Music from the British Isles

Ellie and I are working on a duet that may not be quite ready for performance by March 20th. However, we will have plenty of other music ready for our enjoyment on that first day of Spring! Circle the date on your calender, Saturday, March 20 at 8:00. I plan to make some Shepherd's Pie, so good luck coming up with a tasty dish. Same with the wine! I'll have some Guinness here. Please, no haigus!

Music should be fun. Some possibilities are:

Corrente by Handel

The Holy Boy by John Ireland

Gigue and Tambourin by Elisabetta de Gambarini (yes, she's English)

Percy Grainger's arrangement of "Irish Tune from County Derry"

Nocturne in E minor by John Field

Prelude #6 by York Bowen

Music for violin which includes: The Ashgrove, Greensleeves, music by Elgar, and some Irish fiddle music! Duffy may bring his pipes and tin whistle (let's hope he wears underwear this time if he wears his kilt), and my son may sing: the Kerry Dance if we can get him to drink enough Guinness. And if I drink enough Guinness I'll play the cello. Or, you can all pay me NOT to play the cello! Or pay Duffy not to play his pipes! In any case, let me know if you can make it when I get back from Florida in early March.

email: farrell39@comcast.net

An Evening of Music from Russia and Eastern Europe

Circle Friday, December 18th on your calander for an evening of music
from Russia and Eastern Europe.

For those new to our recitals, we try to compliment our composers with food from their countries. Right now, I'm thinking beets...cabbage....saurkraut.............turnips....Vodka................................Duck blood soup......perogies.....halushki.......stuffed caggage rolls... and capuska! We all seem to come up with wonderful things to eat and drink. If you can't cook, bring a bottle of wine! Cheese balls and crackers are always welcomed. Listed below are a few of the potential compositions you might hear:

Two Mazurkas....one by Chopin, and one by Mikhail Glinka

Arabesque by Anton Arensky

Prelude by Dmitri Kabalevsky

Four pieces for piano and violin by Shostakovich

Roumanian Folk Dances for violin and piano by Bela Bartok

An art song by Rimsky Korsakov - "The Rose Has Charmed The Nightingale."

Slavonic Dance No. 2 by Antonin Dvorak

Tango by Biljana Krstic

A few selections from the Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky

A duet of Sleigh Ride and Jingle Bells

Several Czech, Croatian, and Polish Carols

FOOD NEWS! I just heard from my sister Annie who will be bringing several people from the Beaver Falls area. she plans to bring stuffed cabbage! Her friend, Carolyn, whose family is from Croatia, emailed that she already knows what she is bringing. It's something her grandmother made called mlince, fried sweet donuts. Marie said that she has her mother's recipe for haluski, made with cabbage and dumplings, rather than noodles. Marie also plays piano and plans to perform something.

German night was great fun!

German night was a blast! Great music and lots of laughs. Plenty of German beer and wine along with the food made the evening a wonderful experience. Thanks to all who played, and to all those who had to sit through it! Das is goot.

An Evening of Classical Music - Octoberfest

I just had a tasty mug of beer today at The CHURCH BREW WORKS. That really got me in the mood for our German party. I even bought a Bavarian flag for the event. The date to post on your calender is Saturday, October 24. The theme is German.

If you are new to our evenings of parlor music, we choose a

specific country or two, then play the music of composers born

in that country. In addition, we ask those who attend to bring

either some wine, snacks, or food from that country. This month being German, I expect some

fine Riesling, Munster cheese (?) maybe some brauts and sauerkraut! Last time we did German

we had a Black Forest and a Bavarian type of cake! Marlene plans to bake a buttery cake. Nobody goes home hungry or thirsty!

We meet at 8:00 and socialize, eat, and drink for awhile. We begin the music around 9:00. It's all very informal. Dessert and coffee about 10:00. Most people are home by 11:00. If you can

come, email me or just tell me if you see me. My email is: farrell39@comcast.net

Here is a tentative list of some of the music:

I plan to play "Soaring" by Robert Schumann

Don Fellows and I will play an arrangement of Franz Schubert's Military March

Mariann and I will play two Hungarian Dances by Johannes Brahms

A new guest, Sena Jane Thompson will play a movement of a Bach unaccompanied suite for violin.

Marlent Vrscak plans to sing two or three works by Sigmund Romberg.

Donna Deeney will also play a movement from a Bach Partita for violin.

Katie Farris will play a movement from a Beethoven Sonata

Mariann and I may have a few lighter German duets.

Another new guest, Henry Doktorski III will perform some special numbers on his accordion. One being the "Liechtensteiner Polka" with audience participation!

And who knows who else might show up and perform!

If you are new to our parlor music party and don't know where we live, just email me and I will send you directions. We can only invite 18-20 people because of space restrictions, so let me know asap.

Bob and Mariann Farrell

Welcome to an evening of American piano music! Mark your calender for Saturday,
May 9th at 8:00. As always, bring something
good to share, like a bottle of American wine,
American cheese and crackers, or some good
old fashion hot American food.

Here is a list of some of the music you will hear:

Two Colonial Keyboard Tunes
by J.S. Darling

Two Selections from THE SOUTHLAND
"The Moaning Pines" and "The Frolic"
by Harry T. Burleigh

Lullaby and Rialto Ripples Rag
by George Gershwin

In Evening Air and Sentimental Melody
by Aaron Copland

The Soiree Polka
by Stephen Foster

The Washington Post March
by John P. Sousa

Put On A Happy Face
from Guys & Dolls

Satin Doll
by Duke Ellington

Spanish Music

Spanish night was great!

Bookmark this blog to check on
future recitals!

We had a great lay out of interesting food.


This recital was Saturday, February 21st at 8:00

ALL THINGS SPANISH!!

This is the theme for our next evening of Parlor Music at the Farrell's.

For those new to our musical parties, get out your cook books! The
performers choose the music they wish to play, but everyone is
encouraged to bring something good to eat or drink that has to do with
the theme.

So far, we plan to have music from Spain, Mexico, Cuba and Argentina.
Here are some of the selections:

Espana (Preludio) by Issac Aleinez

Romanza de Amor
Malgre Tout (A Pesar de Todo) by Manuel Ponce

Rondo sobre temas infantiles argentinos by Alberto Ginastera

Canse du meunier by Manuel de Falla

Cantos de Espana ( 2 excerpts: Prelude and Cordoba )
Malaguena
Tango all by Issac Albeniz

Two Cuban Dances by Ignacio Cervantes
( Gran Senora andPorque, eh? )

a Alfredo G. Faria Playera by Enrique Granados

Some brief info on the composers:

Manuel María Ponce Cuéllar (8 December 1882 – 24 April 1948) was a distinguished Mexican composer active in the 20th century. His work as a composer, music educator and scholar of Mexican music connected the concert scene with a usually forgotten tradition of popular song and Mexican folklore. Many of his compositions are strongly influenced by the harmonies and form of traditional songs.

Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (Buenos Aires, April 11, 1916 – June 25, 1983 Geneva) was an Argentine composer of classical music. He is considered one of the most important Latin American classical composers.

Manuel de Falla y Matheu (November 23, 1876 – November 14, 1946) was a Spanish composer of classical music.

Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz i Pascual (pronounced [iˈsak alˈβeniθ]) (May 29, 1860 – May 18, 1909) was a Spanish pianist and composer best known for his piano works based on folk music.

Ignacio Cervantes Kawanagh (Havana, 31 July 1847 – Havana, 29 April 1905) was a Cuban virtuoso pianist and composer, considered to be one of the most influential to the Music of Cuba.

Pantaléon Enrique Costanzo Granados y Campiña (27 July 1867 – 24 March 1916) was a Spanish pianist and composer of classical music. His music is in a uniquely Spanish style and, as such, representative of musical nationalism. Enrique Granados was also a talented painter in the style of Francisco Goya.

Traditional Spanish Dances

Jota Aragonesa: This typical dance hails from the north of Spain, namely Aragón, and features a fast tempo as couples dance with their hands raised high above their heads playing castanets. Moorish influences are probable, as it is loosely attributed to a Moorish poet who was kicked out of Valencia during the 12th century.

Sardana: Several couples join hands and dance in a closed circle in this traditional dance from Catalonia.

Muñeira: Danced in twos or alone along to the music of bagpipes, this traditional "Miller's Dance" is typical throughout Galicia and Asturias.

Zambra: The zambra began as a Moorish dance, but with monarchs Fernando and Isabel's reconquista of Spain, the Moors were able to conserve the dance by adapting it to Spanish dance customs.

Bolero: One of the oldest and most traditional dances of the history of Spanish dance, the bolero is a quick Spanish dance boasting sudden pauses and sharp turns.

Fandango: At one point the most famous dance of Spain, the fandango is a lively, happy Spanish danced in two's.

Paso doble: A quick one-step Spanish dance.

Flamenco: A passionate dance hailing from gypsies, flamenco is internationally famous. Learn more!
Sevillana: Lively and joyous dance typical of Seville and reminiscent of flamenco that features four distinct parts.

December Parlor Music

Welcome to our parlor. If you missed the December recital on the 12th, music by Russian and Norwegian composers here is a list of works we performed:

Norwegian Dance No. 2 by Grieg performed by Don and Bob

Six Variations on a Ukrainian Folksong by Kabalevsky

Excerpts from the Plolvisienne Dances by Borodine

Movt. 1 of Scheherazade (the Sea) performed by Mariann and Bob

Romance for violin and piano by Anton Rubinstein performed by Donna and Bob

Two songs by Grieg were sung by Marlene Vrscak (Springtide and I Love Thee)

Three selections from the Nutcracker Suite performed by Mariann and Bob

Many good ethnic treats filled the dining room, including kapuska, Sugar Plum cookies, some kind of beet casserole, a crab casserole, and Norwegian Pound Cake (which was outstanding as usual, Marlene).

The next recital won't be until February where we will feature the music from Spanish speaking countries.

To contact me: farrell39@comcast.net