Program COncepts

Rebirth: A Stravinsky Retrospective for solo piano

Created in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the composer’s passing, this program explores Stravinsky’s originality and unique capacity for stylistic change through the lens of over 50 years of his creative output. A self-described victim of “a rare form of kleptomania,” Stravinsky’s embrace of everything from late romanticism, Russian folk music and neo-classicism to jazz and serialism presents a rare opportunity to create a balanced and diverse recital program with the music of a single composer.

A lesser known but defining event in the composer’s life was a near-fatal case of the 1918 flu. His extraordinary recovery and willingness to reinvent himself and embrace change in a new, post-war world became one of his most enduring qualities with striking parallels to our own time. As we endure our own personal and collective rebirth, his story and music feel particularly relevant and hopeful today.

Famous for composing exclusively at the piano, even Stravinsky’s largest orchestral scores are pianistic in conception, and he often could not resist the allure of re-imagining these works for solo piano. In keeping with that tradition, this program will include Graybil’s own transcriptions of several compositions that have never before been heard on the piano, in addition to showcasing the eclecticism of Stravinsky’s original piano works. 

Presented during the 2021-22 season.

Debussy: His friends and his enemies

This whimsical program celebrates the life, music and sharp-tongued wit of Claude Debussy, based on his musical criticism and written correspondences. Here, musical friend and foe are pitted against one another in a program highlighting many musical styles and periods, enlivened by Debussy's cunning, caustic and often amusing commentary on his musical idols, contemporaries and adversaries.

“I shall do nothing ... to create adversaries nor anything to convert my enemies into friends. One has to force oneself to be a great artist for oneself and not for others. I dare to be myself and suffer for my truth. These who feel as I do can only love me the more for it. The others avoid me, even hate me, I will do nothing to win them over.

“In all truth that distant day - and one hopes it will be as late as possible - when I shall excite no quarrels, I shall reproach myself severely. In these last works, hypocrisy will have to have won the day - that detestable kind of hypocrisy which causes one to please everybody.”

-Claude Debussy

Presented during the 2021-22 season.