Spring Break
French Music Fills Benton
Tom Crosby
Issue date: 9/24/07 Section: Focus
Not to be trite, but meeting Diane Lewis at the Benton can be a good idea. And a relaxing idea. And a culturally rewarding idea. This was true of the art museum's weekend program, appropriately named "Music On A Sunday Afternoon," which featured music, on Sunday, in the afternoon.
This Sunday, however, was special for the Benton, as they not only put on an exhibition of French music, but set it to a backdrop of the breathtaking sculptures of Auguste Rodin. About 80 people were on hand to hear the beautiful music of French songwriters such as Gabriel Faure, Henri Duparc, Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy. While these names may not mean much to those not majoring in music, the songs exude a beauty and power not common to the popular music of today.
The performance was even further unique due to the fact that the performers were all professors in UConn's music department, as part of the faculty exhibitions going on at the museum right now. Constance Rock, a soprano, is the Area Coordinator of Voice and Opera at UConn. She has been lauded by the Hartford Courant as "a joy to listen to," and they aren't kidding.
Rock's vocal duo was rounded out by tenor James Ruff, Lecturer in Voice. Both have performed on many notable stages, traveling with various musical groups around the country. The two are a bubbly, beaming pair, complementing each other's talents, clearly in love with what they do, which made the performance so pleasing to watch.
Pianist Minyoung Lee stole the show with her lengthy, beautiful performance of Ravel's "Le Tombeau de Couperin," a suite for solo piano written between 1914 and 1917. It only took her about fifteen minutes to play.
"When you watch her, it seems like she never had to practice" said Ashley Hazleton, a 1st-semester biology major, "but more like it just flows out of her, like she was born with it." Her magnificent play, accompanying every song, complimented each piece flawlessly. The three made for a surprisingly soothing and harmonious sound.
This Sunday, however, was special for the Benton, as they not only put on an exhibition of French music, but set it to a backdrop of the breathtaking sculptures of Auguste Rodin. About 80 people were on hand to hear the beautiful music of French songwriters such as Gabriel Faure, Henri Duparc, Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy. While these names may not mean much to those not majoring in music, the songs exude a beauty and power not common to the popular music of today.
The performance was even further unique due to the fact that the performers were all professors in UConn's music department, as part of the faculty exhibitions going on at the museum right now. Constance Rock, a soprano, is the Area Coordinator of Voice and Opera at UConn. She has been lauded by the Hartford Courant as "a joy to listen to," and they aren't kidding.
Rock's vocal duo was rounded out by tenor James Ruff, Lecturer in Voice. Both have performed on many notable stages, traveling with various musical groups around the country. The two are a bubbly, beaming pair, complementing each other's talents, clearly in love with what they do, which made the performance so pleasing to watch.
Pianist Minyoung Lee stole the show with her lengthy, beautiful performance of Ravel's "Le Tombeau de Couperin," a suite for solo piano written between 1914 and 1917. It only took her about fifteen minutes to play.
"When you watch her, it seems like she never had to practice" said Ashley Hazleton, a 1st-semester biology major, "but more like it just flows out of her, like she was born with it." Her magnificent play, accompanying every song, complimented each piece flawlessly. The three made for a surprisingly soothing and harmonious sound.
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