Join the dazzling cello quintet SAKURA with “RENEWAL”, a voyage through life, love, and the richly vibrant sound of five cellos. SAKURA, hailed by the LA Times as “brilliant . . . superb”, is built on the artistry and virtuosity of its members: Michael Kaufman, Benjamin Lash, Gabriel Martins, Yoshika Masuda and Peter Myers. Drawing from the rich heritage of a repertoire that spans six centuries, SAKURA opens new vistas of beauty and expression by showcasing the great warmth and scope of an instrument close to the heart of many listeners. In the tradition of the great chamber ensembles, the quintet distills its interpretations through time, reveling in the pure sonic pleasure of a unified and colorful sound.
Program
SAKURA presents RENEWAL
I. ORIGINS
Messiaen: O Sacrum Convivium
Debussy: Three preludes, arr. Peter Myers
Interrupted Serenade
The Girl with Flaxen Hair
Minstrels
Five Renaissance a cappella works (10’)
Orlando di Lasso: Matona, mia cara
Orlando Gibbons: The Silver Swan
Carlo Gesualdo: Moro, lasso, al mio duolo
Adriano Banchieri: Gli cervellini cantano un madrigale
Adriano Banchieri: Contraponto bestiale
II. HABITAT
Chick Corea: Spain (arr. Peter Myers)
Dvorak: Silent Woods (arr. Michael Kaufman)
Bernstein: Selections from West Side Story (arr. Simon Parkin)
~ Intermission ~
Rachmaninov: Vocalise (arr. Peter Myers)
III. DEATH AND RETURN
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5: I. Allegro con brio (arr. Michael Kaufman)
Anne Wilson: Lament in Memory of Matthew Shepard
Brahms: Intermezzo in Eb, op. 117 no. 1 (arr. Peter Myers)
***
ORIGINS: Messiaen’s mysterious beauty conveys emergence from nothingness into life; the emotions and experiences that come with one’s maturation into young adulthood are suggested by Debussy’s freshly evocative depictions, including a desolate snowy landscape and a beautiful country girl amidst the flowers, as well a set of a cappella Renaissance works ranging from the vulgar to the sublime
HABITAT: The theaters, urban and natural, in which life’s joys and challenges play out.
DEATH AND RETURN: Two works dealing with fate and mortality, followed by a lullaby composed by an old man, thus completing the circle by connecting death back to birth
ABOUT SAKURA
SAKURA operates in the tradition of the great chamber ensembles, rehearsing extensively and distilling its interpretations through time. Its name honors the great mentor and artist Ralph Kirshbaum, with whom all five members studied: 桜 sakura (Japanese) and Kirschbaum (German) have the same meaning “cherry tree”, a plant whose flowers have five petals.
Performance highlights have included Brett Dean’s Twelve Angry Men in Walt Disney Concert Hall as part of the Piatigorsky International Cello Festival, a world premiere of Thomas Mellan’s Concerto for Five Cellos with the USC Symphony, and concert appearances across the country. SAKURA was awarded two prestigious grants to commission new cello quintets: a Tarisio grant for five young American composers and a New Music USA grant for Donald Crockett. This season includes performances in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New Orleans. The quintet also serves as Young-Ensemble-in-Residence of the Da Camera Society.
