Trinity Wall Street launches Britten festival Sept 5
Trinity Wall Street will launch its 2013-14 season with “Celebrating Britten” – a September to January festival devoted to the music of Benjamin Britten in honor of this year’s centenary of the composer’s birth. Much of the festival will be part of Concerts at One, Trinity Wall Street’s long-running series of free concerts on Thursday afternoons. “Celebrating Britten” will explore the great British composer’s orchestral, vocal and chamber works in performances by the Choir of Trinity Wall Street, Trinity Youth Chorus and NOVUS NY led by Grammy Award-nominated music director Julian Wachner, with guest artists including tenor Nicholas Phan, chamber ensemble Decoda and the piano duo of Grace Cho & Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez, among others. Many of the concerts will present Britten’s music alongside that of contemporaries such as Berg, Gershwin, Rachmaninoff and Poulenc. Star cellist Matt Haimovitz will perform two recitals as part of the festival, on October 17 and November 21, contextualizing two of Britten’s suites for solo cello with solo works by later composers including Ligeti, John Tavener and Jennifer Higdon. In addition to “Celebrating Britten” events as part of Concerts at One, there will be special Britten festival concerts on November 18 (the Choir of Trinity Wall Street in Britten’s Sacred and Profane and other choral works) and December 9 (cellist Elinor Frey playing Bach and Britten, on both Baroque and modern cello). And holiday-themed works by Britten will be performed as part of Trinity’s Twelfth Night Festival, including the ever-popular Ceremony of Carols (Dec 26) and St. Nicolas (Jan 5). See below for a complete list of “Celebrating Britten” concert dates and programs.
Benjamin Britten (1913-76) is not just the key British composer of the 20th century; he is perhaps England’s most renowned composer since Henry Purcell, with his vocal, instrumental and stage works performed the world over. The September 5 concert that opens both the Trinity Wall Street season and the “Celebrating Britten” festival will span the length of the composer’s career, beginning with the NOVUS NY ensemble under Wachner performing the Sinfonietta, Britten’s early orchestral piece. The program will also include two of the composer’s most iconic vocal works, with tenor Nicholas Phan in the orchestral song cycle Nocturne (premiered by Britten’s muse and life partner, Peter Pears) and mezzo-soprano Virginia Warnken in the cantata Phaedra, Britten’s final composition (made famous by Janet Baker). Phan then returns to St. Paul’s Chapel on September 21 for a special solo recital, where the tenor performs repertoire from his acclaimed album Still Falls the Rain, about which the New York Times proclaimed “Phan again proves himself an affecting interpreter of Britten’s music.”
Reflecting on his connection to Britten’s music and the span of the upcoming festival, Trinity music director Julian Wachner says: “I’ve been involved with Britten’s works my whole life. I’ve conducted several of the operas and the big symphonic works, and I’ve played piano in the chamber pieces and with the song literature. I sang so much of his music as a child chorister, too. We can cover a huge swath of that repertoire here, given our various ensembles and multiple concert series. With the composer’s Anglican ethos, the breadth of his work and the resources we have, Britten and Trinity in his centenary year seemed like an ideal pairing.”
Wachner admits that when the names of many 20th-century composers are proposed for expansive projects, some people recoil a bit. “But when you mention Benjamin Britten – at least here at Trinity – people go, ‘Oooh, Britten, fantastic.’ Some people know his big operas, and thanks to the Wes Anderson film Moonrise Kingdom, more people know his music for children, such as Noye’s Fludde. But it’s great that we can cover so much of his repertoire because there are still so many wonderful pieces of his that people don’t know. Trinity is going to do something that a single symphonic organization or opera company couldn’t do – which is throw light across a full spectrum of Britten’s music. We’re also going to juxtapose his works with those of his contemporaries and inspirations, something that he did at his Aldeburgh Festival with Shostakovich, Schubert and so on. We aimed to make each concert program something that Britten and Pears might have put together themselves.”
Trinity Wall Street
One of the oldest, largest and most vibrant of all Episcopal parishes, Trinity Wall Street is located in the heart of Manhattan’s financial district, where it has created a dynamic home for great music. Serving as director of Trinity’s Music and the Arts Program – as well as principal conductor of the Choir of Trinity Wall Street, period-instrument Trinity Baroque Orchestra and contemporary-music ensemble-in-residence NOVUS NY – Julian Wachner also oversees all liturgical, professional and community Music and Arts programming at Trinity Church and St. Paul’s Chapel. The music at Trinity ranges from large-scale oratorios to chamber music, from intimate a cappella singing to jazz improvisation. All concerts at Trinity Wall Street are professionally filmed and webcast live at www.trinitywallstreet.org.
Trinity Wall Street: “Celebrating Britten” Sept 5-Jan 5
Thurs, Sept 5, 1pm (Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall)
Concerts at One
Britten: Sinfonietta; Nocturne; Phaedra
NOVUS NY; Nicholas Phan, tenor; Virginia Warnken, mezzo-soprano; Julian Wachner, conductor
Sun, Sept 8, 8pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Compline by Candlelight
Britten: Sacred and Profane: St. Godric’s Hymn, I mon waxe wod
Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Julian Wachner, conductor
Thurs, Sept 12, 1pm (Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall)
Concerts at One
Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings; Les Illuminations
NOVUS NY; Vale Rideout, tenor; Sarah Brailey, soprano; Julian Wachner, conductor
Sun, Sept 15, 8pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Compline by Candlelight
Britten: Ad majorem Dei gloriam (A.M.D.G): Prayer I
Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Julian Wachner, conductor
Thurs, Sept 19, 1pm (Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall)
Concerts at One
Music for Two Pianos
Britten: Introduction and Rondo a la Burlesca, Op. 23, No. 1
Poulenc: Sonata for 2 Pianos
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue (arranged for two pianos)
Grace Cho and Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez, piano
Sat, Sept 21, 7pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Special Event: “Still Falls the Rain”
Britten: Canticle III: Still Falls the Rain; Canticle V: The Death of Saint Narcissus; Folksongs
Schubert: Selected Songs
Nicholas Phan, tenor; Myra Huang, piano; Sivan Magen, harp; Jennifer Montone, horn
Sun, Sept 22, 8pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Compline by Candlelight
Britten: Whoso Dwelleth under the Defence of the Most High (from A Company of Heaven)
Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Julian Wachner, conductor
Thurs, Sept 26, 1pm (Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall)
Concerts at One
Britten: Quartet No. 2 for Strings, Op. 36; Three Divertimenti
Purcell: Chacony in G minor
St. Petersburg Quartet
Sun, Sept 29, 8pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Compline by Candlelight
Britten: A.M.D.G: Rosa mystica
Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Julian Wachner, conductor
Thurs, Oct 3, 1pm (Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall)
Concerts at One
Britten On this Island; The Poet’s Echo
Berg: Seven Early Songs
Dvorák: Four Songs on Serbian Folk Poems, Op. 6
Jessica Muirhead, soprano; Julian Wachner, piano
Sun, Oct 6, 8pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Compline by Candlelight
Britten: Sacred and Profane: Lenten is come
Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Julian Wachner, conductor
Thurs, Oct 10, 1pm (Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall)
Concerts at One
Britten: Quartet No.1 in D Major for Strings, Op. 25
Brahms: Quartet No.1 in C minor for Strings, Op. 51
Decoda – Owen Dalby, violin; Anna Elashvili, violin; Meena Bhasin, viola; Claire Bryant, cello
Sun, Oct 13, 8pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Compline by Candlelight
Britten: A.M.D.G: God’s grandeur
Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Julian Wachner, conductor
Mon, Oct 14, 1pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Bach at One
Britten: Hymn to St. Cecilia
Bach: Cantata BWV 63: Christen, ätzet diesen Tag; Cantata BWV 43: Gott fähret auf mit Jauchzen
Trinity Baroque Orchestra; Choir of Trinity Wall Street, Julian Wachner, conductor
Thurs, Oct 17, 1pm (Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall)
Concerts at One
Britten: Suite for Solo Cello No. 3, Op. 87
Schubert: “Arpeggione” Sonata, D821
Schubert: Selected Songs
John Taverner: Chant for Cello
Matt Haimovitz, cello; Julian Wachner, piano
Sun, Oct 20, 8pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Compline by Candlelight
Britten: Sacred and Profane: The long night
Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Julian Wachner, conductor
Mon, Oct 21, 1pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Bach at One
Bach: Motet BWV 229: Komm, Jesu, komm; Motet BWV 226: Der Geist Hilft
Britten: Ad majorem Dei gloriam (A.M.D.G.); Rejoice in the Lamb; Advance Democracy
Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Julian Wachner, conductor
Thurs, Oct 24, 1pm (Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall)
Concerts at One
Britten: Winter Words; Folksongs; Purcell Realizations
Bill Hite, tenor
Sun, Oct 27, 8pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Compline by Candlelight
Britten: A.M.D.G: O Deus, ego amo te
Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Julian Wachner, conductor
Thurs, Oct 31, 1pm (Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall)
Concerts at One
Britten: Phantasy Quartet for Oboe and Strings; Six Metamorphoses after Ovid
Mozart: Oboe Quartet, K370
Kurtág: Signs, Games and Messages (excerpts)
Finzi: Interlude for Oboe and String Quartet
Decoda – James Austin Smith, oboe; Anna Elashvili, violin; Angelia Cho, violin; Meena Bhasin, viola; Saeunn Thorsteinsdottir, cello
Sun, Nov 3, 8pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Compline by Candlelight
Britten: Sacred and Profane: Yif ic of luve can
Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Julian Wachner, conductor
Thurs, Nov 7, 1pm (Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall)
Concerts at One
Britten: Lachrymae; Holiday Diary; Suite for Violin and Piano; Sonata for Cello and Piano
Decoda – Anna Elashvili, violin; Nathan Schram, viola; Saeunn Thorsteinsdottir, cello; Angelina Gadeliya, piano
Sun, Nov 10, 8pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Compline by Candlelight
Britten: A.M.D.G: Prayer II
Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Julian Wachner, conductor
Mon, Nov 11, 1pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton) Bach at One
Britten: Cantata Misericordium
Bach: Cantata BWV 106: Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (Actus Tragicus)
NOVUS NY; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Julian Wachner, conductor
Thurs, Nov 14, 1pm (Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall)
Concerts at One
Britten: Mazurka Elegiaca, Op. 23, No. 2; Gemini Variations
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances for Two Pianos
Grace Cho and Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez, piano; NOVUS NY ensemble members Owen Dalby, violin; Alexandra Sopp, flute
Sun, Nov 17, 8pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Compline by Candlelight
Britten: Sacred and Profane: Ye that pasen by
Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Julian Wachner, conductor
Mon, Nov 18, 1pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Bach at One
Bach: Motet BWV 227: Jesu, meine Freude
Britten: Sacred and Profane; Five Flower Songs; Choral Dances from ‘Gloriana’
Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Julian Wachner, conductor
Thurs, Nov 21, 1pm (Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall)
Concerts at One
Britten: Suite for Cello No. 1, Op.72
Ligeti: Sonata for Solo Cello
Augusta Read Thomas: Spring Song
Berio: Sequenza VIb
Jacques Hétu: Opus 11b
Jennifer Higdon: Suite
Matt Haimovitz, cello
Fri, Nov 22, 6pm (Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall)
Works for Children
Britten: The Golden Vanity; Children’s Crusade; Friday Afternoons; Missa Brevis in D major, Op. 63
Trinity Youth Chorus; Melissa Attebury, conductor
Sun, Nov 24, 8pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Compline by Candlelight
Britten: A.M.D.G: The Soldier
Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Julian Wachner, conductor
Mon, Nov 25, 1pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Bach at One
Bach: Cantata BWV 132: Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn!; Cantata BWV 166: Wo gehest du hin
Britten: Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac
Trinity Baroque Orchestra; Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Geoffrey Williams, countertenor; Steven Caldicott Wilson, tenor; Julian Wachner, conductor and piano
Tues, Nov 26, 1pm (Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall)
Concerts at One
Britten: Sechs Hölderlin Fragmente, Op. 61; Songs and Proverbs of William Blake
Poulenc: Chansons Gaillardes, FP 42
Steve Wilson, tenor; Chris Herbert, baritone; Timothy Long, piano
Sun, Dec 1, 8pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Compline by Candlelight
Britten: Sacred and Profane: A Death
Choir of Trinity Wall Street, Julian Wachner, conductor
Thurs, Dec 5, 1pm (Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall)
Concerts at One
Britten: Quartet No. 3 for Strings, Op. 94
Berg: Lyric Suite
Decoda – Owen Dalby, violin; Anna Elashvili, violin; Meena Bhasin, viola; Claire Bryant, cello
Sun, Dec 8, 8pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Compline by Candlelight
Britten Sacred and Profane: Carol
Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Julian Wachner, conductor
Mon, Dec 9, 1pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Bach at One
Bach: Suite for Cello No.1, BWV 1007; Chaconne in D Minor, BWV 1004
Britten: Suite for Solo Cello No. 2
Elinor Frey, cello and baroque cello
Thurs, Dec 12, 1pm (Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall)
Concerts at One
Britten: Folksongs; Who are these children?
Mahler: Kindertotenlieder
Christopher Herbert, baritone; Steven Caldicott Wilson, tenor; Timothy Long, piano
Sun, Dec 15, 8pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Compline by Candlelight
Britten: A.M.D.G: Heaven-Haven
Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Julian Wachner, conductor
Sun, Dec 22, 8pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Compline by Candlelight
Britten: There is No Rose of Such Virtue
Choir of Trinity Wall Street, Julian Wachner, conductor
Thurs, Dec 26, 1pm (Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall)
Twelfth Night Festival
Britten: A Birthday Hansel; Suite for Harp; Ceremony of Carols
Trinity Youth Chorus; Melissa Attebury, conductor
Mon, Dec 30, 1pm (St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton)
Twelfth Night Festival
Bach at One
Bach: Cantata BWV 125: Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin; BWV 10: Meine Seel erhebt den Herren
Britten: Canticle IV: Journey of the Magi
Trinity Baroque Orchestra; Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Christopher Herbert, baritone; Steven Caldicott Wilson, tenor; Geoffrey Williams, countertenor; Julian Wachner, piano and conductor
Sun, Jan 5, 2 pm (Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall)
Twelfth Night Festival – Gala Concert
Britten: St. Nicolas; A Boy was Born
NOVUS NY; Trinity Youth Chorus; Trinity Youth Orchestra; Julian Wachner, conductor
All concerts at Trinity Wall Street are professionally filmed and webcast live at www.trinitywallstreet.org.
www.trinitywallstreet.org
Follow Trinity Wall Street on Facebook
Follow Trinity Wall Street on Twitter
# # #
© 21C Media Group, August 2013