Paris-born Charles Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921) was a child prodigy, composing his first piece for piano at the age of three. He studied with Stamaty and Boëly before entering the Paris Conservatory in 1848. He was a private student of Gounod. Saint-Saëns had total recall; any book he read or tune he heard was forever committed to his memory. He held the coveted post of organist at the Madeleine from 1857 to 1875. He was also an accomplished pianist, conductor, score reader, and astronomer. As a composer, he wrote in many genres, including opera, symphonies, concertos, sacred and secular choral music, concertos, and chamber music. His highly popular works, including Danse macabre (1875) and Samson and Delilah were written during a short and tragic marriage, that included the loss of his two young sons within a period of six weeks. The Carnival of the Animals is a favorite of children of all ages, but it had only two performances while Saint-Saëns was alive, possibly because he had written it as a parody of some of the popular music of the time.
Morceau de Concert
Morceau de Concert translates as "concert piece''. It is a solo horn tour de force that was written in 1880 as a part of a virtuoso tradition developed in France, upheld mainly by the faculty of the Paris Conservatoire. In the tradition, continued to this day, each study period ends with a competition in which the first prize is awarded to the winner as a symbol of excellence. Saint-Saëns' composition was dedicated to the horn virtuoso Chaussier, who won the Premier Prix in 1880.
Pas Redoble
Originally written for four-hand piano, it was transcribed for band by Arthur Frackenpohl. The tempo of a pas redouble varies with the proficiency of the performer(s), as well as the wishes of the composer and the customs of that period. During the mid-nineteenth century, military units in some nations were marching to a cadence of about ninety steps per minute for the slow march (pas ordinaire), 120 for the quick march (pas redouble), and 160 to 180 for the double-quick march (pas de charge). Frackenpohl recommends a tempo of 144 for this march.
Peter Schickele (b. 1935) grew up in Ames, Iowa, Washington, DC, and Fargo, North Dakota. As a teenager, he studied and emulated Spike Jones' performances. Originally a clarinetist, urgency dictated that he become Fargo's only bassoonist; he went on to be Swathmore's only music major. He completed his schooling with an M.S. from The Juilliard School of Music, where he studied under Vincent Persichetti and William Bergsma. Besides performing and explaining away the music of P.D.Q. Bach, Prof. Schickele has written and arranged for classical, jazz, rock, and folk ensembles, providing music for concerts, films, television, radio, and the stage. (see P.D.Q. Bach)
Be Glad Then, America
This composition is the first movement of Schuman’s New England Tryptych, originally written for orchestra in 1956 and based on hymns by William Billings. The other works of the Tryptych are When Jesus Wept and Chester. The composer wrote the following program note:
William Billings (1746 - 1800) is a major figure in the history of American music. The works of this dynamic composer capture the spirit of sinewy ruggedness, deep religiosity, and patriotic fervor that we associate with the Revolutionary period. Despite the undeniable crudities and technical shortcomings of his music, its appeal even today, is forceful and moving. I am not alone among American composers who feel an identity with Billings, and it is this sense of identity that accounts for my use of his music as a point of departure. These pieces do not constitute a “fantasy” on themes of Billings, nor “variations” on his themes, but rather a fusion of styles and musical language.
Billings’ text for this anthem includes the following lines:Yea, the Lord will answer Be glad then, America,
And say unto his people — behold! Shout and rejoice.
I will send you corn and wine Fear not O land,
and oil Be glad and rejoice.
And ye shall be satisfied therewith. Hallelujah!
A timpani solo begins the short introduction, which is developed predominantly in the strings. This music is suggestive of the “Hallelujah” heard at the end of the piece. Trombones and trumpets begin the main section, a free and varied setting of the words “Be Glad Then, America, Shout and Rejoice.” The timpani, again solo, leads to a middle fugal section stemming from the words “And Ye Shall Be Satisfied.” The music gains momentum, and combined themes lead to a climax. There follows a free adaptation of the “Hallelujah” music with which Billings concludes his original choral piece and a final reference to the “Shout and Rejoice” music.
Chester - Overture for Band
The tune on which this composition is based was born during the American Revolution, appearing in 1778 in a book of tunes and anthems composed by William Billings (1746 - 1800). It was subsequently adopted by the Continental Army and sung around campfires or played by fifers on the march. The music and words expressed the burning desire for freedom which sustained the colonists through the difficult years of the Revolution:
Let tyrants shake their iron rod,
And Slav'ry clank her galling chains,
We fear them not, We trust in God,
New England's God forever reigns.
The Foe comes on with haughty stride
Our Troops advance with martial noise
Their Vet'rans flee, before our Youth
And Gen'rals yield to beardless Boys.
William Schuman (1910 - 1992), a native New Yorker, originally wrote Chester as the third movement of the New England Triptych. He developed and extended the orchestral version, making Chester into an overture for band. In the first section, Schuman introduces the tune first in the woodwinds and then in the brasses. In the next section, the melody is given a more contemporary setting with mid-twentieth century rhythmic and harmonic devices utilized to sustain interest. The closing section brings back the hymn-like treatment of the theme and the work is brought to a dramatic close.
When Jesus wept the falling tear
In mercy flowed beyond all bound;
When Jesus groaned, a trembling fear
Seized all the guilty world around.
Sax Serenade
Featuring the Foothill Saxophone Quartet, this composition brings back the sound of the big bands of the ‘40s. After a brief introduction from the full band, the sweet sounds of the saxophones sing out an easy swing dance melody. It isn’t hard to imagine the elegance of a large ballroom and your sweetheart in your arms. A reprise of the introductory melody completes this trip down memory lane.
Nancy Heitman Seward was born in Oklahoma in August 1930 and grew up in Lincoln, Illinois. She earned her BME degree (cum laude) from Central Methodist College in 1952. She met her husband Ken while playing clarinet in the CMC Band. Seward taught music in the elementary and secondary schools in Kansas and Missouri and at her alma mater. She has taken graduate courses at the University of Michigan and the University of Missouri. Now retired from teaching, she remains active as a composer and adjudicator. Honored by Central Methodist College with their Distinguished Alumni Award, she has also received the Hall of Fame Award from the Missouri Bandmasters Association. While her works appeal to a wide variety of groups, her composition goal has been to improve the repertoire available to school bands.
Beneath The Shining Skies
O Canada! Beneath thy shining
skies,
May stalwart sons and gentle maidens rise,
To keep thee steadfast through the years,
From East to Western Sea,
Our own beloved native land!
Our True North, strong and free!
This stanza from the Canadian National Anthem gave rise to the title and subject of this composition, which was commissioned in 1995 by Keith and Marilyn Mann of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, and dedicated to their parents. The lively melody salutes the settlers of that great country and pays homage to their heritage with musical references to La Marseillaise and Rule Britannia. A chorus of O Canada brings this majestic work to a conclusion.
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975) studied at the Leningrad Conservatory under Glazunov, among others. International fame came to Shostakovich at the age of nineteen when his powerful and mature First Symphony was performed in Leningrad, and later in Moscow. Following this success, his next works were disappointing and attacked by the Soviet press as a product of “bourgeois decadence.” Like many Soviet composers, Shostakovich found himself constantly under pressure from restrictions imposed by the Soviet musical world with its concern for the moral and social, rather than the purely aesthetic aspects of music. The musical style of Shostakovich remains unbalanced with works containing crude parodies, programmatic devices, and conventional simplicity countered by works of originality, distinction, and significance.
This vibrant composition was assembled from native folk melodies collected by Shostakovich. Originally appearing in 1942 as the third movement of the orchestral suite Native Leningrad, the music was subsequently arranged for Russian bands by M. Vakhutinsky. In 1979, the work became available in the US and both H. Robert Reynolds and Frank Erickson developed arrangements for modern concert bands. It is the latter’s product that is performed today. Hold on to your seat as we celebrate the composer’s 100th birthday.Symphony No. 5, Finale
Completed in 1937, this symphony is commonly subtitled A Soviet artist’s reply to just criticism after Stalin’s denouncement of Shostakovich’s opera Lady Macbeth of Mtensk for its degenerate and modernist tendencies. Any kind of adventurous music was banned. Shostakovich became a “marked man” and his Mahleresque Fourth Symphony was withdrawn not long after its premiere. The Fifth Symphony follows the outline of a traditional symphony, providing safe music, following old formulas. It was a rousing success. Shostakovich reportedly said that “The idea behind my symphony is the making of a man. I saw him, with all his experience, at the centre of the work, which is lyrical from beginning to end. The Finale brings an optimistic solution to the tragic parts of the first movement.” In his memoirs, smuggled from Russia after his death, he wrote:
What exultation could there be? I think it is clear to everyone what happens in the Fifth. The rejoicing is forced, created under threat. . . It’s as if someone were beating you with a stick and saying ‘Your business is rejoicing, your business is rejoicing,’ and you rise, shaky, and go marching off, muttering, ‘Our business is rejoicing, our business is rejoicing.’ What kind of apotheosis is that? You have to be a complete oaf not to hear that.
Symphony No. 9, Finale
The Ninth Symphony is Shostakovich’s shortest. Written in 1944-5, it was supposed to be a celebration of victory in war, personal glorification of Stalin, and the culmination of the symphonic trilogy begun in 1941 with the Leningrad and followed two years later by the Eighth. Records show that composition began in this manner, but the work that debuted after the end of the war was completely different. Characterized by the public as “silly and gay,” the Ninth enraged Stalin for its lack of chorus, soloists, apotheosis, or dedication. Shostakovich openly defended it as a rejoicing in the end of the war. Secretly, he was criticizing Stalin and the establishment over the toll taken by the war and the renewed repression of the people by their own rulers. Eventually, the frivolity of the Ninth and its offense to Stalin would weigh against Shostakovich in the vicious government crackdown in 1948. Fortunately for Shostakovich, the interpretation of music has more leeway than that of the printed word. The Ninth Symphony is not frivolous, but a brilliant work with crisp articulation, transparent scoring, and the near absence of dissonance. The Finale begins with an unusual bassoon solo. Various sections of the ensemble take turns with the staccato theme. The simple rhythms grow in tempo and intensity until the climatic ending.
The Peanut Vendor
Claude T. Smith (1932 - 1987) was born in Monroe City, Missouri. He started his musical career playing trumpet in the fifth grade. He attended Central Methodist College until he was drafted into the Army during the Korean Conflict. Unable to find a position with the service bands as a trumpeter, he auditioned on the French Horn and won a position with the 371st Army Band. Smith finished his undergraduate studies at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. He taught instrumental music in Nebraska and Missouri junior and senior high schools, later teaching composition and conducting the orchestra at Southwest Missouri State University. In 1978, Smith gave up teaching to serve as a full-time composer and consultant for Wingert-Jones Music Company and Jenson Publishing Company. During his career, he composed over 120 works for band, chorus, orchestra, and small ensembles. Active as a clinician and guest conductor, he received numerous awards and honors, including election to the presidency of the Missouri Music Educators Association. His composition Flight has been adopted as the “Official March” of the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution.
Eternal Father, Strong to Save
Rich in harmony, dynamics, and thematic interplay, this piece is based on the missionary hymn of the same name composed in 1860 by William Whiting, which was adopted as the official hymn of the U.S. Navy. This work opens with a brilliant fanfare. The melody of the hymn then appears in a fugue developed by the woodwinds. The brass echo the fugue until the melody once again appears played by the choir of French Horns. The ensemble joins in for a finale reminiscent of the introductory fanfare.
Fantasia for Alto Saxophone
The Fantasia for Alto Saxophone was written in 1983 for saxophonist Dale Underwood and it is dedicated to the U.S. Navy Band, to which Underwood was assigned at the time. Dale Underwood has been a leader and driving force in developing the saxophone as a “classical” instrument. He is a member of the faculties of George Mason University and the University of Maryland. Claude T. Smith’s Fantasia is technically demanding for the soloist. It features opportunities for displays of both technique and tonality. An extensive cadenza displays the full skill of the performer and range of expression available from the instrument.
Incidental Suite
The first of three movements of this suite is a spirited Tarantella with the woodwinds supporting the melody against the punctuated rhythms of the brass and percussion sections. The Nocturne opens with a fragment of the main theme traded between solo instruments in the ensemble; it grows in strength and vigor before returning to a placid mood. The vigorous Rondo plays upon a theme that appears again and again against contrasting themes.
Symphony No. 1 for Band
I. Flourish
II. March
III. Lyric Song
IV. Toccata
The first movement, Flourish, begins with a fanfare-like sound in the allegretto moderato tempo. The brilliance of the tutti sound is pulsed with strong rhythmic accents. The 6/8 March opens with solo bassoons playing the principal march tune. Following a trumpet and drum duet, the march develops a vigorous and pulsating pace of stirring proportions. Large and sonorous chords open the Lyric Song movement. The melodic material is given a variety of scorings, including solos and a brass treatment in contrapuntal style. The Toccata is a movement of energy and drive which displays the technique of the band. This movement includes a fugal section for woodwinds and percussion. The work is brought to a thrilling close with the same chords with which the first movement opened. The Symphony was commissioned by Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma national honorary band fraternity and sorority, respectively, and first performed in 1977.
James Sochinski has written for nearly every instrumental medium, including compositions and arrangements for the Charlotte Symphony, the Fresno Wind Orchestra, and Banda de Musica da Guarda Nacional Republicana (Portugal). He spent three years as Staff Arranger for the U.S. Army Field Band, Washington, D.C. He has written for several university bands and has over 200 special arrangements and compositions for college and university ensembles to his credit. Dr. Sochinski served as Director of Bands at Virginia Tech for 13 years; he was appointed Director of Virginia Tech's Center for Digital Music in the fall of 1991. He teaches music theory at both the undergraduate and graduate level and colloquia in the University Honors College. Additionally, he serves as arranger for Virginia Tech's 330-member “Marching Virginians.”
Suite from The Legend of Alcobaca
I. Prelude - Fourteenth-century Portugal is the setting for one of the greatest of the tragic love stories. Dom Pedro, son of Alfonso IV and heir to the throne, dutifully was betrothed to the Infanta Constanza of Aragon in 1340 in a politically-arranged marriage. The relationship languished when Pedro was taken with the beautiful Ines de Castro, one of the Infanta's ladies-in-waiting. Pedro and soon became lovers, parents, and adoring soul mates; they became inseparable as well.
II. Ines at Santa Clara - The scandal at court was too much for the king and kingdom; Alfonso banished Ines to Spain. But Dom Pedro persisted, installing his lovely Ines and their children in the convent of Santa Clara near Coimbra. For some ten years, Pedro and Ines maintained their extraordinary and blissful relationship, producing more children and growing more hopelessly in love all the while. Alfonso, torn between his son's happiness and the political realities of the time, finally yielded to his advisors and allowed Ines and her children to be brutally stabbed to death on January 7, 1355.
III. Dom Pedro's Revenge - Pedro's grief was profound and consuming. Swearing revenge, he raised an army and led a bloody rebellion against his father. The battles raged for several months but Dom Pedro was able to gain neither victory nor revenge. In his terms of surrender, it was required that the three assassins be pardoned. Alfonso died soon after, and the prince ascended to the throne as Pedro I. His first act as monarch was to extradite the assassins and order their torture and the most cruel executions possible.
IV. Coronation of the Dead Queen - Still obsessed with grief and a yearning for his dead Ines, Pedro revealed that he and Ines had been secretly married and staged the coronation his queen never had. Ines' body was exhumed, dressed in royal robes, and carried in procession some fifty miles to Alcobaca. Pedro ordered thousands of subjects to line the entire length of the road, each bearing a lighted candle. At Alcobaca, the royal crown was placed upon Ines' head and a magnificent coronation was staged for the "Dead Queen."
V. Postlude - Pedro subsequently commissioned two splendid sarcophagi and ordered their placement in the transept of Alcobaca. Ines was buried to the left, and Dom Pedro was interred on the right in 1367. At Dom Pedro's further command, the tombs were arranged to face one another so that on the day of resurrection, he might finally rise and gaze once again upon his beloved Ines.The final ending depicts the tragedy and sadness of the story.
The man who would become known as “The March King” was born in Washington D.C. on November 6, 1854 to a Portuguese father, who earlier that year had enlisted in the Marine Band, and a German mother. John Philip Sousa began formal musical instruction at the age of 6 and appeared as a violin soloist at the age of 11. Two years later, he began his career in the U.S. Marine Band, serving as an apprentice “boy” to receive instruction “in the trade or mystery of a musician.” He became leader of the Marine Band in 1880 and served in that position until 1892, when he resigned to organize a band of his own. Along with his ability to organize and conduct superb musicians, Sousa developed a distinct flair for writing marches. He was a prolific composer who found themes for his compositions in his country’s history, dedication events, military groups, and even newspaper contests. Before his death at the age of 78, Sousa had composed 136 marches, 15 operettas, 70 songs, 11 waltzes, and a wide variety of incidental works. His most famous march, The Stars and Strips Forever, has been designated as the official march of the United States.
Bullets and Bayonets
Sousa marches often bear a dedication to people, places, or events. This march is no exception and bears the dedication "To the officers and men of the U.S. Infantry." When written in 1918, the subjects of the title, Bullets and Bayonets, were a frightening reality to his soldier-countrymen then engaged in the struggle raging on the western front in World War I. The music, however, does not seem to generate a military posture. Frederick Fennell's editing has preserved the scoring of the original, with its musical ideas, deceivingly simple yet solid and immediately rewarding to the performer and listener. Sousa's fondness for the sound of drum sticks "on the hoop" of wooden snare and field drums is preserved within the trio.
George Washington Bicentennial March
To commemorate the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of America’s first president, the Bicentennial Commission held a gala celebration in the nation’s capital on February 22, 1932. John Philip Sousa wrote this march in 1930 at the Commission’s request to mark the event. In one of his last public appearances before his death, Sousa conducted the combined bands of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps at the celebration.
Hands Across The Sea March
This march was composed in 1899 and premiered at the Philadelphia Academy of Music that same year. The origin of the title is uncertain. It is certainly representative of the good will that the Sousa Band evoked on its multiple European and World tours. Sousa biographer Paul Bierley believes that Sousa discussed the justification of the Spanish-American War in a conversation using John Hookham Frere’s line “A sudden thought strikes me -- let us swear an eternal friendship.” The vision of Hands Across The Sea came to Sousa as an enactment of that concept.
The Rifle Regiment March
This march derives its title from The Third Infantry, known also as "The Old Guard." Written in 1886, it is one of many that Sousa sold for $35 a title, a small fraction of the proceeds they earned publisher Harry Coleman. One of Sousa's finest regimental marches, it is unusual in its structure for its extended introduction that is repeated and a break-strain that is similarly lengthy and equally unique. The march possesses the solid cadence, needed to move large regiments at parade reviews, with undergirding simple tunes with a pace and spirit that emote pride and purpose in the occasion.
Born in London in 1951, Philip Sparke went on to study composition, trumpet, and piano at the Royal College of Music, where he earned an Associate degree. His participation in wind band at the College, together with a brass band that he formed, piqued his interest in wind music and resulted in his composition of several works for both ensembles. Interest in his first published works led to his receiving several commissions, including The Land of the Long White Cloud written for the Centennial Brass Band Championships in New Zealand. He has written for brass band championships in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Holland, Australia, and New Zealand. In 1997, his Dance Movements, commissioned by the U.S. Air Force Band, won the prestigious Sudler Prize.
Celebration
Celebration was commissioned by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra and was premiered by them on June 11, 1992. The composer commented:
The work celebrates two things, firstly the incredible virtuosity of the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra and secondly, and more generally, optimism of the human spirit; and perhaps, more specifically, what is to me the most important aspect of any band music -- the glorious results that can be achieved when musicians play together towards a common goal, a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Opening with a majestic brass fanfare, Celebration makes its proclamation of optimism. The woodwinds add rapid punctuations to the theme. A calm theme conveys peace and security, helping to demonstrate the range of technique and dynamics of the ensemble. A trumpet flourish changes the mood and leads to the Presto theme, which is derived from the opening fanfare and running passages in the woodwinds. Themes are traded back and forth between the sections. Energy abounds throughout. The brass reintroduce the chordal fanfare against the main woodwind theme. Gaining momentum, the work concludes with a series of strident chords.
To A New Dawn
The title of this work signifies the emergence of the Third Millennium, for which it was commissioned by the United States Continental Army Band. The composer set out to convey the hope and challenges of the new century while reflecting back on the experiences from the last one. The music starts with a brisk tempo and an air of expectation. A bright future is conveyed by a light trumpet solo and a playful, driving woodwind rhythm. The mood turns reflective as memories of the past are recalled. Both hope and sorrow are present as a solo trumpet plays a requiem for the past. The spirit gradually picks up to a reprise of the introductory theme as we learn from the past and look forward to the opportunities of the future.
Gay Holmes Spears earned her Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Tennessee at Martin, Master of Music at Arkansas State University, and Doctor of Musical Arts at Memphis State University. As the composer of numerous published and unpublished works for symphonic band, piano, chamber ensembles, and voices, she has earned several awards for her compositions. These include the 1997 Tennessee Composer of the Year Award, an Arkansas Arts Council Fellowship, and consecutive ASCAP awards. Spears resides in the St. Louis, Missouri area, where she is a free-lance composer/keyboardist, full-time mom, and an active part of her church's music program.
Reflections on "Wondrous Love"
What wondrous love is this,
oh! my soul! oh! my soul!
What wondrous love is this, oh! my soul!
What wondrous love is this!
That caused the Lord of bliss,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.
The hymn tune Wondrous Love was popular in Appalachia and the southern part of the United States. The tune was first published in 1853 in William Walker’s “Southern Harmony.” James Christopher is credited as the composer. This setting of the hymn tune is cast in several sections, utilizing the contrasting timbres of the ensemble’s sections. The initial presentation of the hymn is antiphonal, starting with the brass and moving into the woodwinds. The composition explores many solo wind colors over a repeating bass line. An alternation of simple and compound meters is used to restate the first part of the hymn. A rousing climax fades to a quiet resolution with the oboe and basses.
Jack Stamp (b. 1954) is Professor of Music and Conductor of Bands at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), where he teaches courses in undergraduate and graduate conducting. He received his Bachelor of Science in Music Education degree from IUP, a Master’s in Percussion Performance from East Carolina University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from Michigan State University. Dr. Stamp’s primary composition teachers have been Robert Washburn and Fisher Tull. He has studied with American composers David Diamond and Joan Tower and with conductor Eugene Corporon. In 2000, he was inducted into the prestigious American Bandmasters Association. The Keystone Wind Ensemble, which he founded and conducts, has produced several recordings on the Citadel label. He is active as a guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and composer throughout North America and Great Britain.
Fanfare for a New Era
This fanfare bears the dedication “with congratulations to Lt. Col. Lowell E. Graham” and was written as a celebration to Lt. Col. Graham’s appointment as Commander of the United States Air Force Band, a position he served from 1995 to 2002. Composer Jack Stamp has commented “As I envisioned the piece, I knew that I heard something energetic and vibrant, highlighting the talents of this fine ensemble . . .” The trumpets establish a bold theme that gets enriched as other sections enter and expand and develop the work with elements of chorale, fugue, minimalism, and augmentation. Throughout, the brisk tempo conveys a sense of determination and optimism for what the future holds.Gavorkna Fanfare
This miniature fanfare was the first Stamp wrote (free of charge) for concert band and its success launched him to a new level of fame. This brisk and energetic fanfare is unique in that it features the full wind band, rather than just the more traditional brass and percussion sections. This instrumentation was the outcome of a request from Eugene Corporon, one of Stamp’s conducting instructors at Michigan State University, who asked for a piece that would be a good opener for the entire band at the 1991 C.B.D.N.A. conference. The word Gavorkna has no connection to anything in the Russian or Slavic languages. It is a nonsense word that Corporon made up while Stamp was his student.
Pastime: A Salute to Baseball Jack Stamp
Jack Stamp drew inspiration for this work during a 1998 visit to Candlestick Park for a Giants baseball game. His memories took him back to his first World Series in 1962 between the Giants and the Yankees; he was only eight years old at the time. This salute to the 1962 Giants and baseball in general is loosely woven around two motives from the anthem of the seventh inning stretch “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” Ever-changing meters, syncopation, and compound rhythms are skillfully crafted to pay homage to the heros of the game. Measure numbers match player uniform or record numbers. Don Larsen, Willy Mays, Barry Bonds, Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda, and Roger Maris are a few to be so honored. A slapstick, woodblock, and rimshots imitate the crack of Willie McCovey’s bat. The flutes and bells play the notes “B-A-B-E” to salute the Bambino. Strains of “Meet Me in St. Louis” pay a tribute to Mark McGwire. Polytonality abounds as the work continues with two fugues based on themes from “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” The work was commissioned by the Santa Clara County (California) Band Directors Association and was premiered on January 24, 1999 with the composer conducting. It is dedicated to Frank Battisti, long time conductor of the New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble, who retired that same year.
Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842 - 1900) was the son of a military band clarinetist who was the first professor of clarinet when the Royal Military School of Music opened in England at Sandhurst in 1957. Sullivan's light operas, written to William Gilbert's libretti over about twenty-five years from 1871, delighted the public and made a fortune for both men and their impresario D'Oyly Carte.
Sir Charles Mackerras was born in the United States of Australian parents in 1925. He studied in Sydney and Prague and made his debut in opera at Sadler’s Wells. From 1966 to 1969, he was First Conductor with the Hamburg State Opera. From 1970 to 1977, he was the Musical Director of Sadler’s Wells in London. Mackerras is a specialist in the Czech repertoire, notably Janácek, and has recorded a cycle of his operas with the Vienna Philharmonic.
Suite from the Ballet “Pineapple Poll”
The ballet “Pineapple Poll” is a spoof of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas. In 1950, the copyright on Sullivan’s music expired. One of the first to exploit this opportunity was Sadler’s Wells, who staged the ballet set exclusively to music by Sullivan, arranged by a young Charles Mackerras. During the war, Mackerras had played oboe in the pit of a Sydney theater, where they produced all of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas except for Utopia and Grand Duke, the only two not represented in the ballet. Every bar of music, even the short bridge passages, is taken from some opera. The plot is based upon “The Bumboat Woman's Story” of Gilbert's “Bab Ballards”, which was later developed by Gilbert into “H.M.S. Pinafore”. The story evolves around Pineapple Poll and her colleagues, who are all madly in love with the captain of the good ship H.M.S. Hot Cross Bun. In order to gain admittance to the ship, they disguise themselves in sailors' clothes, a fact which is kept secret from the audience until near the end of the ballet.
Franz von Suppe was of Belgian descent, Dalmatian birth, and lived most of his life in Vienna. His musical ability was recognized after he composed a Mass for the Franciscan church at Zara when he was only fifteen. In 1840, he secured his first musical post in Vienna as third conductor at the Theater in der Josefstadt. Here he conducted, but also composed, the requisite incidental music to accompany many farces and folk-plays that were the basis of comic operas. These operettas developed in response to the Viennese captivation with the brilliant satire and exuberance of those by Jacques Offenbach. Suppe was a prodigious composer, creating some three hundred stage works besides a variety of instrumental, orchestral, and sacred music. Today, with the exception of a handful of his operettas, which are still produced in Europe, comparatively few of his compositions are performed. He is best remembered for his overtures Light Cavalry; Morning, Noon, and Night in Vienna; Jolly Robbers; and Poet and Peasant.
Poet and Peasant Overture
Preludes and overtures were often written to set the mood of Viennese folk plays and therefore might be used for more than one production. Such was the case for Poet and Peasant, which introduced a comedy of the that name in 1846. The piece had already been heard as the overture to the play Lots of money, short of sleep and may also have prefaced two other plays. This overture did not belong to an opera until several years after its 1845 composition date. The themes from this overture are among the most often quoted material for comic effects for stage productions and animated cartoons. Probably, they represent, in sound, an era of nostalgia from the old-time park band concerts and are familiar to audiences of all age groups. This composition deserves to be heard in its original context as a serious, but highly entertaining, selection.