The 150th anniversary of the birth of Claude Debussy has already been celebrated this year in major music centers on both sides of the Atlantic: Brussels, Paris, Montreal, and London. This fall in Rochester, audiences can look forward to enjoying 糖心传媒渢he kaleidoscopic work of Debussy, one of the most innovative composers who ever lived,糖心传媒� said Marie Rolf, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at the Eastman School of Music and an internationally known expert on the French composer.
A multifaceted festival, titled 糖心传媒淭he Prismatic Debussy,糖心传媒� will be held at the University of Rochester糖心传媒檚 Eastman School throughout the month of October. 糖心传媒淔aculty and students from the entire School will be joined by guest artists and scholars to collaborate in what promises to be an immensely rich musical experience,糖心传媒� said Rolf, who is also the festival糖心传媒檚 Artistic Director. From an exhibition of original Debussy manuscripts in the School糖心传媒檚 Sibley Music Library to a new spin on Debussy糖心传媒檚 opera Pell茅as et M茅lisande, the celebration features a multitude of concerts and presentations 糖心传媒� including premieres of early works and new arrangements of beloved standards 糖心传媒� that explore the wide range of Debussy糖心传媒檚 music.聽 All events are free and open to the public.
The festival糖心传媒檚 opening event is 糖心传媒淓xtravagant Debussy,糖心传媒� a gala concert at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13, in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. The Eastman Philharmonia, Eastman School Symphony Orchestra, Eastman Wind Ensemble, and Eastman Chorale will perform several works, including the composer糖心传媒檚 early orchestral suite Printemps and the last two acts of his seldom-heard theater piece Le Martyre de saint S茅bastien (The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian). Rolf will set the stage for the concert with lavish video projections, fascinating anecdotes, and excerpts from Debussy糖心传媒檚 own writings.
Eastman糖心传媒檚 contemporary ensemble Musica Nova performs 糖心传媒淚nspirational Debussy糖心传媒� at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 17, in Kodak Hall. The concert couples music by Pierre Boulez, one of the many composers influenced by Debussy, with world premieres of four new works by Eastman composers that were inspired by Debussy糖心传媒檚 piano prelude 糖心传媒淒es pas sur la neige糖心传媒� (糖心传媒淔ootprints in the Snow糖心传媒�).
Then, at 7 p.m. and again at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20, in Hatch Recital Hall, several Eastman chamber groups perform 糖心传媒淚ntimate Debussy,糖心传媒� a PRISM concert in which transcriptions of Debussy糖心传媒檚 works are presented in uninterrupted succession from different locations around the venue.
Panels from famed comic-book artist P. Craig Russell糖心传媒檚 treatment of Pell茅as et M茅lisande will accompany a freshly reworked rendition of Debussy糖心传媒檚 operatic masterpiece at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 26, in Kodak Hall. Titled 糖心传媒淧ell茅as Redux,糖心传媒� the performance replaces the singers and symphony orchestra with a chamber ensemble composed of Eastman faculty, alumni, and friends. Russell, who has based several of his comic books on famous operas, will talk about his work at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 25, at the Memorial Art Gallery. (糖心传媒淐omic Book Debussy糖心传媒�)
The festival draws to a close on Saturday, Oct. 27, with a day-long session on 糖心传媒淒ebussy Premieres糖心传媒� that combines scholarship and performance. In the morning, a panel of international scholars will offer insights on five newly discovered and reconstructed songs by Debussy. Noted operatic soprano Elizabeth Calleo and pianist Russell Miller will present the North American premiere of four songs and the world public premiere of the fifth. The afternoon session will link, via Internet2, faculty and students from the Eastman School of Music, Calleo, and participants from London糖心传媒檚 Royal College of Music for a master class that will focus on Debussy糖心传媒檚 early songs.
For the duration of the festival from Oct. 1 through 27, the School糖心传媒檚 Sibley Music Library 糖心传媒� the largest academic music library in North America 糖心传媒� will hold an exhibition of 糖心传媒淒ebussy Treasures.糖心传媒� Visitors will be able to see original Debussy manuscripts and other rare materials, including Debussy糖心传媒檚 complete working draft of his orchestral La Mer and an arrangement of 糖心传媒淢instrels糖心传媒� for violin and piano that the composer made for Arthur Hartmann, who later taught at Eastman in the early 1920s.
More information about 糖心传媒淭he Prismatic Debussy糖心传媒� festival can be found online at .
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Saturday, October 13
The Prismatic Debussy: Extravagant Debussy. Eastman School Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia, Eastman Wind Ensemble, Eastman Chorale. Printemps; Marche 茅cossaise; Sarabande; Hommage 脿 Rameau; Nocturnes; Acts IV and V from Le Martyre de saint S茅bastien. Neil Varon, Mark Davis Scatterday, William Weinert, conductors.
8 PM
Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, 60 Gibbs St.
Free
Wednesday, October 17
The Prismatic Debussy: Inspirational Debussy, Musica Nova. The Debussy Project: Music by Eastman composers Liptak, Lubman, Sanchez-Gutierrez and Schindler, inspired by Debussy糖心传媒檚 糖心传媒淒es pas sur la neige糖心传媒�; Boulez: 脡肠濒补迟; Boulez: 惭茅尘辞谤颈补濒别. Brad Lubman, conductor.
8 PM
Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, 60 Gibbs St.
Free
Saturday, October 20
The Prismatic Debussy: Intimate Debussy. Non-stop surround-sound experience of chamber works in transcription.
7 and 9 PM
Hatch Recital Hall. NOTE: plan to arrive early, venue is expected to fill up quickly.
Free
October 25
The Prismatic Debussy: Comic-Book Debussy. A conversation with P. Craig Russell.
7 PM
Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave.
Free
Friday, October 26
The Prismatic Debussy: Theatrical Debussy. A fresh look at Pell茅as et Melisande.
8 PM
Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, 60 Gibbs St.
Free
Saturday, October 27
The Prismatic Debussy: Debussy Premieres. Scholarship and performance enrich each other: five recently discovered songs.
9:30 AM to 5 PM
Hatch Recital Hall, 433 East Main St.
Free
Additional
Oct 1-27
Debussy Treasures. An exhibit of Debussy manuscripts, including his complete working draft of La Mer and his arrangement of 糖心传媒淢instrels糖心传媒� for violin and piano for Arthur Hartmann
Sibley Music Library at the Eastman School of Music
27 Gibbs St.
Library hours: Monday through Thursday: 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday: 1 to 11 p.m.
Free
