Classical Concert I October 7, 2007| Bangor Auditorium Program Notes by Laura Artesani, D.M.A. The Sound of Music by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein In 1957, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein were approached by Richard Halliday (husband of Mary Martin, who played the part of Maria on Broadway) and producer Leland Hayward, who were planning a musical based on the life of Maria von Trapp. The initial idea was to use Austrian folk songs for most of the musical, with Rodgers and Hammerstein contributing one or two new songs. However, the famous songwriting team rejected this plan, stating that they would prefer to write the entire score. At the time of this initial meeting, Rodgers and Hammerstein were in the midst of preparing Flower Drum Song for its run on Broadway. Halliday and Hayward agreed to delay their plans for one year, and work on The Sound of Music began in 1958. The show begins with a scene at a monastery, and Rodgers was initially intimidated at the prospect of composing liturgical music. However, Mother Morgan of Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY came to the rescue, arranging a special concert for Rodgers and his wife, Dorothy. After this experience, the score was completed rapidly. The Sound of Music opened on November 16, 1959 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York. Although some critics protested that the show was too sweet and sentimental, the audiences were enthusiastic. The stage version ran for nearly four years in New York, and for five and a half years at the Palace Theatre in London. Unbeknownst to most of the cast and crew, Oscar Hammerstein was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer during rehearsals for the show. He died on August 23, 1960, nine months after the show opened. The lyrics to Climb Every Mountain were read at his funeral. The last lyrics that he composed were for Edelweiss , a song that was added after the first few performances when it was decided that Captain von Trapp needed a folk-like solo number. Oscar Hammerstein never knew that The Sound of Music also became one of the most successful movies of all time, premiering on March 2, 1965. Richard Rodgers composed two new songs for the movie: I Have Confidence and Something Good . The soundtrack album, released on the same day as the film, has sold over 14 million copies. Capriccio italien, op. 45 by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky In 1877, Tchaikovsky impulsively entered into a marriage that was so disastrous that he attempted to commit suicide. Three years later, still recovering from this traumatic experience, Tchaikovsky decided to travel to Italy. This trip was encouraged and paid for by Nadezda von Meck, the mysterious patroness who corresponded with the composer and supported him financially, but never met in person. Tchaikovsky wrote to von Meck from Rome in February of 1880, "during the past few days I have sketched the rough draft of an Italian Capriccio based on popular melodies. I think it has a bright future; it will be effective because of the wonderful melodies I happened to pick up, partly from published collections, and partly out in the streets with my own ears." The Capriccio italien was completed in Russia during the following summer. The premiere took place on December 18, 1880 in Moscow, with Nicolas Rubinstein conducting. The U.S. premiere took place at the Metropolitan Opera House on November 6, 1886, with Walter Damrosch at the podium. During Tchaikovsky's stay in Italy, he stayed at a hotel adjacent to an army barracks. The fanfare that opens the Capriccio italien is reminiscent of the bugle calls that he heard from his hotel room. After this introduction, the strings present a lyrical, somewhat melancholy theme, which is developed by the rest of the orchestra. This is followed by a folk-like melody, introduced by the oboes, which is reminiscent of an Italian street band. A lively march follows, and the opening theme returns, giving way to an energetic tarantella. After the appearance of yet another rousing theme, a presto section brings the work to a rousing conclusion. The Capriccio italien calls for a large orchestra, including three flutes, English horn, bells, glockenspiel, tambourine, and harp. The orchestration is innovative and wonderfully effective, showcasing Tchaikovsky at the height of his creative powers. Bolero by Maurice Ravel The premiere of Ravel's Bolero took place at the Opéra-Comique in Paris in November, 1928 as incidental music to a ballet. It was an immediate success, and Ravel achieved instantaneous international acclaim. The U.S. premiere took place a year later under the baton of Toscanini, and the audience responded with resounding cheers. Ironically, Ravel regarded his most famous work as a mere intellectual exercise, the purpose being the development of a single phrase into an extended orchestral composition. Through his inspired orchestration and the ingenious use of a prolonged crescendo, the listener is held spellbound. The work begins softly, with the percussion section introducing the insistent rhythm that will be repeated for the duration of the work. The flutes present the haunting, evocative theme, which is explored in turn by the clarinets, bassoons, trumpets, saxophones and horns. The strings play a pizzicato accompaniment, reinforcing the relentless beat of the drums. As the conclusion approaches, the tension builds mercilessly until the inevitable orchestral explosion of rhythm and sound. It has been suggested that Bolero can be viewed as a synthesis of the Basque melodies sung to Ravel by his mother and the rhythms that he heard when touring factories with his father, an engineer. Ravel had this to say about Bolero: "I am particularly desirous that there should be no misunderstanding about this work. It constitutes an experiment in a very special and limited direction and should not be suspected of aiming at achieving anything other or more than what it actually does. Before its first performance I issued a warning to the effect that what I had written was a piece lasting seventeen minutes and consisting wholly of 'orchestral tissue without music'- of one long, very gradual crescendo. There are no contrasts, and there is practically no invention save the plan and the manner of execution. The themes are altogether impersonal. . .folk tunes of the usual Spanish-Arabian kind, and (whatever may have been said to the contrary) the orchestral writing is simple and straightforward throughout, without the slightest attempt at virtuosity. . .I have carried out exactly what I intended, and it is for the listeners to take it or leave it."

CONCERTS

Coming Up...

Sunday, May 11, 2008: Famous Fifths Schubert: Symphony in B flat major, no. 5 Beethoven: Symphony no. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 Mozart: Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major, K. 22 Tchaikovsky: Symphony no. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 Mahler: Adagietto from Symphony No. 5 Shostakovich: Symphony no. 5 in D minor, op. 47

Classical Series

Special Events