ESO Highnotes November 2020

HighNotes is brought to you by the Evanston Symphony Orchestra for the senior members of our community who must of necessity isolate more because of COVID-!9. The current pandemic has also affected all of us here at the ESO, and we understand full well the frustration of not being able to visit with family and friends or sing in soul-renewing choirs or do simple, familiar things like choosing this apple instead of that one at the grocery store. We of course miss making music together, which is especially difficult because Musical Notes and Activities for Seniors this fall marks the ESO’s 75th anniversary – our Diamond Jubilee. While we had a fabulous season of programs planned, we haven’t from the Evanston Symphony Orchestra been able to perform in a live concert since February so have had to push the hold button on all live performances for the time being. th However, we’re making plans to celebrate our long, lively, award- Happy 75 Anniversary, ESO! 2 winning history in the spring. Until then, we’ll continue to bring you music and musical activities in these issues of HighNotes – or for Aaron Copland An American Voice 4 as long as the City of Evanston asks us to do so! O’Connor Appalachian Waltz 6 HighNotes always has articles on a specific musical theme plus a variety of puzzles and some really bad jokes and puns. For this issue we’re focusing on “Americana,” which seems appropriate for Gershwin Porgy and Bess 7 November, when we come together as a country to exercise our constitutional right and duty to vote for candidates of our choice Bernstein West Side Story 8 and then to gather with our family and friends for Thanksgiving and completely spoil a magnificent meal by arguing about politics… ☺ Tate Music of Native Americans 9 But no politics here, thank you! “Bygones” features things that were big in our childhoods, but have now all but disappeared. This month we’re highlighting food – stuff we ate as a child and now Dvořák “New World” Symphony 10 wonder why! Good discussion starters - and there’s a lot more! Bygones, Puzzles, Jokes & Other Amusements 11 Vol. 1, No. 5 HighNotes November 2020 Editor ..............................................................................................Kelly Brest van Kempen Technical Advisor..................................................................................................David Ellis Puzzle & Maze Checkers …………………………..Connor, Addison, Ryan, Calli, Ciara & Gus HighNotes© - Copyright 2020 - ESOA (except for original authors’ copyrights) November 2020 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. xxX X 1945. World War II was winding down in both Europe and the debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1954 with Fritz Pacific. Rationing was still in effect until after VJ Day in August, Reiner conducting, which is no doubt when she and Frank Miller when prices started to rise. You could buy a cup of coffee for 20¢, became acquainted. The date of her performance with the ESO, but students on a frayed shoe-string budget knew that you always however, was November 22, 1963, and the assassination of bought two 5¢ White Castle burgers instead of one 10¢ double- President John F. Kennedy caused City Hall to cancel the concert, meat burger because you got twice as much bread! even though the musicians and Schwartzkopf wanted the performance to go on in Kennedy’s honor. In the arts, Animal Farm, Black Boy and Pippi Longstocking, appeared in bookstores. John Declining health caused Frank Miller to retire Wayne and Anthony Quinn battled in 1984. His successor, Dr. Lynn Schornick, the enemy in Back to Bataan, and led the ESO for the next 17 years, stepping Gene Kelly danced with Jerry the down in 2002 to concentrate his efforts on Mouse in Anchors Aweigh. Doris the burgeoning arts scene in his then home- Day sang Sentimental Journey at town of Waukegan as the Conductor of the the top of the charts, and Aaron Waukegan Symphony Orchestra and the Copland won the Pulitzer Prize for Director of the Jack Benny Center for the his work Appalachian Spring. Arts, as well as being greatly involved with local opera and the renovation of the Genesee Theatre. On the home front, an influx of veterans on the G.I. Bill meant there were no longer places for local musicians in Northwestern’s Lawrence Eckerling, Schornick’s replace- orchestras. Into this void stepped a group of enthusiastic, talented ment, was Music Director of the St. Cloud musicians to form what has developed into the Evanston Symphony Symphony in Minnesota for 16 years, is on Orchestra, which gave its premiere concert on November 4, 1945. the faculty of the Music Institute of Chicago, Over the next 17 years, the ESO had a and since 1984 has been leader and pianist succession of conductors, including Hans of Larry Eckerling and his Orchestra. In a Heniot, conductor of the Utah Symphony and particularly poignant moment of ESO history Sidney Harth, Concertmaster of the Chicago at a concert in March of 2012, Shirley Miller, Symphony Orchestra. In 1962, the baton widow of Frank Miller, presented Maestro Eckerling with Frank’s passed to the legendary Frank Miller (left), favorite baton, one that had been given to him by Arturo Toscanini, principal cellist of the CSO, who led the the renowned conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Evanston Symphony for the next 22 years. From the moment Maestro Eckerling had the audience howling One of the most memorable concerts in ESO with laughter at his ESO audition concert, to his ability to schedule history was one that didn’t happen. Under top soloists, to his own incredible performance as both conductor Miller’s leadership, the ESO had grown in size, quality, and repute- and soloist in Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, he has proven himself tion, and was scheduled to perform a concert for the first evening to be the perfect leader of a truly community orchestra. The ESO of Evanston’s Centennial Music Festival, with renowned German has been playing to packed houses in Pick-Staiger Concert Hall soprano Elisabeth Schwartzkopf as soloist. Schwartzkopf was at and will resume our tenure there when this pandemic is well and the height of her career in the U.S., having made her American truly behind us- and for many years to come!. Stay tuned! 2X 3X Rodeo is also a cowboy-themed work, but with a very different Aaron Copland (1900-1990) is one of the story: awkward cowgirl finds love. It was written in 1942 at the composers credited with developing a request of Agnes DeMille, a famed choreographer who herself felt distinctly “American” style of music. He was awkward except when she was dancing. The work also incor- born into a Russian immigrant family in porates cowboy and folk songs, especially “Bonaparte’s Retreat,” Brooklyn, New York, in 1900. His older which has become known by the name of the movement Copland sister, Laurine, taught him to play the piano used it in: “Hoe Down. and he started to make up his own songs Appalachian Spring is another ballet, this one composed in 1944 right away. He then asked for lessons from for choreographer and dancer Martha Graham. The L.A. a “real” teacher and by the age of 15 he Times described it as a ballet that “…tells a simple story. had decided to become a composer. A young farm couple ruminate on their lives before getting married and setting up house in the wilderness. In 1921, Copland went to Paris for three years, where he was the An itinerant preacher delivers a sermon. An older first American to study with Nadia Boulanger, one of the best th pioneer woman oversees the events with sympathy and composition teachers of the 20 century. When Copland came wisdom. The newlyweds…will face a future that will not be all home, he began the process that every composer must eventually sweetness and light, but … [they have] private and shared emotional tackle - that of finding his own distinctive musical “voice.” Copland resources they will be able to bring to the challenges.” You’ll began experimenting with sounds and mixing jazzy rhythms in with recognize the Shaker melody “Simple Gifts,” presented here as both classical music. Some people found his music complicated and triumph and hope. Appalachian Spring is a lovely piece of music. hard to understand, but the end result was a “voice” that is distinctly American and instantly recognizable as Aaron Copland’s. At the height of World War II, Copland was commissioned to write a musical portrait of Copland went on to compose many pieces based on American an "eminent American" for the New York folk songs. These works provided the people of this country with Philharmonic. He chose President Abraham a feeling of comfort, pride and, most important, hope during the Lincoln and used material from the Great Depression of the 1930’s. His works still speak to many President’s speeches and letters as well as Americans, especially today. folk songs of the era, including "Camptown Copland’s most famous works for orchestra Races" and "On Springfield Mountain". include Billy the Kid, a “cowboy ballet” that Copland finished Lincoln Portrait in April 1942. The text of the premiered in Chicago on October 16, 1938. narration contains some descriptive comments ("Abe Lincoln Although built around the character of the was a quiet and a melancholy man") and excerpts from six of notorious 1870s outlaw Henry McCarty, whose Lincoln’s writings, including this from his Annual Message to alias of William H. Bonney led to his nickname Congress (State of the Union) on December 1, 1862: “Billy the Kid,” the ballet is more about the Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history.

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