Philharmonia 3-16-2021
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Buffalo State College Philharmonia Tuesday, March 16, 2021 Gymnopédies Erik Satie - Program - (1866-1925) Orch. Claude Debussy Sinfonia in G-major Johann Stamitz I. Lent et grave (1717-1757) II. Lent et douloureux I. Allegro II. Larghetto III. Presto From The Marriage of Figaro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart “Voi, che sapete” (1756-1792) Serenade Roman Hoffstetter Caitlyn Faddis, mezzo-soprano (long attributed to Franz Joseph Haydn) (1742-1815) From Don Giovanni “Deh vieni alla finestra” Concerto for Oboe and Strings Domenico Cimarosa Michael Parrizzi, baritone (1749-1801) I. Introduzione – Larghetto Arr. Arthur Benjamin II. Allegro From The Philosopher’s Stone III. Siciliana “Now, Lovely Maiden” [The Cat Duet] IV. Allegro giusto Caitlyn Faddis, Michael Parrizzi, the loving couple Kristen Stadelmeier, oboe The Buffalo State College Philharmonia Our opening piece is Johann Stamitz’s Symphony in G Major. Also known by his Bohemian name Jan Stamic, he was in any case a pioneer for the Violin I Violin I Mannheim School in the mid-18th century. Known for formulating the Emma Schutt, Madison Marsala, principal classical symphony and focus on dynamics, Stamitz led the transition from concertmaster Melanie Bitka the Baroque era to the Classical era. He was an early adopter of orchestrating Phyllis Galie Grace Brzykcy pieces featuring winds and horns playing thematic melodies and an early Michael Kukla Jarrett Brzykcy promotor of the four-movement symphony. However, you will not hear Sherrie Bernat Cheyenne Watkins either of those elements tonight since our symphony is for strings only and Cameron Jackson in three movements. Viola Violoncello The first movement is a brisk allegro. The themes will be repeated AA, BB. Nick D’Amaro Michael Hoppe-Spink You will then hear great contrasts and dissonant chords particularly in the Kristen Stadelmaier Christina Scioli slower second movement. While you will also notice that both the first (and Alexander Hellert last) movements are in an upbeat G Major; the second movement is in a more Contrabass Nick Chiapetta sullen F Major. Finally, the third movement is a lively presto also in a binary AA, BB format. If you are a big Mannheim fan (and I know many of you Yamilla Tate Flute music majors watching are), you will already be aware that the Mannheim Michael Parrizzi Skyler Graham School pioneered the so-called Mannheim Rocket. The rocket is a rapid major or minor scale usually to open a movement. It’s here in the third Clarinet Oboe movement, which we start to see the beginnings of this motif used. Felicity Barnes Kristen Stadelmaier Julianna Ellis With, that we welcome you to the Buffalo State Philharmonia’s March Josephine Klaczyk Alto Saxophone Concert. Our director Dr. Thomas Witakowski once again had to work extra Rachel Ward hard this semester as unfortunately budget cuts don’t permit us a librarian, Percussion stage manager or section leaders. To describe our director we would quote Cassidy Faddis Trumpet the message on Stamitz’s headstone, “so expert in his art that his equal will Christina King hardly be found.” Euphonium [Director’s note from Dr. Witakowski: I did not pay him to write this.] Lindsey Roth of Catherine the Great. However the court wasn’t really interested in his Andante Cantabile work. So, he wrote 81 keyboard sonatas in his free time. Although debatable For our next work we can introduce the wind section both to you and to this whether any of them were meant to be together originally, in the 1940s piece, which was originally for strings only. Due to covid-restrictions, the Australian composer Arthur Benjamin compiled the most complex sonatas orchestra was divided into two rehearsals, one for winds during the day and 23, 24, 29 and 31 into one piece. The order is changed from the original another for strings in the evening. We will play Josef Haydn’s Serenade for sonatas. Benjamin is mostly known for writing Jamaican style rumbas and Strings, Opus. 3 no. 5, Movement II - Andante cantabile. However, the as the inaugural conductor of the CBC Radio Symphony Orchestra in authorship is disputed. It is far more likely that this piece was written by Canada. He dedicated the Concerto to a famous oboist of that time, Evelyn the lesser-known fellow German Roman Hoffstetter instead. Hoffstetter was Barbirolli. Tonight, we dedicate the performance to another woman known a priest working as Küchenmeister (roughly a chef) and Regens chori (choir for her oboe playing. The solo is performed by returning Buffalo State alum director) at the Amarbach Monastery in Odenwald mountain region of Kristen Stadelmaier. She also plays viola and several other instruments such present-day Germany. In fact, it is now believed he wrote some of the string as English horn. quartets previously attributed to Haydn. Although he was a prolific composer of operettas, Cimarosa himself Andante Cantabile is occasionally marked “Frühsommer” (Early summer). preferred his more serious works. Based on Benjamin’s arrangement, this is As the seasons change out of Winter, imagine the melody as a meadow in of a more serious nature. So, it’s with great excitement we present one of full bloom, the sun shining, a warm breeze blowing and bees buzzing. Yet Cimarosa’s more serious works tonight. it won’t feel like the dog-days of summer when everything is brown and wilted. It is that perfect time when it all feels new. Meanwhile the constant Gymnopédies pizzicato from the lower strings sounds like several tennis players serving The Gymnopédies are pianist Erik Satie’s arguably most famous works. He the ball back and forth. You will hear various harmonies carried on the originally released movements I & III in 1888 and movement II in 1895. breeze including from the added wind section. But most of all, it will be While these piano ballads sparked the interest of French critics and the public calm and relaxing. So, please recline back, close your eyes and let it all go. when they originally came out, Satie’s financial situation was poor by the Do that for us since we’ll be busy playing. mid-1890s. To help out his friend, rising star Claude Debussy orchestrated movements III and I (reversing the order from the original piano), attracting Concerto for Oboe and Strings attention for Satie. This version with further orchestration by our very own Domenico Cimarosa’s Concerto for Oboe and Strings was scored originally Director Thomas Witakowski is what you will hear tonight. Changes include for keyboard. You will hear modern, almost jazzy elements appearing replacing the harp with marimba in the second movement. Now, we cannot centuries before their time - these movements originally were written 1787. tell you we are excited to perform this piece. After all, the first movement Cimarosa tried to compose opera for the Russian court under the patronage is marked “lent et douloureux” (slow and painful) whilst the second is “lent et grave” (slow and grave). So rather we are sitting in a Parisian café The last of our three Mozart selections, Nun liebes Weibchen, (The Cat contemplating the past and our existence while people watching. Or perhaps Duet), is a relatively unknown piece. It was originally part of the we are walking alongside a still pond reminiscing. So, get sucked into the collaboration among Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and four other composers. ambience which would inspire so much ambient music thereafter. Mozart contributed some material for Der Stein der Weisen, a fantastical opera translated roughly as “The Philosopher’s Stone.” The piece was lost Three Selections from Mozart’s Operatic Repertoire for many years after the Soviet invasion of Vienna during World War II. Voi Che Sapete is a famous theme from “Il Nozze di Figaro” (The Marriage Only after its collapse did musicologists determine, from a partial autograph, of Figaro) Act II Scene 3. In it, the impish young page Cherubino sings of that several of the songs from Der Stein der Weisen were actually written by love. In his case he goes looking for it in all the wrong places. The Countess Mozart. The collaboration would give way to the more profitable show The and her maid, Susanna, try to dress Cherubino as a woman to fool the Magic Flute, the next year. The Cat Duet features Lubano (Parrizzi) and philandering Count in one of many schemes the cast of the opera creates. Lubanara (Faddis) as a tired husband and wife heading off to bed. However, That role is however what we in the theatre business call a breeches role. rather than going, Lubanara starts acting strange. She begins meowing like That’s when an actress dresses in tighter male clothing often to play a male a cat uncontrollably as if under a spell. At first, Lubano is confused, but soprano. Now our lovely singer Caitlyn Faddis will not be breaches (at least grows more exasperated and disturbed at cruel fate for turning his wife into not based on the information your trusty compiler has) but she will perform a cat. There are rumours that Mozart would impersonate a cat while Voi Che Sapete, the first piece from our trio of Mozart operatic works. entertaining drunk at parties, jumping up on furniture and meowing or hissing. Now I, your once again trusty compiler, cannot vouch for these But speaking of compromised nobles, no other is so compromised nor as rumours. We know Mozart had some off-colour comedic bits, but either famous as Don Giovanni, (known as Don Juan to Spaniards). Mozart’s opera way, enjoy this fun and bizarre little selection. Don Giovanni is said to have marked the transition from the classical period to the romantic period.