Metropolitan Playhouse presents

The Virtual Playhouse Its First Virtual Chamber Music Concert

CONCERT FOR THE NEW MOON

Featuring AREA 9 SAXOPHONE QUARTET, MURAD ZINGER DUO, YIBIN LI, JULIE LAWRENCE, MANAMI MIZUMOTO, THE MURAD ZINGER DUO, & RED DOOR CHAMBER PLAYERS

November 19, 2020 8 p.m.

www.metropolitanplayhouse.org/virtualplayhouse

A lovely surprise from the Metropolitan Playhouse, famous for its turn-of-the-twentieth-century plays. This special performance puts the spotlight on musicians who have played at the theater’s “Music at the Metropolitan” series.

The event opens with the Red Door Chamber Players (Lisa Casal-Galietta, violin 1; Kristin Nikaj, violin 2; Gregory K Williams, viola; and Diana Golden, cello). Their “Cristantemi” by Puccini is lovely.

The Area 9 Saxophone Quartet was a special treat. Playing in a friend’s backyard, in a beautiful autumn setting. Who knew four saxophones could sound so awesome? Sean Mix (Soprano Saxophone), Kangyi Liu (Alto Saxophone), John Rabinowitz (Tenor Saxophone), and Seychelle Corbin (Baritone Saxophone) performed J.S. Bach’s Fugue No. 17 in A-flat Major and “Second Suite for Military Band in F Major” by Gustav Holst, among other pieces. Holst’s work is not some dry-as-dust march music. Far from it. He throws in bits of folk music, such as “Star of the County Down” and “Greensleeves”, and a variation on “The Irish Washerwoman”. Four saxophones equal absolute delight.

Solo violinist Yibin Li digs deep into J.S. Bach’s 1720 “Partita No. 3 in E Major”, playing movements II, V, and VI with energy and emotion. Solo violinist Julie Lawrence plays the modern piece “Giotto IV” by Michael Kosch. His composition is strong, with many surprises. Soloist Manami Mizumoto plays Telemann’s classic “Fantasia No. 7 in E-flat”. The Murad-Zinger Duo (Nicole Murad, vocalist, and Pablo Zinger, pianist/vocalist) sing and play multi-part harmonies with themselves in the tango-tinged “I Am Easily Assimilated” from Felicia and Leonard Bernstein’s operetta “Candide”. Not only different, but lots of fun.

CONCERT FOR THE NEW MOON is not to be missed, no matter what style of music you prefer.

-Karen D’Onofrio-