AT-HOME: Colors of Debussy & Crumb
Claude Debussy and American trailblazer George Crumb are masters of creating vibrant sonic kaleidoscopes. Debussy captures all the color, light, and emotion of an Impressionist painting. With A Journey Beyond Time, Crumb combines the human voice with an array of more than 100 instruments to explore the heart and soul of Black American spirituals.
Sponsors:
Leslie Hsu & Rick Lenon
Online Virtual Concert
Friday, 7/29 • 7:00 pm PT
Available through Thursday, 9/1 • 11:59 pm PT
Program
Click on any piece of music below to learn more about it.
- CLAUDE DEBUSSY String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10
CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10I. Animé et très décidé
II. Assez vif et bien rythmé
III. Andantino, doucement expressif
IV. Très modéré - Très mouvementé et avec passionIn 1890, Claude Debussy attended a Paris performance of Edvard Grieg’s String Quartet No. 2 in G Minor. At this time, the 28-year-old Debussy was largely unknown, although he had already made himself infamous with his teachers at the Paris Conservatoire for rebelling against Germanic musical norms.
Debussy sought new ways to generate musical structure and form; he also wanted to create new approaches to harmony, independent of the Germanic tradition. Grieg’s quartet gave Debussy the inspiration and ideas he needed to take the most German of genres, the string quartet, into wholly new musical territory.
Debussy borrowed several ideas from Grieg’s Op. 27: his own String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10 shares the same key, and opens with the same four notes, although the vigorous propulsive rhythm of Debussy’s notes clearly distinguishes his quartet from Grieg’s. And, like Grieg, Debussy also uses this initial motif, particularly its rhythm, as a unifying organizational idea that recurs in all four movements. Grieg’s influence notwithstanding, however, Debussy’s sole string quartet is – unequivocally and unapologetically – completely new.
The opening movement, marked “Lively and very determined,” presents this unifying theme in a series of guises. Debussy tweaks the traditional sonata form by eliminating the usual contrast and development of theme and counter-theme. Instead, in his words, he “circulates” themes. Colorful non-traditional harmonies anchor the unifying theme’s different iterations. The viola’s unifying theme opens the second movement while the other instruments execute sharp pizzicato exclamations; each instrument in turn takes the spotlight for a phrase or two. This brief, animated movement bristles with sharp accents and sudden dynamic juxtapositions. The quiet beauty of the Andantino showcases Debussy’s unmatched coloristic approach to harmony. A simple, unadorned melody heard first in the viola – the unifying theme in a languid mood – drifts in and out of the modal harmonies generated by the other instruments. The closing movement begins gently and gradually builds to an emphatic statement of the unifying theme in its original setting, and finishes with a triumphant shimmering G Major chord.© Elizabeth Schwartz
- GEORGE CRUMB American Songbook II - ‘A Journey Beyond Time’
GEORGE CRUMB (1929-2022)
American Songbook II - A Journey Beyond Time (42’)I. Swing low, Sweet chariot
II. Joshua Fit de Battle ob Jericho
III. Steal away
IV. Oh, a-Rock-a My Soul
V. The Pregnant Earth: Psalm for Noontide
VI. Sit down, Sister
VII. Nobody Knows de Trouble I See
VIII. Go Down, Moses
IX. Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
One of the defining elements of George Crumb’s approach to writing music was his affinity for the particular acoustics of different environments, like the echoing mountains and river valleys of his West Virginia childhood. Crumb, who died earlier this year at the age of 92, believed every composer’s music reflected, consciously or not, the “inherited acoustic” of their childhood sound-world.
Crumb was most at home composing chamber music: works for solo piano, piano, and voice, and most particularly, piano(s), voice(s), and percussion. He began his American Songbooks series (there are seven in all) in 2001; the initial idea came from a request from Crumb’s daughter Ann, for an arrangement of Appalachian folksongs. “In undertaking the task I was, in a sense, returning to my own Appalachian roots. Indeed, these beautiful and haunting melodies were always a part of my musical psyche, and in many of my earlier compositions I had quoted fragments of these tunes as a sort of symbolic and very personal musical ‘signature,’” Crumb wrote. “In confronting these songs head-on, so to speak, I determined to leave the beautiful melodies intact … since one could not hope to “improve” on their pristine perfection … I have attempted to heighten the expressiveness of this music by scoring the work for a rather unusual “orchestra” consisting of a quartet of percussionists (who play a number of rather unconventional instruments in addition to the more common ones) and amplified piano … If my settings of these wonderful songs will enhance the listener’s enjoyment, I would feel that my creative efforts were truly rewarded.”
For American Songbook II: A Journey Beyond Time, Crumb set eight well-known spirituals. The instruments create a variety of accompaniments tailored to each song: ethereal tapestries of sound (Swing Low, Steal Away, Motherless Child, and Nobody Knows de Trouble I See); evocations of battle, including the sounding of the shofar (ram’s horn), in Joshua; flustered anticipatory agitation in Sit Down, Sister, and the awesome power of Moses, echoed by the percussion instrument known as a lion’s roar, demanding the release of the Israelites in Go Down, Moses.
© Elizabeth Schwartz
Artists
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Viano Quartet
String Ensemble
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Lucy Wang, violin
Hao Zhou, violin
Aiden Kane, viola
Tate Zawadiuk, celloPraised for their “virtuosity, visceral expression, and rare unity of intention” (Boston Globe), the Viano Quartet is one of the most sought-after ensembles today and recipients of the prestigious 2025 Avery Fisher Career Grant. Since soaring to international acclaim as the first-prize winner at the 13th Banff International String Quartet Competition, they have traveled to nearly every major city across the globe, captivating audiences in New York, London, Berlin, Hong Kong, Vancouver, Paris, Beijing, Toronto, Lucerne, and Los Angeles. They are currently in-residence at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Bowers Program from 2024-2027.
During the 2025 summer season, the quartet will debut at Klavier-Festival Ruhr, CMS Summer Evenings, Tippet Rise, and Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Their many return visits include Music@Menlo, Mt. Desert Festival of Chamber Music, and MISQA. Their latest album, Voyager, was released with Platoon Records in Spring 2025.
The Viano Quartet has collaborated with world-class musicians including Emanuel Ax, Fleur Barron, Sir Stephen Hough, Miloš Karadaglić, Mahan Esfahani, and Marc-André Hamelin. Dedicated advocates of music education, they have given classes at institutions such as Northwestern University, University of Victoria, Colburn Academy, Duke University, and SMU Meadows School of the Arts. Each member of the quartet is grateful to the interminable support from their mentors at the Curtis Institute and Colburn Conservatory, including members of the Dover, Guarneri, and Tokyo string quartets.
The name “Viano” reflects the unity of four string instruments acting as one, much like a piano, where harmony and melody intertwine.
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Ellen Hwangbo
Piano
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Lauded as an “excellent pianist” (Daily Gazette) and “amazing … young talent” (Silicon Valley Insider), Ellen Hwangbo is known for her “harmony, energy and elegance” and her ability to deliver “truly potent and dramatic” experiences (Rutland Herald) that leave her audiences “wanting to hear more” (Times Union). A top-prize winner of the Music Teachers National Association’s National Young Artist Competition in 2006, she has performed to great acclaim across Asia, Europe, and North America.
As a spirited chamber musician, Ellen is renowned for her “wonderful interplay” with colleagues (Rye News), and broad range of expression from “moody sobriety” (Boston Musical Intelligencer) to “bold exuberance” (Daily Gazette). She has performed with world-renowned musicians such as Anthony Marwood, Richard Lester, Soovin Kim, Roger Tapping, Colin Carr, William Sharp, Eduardo Leandro, and Lucy Shelton, among others. Ellen’s passion for sparking new and exciting connections through chamber music led her to found Constellations Chamber Concerts, a DC-based concert series, where she has served as Artistic Director since 2019. As an engaged advocate for new music, she has worked directly with composers David Ludwig, William Bolcom, Stefano Gervasoni, Jörg Widmann, Brett Dean, and many others, including for several world premieres and recordings.
Ellen began her piano studies with Peter Cooper and continued with Logan Skelton at the University of Michigan, graduating summa cum laude. She received her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from SUNY Stony Brook, where she studied under luminary pedagogue Gilbert Kalish. -
Kenneth Overton
Baritone
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Kenneth Overton is lauded for blending his opulent baritone with magnetic, varied portrayals that seemingly “emanate from deep within body and soul.” Kenneth Overton’s symphonious baritone voice has sent him around the globe, making him one of the most sought-after opera singers of his generation. Kenneth is a 2020 GRAMMY AWARD WINNER for Best Choral Performance in the title role of Richard Danielpour’s The Passion of Yeshua with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by JoAnn Falletta.
This season, engagements for Kenneth include his Metropolitan Opera debut in the fall of 2021 as Lawyer Frazier in Porgy and Bess, a reprisal of the role of Ralph Abernathy in I Dream with Opera Carolina, The Homecoming Soldier in Zach Redler’s The Falling and The Rising with Opera Carolina, and Germont in La Traviata for Fort Worth Opera.
He will also appear with the National Philharmonic as a soloist for Mozart’s Requiem as well as Hailstork’s A Knee on the Neck, Nathaniel Dett’s The Ordering of Moses with the Harlem Chamber Players, Handel’s Messiah with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Mozart’s Requiem with the National Chorale, a solo recital at The Quick Center for the Arts at St. Bonaventure University, a recital with the American Composers Orchestra, and will debut Damien Geter’s An African American Requiem with the Oregon Symphony with subsequent performances at the Kennedy Center with the Choral Arts Society of Washington.
Future seasons include a return to the title role of Porgy and Bess with Opera Carolina, North Carolina Opera, and in concert with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra Hamburg. He will also sing the role of Mr. Maguire in Tobias Picker’s Emmeline for Tulsa Opera.
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Sandbox Percussion
Percussion Ensemble
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Described as “exhilarating” (The New York Times) and “utterly mesmerizing” (The Guardian), Grammy-nominated ensemble Sandbox Percussion is dedicated to artistry in contemporary chamber music. The ensemble was brought together in 2011 by a love of chamber music and the simple joy of playing together. Today, Sandbox Percussion captivates worldwide audiences with visually and aurally stunning performances.
Sandbox Percussion’s 2021 album, Seven Pillars, was nominated for two Grammy Awards—Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance and Best Contemporary Classical Composition. The ensemble performed the piece more than 15 times throughout the United States and Europe last season, including at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
In the 2023-24 season, Sandbox Percussion performs Seven Pillars at the VIVO Music Festival (Columbus, OH), the New School (New York), APERIO, Music of the Americas (Houston), the Frost School of Music (Miami), Brown University (Providence, RI), and the Peace Center (Greenville, SC), among other venues.
This season, Sandbox Percussion also releases their fourth album, Wilderness, featuring the piece of the same name by experimental composer Jerome Begin. Other season highlights include two performances at the Park Avenue Armory (New York), featuring premieres by Chris Cerrone and Viet Cuong, a performance at the 92nd Street Y with pianist and new-music champion Conor Hanick featuring the New York premiere of two works composed for them by Christopher Cerrone and by Tyshawn Sorey, and an appearance at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Sandbox Percussion will also continue to champion Viet Cuong’s acclaimed concerto for percussion quartet, Re(new)al, including performances with the Des Moines Symphony and with the Albany Symphony, which commissioned the piece.
Besides maintaining an international performance schedule, Sandbox Percussion holds the position of Ensemble-in-Residence and percussion faculty at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and The New School’s College of Performing Arts. In 2016, Sandbox Percussion founded the Sandbox Percussion Seminar, introducing percussion students to the leading percussion chamber music of the day.
Sandbox Percussion endorses Pearl/Adams musical instruments, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Remo drumheads, and Black Swamp accessories.
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