Music Inspires Poetry with Zaffiro Trio, Composer Robert Schultz, and Pitt Poetry Students!

MUSIC INSPIRES POETRY ~ Zaffiro Trio with Composer Robert Schultz.

The University of Pittsburgh Poetry Forum students met with the Zaffiro Trio (Tina Faigen, piano, Mary Beth Malek, clarinet, Paula Tuttle, cello) in November 2019, listened to various music works (including Nocturne by Voigt; Trio for Piano, Clarinet and Cello, Op. 52 by Robert Schultz; & Concertpiece No. 2 Op. 114 (1833) by Mendelssohn), then wrote poems inspired by what they heard.

Nocturne for Piano, Clarinet and Cello, Op 75 by Fredrich Wilhelm Voigt (1833-1894)
In the 19th century the nocturne evolved into a single-movement piece that evoked quiet night time sounds or was simply music played for evening time The first nocturnes to be written under the specific title were by the Irish composer John Field, generally viewed as the father of the Romantic nocturne that characteristically features a cantabile (singing) melody over a broken chord or arpeggiated accompaniment. This Nocturne was selected for these qualities as it evokes thoughts, visions, and sentiments that can be used to stir the creative awakenings for our poets.

Trio for Piano, Clarinet and Cello, Op. 52 by Robert Schultz (b. 1948)
The Trio Op. 52 by Robert Schultz, commissioned by the Zaffiro Trio was premiered in Pittsburgh in 2019. Robert will speak about the piece, and we will present the second movement. The second movement, titled “Restrained”, begins quietly with a simple motive in the piano that becomes the primary material used and developed throughout the movement. With the patterned motive pulsing quietly in the background the clarinet and cello enter with an expressive unison melody and now the primary elements of the movement have been introduced. The instruments trade roles and appear in different combinations throughout, as rich harmonic treatments are applied to the texture and the intensity grows and recedes. The opening theme returns to quietly bring the movement to a close.

Concertpiece No. 2 Op. 114 (1833) by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Zaffiro plays this work originally written for two Basset Horns. Mary Beth will talk about the piece and how she uses it in her own teaching methods.

Mendelssohn made an arrangement of Beethoven’s String Quartet in F, Op. 18, No. 1 for two clarinets, basset horn, and bassoon for a musical party at the Bärmanns, and it succeeded so well that he was inspired to write two original Concertpieces for clarinet, basset horn, and piano for Heinrich Sr. and Carl the next year, published posthumously as Op. 113 (F minor) and Op. 114 (D minor). Both works are disposed in three movements (fast-slow-fast) and require a masterly technique that serves as testimony to the highly developed skills of the Bärmanns. The opening Presto of the Concertpiece No. 2 is the most dramatic movement in either work; the Andante is animated by an incessant, wide-ranging broken-chord accompaniment; and the closing movement is a scintillating showpiece for the paired clarinets.

ZAFFIRO TRIO joins together superb artistry of musicians Tina Faigen (piano), Mary Beth Malek (clarinet), and Paula Tuttle (cello). All three are faculty members at University of Pittsburgh teaching in the Music Department and appearing as chamber musicians and soloists at Bellefield Hall, Frick Fine Arts Auditorium, and Campana Hall on the Greensburg Campus, and each have appeared as concerto soloist with the University of Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The Zaffiro combination of instruments provides the audience the opportunity to hear beloved works of the great masters, such as Brahms and Beethoven that are rarely heard in concert as well as commissioned works. Together these three founding members of Zaffiro Trio bring a unique quality of sound, expertise, and sensitivity to their ensemble that audiences adore.

More information at http://www.paulatuttlecello.com/zaffi....

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Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling, WV is a free lunchtime program featuring authors, poets, musicians, historians, and more every Tuesday at noon. Attendees are invited to bring a bag lunch. Pretzels, beverages, and knowledge are provided. Bring your lunch, feed your brain!

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