Program Notes

Last night was the Symph--a opening gala concert, featuring four works by Russian composers. The evening started with

Festive Overture by Dmitri Shostakovich

Shostakovich was the foremost Soviet composer of his generation and is especially remarkable for his powers of survival. He was the only major composer (besides Haydn) in the western canon to survive beyond his ninth symphony and also managed to escape Siberian exile despite several dissident works while living in the USSR. Festive Overture was written in 1921 or 1943, or possibly sometime in between, to celebrate all four days of Russian summer. The work starts with a three trumpet fanfare, which is a much more explicit way of letting the audience knowing that the concert has started than low and rumbly bass notes. Following more blaring and banging the strings take over with the presto theme--a word which here means "a tempo at which the musicians cannot turn the pages fast enough to put their instruments back up without being late for the next entrance." The tune is repeated with syncopated offbeats in the brass as they attempt to catch up and culminating in a grand tutti statement of the melody. The initial fanfare comes back at the end, but usually by this point the winds and brass are too tired to play it.

Violin Concerto in D by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

The Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto is one of the great works of the romantic era and a special favorite of conservatory violinsts, each of whom is convinced that he he or she will soon be a famous international soloist, but willing (if they must) to temporarily serve as concertmaster of a top-5 orchestra in order to pay the bills while their solo career takes off. Each of these budding soloists puts this concerto on their junior recital jury and plays it slightly under tempo (that pesky third movement is so difficult!) with a tired looking accompanist. The work starts with a movement in sonata allegro form and features a celebrated cadenza which is not quite long enough for the timpanist to get in a full hand of poker with the third and fourth horns. The second movement is a canzonetta--an Italian word which means "little canzon"--and since the brass tacet, we will speak of it no longer except to mention that it transitions attacca into the third movement, and anyone in the back row that was playing on their phone usually misses the first few notes. The last movement is a rondo, a form in which an "A" theme is repeated between statements of other themes, meaning that every time the audience thinks they'll finally be free to clap and visit the lavatory that darn melody comes back in and reminds them that they have at least another 32 bars to go.

The Nocturne by Borodin

is strings only, and mostly gives time to the percussion section to finish their smoke break before the Stravinsky starts.

The Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky

The Firebird was originally an opera composed in 1911, and the suite highlights the musical episodes of the famous Russian fairytale. A wondrous bird of fire is captured by the heroic Prince Ivan, who wins a princess, bewitches the subjects of the evil King Katschei in an infernal dance, and then heals the basilisk wound on Harry's harm and flies him to safety with Ginny and Professor Lockhart. The opening music features lots of low notes in exceptionally tiny print, and then then it looks as if someone vomited thirty second notes all over the parts in the woodwind section. The Round Dance of the princesses lulls the audience to sleep, and then the opening "shock note" of the Infernal Dance makes Haydn's Surprise Symphony seem like a mild wheeze in comparison. A particular favorite of conductor James Smith is the Berceuse and Finale, which I know "berceuse" he listens to it several times a day. The brilliant ending is written in an odd 7/4 time signature, which means that no one in the back row actually counts it, but they just wait and hope that the conductor remembers to point at them in the right spots.

Exodus

And it came in those days that R. Dudlius dismissed his musicians and played no longer with the great orchestras, nor did he rise early in the morning nor drive his hollow-bellied neon, but he made a great rest in his home and took refreshment. And his wife also rested and so did James Bear, the son of R. Dudlius, although he rested in no wise to the whims of his parents, for he was always minded to be outside and in the grass and slime. And the corn grew tall and sun waxed hot overhead, and it was summer, and R. Dudlius took much refreshment.

And in the eighth month of the sixth year of the rule of one whose name means "blessing," R. Dudlius met J. of Raschella in a far journey, and he enticed him with poor enticement to take an oath to sound his trumpet in places far to the East, beyond many lakes and much further than any man should walk on a day, and even further than a horse might ride, but only where the subtle engines might go and come back because of their quickness.

And R. Dudlius said to his wife "Woe unto us, for I have sworn a heavy oath that I should sound the trumpet far in places far to the East, and only poor enticement is my reward! I cannot make my journeys on foot or horse, but I must drive our subtle engines, yet these also are of evil quality, and they always devise to work against us their tricks and wiles."

And his wife said to him "You have taken poor enticement indeed to sound your trumpet, for you are much skilled in its playing, yet your wages are as that of an unskilled servant. We must make our dwelling to the east, although I too must drive our subtle engines to the west among the homes of your kin."

And R. Dudlius asked his wife "Wherefore must you drive subtle engines among the homes of my kinsmen?"

And his wife answered to him "A priest has bidden me to sing among the halls where long ago we met, before you married me and before we journeyed to the south."

And R. Dudlius said to his wife "If I must make my way to the East beyond many lakes and you must make your way west to the halls wherein we met before you grew heavy with child, we must find a suitable place to dwell between."

And his wife made him swear with great fear never again to say "grew heavy with child," and she told him of the wages she would be paid, which were far better than his own, and they searched for many days to find suitable habitation, nor did they sleep on their bed, for their worries were great and the sun had waxed hot even through the night, and their habitation had not air conditioning.

And it came also in the eighth month of that year that R. Dudlius found a suitable place between the viae Durobrevis, and they were exceeding glad. The place which R. Dudlius found lay on the eastern slope of Mt. Wegmans, which is the holiest hill in all their land, and its ways are always full with pilgrims, rich merchants, and great men. The name of the place is melitolus, which they say in their own tongue "clover." R. Dudlius was pleased on account of the strong wall, and his wife was pleased on account of the many fine rooms, and James Bear, the son of R. Dudlius, was pleased on account of the great courtyard full of green grass and many stones fit for throwing.

Also in that place was the priest Calvus, son of Thomas, who was the brother of R. Dudlius, son of Thomas, and his wife. And Calvus greeted the tidings of R. Dudlius with gladness, because they had ere yet been many miles away from each other.

And it came that R. Dudlius ascended Mt. Wegmans with his wife and James Bear his son, and James Bear was in a cart with wheels that looked as though he drove a subtle engine, and he was much pleased. And also upon Mt. Wegmans did R. Dudlius' wife drink a cup of much sweet milk, which is called "latte" in their tongue, and she was much pleased. And R. Dudlius beheld the treasury of Mt. Wegmans, which is many fine cheeses and all manner of fruits and sweet smelling vegetables, all ripe and good to eat, along with coffees and chocolates from beyond the salt seas and flowers of exceeding brightness.

And R. Dudlius said to his wife "Look, wife, this is a a fit and suitable place where you might go to the halls of my kinsmen in the west, and I might go beyond the lakes to the east to sound my trumpet."

And R. Dudlius wrote on many papers and sent letters to the masters of this suitable place, and he wrote with much eloquence, for among those people the wages of a musician are base and not to be trusted. And he long waited their answer, and thus passed the eighth month of the sixth year of the rule of the one whose name means "blessed," and in that month that very king traveled by Mt. Wegmans.