River Rhapsodies Series
For three years River Rhapsodies has been the must-have ticket in Little Rock! The 2008-2009 season again promises an unforgettable experience with grand music in a dramatic setting—sweeping views of the city skyline, sunset vistas, and the Arkansas River flowing nearby—as you enjoy composers from Bach to Brahms, Paganini to Piazzolla.
A MUSICAL BANQ
UET
September 23, 2008
Zuill Bailey, cello (Richard Sheppard Arnold Chamber Music Artist of Distinction)
Quapaw Quartet
TBA, piano
John Dahlstrand, bass
Bach: Selections for solo cello
Couperin: Pièces en concert
Massenet: Meditation from Thaïs
Paganini: Variations on One String
Schubert: “Arpeggione” Sonata
Vieuxtemps: Souvenir d’ Amérique
Piazzolla: Grand Tango for Cello and String Quartet
It’s the fabulous opening of our third River Rhapsodies series, with special guest artist Zuill Bailey joining in the festivities. From the Baroque splendor of Bach to the lyrical beauty of Schubert to the sultry new tango rhythms of Piazzolla, this tuneful banquet will satisfy your every musical appetite!
THE MAGIC OF 3
2 STRINGS
October 21, 2008
Rockefeller Quartet
Sturgis Quartet
Smetana: String Quartet No. 1, “From My Life”
Franck: String Quartet in D Major
Czech composer Bedřich Smetana’s beautifully crafted “tone picture” of his life expresses yearning, love, and joy through echoes of his beloved native Bohemia; in combination with César Franck’s sensuous and soaring string quartet, this program will linger long in your memory.
FROM THE HEART OF EUROPE
November 18, 2008
Quapaw Quartet
Dvořák: Cypresses (selections)
Bartók: String Quartet No. 6
Beethoven: String Quartet No. 10, “Harp”
This splendid program is a study in contrasts: the rhythmic daring and extraordinary sound world of Bartók; Beethoven’s consummate mastery of the form in his “Harp” Quartet; plus Dvořák’s beautiful recasting of love songs for four strings.
CLASSIC GRACE
January 27, 2009
Kiril Laskarov, violin
Gerry Gibson, oboe
Rockefeller Quartet
David Itkin, harpsichord
Arriaga: String Quartet No. 3
Albinoni: Oboe Concerto in D Minor, Op. 9, No. 2
Haydn: Violin Concerto in C Major
Composers from Spain, Italy, and Austria contribute their unique flavor to this pleasing program of 18th and early 19th century music: a sparkling quartet by the teenaged Arriaga; Albinoni’s lyrical concerto, starring our principal oboe; and Haydn’s virtuoso showpiece featuring our co-concertmaster.
QUARTET/OCTET
February 17, 2009
Quapaw Quartet
Sturgis Quartet
Schumann: String Quartet, Op. 41, No. 3, in A Major, “Clara”
Enescu: String Octet in C Major, Op. 7
Fall in love with a quartet filled with yearning, sighing, and beautiful melodies by the ultra-Romantic Schumann. Nineteen-year-old George Enescu extravagantly synthesized nocturne, fugue, wild waltz, and Romanian music in his octet—stunningly interpreted by two of our resident quartets.
A TOUCH OF THE GYPS
Y
April 21, 2009
Sunaura Trio
Meredith Maddox, violin
Ryan Mooney, viola
Melita Hunsinger, cello
Tim Smith, piano
Paul Dickinson: Nine Pieces for Woodwind Trio
M. Arnold: Divertimento
Brahms: Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor
Devilishly difficult to play, Nine Pieces by Arkansas’ Paul Dickinson was written especially for the Sunaura Trio; Malcolm Arnold’s witty, tuneful Divertimento is a masterpiece for flute, oboe, and clarinet; and Brahms gives his glorious quartet a fiery “gypsy rondo” finale.
[Ensemble Personnel]
Quapaw Quartet
Eric Hayward, violin
Meredith Maddox, violin
Ryan Mooney, viola
Melita Hunsinger, cello
Rockefeller Quartet
Christian Baker, violin
Darby BeDell, violin
Katherine Reynolds, viola
Daniel Cline, cello
Sturgis Quartet
Joanna Whang, violin
Tatania Kotcherguina, viola
William Preece, cello
