When thinking about musical compositions inspired by literature, Shakespeare often comes to mind, and with good reason. Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Mendelsohnn, Debussy and Prokofiev are only a partial list of the composers with works inspired by “The Bard”. This week we bring you three such works and an additional one inspired by quite a different type of literature.
Opening the program is a work by American composer and harpsichordist, Elwood Shambaugh Derr, who lived from 1932 to 2008. Derr’s four-movement composition, I Never Saw Another Butterfly, is based on the book by the same name which is a moving collection of art and writing by children in the Nazi Terezin concentration camp between 1942 and 1944 – – the majority of whom died there. The work is performed by soprano Amanda DeMaris, pianist Hannah Creviston, and Professor Christopher Creviston, who earned his bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. at the University of Michigan during the years composer Derr was on the music faculty.
French composer, Melanie “Mel” Bonis, who lived from 1858 to 1937 wrote our next work: Desdemona from Femmes de Legende, or legendary women, one of six legendary women from history and literature covered in this volume of music. Performing Desdemona is Elizabeth Pion, a finalist in the 2025 Bösendorfer and Yamaha USASU piano competition.
Finally, two works by Ludwig Van Beethoven that also draw inspiration from Shakespeare: Macbeth and Tempest. These performances are by 14-year-old pianist Everett Leigh and by Northern Arizona University faculty members violinist Steven Moeckel, cellist Karlos Rodriguez, and pianist Silvan Negrutiu.
Featured in this episode:
Derr – I Never Saw Another Butterfly – Christopher Creviston, saxophone; Hannah Creviston, piano; and Amanda DeMaris, soprano
- I. Terezin
- II. The Butterfly
- III. The Old Man
- IV. Fear
- V. The Garden
Bonis – Desdemona from Femmes de legende – Elisabeth Pion, piano
Beethoven – Sonata in D Minor, Op. 31, No. 2, “Tempest” – Everett Leigh, piano
- I. Largo-Allegro
Beethoven – Piano Trio in D Major, Op. 70, No. 1, “Ghost” – Steven Moeckel, violin; Karlos Rodriguez, cello; and Silvan Negrutiu
- I. Allegro
- II. Largo
- III. Presto
