Gloria Musicae Presents
“Brahms: Beyond the Lullaby”
Sunday, January 22 Ÿ Faith Lutheran Church
The Gloria Musicae Singers lift their voices in song with two vocal chamber works by Brahms— the “Liebeslieder Waltzes” and “Zigeunerlieder.” The serious side of Brahms is upended in these lilting waltzes of love and passionate gypsy songs—bonbons from the pen of the symphonic master!
(Sarasota, FL) Gloria Musicae presents lilting waltzes of love and passionate gypsy songs from the pen of the symphonic master Johannes Brahms in “Brahms: Beyond the Lullaby,” Sunday, January 22, 4 p.m., at Faith Lutheran Church, 7750 S. Beneva Road, Sarasota. Under the artistic direction of Dr. Joseph Holt, the performance combines the artistic talents of two powerhouse pianists, Andrew Lapp and Joseph Holt, with the celebrated Gloria Musicae Singers, and a special appearance by baritone Luis González serving as conductor for one of the works. Tickets are $35 at the door ($30 in advance), including a wine reception with the artists immediately following the concert. Student tickets are $15. Subscription packages are also still available. For tickets and info, visit www.gloriamusicae.org or call 941-387-6046.
“Gloria Musicae’s 2016-2017 season, ‘Musical Journeys,’ offers audiences a ticket to a musical journey across cultures from the comfort of the armchair of your favorite concert spaces,” says Joseph Holt, the organization’s artistic director. “We continue our season with a musical trek through Austria and Hungary.” Holt explains that the program includes Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes, a collection of love songs for voices and four-hands piano. “These 18 delightful, charming and expressive short pieces extol the virtues of love and are most likely an expression of Brahms’ love for Clara Schumann,” says Holt, adding that he will join Gloria Musicae’s pianist and Steinway Artist Andrew Lapp on piano with 16 of the Gloria Musicae Singers. Baritone Luis González, who also serves as Gloria Musicae’s associate director, will make his conducting debut with Gloria Musicae in this concert.
The program also includes Brahms’ Zigeunerlieder, Op. 103, “11 short pieces reflecting the passionate life of the gypsy,” says Holt. “These highly-charged short pieces offer a perspective on the Hungarian side of Brahms’ compositional style—an exotic contrast to the Viennese gentility of the Liebeslieder,” he says. He explains that the texts are Hungarian folk songs set in German by Hugo Conrat; the melodies stem from original Hungarian songs, which were modified by Brahms. Highlighting the versatility of the Gloria Musicae Singers, another chamber chorus of 16 singers will perform the gypsy songs with Holt conducting and Lapp at the piano. As an added bonus, Holt, a winner of the Wolf Trap Brahms Award, and Lapp will offer three of the most famous Hungarian Dances by Brahms in piano, four-hand arrangements.
Founded in 1979, Gloria Musicae, Sarasota’s only professional chorus, presents the greatest hits of the last four centuries along with lesser known gems and the work of living composers with imaginative programming and musical excellence. The chorus consists of 32 professional singers and eight apprentices.
For more information about Gloria Musicae, visit www.GloriaMusicae.org.
About Gloria Musicae
Gloria Musicae celebrates choral music through innovative performances. The critically acclaimed group, the Gloria Musicae Singers, under the artistic direction of Dr. Joseph Holt, performs a repertoire spanning four centuries, and includes orchestral works, intimate madrigals, church motets, folk songs, close-harmony jazz, and Broadway show music. The ensemble also specializes in premiere performances of lesser-known choral works, particularly music by living American composers. The Gloria Musicae Singers has performed premieres by René Clausen, Dick Hyman, Robert Levin, Gwyneth Walker, and James Grant, along with the premiere of a new edition of a rarely heard score by Rossini. For more information about Gloria Musicae, visit www.gloriamusicae.org.
