Blue Violet Duo Presents AMERICAN SOUVENIRS—Folk and Classicism Intertwine

The concert was entitled American Souvenirs, but it wasn’t quite the same material as what’s on the Duo’s new CD of the same name. The concert spotlighted works from the first half of the twentieth century, including two by Aaron Copland in addition to the Gershwin selections. By contrast, the CD features minimalist works by modernist John Adams and compositions for a jazz café by Paul Schoenfeld, as well as pieces Norman Dello Joio wrote in 1948 and works by William Bolcom. After Porgy and Bess, the Duo played a piece that is on the CD, Paul Schoenfeld’s dancehall-inspired Four Souvenirs. Carter and Chan were both quite animated during its lively samba and tango, which could make a listener want to get up and shake, too. During the square dance section, Chan made her piano produce a swaggering gait while Carter’s mastery of her violin translated in the mind’s eye into fancy footwork

Among the Copland selections was a Ukulele Serenade that, despite its name, includes a lot of virtuoso work for violin but very little pizzicato. Like their inspirational composers, Carter and Chan are both highly trained in classical forms but have an abiding love for folk music and how it translates to a larger audience. The William Bolcom selection, similar to the sonata on the CD, was a warm, fun melody which also demonstrated how in synch Carter and Chan are with each other. Often, it was only by their breathing that they communicated their intent to each other during improvisational material. Though the concert featured the very talented and charismatic guest cellist Victor Sotelo and drummer Brady Miller, the CD is entirely made up of the Duo honoring the lesser-known works Carter and Chan founded their partnership to showcase. It’s a fun listen.

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Photos: Peter Kachergis, unless otherwise indicated

About the Author: Jacob Davis

Jacob Davis has lived in Chicago since 2014 when he started writing articles about theatre, opera, and dance for a number of review websites. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Department of Theatre, where he specialized in the history of modernist dramatic literature and criticism. While there, he interned as a dramaturge for Dance Heginbotham developing concepts for new dance pieces. His professional work includes developing the original jazz performance piece The Blues Ain’t a Color with Denise LaGrassa, which played at Theater Wit. He has also written promotional materials for theatre companies including Silk Road Rising.

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