Celebrating Liszt

CELEBRATING LISZT

October 24-26, 2014 Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

* SYMPOSIUM: “Liszt, His Circle, and the Dante Symphony”
Friday, October 24, 9:30 a.m., Carleton University Art Gallery, St. Patrick’s Building.

* CONCERT: Franz Liszt’s Dante Symphony
Saturday, October 25, 7:30 p.m., Kailash Mital Theatre.

* PIANO RECITAL: Mahani Teave performs Liszt
Sunday, October 26, 2:00 p.m., Kailash Mital Theatre.

[ Concert and Recital Tickets ]

SYMPOSIUM: “Liszt, His Circle, and the Dante Symphony”

Friday, October 24, 9:30 a.m., Carleton University Art Gallery, St. Patrick’s Building.

Dr. Michael Saffle, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA (http://www.rc.vt.edu/facstaff/Saffle.html)
One of the world’s leading authorities on Liszt’s Symphonies gives a presentation on the Dante Symphony.

Dr. James Deaville, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada (http://carleton.ca/music/people/deaville-james/)
Dr. Deaville discusses the relationship between German composer/poet Peter Cornelius, artist Giovanni Buonaventura Genelli, Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner and “New German School.”

Dr. Manuel Pinto Deniz Silva – Universidade Nova, Lisbon, Portugal. A musicologist known for theorizing classical music in film and popular culture, Manuel Pinto Deniz Silva will present a paper titled “Liszt’s ‘Dante’ and the Diabolical in Film”

Dr. Evangelia Mitsopoulou, Music School of Thessaloniki and Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece. (http://mitsopoulouevangelia.wix.com/pianist#!biography/c1enr) Dr. Mitsopoulou will present her dissertation research on Franz Liszt and the Dante paintings of Giovanni Buonaventura Genelli.

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CONCERT: Franz Liszt – Dante Symphony

Saturday, October 25, 7:30 p.m., Kailash Mital Theatre, Southam Hall.

Tickets $20 (students $10) available at our Carleton University online ticket sales kiosk, the door, at The Leading Note (370 Elgin Street) and at the Music Office, A917 Loeb Building. For further information, please call 613-520-5770.

Presented by Carleton University in collaboration with the Italian Embassy in Canada, the Italian Cultural Institute in Montreal, the Dante Alighieri Society of Ottawa, and the 14th Annual International Week of Italian Language

Many artists in all media have been inspired by the Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri’s epic poetic vision of Hell, Purgatory and Paradise, but few have taken on the massive task of reworking it in a new form. Dante was one of Liszt’s favourite poets, and over a period of years he began to assemble musical materials to portray Dante’s three realms. In the final score, Liszt provides indications pointing to the specific moments at which Dante’s narrative elements are being depicted When Wagner heard of the project, he argued that no music on earth could hope to mirror the music of Paradise. Although Liszt apparently agreed — his ambitions for the Dante Symphony were ultimately scaled down to include only the Inferno and Purgatorio movements — he points toward Paradise by concluding the symphony with a serene Magnificat for Women’s Chorus.

The Ottawa performance will feature Liszt’s two-piano arrangement of the Dante Symphony, together with women’s chorus, harp and narrating voice providing readings from the Divina Commedia. For the 1856 premiere performance in Dresden, Liszt made plans to have a simultaneous projection of paintings by Giovanni Buonaventura Genelli, the Italian/German painter, who had published 36 etchings inspired by the Divina Commedia in a volume titled Umrissezu Dante’s Göttlicher Komödie von Bonaventura Genelli (Munich: Cotta, 1846-52). Unfortunately the costs involved in projecting Genelli’s images were prohibitive, and Liszt was forced to abandon the idea. The Ottawa performance will feature the projection of Genelli’s paintings, in fulfillment of Liszt’s original intentions.

FEATURED ARTISTS

MAURO BERTOLI – Pianist – born in Italy, winner of many International Piano Competitions, has establishedhimself on the international stage and has been praised by the press for his formidable technique and hisexceptional sensitivity (from Toronto Star “….dazzled by (the) up-and-coming pianist …with absolutely flawlesstechnique and deep musicality…Here is a newcomer to watch out for”). He has performed as a soloist, chambermusician and with orchestras for important Festivals and in major concert halls throughout Europe, North America, Israel, Brazil and China. His recordings have been broadcast on CBC Radio, Radio Classica Bresciana, Radio Classica Milano among others. He won the “Giuseppe Sinopoli Award 2006”, the prestigious Italian prize awarded personally by Giorgio Napolitano, the President of the Italian Republic. Mauro is currently Artist in Residence at Carleton University in Ottawa. www.maurobertoli.com

JAMIE PARKER – Pianist – In solo, chamber, and orchestral concerts across Canada, the United States, Europe and Scandinavia, James Parker reveals technical prowess alongside subtle artistry. Celebrated by audiences and critics alike, he has performed with every major Canadian orchestra, and has given recitals across North America. James studied with Lee Kum-Sing at the Vancouver Academy of Music and at the University of British Columbia, where he received his Bachelor of Music degree in 1985. For over a decade, James attended the Banff Centre, studying piano with Marek Jablonski, and chamber music with Lorand Fenyves. James then went to the Juilliard School in New York, studying with legendary pedagogue Adele Marcus, receiving his Master of Music degree in 1987, and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 1992. During this period, James was a finalist and prize winner in the Montréal International and Gina Bachauer International Piano Competitions. Dr. Parker was an Associate Professor at Wilfrid Laurier University from 1996 until this past year, when he joined the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto as the Rupert E. Edwards Chair in Piano Performance. Jamie is also a member of the Gryphon Trio, one of Canada’s preeminent chamber music ensembles. Well known to CBC listeners, they have been nominated for Juno Awards, have toured many parts of the world, maintain a residency at Music Toronto, commission works from Canada’s best composers, and have just celebrated their 10th Anniversary season. http://www.gryphontrio.com/

LUCIANO BERTOLI – Actor, Director, Narrator – Luciano Bertoli received his formal training at the prestigious Drama Studio of Milan under the guidance of E. d’Alessandro. Luciano also attended the Venturi Conservatory of Music in his birthplace: Brescia, Italy. As a well-known cast member of the “Carlo Rivolta Company” in Lodi, Luciano collaborates with numerous directors, theatrical companies and cultural associations. In addition to being an actor and director, Luciano Bertoli is an eloquent narrator. His warm, resonant voice and comprehensive background in music have lead to successful projects with Trio di Parma, Ensemble “La Follia”, Trio Luca Marenzio (L’Histoire du Soldat and La Storia di Babar), The Coenobium Vocale in Vicenza, Dedalo Ensemble, and with concert pianist, Mauro Bertoli. Noted for his ability to express a wide range of emotions, Luciano Bertoli is much in demand, and has made several appearances in Switzerland (Bellinzona, Lugano and Mendrisio) where he recorded for Stradivarius and for “Radio Svizzera Italiana.” www.lucianobertoli.com

BARBARA JEAN CLARK – Choral Conductor – From 1979 to 2002, Barbara Clark was conductor of the Ottawa Board of Education’s Central Chamber Choir, and in 1982 she founded the Ottawa Regional Youth Choir. Clark toured extensively in Canada, the US, and Europe with both choirs and prepared them for performances with the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO), the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, and conductors Pinchas Zukerman and Trevor Pinnock, among others. A strong advocate for Canadian music, Ms Clark has premiered works by such composers as R. Murray Schafer, Robert Rosen, Oscar Peterson, Ruth Watson Henderson, and Nancy Telfer. She has conducted at many civic and national events, notably at the annual Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa and at the inauguration of Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson in 1999. Barbara Clark has won numerous distinctions including a Silver Jubilee Medal (1977), a Canada 125 Medal (1992), the Victor Tolgesy Award (1994), the Ontario Choral Federation Distinguished Service Award (1996), a Golden Jubilee Medal (2002) and both an Alumni Award of Distinction and an Honorary Doctorate from Carleton University (2006). She was named Member of the Order of Canada in 2001.

CAROLINE LÉONARDELLI – Harpist – graduated with first prize in harp from the Paris Conservatoire under the guidance of Jacqueline Borot at the age of 18. She went on to advanced study with Judy Loman through the McGill University School of Music. During her youth, Caroline studied in France with Lily Laskine, one of the most celebrated harpists of the twentieth century. She is principal harpist with the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and the Gatineau Symphony Orchestra. Caroline has also performed as a guest with numerous orchestras including the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, London (Ontario) Symphony, Symphony Nova Scotia, Opera Lyra, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Her solo recording “El Dorado,” featuring the Penderecki String Quartet and bassist Joel Quarrington on the title composition, received a 2010 JUNO nomination in the category of Classical Album of the Year solo or small ensemble, as well as rave reviews in Gramophone Magazine, The Whole Note Magazine, The Classical Music Sentinel and the highest rank (six stars) from The Music Scene (La Scena Musicale). http://www.harpmusicottawa.com/

GIOVANNI BUONAVENTURA GENELLI (1798-1868). For the 1856 premiere performance of his Dante Symphonie in Dresden, Liszt made plans to have a simultaneous projection of paintings by Giovanni Buonaventura Genelli, the Italian/German painter, who had published 36 etchings inspired by Dante’s Divina Commedia in a volume titled Umrisse zu Dante’s Göttlicher Komödie von Bonaventura Genelli (Munich: Cotta, 1846-52). Unfortunately the costs involved in projecting Genelli’s images were prohibitive, and Liszt was forced to abandon the idea. Our Ottawa and Montreal performances will feature the projection of Genelli’s paintings, in fulfillment of Liszt’s original intentions.

LAURENCE WALL – Host – graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism degree from Carleton University 1976 after earning his BA at the University of Manitoba. He worked as a reporter for the Winnipeg Tribune then joined CBC Radio in Winnipeg in 1979. He worked at CBC stations in Saskatoon and Fredericton before moving to CBC Ottawa in 1993. He currently occupies the senior role of News Producer at CBC Ottawa, where he is responsible for preparing and reading newscasts weekday afternoons on both CBC Radio One and Radio Two. Mr. Wall has long been a strong supporter of Ottawa’s music and music-education communities. He is also a cellist with the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra.

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MAHANI TEAVE IN RECITAL

Mahani Teave performs Liszt
Sunday, October 26, 2:00 p.m., Kailash Mital Theatre, Southam Hall.

“Mahani Teave’s talent, beauty and determination promise to impact the world music scene!”(El Mercurio, Santiago, Chile)

MAHANI TEAVE is one of the most celebrated classical musicians in Chile. A native of legendary Easter Island, Ms Teave is her island’s only classical musician. Ms. Teave is a first prize winner of the Claudio Arrau International Piano Competition, the Ciudad de Palmayola International Piano Competition in Mallorca, Spain, and the 2004 Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competition. In 2008 she was awarded the Apes Prize for the best classical music performance in Chile (Rachmaninov Concerto No.1, with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Chile). In 2012 the Andrés Bello University awarded her the Merit Prize (Arts category), and that same year she was invited to become a Steinway & Sons Artist. Both El Mercurio, Chile’s national newspaper, and the foundation Mujeres Empresarias have recognized Mahani Teave as one of the 100 Women Leaders of her native country. A documentary film about her life and work, and her determination to motivate and inspire the youth of Chile, is scheduled for release in 2015. She also founded Easter Island’s first Music School, which currently provides 70 children with the opportunity to study piano, cello, violin and ukulele without having to leave their island.

Mahani Teave graduated from the Austral University in Chile, and continued her piano studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music, in the U.S., and at the Hanns Eisler Music Academy in Berlin, Germany, where she was the recipient of a Konrad Adenauer Fellowship. She has appeared on stages in Antarctica, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Germany, Mexico, Spain, China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Korea, Indonesia and the U.S. Our concert will be Mahani Teave’s first appearance in Canada.