Welcome! Here are the extended program notes for tonight’s show:

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

ABOUT THE WORKS

JUlie-o by Mark Summer

Julio-O is cellist Mark Summer’s signature encore. The work is a breezy, folk-inspired jaunt through catchy grooves and hummable melodies. The unusual guitar-inspired techniques used throughout Julie-O necessitate every performer to develop their own interpretation of the music.

Serenata by Gabriela Lena Frank & David Fetherolf

In my studio, as a fun and creative practice, I have been known to rewrite masterpieces. Stravinsky's final sacrificial dance from the Rite of Spring becomes a brutal tango; the taut harmonies of Ruth Crawford’s String Quartet underpin new piano miniatures; and the solo part to Britten’s Violin Concerto gets a completely new orchestral landscape, as if I could lift a redwood from my farm and drop it into the middle of the African Sahara. I learn so much of the psyche of past brilliant minds in these fanciful games but nothing of my “findings” ever see the light of day.

In a new and, for me, daring endeavor, I’ve taken musical ideas from the American composer David Fetherolf, longtime friend and mentor, and spun them into new shapes. He, in return, has reworked these according to his own whims. Our dance has not been unlike my dance with past ghosts, but it is more beautiful and personal for me, animated by real affection. And thus, I finally have real reason to let music fashioned in this particular vein of alchemy be performed and heard by others.

— Gabriela Lena Frank

A few years ago Gabriela and I spoke about writing a work for solo violoncello together. As neither of our schedules seemed to allow for it the idea lay fallow. This past fall, when Kate was programming her concert for March, she asked me about new works and I said, “Well, Gabi and I have talked about writing together, maybe that could work.” Kate thought that was a fine idea so I asked Gabriela if time allowed. It did. Originally the idea was to create an exquisite corpse type piece, where each participant writes sections, often without full knowledge of the other’s work. However, it became apparent very early in the process that our aesthetics and approaches were in such harmony that we should abandon that idea and attempt to write the work together; in one voice, as it were.

I've had the great pleasure of working with Gabriela as her editor and cohort in music making for close to 15 years. Our work together has had a collaborative aspect, as any responsive editor/artist correspondence does, and it has been gratifying to be able to intuit where some altered nuance of phrasing or dynamics in a Frank piece will make it even more of a “Gabriela Lena Frank.” To create a wholly new composition together, though, has been a highlight in an association with many memorably delightful moments. What fun it’s been! And, as Gabriela avers, the process has been animated by real affection.

— David Fetherolf

For Ashley by Andrew Norman

For Ashley was written for cellist Ashley Bathgate as part of a project that reimagines J.S. Bach’s famous Cello Suites. This work takes inspiration from the 4th Suite in Eb Major. Andrew Norman’s work is often inspired by architecture, and this piece is like a house with two builders. Bach has laid a sturdy foundation, and Norman has finished the project with whimsical, asymmetrical, and non sequitur design.

Augun by Fjóla Evans

Augun (the eyes) is a movement of Ölduvísur, a large-scale work for cello and electronics based on Icelandic folk songs. The pieces takes its compositional structure and motivic inspiration from the Icelandic lullaby Vísur Vatnsenda Rósu. My intention is to keep the spirit of the original song but to transform it into a darker and more complex sound-world. One way I did this was by using motives from the song, isolating the different lines in each one, and then rearranging them on a constantly shifting time-line. This results in the motives overlapping in strange ways to create a surprisingly dissonant harmony, while still retaining the melodic content of the original.

— Fjóla Evans

Invisible Arc by Raven Chacon

Raven Chacon a composer, performer and installation artist from Fort Defiance, Navajo Nation. Invisible Arc and Chacon’s other solo cello work, Quiver, draw their inspiration from traditional Navajo hunting practices. The sounds of nature, the stalking of the deer, and the hunting songs are all represented in a variety of extended techniques on the Cello.

In Manus Tuas by Caroline Shaw

in manus tuas is based on an earlier motet, in this case that of Thomas Tallis. While there are only a few slices of the piece that reflect exact harmonic changes in Tallis' setting, the motion (or lack of) is intended to capture the sensation of a single moment of hearing the motet in the particular and remarkable space of Christ Church in New Haven, Connecticut.

— Caroline Shaw

A Thousand Tongues by missy mazzoli

A Thousand Tongues was commissioned by cellist and vocalist Jody Redhage. This piece is a short but intense response to the following text by Stephen Crane:

Yes, I have a thousand tongues,

And nine and ninety-nine lie.

Though I strive to use the one,

It will make no melody at my will,

But is dead in my mouth.

— Missy Mazzoli

Alone by Giovanni Sollima

Alone by the Sicilian cellist Giovanni Sollima was written for a cello competition in Milan and has remained a mainstay showpiece for technical prowess. The work draws inspiration from folk music and minimalism, showing cellist's ability to emote and to groove.

ABOUT THE VENUE

ABOUT THE 22/23 SEASON

Exploring the Mysteries Within

Third Angle’s 22/23 Season takes you on a journey wilder than ever before, across genre-bending music, through boundary-defying venues, and beyond groundbreaking immersive experiences to explore the ultimate unknowable frontier—the human mind.

We’ll touch the thin line between reality and psychosis, deromanticize and destigmatize artists’ mental health challenges, heal through collective creation, and confront long-held prejudices against people with visible and invisible disabilities.

Yo-Yo Va is generously supported by
Ronni Lacroute
George Rowbottom
Oregon Cultural Trust
Regional Arts and Culture Council