The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music will present a faculty chamber recital at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, in Cole Concert Hall in the Wright Music Building on the SFA campus.
The faculty ensemble will feature Emily Mitchell, harp; Christina Guenther, flute; Jeremy Fain, bassoon; Geneva Fung, piano; and Melissa Nabb, viola.
The program will include performances of Francois Borne’s Carmen Fantaisie, Scott A. Switzer’s Trio for Flute, Bassoon and Harp, Bohuslav Martinu’s Trio for Flute, Viola and Piano, and Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns.”
“There has been, and always will be, some sort of controversy with the true meaning of ‘Send in the Clowns’ from Sondheim’s ‘A Little Night Music,’” Jeremy Fain, SFA bassoonist, said, adding that clowns are contradictory in what they project – entertainment or deceit? “Do they trick us into believing what they want us to think or feel for their own hilarity?”
“The context of this song in the musical is the character Desirée looking back on the disappointments in her life, one of which being an affair with the lawyer, Fredrik,” Fain explains. “During their time together, Desirée learns of Fredrik’s unconsummated marriage with a much younger woman. In order to keep Fredrik’s heart, Desirée proposes, asking for his hand in marriage. When her offer is declined, and Fredrik declares his love for his bride, Desirée sings this song with feelings of rejection.”
Trio No. 1 for flute, bassoon and harp was inspired by early 20th century French composers and the instruments of the ensemble, according to the composer, and pays homage to the music of André Jolivet, Marcel Bitsch, Alexandre Tansman and Gabriel Fauré. Carmen Fantaisie imaginatively connects several favorite tunes from George Bizet’s popular opera “Carmen,” while Martinu’s Trio for Flute, Viola and Piano features folk-dance motives with playful rhythms and sound effects.
Tickets for this concert, which is part of the Cole Performing Arts Series, are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for students. For tickets or more information, call the Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.
