by Mike Telin
What do Colombina, Harlequin, Pantalone, Pierrot, and Pulcinella have in common? They are all characters of the commedia dell’arte. This weekend they will be brought to life musically when Studio Espressivo presents Masquerading Melodies.
Performances are on Saturday, June 6 at 3:00 pm & 8:00 pm, and Sunday June 7 at 3:00 pm at Studio Espressivo, 2026 Murray Hill Road #111. Pay-what-you-wish, tickets available Online.
Studio Espressivo concert series founders, pianist Allison Hillier and composer/pianist Chris Neiner, will open the program with Gabriel Fauré’s Overture from Masques et bergamasques for piano four hands.
“The overture is not even four minutes long, but it is so fun,” Neiner said during a Zoom call. “It was commissioned as incidental music for a theatrical entertainment for the Prince of Monaco in 1919. It was inspired by commedia dell’arte and designed to be first on a concert.”
Neiner will then take on Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Polichinelle in F-sharp minor. “The title is French for Punch, from Punch and Judy, which itself goes back to commedia dell’arte. So it’s very much a character piece.”