CD A0169: The Unknown Road

The Unknown Road by Mario Falcao

CD Cover The Unkown RoadThe Unknown Road is an exciting, intricate journey through transcriptions of historic selections such as the 16th-century "Diferencias sobre 'Guardame las vacas'" by Luys de Narvaez and newer pieces like Philip Glass' "Modern Love Waltz" and "Sonatina Prodigio" by Virgilio Mortari.

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Track Listing & Audio Samples

1 Diferencias sobre "Guardame Ias vacas" Luys de Narvaez (Falcao) 2.44
       
2 Fantasia Alonso Mudarra (Falcao) 1.51
   
Tocata Segunda Jordi Rodriguez
3 1. Adagio                 4.01
4 2. Presto 1.30
5 3. Giga  0.52
       
6 Waltz "In Memoriam Maurice Ravel" Robert Moran 1.47
       
7 A Waltz for Evelyn Hinrichsen Lou Harrison 2.11
       
8 Modern Love Waltz Philip Glass 3.22
       
Sonatina Prodigio Virgilio Mortari
9 1. Galliarda-Allegro 1.52
10 2. Canzone- Andante 1.27
11 3.Toccata- Veloce 2.13
     
The Crown of Ariadne R .Murray Schafer
12 1. Ariadne Awakens 3.19
13 2. Ariadne's Dance 2.15
14 3. Dance of the Bull 2.38
15 4. Dance of the Night Insects 3.35
16 5. Sun Dance 2.10
17 6. Labyrinth Dance (Theseus and Ariadne) 3.26
Total playing time
 41:22

 

CD Notes

Sleeve Notes

The Unknown Road

Mario Falcao born and educated in Lisbon, Portugal did his basic music studies at the Lisbon Conservatory. Awarded a Fulbright Grant to study at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York where he completed a Master's Degree in Harp Performance after which he settled in the US. Presently he is Professor of harp at the State University of New York at Fredonia. A prize winner at the 5th International Harp Contest in Jerusalem, Mario has subsequently been invited to judge contests in Great Britain, France, US and Japan. Active in Harp organizations, he has held the position of Chairman of the Board of the American Harp Society and was a Founding member of the World Harp Congress of which he is a member of the Board of Directors. He tours frequently playing recitals and conducting Master Classes in Western Europe, Japan, China, Brazil, South Africa.

Mr. Falcao has recorded for labels such as Argo, New World Records, Mark, Orion. His great interest in music of our time is reflected in the choice of music present on this CD. He often commissions and performs new works participating this way in the forward vitality of he harp repertoire.

The Narrvaez and Mudarra pieces originally written for vihuela in 16th century Spain are here played in transcriptions by Mr. Falcao. The Rodriguez Tocata is part of a collection of Iberian music specifically written for the harp, dating from the early years of the 18th century. The following three waltzes are transliterations of piano pieces from the collection "Waltzes by 25 Contemporary Composers" compiled in 1978. Sonatina Prodigio an original harp piece is a solid example of neo-classic harp music of the 1930's.

In the Crown of Ariadne one finds an extraordinary combination of harp and percussion sounds all performed by the harpist in real time, that show the concern the composer has for both musical and theatrical concepts. Based on the ancient Greek myth of Ariadne the piece presents extensive experimental harp techniques that serve well a sensibility preoccupied with colour, space and mysticism.

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Album Information

Instruments: Solo Harp
Genre: Classical
Format: CD
Our Ref: A0169
MCPS:  
Label: Falcao
Year: 2007
Origin: USA

Artist Information and Contact Details

Mario Falcao

Photo: Mario FalcaoMario Falcao born and educated in Lisbon, Portugal, did his basic music studies at the Lisbon Conservatory.

During his studies he was awarded several study grants from the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon the Cultural Ministry of Portugal and the Fulbright Foundation that allowed him to study in Holland and finally in the USA at the Eastman School of Music from where he graduated with a Master's degree in Harp and was awarded a Performer's Certificate.

A prize winner at the 5th International Harp Contest in Jerusalem, Israel, he subsequently served as a judge in International Competitions in the USA, Great-Britain, France, Japan and Russia. Active in Harp Associations, he was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Harp Society and was a founding member of the World Harp Congress of which he is a current member of the Board of Directors.

He has an extensive career as a performer of solo recitals, orchestra soloist and chamber music specially dedicated to the exploration and expansion of the modern repertoire. His involvement with new music shows in his collaborations with the Creative Associates of Buffalo in the 60s, 70s and 80s and more recently is a frequent guest to the Festival of New Music June in Buffalo.

Mario participates often in Lisbon in the Encontros de Musica Contemporanea as well as in Festivals in Orleans, France, Madrid, and Spain. In this capacity he has commissioned several solo harp pieces, played them in first performance, and recorded them on LPs and CDs. He works in close collaboration with American, Portuguese and Spanish composers.

As a solo recitalist he has played solo recitals in among other cities: New York City (Carnegie Recital Hall), London (Wigmore Hall), Boston, Washington, Rochester, Nashville, Tampa, Paris, Lisbon, Toronto, Madrid, (Fukui and Soka) Japan, Beijing, Shangai, Taipei, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Johannesburg, and Cape Town.

As a soloist with orchestra he has played with the Gulbenkian of Lisbon, Lisbon Philharmonic, Rochester Philharmonic, Nashville Philharmonic, Prague Radio Orchestra, Tivoli Gardens Orchestra, Arhus Sinfonietta, Ensemble Yokohama, and the National Symphony of South Africa and Cape Town Philharmonic.

Mario frequently conducts Master Classes in North America, Europe, Asia and South America. He has also recorded several LPs as well as CDs.

Presently he his Professor of Harp at the State University of New York at Fredonia.


For further information please visit Mario's web site.

Contact Details Mario P. Falcao
P.O. Box 187
Fredonia, N.Y. 14063
USA
E-mail Mario.Falcao@fredonia.edu 
Artist Web Site www.mariofalcao.com