Lincoln, Neb.--Paul Barnes, the Marguerite Scribante Professor of Piano in the Glenn Korff School of Music, presents “A Bright Sadness,” featuring piano works inspired by Greek, Latin, Hebrew and Native American chant on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. in the Lied Center for Performing Arts.
The event is free, but tickets are required and available through the Lied Center Box Office at (402) 472-4747 or (800) 432-3231 or on the Lied Center website at https://go.unl.edu/80zc. The concert will also be live webcast on the Lied Center’s Facebook page and website at liedcenter.org. Visit the event page at https://go.unl.edu/vny0 for more information.
“I’m excited that Philip Glass will be watching the livestream to hear the world premiere of my solo piano version of the Piano Quintet Annunciation,” Barnes said. “I’m also excited to give the official ‘in-person’ world premiere of David von Kampen’s ‘Trisagion,’ which I played for my Lied Live Online recital, but this is the first performance for a live audience.”
The program also includes Ron Warren’s “Distances Between 2;” Victoria Bond’s “Simeron Kremate;” Antoine Brumel’s “O Crux, ave, spes, unica;” Nicholas Lemme’s Setting of Verses 4 and 7 of Venatius Fortunatus’ “Vexilla Regis;” and the Introduction and Stations I, IV, X, XI, XII and XIV from “Via Crucis” by Franz Liszt.
Barnes, a concert pianist and Greek Orthodox chanter, has collaborated most recently with Glass and Bond to create piano works based on ancient byzantine and Jewish chant. He has also been a passionate champion of the works of Liszt and will perform Liszt’s late masterpiece, “Via Crucis” (The Way of the Cross), exploring the painful, but ultimately triumphal journey of Christ to the cross.
Barnes will be joined by Lemme and the Our Lady of Guadalupe Schola, who will perform traditional Gregorian chant and assist Barnes with the Greek Orthodox chant.
“The overall theme of ‘bright sadness’ permeates the program as the tremendous depth and intensity of ancient chant is seen through the bright prism of hope and love,” Barnes said.
For Barnes, the concert also celebrates two milestones. First, this is the first live performance in front of an audience for Barnes since Nov. 17, 2019. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, he has been limited to only a few online performances until now.
“I’m thrilled to be back in front of a live audience,” Barnes said. “My last live performance was Nov. 17 in Dallas playing the Glass quintet, among other works. It was such a special event and a wonderful crowd. And even though I did several online performances over the summer, it’s nothing like feeding off the energy of a live crowd.”
The concert also celebrates his 25th anniversary teaching in the Glenn Korff School of Music this year.
“I feel like the luckiest musician alive,” Barnes said. “I’ve enjoyed tremendous support to accomplish so many world premieres, recordings and collaborations with incredible musicians and composers. But I’m most proud of seeing the tremendous success of my many students. They have gone on to change the world as faculty members, artistic directors, performers, and music teachers throughout the world.”
The concert is co-sponsored by the Lied Center for Performing Arts and Glenn Korff School of Music.
This concert is one of two Glenn Korff School of Music concerts to be presented at the Lied Center. The UNL Faculty Jazz Ensemble will perform on Oct. 30 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts.