Two of my favourite pieces are Poulenc Sonata for Violin and Piano and Pepa Fantaisie bohémienne for Violin and Piano,written by Toronto composer, Michael Pepa in 2004.

Part of my GYPSY IMPRESSIONS  program for August 30th, 2008 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, I've written some program notes on these awesome pieces.
Juicy stuff!

Can't wait to play it with my friend Tommy. We haven't performed together since our Hawaii tour of 2004.  Trouts unite! :)
See you on August 30th!

Have a listen to my music tracks (found on the Reverb Nation player) for a sneak peek of the Poulenc and Pepa.
The Poulenc is live from Brandon, Manitoba and the Pepa is live from my recital in Belgrade, Serbia.

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Poulenc, Francis (1899-1963)

Sonata for Violin and Piano in D minor (1943)

I. Allegro con fuoco                     
II. Intermezzo: Très lent et calme
III. Presto tragico                  

Replete with high drama, nostalgic melodies, and palpable energy, this sonata takes the listener on a high-stakes musical journey inspired by the brutal murder of Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca (1898-1936).

Condemned for being a liberal and homosexual artistic visionary, Lorca was viewed unfavourably by Spain's Falangists (a political organization formed in the 1930's). His career, marked by the creation of avant-garde art and literature, was mysteriously and violently cut short on August 19th, 1936, on which he was brutally executed by members of the 'Black Squad.'

This sonata (Poulenc's only existing violin work) was dedicated to Lorca's memory and was composed in Paris in 1942-43 at the request of French violinist Ginette Neveu.

The first movement, Allegro con fuoco,  is turbulent with a sinister quality, deftly portraying the passion and danger of 1940's German-occupied France - as well as Lorca's own dramatic life and literary works.

The second movement, Intermezzo, is tinged with a Spanish flavour, giving a welcome escape in the form of tender melodies and the gentle strumming of guitars in the distance.

The third movement, Presto tragico, takes the listener on a breathless ride laced with fatalistic portent. Conjuring up hedonistic images of Parisian turn-of-the-century nightlife, it brings forth a wild amalgamation of circus, can-can, and other absinthe-fuelled delights. Abruptly halting the din and debauchery, however, comes the unmistakeable arrival of death – the gunshots of the Black Squad.

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Pepa, Michael (1939 -   )

Fantaisie bohémienne for violin and piano (2004)

A gypsy fantasy composed in 2004 by Serbian-Canadian composer Michael Pepa, this piece reveals the composer's Balkan heritage in the style of Romanian composer George Enescu.  In the popular tradition of Romantic gypsy music (tzigane style), this work for violin and piano takes inspiration from the sounds of traditional Balkan gypsy bands: virtuoso violin writing, cimbalom-like passages on the piano, gypsy-style laments, improvisatory-style declamations, and fiery folk-dancing tempos.  Having also been made into transcriptions for violin, piano and string orchestra, as well as string quartet, (premiered by the St. Lawrence String Quartet in Romania in 2008) this melding of Canadian contemporary music and paprikás has been well-received  throughout North America and Europe.