Robert Cart, Gina DiMedio Marrazza, and composer Eric Sessler explore the music of modern and romantic era composers in Passions New & Old

Robert and Gina discuss and play excerpts from their upcoming March 1st performance, Passions New & Old, at the Philadelphia Ethical Society’s Music for Good concert series. They are joined by Curtis Institute of Music composer Eric Sessler for a conversation about his work for flute and piano, Sawmill Sunshine, the opening piece of the program,.

Passions New & Old includes works by the Franco-Belgian composers César Franck, Eugène Ysaÿe, and Henri Vieuxtemps, and Philadelphia composers Eric Sessler and Jennifer Higdon.

The relationships between Franck, Ysaÿe, Vieuxtemps were those of deeply devoted friendship and mentorship. Vieuxtemps was teacher and mentor to Ysaÿe, who was one of the greatest violinists of his generation. Franck’s grand four movement violin sonata, composed as a wedding present for the 31-year-old Ysaÿe, is here transcribed for the flute.

When composing Sawmill Sunshine, Eric Sessler had every intention of writing something slow and serious. However, the creative process often takes its own path and he ended up with a joyful work full of energy and brightly colored lyricism. Jennifer Higdon has said of the introspective and contemplative Nocturne from String Poetic (originally for violin and piano) that it represents “piece of night-night of peace.” Passions New & Old marks the world premiere of Higdon’s flute and piano version of this work.

WRTI Performance Studio

Listen to recordings and watch videos of live broadcasts from the WRTI 90.1 Performance Studio, featuring exceptionally talented artists from the Philadelphia region and beyond.

https://www.wrti.org/term/wrti-performance-studio