Image: Franz Doppler By Auguste Alexis Canzi - Bibliothèque nationale de France, Public Domain
On SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20 at 3 p.m. the SANTA BARBARA MUSIC CLUB will present another program in its popular series of concerts of beautiful Classical music at Faulkner Gallery in the downtown Public Library.
The program opens with an impressive three-part presentation entitled “Songs We Live By,” featuring Carol Ann Manzi, soprano, and Thomas Heck, classical guitar. Next, flutists Eliana and Elizabeth van Renterghen present the delightful “Allegro maestoso” from the Concerto for Two Flutes in D minor by Franz and Karl Doppler. The program will conclude with soprano Kim Holmquist and pianist Bridget Hough interpreting two groups of fascinating and exceptionally contrasting songs.
Program Details
Karl Doppler (1825-1900)
- Allegro maestoso
(1900-1990)
- Boatman’s Dance
- Simple Gifts
- Long Time Ago
- I Bought Me a Cat
Notes on the Program
by Betty Oberacker
The program opens with an impressive three-part presentation entitled “Songs We Live By,” featuring Carol Ann Manzi, soprano, and Thomas Heck, classical guitar. Beginning with “Songs About You,” comprising the familiar The Song is You and All the Things You Are, by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein, then turning to “Songs Turning Conventional Wisdom On Its Head,” comprising the powerful Reversals, a Song Cycle by Thomas Heck on Poems by David Krieger, then finally “Songs of Courage and Resolve,” comprising the popular Somewhere (from West Side Story) by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, and You’ll Never Walk Alone, by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein.
The three songs in Thomas Heck’s Reversals are “The Good Name of War,” “What is Holy,” and “A Day Like Any Other Day.” It is noteworthy that the third song, honoring civil rights activist Rosa Parks — who refused to surrender her bus seat to a white passenger, spurring the Montgomery boycott and other efforts to end segregation — takes its title from Ms. Parks’ statement, “It was just a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the masses of the people joined in.”
Next, flutists Eliana and Elizabeth van Renterghen present the delightful “Allegro maestoso” from the Concerto for Two Flutes in D minor by Franz and Karl Doppler. The Doppler brothers, born in Lemberg in what is now the Ukraine, were both virtuoso flutists, and their compositions – sometimes written together, as is this one – reflect the tastes of mid-nineteenth-century salon music and make great use of ethnic thematic materials. At times suggesting the young Mendelssohn, the work is lighthearted and vivacious.
The program will conclude with soprano Kim Holmquist and pianist Bridget Hough interpreting two groups of fascinating and exceptionally contrasting songs, one by Mexican composers of the first half of the 20th century and one of early American songs arranged by Aaron Copland. For the attractive Mexican group, Ms. Holmquist has selected To Huey Tlahtzin Cuahtemoc by Salvador Moreno (to be sung in Nahuatl), Caminante del Mayab by Guty Cárdenas, Canción de cuna a Patricia by José Sabre Marroquín, and Aleluya by Manuel María Ponce. The imaginative Copland arrangements of the beautiful American folk songs will include Boatman’s Dance, Simple Gifts, Long Time Ago, and I Bought Me a Cat.
The Performers
Carol Ann Manzi, soprano, earned her Masters of Music in vocal performance from the Yale School of Music, specializing in opera. From the outset of her career she has been in demand as a soprano soloist. In addition to singing numerous leading operatic roles, she has also presented many vocal recitals with a variety of accompanists, and has regularly been invited to sing solos in oratorios and other major choral works. Most recently, she was featured soloist in the Wranitzky Festival in the Czech Republic. Please visit manzisings.info.
Thomas Heck, classical guitarist, is a graduate of the doctoral program in musicology at Yale University (1970). After a career in the histories of both music and theatre, he enjoys ‘emeritus’ opportunities like this to perform for the pure pleasure of it. He especially likes to accompany the human voice with his classical guitar. Currently he is an adjunct faculty member at Santa Barbara City College’s Center for Lifelong Learning and a frequent musical animateur at continuing care facilities for the frail elderly in Santa Barbara.
Eliana Van Renterghem, flutist, is a homeschooled high school senior studying with Andrea Di Maggio, and has participated in five masterclasses and several private lessons with UCSB Professor Jill Felber; also a pianist, she is a student of Neil Di Maggio. She has twice been concerto soloist with the SB Youth Symphony and was winner of the National Flute Association’s 2015 High School Flute Competition. Eliana has received SBMC scholarships in both flute and piano, and plans on pursuing music in college and in her future career.
Elizabeth Van Renterghem, flutist, is a homeschooled high school senior studying with Andrea Di Maggio, and has participated in five masterclasses and several private lessons with UCSB Professor Jill Felber; also a pianist, she is a student of Neil Di Maggio. She received the “Certificate of Outstanding Achievement” from the Westmont Academy for Young Artists and will be featured concerto soloist with the SB Youth Orchestra. Elizabeth is a SBMC scholarship awardee in both flute and piano, and will be a college music major.
Carolyn Kimball Holmquist, soprano, graduated from Mt. Holyoke College and has won international acclaim for her concert, film, musical comedy, opera, theatrical, and TV appearances. She has represented the U.S. in the Tchaikovsky International Vocal Competition, toured Central and South America presenting American music for the U.S. State Department, and sang three seasons with the Bellas Artes National Opera. Ms. Holmquist sings in six languages, and has had leading roles in many musicals, including Carousel and The Sound of Music. In addition to numerous TV appearances, she starred in a Gershwin tribute for ABC and had a recurring role on the PBS Series, On Common Ground.
Bridget Hough, pianist, is equally at home in solo, chamber, and duo repertoire, and is regularly engaged for competitions, performances, and recording projects. A piano student of Paul Berkowitz, Robert Koenig, and Betty Oberacker, she has been an invited pianist for summer festivals, including SongFest at the Colburn School (Los Angeles), the Schubert-Institut (Austria), and the Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar, where she was a Fellow for two seasons. She earned her B.M. Degree summa cum laude and her D.M.A. Degree from UCSB. Committed to new music, Dr. Hough has premiered works by many contemporary composers, including Tom Cipullo, Juliana Hall, Jake Heggie, Libby Larsen, Thea Musgrave, John Musto and John Villar.
