presents
A PRETTY SUITE CONCERT
70 Colchester Street
Brookline, Massachusetts
Thursday, July 26, 2012 at 7:30pm
$8
CONCERT PROGRAM
St. Paul’s Suite, Op. 29 No. 2 (Original Version) by Gustav Holst
I. Jig
II. Ostinato
III. Intermezzo
IV. Finale (The Dargason)
Voyage for flute and strings by John Corigliano
Alley Lacasse, flute
Richard Romanoff, conductor
~ INTERMISSION ~
Holberg Suite, Op. 40 by Edvard Grieg
I. Praeludium (Allegro vivace)
II. Sarabande (Andante)
III. Gavotte (Allegretto)
IV. Air (Andante religioso)
V. Rigaudon (Allegro con brio)
Carmen Suite No. 1 by Georges Bizet
I. Prélude (Act I, Prélude: "Fate" motive)
Ia. Aragonaise (Interlude (Entr'acte) before Act IV)
II. Intermezzo (Interlude (Entr'acte) before Act III)
III. Séguedille (Act I, Seguidilla (Carmen):
Près des remparts de Séville
IV. Les Dragons d'Alcala (Interlude (Entr'acte) before Act II)
V. Les Toréadors (Theme from Prelude to Act I and Procession of the Toreadors from Act
IV:
Les voici! voici la quadrille des Toreros!)
Fusion String Ensemble is:
Violin I
Flora Lee, concertmaster
Jeff Bezanson
Monica Mitchell
Melanie Maz
Violin II
Janet Martins, principal
Klenda Martinez
Abe Dewing
Jennifer Lyons
Viola
Molly Shira, principal
Erika Shira
Madeline DiLorenzo
Sarah Izen
Cello
Amy Nolan, principal
Kevin Hedrick
Maggie Zager
Bass
Nate Haggett, principal
Flute
Alley Lacasse
Bria Schecker
Oboe
Anthony Cheung
M. Patrick Kane
Clarinet
Richard Romanoff
Bassoon
Carly Cassano
Trumpet
Jamie Godwin
Trombone
Alley Lacasse
Richard Romanoff
Percussion
Natalie Shelton
Doug Jacobs
Danielle Fortner
Harp (on Keyboard)
Fritz Winegardner
Conductor (for Voyage)
Richard Romanoff
PROGRAM NOTES
GUSTAV HOLST (1874–1934)
St. Paul’s Suite, Op. 29 No. 2 (Original Version)
Holst composed the St. Paul’s Suite, Op. 29 No. 2 [H118] in 1912 for his own orchestra at St. Paul’s Girls’ School, located in London’s borough of Hammersmith. Parts for wind and percussion were added sometime before the work’s 1922 publication.
The original manuscript score contains four additional measures toward the end of the “Ostinato” that are not in the published score; the movement itself was probably a later addition (Holst’s students were surprised to discover its existence at the time of publication). Of greater impact, however, are the sixty-three measures in the “Dance” (re-titled “Intermezzo”) dropped from the publication. These measures change the entire context of the movement, providing an anticipation of the solo string quartet passage as well as a beautiful major-key middle section. The bold, yet asymmetrical dorian “Jig” and famous “Dargason-Greensleeves” Finale (first used in the Second Suite in F for Military Band, Op. 28, No. 2) remain essentially unchanged in the published version. The University of Massachusetts Boston Chamber Orchestra takes pride in being probably the only orchestra in the world performing this work as Holst originally conceived it.
JOHN CORIGILIANO (1938-)
Voyage for flute and strings
The Academy Award Winner for The Red Violin (for Best Music, Original Score in 1996) originally composed this as an a capella choral work in 1971. This piece is a setting of Richard Wilbur’s translation of Baudelaire’s L’Invitation au Voyage. Wilbur’s poignant setting pictures a world of obsessive imagination – a vision of heaven full of sensual imagery. The music echoes the quality of the repeated refrain found in this lush translation: “There, there is nothing else but grace and measure, richness, quietness and pleasure.” The flute and string orchestra arrangement was composed in 1983.
EDVARD GRIEG (1843-1907)
Holberg Suite, Op. 40
In 1884, Grieg was one of several Scandinavian composers who were commissioned to write a commemorative piece for the celebration of the bicentennial of the birth of “the Molière of the North”, the Norwegian writer Ludvig Baron Holberg (1684-1754). Grieg called his set of short piano pieces 'From Holberg’s Time'. Holberg was a contemporary of Bach and Handel, so Grieg chose to cast his tribute in the form of a Baroque period keyboard suite.
The work was well received when the composer played it at the Bergen Holberg celebration in December 1884; so well, in fact, that a few months later he transcribed the music for string orchestra. Grieg cast the movements of his charming suite in the musical forms of the 18th century, but filled them with the spirit of his own time and style. A vivacious Praeludium, a miniature sonata-form movement, is followed by a series of dances: a touching Sarabande; a perky Gavotte, which is linked to a Musette built above a mock-bagpipe drone; a solemn Air, modeled on the Air on the G String from Bach’s Third Orchestral Suite; and a lively closing Rigaudon.
GEORGES BIZET (1838-1875)
Carmen Suite, No. 1
The sequence adopted for this performance is based on the first suite, with the addition of the Habañera from Act 1 of the opera. The short prelude presents the threatening fate motive that occurs frequently throughout the opera, most significantly at the end. The Aragonaise describes the lively street scenes in Seville before the start of the bull fight. The Intermezzo is the central point of the opera. Coming before the opening to Act 3 it expresses Don Jose's deep love for Carmen in a short moment of calm when their relationship seems secure. It contains one of the most beautiful melodies ever written for the flute. The Seguedille is a Spanish song and dance that Carmen uses to seduce Don Jose into releasing her from prison. Les Dragons d'Alcala is march in a 'toy' military style that opens the second act. The habañera, which is perhaps the most famous aria of the opera, is sung by Carmen in Act 1, and fatally attracts Don Jose. The tune was taken, with acknowledgement, from a popular contemporary Cuban dance composed by Sebastián Yradier. The Latin American idiom and the rich orchestration give it a seductive character, yet the chromatic movement in the melody makes it intangible and slippery, suggesting the unattainable. The final movement describes the brilliant parade of the Toreadors on their way to the bull ring in Seville..
A special thanks to the following for making this possible:
Unity Boston, Kyle Dewing, Betsy Kane, Jon Ceander Mitchell, Reverend Evrol Officer, Ashley Sullivan, Fritz Winegardner, Cynthia Woods and You, our fantastic audience!
