WHEN: Saturday, April 9 at 2 p.m.
WHERE: Rosenbach Museum & Library, 2008-2010 Delancey Place, Philadelphia
INFO: The concert is free with museum admission, but seating is limited. To RSVP, call (215) 732-1600 or email rsvp [at] rosenbach [dot] org. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for students and free for children under 5. For more information, please call (215) 732-1600 or visit www.rosenbach.org.
WHAT: On Saturday, April 9 at 2 p.m. in the salon environment of the Denworth Room, the Rosenbach Museum & Library will present a world premiere composition by internationally-recognized Philadelphia-based composer and instructor Joseph Hallman, Composer-in-Residence to the museum. The Rosenbach commissioned Hallman to create a new work based on the life of controversial writer and socialite Mercedes de Acosta (1893-1968), whose life exemplifies the spirit of Paris in the 1920s. Raving Beauty: A Song Cycle Inspired by the Life of Mercedes de Acosta will feature live classical music performed by some of the area’s finest musicians. The program is part of the inaugural Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts 2011 (PIFA).
The concert will be performed by the critically acclaimed Dolce Suono Ensemble featuring: flautist and Yamaha Performing Artist Mimi Stillman, Philadelphia Orchestra Assistant Principal Cello Yumi Kendall, and harpist Coline-Marie Orliac. The ensemble will be augmented by soprano Abigail Haynes Lennox.
Since 1998, the Rosenbach has commissioned artists to bring its collections to life in unexpected ways and through a variety of projects. Hallman created the new composition after exploring the Rosenbach’s Acosta collection. Acosta, was a prominent member of gay society in New York and Hollywood, well-known for her romantic relationships with Hollywood’s elite leading ladies.
A tender song cycle, Hallman’s piece explores Acosta’s relationships with the women in her life, including actress Greta Garbo, dancer Isadora Duncan, and Acosta’s sister, the fashion icon Rita Lydig. Performances of Maurice Ravel’s “Sonatine en Trio” for flute, cello, and harp and Albert Roussel’s “Chansons de Ronsard” for voice and flute complete the program.
Joseph Hallman is ayoung American composer based in Philadelphia. The New York Times says, “Mr. Hallman’s writing is eclectic, ranging from Bartokian muscularity to the evocation of a zither.” Hallman’s recent series of chamber concerti has garnered much acclaim, and has been composed for members of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, among others. His works have been performed in the U.S. and internationally. He has collaborated with some of today’s most talented musicians and artists including poet and screenwriter Antwone Fisher, the experimental music collective ThingNY, Kathy Supove, cellist Alisa Weilerstein, and the Fischoff Grand Prize-winning Linden Quartet.
Raving Beauty, The Exhibition
In addition to the world premiere concert, the Rosenbach will also present the companion exhibition Raving Beauty, which highlights objects from museum’s Mercedes de Acosta Collection that intrigued and inspired Joseph Hallman during his research at the museum. On view beginning Sunday, April 3rd in the Rosenbach’s Drawing Room gallery, the exhibition primarily features letters, photographs, and objects relating to Acosta’s relationships with Greta Garbo, Isadora Duncan, and her sister, Rita de Acosta Lydig, which are all explored in Hallman’s musical composition. Visitors to the April 9th concert are invited to view the exhibition before or after the musical presentation.
Objects in the exhibition include:
- An erotic poem written by Isadora Duncan to Mercedes de Acosta
- Correspondence between the actress Greta Garbo and Acosta
- Acosta’s autobiography Here Lies the Heart
- An essay on Diaghilev by Stravinsky, translated from French by Acosta
- Two pairs of Rita de Acosta Lydig’s designer shoes from Pietro Yantorny, who billed himself as the most expensive shoemaker in the world
Mercedes de Acosta was born into an aristocratic Spanish-Cuban New York family, and grew up in the world of New York high society. She married the painter Abram Poole in 1920, but they came to lead separate lives and were divorced in 1935. At various times during her life she was a novelist, a playwright, a poet, and a Hollywood scriptwriter.
Acosta spent time in Paris during the early 20th century, often visiting her sister Rita Lydig(1875-1929) who lived in Paris. Lydig was a great patron of the arts in Paris and New York and a socialite who was often painted and sculpted.
The Rosenbach’s Acosta collection consists of correspondence with friends, literary and theatrical associates, and other celebrities; typescripts of Acosta’s own writings, and over 600 photographs, from snapshots and studio portraits of friends, to movie stills, photos of stage productions of her works, and fragments of motion picture film.
About PIFA
The Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA), inspired by the Kimmel Center, launches the city’s art and cultural scene onto the world stage with a three-week festival offering performances, exhibits and events for loyal fans and casual attendees. Based on the philosophy of collaboration, innovation and creativity, PIFA’s programs represent every arts discipline and include more than 100 partners. Offerings include newly commissioned works, classical performances and exhibits, surprising partnerships featuring local and international artists, and exciting explorations of traditional, non-traditional, new and emerging art forms. PIFA 2011, an homage to the artistic energy of Paris 1910-1920, celebrates works from that era and new creations inspired by the brashly innovative spirit of the period. The festival was made possible by an extraordinary grant from Philadelphia philanthropist Leonore Annenberg, whose vision for a city-wide celebration of the arts shaped its philosophy and programming. PIFA takes place April 7-May 1, 2011.
The full slate of PIFA programming as well as complete schedule of events can be accessed via www.pifa.org and at the Kimmel Center Box Office. Tickets to individual performances and events can be purchased on the PIFA website, in person at the Kimmel Center Box Office, or by phone at (215) 546-PIFA.Tickets prices are set by individual presenting organizations, ranging from FREE to the public to $125. For the most up to date information, visit www.pifa.org or contact PIFA at (215) 546-PIFA.
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