Classical Music | Works for cello and harp by Ravel, Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky and more

Rita Costanzi, harp; Carlene Stober, cello

Program
Tournier (1879-1951) Promenade à l’automne (1912)
Vivaldi (1678-1741) Sonata No. 6 in B-flat major
Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) The Swan (1886)
Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) Song of the Black Swan (1917)
Michael Kurek Serenade
Ravel (1875-1937) Pavane (1899)
Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Valse sentimentale (1882)
Tournier (1879-1951) Au matin
Marlos Nobre (b. 1939) Poema II

About the Performers
Formerly principal harpist of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Rita Costanzi subsequently became solo harpist of the CBC Radio Orchestra of Vancouver. Vancouver Sun has described her as “An Artist of immense gifts….”

Carlene Stober served as principal cellist of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and performed throughout the U.S. as a member of the Delphi String Quartet. She also performed as continuo cellist for Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity for many years. Ms. Stober is a member of Empire Viols.

About the Program
Marcel Tournier was a French harpist, composer, and teacher who composed important solo repertory for the harp that expanded the technical and harmonic possibilities of the instrument. His works are regularly performed in concert and recorded by professional harpists, and they are often test pieces for harp-performance competitions.

Antonio Vivaldi wrote a set of six sonatas for cello and continuo, written between 1720 and 1730, and published in Paris in 1740 by Leclerc and Boivin. These sonatas were published without an opus number; sometimes they are improperly called op. 14.

Saint-Saëns' The Swan is the 13th and penultimate movement of The Carnival of the Animals. Originally scored for solo cello accompanied by two pianos, it has been arranged and transcribed for many instruments but remains best known as a cello solo. This is the only movement from The Carnival of the Animals that the composer allowed to be played in public during his lifetime. He thought the remaining movements were too frivolous and would damage his reputation as a serious composer.

The Song of the Black Swan is extracted from Villa-Lobos' symphonic poem Naufragio de Kleônicos. It is a flowing, impressionistic duet for cello and piano that reveals his affection for the string instrument his father taught him as a child, and which he lavished with attention throughout his life.

Michael Kurek’s ever-present integrity of craft and his music’s emotional power have steadily earned him both national and international recognition, with performances by symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles on five continents. His Serenade is written in the traditional Romantic style. The composer says: “The work is a true collaboration of equals as chamber music, showcasing the harp far more extensively than a mere “accompaniment” for the cello.”

Marlos Nobre is a Brazilian composer, pianist and conductor. He was composer-in-residence at the Brahms-Haus in Baden-Baden invited by the Brahms Society, Germany from 1980-81. He has been a Visiting Professor at Yale, the Juilliard School, and many more. Nobre is currently the President of the National Music Committee of IMC/UNESCO.