Outreach at the High School and Eliana answers my questions
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David YangI call every member of my family until somebody picks up and entertains me, and when they get bored, I call the next person.
Just days to go before the NCMF spring recital on Saturday, March 8th at St Paul’s featuring the Roebling Piano Trio.
The concert consists of music of Beethoven, Piazzolla, and Brahms. Over the last month, I sent questions to the members of the trio so you can get to know them better. Zhu’s favorite food was a popular Hunan dish, Doujiao Yutou (fish head with pickled chilies); Val requested Gamjatang (pork back-bone stew); for Eliana it was a cozy bowl of Vietnamese Phở. I am fascinated by how composers’ languages are reflected in their works: the bubbling fluidity of France’s Debussy, the passion and animation of Italy’s Verdi, the Teutonic structure and order of Beethoven, the open vowels of Copland’s Midwestern twang. How might this be reflected in what composers ate? For instance, the Roeblings will play Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major, Opus 8, a big, hearty piece of music. Can you hear how Brahms’ favorite dish was a piping hot bowl of Hungarian goulash, heavy on the paprika, accompanied by a chilled lager?
The program begins with Beethoven’s Piano Trio in Bb Major, Op. 11. We have it on record that the maestro’s favorite meal was Kasnocken, basically a central-European version of macaroni and cheese, using a cheddar-like Austrian mountain cheese called Pinzgauer Bierkäs with a glass of red wine. (He also liked the Italian version, Macaroni mit Parmesan-Käse.) I’ll admit, making a connection between music and entrée was a bit of a stretch. But Piazzolla’s “Oblivion” is a no-brainer. Here, we have classic Italian cooking – what is called in Italy cucina povera (peasant cuisine) - that takes just a few ingredients and combines them to make something spectacular. “Oblivion” has a simple melody and the straightforward rhythm of a milonga, a precursor to Argentinean tango. With these basic building blocks, he produced something extraordinary. With two Italian parents, Piazzolla’s favorite dish was fettuccine served with a sauce that was a specialty of his mother’s made from just garlic, olive oil, tomato, and red-wine. He even provided a recipe:
Pasta a la Piazzolla
To start the sauce, you should gather “plenty of garlic (3 or 4 cloves); two cans of tomato puree, of which he mentioned the brand ‘Salsati’, from La Campagnola; olive oil, preferably Italian; a teaspoon of sugar; a bottle of wine of ‘very good quality’ (Fond de Cave or higher); fresh basil, 8 or 9 leaves; and grated parmigiano, preferably grated on the plate.” Put olive oil in a small pot until it covers the bottom and a little more. Heat the oil and when it starts to make a noise, add the chopped garlic cloves. When they start to brown (half-brown, not too much) add the two cans of tomatoes and stir with a wooden spoon. Stir until “a little” of the preparation is consumed, season with salt to taste and add a teaspoon of sugar. Add a generous glass of “finoli” red wine, which will turn the sauce from red to purple. Cook over low heat until the alcohol in the wine evaporates. When the sauce is thicker, turn off the heat, add the basil leaves and, without stirring, cover the pot. Set the pot aside until the pasta is ready. Then, serve the combination. With the sauce ready, Piazzolla recommended serving “a very generous ladleful” per plate and pairing it with the remainder of the red wine that was used in the preparation.
Buon Appetito!
David Yang, Artistic Director
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David YangI call every member of my family until somebody picks up and entertains me, and when they get bored, I call the next person.
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David YangWhat’s all the fuss about? Don’t take my word for it: here is a live performance you can see.
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David YangPeople have such interesting lives – they’ve lived all over, done this, done that; everyone has a story.
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