A recital performed by Leo Sussman (flute) and Cameron Pieper (piano).

Drawing titular inspiration from a recent work by Cuban-American composer Jorge Amado, Like a Forbidden Song weaves together a patchwork of pieces for flute and piano that offer contrasting expressions of hope, resilience, and resistance in the face of oppression.

Ballasted by the angular lyricism of Jorge Amado’s Como una canción prohibida en el mar and bookended by two sets of miniatures – from the wry optimism of Mieczysław Weinberg to the wistful folktunes of Béla Bartók – the program also features an early example of Olivier Messiaen’s fascination with birdcall and a triptych of character pieces by Rosy Wertheim.