Fanfare & Serenade Tonight’s colorfully eclectic program highlights the various sections of our favor- ite orchestra. The strings take center stage on the first half, playing music by two of England’s greatest composers, Britten and Vaughan Williams. After intermis- sion, the woodwinds offer Dvořák’s pleasing wind serenade; brass and percus- sion bring the concert to a stirring conclusion with Tomasi’s Fanfares liturgiques

RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Born 12 October 1872; Down Ampney, England Died 26 August 1958; London, England

Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis Composed: 1910 First performance: 6 September 1910; Gloucester, England Last MSO Performance: May 2004; Peter Oundjian, conductor Instrumentation: strings Approximate duration: 15 minutes

Ralph Vaughan Williams was the most important British composer of his generation – that between Elgar and Britten – and a key figure in the revival of English music. His voluminous compositional output includes nine symphonies and other orchestral pieces, operas, songs, choral music, film and theatre music, and chamber music, as well as Christmas carols and hymn tunes. Among his best-known works are The Lark Ascending, Fantasia on ‘Greens- leeves’, the Symphony No. 1 (“A Sea Symphony”), and the opus on tonight’s program, Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. As music editor of The English Hymnal (1906), Vaughan Williams had the opportunity to study the church music of earlier eras. Included in his research was the music of Thomas Tallis (c1505-1585), one of the greatest composers of the Renaissance. Among Tallis’s works were nine hymn tunes written for metrical versions of the psalms fashioned by Matthew Parker, the first Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury. Vaughan Williams based his Fantasia on the third of these melodies, one that he had included in the hymnal. Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis dates from 1910, not long after Vaughan Williams had gone to Paris to study orchestration with his younger colleague Maurice Ravel (1875-1937). The work had its premiere in Gloucester Cathedral, at the Three Choirs Festival. (Elgar’s oratorio The Dream of Gerontius was on the same program.) The composer constructed the work with that edifice’s acoustics in mind, scoring it for three discrete string ensembles: a full string section, a smaller group of nine players, and a string quartet. Fanfare & Serenade PROGRAM NOTES Composed:

, Opus18 Les Illuminations Died 4December1976;Aldeburgh, England 22November1913;Lowestoft,England Born BENJAMIN BRITTEN but affecting “theme.”The Fantasia 15 minutes,thethree groups –singlyandinvariouscombinationsexplore Tallis’s simple justastheRenaissancemastersetthemdown.Fornext its Phrygian-modeharmonies cellos, andbasses,thenisrapturously statedinitsentirety bythefullensemble,with mystic atmosphere. Tallis’s melodyisfirst suggestedbypluckednotesfrom theviolas, In preparation forwhatwe’re abouttoexperience,quietlydescendingchords create a strings’ softlypulsingeighth-notes. final song,thepoet–satiated, forthetimebeing,atleast–takeshisleaveamid themuted a vigorous march thatconcludeswithafortissimo declarationof“J’aiseullaclef…”Inthe the manwhowouldsoonbecome hisloverand,ultimately, hislife’s companion.Paradeis singer’s openingline.BeingBeauteous–languorous, sensuous –isyoungBritten’s paeanto Interlude’s voce descendingscalepassageseventuallyleadtoasotto except inthoseinstanceswhenthevoicetakesasudden 16th-noteflight-of-fancy In Marine(Seascape),thecellosdoublesoprano’s fragmentedlineanoctavelower, ted-rhythms ofRoyauté(Royalty)exudemockpomposity. a soloviolinprovides deliciouscounterpointtothesoprano’s melody. Thevigorous dot- The guitar-like soundsofAntiqueconjure theimage ofaserenade belowabalcony, and Phrase supportasteadilymovingvocallinethatconcludes withasuppledownwar (Towns)parade.) Villes features agallopingrhythmic figure. of Theeeriestringharmonics twice recur: “J’aiseullaclefdecetteparadesauvage”(Ialoneholdthekeytothissavage opening Fanfare boaststrumpet-likepassages, andthesingermakesadeclarationthatwill Each songhasitsowndistincttexture, pointinguptheshiftsinmoodandatmosphere. The Though scored Illuminations onlyforstrings,Les (Peter NevilleLuard Pears)thatsitsatopBeing Beauteous. ments containsmallerdedicationstoothers;themostsignificantisone“T Swiss sopranoSophieWyss,whogaveitspremiere in1940.Severaloftheindividualmove- later makingtheirwaytotheUnitedStates.Brittendedicatedworkasawhole cloudsgatheringoverEuropepacifists, hadseenthestorm andhaddepartedforQuebec, York inOctoberofthatyear. Brittenandhislife partner, thetenorPeterPears,bothardent Illuminations Britten beganLes devising, usingonlyafractionofthemanypoemsandprose-poems inRimbaud’s collection. appealed tothe25-year-old composer. Hefashionedasongcycle,inanorder ofhisown still inhislateteens.Thepoetry’s impetuosityandsexuallyerotic overtonesimmediately late-19th centuryFrench poetArthurRimbaud.Illuminations It wasBritten’s friend,thepoetW.H. Auden,whofirstintroduced himtothewritingsof of the20thcentury. masterpiece inthegenre, andhisWar Requiem symphonic works,filmmusic,andchoralmusic.Britten’s operaPeter Grimes prodigious catalogueincludesoperas,solovocalmusic,chamberconcertos, Benjamin Brittenhasbeenhailedas“thegreatest EnglishcomposersincePurcell.” His began, andasoloviolinoffers afinalbenediction. Recommended recording: Recommended recording: Last MSOPerformance: Approximate duration: First performance: Instrumentation: inSuffolk inMarch 1939,completingitonLongIsland,New 1939 Orchestra (EMI) Heather Harper; SirNevilleMarriner, Sinfonia Northern 23 minutes strings Wendy Nielsen,soprano May 1997;RaymondLeppard, conductor; 30 January1940;London,England OrchestraSir AdrianBoult,LondonPhilharmonic (EMI) concludeswiththesameethereal chords withwhichit displaysaremarkable varietyintonecolor:  (1961)remains oneofthetoweringworks was written when Rimbaud was waswrittenwhenRimbaud statementofthe o P.N.L.P.” isasingular . The d slide.  Fanfare & Serenade PROGRAM NOTES Composed:

Serenade inDminor, Opus44 Died 1May1904;Prague,Bohemia 8September1841;Nelahozeves,Bohemia Born ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK loved piecesinthewindbandrepertory, anendingthatalwaysbringsasmiletoitshearers. D major, themarch thatopenedtheSerenade. Itisafelicitousbookendtooneofthebest- the homekeyofDminor, butbymovement’s endwe’re hearing, thistimeinabright to theopeningmaterial.Thefoot-tappingFinalebeginswithapolka-likethemein paniment. Followinganagitatedmiddlesection,there’s areturn dies interweaveintheoboesandclarinetsaslowervoicesprovide asyncopatedaccom- The slowthird movementcallstomindthe Adagiofrom Mozart’s Gran Partita his ever-popular Dances Slavonic in between2/4and3/4time.(Thecomposerusedboththeseforms dance thatalternates moderate-tempo Bohemian“neighbors”dancein3/4time;itstrioisafuriant provides contrastbefore thereturnofmarch. TheMinuetisactuallyasousedská ato’s openingtheme,adelightfulsend-upofBaroque pomposity. Aplayfulsecondtheme Dvořák’s inhischeekwhenhesetdowntheModer tonguemusthavebeenplantedfirmly conventional placement. iar four-movement mold,thoughthesecondandthird movementsare reversed from their cello anddoublebassaddedtogiveextrasupporttheuppervoices.Itiscastinafamil outdoor Harmoniemusik Imbued withthekeenspiritofCzechmusic,Serenade takesitsinspirationfrom the creative talent.Haveitplayed toyou;Ifeelsure theplayerswillenjoydoingit!” be difficulttodiscoverafiner, more refreshing impression of reallyabundantandcharming Dvořák’s Instruments.Ihopeyouwillenjoyitasmuchdo…Itwould Serenade forWind piece. InaMay1879lettertothegreat violinistJosephJoachim,hewrote, “Take alookat works inthegenre. JohannesBrahms,Dvořák’s friendandadvocate,thoughthighlyofthe the onlyopusinwindbandrepertoire thatcanbecompared totheAustrianmaster’s The delightfullytunefulwindserenade isDvořák’s homagetoMozart,frequently citedas music andsongs,symphonies,concertos,tonepoems,otheror the Romanticera.TheCzechmaster’s listofworksincludesoperas,chambermusic,choral We wouldn’t befaroff themarkifwecalledAntonínDvořákmostversatilecomposerof Recommended recording: Last MSOPerformance: Approximate duration: First performance: Instrumentation: oftheClassicalera.Dvořákscored itfortenwindinstruments,with 1878 (Philips) Sir NevilleMarriner, AcademyofSt.Martin-in-the-Fields 23 minutes 1 cello;bass 2 oboes;clarinets;bassoons;contrabassoon,3horns; February 2003;Andreas Delfs,conductor 17 November1878;Prague,Bohemia .)  chestral music. , K.361.Melo- , afast,fiery

, a - - Fanfare & Serenade PROGRAM NOTES Composed: Instrumentation:

0fares liturgiques Died 13January1971;Paris,France 17August1901;Marseilles,France Born HENRI TOMASI Fanfares liturgiques viola, andguitar. numerous trumpet,trombone, concerti–forflute, oboe,clarinet,saxophone,horn, violin, ThoughTomasial) harmonies. establishedhisreputation withstageworks,healsowrote Melodies, bothdiatonicandchromatic, are supportedbytriadic(sometimespolychord - essentially lyricalmusic,theinfluenceofhisFrench contemporariesisimmediatelyevident. lenc, andProkofiev –of a contemporarymusicalliancecalled Triton. Inhisrichlycolorful, vatoire and,inthe1930s,wasoneoffounders–alongwithHonegger, Milhaud,Pou- yet theFrench composer leftusanattractivebodyofworks.HestudiedattheParisConser Not eventhemostenthusiasticconcertgoerwouldciteHenriTomasi asahouseholdname, comforted Brother Miguel. soprano andchorus–thatspeaksofepiphanyredemption. TheHolySpirithas the DiesIraegiveswaytoanethereal Corsicanhymn–intheopera,it’s sungbyasolo basedonamedievalchant(DiesIrae).Intheclosingmomentsofpiece, to-bass pattern, with grief.There’s apassacaglia-liketexture asthetubasandtimpaniprovide anostina- cortege, commontoSeville,asitfilespastMiguel.HehasjustlostGir Procession duVendredi-saint (GoodFridayProcession) depictsatraditionalHolyWeek his innerbattleasheispulledinseveraldirections simultaneously. one lastlustfultemptation.Asmotifsare tossedamongthedifferent instruments,wesense chorale. Inthethird movementscherzo,Apocalypse, Brother Miguelstrugglestoconquer in anextendedcadenza,theGoodNews.Afterward, theassembledbrasssingasolemn hislecherousafter spurning ways.Evangile(Gospel)features asolotrombone proclaiming, fares encloseamiddlesectionoftenderlyricism,onethatdepictsMiguel’s transformation Annonciation (Annunciation),from Act3oftheopera,isathree-part structure inwhichfan- their wedding,Miguelfindssolacein religion andspendthe rest ofhisdaysasamonk. bauchery tomarryaninnocentyoungwoman,Girolama. Whenshediesafewmonthsafter Giovanni it tellsthestoryofanagingwomanizer(thinkDon Recommended recording: Last MSOPerformance: Approximate duration: First performance: isasuitefrom Tomasi’s operaMiguel Mañara Program notes by J. Mark Baker. by J. notes Mark Program 1947 16 minutes tam tam) (cymbals, fielddrum,snare drum,suspendedcymbals, 3trumpets;4trombones;4 horns; timpani;percussion MSO premiere 1947; MonteCarlo,Monaco Summit Brass(Summit)  ) whorenounces hislifeofde- . Setin17th-centurySeville, olama andisdesolate -