News

"After a debilitating stroke, a pianist feels his way back to music"
By Michael Brodeur

https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/04/08/haskell-small-pianist-stroke/

New CD of Small's A Journey in Silence: Reflections on the Book of Hours
http://www.msrcd.com/catalog/cd/MS1601

Stunning review of recent New York concert

 https://newyorkmusicdaily.wordpress.com/2016/05/10/haskellsmall/

Beautiful new video featuring Small's Journeys in Silence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEZ3MnJgvIM

'... an artist at the summit of his creative powers ...

If you want to hear what decades of dedication and hard work sound like, purchase a copy of Haskell Small's recording of original music for piano. This is a man who has mastered his craft as a composer. He also happens to play the piano beautifully.

The disc begins with a lengthy piece inspired by the work of American painter Mark Rothko. Somewhat akin to Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, the music takes its cue from individual paintings — in this case, four canvases that surround a solitary wooden bench. Much like the room after which it is modelled, the music is spacious — filled with prolonged chords and deeply resonant moments of silence. In the hands of a lesser composer, this type of atmospheric music can turn quickly into n'importe quoi. Small's form, however, has a sense of inevitability to it that comes only with years of experience. Much of this smoothness owes to the changing of just one or two parameters between sections — enough to keep our interest while maintaining a subtle effect overall.

This modest rate of change also makes stark contrasts all the more forceful. Every now and then, Small interrupts the beautiful wash of sound with a flourish of excitement, propelled by a tireless rhythmic drive that showcases the composer's impressive mobility at the piano.

Visions of Childhood, the second major work included, features many of the same compositional elements that pervade The Rothko Room. Once again, the composer avoids using silence as an ad hoc special effect, using it instead to give shape to the music. In addition to these similarities, listeners will also note substantial differences. Perhaps most notable is the jocular character that comes through in several of the Visions. 'Playing Rough' exemplifies this side of Small's musical persona, though much like Schumann's Kinderszenen, the music exhibits an adult's perspective on childhood; the only child at play is an imagined one — a shadow of times past. Small portrays this perspective musically by combining exuberant (youthful) rhythms with a more serious (mature) harmonic palette. The result is quite unique.

Continuing his homage to Schumann, Small ends his Visions with a piece reminiscent of 'Der Dichter Spricht' ('The Poet Speaks' — the final movement of Schumann's Kinderszenen). Much like its forebear, 'Lullaby' has a transcendent quality that encapsulates the emotional journey of looking back on one's past. Small's sensitive performance, which does much to enhance that emotion, brings to mind Alfred Cortot's inspiring performance of 'Der Dichter Spricht' — no small praise!

In keeping with the meditative state induced by 'Lullaby', Small ends his recording with A Glimpse of Silence. Even more than The Rothko Room, this piece is a masterclass in giving shape and direction to sustained sounds and silences, which, in a sense, is the overarching theme of the collection. Once again, we witness an artist at the summit of his creative powers, moulding beautiful sculptures from the most basic elements of our sonic universe.

Copyright © 16 June 2015 Andrew Schartmann,
Connecticut USA

Haskell Small's Journeys in Silence tour resumed this Fall with performances of Mompou's Musica Callada in Europe. Tour dates at calendar.

Haskell performed Musica Callada on Sunday, September 7 at The Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street in Alexandria, Virginia. This was part of the Lyceum Summer Chamber Music Series, sponsored by the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Association - http://www.wmpamusic.org/lyceum-summer-chamber-series.html

He next performed the Catalan Spanish composer’s masterwork on Saturday, October 18 at Der Bergkirchengemeinde (The Mountain Church), Lehrstrasse 6 in Weisbaden and on Sunday, October 19 at The Wetzlar Cathedral, Domplatz 35578 in Wetzlar, Germany (http://www.dom-wetzlar.de/.

The next performances were on Wednesday, October 22 at Conservatorio Superior de Música de Castilla y León, Calle del Lazarillo de Tormes in Salamanca (http://www.coscyl.com/en) and on Friday, October 24 at La Iglesia de los Padres Carmelitas (http://62.97.131.227/noticia/local/200604/el_centro_segoviano_en_madrid_pone_en_marcha_la_semana_de_san_frutos) in Madrid, Spain. Mr. Small also took part in an October 23 conference with students at Conservatorio Superior de Música de Castilla y León, discussing Musica Callada.

Haskell then performed Musica Callada on Saturday, October 25 at Nuestra Iglesia-Convento de San Juan de la Cruz (http://www.spain.info/es/que-quieres/arte/monumentos/segovia/monasterio_de_los_carmelitas_descalzos.html), Alameda de la Fuencisla in Segovia and Sunday, October 26 at Monasterio de Sant Pau del Camp, (http://webs.ono.com/santpaudelcamp/), Carrer de Sant Pau 101 in Barcelona, Spain.

See photos of Haskell rehearsing the music in the Monastery of San Juan de la Cruz, in Segovia, performing at Monasterio de Sant Pau del Camp in Barcelona and meeting with Berta Millia of The Mompou Foundation, also in Barcelona at https://www.facebook.com/haskell.small?fref=ts.

Germany’s Region Wetzlar website had a nice review of the October 19 concert. They said:

"Musica Callada" literally means something like"silent music" and figuratively "Voice of the Silence". Haskell Small explained at the beginning of his introduction of "Musica Callada".The silence in "Musica Callada" should not be understood as the absence of sound, but rather silence as a place of inner peace.

Frederic Mompou had expressed that he was trying to get close to this inner voice, as a kind of state between life and death, in which there was no pulse. The composer had said that he was a taciturn man and his music contains few notes.

"Musica Callada" is a four-part work. In total there are 28 short pieces, for which one needs patience. But you'll be rewarded by a very elaborate end, which will bring a return to the earth, said Small. The American pianist shared the four books in two parts. During the break Jochen Stolla read poems of the Spanish mystic St. John of the Cross. On the seal itself is an image of Mompou.

Frederic Mompou grew up near a bell foundry. This, one would say, influenced the piano sounds and one could hear the bell sounds from the music. Mompou‘s music was also search for the child in all of us. This could be heard well in the music that sometimes recalled children's songs.

Small has played worldwide in many major cities and was honored for his excellent technique. In addition to his work as a pianist Small also works as a composer and teacher. "Musica Callada" was also released as a CD (http://www.msrcd.com/catalog/cd/MS1282).

Read the original German-language review at http://www.mittelhessen.de/lokales/region-wetzlar_artikel,-Small-spielt-Hymnen-an-die-Stille-_arid,363010.html.

Spain's Raval Cultural had a nice listing about the October 26 performance at Barcelona's Monasterio de Sant Pau del Camp - http://ravalcultural.bcn.cat/ca/content/el-pianista-haskell-small-oferira-un-concert-sant-pau-del-camp.

The May 9 concert featured Mr. Small performing with cellist Drew Owen at Harmony Hall Regional Center in Ft. Washington, Maryland, as part of the Afternoon Tea concert series. They performed the Beethoven A Major Sonata together, and each performed several solos, including Small playing a sneak preview of his composition, Visions of Childhood.

The May 12 concert featured Mr. Small’s performance of his Visions of Childhood and works by J.S. Bach, Ordoñez and Schubert at Westmoreland Congregational Church in Bethesda, Maryland. This concert was presented by Washington Conservatory of Music and was the final concert of their 2011-2012 series.

Haskell Small gave a recital on April 15 at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown, Maryland. Repertoire was Bach’s G Major Partita, the 2nd movement of Schubert’s great B-flat Major Sonata, Mr. Small’s own composition Visions of Childhood and his short paraphrase of Gershwin’s An American in Paris.

The orchestral transcription of Haskell Small’s Scraps was performed by the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic, Ulysses S. James, Music Director and Conductor, on February 12 at Church of the Epiphany in Washington, DC and on February 19 at Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Virginia.

Scraps is described by the composer as, “12 very little pieces of blues and jazz,” and is an orchestral transcription of a 2006 work originally for solo piano, written for Dutch pianist Marcel Worms for his multi-national Blues Project. More about it at http://www.haskellsmall.com/compositions/2006/scraps-orchestral.

Other works on the February 12 and 19 concerts were Bob Mintzer’s Rhythm of the Americas (featuring the Washington Saxophone Quartet), Cesar Franck’s Symphony in D Minor and Jonathan Blumhofer’s Diversions.

Haskell Small’s 12 Snippets for flute, clarinet, cello and piano was performed on September 18 as part of Think Small! at Copland House at Merestead in Mount Kisco, New York.

The composer writes about the work, “Considering my name, I felt it was obligatory for me to respond to a call for scores by the "Association Decadanse" in Lunel, France for composers from around the world to each submit five to fifteen compositions, each of a maximum length of (sic) ten seconds. 12 Snippets was premiered in the Spring of 2000 as part of the Association Decadanse's "2000 for 2000" festival in southern France. More about the music at http://www.haskellsmall.com/compositions/1999/12-snippets.

Other composers on the program were Copland, Sebastian Currier, Schoenberg, and Webern. The event was sponsored by, in part, Music from Copland House.

Haskell Small is taking part in a fascinating artistic collaboration. Washington DC's Source Festival has joined him with visual artist Lee Gainer and director/ puppeteer Cecilia Cackley to create an Artistic Blind Date.

Gainer writes, "We are tasked with the development and performance of a 30 - 40 minute play/experience/presentation about pretty much anything we want. We have a title to tease you with. Our performance will be called: Adjusting the Volume."

Performance dates are June 16 @ 7PM, June 19 @ 3PM, June 25 @ 6PM, and July 2 @ 3PM. ABD tickets are $10. More about the project, including a sound file of Haskell's music, the Artistic Blind Date project and the Source Festival itself at http://www.sourcedc.org/sourcefestival/performances.html.

Washington City Paper review

Haskell Small's The Rothko Room: Journeys in Silence, was given its World Premiere on Sunday, February 20 at The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC.

Visit the Phillips at http://www.phillipscollection.org/homepage.aspx.

The internationally renowned Naxos label has issued a new CD of Haskell Small's Lullaby of War, Renoir's Feast and Three Etudes in Sound (catalog no 8.559649). The music is performed by pianist Soheil Nasseri and narrated by Martin Rayner.

Lullaby of War was commissioned by pianist Soheil Nasseri and was inspired by Picasso's great painting Guernica. The piece includes poetry by Joy Harjo, Paula Tatarunis, Stephen Crane, Uri Zvi Greenberg, Walt Whitman and Yvan Goll.

This is very powerful and effecting music, which when combined with the imagery, becomes something extraordinary.

Renoir's Feast was a commission by The Phillips Collection of Washington, D.C. to celebrate the return of their beloved Renoir masterpiece, Luncheon of the Boating Party.

Three Etudes in Sound explores the piano's 'color and sound control'.

More about the CD at http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.559649.

More about Haskell's other CDs at http://www.haskellsmall.com/discography.

Haskell’s MSR Classics recording of Federico Mompou’s Musica Callada has received some wonderful reviews from around the world. England’s Gramophone magazine wrote, “Small conveys the austere purity and concentration with an unhurried, timeless quality that seems just right... Throughout Small realises the microbially shifting expression... [Small] is in touch with Mompou's enigmatic, other-worldly music landscape..." and the London-based MusicWeb International wrote, “I am prepared to follow Haskell Small through these twenty-eight stations again, knowing that he probably is the living guide who knows this destination better than anyone…” Read more review excerpts, including a review of his Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C performance, and order the CD at http://www.msrcd.com/1282/1282.html.

Also in the realm of quiet music, Haskell is currently working on a new piece for Phillips’s Rothko Room - Journeys in Silence, which will be premiered in February of 2011.