Diana Castelnuovo-Tedesco's interview with Sam Magill

Questions for Sam Magill

How did you come to know about Songs of the Shulamite and what attracted you to create a performance of this work?

         The members of Sono Auros are always looking for music which includes flute, cello, and harp. I went looking at the Library of Congress catalogue, and here was this fascinating work I had never heard of. The more I knew about it the more I was determined to perform it! Plus, I have always been an admirer of Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s music, especially after I heard the fantastic recording of the Cello Concerto!

Tell us briefly about Sono Auros and the ensemble of guest performers who will participate in this concert.

          Lucian Rinando and I have had a trio with various harpists for more than 30 years. We were originally called The Elysian Ensemble, but a few years ago we thought we needed a more current sounding name.  After moving to North Carolina, we found the wonderful harpist, Grace Ludtke and by 2021 we had met Janet Orenstein, Professor of Violin at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts; then Stephanie Ezerman, Principal of the 2nd Violins at the Greensboro Symphony, and I already knew our violist, Maureen Michels, Assistant Principal Viola at Greensboro Symphony. Then came the more challenging task of finding a soprano, and after a concert last May of 2022, in which Jodi Burns sang the Strauss Four Last Songs so magnificently with the Western Piedmont Symphony (I am Principal Cello there), I knew right away that I would ask her.

How did the collaboration with Temple Emanuel come about?

      We happen to live just 3 blocks away from the Temple and we were so struck by this imposing edifice that, while out for a walk, we happened upon Rabbi Andy Koren and his wife, Michal. We introduced ourselves and they gave us a tour! It was very clear that the sanctuary is perfect for a concert. The fact that the text of the work is taken directly from the Song of Songs in the Hebrew Bible, often called the Pentateuch, is very relevant to our program and to Temple Emanuel as well. Also, Rabbi Andy Koren informed us that he studied the verses in depth in graduate school. Then we knew this was to be a perfect fit!

What are your impressions of the piece so far?   

      It is set in a lush, sensuous, very tonal, language. Mario’s music is drawn from many sources, all beautifully combined into a language which is highly descriptive, and is reminiscent at times of the music of his compatriot Respighi, but also of Pizzetti and Malipiero. There are hints of Impressionism but the music is often neoclassical at the same time. He wrote beautifully for all the instruments and I believe audiences will really find themselves transported by its depth of imagery and of feeling. The flute and harp are dominant in the scoring, which is in itself complimentary to the verses, because both instruments arose from antiquity.

Do you find it has a lot in common with other works you know by Mario? Were there any surprises? 

  Castelnuovo-Tedesco was in many respects a post-Romantic composer and the “Songs” are very similar to, say, the 2nd Violin Concerto. A work I have heard but not played is “I nottambuli” for cello and piano. This gorgeous tone poem has, in its lush imagery, the culture of Spain coming through so very vividly. I also have been very impressed with the Piano Quintets, the Piano Trio, and the Cello Sonata, op. 50. 

How does it feel to perform a work that hasn’t seen the light of day in decades? 

   I absolutely love it and it has actually been my mission in life since I was 14! I am one of those people who are fascinated by reading the back covers of hundreds of pieces of music, which show all the other works they publish. Ever since high school I was fascinated by the very mention of such forgotten composers as Benjamin Godard, or Georges Pfeiffer—what was this music like? Also combing through dusty old 19th century scores in libraries. That was how I found out that Franco Alfano wrote a distinguished body of chamber music; indeed he was NOT just that man who completed “Turandot”!  And this August, 2023, will see the 3rd and final volume of his complete chamber music to be released on the Naxos label, of the Three String Quartets. I and my wonderful colleagues remain the only people in the world to have ever recorded this music! All three volumes are World Premiere recordings. A million thanks to Scott Dunn, Elmira Darvarova, and Craig and Mary Ann Mumm!