Porgy Bess and Brahms
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Porgy Bess and Brahms Friday, May. 13 10:30am Johannes Brahms, German composer (1833-1897) Known as one of classical music’s famous “Three B’s” along with Bach and Beethoven, Johannes Brahms was popular and influential both during his lifetime and throughout history. He was born and raised in Hamburg, Germany where he worked for many years until moving to Vienna, Austria. He was a perfectionist and often destroyed his own works that he felt were not worthy of publication. Brahms wrote four symphonies, all of which con- tinue to enjoy performances by every orchestra in the world. Symphony No. 3 in F Major Composed in 1883, duration is 36 minutes Brahms’ 3rd symphony follows the traditional format of four movements—fast— slow—menuet or scherzo (usually in 3)—fast. In addition to the glowing luster from the strings throughout the symphony, the clarinet is assigned a solo role, REPERTOIRE especially in the first and second movements. In a letter to Johannes in February of 1884 Clara Schumann, one of his closest Brahms friends, wrote about his new third symphony: “What a work! What a poem! What a harmonious mood pervades the whole! Symphony No. 3 All the movements seem to be of one piece, one beat of the heart, each one a jewel! From start to finish one is wrapped about with the mysterious charm of Gershwin the woods and forests. I could not tell you which movement I loved most. In the first I was charmed straight away by the gleams of dawning day, as if the rays of arr. Bennett the sun were shining through the trees. Everything springs to life, everything breathes good cheer, it is really exquisite! The second is a pure idyll; I can see Porgy and Bess: the worshipers kneeling around the little forest shrine, I hear the bubbling brook and the buzz of insects. There is such a fluttering and a humming all around that A Concert of one feels snatched up into the joyous web of Nature. The third movement is a pearl, but it is a gray one dipped in a tear of woe, and at the end, the modulation Songs is quite wonderful. How gloriously the last movement follows with its passionate upward surge!” What do you picture when you hear this piece? George Gershwin, American composer (1898-1937) As a boy, George was anything but studious, and it came as a won- derful surprise to his family that he had secretly been learning to play the piano. In 1914, Gershwin left high school to work as a Tin Pan Alley song plugger and within three years his first song, “When You Want ‘Em, You Can’t Get ‘Em; When You Have ‘Em, You Don’t Want ‘Em,” was published. Though this initial effort created little interest, “Swanee” (lyrics by Irving Caesar) turned into a smash hit by Al Jolson in 1919) and brought Gershwin his first real fame. In 1924, when George teamed up with his older brother Ira, “the Gershwins” became the dominant Broadway songwriters, creating infectious rhythm numbers and poignant ballads, fashioning the words to fit the melodies with a “glove-like” fidelity. This extraor- dinary combination created a succession of musical comedies, including LADY, BE GOOD! (1924), OH, KAY! (1926), FUNNY FACE (1927), STRIKE UP THE BAND (1927 and 1930), GIRL CRAZY (1930), and OF THEE I SING (1931), the first musical comedy to win a Pulitzer Prize. Over the years, Gershwin songs have also been used in numerous films, such as AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951). Later years produced the award-winning “new” stage musicals MY ONE AND ONLY (1983) and CRAZY FOR YOU (1992), which ran for four Carl St. Clair, guest years on Broadway. conductor During his tenure at the Pacific Symphony, Kevin Deas, bass baritone St.Clair has become widely recognized for his Kevin Deas has musically distinguished performances, his com- gained interna- mitment to building outstanding educational tional renown as programs and his innovative approaches to one of America’s programming. Among his creative endeavors leading bass- are: the vocal initiative, baritones. He is “Symphonic Voices,” perhaps most ac- which continues for claimed for his sig- the fifth season nature portrayal of in 2015-16 with Puc- the title role in cini's Turandot, fol- Porgy and Bess, hav- lowing the concert- ing performed it opera produc- with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Or- tions of La Bohème, chestra, National Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Tosca, La Traviata and Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, and the symphonies Carmen in subse- of Atlanta, Baltimore, Calgary, Columbus, Detroit, quent seasons; the Florida, Hartford, Houston, Milwaukee, Minne- creation five years ago of a series of multime- sota, Montreal, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, dia concerts featuring inventive formats called Utah, and Vancouver, and at the Ravinia, Vail and “Music Unwound”; and the highly acclaimed Saratoga festivals. He repeats the role during the American Composers Festival, which high- 2015-2016 season with the Orquesta Sinfónica lights the splendor of the William J. Gillespie Nacional de Mineria and the Dallas Symphony and Concert Organ in 2015-16 with music by Stephen Paulus, Wayne Oquin and Morten the Buffalo Philharmonic. Page 2 Lauridsen. FRIDAY, MAY. 13 Page 3 Porgy and Bess: A Concert of Introduction Songs Summer Time (soprano) Composed in 1934-45, duration is 38 minutes A Woman is a Sometime Thing Early critics were very uneasy about the instant appeal of (baritone & chorus) Gershwin’s first (and Gone, Gone (soprano, baritone, only) opera, Porgy chorus) and Bess, which pre- miered at Broadway’s My Man's Gone Now (soprano) Alvin Theater on Oc- The Promise' Lan' (soprano and tober 10, 1935. Antici- chorus) pating the controversy, Gershwin had de- I Got Plenty of Nuttin' (baritone) scribed his effort as a Bess You is My Woman Now folk opera. But high- brow critics were keen (baritone and soprano) to resist. The opera’s great tunes were just too catchy Oh, I Can't Sit Down (chorus) to be trusted. This bias was maintained in high places for decades. Imagine that it took the Metropolitan Op- It Ain't Necessarily So (baritone and cho- era in New York exactly 50 years before it got around rus) to presenting a full production of Porgy at Lincoln Cen- Oh Lawd, I'm on My Way (soprano, bari- ter in 1985. tone, chorus) Sometimes even Gershwin himself went on the Angela Brown, soprano defensive. Just before his death he wrote: “It is true that I have written songs for Porgy and Grammy-nominated vocalist Angela Brown per- Bess. But songs are entirely within the operatic sonifies the ideal soprano: sheer vocal power; tradition. Many of the most successful operas of luxurious finesse; and shimmering, high pianissi- the past had songs. Nearly all of Verdi’s operas mos. With a charming personality larger than life, contain what are known as ‘song hits.’ Of course, she unites opera, pops, and gospel in one voice. the songs in Porgy and Bess are only a part of the Angela’s highly successful Metropolitan Opera whole. I have used symphonic music to unify entire debut in the title role of Aida captured instant scenes.” He had earlier written: “If I am successful attention from in- it will resemble a combination of the drama and ternational media romance of Carmen and the beauty of Der Meis- and catapulted her tersinger.” onto the world’s prestigious opera Set in three acts, Porgy and Bess is based on a and symphonic play by DuBose Heyward (1885-1940), who also stages. Headlines shares credit for the libretto and lyrics with Ira from The New Gershwin. In 1942, George Gershwin’s good York Times read: friend, composer/arranger Robert Russell Bennett “At last an Aida,” (1894-1981) received a commission from Fritz and CBS Weekend News proclaimed: “the future Reiner (maestro of the Pittsburgh Symphony) to of opera has arrived!” followed by features on the cast the opera’s wonderful tunes into symphonic front page of The New York Times, on CNN, in form. Bennett revised the score in 1978, this time Oprah Magazine, Essence Magazine, Ebony Maga- with solo voices and chorus. zine, Classical Singer, Reader’s Digest, and Psy- chology Today. - With thanks to Ed Yadzinski Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra As Buffalo’s cultural ambassador, the Grammy Award-winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, under Music Director JoAnn Falletta, presents more than 120 Classics, Pops and Youth Concerts each year and reaches more than 40,000 K-12 students per year across all eight counties of Western New York. JoAnn Falletta, Conductor Since 1940, the orchestra’s permanent home has been Kleinhans Music Hall, a National Historic Landmark designed by Eliel and Eero Saarinen with an international reputation as BUFFALO PHILHARMONIC one of the finest concert halls in the United States. ORCHESTRA Friday Morning Concert Series [email protected] Explore and Learn: “Since the opening of Porgy and Bess I have been asked frequently why it is called a folk opera. The explanation is a simple one. Porgy and Bess is a folk tale. Its people naturally would sing folk music. When I first began work on the music I decided against the use of original folk material because I wanted the music to be all of one piece. Therefore I wrote my own spirituals and folksongs. But they are still folk music – and therefore, being in operatic form, Porgy and Bess becomes a folk opera.” -George Gershwin The term folk opera has been controversial since the opening of Porgy and Bess. Some ask, ‘why is this work not just called an opera?’ Does the term ‘folk opera’ somehow demean the characters portrayed or lower the work’s status and impact? What do you think? .