June 23, 2006
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Isaac Albeniz at the piano, with his daughter
The Post-Classical Ensemble -- possibly the most thought-provoking small ensemble in the DC area -- has announced its program for the 2006-2007 season, and it's as wide-ranging and interesting as you'd expect. Highlights include an evening of works by Mexican composer Mario Lavista (who'll be there to talk about his music) on November 9; Pedro Carbone performing all four books of Isaac Albeniz’s "Iberia" on November 19; and "Der Abschied" (The Farewell) from Gustav Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde, set in the context of the traditional Chinese music and poetry that inspired it, on March 16. (A new work by Chinese-American composer Zhou Long will also be premiered.)

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There's an entire universe in Eric Dolphy's soulful, adventurous take on God Bless the Child; this tape (from a 1961 German broadcast) is a master class on what can be done with a solo line. (Caution: Pre-MTV videography.)