Solo recital

Invocations are the theme in this darkly passionate recital by Edward Neeman. Jan Ladislav Dussek’s wrote his final sonata, subtitled “L’invocation,” the year before his death in 1812. As Dussek faded into irredeemable alcoholism, he penned this sonata which veers between raging invective and penitent prayer.  This recital will also include the West Coast premiere of Australian composer Larry Sitsky’s Piano Sonata No. 1, “Retirer d’en bas de l’eau,” based on the Voodoo ritual of the dead that invokes invisible spirits. Composed in 2009, this sonata is part of a series of improvisatory pieces that saw the 75-year-old Sitsky re-invent his compositional style through his piano music. The recital concludes on a cheerier note with Paul Schoenfield’s Peccadilloes, a collection of six tongue-in-cheek offenses against the specter of “good taste.”

Solo program

Sonata in F minor, Op. 77, “L’invocation” — Jan Ladislav Dussek

Piano Sonata No. 1, “Retirer d’en bas de l’eau” — Larry Sitsky

Peccadilloes — Paul Schoenfield

A duet recital including works by American composers William Bolcom, Samuel Barber, and John Corigliano.

https://www.armstrong.edu/academic-departments/mme-piano-in-the-arts

Dr. Jesse Cook, trumpet

Dr. Edward Neeman, piano 

Edward plays cello sonatas by Rachmaninoff & Prokofiev with Australian cello virtuoso David Pereira. The program also includes a world premiere by David Pereira.

Two ANU alumni who both subsequently completed their doctoral studies at the Juilliard School in New York, Fisher and Neeman reunite in Canberra with music by Jewish composers for clarinet and piano. Klezmer-inspired strains of Paul Schoenfield and the Parisian elegance of Arthur Benjamin’s Le Tombeau de Ravel are paired with sonatas by Soviet composers Julian Krein and Mieczyslaw Weinberg.  The programme also includes a world premiere by Juilliard colleague Bretton Brown.  This exciting work, What Ensor Saw, was written for Fisher and Neeman and is inspired by three of James Ensor’s artworks, one of which, in turn, was based on a poem by the Jewish poet Heinrich Heine.  The chosen repertoire celebrates the lyricism and virtuosity of both performers and will be a rare chance to see Neeman and Fisher perform together in Canberra.  Tickets: A$35; C$30; f/t student $15, child U/12 $10

“The Duet and the Dance: American Piano Duets”

The piano duet genre (one piano four hands) is a favourite for students and teachers alike. Unlike the piano duo repertoire (two pianos), the piano duet was historically not traditional concert fare; rather, the lighter duet pieces by composers such as Mozart or Schubert were not at the same level of technical difficulty as their solo (or duo piano, in the case of Mozart) They were intended for amateurs to enjoy at home, in the company of a few friends.

The nature of the duet form makes it ideal for students who enjoy collaborating with their friends. Just as Schubert turned to the popular dances and marches in his Vienna for inspiration, American composers used the duet form to explore the dances of their day. The “melting pot” of America during the late nineteenth century and twentieth century provided a rich pool of cultural variety for composers to draw upon. Latin and African-American inspired music features prominently.

The piano duet genre is ideal to train students to listen to their collaborators. Having only one set of keys (and one set of pedals!) can create challenges in dance music—playing lightly and having clear rhythm and balance are essential. Often players have to adjust fingering or hand distribution to accommodate each others’ space and avoid collisions! Equally, mastering the timing and synchronization at a single keyboard can dramatically improve students’ rhythmic discipline.

American composers used dances as inspiration in a variety of ways. Whereas Gottschalk’s Ojos criollos is a direct transcription of a Cuban dance style, Samuel Barber views the stylish dances from his childhood through a highly personal, nostalgic lens in his Souvenirs, Op. 28. Like Schubert’s own dances for piano duet, John Corigliano’s Gazebo Dances are truly concert pieces disguised as dance music, with great artistry hidden behind a lighter façade. David Lang’s series of “gravity” piano duets paradoxically aim for suspension and weightlessness. before gravity (2012) unfolds dreamily through rapidly changing meters like a gentle, sad dance. William Bolcom’s Serpent’s Kiss, a rag fantasy, is a wonderful showstopper for advanced high school students.

Program

Louis Moreau Gottschalk: Ojos criollos, Op. 37
Samuel Barber: “Hesitation Tango” from Souvenirs, Op. 28
John Corigliano: “Overture” from Gazebo Dances
David Lang: before gravity (2012)
William Bolcom: "Serpent’s Kiss" from Garden of Eden

Edward plays cello sonatas by Rachmaninoff & Prokofiev with Australian cello virtuoso David Pereira. The program also includes a world premiere by David Pereira and a guest appearance by Stephanie Neeman.

The ANU School of Music is proud to present in concert, David Pereira and Dr Edward Neeman who have both had long ties with the School of Music. David is an award-winning cellist, teacher and composer who has recorded over 28 albums and Edward is an Australian-American pianist and Alumnus of ANU School of Music. 

Edward has performed across five continents. Critics have lauded Edward as a “true artist” with “an excellent technique” who “isn’t afraid to put a distinctive stamp on whatever he touches, without resorting to mannerism.” A top prizewinner of numerous international piano competitions, he has appeared as a soloist with the Prague Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, Kentucky Symphony, Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, and the American West Symphony with conductors including Andrey Boreyko, Alan Buribayev, Chen Lin, Ruben Gimeno, Enrique Perez Mesa, Nicholas Milton, Pascual Osa, and Vladimir Verbitsky.

Edward will be joined by his wife Dr Stephanie Neeman to perform a piano duo by William Bolcom. Stephanie is a renowned international performer and educator. She has taught masterclasses and performed in various venues throughout the world and has appeared as a soloist with the Jakarta Chamber Orchestra, Canberra Youth Orchestra, National Capital Orchestra (AUS) and has performed to critical acclaim across the US, Asia, and Australia.

The program will include the world premiere of a piece by the Head of the School, American Composer, Professor Kenneth Lampl.

Tickets can be purchased before the night on EventBrite: 
Full $25, Concession $20 and Full time students $10.

http://music.anu.edu.au/events/david-pereira-edward-neeman-stephanie-neeman

“The Duet and the Dance: American Piano Duets”

The piano duet genre (one piano four hands) is a favourite for students and teachers alike. Unlike the piano duo repertoire (two pianos), the piano duet was historically not traditional concert fare; rather, the lighter duet pieces by composers such as Mozart or Schubert were not at the same level of technical difficulty as their solo (or duo piano, in the case of Mozart) They were intended for amateurs to enjoy at home, in the company of a few friends.

The nature of the duet form makes it ideal for students who enjoy collaborating with their friends. Just as Schubert turned to the popular dances and marches in his Vienna for inspiration, American composers used the duet form to explore the dances of their day. The “melting pot” of America during the late nineteenth century and twentieth century provided a rich pool of cultural variety for composers to draw upon. Latin and African-American inspired music features prominently.

The piano duet genre is ideal to train students to listen to their collaborators. Having only one set of keys (and one set of pedals!) can create challenges in dance music—playing lightly and having clear rhythm and balance are essential. Often players have to adjust fingering or hand distribution to accommodate each others’ space and avoid collisions! Equally, mastering the timing and synchronization at a single keyboard can dramatically improve students’ rhythmic discipline.

American composers used dances as inspiration in a variety of ways. Whereas Gottschalk’s Ojos criollos is a direct transcription of a Cuban dance style, Samuel Barber views the stylish dances from his childhood through a highly personal, nostalgic lens in his Souvenirs, Op. 28. Like Schubert’s own dances for piano duet, John Corigliano’s Gazebo Dances are truly concert pieces disguised as dance music, with great artistry hidden behind a lighter façade. David Lang’s series of “gravity” piano duets paradoxically aim for suspension and weightlessness. before gravity (2012) unfolds dreamily through rapidly changing meters like a gentle, sad dance. William Bolcom’s Serpent’s Kiss, a rag fantasy, is a wonderful showstopper for advanced high school students.

Program

Louis Moreau Gottschalk: Ojos criollos, Op. 37
Samuel Barber: “Hesitation Tango” from Souvenirs, Op. 28
John Corigliano: “Overture” from Gazebo Dances
David Lang: before gravity (2012)
William Bolcom (arr. Edward Neeman): "Serpent’s Kiss" from Garden of Eden

“The Duet and the Dance: American Piano Duets”

The piano duet genre (one piano four hands) is a favourite for students and teachers alike. Unlike the piano duo repertoire (two pianos), the piano duet was historically not traditional concert fare; rather, the lighter duet pieces by composers such as Mozart or Schubert were not at the same level of technical difficulty as their solo (or duo piano, in the case of Mozart) They were intended for amateurs to enjoy at home, in the company of a few friends.

The nature of the duet form makes it ideal for students who enjoy collaborating with their friends. Just as Schubert turned to the popular dances and marches in his Vienna for inspiration, American composers used the duet form to explore the dances of their day. The “melting pot” of America during the late nineteenth century and twentieth century provided a rich pool of cultural variety for composers to draw upon. Latin and African-American inspired music features prominently.

The piano duet genre is ideal to train students to listen to their collaborators. Having only one set of keys (and one set of pedals!) can create challenges in dance music—playing lightly and having clear rhythm and balance are essential. Often players have to adjust fingering or hand distribution to accommodate each others’ space and avoid collisions! Equally, mastering the timing and synchronization at a single keyboard can dramatically improve students’ rhythmic discipline.

American composers used dances as inspiration in a variety of ways. Whereas Gottschalk’s Ojos criollos is a direct transcription of a Cuban dance style, Samuel Barber views the stylish dances from his childhood through a highly personal, nostalgic lens in his Souvenirs, Op. 28. Like Schubert’s own dances for piano duet, John Corigliano’s Gazebo Dances are truly concert pieces disguised as dance music, with great artistry hidden behind a lighter façade. David Lang’s series of “gravity” piano duets paradoxically aim for suspension and weightlessness. before gravity (2012) unfolds dreamily through rapidly changing meters like a gentle, sad dance. William Bolcom’s Serpent’s Kiss, a rag fantasy, is a wonderful showstopper for advanced high school students.

Program

Louis Moreau Gottschalk: Ojos criollos, Op. 37
Samuel Barber: “Hesitation Tango” from Souvenirs, Op. 28
John Corigliano: “Overture” from Gazebo Dances
David Lang: before gravity (2012)
William Bolcom (arr. Edward Neeman): "Serpent’s Kiss" from Garden of Eden (excerpts)

Duets by Franz Schubert, Francis Poulenc, Samuel Barber, and Edward Neeman

Duets by Franz Schubert and Samuel Barber
Edward plays solo works by Haydn and Liszt

Raleigh, North Carolina
Duets by Franz Schubert and Samuel Barber
Edward plays solo works by Haydn and Liszt