Last Thursday, Nov. 29, the California State University, Stanislaus Department of Music presented its own Composition Studio Recital featuring original works by both students of the university as well as guest artists.
As the fall semester comes to a close, the university’s own students of composition showcased musical pieces of their own original composure. Students of immeasurable talent showed off the hard work they’ve put into the semester with each piece crafted with its own panache and emotion.
The first piece, “Locomotive” derived from “Modes of Transportation” is an original work composed by Stanislaus’s own Steven Hernandez
“The melody is meant to create a level of suspense,” explained Hernandez (senior, Composition) as he described the theme of the song as a car in motion. The french horn is meant to symbolize the car in route.
Luke Berthgold performed the french horn alongside David Plank on the piano.
After the first performance members of the staff brought a variety of percussion instruments to the stage including a large xylophone.
The second piece, “A Dream Within A Dream,” was composed by Graciella Carrillo with text from the same entitled poem by Edgar Allen Poe. Carrillo introduced her work as an ‘inception’ piece. The title and accompanying text begs the question, “Is this reality or is this a dream?” “Am I alive?”
Lisette Konyenberg performed as the mezzo-soprano beside Carlos Miramontes performing the percussion instruments. Konyenberg does an excellent job beautifully stretching out the notes. In the second set of the piece, she breaks up the singing and says a couple of the lines in spoken word before resuming back to singing.
After witnessing the level of professionalism and talent these performers display, you would not guess that these were student performers.