Flashes of illumination and primal darkness take turns in this program inspired by humanity’s cosmic struggle between the forces of light and dark. A joyful Bach cantata bursts forth with jubilant trumpet and exaltation, before a Renaissance lute song is refracted and illuminated through a contemporary lens. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Bolcom’s masterful mid-century rags for two pianos tell the story of the Fall, lending a lightness to a very dark theme. Expelled from the paradise of his Polish homeland in World War II, Weinberg mixes traditional and contemporary forms, combining inspiration from his close colleague Shostakovich with ethnic (Jewish, Polish, Moldovian) influences and a unique sense of style.
6:30PM PRELUDE TALK by David J. Rothenberg (Professor of Music, Case Western Reserve University)
Johann Sebastian Bach
“Shout for Joy to God in all Lands,” BWV 51
Thomas Adès
Darknesse Visible
William Bolcom
The Garden of Eden
Mieczysław Weinberg
Piano Quintet in F Minor
