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Hodgson Wind Ensemble Program Notes The Hodgson Christian Lindberg (Born 1958) Wind Ensemble Concerto for Winds and Percussion (2003) Thursday Scholarship Series Christian Lindberg is widely considered Thursday to be one of the finest trombone soloists to have ever lived. In fact, in September, 2015, 2017 • 7:30 p.m. he was voted “The Greatest Brass Player in March 2 History” by the world’s largest classical ra- dio station, Classic FM. Born in Danderyd, Sweden (a suburb of Stockholm), he began playing the trumpet in his youth and later conductorCynthia Johnston Turner took up the trombone as a teenager in order to join a friend’s Dixieland band. His formal pianoEvgeny Rivkin studies began in 1976 at the Swedish Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm, and con- tinued at the Royal College of Music in Lon- Gershwin Gala don, as well as in Los Angeles. He has since pursued a spectacular career exclusively as a soloist, with over one hundred concerts a PROGRAM year in major venues, and the premieres of over fifty works for trombone and orches- Lindberg Concerto for Winds and Percussion (2003) tra. Lindberg was given the honorary title of Prince Consort Professor by the Royal Col- simply put down on paper. To say anything lege of Music in 1994, and was appointed a more about my work would be pretentious Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue (1924) professor at the Swedish Royal Academy of nonsense.” Trans. Hunsberger Music in 1996. The Concerto for Winds and Percussion was Lately, Lindberg’s career has successfully commissioned by British conductor Timo- Gershwin An American in Paris (1928) turned towards conducting. He has served as thy Reynish for the World Association of the primary conductor of the Nordic Cham- Trans. Satone Symphonic Bands and Ensembles’ biannual ber Orchestra, Swedish Wind Ensemble, festival held in 2002 in Jönköping, Sweden. and Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic Or- It is a musically diverse and demanding chestra. He has appeared as guest conductor work, both technically and stylistically. The with many of the world’s finest orchestras, composer writes, “When performing this including the Royal Flemish Philharmonic, piece together in 2003, I knew, although it The Hugh Hodgson School of Music and the Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall are named in Nurnberger Symphoniker, the RTÉ Nation- was a secret, that I was going to start as chief honor of native Athenian and UGA graduate Hugh Leslie Hodgson. In 1928, Hodgson al Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Shang- conductor for the Swedish Wind Ensemble became the University’s first music professor and first chairman of the Department of hai Opera Orchestra, National Orchestra of in 2005. The work is dedicated to this fine Music. He retired from the University in 1960. The Thursday Scholarship Series began Brazil, and the Taipei Symphony. Currently, ensemble, and every part is particularly tai- in 1980 and continues the tradition of “Music Appreciation Programs” started by Hugh Lindberg is the Music Director of the Israel lored for each of its players. The piece has Hodgson in the 1930s. Proceeds from these concerts are the primary source of funds Netanya Kibbutz Orchestra. been frequently performed by ensembles throughout the world, which of course is for School of Music scholarships. Lindberg’s philosophy regarding his work as particularly rewarding for a composer to a composer is simple: “I do not write in any notice!” style whatsoever! I just listen to what my – Program Note by Matt Sadowski HODGSON CONCERT HALL brain and my soul tell me, and what I hear I 8 Performance UGA February March 2017 9 Hodgson Wind Ensemble George Gershwin (1898-1937) was directed by Vincente Minnelli, featured Rachmaninoff, John Philip Sousa, Leopold many tunes by Gershwin, and concluded Stokowski, and Igor Stravinsky. There were An American In Paris (1928) with an extensive, elaborate dance sequence subsequent performances on March 7 and built around Gershwin’s symphonic poem. April 21, and a recording was made for Vic- Brooklyn native George Gershwin is widely tor Records on June 10. A second recording regarded as one of the pioneers of incorpo- – Program Note by Bradley Esau was scheduled in 1927 during which Ger- rating jazz into the classical idiom. A ver- shwin and Whiteman had strong disagree- satile composer, his compositions include George Gershwin ments. During those three years, Whiteman works for solo piano, orchestra, Broadway had made changes in the work with which theatre, opera, and film scores. He studied (1924) Rhapsody in Blue Gershwin disagreed. Their argument at the piano under Charles Hambitzer, and com- session resulted in Whiteman walking off position under Rubin Goldmark, Henry On January 4, 1924, Ira Gershwin brought the podium. The recording did take place Cowell, and Joseph Brody. Having been a a brief item in the New York Tribune to the with Gershwin performing the piano solo struggling student, he dropped out of pub- attention of his younger brother George. Its and the Whiteman Band playing the accom- lic school at the age of fifteen and began his heading read, “Whiteman Judges Named. paniment, but Nathaniel Shilkret, Victor Re- career as a “song-plugger,” whose job was to Committee Will Decide ‘What Is American cord’s director of light music, served as the promote and sell new music through piano Music.’” According to the advertisement conductor. performances and recordings. During the (purely a media ploy), Paul Whiteman had 1920s, he worked with lyricist Buddy De- assembled an impressive group of musi- In ensuing years, there were a number of Sylva on several opera compositions, most cians, including Sergei Rachmaninoff and versions of Rhapsody in Blue produced to notably Blue Monday and Porgy and Bess. Jascha Heifetz, to witness a concert of new along the Paris boulevards – Gershwin and satisfy the public’s demand for as many ac- They also co-wrote a Broadway musical en- American music. This concert was to be his friend, Mabel Schirmer, went shopping cessible renditions as possible. As the work’s titled La La Lucille. In 1924, George and his presented on the afternoon of February 12, for several of those in the automobile shops popularity increased, the desire for a pub- brother Ira Gershwin collaborated to write just five weeks away. Included in the concert in downtown Paris with the intention of in- lished large ensemble version led to Grofé’s a musical comedy called Lady Be Good. would be “a jazz concerto” on which George corporating the sounds into his “rhapsodic 1926 setting for theater orchestra, followed This was the beginning of a duo that would Gershwin was currently “at work.” Busy ballet.” by an expanded version for full symphony produce many songs that would become a with his show Sweet Little Devil, Gershwin orchestra and a setting for concert band part of the “Great American Songbook.” When asked about the piece, Gershwin stated: had not begun to compose such a concerto, (1928), both by Grofé as well. though he and Whiteman had casually talk- Gershwin moved to Paris in 1925, to seek I have not endeavored to present any ed about his writing a special piece for the The 1928 concert band setting was flawed the tutelage of composers Nadia Boulanger definite scenes in this music. The band. The composer began work on Rhap- and somewhat unusable without consider- and Maurice Ravel, but both of them de- rhapsody is programmatic in a gener- sody in Blue on Monday, January 7. able alteration. The primary problem lay clined to take him as a student, fearing that al Impressionistic sort of way, so that in the absence of the solo piano, as Grofé it would disrupt his musical style. Ravel the individual listener can read into Though a gifted melodist, Gershwin was ill- distributed the instrument’s musical mate- said, “Why would you want to be a second- the music such episodes as his imagi- equipped to score the accompaniment. To rial to various other voices of the ensemble. rate Ravel when you can be a first-rate Ger- nation pictures for him. The opening assist him, Whiteman offered the services After Grofé’s arrangement was published in shwin?” This inspired George to write one section is followed by a rich ‘blues’ of his chief arranger, Ferde Grofé, who com- facsimile in 1987, an erratum was created of his most famous works, An American in with a strong rhythmic undercurrent. pleted the score on February 4. The first of and made available with the score indicat- Paris. He would later return to the United Our American friend, perhaps after five rehearsals was held immediately, dur- ing cuts and deletions in the band version States and relocate to Los Angeles, Califor- strolling into a cafe, has suddenly ing which several modifications were made to adapt for the re-addition of the original nia, where he wrote several film scores. His succumbed to a spasm of homesick- both to Gershwin’s music and Grofé’s ar- solo piano part. Also, unlike the scoring of career was cut short by a malignant brain ness. The blues rises to a climax fol- rangement. Most notable among these was a the symphony orchestra version in which tumor, and he died during a surgical proce- lowed by a coda in which the spirit of change to the opening clarinet solo. Gersh- chord tones were characteristically assigned dure on July 11, 1937. the music returns to the vivacity and win had originally written a seventeen-note to specific players or sections, these chord bubbling exuberance of the opening slur, however Ross Gorman (Whiteman’s tones were voiced within individual sec- Gershwin began work on An American in part with its impressions of Paris.

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