impression
Based on Graeme Steele Johnson’s octet arrangement of Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, IMPRESSION seeks to reconnect Debussy’s Faun with the intimacy of the poem that inspired it.
The program’s musical offerings take their inspiration from Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro, which opens the program and sees companion pieces in stripped-down versions of two of Debussy’s orchestral masterpieces, both reworked for the Ravel ensemble with an added bass. Along the way, Stéphane Mallarmé’s sensuous poem, “The Afternoon of a Faun,” finds resonances in all of the music as it is read aloud in three installments before each piece. The fusion of music and poetry opens up new entry points for approaching each medium, as one enlivens the experience of the other. This same ethos underlies the chamber arrangements of Debussy’s music for large orchestra; here, the music takes on a certain personableness, an almost tangible quality that actively invites listeners in and allows them to experience it up-close, in more intimate spaces. IMPRESSION premiered in 2018 at The Cell Theatre in New York, presented by Charles R. Hale Productions.
Mallarmé: "The Afternoon of a Faun" [translated E. H. and A. M. Blackmore, edited Graeme Steele Johnson] (excerpt no. 1)
Ravel: Introduction and Allegro
Mallarmé: "The Afternoon of a Faun" (excerpt no. 2)
Debussy: Première Rhapsodie [arranged Todd Palmer]
Mallarmé: "The Afternoon of a Faun" (excerpt no. 3)
Debussy: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun [arranged Graeme Steele Johnson]
Mallarmé: "The Afternoon of a Faun" [translated E. H. and A. M. Blackmore, edited Graeme Steele Johnson] (excerpt no. 1)
Ravel: Introduction and Allegro
Mallarmé: "The Afternoon of a Faun" (excerpt no. 2)
Debussy: Première Rhapsodie [arranged Todd Palmer]
Mallarmé: "The Afternoon of a Faun" (excerpt no. 3)
Debussy: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun [arranged Graeme Steele Johnson]
"IMPRESSION debuted at The Cell Theatre last night, rewarding all in the audience with a musical delight...The performance consisted of an octet of superb musicians and a reader, all of whom captivated the audience with their artistry."
-- Vinnie Nauheimer
"...an evening of engaging and truly mesmerizing music -- [I] felt like I was swept away into Debussy's pastoral and sensorial dream."
-- Vera Maura