ASPECT Foundation Announces 2016/17 Season

Making its home in New York for the first time since its inception, ASPECT Foundation for Music & Arts presents a concert series which aims to establish and develop a recital format beyond the traditional classical performance. "Music In Context," which expands the notion of classical music as it is experienced in the standard concert setting, incorporates a variety of art forms as well as lecture and discussion to give audience members a more multifaceted, integrated understanding of the social context and historical relevance behind a piece of music.

After its successful London run presenting various series such as "Composers on Composers," "Musical Capitals," "One Off," and "Great Muses," ASPECT Foundation finds a new locale at Columbia University's intimate The Italian Academy for the 2016/17 season. Guest speakers include Yale Assistant Professor (Adjunct) of Music History Paul Berry and British classical music radio broadcaster, composer, and author Stephen Johnson will lead the series' Illustrated Talks with others to be announced later in the season.

The opening night concert on October 5 links Bach and Mozart together via a common thread: amateur composer and diplomat Baron Gottfried van Swieten. Having keen ability to recognize exceptional compositional talent, van Swieten was responsible for furthering the influence of Bach and Handel, mostly forgotten by the late eighteenth century, on Viennese musical palates of the time by funding concerts featuring the masterworks of these earlier composers. The Baron encouraged the likes of Haydn, Beethoven, and Mozart to study and practice these contrapuntal styles, building theoretical structures used in some of the greatest works of the classical period. This program highlights the connection between Bach and Mozart as master and disciple, and how Mozart's utilization of Bach's genius ultimately fueled his own. Part of the 'Composers on Composers' series.

For decades, Vienna was unquestionably the musical capital of the world for composers of the finest caliber. On January 26, a concert of Schubert and Brahms illustrates the evolution of the Romantic era, with Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata hinting at the beginning of the new musical styles of the period, and Brahms's F Minor Piano Quintet suggesting the transition into a new age of classical music. Part of the 'Musical Capitals' series.

Greatly influenced by Smetana, whose vocal opposition to the Habsburg Empire on the Czech resulted in highly nationalistic operas and tone poems, Dvo?ák composed works borrowing from the Moravian and Bohemian song and dance traditions. The performance on February 23 examines the new artistic identity which arose in the city of Prague as Czech composers led the way toward shedding Germanic traits and embracing the nation's rich musical traditions. Part of the 'Musical Capitals' series.

Pianist and composer Clara Schumann, a virtuosic and accomplished musician in her own right, inspired a great many of her contemporaries with her legendary talent, friendship, and love. Married to Robert Schumann, she was able to advocate for her husband's talents by performing them with her extraordinary pianistic ability. As the muse and guide for many works by Brahms, who was plagued by his intense love for her, described their relationship as, "...the most beautiful experience of my life, its greatest wealth and its noblest content." The program on April 19 offers a unique perspective on the muse herself and those whom she benefitted. Part of the 'Great Muses' series.

About ASPECT Foundation
ASPECT Foundation for Music and Arts was established to introduce and promote a novel concert format - «Music in Context.» We aim to transform a traditionally auditory experience into a fusion of various art forms. Our objective is two-fold - to support and promote the artists, and to enlighten and inspire the audience through an intellectually charged collaboration between musicians and speakers.

Our goal is to create a thought-provoking amalgam of performance, lecture, and discussion; and to present not only a recital, but an inspiring synthesis of music, art history and social culture. Ultimately we strive to forge a connection between the artist, the music and the audience. It's more than a concert...

ASPECT Foundation website