AMERICAN CLASSICS PETER MENNIN Moby Dick • Symphony No. 3 Symphony No. 7 ‘Variation-Symphony’ Seattle Symphony • Gerard Schwarz Peter Mennin (1923-1983) Philharmonic under the young Leonard Bernstein. This of strophic paraphrases of a single subject melody. Moby Dick • Symphony No. 3 • Symphony No. 7 ‘Variation-Symphony’ success prompted the Philharmonic to schedule the Instead, it employs variations of its thematic material premiere performance of Mennin’s next symphony, which within a supple symphonic framework. Peter Mennin was a leading member of the school of about collaborating on an opera based on Herman he completed on his 23rd birthday, in 1946. With its initial The Symphony begins in slow tempo and with what American symphonic composers who came of age in the Melville’s famous novel. As a result of this proposal, the performance, in February of the following year, the piece Mennin described as a “ruminative” theme in the deep 1930s and 1940s, a group that also includes David composer reread Moby Dick. In the event, he decided proved no less successful than the Second Symphony, voices of the cellos and basses. Variations and Diamond, and , against composing an opera on the subject. But Melville’s leading to the composer’s appointment at Juilliard and the extensions of this idea bring other parts of the orchestra among others. Born Peter Mennini, in Erie, , powerful tale cast its spell on him, and when he received beginning of a long string of commissions. into play and lead to an initial climax, whereupon the in 1923, he began musical studies at the age of seven a commission to write a piece for the Philharmonic Mennin cast his Third Symphony in a traditional music returns quietly to the string choir. Once more there and soon demonstrated an aptitude for composition. He Orchestra of his native city, Erie, he responded with a design of three movements arranged in a fast-slow-fast is a slow buildup of sonority and tension. At length, the attended the Oberlin College Conservatory for two years, composition evidently inspired by the novel. Mennin pattern. The first movement opens in dramatic fashion, string figures take on an angry aspect through more beginning in 1939, but interrupted his schooling for insisted that the Concertato, which he completed in 1952, with an arresting fanfare and a propulsive theme related forceful phrases, jagged rhythms and louder dynamics; military service during World War II. Upon his discharge, did not attempt to relate a musical narrative based on to it. Percussive accents and nervous rhythms contribute brass and timpani add emphatic punctuation. Eventually, he enrolled at the Eastman School of Music, where he Moby Dick. The piece “depicts the emotional impact of the to the sense of strong momentum created by this subject. the entire orchestra is drawn into the proceedings as the earned bachelor, master and doctoral degrees. novel as a whole,” he explained, “rather than musically A second theme, broad and flowing, soon appears in the music rises to another climax. In its wake are only quiet During his student years Mennin composed three describing isolated incidents occurring in the novel.” violins. Mennin then develops these two ideas in tandem, harmonies in the strings and brief laments from a symphonies. A performance of the third of these works in The Concertato’s single movement follows a familiar showing already something of the contrapuntal flair that seemingly forlorn pair of flutes. 1947, by the Philharmonic, helped secure his design: an introduction in slow tempo leading to a swiftly would become such a conspicuous facet of his music. Suddenly the tempo shifts to a quick-paced Allegro reputation as one of the leading American composers of moving main body of music. The former section begins Most of the movement accords with the composer’s for the second part of the composition. Here the stern his generation. The same year, he joined the composition with a single tone sustained high in the register of the tempo indication, Allegro robusto, but the final moments tone introduced toward the end of the preceding section faculty of The , in New York. With that violins. Woodwinds add a few measures of enigmatic bring an unexpectedly tranquil conclusion. becomes the dominant mood, one that a more lyrical idea, appointment Mennin embarked on a distinguished career harmonies, to which the strings answer with a somber Mennin described the second movement as “an introduced by the woodwinds, cannot dispel. As he does as an educator that paralleled his work as a composer. He theme, richly harmonized and quietly stated. There extended song ... making use of sustained voice- so often, Mennin combines his themes in complex and taught at Juilliard until 1958, when he left to become follows a succession of loose variations on this theme. weaving.” A mood of quiet and sober meditation prevails, extraordinarily energetic counterpoint. Also typically, the Director of the Peabody Conservatory, in Baltimore. He Among other things, Mennin embroiders it with a counter- some swelling of volume and passion late in the music builds to a dramatic climax, then suddenly grows returned to Juilliard as President of the school in 1962 and melody for flute and later creates from it a proliferating movement notwithstanding. The finale begins quietly but quiet. At this point we hear a varied reprise of the remained in that post until his death, in 1983. All the while contrapuntal fabric of string sound. This last development soon attains a degree of energy comparable to that of the “ruminative” declaration by the low strings that began the Mennin continued to compose. He was not a prolific builds to a great crescendo and acceleration that pulls the opening movement. Once again, irregular rhythms and composition. creator but produced carefully crafted scores, most of entire orchestra into its current and leads to the principal continuous contrapuntal play of different thematic ideas This, in turn, leads to a delicate Andante section, them large-scale works for orchestra. His nine Allegro portion of the piece. keep the proceedings lively and engaging, and the corresponding to the symphony’s slow movement. A brief symphonies constitute the core of his output. Here two themes come into play. The first, stated at symphony concludes on a note of exultation. acceleration leads into the final portion of the work. It Early in his career, Mennin established the tone of his once by the strings, is closely related to the subject of the Mennin composed his Seventh Symphony for a begins as a fast-paced finale, but Mennin’s conception is musical rhetoric as sober and intense, and it grew more introduction. The second, appearing hardly a moment commission by The Cleveland Orchestra, which gave the more complex. Several slow episodes, including another so as he matured. Indeed, his later works evolved a later in the high woodwinds, is a saucy tune with the work’s first performance, conducted by its longtime music explicit recollection of the symphony’s initial moments, complex and somewhat austere tonal language that character of a sea shanty. Mennin now proceeds to director George Szell, in January 1964. This composition interrupt the music’s headlong flow before it reaches a strengthened considerably their emotional impact. Many develop these two ideas in music of tremendous energy unfolds in a single movement, though with several clearly final buildup and conclusive climax. of his mature compositions intimate a tragic vision, and and drama, and marked by vigorous and skillfuly wrought defined sections, and bears the subtitle Variation- nearly all of his orchestral pieces present “pure” or counterpoint, this last being a distinguishing trait of the Symphony. Its structure, however, in no way resembles Paul Schiavo “abstract” music, carrying no programmatic or other composer’s music as a whole. traditional theme-and-variations form, with its succession literary references. The single exception is Mennin’s In 1945 Mennin was awarded the first George Concertato for Orchestra, subtitled “Moby Dick.” Gershwin Memorial Award for his Second Symphony, and This piece originated when Mennin was approached a portion of that work was performed by the New York Peter

Seattle Symphony MENNIN (1923-1983) The Seattle Symphony has gained international prominence with more than 140 recordings, 12 GRAMMY® nominations, two Emmys and numerous other awards. Under the leadership of Music Director Ludovic Morlot since 1 Moby Dick – AMERICAN CLASSICS September 2011, the Seattle Symphony performs in one of the world’s finest concert venues – the acoustically superb Benaroya Hall – in downtown Seattle. Gerard Schwarz led the Orchestra from 1985-2011, and is now Conductor Concertato for Orchestra 10:53 Laureate. The Orchestra is internationally recognized for its innovative programming and extensive recording history. From September through July, the Symphony is heard live by more than 315,000 people. For more information on the Peter Mennin was a leading member of Seattle Symphony, visit www.seattlesymphony.org. Symphony No. 3 20:26 2 the school of American symphonic Allegro robusto 4:50 composers who came of age in the Gerard Schwarz 3 Andante moderato 8:11 1930s and 1940s, a group that includes 4 , William Schuman Gerard Schwarz serves as Music Allegro assai 7:25 and others. Cast in a traditional design Director of the Eastern Music Festival of three movements in a fast-slow-fast and Conductor Laureate of the Seattle 5 Symphony No. 7 pattern, Symphony No. 3 is a work of Symphony. A renowned interpreter of great contrapuntal energy, percussive nineteenth-century German, Austrian ‘Variation-Symphony’ 26:18 accents and propulsive rhythms. The and Russian repertoire in addition to contemporary American composers, composer described the passionate Schwarz recently completed his final slow movement as “an extended song ... season as music director of the Seattle Seattle Symphony making use of sustained voice-weaving.” Symphony after an acclaimed 26 years. Symphony No. 7 develops in a single His previous positions as Music Director movement of remarkable contrasts include New York’s Mostly Mozart Gerard Schwarz and intensity. An exception to Festival, the Royal Liverpool Mennin’s “pure” compositional Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Chamber approach, the concertato Moby Dick Orchestra and the New York Chamber Previously released on Delos International. depicts “the emotional impact of the Symphony. As a guest conductor he has Recorded at Seattle Opera House, Seattle, WA, worked with many of the world’s finest novel as a whole.” This recording has orchestras and opera companies. His on 21st and 22nd November, 1994, been acclaimed as “a fine tribute to an Photo: Ben VanHouten discography of over 350 releases and 30th January, 1995 inexplicably neglected figure of the showcases his collaborations with the Seattle Symphony, the Berlin Radio Symphony, The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Executive Producer: Amelia S. Haygood century’s American music scene” Czech Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, and L’Orchestre National de France, among others. His Producer: Adam Stern (Chicago Tribune). pioneering recordings of American symphonists Diamond, Hanson, Hovhaness, Piston and William Schuman have received high critical praise, as have his cycles of works by Brahms, Mahler, Rimsky-Korsakov, Robert Schumann, Engineers: John Eargle and Al Swanson www.naxos.com Shostakovich, Richard Strauss, Stravinsky, and Wagner. Schwarz has received hundreds of honours and accolades Editor: Cho Yiu Wong including two Emmy Awards, 13 GRAMMY® nominations, six ASCAP Awards and numerous Stereo Review and Ovation Awards. He holds the Ditson Conductor’s Award from Columbia University, was the first American named Conductor of Booklet notes: Paul Schiavo the Year by Musical America and has received numerous honorary doctorates. The National Academy of Recording Arts Publisher: Carl Fischer & Sciences gave Schwarz its first “IMPACT” lifetime achievement award. Cover photograph by Dave Logan (iStockphoto.com) 6 36943 97182 6