Debussy was interested in writing music that evoked feelings in listeners and in himself, and these pieces showcase his ability to conjure the mysterious atmosphere of night, moonlight, and erotic love, as well as the darker emotions of war and conflict. In this elegant soiree, Susan Waterfall will play two preludes and a waltz, Carolyn Steinbuck will join her for the En blanc et noir suite for two pianos, and Keisuke Nakagoshi will accompany Silvie Jensen on a selection of delightful songs. The Sonata for Violin and Piano will close out the enchanted evening.
La Plus que Lente (The Even Slower Waltz)
La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune (Terrace for Audiences of Moonlight)
Susan Waterfall, piano
Ariettes Oubliées (Forgotten Little Songs on poetry by Verlaine)
Silvie Jensen, soprano; Keisuke Nakagoshi, piano
This is Langourous Ecstasy
It’s Raining in my Heart
The Shadow of Trees
Wooden Horses
Green
All the Roses Were Red
Carolyn Steinbuck and Susan Waterfall, pianos
Avec emportement (With Ardor)
Lent. Sombre (Slow. Somber)
Scherzando (Playfully)
Noël des enfants qui n’ont plus de maisons (Christmas carol, 1916)
Silvie Jensen, soprano; Keisuke Nakagoshi, piano
Sonata in G minor for Violin and Piano (1917)
Suzanne Leon, violin; Keisuke Nakagoshi, piano
Allegro vivo
Intermède: fantasque et léger
Finale: très animé
Debussy: 2022 Featured Composer
For 2022, Susan Waterfall’s composer series will feature the innovative and influential Claude Debussy. Immerse yourself in his world and his music, and understand how his music evolved over his lifetime with narrated chamber recitals featuring exciting guest artists, and various other settings of Debussy’s work across the Festival.
If you’d like to familiarize yourself with some of this music in advance, we recommend the following recordings and notes: String Quartet performance, String Quartet notes, more String Quartet notes, Afternoon of a Faun performance, Faun notes.
“Waterfall’s productions always present exciting, absorbing playing of great music, but are also rare, distinctive examples of what can be called music education, though they’re more conversational, truly a sharing of perspective, interest, anecdote. There’s a sense of immediacy to her delivery, weaving in and out of the playing, an intimately conceived present awareness of this heritage. It’s something unique that needs to be experienced.” -Ken Bullock, Berkeley Daily Planet
For 2022, the Festival’s main stage is again temporarily transplanted from our signature Tent Concert Hall in Mendocino Headlands State Park to the beautiful, iconic and historic 1938 Cotton Auditorium in nearby Fort Bragg. We’re pleased to also welcome the return of more intimate concerts in Preston Hall, our smaller Mendocino venue. While we’d hoped to be back in the Tent Concert Hall this year, the combination of pandemic-related disruptions in the availability of vital resources (such as labor) and lingering uncertainty about public health conditions this summer would have made that an unacceptably risky proposition. Meanwhile, work is under way toward our 2023 return to our home since 1985, the Tent Concert Hall on the Mendocino Headlands.
Proof of completed COVID-19 vaccination, including at least one booster, is required, and masks must be properly worn at all times while on event premises. Though it might exceed official requirements, this policy is based on current conditions and the results of our most recent audience survey.