Music of the Gilded Age Music of the Gilded
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The Sylvan Winds perform Music of the Gilded Age Works by Saint-Saëns | Dubois | Lefebvre | Poldowski | Flament | Griffes | Still | Aufderheide | Blake WWW.ALBANYRECORDS.COM TROY1755 ALBANY RECORDS U.S. 915 BROADWAY, ALBANY, NY 12207 TEL: 518.436.8814 FAX: 518.436.0643 ALBANY RECORDS U.K. BOX 137, KENDAL, CUMBRIA LA8 0XD TEL: 01539 824008 © 2019 ALBANY RECORDS MADE IN THE USA DDD WARNING: COPYRIGHT SUBSISTS IN ALL RECORDINGS ISSUED UNDER THIS LABEL. SylvanWinds_1755_book.indd 1-2 11/19/18 9:40 AM The Music consistently promoted new repertoire and was responsible for the premières of more than The tradition of performing the repertoire on this recording came directly from French 150 works; some 50 were dedicated to him. Touring the country from 1912 to 1941, he wind instrumentalists who were brought to New York in 1905 by Walter Damrosch to promoted American composers including African-American William Grant Still, along join the New York Symphony. Envious of the French woodwind sound of the Boston with Edward MacDowell and Charles Griffes. Barrère also supported women composers Symphony, he went to Paris and selected five French wind players for his orchestra. The such as Mary Howe and Mabel Wheeler Daniels, long before it became fashionable, and arrival of these performers, trained at the Paris Conservatory, was a turning point in the encouraged emerging voices, notably Henry Brant and Wallingford Riegger. development of woodwind playing in this country. Occupying the principal seats in the The Sylvan Winds are heirs to this rich heritage, one established by Barrère and wind sections of what would become the New York Philharmonic, as well as the Phila- his French colleagues, and are dedicated to preserving and continuing it. We hope this delphia Orchestra, these Frenchmen also taught at the leading music schools—the Curtis recording will help audiences to appreciate our inherited classical music tradition (another Institute and what would later become the Juilliard School—and would also influence French gift to America) and enrich the cultural experience that visitors have when leading American instrument makers. encountering American historic homes. Flutist Georges Barrère (1876-1944) was a key figure in this evolution. Walter Our musical journey begins with Camille Saint-Saëns’ lilting and beautiful Damrosch introduced the flutist, who had premiered Debussy’s Afternoon of a Faun in Feuillet d’Album. The selections are more or less in chronological order, moving from Paris, to everyone in musical and social New York. Wealthy patrons of the period French works written for and performed by Barrère in New York to American works by believed it imperative to import the best of European art and culture to the American composers he championed. The CD also includes rags by two Midwestern women whose continent, bringing music and art into their homes, as well as supporting the establish- contribution to this popular form at the turn of the last century reflects American tastes ment of major cultural institutions. Damrosch’s own New York Symphony (later merged toward the end of the Gilded Age. with the New York Philharmonic) was founded on the largesse of individuals like Harry Camille Saint-Saëns (Oct. 9, 1835/Paris – Dec. 16, 1921/Algiers) was a prodigy Harkness Flagler, William K. Vanderbilt, and Andrew Carnegie. Thus Barrère was a who began performing on piano at age five, composed at seven, and debuted a concerto welcome guest in Mrs. Vanderbilt’s parlor as well as in concert halls where he introduced with orchestra at age ten. He graduated from the Paris Conservatory with top honors in French music to American audiences and presented new American works. organ and served as an organist in prestigious Parisian churches for more than 20 years. The Barrère himself inherited French woodwind traditions from his teacher Paul recipient of many honors, and active as a conductor and pianist to the end of his long life, Taffanel, who founded the Société de musique de chambre pour instruments à vent he toured the US and South America. Originally in B Major for piano four hands, the b in 1879. As Taffanel’s responsibilities increased and with his teacher’s blessing, Barrère Feuillet d’Album was transcribed and transposed by Paul Taffanel, Barrère’s flute professor founded the Société Moderne d’Instruments à Vent in 1896. When he arrived in New at the Paris Conservatory. York, he started the woodwind department at the Institute of Musical Art (later the Théodore Dubois (Aug 24, 1837/Rosnay – Jun 11, 1924/Paris) was a composition Juilliard School) and trained the next generation of prominent American flutists. More student of Ambroise Thomas and his successor as director of the Paris Conservatory (1896- importantly however, the recent émigré became a tireless advocate of the music of his 1905). A prolific composer and a recipient of the Prix de Rome, he served on the faculty adopted country, insisting that all programs of the Barrère Ensemble of Wind Instruments from 1871 and succeeded Saint-Saëns in 1877 as organist at the Church of the Madeleine. (founded in 1910) include at least one American work. He presented programs that In 1894 he inherited Gounod’s chair at the Académie des Beaux-Arts. SylvanWinds_1755_book.indd 3-4 11/19/18 9:40 AM The Second Suite for winds was premiered by the Société Moderne d’Instruments à Vent he became the best-known American proponent of the style with works such as The White founded by Georges Barrère. Peacock and The Pleasure Dome of Kubla Khan. He wrote many works, considering his short Charles-Édouard Lefebvre (Jun 19, 1843/Paris – Sept 18, 1917/Aix-les-Bains) life, as he was a victim pleurisy and pneumonia. was a graduate of the Paris Conservatory successively in piano, conducting, and composi- William Grant Still (May 11, 1895/Woodville, MS – Dec 3, 1978/Los Angeles, tion. He won the Prix de Rome at 22 before embarking on a successful career as a pianist CA) has been called the “Dean of Afro-American Composers.” He attended the Oberlin touring in Europe and Australia. He later succeeded Benjamin Godard as head of the Conservatory and played and arranged for W. C. Handy while a young man. He later ensemble class at the Paris Conservatory. According to Elaine Brody’s entry on him in studied with Edgard Varèse, held a Guggenheim fellowship, and broke many barriers dur- The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (1980), “In his own words, he worked ing his career: he was the first African-American composer to write orchestral works and in pastels rather than oils.” the first conductor of color to lead major American orchestras. His music incorporates a Poldowski (May 16, 1879/Ixelles, Brussels – Jan 28, 1932/London) was the variety of African-American styles, but he was also very interested in folk music through- pseudonym for Régine Wieniawski, the youngest daughter of the Polish violinist Henryk out the Americas, collected and studied it, and then incorporated it into his Folk Suites and Weniawski, who died when she was 10 months old. After performing her own works as Miniatures. a teenager, she married a British baronet, thus becoming Lady Dean Paul. She continued May Aufderheide (May 21, 1888/Indianapolis IN – Sept 1, 1972/Pasadena, CA) her studies in Paris with d’Indy and then adopted her pen name. Best known for her was probably the best known among female ragtime composers. She was classically trained songs and chamber works, her music was influenced by contemporary French trends. by her aunt May Kolmer, and heard the great music masterpieces when her parents took The Suite Miniature was originally written for eight wind instruments that included oboe her on a traditional European grand tour. There was a large community of ragtime com- d’amore and basset horn. In order to perform it more frequently, Barrère transcribed it posers in her hometown of Indianapolis, and the popularity of her first published rag, Dusty for wind quintet, the version performed here. (1908), convinced her father to enter the music publishing business. She married Thomas Édouard Flament (Aug 27, 1880/Douai – Dec 27, 1958/Bois-Colombes) A Kaufman, an architect, and went on to publish several successful pieces, including waltzes bassoonist with the Société Moderne, he dedicated this septet to the group, enlarging the and songs. quintet with an English horn and another bassoon. Graduating in 1898, he joined the Charlotte Blake (May 30, 1885/Ohio – Aug 21, 1979/Santa Monica, CA) was Lamoureux Orchestra in Paris and, in 1907, branched out into conducting opera and an American composer of waltzes, marches, and ragtime. Born in Ohio, the eldest of six concerts from France to Algiers, touring internationally with the Diaghilev Ballet in 1923- children, at 18 she got a job initially as a clerk, and then later as a writer, arranger, and 29, and becoming the conductor at the Paris Radio in 1930. Also a pianist, he composed music demonstrator for Whitney Warner Publishing in Detroit. The firm was soon folded three operas, eight symphonies, chamber music, and 180 film scores. into the publishing giant of the time, Jerome H. Remick. Her first published work, King Charles Tomlinson Griffes (Sep 17, 1884/Elmira NY – Apr 8, 1920/New York) Cupid, appeared in 1903, and she wrote as many as 30 titles, including marches and waltzes. Born in upstate New York, Griffes studied both piano and organ before going to Berlin Initially she was listed as C. Blake, with no recognition of her gender, but at 21 her full to continue his studies, and working briefly with Humperdinck. After returning to New name was revealed. She wrote her last rag around 1911, but continued to write waltzes and York, he became director of music at the Hackley School in Tarrytown.