Insight and Enjoyment Concert Held @ The Morning Music Club in Pearl River

BY BARRY WARNER

Recently, duo pianists Matthew Harrison and Vlada Yaneva brought their “Masterwork Conversations Concert” to the Morning Music Club at the Nauraushaun Presbyterian Church in Pearl River.

Matthew Harrison said, “The open-conversation recital format brings musical folklore insights that describe the influences and inspirations that led to the following famous compositions: ‘Hungarian Dances’ by Johannes Brahms;  ‘Three Pieces for Piano’ by Vasselin Stoyanov; ‘Two Mazurkas’ by Frederic Chopin; ‘Three Mazurkas’ by Karol Szymanowski and ‘Slavonic Dances’ by Anton Dvorak. To play piano duets, one person on the right plays the high notes and the other person on the left plays the low notes.”

Folk music can consist of folk songs, music and lyrics or instrumental music played to accompany folk dancing. Folk music often has a national flavor to it, with different countries or cultural groups having their own distinctive styles or overlap in styles between neighboring countries.

For instance, Johannes Brahms, a German composer, found the music of Hungary to be the source of inspiration for a number of “Hungarian Dances.” Anton Dvorak let his cultural roots brighten his music as the rhythms and melodies embodied the folk traditions of his native Czechoslovakia and surrounding regions.