Program Notes

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)
Slavonic Dance op. 46 #8

During Dvorak’s lifetime music publishing was changing. With more people making music in their homes, composers were commissioned to write works suitable for amateur performance. Such were the Slavonic Dances, originally written for two pianos. The works became immediately popular and launched Dvorak’s reputation, although he received less than $100 for the composition.

Soon after releasing the piano version, Dvorak made a far more complex version for full orchestra, known for its brilliant orchestration and rhythmic energy. Stylistically influenced by folk music, Dvorak’s melodies are completely original.

W. A. Mozart (1756-1791)
Symphony No. 25; Allegro con brio

Of all composers, Mozart has arguably composed the most “hits”. The first movement from his Symphony No. 25, Allegro con brio, became a bona fide modern hit with the release of the movie Amadeus.

And no wonder. The 17-year-old Mozart was influenced by the Sturm und Drang (storm and stress) style that was influencing literature, art, and music in the late 18th century. Rather than the detached intellectualism of the Enlightenment, strong emotion drives the music. This Allegro con brio opens the symphony with driving syncopation in a minor key and wide melodic leaps, all designed to overwhelm the audience with emotion and the power of the music.

W. A. Mozart (1756-1791)
Clarinet Concerto; Adagio

The clarinet was a relatively new instrument during Mozart’s lifetime. Late in life Mozart met the great virtuoso Anton Stadler, for whom he wrote this, his last instrumental work. Stadler had been experimenting with a new form of the instrument with an extended lower range, the basset clarinet, and it is for that instrument that the concerto was probably written. Mozart’s original score has been lost. Subsequent editions have been based on an anonymous arrangement for clarinet from about a decade after Mozart’s death, where lower notes have been transcribed sympathetically to fit into the range of the traditional clarinet.

The second movement, Adagio, is sublimely beautiful. The serene yet deeply emotional melody demonstrates Mozart’s love for the clarinet with its rich tone and expressive capacity.

Jan Koetsier (1911-2006)
Concerto for Four Trombones; Allegro con brio

Dutch composer Jan Koetsier was also a renowned conductor, leading the fabled Concertgebouw Orchestra for six years when still a young man, and subsequently the Bavarian Radio Symphony, where he stayed for 16 years. Koetsier was very interested in brass instruments and wrote extensively for various combinations. He even founded an international competition, with the purpose of encouraging young brass ensembles. This Allegro con brio brings the trombone section from the back row of the orchestra to centre stage, highlighting the instrument’s resonance and agility.

Intermission

Alexander Borodin (1833-1887)
Symphony No. 2; Finale – Allegro

As a composer, Borodin isn’t as well-known as perhaps he should be because of his relatively small output. Hardly surprising considering that Borodin regarded his musical life as a pastime pursued outside of his important career as a doctor and noted chemist. Though not prolific, Borodin’s catalogue includes orchestral hits like the Polovetzian Dances from the opera Prince Igor, known for its beautiful melodies and masterful orchestration. A member of “The Five”, a group of composers dedicated to developing a distinctly Russian musical sound, Borodin draws on the melodic and rhythmic style of folk music. He was a master orchestrator, and his compositions exploit the colour of each instrument of the orchestra. The exuberant Finale from Borodin’s second symphony demonstrates the expressive capacity of the orchestra as a whole.

Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936)
Wedding March, op. 21

Perhaps the least familiar work on this program is Alexander Glazunov’s Wedding March. Best known for who he studied with (Rimsky-Korsokov) and who he taught (Shostakovich), Glazunov was nevertheless one of the most important Russian composers of the late 19th and early 20th century. Glazunov wrote his stately and joyful Wedding March in honour of his parents’ twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. The work certainly deserves to be better known than it is. As WCP cellist Allie Scott puts it, “Beats Here Comes the Bride on all counts!”

Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
Enigma Variations; Nimrod

Elgar’s beloved variations show the orchestra at its best, exploiting its full expressive potential. Each of the fourteen variations is linked to Elgar’s family and close friends. Elgar originally meant the title Enigma to apply to the theme only, but nevertheless vaguely referred to a greater mystery in the piece. This has spurred amateur musical sleuths over the decades to find the hidden mystery to the title, and an alarmingly wide range of theories has emerged about Elgar’s intent.

The ninth of the variations, Nimrod, is the best-known, and is often performed independent of the full piece, especially for commemorative events. Nimrod is a nickname for Elgar’s close friend, August Jaeger, Jaeger being German for hunter, and Nimrod being a biblical character who was a hunter. The variation recalls a deep conversation between Elgar and Jaeger about the sublimity of Beethoven’s slow movements.

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
Firebird Suite; Berceuse and Finale

Stravinsky is recognized as one of the most important composers of the early twentieth century, and his music has had a profound influence on many other great composers. His compositional style went through several transformations over his lifetime as Stravinsky experimented with Russian nationalism, neo-classicism, and finally twelve-tone serialism. Despite this experimentation, Stravinsky’s style is instantly recognizable with his use of asymmetrical, driving rhythms, distinct harmonies, and his brilliant orchestration.

Firebird was written in Stravinsky’s early Russian period, commissioned by the great Ballet Russe impresario Serge Diaghilev, who took a risk in hiring the young and relatively unknown composer. The ballet’s fanciful plot draws on Russian folk tales, brilliantly realized in Stravinsky’s music. It is entirely believable that the transcendent melody of the Berceuse, introduced by the bassoon, could indeed lull the evil ogre Kastchei the Deathless to sleep. The Finale moves seamlessly from the Berceuse, with the solo horn announcing the serene and joyful arrival of sunlight and the triumph of good over evil.

John Williams (b. 1932)
Star Wars Suite; Imperial March

The clear titan of modern movie music is the incomparable John Williams. For most of us, Williams’ movie soundtracks are part of the soundtrack of our lives. Williams has written the scores for over 100 feature films, receiving 52 Oscar nominations (5 awards), as well as 25 Grammy Awards.

The Imperial March from the second Star Wars movie, The Empire Strikes Back, is instantly recognizable as the musical characterization the evil Darth Vader. The bold theme, militaristic rhythm, driving percussion, and menacing brass fanfares embody the threat of the Galactic Empire. Williams’ music gives entire worlds a musical identity on and off the screen.