Waterford Concert Series Program 2010
Program for the Cavatina Duo

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Sonata in E minor for flute and continuo (BWV 1034)
    Adagio ma non tanto
    Allegro
    Andante
    Allegro

Alejandro Yague (1947-)
Confidencial no. 2

Three Balkan Pieces (commissioned by and dedicated to the Cavatina Duo)

Carlos Rafael Rivera (1970-)
Vranjanski Cocek

Matthew Dunne (1959-)
Eleno Kerko   

Boris Gaquere (1977-)
Kopanitsa da Kalantchatska          

-- Intermission --  

Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) (arranged for the Cavatina Duo by Sérgio Assad)
Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas                           
(The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires)         
    Verano porteño
    Otoño porteño
    Invierno porteño
    Primavera porteña

François Borne (1840-1920) (Transcribed by Jozef Zsapka)
Fantasia brillante sur l’opera Carmen      

The Cavatina Duo appears by arrangement with Lisa Sapinkopf Artists, www.chambermuse.com

Program Notes

Johann Sebastian Bach: Sonata in E minor for Flute and Continuo (BWV 1034)
The autograph manuscript of this sonata has not been found, but several copies of it have survived. A study of these has led the German scholar, Hans-Peter Schmitz (editor of all the Bach flute sonatas for the Neue Bach-Ausgase) to conclude that the sonata is undoubtedly by Bach, written during his Cöthen period (1717-1723). The flowing cantilena of the Andante ranks among Bach's most appealing melodies.

Alejandro Yague: Confidencial no.2
Spanish composer Alejandro Yague wrote this work originally for flute and guitar in 1989.The piece is a homage to three towns in the province of Burgos (Spain), eliminated as a result of the construction of the Urquiza dam. The piece is divided into three uninterrupted sections, in which the flautist positions herself in three different locations: to the right, behind and to the left of the guitarist, ending in the original position where she started. Yague combines traditional melodies with delicate textures, guitar tremolos and unconventional techniques such as multiphonics (simultaneous production of sounds) in the flute. The meticulous precision and expert handling of musical form and development result in a well-rounded, clear-cut and very communicative work.

Carlos Rafael Rivera: Vranjanski Cocek
Vranjanski Cocek is a high-spirited dance. With an open circle, this fast step dance from the region of Vranja in Serbia, explodes into a pulsating whirl of sound, motion and vibrant color.

Matthew Dunne: Eleno Kerko   
A traditional Macedonian love song.

Boris Gaquere: Kopanitsa da Kalantchatska
Kopanitsa (called Gankino in some regions) is the name for a family of lively folk dances from western Bulgaria written in 11/8 meter. Some dancers count the steps in terms of "quick" and "slow" beats, the pattern being quick-quick-slow-quick-quick (counted as 2-2-3-2-2). The name comes from the verb kopam, which means "to dig" or "to hoe", so the name is sometimes translated as "little digging dance".
Kopanitsas and gankinos are line dances with the dancers in a curved, inward-facing line, either holding hands with arms down or (in kopanitsas) holding the belts of the neighboring dancers. Dancers repeat one pattern until the leader on the right end of the line calls another pattern, hence, hence many of them are called "called dances.”

Astor Piazzolla (arranged for the Cavatina Duo by Sérgio Assad)
Las cuatro estaciones porteñas
Tango was the rage of Europe and America soon after World War I and was undistinguishable from the popular dance of the same name. This aggressive yet passionate tango, begotten in the brothels of turn-of-the-century Argentina and raised in the dance halls of Paris, became a quick, easy victim of parody. Tango became passé. In the mid-1950's, however, Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla began revolutionizing the tango. He created the Nuevo Tango by adding elements of dissonance, chromaticism, rhythmic complexity, and jazz. Piazzolla received death threats from Argentine "nationalists" and tango purists in response to his radical treatment of the tango. Only recently has his music become accepted, both in Argentina and also in concert halls throughout much of the world.

Piazzolla began writing Las cuatro Estaciones Porteñas [The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires] in 1965 and finished the suite in 1970. Originally written for his quintet of violin, bandoneon, electric guitar, piano, and double bass, Las cuatro Estaciones Porteña have become one of his best-known works. Piazzolla pays homage to the tango of Buenos Aires as well as the "serious" music of the great Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi. Vivaldian traces are most obvious in the closing bars of "Invierno porteño," and a fugue-like section begins "Otoño porteño." With a breath of Nuevo Tango, Piazzolla gives new life to traditional classical forms.

François Borne: Fantasia brillante sur l’opéra Carmen
The Carmen Fantasy by François Borne is based on the principal themes from Georges Bizet’s operatic masterpiece and was originally scored for flute and orchestra. Borne, a professor of flute at the Toulouse Conservatory, was interested in creating repertoire for his instrument.

Biographical Notes

The Cavatina Duo—Eugenia Moliner, flute (from Spain) and Denis Azabagic, guitar (from Bosnia)—has become one of the most impressive combinations of its kind in the world.

Since winning the “Young Musicians of the Doelen” competition in the Netherlands in 1996, the Cavatina Duo has captivated audiences with their electrifying performances across North America, Europe and Asia in such major venues and festivals as Ravinia (Chicago), Da Camera Society (Los Angeles), Aix-en-Provence Summer Festival (France), Eem & Veem Festival (Netherlands), International Guitar Festival of Frechen (Germany),  the National Concert Hall of Taipei (Taiwan), National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China, National Flute convention Gala Concert,USA, among many others.

The duo’s performances have been broadcast by radio and television stations in Europe and North America. They have been the subject of interviews in the international magazines Classical Guitar (UK), Guitarra Magazine (web) and Soundboard (USA). They are the first guitar and flute duo to be featured on the cover of Classical Guitar Magazine (UK).

Composers from around the world have been inspired to compose and arrange new works for the duo: Sérgio Assad and Clarice Assad (Brazil); Carlos Rivera, Michael Karmon and Michael Djupstrom (USA); Alan Thomas (UK-USA), Erik Otte (the Netherlands); Alejandro Yagüe (Spain); Boris Gaquere (Belgium) and V. Ivanovic (Bosnia/Greece). The duo received the Encore Prize in 2003 for their collaboration with Michael Karmon.