HighNotes, this booklet of musical notes and activities for seniors,

is brought to you by the Evanston Symphony , Evans- ton’s own community orchestra. We’ve based this activity booklet on the ESO’s KidNotes, which we write for middle and high school kids for each of our concerts – but many adults also like them Musical Notes and Activities for Seniors because they approach the concert materials from a different, less formal viewpoint than that of our excellent traditional classical from the Evanston Symphony Orchestra music program notes. HighNotes always has a couple of articles on a specific theme – : Genius and Prankster 2 this month it’s Johannes Brahms – plus a variety of puzzles and Symphony No. 1 in C Minor some really bad jokes and puns. We’re also highlighting two more of our favorite soloists, Irina Muresanu and Wendy Warner, Double whose performance of both Brahms” Hungarian Dance No. 6 Hungarian Dance No. 6 and his for and with the ESO can Academic Festival Overture be found on YouTube. (We’ll provide the link.) We also write a “tangential” article or two, something related to the theme or to a piece of music, but not necessarily musical in and of itself. This Irina Muresanu, Violinist 8 month we go a bit “old school” and give you some history and lore Wendy Warner. Cellist 9 on academic regalia, which has a wonderful tie-in to Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture, plus an article on the origins of some idioms we use on a daily basis, and more on cursive. Academic Regalia 10 Our “Bygones” feature is for those of us who are “of a certain age” and can relate to objects that were big in our childhoods, but have now all but disappeared – penmanship, Dick and Jane, Puzzles, Jokes, Bygones, biff-ball, and more! Many of these bring back fond memories and are good discussion starters with grandchildren and other and Other Amusements 12 young people – or even with friends of our own generation. One more thing: we’ve continued: the longtime KidNotes traditions September 2020 of doing something fun with the letter “O” in the banner and using chains of “OZ” as filler in the Word Search Puzzle. (Do you recog- nize who’s in the “O” this month? Think back to the 40s and 50s…) We hope you enjoy our September 2020 edition of HighNotes!

X X Symphony No. 1 in C Minor - In 1876, the musical world of Europe was eagerly waiting for the very first symphony of Johannes Brahms was born in Hamburg, Johannes Brahms. Poor Brahms was under a lot of pressure Germany, in 1833, and spent most of his because he was the most famous living composer in the Austro- musical life shuttling between Germany and German tradition, surpassing both Liszt and Wagner. Further- Vienna, Austria. He began studying piano at more, Beethoven, who had died 50 years earlier, was already a seven and, at ten, played in a concert including legend because of his nine glorious a Beethoven and a Mozart piano symphonies. So, people expected a great quartet. An impresario proposed an American symphony from Brahms as well. “You don’t concert tour for the prodigy Brahms, but know what it’s like, always to hear that giant family friends and his music teachers argued marching along behind me!” Brahms once against such a tour for so young a boy. wrote. His complaints aside, however, Brahms In his teens, Brahms arranged music for his father’s orchestra. admired Beethoven deeply, especially his He later became great friends with the famous composer Robert symphonies, and used some of the same Schumann and his wife, Clara, one of the outstanding pianists of keys and forms that Beethoven did as a her day. However, Brahms was an outspoken critic of the music tribute to that great master. In fact, this theories of Liszt, who was some 20 years his senior, and met symphony of Brahms is sometimes called Wagner, the famous opera composer, but they thought so “Beethoven’s Tenth.” differently about music that they never became friends! While The ESO played this wonderful symphony in its concert on Brahms was well-known as a pianist, he had difficulties at first February 3, 2019. (We’ll provide a link on the information sheet.) becoming known as a composer because of his severe criticism of The symphony begins in a minor key with a rather sad melody the popular music theories of the day. over pounding tympani. The main theme is driving and even a bit Brahms was also a perfectionist. He began grim. The middle two movements are much lighter in mood than to compose when he was quite young, but the first and last movements. Listen for the solo violin toward the later destroyed most copies of his first end of the second movement. The third movement is slow and works. His compositions did not become more relaxed. popular until he went on a concert tour in The fourth movement is the crowning touch of the entire work. It 1853. After Robert Schumann’s death in begins with a slow introduction and continues in the minor key. 1859, Brahms helped support Clara and Then something wonderful happens! Strings and a her eight children. Clara also became his horn call announce the change to a major key; they’re closest advisor and critic; he showed her followed by a solo and together they introduce every work he composed before it was the the strings, which play a gorgeous theme, a tribute performed in public. Brahms never married and it is suspected to Beethoven that the orchestra develops. Listen to how the basic that he was very much in love with , but did not theme is passed from one section to another and interpreted by think it would be “proper” to ask her to marry him, some say the different instruments. Then, just when we think we’ll hear because he respected Robert’s music so much and thought his more of that beautiful melody to end the symphony, Brahms music could never measure up to it. Little did he know his work surprises us again by instead bringing back the brass, and the would eventually be considered superior to Schumann’s. symphony ends in triumph. 2X 3X Brahms’ Double Concerto for Violin and Cello - Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 6. – Brahms completed his set composed the Double Concerto in 1897; it was his final work for of 21 lively Hungarian Dances in 1879. They vary in orchestra. He wrote it for two of his friends who were famous length from a minute to five minutes and are among musicians, one a German cellist and the other a Hungarian his most popular works – and also among his most violinist. Brahms was worried about this composition because profitable. Nos. 11, 14 and 16 are the only entirely he wasn’t writing for “his” instruments. While he original compositions; the rest are based on Hun- was a brilliant pianist, he had only studied the garian folksongs with the exception of No. 5, which cello and felt he was not proficient on either it or Brahms mistakenly thought was a folksong. Rather, it was an the violin. Regardless of his qualms, his friends original work by Hungarian composer and conductor Miska Borzó repeated their performance several times in its and is now properly attributed. We’re giving you a link to a rousing first year, with Brahms conducting the orchestra. performance of No. 6 by the ESO from our June 5, 2016, concert. Unfortunately, Clara Schumann did not like the concerto, writing And, just for fun, a link to an interpretation of Nos. 3, 5 and 6 … by that it was “not brilliant for the instruments.” Another critic said it Looney Toons – and using Merrie Melodies, of course! was "one of Brahms' most … joyless compositions". Brahms Academic Festival Overture - Brahms apparently had a good had blocked out a second concerto for violin and cello but sense of humor, but he wasn’t really known as a prankster. Not, destroyed his notes in the wake of the less-than-enthusiastic that is, until he wrote his Academic Festival Overture, which he reception of his first. himself directed at its premiere on January 4, 1881, at the Univer- The Double Concerto has three parts, a standard concerto form: sity of Breslau (now the University of Wroclaw in Poland). It The first movement is called Allegro, or “rapid in tempo.” The seems that the University had awarded Brahms an honorary orchestra plays a brief introduction that is followed by an extended degree and Brahms had had the good manners to write them a cadenza, a solo for the cello and then the violin. Although cadenzas very nice thank-you note in return. The University, however, usually come at the end of a movement, here it is at the beginning. expected much more, and the conductor who had persuaded the University to give Brahms the degree said a musical offering was The second movement is Andante, or moderately slow and even. what they wanted – perhaps he could write a symphony? This slow movement is built on a beautiful melody similar to a folk tune, and provides a double cadenza for the soloists. Since Brahms hadn’t asked for the degree and hated all of the publicity he had to contend with as a celebrity of his time, The third movement is Vivace non troppo, “lively perhaps he was a bit tired of people trying to – but not too much.” In other words, the musi- take advantage of him. Or, maybe he just had cians shouldn’t overdo their great finale! a funny thought and set it to music. In any Despite the Double Concerto’s initial cool recep- case, at a special ceremony at the University, tion, later musicians and critics came to love it. with the faculty in their long black robes and One said that “it has always been hampered by its funny hats, all decked out for the most solemn requirement for two brilliant and equally matched of occasions, Brahms gave them his musical soloists.” That requirement was not at all a problem thank-you. Many of the faculty members must with Irina Muresanu and Wendy Warner as the have been horrified, and no doubt many others ESO’s soloists. (The link to the video is on were trying hard not to laugh, because what they heard wasn’t a information sheet.) symphony at all. Rather, it was a medley of student beer-drinking songs! A wonderful arrangement, to be sure, but the tunes! It was 4X X5 the equivalent of going to a major concert today expecting to hear the premiere of a new piece by a famous composer - and suddenly the orchestra English has evolved into one of the richest breaks into A Hundred Bottles of Beer in the Wall languages in the world, with well over one or Hail! Hail! The Gang’s All Here! Many people hearing those million vocabulary words and growing, all songs at a classical concert today would have the same reaction because we cheerfully borrow and steal as those professors in 1881! from other languages when we come Despite its unorthodox premiere, however, the overture remains across a word or phrase we like. (Cookies, a very popular one and is often used as a short piece in a concert barbecue, Santa Claus, tornado, cargo, chow, of longer works because it is only about 10 minutes long. (The to name a few). Part of that richness comes from idioms, those symphony that the University had been expecting would have expressions whose overall meaning isn’t apparent from the usual taken almost an hour.) Listen to how the tunes seem to dance meaning of its parts (kick the bucket, chicken out, hit the hay). Many back and forth with one another, each one dominating, then of our idioms come from music, so here are a few that might tickle retreating into the background. The student song that ends the your fancy ( so to speak), with notes on how they came about. piece, Gaudeamus Igitur, dates from 1730 or so. The first verse is formally translated from Latin as follows: Like a broken record – This is one that will stump Let us therefore rejoice while we are young. today’s younger generation! Who among us doesn’t After our youth, after a troublesome old age, remember getting a crack in a favorite record and The ground will hold us. hearing the same bit over and over and over…? However, with apologies to the late Miss Alice Hackman, Latin teacher at Boiling Springs High School, Boiling Springs, PA., here Pay the Piper - This admonition to pay your debts may is our very informal translation of the same first verse: have originated in 1680 with the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, who in about 1200, was hired to rid the town of Let’s party, party, party while we’re still young! rats. He played his pipe and the rats followed him out of After middle age comes old age town. However, when the town refused to pay, he piped all And then we’re dead and gone! the children out of town… According to Kathy Henkel, who writes for the Los Angeles Philhar- Call the tune – Shortened from “Who pays the piper calls the monic Orchestra, the Academic tune.” In other words, the person who hires you can tell you what Festival Overture is “a masterful to do. Nowadays we’d borrow from a few sports and say “call the balance of serious and light-hearted shots,” but the meaning is the same: who holds the power? elements; the emphasis is on the "festival" rather than the "academic" Stay tuned! – “Stay tuned! Don’t touch that dial! We’ll in an overture that brims with an be right back!” Classic words as a radio station went to irrepressible sense of fun.” We a commercial break. “Don’t touch that dial” isn’t used quite agree and think that Brahms must have had a lot of fun much anymore for obvious reasons, but “Stay tuned!” writing it. We hope you have just as much fun listening to it! has gained a broader context (and some strange looks!) 6X 7X

When she was a little girl in Romania, Wendy Warner grew up in Wilmette Irina Muresanu wanted to play the piano. and started piano at four. When her Then her mother quite sensibly pointed older sister began lessons on a out that you rarely see a piano in an second instrument, Wendy declared orchestra, but there are lots of . that she wanted to play the violin. Her So, Irina took up the violin at the ripe old mother, however, convinced her that age of six and a half, “old by nowadays the cello would be a better choice. standards” for becoming a serious Wendy agreed although, at age six, violinist, she says. Irina had obvious she wasn’t even sure what a cello was! talent and a year later auditioned for a Wendy didn’t “fall in love with the place in a school for children gifted in cello” right away, so also continued music. She passed the exercises in with piano. She studied at the Music pitch, rhythm, singing in tune and all of the other things designed to Institute of Chicago and won competitions, but wasn’t sure she test her musical ability, but failed the physical because she was “too could keep up both instruments. She finally decided on the cello small and skinny.” Fortunately, her teacher intervened and Irina was and started winning competitions at 14, played with the Chicago able to prove to the school that even a small, skinny girl was Symphony Orchestra on WTTW, and began practicing even capable of making great music. harder. This was to be her career. At age 12, Irina and her classmates had to decide whether or not As a teen, Wendy traveled to Washington, DC, for master classes to continue in music. Half the students left the school, but Irina with the great cellist and later studied with chose to stay and pursue her goal of becoming a professional him at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She became a musician. After college in Bucharest, Irina came to the University protégée of Rostropovich and, at just 18, won the Rostropovich of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign for her master’s degree. From International Competition in Paris. there she went to the New England Conservatory, where she earned her doctorate. She is also a founding member of the Wendy says Rostropovich put her on the right path for her career, Boston Trio, about which The Boston Globe raved, "When-- but told us that they first had some communication problems. She ever this trio plays, drop everything and go hear them!" couldn’t understand his heavy Russian accent so he tried singing various passages to show what he wanted. When that didn’t work, Irina’s concert career continues to take her all over the USA and he thought she had a problem with pitch! Luckily, they worked it around the world. She has also performed in The Netherlands, out and he later invited her to play the Vivaldi Double Concerto Belgium, and France, where she had her most interesting concert with him in France. fee arrangement in St. Emilion – she was paid in wine! Wendy has two . The first was made in Chicago in 1960. As a child, Irina fell in love with music because of the way it tells The second was made in Italy in 1772. While a fine instrument a story by expressing emotions. As she grew, so did her under- is a necessity, it can’t be shown at its best and highest purpose standing of music and her ability to express those emotions with unless there is a remarkable talent coaxing it to life. That talent her violin. Now this young woman once thought “too small and is Wendy Warner, considered one of the best cellists in the world. skinny” to be a musician is among the best violinists of our time. 8X X9

Graduation Day in the U.S. this year was unlike When faculty march in the procession in a college graduation you anything we’ve ever seen – except perhaps in can “read” their academic robes or “gowns.” First in line after the 1918 and 1919. We missed watching graduating president and other higher-ups come the professors. Those with seniors put on academia regalia, those long robes doctoral degrees are first in line. You can tell they have earned and silly hats, march across an auditorium or field doctorates because they have three broad velvet stripes on their to music and, after some speeches, receive their robes. Next are faculty with master’s degrees (two stripes) and diplomas. But this year, there were no grinning groups of grads finally faculty with just bachelor’s degrees (one stripe). After the in academic regalia, there was no “Pomp and Circumstance,” faculty come the graduates in the same order of and diplomas arrived in the mail. Sad, but a necessary departure degree rank as the faculty: doctorates, masters from the norm in these days that are anything but normal. and, at the very back, bachelors. Like so many customs in the U.S., academic regalia can be traced In addition to the gown and mortar board or other back to our former parent, Great Britain. However, it appears that academic cap, each faculty member and grad- Britain might well have gotten the idea from uate will also be wearing a hood that hangs the Italians or from other Europeans during the down the back of the robe. The longest and Renaissance, a time when universities were widest of the hoods are for doctorates, the flourishing in all parts of Europe. All academics medium ones are for masters, and bachelors, of wore clothing that came to be known as “cap course, get the shortest and narrowest ones. and gown” as a sign of their status. Someone - Each hood (1 in the drawing) comes in very specific colors that can no doubt a student – started calling the caps tell you where and what the person studied – but again, you have to “mortar boards” because they were shaped know the code. For example, in the photo, the school colors are in like the boards that stone masons and brick- the lining of the hood and there is a band of velvet around the hood layers used to carry mortar, and the name that indicates the field of study. The stuck. (This portrait is of the Duke of Urbino school colors here are blue (3) and from the late 1400s. Check out his hat!) gold (4) and the velvet band is also In Brahms’ era, academic regalia was the everyday norm at the blue (2), which means this could be uber-formal German universities, with more bells and whistles someone who got his doctorate in added for special occasions, such as the premiere of the much philosophy at UCLA. Here at home, anticipated, but never appearing, Brahms symphony for the someone graduating from Northwestern University of Breslau. Nowadays, academic regalia is still de in engineering will have a purple (3) and rigueur at some British Universities. If you follow the PBS series white (4) lining in their hoods with an orange velvet band (2) for Endeavour, Morse and Inspector Lewis, which are set in Oxford, engineering. The next time you see a graduation, see if you can you can see how academic dress has changed at that university decode the regalia. Here are the colors of some other fields of since the 1950’s, starting with Endeavour. In the U.S., however, study: Architecture = Brown; Law = Purple; Agriculture = Maize; academic dress is reserved only for special occasions like Arts, Letters, Humanities = White; Journalism = Crimson; Science = graduations, convocations and the like, but you can tell who’s who Gold; Public Administration = Peacock Blue; Nursing = Apricot; and what their field is if you know the code. Medicine = Hunter Green; Phys Ed = Sage Green; Music = Pink. 10X 11X

More “Bygones” - childhood memories of things we enjoyed as In 1776, the Continental Congress hired Thomas Matlack, a kids. Some of them are completely gone or hard to find, but Philadelphia brewer and Free Quaker, to be its scribe for the some are still quite popular over 70 years later! How many of Declaration of Independence. So – how did we get from this: these do you remember from your childhood? to this: We hold these truths? Good question – and, as with so many things, blame technology! When Matlack wrote down the Declaration of Independence - or “engrossed” it, as was the terminology in 1776 - he was carrying on a long tradition of elegant handwriting for important documents. Seventy-five years later, however, times had changed and busi- ness demanded a script that was still elegant, but less time-consuming. Along came Platt Rogers Spencer, who, in 1848, developed a unique oval- based penmanship style that could be written very quickly and legibly for business correspondence as well as elegant personal letters. The Coca-Cola and Ford logos are based on Spencerian Style, which was taught in American schools until the mid-1920s. The pace of business was speeding up, how- ever, and the Italians had invented a macchina that became known as the “typewriter” and was taking over business documentation. Spencer- ian script had become too cumbersome and impractical for business, but Austin N. Palmer thought he had a solution: the Palmer Method script, also oval- based, but simpler and with no intricate swirls. Many HighNotes readers learned the Palmer Method in grade school. When handwritten essays were added to the SAT tests in 2006, however, just 15% of the 1.5 million test-takers wrote their essays in cursive. The rest printed. In block letters. What had happened in the interim? Answer: Computers. “Keyboarding” had become more important and very few kids were (or are) learning cursive. It’s coming back, though! Schools are recognizing the motor skills cursive brings and are adding classes and “cursive clubs.” Perhaps someday soon cursive will no longer be just our secret code… 12X 13X

Ancient Egypt was inhabited by mummies and they all wrote in hydraulics. They lived in the Sarah Dessert and traveled by Camelot. The climate of the Sarah is such that the inhabitants have to live elsewhere.

Moses led the Hebrew slaves to the Red Sea, where they made unleavened bread NUMBER which is bread made with no ingredients. STACK! Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the ten commandments. He died before he How many numbers ever reached Canada. can you find ?

(Answers on p. 19) How many squares? The Greeks were a highly sculptured people, and without them we wouldn’t have history. The Greeks also had myths. A myth is a female moth. Vol. 1, No. 3 HighNotes September 2020 Editor ...... Kelly Brest van Kempen Technical Advisor...... David Ellis Puzzle & Maze Checkers ………………….Addison Lockerby, Ryan Lockerby & Gus B.v.K

HighNotes© - Copyright 2020 - ESOA (except for original authors’ copyrights)

Beethoven wrote music even though he was deaf. He was so deaf he wrote loud music. He took long ESOA makes no claim to copyrights held by others and uses such materials for educational purposes only under the “fair use” exception to copyright law.“Why walks in the forest even when everyone was calling Oz?” on page 17 is from American Trivia Quiz Book by Richard Lederer and him. I guess he could not hear so good. Beethoven expired in Caroline McCullagh, Kindle edition, 2015, p. 143. Other attributions: Wikipedia. 1827 and later died from this. HighNotes is partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council and by private individuals. Many thanks to them all! 14X 15X

Some important musical items (and people!) are hidden in 1. Johannes ______wrote a series of 21 this puzzle! Can you find them? Remember: Words can go ______Dances. across, up, down OR diagonally, AND backwards or forwards - 8 directions in all! And, can you find “OZ” at least 17 times? The Academic Festival ______was composed as a prank on the University of Breslau. M N Z E S Y M P H O N Y 2. You can figure out who’s who at a college graduation if you P O I R R Z O U R L Z P decode the Academic ______S I R L E U N Z O L B E 3. Clue No. 2 usually includes a long ______, M H N T O G T O B E A N a flat hat called a ______H A Z K A I A R E C S M

______and a ______A R O R Z R V L E Z S A

with a wide velvet band indicating the field of R P I Z O Z B Z I V O N study. ______is the color for music. B A L O C A C O C A O S N Z R E M L A P A Z N H 4. The ESO’s middle name! ______

5. A first reader: “Fun With ______H O O D E T U L F R O I ______” E N A J D N A K C I D P

6. ______Why “OZ”? - We use “OZ” for filler in our Word is becoming a lost art. The Spencer Method from the Search puzzle – but where did the name come mid-1800s isn’t used now, but we can still see it in from? It’s a fun story! In 1900, L. Frank Baum sat down to write a children’s book about aa the ______- ______and Ford logos. girl named Dorothy, who was swept away too a fantastic land. The tale began as a bedtimex 7. Most HighNotes readers learned the ______story for his children and soon spilled over Method of cursive writing, but it’s not taught anymore. into several evenings. One evening he was asked the name of this strange place. Glancing about the room, Can you also find these instruments in the puzzle? his eyes fell upon a filing cabinet labeled “A–N” and “O–Z.” Noting that the letters on the second label spelled out the “ahs” Flute Violin Cello Harp uttered by his rapt listeners, he named his fantastic land Oz! 16X X17

(With apologies to Irina & Wendy!)

What’s the difference

between a violin and a

Harley-Davidson Brahms Hungarian

motorcycle? Overture Regalia Mortar Board Robe Hood Pink Symphony The Missing Step…is X 3! Dick and Jane

Penmanship 1 + 5 = 6; 6 X 3 = 18

Why don’t cello players like to Coca-Cola Palmer 2 + 10 = 12; 12 X 3 = 36

play hide-and-seek? 3 + 15 = 18; 18 X 3 = 54

4 + 20 = 24; 24 X 3 = 72

What do a lawsuit and a cello

have in common?

What’s the difference between a flat snake and a flat violin in the

middle of the road?

18X 19X