Overture 2024: Former Present Today Performance, Novo and Musiqa
Overture 2024: Former Present Today
This collaborative creation, a brainchild of conceptual artist Reynier Leyva Novo and composer Eric Estrada Valadez, reflects a synthesis of artistic innovation and historical consciousness. Composed in four movements, Overture 2024 combines traditional chamber ensemble components with innovative techniques and sounds, showcasing the ongoing evolution of classical music. The piece, performed by Muisqa, is scored for an innovative chamber ensemble consisting of clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, violin, double bass, percussion, and a conductor, all meticulously crafted by Valadez and Novo. It invites listeners on a temporal journey, connecting the past with the present and paving the way for the future.
This performance is commissioned by Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts with support from Musiqa and hosted by Blaffer Art Museum. Eric Estrada Valadez is a Mitchell Center scholarship recipient.
Date:
Thursday, February 22, 2024
Location:
6:30pm Performance (Dudley Recital Hall), 5:30pm Reception (Blaffer Art Museum)
Parking:
Free parking for this event is available via the six complimentary marked lot spots directly in front of the museum entrance and at the Elgin Street Garage (4224 Elgin Street). To take advantage of complimentary Elgin Street Garage parking, please first park in the garage and obtain your machine ticket and then bring to the museum front desk upon arrival.
Schedule:
5:30 Reception, Blaffer Art Museum
6:30 Introduction, Dudley Recital Hall
6:35 The invisible patriot (solo guitar)
6:45 Intermission
7:00 Blaffer Art Museum closes
7:00 Overture 2024 (chamber Orchestra)
7:15 Closing Remarks, conversation between the artist, composer, performers
Description:
The Year 1812, festival overture in E♭ major, Op. 49, popularly known as Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, premiered in 1880, is a monumental work in the history of classical music. It commemorates Russia’s resistance against Napoleon’s 1812 invasion, a conflict marked by tactical victories but ultimate defeat for Napoleon, who entered Russia with 600,000 men and returned to France with only 93,000. Beyond its drama and patriotism, the 1812 Overture has transcended its historical context, becoming a global symbol of resistance and national pride. Notably, in the United States, it has evolved into an unofficial anthem of Independence Day, a tradition initiated in 1974 by Arthur Fiedler at the Boston Pops’ July 4th concert.
Commissioned by Musiqa, Blaffer Art Museum and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, the Overture 2024: Former Present Today emerges, inspired by the transnational phenomenon and its enduring legacy. This collaborative creation, a brainchild of conceptual artist Reynier Leyva Novo and composer Eric Estrada, reflects a synthesis of artistic innovation and historical consciousness. This multidisciplinary work challenges the traditional boundaries of musical creation, reflecting a unique fusion of various artistic disciplines. Overture 2024 explores resistance, patriotism, and, more profoundly, the complexity of identity, nationalism, and history in the 21st century. It addresses the evolving nature of patriotism in today’s world, the diminishing relevance of Nation States formed in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the contemporary forms of political resistance. Like Tchaikovsky’s work, it employs music as a universal language for storytelling, but with narratives that are more inclusive and diverse, representing a wider range of contemporary experiences and perspectives.
Composed in four movements, Overture 2024 harmonizes classical and contemporary elements. It combines traditional chamber ensemble components with innovative techniques and sounds, showcasing the ongoing evolution of classical music. The piece is scored for an innovative chamber ensemble consisting of clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, violin, double bass, percussion, and a conductor, all meticulously crafted by Estrada and Novo. It invites listeners on a temporal journey, connecting the past with the present and paving the way for the future.
Overture 2024: Former Present Today is more than just a musical piece; it’s a potent public statement. It asserts the power of art to connect different eras, cultures, and people, while challenging established concepts with a fresh civic perspective. In an increasingly globalized and diverse world, this work redefines and expands our understanding of music as a tool for reflection and unity. With this composition, the legacy of the 1812 Overture is revisited demonstrating the enduring relevance and power of classical music in the contemporary world.
Overture 2024: Former Present Today Performance, Novo and Musiqa
Composer: Eric Estrada Valadez
Conductor: Eiki Isomura
Musicians:
Maiko Sasaki, clarinet
Xayvion Davidson, bassoon
Russel Heahl, trumpet
Ryan Rongone, trombone
Jackson Guillen, violin
Samantha St. John, double bass
Craig Hauschildt, percussion
This performance is commissioned by Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts with support from Musiqa and hosted by Blaffer Art Museum.