Master’s Recital Edward Frank Martinez Classical/Flamenco Guitar 10, May, 2020. 8:00 p.m. University of Southern California From Home This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of a Master’s degree in Classical Guitar performance. PROGRAM Johann Sebastian Bach Keyboard Partita No. 6 in E Minor (1685-1750) BWV 830 Toccata Allemande Corrente Air Sarabande Tempo di Gavotte Gigue Johann Dubez Fantasie sur Des Motifs Hongrois (1828-1891) (Fantasy on Two Hungarian Themes) INTERMISSION Sergio Assad Sun Wukong’s Toccata (b. 1952) Adam Del Monte A Pepe Habichuela (Solea) Luz Verde (Alegrías) PROGRAM Keyboard Partita No. 6 in E Minor, BWV 830 J.S. Bach The man himself, J.S. Bach, was an extraordinary musician and composer who is hailed as one of the world’s most treasured artists. As a composer whose music was seen as ‘old-fashioned’ in his time, and sometimes seen as ‘mathematic’, his music prevails to show otherwise. From concertos for four keyboards, to profound solo works on the violin, his musical genius is displayed through dense polyphonic textures (intricate simultaneous melodies), his immense creative output (+ 1,000 works) and his innate originality. The Keyboard Partita No. 6 is the last of six keyboard pieces that were published in 1732. This work is a hallmark of his musical depth and aptitude. The publication includes Bach’s words: “Composed for music lovers, to refresh their spirits”. J.N. Forkel, a renowned Bach scholar stated that “such splendid keyboard compositions had never previously been seen or heard.” Indeed both of these quotes stand true today because the music is just that colossal. Each Partita is composed of 6 - 7 movements, each one with a different style and character. For guitar, any keyboard transcription is sure to have many technical inefficiencies which effect playability. Even though this transcription is superbly done by Hubert Kappel there are many technical hurdles to get past. The staple of this work is the Toccata which is a highly dense, stand-alone piece. This Toccata includes a three voice fugue which just about travels through every emotion. The Allemande and Corrente are sift and rhythmic. The Sarabande is a slow and emphatic movement requiring the smoothest of control and direction to each phrase. Both the Tempo de Gavotte and Air are quite short movements with stunning development in such a little amount of time. The Gigue is an interpretational monstrosity on its own through its rhythms and voices. Fantasy on Two Hungarian Themes Johann Dubez Being a lesser known guitar composer of the 19th century, the Vienna- born Johann Dubez has stood to make a name for himself even today. He was a multi-instrumentalist playing violin, guitar, harp and zither. His composition output is much less than Sor or his composition teacher, Mertz. However, Dubez does seem to have an interesting outlook on composition. The Fantasie on Two Hungarian Themes is a piece where Dubez reimagines the themes of Mertz’s Hungarian Fantasy. Dubez’s composition is wild in that it never stays in one place through constant modulation, dramatic episodes, and the reoccurring themes with different variations. The performer’s responsibility here is to make sense of each change in the piece to ensure all of Dubez’s compositional techniques flow seamlessly with zest and assurance. PROGRAM Sun Wukong’s Toccata Sergio Assad Sergio Assad has boggled the minds of listeners with his compositions and playing for years. Coming from a musical family, he grew up playing and composing with his father, his brother, Odair, and his sister, Badi. The two brothers formed the Assad Duo, which soon became a world renowned group who has collaborated with Astor Piazzolla, Gidon Kremer, Yo-Yo Ma and many more. Sun Wukong’s Toccata is quite a recent work of his and was written for the stellar classical guitarist, Meng Su, whose connection with the piece is very real. Sun Wukong is the the Monkey King and is ‘O.G.’ to the hero Goku from Dragon Ball. Assad writes this piece in homage to Sun Wukong and his journey to Buddhahood with his 72 transformations, being able to morph into objects and people. Sun Wukong must use his charm and wit to get through the 81 tasks leading to Buddhahood and immortality. This piece first sets up the kingdom of the Monkey King, The Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. The next section correlates with three weapons that Sun Wukong attains the ‘Phoenix Feather Cap’, the ‘Cloud Walking Boots’, and the ‘Golden Banded Stuff’. The third and final section are 81 measures representing the 81 tasks to attain Buddhahood. In this final section, there are two distinct entourage that join the Monkey King, Pigsy and Sandy. Pigsy is presented through pig sounds on the guitar and Sandy is presented right after with seamlessly flowing notes up and down the fretboard. The Journey ends with the friction of a diapason on the strings to show the profound immortality and Buddhahood of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. A Pepe Habichuela & Luz Verde Adam Del Monte A modern day doubly influenced musician is Adam del Monte, a leading composer and player of two styles Flamenco and Classical. He grew up in Israel studying with Menashe Baquiche and Gordon Crosskey at the Chathams School of Music in England. By age 19, he had his debut with the legendary flamenco singer, Enrique Morente, in the Teatro Real in Madrid. His main flamenco teacher was Pepe Habichuela, whose mark on the flamenco culture is far and wide. Since then, Adam has recorded three major albums, two of flamenco, and one of Baroque Spanish Classical, and Argentinian tango. The final two pieces of the program are in two flamenco styles which are a part of deeply rooted ways of playing. The first being ‘A Pepe Habichuela’ is in the style ‘Solea’, meaning solitude. The intrinsic nature of this style is rooted in the ‘Cante’ (singing), which flamencos use to lament and pour out their dire troubles. For solo guitar, this means weaving into episodes of melancholic melodies to episodes of rhythm of basically chord structures. Ever so present in this solea, is Del Monte’s unique ability to compose long, lush melodies superimposed on dramatic and dense accompaniment. One of Del Monte’s favorite attributes of the solea is that the player can bend time within the strict flamenco phrasing to create depth and direction. PROGRAM The last piece, Luz Verde (Green Light) is Adam’s composition in the flamenco style, Alegrías, meaning joy. Del Monte seems to be in love with syncopation in this piece, always offsetting the downbeats with jazzlike melodies and runs. Alegrías is typically a flamenco style done with multiples of people including, palmeros, a percussionist, dancers, and singers which showcases the joy of the community involved. Del Monte’s adeptness allowed him to make the piece stand for solo guitar. Luz Verde is groovy, unconventional, and well- intended piece of art. PROGRAM Edward Frank Martinez Classical/Flamenco Guitar ! Edward Martinez is a hybrid of two artistic natures, classical and flamenco guitar. At his high school, OCSA, he studied with Vasil Chekardzhikov and Walter Molina, both of whom gave Edward an opportunity to learn and shine through each style. Through hard work Edward has attained his Bachelor Degree in Performance Guitar at Vanguard University under the brilliant instruction of Michael Nigro and Martha Masters. He is now pursuing his Master’s degree at the USC Thornton School of Music under the tutelage of William Kanengiser and Adam del Monte. Edward has also traveled to Spain thrice to study with the world renowned flamenco artist, El Viejín, in the famous flamenco neighborhood, Caño Roto. It is unheard of for a student to come from Orange County to Caño Roto so it is has been a real privilege for Edward to delve into such a fascinating culture. Due to the high demand of artistic excellence in both the classical and flamenco styles, Edward hopes to portray the wonderful qualities of both forms to audiences around the world. Along with pursuing his Master’s degree, Edward is currently recording his debut album, full of masterpieces from both styles. PROGRAM PROGRAM Sincere of thanks to the Classical Guitar Department of the Thornton School of Music. Also, the sincerest of thanks to Bill Kanengiser and Adam del Monte who have encouraged and enlightened me this past year.
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