A  delightful concert - the Thüringer Salonquintett  - October 13, 2008 - A shining example of the central European tradition of light and entertaining music. The quintet is comprised of the classic Kaffeehaus instrumentation of two violins (one doubling viola), cello, double bass and piano, and is widely renowned for achieving technical brilliance with a light-hearted, seemingly effortless approach. They have had 14 consistently sold-out tours in the US. This season’s impeccable, all-new program is entitled Springtime in Denver and showcases the works of American music icon, John Denver. With delightfully unforgettable arrangements, Thüringer Salonquintet continues to masterfully shatter pre-existing notions of “classical” and “pop” delineations.  

Last evening’s concert left us all with warm fuzzies.  Delightful, exciting and full of love without being maudlin or sappy.  No fake emotions here, just good feelings between the performers and between Pianafiddle and the audience.  Is it bluegrass? Is it jazz? Is it classical, ragtime, or Celtic? With Pianafiddle performing, the answer is YES! Starting with only the framework of familiar melody, pianist Lynn Wright and violinist/fiddler Adam DeGraff improvised on the fly, blending the known and the unknown in a gripping performance that made our toes tap and hands clap! Wright (longtime jazz pianist with a 10-year stint at the legendary Silver Dollar Saloon) and DeGraff (classical violinist, 5 years with The Richmond Symphony) recognized in the other a complimentary talent and a shared passion to explore all musical genres. Traditionally grounded yet spontaneous, Pianafiddle transcended performance paradigms, engrossing the audience with each note.

http://www.pianafiddle.com/index.html

Performing to raving audiences in the United States, Russia, Europe, and Asia with more than forty orchestras, including the Orchestra de Lille in France, the Singapore Symphony, the Moscow Philharmonia Orchestra and the Buffalo Philharmonic, Yakov Kasman consistently displays equal parts fierce technique and fluent emotion.

http://www.yakovkasman.com/index.html

The Seasons                      Pytor Illych Tchaikovsky  
                                         (1840 -1893)

 1.   January: At the Fireside

2.   February: Carnival

3.   March: Song of the Lark

4.   April: Snowdrop

5.   May: Starlit Nights

6.   June: Barcarolle

7.   July: Song of the Reaper

8.   August: Harvest

9.   September: The Hunt

10. October: Autumn Song

11. November: Troika

12. December: Christmas

Pictures from the Exhibition         Modest Mussorgsky
                                                      (1839-1881)

Promenade  

 I.  Gnomus

I.  The Old Castle (Il Vecchio Castello)

III. Tuileries

IV.  Bydlo

V.  Ballet of the Chicks in their Shells

VI.  Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle

VII.  Limoges, the Market Place

VIII.  Catacombs

IX.  The Hut on Fowls' Legs

X.  The Great Gate at Kiev

Stringtime ´N Denver

W.A. Mozart   Overture to the Opera Il Rè pastore

(1756-1791)   (The Shepherd King) K.208 arr.  Rainhard Leuscher

Franz Schubert  Trout Quintet      

 (1797-1828)   Andante (2nd Movement)

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Danse russe

(1840-1893)   from the ballet Swan Lake arr.  Rainhard Leuscher

Antonin Dvorák  Humoresque, Op. 101, No. 7  arr.  Rainhard Leuscher

(1841-1904)

Edvard Grieg   Solveig’s Song

(1843-1907)   from Peer Gynt Suite No.1 arr.  Rainhard Leuscher

Henri Vieuxtemps  Souvenir d’Amerique, Op.17  arr.  Rainhard Leuscher

(1820-1881)

John Denver (1943-1997) – A Classic Country Road Journey,
from Deutchendorf to Denver

The Eagle and the Hawk  arr. Rainhard Leuscher

Rhymes & Reasons   arr.  Olaf Kröger

Leaving On a Jet Plane  arr.  Fredo Jung

Fly Away    arr.  Fredo Jung

Thank God I’m a Country Boy arr.  Rainhard Leuscher

Sunshine on my Shoulders  arr.  Rainhard Leuscher

Poems, Prayers and Promises  arr. Fredo Jung

Annie’s Song    arr. Rainhard Leuscher

Back Home Again   arr.  Olaf Kröger

Rocky Mountain High  arr.  Olaf Kröger

Take Me Home, Country Roads arr.  Rainhard Leuscher

Pianafiddle presents concerts based on its cross genre and improvisational style of playing.  Therefore, the following program may be altered to go with the flow and is only a possibility of things to come.  All changes will be announced from the stage.

And remember, as Fats Waller said: “One never knows…. do one!”

Jerusalem Ridge      (Bill Monroe / Pianafiddle)

The In Crowd     (Lewis / Pianafiddle)

When I Grow Too Old To Dream       (Romberg / Pianafiddle)

Ain’t Misbehavin’      (Brooks, Waller, Razaf / Pianafiddle)

Flatbush Waltz          (Andy Statman / Pianafiddle)

Fiddler        (Jerry Bock / Pianafiddle)

Tennessee Waltz    (Stewart, King / Pianafiddle)

Turkey in the Straw         (trad./Pianafiddle)

Rose of My Heart         (trad./Pianafiddle)

Off the Cuff         (Pianafiddle)

Black and White Rag          (Botsford / Pianafiddle)

Finale              (announced live from stage)

Yakov Kasman - Pianist  September 20, 2008 - gave an unusual and satisfying concert.  The Tchaikovsky was lovely and put some of the audience into a meditative state. After the Mussorgsky the audience leaped to its feet with many bravos.

His silver medal at the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was the culmination of several competition triumphs, including the 1991 London World Piano Competition, the 1992 Artur  Rubinstein International Competition, and the 1995 International Prokofiev Competition. He has garnered numerous recording awards in France, as well as “Superlative” ratings from the American Record Guide.

The Daniel Narducci, Baritone, concert on March 12, 2009 thrilled our audience.  He is charismatic, a great singer, charming and multi-talented. He definitely charmed our members and guests. His accompanist and arranger, Scot Wooley, is a fine pianist.  Both of them were a hit with the members of the Rogue Valley Chorale that backed up Mr. Narducci in the second half of the program. It was probably the first time we have had such an arrangement for one of our concerts.  Lynn Sjolund, the director of the Chorale, went all out to make this an outstanding event.

Narducci is a multi-faceted artist whose talents are enjoyed throughout North America, Europe and China. Since his debut with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, he has performed with countless opera companies, had his New York City debut at Alice Tully Hall, and been featured in several documentaries and programs on PBS and the BBC.  An increasingly active recording artist, he recently created the role of Captain Hook in the world premiere recording of Leonard Bernstein’s Peter Pan.  After hearing his extraordinarily silky, ardent tone, you’ll understand why Daniel Narducci is in such high demand. http://www.danielnarducci.com/

Timeless Broadway

Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific  Rodgers & Hammerstein   

Luck Be A Lady from Guys And Dolls   Frank Loesser

In The Still of the Night from Rosalie   Cole Porter

Once Upon A Time from All American   Adams & Strouse

And This Is My Beloved from Kismet   Wright & Forrest

Jerry Herman Medley                                                         Jerry Herman

Come Home from Allegro Rodgers & Hammerstein

If Ever I Would Leave You from Camelot  Lerner & Loewe

Meditation from Shenandoah    Udel & Geld

*** Numbers that include chorus

Man of La Mancha from Man of La Mancha                    Darion & Leigh

Captain Hook Soliloquy from Peter Pan   Leonard Bernstein

Stars from Les Misérables    Boublil & Schönberg

***The Night They Invented Champagne from Gigi Lerner & Loewe

***Gigi from Gigi     Lerner & Loewe

***They Call The Wind Maria from Paint Your Wagon Lerner & Loewe

***Blow, Gabriel, Blow from Anything Goes  Cole Porter

Where Is The Life That Late I Led from Kiss Me, Kate Cole Porter

The Impossible Dream from Man Of La Mancha  Darion & Leigh

***You’ll Never Walk Alone from Carousel          Rodgers & Hammerstein

THE SWINGLE SINGERS, May 12, 2009

Clare Wheeler  - Alto

Richard Eteson - Tenor

Johanna Marshall  - Alto

Kevin Fox - Bass

Joanna Goldsmith - Soprano

Tobias Hug - Bass

Tom Bullard - Tenor

Julie Kench - Soprano
Numerous Grammy Awards have catapulted the eight-voice a cappella group onto world-famous stages on every continent. Since their groundbreaking debut album Jazz Sebastian Bach (Bach’s Greatest Hits, in the US) in 1963, the group's name has become synonymous with extraordinary vocal blend and agility, immaculate execution and world-class entertainment. Although the current singers are considerably younger than their "swingle seniors," the group's trademark close-microphone, quasi-instrumental sound with which they originally stunned the world remains firmly intact. Enhanced by impressive choreography and dazzling light design, The Swingle Singers swing Bach all the way to the Beatles with flawless, unmistakable style.

http://www.swinglesingers.com/music/index.html

The Swingle Singers’ program will consist of songs selected from the following list (not necessarily In this order):

Both Sides Now      Joni Mitchell

Until        STING

Prelude in E minor Op.28 No.4   Frederic Chopin

Gymnopedie      Eric Satie

It's All Right With Me    Cole Porter

Flying High/When September Ends   Jem/Green Day

4th of July      James Taylor

Old Man River/Deep River   Traditional Spirituals

Amazing Grace     Traditional

Surfboard     Antonio Carlos Jobin

Libertango Interval     Astor Pizzzolla

A Fifth of Beethoven     Walter Murphy

Lady Madonna   John Lennon/Paul McCartney

Blackbird/I Will   John Lennon/Paul McCartney

Eleanor Rigby    John Lennon/Paul McCartney

God Only Knows    Brian Wilson/Tony Asher

River Man      Nick Drake

Unravel      Björk

Country Dances     Traditional

It's Sand, Man!   Lambert, Hendricks, & Lewis

Boogie Down      Al Jarreau