Stravinsky and Prokofiev

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Stravinsky and Prokofiev 27 Season 2017-2018 Thursday, March 22, at 7:30 The Philadelphia Orchestra Friday, March 23, at 2:00 Saturday, March 24, Lahav Shani at 8:00 Conductor David Bilger Trumpet C. Lindberg Akbank Bunka, for trumpet and chamber orchestra I. Akolebank II. Japabunka III. Turkjazz First Philadelphia Orchestra performances Stravinsky Suite from The Firebird (1919 version) I. Introduction—The Firebird and its Dance II. The Princesses’ Round Dance III. Infernal Dance of King Kastcheï— IV. Berceuse— V. Finale Intermission ProkofievSymphony No. 5 in B-flat major, Op. 100 I. Andante II. Allegro marcato III. Adagio IV. Allegro giocoso This program runs approximately 1 hour, 55 minutes. The March 22 concert is sponsored by American Airlines. The March 22 concert is also sponsored by Joseph Neubauer and Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer. The March 23 concert is sponsored by Gail Ehrlich in memory of Dr. George E. Ehrlich. Philadelphia Orchestra concerts are broadcast on WRTI 90.1 FM on Sunday afternoons at 1 PM, and are repeated on Monday evenings at 7 PM on WRTI HD 2. Visit www.wrti.org to listen live or for more details. 28 29 The Philadelphia Orchestra Jessica Griffin The Philadelphia Orchestra Philadelphia is home and impact through Research. is one of the preeminent the Orchestra continues The Orchestra’s award- orchestras in the world, to discover new and winning Collaborative renowned for its distinctive inventive ways to nurture Learning programs engage sound, desired for its its relationship with its over 50,000 students, keen ability to capture the loyal patrons at its home families, and community hearts and imaginations of in the Kimmel Center, members through programs audiences, and admired for and also with those who such as PlayINs, side-by- a legacy of imagination and enjoy the Orchestra’s area sides, PopUP concerts, innovation on and off the performances at the Mann free Neighborhood concert stage. The Orchestra Center, Penn’s Landing, Concerts, School Concerts, is inspiring the future and and other cultural, civic, and residency work in transforming its rich tradition and learning venues. The Philadelphia and abroad. of achievement, sustaining Orchestra maintains a strong Through concerts, tours, the highest level of artistic commitment to collaborations residencies, presentations, quality, but also challenging— with cultural and community and recordings, The and exceeding—that level, organizations on a regional Philadelphia Orchestra is and national level, all of which by creating powerful musical a global ambassador for create greater access and experiences for audiences at Philadelphia and for the engagement with classical home and around the world. US. Having been the first music as an art form. American orchestra to Music Director Yannick The Philadelphia Orchestra perform in China, in 1973 Nézet-Séguin’s connection serves as a catalyst for at the request of President to the Orchestra’s musicians cultural activity across Nixon, the ensemble today has been praised by Philadelphia’s many boasts new five-year both concertgoers and communities, building an partnerships with Beijing’s critics since his inaugural offstage presence as strong National Centre for the season in 2012. Under his as its onstage one. With Performing Arts and the leadership the Orchestra Nézet-Séguin, a dedicated Shanghai Media Group. In returned to recording, body of musicians, and one 2018 the Orchestra travels with three celebrated of the nation’s richest arts to Europe and Israel. The CDs on the prestigious ecosystems, the Orchestra Orchestra annually performs Deutsche Grammophon has launched its HEAR at Carnegie Hall while also label, continuing its history initiative, a portfolio of enjoying summer residencies of recording success. The integrated initiatives that in Saratoga Springs, NY, and Orchestra also reaches promotes Health, champions Vail, CO. For more information thousands of listeners on the music Education, eliminates on The Philadelphia radio with weekly broadcasts barriers to Accessing the Orchestra, please visit on WRTI-FM and SiriusXM. orchestra, and maximizes www.philorch.org. 30 Conductor Marco Borggreve Israeli conductor Lahav Shani makes his Philadelphia Orchestra debut with these performances. His conducting career was launched when he won first prize at the 2013 Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition in Bamberg. Since then he has established himself as one of the most talked-about young conducting talents, making a huge impression with his astonishing maturity and natural, instinctive musicality. He will become chief conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic in September 2018, taking over from Yannick Nézet-Séguin and becoming the youngest chief conductor in the orchestra’s history, and in the 2020-21 season he will succeed Zubin Mehta as music director of the Israel Philharmonic. This season he became principal guest conductor of the Vienna Symphony, following a number of appearances with the ensemble since his debut in May 2015, including a major European tour in January 2016. Mr. Shani’s recent and upcoming highlights as a guest conductor include the Bavarian Radio, Berlin Radio, Bamberg, London, and Boston symphonies; the Royal Concertgebouw, Tonhalle, Philharmonia, and Budapest Festival orchestras; the Dresden Staatskapelle; the Orchestre de Paris; and the Royal Stockholm and Radio France philharmonics. He made his debut with the Berlin Staatskapelle in 2014 and has since returned regularly to conduct at the Berlin Staatsoper and for symphonic concerts. In December 2015 he stepped in, on short notice, to make his debut with the Vienna Philharmonic in the Musikverein, where he led Bach’s Concerto in D minor from the keyboard and conducted Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. In October 2013 he was invited to open the Israel Philharmonic’s season. An immediate re-invitation followed for the next two seasons and in December 2016 he conducted the final concert of the orchestra’s 80th birthday celebrations. His close relationship with the Israel Philharmonic started in 2007 when he performed Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto under the baton of Mr. Mehta. Mr. Shani was born in Tel Aviv in 1989 and started his piano studies at the age of six. He completed his studies in conducting and piano at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin. As a student he was mentored by Daniel Barenboim. 31 Soloist Jessica Griffin David Bilger (Marguerite and Gerry Lenfest Chair) has held the position of principal trumpet of The Philadelphia Orchestra since 1995. Prior to joining the Orchestra, he held the same position with the Dallas Symphony. As a soloist he has appeared with The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony, the Houston Symphony, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, the Oakland Symphony, the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and Philharmonia Virtuosi of New York. His solo appearances with The Philadelphia Orchestra include Hummel’s Trumpet Concerto, the United States premiere of Herbert Willi’s Eirene, the Tomasi Trumpet Concerto at Carnegie Hall and on tour in North and South America, Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto, Copland’s Quiet City, and Bloch’s Proclamation. He has performed recitals in New York, Washington DC, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and other major American cities. Mr. Bilger has appeared with the National Brass Ensemble and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, with which he recorded Bach’s Second Brandenburg Concerto. Other chamber music appearances include Chamber Music Northwest, the New York Trumpet Ensemble, Saint Luke’s Chamber Ensemble, as well as guest appearances with the Canadian Brass and the Empire Brass. He also released a recording of new electro-acoustic music for trumpet and synthesizers with composer Meg Bowles. Mr. Bilger is currently on the faculties of the Curtis Institute of Music and Temple University, and he has formerly been affiliated with the University of Georgia, Swarthmore College, Catholic University, Rice University, and the University of North Texas. In the fall of 2018, he will join the adjunct faculty of Northwestern University. He has performed master classes at dozens of institutions, including the Juilliard School of Music, Indiana University, the University of Michigan, the Manhattan School of Music, and the Peabody Conservatory. He has also taught at the Hamamatsu International Festival and Academy, the Pacific Music Festival, the National Orchestral Institute, and at the Aspen Music Festival and School. Mr. Bilger holds a Master of Music degree from Juilliard and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Illinois. He performs on instruments made for him by Yamaha. 32 Framing the Program A range of traditions that inspired Christian Lindberg’s Parallel Events eclectic, virtuosic Akbank Bunka is partly reflected in the title, 1910 Music which is a combination of Turkish and Japanese: Akbank Stravinsky Elgar is the name of a Turkish bank and bunka means culture in The Firebird Violin Concerto Japanese. The jazz-inflected trumpet concerto with chamber Literature orchestra features Principal Trumpet David Bilger. Forster Howard’s End Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird proved to be the young Russian Art composer’s breakout success in 1910. The impresario Modigliani Sergei Diaghilev commissioned the work for his Ballets The Cellist Russes in Paris and its immediate popularity led to two History more revolutionary ballets: Petrushka in 1911 and The Rite of Japan annexes Spring in 1913. All three have found an even more welcome Korea place in the concert hall as dazzling orchestral showpieces.
Recommended publications
  • Sergei Prokofiev Russia Modern Era Composer (1891-1953)
    Hey Kids, Meet Sergei Prokofiev Russia Modern Era Composer (1891-1953) Sergei Prokofiev was born in Russia on April 27, 1891. He began studying the piano with his mother at the age of three. By the age of five Sergei was displaying unusual musical abilities. His first composition, written down by his mother, was called Indian Gallop. By the age of nine he had written his first opera, The Giant. At the age of thirteen Sergei entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory having already produced a whole portfolio of compositions. While at the conservatory he studied with Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Later in his life, Prokofiev was said to have regretted not having taken full advantage of this opportunity. The music that Prokofiev composed was new and different. He brought to the concert hall strange new harmonies, dynamic rhythms and lots of humor. When the Russian Revolution broke out, Prokofiev traveled to America. He hoped he would be able to compose in peace. American audiences, however, were not ready for his new sounds so he moved to Paris. In Paris, Prokofiev found greater success where his operas and ballets were well liked. Prokofiev returned to Russia in 1932 spending the last 19 years of his life in his home country. During this time, he produced some of his finest works including Peter and the Wolf for chamber orchestra and narrator, and the score for his ballet Romeo and Juliet which contained some of his most inspired music. Sergei Prokofiev died on March 5, 1953 as one of the most admired composers of the twentieth century.
    [Show full text]
  • Comparison and Contrast of Performance Practice for the Tuba
    COMPARISON AND CONTRAST OF PERFORMANCE PRACTICE OF THE TUBA IN IGOR STRAVINSKY’S THE RITE OF SPRING, DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH’S SYMPHONY NO. 5 IN D MAJOR, OP. 47, AND SERGEI PROKOFIEV’S SYMPHONY NO. 5 IN B FLAT MAJOR, OP. 100 Roy L. Couch, B.M., M.M. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS May 2006 APPROVED: Donald C. Little, Major Professor Eugene Migliaro Corporon, Minor Professor Keith Johnson, Committee Member Brian Bowman, Coordinator of Brass Instrument Studies Graham Phipps, Program Coordinator of Graduate Studies in the College of Music James C. Scott, Dean of the College of Music Sandra L. Terrell, Dean of the Robert B. Toulouse School of Graduate Studies Couch, Roy L., Comparison and Contrast of Performance Practice for the Tuba in Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 in D major, Op. 47, and Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 in B flat major, Op. 100, Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance), May 2006, 46 pp.,references, 63 titles. Performance practice is a term familiar to serious musicians. For the performer, this means assimilating and applying all the education and training that has been pursued in a course of study. Performance practice entails many aspects such as development of the craft of performing on the instrument, comprehensive knowledge of pertinent literature, score study and listening to recordings, study of instruments of the period, notation and articulation practices of the time, and issues of tempo and dynamics. The orchestral literature of Eastern Europe, especially Germany and Russia, from the mid-nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth century provides some of the most significant and musically challenging parts for the tuba.
    [Show full text]
  • Rimsky-Korsakov Overture and Suites from the Operas
    CHAN 10369(2) X RIMSKY-KORSAKOV OVERTURE AND SUITES FROM THE OPERAS Scottish National Orchestra Neeme Järvi 21 CCHANHAN 110369(2)X0369(2)X BBOOK.inddOOK.indd 220-210-21 221/8/061/8/06 110:02:490:02:49 Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908) COMPACT DISC ONE 1 Overture to ‘May Night’ 9:06 Suite from ‘The Snow Maiden’ 13:16 2 I Beautiful Spring 4:28 Drawing by Ilya Repin /AKG Images 3 II Dance of the Birds 3:18 4 III The Procession of Tsar Berendey 1:49 5 IV Dance of the Tumblers 3:40 Suite from ‘Mlada’ 19:18 6 I Introduction 3:19 7 II Redowa. A Bohemian Dance 3:55 8 III Lithuanian Dance 2:24 9 IV Indian Dance 4:21 10 V Procession of the Nobles 5:18 Suite from ‘Christmas Eve’ 29:18 11 Christmas Night – 6:15 12 Ballet of the Stars – 5:21 13 Witches’ sabbath and ride on the Devil’s back – 5:30 14 Polonaise – 5:47 15 Vakula and the slippers 6:23 TT 71:30 Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov, 1888 3 CCHANHAN 110369(2)X0369(2)X BBOOK.inddOOK.indd 22-3-3 221/8/061/8/06 110:02:420:02:42 COMPACT DISC TWO Rimsky-Korsakov: Overture and Suites from the Operas Musical Pictures from ‘The Tale of Tsar Saltan’ 21:29 1 I Tsar’s departure and farewell 4:57 2 II Tsarina adrift at sea in a barrel 8:43 Among Russian composers of the same year he was posted to the clipper Almaz on 3 III The three wonders 7:48 generation as Tchaikovsky, who were which he sailed on foreign service for almost prominent in the latter part of the three years, putting in at Gravesend (with a 4 The Flight of the Bumble-bee 3:22 nineteenth century, Nikolai Andreyevich visit to London), cruising the Atlantic coasts Interlude, Act III, from The Tale of Tsar Saltan Rimsky-Korsakov is unrivalled in his of North and South America, the Cape Verde mastery of orchestral resource.
    [Show full text]
  • Tonical Ambiguity in Three Pieces by Sergei Prokofiev
    TONICAL AMBIGUITY IN THREE PIECES BY SERGEI PROKOFIEV by DAVID VINCENT EDWIN STRATKAUSKAS B.Mus.,The University of British Columbia, 1992 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (School of Music) We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA October 1996 © David Vincent Edwin Stratkauskas, 1996 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the head of my department or by his or her representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department of MlASlC- The University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada •ate OCTDKER II ; • DE-6 (2/88) ABSTRACT There is much that is traditional in the compositional style of Sergei Prokofiev, invoking the stylistic spirit of the preceding two hundred years. One familiar element is the harmonic vocabulary, as evidenced by the frequent use of simple triadic sonorities, but these seemingly simple sonorities are frequently instilled with a sense of multiple meaning, and help to facilitate a tonal style which differs from the classical norm. In this style, the conditions of monotonality do not necessarily apply; there is often a sense of the coexistence of several "tonical" possibilities.
    [Show full text]
  • Sergei Prokofiev-Romeo and Juliet Suite
    Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) Romeo and Juliet Suite We are all not so distantly removed as to firmly recognize the tumultuous changes that shaped the world between 1891 and 1953. To imagine a composer’s life and work, within this period, without taking due notice of historical background is to ‘miss the boat’ entirely. If one could mention to what extent European composers from Ravel to Elgar were affected by World War I. If one could recognize the turmoil of World War II meted out upon music composition and performance in Europe. If one could add to this the emergence of the USSR on the one hand, and the climate of modernization on the other. This modernization in all matters would be no less prevalent in music and architecture. It would bring the Bauhaus school of Design and the sonically comparable Second Viennese School of Schoenberg, Webern and Berg to the fore, and deliver through the Darmstadt period the antecedence of our entire modern tableaux. One should also recognize how very quickly all this had happened, connecting in short shrift, the Victorian age emerging triumphalist from its industrial grime - to the second Elizabethan age of jet travel, the television and the Cold War. Prokofiev’s life, career and working style reflects his extraordinary presence in the global arena marked equally by his ‘on again-off again’ relationship with the authorities in the USSR. His early compositions, especially for piano are marked with an iconoclastic, willful, unconventional, revolution of their own. By 1908/9 Prokofiev had graduated in composition from the conservatory and by 1913/14 was the pride of the student body.
    [Show full text]
  • Sonata for Flute and Piano in D Major, Op. 94 by Sergey Prokofiev
    SONATA FOR FLUTE AND PIANO IN D MAJOR, OP. 94 BY SERGEY PROKOFIEV: A PERFORMANCE GUIDE HONORS THESIS Presented to the Honors Committee of Texas State University-San Marcos in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Graduation in the Honors ColLege by Danielle Emily Stevens San Marcos, Texas May 2014 1 SONATA FOR FLUTE AND PIANO IN D MAJOR, OP. 94 BY SERGEY PROKOFIEV: A PERFORMANCE GUIDE Thesis Supervisor: ________________________________ Kay Lipton, Ph.D. School of Music Second Reader: __________________________________ Adah Toland Jones, D. A. School of Music Second Reader: __________________________________ Cynthia GonzaLes, Ph.D. School of Music Approved: ____________________________________ Heather C. GaLLoway, Ph.D. Dean, Honors ColLege 2 Abstract This thesis contains a performance guide for Sergey Prokofiev’s Sonata for Flute and Piano in D Major, Op. 94 (1943). Prokofiev is among the most important Russian composers of the twentieth century. Recognized as a leading Neoclassicist, his bold innovations in harmony and his new palette of tone colors enliven the classical structures he embraced. This is especially evident in this flute sonata, which provides a microcosm of Prokofiev’s compositional style and highlights the beauty and virtuosic breadth of the flute in new ways. In Part 1 I have constructed an historical context for the sonata, with biographical information about Prokofiev, which includes anecdotes about his personality and behavior, and a discussion of the sonata’s commission and subsequent premiere. In Part 2 I offer an anaLysis of the piece with generaL performance suggestions and specific performance practice options for flutists that will assist them as they work toward an effective performance, one that is based on both the historically informed performance context, as well as remarks that focus on particular techniques, challenges and possible performance solutions.
    [Show full text]
  • Study Guide: Graduate Placement Examination in Music History
    GRADUATE PLACEMENT EXAMINATION IN MUSIC HISTORY STUDY GUIDE The Graduate Placement Examination in Music History is designed to ascertain whether incoming graduate students have a knowledge of music history commensurate with an undergraduate degree in music. It is typically offered prior to the first day of classes each semester. Students are asked to identify important historical figures, define important terms, compose a brief essay, and draw conclusions from a musical score. Some knowledge of musical traditions beyond the Western/European classical traditions, including topics such as “world music,” “folk music,” and “popular music,” is also expected. The ninety-minute examination comprises the following sections: 1. identification of composers and schools of composition (choose from a list provided during the exam); worth 25 points, allow approximately 20 minutes 2. identification of terms (choose from a list provided during the exam); worth 25 points, allow approximately 20 minutes 3. essay (choose a topic from a list provided during the exam); worth 30 points, allow approximately 30 minutes 4. score identification, including: historical period and approximate date of composition; genre, its important stylistic features, and how/where they can be seen in the piece; and the name of the likely composer; worth 20 points, allow approximately 20 minutes. This study guide provides lists, organized by historical era (with approximate dates), of major figures, genres, and terms from music history. They are not necessarily complete or comprehensive lists of items that will appear on the test. For further review, the faculty recommend consulting the textbook (and accompanying scores and recordings) used in the undergraduate core music history sequence in the Department of Music.
    [Show full text]
  • Soviet Censorship Policy from a Musician's Perspective
    The View from an Open Window: Soviet Censorship Policy from a Musician’s Perspective By Danica Wong David Brodbeck, Ph.D. Departments of Music and European Studies Jayne Lewis, Ph.D. Department of English A Thesis Submitted in Partial Completion of the Certification Requirements for the Honors Program of the School of Humanities University of California, Irvine 24 May 2019 i Table of Contents Acknowledgments ii Abstract iii Introduction 1 The Music of Dmitri Shostakovich 9 Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District 10 The Fifth Symphony 17 The Music of Sergei Prokofiev 23 Alexander Nevsky 24 Zdravitsa 30 Shostakovich, Prokofiev, and The Crisis of 1948 35 Vano Muradeli and The Great Fellowship 35 The Zhdanov Affair 38 Conclusion 41 Bibliography 44 ii Acknowledgements While this world has been marked across time by the silenced and the silencers, there have always been and continue to be the supporters who work to help others achieve their dreams and communicate what they believe to be vital in their own lives. I am fortunate enough have a background and live in a place where my voice can be heard without much opposition, but this thesis could not have been completed without the immeasurable support I received from a variety of individuals and groups. First, I must extend my utmost gratitude to my primary advisor, Dr. David Brodbeck. I did not think that I would be able to find a humanities faculty member so in tune with both history and music, but to my great surprise and delight, I found the perfect advisor for my project.
    [Show full text]
  • Segall, Prokofiev's Symphony ..., and the Theory Of
    Prokofiev’s Symphony no. 2, Yuri Kholopov, and the Theory of Twelve-Tone Chords Christopher Segall NOTE: The examples for the (text-only) PDF version of this item are available online at: http://www.mtosmt.org/issues/mto.18.24.2/mto.18.24.2.segall.php KEYWORDS: Sergei Prokofiev, twelve-tone technique, twelve-tone chord, aggregate chord, Russian music theory, Yuri Kholopov ABSTRACT: A small collection of works, including Prokofiev’s Symphony no. 2 (1924), include chords with all twelve pitch classes. Yuri Kholopov, the foremost late-Soviet theorist, considered twelve-tone chords a branch of twelve-tone technique. Taking Prokofiev and Kholopov as a starting point, and building on prior scholarship by Martina Homma, I assemble a history and theory of twelve-tone chords. The central theoretical problem is that of differentiation: as all twelve-tone chords contain the same twelve pitch classes, there is essentially only one twelve-tone chord. Yet twelve-tone chords can be categorized on the basis of their deployment in pitch space. Twelve-tone chords tend to exhibit three common features: they avoid doublings, they have a range of about 3 to 5.5 octaves, and their vertical interval structure follows some sort of pattern. This article contextualizes twelve-tone chords within the broader early-twentieth-century experimentation with aggregate-based composition. Received May 2017 Volume 24, Number 2, July 2018 Copyright © 2018 Society for Music Theory Introduction [1] This paper bases a history and theory of twelve-tone chords around an unlikely starting point: Sergei Prokofiev, whose Symphony no. 2 (1924) features a chord with all twelve pitch classes.(1) Scholars have developed sophisticated models for various aspects of twelve-tone technique—such as tone-row structure, invariance, hexachordal combinatoriality, and rotation—but with isolated exceptions have not to date examined the phenomenon of twelve-tone verticals.
    [Show full text]
  • Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra Gabriel Prokofiev Teacher Pages
    SECONDARY 10 PIECES PLUS! CONCERTO FOR TURNTABLES AND ORCHESTRA (5th MOVEMENT) by GABRIEL PROKOFIEV TEACHER PAGES CONCERTO FOR TURNTABLES AND ORCHESTRA (5TH MOVEMENT) BY GABRIEL PROKOFIEV http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p038md89 CONTEXT Gabriel Prokofiev is the grandson of Sergei Prokofiev, the famous Russian composer and contemporary of Shostakovich. Gabriel is a musician who has been involved in hip hop, dance, electro, grime, scratching and turntablism. He has become interested in the fusion of different styles of music and decided to write a Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra where sounds created by the orchestra could be combined with turntable techniques. Turntablism comes from the 1970’s Hip Hop style. The records on the turntables are scratched rhythmically, responding to the music being played: this technique is used in the Prokofiev concerto. The DJ manipulates the sounds on the vinyl records changing tonal and rhythmic patterns. The records used in the piece contain music samples of orchestral phrases. A concerto is an orchestral piece of music which features a soloist, or small group of soloists who are virtuoso performers. The soloist usually has the main ideas and maintains a dialogue with the orchestra throughout the music. As with any instrumentalist, the DJ requires plenty of practice to become skilful in the technique of manipulating sounds. The concerto usually contains a ‘cadenza’, which is a passage where the soloist can show off his or her skills. Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra was written in 2006 and was
    [Show full text]
  • Teacher Notes on Russian Music and Composers Prokofiev Gave up His Popularity and Wrote Music to Please Stalin. He Wrote Music
    Teacher Notes on Russian Music and Composers x Prokofiev gave up his popularity and wrote music to please Stalin. He wrote music to please the government. x Stravinsky is known as the great inventor of Russian music. x The 19th century was a time of great musical achievement in Russia. This was the time period in which “The Five” became known. They were: Rimsky-Korsakov (most influential, 1844-1908) Borodin Mussorgsky Cui Balakirev x Tchaikovsky (1840-’93) was not know as one of “The Five”. x Near the end of the Stalinist Period Prokofiev and Shostakovich produced music so peasants could listen to it as they worked. x During the 17th century, Russian music consisted of sacred vocal music or folk type songs. x Peter the Great liked military music (such as the drums). He liked trumpet music, church bells and simple Polish music. He did not like French or Italian music. Nor did Peter the Great like opera. Notes Compiled by Carol Mohrlock 90 Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (1882-1971) I gor Stravinsky was born on June 17, 1882, in Oranienbaum, near St. Petersburg, Russia, he died on April 6, 1971, in New York City H e was Russian-born composer particularly renowned for such ballet scores as The Firebird (performed 1910), Petrushka (1911), The Rite of Spring (1913), and Orpheus (1947). The Russian period S travinsky's father, Fyodor Ignatyevich Stravinsky, was a bass singer of great distinction, who had made a successful operatic career for himself, first at Kiev and later in St. Petersburg. Igor was the third of a family of four boys.
    [Show full text]
  • Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow (Geb. Tichwin, 18. März 1844 – Gest. St. Petersburg, 21. Juni 1908) Majskaja Notsch («Die Mainacht»
    Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow (geb. Tichwin, 18. März 1844 – gest. St. Petersburg, 21. Juni 1908) Majskaja notsch («Die Mainacht») Komische Oper in drei Akten (1878/79) Libretto des Komponisten nach der gleichnamigen Erzählung Gogols Vorwort Für den jungen Rimsky-Korsakow war der Monat Dezember 1871 eine Zeit voller Zauber. Zum einen verlobte er sich mit der schönen und intelligenten Nadeshda Purgold, einer vorzüglichen Pianistin, die damals Rimsky-Korsakow an rein musikalischen Fähigkeiten weit übertraf. Am Abend des Heiratsantrags lasen sich die beiden Liebenden gegenseitig aus der Sammlung der Volkserzählungen Wetschera na chutore blis Dikanki («Abende auf dem Vorwerk bei Dikanka», 1831/32) vor, wobei sie bald auf die Erzählung „Mainacht, oder Die Ertrunkene“ stießen. Von der Schönheit des neuartigen Schreibstils und der vielschichtigen volkstümlichen Kulisse entzückt, regte Nadeshda den Komponisten am gleichen Abend an, eine Oper über die Erzählung zu schreiben. Auch nach der Hochzeit im Jahre 1872 wiederholte sie immer wieder ihre Anregung, die schließlich dazu führte, daß 1878 Rimsky-Korsakow 1878 mit der Arbeit an seiner zweiten Oper Die Mainacht begann. Bei der Gogolschen Sammlung handelt es sich um ein Frühwerk, das im Ton und Inhalt von seinen späteren satirischen Meisterwerken Revisor (1836) und den Toten Seelen (1842) noch weit entfernt war. Nichtsdestotrotz fand das Werk bei der russischen literarischen Intelligenz sofort Anklang – und noch mehr bei den damaligen russischen Komponisten. Die Erzählungen dienten als Vorlagen zu einer Vielzahl russischer Opernpartituren des 19. Jahrhunderts, darunter vor allem die unvollendete komische Oper Mussorgskis Der Jahrmarkt von Sorotschinzy (1876-81) sowie Tschaikowskys Oper Der Schmied Wakula (1876), die später auch in einer überarbeiteten Fassung als Die Pantöffelchen (1887) erschien.
    [Show full text]