Program Notes
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HUGH HODGSON SCHOOL OF MUSIC PROGRAM NOTES Sunday, November 17, 2019 AARON COPLAND (1900-1990) 3:00 pm An Outdoor Overture (1938/1948) Hodgson Concert Hall (9’ 30”) Hodgson Wind Ensemble Aaron Copland was a prize-winning composer, conductor, and author, Cynthia Johnston Turner, conductor sometimes called “the Dean of American HHSOM Joseph Alessi, guest artist composers.” During the middle of the David Stanley, graduate conductor twentieth century, Copland’s classical training, combined with his fondness PROGRAM for folk themes, captured an Americana spirit. Some say that his music evokes “Earth and Beyond” at once the broadness of the country’s landscape and the ideals of a democrat- Aaron Copeland (1900-1990) ic society, even when Copland’s own Photo: blog.sheetmusicplus.com Photo: Outdoor Overture opinion and experience of his county did not reflect those ideals. Innovative and David Stanley, graduate conductor traditional, appealing and avant-garde, MARCO PÜTZ ( b. 1958) Copland created a soundtrack for Amer- Time for Outrage! (2014) (16’ 00”) Marco Pütz ( b. 1958) ica with broad appeal to audiences and Time for Outrage! musicians of all levels. Time for Outrage! was commissioned by the Luxembourg “Friends of Military Mu- I. Breaking the Silence High school conductor Alexander sic” in 2014. The title is the free translation II. Troubled Richter commissioned Copland to create of the book title Indignez-Vous by French III. Rock the Culprits! “American music for American youth.” bestselling-author Stephane Hessel. The An Outdoor Overture for orchestra piece draws inspiration from this excerpt INTERMISSION was premiered by Richter in December from the book: "If you want to be a real 1938. Although written for an indoor human being you cannot tolerate things Bruce Broughton ( b. 1945) concert, musical scenes of awe, curi- which put you to indignation, to outrage. Quaternity osity, exploration, and play invite the You must stand up. I always say to peo- ple: Look around, look at what makes you I. Earth audience to an outside adventure. This, unhappy, what makes you furious, and II. Air however, is not strictly “light music.” Solemn fanfares and weighty marches then engage yourself in some action." III. Fire are thoughtful moments where one might IV. Water consider an adventurer’s place in the Time for Outrage is an expression of the Joe Alessi, trombone larger context of the outdoor world. composer’s injustices of the world - of At the time of the premiere, the piece whatever kind. represented the beginning of changes to Phillip Sparke ( b. 1951) The first movement (Breaking the Silence) Copland’s overall style. Today, it is in the Music of the Spheres begins in almost ghostly silence followed catalog of his most popular and oft-per- by a long crescendo that brings the mu- I. The Big Bang formed compositions (along with Billy sic to a peak (Silence is Broken) before II. The Lonely Planet the Kid and Appalachian Spring). Unlike the music sinks back into silence, the cry many of his works, tonight’s transcription III. Asteroids and Shooting Stars of embarrassment seeming to fade away. for band was made by Copland himself, IV. The Unknown In the second movement (Troubled), I try 62 ten years after the premiere. 63 to portray musically both the angst and throughout the world, and his score for and at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of bone is muted throughout much of this the affection for the human race. In the Heart of Darkness was the first recorded Music. He is composer-in-residence for movement, creating a sense of anxiety third movement (Rock the Culprits!), the orchestral score for a video game. In the 2017 at the University of North Texas and distraction. guilty are “rocked,” relentlessly and un- spring of 2016, he arranged a commer- College of Music. ceasingly, to the end of the composition. cial album of songs from motion pictures IV. Water: The final movement begins and Broadway for the multi-talented Quaternity is a four-movement concerto with a moving figure that gradually gets – Program Note from score Seth MacFarlane. for trombone and band. A quaternity faster and more intense. Over this move- is simply a group of four, but a group ment a strong theme appears from the Marco Pütz was born in Luxembourg on Many of Broughton’s concert works that represents wholeness. This particu- trombone which alternates with the Qua- HHSOM March 16th, 1958. He studied saxo- have been performed by the Cleveland lar quaternity is one that represents the ternity theme from the beginning. One of phone, chamber music, theory, compo- Orchestra; the Chicago, Seattle and classical elements of antiquity: earth, air, the characteristics of water is that its flow sition and conducting in Esch/Alzette, National Symphonies; the Los Angeles fire and water, with musical connections is unstoppable and it gathers itself as it Luxembourg-City, Brussels and Liège Chamber Orchestra; the Sinfonia of that are often subjective. moves, growing from a streamlet to a (Belgium). Since 1987 he has composed London; and the Hollywood Bowl. These river, carving the ground as it creates its more than 85 works, primarily for wind have included Fanfare for 16 Horns, I. Earth: The piece begins with a state- own path. This particular musical stream instruments and for Symphonic Wind a joint commission by the Los Angeles ment by the trombone which is repeated grows to an eventual slowing down that Band, a children's musical, a string quar- Philharmonic and the International Horn through all of the subsequent movements. leads to a quick conclusive coda. The tet, several compositions for chamber/ Society premiered at the Hollywood The theme is somewhat imposing and opening leitmotif ends the piece. symphony orchestra and a number of Bowl; Modular Music, composed for the serious. Earth, after all, is where life educational pieces. – Program Note from score Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra; the begins, takes place and ends; it is the children’s fantasy The Magic Horn; In literal ground. This theme, which is often the World of Spirits and A Celebration used as a sort of leitmotif, represents BRUCE BROUGHTON ( b. 1945) PHILLIP SPARKE ( b. 1979) Overture are among his commissioned the connective unity of the whole. The Quaternity (2019) (16’ 00”) works for symphonic winds; and Fan- movement quickly gives way to a lighter Music of the Spheres (2005) (18’ 00”) Bruce Broughton is best known for his fares, Marches, Hymns and Finale and theme, as a sort of reminder that along Philip Sparke was born in London and many motion picture scores, including Sil- Masters of Space and Time are among with the many other physical elements studied composition, trumpet and piano verado, Tombstone, The Rescuers Down his works for brass. Broughton has that the earth contains, there are also at the Royal College of Music, where he Under, The Presidio, Miracle on 34th also had numerous works for chamber emotional elements, such as happiness gained an ARCM. Street, the Homeward Bound adventures ensembles performed and recorded and joy. and Harry and the Hendersons. His tele- throughout the world, including his Five It was at the College that his interest in vision themes include The Orville, JAG, Pieces for Piano, recorded by pianist II. Air: This movement refers initially to bands arose. He played in the College Steven Spielberg’s Tiny Toon Adventures Gloria Cheng; Excursions for trumpet the silence, omnipresence and transfor- wind orchestra and also formed a brass and Dinosaurs. His scores for television and band, recorded by trumpet virtuo- mations of air, the literal breath of life. band among the students, writing several range from mini-series like Texas Rising so Philip Smith; and his string quartet Much of the movement is somewhat works for both ensembles. and The Blue and Gray to TV movies Fancies, recorded and commissioned by austere in its stillness. Musically, the (Warm Springs, O Pioneers!) and count- the Lyris Quartet. trombone plays a theme over a modified At that time, his first published works less episodes of television series such as chaconne, a set of harmonic variations. appeared - Concert Prelude (brass band) Dallas, Quincy, Hawaii Five-O and How Broughton is currently a board mem- The solo theme is phrased freely indepen- and Gaudium (wind band). A growing the West Was Won. ber of ASCAP, a former governor of dent of the structured accompaniment interest in his music led to several com- the Academy of Television Arts and and soon is joined by a saxophone in missions, his first major one being for the With 24 nominations, Broughton has Sciences and the Academy of Motion a free duet. The placid air is eventually Centennial Brass Band Championships won a record 10 Emmy awards. His Picture Arts and Sciences, as well as a modified as wind and storm. in New Zealand – The Land of the Long score to Silverado was Oscar-nominat- past president and founding member of White Cloud. ed, and his score to Young Sherlock The Society of Composers and Lyricists. III. Fire: The element of fire is character- Holmes was nominated for a Grammy. He has taught composition and orches- ized by quickness, changeability and Further commissions followed from His music has accompanied many tration at USC’s Department of Screen surprise. It is capable of warmth and individual bands, various band associ- 64 of the Disney theme park attractions Scoring in the Thornton School of Music, terror, comfort and destruction. The trom- ations and the BBC, for whom he three 65 times won the EBU New Music for Band Music of the Spheres reflects the compos- Competition (with Slipstream, Skyrider er's fascination with the origins of the ABOUT THE ARTISTS and Orient Express).