Saturday, October 26, 2013

October 26 - Opus 10


THE OPUS PROJECT

Opus 10

  
8pm, Saturday, October 26, 2013
Community Music Center, 544 Capp Street
San Francisco, CA


Op. 10, No. 1

Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)
String Quartet No. 2, Op. 10 (1908)
          III.  Litanie (Litany) (Stephan George)

                    Sarita Cannon, Soprano
                    The Opus Project Quartet

Bela Bartok (1881-1945)   
Two Images, Op. 10 (1910)
          II.  Village Dance (Allegro) - Part I

                    The Opus Project Orchestra

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)   
Petrushka (1911)
          I.  First Tableau / The Shrovetide Fair: Russian Dance

                    The Opus Project Orchestra

Anton Webern (1883-1945)   
Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 10 (1913)
          I.  Sehr ruhig und zart (Very calmy and tenderly)
          IV.  Fliessend, ausserst zart (Flowing, extremely tenderly)

                    The Opus Project Orchestra


Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) 
Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 10 (1912)
         I.  Allegro brioso

                    Naomi Stine, Piano
                    The Opus Project Orchestra
     

Darius Milhaud (1892-1975)   
Three Poems of Lucile Chateaubriand, Op. 10 (1913)
          III. Innocence

                    Harriet March Page, Mezzo-Soprano
                    Melissa Smith, Piano

Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)   
String Quartet No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 10 (1918)
          I.  Sehr lebhaft, straff im Rhythmus (Very lively, tautly in rhythm)
                    Introduction

                    The Opus Project Quartet

Kurt Weill (1900-1950)   
Frauentanz, Op. 10 (1923)
          I.  Andantino, quasi Tempo di Menuetto
       
                    Harriet March Page, Mezzo-Soprano
                    The Opus Project Viola-Wind Quintet

Op. 10, No. 2

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Symphony No. 1, Op. 10 (1925)
          II. ... [Trio] Meno mosso

                    The Opus Project Orchestra
   

Samuel Barber (1910-1981)   


Three Songs, Op. 10 (1936) (James Joyce)



           I.  Rain Has Fallen

                    Sarita Cannon, Soprano
                    Melissa Smith, Piano

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10, No. 1 (1937)
          Variation I

                    The Opus Project Strings

Oliver Knussen (b. 1952)
Ocean de Terre, Op. 10 (1973)
          I.  Misurato (Excerpt)

                    Video
       

John Bilotta (b. 1948)

   
Electronic Composition No. 10 "The Lottery in Babylon" 
          (2000, Jorge Luis Borges)

                    John Bilotta, Electronics - Video

Mark Alburger (b. 1957)
Nocturnes for Insomniacs, Op. 10 (1978)
          III.  Night Music II

                    Mark Alburger, Voice
                    Carole Cloud, Violin
                    The Opus Project Orchestra


Michael Stubblefield (b. 1987)

  
Nightfall Dreams (2011)
          II.  Dream of the Sabbath

                    The Opus Project Piano Quintet


Austin Oz Graham (b. 1992)   


Arkantos, the Dark Father (2013)


          I.  Vrazhni Kalroz


                    The Opus Project Bassoon-Pierrot Ensemble


THE OPUS PROJECT presents

OPUS 11
8pm, Saturday, November 30, 2013, Diablo Valley College Music Building, Pleasant Hill, CA
A Multi-Media Event, with Raphael Gold, Charith Premawardhana, and The Opus Project Orchestra

Scott Joplin (1867-1917)             Treemonisha: Overture (1911)
Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)        Piano Piece, Op. 11, No 1 (1909)
Bela Bartok (1881-1945)            Duke Bluebeard's Castle, Op. 11: Doorway (1911)
Anton Webern (1883-1945)            Three Little Pieces for Cello and Piano, Op. 11 (1913)
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)            Toccata, Op. 11 (1912)
Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)            Viola Sonata, Op. 11, No. 4 (1918)
Kurt Weill (1900-1950)            Recordare, Op. 11 (1923)
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)        Two Pieces for Octet, Op. 11 (1925)
Samuel Barber (1910-1981)            Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 (1936)
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)        On This Island (Auden), Op. 11 (1937)
Terry Riley (b. 1935)        In C (in an 11-minute performance) (1964)
John Bilotta (b. 1948)            Electronic Composition No. 11 "The Ikariad " (2000)
Mark Alburger (b. 1957)            Portraits of Three [Flute] Players, Op. 11 (1978)

THE OPUS PROJECT ORCHESTRA

Mark Alburger               
Music Director and Conductor

Flute       
Rhina Reese
Martha Stoddard*

Oboe
Ashley Ertz
Eva Langfeldt
Anthony Perry

Clarinet
Michael Kimbell*

Bassoon
Michael Garvey*

Horn
Daniel Bao
Sally Johnson
Emily Sanchez*

Trombone
Emily Sanchez

Soprano
Sarita Cannon

Mezzo-Soprano
Harriet March Page

Guitar
Michael Stubblefield

Harp
Samantha Garvey

Piano
Lo Chau*
Melissa Smith*
Naomi Stine

Percussion
Ken Crawford

Violin I
Corey Johnson
Carole Mooney*

Violin II
Carol Earley*
Rozalia Valentine

Viola
Carol Earley
Kat Walsh*

Cello
Austin Graham*

Bass
Michael Stubblefield

*The Opus Project String Quartet,
and Piano, Viola-Wind, and Bassoon-Pierrot Quintets

Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)
String Quartet No. 2, Op. 10 (1908)
 III. Litanie (Litany)
(Stephan George, 1868-1933, from Der sibente Ring [The Seventh Ring], 1907)

Tief ist die trauer die mich umdüstert,
Ein tret ich wieder, Herr! in dein haus.
Lang war die reise, matt sind die glieder,
Leer sind die schreine, voll nur die qual.
Durstende zunge darbt nach dem weine.
Hart war gestritten, starr ist mein arm.
Gönne die ruhe schwankenden schritten,
Hungrigem gaume bröckle dein brot!
Schwach ist mein atem rufend dem traume,
Hohl sind die hände, fiebernd der mund.
Leih deine kühle, lösche der brände.
Tilge das hoffen, sende das licht!
Gluten im herzen lodern noch offen,
Innerst im grunde wacht noch ein schrei.
Töte das sehnen, schliesse die wunde!
Nimm mir die liebe, gib mir dein glück!

Deep is the sadness that gloomily comes over me,
Again I step, Lord, in your house.
Long was the ride, my limbs are weary,
The shrines are empty, only anguish is full.
My thirsty tongue desires wine.
The battle was hard, my arm is stiff.
Grudge peace to my staggering steps,
for my hungry gums break your bread!
Weak is my breath, bringing the dream,
my hands are hollow, my mouth fevers.
Lend your cool, douse the fires,
rub out hope, send the light!
Fires in my heart still glow, open,
inside my heart a cry wakes.
Kill the longing, close the wound!
Take my love away, give me your joy.

Darius Milhaud (1892-1975)   
Three Poems of Lucile Chateaubriand [1764-1804], Op. 10 (1913)
III. Innocence

Fille du ciel, aimable innocence,
Si j'osais de quelques-uns de tes traits
essayer une faible peinture,
Je dirais que tu tiens lieu de vertu à l'enfance,
De sagesse au printemps de la vie,
De beauté à la vieillesse
et de bonheur à l'infortune;
Qu'étrangère à nos erreurs,
tu ne verses que des larmes pures,
Et que ton sourire n'a rien que de céleste.
Belle innocence! Mais quoi! les dangers t'environnent,
L'envie t'adresse tous ses traits:
trembleras-tu, modeste innocence?
Chercheras-tu à te dérober
aux périls qui te menacent?
Non, je te vois debout, endormie,
la tête appuyée sur un autel.

Daughter of heaven, kind Innocence!
If I dared use some of your features
to attempt a weak portrait of you,
I would say that you substitute for virtue in childhood,
And for wisdom in the springtime of life;
For beauty in old age,
and for happiness in misfortune.
That, a stranger to our indiscretions,
you weep only pure tears,
And there is only divinity in your smile.
Beautiful Innocence! But wait! Dangers surround you;
Envy looks you full in the face.
Will you tremble, modest Innocence?
Will you seek to shy away
From the perils that threaten you?
No: I see you standing asleep,
your head resting upon an altar.

Kurt Weill (1900-1950)   
Frauentanz, Op. 10 (1923)
I. Andantino, quasi Tempo di Menuetto (Dietmar von Aist?, b. c. 1100)

Wir haben die winterlange Nacht
Mit Freuden wohl empfangen
Ich und ein Ritter wohlbedacht,
Sein Wille ist ergangen.

Wie wir es beide uns gedacht,
So hat ers an ein End gebracht,
Mit mancher Freude und Liebe viel,
Er ist wie ihn mein Herze will.

With joy did we bid welcome to
The lengthy winter's night
I and an admirable knight,
His will has fled from him.

His joy and mine did he foretell
In coming to an end
With certain gladness and much love
He's how I'd have him be.

Samuel Barber (1910-1981)   
Three Songs, Op. 10 (1936) (James Joyce, 1882-1941)
 I. Rain Has Fallen (Moderato) (Chamber Music: XXXI [1907])

Rain has fallen all the day.
O come along the laden trees:
The leaves lie thick upon the way
Of memories.
Staying a little by the way
Of memories shall we depart.
Come, my beloved, where I may
Speak to your heart.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

September 28 - Opus 9


THE OPUS PROJECT

Opus 9

8pm, Saturday, September 28, 2013
Diablo Valley College Music Building
Pleasant Hill, CA



Op. 9, No. 1

Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915)  
Prelude and Nocturne for the Left-Hand, Op. 9 (1894)
     I. Prelude in C-Sharp Minor
     II. Nocturne in D-Flat Major 

     Lo Chau, Piano

Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)
Chamber Symphony No. 1 in E Major, Op. 9 (1906)
     Introduction
      
     The Opus Project Orchestra

Bela Bartok (1881-1945)
Four Dirges, Op. 9 (1910)
     I.  Adagio

     Mark Alburger, Piano

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
Two Poems of Paul Verlaine, Op. 9 (1910)
     I.  Un Grand Sommeil Noir (A Great, Black Sleep)

     Megan Cullen, Soprano
     The Opus Project Orchestra

Anton Webern (1883-1945)
Six Bagatelles, Op. 9 (1913)
     I.  Massig (Moderato)
     
     The Opus Project Quartet

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Two Poems, Op. 9 (1911)
     I.  Jest' Drugije Planety (There Are Other Planets) 
     (Konstantin Bal'mont) (Verse 1)

     Megan Cullen, Soprano
     The Opus Project Orchestra

Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)
Three Songs for Voice and Orchestra, Op. 9 (1917)
     I.  Meine Nachte Sind Heiser Zerschrien 
     (My Throat Is Hoarse from Screaming)
     (Ernst Wilhelm Lotz) (Vocal Introduction)

     Megan Cullen, Soprano
     The Opus Project Orchestra

Kurt Weill (1900-1950)
Quodlibet, Op. 9 (1923)
     I. Andante non troppo (Introduction)

     The Opus Project Orchestra



Opus 9, No. 2

Dmitri Kabalevsky (1904-1987)
Piano Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 9 (1928)
     III.  Vivace marcato (Introduction)

     Video

Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
Symphony No. 1 in One Movement, Op. 9 (1936)
     Introduction

     The Opus Project Orchestra

Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000)
Piano Quintet, Op. 9 (1926)
     I.  Andante

     The Opus Project Piano Quintet

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
Soirees Musicales, Op. 9 (1936)
     I.  March

     The Opus Project Orchestra


John Lennon (1940-1980)
Revolution 9 (1968)

     The Opus Project Orchestra



Mark Alburger (b. 1957)
Psalm 92, Op. 9 (1977)
     V-XI

     Megan Cullen, Soprano
     The Opus Project Orchestra


Michael Stubblefield (b. 1989)
Distant Worlds (2009)
     Sumeria

     Alan Kingsley, Flute
     Peter Brown, Clarinet
     Michael Stubblefield, Guitar


Austin Graham (b. 1992)
Mild Insanity (2013)
     
     The Opus Project End-Of-Time Quartet
    

THE OPUS PROJECT presents

OPUS 10 - 8pm, Saturday, October 26, 2013, Community Music Center, 544 Capp Street, San Francisco, CA

A Multi-Media Event, with Sarita Cannon, and The Opus Project Quartet and Orchestra 

Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)  String Quartet No. 2, Op. 10, No. 3 (1908) 
Bela Bartok (1881-1945)   Image, Op. 10, No. 2 (1910)
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)   Petrushka: Russian Dance (1911)
Anton Webern (1883-1945)   Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 10 (1913) 
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)   Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 10: Introduction (1912)
Darius Milhaud (1892-1975)   Poem of Lucile de Chateaubriand, Op. 10, No. 1 (1913)
Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)   String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 10, No. 1 (1918)
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)  Symphony No. 1, Op. 10, No. 2: Trio (1925)
Samuel Barber (1910-1981)   James Joyce Song, Op. 10, No. 1 (1936)
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)  Variation on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10, No. 1 (1937)
Mark Alburger (b. 1957)   Nocturnes for Insomniacs, Op. 10, No. 1, (1978)


THE OPUS PROJECT ORCHESTRA

Mark Alburger  
Music Director and Conductor 

Flute  
Alan Kingsley

Oboe
Eva Langfeldt


Clarinet
Peter Brown*


Bassoon
Nat Echols
Lori Garvey
Michael Garvey

Trumpet
David Graber
Anthony Ragus


Trombone
Zack Newbegin

Soprano
Megan Cullen 

Tenor
Mark Alburger


Guitar
Michael Stubblefield

Piano
Mark Alburger*
Lo Chau


Percussion
Ken Crawford


Violin I
Jaehee Kim*

Violin II
Rozalia Valentine*

Viola
Carol Earley*

Cello
Austin Graham*

Bass
Michael Stubblefield

*The Opus Project 
End-of-Time and 
String Quartets, and 
Piano Quintet



Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
Two Poems of Paul Verlaine, Op. 9, No. 1 (1910)
     I. Un Grand Sommeil Noir (A Great Black Sleep)

Un grand sommeil noir 
Tombe sur ma vie: 
Dormez, tout espoir, 
Dormez, toute envie! 
Je ne vois plus rien, 
Je perds la memoire 
Eu mal et du bien... 
O la triste histoire!
Je suis un berceau 
Qu' une main balance 
Au creux d'un caveau.... 
Silence, silence. 

A great black sleep
Falls on my life:
Sleep, all hope,
Sleep, all desire!
I am not able to see,
I have lost my memory,
Of bad and good...
O sad story!
I am a cradle
Balanced by hand
In the hollowness of a cave...
Silence, silence.


Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Two Poems, Op. 9 (1911)
     I. Jest' Drugije Planety (There Are Other Planets)
     (Konstantin Dmitrevich Bal'mont) (Verse 1)

Jest' drugije planety, 
 gde vetry pevuchije tishe,
Gde nebo bledneje, 
 travy ton'she i vyshe,
Gde preryvisto l'jutsja 
 peremennyje svety,
No svojej peremenoj tol'ko laskajut, smejutsja.


There are other planets, 
 where the skies are clear and calm 
Mimosa blossoms are softer, 
 sweet grasses grow higher. 
The clarity that plays there, 
 it is less changable than here, 
We cherish it always and can always smile.


Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)
Three Songs, Op. 9 (1917)
     I. Meine Nachte sind heiser zerschrien 
     (My Throat Is Hoarse from Screaming)
     (Ernst Wilhelm Lotz) (Vocal Introduction)

Meine Nachte sind heiser zerschrieen. 
Eine Wunde, die riss. 
Ein Zum Fenster flakkerte ein Schrei herein 
Voll Sommer, Laub und Herz.

My throat is hoarse from screaming,
A wound, a tear.
From a window flickered a cry in here --
Full summer, leaves and heart.


Mark Alburger (b. 1957)
Psalm 92, Op. 9 (1977)
     V-XI

O Lord, how great are thy works, and thy thoughts are very deep.
A brutish man knows not, neither do fools understand.
When the wicked spring as the grass, and thrive the workers of iniquity --
It is that thy shall be destroyed forever.

Oh Thou Lord are most high, forever evermore,
For lo, thine enemies shall perish evermore,
And all the workers of iniquity shall perish.

Exalts my soul like a unicorn, I am anointed with fresh oil.
Mine eyes have seen the downfull of my enemies.
Mine ears have heard the doom of my assailants.

Saturday, August 31, 2013

August 31 - Opus 8


THE OPUS PROJECT


Opus 8


8pm, Saturday, August 31, 2013

Berkeley Arts Festival
2133 University, Berkeley, CA



Op. 8, No. 1

Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)    Six Orchestral Songs, Op. 8 (1905)
                    I. Natur (Introduction) (Heinrich Hart)

                    Letitia C. Page, Soprano
                    The Opus Project Orchestra


Bela Bartok (1881-1945)        Romanian Folk Dances, Op. 8a (1910)
                    I. Allegro vivace

                    Peter Frankl - Video

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)        The Firebird (1910)
                    Infernal Dance (Introduction)
                    Berceuse
                    Finale

                    The Opus Project Orchestra

Anton Webern (1883-1945)        Two Songs after Poems of Rainier Maria Rilke, Op. 8 (1910)
                    I. Langsam ("Du, der ichs nicht sage, daß ich bei Nacht")

                    Megan Cullen, Soprano
                    The Opus Project Orchestra

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)        Autumnal Sketch, Op. 8 (1910)
                    Andantino con tristessa

                    The Opus Project Orchestra


Darius Milhaud (1892-1975)        Suite for Piano, Op. 8 (1910)
                    I. Lent

                    Elizabeth Lee, Piano


Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)        Three Pieces for Cello and Piano, Op. 8 (1917)
                    II. Phantasiestuck (Introduction)

                    Elizabeth Morrison, Cello
                    Elizabeth Lee, Piano


Kurt Weill (1900-1950)        String Quartet No. 1, Op. 8 (1923)
                    I. Introduktion

                    The Opus Project Quartet



Dmitri Kabalevsky (1904-1987)    String Quartet No. 1, Op. 8 (1928)
                    I. Andante / Allegro moderato

                    Glazunov Quartet - Video



 Opus 8, No. 2


Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)    Piano Trio No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 8 (1923)
                    I. Andante



                     The Opus Project Piano Trio

Samuel Barber (1910-1981)        Two Choruses, Op. 8 (1936)
                    II. Let Down the Bars, O Death (Emily Dickinson)

                    The Opus Project Orchestra


Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)    Two Insect Pieces (1935)
                    I. The Grasshopper



                    Stardust, Oboe
                    Elizabeth Lee, Piano

                Our Hunting Fathers, Op. 8 (1936) (W.H. Auden)

                    Prologue

                    Megan Cullen, Soprano
                    The Opus Project Orchestra

Jan Pusina (b. 1940)        Pool (2011) (Diane Frank)

                    Letitia C. Page, Soprano
                    The Opus Project Orchestra


Michael Kimbell (b. 1946)        Celestial Encounters (1986)



             Elizabeth Lee, Piano

      
Harry Bernstein (b. 1948)        Mary Had a Little Lamp (1997) (Ira Yellowstone)


                     Sarita Cannon, Soprano
                    Maria Reeves, Piano

Mark Alburger (b. 1957)        The Twelve Fingers, Op. 8, No. 12 (1977)
                    XII. March

                    The Opus Project Orchestra   

Stardust (b. 1962)            Opus 8

                    The Opus Project Orchestra

Michael Stubblefield (b. 1989)    March of the Defiled Horde

                    The Opus Project Orchestra


The Opus Project concerts are a series of benefits for Awesome Orchestra, Diablo Valley College Music, Goat Hall Productions / San Francisco's Cabaret Opera, and San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra


THE OPUS PROJECT ORCHESTRA

Mark Alburger                    Music Director and Conductor

Flute       
Harry Bernstein
Alan Kingsley

Oboe
Stardust

Clarinet
Rachel Condry
Michael Kimbell

Bassoon
Nat Echols
Lori Garvey
Michael Garvey

Trumpet
Ron Cohen
David Graber

Horn
Priscilla Nunn
Jan Pusina
Valerie Senavsky

Trombone
Zack Newbegin
Noah Ortiz

Tuba
Francis Upton IV

Soprano
Sarita Cannon
Letitia C. Page

Mezzo Soprano
Megan Cullen
Maria Christina Heryanto

Harp
Samantha Garvey

Piano
Mark Alburger
Elizabeth Lee
Maria Reeves+

Percussion
Ken Crawford

Violin I
Carolyn Lowenthal*+
Nicholas Morales

Violin II
Corey Johnson*

Viola
Rozalia Valentine
Kat Walsh*

Cello
Austin Graham
Elizabeth Morrison*+

Bass
Michael Stubblefield

+The Opus Project Piano Trio
*The Opus Project Quartet


THE OPUS PROJECT presents

OPUS 9 - 8pm, Saturday, September 28, 2013, Berkeley Arts Festival, 2133 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA

A Multi-Media Event, with The Opus Project Quartet and Orchestra

Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)        Chamber Symphony, Op. 9 (1906)
Bela Bartok (1881-1945)            Dirge, Op. 9, No. 1 (1910)
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)        Poem of Paul Verlaine, Op. 9, No. 1 (1910)
Anton Webern (1883-1945)            Six Bagatelles for String Quartet, Op. 9 (1913)
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)        Two Poems, Op. 9 (1911)
Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)        Three Songs, Op. 9 (1917)
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)    Three Pieces for Cello and Piano, Op. 9 (1924)
Samuel Barber (1910-1981)            Symphony in One Movement, Op. 9 (1936)
Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000)        Piano Quintet, Op. 9 (1926)
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)        Soirees Musicales, Op. 9, No. 1 (1936)
Mark Alburger (b. 1957)            Psalm 92, Op. 9 (1977)


Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)   
Six Orchestral Songs, Op. 8 (1905)
I. Natur (Introduction) (Heinrich Hart)

Nacht fließt in Tag und Tag in Nacht,
der Bach zum Strom, der Strom zum Meer -
in Tod zerrinnt des Lebens Pracht,
und Tod zeugt Leben licht und hehr.

Night flows into day and day into night,
the brook to the river, the river to the sea -
in death the life splendour disappears,
and death witnesses to life light and more nobility.


Anton Webern (1883-1945)   
Two Songs after Poems of Rainer Maria Rilke, Op. 8 (1910)
I. Langsam ("Du, der ichs nicht sage, daß ich bei Nacht")

Du, der ichs nicht sage, daß ich bei Nacht
weinend liege,
deren Wesen mich müde macht
wie eine Wiege.
Du, die mir nicht sagt, wenn sie wacht
Meinetwillen:
wie, wenn wir diese Pracht
ohne zu stillen
in uns ertrügen?

You, who I do not tell that I lie, at night,
awake crying,
whose nature tires me
like a cradle.
You, who does not say to me if she is awake
On my account.
If we endure this splendour,
Without satisfaction,
How can we bear it?


Samuel Barber (1910-1981)   
Two Choruses, Op. 8 (1936)
II. Let Down the Bars, O Death (Emily Dickinson)

Let down the bars, O Death!   
The tired flocks come in   
Whose bleating ceases to repeat,   
Whose wandering is done.   
 
Thine is the stillest night,           
Thine the securest fold;   
Too near thou art for seeking thee,   
Too tender to be told.


Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)   
Our Hunting Fathers, Op. 8 (1936) (W.H. Auden)
Prologue

    They are our past and our future; the poles between which our desire unceasingly is discharged.
    A desire in which love and hatred so perfectly oppose themselves, that we cannot voluntarily move, but await the extraordinary compulsion of the deluge and the earthquake.
    Their finish has inspired the limits of all arts and ascetic movements.
   
    Their affections and indifferences have been a guide to all reformers and tyrants.
    Their appearances in our dreams of machinery have brought a vision of nude and fabulous epochs.
    O pride so hostile to our charity.
    But what their pride has retained we may by charity more generously recover.


Jan Pusina (b. 1940)       
Pool (2011) (Diane Frank)

My words ripple through water.
When they touch you,
you don’t understand. 
They escape your fingers. 

Words surrounded by rocks. (stones)

Words
    under
        water.

They swim inside themselves
to find their own light.

In the pool I inhale your skin. 
I swim in the scent of you.
My words don’t touch you
the way our kisses do. 

Our toes touch as
fantail koi brush your skin
in a Japanese temple garden. 

My words
swim through the water
push through
the alphabet of your skin.
  

Harry Bernstein (b. 1948)   
Mary Had a Little Lamp (1997) (Ira Yellowstone)

Mary had a little lamp,
It lightened every night.
Though she was cute, and very smart,
The lamp was not so bright.

She brought the lamp for show and tell
At her exclusive school.
Outshone by cheap fluorescent bulbs,
The lamp felt like a fool.
It went berserk and fled the school,
Embarking on a lampage.
At last, outwatted by the cops,
Who chilled it in a damp cage.

Upon reflection, shed the lamp repentantly a tear.
So Mary and the lamp when home.
And now, whenever Mary read,
The lamp was sure to glow.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

July 27 - Opus 7


THE OPUS PROJECT

Opus 7



8pm, Saturday, July 27, 2013
Diablo Valley College Music Building Auditorium
Viking Drive, Pleasant Hill, CA


Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)


String Quartet No. 1, Op. 7, No. 4 (1905)
     M. Massig = heiter (Moderately = cheerful)

     The Opus Project String Quartet


Bela Bartok (1881-1945)

  
String Quartet No. 1, Op. 7, No. 4 (1909)
     II. Allegretto

     The Opus Project String Quartet
      

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)


Four Etudes, Op. 7 (1908)
     IV. Vivo

     George N. Gianopoulos - Video
       

Anton Webern (1883-1945)   
Four Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 7 (1909)
     I. Sehr langsam
     III. Sehr langsam

     Maria Gusenkov, Violin
     Mark Alburger, Piano


Alban Berg (1885-1935)

   
Wozzeck, Op. 7 (1922)



      Act I, Scene 3: Lullaby


     Megan Cullen, Soprano



      The Opus Project Orchestra


Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)

       
Sept Poemes de La Conaissance d'Este, Op 7 (1913)                        
     VII. Le Point (Introduction)

     Megan Cullen, Soprano
     Carol Reynolds, Piano


Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Scherzo in Eb-Major for Orchestra, Op. 7 (1923)
     Introduction

     The Opus Project Orchestra
   

Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
Music for a Scene from Shelley, Op. 7 (1933)
     Crescendo poco a poco

     The Opus Project Orchestra
       


Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
Friday Afternoons, Op. 7 (1935)
     X. The Jazz Man (Eleanor Farjeon)
                       
     Coro Femminile
     Zaccaria da Teramo Ensemble - Video
   



Bill Holcombe


(1924-2010)       


Katrina Suite


(2010)


     II. The Storm



     Classical Brass Quintet

Mark Alburger (b. 1957)
Interrupted Interludes, Op. 7 (1976)
     II. Rod Song
     III. Spoil Song

     The Opus Project Orchestra  


Doug Michael (b. 1962)   
Extensions No. 2 for Tape (1996)
     Doug Michael - Audio



Michael Stubblefield (b. 1989)
String Quartet No. 1 in A Minor (2012)
     III. Allegretto

     The Opus Project String Quartet


Omri-Shir Dallal (b. 1994)

  
Frail and Falling (2013)

     The Opus Project Piano Quartet                   



THE OPUS PROJECT ORCHESTRA



Mark Alburger               
Music Director and Conductor

Flute       
Harry Bernstein

Alan Kingsley


Oboe
Stardust

Clarinet
Rachel Condry


Bassoon
Nat Echols

Trumpet
John Hagglof+
Mancho Gonzalez+

Horn
Sally Johnson+
Priscilla Nunn

Trombone
Dean Leonard+
Zack Newbegin

Tuba
Dustin Short+
Francis Upton IV

Soprano
Megan Cullen

Piano
Mark Alburger


Omri-Shir Dallal*


Carol Reynolds
 

Electronics
Doug Michael

Percussion
Mark Alburger

Violin I
Lawrence Huang
Moses Lei*
 


Violin II
Maria Gusenkov*
Corey Johnson*


Viola
Harry Bernstein*
Carol Earley
Kat Walsh*



Cello
Aaron Urton*
 

Bass
Michael Stubblefield


+ Classical Brass Quintet

*The Opus Project
Piano and String Quartets


Alban Berg (1885-1935)       
Wozzeck, Op. 7 (1922): Act I, Scene 3: Lullaby

Eia popeia...

Madel, was fanst Du jetzt an?
Hast ein klein Kind un kein Mann!
Ei, was frag' ich dar nach,
Sing' ich die ganze Nacht:
Eia popeia, mein susser Bu',
Gibt mir kein Mensch nix dazu!

Hansel, spann' Deine sechs Schimmel an,
Gib sie zu fressen auf's neu
Kein Haber fresse sie,
Kein Wasser saufe sie,
Lauter kuhle Wein muss es sein!
Lauter kuhle Wein muss es sein!

Hush-a-bye, baby...

Maiden, what song shall you sing?
You have a child, but no ring.
Why such sorrow pursue?
Singing the whole night through:
Hush-a-bye, baby, my darling son,
Nobody cares, ne 'er a one.

Hansel, go saddle your horses now,
Give them to eat and to spare,
No oats to eat today,
No water to drink today,
Purest, coolest wine shall it be!
Purest, coolest wine shall it be!


Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)   
Sept Poemes de La Conaissance d'Este, Op 7 (1913) (Paul Claudel)
     VII. Le Point (Introduction)

Je m'arrete: il y a un point a ma promenade
comme a une phrase que l'on a finie.
C'est le titre d'une tombe a mes pieds,
a ce detour ou le chemin descend.

De la je prends ma derniere vue de la terre,
j'envisage le pays des morts.

I stop: there is a point to my walk
as a sentence has which has been finished.
It is the title of a tomb at my feet,
on this turning or descending path.

Here I take my last sight of the earth,
I imagine the land of the dead.


THE OPUS PROJECT presents

OPUS 8
8pm, Saturday, August 31, 2013
Berkeley Arts Festival
2133 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA

A Multi-Media Event, with Ron Cohen,
Elizabeth Lee, Elizabeth Morrison, and
The Opus Project Trio, Quartet, and Orchestra

Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)       
Nature, Op. 8, No. 1 (1905)

Bela Bartok (1881-1945)       
Romanian Folk Dance, Op. 8a, No. 1 (1910)

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)   
The Firebird: Diabolical Dance, Berceuse, Finale (1910)

Anton Webern (1883-1945)   
Song after a Poem of Rilke, Op. 8, No. 1 (1910)

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)       
Autumnal, Op. 8 (1910)

Darius Milhaud (1892-1975)   
Suite for Piano, Op. 8 (1910)

Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)       
Scherzo for Cello and Piano, Op. 8, No. 3 (1917)

Kurt Weill (1900-1950)       
String Quartet No. 1, Op. 8, No. 1 (1923)

Dmitri Kabalevsky (1904-1987)       
String Quartet No. 1, Op. 8, No. 1 (1928)

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)       
Piano Trio No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 8, No. 1 (1923)

Samuel Barber (1910-1981)       
Chorus, Op. 8, No. 1 (1936)

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)       
Two Insect Pieces (1935) / Our Hunting Fathers, Op. 8 (1936)

William Severson (b. 1941)       
Brass Quintet (2009)

Harry Bernstein (b. 1948)       
Mary Had a Little Lamp (1997)

Michael Kimbell (b. 1946)       
Celestial Encounters (1986)

Mark Alburger (b. 1957)       
The Twelve Fingers: March, Op. 8, No. 12 (1977)