$15/general, $10/seniors, $5/students
The Celestial Melodies program will feature the music of composers and astronomers William and Catherine Herschel, as well as others of their circle in England. The concert will include not only the music of the Herschels and their contemporaries, but a visual component as well, featuring their astronomical legacy. Performers are Sten Isachsen, guitar and mandolin; Norman Thibodeau on a variety of flutes; Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz, violin. Musicians of Ma'alwyck is in residence at the Schuyler Mansion New York State Historic Site and at SUNY-SCCC.
William Herschel was born into a musical family, with his father a professional oboist. William came to England in the 1750s as a member of the Hanover Band. He was also a fine violinist, harpsichordist, and organist. He worked as the Bath Church's organist and director of the orchestra and concert series. But Herschel is remembered primarily today for his incredible astronomical discoveries, which include the discovery of infrared radiation, astronomical spectrophotometry, the planet Uranus and sophisticated far-seeing telescopes. Herschel's younger sister Caroline was also an outstanding musician and astronomer. She often sang at his concerts in Bath, and later became a celebrated astronomer in her own right. She was the first female astronomer to receive a salary and in 1828 she was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society. Our program celebrates the musical lives of William and Caroline while incorporating a bit of the astronomical!
The program also features the world premiere of Invocations of Max Caplan, Written specifically for this program, the work is inspired by the NASA Data Sonification Project. Mr. Caplan will be joining us for the program to briefly introduce the work. Mr. Caplan is an award winning composer, who opera Aleda or the Flight of the Suff Bird Women was greeted with great critical acclaim at its premiere.
Musicians of Ma’alwyck is a flexible-size chamber ensemble in residence at the Schuyler Mansion New York State Historic Site and Schenectady County Community College. Founded in 1999 by violinist and director Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz, the group specializes in music performed in America during the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. Many of the performing materials are drawn from the Special Collections of the New York State Library. In 2002, Musicians of Ma’alwyck performed by invitation for television producer Norman Lear in celebration of his purchase of the last private copy of the Declaration of Independence. Musicians of Ma’alwyck has been presented on National Public Radio, WMHT-FM and WMHT-TV. In 2009 the ensemble produced the 1783 opera The Poor Soldier by William Shield, drawing national attention. Musicians of Ma’alwyck was named the best chamber music ensemble of the Capital Region for both 2008 and 2009 by Metroland. In 2009 the ensemble made its television documentary debut performing in a film entitled Greene County USA.