Clarissa Bevilacqua, violin | Martina Consonni, piano
This program, A Parisian in America, blends the rich musical heritage of France with the vibrant pulse of American jazz and popular music, creating a fascinating cultural dialogue.
Boulanger, Milhaud, and Ravel were all prominent French composers with a strong presence in America: this multi-dimensional influence can be felt and heard through
various differing elements in their music.
For example, Milhaud’s Scaramouche brings a lively, jazz-infused flavor with its exuberant Brazileira, while Ravel’s Sonata No. 2 adds a unique mix of classical sophistication and popular American music through its whimsical Blues movement.
Gershwin’s An American in Paris, arranged by Heifetz, captures the unmistakable spirit of Paris through an American lens, blending jazz and classical in a uniquely American way.
The program concludes with Waxman’s Carmen Fantasie, a virtuosic celebration of Bizet’s opera, which, while rooted in French tradition, highlights Waxman’s career largely shaped by Hollywood and American film music.
L. Boulanger | Nocturne and Cortège
D. Milhaud | Scaramouche (arr. Jascha Heifetz)
M. Ravel | Sonata no. 2
G. Gershwin | An American in Paris (arr. by Jascha Heifetz)
F. Waxman | Carmen Fantasie
