Da Camera: Songs of the Earth January 31, 2009

Debussy Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (chamber version)
Zhou Long The Farewell for pipa, erhu and chamber orchestra
Gustav Mahler Abschied from Das Lied von der Erde (chamber version)

Susanne Mentzer, mezzo-soprano; Da Camera Chamber Orchestra; Music From China; Larry Rachleff, conductor; Zhou Long, guest composer

This concert celebrates over 100 years of cross-fertilization between the Asian and Western classical traditions. European composers were inspired at the turn of the century by their discovery of poetry and music from Asia; in our day, Asian composers have come to America and found new musical voices by bringing their musical traditions together with their classical Western training.

Da Camera welcomes composer Zhou Long in his Houston debut. A world-class chamber orchestra with members of the Houston Symphony and other leading Houston musicians, led by conductor Larry Rachleff, collaborates with virtuosos from Music From China on the erhu and pipa.

“a masterly work – atmospheric, finely wrought music that captured the delicate melancholy of the poems…[Long] has one of the most striking sonic imaginations of any composer around.” — The Washington Post on Zhou Long’s Farewell

For information, call 713-524-5050.

Official Website: http://www.dacamera.com/artist04.html