May 21, 2000 Concert
at Binghamton West Middle School
BINGHAMTON YOUTH SYMPHONY
Barry G. Peters, Conductor
II. Waltz
IV. Finale
II. Dance of the Young
Maidens
V. Lullaby
VIII. Lezghinka
JUNIOR ORCHESTRA
Russell J. Colton, Conductor
Prelude
Serenade
Waltz
March
BINGHAMTON YOUTH SYMPHONY
PROGRAM NOTES
Introduction to Act III of "Lohengrin," Richard Wagner
This is one of the most familiar of Wagner's many compositions. It embodies the force, beauty, and fullness of sound found in most of his music. This is the music that, in the opera, sets the stage for the wedding of one of the main characters, Elsa. The music used for her wedding is the familiar "Wedding March" that is so familiar to many people. It is commonly known as "Here Comes the Bride."
Incidentally, the first performance of Lohengrin was conducted in 1 850 by Franz Liszt, the composer of the last piece on today's program. He conducted it in Germany while Wagner was in exile in Switzerland as a political fugitive.
Serenade for Strings, Peter lllich Tchaikovsky
Tchaikovsky explained that he wrote the Serenade "from inward impulse." He hoped that the piece would be judged as a work of art. His hopes came true in that the piece has withstood the test of time since its composition in 1880. It has become one of the most popular string pieces in the repertoire.
The second movement is a waltz with a faint suggestion of Spanish rhythms and colors. The fourth movement is based on two Russian melodies, one of which is derived from a street song the composer heard in Kolomna. Also included in this movement is a chorale, which was used in the first movement of the Serenade. The composer intended the first movement to be a tribute to Mozart.
Gayaneh Ballet Suite No. 1, Aram Khachaturian
Khachaturian is one of the Russian composers who followed the footsteps of the "Russian Five" in that his music is nationalistic. Although his music is more dissonant than that of Borodin or Rimsky-Korsakov, it is still full of Armenian and Russian folk songs and has that same dark Russian character as that of Mussorgsky.
This suite, written in 1942, was the winner of the Stalin Prize for music composition. This was one of the most prestigious honors of that period of history. It was accompanied by a sum of 100,000 rubles. The composer is also the holder of the Order of Lenin, presented for his outstanding contributions to Russian music.
Medley of Schubert Melodies, Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Schubert possessed an exquisite sense of melody. He composed 634 songs with harmonic twists and melodic turns that convey emotion with remarkable simplicity and force. This medley is a fine demonstration of his skill. Each phrase is the turn of a kaleidoscope expressing a different nuance – first bright, happy – then dark, sad.
Dalton Set, Robert Starer (1924-)
This work was commissioned by the Dalton Schools in New York City and was first performed by the school orchestra in April 1961.
The movements are very different from each other. In the "Prelude," I see primordial beasts thrashing and grazing in the ancient forest. The "Serenade" is an off-balance, sultry, somewhat jazzy tune. The "Waltz" is fragile, a bit tips@ and disjointed. The "March" begins like, well, a march, but a sassy, jazz element quickly merges with a little fugato tossed in the middle.
The Great Gate of Kiev, Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881)
The "Great Gate" is the last movement of a set of ten piano pieces called "Pictures at an Exhibition." These pieces were set for orchestra by Maurice Ravel in 1922. The orchestration brings the gate to life with full brass, pulsating strings and clashing cymbals.
“Buckaroo Holiday” from Rodeo, Aaron Copland
We are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Aaron Copland's birth. During his musical career, Copland evolved as one of the finest American composers to date. He wrote for almost every type of medium including opera, ballet, chamber music and films.
This selection is part of the ballet, Rodeo. Like a lot of Copland's music, this part of the ballet reminds the listener of the wide open prairie, simple values, and a zest for life.
Les Preludes, Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt made several major contributions to music. He was known as the finest pianist of his time. His piano techniques, methods and approaches have influenced every composer of piano music since his time. He is also the composer who developed the symphonic poem.
His most performed symphonic poem is Les Preludes. Like all tone or symphonic poems, it tells a story. The story is based on a poem by Lamartin that asks, "What is our life but a series of preludes to that unknown song in which death strikes the first solemn note?" The poem goes on to talk about love being the most beautiful part of life, but is it interrupted by setbacks. He goes on to say that we should not just accept what nature has in store for us. Instead, we should actively strive for what we want out of life.