Program Notes Sticks April 16, 2019 Graceful Ghost National Medal of Arts, Pulitzer Prize, and Grammy Award-winner William Bolcom (born May 26, 1938) is an American composer of keyboard, chamber, operatic, vocal, choral, and symphonic music. Born in Seattle, Washington, he began composition studies at the age of 11 with George Frederick McKay and John Verrall at the University of Washington while continuing piano lessons with Madame Berthe Poncy Jacobson. He later studied with Darius Milhaud at Mills College while working on his Master of Arts degree, with Leland Smith at Stanford University while working on his D.M.A., and with Olivier Messiaen and Milhaud at the Paris Conservatoire, where he received the 2éme Prix de Composition. He joined the faculty of the University of Michigan's School of Music in 1973, was named the Ross Lee Finney Distinguished University Professor of Composition in 1994, and retired in 2008 after 35 years. Bolcom won the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1988 for 12 New Etudes for Piano, and his setting of William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience on the Naxos label won four Grammy Awards in 2005. (Notes: https://www.williambolcom.com/bio) Stoic tells a classic tale of heroism with conflict, defeat, sorrow, inspiration, revival, and victory. Opening with the hero's theme, the hero has built a legacy of victory and power until he is faced with his first loss. Whether it be defeat at the hands of a stronger foe or the loss of a loved one, our hero plunges into a sorrow, as he has never known anything but victory and success. He soon starts to find his way back to the top through hard work and an epic journey where he becomes stronger than he once was. Soon bringing the audience back to the original theme with a new voice of growth. The hero confronts what defeated him in the beginning of the story and comes out the victor, solidifying his legacy. Jacob Wrobel is an undergraduate percussionist at Kansas State University majoring in Music Education and is currently student teaching at Theodore Roosevelt Elementary in Manhattan, KS. Jacob has participated in several major instrumental ensembles such as marching band, wind ensemble, brass ensemble, university band, orchestra, and the percussion ensembles. During his time at K-State, he has been the treasure of both the Tau Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha and the KSU Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society, along with conducing university band, being the principal percussionist in orchestra, and coaching/soloing with the percussion ensembles. This fall, Jacob will be attending the University of Missouri-Kansas City for a Master’s in Percussion Performance where he was awarded a teaching assistantship position with Dr. Nick Petrella. (Notes by the composer) The Atmos Clock The original Atmos Clock was the invention of the French engineer Jean-Leon Reutter in the 1920’s. The goal of this clock was to create a machine that generated its own power through the use of perpetual motion. By using Mercury (and later Ethyl Chloride) encased in a special glass tube, he was able to create a clock that could wind itself through the smallest changes in temperature or fluctuations in the atmosphere, hence the name “The Atmos Clock”. Today Atmos Clocks are manufactured by the Jaeger- LeCoultre company in Switzerland, and are considered to be one of the greatest feats in engineering. This piece, like the Atmos Clocks themselves, runs on perpetual motion. Throughout the piece a running eighth-note gesture is performed. While the line itself may change and develop throughout the work, its 1 | P a g e Program Notes Sticks April 16, 2019 energy remains constant, continually powering the piece until it fades to nothing. Combined with this are poly-rhythms that give the idea of separate gears turning at different speeds, yet all serving the same overall goal. The Atmos Clock was commissioned by The Caixa Trio (Julie Davila, Julie Hill, and Amy Smith) in 2008, and was premiered by them in 2012. My sincere thanks to The Caixa Trio for their patience and support during the composition of the work. (Notes by the composer) Circles Dr. Mario Gaetano is currently a Professor of Music at Western Carolina University. He holds degrees from State University of New York at Potsdam, East Carolina University, and the University of Memphis. A highly accomplished percussion artist, Dr. Gaetano has appeared as a recitalist and concerto soloist in numerous U.S. states for various regional, national, and international conferences. He is currently principal percussionist of the Asheville Symphony and has performed with the North Carolina Symphony and the Memphis Symphony. He also represents Innovative Percussion, Inc. as a performing artist/clinician. He has authored numerous scholarly articles on percussion literature and pedagogy for various national and international journals and is past president of the North Carolina chapter of the Percussive Arts Society. His method book, The Complete Snare Drummer, is published by Mel Bay. He is a highly respected and prolific of percussion music with more than 30 published works and four ASCAP Awards to his credit. (Notes: http://www.mostlymarimba.com/composers/composers-f-j/769-mario- gaetano.html) Song of ’Almah The text is taken from the Old Testament book, Song of Solomon, written c. 945 BC. King Solomon, known for writing over 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs, called this composition his Shir Hashirim – his most exquisite "Song of all Songs." It is an incomparable celebration of romantic love in all aspects. In the entirety of Solomon's 700 marriages and 300 additional maid-servant relationships, his search for true love led him to one 'almah, one young girl, one maiden, who captured his heart like no other. She is called a Shulamite, from the city of Shunem which was located southwest of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. The residents were descendents of Issachar, one of Jacob's twelve sons, and they were known for their strength, humility, and desire to serve unconditionally. From the Song of Solomon we learn that 'Almah grew up with harsh brothers who forced her to labor in her family's vineyards. She viewed herself as a common girl, like the common meadow flowers "a rose of Sharon" and "a lily of the valleys." Yet, 'Almah's life changed forever when the most powerful ruler known to man fell deeply in love with her, making her his only beloved. Like a shepherd, Solomon gave her rest. Like an oasis, he gave her water and safety. Like an apple tree in the forest, he stood out broadly among men. Such are the beginning images in the Song that describe her new life with the king. In Hebrew, 'Almah means "young girl, maiden, or damsel". A variation on the word is the Hebrew musical term 'alamoth, which can be translated "soprano." So the Song of 'Almah is the composer's duet for marimba and 'alamoth. It was commissioned by Charles Beall, who also chose the Song of Solomon 2 | P a g e Program Notes Sticks April 16, 2019 as the text. Although the Song of Solomon contains parts spoken by the King and parts by the Chorus (the Daughters of Jerusalem), the composer only selected key passages spoken by the beloved 'Almah. A multi-faceted performer and educator, Mr. Beall sustains balance between the Symphonic, Broadway, and Marching arenas. As a freelance percussionist, he has performed on Broadway in The Lion King and Les Miserables, as well as at Carnegie Hall with the Manhattan Pops Orchestra and the New England Symphonic Ensemble. Mr. Beall has appeared as a soloist around the world, including 14 recitals and 6 concerto performances. In 2001, he won the D.C.I. Solo Marimba Competition, D.C.I. Percussion Ensemble Competition, and the P.A.S.I.C. College Marimba Competition. (Notes: https://www.steveweissmusic.com/product/1125915/mallet-accompaniment#full-description) 3 | P a g e .