b'November 2020 Program Notesby Elizabeth SchwartzGABRIELA LENA FRANK Coqueteos from Leyendas: An Andean WalkaboutCOMPOSER:born September 26, 1972, Berkeley, CAWORK COMPOSED:commissioned by the Chiara String Quartet in 2001; arranged by Frank for string orchestra in 2003 .WORLD PREMIERE:The Chiara String Quartet gave the first performance in South Hadley, MA, in 2001 .INSTRUMENTATION:string orchestraESTIMATED DURATION:3 minutesCultural identity is central to Gabriela Lenaas envisioned by Peruvian writer Jos Mara Franks music . Her mothers forbears are PeruvianArguedas, where cultures can coexist without and Chinese, while her father is of Lithuanian/Jewishthe subjugation of one by the other . As such, this descent . Like Bla Bartk and Alberto Ginastera,piece mixes elements from western classical and both of whom Frank counts as a significant inspira- Andean folk music traditionsCoqueteos is a tions, she is also a musical anthropologist, travelingflirtatious love song sung by gallant men known throughout South America to absorb folklore, poetry,as romanceros . As such, it is direct in its harmonic mythology, and indigenous musical styles, which areexpression, bold and festive . The romanceros sing reflected and refracted through her work .in harmony with one another against a backdrop of In her program notes, Frank writes, Leyendasguitars, which I think of as a vendaval de guitarrasdraws inspiration from the idea of mestizaje(storm of guitars) .CHEN YI Romance and Dance for Two Violins and String OrchestraCOMPOSER:born April 4, 1953, Guangzhou, ChinaWORK COMPOSED:Romance was written in 1995 as a gift for Yehudi Menuhins 80th birthday . Dance, adapted from the third movement of Chens 1997 string quintet Fiddle Suite, was originally commissioned by the Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University for the Kronos Quartet and Chinese fiddles (huqin) .WORLD PREMIERE:Yehudi Menuhin led the Orchestra of St . Lukes with violinists Shlomo Mintz and Elmar Oliveira at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City on August 11, 1996 in the premiere of Romance. Dance, adapted from the third movement of Chens 1997 string quintet Fiddle Suite, was originally commissioned by the Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University for the Kronos Quartet and Chinese fiddles (huqin) . The complete Romance and Dance were first premiered by the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, led by Dennis Russell Davies, on December 12, 1998 .INSTRUMENTATION:2 solo violins and string orchestraESTIMATED DURATION:9 minutesChen Yis music blends Chinese and Westernof Chinese music and literature . In performance, the traditions, transcending cultural and musicalchin produces various articulations byplucking boundaries, and her music has achieved interna- and vibratos played with both hands . These two tional renown .instruments are often played together, [creating] a Chen writes, Romance and Dance consistsgood balance between sonority and timbre . of two movements, which are two independentIn the Romance of Hsiao and Chin, the two pieces written for two violins and string orchestra .violin solo partsexpress the composers loveRomance, originally entitled Romance of Hsiaofor humanity, while the string orchestra part and Chin, is dedicated to Maestro Yehudi Menuhinsounds like an enlarged chin symbolizing nature . and Edna Michell. . . Its written for Western instru- In Dance, the leading violin solo part plays fast ments, which reproduce the sound and style of themoving lines, while the string orchestra plays the Chinese traditional instruments hsiao and chin .supporting dissonant harmonic progressions . The The Hsiao, a vertical bamboo flute, carries lyricalimages come from the dancing ink on paper in melodies through delicate lines, grace notes andChinese calligraphy and the fiery moving gestures silence . The chin is a 2000-year-old Chinese sev- of ancient Chinese women dancers . The pitch en-string zither, with a rich repertoire in the historymaterial is drawn from Beijing Opera tunes .20Santa Rosa SymphonyRESIDENT ORCHESTRA|WEILL HALL, THE GREEN MUSIC CENTER'