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| World Premiere of “Abstract Expression - Musical Portraits of American Masters" “Abstract Expression, Musical Portraits of American Masters”, a five-movement suite for piano trio and symphony orchestra, will have its World Premier on Friday March 18th at 8PM, in Borden Auditorium at the Manhattan School of Music 120 Claremont Avenue, New York, NY (NW corner of 122nd Street & Broadway) This free concert event will feature the composer, Phil Markowitz, at the piano. The Composer’s Notes on “ABSTRACT EXPRESSION- MUSICAL PORTRAITS OF AMERICAN MASTERS” Having been raised on Eastern Long Island, the home of such great Abstract- Expressionists as Willem deKooning and Jackson Pollock, I had many an opportunity, while growing up, to see numerous exhibitions of their work. On several occasions, I even had the honor and privilege of visiting with Willem dekooning in his studio. I have always been awed by great art and, especially, by Abstract Expressionism. So, it seemed only natural that, at some point, I would express my admiration through my own art form, which, of course, is music. “Abstract Expression, Musical Portraits of American Masters” is a five-part suite; each movement based on a painting by a different Abstract Expressionist artist. Many of these paintings were originally inspired by jazz; in fact, the artists often listened to jazz recordings as they painted. Of course, that was the jazz of the late 1940’s to early 1950’s, and the paintings that the music inspired were far more avant-garde than the music that inspired them, at least by today’s standards. The extreme intensity and, sometimes, severity of this school of art, was ahead of its time, being more representative of the modern “free jazz” period that would come to fruition ten to fifteen years later. Bringing the cycle full circle, as an homage to these great works of art and the artists who created them, I have endeavored to compose a musical picture to capture the distinct mood and composition of each of the five chosen paintings: #1) “Woman V” is one of the most ferocious “Woman” portraits by Willem deKooning. Both seductive and macabre, these images were galvanizing at the time of their creation. #2) “#22 (Untitled)” is a one of a long series of coloristic images by Mark Rothko. The canvas has large rectangular overlapping washes of yellows and oranges, and a set of three lines that run across the painting. #3) “City Verticals” is a collage by Lee Krasner, constructed out of the remnants of paintings that she destroyed in an act of frustration. The repetitions of upwardly surging strips of canvas depict the energy and vivacity of New York. #4 “Mahoning”, a massive black and white canvas by Franz Kline, depicts huge steel-like I-beams suspended in a cloudy, ethereal atmosphere. #5 “Blue Poles” by Jackson Pollack is one of the most famous “action paintings”, created by repetitively dripping paint on the canvas with wooden sticks. It weaves a counterpoint of energy and, sometimes, confusion. Amidst the cacophony of the lines, there are four Blue Poles that unite the canvas. “Abstract Expression, Musical Portraits of American Masters” was supported by generous grants from Chamber Music America-The Doris Duke Foundation, The Howard Foundation, and KFM write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Jazz News :: home page |