Internationally acclaimed American classical and jazz pianist Geoffrey Burleson offers a solo recital program of French and American music, including the European Premiere of Camille Saint-Saëns’ unpublished “Fantaisie sur l’Étoile du Nord de Meyerbeer.” This performance is in conjunction with his ongoing recording project Camille Saint-Saens: Complete Piano Works, which is being released on 5 volumes for Naxos Grand Piano. Volumes 1-4 have been released thus far, to high international acclaim. The recital program also includes études and concert dance works of Saint-Saëns that Mr. Burleson has already recorded for the CD series, as well as Ravel’s seminal Jeux d’eau. Mr. Burleson will additionally be performing works by 20th and 21st century American composers, including Roy Harris’ cathartic Piano Sonata No. 1, and two of David Rakowski’s ingenious piano études, culminating with Mr. Burleson’s own arrangement of Frank Zappa’s Bebop Tango, and solo jazz piano selections.
Program
Maurice Ravel: Jeux d’eau (1901)
Camille Saint-Saëns: Six Études, Op. 52
No. 1: Prelude-Con bravura
No. 2: Pour l’indépendance des doigts
No. 3: Prélude et fugue en fa mineur Six Études, Op. 111
No. 4: Les Cloches de las Palmas Valse nonchalante, Op. 110
Mazurka No. 3 in B minor, Op. 66
Fantaisie sur l’Étoile du Nord de Meyerbeer (1859) – EUROPEAN PREMIERE
Roy Harris: Piano Sonata (1928)
David Rakowski: In A Regal Age Ran I (Prelude #6) (2010) Ain’t Got No Right-Étude for the Left Hand (#67) (2005)
Frank Zappa/arr. Burleson: BeBop Tango Solo jazz piano selections