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Book Javor Bračić for a groupmuse

Salon Music for Cello and Piano


Details

Javor Bračić full profile / Cello and Piano / 2 musicians

Other players: David West


Full program notes

José Elizondo: Otoño en Buenos Aires
Step into the captivating world of Argentine tango with this enchanting composition that weaves together the soulful melodies and rhythmic pulse of Buenos Aires. José Elizondo brilliantly captures both the melancholy and the passion of this rich culture and proves to be a true successor to Astor Piazzolla.

Rudolf Matz: Elegy
Discover the world of Croatian folk song through the lens of composer Rudolf Matz who takes inspiration from the sorrowful tune “Vehni, Vehni Fijolica” and turns it into a poignant elegy for cello with the piano exploring ever more daring harmonies to support it. This process of amalgamation of tradition and modernity is akin to Bartok’s ethnographic essays such as the Romanian Dances.

Margaret Bonds: Troubled Water
The Spiritual “Wade in the Water” is the basis for this extraordinary composition by the African-American composer Margaret Bonds. She lets the cello and piano share this tune while at the same time pepper it with exciting improvisations and “comments”. The emotional narrative of this composition takes us on a rollercoaster from calm to dancy, from blissful to alarmed, from romantic to ecstatic.

Felix Mendelssohn: Cello Sonata No. 2 in D major
Experience the timeless elegance and profound emotion of Mendelssohn's second Cello Sonata, a true gem of the classical cello repertoire. Through intricate conversations between the cello and piano, this sonata takes listeners on a fanciful journey full of joy, lyricism, playfulness, and exuberance, while enchanting at every step with its brilliance and sheer virtuosity.


Historical context

The thread that connects the very different pieces on this program is the idea of salon music, and music that is closely tied to a tradition and community. All of these pieces take folk music of some sort as inspiration and stylize it through the lens of the composer to make them into concert pieces, often to be presented in intimate music salons. For this reason, this is the perfect program for a Groupmuse setting!


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