While you may know all of this, there are probably some things about him and his work that will surprise you. For example, did you know that he wrote the music for the pilot episode of Gilligan’s Island? Even though the episode didn’t air, you can hear the theme on YouTube.

Here are 10 more things you probably don’t know about John Williams:

• He was drafted in 1952 and arranged, played, and conducted music for military bands including the U.S. Air Force Band. After his time in the service, he moved to New York and studied at Julliard.

 

• After Julliard, he worked as jazz pianist, playing in nightclubs. He was known as “Little Johnny Love” Williams when he was a bandleader for singer Frankie Laine.

 

• He moved back to Los Angeles from New York and became a studio pianist on film scores. He can be heard playing the famous opening riff on Henry Mancini’s Peter Gun theme.

 

• He composed music for various TV programs in the 1960’s where he was sometimes credited as “Johnny Williams” – a name he shares with his jazz percussionist father. In addition to Gilligan’s Island mentioned above, he also wrote for Lost In Space, Land of the Giants, and The Time Tunnel.

 

• He met Spielberg on a blind lunch date in 1972 and, since then, has collaborated on all but one of his films. The Colour Purple was scored by Quincy Jones.

 

• He holds the Academy Award record for the most nominations for a living person (52 nominations as of January 2020).

 

• His first Academy Award nomination came many years before he started collaborating with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. It was for Valley of the Dolls (1967), though he didn’t win. He was nominated after that for Goodbye, Mr. Chips. His first actual Oscar win was for musical direction for Fiddler on the Roof.

 

• He has composed numerous pieces for concert hall performance including a symphony and various concertos for horn, cello, clarinet, flute, violin, and bassoon.

 

• He composes using a pencil and paper on a small writing desk next to his Steinway piano. He has never had time to learn to write music using a computer.

 

• He was presented with the National Medal of Arts by President Obama for his achievements “as a pre-eminent composer and conductor [whose] scores have defined and inspired modern movie-going for decades.”

The Parker Symphony Orchestra is excited to be playing the music of John Williams on May 6 at 7:30 PM at the PACE Center.

Well, here’s your answer. Joachim Raff (pronounced /rof/ rhyming with “cough”). Born in Lachen, Switzerland 200 years ago (1822), Raff was prolific and well-known in his time with numerous famous names in his circle of friends, students, and colleagues. However, despite all of this, his works are relatively unknown and not often performed today.

His prolific career is somewhat surprising given his musical background. Unlike some composers who are groomed at a young age with serious musical instruction, Raff was largely self-taught while working as a schoolmaster. He sent some piano compositions to Felix Mendelssohn who recommended them for publication. After these compositions were published in 1844 and receiving good reviews from Robert Schumann’s journal, he went to Zurich to take up composition full-time.

In 1845 after hearing Liszt play the piano, Raff became Liszt’s assistant, helping with orchestration of several works. During this period, Raff wrote an opera, König Alfred, however most of his works were written later in the 1860’s and 1870’s.

Aside from opera, Raff wrote numerous suites, lieder, works for small ensembles like quartets, overtures, concertos, and a series of orchestral preludes to Shakespearean plays. He also wrote 11 symphonies, but the 11th remained unfinished at his death. His 7th symphony is often considered a more toned-down version of Richard Strauss’ An Alpine Symphony and it may have served as Strauss’ inspiration (the two were friends). His 5th symphony (Lenore) is considered by many to be his best.

In 1878, Raff became the first director of and a teacher at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt where he most notably established a class specifically for female composers. Women composers at the time were still not taken very seriously. He employed Clara Schumann as a teacher at the conservatory.

Raff died in 1882 and is buried in Frankfurt. He was 60 years old.

Raff may never be a famous name in classical music, but his works are solid examples of Romantic period music and are worth rediscovering – especially with this year being his 200th birthday. Listen to some of his works below:

Symphony No. 5: Lenore

Konig Alfred Overture

Cello Concerto No 1

Evening Rhapsody (an arrangement of Abends from the Piano Suite No 5)

Prelude to Shakespeare’s Othello

The Parker Symphony is set to play a piece titled La chasse du jeune Henri (“Young Henri’s hunt”) in October by a composer named Étienne Méhul, but who exactly is he? Méhul, born in 1763 in France, isn’t exactly a household name like Mozart or Beethoven and even among orchestral musicians and classical music enthusiasts, he isn’t well-known. This may be because he is mainly a composer of operas. In fact, La chasse du jeune Henri is an overture from his failed opera Le jeune Henri.

Yes, Le jeune Henri was a failure. In fact, the audience hissed at the libretto’s author Bouilly for its poor quality. A reviewer of the time wrote that “it would be impossible to imagine anything worse” and that there was “no intrigue, no action, nothing of interest”. The overture, Young Henry’s Hunt, however, was warmly received and has been performed by itself since the 19th century. Written in 1797, it describes the course of a hunt from dawn to the killing of a stag – based on an incident in the life of King Henri IV of France. Méhul expanded the typical 2 horns to 4 in this piece to depict the young king out hunting with his yelping hounds and hunting calls.

While Le jeune Henri overall was a failure, Méhul was not. In fact, he has been called “the most important opera composer in France during the Revolution”. He was the first composer to be called “Romantic” and saw success with other operas during the 1790’s such as Stratonice and Mélidore et Phrosine. He was a close friend of Napoleon’s and during the French Revolution, he wrote patriotic songs and became one of the first Frenchmen to receive the Légion d’honneur. Besides operas, Méhul composed songs for festivals, cantatas, and 5 symphonies.

Musically he is best known for his experimentation with instrumentation and his pushing of opéra comique (a genre which mixed music with spoken dialogue) toward a more Romantic direction. In addition to his expansion of horns in “Young Henry’s Hunt”, he also eliminated violins and replaced them with violas for a darker sound in his opera Uthal. His music is said to show increased use of dissonance (his First Symphony is notably dissonant and violent) and his deeper exploration of themes of jealousy and rage like in his opera Ariodant are a foreshadowing of later Romantic composers like Weber and Berlioz.

Don’t miss your chance to hear us perform La chasse du jeune Henri in October and if you find yourself in Paris, leave some flowers on his grave at Père Lachaise Cemetery. He is said to have had a lifelong love of flowers.

It’s Back to School season and that means kids are heading back to the classroom – whether on campus or at home. These are truly unprecedented times, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still celebrate students’ returning to learning, and what better way to do so than with music.

Here is a short list of classical music related to school:

Brahms – Academic Festival Overture

With the word “Academic” in its name, it’s not surprising that this concert overture made the list. Brahms composed the work during the summer of 1880 as a tribute to the University of Breslau after the school notified him that it would award him an honorary doctorate in philosophy. Originally, the composer wanted to send a simple note to the University as an acknowledgement of the award. The conductor who nominated him for the degree convinced him to make a grander gesture instead. However, the resulting piece is anything but a serious, solemn tribute to education. It is filled with a “very boisterous potpourri of student drinking songs à la Suppé”. Brahms himself conducted the premiere of the overture at a special convocation held by the University and it is said that there was an “ironic” contrast between the mood of the student drinking songs and the seriousness of the ceremony.

Holst – St. Paul’s Suite

Gustav Holst served as the music master at St. Paul’s Girls’ School from 1905 until his death in 1934. He was grateful to the school for building a soundproof teaching room for him and as thanks, he wrote this suite. It was the first of many pieces he wrote for the school. This work in particular stands out thanks to the robust jig in the 1st movement and the instantly recognizable “Greensleeves” melody in the 4th movement that he expertly blends with the folksong “Dargason”.

Paradis – Der Schulkandidat

Maria Theresia von Paradis’ story is an amazing example of talent triumphing over disability. Despite being blind since the age of about 5, she learned to play piano and sing and studied composition under Antonio Salieri. She composed numerous pieces including works for the stage like her opera Der Schulkandidat (which roughly translates to “The School Candidate” or “The School Applicant”. Unfortunately, most of her manuscripts have been lost. One that survives is the overture to her Der Schulkandidat which the Parker Symphony performed in February 2020.

Vivaldi – Gloria in D

Maybe the most unlikely addition to this list, Vivaldi’s Gloria in D is a sacred work written around 1715 and most likely for the choir of the Ospedale della Pietà – an orphanage and music school for girls in Venice. Established in the 14th century, it became well-known for its all-female music ensembles by the 17th and 18th centuries and attracted tourists and patrons from around Europe. Vivaldi served as violin teacher and later as music director between 1703 and 1740 and wrote many of his works, including sacred pieces, for the music students for performance at the Pietà.

Dyson – Woodland Suite

Sir George Dyson is a relatively unknown name even in classical music circles. In fact, his music underwent a period of neglect until it was revived in the late 20th century. After studying at the Royal College of Music in London and serving in the First World War, he became a school master and college lecturer. During that time, he composed pieces with a very traditional, pastoral feel, many designed for use in schools. His Woodland Suite is one such piece written for strings with optional woodwind parts so it could be adapted easily for different instrumentation.

Elgar – Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1

What would a list of school related classical music be without the infamous graduation song? Contrary to popular belief, the piece is actually number 1 of 6 “Pomp and Circumstance” marches that Elgar wrote. Interestingly, while it has become the ubiquitous graduation song, it was actually named after a line in Shakespeare’s Othello about war.

Farewell the neighing steed and the shrill trump,
The spirit-stirring drum, th’ear-piercing fife,
The royal banner, and all quality,
Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!

So how did it become a graduation piece? It was played in 1905 when Elgar received an honorary doctorate from Yale University, but it was played as a recessional, not as a processional. After that, Princeton used it, then the University of Chicago, and then Columbia. Eventually, everyone started to use it and the rest is history.

Mozart. Haydn. Those are probably at the top of your list of famous Viennese composers. Maria Theresia von Paradis? Probably not. However, it’s time people discover what she overcame to become a musician and composer. As if being a woman composer wasn’t difficult enough, she was also blind.

Born in 1759, Paradis was named for the Empress Maria Theresa. She lost her eyesight sometime between the age of 2 and 5. Her sight improved temporarily while she was under the care of the famous Franz Anton Mesmer (yes, the doctor who inspired the word mesmerize), but once she was removed from his care, her blindness returned permanently.

Her loss of eyesight didn’t hold her back, however. She received a broad education in the musical arts from a variety of piano and singing instructors and learned composition from Antonio Salieri. By the age of 16, she was already performing as a singer and pianist in Viennese salons and concerts. She even commissioned works to perform from Salieri, Haydn, and Mozart. Many believe the Mozart piano concerto was probably No. 18, K. 456 (although this is disputed) while the Haydn composition appears to have been lost. The Salieri work was an organ concerto and is now missing its second movement.

Paradis set out in 1783 on an extended tour towards Paris and London and performed in a variety of places including Germany and Switzerland. She was well-received in Paris performing a total of 14 times to excellent reviews and acclaim. While there, she also helped establish the first school for the blind. She finally made it to London in late 1784 where she performed for a few months at the home of the Prince of Wales who was a cellist. She returned to Vienna in 1786.

It was during her tour of Europe that Paradis began composing. She used a composition board that was invented by librettist Johann Riedinger. She started with solo piano works as well as pieces for voice. After she returned to Vienna, she spent a lot more time composing, writing five operas ans three cantatas between 1789 and 1797. It was during this time she wrote Der Schulkandidat – the Overture from which we will be performing.

After the failure of her opera Rinaldo und Alcina in 1797, Paradis shifted her focus to teaching and founded her own music school in Vienna in 1808. She taught singing, piano, and theory to young girls up until her death in 1824.

Unfortunately, most of her manuscripts have been lost including part of Act 2 and all of Act 3 of Der Schulkandidat. The Overture is one exception thanks to Hidemi Matsushita who transcribed it from the original manuscript in 1992 (on the work’s 200th anniversary).

When Parker Symphony music director, René Knetsch, who worked under Matsushita for a time, needed pieces for the PSO’s Works by Women concert, he immediately thought of the Overture from Der Schulkandidat and found it for the orchestra.

On Friday February 14, 2020, you can discover this “not lost” work by Maria Theresia von Paradis and other works by women composers.

Ruth Crawford Seeger was one of a group of American composers known as “ultramoderns” who wrote works during the 1920s and 1930s. Her distinctive style was once referred to as “post-tonal pluralism”, marked by dissonance and irregular rhythms. Perhaps this is part of the reason why she is not a household name in classical music. Most of her works are jarringly different from what we typically think of as “classical” or “orchestral” and lean more toward the “academic” and “eclectic”. While she certainly saw success early on, becoming the first woman to receive the Guggenheim Fellowship, the Depression inspired a trend of accessibility and her music started to miss audience expectations. In fact, after a concert in 1938, she was called out by an audience member who asked, “Won’t you please write some music that a greater number of people can listen to: this seems like music for the very few.”

Her answer came a few years later with Rissolty, Rossolty.

By the end of the 1930s, Crawford Seeger had chosen a new path that helped link the Seeger name with folk music: transcribing field recordings and arranging folk music for piano. Rissolty, Rossolty was one such transcription. It was commissioned by CBS for Alan Lomax’s folk music radio program that featured orchestral arrangements of folk tunes. Instead of composing a work with the melodies as simple, audible themes, Crawford Seeger instead combined elements from the original tune’s melodies into a sophisticated polyphony. The piece opens with a playful figure, has a solo flute in the middle section with string pizzicato as counterpart, a fiddle theme after that, and then it ends with all of the various tunes mixed up. However, it doesn’t really “end”. Instead, a fragment of the opening playful figure appears again and then abruptly stops – which almost seems out of place until you understand the reason behind it. Crawford Seeger intended this to represent the way folk musicians did not formalize endings, but rather paused in readiness to begin anew. The fragment adds a sense of “keeping-goingness” to use her term.

Sadly, Rissolty, Rossolty was performed only a few times during Crawford Seeger’s lifetime. The New Orleans Symphony performed it in 1950 and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington DC performed it in 1953. That shouldn’t take away from the fact that the whole work is a delight and a complete departure from her earlier compositions. Rissolty, Rossolty truly stands out as an anomaly in Ruth Crawford Seegers’s career, but a wonderful anomaly indeed.

Come hear Rissolty, Rossolty performed by the Parker Symphony Orchestra on February 14 at the PACE Center in Parker, Colorado.

Whether you need a conversation starter or simply want to more about this renowned composer, check out these Beethoven FAQs and answers below.

When was Beethoven born and when did he die?

Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in 1770. He was baptized December 17, 1770. He died in Vienna, Austria on March 26, 1827. He is buried at the Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) in Vienna.

Was Beethoven German or Austrian?

Beethoven was born in Germany and is considered a German composer even though he moved to Austria in his 20’s. Interestingly, his grandfather was of Flemish origin – hence the “van” in his family name as opposed to the German “von”.

What are Beethoven’s symphonies?

• Symphony No. 1 (Op. 21) written 1799-1800
• Symphony No. 2 (Op. 36) written 1801-1802
• Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” (Op. 55) written 1803
• Symphony No. 4 (Op. 60) written 1806
• Symphony No. 5 (Op. 67) written 1807-1808
• Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral” (Op. 68) written 1808
• Symphony No. 7 (Op. 92) written 1811-1812
• Symphony No. 8 (Op. 93) written 1812
• Symphony No. 9 “Choral” (Op. 125) written 1822-1824

Why are Beethoven’s symphonies important?

Beethoven’s music, especially his symphonies, changed the music world forever. They shook up the conventional structure, harmonies, and forms of the “classical” era and opened everything up to a world of endless possibilities. Beethoven’s symphonies are big – his 9th symphony was the biggest ever composed at the time. They are bold and revolutionary – his 3rd symphony opens with a crash-crash to let you know he means business and the work was originally dedicated to Napoleon. They are also romantic – his 6th symphony was directly inspired by his walks and features the sounds of babbling brooks and birds.

Are there any unfinished Beethoven works?

Through Beethoven’s letters, we know that the composer was working on a 10th symphony. A music professor at the University of Manchester in England assembled fragments into a so-called Tenth Symphony, but no one knows for sure if all of the fragments were intended for the same piece. In 2012, two reconstructed Beethoven works were given world premiers – a sketch of a piano sonata and a fragment of a hymn. Many scholars, however, think that it is a disservice to Beethoven to reconstruct his unfinished works.

Which Beethoven symphony has five movements?

Beethoven’s 6th symphony has five movements, rather than the four typical of the era. Beethoven wrote a programmatic title at the beginning of each movement to describe what the audience would hear:

• First movement: Awakening of cheerful feelings on arrival in the countryside
• Second movement: Scene by the brook
• Third movement: Merry gathering of country folk
• Fourth movement: Thunder, Storm
• Fifth movement: Shepherd’s song. Cheerful and thankful feelings after the storm

Which Beethoven symphony is in A Clockwork Orange?

That would be Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. The music was chosen for the movie because in the book, Alex carries on about “Ludwig van” and how the music gets him ready for “a malenky bit of the old ultraviolence”.

Other Beethoven symphonies in movies include:

• The King’s Speech – Symphony No. 7
• Fantasia 2000 – Symphony No. 5
• Immortal Beloved – Symphony Nos. 3, 5, 6, 7, 9
• Dead Poet’s Society – Symphony No. 9
• Fantasia – Symphony No. 6

Who taught Beethoven?

His first teacher was his father. After that, his music instructors included Franz Ries (for violin), Christian Gottlob Neefe (he most notably taught organ and composition), Franz Joseph Haydn, and Antonio Salieri (who taught him singing for the opera).

Who was Elise in Beethoven’s life?

This is the most often asked question about Beethoven’s Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor, otherwise known as “Für Elise”. Interestingly, Beethoven did include a dedication on the original manuscript, but it was “Für Therese”. It is widely agreed upon that Therese is Therese Malfatti, a woman to whom Beethoven proposed and the owner of the manuscript. The dedication on the published work is where the change occurred. Researchers suggest Elise could have been a German soprano named Elisabeth Röckel who performed in Beethoven’s opera Fidelio. There is another theory that Elise could have been a friend of Beethoven’s named Elise Barensfeld who was a student of Therese Malfatti and he was doing Therese a favor by writing Elise an easy bagatelle.

What’s the deal with Beethoven and coffee?

Beethoven developed obssessive tendencies thanks to severe punishments and disciplinary actions by his father. One tendency was his religious consumption of coffee – and not just coffee, but a cup that was so strong it would melt teeth. He would count exactly 60 coffee beans and prepare them in his glass coffee-maker. Coffee enthusiasts may note that this is 10 beans less than the average cup of coffee today. However, since Beethoven wasn’t doing anything other than grinding them and pouring boiling water over the top, his coffee had far more caffeine than today’s processed java. Learn more about coffee’s connections with classical music.

Why did Beethoven never marry?

It’s not known why Beethoven didn’t marry, but the fact remains that he did not. That’s not to say, however, that he wasn’t romantic. As mentioned before, he asked the German opera singer Elisabeth Röckel to marry him. He left behind love letters to an unknown lady who has become known as the Immortal Beloved. Some speculate that the letters were to Antonie Brentano, a noblewoman who was married. There is even a claim that her final child, Karl Josef, may be Beethoven’s and not her husband’s.

How did Beethoven become deaf?

Beethoven began to lose his hearing around 1801. It started off as a form of tinnitus and became worse over time. The cause is unknown but has been attributed to syphilis, lead poisoning, or typhus. In 2005, tests on Beethoven’s hair in 2005 contained high lead levels, but since then, the results and conclusion have been questioned. Regardless of the cause, because of his hearing loss, we have a unique historical record that gives us insight into his thoughts. Beethoven kept conversation books discussing music and other issues that reveals how he felt his music should be performed.

Who did Beethoven influence?

Numerous people. In the classical music world, notable people he influenced include Brahms and Mahler. Beethoven’s symphonies remolded the understanding of what a symphony is and what is symphonic form. Brahms and Mahler sought to continue that exploration and experiment with new styles and harmonies that challenged convention. Other composers influenced by Beethoven include Schumann who was a deep studier of Beethoven and Schubert. In fact, Schubert once said that he doubted “anyone can do anything after Beethoven”.

The post Beethoven FAQs first appeared on Parker Symphony Orchestra.]]> https://parkersymphony.org/interesting-trivia-and-facts-about-rossini Sun, 21 Apr 2019 00:33:23 +0000 https://parkersymphony.org/?p=2984 Gioachino Rossini is a name well-known in opera circles. Although the Italian composer did write many songs, chamber works, and piano pieces, his 39 operas are what propelled him to fame during his time and what keeps his name alive in concert programs around the world. He is the man behind The Barber of Seville […]

The post 10 Cool Rossini Facts first appeared on Parker Symphony Orchestra.]]> Gioachino Rossini is a name well-known in opera circles. Although the Italian composer did write many songs, chamber works, and piano pieces, his 39 operas are what propelled him to fame during his time and what keeps his name alive in concert programs around the world. He is the man behind The Barber of Seville and William Tell – both of which have parts that are often heard in movies, TV shows, and cartoons (the famous ending of the William Tell Overture is the Lone Ranger theme). In fact, we performed “Una voce poco fa” from The Barber of Seville at our concert on May 3, 2019 because it can be heard in such films as “Jumanji” (1995) and “Citizen Kane”.

Despite them being his claim to fame, however, there’s more to Rossini than his 39 operas. Here are just 10 other cool facts about Rossini that you can use to impress your opera-loving friends.

1. He was a leap-year baby. Rossini was born February 29, 1792. A few months before he died, he celebrated his 19th “actual” birthday.

2. He wrote the bulk of his operas in only 10 years. Rossini composed 30 of his 39 operas between 1812 and 1822. His last and one of his most famous operas, however, was written in 1829 – Guillaume Tell (William Tell).

3. He loved fine food. His biographers noted that when he was a child, Rossini worked as an altar boy just so he could drink the sacramental wine left over after mass. When we moved to Paris, he became close friends with a chef who dedicated recipes to Rossini and, in turn, the composer wrote piano pieces dedicated to entrees and desserts. He also once linked coffee and operas noting that the effect of caffeine on the body diminished quickly. He reportedly said, “Coffee is a matter of fifteen or twenty days: luckily the time to make an opera”. Learn more about coffee and classical music.

4. His operas are among the most performed in the world. Rossini is right up there along with Verdi, Mozart, and Puccini in terms of how often their operas are performed. Interestingly, although William Tell was one of the grandest operas of its time, it is rarely performed today (outside of the Overture). It was reported that in 2017/2018, there were only 32 productions of it in the world. Compare that to 889 of La Traviata and 760 of Carmen.

5. Although he was said to be rather jovial, he actually suffered from neurasthenia and depression. Neither condition was recognized at the time. Specifically after his semi-retirement at the age of 37 (semi because he retired from opera, but continued to write smaller pieces), he would experience long periods of deep depression and insomnia. He also became obese and began to have suicidal thoughts. It is said that the death of his mother also led him to resent the remaining living woman in his life – his second wife Olympe. After he returned to Paris in 1855, it is said his musical spirits were once again lifted.

6. After his death, his wealth was used to set up a home for retired opera singers. When Rossini passed away in 1868, his second wife, Olympe, inherited a large sum, which, when she passed, was used to establish a conservatory of music in Pesaro, Italy (his birthplace) and a home for retired opera singers in Paris.

7. He was a man of great wit who loved to entertain. Later in his life, Rossini was said to have been a witty conversationalist and he enjoyed entertaining friends (which goes hand in hand with his love for fine food). He was wealthy and in-demand socially. He also reportedly said or wrote some very interesting things. Here are just a handful of Rossini quotes:

• Give me the laundress’ bill and I will set to music even that.
• Monsieur Wagner has good moments, but awful quarters of an hour!
• Wait until the evening before opening night. Nothing primes inspiration more than necessity, whether it be the presence of a copyist waiting for your work or the prodding of an impresario tearing his hair. In my time, all the impresarios in Italy were bald at thirty.

8. His tomb in Paris is empty. Rossini died in Paris and was buried at the famous Père Lachaise Cemetery (where you can find other notable names like Chopin, Molière, Jim Morrison, and Oscar Wilde). His tomb is absolutely impressive with huge wrought iron doors and a stone surround. However, it is also empty. At his wife Olympe’s request, his remains were relocated to the church of Sta Croce in Florence.

9. He wrote The Barber of Seville in less than three weeks. Rossini allegedly wrote his most famous opera in less than three weeks (he claimed 12 days). While it is well-loved today, it was unsuccessful when it premiered in Rome. This is, perhaps, because the audience preferred an earlier adaptation of the play it was based on – a version by another composer named Giovanni Paisiello. It is said that Paisiello himself provoked the audience to openly voice their dislike.

10. He was nicknamed “Monsieur Crescendo”. This wasn’t a term of endearment, however. His nickname came from his perceived overuse of crescendo for dramatic effect. “The Crescendo degenerated into a mere mannerism with Rossini, in whose works it is used with wearisome iteration,” reads the Crescendo entry of Grove’s dictionary of Music and Musicians.

The post 10 Cool Rossini Facts first appeared on Parker Symphony Orchestra.]]> https://parkersymphony.org/ippolitov-ivanov Thu, 11 Apr 2019 04:21:09 +0000 https://parkersymphony.org/?p=2973 If you haven’t heard of the composer Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov, there’s a very good reason. Despite writing numerous operas, orchestral works, pieces for ensembles, and songs, most of his music is rarely heard today. The exception? His Caucasian Sketches. Caucasian Sketches is a pair of orchestral suites with a rich and colorful sound written in 1894 […]

The post Ippolitov-Ivanov: A Classical One Hit Wonder first appeared on Parker Symphony Orchestra.]]> If you haven’t heard of the composer Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov, there’s a very good reason. Despite writing numerous operas, orchestral works, pieces for ensembles, and songs, most of his music is rarely heard today. The exception? His Caucasian Sketches.

Caucasian Sketches is a pair of orchestral suites with a rich and colorful sound written in 1894 and 1896. After spending years as a conductor and director of a music school in what is now Tbilisi, Georgia, Ippolitov-Ivanov developed an interest in the Caucasus area’s folk music and was inspired to write a work celebrating the sounds of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Georgia. The basic style of the piece draws heavily on the music of his teacher, Rimsky-Korsakov, but Ippolitov-Ivanov builds upon that with skillful scene painting that transports the listener straight to the mountainous region (particularly the first suite “In a Mountain Pass”).

The most famous section of the suites is the end of the first suite – “Procession of the Sardar”. It is most often performed as a standalone piece in pops concerts. With a noble yet march-like feel, it’s not difficult to imagine the Sardar (a Persian military dignitary) marching in all his regalia with numerous followers. Hear it for yourself on May 3 at our final concert of the season.

So if Ippolitov-Ivanov’s Caucasian Sketches is so admired, why are his other works forgotten? Part of the reason may be that his music has been unfairly labeled as Soviet-approved, meeting all the criteria of the Communist authorities. But with one look at the dates of most of his works, it’s obvious that he developed his style long before the Bolsheviks. It is also said that politically he remained fairly independent, not engaging in quarrels with musicians who sought to develop new music or foster proletarian art.

Another reason the composer’s other pieces like his Armenian Rhapsody were seldom performed after the mid-20th century could be that they are not particularly remarkable according to some critics who note that Ippolitov-Ivanov’s style is too similar to Rimsky-Korsakov’s. However, Tchaikovsky saw something in the composer, helping promote his music in Moscow and Saint Petersburg until his death. Or perhaps it’s because some of his works require daunting instrumentation like his Turkish Fragments which is exotically scored for a large orchestra.

Still, unlike some composers whose works are completely lost to history, at least Ippolitov-Ivanov is remembered for one beautifully evocative piece that can be heard in movies like “The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb” (1964) and Kurosawa’s 1990 film “Dreams”.

The post Ippolitov-Ivanov: A Classical One Hit Wonder first appeared on Parker Symphony Orchestra.]]> https://parkersymphony.org/about-mozart-symphony-no-25 Mon, 11 Mar 2019 05:25:53 +0000 https://parkersymphony.org/?p=2942 Mozart wrote 41 symphonies (according to original numbering) and some are arguably better than others. Number 41, nicknamed the “Jupiter Symphony”, is rated by many critics as among the greatest in classical music. Number 40 is another of his most famous works. But there’s something about Symphony No. 25 that is truly gripping, that helps […]

The post 6 Interesting Facts About Mozart’s Symphony No. 25 first appeared on Parker Symphony Orchestra.]]>

Mozart wrote 41 symphonies (according to original numbering) and some are arguably better than others. Number 41, nicknamed the “Jupiter Symphony”, is rated by many critics as among the greatest in classical music. Number 40 is another of his most famous works. But there’s something about Symphony No. 25 that is truly gripping, that helps it stand out from the rest, and that made it the perfect opening music for the film Amadeus.

Perhaps it’s the minor key or the dramatic style. Regardless of the reason, there’s definitely more to this work than its unassuming name. Here are 6 interesting facts about Mozart’s Symphony No. 25.

It has been called the “little G minor symphony”.

Symphony No. 25 is one of only two symphonies Mozart composed in G minor. The other was Symphony No. 40 (written 15 years later). While it might not sound like anything of note today, composing in G minor was unusual at the time. It is considered the key thorugh which Mozart best expressed sadness. Thus, the symphony is often called his first “tragic” symphony. Though Mozart used other minor keys in his symphonies, G minor is the only minor key he used as a main key for his numbered symphonies.

It was written when Mozart was 17 years old.

Although the story is unsubstantiated, it was supposedly completed just 2 days after he completed his Symphony No. 24. Many critics regard this as one the moments when Mozart transformed from entertainer to artist – from wunderkind to great composer.

It was written in a Sturm und Drang style.

Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress) is a style characterized by emotional extremes and sudden changes in tempo and dynamics. The opening movement begins with a particularly dramatic repeated syncopated pattern in the violins and violas. This rhythm returns again in the final movement. Haydn’s Symphony No. 39 (also in G minor) is another example of the Sturm und Drang style and may have served as an inspiration for Mozart’s Symphony No. 25.

The occasion it was written for is unknown.

Lost to history is what occasion the symphony was written for. Nothing in his life at the time justifies the minor keys. Perhaps after a recent tour of Europe, he longed to explore the previously mentioned Sturm und Drang style popularized by Haydn which began as a German literary movement to break free from the ultra-rational and ultra-objective ideals of the Enlightenment. Again, there’s nothing that directly points to that intent.

It used to be relatively unknown.

The “little” in its nickname was in deference to what was considered the more sublime of his minor symphonies (no. 40). While history suggests that the work may have been popular in Mozart’s time (it was performed several times and Mozart even rescored the work for different instruments), by the 19th century, Symphony No. 25 was little known and rarely performed. It wasn’t performed in the United States until 1899 and after that, it wasn’t performed again until 1937. What changed all that? Amadeus.

It may have inspired Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.

Ludwig van Beethoven knew the symphony well, copying 29 bars from the score in one of his sketchbooks. It is thought that the opening theme of the Symphony No. 25’s final movement may have inspired the third movement of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.

The Parker Symphony Orchestra will perform the first movement from Mozart’s Symphony No. 25 as part of Blockbusters at the PACE Center in Parker, Colorado on May 3 at 7:30 PM.

The post 6 Interesting Facts About Mozart’s Symphony No. 25 first appeared on Parker Symphony Orchestra.]]> https://parkersymphony.org/meet-marjan-mozetich Mon, 04 Feb 2019 20:51:55 +0000 https://parkersymphony.org/?p=2893 Like many modern composers, Marjan Mozetich isn’t exactly a household name, particularly in the US. However, he is certainly a composer of the 20th and 21st century who has been making a name for himself with his symphonic works, chamber music, and solo pieces. He has been called “one of the most important composers of […]

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Like many modern composers, Marjan Mozetich isn’t exactly a household name, particularly in the US. However, he is certainly a composer of the 20th and 21st century who has been making a name for himself with his symphonic works, chamber music, and solo pieces. He has been called “one of the most important composers of our time” (Kingston Whig-Standard) and his music has been described as “compellingly beautiful”.

Mozetich was born in Italy in 1948 to Slovenian parents but moved to Ontario Canada in 1952. His early musical training included studying piano and he worked toward becoming a concert pianist. He gave up on that idea and entered college studying psychology. He shifted toward music again, however, and pursued studying composition at the University of Toronto. After that, he continued his musical studies in Rome, Siena, and London.

Mozetich’s early influences included romantic composers like Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff as well as what he describes as “super-modern pieces” he first heard on the radio. So it’s no surprise much of his music blends lyricism and romantic harmony with what are decidedly modern elements. Since the 1980s and well into the 1990s and beyond, he has developed a style of post-modern romantic music in which he strives to express beauty, sensuousness, and emotion – things that give him and his audiences pleasure. And on one occasion, he certainly achieved what he set out to do. When the CBC Radio broadcast a concert performance of his violin concerto Affairs of the Heart, the switchboards lit up from coast to coast. There were numerous reports that listeners were so captivated by the music that they remained in their cars, listening to the end even though they had arrived at their destination. The so-called “driveway experience”.

Another piece that captures his signature style, comprising beautiful, spiritual, introspective, and meditative qualities is his The Passion of Angels. Written in 1995 and premiered in 1996, The Passion of Angels is a lush work featuring two solo harps and orchestra. It explores three degrees of passion: longing, desire, and ecstasy. The opening horn solo with accompanying harps announces the essential thematic material and throughout the work, the harps keep the orchestra moving through an emotional voyage.

Mozetich continues to compose to this day and has received numerous awards and recognition including the 2010 Juno Award for Best Classical Composition of the Year and the SOCAN Matejcek Concert Music Prize awarded to the most performed and broadcast composer in Canada (2002 and 2006). Learn more about Marjan Mozetich.

Want to hear The Passion of Angels performed live? Join the Parker Symphony Orchestra for “Passion” on February 15 at 7:30 PM at the PACE Center.

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