REENA ESMAIL Varsha
SERGEI PROKOFIEV Selections from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64 (arr. V. Borisovsky)
TORU TAKEMITSU A Bird came down the Walk
PAUL HINDEMITH Viola Sonata Op. 11, No. 4

While we typically associate borders with geographic lines, we see borders in music, nature, our community, and our politics.

Reena Esmail displays musical freedom with the freely paced Hindustani raags in her work Varsha. Toru Takemitsu’s A Bird came down the Walk portrays the freedom of a bird as it flies away. Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet suite tells the story of star-crossed lovers forbidden from interacting because of family rivalry. Hindemith’s emotionally charged Viola Sonata Op. 11 No. 4 pays homage to Debussy after his death that made Hindemith realize “music reached out beyond political boundaries, national hatred, and the horrors of war.” This program shows how people break across borders for culture, nature, love, and national comradery.