Event Title
Hailstork - Eight Variations on "Shalom Chaverim" (1981)
Performer / Ensemble
Evan Mitchell (Piano)
Date of Publication
3-26-2021
Document Type
Concert
Abstract / Program Notes
Adolphus Hailstork (b. 1941) currently serves as Professor and Composer-in-Residence at Old Dominion University. He earned degrees at Michigan State University, the Manhattan School of Music, and Howard University, in addition to studies with that greatest teacher of American composers, Nadia Boulanger. A number of Hailstork’s compositions, particularly choral and operatic works, draw on or dramatize elements of Black American history. Written in 1981, these Eight Variations take as their theme the Hebrew folk song “Shalom Chaverim”. The lyrics translate to “Shalom (peace/goodbye) friends/‘til we meet again/shalom friends.” Hailstork opens the piece with floating quartal harmonies, which return in an explosive cadenza before Variation 8. This is followed by the widely spaced statement of the theme, which returns in a similar voicing at the end, resolving in major. The variations themselves draw on various stylistic and harmonic devices from different eras, and the theme is prominent in all of them. Those familiar with Liszt’s Sonata in B Minor will hear what sounds like a clear quotation throughout Variation 8 (the descending scalar figure heard at the beginning and end of the Liszt). The Variations on “Shalom Chaverim” provide flair and brilliance while never placing excessive technical demands on the performer. It is an ideal work for students interested in programming works by underrepresented composers, mastering the variation form, and exploring a highly accessible contemporary compositional language.
Biography
Pianist Evan Mitchell's recent highlights include solo performances on the prestigious Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts series (Chicago), at Merkin Concert Hall (NYC), and at several major venues in Shanghai; concerti with the symphony orchestras of Dallas and Fort Worth; and recitals with such major figures as double bassist Gary Karr, flutists Leone Buyse and Jim Walker, and clarinetist Corrado Giuffredi. Evan’s new recording of world premieres with bassist Szymon Marciniak is earning rave reviews; Bass World called their performances “intoxicating,” deeming this “a seminal recording.” He is also featured on “Piano de Pampa y Jungla: A Collection of Latin American Piano Music.” Evan has made repeat appearances on the Cliburn at the Modern and Mount Vernon Music series. Other performance affiliations include Avant Chamber Ballet, Fort Worth Opera, and Texas Winds. Since June 2014 Evan has been featured on the TCA Texas Touring Roster, and over the past eight years he has given more than 300 performances for Cliburn in the Classroom. Evan received the DMA degree from Texas Christian University, and MM and BM degrees from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. His principal teachers have included John Owings, Arnaldo Cohen, and the late José Feghali. He teaches privately and at Tarrant County College, and serves as President of the Fort Worth Music Teachers Association. For more information, please visit www.evanmitchell.net.
Keywords
Aldophus Hailstork, Hebrew folk songs
Description
10-minute showcase performance
Hailstork - Eight Variations on "Shalom Chaverim" (1981)
Adolphus Hailstork (b. 1941) currently serves as Professor and Composer-in-Residence at Old Dominion University. He earned degrees at Michigan State University, the Manhattan School of Music, and Howard University, in addition to studies with that greatest teacher of American composers, Nadia Boulanger. A number of Hailstork’s compositions, particularly choral and operatic works, draw on or dramatize elements of Black American history. Written in 1981, these Eight Variations take as their theme the Hebrew folk song “Shalom Chaverim”. The lyrics translate to “Shalom (peace/goodbye) friends/‘til we meet again/shalom friends.” Hailstork opens the piece with floating quartal harmonies, which return in an explosive cadenza before Variation 8. This is followed by the widely spaced statement of the theme, which returns in a similar voicing at the end, resolving in major. The variations themselves draw on various stylistic and harmonic devices from different eras, and the theme is prominent in all of them. Those familiar with Liszt’s Sonata in B Minor will hear what sounds like a clear quotation throughout Variation 8 (the descending scalar figure heard at the beginning and end of the Liszt). The Variations on “Shalom Chaverim” provide flair and brilliance while never placing excessive technical demands on the performer. It is an ideal work for students interested in programming works by underrepresented composers, mastering the variation form, and exploring a highly accessible contemporary compositional language.