From the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival Office
Q: When you applaud, why do musicians bow?
A: In the ‘old’ days, musicians were never paid for performances, and had to work for the Court to earn their living. After performing for Royalty, their tradition (some might say ‘requirement’) was to bow out of respect.
A select few members of historical Royalty are remembered forever through dedications in major works: The “Archduke” Trio is one of the best examples of this: August 16th & 17th the Juno Award- winning Gryphon Trio performs Beethoven’s most famous trio, dedicated to Archduke Rudolph of Austria. The program also includes Debussy’s Impressionistic Cello Sonata, Turina’s Spanish-flavored Trio and Samuel Barber’s beautiful setting of “Dover Beach.”
There is an Orcas connection during “The Archduke” concert. Samuel Barber’s beautiful setting of Dover Beach is based on the poem by Matthew Arnold, great- grandfather of Orcas Islander Fred Whitridge. This performance also marks Martin Friedmann’s only cameo appearance in this year’s festival.
Tickets for the Wednesday, August 17th 5:00 concert can be obtained by calling 376-6636, or order online www.oicmf.org.
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