ACS at Washington University

Eric Ewazen: Ballade, Pastorale, and Dance
I. Ballade.
II. Pastorale
III. Dance.

Francis Poulenc: Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano, FP 43 
I. Presto
II. Andante 
III. Rondo

Paul Juon: Divertimento opus 51 in F
I. Allegretto 
II. Intermezzo I, moderato 
III. Fantasia 4
IV. Intermezzo II, Tempo di Minuetto
V. Rondino, allegro assai 
Date: October 28th, 2022.
​Time: 7:30pm
Location: 560 Music Center,  Washington University in St Louis
Address: 560 Trinity Ave, St. Louis, MO 63130
Admission: Free

Concert Artists

Eric Ewazen: Ballade, Pastorale, and Dance
​Eric Ewazen is a living American composer born in Cleveland, OH in 1954. Ewazen completed degrees at Eastman School of Music and The Juilliard School. He is a highly decorated composer with many awards and honors from composition competitions. His works have been recorded and performed by major artists and ensembles including American Brass Quintet, The Juilliard Wind Ensemble, Julie Giacobassi of the San Francisco Symphony, Charles Vernon of the Chicago Symphony, Koichiro Yamamoto of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Ronald Barron of the Boston Symphony, Doug Yeo of the Boston Symphony, Steve Witser of the
Cleveland Orchestra, Joe Alessi and Philip Smith of the New York Philharmonic, the Horn Section of the New York Philharmonic, and more! He is currently a professor of composition at The Juilliard School. Ewazen composed Ballade, Pastorale, and Dance in the winter of 1992-93. It premiered at the Aspen Music Festival in the summer of 1993. Ewazen says of his work “The combination of
flute, horn and piano produces a chamber music ensemble with wonderful possibilities in terms of contrasting colors and textures, resulting in a kaleidoscopic world of alternating moods and dynamics.”
(Burns, Alex. Eric Ewazen ‘Ballade, Pastorale and Dance’. Published by Alex Burns, 28 July 2021, www.classicalexburns.com/2021/07/28/eric-ewazen-ballade-pastorale-and-dance-a-kaleidoscop
ic-world/.)

​Francis Poulenc: Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano, FP 43 
Francis Poulenc was a French composer and pianist who lived from 1899 until 1963. His mother was a talented pianist and began giving Poulenc piano lessons at the age of five. However, his father was a manufacturer of pharmaceuticals and it was assumed that his son would follow in his footsteps. Although Poulenc had a great love of music and developed into an accomplished pianist, his father did not allow him to attend a music conservatory. When the time came for Poulenc to attend a university, he was sent to an academic college, Lycée Condorcet. In spite of the rigorous curriculum at Lycée Condorcet, Poulenc managed to further his piano
studies and because of friendships with composers Eric Satie and Georges Auric he also continued to compose. In 1917, Poulenc had his debut as a composer with his piece Rapsodie nègre, written for baritone and chamber group. Stravinsky was in attendance at the premiere and was so impressed by the piece that he connected Poulenc with a publisher. This was a key moment in
launching Poulenc’s career as a successful composer.

From 1918 until 1921 Poulenc served in the French army during World War 1. During these years Poulenc kept composing, but there was never a guarantee that instruments or musicians would be available to perform his pieces. He grew accustomed to composing for whatever and whoever was available. He didn’t finish composing the Trio for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano until 1926, but it was perhaps because of his earlier experience composing for unique instrumentation that gave him inspiration to compose for such an unusual group. Poulenc spent two years working on the piece and spent the last months in isolation in order to finish the work. The premiere of the trio which took place in Paris, was well received. Poulenc performed the piano part himself.

Paul Juon: Divertimento opus 51 in F
Paul Juon was born in Russia to Swiss parents in 1872. Although his parents weren’t musical themselves (his father was an insurance official) Juon showed interest and talent in the musical arts. In 1889 he began studies at the Moscow Conservatory for violin and composition. Juon began a career composing and teaching upon completion at the conservatory, and in the late 1890’s he moved to Berlin. During his early years in Berlin, Juon published a book on music theory and had several of his compositions published and premiered. In 1906, he was appointed by Joseph Joachim to be the chair of composition at Hochschule für Musik' in Berlin. Upon retiring in 1934, Juon moved to Vevey, Switzerland where he died in 1940. Juon composed his Divertimento in 1913 after the death of his first wife in 1911 and marriage to his second wife in 1912. Because of his use of both Russian and German compositional styles, Juon came to be known as the Russian Brahms.