Tiffany concert: Composer can C# images in Troy church's windows

The Albany Symphony Orchestra is sponsoring its second "Tiffany Concert," premiering three musical compositions written specifically to describe Tiffany windows at three Troy-area sites. St. Joseph's is one; the others are St. John's Episcopal Church and the Oakwood Cemetery Chapel.

The audience at the exceptional series of concerts will be bused from one site to the next, learning the history of the windows from University at Albany history professor Dr. Warren Roberts, an expert on Tiffany windows. Then the orchestra will perform the piece based on the windows at the site.

Inspired

She had a lot of inspiration; St. Joseph's includes a host of windows created by Louis Comfort Tiffany around the turn of the 20th century that depict Christ, St. Joseph, the Apostles and the Blessed Mother. The windows are modeled after the paintings of Rubens, Titian and other famed artists.

Ms. Sierra said that Albany Symphony music director/conductor David Alan Miller called her last year when she was working at Tanglewood in Massachusetts and asked her to participate in the project. She immediately agreed and came to visit St. Joseph's to learn more about its windows.

"I was very happy to get St. Joseph's because there are so very many Tiffany windows there, and I was able to pick and choose which aspects and images suited my musical interests," she said. "But one window depicting the [Assumption] of Mary was so beautiful in itself that I decided to devote one movement of the piece to that particular window."

Themes

Ms. Sierra plans to be back in the U.S. in time to attend the concerts. She was particularly excited that her family and friends in New York and the Berkshire area will be on hand to hear the premiere of her work.

"One aspect of music is that it is intangible and inherently abstract, so people don't always understand what they're hearing in a new composition," she noted. "But, in my work, I try to make sure that people will hear something beautiful and expressive in a new piece, even if they're not sure why or how it happened!"

Through a glass

"This will be a unique experience for the audience as well as for myself!" she stated.

("Tiffany Concerts II" will be held March 9, 11 a.m. Tickets are $15 per premiere and discussion. For $90, transportation and dinner are included; the dinner is at Emma Willard School in Troy. Call 465-4755.)

(02-28-02) [[In-content Ad]]