Arts

POST-CLASSICAL ENSEMBLE
Angel Gil-Ordóñez, music director
Joseph Horowitz, artistic director
"A welcome, edgy addition to the musical life of Washington"
-The WashingtonPost

Csárdás!
February 5, 2004, 8pm
Gaston Hall, Georgetown University
(Healy Hall, 37th and O St. NW -parking available at the university: 37th & Prospect)

Presented in association with the Georgetown University Program in Performing Arts, The Embassy of Hungary, and The Hungarian Cultural Center(New York)

With the participation of the Gázsa Hungarian Folk Music Band from Budapest,
and pianist Alexander Shtarkman in his DC debut.

Budapest's celebrated Gázsa Band recreates electrifying Hungarian gypsy dances and earthy peasant songs as heard in Vienna and rural Transylvania a century ago. Alexander Shtarkman, one of the world's great pianists, makes a rare American appearance.With Hungarian Dances, Hungarian Rhapsodies, and Romanian Dances by Brahms, Liszt, and Bartók, plus Bartók's harrowing Divertimento for string orchestra.

PRELUDE at 7pm with Gázsa Band and A. Shtarkman

Sponsored by Schmeltzer, Aptaker and Shepard, P.C.; Hoffman, Fitzgerald &
Snyder, P.C.; Research & Design, Ltd.; Orr Associates, Inc.; CEMEX Central,
S.A. de C.V.; Taberna del Alabardero; Dallas Morse Coors Foundation;
Cultural Center of the Inter-American Development Bank; The Washington Post.

TICKETS: General $25; Students $10 (presentation of a student card)
TicketMaster: by Phone (202) 432 7328, TicketMaster Outlets, and online at
ticketmaster.com

For more Information:
Phone: (202) 966 8778
Email: info@post-classicalensemble.org
www.post-classicalensemble.org

The following was written about Post-Classical Ensemble's last performance
at Georgetown University's Gaston Hall:

IBERIAN MYSTICS; MUSIC OF THREE FAITHS, GEO'TOWN U. [12-6-03]
By Cecelia Porter
With thumbs up from the White House and Crown Prince Felipe de Borbon y
Grecia of Spain, a program of song, instrumental music and dance devoted to
Spain's multicultural past couldn't miss. Held at Georgetown University's Gaston Hall Friday night, the event ('Iberian Mystics') culminated a day's conference on Spain's languages, cultures, religions and arts. The concert highlighted Spain's historic role as a crossroads of Christian and Middle East (Jewish and Arab) cultures--entertainment fueled with hope for peace on earth.

Spanish Ambassador Francisco Javier Ruperez-Rubio opened an evening divided
into Christian, Jewish and Arab segments in lovely mixes of vocal and instrumental music with readings from mystics of all three faiths. Angel Gil-Ordonez conducted the Woodley Ensemble, a chamber choir offering darkly-toned motets by Victoria, the Spanish contemporary of otherer Renaissance greats: Palestrina, Byrd, Gesualdo and Gabrieli, to name a few.

Mezzo Keri Alkema (Clotilde in the Washington Opera's recent 'Norma'), soloed in Roberto Sierra's 'Four Sephardic Songs,' reaffirming the beauty of her entire mezzo range; in de Falla's 'El Amor Brujo' her contralto register was charged with black mega-fire. Conductor Ordonez and the Post-Classical Ensemble were excellent in both works. The stunning artistry of Hicham Chami on the 'qanun' (Arab zither) was matched by that of his partner, Kim Sopata on the flute and recorder. The singing of Flory Jagoda, a Sephardic Bosnian emigre, was moving in its mellifluous passion; flamenco dancer Sara Jerez enchanted all, even in the tiny space afforded her.

c) Copyright Dec. 5, 2003 Cecelia Hopkins Porter
Washington Post reviewer