Musical Portraits: "From My Life"
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 ~ 7:30 PM
First United Methodist Church
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VBF Chamber Artists

SIMON SARGON Vermeer Portraits
EMIL HARTMANN Serenade for winds in B flat Major, Op. 43
SMETANA String Quartet in E minor (³From My Life²)

An evening of captivating contrasts: chamber music by Smetana, Hartmann and Sargon. VBF Chamber Musicians present a program of intimate drama with these expressive compositions for small groups.

Bedřich Smetana's first string quartet, “From My Life,” is a moving autobiographical work set in personal scenes: his first romance, his love of dancing, his professional pride, and finally, the piercing whistle that signaled his encroaching deafness.

Simon Sargon, Professor of Composition at Southern Methodist University, is known for his intense, atmospheric compositions. His Vermeer Portraits (2002) for horn and piano captures the essence of five famous portraits by the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer.

Danish composer Emil Hartmann (1836-1898) gave his decidedly Romantic music a special Nordic twist, resulting in compositions with an unusual melodic beauty. His Serenade for winds juxtaposes dramatic intensity with pastoral serenity.