University of Tennessee Viva l’Italia! II

Overture to Nabucco (1813-1901)

Soirées Musicales (1792-1896) arr. Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) I. March II. Canzonetta III. Tirolese IV. Bolero V. Tarantella

Intermezzo, Act III from (1858-1924)

Pines of Rome (1879-1936) The Pines of the Villa Borghese The Pines Near a Catacomb The Pines of the Janiculum The Pines of Appian Way

James Fellenbaum, conductor

Sunday, February 18, 2018 at 4 p.m. Tennessee Theatre Knoxville, TN Program Notes

Overture to Nabucco – Verdi Giuseppe Verdi was born in relative poverty on October 10, 1813. By the time of his death in January of 1901, he had become one of the most beloved composers of the age. His third , Nabucco, was the composer’s first major success, and propelled the composer to fame. Verdi continued on to write international hits including Otello, Falstaff, and La Traviata. Nabucco premiered in Milan, Italy on March 9, 1942 and was an immediate success. The opera details the biblical story of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar’s enslavement and exile of the Jewish people. It also features one of Verdi’s most famous pieces, the chorus “Va pensiero,” where the Jews sing nostalgically of their home. The piece later became a refrain of the Italian unification movement and was unofficially dubbed the “Italian national anthem.” The Overture to Nabucco opens with a reserved brass line before transitioning into a bombastic orchestral statement with string flourishes. The piece blends together a variety of motives from the full opera; the famous “Va pensiero” is featured, beginning in octaves between the oboe and clarinet. Following the statement of “Va pensiero,” the overture transitions into a quick section displaying the central conflict of the opera: the Hebrew slaves against their captors. The overture concludes with a rousing and triumphant orchestral statement.

Soirées Musicales – Rossini/arr. Britten British composer Benjamin Britten took his source material from Gioachino Rossini’s Soirées Musicales, a set of 12 pieces for voice and piano written after the composer’s self-imposed retirement. Britten divided his arrangement into five movements, each showcasing a unique aspect of the orchestra. While the source material is distinctly Rossini, Britten’s masterful orchestration reworks the into his own style. The first section, “March,” features woodwind and xylophone solos and takes its inspiration from both from Rossini’s Soirées Musicales and his famous opera, Guillaume Tell. “Canzonetta,” the second movement of the piece, transitions into a lyrical melody dominated by the orchestral strings, while the third movement, “Tirolese,” returns to a quick pace and showcases multiple instrumental sections throughout. “Bolero” evokes the music of Spain, featuring a prominent castanet part and individual wind and brass solos. The final movement of the piece, “Tarantella,” evokes the Sicilian tarantula dance and includes dominating percussion features and swirling melodic lines. Intermezzo, from Act III of Manon Lescaut – Puccini Manon Lescaut was Giacomo Puccini’s first operatic success. The work roughly follows Abbé Prévost’s novel of the same name, though the omits portions of the story which, without Puccini’s masterful compositional skills, could have led to a disjointed operatic disaster. The most unique feature of Puccini’s emotional work is the Intermezzo from Act III, one of the few instances where Puccini composed for instruments alone. Act II of Manon Lescaut concludes with the discovery of Manon and her lover, Des Grieux, after which Manon is arrested. Act III opens with Manon awaiting deportation to America. The Intermezzo, occurring between these two emotional circumstances, evokes Manon’s sentencing and Des Grieux’s desperation to free her. The piece opens with a sorrowful passage in an ensemble of solo strings before segueing into a lush melody, taken from Act II of the opera, lead by the viola section. As the piece continues, Puccini adds more instruments to the melody while the internal lines give the work a sense of momentum. The music hurtles toward a dramatic climax, which Puccini averts in favor of a hopeful, descending motive not yet heard by the opera’s audience. The final motive of the Intermezzo appears at the end of Act III, when Des Grieux secures passage to America in order to stay with Manon. However, despite the hope of both the Intermezzo and the finale of Act III, the opera concludes with Manon dying in Des Grieux’s arms.

Pines of Rome – Respighi Pini di Roma (Pines of Rome) is the second work in Respighi’s musical trilogy dedicated to the city of Rome. After garnering fame for Fountains of Rome, (performed by the UTSO in September of 2017), Respighi composed Pines of Rome in 1924. The work premiered in Rome in December of that year, and was divided into four attacca movements, each one meant to evoke different locations throughout the city. Respighi included notes on the scenes of each of the four movements: I. “The Pines of the Villa Borghese.” Children are at in the pine grove of the Villa Borghese, dancing the Italian equivalent of Ring-Around-the- Rosy, mimicking marching soldiers and battles, twittering and shrieking like swallows at evening, then disappearing. Suddenly the scene changes to - II. “Pines Near a Catacomb.” We see the shadows of the pines overhanging a catacomb. From the depths rises a chant that re-echoes solemnly, sonorously like a hymn, and then is mysteriously silenced. III. “The Pines of the Janiculum.” There is a thrill in the air. The full moon reveals the profile of Gianicolo’s Hill. A nightingale sings.

IV. “The Pines of the Appian Way.” Misty dawn on the Appian Way. The tragic country is guarded by solitary pines. Indistinctly, incessantly, the rhythm of innumerable steps. To the poet’s fantasy appears a vision of past glories; trumpets blare, and the army of the Consul advances brilliantly in the grandeur of a newly risen sun toward the Sacred Way, mounting in triumph the Capitoline Hill. As Respighi’s notes would suggest, the piece opens joyfully, with brief woodwind and brass melodic flourishes to depict children playing. The second movement, “Pines Near a Catacomb” assumes a drastically different mood; Respighi includes a melody in the style of Gregorian chant to evoke the solemnity of the Roman catacombs. “The Pines of the Janiculum” is one of the most unique symphonic passages of the era; opening with a piano , the movement features one of the first example of electronic recordings in orchestral music in the form of a nightingale song recording. While recording quality has been improved since the 1924 premiere of the work, most still use the nightingale song indicated by Respighi in the world premiere of the tone poem. The movement also features an extended, haunting clarinet solo that evokes the nocturnal setting of the work. The final movement, “The Pines of the Appian Way,” features a single melody, which Respighi builds throughout the movement in a massive crescendo. The movement begins forebodingly with low brass, bass, clarinet, and pulsing strings, broken by an English horn solo. As other woodwinds dance around the English horn, the music transitions from foreboding to celebratory, emphasized by brass fanfares. The piece concludes with a victorious, fortissimo statement of the melody, invoking the triumphant return of the powerful Roman army.

Program notes by Tara Jordan University of Tennessee Symphony Orchestra

Violin Cello Clarinet Benjamin Parton, Livingston Cheney, Holly Tumblin, principal concertmaster principal Peter Kim Carolina Pons-Martinez, Ashlee Booth associate Jacob Peterson concertmaster Josie Campbell Carlos Hernandez, Joseph Falconer assistant Hannah Haggitt concertmaster/principal Bass Clarinet Clara Johnson second Jacob Peterson Jalisha Boyd Dakota Johnson Will Eakin Kelsey Sexton Krista Heraux Bassoon Stephanie Horton Brianna Rife, principal Hannah Irwin Bass Aaron Apaza+ Preston Davis* Hannah Liang Cydnee Young Lucas Martins Nathan Dominey Samantha Ousley Jon Hamar+ Nickolas Jernigan Nathan Pace Contrabassoon Zeb McReynolds Rachel Peña Cydnee Young Clara Prinston Daniel Shifflett* Jane Robertson Scott Swanberg Kate Stiles Horn Angkun Uabamrungjit Seth Hall, principal Rachel Wetz Flute Bailye Hendley, asst. Natalie Gregg, principal Richard Li Bing Yang Matthew Howard Rebecca Percy Hannah Smith Kellie Henry Sarah Troy Viola Cameron Rehberg, principal Piccolo Trumpet Zachary Jerome Kellie Henry David Marvel, co- Angela Lois Rebecca Percy principal Brandon McGrath Skylar van Duuren, co- Rachel Nilles principal Elise Armstrong Erin Parker Oboe Jonathan Unger Alex Hall, co-principal Jenna Walters Candace Rhodes-Mull, Kristina Zeinstra co-principal Trombone Cole Bartels, principal Blayne Cowan English horn Reilly Fox, bass Emma Harris Tuba Harp *guest Brandon Smith, principal Cindy Hicks* +UT faculty member Julia Stark

Timpani Colton Morris, principal Piano Tyler Hyers

Percussion Adam Lion, principal Celeste Alexander Douglass Grace McMullen Vicki Nguyen Alex Richard Nathan Williamson University of Tennessee Symphony Orchestra Antiphonal Brass

Trumpets Trombones Nick Brown Brent Davis Nick Catrone Baylor Merritt Darbi Flaherty Noah Schoenike Joseph Greer Andrew Layne Euphonium Kevin Marcus Max Dunlap Eliot Rose Daisey Kludt Zane Winchester

Horns Tuba Grace Baugher Jonathan Bradshaw Wade Jones Zanae Locke Sarah Mchone

University of Tennessee School of Music Orchestral Faculty

Shelley Binder, flute Phylis Secrist, oboe Victor Chavez, clarinet Aaron Apaza, bassoon Katie Johnson, horn Cathy Leach, trumpet Vince DiMartino, trumpet Alexander van Duuren, trombone Alexander Lapins, tuba Andrew Bliss, percussion Miroslav Hristov, violin Geoffrey Herd, violin Hillary Herndon, viola Wesley Baldwin, violoncello Jon Hamar, contrabass University of Tennessee Orchestra Program 2017-18 Season

University of Tennessee Symphony Orchestra

Viola Celebration Concert September 16, 2017 at 8 p.m. Kenji Bunch: The Devil’s Box James R. Cox Auditorium Kenji Bunch, viola

Viva l’Italia! September 24, 2017 at 4 p.m. Respighi: Fountains of Rome James R. Cox Auditorium Albinoni: Adagio in G minor Tchaikovsky: Capriccio Italien

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10 October 22, 2017 at 4 p.m. Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10 James R. Cox Auditorium

Viva l’Italia! II February 19, 2018 at 4 p.m. Verdi: Overture to Nabucco Tennessee Theatre Rossini/Britten: Soirées Musicales Puccini: Intermezzo from Manon Lescaut Respighi: Pines of Rome

Concertos and Classics March 4, 2018 at 4 p.m. Bernstein: Overture to Candide James R. Cox Auditorium Our yearly concert of concertos and featuring the winners of the annual UT Concerto Competition University of Tennessee Chamber Orchestra University of Tennessee Contemporary Music Ensemble

Contemporary Music Ensemble October 18-19, 2017 Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall

Chamber Orchestra November 19, 2017 at 3 p.m. Bach: Magnificat Farragut Presbyterian Church

Chamber Orchestra April 10, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. Respighi: Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No. 1 Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall Mozart: Symphony No. 39

University of Tennessee Opera Orchestra

UT Opera Theatre November 10-12, 2017 Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro Bijou Theatre For more information: music.utk.edu/opera

UT Opera Theatre April 13-15, 2018 Allen Shearer: Middlemarch in Spring Bijou Theatre For more information: music.utk.edu/opera

For more information, please visit the Orchestra Program online: music.utk.edu/symphony facebook.com/utsymphony Call the School of Music Concertline at 865-974-5678 We hope you enjoyed this performance. Private support from music enthusiasts enables us to improve educational opportunities and develop our student artists’ skills to their full potential. To learn more about how you can support the School of Music, contact Chris Cox, Director of Development, 865-974-7692 or [email protected].

School of Music 117 Natalie L. Haslam Music Center 1741 Volunteer Blvd. Knoxville, TN 37996 music.utk.edu 865-974-3241 UTKSOM