PROGRAM:
Antonio Vivaldi | Concerto in D Major, RV 84 (flute/violin/cello) Seth Boustead | Three for Zhou B (flute/clarinet/violin/cello) Olivier Messiaen | Quartet for the End of Time (clarinet/violin/cello/piano) PICOSA ARTISTS Jennie Oh Brown | flute Andrea R. DiOrio | clarinet Elizabeth Brausa Brathwaite | violin Paula Kosower | cello Kuang-Hao Huang | piano Jonathon Kirk | Composer-in-Residence Quartet for the End of Time was written while Messaien was held in a prisoner of war camp in Germany, now in Poland, during World War II. Fellow prisoners premiered the quartet outside in the freezing rain on January 15, 1941. The title of the work "The End of Time" not only refers to a representation of the apocalypse, but also musically to an end to traditional concepts of time. Messaien was a contemporary French composer who drew inspiration not only from his connection to the Paris Conservatory and his life as a noted contemporary composer, but also from non-western influences from Japan and Indonesian Gamelan, and perhaps most notably in nature itself through birdsongs. Introducing this epic quartet on the program are two contrasting works. Vivaldi's Concerto in D Major, RV 84 is a light and charming baroque work that will be performed in a modern context on flute, violin, cello, and piano. Chicago composer Seth Boustead's Three for Zhou B for flute, clarinet, violin, and cello will be performed with artwork displayed by celebrated contemporary Chinese-American artists the Zhou brothers, ShanZuo and DaHuang Zhou. Join us for this eclectic program that explores the light with the dark and everything in between.