Sunday, Jan 24, 2010 at 3 pm: Poetry, Nursery Rhymes and Music
Anima Sacra Series at Second Presbyterian Church
7700 North Meridian Street in Indianapolis, Indiana 46260
The New Century String Quartet presents an intriguing program combining the power of international language and music. With mezzo-soprano Mitzi Westra, two works for string quartet and voice are featured: “A Sinking Love” by Tan Dun, with the Chinese text of an 8th century poem “In the Quiet Night” by Li Bai; and “Il tramonto” by Ottorino Respighi, based on the Italian translation of “The Sunset” by English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Also included is String Quartet no. 5 of Heitor Villa-Lobos - joyfully integrating melodies from Brazilian children’s songs.
*“A Sinking Love” by Tan Dun explores the inflections of an 8th century Chinese poem by Li Bai, and is built on 6 pitches from a “Fantazia” of 17th century English composer Henry Purcell. Shelly’s “The Sunset”, beautifully translated into the Italian “Il tramonto”, is then exquisitely set to music by Ottorino Respighi. Both works transcend the cultural barriers of differing languages. In the delightful String Quartet no. 5 Villa-Lobos pays tribute to children in including nursery rhyme and lullaby melodies as thematic materials.
