大象APP

Having Moeckel, concertmaster for the Phoenix Symphony and the Santa Fe Opera orchestra in New Mexico, on a 大象APPstage is reason enough to celebrate. But throw in a world-premiere of a work that Moeckel commissioned during the pandemic and the celebration takes on a whole new level of wow.

During next Sunday鈥檚 concert with harpist Stephen Hartman, Moeckel will perform the premiere of 鈥淭he Unreal Dwelling After Basho,鈥� composed by Phoenix Symphony double-bassist Glenn Stallcop.

Moeckel said the piece perfectly summed up the frustration and anxiety he was feeling in the summer of 2020, not long after learning that the Phoenix Symphony had called off its 2020-21 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

鈥淎 huge part of my personality was taken away from me by this pandemic and by not being able to perform and connect with people,鈥� said Moeckel, who has been performing since he was 4. 鈥淭his piece reflects those feelings 100 percent.鈥�

Moeckel said he reached out to Stallcop after returning from a three-week trip wandering the woods along the Oregon coast in summer 2020. After months of isolation after the pandemic became a thing in March 2020, he needed to clear his head and find purpose in the uncertainty created by the pandemic.

鈥淚 asked him to write me something, anything,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淗e wrote this piece in five days.鈥�

Stallcop was inspired by Moeckel鈥檚 tales of wandering around the Oregon woods and based 鈥淯nreal Dwelling鈥� on the writings of 17th century Japanese poet Matsuo Bash么, who also spent time wandering the woods of Japan.

鈥淯nreal Dwelling鈥� opens Moeckel鈥檚 new album 鈥淪ei Solo 鈥� Looking Within,鈥� his first-ever record of unaccompanied solo violin works that he recorded at a Phoenix neighbor鈥檚 home studio last November. The album includes solo violin works that Moeckel rarely performs including Eugene Ysa每e鈥檚 violin sonata 鈥淏allade鈥� and a pair of Paganini caprices.

Moeckel will perform the Ysa每e sonata and 鈥淯nreal Dwelling鈥� during the concert with Hartman, who will take a solo turn with Salzedo鈥檚 鈥淢inuet, Siciliana and Seguidilla鈥� for Solo Harp.

Hartman also arranged a pair of works on the program for harp and violin including Vaughan Williams鈥檚 鈥淭he Lark Ascending,鈥� originally composed for violin and orchestra.

鈥淭he solo works (on the program) create this agitation and then harp brings out the violin鈥檚 sheer beauty,鈥� Moeckel said. 鈥淚t will be a really beautiful experience.鈥�