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Small possesses an intuitive tonal sense and a tremendous capability to modulate the touch. With only ten fingers he displayed a wealth of images.
Der Tagesspiegel, Berlin
News
Haskell Small's Artistic Blind Date
June 28, 2011
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.
World Premiere of Haskell Small's The Rothko Room
June 28, 2011
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.
The composer writes about the new work, "(The artist Mark) Rothko said tragedy, ecstasy, doom are the only important things in art. I've tried this in music. In this piece, I'm trying to play so quietly on the piano as to be on the very cusp of audibility, but there are occasional outbursts paralleling Rothko's passionate nature (wild primeval, ritualistic dances). The work was influenced by Mompou's Musica Callada and the work of Arvo Part. It is in 1 continuous movement, a little under half an hour, in 4 parts, loosely paralelling the 4 paintings in the Phillips's Rothko Room, and reflecting the narrative of the painter's life journey. These parts are interwoven with an "ether" theme- floating in space. The piece also features a bell motif, at first very quiet, then later bells of doom." This continues the composer's exploration of quietude in music, which was featured on his acclaimed recording of Mompou's Musica Callada for MSR Classics.
Other works on Mr. Small's program were Erik Satie's Ogive No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3, Alan Hovhaness' Suite for Piano, Op. 96 and Macedonian Mountain Dance and J.S. Bach's Partita in Bb Major, BWV 825.
Visit the Phillips at http://www.phillipscollection.org/homepage.aspx.
New Lullaby of War CD on Naxos
June 28, 2011
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 Small in the Concert Hall
October 15, 2010
Haskell Small has several upcoming performances you should know about. October 18 through 22, Haskell will be presenting sections of his work in progress The Rothko Room: Journeys in Silence in concert in Iceland. He will be traveling there with several colleagues to be part of a week of concerts of American music and masterclasses in Reykjavik and other cities around the island nation. His 6 Miniatures for bassoon and piano and Fugue and Postlude for flute, bassoon and piano will also be performed and Haskell will also participate in performances of music by Beth Anderson and Robert Ackerman. Speaking of The Rothko Room: Journeys in Silence, it will be given its formal World Premiere on February 20, 2011 at The Phillips Collection museum in Washington, D.C.
New Lullaby of War CD on Naxos
October 15, 2010
The internationally renowned Naxos label has digitally issued a new CD of Haskell Small’s Lullaby of War, Renoir’s Feast and Three Etudes in Sound (catalog no 8.559649). Performed by pianist Soheil Nasseri and narrated by Martin Rayner, this disk brings together three of Haskell’s finest works. The recording is currently available exclusively online. The release of the physical CD is scheduled for May 2011. More about it here. There are several videos to accompany the music on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/haskellsmall. The composer is on piano in these performances and the narration is by acclaimed actors Robin Weigert and Martin Rayner. This is very powerful and effecting music, which when combined with the imagery, becomes something extraordinary. More about Haskell’s other CDs online at http://www.haskellsmall.com/discography.
New Publication
October 15, 2010
Peer Music has published Haskell’s solo piano masterwork Renoir’s Feast. The composer had previously recorded the work for the Museum Music label. More about it here.
Renoir's Feast Published
December 23, 2009
Renoir's Feast for solo piano, Haskell Small's musical celebration of the French master's Luncheon of the Boating Party painting, has been published by Peermusic Classical. The piece is available in the U.S. through Theodore Presser Company, and in Europe through PeerMusic.
Two New Performances
December 23, 2009
Two more Haskell Small performance videos are available on YouTube. Fur Alina by Estonia’s Arvo Part and Song without (Good) Words by the early 20th Century American Charles Ives are the latest editions to Haskell’s growing and impressive catalog of performances and compositions online. You can see them on Haskell’s YouTube channel.
Trio
December 23, 2009
Haskell Small’s Trio for flute, cello and piano was presented as part of Dialogues, a concert by the Third Millennium Ensemble this past October 25 at The Strathmore Mansion in Rockville, Maryland. The work was premiered by the Nanzetta Trio in 1984 and has been choreographed as "Shikar" by Lynn Cote for the Washington Ballet's 1994 Fall series. It was also the winner of the 1999 Marin Ballet Dance Score Competition.
Naxos
December 23, 2009
It’s almost here! Haskell Small’s much anticipated Naxos CD will be released in early 2010. This wonderful collection contains three of his piano works - Lullaby of War, Renoir’s Feast and 3 Etudes in Sound, recorded by pianist and strong advocate of Haskell’s music, Soheil Nasseri. Keep an eye on naxos.com for release details.
Musica Callada; Journeys in Silence
December 23, 2009
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.
Game of Go Updates
June 13, 2009
Haskell's composition A Game of Go will be performed live at the U.S. Go Congress in Fairfax VA on Aug. 1st; see the Calendar for details. Additionally the Game of Go videos have topped 7000 viewings.
Summer Calendar Additions
June 13, 2009
Haskell has an upcoming European tour in June; a concert at the Ratner Museum on June 14th, the Lyceum July 5th.
The WMPA performances on May 31st and June 7th of the orchestral version of “Scraps” have been rescheduled for next season.
For more information, see the Calendar page.
For more information, see the Calendar page.
Miscellaneous
June 12, 2009
Peer Music's publication of Renoir’s Feast will be released this fall; new reviews of Haskell's Musica Callada CD release have been added to the reviews page, and can also be found in the American Record Guide May/June ‘09 issue.
A Game of Go Video
February 10, 2009
Haskell's 2-part video for his 1987 composition A Game of Go has been published online. Visit the videos section to watch both parts, and learn more and listen to an excerpt on the composition page.
Lullaby of War Video Series
December 10, 2008
Haskell Small releases the Lullaby of War video series. Watch it here. Haskell's Youtube Channel can be found here.
Now Available
December 9, 2008
Haskell Small's latest release, Musica Callada, is now available on Amazon.
Snippets, Spring 2008
March 13, 2008
The Spring 2008 issue of Haskell Small's newsletter Snippets has been published, with news of Haskell's composition Lullaby of War.
The Washington Post reviews Musica Callada
December 1, 2007
"...as pianist Haskell Small showed in an unusual recital Sunday at the Phillips Collection, Mompou's music is worth attention... High marks to Small on courage alone, even higher for a riveting performance." Read the full article.
Interview with Music & Vision
February 13, 2003
Read Lisztian Sparkle, a marvelous interview with the composer in
England's Music & Vision daily classical music webmagazine.
Small possesses an intuitive tonal sense and a tremendous capability to modulate the touch. With only ten fingers he displayed a wealth of images.