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  • February 4, 2011
  • Christine Davis Mantai

What: Faculty Recital: Retro Ensemble
When: Sunday, February 13, 2011 at 4 p.m.
Where: Rosch Recital Hall, SUNY Fredonia
Free and open to the public



RETRO, the Fredonia School of Music's 20th century faculty chamber music group, will present a concert on Sunday, Feb. 13, at 4 p.m. in Rosch Recital Hall, focusing on works by the Italian composer Luciano Berio (1925-2003), renowned for his musical experimentation.

SUNY Fredonia music faculty on this program include Mary Marden Cobb, Shinobu Takagi, Mario Falcao, Kay Stonefelt, Susan Royal, Andrew Seigel, Matt Wilson, and Gerald Gray (conductor), plus special guest artists Jonathan Golove, cello, and Brian Walnicki, viola.

The all-Berio program will begin with “Circles,” written in 1960 for two percussionists, harp, and female voice. The text is on three poems by e e cummings.

After a short break, Jonathan Golove will play a solo cello piece, “Les mots sont allees (recitativo),” written in 1978. This is translated as “The words are gone” with a performance indication in the music that it is to be played “as if speaking.”

The afternoon will end with Berio’s “Folksongs” for seven instruments and voice. Written in 1964, this consists of a cycle of 11 songs based on folk music from around the world and original work, dedicated to the American singer Cathy Berberian, a specialist in Berio’s music.