Programs
throughout the season center round celebrating the birth anniversaries of composers with widely different styles. 2008 is the100th anniversary of both Olivier Messiaen (d. 1992), the deeply
reflective composer particularly sensitive to a relationship between
sound and color, and American Elliott Carter, still writing with
brilliance and energy. Messiaen was a composer, teacher and organist in
Paris, whose influence affected, among many others, William Bolcom.
A 70th birthday tribute to William Bolcom was the theme of MTC’s annual New
York
Benefit on April 28th at the Kosciuszko House in Manhattan, and he will
be heartily congratulated again at the annual summer Bolcom and Morris concert
on the weekend of July 11/12..
The music of two composers both best known for theatre/opera music,
Michael Balfe (b.1808) and Giacomo Puccini, born 150 years ago in 1856,
will also be highlighted, and as
Friday our second weekend of concerts
falls on July 4th, America’s Birthday, in order that the whole family
can celebrate the day and participate in local festivities, we will
present a free short concert, with a program that features a wide range
of American music, and follow the performance with ice cream for all on
the church lawn.
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June
27/28
A Galaxy of Song
A Galaxy of Song with Lucy Shelton, soprano, and guests the
Fischer Duo, - Norman Fischer, cello, Jeanne Kierman, piano - and
Masako Yanagita, violin, spans intriguing music of three centuries.
The program begins with a Handel cantata, Pastorella vagha bella,
acclaims Elliott Carter still active in his 100th year with the renowned cello
sonata (1948) and setting of Baudelaire, La Musique, written for Lucy
last year, and also honors the centenary of Olivier Messiaen with his
Vocalise-Étude. Lucy's program includes songs in folkstyle from Dvorak,
settings of e.e.cummings by Morton Feldman and miniatures by contemporary
Harrison Birtwistle as well as songs from Villa Lobos including the Suite for
voice and violin. Another anniversary, 200 years after his birth is noted with
Balfe's once hugely popular `I dreamt I dwelt in Marble Halls' and for
light hearted delight songs of Flanders and Swann and Arnold Black.
July
4th
America’s
Birthday. featuring a tribute to Horace Boyer, gospel music pioneer. Program to include
music
from the Civil War, Gospel song, Broadway, Bernstein, Gershwin,
Gottschalk, and MacDowell with Maria Ferrante, soprano, Masako Yanagita, violin and Abba Bogin, piano
followed by ice cream on the church lawn.

July 5th
Opera Night.
Some American music, as on Friday, plus favorite Puccini opera arias
from La Boheme, Madama Butterfly, Gianni Schicci, Tosca, Suor Angelica, with
Maria Ferrante, soprano, Masako Yanagita violin and Abba Bogin piano.
July
11/12
Swinging on a Star
Bolcom
& Morris - Tracing
some milestones in composer
William
Bolcom’s life, with Joan Morris
performing theatre and
cabaret song announced from the stage.

July
18/19
Dryden
String Quartet, who come to us with guests Adria Sternstein Foster,
flute, and Susan Robinson, harp, are rising stars in the string quartet
universe,
we welcome for the first time.
These fine players from Washington,will on both Friday and Saturday play the
great Beethoven Serenade for flute violin & viola, Op.25.
Then on Friday only they feature Susan Robinson, harp after first playing
Dvorak - Terzetto for two violins and viola, Op. 74. following with the Sonata
for flute, viola and harp (1915) by Debussy and the Fantasie for violin and
harp Op.124 by Saint-Saens.
Saturday's program begins with Quartet #3 in g minor Op. 20, Haydn,
salutes the 150th anniversary of his birth with Puccini's I Crisantemi,
a rarely heard work for string quartet, and the program concludes with the
Quartet Op.10 (1893) by Debussy.

July
25/26
Drucker,
Hunter Cooper in Consort A
new constellation of friends, Eugene Drucker, violin, Matthew Hunter,
viola, and Roberta Cooper, cello, who initially met at Mohawk Trail
Concerts, now come to play Mozart Divertimento in E Flat, K. 563
and Brahms Piano Quartet in g minor, Op.25, with guest
star Estela Olevsky. Estela will also play from Vingt
regards sur l’Enfant Jesus
(1949) by Messiaen.
At
the concert Eugene Drucker will sign his new novel, The Savior,
with
its theme based on the experience of a musician
forced to play in a WWII concentration camp: associating the
listening experience with the intense spirituality of Messiaen's music,
developed from his suffering and imprisonment by the Nazis
during the German occupation of France.
Friday concerts are at 7:30 pm, (Friday, July
4th only, will start at
7:00 pm). Saturdays at 8:00 pm.
Information and further details appear on this website,
www.mohawktrailconcerts.org
as soon as it is available.
Contact : the MTC office, 413 625-9511
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