DESCRIPTION:
Fantasy on a Theme by Charlie Chaplin (2015) by Jonathan Graybill
for violin and piano
VIPA Festival, Eastman Broadband Ensemble
July 21, 2015 - Valencia, Spain

Daniel Pesca, piano
Hanna Hurwitz, violin

The piece is based on a theme from Chaplin’s film “Limelight” (1952). The theme is often referred to as “Terry’s theme” after a character in the film. This same theme became the melody for “Eternally” from the following year sang by Jimmy Young. I began the work in 2014, as a tribute to Chaplin for his 100th anniversary of the debut of his tramp character, which first appeared in “Kid Auto Racing in Venice, CA” in 1914. “Limelight” is a biological film, set in London 1914 – his birth town – and explores the idea of the old artist struggling with the changing times and passing the torch to the next generation of artists. The work begins by using intervals and fragments from the opening motive of Chaplin’s theme. As these small fragments and motives of the theme are explored in an array of manners, the original melody is gradually re-assembled. A fully fledged appearance of the tune is stated in the piano toward the last half of the work.

In recent years, Jonathan Graybill’s music has been gaining recognition due to several high profile performances and commissions. Recently, Nightscape, for string orchestra, was premièred by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra with subsequent performances by the Knox/Galesburg Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Butler Symphony. This same work will be released on CD with the Brno Philharmonic this winter. Recent ensembles and organizations that have featured his music include: Kronos Quartet, Oberlin Contemporary Ensemble, Eastman Musica Nova, ImageMovementSound Festival, SCI Conferences, Eastman Chorale, Eastman Wind Ensemble, Indiana University Concert Band, pLAy Ensemble, New York Miniaturist Ensemble, the Hammer and Nail Project, the Meridian Arts Ensemble and the 2009 Mid-West Composers Symposium. He was featured as a guest composer at the 28th New Music and Art Festival at Bowling Green State University. Graybill has taught music theory and aural skills at Ball State University and the University of Maryland at College Park. He holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music, Indiana University, and the University of Maryland.