Music composed by Brian Hargrove. Text by Amitabha Chakrabarti. Performance from UnSung's inaugural summer concert at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Glendale, California.

Baritone - Adrian Rosales
Piano - Roget Chahayed
Violin - Sakura Tsai
Cello - Jarrett Furst

Program Note:

Aptly titled after the term coined by Mootori Norinaga, a Japanese Tokugawa Period scholar, 'mono no aware' means: "the awareness of the transience of all things, with a heightened appreciation for their beauty and a gentle sadness at their passing."

This work emphasizes a deep sensitivity towards the brevity of temporary things. By contrasting the pessimistic portrayal of the void of emptiness against simple, familiar objects [in this case soda cans and cereal], the paradigm of self importance and security in our environment is challenged. Drawing from contrasting philosophies, the enlightenment teachings of Jonathan Edwards and Wabi-sabi (a Japanese perspective of appreciating imperfect beauty), Chakrabarti closes with a personal question, to be free of judgement: "Is experiencing empathy the result of anything other than the bit of divinity in each of us?"

Two Musings from "The Art of Infinity" I. Mono no Aware

We were asked to improvise some postlude music after a special service at Church of Epiphany in Oak, CA. This is what went down... 

*note* This was captured via iPhone. Headphones are highly recommended.
 
Brian Hargrove (piano)
Michael McTaggart (guitar)
Greg Webster (drumset)

Impromptu Postlude (Brian Hargrove, Mike McTaggart, Greg Webster)

Keep Away! (From "The Alice Project", OST)

Consequences

Through The Looking Glass (From "The Alice Project", OST)

Seasons Change (Strings Arranged by Brian "Theory" Hargrove, Music by Derik Nelson & Tim Kobza)

A Hundred More Miles (Strings Arranged by Brian "Theory" Hargrove, Music by Derik Nelson/Tim Kobza)

Gratitude

This tune (written by my brother, Roy Hargrove) is an aural portrait, celebrating the memory of our father, the late Roy Allan Hargrove.

Roy Allan (Composed by Roy Hargrove, Performed by RH Quintet, ca. 1995)

Musings from the "Art of Infinity" (Excerpts)

Composed by Brian "Theory" Hargrove | Oboe - Virginia Kim | English Horn - Kim Lamb | Piano - Rafael Liebich

Teardrop... (Excerpts)

Call Me When You're Home (Strings Arranged by Brian Hargrove, Music by Derik Nelson)

Brian Hargrove is a Los Angeles based composer/pianist from Dallas, Texas and an alumnus of USC's Thornton School of Music and Annenberg School of Communication.

Hargrove's commissioned and personal work spans a wide range of idioms and contexts - from jazz to pop; chamber/orchestral to art music fusing aesthetics of hip-hop and avant-garde. Collaborations include projects with Michael Jackson, Vesper Theatre Company, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Strings and more. 

As keyboardist, he was a long-time member of Roy Hargrove's The RH Factor, has toured worldwide with Solange Knowles and also performed with Harvey Mason, Alice Smith, Goapele, Shafiq Husayn, The Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra and many others.

B_Theory

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