The Colorado MahlerFest, which had previously announced the cancellation of this year’s in-person festival, announces the 2020 Virtual Colorado MahlerFest, May 13-17, 2020. The festival has curated a collection of performances, films, a virtual symposium, art gallery, and more which will be released each day at 3:30 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time. Materials will be released across a number of online platforms and collected at MahlerFest.org/MahlerFest-Online/
Among the highlights, acclaimed Pianist David Korevaar will perform Schubert’s Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960 on May 13 at 3:30pm MDT. The sonata is one of the last pieces Schubert wrote for solo piano, composed during the last months of his life in 1828 but not published until ten years later. The piece is almost Mahlerian in scope and suited for our current situation. For more on the musical connections between Schubert and Mahler see this video from the Los Angeles Philharmonic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYvYotz2MSg You can enjoy a pre-stream conversation with David Korevaar discussing Schubert’s Piano Sonata in B-flat Major with MahlerFest Artistic Director Kenneth Woods at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/101732733181/posts/10157449844133182/?vh=e&d=n
Korevaar is a favorite of festival audiences and Boulder locals and has been recognized for his “wonderfully warm, pliant and spontaneous playing” by the Washington Post. In demand as a soloist, chamber musician and collaborator, Korevaar has earned critical acclaim performing a broad range of repertoire from Bach to George Crumb. His performance of John Cage‘s Concerto for Prepared Piano and Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Paul Zukofsky was praised by the New York Times “as admirably projected in the devoted and lovely performance of David Korevaar.” David had the honor to work with Cage to prepare the concerto. With a large and varied repertoire, he is equally recognized for his performances and recordings of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Ravel, with Gramophone praising his “strongly individual and authoritative Bach” and ClassicsToday declaring that “David Korevaar’s big, full-throated pianism perfectly suits Brahms’ variation sets.” A passionate and committed collaborator, he has appeared on some of the country’s most distinguished chamber music series. He is a founding member of the Boulder Piano Quartet, currently in residence at The Academy in Boulder, for which he curates a chamber music series, and performs regularly with the Takács Quartet, with whom he recently appeared on the Great Performers Series at New York’s Lincoln Center.
Dedicated to the works of Schubert, his MSR 1557 recording of his Sonata No. 18 in G Major, D891 and Sonata No. 20 in A Major, D959 has been hailed as a recording that “is definitely rewarding and enlightening”. Recent additions to Korevaar’s discography of over 50 titles include a world premiere recording of piano music by the largely forgotten Italian impressionist composer Luigi Perrachio and two recordings with Charles Wetherbee, including works by Iranian-American composer Reza Vali and a disc of the three violin sonatas by Paul Juon. This season he recorded Richard Danielpour’s The Celestial Circus for two pianos and three percussionists with pianist Angelina Gadeliya. Other recent releases include the third volume of Lowell liebermann‘s piano music, a compelling Chopin recital, and world premiere recordings of music for violin and piano by Tibor Harsányi with Charles Wetherbee.
During this unusual time of social distancing due to CO-VID 19, Korevaar created a personal challenge to perform, record, and share 32 Beethoven Sonatas in 60 days. As his April 3rd performances of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 were canceled, Korevaar crafted a unique alternative to celebrate the composer’s 250th birthday. Recorded for the public in his living room in Colorado with no edits and minimal equipment, Korevaar invites you to dive into the wonder of the Beethoven sonatas during this time of uncertainty. Please be forgiving of the piano tuning as his local piano tuners were social distancing too! Click on the attached link and feel free to share!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNiJdVWd0JNsLBoajLNTVG_omFYfvQF4r for his daily installments and feel free to share.
For more information and images visit www.davidkorevaar.com
The Virtual Festival was modeled after plans for MahlerFest XXXIII. “Canceling this year’s festival was a particularly painful step,” says MahlerFest’s Artistic Director Kenneth Woods. “We had worked all year to put together what we felt was the most dynamic and ambitious program the festival has ever delivered. Reinterpreting those plans into something we could present online was a new challenge. We are proud of what we have assembled and excited to share it.”
Highlights include a virtual symposium including a touching film made for the occasion by cultural historian Gavin Plumley about why Mahler is a good composer for self-isolation, an interview with visiting composer Philip Sawyers, and podcasts and discussions with musicologist Peter Davison. A lieder recital with soprano and festival artist April Frederick performing a song cycle by visiting composer Philip Sawyers, an Hommage to Kandinksy featuring a recording of the tone poem scheduled to be performed with Mahler’s Second Symphony at the final concert of MahlerFest XXXIII. Of Love, Death and Beyond – Jason Starr‘s movie exploring the music influences and personal drama that resulted in Mahler’s Second Symphony. Opera Online – a performance of Act I of Wagner’s Die Walküre arranged by Francis Griffin. Mahler’s Second Symphony in a performance which features musicians from some the best American orchestras conducted by Neeme Järvi with soloists Susanne Mentzer, mezzo soprano and Twyla Robinson, soprano.
Colorado MahlerFest’s mission is to celebrate the legacy of composer Gustav Mahler through an annual festival featuring all of Mahler’s musical output as well as contextual cultural and educational events. For more information visit MahlerFest.org.
Source: Broadway World.