The inspiration for Contrasts occurred at a restaurant dinner enjoyed by Joseph Szigeti, the eminent Hungarian violinist, and Benny Goodman, the great jazz clarinetist. They agreed to perform together, but new repertoire was necessary. The obvious choice of composer was Szigeti's compatriot, Bela Bartok (1881-1945), who could also perform with them as pianist. Szigeti wrote to Bartok, who completed the composition within the month.

 A Verbunkos is a vigorous Hungarian dance performed by army recruiting officers, dressed in full regalia, who try to persuade young men to enlist. The Piheno, the Hungarian word for repose, was added to the work after its 1939 premiere. For the Sebes, or fast dance, the violinist must use a second violin tuned to the notes G sharp, D, E flat, creating the effect of a dance macabre. The slower middle section is based on the asymmetrical Bulgarian dance rhythm of 3+2+3+2+3. The work concludes with a violin cadenza and a display of colorful effects from all three instruments.

  

John Harbison: Twilight Music for Horn Trio (1984)

Paul Rosenthal, Violin Richard Todd, Horn Bernadene Blaha, Piano

This horn trio was commissioned by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and first performed in 1985. Harbison describes the work: "Twilight Music" was written for three instruments that I heard as best meeting under cover of dusk. The horn and the violin have little in common. Any merging must be trompe l'oreille, and they share material mainly to show how differently they project it. In this piece the two meet casually at the beginning, and part rather formally at the end. In between they follow the piano into a Presto, which dissolves into the twilight half-tones that name the piece. The third section, an Antiphon, is the crux--the origin of the piece's intervallic character." 

The German-Swedish composer Ingolf Dahl (1912-1970) left Europe in 1035 to relocate in the United States. Sought after as a conductor, teacher, and pianist, and determined to further the careers of contemporary composers, the versatile Dahl found only limited time to create his own compositions, Dahl was known as a wit, and jocose quality frequently emerges in his music. 

Written in 1947, the Concerto-a-Tres opens with a jazzlike, syncopated episode. A warmly lyrical section and a sparsely harmonized chorale follow. The opening material returns at the virtuoso cadenza for clarinet. The concerto ends with a presto section in 2/4 time that accelerates to a rapid 6/8 time.

The work was made by a grant from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The composer, a successful touring concert pianist, writes: "The piece was originally conceived to form part of a program with a mythological theme. I formed--as a rough visual draft--an imagined scenario of a musical invocation (the declamatory opening), Pan awakening (the flute solo), and finally a forest dance (the finale). A close friend of mine who, upon hearing it for the first time, commented that it sounded a bit like a cross between Ravel, the soul group Earth, Wind and Fire, and the theme song from the television series 'Mission Impossible"! The piece is not to be taken too seriously, just enjoyed."

Festival Musicians

Bernadene Blaha, Piano, has performed recitals throughout North and South America and has appeared as soloist with numerous major orchestras. In 1995 she presented the opening solo recital at the International Chopin Festival in Czechoslovakia. Her first prize award in the Eleventh International Piano Competition in New York City resulted in two highly acclaimed recital appearances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. She recently released her first solo recording of selected works of Chopin. Ms. Blaha is currently on the piano faculty of the University of Southern California.

Kevin Fitz-Gerald, Piano, is Professor of Piano at the University of Southern California. He recently toured Japan under the auspices of IMA Concerts and has recorded for the Summit, Skylark, and CBC labels. A frequent guest at summer festivals, Mr. Fitz-Gerald is on the faculties at Banff, Round Top (Texas), and the International Chamber Music Institute at Melbourne, Australia. He has won several prestigious competitions including the CBC National Radio Auditions and the Young Artists National Piano Competition.

Peter Rejto, Cellist, has been acclaimed throughout the U.S. and abroad as one of this country's leading artists. Since winning the 1972 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, he has performed hundreds of recitals and concerto programs with groups such as the Dallas and St. Louis Symphonies. Mr. Rejto has toured with "Music from Marlboro" and has performed at the festivals of Santa Fe, Aspen, La Jolla, Round Top, and Bravo!, Colorado. He appears regularly with the Los Angeles Piano Quartet, of which he is a founding member.

Paul Rosenthal, Violin, studied with Dorothy DeLay and Ivan Galamian at the Julliard School and with Jascha Heifetz at the University of Southern California. Mr. Rosenthal performs concertos with international orchestras and appears in chamber music festivals in the United States, Europe and Canada. He records on numerous labels, including RCA, Vox, Vanguard, and Biddulph. An Alaska resident, Mr. Rosenthal founded the famous Sitka Summer Music Festival in 1972. He directs the festival's Autumn and Winter Classics in Anchorage.

Patricia Shands, Clarinet, has been acclaimed for her solo and chamber performances. She has won numerous prizes and has performed throughout the United States, Canada, South America, and Italy. Chamber music collaborations include performances with the Colorado String Quartet, the Concord String Quartet, and the Franciscan String Quartet. She is a member of the American Sinfonietta and the Pacific Arts Wind Quintet, which records for Orion Records. Ms. Shands is on the faculty of the University of the Pacific.

Richard Todd, Horn, has won prestigious competitions in the classical field and accolades for his performances as a jazz artist. In 1980 Mr. Todd was awarded the Gold Medal at the Coucours International de Toulon and subsequently won the Pro Musicus International Foundation Award. Currently solo/principal horn with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Mr. Todd performs recitals throughout the United States and Europe. He has recorded for Angel, Nonesuch, Delos, BMG, EMI and GM records.

James Walker, Flute, performs in concertos, chamber music, jazz improvisation, and motion picture soundtracks. Mr. Walker brings a uniquely beautiful sound and an exhilarating approach to music making. Principal flute of the Los Angeles Philharmonic for many seasons, he now devotes himself to his jazz and classical quartet, Free Flight. He is also Coordinator of Flute at the University of Southern California and conducts master classes around the world.

Carmit Zori, Violin, came to the Unites States from Israel at age 15 to study at the Curtis Institute. Her numerous honors include the Levintritt Foundation Award, top prize in the Walter Naumburg International Violin Competition, and the Pro Musicus Foundation Award. Ms. Zori performs internationally, both as a recitalist and as soloist with leading orchestras. She appears with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and the Sitka Festival in Alaska. Ms. Zori can be heard on various labels, including Arabesque and Koch International.

Program notes: Nancy Monsman

Producer and Engineer: Matthew Snyder