~ PROGRAM ~ Eastman Wind Ensemble Mark Davis Scatterday and Dave Rivello , conductors

Lollapalooza (1995) John Adams (b. 1947) trans. James Spinazzola 6’

While the Moon Looks Down (2014) Dave Rivello (b. 1963) 15’ The Eastman Wind Ensemble Dave Rivello , conductor

Concerto for Soprano Sax & Wind Ensemble (2007) John Mackey I. Prelude (b.1973) Mark Davis Scatterday and II. Felt 25’ Dave Rivello, conductors III. Metal IV. Wood V. Finale

Doug O’Connor, soprano saxophone Doug O’Connor, saxophone

~ INTERMISSION ~

Concerto for Wind Ensemble (1982) Karel Husa (1921-2016) Wednesday, November 1, 2017 23’ Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre 8:00 PM ~ PROGRAM NOTES ~ John Mackey: Concerto for Soprano Sax & Wind Ensemble

John Adams: Lollapalooza To me, the saxophone is a kind of hybrid instrument; it’s essentially a brass instrument with a woodwind reed on it. Instead of valves like a brass Lollapalooza was written as a fortieth birthday present for Simon Rattle who instrument has, the sax has keys like a woodwind. (Many sax players even was been a friend and collaborator for many years. The term “lollapalooza” switch effortlessly from sax to a woodwind like a clarinet, and back again in the same concert.) So, I had an instrument made of three materials: felt has an uncertain etymology, and just that vagueness may account for its (the pads of the keys), metal (the body), and wood (the reed). In fact, every popularity as an archetypical American word. It suggests something large, instrument in the band can be placed into one (or more) of those outlandish, oversized, not unduly refi ned. H.L. Mencken suggests it may “categories.” The brass section is made of metal, the harp is made of metal have originally meant a knockout punch in a boxing match. I was attracted and wood, the wind section has keys, and so on. This realization gave me to it because of its internal rhythm: da-da-da-DAAH-da. Hence, in my the central idea for the piece: a multi-movement work with the inner move- piece, the word is spelled out in the trombones and tubas, C-C-C-Eb-C ments called Felt, Metal, and Wood, and with instrumentation chosen to (emphasis on the Eb) as a kind of ideé fi xe. The “lollapalooza” motive is essentially match those materials for each movement. The outer movements only one of a profusion of other motives, all appearing and evolving in a would be scored for the entire ensemble. repetitive chain of events that moves this dancing behemoth along until it ends in a fi nal shout by the horns and trombones and a terminal thwack on The piece starts with “Prelude,” a very brief overture to the concerto, with timpani and bass drum. - John Adams material that foreshadows each of the movements to come. If you hear something you like in the “Prelude,” you’ll probably hear it more developed in the following movements. (Conversely, if you hear absolutely nothing Dave Rivello: While the Moon Looks Down you like in the “Prelude,” you may be in for a long night.)

While The Moon Looks Down was commissioned in 2014 by Valparaiso Movement two is “Felt.” This movement is a study of the keys of the University to be premiered as part of their annual week-long summer jazz instrument, so it includes lots of runs (requiring quick fi ngers), lots of pitch festival. It was performed at the festival by the Windiana Concert Band with bending (to show what different pitches the sax can produce with minimal Jeffrey Doebler conducting. Tonight’s performance of this work is the fi rst movement of the fi ngers), and a bit of alternate fi ngering. On the at the Eastman School of Music and will be conducted by the composer. saxophone, the player can play the same pitch by using different The idea behind the commission was to combine genres – to meld jazz and combinations of keys, and each fi ngering combination results in a slightly non-jazz elements into a single-movement work. Part of the unique different color. In this movement, you’ll hear repeated notes that are challenge of this work was writing with the absence of a jazz rhythm accomplished with changing fi ngerings, so the color will shift from note to note, even as the pitch stays the same. The other question – besides “what section and therefore having to create the rhythm section’s normal roles is a sax made of ” – that I wanted to consider when writing the concerto from inside the wind ensemble - mainly in the bass voices and percussion. was, “what does a sax do?” Movement 2, “Felt,” answers that question with, Trumpet and soprano saxophone present the main thematic material and “well, the sax can play some weird sounds.” With that pitch bending and are also both featured in soloistic roles. crazy fi ngering, it’s a peculiar fi ve minutes.

Dave Rivello is currently on the faculty at the Eastman School of Music, Movement three, “Metal,” answers that same question with, “the sax can Rochester, NY, in the Jazz and Contemporary Media Department. He is play high and pretty.” This movement, scored primarily for metal heavily involved in the crossing of genres and collaboration with other art percussion and brass, is a calm, lyrical contrast to the weirdness that disciplines. He appeared most recently at the Rochester Fringe Festival, in preceded it. collaboration with a local electronic percussionist, combining electronic elements with his acoustic ensemble. - Dave Rivello It seemed silly to write a sax concerto and not deal with the fact that the sax is often heard simply playing a song in an intimate setting – say, at a jazz club. Movement four, “Wood,” is really just that: a simple song. The scoring here is, as you’d expect, woodwinds (including fl utes, which aren’t technically made of wood anymore), double bass, harp, piano, marimba, and – as in every movement – the sax section. The piece of mine that led to the commission of the sax concerto was a piece called “Redline Tango,” and specifi cally, the soprano sax solo that anchors that work. To acknowledge that, this movement, yes, is a tango. Finally we reach the “Finale.” First, just a little background. My teacher in ~ MEET THE ARTIST ~ college was a composer named John Corigliano. Before I ever studied with him, one of my favorite pieces was his Clarinet Concerto. It’s not just a Doug O’Connor holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Saxophone Performance spectacular piece, but it’s easily (to me, at least) one of the greatest wind from the University of Maryland in addition to Master and Doctor of Music degrees from the Eastman School of Music. He recently served as Associate concertos ever written. When I got this commission, Corigliano’s concerto Lecturer of Saxophone at the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire, as cast a pretty intense shadow over me. How could I possibly write a concerto saxophonist with the United States Naval Academy Band, and is currently anywhere near the quality of that work? employed as ceremonial saxophonist with the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in addition to serving as adjunct Assistant Professor of Well, I couldn’t – so I stole his. “Finale” starts with a nearly direct quote of Saxophone at the Eastman School of Music. John Corigliano’s Clarinet Concerto. In order to make it as meta as possible, my quote is in fact a quote of a quote. I’m quoting the Corigliano, which Praised for his “seamless technique” and “sumptuous lyricism” (The was, in these 6 bars, quoting a work by 16th century composer Giovanni Philadelphia Inquirer), saxophonist Doug O’Connor has performed across Asia, Gabrieli, “Sonata Pian e Forte.” After my little tribute to my teacher, the Europe, and the U.S., including appearances at the Kennedy Center for the solo part takes off for roughly four minutes of non-stop virtuosity. Here Performing Arts, Merkin Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center my answer to the question “what does a sax do?” was simply, “well, the sax for the Performing Arts. He has appeared at World Saxophone Congress XV in John Mackey Bangkok, where he gave the world-première performance of Christian Lauba’s can play some monster-diffi cult stuff.” - 15th etude, Worksong; in addition, he was recently featured with the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra performing the world-première of Baljinder Sekhon’s Karel Husa: Concerto for Wind Ensemble saxophone concerto, The Offering . Also as a soloist, Dr. O’Connor has been featured with the National Symphony Orchestra, Symphony in C, Musica Nova, Concerto for Wind Ensemble was commissioned by the Michigan State the Eastman and University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Jazz Ensembles, as well as University Alumni Band and dedicated to the Michigan State University various college percussion ensembles, including as a featured performer at the Bands Director, Stanley De Rusha. The fi rst performance was on December 2014 North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference at University of 3, 1982, by the Michigan State University Wind Symphony, guest-conducted Illinois in Urbana-Champaign with their esteemed percussion ensemble. by the composer, in the new Wharton Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Michigan State University. Dr. O’Connor was the Second Prize winner of the 2nd International Jean-Marie Londeix Saxophone Competition in Bangkok. He has won top prizes in many other solo competitions, including the NASA Classical Solo Competition, the Divided into three movements, the Concerto for Wind Ensemble is meant to MTNA Young Artist Woodwind Competition, the 2004 National Symphony be a display of virtuoso passages given to solo instruments as well as to the Orchestra Young Soloists Competition, and the Alexandria Symphony groups of the ensemble. In the Fanfare of the fi rst movement, the brass Orchestra’s Mary Graham Lasley competition. Finally, he is a winner of Astral section is “concertizing” in groups of four brass quintets (2 trumpets, Artists’ 2003 National Auditions and was a fi nalist for the Concert Artists Guild horn, trombone and tuba or baritone), spread from left to right in back; the competition in 2009. saxophones (S, A, T, B) are placed in front of the brass quintets and the woodwinds occupy the front of the stage, with percussion on the left and With a passion for chamber music, Dr. O’Connor was a founding member of right side. the Red Line Saxophone Quartet as well as the reed quintet REED5. While playing soprano saxophone in Red Line, the group won grand prizes at the These groups, like the brass quintets, play in the concertante manner, Chesapeake, Coleman, NASA, and MTNA chamber music competitions, as well especially in the fi rst and last movements. At the same time, each movement as gold medals at the Fischoff and Plowman chamber competitions. Red Line performed concerts by heart, premiered fi ve new works for sax quartet and will contain individual solo passages, such as the timpani in the beginning electronics in NYC, and released a CD on iTunes, “Back Burner.” As a jazz (Drum Ceremony ), the long fl ute solo and later English horn and other low artist, Dr. O’Connor freelances throughout the Baltimore-Washington woodwinds in the Elegy , and then numerous instruments in the third metropolitan area and recently toured with the Airmen of Note at the Lionel movement, the Perpetual Motion . The composition of the Concerto was Hampton and Missouri State Jazz festivals on baritone saxophone and bass prompted by the excellence of wind and percussion players today and by clarinet. the incredible growth of wind ensembles, orchestras, bands in the last twenty-fi ve years. It is intended for their enjoyment. - Karel Husa Dr. O’Connor is a co-founder of the Global Premiere Consortium Commissioning Project, an online platform for instigating the composition, dissemination, and performance of new music worldwide. ~ PERSONNEL ~ Upcoming Concerts Trumpet Events are free unless otherwise noted. Eastman Wind Ensemble Erika Izaguirre ^ Michelle Kraak + Flute Jarod Lau Benton Gordon *^ John Chadwick Rockwell III Thursday-Sunday, November 2-5 Jae In Kim Matthew Suckling Eastman Opera Theatre Presents: Isaiah Obey Ethan Urtz Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea Elena Rubin Keaton Viavattine * Paul O’Dette, conductor Kennedy Wallace + Victor Yuen Stephen Carr, director Kilbourn Hall • 7:30PM / Sun. 2PM Oboe Trombone Max Adler + Nick Crane ^ Monday, November 6 Andra Bane ^ Jack Courtright + Eastman Wind Orchestra Jasmine Daquin Nicholas Hogg * Music of Corigliano, Persichetti, and Camphouse Kaila DeLany * Jonah Trout Mark Davis Scatterday and William Talley, conductors Lisa Read Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre • 8PM Euphonium Clarinet Justyn Loney-Newman + Monday, November 6 Kelsey Castellanos *+ Jordan Moore *^ Eastman Jazz Lab Band Irina Chang ^ Rich Thompson, director Adam DeSchriver Tuba Kilbourn Hall • 8PM Nathan Frost Davis Herndon *^+ Jenna Kent Grant O’Brien Wednesday, November 8 David Mayrhofer Eastman School Symphony Orchestra Paul Park Timpani Music of Zoe Wang (student composer) and Schumann Max Zhang Victor LaBozzetta ^ Neil Varon and Garrett Wellenstein, conductors Oliver Xu * Featuring Wendy Toh, violin Bassoon Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre • 8PM Juliette Angoulvant * Percussion Amelia del Caño + Andrew Bockman *^+ Thursday, November 9 Randy Fultz ^ Catherine Cole Musica Nova Hannah Dick Music of Xenakis, Ligeti, and Gander Saxophone Gordon Fry Brad Lubman, Edo Frenkel, and Mark Powell, conductors Colin Crake Noel Holloway Kilbourn Hall • 8PM Jeremy Howell Josh McClellan Chaitanya Natarajan ^+ David Yun Uday Singh Ye Wang * String Bass Information about upcoming Eastman concerts and events can be found at: Samantha Donato www.esm.rochester.edu/calendar Horn Harp Leah Jorgensen Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre fi re exits are Supporting the Eastman School of Music: Ethan Mattingly * Samantha Turley * Elizabeth Wheelwright located along the right and left sides, and at the We at the Eastman School of Music are grateful Kara Miller back of the hall on each level. In the event of for the generous contributions made by friends, Shimon Ohi an emergency, you will be notifi ed by the stage parents, and alumni, as well as local and national Kyle Schober ^ Keyboard Jeremy Vigil manager. If notifi ed, please move in a calm and foundations and corporations. Gifts and grants Marie Smith + orderly fashion to the nearest exit. to the School support student scholarships, performance and academic facilities, educational Restrooms are located on each level of Kodak initiatives, and programs open to the greater Principals Hall at Eastman Theatre. Our ushers will be happy Rochester community. Every gift, no matter the Mackey - * to direct you to them. size, is vital to enhancing Eastman’s commitment Husa - ^ to excellence. 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