Notes on the Program by Ken Meltzer Suite from Appalachian Spring
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Notes on the Program by Ken Meltzer Suite from Appalachian Spring (1945) Aaron Copland was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 14, 1900, and died in Tarrytown, New York, on December 2, 1990. The first performance of the ballet, Appalachian Spring, took place at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., on October 30, 1944. The premiere of Appalachian Spring, Suite from the Ballet, occurred in Carnegie Hall in New York City on October 4, 1945, with Artur Rodzinski conducting the New York Philharmonic. The first performance of this work by the Charlotte Symphony took place on March 8 & 9, 1967 with Richard Cormier conducting at Ovens Auditorium. The eighth and most recent performance set took place on September 11 & 12, 2009 with Larry Rachleff conducting in the Belk Theater of the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. In 1943, the legendary American dancer and choreographer Martha Graham accepted a commission to stage new works for the Festival of the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation, held at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. For that event, Graham, in turn, commissioned music by three prominent contemporary composers—Paul Hindemith, Darius Milhaud, and Aaron Copland. It was Graham who chose the title for Copland's piece—Appalachian Spring, taken from the heading of a poem by Hart Crane. Copland began work on the score in June of 1943. Because of various delays, the premiere of Appalachian Spring (as well as of the Hindemith and Milhaud ballets) did not occur until October 30, 1944. Graham and Eric Hawkins danced the principal roles. Copland scored the original ballet for a chamber group of thirteen instruments. Subsequently, Copland arranged a Suite from Appalachian Spring for a larger ensemble. The Suite received its premiere in 1945. That same year, Appalachian Spring won both the Pulitzer Prize for music and the Music Critics Circle of New York award for outstanding theatrical work of the 1944-5 season. Appalachian Spring takes place in the early part of the 19th century, in the hills of Pennsylvania. The story concerns the wedding of a young farmer and his bride. The Suite is divided into eight sections, performed without pause. The composer authored the following program notes for the Suite’s 1945 premiere: I. Very Slowly. Introduction of the characters, one by one, in a suffused light. 2. Fast. Sudden burst of unison strings in A-major arpeggios starts the action. A sentiment both exalted and religious gives the keynote to this scene. 3. Moderate. Duo for the bride and her Intended—scene of tenderness and passion. 4. Quite fast. The revivalist and his flock. Folksy feelings—suggestions of square dances and country fiddlers. 5. Still faster. Solo dance of the Bride—presentiment of motherhood. Extremes of joy and fear and wonder. 6. Very slowly (as at first). Transition scenes reminiscent of the introduction. 7. Calm and flowing. Scenes of daily activity for the Bride and her Farmer-husband. There are five variations on a Shaker theme. The theme, sung by a solo clarinet, was taken from a collection of Shaker melodies compiled by Edward D. Andrews, and published later under the title The Gift to be Simple. The melody I borrowed and used almost literally is called “Simple Gifts.” ‘Tis the gift to be simple ‘Tis the gift to be free, ‘Tis the gift to come down Where we ought to be. And when we find ourselves In the place just right ‘Twill be in the valley Of love and delight. When true simplicity is gain’d To bow and to bend we shan’t be asham’d To turn, turn will be our delight, ‘Till by turning, turning we come out right. 8. Moderate. Coda. The Bride takes her place among her neighbors. At the end the couple are left “quiet and strong in their new house.” Muted strings intone a hushed, prayer-like passage. We hear a last echo of the principal theme sung by the flute and a solo violin. The close is reminiscent of the opening music. The score calls for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, two trombones, timpani, xylophone, snare drum, bass drum, suspended cymbals, tabor, wood block, claves, glockenspiel, triangle, harp, piano, and strings. Duration: ca. 23 minutes Concerto No. 1 for Piano, Trumpet, and Orchestra in C minor, Opus 35 (1933) Dmitri Shostakovich was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on September 25, 1906, and died in Moscow, Russia, on August 9, 1975. The first performance of the Piano Concerto No. 1 took place in Leningrad (St. Petersburg) on October 15, 1933, with the composer as soloist and Fritz Stiedry conducting the Leningrad Philharmonic. The first and only prior performance of this work by the Charlotte Symphony took place on March 19, 1988 with Leo Driehuys conducting at Dana Auditorium on the campus of Queens University. In the spring of 1933, Dmitri Shostakovich began work on his first Piano Concerto. The composer later confided to a student that he first intended the work to be a concerto for trumpet and orchestra. However, Shostakovich finally decided to fashion the work as a piano concerto, featuring a prominent, and quite brilliant, trumpet part. Shostakovich, a highly accomplished pianist, was the soloist in the premiere of his Piano Concerto No. 1, featured as part of the Leningrad Philharmonic’s opening concert of the season. Fritz Stiedry conducted the performance, which took place October 15, 1933. On December 9 of that year, Shostakovich was again the soloist in the Moscow premiere of the Piano Concerto. Five days later, Shostakovich offered the following commentary on his new work: What is the basic artistic theme of this concerto? I do not consider it necessary to follow the example of many composers, who try to explain the context of their works by means of extreme definitions borrowed from related fields of art. I cannot describe the content of my concerto by any means other than those I used to write the concerto… I am a Soviet composer. Our age, as I perceive it, is heroic, spirited and joyful. That is what I wanted to convey in my concerto. It is for the audience, and possibly the music critics, to judge whether or not I succeeded. History has demonstrated that Shostakovich’s public characterizations of his music to the Soviet government and people did not always comport with the work’s actual emotional impact. The beauty of music is that it allows each listener to draw his own conclusions and meaning. The Shostakovich Concerto in C minor is scored for an ensemble consisting of solo piano, trumpet, and string orchestra. The work is in four movements, played without pause. The first (Allegro moderato) is based upon two contrasting principal themes, both introduced by the soloist. The slow-tempo second movement (Lento), in ¾ time, journeys to a ffff explosion, before resolving to a peaceful close. The brief third movement (Moderato) serves as a bridge to the finale (Allegro con brio), featuring numerous comic touches. In addition to the solo piano, the score calls for trumpet and strings. Duration: ca. 21 minutes Symphony No. 104 in D Major, “London” (1795) Franz Joseph Haydn was born in Rohrau, Austria, on March 31, 1732, and died in Vienna, Austria, on May 31, 1809. The first performance of the Symphony No. 104 took place at the King’s Theatre in London, England, on May 4, 1795. The first performance of this work by the Charlotte Symphony took place on January 14, 1987 with David Agler conducting at Ovens Auditorium. The second and most recent performance took place on ________ with ______ conducting for the occasion of the Charlotte Symphony’s 70th anniversary. Johann Peter Salomon, a German-born violinist, composer, and impresario who resided in London, was responsible for convincing Franz Joseph Haydn to make two trips (1791- 2, 1794-5) from his native Austria to the great English city. Both Haydn and his music were accorded an extraordinary outpouring of enthusiasm and affection by the London public. Those triumphant London years were, according to Haydn, the happiest of his life. They were certainly years of tremendous productivity. Haydn composed numerous works for performance by the superb London musicians at his disposal. These compositions include various chamber and vocal pieces, and twelve magnificent Symphonies (Nos. 93-104). Collectively, the twelve “London” Symphonies form one of the great monuments of the Classical era. The premiere of the Symphony No. 104 (which also bears the individual nickname of “London”) occurred during a May 4, 1795 concert, held for Haydn’s benefit at the King’s Theater in the Haymarket. As the composer recalled: “The whole company was thoroughly pleased and so was I. I made four thousand Gulden on this evening. Such a thing is only possible in England.” The Symphony begins with a dramatic slow-tempo introduction (Adagio), notable for its striking juxtaposition of dynamics. The motifs of the introduction foreshadow the thematic material of not just the first movement, but of the entire work. After a brief pause, the violins softly introduce the opening theme of the principal Allegro, which soon erupts in celebratory fashion. The slow-tempo second movement (Andante) is in A— B—A form, with the central section offering moments of great drama, even violence. The third-movement’s principal Menuet (Allegro) has a decidedly vigorous and rustic character. The central Trio, piano throughout, and featuring several woodwind solos, is far more elegant. Over a drone bass, the first violins introduce the Finale’s (Spiritoso) principal theme, the origin of which has been traced to such diverse sources as a Croatian folk melody, London street-hawkers’ cries of “Hot Cross Buns,” or even, perhaps, “Live Cod!” In any event, this melody serves as the basis for one of Haydn’s greatest finales, music filled with energy, high spirits, and delightful surprises at every turn.