an evening of British and French music
Monday, September 15, 2025
7:00 PM
Florence Kopleff Recital Hall
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges | 1745-1799
Sonata No. 1 in B-flat for 2 Violins (n.d)
I. Allegro
II. Aria con Variatione
Serena Scibelli, violin
Tania Maxwell Clements, viola
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, was one of the most remarkable figures of the 18th century, celebrated for his virtuosity as a violinist, his pioneering compositions, and his distinguished military career. Born in Guadeloupe to a French plantation owner and an enslaved African woman, Saint-Georges overcame significant racial prejudice to become a cultural luminary in France. He was a highly influential composer, conductor, and swordsman, earning the nickname "The Black Mozart" for his contributions to classical music and his virtuosity.
Saint-Georges’ Sonata No. 1 in B-flat for Two Violins exemplifies his flair for lyrical melody and refined musical craftsmanship. The first movement, Allegro, is a lively and elegant dialogue between the two violins, showcasing Saint-Georges’ gift for intricate counterpoint and sparkling interplay. The second movement, Aria con Variatione, introduces a graceful melody that evolves through inventive variations, highlighting the composer’s ability to balance emotional depth with technical brilliance.
Cyril Scott | 1879-1970
The Extatic Shepherd (1922)
Sarah Kruser Ambrose, flute
Cyril Scott, often hailed as the “Father of British Modernism,” was a pioneering composer whose works blended impressionistic colors with a distinctly English sensibility. Born in Oxton, England, Scott was part of a generation of composers who sought to expand the musical language of the early 20th century. His compositions often reflect his deep engagement with mysticism, poetry, and a profound connection to nature.
Composed in 1922, The Extatic Shepherd exemplifies Scott's ability to evoke vivid imagery through music. Inspired by a poem by the Romantic poet William Blake, the piece captures an idealized vision of pastoral beauty and spiritual transcendence. Through shimmering harmonies, delicate textures, and lyrical melodies, Scott conjures an otherworldly landscape that reflects both the ecstasy and tranquility of a shepherd immersed in nature.
The work's impressionistic qualities, reminiscent of Debussy and Ravel, are uniquely filtered through Scott's voice, with subtle modal inflections and lush chromaticism lending an ethereal quality. The music ebbs and flows like a gentle breeze across an open meadow, inviting listeners to lose themselves in its serene yet ecstatic sound world.
Henri Tomasi | 1901-1971
Concert Champêtre (1938)
I. Ouverture
II. Minuetto
III. Bourée
IV. Nocture
V. Tambourin
Lara Dahl, oboe
Jesse McCandless, clarinet
Anthony Georgeson, bassoon
Henri Tomasi (1901–1971) was a French composer and conductor whose works often reflected his affinity for lyrical melodies, rhythmic vitality, and a deep connection to his Mediterranean roots. Concert Champêtre (1938) stands as one of Tomasi's most charming compositions, showcasing his penchant for blending neoclassical elements with pastoral themes and vivid, folk-inspired colors.
Written for wind ensemble, the work is a celebration of the French countryside, capturing its idyllic and bucolic spirit. The term champêtre, meaning “pastoral” or “rural,” sets the tone for a piece that is as lively as it is evocative. Tomasi weaves influences from French folk music and Baroque dance forms, while infusing his distinct harmonic language and playful rhythmic gestures.
George Onslow | 1784-1853
Nonet in A Major, op. 77 (1848)
i. Allegro spirituoso
ii. Scherzo. Agitato
iii. Tema con variazioni. Andante con moto
iv. Finale. Largo - Allegretto quasi Allegro
André Georges Louis Onslow was a French composer of English descent. His wealth, position and personal tastes allowed him to pursue a path unfamiliar to most of his French contemporaries, more similar to that of his contemporary German romantic composers; his music also had a strong following in Germany and in England. His principal output was chamber music, but he also wrote four symphonies and four operas. Onslow was esteemed by critics of his time, but his reputation declined swiftly after his death. It has only been revived in recent years.
Nonet in A Major, op. 77 was written in his very last years, where wrote a number of pieces for large chamber ensemble. The first movement, Allegro spirituoso, begins with a melody characterized by its nervous excitement. The main theme of the second movement, Scherzo agitato, has the same nervous excitement found in the first movement. There seems to be a connection between the thematic material. The frantic pace of this edgy music never lets up. It begins softly and quickly rises in pitch. The theme in the trio section, led by the horn, is more relaxed and has a misty, mysterious quality. The nonet’s center of gravity is its big, slow movement, Adagio. The theme is quiet, and pleasant. A set of five variations follow. Here, Onslow changes the ensemble groupings, rather than varying the mood or tempo of the music. The finale, Largo, Allegretto quasi Allegro, begins, as the title suggests, with a slow theme, pregnant with possibilities and slightly ominous. The Allegretto, however, is bright and full of bustling energy.
Robert J. Ambrose
Conductor Robert J. Ambrose enjoys a highly successful and diverse career as a dynamic and engaging musician. His musical interests cross many genres and can be seen in the wide range of professional activities he pursues. Dr. Ambrose studied formally at Boston College, Boston University and Northwestern University, where he received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting.
Dr. Ambrose has conducted professionally across the United States as well as in Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. His interpretations have earned the enthusiastic praise of many leading composers including Pulitzer Prize winners Leslie Bassett, Michael Colgrass and John Harbison. Dr. Ambrose is considered an authority on Arnold Schoenberg’s landmark piece Pierrot Lunaire, having conducted it several times in three different countries. He has conducted over two dozen premiere performances including works by Michael Colgrass, Jonathan Newman, Joel Puckett, Christopher Theofanidis and Joseph Turrin. In addition, a recent performance of Igor Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms under his direction has been given repeated airings on Georgia Public Radio.
Dr. Ambrose is founder and music director of the Atlanta Chamber Winds a professional dectet specializing in the promotion of music by emerging composers as well as lesser-known works of established composers. Their premiere compact disc, Music from Paris, was released in 2009 on the Albany Records label and has received outstanding reviews in both Fanfare and Gramophone magazines.
As a guitarist, Robert Ambrose has performed in dozens of jazz ensembles, combos, rock bands and pit orchestras. His rock band “Hoochie Suit,” formed with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, received rave reviews throughout the Chicago area and performed for such distinguished guests as Yo-Yo Ma and Daniel Barenboim.
Dr. Ambrose currently serves as director of bands, associate professor of music and associate director of the School of Music at Georgia State University, a Research I institution of 32,000 students located in Atlanta, GA. As director of bands he conducts the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, maintains a highly selective studio of graduate students in the Master of Music in wind band conducting degree program, and oversees a large, comprehensive band program comprised of four concert ensembles and three athletic bands. He lives in Peachtree City, GA with his wife Sarah Kruser Ambrose, a professional flute player, and daughters Isabelle and Hannah.