Art music inspired by traditional dance

Details

Midnight on the Water full profile / hardanger d'amore, cello, violin+cello / 2 musicians

Other players: Daniel Hawkins

Full program notes

Set 1 -- solo cello:
Bach, Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major
Prélude
Allemande
Courante
Sarabande
Menuett I
Menuett II
Gigue

An analysis will be presented on how different bowing choices can affect danceability. Written examples will be distributed. Selections may vary based on desired concert length.

Set 2 -- solo hardanger d'amore:
Bach, violin partita no. 2 in D minor
1. Allemande
4. Gigue
O'Raghallaigh, Má Tá/If and Only If

We will discuss why Bach wrote this specific partita and how that information can affect danceability. Additionally, I will provide a short demonstration of the hardanger d'amore, a unique instrument of which only 46 exist in the world.

Set 3 -- violin+cello duo:
O’Carolan, Sí Bheag Sí Mhór
Traditional, Le Tourmont/Maison de Glace
Traditional, Spootiskerry (inspired by Terry Riley and Steve Reich)
Hawkins, Auden Avery

Historical context

Composers are always influenced by the sounds and culture that surround them. Tonight, we'll be looking into the unique ways that the dance traditions of Western Europe influenced composers from both the baroque and modern eras.

Videos from this ensemble