Santa Cruz County Symphony : Concert One 2008/09 : Program Notes
September 27, 8pm Santa Cruz Civic Pre-concert talk by Don Adkins at 7:00 pm
September 28, 2pm Mello Center, Watsonville Pre-concert talk by Prof.Anatole Leikin at 1:00 pm
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (1957, arr. 1961)
Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)
Leonard Bernstein was one of the most dynamic and recognized music figures of the 20th century. Along with endless energy, curiosity and personality, Bernstein possessed a natural and eclectic musical talent. He was equally comfortable conducting symphonic masterpieces with the top orchestras of the world, presenting children’s concerts, playing jazz and popular music on the piano while singing exuberantly, composing musicals and mentoring young conductors. He was unwilling to identify himself on the “occupation?” space of official documents as a conductor, composer, teacher or pianist but rather chose the label “musician.” In a century of specialization, Bernstein’s unwillingness to place himself in any particular niche was looked upon by some critics as the sign of a flawed talent. It was this diversity and sincerity of approach that allowed Bernstein to reach large numbers of the general public and draw them into his exciting world of artistic musical activity.
Many of Bernstein’s creative efforts were inspired by New York City. Along with conducting the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, he demonstrated his fascination with the city through his dramatic works Fancy Free (1944 ballet), On the Town (1944 musical), Wonderful Town (1952 musical) and On the Waterfront (1954 film score). Of all his compositions, it was another New York work that became his best known and loved: Westside Story. Even though this adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet set in the New York slums was to appear on the same stages as musicals such as My Fair Lady or Lil’ Abner, its subject matter set it apart from the typical Broadway musical. Its three main creators, Bernstein composition, Stephen Sondheim lyrics and Jerome Robbins choreography, labeled it a “social music drama.” The story’s gritty realism, preponderance of dances and downbeat ending did not provide the typical escapist entertainment that was found on most Broadway stages. Its initial Broadway run lasted a respectable two years but it lost the 1957 Tony Award for best musical to The Music Man.
Even though West Side Story is depicted in the world of rival street gangs, many of its themes are universal: urban violence, delinquency, ethnic and cultural conflict, and young love divided by clan hatred. Tony and Maria are drawn to each other as their neighborhood gangs, the Jets (white) and the Sharks (Puerto Rican). The violence escalates until the leaders of both gangs have been killed. When asked what inspired him to begin work on West Side Story, Bernstein stated that the subject was suggested to him and he took on the project because he wanted to see if it was possible to write a serious musical. The composition of the musical took place in the gaps of his busy schedule of conducting, teaching and composing including the completion of other musicals. Eight years after Bernstein began work on it, West Side Story opened to mixed reviews. It wasn’t until it went on tour, came back to New York for a second run and opened in London that it was acclaimed as one of the greatest American musical theater works ever written. Bernstein scored the Symphonic Dances while working as an advisor on the movie version which was released in 1961.
Bernstein used the dance sections of the musical to construct the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. Several common themes in various guises can be heard throughout these dances. One of these themes is the opening three notes of Maria which contains the interval of a tritone. Bernstein wrote: “The three notes pervade the whole piece, inverted, done backwards. I didn't do all this on purpose. It seemed to come out in Cool and as the gang whistle [in the Prologue]. The same three notes.” The different sections of the Symphonic Dances are joined together to create a single work without pauses.1. Prologue: The savagery of gang warfare between the Jets and Sharks is introduced.2. Somewhere: Both gangs dream of being united in brotherhood and a better life.3. Scherzo: The boys break from the confines of the city to find themselves in a world of fresh air and sunshine.4. Mambo: A competitive dance in the school gym brings back the potential for violent conflict.5. Cha-Cha: Tony and Maria encounter each other for the first time.6. Meeting Scene: A brief transition section where the lovers exchange their first words.7. “Cool” Fugue: The violent hostility of the Jets explodes into dance as they anticipate the coming fight.8. Rumble: The climax of the violence results in the death of the two gang leaders.9. Finale: After Tony has died in Maria’s arms, the dream of Somewhere returns during his funeral procession. The work ends with a chord utilizing the same tritone interval as the melody of Maria.
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op.43 (1934)
Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
Rachmaninov would have been a legendary figure if he had lived during the 19th century. He was a striking figure on stage: tall, gaunt, somber and totally absorbed in his music. His melancholic public personality would have been a perfect topic for the romantic legends of the 1800s. He was a composer of distinction and popularity and was one of the world’s great pianists. Even though he is chronologically a 20th-century composer, his music is as deeply rooted in the Romantic Period as his performance persona.
Rachmaninov wrote the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini after a period of about eight years that had seen the completion of only three other pieces, including his Piano Concerto No. 4. He wrote to a friend: “Two weeks ago I finished a new piece….It is a very long piece, about twenty or twenty-five minutes. That is the size of a piano concerto. I am going to try it out in New York and London, so that I can make the necessary corrections. The composition is very difficult and I should start practicing it, but with every year I become more and more lazy about this finger work. I try to shirk practicing by playing something old, something that already sits firmly in my fingers.”
He was naturally drawn to the music and personality of Nicolo Paganini, perhaps the most dynamic violin virtuoso ever and the innovator of the virtuosic style of performing. Paganini’s unnatural abilities and skeletal appearance led many to believe he had made a pact with the devil in exchange for his superhuman talent. Rachmaninov chose the theme for his Rhapsody from Paganini’s set of variations in the last of his 24 Capricci for solo violin, as the basis for his own composition for piano and orchestra. Other composers such as Schumann, Liszt and Brahms also used themes from the Capricci for their variations.
Throughout the Rhapsody Rachmaninov also included quotations of the Gregorian chant Dies irae from the Mass for the Dead, the chant concerning the apocalyptic Last Judgment. He describes his reasoning for doing this in a 1937 letter to the choreographer Fokine discussing a possible ballet: “Why not resurrect the legend about Paganini, who, for perfection in his art and for a woman, sold his soul to an evil spirit? All the variations that have the theme of Dies irae represent the evil spirit. Variations 11-18 are love episodes. Paganini himself first appears in the theme and again, for the last time, but conquered, in Variation 23....The evil spirit appears for the first time in Variation 7 in dialogue with both Paganini’s own theme and the Dies irae. Variations 8, 9 and 10 are the development of the evil spirit. Variation 11 is a turning point into the domain of love. Variation 12 -- the minuet -- portrays the first appearance of the woman. Variation 13 is the first conversation between the woman and Paganini. Variation 19 is Paganini’s triumph, with his diabolic pizzicato. It would be interesting to represent Paganini with his violin -- not a real violin, of course, but something fantastic. Also, it seems to me that the other personages representing the evil spirit at the end of the piece should be drawn as caricatures in their fight for the woman and Paganini’s art. Definitely as caricatures, representing Paganini. They also should be with violins, but even more fantastic and grotesque.” Paganini, a ballet in three scenes utilizing this scenario and choreographed by Fokine, opened in London in 1939.
The Firebird Suite (1919)
Igor Stravinsky 1882-1971
The Firebird propelled Stravinsky to the top ranks of music in 1910 and remained his most popular work throughout his long life. This work began a long collaboration between Stravinsky and Diaghilev of the Ballet Russes in Paris, resulting in several of Stravinsky’s best works. Rapid style changes immediately appeared in Petrushka and The Rite of Spring, leading many fans to wish Stravinsky would return to the lush, Rimsky-Korsakov orchestrations of his first success. When irritated by such comments, Stravinsky would refer to The Firebird as “that great audience lollipop.”
The story of The Firebird comes from Russian sources. Prince Ivan, wandering in an enchanted forest, observes a bird whose feathers are plumes of fire, eating golden fruit from a silver tree. Prince Ivan tries to catch the Firebird, but succeeds only in plucking one flame from her coat. The hero wanders farther into the forest until he comes to the domain of the demon known as Kastchei, the Deathless, so-called because his life does not reside within his body but in an egg hidden in his castle. The prince sees the grave dance of a bevy of princesses, held in a trance-like spell by Kastchei. Suddenly Kastchei and his demons surround the prince with murderous intent, but the flame from the Firebird’s coat protects him, and the Firebird herself appears at the height of the battle to lend him her assistance. The Firebird leads Prince Ivan into the castle, where he finds the egg and breaks it. Instantly, the castle and the demons disappear and the princesses are released from their spell. Ultimately, the prince is married to the most beautiful of the princesses amid general rejoicing.
Stravinsky, ever the astute businessman, recognized the commercial potential of The Firebird and exploited it extensively. Three different suites exist. The first utilized the massive orchestra of the original ballet, the second (the most popular) a reduced though still large orchestra, and the third almost the same as the second, even repeating numerous publishing errors in parts and score, with other short passages from the original ballet. The third suite, published in 1945, was obviously undertaken to protect Stravinsky’s copyright as it has nothing new to offer musically over the second suite.
The second suite begins with an introduction suggesting the atmosphere of the enchanted forest. The Dance of the Firebird accompanies her first darting appearance. The Round Dance of the Princesses uses the rhythm and style of an old Russian dance called the “chorovod.” The Infernal Dance of King Kastchei takes place when the Firebird appears and forces his denizens into a non-stop dance, leaving them exhausted. The Firebird then lulls his evil court to sleep with the Berceuse. The concluding Finale uses a direct quote of a folk song from Novgorod, Russia.
~Don Adkins