Dena Kay Jones

Passionate Piano: Liszt and Albeniz

Dena Kay K. Jones Dr. — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 07:01:07 PDT

Faculty Chamber Recital with Dr. Mark Schuppener, violin

Dena Kay K. Jones Dr. — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 06:57:45 PDT

Works performed included: ¨ Set canciones Valencianas by Joaquín Rodrigo ¨ Sonata for Violin and Piano by Claude Debussy ¨ Sonata in A Minor, Op. 13 by Gabriel Fauré

Design in the Performing Arts and Innovative Recital Models: How Design Affects Musical Aesthetics

Dena Kay K. Jones Dr. — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 06:49:26 PDT

This sixty minute workshop will provide a brief methodology and overview of how production elements and design (stage set-up, costume/dress, instrument placement, technology usage, lighting and movement) affect musical aesthetics. The goal of the workshop is to demonstrate how when carefully considered, design enhances live musical performances. The presenter will then provide an example through a short performance of solo piano works, incorporating select techniques offered, with audience participation in critically analyzing the performance through a questionnaire and discussion scenario. As these techniques can be applied, not only in the piano performance realm, but in innumerable differing circumstances, conference attendees will relate these demonstrated concepts to their own particular area. Creativity and innovation are two main themes running through this offering.

El Alma de Espana

Dena Kay K. Jones Dr. — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 06:34:18 PDT

Selected Performer (chosen through a juried process), El Alma de España, Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, Chicago, Illinois. Program included: · From Danzas Españolas, No. 2 “Oriental” and No. 5 “Andaluza” by Enrique Granados · From Los Cantos de España, “Córdoba” and “Leyenda” by Isaac Albéniz · Aranjues, ma pensée by Joaquín Rodrigo · Fantasia Bética by Manuel de Falla

International Joaquin Rodrigo Festival: 2009

Dena Kay K. Jones Dr. — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 06:30:18 PDT

In 2009, El Paso joined the cities of Madrid, Alicante, Valencia and Barcelona (Spain), as well as Vienna, London and Prague in paying homage to one of Spain’s most adored composers, Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999). 2009 marked the tenth anniversary of his death, where the maestro died in his home in Madrid, surrounded by his family. The leading member of that family as well as the only child of the composer, Cecilia Rodrigo traveled from Madrid to El Paso with friend and colleague Katherine Zegarra in order to participate in the International Joaquín Rodrigo Festival: 2009. The four day event was hosted by the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP), where concerts, lectures, recitals, video-viewings and round-table discussions ensued energetically and emotionally from February 22nd through the 25th. In addition to the esteemed guests from Spain, the festival welcomed Chilean guitar virtuoso Carlos Perez, who has already made a name for himself by specializing in the works by Rodrigo. Even at his young age, Mr. Perez is wracking up accolades in the competition and recording world, and his boundless energy through the most difficult passages of Rodrigo’s Concierto para una fiesta para guitarra y orquesta, as well as the amazingly tender and mature lyricism, shocked the large El Paso audience members who attended the performance. Some of the highlights of the festival included a dramatization of Rodrigo’s life, where the Chairman of the Department of Music, Dr. Lowell E. Graham—as the maestro—joined El Paso media personality Felipa Solis in a narration called, El niño quien soñó la música (“The Boy Who Imagined Music”). Live music clips and performances of Rodrigo’s music joined the story told of his life, including several hardships of his blindness. Joaquín Rodrigo was struck by diphtheria at the age of three and as many have attested (including the composer himself), arguably became a musician as a result. Nevertheless, his music is profoundly inspirational as was witnessed by the pre-collegiate students from the community who were the audience members that day. Several visually impaired students also attended the outreach performance, and the look on their joyous faces after the concert was worth their weight in gold. A large, collaborative university event, Tuesday afternoon brought a lively discussion entitled “Spanish Nationalism in Twentieth Century Spain,” and included UTEP Professors Rita Triana (dance), Roberto Gonzalez (the Spanish Monarchy from 1898 to 1931), Matthew Desing (the Spanish Civil War) and Hector Enriquez (Spanish culture and civilization). One other round table discussion engulfed the controversial topic of recordings/arrangements based on Rodrigo’s most famous piece, The Concierto de Aranjuez and included thoughts of Dr. Keith Pannell (Chemistry), and Guitar Professors John Siqueiros (classical) and Curt Warren (jazz). Other UTEP Department of Music professors and guest El Paso musicians performed select works by Rodrigo and other Spanish composers on the first evening of the festival and included Vanessa Cedillos (violin), Elisa Wilson (mezzo-soprano), John Siqueiros (guitar), Sang-In Han (tenor), Oscar Macchioni (piano), Leslie Chen (violin), Ben Vickers (cello), Felipa Solis (dance) and Dena Kay Jones (piano). The following evening’s concert was performed by UTEP’s large student ensembles conducted by Drs. Ron Hufstader and William McMillan and included Rodrigo’s Adagio para instrumentos de viento (“Adagio for Wind Instruments”), select works for acapella chamber choir, select scenes from the zarzuela El hijo fingido (“The Professed Son”), La sonata breve para violoncello y piano (“Small Sonata for Cello and Piano”) and the Concierto para una fiesta (“Concerto for a Festival”) with Carlos Perez as guitar soloist. It was amazing to see the El Paso youth absorbed with this music and this experience. Many of them could relate well to the soloist, enjoying his easy yet professional manner and imagining themselves some day in his position as concert artist. All of the piano majors at UTEP were required to learn a Joaquín Rodrigo piece, as piano was the composer’s principal instrument. They performed a special program for Cecilia Rodrigo and Katherine Zegarra of only piano solo and four-hand works, hoping to offer a special homage not only to the composer but also to his wife, Cecilia’s mother, Victoria. It was known that Joaquín and “Vicky” would often play piano four-hand repertoire together. The collaborations went beyond the city of El Paso as Professor Gregory Fritze of the Berkley School of Music in Boston offered the opening lecture on the Wind Band tradition of Valencia, Spain (Rodrigo’s native province). Professor of Piano at the University of Texas in Austin Gregory Allen performed select solo works and participated throughout the entire festival. His historic recordings of all Rodrigo piano works (Bridge Records, 1997) were noted throughout as having major significance in the dissemination of Rodrigo’s music within the United States. “It has been a long time coming, this meeting with Cecilia Rodrigo. I was in communication with her parents just previous to the release of my CD, but I never had the chance to meet the maestro. I can’t believe that I am meeting her in El Paso, Texas!” Drs. Justin Badgerow (piano) and Erin Lippard (mezzo-soprano) traveled from Alpine, Texas and Sul Ross State University to share their beautiful interpretation and thoughts on the Cuatro madrigales amatorios (“Four Madrigal Love Songs”), and artists Pilar and Walter Rubin traveled from Houston, Texas, where he is retired faculty emeritus at the University of Houston. Both of the Rubin’s have a special connection to Joaquín Rodrigo: Walter was once a student of the composer’s at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Pilar painted a work with the same name as a composition by Rodrigo, “In Search of the Beyond.” Both pieces were honored at the U.S.’ Bicentennial celebration that took place at NASA, Houston (1976). In addition, Victoria and Joaquín Rodrigo were the godparents to the Rubin’s son. As a way to signify the importance of this festival as well as their connection to the composer, Pilar and Walter have left a lithograph of “In Search of the Beyond,” whose original actually traveled into space with Rodrigo’s music, and can be viewed in the Department of Music at UTEP. In addition to the emotion felt upon hearing the various performances of Rodrigo’s music, equally as stirring was hearing his only child, Cecilia Rodrigo speak about her father. She offered two lectures entitled, “Guitar Music in the Correspondence of Joaquín Rodrigo and His Contemporaries,” and “Joaquín Rodrigo and Fifty Years of Historical Links across the US from 1958 to the Present.” She also offered numerous commentaries as we watched video and film footage of her father and entire family. It was difficult to witness the endearing scenes of Cecilia as a small child with her father as they were replayed in front of our esteemed guest. As the opening ceremonies began, and she wiped away tears filled with appreciation, remembrance, love and emotion, she whispered, “This is so difficult.” It was obviously clear that she is dedicated to keeping the memory of her father alive and well in the world of music—even despite the emotional journeys forced upon her as a result. In addition to the numerous stories of Rodrigo’s spirit, we also discovered how Cecilia’s mother had tried to diminish the fact that her husband was blind and yet how Cecilia feels that it is a necessary component that one must realize in order to fully appreciate and understand the music of her father. The topics of his visual impairment, struggles, depression and the overcoming of numerous other challenges were at the forefront of many sessions. Cecilia answered every question and met with each faculty, student and community member who wanted to meet her. Several questions for future research became evident in this festival, such as: 1) what music did the composer annotate through this Braille system? and 2) why has Spain not offered an extensive festival in honor of Joaquín Rodrigo, much like the one that took place at UTEP? This festival was made possible by funding offered through the Program for Cultural Cooperation Between Spain’s Ministry of Culture and United States’ Universities and the University of Texas at El Paso.

Faculty Recital, Passionate Piano: Liszt and Albéniz

Dena Kay K. Jones Dr. — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 06:19:52 PDT

This performance included a verbal introduction regarding the rebuild of both concert instruments in the UTEP Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall. Program included: ¨ Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI/50 by Franz Joseph Haydn ¨ Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60 by Frédéric Chopin ¨ From Cantos de España, “Córdoba” and “Leyenda” by Isaac Albéniz ¨ Klaviersonate h-Moll, S. 178 by Franz Liszt

Passionate Piano: Liszt and Albeniz

Dena Kay K. Jones Dr. — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 06:11:55 PDT

This lecture recital compared the writing styles of Albeniz and Liszt and concluded wtih a performance of "Fete dieu a Sevilla" by Albeniz and an excerpt from the "Piano Sonata in B Minor" by Franz Liszt

Spanish Nationalism in the Piano Works of Isaac Albeniz, Enrique Granados, Manuel de Falla and Joaquin Rodrigo

Dena Kay K. Jones Dr. — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 06:09:03 PDT

This lecture and power point presentation was offered to the Piano Majors and Piano Faculty in conjunction with a solo recital, which took place the previous evening.

Chamber Music Performance

Dena Kay K. Jones Dr. — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 06:01:43 PDT

Work Performed: Franz Schubert’s Trout Quintet with Philippe Quint, violin; Stephanie Meyers, viola; Nathaniel Rosen, cello and Mat Fieldes, bass

Debut of newly commissioned work, Canciones y Danzas for Cello and Piano by Pulitzer Prize nominee, Roberto Sierra

Dena Kay K. Jones Dr. — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 05:57:15 PDT

Performed with cellist Zuill Bailey at the 20th Annual El Paso Pro Musica Chamber Music Festival, El Paso, Texas

Faculty Solo and Chamber Recital, Garden Cabaret

Dena Kay K. Jones Dr. — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 05:53:06 PDT

Works performed: ¨ Concerto for Two Keyboards in C Major, BWV 1061 by J. S. Bach (with Thomas Azar, cembalo II; Lesley Chen, violine I, Christopher Noel, violine II, Jesse Hernández, viola and Benjamin Vickers, violoncello) ¨ Andante Rondo for Two Clarinets and Fortepiano by Bernhard Crusell (with David and Bettina Ross, clarinets I and II) ¨ God Is Our Righteousness for Guitar and Organ by Chris DeBlasio (with John Siqueiros, guitar) ¨ Reine de Musette by Jean Peyronnin and J’attendrai by Dino Olivien (with Curt Warren, jazz guitar and Erik Unsworth, bass) ¨ Jeux d’eaux by Maurice Ravel ¨ A l’apres-midi d’un faune for Flute and Piano by Claude Debussy/Nikolai Platonov (with Joy Zalkind, flute) ¨ Fiançailles pour rire and Banalités: Cinq melodies sur des poèmes de Guillaume Apollinaire pour chant et piano by Francis Poulenc (with Orit Eylon, mezzo soprano)

Faculty Solo and Chamber Recital, Piano and Percussion in the Twentieth Century

Dena Kay K. Jones Dr. — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 05:47:49 PDT

Works performed: ¨ Fantasy in B Minor, Op. 28 by Alexander Scriabin ¨ Quintet in D Major by Ralph Vaughan Williams (with members of the Las Cruces Chamber Players) ¨ Matre’s Dance by John Psathas ¨ Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion by Béla Bartók

The Soul of Spain

Dena K. Jones — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:11:53 PDT

Works Performed: From Danzas Españolas: No. 2, Oriental and No. 5, Andaluza by Enrique Granados

From Los Cantos the España: Cordoba and Leyenda by Isaac Albéniz

Fantasia Bética by Manuel de Falla

(intermission)

Works by Joaquin Rodrigo: Suite para piano: Prelude, Sicilienne, Bourrée, Menuet and Rigaudon (1926) Serenata española (1931)

Cuatro piezas españolas (1936-1938): Caleseras, Fandango del ventorillo, Plegaria de la infante de Castilla, Danza valenciana

Transcription/Reduction of the Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar and orchestra (1940) (the composer’s own arrangement for solo piano), Adagio Preludio de añoranza (1987)

The Piano Works of Joaquin Rodrigo: An Evaluation of Social Influences and Compositional Style

Dena K. Jones — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:11:53 PDT

This lecture-recital represents the investigative research on the solo piano music of Joaquín Rodrigo, a repertoire that dates from 1923 to 1987. A biographical sketch of the composer precedes a general overview of his twenty-three solo piano works. Discussion of musical trends that influenced Rodrigo provides a context for tracing his development as a composer. Analytical descriptions from Rodrigo’s early piano work, the Suite para piano of 1923, demonstrates how Rodrigo incorporated early 20th century compositional techniques into his own style. Although Rodrigo alludes to Spanish nationalistic ideas in his music prior to 1931, his predominate musical language is more congruent with European compositional trends, popular during this period. It is in the Serenata española of 1931 where the use of Spanish folklore becomes more pronounced in Rodrigo’s musical language. Descriptive analyses of the Serenata española of 1931, as well as of selected movements from Cuatro piezas españolas (1936-1938) and Cinco sonatas de Castilla, con toccata (1950) demonstrate not only Rodrigo’s musical language and fully developed pianistic style, but most importantly his use of folklorismo—incorporation of folklore, music and culture. Although similar in certain aspects to the Spanish traditional style of Albéniz, Granados, Falla and Turina, Rodrigo’s approach is also distinctive. In order to appreciate the similarities and contrasts between the traditional uses of folklorismo and Rodrigo’s use of folklorismo, a brief historical overview of 20th century Spanish Nationalism ensues. Rodrigo’s contributions derive from a successful synthesis of Nationalism and unique pianistic style.

Joaquín Rodrigo and His Intermediate Piano Works

Dena K. Jones — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:11:52 PDT

Joaquin Rodrigo Live

Dena K. Jones — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:11:52 PDT

This recital showcases the social influences and compositional style of the Spanish composer, Joaquín Rodrigo, through a chronological performance of select works for his primary instrument, the piano. Blind from the age of three, Rodrigo had a unique approach to the instrument, as well as an interesting “view” for incorporating Spanish nationalism into his pieces.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Dena K. Jones — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:11:52 PDT

Works Performed: Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826: Sinfonia, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Rondeaux and Capriccio by J.S. Bach

Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17: Durchaus phantastisch und leidenschaftlich vorzutragen, Durchaus energisch and Langsam getragen: Durchweg leise zu halten by Robert Schumann

(intermission)

Works by Joaquin Rodrigo

Suite para piano (1923): Preludio, Siciliana, Bourree, Menue, Rigodon

Serenata espanola (1931)

From Cuatro piezas espanolas (1936-1938): Caleseras and Plegaria de la infante de Castilla and From the Cinco sonatas de Castilla, con toccata (1950): Toccata a modo de pregon

Solo and Collaborative Piano Chamber Recital with Jean Broekhuizen, mezzo-soprano and Professor Ruben Gutierrez, piano. El Alma de Espana (II)

Dena K. Jones — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:11:51 PDT

Works Performed: No. 2 and No. 5 from the Danzas Españolas by Enrique Granados

Córdoba and Leyenda by Isaac Albéniz

Cuatro piezas espanolas: Caleseras, Fandango del ventorillo, Plegaria de la infanta de Castilla and Danza valenciana by Joaquin Rodrigo

Fantasia Betica by Manuel de Falla

(intermission)

From the Concierto de Aranjuez para guitarra y orquesta, Adagio (transcription for solo piano) by Joaquin Rodrigo

Spain (based on the Concerto of Aranjuez's Adagio movement), performed by Ruben Guiterrez

Las Siete Canciones Populares: El pano moruno, Seguidilla Murciana, Asturiana, Jota, Nana, Cancion and Polo by Manuel de Falla with Jean Broekhuizen, mezzo soprano

Collaborative Piano Chamber Recital with Zuill Bailey and Dennis Brott, cellists

Dena K. Jones — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:11:51 PDT

Works Performed: Suite for Two Cellos and Piano by Gian Carlo Menotti Sonata in C Major by Luigi Boccherini

Rhapsody in B Minor, Op. 79, No. 1 by Johannes Brahms

Dena K. Jones — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:11:50 PDT