University Symphony Orchestra 2012–13 Season Sunday 4 November 2012 134th Concert Dalton Center Recital Hall 3:00 p.m.

BRUCE UCHIMURA, Conductor Jeffrey Spenner, Graduate Assistant Conductor

Carl Maria von Weber Overture from Oberon 1786–1826 Jeffrey Spenner, Conductor

Claude Debussy Prelude a l’apres-midi d’une faune 1862–1918 (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun)

brief pause

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony Number 5 in C Minor Opus 67 1770–1827 I. Allegro con brio II. Andante con moto III. Allegro IV. Allegro

The WMU Symphony Orchestra wishes to thank Jennet Ingle for her expertise in preparation for this concert. Please visit our website www. wmich.edu/music/orchestra for additional concert dates and information or join our Facebook page.

If the fire alarm sounds, please exit the building im m ediately. A ll other em ergencies will be indicated by spoken announcem ent within the seating area. The tornado safe area in Dalton Center is along the lockers in the brick hallway to your left as you exit to the lobby behind you. In any emergency, walk—do not run—to the nearest exit. Please turn off all cell phones and other electronic devices during the performance. Because of legal issues, any video or audio recording of this performance is prohibited without prior consent from the School of Music. Thank you for your cooperation. PROGRAM NOTES

Weber, Overture from Oberon fantastical and tuneful prelude to the opera.

Carl Maria von Weber’s Overture to Oberon is the – Jeffrey Spenner final of several fine overtures that have today outlasted the operas they were originally attached to. Composed in 1825–26, Weber himself traveled Debussy, Prelude a l’apres-midi d’une faune to London from Germany to conduct the premiere. Two months later, he was dead at age 39 from Claude Debussy’s Prelude to an Afternoon of a tuberculosis. Though he died young, Weber not Faun was premiered in 1894. It was a pivotal and only left behind works that remain in the standard original work that stretched the boundaries of repertoire but also had such a tremendous influence predictable and prescribed traditions of the past. on music that none other than Richard Wagner Many historians consider this piece to be the performed the eulogy at Weber’s re-interment in impetus for modern music composition. This was the Dresden. first piece of serious orchestral music that did not rely on rules, tonality, and form as the basis for Oberon was written with an English libretto, and, musical expression. Rather, Debussy created a after initially agreeing to compose the music in sublime and atmospheric tone poem from basic 1824, by 1825 Weber had learned the language musical elements, and using colorful and carefully well enough to handle all of his correspondence selected instrumental combinations. The net musical with the librettist and his British contacts in it. This is result was highly improvisatory and expressive. not to say that the libretto had already been written. Quite the opposite, actually, in that the premiere Inspired by a poem of the same title written by had to be postponed due to tardy work on the part French poet Stephane Mallarme, Debussy sought to of the librettist, James Robinson Planché. The opera create the moods and altered states of is reminiscent of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. Much of consciousness that appear in Mallarme’s poem. The the drama centers around non-singing roles (a poem describes a faun (a mythical beast that is half feature Weber found difficult to deal with in man and half goat) playing his flute, as he composing the score) and juxtaposes both heroic daydreams about the nymphs splashing by in a and comic elements in the lovers who constitute the nearby lake. Mallarme’s words are more concerned two pairs of main characters. There is a magical with evoking feelings and states of mind rather than instrument (here a horn instead of Mozart’s flute) telling a story. The reader is drawn into the faun’s that protects from harm, and the opera harbors fantasy world. Enlightenment ideals of perseverance. Debussy’s musical depiction of the faun’s dreams is The overture contains music directly excerpted from similar in emotional intent. At the time, the the complete opera and was one of the last pieces compositional techniques used by Debussy for this to be finished prior to the premiere. Weber wrote it tone poem were quite revolutionary. Chromaticism after already having arrived in London. Though is used to announce the principal motive by a solo composed in a more classical era style than the flute. The motive uses the interval of a tri tone other two of Weber’s most performed overtures ascending and descending and evokes a dreamlike (those to Der Freischütz and Euryanthe), this one to atmosphere. Strings are instructed to use interesting Oberon features the subtle leitmotif writing that effects that contribute to the colorful sound of the would have such a profound impact on Wagner. orchestra. Debussy uses a rather small ensemble The opening horn solo, for one, recurs throughout involving only four horns, woodwinds, strings, and not only the overture to herald new sections but also a lone crotales (bell-like percussion instrument). serves a large role in the opera. Another example Woodwinds are prominent in the solo lines. Two is the use of high woodwinds to signify the title harps are added to the group which adds a distinct character. The work as a whole serves as a “Impressionist” sound to the orchestra. The compositional form is rather free and improvisatory the cellos and violas in the key of A-Flat Major and in nature which matches Debussy’s musical intent. a contrasting theme first played quietly by the The listener becomes compelled to hear and feel the clarinets and bassoons and then loudly by the brass moods of the faun’s dreams through voluptuous and full orchestra in C Major. The first theme splashes of orchestral color. reserved and poised and the second theme bold and heroic. There are five discernible sets of In 1912, famous Russian dancer Vaslav Nijinsky variations plus an extended coda that changes the choreographed and performed a ballet to this mood rather abruptly and ends the movement with legendary composition. large punctuated chords.

Restless with the traditional minuet–trio form used Beethoven, Symphony Number 5 in C Minor for the third movement of most large classical compositions, Beethoven modified the third Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, which premiered in movement by replacing it with the scherzo–trio form 1808, is arguably the most famous classical to suit his expressive desires. The cellos and string symphony in musical history. The power of the basses begin the movement with a mysterious music and the impeccable craftsmanship has theme in triple meter using the returning key of C humbled all future generations of composers and Minor. The horns announce an assertive repeated performers. The famous music critic of Beethoven’s note figure reminiscent of the opening first time, E.T.A. Hoffman, described the piece as “the movement motive. The contrapuntal trio section is indescribably profound and magnificent symphony boisterous and energetic, with instruments chasing in C Minor.” Musicians and historians agree on the after one another. A most unusual and quiet return importance of the work and its expressive of the scherzo section is now played by plucked magnitude. Beethoven did tend to favor the key of strings and solo woodwind instruments. C Minor for his more expressive musical ideas and this symphony is no exception. All of this action leads to a very foreboding coda section with the solo timpani playing quietly above The first movement, Allegro con brio, begins with sustained strings holding a single note C (later the famous four note rhythmic motive using a changed to G in the low strings). The first violins descending third. Beethoven’s “motivic” play a meandering and ascending motive that composition blossoms in this movement as he depicts a sense of musical searching through constructs an entire symphonic movement with this unstable harmonic implications. Finally, the light simple rhythm and notes. The music is brooding shows itself in one of the most exciting moments of and restless. There are brief moments of repose and the symphony, as the entire orchestra joins in for rest but the mood is always agitated. The motive is the epic last movement in the key of C Major. In this masterfully traded off to all instrument groups, movement, the trombones, contra bassoon and along with fermatas (rest places), and much piccolo are finally used to strengthen Beethoven’s contrapuntal dialog between strings and wind musical convictions. The movement has boundless instruments. The tympani and trumpets are used to energy and the music expresses great hope and punctuate the more aggressive parts. Since the optimism. movement utilizes a very swift tempo, there are many interesting subliminal uses of duple and triple meters and irregular phrase lengths and elimination of barlines.

Beethoven also put his original stamp on the second movement, Andante con moto, by using a double theme and variation form. The first theme played by UNIVERSITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Bruce Uchimura, Conductor Jeffrey Spenner, Graduate Assistant Conductor

Violin I Oboe Î× Youyang Qu,Concertmaster, Beijing, CHINA Lucas Florin, Principal, St. Clair Shores Sophie Petroski, Boise ID Kayla Pingel, Farmington ÎÏ Liang Dong, Beijing, CHINA Michael Wessels, English Horn, Wayland Ð Ariele Macadangdang, Kalamazoo ÎÏ Shu Wang, Beijing, CHINA Clarinet Ï Melissa Taddie, Strongsville OH Ruth Daley, Kalamazoo Hyun Young Kim, Seoul, KOREA Ô Margaret Albrecht, Beverly Hills Erin Zuchniewicz, Novi Danny Mui, Macomb Rachel Mostek, LaGrange Park IL Audrey Jansma, Fremont Bassoon Ishtar Hernandez, Miami FL Josh Hart, Principal, Mattawan Whitney Miller, Assistant Principal, Dumfries VA Violin II Mingyuan Yang, Zhengzhou, CHINA Charlotte Munn-Wood, Principal, South Bend IN Michelle Bessemer, Port St. Lucie FL Trumpet Thomas Hanawalt, Grass Lake Adam Phillips, Principal, Kalamazoo Veronica Cieri, Dearborn Adam Stowe, Clarklake Lindsey Mroczek, Mattawan Anne Rhode, Farmington Hills Horn Rachel Keck, Portage Luke Walton, Principal, Palmya NY Brandon Pacheco, Mount Morris Elizabeth Glasser, Kalamazoo Nick Voyt, Newaygo Ö Molly Zebell, St. Joseph Nathan Bagby, Tecumseh Mackenzie Harris, Portage

Viola Trombone Josh Holcomb, Principal, Kalamazoo Luke Marlowe, Co-Principal, Byron Center Daniel Cortes, Winter Garden FL Õ Evan Clifton, Co-Principal, Howell Amanda Smith, Wayland Derek Lyp, Bass Trombone, Lambertville Sean Brennan, Wixom Ï Laura Boekeloo, Portage Timpani Rebecca Dube, Ray Township Christopher Guthrie, Principal, Portage Kristin Benes, Downers Grove IL Kellen King, Assistant Principal, Bay City Janay Hughes, Oak Park Jonathan Boyd, Farmington Hills Percussion Lukas Stanley, Midland Amber Feltrin, White Lake Ñ Sara Sulecki, Dearborn Katelyn Herring, Shelbyville Harp Alison Reese, Kalamazoo (assisting) Cello Eleanor Wong, Kalamazoo (assisting) Ò Willis Koa, Principal, West Bloomfield Sara Saarela, Cadillac Warren Oja, Royal Oak Orchestra Staff Allyson Perez, Santo Domingo, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Evan Clifton, Manager Ó Carrie Brannen, Wyoming Paul Clifton, Librarian Samantha Hickey, Clarkston Matthew Heyboer, Holland Brittany Harris, Rochester Taylor Crow, Saint Joseph Î KSO/WMU Artist Scholar Katie Nicholls, Beverly Hills Ï Rhea Yeager Fetzer Scholar Ð Julius & Esther Stulberg Scholar Double Bass Ñ Stuart and Norma Hall Scholar (Music Ed.) Î Brett Armstrong, Co-Principal, Grand Rapids Ò Herbert Butler Scholar Steven Fernandez, Co-Principal, Farmington Hills Ó Carroll Haas Scholar Andrew Rose, Kalamazoo Ô Tucky & Charles Elliott Scholar Craig Kowalsky, Commerce Õ Russell Brown Scholar Mike Horrigan, Grand Rapids Ö Beulah & Harold McKee Scholar Kyle Pitcher, Dorr × Nancy Monsour-Michael Shubeck College of Fine Arts Daniel Edwards, Southfield Distinguished Scholar Ryan Samosiuk, Bloomfield Hills Mark Mehringer, Farmington Hills

Flute Sandra Fernandez, Principal, Guayaquil, EQUADOR Jory King, Westland Stephanie Marzolf, Battle Creek Nick Lieto, Monroe