B Major, B There

By Janice Tieperman
SC Staff Writer

The past weekend has been one of enhanced activity for the campus of East Stroudsburg University—not only were there spectacles of athletics and familial fellowship, but also a masterful display of several pieces of classical music.

As a continuation in the Carter Chamber Music Series, ESU welcomed violinist Fiona Simon and violoncellist Qiang Tu to the stage on September 28, as well as Robert Miller, retired professor of music at ESU, on piano.

The trio performed on October 6 of last year as well, with the addition of Peter Kenote on viola.

While the total program only consisted of two official titles, both musical pieces extensively branched into a portrait of the times and lives of the composers who wrote the pieces.

The concert commenced with a performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Trio in C Major, K. 548. While this is only one of the hundreds of Mozart’s compositions, Simon and Tu were able to intermingle their finesse and eloquence into an immensely deeper level of the piece’s original writing.

They continued this approach with the concluding piece: Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major, Opus 8 by Johannes Brahms.

While the second piece’s differentiation of key signature brought the listener to a different place than the preceding composition, it presented an undeniable truth that any gifted musician can take a sheet of music and make it their own, no matter how old it is.

For those of you who were unable to attend this concert, fear not! The stage of Celia S. Cohen Hall will not remain empty for long; in fact, on October 5 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, it will brim with music once again as violist Donald Dal Maso and pianist David Lantz come to perform at ESU.

Featuring music from the likes of Handel, Lantz, Martinu, and Schumann, this recital will most certainly be a beacon of numerous corners of the orchestral and classical music genre — it will also feature a special guest musician, Claire Chan, on violin. Dal Maso is a graduate of Haverford College and the Curtis Institute of Music.

In the past, he has performed with musicians such as Domenic Salerni and Tim Whitehead, and has been noted in the area for his musical talents.

This performance will be at 2:00 PM in the previously mentioned Celia S. Cohen Recital Hall located in the Fine Arts Building. Tickets are $25 for the general public, $20 for senior citizens, $10 for students, and complimentary for students of ESU.

Any further questions about the concert can be answered by calling (917) 716-9245. This event will be a great outing for people of all ages and will definitely not want to be missed.

Email Janice at:
jtieperman@live.esu.edu