Bohuslav Martinů (1890–1959)
La revue de cuisine, H161 (1927)
Piano Sonata No. 1, H350 (1954)
Harpsichord Concerto, H246 (1935)
Arthur Honegger (1892–1955)
Concerto da Camera, H196 (1948)
Aaron Copland (1900–90)
Sextet (1937) includes Balourdet Quartet and other Festival Members
Bohuslav Martinů
Tre ricercari, H267 (1938)
Artist for this concert include Brandon Patrick George, flute; Thomas English, bassoon; Zachary Silberschlag, trumpet; Andrey Gugnin & Orion Weiss, piano; Mahan Esfahani, harpsichord; Luosha Fang, violin; Balourdet Quartet; Bard Festival Chamber Players
Like Martinů, both Arthur Honegger and Aaron Copland achieved prominence in Paris between the wars, and all three subsequently taught under Serge Koussevitzky’s auspices at Tanglewood. This program juxtaposes Honegger’s sparkling Concerto da camera and Copland’s introspective Sextet with four of Martinů’s own compositions: the witty ballet La revue de cuisine, which casts its dancers as kitchen utensils and uses the Charleston, tango, foxtrot, and Dixieland jazz to satirical effect; the dazzling Harpsichord Concerto, a work first premiered by Kaprálová; the freely contrapuntal Tre ricercari, which draws on 18th-century models; and the First Piano Sonata, a late work characterized by its bold harmonies and freedom of rhythm and form.