Right Here Where We Live! Serving Eastern Iowa and Northwest Illinois
6:30 p.m. — Sunday, June 4, 2023
Riverview Park Bandshell – Clinton, Iowa
Join us for the annual Sunday Pops in Riverview Park concert! Enjoy a variety of music from light classical, Broadway, film, and television music. It is a free concert, open to the public and you are invited to bring along your whole family, friends and neighbors for this once-a-year festival of music. Activities provided by the Felix Adler Discovery Center will begin at 5:30pm, music at 6:30pm.
7:30 p.m. — Saturday, April 22, 2023
Vernon Cook Theater – Clinton High School
Pianist Lorraine Min returns following her exciting performance with Clinton Symphony Orchestra in 2019. This time she will perform the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1. A native of Victoria, Canada, she has dazzled audiences internationally with her poetic artistry and brilliant virtuosity. She has caught the attention of a local patron of the arts, who for the second time underwrites her performance with us. Conductor Brian Dollinger has also chosen the overture to Haydn’s opera L’isola disabitata (The Uninhabited Island), and the Brahms Variations on a Theme of Joseph Haydn to complete the program.
Steinway Artist and critically acclaimed pianist, LORRAINE MIN has dazzled audiences internationally with her poetic artistry and brilliant virtuosity.
Cited by the New York Times for her “impeccable phrase-shaping (and) crystalline sound,” and by the Washington Post for her “admirable playing,” Min has performed extensively throughout Canada and USA, in Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, India, and in South America. She has performed solo recitals and has made concerto appearances in some of the world’s most important concert halls such as New York’s Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Town Hall, Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall, Vancouver’s Orpheum Theatre, and the Chan Centre, to name only a few.
A dynamic chamber musician, Min has performed in prestigious North American venues including at the Ravinia and Tanglewood Festivals, in Europe, Asia, Australia, notably in Perth’s Western Australia Symphony Orchestra’s Amberley Mozart Day concerts where she was a featured guest artist. She can regularly be heard on CBC and ABC (Australian) radio.
Min’s success in prestigious international competitions include top prizes and special awards of distinction in the Washington International, D’Angelo, Frina Awerbuch, and the William Kapell Competitions. She was the top ranking Canadian pianist at nineteen years old in the Harveys Leeds and Busoni International Competitions, and laureate in the Van Cliburn Competition.
Min’s discography includes her solo CD of Schubert and Liszt and a CD featuring chamber music of Beethoven and Brahms for Canada’s esteemed Eine Kleine Music Festival. In 2013, Min released two CD’s, her subsequent solo CD, “In Recital” which features works by Chopin, Liszt, and Bartok, as well as a CD of Violin and Piano Sonatas by Franck, Debussy, and Prokofiev.
Born in Victoria and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Min studied on full scholarship at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University and earned her Bachelor degree, Pi Kappa Lambda. On generous scholarships and numerous grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, Min received her Masters and Doctoral degrees from the Juilliard School.
Franz Josef Haydn 1732-1809
Composer Franz Josef Haydn was born in Austria in 1732 and is known as one of
the greatest masters of classical music. His capacity for both musical wit and depth of
feeling, as well as his sheer productivity have won him the title of “father” to both the
string quartet and the symphony. His compositions include 104 symphonies, 50
concertos, 84 string quartets, 24 stage works, and 12 masses, among numerous other
works.
Given great scope for composition, Haydn became musical director for the
Esterhazy family for whom most of his musical output was produced during 29 years of
service. In the 1780s, Haydn received commissions from London and Paris and honors
from all over Europe. He formed a close friendship with Mozart, an association that
influenced the music of both. Hayden’s works were known for his originality, liveliness,
optimism and instrumental brilliance, and became the model and inspiration not only for
Mozart, but also for Beethoven, who studied under him.
Two great oratorios, The Creation, based on Milton’s Paradise Lost, and The
Seasons were written later in life, planned on the grand scale for solo voices, chorus
and orchestra. Haydn’s output was so large that at the end of his life, he could not be
sure how many works he had written. He died in Vienna on May 32, 1809.
L’isola Disabitata Overture
While working for Prince Esterhazy, Haydn composed 14 operas, 9 in Italian and 5 in
German. Since the Prince loved opera, Haydn had a ready audience, and as he was
contracted to write an opera a year, he had many opportunities to experiment with the
form. Said to be his favorite, L’isola was number 10 and composed in 1789 during a
season that premiered 3 of his own operas.
The overture, sometimes likened to a miniature symphony, is an example of Haydn’s
Storm and Drang style. Manifested primarily between the late 1760s and early 1780s,
Sturm and Drang refers to the practice of releasing sudden, wild emotion in contrast to
the enlightenment values of rationalism and control. Evident in literature and music, its
purpose was to counter polite control with sudden shock, exuberance and energy.
Haydn embraced this element in highly emotional music with sudden fits and starts,
agitation and loud dynamics.
In this piece, the Largo begins with 6 unisons before a tiny theme is introduced
quietly by the strings, ending with 3 repeated eighth notes, a final sustained tone and
unexpected silence. Then a sudden explosion bursts from the entire orchestra, strings
leading with racing notes and accents. A soft, gasping second theme adds a contrast
before being swept away in the full sturm and Drang conflagration. A small minuet
dances with poise and elegance until the orchestra again explodes in a furious
conclusion with 3 firm chords.
Johannes Brahms 1833-1897
Johannes Brahms was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1833 and died in Vienna,
Austria in 1897. He was the great master of symphonic and sonata style, writing
symphonies, concerti, chamber music, piano works, choral compositions and over 200
songs. He championed the Classical tradition of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven at a
time when the standards of this tradition were being questioned by the Romantics.
Although considered a traditionalist by his contemporaries, his music also embeds
innovative and deeply romantic motifs. Enshrined as one of the “Three B’s” along with
Bach and Beethoven, his works have become staples of the modern concert repertoire.
Brahms learned piano by age 8, improvised a piano sonata at 11, and made his
public concert debut conducting a choir at age 14. Young Johannes was even able to
supplement his family’s income playing piano in Hamburg’s rough dock area. In 1850 he
met Hungarian violinist Eduard Remenyi, who introduced him to Roma music, which
was to become one of his strongest influences. His first big break came in 1853 when
he met violin virtuoso Joseph Joachim who recognized his talent and recommended him
to Robert Schumann. Schumann’s enthusiastic support introduced him to the public with
the prophetic words, “This is the chosen one!”
From 1857 to 1860, posts teaching piano and conducting gave him time to compose
2 serenades, a string sextet and his turbulent Piano Concerto No. 1. He eventually
settled in Vienna directing a choral society. As his reputation grew, so did rivalry
between his supporters and those of the New Romantic school, such as Wagner and
Bruckner, who deemed him too old-fashioned. By 1872 he was directing the Vienna
Philharmonic. His composing skills flourished during this period, including his most
famous choral work, his German Requiem, based on the Bible story of Good Friday, still
seen today as one of the most significant works of 19th century choral music. Light
works from this period included his Hungarian Dances for piano duet, a brilliant
arrangement of Roma tunes which enjoyed phenomenal success. He also published his
Liebeslieder (love songs) for vocal quartet, using Viennese waltzes with sparkling
humor.
By the 1870s he was moving to purely orchestral works, including Variations on a
Theme by Haydn, which gave him the confidence to continue work on his tempestuous
1st Symphony completed in 1876. His 2nd Symphony followed in a more serene, idyllic
mood. Six years later he finished his 3rd Symphony which begins calmly, but ends in a
gigantic conflict of elemental forces. His 4th Symphony was inspired by Sophocles’
Greek tragedies. Further demonstrating his creative genius, he also took a simple
theme from a Bach cantata, spinning it into 30 intricate variations.
Brahms’ fame spread and he was able to tour to great acclaim all over Europe. He
composed his Academic Festival Overture in 1881 as a thank you to Poland. He never
married, and some credited his “immense reserve” to an inability to express emotion
except through his music. Brahms dedicated his later years to composing and died in
Vienna in 1897.
Variations on a Theme of Joseph Haydn
When Brahms turned 40 he began composing a set of variations based on a Wind
Divertimento by Haydn. An irregular structure based on five rather than the usual four
measures in length became the basic theme for his eight variations with a concluding
passacaglia and finale. Credited as the first set of independent variations for orchestra
ever composed, the success of his composition gave Brahms the confidence to move
forward with orchestral works. Although the simple theme was likely not from Haydn, the
name lives on in a series of meditations and rhapsodic developments, unlike common
variations which merely embellish the central melody.
The finale wonderfully illustrates Brahms’ mastery of traditional composition, a
veritable textbook of counterpoint, canons, double counterpoint and more. Beginning
with a hymn-like statement, the chorale grows in powerful elaboration, bursting into a
roaring climax.
Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, op. 15
Brahms spent his life struggling to emerge from Beethoven’s shadow, so intimidated
by his master that more than half his career would pass before writing his first
symphony. Beginning in 1854, the young Brahms wrestled for four years with the form
and his own uncertainty. It began as a symphony, then turned into a massive sonata for
two pianos which he played with his dear friend Clara Schumann. Finally, it emerged as
a piano concerto, but not the traditional solo with orchestral accompaniment. Instead, it
became a work on symphonic scale in which piano and orchestra are equals. As with
many monumental new works, when it debuted in Leipzig, the audience hissed, not yet
ready for its stormy, ferocious intensity. It would only begin to be accepted years later.
The ominous opening theme returns throughout the first movement, rising like some
awesome supernatural power. When the piano enters, it is in a different world of quiet,
restless melancholy. A second theme of passionate warmth is echoed in a distant horn
call.
The Adagio begins in quiet majesty, weaving in lines of the bassoon, strings and
oboe. The piano’s elaborate trills introduce the final statements of the orchestra and a
distant drumbeat.
The final Rondo alternates a principal theme, surging forward with spirited
momentum as the soloist begins with a furious, Bach-inspired melody. The movement
continues with rhythmic vigor including a string fugue, and comes to a transcendent
close filled with warmth and grand drama.
2:00 p.m. — Sunday, February 19, 2023
Morrison High School Auditorium, Morrison, Illinois
The Clinton Symphony Orchestra will present “Stories in Music” as their family concert on Sunday, February 19 at 2 p.m. at the Morrison High School Auditorium. The popularity of the afternoon time trialed at last year’s family concert has brought it back this year, this time on Sunday. Imagine the giants of the past with Bryant’s Dinosaurs: A Primeval Symphony, and meet the instruments of the orchestra through Aesop’s Fables by Richard Maltz. We’ll enjoy Mozart’s Concerto for Flute presented by our 2023 Young Artist, Akshar Barot. The concert will conclude with Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550. The music program honors the excellent opportunities for music education offered by area schools and music teachers. Many musicians of the symphony are teachers.
Students always attend free, Adult tickets are $20. A student may bring their favorite adult who will enjoy a 50% discount on their ticket, please ask about this offer at the ticket table.
Program:
Curtis Bryant – Dinosaurs; A Primeval Symphony
I. Ultimate Tangle
II. Plated March
III. Pterrible Flight
IV. Duckbilled Ragtime
V. Tyrannical Tarantelle
W.A. Mozart – Concerto in G for Flute, K313
Allegro Maestoso
Akshar Barot, 2023 Young Artist
Richard Maltz – Aesop’s Fables
I. Prelude
II. The Hare and the Tortoise
III. The Fox and the Grapes
IV. The Ant and the Grasshopper
V. The Oak and the Reeds
VI. The Milkmaid and her Pail
VII. Finale
W. A. Mozart – Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K550
Allegro Molto
Andante
Menuetto – Allegretto
Allegro Assai
Akshar Barot, the winner of the Clinton Symphony’s 2023 Young Artist Auditions, is a junior at Rock Falls High School, his music teachers are Patrick Anderson and Ramiro Martinez. He is a flute student of Julie McCord. In school, he is an active member of Scholastic Bowl, Speech Team, Knights Alumni Drumline, and of Sterling Municipal Band and Jazz Band. In addition to flute he plays Marimba, Xylophone, Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar, Indian Bamboo Flute, and Tabla. He plans to study aerospace engineering in the future, while continuing his passion for music. He will perform Mozart’s Concerto in G for Flute as part of the Symphony’s February concert, “Stories in Music” at 2:00pm on Sunday, February 19, in Morrison High School Auditorium.
Program Notes:
Dinosaurs: A Primeval Symphony
Curtis Bryant
An Atlanta native, Curtis Bryant earned his Master of Music
Theory from Georgia State University. His music has been heard
across multiple continents, as well as on radio and television
broadcasts. He has composed for virtually all concert media
including chamber, choral, opera, art song and orchestra, as well
as a variety of ethnic and folk styles. Although classically trained,
his diverse and unique style is influenced by blues and jazz and
exhibits a strong sense of melody.
Bryant has also composed music for numerous television
series and specials, including the award- winning Portrait of
America series produced by Georgia Public Television. He has
won seven Southern Regional Emmy Award nominations for
original music and numerous ASCAP Awards.
Inspired by his eight-year-old son’s love of dinosaurs, His
Primeval Symphony is an orchestral fantasy based on favorite
fossils of prehistoric North America in five movements from the
Jurassic to the late Cretaceous. Some of these legendary giants
are depicted in a series of dance-inspired musical episodes in the
manner of a classical suite.
I. Ultimate Tangle. A primeval forest with a herd of giant
ultrasound, their necks entwined as they feast on the surrounding
trees. It takes on the form of a fugue transformed into a habanero,
a tango of long necks.
II. Plated March. A dramatic stalemate between an
herbivore (stegosaurus) and a carnivore (allosaurus) of the
Jurassic period.
III. Pterrible Flight. The heightened depiction of a
dramatic encounter between the Pteranodon with a twenty- foot
wingspan and the sturdy three-horned triceratops.
IV. Duckbilled Ragtime. Depicts a clan of hadrosaurs
found throughout North America in the Cretaceous era.
V. Tyrannical Tarantelle. The favorite monster of the
Cretaceous, Tyrannosaurus Rex in a dark and ominous setting as
he waits in ambush and then lunges forward after his prey.
Flute Concerto in G Major, (Allegro)
W. A. Mozart
In 1777 Mozart was commissioned by a wealthy Dutch flutist,
Ferdinand De Jean, to write 3 concertos and several quartets.
Mozart, who has been rumored to dislike the flute, found it an
“unpleasant commission” and procrastinated, missed his
deadlines and was only partially paid. Despite complaining to his
father that “you know that I become quite powerless where I am
obliged to write for an instrument that I cannot bear,” the concerto
has become one of the most significant pieces in the flute
repertoire. The comments probably reveal more about the volatile
relationship between an overbearing father and his rebellious son,
as Mozart managed to write particularly effectively and sensitively
for the instrument, and one of his favorite musicians and close
friends was principal flutist in Mannheim.
Tonight our Young Artist performs the first movement, which
brilliantly integrates stately, lyrical and virtuosic elements. Written
in the “gallant style”, the bright, energetic Allegro in sonata form
exudes elegance and a delectable melody.
Aesop’s Fables
Richard Maltz
Raised in Massachusetts, prolific composer Richard Maltz has
earned degrees from North Texas and the University of South
Carolina where he is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus. His
music has been performed nationally and internationally and
includes symphonies, concertos, operas, ballets, chamber music,
percussion ensembles and children’s pieces. Some of his
commissions include the Charleston Symphony, the Pennsylvania
Sinfonia and the South Carolina Philharmonic.
He describes his musical style as primarily neoclassical,
favoring lyrical melody, tonal harmony and energetic rhythms cast
in traditional forms.
The descriptive and colorful character of Aesop’s Fables is
composed of light musical vignettes designed to introduce the
instruments of the orchestra and teach elements of music to
young students.
I. Prelude
II. The Hare and the Tortoise
III. The Fox and the Grapes
IV. The Ant and the Grasshopper
V. The Oak and the Reeds
VI. The Milkmaid and her Pail
VII. Finale
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756-1791)
Likely the best-known of all composers, Mozart created music
in nearly every major genre, leaving behind compositions that
serve as archetypes of the Classical period. A true child prodigy,
he wrote his first piece of music at the age of five, published his
first composition by the age of seven, and had written his first
opera by his twelfth birthday. One of the most prolific and
influential composers of all time, he composed over 600 works in
his short lifetime and almost single-handed developed the piano
concerto.
Born in Salzburg, Austria, Wolfgang was the youngest of
seven and one of only two siblings to survive to adulthood. His
father Leopold, one of Europe’s leading music teachers,
conductors and composers, gave up his own career to become
his son’s only teacher when Wolfgang’s musical genius was
discovered by his third birthday. An older sister, Maria Anna, was
also musically talented and their father traveled the two all over
Europe to show off their precocious ability, allowing them to meet
many musicians.
When the touring ended, Wolfgang was hired as a court
musician, performing and composing for Salzburg’s Prince.
Popular and beloved in Salzburg, he composed in many genres;
symphonies, sonatas, string quartets, serenades and operas.
Eventually growing discontented with his low salary and few
opportunities to work on his favorite form, the opera, he searched
for jobs, settling in Paris only to fail to find success. He grudgingly
returned to Salzburg where he continued to feel unappreciated
and was finally fired by the Prince.
Finally it was in Vienna where his career took off, and he
established himself as the finest pianist in the city while continuing
to compose, including a hugely successful opera, Abduction from
the Seraglio. His reputation established, he married, fathered 6
children and began studying the works of Bach, Handel and
Haydn, all of whom influenced his work. Mozart put on a very
popular concert series as a piano soloist, writing three of four
concertos each season. Finally attaining some wealth, the
Mozart’s lived lavishly, leading to financial problems later.
Shifting back to opera, he premiered The Marriage of Figaro
to acclaim followed by Don Giovanni. By 1787 he had obtained
steady work under the patronage of Emperor Joseph II who
appointed him court composer. Unfortunately, Austria was at war
a year later leading to a career decline. Moving to cheaper
lodgings, he still was forced to send notes to friends begging for
money. 1791 was his last year of great productivity, resulting in
The Magic Flute, his final piano concertos, a clarinet concerto, his
last great string quintets, the revision of his Symphony No. 40 and
his unfinished Requiem. His finances began to improve, but he
fell ill in September and died in December 1791.
Symphony No. 40 in G Minor
At no time was the gulf between Mozart’s personal life and his
transcendent music more apparent than in the summer of 1788,
when at the age of 33 he had only three years to live. His wife
was ill, his own health was beginning to fail, his six-month old
daughter died, he had small prospects of participating in any
important concerts, and he was in such debt he would not answer
a knock on the door for fear of creditors. Yet, amidst all these
difficulties he produced in less than two months the three
crowning jewels of his orchestral output, the Symphonies No. 39,
40 and 41.
The G Minor may reflect the composer’s distressed emotional
state at the time. It is through these great works that epitomize the
structural elegance of the waning classical era while looking
forward to the passionately charged music of 19th century
Romanticism. French Musicologist F. J. Fetid defines the G Minor
with “the accents of passion and energy that pervade and the
melancholy color that dominates it result in one of the most
beautiful manifestations of the human spirit.”
The tragic restlessness of the first movement begins with a
brooding murmur in the lower strings before the main theme is
introduced. Masterful contrasts of dynamics, rhythm and pacing
underscore Mozart’s mastery of orchestral color.
The gentle, relaxed second movement’s Andante moves away
from the turmoil of the first with imaginative contrasts of color with
rich chromatic harmonies and melodic half-steps
The third movement, conventionally a minuet, but this time in
name only as it moves back to a minor mode with irregular
phrasing and dense texture.
An energetic finale begins with a rapid ascending of over an
octave, then moving to a more lyrical pace. A final relentless
tempo blazes to a dramatic ending like a tragic opera.
Program notes compiled by Karin Anderson-Sweet
Learn more about our Young Artist Auditons.
Akshar Barot, the winner of the Clinton Symphony’s 2023 Young Artist Auditions, is a junior at Rock Falls High School, his music teachers are Patrick Anderson and Ramiro Martinez. He is a flute student of Julie McCord. In school, he is an active member of Scholastic Bowl, Speech Team, Knights Alumni Drumline, and of Sterling Municipal Band and Jazz Band. In addition to flute he plays Marimba, Xylophone, Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar, Indian Bamboo Flute, and Tabla. He plans to study aerospace engineering in the future, while continuing his passion for music. He will perform Mozart’s Concerto in G for Flute as part of the Symphony’s February concert, “Stories in Music” at 2:00pm on Sunday, February 19, in Morrison High School Auditorium. Learn more about the concert here.
Join us on Sunday, January 15 at 2:00pm at Zion Lutheran Church, 439 3rd Ave S in Clinton, to enjoy chamber music featuring members of the Clinton Symphony Orchestra. Tickets are available online or at the door. Learn more about the musicians and the music in the following program notes:
Gabriel Fauré……………………..“Pie Jesu” from the Requiem
arranged for Violas by Tracey Rush
Elaine Fine……………………..Three Dances for Five Violas
Habanera
Saltarello
Rigadoon
Jotham Polashek • Ann Duchow • Natalie Delcorps • Hana Velde • Tracey Rush
Vasyl Barvinsky……………………..Piano Trio in A Minor
Second Movement – Andante
Nadia Wirchnianski, piano • Asa Church, violin • Avery Kerley, violoncello
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart…………………………………….Piano Quartet in G Minor
Allegro
Andante
Allegro (Rondo)
Nadia Wirchnianski, piano • Asa Church, violin • Julie Marston, viola • Avery Kerley, violoncello
JANTH Quintet
The quintet of violists on today’s program are all residents of Dubuque and active musicians in the area.
Jotham Polashek is from Ames, and attended University of Northern Iowa. He
teaches strings in the Dubuque Schools.
Ann Duchow has a teaching studio and teaches strings in the Dubuque area
colleges. She serves as principal second violin with Clinton Symphony.
Natalie Delcorps is from the Chicago area, and attended Luther College. She
teaches strings in Dubuque Schools, and is a regular member of Clinton Symphony’s
viola section.
Hana Velde is a native of Seattle, and regular in the Symphony’s violin section. She
holds a degree from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, and teaches
mathematics at University of Dubuque
Tracey Rush is founder of the Northeast Iowa School of Music and the Dubuque
Community String Orchestra, has taught in the public schools, and is presently
conductor of the University of Dubuque String Ensemble. She is a widely recognized
composer.
Piano Trio and Quartet
Pianist Nadia Wirchnianski has been an enthusiastic contributor to our chamber
music programs, and is pianist for Clinton Symphony. She is a native of Chicago with
degrees from DePaul University and Northwestern University. She lives in Lanark and
teaches in Dixon Schools and Highland Community College in Freeport.
Violinist Asa Church is a member of Clinton Symphony’s violin section, and a native
of Normal, Illinois, where he graduated from Illinois State University. He is an orchestra
teacher in the Sterling Public Schools.
Violist Julie Marston is an orchestra teacher in the Clinton Schools and a graduate
of Eastern Michigan University. She is a violinist with Clinton Symphony and performs
with other area orchestras and ensembles as well.
Cellist Avery Kerley is new to Clinton Symphony, a resident of Dixon, Illinois, and teaches
music classes in the Amboy, Illinois schools. He is a graduate of Southern Illinois University and
a native of Vienna, Illinois.
“Pie Jesu” from REQUIEM
by Gabriel Fauré
arranged for Violas by Tracey Rush
Gabriel Fauré was a French composer, renowned organist and teacher, one of the
most influential composers of his generation.
This much-loved movement from Fauré’s magnificent Requiem is known for its
profound feelings of hope and loss depicted with simplicity. Fauré eliminated the
traditional movements of a requiem which depicted hell and damnation in favor of an
emphasis on the hope of eternal peace for the loved one.
The Pie Jesu is arranged here for violas by Dubuque comoser/arranger Tracey Rush.
THREE DANCES for Five Violas
by Elaine Fine
Playing violin and flute, Elaine Fine graduated from Julliard, playing and teaching in
Austria before eventually relocating to Eastern Illinois University where she found a
vibrant artistic community in the small collegiate town. She made a career in music
performance and instruction, volunteering for benefit concerts to ensure public music
accessibility. Performing with the LeVeck String Quartet from 1994 to 2005, she began
composing over 70 pieces of chamber music, 3 operas and many arrangements, which
she has made available in the public domain to help other musicians.
“Andante” from PIANO TRIO in A Minor
by Vasyl Barvinsky
Composed in 1910 when Barvinsky was only 21, the Piano Trio illustrates the
composer’s late romantic and impressionistic style underscored with local folklore,
marking him one of Ukraine’s first composers to receive worldwide recognition. Referred
to as “the composer without notes” he was brutally imprisoned for 10 years by the
Soviets who burned his scores in public in 1948. Now known for his music of resilience
despite repression, he was able to reconstruct some of his lost works, and many others
were rediscovered after his death in 1963.
PIANO QUARTET in G Minor
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart himself loved to play viola with small chamber groups, and added this
instrument to the usual piano trio of his time. Filled with complexity, drama and operatic
conversations between the instruments, his composition was initially deemed too difficult
for most casual musicians. The stormy G minor key, his famous “key of fate”, was one
Mozart reserved for his most turbulent music.
The work consists of 3 movements, beginning with a large sonata form as the
instruments play in unison. A melodious slow movement follows with an exuberant rondo
finale.
Program notes by Karin Anderson-Sweet
7:30 p.m. — Saturday, December 10, 2022
Vernon Cook Theater at Clinton High School
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Join us for a night of holiday favorites this coming Saturday, December 10, as we gather at 7:30pm in CHS’s Vernon Cook Theater. We’ll be ringing in 100 years since the “Carol of the Bells” was introduced to America by a choral group from Ukraine. For Charles Schulz 100th birthday, we will enjoy the music written by Vince Guaraldi for the beloved Charlie Brown Christmas Special. Many other favorites, including a carol sing-along are on this year’s program, detailed below.
This is a wonderful concert to introduce people to symphonic music, so round up your friends and family! Students always enjoy free admission, and one adult brought by the student may enjoy a 50% discount on their ticket….ask at the ticket table!
Program:
Bells of Christmas
Skater’s Waltz
Sleigh Ride
Charlie Brown Christmas
A Christmas Festival
Carol of the Bells
Parade of the Wooden Soldiers
The Nutcracker
Polar Express
Please enjoy the following program notes:
The Bells of Christmas, arranged by Bob Kronstadt
A collection of traditional holiday favorites, this creative mix of styles and treatments
includes Ding Dong Merrily on High, The Carol of the Bells, Silver Bells, I Heard the
Bells on Christmas Day and Jingle bells.
Les Patineurs (“Skater’s Waltz”)
by Emille Waldteufel
One of the most famous wintery pieces in classical music, The Skaters’ Waltz was written in 1882 and inspired by the sight of Parisians skating on the frozen Seine river. Waldteufel wrote over 200 works, but this is the piece he is best remembered for.
Waldteufel set out to capture the atmosphere of a winter day in Paris, with ice-skaters venturing onto the frozen Seine River. In the manner of his older rival Johann Strauss, Waldteufel’s piece offers a sequence of contrasting serene and exuberant waltz themes, rather than just a single melody. A slow opening passage for solo horn is followed by graceful rising and falling lines in the strings and woodwinds that lead to the first waltz theme. There, again, the horn takes the central role. The wintry ambience of the piece is enhanced by the use of sleigh bells in the percussion section.
Sleigh Ride and A Christmas Festival
By Leroy Anderson
Famously beloved as the “voice of the Boston Pops” and composer of light concert
music, Leroy Anderson displayed his musical talent early to his Swedish immigrant
parents. His first composition at the age of 12 led him to study piano at the New
England Conservatory of Music and later, Harvard. Also adept at languages, he
became fluent in at least 9, making the practical decision for a regular salary by
becoming a language teacher. Conducting and composing for popular orchestras on the
side soon spread his musical reputation until he was discovered by Arthur Fiedler of the
Boston Pops.
Many of his clever, inventive compositions have been used as themes for radio and
TV shows. Deemed an American original, he earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of
Fame. He has been widely lauded as the “Norman Rockwell” of American music for his
ability to capture the familiar and turn it into art.”
Composed on a hot summer day in July, Sleigh Ride remains the most popular of
holiday music. With its cheerful melody and the sounds of sleigh bells, horse whinnies
and a whip, it has been recorded over 8000 times. Any
musician will insist they can play it without a conductor, and the horse whinny
has become a must-learn skill for every fledgling trumpet player.
For A Christmas Festival, Anderson chose 8 popular Christmas songs to represent
the spirit of the holidays. Composed for the Boston Pops, it has become a Christmas
staple, inviting audiences to sing along to familiar
melodies.
A Charlie Brown Christmas, by Vince Guaraldi and
Lee Mendelson, arranged by David Pugh
On December 9, 1965, nearly half the TV sets in America tuned into a Christmas
special based on a popular comic strip that CBS executives predicted to flop. But by
1966 A Charlie Brown Christmas would go on to earn a Peabody and an Emmy for
outstanding children’s programming. It then ran annually on CBS for 35 years and
became the first of more than 45 animated Charlie Brown television specials featuring
the hapless little round-headed boy.
The popular cartoon strip Peanuts had been a staple of American newspapers since
1950, its characters giving readers the chance to relive childhood angst through the
antics and quips of Charlie Brown and his gang for the next 50 years.
Peanuts creator Charles Schulz called on pianist Vince Guaraldi and his trio to
compose and perform music that would reflect the humor, charm and innocence of the
gang. Guaraldi strung together elegant, enticing arrangements that reflect the spirit of
Schultz’s work while introducing graceful contemporary jazz to youngsters.
Simple drawings and a meandering storyline tell of Charlie Brown discovering the
true meaning of Christmas, the image of his forlorn but endearing tree cleverly
paralleling his character. As that sad fir is brought to life, Charlie’s melancholy lifts with
a timeless message of holiday spirit.
Songs include Lucy and Linus with its fresh, energetic feel and tantalizing meter
changes. Christmas Time is Here, the album’s most endearing moment, is a soft lullaby
with percussive flavors. The romantic gem Skating blends musical references to falling
snowflakes with a dashing feel of swing. Christmas is Coming brings the listener into the
joyous light of the Christmas spirit.
Carol of the Bells, by M. Leontovich and P. Wilhousky
Arranged by Richard Hayman
Carol of the Bells has its roots in old Ukrainian folk songs, a way of blessing one’s
neighbors or worshiping ancient gods before the advent of Christianity. In 1899,
Mykolaiv Leontovych was supposed to become a priest, but when the choir director of
his seminary died, he was put in charge and eventually became a music teacher,
composer and arranger of his country’s ancient songs. One of these was a simple, four-
note melody called “Shchedryk”, what we know today as Carol of the Bells.
Ukrainian conductor Oleksander Koshyts liked it enough to make it his choir’s signature
piece for its first international tour. The driving, dancing energy of the arrangement
found its way to the United States, eventually making its way to a performance at
Carnegie Hall.
Peter J. Wilhousky, a popular American composer of the time among Ukrainian
ethnicities, wrote English lyrics for the song in 1936. Renaming it into Carol of the Bells
for American audiences, it quickly became associated with Christmas in widespread
performances all through the 1940s recorded by well- known groups such as Fred
Waring and the Roger Wagner Chorale.
This year, on December 4, Carnegie Hall hosted a holiday celebration to benefit
Ukraine as choral groups from North America and Europe honored the 100th
anniversary of Carol of the Bells.
Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, by Leon Jessel,
Arranged by Morton Gould
This sprightly march was originally written as a solo piano piece in 1897 by the
German composer Leon Jessel, then titled Parade of the Tin Soldiers. In 1905, Jessel
orchestrated it, and it became a popular favorite worldwide. John Phillip Sousa’s band
played it with the name changed to Wooden Soldiers, and it was published in many
different arrangements used in vaudeville routines, Broadway shows, films and
cartoons.
Since 1933 the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes have marched to this tune in their
Christmas Spectacular. Renowned American composer and pops orchestrator Morton
Gould worked as a pianist at Radio City Music Hall and later made his own colorful
arrangement.
The charming fantasy-like quality of the music has become a beloved children’s
Christmas tradition.
The Nutcracker by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
In his last years, Tchaikovsky earned his greatest successes matched only by his
growing depression. He was to die less than a year after The Nutcracker ballet debuted
in 1891 at the height of his career. Arguably the best known Russian composer of all
time, his works include 7 symphonies, 11 operas, 3 ballets, 3 piano concertos, a violin
concerto, 4 cantatas, 20 choral works and over 100 songs and piano pieces. Although
his operas had limited success, he was able to transform ballet into staged musical
drama, revolutionizing the genre. He took ballet seriously, seeing it as an art form equal
to all others when detractors were writing it off.
Nutcracker is based on the romantic writer E.T.A. Hoffman’s tale of Clara and the
nutcracker she receives as a Christmas gift. After Clara saves the nutcracker in a fight
with the mouse king, he transforms into a handsome Prince and sweeps her off to the
magical Kingdom of Sweets. Coming off his tremendous success with Swan Lake, a
weary Tschaikovsky found the structure difficult and limiting and even asked to be
removed from the project. Instead, he was given an extension and was able to create
another masterpiece. It has become a ritual for the Christmas season among children
and adults alike.
The Polar Express, by Alan Silvestri and Glen
Ballard, arranged by Jerry Brubaker
The soundtrack for this 2004 film based on the book by the same name, was written
by prolific American composer- arranger Alan Silvestri. Nominated 4 times for a
Grammy Award, Silvestri also wrote music for Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger
Rabbit, Forrest Gump, Cast Away, the Avenger series, and many more films.
The book’s author, Chris Van Allsburg, won the Caldecott Medal in 1985 for his
haunting tale showing it’s never too late to dream. The storyline involves a young boy
who sees a mysterious train outside his bedroom window on Christmas Eve. Other
children also embark on the train’s journey to the North Pole to visit Santa as he
prepares for Christmas.
The first all-digital capture film, it features human characters animated using live-
action and motion-capture CGI animation. Although underperforming initially at the box
office, later re-releases helped propel the
film’s gross to $324 million worldwide. The soundtrack is the best-selling
soundtrack/holiday album in history.
Songs in this arrangement include Believe, which won a Grammy in 2006, The Polar
Express, When Christmas Comes to Town, and Spirit of the Season.
Program notes by Karin Anderson-Sweet