Windscape bedazzles with a fresh air approach to musical landscapes. The woodwind quintet, artists-in-residence at the Manhattan School of Music, make their Barns at Wolf Trap debut with an evening of works by French and Japanese composers evoking images of nature.
“In this day and age, people look favorably upon world music,” says bassoonist Frank Morelli, spokesperson for the ensemble that is composed of flutist Tara Helen O’Connor, oboist Randall Ellis, Alan R. Kay on clarinet and David Jolley on French horn.
“When we formed in 1994, the impetus was to create programming around a time or a theme. What intrigued us as artists was the whole concept of a moment frozen in time and the musical creation of that image.
“The program we’re presenting, one of our most popular, shows the connections between French and Japanese music and the important effect Japanese artists had on Debussy, Ravel and Messiaen. At the same time, we’ll perform works by contemporary Japanese composers who were influenced by the French composers.”
Although “Two Deer Calling,” a traditional Japanese piece transcribed by Kinko Kurosawa, dates back 400 or 500 years, Morelli says it is so fresh it could have been written today. It will be performed by O’Connor and Ellis on the flute and oboe.
Claude Debussy’s fascination with the East is represented in three of his Piano Preludes: “Voiles” (sails), “Pagodes” (pagodas) and “Poissons d’Or” (goldfish). They are arranged for Windscape by hornist David Jolley.
This set is followed by “Sea and the Spring,” a Western-style work by Japanese composer Michio Miyagi, and Ravel’s “Mother Goose Suite,” arranged by Morelli to illustrate how Ravel was affected by the music of the East.
The second portion of the evening opens with “Itinerant,” written by Toru Takemitsu in 1989 in memory of Isamu Noguchi, an important Japanese-American artist and landscape architect. His works seen around the world include a bridge in Hiroshima’s Peace Park, the Billy Rose Sculpture Garden in Jerusalem, a children’s playground in Yokohama, Japan and a collection at the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum in New York City.
“Takemitsu was influenced by both Eastern and Western cultures,” Morelli says. “This is a lovely work for solo flute. Next, the quintet willperform David Jolley’s arrangement of Messiaen’s “La Colombe,” a sweet, early piano piece. We’ll close with Ravel’s ‘Le Tombeau De Couperin,’ the complete piano work arranged by Mason Jones, David Jolley and Alan Kay.”
Windscape members lead busy lives performing and teaching on various music faculties, but they especially love performing great music together as frequently as possible. Their concerts are enhanced by their spoken program notes to enable the audience to relate to the composers and the influences that led to the creation of their music.
“When someone comes on the stage, plays and leaves, nobody has a chance to say hello,” Morelli says. “We enjoy communicating with our audience and hope our love and enthusiasm for the music is contagious.”
IF YOU GO:
» The Discovery Series presents Windscape
When: 8 p.m.
Venue: The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna
Tickets: $30 at 877-WOLFTRAP 877-965-3872, or online at www.wolf-trap.org
