Portraits in Motion

A violin recital  exploring identity in music and painting through the voices of four composers

Sometimes the clearest way to show what defines you is to step into the habits and techniques of another person. In the pieces on this program, Igor Stravinsky, Eugene Ysaye, and Fritz Kreisler each display their originality through the voices and styles of others.   Adopting another person’s external traits allows one to see how it feels to move through another framework.  The motion itself—the feeling of moving forward in time, of experiencing and reacting to new stimuli—sometimes gives a more accurate portrait of your identity than an attempt to capture the form of a still figure looking back at you in the mirror.

This program combines four distinct musical voices with a set of paintings that explore the styles and techniques of different artists-- for instance, a portrait of Kreisler in the style of John Singer Sargent, and a portrait of Stravinsky in the style of Picasso.  Alongside these imitative works is a pair of paintings inspired by the composer Leos Janacek, whose unique and constantly shifting voice deepens the search for identity in motion.

Program

Sicilienne and Rigaudon
(In the style of Francoeur)
Fritz Kreisler
(1875-1962)

Sonata in E minor for Violin Solo, Op. 27, No. 4 (For Fritz Kreisler)
Eugène Ysaÿe
(1858-1931)
 
Violin Sonata
Leoš Janáček
(1854-1928)

Suite for Violin and Piano   
‘after themes, fragments and pieces by Giambattista Pergolesi’
Igor Stravinsky
(1882-1971)