chamber Orchestra
     José Salazar, piano

From medieval times to today, classical composers have incorporated folk music or references to folk music in their work. Aaron Copland’s use of the Shaker hymn “Simple Gifts” is among the most famous examples of incorporating folk themes into a classical score. This concert will feature the original version for 13 instruments.

Similarly, Germaine Tailleferre, the only woman in the early 20^th century group of Parisian composers called Les Six, weaves French folk songs into her concerto. The version on this program has not been performed in more than a century.

The American composer Lou Harrison, a great explorer of the music of the world, was greatly inspired by gamelan music of Southeast Asia. This piece has the feel of gamelan, once again introducing new sounds to a traditional structure.

Contemporary Catalan composer Manel Burgos de la Rosa describes his new piece, written for MusicaNova, as an “illustration of the different rhythms that tell the story of the history of Havana. It has sections that could be titled Danzon, Habanera, Mambo, and Guiro.”