Solo De Concours in London
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The Hodgson Wind Ensemble I wanted to create an atmosphere of Program Notes going in and out of a timeless suspen- The Hodgson sion. To create this feeling, I used inde- terminate (ad libitum) notation along- Tyler Grant (Born 1995) side a more conventional, metered Wind Ensemble notation: at times, the indeterminate Panoramic Fanfare figures create a suspended atmosphere (such as in the opening moments of The Dallas Wind Symphony hosts an annual the piece), while in other moments, Tuesday competition for American composers to propels the music forward with a present a short fanfare for brass to be per- rapid flurry of notes. The piece gradu- 2016 formed before a concert in the Morton Mey- ally builds until the climactic mo- March 1 erson Symphony Center lobby. Panoramic ment when the sounds literally engulf 8:00 p.m. Fanfare, one of the winning fanfares of the the listeners: a group of musicians 2014-2015 season, was performed on Janu- who were on stage during the begin- ary 27, 2015. Remarkably, composer Tyler ning of the piece are now playing from conductorCynthia Johnston Turner Grant is a twenty-year-old senior music ed- the balconies, creating a reverberant, ucation major at the University of Alabama “surround-sound” effect for the listen- guest conductorJack A. Eaddy Jr. and has never had a composition teacher. ers situated within the auditorium. Divided into three sections, the fanfare gives – Program Note by Tyler Ehrlich guest conductorTyler L. Ehrlich a panoramic perspective. The resounding and articulate first passage begins vibrantly, Roberto Sierra (Born 1953) clarinetD. Ray McClellan as the motive is passed through different Montuno sections. The contrasting lyrical and flow- PROGRAM ing second section presents a different view- For more than three decades, the works of Grant Panoramic Fanfare for Brass and Percussion point. The image is complete as the opening American composer Roberto Sierra have section returns and concludes with a power- been part of the repertoire of many of the Jack A. Eaddy, Jr., Guest Conductor ful chord as the idea ends. leading orchestras and ensembles around the world. Many of the major American Itoh Daydreams and European orchestras (including the At- Takuma Itoh (Born 1984) lanta Symphony) have commissioned and Sierra Montuno performed his works. The BBC Symphony Arr. James Spinazzola Daydreams Orchestra performed his piece Fandangos With music described as “brashly youthful at the opening concert of the 2002 Proms Rabaud Solo de Concours in London. Arranged for wind ensemble by Arr. Harry Gee and fresh” by The New York Times, Takuma Mark Scatterday, Fandangos was performed D. Ray McClellan, Clarinet Itoh is one of the most “up and coming” composers of our time. Itoh was featured by the Hodgson Wind Ensemble in Novem- as one of “100 Composers Under 40” on ber, 2014. In 2003, Sierra was awarded the PAUSE National Public Radio, and he has been the Academy Award in Music by the American recipient of numerous awards and commis- Academy of Arts and Letters. The award Nelhybel Symphonic Movement sions. Itoh holds degrees from Cornell Uni- states: “Roberto Sierra writes brilliant music, versity, University of Michigan, and Rice mixing fresh and personal melodic lines with Vaughan Williams Folk Song Suite University. His past teachers include Steven sparkling harmonies and striking rhythms.” Sierra studied composition both in his na- Tyler L. Ehrlich, Guest Conductor Stucky, Roberto Sierra, William Bolcom, Bright Sheng, and Pierre Jalbert. Itoh cur- tive Puerto Rico and later in Europe, where one of his teachers was György Ligeti at the Sousa The Pathfinder of Panama rently serves on the faculty of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Hochschule für Musik in Hamburg, Ger- many. He is currently a Professor of Music Regarding Daydreams, Itoh writes: and Chair of the composition department at HODGSON CONCERT HALL Cornell University. 34 Performance UGA February March 2016 35 The Hodgson Wind Ensemble Montuno was commissioned and premiered Prix de Rome in 1894. His success as a musi- Vaclav Nelhybel (1919 -1996) Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) by the Society of Musical Arts, a com- cian seemed almost guaranteed from birth; munity orchestra from Maplewood, NJ. his father was a cellist at the Paris Conser- Symphonic Movement English Folk Song Suite Much like Zoltán Kodály, Béla Bartók, and vatory, his grandfather a celebrated flautist, Igor Stravinsky did with folk music from his great-aunt the famous opera soprano Symphonic Movement is dedicated to John English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams their cultures, Sierra takes Latin Ameri- Julie Dorus-Gras, and his mother a success- Paynter and the Northwestern University was one of the most prolific and eminent can themes, rhythms, dances, and other ful singer who worked with Charles Gou- Band. Gill Mitchell, a former Assistant Di- composers of the twentieth century. Al- elements, and transforms them through a nod to create the role of Marguerite in his rector at The U.S. Army Band, played a re- though his compositional voice did not de- prism of twenty-first century sensibilities. opera Faust. As a student, Rabaud studied cording of Nelhybel’s Trittico for Paynter, velop until his thirties, Vaughan Williams’s The result is fascinating: there is always with composers Jules Massenet and Andre who immediately asked the composer to musical output was impressive. His library something to “grab on to” (the native ele- Gedalge. In 1918, he was appointed Music consider writing a work for Northwestern. includes nine symphonies, six ballets, five ments and rhythms), yet the transformation Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Symphonic Movement arrived in the mail operas, concertos, works for voice, and is interesting and compelling. It is no won- for one season. While in the United States, he five days later. It is believed that Nelhybel six compositions for military band. It was der that Sierra’s music has been described was elected to membership of Phi Mu Alpha, had already started the work, but was in- through these works that Vaughan Williams as the “tropicalization” of Western music. a national music fraternity with active chap- spired to complete it. The piece was imme- was able to fuse together military band in- About his piece, the composer writes: ters across the United States, including here diately popular among bands, and Nelhybel strumentation with traditional folk songs, at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. In conducted the Arkansas Tech University composing particularly nationalistic and The main musical elements of this or- 1922, Rabaud succeeded Gabriel Fauré as the Band in a performance at the 1967 College patriotic music. chestral montuno are the rhythms of Band Directors National convention. Director of the Paris Conservatory, where he Written in 1923, the English Folk Song Suite the Latin clave and its corollary two- remained until his retirement in 1941. measure chord sequence. This frames Symphonic Movement is composed in five is Vaughan Williams’s first work for band. this work in the fashion of a chaconne, Written in 1901 for Charles Turban, then- continuous sections: Adagio, Allegro, Poco According to his wife Ursula, Vaughan Wil- a series of variations built on a repeat- professor of clarinet at the Paris Conser- meno mosso, Allegro, and Adagio. Nelhybel liams welcomed the opportunity to com- ing harmonic sequence. Montuno vatory, Solo de Concours is a showpiece of described Symphonic Movement as “my first pose for this medium. In his biography, she quickly builds by increasing the num- musical mastery. Originally composed for composition for band written completely states, “A military band was a change from ber of players that join the Latin dance. clarinet and piano, American clarinetist on a symphonic level.” He opens the work an orchestra, and in his not-so-far off army A sudden change of meter toward the Harry Gee recently completed this arrange- with an eerie and suspenseful introduction. days he had heard enough of the ‘ordinary central point provides another variant ment for wind band. As one would expect Nelhybel builds the eight-note fragment monger’s light stuff’ to feel that a chance to of the established rhythmic/harmonic from a contest (concours) piece, a variety of that will be the foundation of the work. The play real tunes would be an agreeable and pattern that brings the montuno to an demanding styles and techniques are pres- piece is highly percussive in nature, and fea- salutary experience for Bandsmen.” tures unique material for each instrument exhilarating close. ent. Clarinetist Jonathan Cohler writes in The suite, cast in three contrasting move- the notes of his album Rhapsodie Francaise: family throughout the ensemble. The sum- This arrangement for wind ensemble was mation of this material creates a true tour- ments, makes use of nine folk songs in total. completed by James Spinazzola in 2015. The work is in three sections: the de-force, with intensity that grows until the While many of these catchy tunes are at the forefront of the texture, Vaughan Williams – Program Note by Matt Sadow opening is a short rhapsodic and im- final climax of the piece. provisatory Renaissance-style toccata also weaves between them, and superim- in which the clarinet plays over long Nelhybel studied conducting and com- poses one on top of another. The charm of Henri Rabaud (1873 -1949) pedal tones and slowly changing har- position at the Prague Conservatory. At English Folk Song Suite is found in its stylis- Solo de Concours monies in the piano accompaniment. age eighteen, he was affiliated with Radio tic variety and its important historical role The second section is in the style of a Prague, as a composer and conductor. Dur- in the wind band canon. For these reasons, it ing the 1950s, Nelhybel served as guest will continue to be played by school ensem- French composer and conductor Henri Ra- Sarabande, a slow Baroque dance in triple time with the emphasis usually conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic, bles and military bands around the world baud was well known for his maxim, “Mod- Munich Philharmonic, and many others.