This is a past event

The Amherst College Department of Music presents an honors thesis in cello performance, “Faith and Disillusionment,” by Joshua Ferrer '18E. The recital takes place on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. in Buckley Recital Hall in the Arms Music Center at Amherst College. It is free and open to the public; seating is by general admission.

When composers become disillusioned with the world they live in, they turn to music as an outlet. Whether through personal tragedy, political fallout or systematized evil, these individuals are forced to question their core life assumptions. They respond in diverse ways—searching for new love, sinking into depression or turning to deeply held religious convictions. In this thesis, Ferrer explores the compositions these artists create as testaments to their personal struggles and journeys.

The concert is anchored by two monumental works written from places of darkness: Bach’s Suite No. 5 in C minor and Shostakovich’s Sonata for Cello and Piano. In between, an alternative path is explored: Messiaen’s testament to his faith in G-d, written during his imprisonment in a Nazi concentration camp.

Program:
Bach - Suite No. 5 in C minor, BWV 1011
Messiaen - “Louange à l'Éternité de Jésus” from Quartet for the End of Time
Chung-Mehdi - Piece for Solo Cello (Premiere)
Shostakovich Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor, Op. 40

The recital will last for 75 minutes (including intermission), followed by a reception. Phuong-Nghi Pham ’18 joins on the piano for the Messiaen and Shostakovich.

The performance is free and open to the public.

Contact Info

Alisa Pearson
(413) 542-2195
Please call the college operator at 413-542-2000 or e-mail info@amherst.edu if you require contact info @amherst.edu