Cerys Hembury
Dan Goble, director of Colorado State University’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance, plays the soprano saxophone alongside Russell Hirshfield on the piano at CSU’s Organ Recital Hall Nov. 6. This concert was part of the school’s Virtuoso Series Concert. It offered "small plates" of music from several composers.
Two lifelong friends served tapas at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Organ Recital Hall. However, these weren’t your typical tapas. Dan Goble and Russell Hirshfield whipped up a whole menu of saxophone and piano pieces for the audience to indulge in.
“Some of the best food is just small plates; … music can kind of be the same,” said Goble, who played the soprano saxophone and currently serves as the director of the School of Music, Theatre and Dance at Colorado State University.
He and Hirshfield came up with the idea to call their performance “Tapas: Small Plates & Appetizers for Saxophone and Piano” because audience attention can get lost with the typical 20- to 30-minutelong pieces.
The performance’s menu was instead filled with engaging 10-minute pieces that showcased an intricate and technically demanding concert.
“We rehearse really well together,” said Hirshfield, who came all the way from Western Connecticut State University to perform with Goble. “We challenge each other, but we don’t push (too hard).”
Hirshfield, who played the piano, said the two have known each other for over 20 years and have grown to become close friends. They met on the East Coast at WCSU as colleagues in the music department.
Now the two visit each other in Colorado and Connecticut and make the time to continue creating and performing music together.
One notable tapas dish was the premiere of “Exquisite Dancers,” created by James David, a CSU professor of music composition.
“Chick Corea and Claude Debussy were two of my favorite composers as a young person, and I knew that Dan (Goble) shared a real love for Chick Corea,” David said in reference to the inspiration behind his piece commissioned by Goble.
According to the concert’s program composer note, the title, “Exquisite Dancers,” came from Debussy’s piano prelude, “Les Fées sont d’exquises danseuses,” which translates to “The fairies are exquisite dancers.”
In addition, Corea’s album “Crystal Silence” was a primary work referenced by David during his composing. A toccata-like structure is used in the writing of his piece, which is noted as resulting in “different instrumental techniques for both saxophone and piano, culminating in a flamboyant but resolved conclusion,” according to the concert’s program.
Many other works by renowned composers were featured in the concert’s lineup. This included pieces such as “Snake & Ladder,” by Grammy-nominated composer Anna Clyne; the piece “Nightclub 1960,” by Astor Piazzolla, an Argentine composer of the 20th century; and the night ended with a piece by Kevin Jay Isaacs — who also began his journey at WCSU — called “Wandering Sun.“
The performance included six other pieces, all of which were composed by different musicians. Each piece was either a complete saxophone solo by Goble, a piano solo by Hirshfield or their two instruments in harmony.
Both musicians have had long and successful careers prior to the Tapas performance.
Goble was previously the dean of the School of Visual and Performing Arts at WSCU in Danbury, Connecticut, before coming to CSU. He has also performed with the New York City Ballet and the American Symphony Orchestra, all while recording and championing contemporary works on the saxophone.
With his saxophone, Goble has toured extensively with the New York Philharmonic, a symphony orchestra, visiting places like Europe, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and China. This also includes the historic visit to North Korea in 2008. Goble has also won numerous awards and placed at many prestigious competitions.
Hirshfield has also traveled the world for concerts in places like Serbia, China, Belgium, England and South Africa. He has received critical acclaim for his insights and broad repertoire, as he has presented various master classes and lectures.
The two friends have been able to cultivate works such as “Mad Dances: American Music for Saxophone and Piano” released in 2011.
This performance was part of a weekly event held by the School of Music, Theatre and Dance at CSU.
Jennifer Clary, director of communications for the School of Music, Theatre and Dance at CSU, said faculty recitals like these are held every Monday. These weekly performances are a part of the Virtuoso Series, which seeks to spotlight the talent of faculty at CSU — often featuring guest artists like Hirshfield.
Reach Katya Arzubi at entertainment@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.