Viva La Vida is a musical journey through Mexican culture and history that celebrates the groundbreaking painter Frida Kahlo through the medium of the guitar. The journey begins with music of the Mexican baroque from a codex dating from 1732 by Santiago de Murcia that was discovered in 1942 in a Leon, Guanajuato, antique store.…
Traces the evolution of theme and variation technique from the vihuelists the 16th century Spanish Court (where they referred to variations as “diferencias”) through the monumental Bach Chaconne to La Cartegenera by Francisco Tárrega, contemporary American Composer Peter Madlem’s Greensleeves Variations, Variations on a Turkish Folksong by Carlo Domeniconi to Argentine Tango Master Marcello Ferraris’ setting of McCoy Tyner’s Passion Dance. Accompanying materials include a CD, poster, and program notes.
This performance is a multimedia celebration of the Spanish master, Francisco Goya. Visual images of his paintings, etchings and aquatints are juxtaposed with commentary and virtuoso guitar pieces consisting of music that was around him as he was creating his art and, later, music that his art inspired. The latter includes new works written for William by composers from Argentina, Cuba and the US. Accompanying materials include a CD, poster, a list and PowerPoint of the relevant images and extensive program notes.