An afternoon of wine and music that blends French and American vintages, accompanied by music that showcases the crossover influences of American Jazz and European classical-modernism.
Prepare yourself for an evening with Game of Thrones by joining your friends and neighbors enjoying some lighthearted and thoughtful music.
A century ago, American Jazz was new on the scene and impossible to ignore. Just take a look at the so-called "classical" composers in Paris, the cultural hotbed of Europe in the early 1900s. This program showcases the many ways that musical minds integrated styles from across the Atlantic, proving once and for all the even those heady classical masters like Ravel, Bartok, and Stravinsky not only "got rhythm", but had the touch with ragtime, tango, blues, and big-band as well....
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An afternoon of wine and music that blends French and American vintages, accompanied by music that showcases the crossover influences of American Jazz and European classical-modernism.
Prepare yourself for an evening with Game of Thrones by joining your friends and neighbors enjoying some lighthearted and thoughtful music.
A century ago, American Jazz was new on the scene and impossible to ignore. Just take a look at the so-called "classical" composers in Paris, the cultural hotbed of Europe in the early 1900s. This program showcases the many ways that musical minds integrated styles from across the Atlantic, proving once and for all the even those heady classical masters like Ravel, Bartok, and Stravinsky not only "got rhythm", but had the touch with ragtime, tango, blues, and big-band as well.
The program will feature the "Suite for Clarinet, Violin and Piano" by Darius Milhaud, the jazz-influenced Frenchman who spent time in Brazil before settling at Mills College here in Oakland, where he taught Dave Brubeck. Violinist Rachel Patrick will present Maurice Ravel's "Violin Sonata", written after the composers meeting with Gershwin, which may account for the famous "Blues" in the middle movement. Clarinettist Matthew Boyles will respond with Francis Poulenc's "Clarinet Sonata", written for Benny Goodman with Poulenc's typical high spirited style. Even the thorny works of so-called "modernists" will make an appearance, with the "Tango" and "Ragtime" from Igor Stravinsky's "Suite from A Soldier's Tale", and Hungarian composer Bela Bartok's virtuoso "Contrasts", another work written for the king-of-swing Benny Goodman.
About the artists:
Taking its name from the Old World wine producing grape (Vitis Vinifera), this trio found its roots in California's New World wine country. The Vinifera Trio performs a range of classical and contemporary repertoire, and bring an appealing kind of casual intimacy to even the most formal concerts and events.
With training at some of the top music programs in the world, the trio has as its rootstock the classical masterpieces from the elegance of Mozart and Schumann to the thornier works of Bartok and Stravinsky. Because of their diverse musical passions and myriad talents, this trio has successfully grafted other styles of music into their programs, including the wild energy of Klezmer, the snappy rhythms of jazz, and the mournful rhetoric of many folk traditions.
But not all of their musical offerings are well-aged and barreled they are strong advocates of contemporary music and have commissioned and performed new works from a handful of composers. They have also brought their fresh energy and insights to young audiences at schools and workshops, seeking to inspire the next generation of connoisseurs.
They have performed at venues and concert series across California and Oregon, and were an ensemble in residence at the Trinity Alps Chamber Music Festival. They have given lectures and presentations at Willamette University and Pacific Union College. For more of a taste, visit www.viniferatrio.com.
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