Milford,
MA.
The Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra Season Finale will present a triple
play at its May 3rd Season Finale. This Pops program, “Symphony and
Salsa” features four guest artists who will perform music pieces with a
Latin flair.
The first half of the
program features CHSO Concertmaster
Nicola Takov, along with
Angel Valchinov. Together, they will perform
Navarra (Spanish
Dance): A Concerto for Two Violins,
a firecracker of a piece written by Pablo de
Sarasate.
Navarra is a magnificent and demanding showpiece which
produces brilliant sound. Rather than favoring one violin
and letting the other off with easier material, this work is demanding
for both soloists. The invigorating CHSO will set a lyrical but
impassioned passage for the two violins that will rip into the
Spanish-flavored themes. One violin will play trills while the other
provides a double-stop drone, but for much of the piece they will play
the melody together in close harmony. Takov and Valchinov, both
acclaimed virtuosos, will dazzle the audience with their pizzicato, the
swirling, intertwining lines and the increasingly finger-twisting
material put forth in this piece.
Next on the program,
Soprano Susan Benner-Bonito
will perform
Bachianas Brasileiras, a lush piece,
written by
Heitor Villa-Lobos. “With
a world-class voice, a masterful technique, a depth of spirit, and a
commanding stage presence, Susan
Bonito draws her audiences into the heart of the music and
takes them on a journey far beyond entertainment…”
Villa-Lobos claimed that he
had “learned music from a bird in the jungles of Brazil,” and the sounds
of folk-tunes, native instruments, and Brazilian street dances echo
through many of his works. The other force was the great tradition of
European classical music, which pulled Villa- Lobos as irresistibly as
had the song of that jungle bird. At the heart of his love for
“classical” music was his reverence for the works of J.S. Bach.
Villa-Lobos was able to fuse these passions in his series of
Bachianas Brasileiras, nine
quite different pieces written for various instrumental and vocal
combinations between 1930 and 1945. Each piece shows the two influences
on Villa-Lobos, combining Bach-like music with movements based on
Brazilian folk-songs and dances.
The second half of the program belongs to
Daniel Salazar, an innovative
artist praised internationally for his "...warm, virtuosic playing" and
"exceptional artistic talent.” Salazar will perform the Adagio movement
of the Concierto de Aranjuez,
by Joaquín Rodrigo. The slow movement with haunting Spanish folk tunes
and beautiful harmonies is, by far, one of the most beautiful adagios’s
ever written; most have heard it played in the old Chrysler Cordoba
television commercials that were narrated by Ricardo Montelban. In
addition, Salazar will continue to elate the audience with his
performances of Rimsky Korsakov’s
Capriccio Espagnol, De Falla’s
Fire Dance, and Lecuona’s
Malaguena.
Mr. Salazar has
appeared in many prestigious venues, including Liechtenstein Palace in
Prague, the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, Wienawski Hall in Poznan,
the Artist's Palace in Vilnius, the Minsk Academy of Music, the Museum
of Fine Arts in Malta, the Instituto de Bellas Artes in Morelia, Mexico
and many others. He has participated in numerous festivals, including
the Curso Internacional de Interpretacion Musical and the Festival
Internacional de Guitarra, both in Spain, as well as the Feria de la
Guitarra in Mexico.
Having had the
distinction of being selected, from a nationwide search, as United
States Artistic Ambassador, Daniel has toured Eastern Europe and the
former Soviet Union, where his playing has been enjoyed by international
audiences through performances on television and radio in ten countries.
Highlights of his recent concert seasons include performances at the
prestigious American Academy in Rome and the Manoel Theatre in Malta.
Daniel, who has
studied guitar with some of the world's foremost classical masters, has
also been influenced by various other styles including traditional and
popular Latin American music, Spanish flamenco and even American Rock.
Marking an exciting new phase in his career, his latest project now
brings many of these elements together in the self-titled recording,
"Daniel Salazar." In his continued effort to expand the guitar's
repertoire, Daniel Salazar has developed a new musical style that
features the classical guitar combined with an ensemble of guitars,
bass, keyboards, Latin percussion and orchestral instruments, resulting
in a refreshingly original contemporary sound.
“Symphony & Salsa”
will take place Saturday, May 3rd at 7:30 pm at Milford Town
Hall, 52 Main Street, Milford, MA. Tickets are on sale now and can be
purchased online at
www.claflinhill.org or by calling 508-478-5924. Prices: Reserved,
$35; General Admission, $30; Student/Senior, $25.
