The
pieces by Martinů, Schulhoff, Reinecke and Janáček included on this
recording are close to my heart for many reasons. Martinů’s phrasing
echoes the rhythm of the Czech language and I have a great fondness for the
uneven, conversational quality of Martinů’s melodies - perhaps because of
my own Slavic ancestry. His affinity for the flute is unmistakable, making this
work very gratifying to play. The recently rediscovered Sonata for Flute and
Piano by Schulhoff is a gem within the flute repertoire. Glimpses of Slavonic
folk style, jazz and impressionism characterize Schulhoff’s writing, and the
exploration of his Sonata infused this recording project with a refreshing
energy. While the Schulhoff is a recent discovery for me, the Reinecke Sonata
"Undine" has been a favorite piece since my childhood. The tale of the
water nymph who longs to become human has always captivated my imagination, and
the soaring romantic melodies are perfectly suited to the flute. The recording
concludes with a short piccolo and piano piece by Janáček entitled Pochod
Modráčků (March of the Blue Breasts). I first encountered this
material when I was playing the important woodwind chamber work Mládi (Youth).
The small scale piccolo piece appears rather inconsequential on its own;
however, within the context of the larger work the material assumes more
significance, representing substantial memories from Janáček’s youth.
The composers on this recording have many indirect historical, biographical and
musical relationships; most importantly, all of the works celebrate the spirit
of the flute.
*
* *
Tanya
Dušević Witek has been the recipient
of many awards in North America, including The National Arts Club's Tilden
Prize, a Fulbright Grant, the National Flute Association's Young Artists'
Competition, a Sony ES Award for Excellence, the McGraw-Hill Company’s Robert
Sherman Award and several Canada Council Grants. Ms. Witek has appeared at
Marlboro Music, Mostly Mozart at Lincoln Center and The Banff Festival. She has
toured the U.S. with the acclaimed "Musicians from Marlboro" ensemble
and is heard on a commemorative recording celebrating the festival’s 50th
anniversary. As principal flute of the New York Symphonic Ensemble and a regular
guest artist with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, she has toured widely
throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. Ms. Witek has appeared as soloist
at many fine halls including Alice Tully Hall and Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln
Center, Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, Kioi Hall in Tokyo, Izumi Hall in
Osaka, and The Purcell Room in London. She has recorded for EMI, Bridge,
Panasonic, CRI, and her performances have been broadcast on CBC Radio in Canada,
Radio France, NHK in Japan, as well as WNPR and WNCN in New York. Deeply
committed to educational outreach, she has introduced thousands of New York City
public school children to classical music through her work as a Teaching Artist
for the New York Philharmonic and Lincoln Center Institute. As a founding member
of the Forest Hills Chamber Players, Ms. Witek performs free concerts in
community venues in the outer boroughs of New York City. A native of Calgary,
Canada, Ms. Witek was educated at The University of Calgary, The Banff Center,
and she received her master and doctoral degrees from The Juilliard School. Her
teachers have included Philippa Fullerton, Carol Wincenc and Samuel Baron.
Pianist
Charles Foreman has been equally praised for his superb musicianship,
formidable technique, vast repertoire, and imaginative programming. Foreman will
begin Canada’s first complete cycle of the piano works of Chopin in 2006. He
recently completed his first cycle of the thirty-two Beethoven sonatas, to
sold-out houses and standing ovations. In 2001, Foreman concluded his
"Sounds of a Century" project, ten recitals of twentieth-century piano
music, one for each decade, which the Calgary Herald called "monumental…heroic…
illuminating." Foreman made his debut with the Chicago Civic Orchestra
under David Gilbert, playing the Brahms B-flat Concerto. He has won prizes in
Canadian and U.S. piano competitions, received two Canada Council grants for
study and performance in Europe, performed numerous times with orchestras, and
played over five hundred solo and chamber recitals in Austria, Belgium, Germany,
Holland, Spain, Switzerland, Canada, and the U.S. He has recorded over a dozen
CDs for Unical, Antes Edition, Arktos and Centrediscs. A Chicago native and
scholarship student of Rudolf Reuter at the American Conservatory, he holds
degrees from Indiana University and the University of Toronto, where he studied
with Abbey Simon and Anton Kuerti. A professor at the University of Calgary, he
was a Visiting Scholar at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 2002.
