2017 MBTS Programme:
If you haven’t been to MBTS before it is worth taking the time to read about how we programme. We are not a normal festival, in the sense that people normally buy tickets for a particular artist on a particular night. Instead, we create a “company” of individual artists from across the country and the globe, both jazz and classical, who then collaborate to create the programme.
We have now confirmed all the artists and below is a list of works being considered for the programme. Generally, a typical concert contains a short piece or two from a variety of artists in the company, in a variety of collaborations, both jazz and classical.
Jazz selections are announced from the stage. We have been doing this long enough now that audiences are buying tickets before they know the programme or the artists— because they are confident that every concert will have a large, thoughtfully chosen, selection of the company and different genres.
That being said, here is the 2017 Programme, and below that is the list of artists— but please remember that — All programming is always subject to change…
Concert 1
Sat Eve, July 22nd, 8:15 pm
pre-concert Fanfares
Three Fanfares, for horn in a distant rowboat and tuned ships horns (2015) C. Donison (b. 1952)
- Call and response between distant rowboat and boats (with cannon start)
- Call and response between less distant rowboat and boats (with siren start)
III. Call and response between close rowboat and boats (with yelping siren start)
Bryn Badel, posthorn (in a rowboat) C. Donison: MIDI controller (on the Rix Centre balcony) CANADIAN COAST GUARD, cannon & sirens, Bamfleld Volunteer Boat Flotilla, John Masse Commodore
8:30 pm
Opening remarks
Bjarne Brustad 1895-1978
Capricci for Violin and Viola
Moderato
Lento
Allegretto
Vivace
Jennifer Murphy, violin
Laila Zakzook, viola
——————–
Isaac Albeniz, 1860-1909
Cordoba
Mallorca
Sevilla
Jacob Cordover, guitar
Ernst von Dohnányi
1877-1960
Piano Quintet in E-flat minor, opus 26
Allegro non troppo
Allegretto
Moderato
Katya Poplyanski, violin
Buon Park, violin
Madlen Breckbill, viola
Drew Comstock, cello
Marc Ryser, piano
Intermission
Excerpts from “Bird with Strings” , 1949 Carnegie Hall performance by Charlie Parker with orchestrations for jazz quartet and strings and oboe.
Laura Karney, oboe
Katya Poplyanski, violin
Cecily Ward, violin
Jennifer Murphy, violin
Aaron Schwebel, violin
Elizabeth Skinner, violin
Buon Park, violin
Madlen Breckbill, viola
Steven Dann, viola
Joanna Hood, viola
Laila Zakzook, viola
Leana Rutt, cello
Drew Comstock, cello
PJ Perry, saxophone
Brian Dickinson, piano
Neil Swainson, bass
Nels Guloien, drum
————
Jazz Selections TBA
PJ Perry, saxophone
Campbell Ryga, saxophone
Brian Dickinson, piano
Neil Swainson, bass
Nels Guloien, drums
Concert 2
Sunday Matinée, July 23rd, noon
TBA
Solo Jazz selections, Brian Dickinson piano (20’)
Johannes Brahms
1833-1897
Quintet in G major, opus 111
Adagio non troppo, ma con brio
Adagio
Un poco Allegretto
Vivace ma non troppo presto
Buon Park, violin
Katya Poplyanski, violin
Madlen Breckbill, viola
Steven Dann, viola
Drew Comstock, cello
————–
Intermission
Bedrich Smetana
1824-1884
String Quartet #1 in E minor, “From My Life”
Allegro vivo appassionato
Allegro moderato à la Polka
Largo sostenuto
Vivace
Katya Poplyanski, violin
Buon Park, violin
Madlen Breckbill, viola
Drew Comstock, cello
——————–
Concert 3
Sunday eve, July 23rd, 8:30 pm
Jean-Marie Leclair
1697-1764
Sonata for Two Violins in E minor, opus 3, no.5
Sonata for Two Violins in A major, opus 3, no.2
Aaron Schwebel, violin
Elizabeth Skinner, violin
———————
Johannes Brahms
1833-1897
Sonata for Viola and Piano in F minor, opus 120, no.1
Allegro appassionato
Andante un poco Adagio
Allegretto grazioso
Vivace
Steven Dann, viola
Marc Ryser, piano
————–
Intermission
Phillip Houghton
b.1954
Ophelia … A Haunted Sonata
Fear … and the angel
Suffering and madness … am I but a dream of a shadow?
Chant … of the flower moon
Water .. memories – halls of ghosts – wash away
Death … with moons in your hair
Antonio Losy
c.1650-1721
Ouverture from Suite in G major
Jacob Cordover, guitar
Jazz Selections TBA
PJ Perry, saxophone
Campbell Ryga, saxophone
Brian Dickinson, piano
Neil Swainson, bass
Nels Guloien, drums
Concert 4
Monday , July 24th, 8:30 pm
Sergei Prokofiev
1891-1953
Sonata for Two Violins, opus 56
Andante cantabile
Allegro
Comodo (quasi Allegretto)
Allegro con brio
Aaron Schwebel, violin
Cecily Ward, violin
——–
Johannes Brahms
1833-1897
Sonata for Violin and Piano, op. 100
Allegro amabile
Andante tranquillo
Allegretto grazioso (quasi Andante)
Jennifer Murphy, violin
Marc Ryser, piano
————————
Intermission
Jazz Selections TBA
PJ Perry, saxophone
Campbell Ryga, saxophone
Brian Dickinson, piano
Neil Swainson, bass
Nels Guloien, drums
Concert 5
Tuesday, July 25th, 8:30 pm
Ernst von Dohnányi
1877-1960
Serenade in C major, opus 10
Marcia. Allegro
Romanza. Adagio non troppo, quasi andante
Scherzo. Vivace
Tema con variazione. Andante con moto
Finale. Rondo
Cecily Ward, violin
Joanna Hood, viola
Leana Rutt, cello
———
Dmitri Shostakovich
1906-1975
Trio in E minor, opus 67
Andante
Allegro non troppo
Largo
Allegretto
Aaron Schwebel, violin
Leana Rutt, cello
Marc Ryser, piano
—————-
Intermission
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco
(1895-1968)
Patero and I (excerpts)
Jacob Cordover, guitar
————————————
Jazz Selections TBA
PJ Perry, saxophone
Campbell Ryga, saxophone
Brian Dickinson, piano
Neil Swainson, bass
Nels Guloien, drums
Concert 6
Thursday, July 27th, 8:30 pm
Toru Takemitsu
1930-1996
Toward the Sea
The Night
Moby Dick
Cape Cod
Les Allt, alto flute
Jacob Cordover, guitar
——–
Aaron Copland
1900-1990
Duo for Flute and Piano (1971)
Flowing
Poetic, somewhat mournful
Lively, with bounce
Les Allt, flute
Marc Ryser, piano
Felix Mendelssohn
1809-1847
Quintet in B-flat major, opus 87
Allegro vivace
Andante scherzando
Adagio e lento
Allegro molto vivace
Aaron Schwebel, violin
Cecily Ward, violin
Laila Zakzook, viola
Joanna Hood, viola
Drew Comstock, cello
Intermission
Béla Bartók
1881-1945
Luciano Berio
1925-2003
Duos for two violins
Bela (Berio)
Slovakian Song (Bartok)
Bruno (Berio)
Wedding Song (Bartok)
Pierre (Berio)
Pillow Dance (Bartok)
Tatiana (Berio)
Hungarian March (Bartok)
Aldo (Berio)
New Year’s Greeting (Bartok)
Igor (Berio)
Bagpipes (Bartok)
Lele (Berio)
Aaron Schwebel, violin
Cecily Ward, violin
—————-
Jazz Selections TBA
PJ Perry, saxophone
Campbell Ryga, saxophone
Brian Dickinson, piano
Neil Swainson, bass
Nels Guloien, drums
—————
Concert 7
Friday, July 28th, 8:30 pm
Nino Rota
1911-1979
Trio (1958)
Allegro ma non troppo
Andante sostenuto
Allegro vivace con spirito
Les Allt, flute
Elizabeth Skinner, violin
Marc Ryser, piano
————-
Erwin Schulhoff
1894-1942
Sextet (1924)
Allegro risoluto
Tranquillo
Burlesca. Allegro molto con spirito
Molto adagio
Aaron Schwebel, violin
Elizabeth Skinner, violin
Joanna Hood, viola
Laila Zakzook, viola
Leana Rutt, cello
Drew Comstock, cello
———————-
Intermission
W.A. Mozart
1756-1791
Quartet for Flute and Strings in A major, K.298
Andante
Menuetto
Rondo
Les Allt, flute
Jennifer Murphy, violin
Laila Zakzook, viola
Drew Comstock, cello
————
Jazz Selections TBA
PJ Perry, saxophone
Campbell Ryga, saxophone
Brian Dickinson, piano
Neil Swainson, bass
Nels Guloien, drums
Concert 8
Saturday, July 29th, 8:30 pm
Georg Phillip Telemann
1681-1767
Canonic Duos
Les Allt, flute
Aaron Schwebel, violin
——–
Franz Schubert
1797-1828
String Quintet in C major, D.956
Allegro ma non troppo
Adagio
Scherzo. Presto Trio. Andante sostenuto
Allegretto – Più allegro
Elizabeth Skinner, violin
Jennifer Murphy, violin
Laila Zakzook, viola
Lean Rutt, cello
Drew Comstock, cello
——————–
Intermission
Phillip Houghton
b.1954
In Amber
Jacob Cordover, guitar
Jennifer Murphy, violin
Elizabeth Skinner, violin
Joanna Hood, viola
Drew Comstock, cello
—————–
Excerpts from “Bird with Strings” , 1949 Carnegie Hall performance by Charlie Parker with orchestrations for jazz quartet and strings and oboe.
Laura Karney, oboe
Cecily Ward, violin
Jennifer Murphy, violin
Aaron Schwebel, violin
Elizabeth Skinner, violin
Joanna Hood, viola
Laila Zakzook, viola
Leana Rutt, cello
Drew Comstock, cello
PJ Perry, saxophone
Brian Dickinson, piano
Neil Swainson, bass
Nels Guloien, drums
—————-
Jazz Selections TBA
PJ Perry, saxophone
Campbell Ryga, saxophone
Brian Dickinson, piano
Neil Swainson, bass
Nels Guloien, drums
Concert 9
Sunday Matinée, July 30th, noon
Everything TBA
Concert 10
Sun eve, July 30th, 8:15 pm
pre-concert Fanfares
Three Fanfares, for horn in a distant rowboat and tuned ships horns (2015) C. Donison (b. 1952)
- Call and response between distant rowboat and boats (with cannon start)
- Call and response between less distant rowboat and boats (with siren start)
III. Call and response between close rowboat and boats (with yelping siren start)
Bryn Badel, posthorn (in a rowboat) C. Donison: MIDI controller (on the Rix Centre balcony) CANADIAN COAST GUARD, cannon & sirens, Bamfleld Volunteer Boat Flotilla, John Masse Commodore
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8:30 pm
Concert start
Johannes Brahms
1833-1897
Piano Quartet in A major, opus 26
Allegro non troppo
Poco adagio
Scherzo. Poco allegro
Finale. Allegro
Cecily Ward, violin
Joanna Hood, viola
Leana Rutt, cello
Marc Ryser, piano
———-
Intermission
Excerpts from “Bird with Strings” , 1949 Carnegie Hall performance by Charlie Parker with orchestrations for jazz quartet and strings and oboe.
Laura Karney, oboe
Cecily Ward, violin
Jennifer Murphy, violin
Elizabeth Skinner, violin
Joanna Hood, viola
Laila Zakzook, viola
Leana Rutt, cello
Drew Comstock, cello
PJ Perry, saxophone
Brian Dickinson, piano
Neil Swainson, bass
Nels Guloien, drums
—————-
Jazz Selections TBA
PJ Perry, saxophone
Campbell Ryga, saxophone
Brian Dickinson, piano
——————-
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco
1895-1968
Sonatina for Flute and Guitar (1965), opus 205
Allegretto grazioso
Tempo di Siciliana
Scherzo – Rondo. Allegretto con spirito
Les Allt, flute
Jacob Cordover, guitar
———————-
Jazz Selections TBA
PJ Perry, saxophone
Campbell Ryga, saxophone
Brian Dickinson, piano
Neil Swainson, bass
Nels Guloien, drums
———–
Phillip Houghton
b.1954
Kinkachoo, I love you
Jacob Cordover, guitar
The Artists
The company is comprised of eight amazing string players lead by Steven Dann, viola (Toronto) and Marc Ryser, piano (Boston); plus Les Allt, flute (Toronto), Jacob Cordover, classical guitar (Barcelona); plus jazz artists from Canadian jazz-royalty— Neil Swainson, bass (Toronto), Cambell Ryga, saxophone (Vancouver), PJ Perry, saxophone (Edmonton), Brian Dickinson, jazz piano (Toronto), Nels Guloien, drms (Vancouver). Classical artists new to MBTS this year include Victoria’s own Joanna Hood, viola (the Lafayette String Quartet), and Cecily Ward, violin (London), formerly with the Cyprus Quartet.
So we have a serious line-up of over-achievers!