San Francisco's Home for Great Concerts since 1970

Daniel Glover – August 3, 2014

Franz Schubert Wanderer FantasySchubert–Liszt The WandererFrederic Rzewski North American BalladsModest Mussorgsky Pictures at an ExhibitionPianist Daniel Glover will take us on musical journeys of time and place. He will perform Liszts arrangement of Schubert’s virtuoso Fantasy in C major, Op. 15 (“Wander Fantasy”), as well as Liszt’s transcription of the song it was derived from. Schubert’s heart wrenching song describes a man who wanders around in search of his homeland. Rzewski’s North American Ballads (1978–9) will follow. They are based on American folk songs and will offer a very contemporary approach, unlike any other you may have heard before. Mr. Glover describes these pieces as: “multiple radios playing the same piece, but in different keys and tempos at the same time.” Rzewski’s friendship with the American folk singer Pete Seeger was the catalyst for composing these pieces. Seeger suggested he write short works in a style similar to Bach’s Choral Preludes for organ, which would incorporate tunes his audience was familiar with, but give them a fresh contemporary look. More than anything, these works, composed in the late 1970s, take us directly back to that period of musical experimentation that was so prevalent and representative of the time. The turmoil of the Vietnam War era, and the fierce opposition to the war that many people felt is expressed in Rzewski’s Down by the riverside. Finally, Mussorgsky’s most famous and beloved composition, Pictures at an Exhibition, will take us on a pictorial journey of France, Poland, Italy and old Russia. Mussorgsky composed his masterwork in 1874 as a memorial to his friend, the Russian architect and painter Viktor Hartmann, who had died in 1873 at age 39. Hartmann’s paintings were representative of his travels as a student, and thus extend far beyond Russia’s borders. Yet, Mussorgsky provided a penetrating look into the soul of Russia herself, which far surpassed the original art works which inspired him in both originality and emotional depth.

Old First Concerts has volunteer opportunities available!

Our concerts rely on the generosity of volunteers to assist with simple tasks like:

ushering

distributing programs

box office

set-up and clean-up

Scheduling is flexible — you choose when to work! We especially need helping hands for our Friday and Saturday night performances.

An excellent opportunity for students, seniors, or anyone who possesses a love for music!

If you’d like to consider volunteering with Old First Concerts, please contact curtishuth@oldfirstconcerts.org for more information.