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Event
ALLEGRO CON HUMORE
Agnieszka Laska Dancers with Igor Lipinski at the piano
Premiere complete choreographic staging of Tomas Svoboda's
NINE ETUDES in Fugue Style (Vol. I) for Piano, Op.44 (1966)
NINE ETUDES in Fugue Style (Vol. II) for Piano, Op.98 (1980-84)
In the classical concert hall tradition, Tomas Svoboda is Oregon's most performed living composer -- over 1000 performances world wide. His long career as composer, performer, educator has left an indelible impression on our fine art musical culture. Literally hundreds of students have learned performance techniques, composition and theory from the periphery of his brilliant musical mind. Svoboda's "Etudes..." (in Fugue Style) are held by many to embody his core compositional essence, a carefully crafted musical vocabulary built primarily of imitation counter point, crisply turned phrasing and rock-solid structure.
Tomas Svoboda is a rare artist and this performance is a rare opportunity. The complete set of NINE ETUDES in Fugue Style (both volumes) has only ever been performed a few times, usually in private salon concerts. The last public performance was on this same Saint Annes Chapel, Marylhurst University stage by Tomas Svoboda himself -- the 2002 concert celebrating the NINE ETUDES... CD release on the North Pacific Music Label ( http://www.northpacificmusic.com/9.etudes.html ).
Agnieszka Laska has set dance to more of Svoboda's music than any other choreographer to date. Anyone hearing for the first time these etudes should be struck immediately that they call out to be danced. Laska and Svoboda share Slavic backgrounds, clearly seen and heard in their collaborations. Polish-American pianist Igor Lipinski's contribution to this performance will certainly realize both Laska's and Svoboda's expectations.
Tomas Svoboda is the first Oregon musician to take the stage with Agnieszka Laska's choreography - 2001, AUTUMN in PCPA's Winningstad Theatre (https://vimeo.com/19319614 ). Since, Tomas and Agnieszka have worked together many times, either with Tomas as soloist or with his Trio Spektrum ensemble (now disbanded - http://www.northpacificmusic.com/DreamsofaDancer.html ). Laska's close work with Svoboda and his musical associates has led to many commissions and collaborations with regional musicians and composers.
Seven years after staging the first set, THREE ETUDES ON LOVE, (Etudes Nos. 6, 7, 8) of Tomas Svoboda's masterful set of piano etudes, the entire collection is scheduled for premiere on Tomas Svoboda's 75th Anniversary (Dec. 6, 2014). Having performed the THREE ETUDES ON LOVE set with Tomas several times, we deeply regret that due to medical circumstances, Tomas cannot perform with us now. We offer this tribute for Tomas, his family, colleagues and fans - a tribute to one of Oregon's most prominent cultural treasures. Since the 2007 premiere of THREE ETUDES ON LOVE - ( https://vimeo.com/19316081 ) - Agnieszka Laska has been steadily choreographing and bringing out additional pieces on small stages.
Now, with the help of ALD's strong company of dancers and aspiring choreographers*, the entire set is taken to a public stage of substantial size. Saint Annes Chapel, Marylhurst University typically serves as a classical music concert hall. ALD will fully adapt it to a modern dance stage, in a fully lighted, fully costumed performance with live music by Igor Lipinski, who has collaborated with Agnieszka Laska and ALD in the last year in THE CHOPIN PROJECT ( https://vimeo.com/105732841 ) - Igor Lipinski. (http://igorlipinski.com/)
Dancers: Kelsey Adams*, Sissy Dawson*, Karissa Dean, Allie Fahsholz*, Sharon Lane*, Lauren Sprague*, Caitlin Wichlacz, Merlin Benneth, Kentrel Wesson, Keyon Gaskin.
*choreographer
The 75-th Anniversary celebration and production of ALLEGRO CON HUMORE is made possible by generous support of Ronni Lacroute and WillaKenzie estate.
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LocationSaint Annes Chapel, Marylhurst University (View)
Furman Dr
Lake Oswego, OR , OR 97034
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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