NATIONAL FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA APPALACHIAN SPRING DAVID ALAN MILLER, conductor SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2015 . 8PM ELSIE & MARVIN DEKELBOUM CONCERT HALL PROGRAM Michael Torke Bright Blue Music Aaron Copland Appalachian Spring (Suite from the Ballet) - intermission - John Corigliano Symphony No. 1 Apologue: Of Rage and Remembrance Tarantella Chaconne: Giulio’s Song Epilogue 13 Bright Blue Music When Bright Blue Music had its Appalachian Spring (Suite from MICHAEL TORKE premiere, in 1985, Torke wrote that he the Ballet) had been inspired by ideas put forward Born September 22, 1961, Milwaukee, by the respected Austrian/British AARON COPLAND Wisconsin philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein Born November 14, 1900, Brooklyn, Now living in Las Vegas, Nevada (1889–1951) “that meaning is not in New York words themselves, but in the grammar Died December 2, 1990, North Tarrytown, This work was composed in 1985, under of words used: I conceived of a New York a commission from the New York Youth parallel in musical terms. Harmonies Symphony, which gave the premiere at in themselves do not contain any Copland composed his music for the Carnegie Hall on November 23 of that meaning; rather, musical meaning ballet Appalachian Spring under a year, with David Alan Miller conducting. results only in the way harmonies are commission from the Elizabeth Sprague The score calls for 2 piccolos, 3 flutes, 2 used. Harmonic language is then, in Coolidge Foundation in 1944; the oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, a sense, inconsequential. If the choice work was given its first performance on 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, of harmony is arbitrary, why not then October 30 of that year at the Coolidge xylophone, brake drums, tam-tam, use tonic and dominant chords — Auditorium of the Library of Congress, vibraphone, claves, wood block, triangle, the simplest and most direct, and, for in Washington, with choreography by glockenspiel, cymbals, suspended cymbal, me, the most pleasurable? Once this Martha Graham, who also danced the bongo, tubular bells, tambourine, maraca, decision was made and put in the back leading role. The concert suite, arranged piano, harp and strings. Duration, 9 of my mind, an unexpected freedom by the composer shortly after the minutes. of expression followed. With the ballet’s premiere, was introduced by the simplest means, my musical emotions New York Philharmonic under Artur Michael Torke was only 24 when and impulses were free to guide me. Rodzinski on October 4, 1945, and won this work was introduced. It was one The feeling of working was exuberant; both the Pulitzer Prize in Music and the of a number of early pieces relating I would leave my outdoor studio, and New York Music Critics’ Circle Award to specific colors, and was included the trees and bushes seemed to dance, for that year. on an Argo CD of his “Color and the sky seemed bright blue. The score calls for 2 flutes and Music” performed by the Baltimore “That bright-blue color piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 Symphony Orchestra under David contributed toward the piece’s title, but horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, Zinman, its companion pieces being in conjunction with another personal long drum, glockenspiel, triangle, wood Green, Purple, Ecstatic Orange and association. The key of the piece, D block, xylophone, snare drum, bass Ash. In the nearly 30 years since major (from which there is no true drum, cymbals, harp, piano and strings. this work’s premiere, Mr. Torke has modulation), has been the color for me Duration, 25 minutes. been active in various genres and since I was five years old.” many different locales. His orchestra Philip Kennicott, in his annotation Appalachian Spring was the culmination piece Javelin was part of the music for the Zinman recording, back in of Copland’s series of “Americana” for the 1996 Olympics. Two years 1990, expanded on the composer’s in dance, having been preceded by later he was composer-in-residence own remarks regarding Wittgenstein, Billy the Kid, with choreography by for the Royal Scottish National who, “it will be remembered, also Eugene Loring (1938), and Rodeo, for Orchestra, which he provided with argued against the possibility of private Agnes de Mille (1942). In Appalachian a percussion concerto and the tone languages, and that at first seems to be Spring the composer struck a deeper, poem An American Abroad. In 2003 what Torke is after in his music. Take more poignant note than in the he established his own record label, what you care about, leave the rest. two “Westerns”; here the music is Ecstatic Records, which in addition to If I like these particular harmonies, I illumined by an inner glow of greater new recordings reissued the landmark will use them within my own private warmth than perhaps any of his earlier Zinman collection. The Théâtre du grammar. … Despite this, there is works. Copland himself noted that Châtelet, Paris, commissioned his opera nothing solipsistic about Torke’s “the music of the ballet takes as its Pop-pea, and introduced it in 2012. composition, and there is no self- point of departure the personality of The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic indulgence either. The music is public, Martha Graham,” and his score bears commissioned his Concerto for appealing and popular. Repetition, the affectionate subtitle “Ballet for Orchestra, and recorded it in 2014. rhythmic propulsion and bright clear Martha,” which had been the working David Alan Miller, who conducted the harmonies may be private pleasures for title until Graham herself found the premiere of the present work and is on Torke, but they are also public pleasures felicitous phrase “Appalachian spring” the podium for this evening’s concert, for his audience. Bright Blue Music and in a poem by Hart Crane. The scenario, has remained a steadfast champion Ash seem at first to be displaced from created well before she and Copland of Torke’s music, commissioning, the development section or coda of a began their collaborative effort, performing and recording new works classical symphony, to be fragmented was summarized by Edwin Denby with his Albany Symphony Orchestra views of the earliest quintessentially (Copland’s librettist for the 1937 high (the cello concerto Winter’s Tale was public music. The writing is free school opera The Second Hurricane), given its premiere last December, with and exuberant …; it is the sound reporting the New York premiere in Julie Albers as soloist; a piano concerto of a composer reveling in his own the Herald Tribune of May 15, 1945, will be introduced soon), and the rearrangement of familiar materials, as “a pioneer celebration in spring Milwaukee Ballet, in the composer’s oblivious to time-worn arguments.” around a newly built farmhouse in the home town, has commissioned two Pennsylvania hills in the early part of new works. the last century. The bride-to-be and 14 the young farmer-husband enact the of the material in the late 1960s.) The suspended cymbal, finger cymbals, temple emotions, joyful and apprehensive, their suite’s eight sections, played without blocks, triangle, tambourine, crotales, new domestic partnership invites. An pause, were described as follows by glockenspiel, whip, ratchet, flexatone, older neighbor suggests now and then the composer in his note for the 1945 metal plate, tam-tam, brake drum, the rocky confidence of experience. premiere: xylophone, vibraphone, marimba, chimes, A revivalist and his followers remind anvil, police whistle, mandolin, onstage the new householders of the strange 1. VERY SLOWLY. Introduction of piano, offstage piano, harp and strings. and terrible aspects of human fate. At the characters, one by one, in a Duration, 40 minutes. the end, the couple are left quiet and suffused light. strong in their new house.” 2. FAST. Sudden burst of unison Many of John Corigliano’s most Having effectively used Western strings in A major arpeggios starts significant works are “about” tunes in his earlier ballets Billy the the action. A sentiment both elated something — opera, film score, music Kid and Rodeo, Copland introduced and religious gives the keynote to for the theater, song-cycles, descriptive in this score a hymn-like Shaker this scene. or “programmatic” concertos and song, or spiritual, that was to prove 3. MODERATE. Duo for the Bride other instrumental pieces. The First extraordinarily effective in creating and her Intended — scene of Symphony is very definitely in precisely the atmosphere of simple tenderness and passion. this category, as indicated not only wonder, humility and faith that is 4. QUITE FAST. The Revivalist in the headings of the respective the essence of this work. The song, and his flock. Folksy feelings — movements but in the dedication as composed in or about 1875 by Elder suggestions of square dances and well. The pianist Sheldon Shkolnik Joseph Brackett (1797–1882), who is country fiddlers. and Mr. Corigliano were lifelong said to have sung and danced it himself 5. STILL FASTER. Solo dance of friends and frequent collaborators. “with his coat tails flying,” is called the Bride — presentiment of In February 1969 Shkolnik was the “Simple Gifts”: motherhood. Extremes of joy and soloist, with the Chicago Symphony fear and wonder. Orchestra under Irwin Hoffman, in ’Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the 6. VERY SLOWLY (as at first). the first performance of Corigliano’s gift to be free; Transition scenes reminiscent of the Piano Concerto after that work’s San ’Tis the gift to come down where introduction. Antonio premiere the previous year, we ought to be; 7. CALM AND FLOWING. Scenes of and the Symphony was not the only And when we find ourselves in the daily activity for the Bride and her work the composer dedicated to him. place just right, farmer-husband.