Performers:
Richard Auldon Clark
Alissa Rose (soprano)
Kevin Nordstrom
Stephen Nordstrom
James Logan (clarinet)
Dominic Dousa
Samuel Kelder
Danielle Wiebe Burke
Three Laments for soprano and viola, by Richard Auldon Clark (b.1964)
- “I Shall Not Care” (Sara Teasdale)
- “War is Kind” (Stephan Crane)
- “Nothing Gold Can Stay” (Robert Frost)
Alissa Rose, soprano; Richard Auldon Clark, viola
Spring Forth in Joy for clarinet and viola, by Dominic Dousa (b. 1974)
James Logan, clarinet; Stephen Nordstrom, viola
Mountain Song for Viola and Piano, byDousa
Stephen Nordstrom, viola; Dominic Dousa, piano
“Flow my Tears” and “If my Complaints,” by John Dowland (1563-1626)
“Songs My Mother Taught Me,” Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)
New work for two violas (world premiere), Bahar Royaee (b. 1988)
Samuel Kelder and Danielle Wiebe Burke, viola duo
PROGRAM NOTES:
Three Laments for Soprano and Viola features the poetry of Sara Teasdale, Stephan Crane and Robert Frost. Lyrical and dramatic, this work is an important addition to the voice and Viola repertoire and celebrates American writers.
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Stephen Nordstrom showcases a pair of contemporary duets by composer Dominic Dousa. The versatility of the viola as a duet partner is shown across interwoven musical dialogues with the clarinet and piano. Energetic and ebullient, Spring Forth in Joy echoes some of the varied dimensions of joyous contentment, from a sense of sparkling delight in simple pleasures to a calmer, more thoughtful reflection on the true, good, and beautiful. Mountain Song is inspired by the majestic 14,000-foot peaks of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Throughout the work, a beautifully lush theme is juxtaposed with more passionate and spirited themes, which paints for the listener a vivid tapestry of brilliant sunshine and crisp air across a snow-covered landscape.
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The viola duo set explores the relationship throughout history between viola and the human voice. Containing original arrangements and transcriptions of works by Dowland, Dvorak, and a world premiere by Bahar Royaee, we will show the evolution of the viola’s voice through several lenses: song that occurs in the viola’s repertoire, lyricism from the eye of a violist composer, and the combination of voice and viola by performers.