Photo by Irene Haupt
A Musical Feast: Words & Music
Featuring work by Amy Williams and Words & Music: Radio Play by Samuel Becket and Morton Feldman
Mar 13, 2015 8:00pm — 10:30pm
Elegy (1940) Elliott Carter (1908 –2012)
Jonathan Golove cello
Amy Williams piano
Figment No. 2 (2001) Elliott Carter (1908-1912 )
(Remembering Mr Ives).
Jonathan Golove cello
Falling (2012) Amy Williams (1969 )
Amy Williams piano
new work (2015) Amy Williams
Amy Williams piano
Jonathan Golove, cello
Intermission
Words and Music (1961) radio play by Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) with music by Morton Feldman (1985)
33 short segments for seven players (two flutes, string trio, vibraphone and piano)
In 1961 Samuel Becket wrote Words and Music for BBC Radio. Set in in radio station, two characters one called words the other music, who are at times referred to as Joe and Bob, work together and against each other in order to produce songs, musical interludes and lyric poetry. A third character Croak exists somewhere in between sound and sense as a provoker to the others. The plays nature of the work ranges from a hauntingly despondent to mildly comic. The work calls for a collaboration with a composer. Written for BBC radio in 1961Beckett chose his cousin John Beckett as his musical collaborator. The work was withdrawn following its premiere due to Beckett’s dissatisfaction with his cousin’s score. Two decades later Beckett suggested to Morton Feldman that he compose a score for the play. In 1987 the first complete performance of Words and Music was produced for the American Beckett Festival of Radio Plays. In Feldman’s words: ‘It was a huge amount of fun to do something for Beckett, a sort of tribute to him, i.e. someone who has been part of my life since the ‘50’s … it was to some extent a labour of love, which I happily undertook.’
The collaboration with Feldman resulted in bits of music integrated with the text for seven players consisting of two flutes, a string trio, vibraphone and piano. This performance will be conducted by legendary percussionist/conductor Jan Williams who worked with Buffalo born percussionist Jon Hepfer as his musical advisor.
Jan Williams , conductor
Jon Hepfer, musical adviser
Emlyn Johnson flute
Kerrith Livengood flute
Shieh-Jian Tsai violin
Virginia Barron viola ,
Jonathan Golove cello
John Bacon, vibes
Amy Williams piano
Words and Music, Vincent O'Neill and David Oliver
Tickets: $10 Burchfield Penney members / $20 "not yet" members
Day of show: Tickets available by phone at 716-878-6011 only.
