Transforming experiences in chamber music. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE contact: Gabriel Langfur, Managing Director phone: 617-427-8200 email: info@chameleonarts.org website: www.chameleonarts.org September 11, 2015 Chameleon Arts Ensemble opens 2015-2016 Season with “echoes of celestial song” September 11, 2015 – Boston, MA – The Chameleon Arts Ensemble opens its 18th season of chamber music with echoes of celestial song on Saturday, October 10, 2015, 8 PM and Sunday, October 11, 2015, 4 PM, both at First Church in Boston, 66 Marlborough Street. The program examines various ways in which composers have utilized Baroque styles and forms, including Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet in g minor, Op. 57; Camille Saint-Saëns’ Sonata in D Major for oboe and piano, Op. 166; Igor Stravinsky’s Duo Concertant for violin and piano; Elliott Carter’s Sonata for flute, oboe, cello and harpsichord; and Per Nørgård’s The Well-Tempered Percussionist. Photos available at http://www.chameleonarts.org/press/photos.html ABOUT THE PROGRAM Chameleon’s goal has always been to transform the listening experience by celebrating both the rich tradition and the continual evolution of the art form. This philosophy is at the core of our offerings in the fall, with three very special programs exploring the influence of J. S. Bach and Baroque music on subsequent generations of composers. echoes of celestial song begins the project with works by five composers who look to Baroque music generally as a source of inspiration. Shostakovich composed his Piano Quintet, Op. 57 in 1940 at the behest of members of the Moscow-based Beethoven String Quartet. It was an immediate success and earned him the first Stalin Prize with a cash award of 100,000 rubles in 1941. Cast in five movements, the work is structured like a giant Baroque suite, including a massive Prelude and Fugue in the finest Bach-ian sense. A Soviet critic of the time wrote: “The 2015-2016 Chameleon Arts Ensemble – For Immediate Release, 9/11/15 Page 1 of 3 Quintet is one of those few works of modern art that combine depth of content with exquisiteness of form and intricacy of conception.” Stravinsky too borrows from the past with his Duo Concertant for violin and piano. For years he had resisted the violin/piano combination, taking “no pleasure in the blend of strings struck in the piano with strings set in vibration with the bow.” Stravinsky’s only original work for violin and piano, Duo Concertant was composed to fill out a program with the violinist Samuel Dushkin; the two toured as recitalists in 1932-34. The work’s five movements were inspired by traditional musical forms and idioms, as well as a biography of the Italian Renaissance poet Petrarch that Stravinsky had been reading. For Saint-Saëns, music of the Baroque and Classical periods was a touchstone throughout his career. He studied the French Baroque, prepared editions of works by Rameau and Lully, and had a lifelong love of the music of Bach. The Oboe Sonata, Op. 166, was the first of three wind sonatas written in 1921, the last year of Saint-Saëns’ life. Even through his Romantic prism, we hear a clarity and adherence to traditional forms and structures. Elliott Carter’s Sonata for flute, oboe, cello and harpsichord is a seminal work in which he manipulates our idea of time and creates a 20th century voice for a Baroque instrument. It was written in a burst of creativity following the realization of his mature musical language, as revealed in the Cello Sonata of 1948 and First String Quartet of 1951. He writes: “My idea was to stress as much as possible the vast and wonderful array of tone-colors available on the modern harpsichord, expressing characters unfamiliar to its extensive Baroque repertory.” Though rarely heard in the US, Per Nørgård is perhaps the most prominent Danish composer since Carl Nielsen. His music encompasses a wide range of styles and influences, from the high modernist to the Baroque. Three preludes from J. S. Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I serve as the source material for his The Well-Tempered Percussionist, a playful fantasy scored for vibraphone, marimba, and chimes. ABOUT CHAMELEON ARTS ENSEMBLE OF BOSTON Founded in 1998, Chameleon Arts Ensemble has distinguished itself as one of Boston’s finest, most versatile chamber ensembles. Chameleon and Artistic Director Deborah Boldin have earned unqualified praise for integrating old and new repertoire into unexpected chamber music programs that are themselves works of art. They were recognized nationally with 2009 and 2007 Awards for Adventurous Programming from Chamber Music America and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. The Boston Globe praised Ms. Boldin’s “discerning ears and cosmopolitan tastes,” noted “planning a good chamber music program is an art unto itself, and few in town have mastered it as persuasively,” and remarked, “During intermission, concertgoers could be overheard marveling at the program's breadth and wondering why other groups aren't as adventurous. Chameleon makes daring seem easy.” The artists of the Ensemble are highly respected and sought-after performers, with growing national and international reputations. Their superb artistry and finely honed collaborative skills ensure luminous performances and dynamic musical dialogues. The Arts Fuse recently praised them for “a spectacular, shattering rendition.” The Boston Musical Intelligencer hailed “Moreover, 2015-2016 Chameleon Arts Ensemble – For Immediate Release, 9/11/15 Page 2 of 3 for sheer musical beauty, this elegant and expressive performance would be hard to surpass, maintaining limpid tone and clear textures even in the most florid passages as well as immaculate ensemble and balances.” PERFORMERS Deborah Boldin, flute Vivian Choi, piano Nancy Dimock, oboe Balint Karosi, harpsichord Eunae Koh, violin William Manley, percussion Ayano Ninomiya, violin Rafael Popper-Keizer, cello Aaron Trant, percussion Scott Woolweaver, viola CALENDAR LISTING Chameleon Arts Ensemble 2015-2016 Chamber Music Season Concert 1: echoes of celestial song Program: Camille Saint-Saens, Sonata in D Major for oboe & piano, Op. 166 Igor Stravinsky, Duo Concertant for violin & piano Elliott Carter, Sonata for flute, oboe, cello & harpsichord (1952) Per Norgard, The Well-Tempered Percussionist Dmitri Shostakovich, Piano Quintet in g minor, Op. 57 Date/Time & Location: Saturday, October 10, 2015, 8 PM Sunday, October 11, 2015, 4 PM First Church, 66 Marlborough Street, Boston The closest subway stops are Arlington Street on the Green Line and Back Bay Station on the Orange Line. First Church in Boston is wheelchair accessible. TICKETS Individual tickets are $47, $36, and $25, with $5 discounts for students and seniors. Telephone: WWW: E-mail: 617-427-8200 www.chameleonarts.org info@chameleonarts.org ****** 2015-2016 Chameleon Arts Ensemble – For Immediate Release, 9/11/15 Page 3 of 3