Clavichord Guest Recital: Carole lei Breckenridge
Sunday, October 22, 2017
4 p.m., SVS
The Bach Family: Johann Sebastian (1685-1750), Carl Philipp Emanuel (1714-1788), and Johann Christian (1735-1782) and “An Das Klavier” Poems
Carol lei Breckenridge, Clavichord
Michael M. Herrick, Poetic Reader
PROGRAM
An mein Klavier (To my Clavichord) J.F.W. Zachariae
Capriccio on the Departure of his most Beloved Brother, BWV 992 (1706) J.S. Bach
Phyllis an das Clavier (Phyllis at the Clavichord) H.W. von Gerstenberg
Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 903 (ca. 1720) J.S. Bach
Süssertönendes Clavier (Sweet-sounding Clavichord) C.F. Weisse
Sonata in B-Flat Major, Wq. 49, No. 4 “Wurttemberg” (1742) C.P.E. Bach
An das Klavier (To the Clavichord) P. von Gatterer Engelhardt
Fantasy in F-Sharp Minor, Wq. 67 (1787) C.P.E. Bach
An das Clavier (To the Clavichord) J.T. Hermes
Sonata in C Minor, Op. 17, No. 2 (ca. 1779) J.C. Bach
An das Clavier (To the Clavichord) H.E.C. von Hagen
Sonata in G Major, Op. 17, No. 4 (ca. 1779) J.C. Bach
The clavichord used for this program is an unfretted 5-octave instrument built by Paul Irvin in 1995 for Carol lei, and is modeled after a 1765 Friederici clavichord in Leipzig.
The poems will be read in German in order to experience the original sound and effect. Translations by Annette Richards may be found below, and are taken from Annette Richards’ article “C.P.E. Bach’s ‘Farewell’ and the Speaking Clavichord,” De Clavicordio IV: Proceedings of the IV International Clavichord Symposium, Magnano, Sept. 1999, p. 31-34.
Carol lei Breckenridge specializes in music of the 18th century on period instruments, particularly clavichord and fortepiano. She obtained Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in piano performance from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied with William S. Newman and Marvin Blickenstaff, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance from University of Iowa with Kenneth Amada. During 1997-98 she studied fortepiano and Classical style with Malcolm Bilson through a Fellowship at Cornell University. She has performed clavichord concerts at the 1995 International Clavichord Conference in Magnano, Italy, the National Music Museum in Vermillion, South Dakota, the 1998 C.P.E. Bach Symposium at Cornell University, the Historical Keyboard Society of North America and Fringe Concerts at the Boston Early Music Festival. She is Professor Emerita from Central College in Pella, Iowa, where she held the Farver Professor of Music Chair. Currently, she and her husband, Michael Herrick, live in the Ann Arbor, Michigan, area.
Michael M. Herrick is a retired professional chef with culinary degrees from The Netherlands. He is also a visual artist, writer, and poet. His chap book, Time, Life, Numbers, and a Good Meal, combines his love of cuisine, travel, and poetry. Having grown up in Geneva, Switzerland, where his father was a United Nations diplomat, he matriculated at the Ecole d’Humanité, later joined the U.S. Air Force, traveled extensively in Europe, and finally settled down in The Netherlands for several years. In 2000, he moved to the United States, became Executive Chef for The Royal Amsterdam Hotel in Pella, Iowa, and supervised several other kitchens there. He is fluent in several languages, including French, German, Dutch, Italian, English, and Spanish.