Isles of Scilly U3A Music Appreciation Group Music representing Flora and Fauna Thursday 31 October 2019, Porth Hellick House, 10 am. 1. The Lark ascending, R. Vaughan-Williams Hugh Bean, violin; New Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult, conductor; 1967. Acclaimed by reviewers as the best recording. 2. Where Corals lie, E. Elgar From ‘Sea Pictures’ op 37; London Symphony Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli, conductor; Janet Baker, mezzo-soprano. Elgar began composing these songs in July 1899 and the first public performance was by Dame Clara Butt at a Norwich Festival concert in October 1899 with Elgar conducting. Later that month, she sang them to Queen Victoria at Balmoral. There are five songs and ‘where corals lie’ is the fourth, set to a poem by Richard Garnett. 3. Whooper Swans migrating, from Cantus Arcticus, Einojuhani Rautavaara. Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928-2016) is one of the most notable Finnish composers since Sibelius. Cantus Arcticus, op 61, subtitled ‘Concerto for Birds and Orchestra’, incorporates tape recordings of birdsong recorded near the Arctic Circle and on the bogs of Liminka in Northern Finland. Hooper swans migrating is the third movement and is played by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Leif Segerstrom. 4. Waltz of the Flowers, P. Tchaikovsky Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was a Russian pianist and composer and probably the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. His compositions were wide-ranging but it is his ballets that are particularly popular. The Waltz of the Flowers comes from the second act of the ballet ”The Nutcracker” and is played here by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor uncertain. 2. 5. Evening Primrose, B. Britten From the Five Flower Songs, op 47. Sung by ‘The Sixteen’, conductor Harry Christophers. Britten composed these songs in 1950. In general, they have complex and rather intense harmonies but these are relieved in ‘Evening Primrose’ by a more gentle and simpler texture. 6. An Sproede Schoenen (Rose) Der Schmetterling auf einen Vergissmeinnicht (Butterfly on a forget-me-not), F.X. Mozart Two songs by Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (1791-1844). Franz was Wolfgang Mozart’s youngest son and was born just five months before his father died. He was a frail and sickly child but, like his father, showed considerable musical talent early on. At age 5 he gave his first public performance, singing one of Papageno’s arias from The Magic flute. At eleven, he composed his opus 1, a piano quartet. He made a good career as a pianist. History relates that he was a most charming man and a photo of 1825 shows him to be quite good looking. He and his brother did not marry or have children so the Mozart name died out. The American soprano, Barbara Bonney, in 2004 set out to research the works of the Mozart family with the aim of presenting a concert with a Mozart theme for young singers in New York. She found that Mozart’s father, Leopold, had produced no worthwhile songs and his sister, Nanerl, had apparently left no public works, although she was a talented musician. However, being completely unaware of Franz Xaver’s existence, Bonney with great persistence finally unearthed an impressive batch of 27 songs (fortunately, to her delight), for soprano! Two others had been referred to but had been lost. This recording was made in London in March 2005. Franz Xaver was a contemporary of Franz Schubert, who was 8 years younger, but outlived Schubert by 16 years. An sproede schoenen means ‘to coy beauties’ and compares young women of his acquaintance with roses. Der Schmetterling auf einen Vergissenmeinnicht describes a butterfly clinging to a forget-me-not. (Flora and fauna in the same song!). The singer is Barbara Bonney herself and the pianist, Malcolm Martineau. 7. A little fall of rain, from ‘Les Miserables’ (flowers) “A little fall of rain……will make the flowers grow”. This song, sung by Michael Ball and Frances Ruffelle, features in the musical play of 2012, Les Miserables, based on the French historical novel by Victor Hugo. 3. 8. Mina, Edward Elgar. Mina was the composer’s dog – a Cairn Terrier – and this little serenade was written in 1933, the year before the composer died. 9. Romance from The Gadfly, D. Shostakovich. Dimitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was a Russian composer and pianist. He had a huge output and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century. The Gadfly suite is an orchestral suite arranged from his music for the film ‘The Gadfly’. There are 12 movements and we chose no. 8 called ‘romance’. Played by the Belgian Radio Orchestra, conducted by Jose Serebrier. 10. Blackbird, P. McCartney & J. Lennon Sung by Jennifer Johnston, soprano; pianist Ian Tracey with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. ‘Blackbird’ was composed in 1968, inspired by the explosion of racial tensions in the USA in the spring of that year. It symbolized the efforts of the civil rights movement. ‘Bird’ is often used as British slang for ‘girl’, making this ‘blackbird’ to be ‘black girl’. 11. Heidenroeslein (Rose) and Die Forelle (Trout). F. Schubert Two songs by Franz Schubert (1797-1808). Heiden roeslein is an example of a ‘strophic song’ in which each verse uses the same folk-like music. It is set to music by Johann von Goethe. A boy sees a little rose (Roeslein) growing on heathland (Heiden) and looks at it with pleasure. The boys says “I’ll pick you” – the rose says “ I’ll prick you”. The boy was in pain but the rose died. Die Forelle (The trout) is set to a poem by Christian Schubart (with an ‘a’). The poet watches a trout speeding through crystal clear water. A fisherman also watches the fish but the water is so clear that the poet does not think the fish will be caught, However, the fisherman muddied the water and caught the fish while the poet looks on in anger. These two songs are sung here by American soprano Renee Fleming and the pianist is Christopher Eschenbach. 12. On hearing the first Cuckoo in spring, F.Delius Frederick Delius was born in Bradford in 1862 and died in Grez-sur-Loing in France in 1934. The music of Delius is unlike any other composer: there are no predecessors or successors. He wrote many operas and large works but the Cuckoo is a small miniature composed in 1912. It uses a Norwegian folk tune that had originally been orchestrated by Grieg but is given Delius’ own subtle harmonies. 13. Country Gardens, P. Grainger. Percy Grainger was born in Australia but lived most of his life in the UK. He was a renowned concert pianist but best known for his compositions of light music that were often heard on BBC radio. Country Gardens was written in 1918 as a birthday gift for his mother. The Light Music Orchestra is conducted here by Sir Vivien Dunn. 4. 14. Banks of Green Willow, G. Butterworth Butterworth composed this lovely idyll in 1913, just three years before he died in the battle of the Somme, aged 31. Andre Previn conducts the London Symphony Orchestra. 15. Le Coucou, L-C Daquin Louise-Claude Daquin was born in Paris in 1694. He died in 1772. He was a musical child prodigy and performed at the court of Louis XIV at age 6. At the age of 12 he was organist at the Sainte Chapelle. He made his career as an organist and was a dazzling performer at the keyboard of both organ and harpsichord. He composed a certain amount for the harpsichord and Le coucou comes from one of his many suites for harpsichord. Present were: Adrian, Margaret, Alba, Susie, Janet, Maureen C, Brian and Mike. Apologies from D, Joan and Maureen S. After the session, it was agreed that the next meeting would be on Thursday 28th November and the topic will be: Fire, Earth and Water. The venue will be decided later. Suggestions for inclusion on this topic should be sent to Mike, who will compile a programme. .