By: Savannah Havird
Welcome to the roaring 20s! Saint Leo University’s Fall Faculty Recital, “Music of the Twenties,” captured the diverse music of the 1920s. The event opened at 7:00pm and was open to faculty, students and the public in the Selby Auditorium on Tuesday, September 24th, with a powerful start of a cover of “Star of Love” by Manual Ponce.
“We are celebrating the twenties because we are entering the 20s once again!” Said Meghan Case, the administrator of events and special programs at Saint Leo University. “We are hoping this event promoted our music program by showcasing the talent and interest of our musical faculty to get our students interested in music.”
The faculty members that performed were Mauricio Rodriquez, playing the double bass and adjunct professor of music at Saint Leo. Kasia Dolinska, playing the violin and director of Saint Leo strings. Cynthia Selph, Soprano and director of Saint Leo singers and chamber singers. Also, Inna Korotkevitch, piano accompanist.
These four Saint Leo faculty members played their hearts out through the area of some of the most diverse music. Selph stated that “There was a music revolution happening around this time and this recital is meant to capture every aspect of the diversity.”
Along with listening to the blues and jazz of the era, Saint Leo accompanied the assortment of music with educational fact and historical background relating to almost every song that was performed.
For example, “Four Encore Songs” by Florece B. Price, the first African American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer.
The musical showboat shows a tragic end to a great love story, when the singer was arrested for being bi-racial and in love with a white man while singing the song, “Bill”.
Also, “Komm mein bub! Was die Leute wollen!” from Wozzeck by Alban Berg was about a wife that did not know her husband was coming home.
When asked about what brought her to this event, Lesly Sivley, Junior bio medical and health science major, states that “I enjoy it. It helps me destress from school.” She also stated that it is her outlet from school and studying. Sivley recommends other students to try this as well.
After the event ended, Jeffrey D. Senese, president of Saint Leo University, said that his favorite song of the night was “‘Tobacco’ from the ‘Four Encore Songs.’” He also states that he tried to go to every recital because him and his wife enjoys it and that he would recommend it to anyone.
While talking with Korotkevitch and Dolinska, they said that their favorite piece of the night was “Tango Jalousie” by Jacobe Gade because “It was not easy, and it is the most famous out of all the pieces.”
The show ended with a performance by all four faculty members playing “Fascinating Rhythm” (1924) by George and Ira Gershwin pulling together all the diversity of the time into one song and really capturing the upbeat music, making it a fitting end to the story of the roaring 20s!
