Commissioned by the New Century Chamber Orchestra
Available Titles
- An American in Paris Suite (George Gershwin)
- Midnight Bells (Fritz Kreisler)
- Praeludium & Allegro (Fritz Kreisler)
- Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana (Pietro Mascagni)
- Nimrod (Edward Elgar)
- Bachianas Brasileiras (Heitor Villa-Lobos)
- Sheep May Safely Graze (J.S. Bach)
- Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desire (J.S. Bach)
An equally appealing approach to the use of resources was Clarice Assad’s arrangement of the opening Aria movement of the fifth Bachianas Brasileiras suite by Heitor Villa-Lobos. This was originally scored for eight cellos and soprano. However, Assad engaged a variety of innovative techniques to map the relationship between soloist and ensemble across the entire NCCO ensemble. This will probably be the most familiar part of the program at all of the tour stops, but listening to it refracted through Assad’s arrangement should make for new thoughts about this characteristically Brazilian take on the style of Johann Sebastian Bach.
The Examiner
buoyant and eloquent version of the intermezzo from Mascagni’s “Cavalleria rusticana”
SFGate – Joshua Kosman
Assad’s arrangement deftly captured the best of Elgar’s lush qualities that we easily associate with the resources of a large orchestra. It was the perfect demonstration of just how great an asset NCCO is to musical life in San Francisco.
San Francisco Classical Examiner