Happy 4th of July!
As we celebrate the birth of our country, it is a great time to reflect on the many freedoms we enjoy because of the sacrifices of so many men and women who came before us.
During the "pause" of 2020, my friend Seiko Werts helped me to put together a patriotic program for a virtual house concert. Even though we worked in isolation, this remains one of my favorite musical projects because of the wonderful music we got to perform. The whole recital is below, with songs by Copland, Beethoven, Gershwin, and several beloved spirituals. Enjoy!
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
By Katharine Lee Bates (1893)
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassion'd stress
A thorough fare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness.
America! America!
God mend thine ev'ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law.
O beautiful for heroes prov'd
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life.
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev'ry gain divine.
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears.
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.
A Gathering of Friends
We had a wonderful house concert last month - our first since 2019! Soprano Stacey Mastrian and I enjoyed presenting a program of classical and musical theater pieces to an enthusiastic audience. You can hear some of what we did here.
Around the Web
Piano makers are experimenting with a new design for pianos. What do you think?
Some beautiful performances by pianist Valentina Lisitsa: Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 23 Op. 57 in F minor "Appassionata" and Chopin Fantasie Impromptu Op. 66
An engaging interview between conductor Gustavo Dudamel and pianist Yuja Wang about their recent performance of all the Rachmaninoff concertos
Navajo Vocable for Piano No. 9 by Connor Chee, from an album of piano pieces inspired by traditional Navajo music
This content is from Cori's July 2023 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe here.