May 24, 2007 / 7:30pm
Angel Orensanz Center / 172 Norfolk Street NYC
There and Back Again
Metropolis Ensemble’s spring concert, featuring the U.S. premiere of Avner Dorman’s Mandolin Concerto
Avi Avital, Mandolin
Tibi Cziger, Clarinet
Arnaud Sussmann, Violin
Lily Francis, Violin
Eric Nowlin, Viola
Andrew Cyr, Artistic Director / Conductor
Avner Dorman, Composer
On the Program
Avner Dorman: Mandolin Concerto*
For mandolin (Avi Avital) and string ensemble
Béla Bartók (arr. Avi Avital): Rumanian Folk Dances**
For mandolin (Avi Avital) and string ensemble
Osvaldo Golijov: The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind
For string quartet (Arnaud Sussmann, Lily Francis, Eric Nowlin, Michal Korman) and clarinet (Tibi Cziger)
Dmitri Shostakovich (arr. Rudolf Barshai): Chamber Symphony op. 110a
For string ensemble
*New York premiere
**New York Premiere Metropolis Ensemble Commission
Performers
Lily Francis, Violin
Noah Geller, Violin
Frank Huang, Violin
Yvonne Lam, Violin
Amy Lee, Violin
Jessica Lee, Violin
Arnaud Sussmann, Violin
Andrew Wan, Violin
Dave Auerbach, Viola
Eric Nowlin, Viola
Jonathan Vinocour, Viola
Michal Korman, Cello
Earl Lee, Cello
Gal Nyska, Cello
Rachel Calin, Bass
Andrew Cyr, Conductor
About the Concert
There and Back Again honors and acknowledges music inspired by composers' respective memories of past experiences and musical journeys. Metropolis Ensemble, along with special guest artists Avi Avital (mandolin) and Tibi Cziger (clarinet), will perform a range of musical styles including the U.S. premiere of Avner Dorman's Mandolin Concerto, Bartok's Rumanian Folk Dances, arranged for mandolin and string ensemble, Osvaldo Golijov's mystical quintet Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind, and Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony op. 110a.
These four distinct composers demonstrate, through the musical evocation of memory and place, journeys to other times, experiences, and cultures. The cyclical structures found in most of the program's works illustrate departure, experience, and the final return home.
Israeli composer Avner Dorman presents the U.S. premiere of his Mandolin Concerto for mandolinist Avi Avital and string ensemble. As part of the 2006 Messiah Festival, it premiered with the Rostav State Theater Orchestra to much praise. According to Dorman, the diverse sonic and expressive possibilities of the mandolin influenced the overall concerto: "The concerto's main conflicts are between sound and silence. Similarly, the mandolin's tremolo—the rapid repetition of notes—embodies both motion and stasis."
This concert is supported by Smithsonian Magazine. The wine reception is sponsored by SIMI Winery.
