Hatzis's Lazy Afternoons by the Lake is part of a cycle of chamber music pieces collectively known as Parlor Music (PE105), which draw their inspiration from popular music idioms of the first half of the 20th century. For this particular work, Hatzis was inspired by two things: lazy afternoons spent at Woodlake, in southern Ontario, with his his friends Nikos and Reggie Evdemon; and the artistry of clarinetist James Campbell and marimba player Beverley Johnston, who gave the first performance of the work in 2007 at the Festival of the Sound in Parry Sound, Ontario.
Born in Greece, educated in the United States and a Canadian citizen since 1985, composer Christos Hatzis (b.1953) is becoming widely known as a leading figure in contemporary classical music. His works are performed and broadcast throughout the world, and their frequent combination of a powerful spiritual foundation with an immediately accessible appeal has made a deep emotional impact upon audiences and performers alike.
