PROGRAM
Fanfare and Overture
Addie Elliott, Alison Jones, Kate Moncada, Makenna Payne, Max McLaughlin, and Tyler Bennett, trumpets
Johniel Nájera, conductor
Tree (3)
Die Aussicht
Ashton Stewart, saxophone
Emelia Ulrich, violin and singing bowls; Param Mehta, cello and singing bowls
Maximilian Levesque, double bass; Gordon Courtney, percussion
Kyle McDonald (b. 2002)
Ian Schwalbe (b. 2001)
Kaija Saariaho (1952–1923)
Marcy Stonikas, soprano
Maya Johnson and Emelia Ulrich, violin; Jacob Grice, viola; Param Mehta, cello
And So Caroline Shaw (b. 1982)
Marcía Porter, soprano
Maya Johnson and Emelia Ulrich, violin; Jacob Grice, viola; Param Mehta, cello
Tree Lines Katherine Balch Oak (b. 1991)
Cedar
Larch
Jequitibá
Cypress
Bristlecone
Brad Pilcher, clarinet; Jeff Keesecker, bassoon
Maya Johnson, violin and vocals; Maximilian Levesque, double bass
Brandon Norton, trumpet; Connor Altagen, trombone; Gordon Courtney, percussion
Liliya Ugay, conductor
Venusian Portraits Will Davenport
I. Hazy Sol, Lift Your Burning Eye Up! and Up!; (b. 2000)
Parse The Sulfur Clouds and Yawp Your Screaming Light!
II. Shadow swallows the dry yellow soil, the sky cries poison; Venus cracks its awful laughter
Aurum Brass
Johniel Nájera and Noah Solomon, trumpet; Eric On, horn
Connor Altagen, trombone; Brent Creekmore, bass trombone
minichamber
Becca Harrison
I. Prélude (2002)
II. Dog Sarabande
III. Hairy Spoon
IV. Giguesaw
Rachael Lawson, piccolo; Claire Park and Kaitlyn Calcagino, flute
Daniel Burrow, clarinet; Brad Pilcher, bass clarinet; Maximilian Levesque, double bass
Gordon Courtney, Nick Montoya, percussion
of the Deep Bradley Pilcher
I. Echoes (b. 2001)
II. Ominosities
III. Desires
IV. Voracity
Clarie Park, piccolo; Sarah Ward, oboe
Daniel Burrow, clarinet; Morgan Magnoni, bass clarinet
Micah Mazzella, saxophone; Dakota Jeter, bassoon; Eric On, horn
Liliya Ugay, conductor
Schwalbe: Tree (3)
Tree(3) is a number so large that it is beyond human comprehension. If each digit of this number could be written down on a single atom, all of the atoms in the universe would be nowhere near enough to write down Tree(3). And yet, mathematics has proven that Tree(3) is a finite number; that is, there is certainly some unknowable upper limit that distinguishes this number from infinity. The number comes from a game where players create ‘trees’ from ‘seeds’, where the first tree must contain no more than one seed, the second no more than two seeds, and so on. Each tree must not contain a previously drawn tree, and if one does, the game is over.
In the game, seeds can be different colors. In Tree(1), there is just one color of seed. Because of this, the second tree drawn will have to contain the first tree in it, so Tree(1) = 1. A game of Tree(2) can be played to get up to 3 trees, so Tree(2) = 3. Once a third color is added, however, this game immediately becomes incomprehensibly large; and yet, it must end. This idea is reflected in this piece, which has a very slow beginning and a quick transition into a blazing fast section. After it all, there still exists an undiscoverable ending; one which is unknowable yet inevitable. I think this is a very human idea—one that ties us together as a species of billions who will all ultimately share this same inconceivable ending. There are more people on Earth than we could ever hope to know, and yet we all still find community with each other. This piece represents the importance of community as well–with the metal pipes shared between members of the ensemble, for example–and is fun and exciting, but also intimate and reflective.
Saariaho: Die Aussicht
Die Aussicht
Friedrich Hölderlin (1770–1843)
Wenn in die Ferne geht der Menschen wohnend Leben, Wo in der Ferne sich erglänzt die Zeit der Reben, Ist auch dabei des Sommers leer Gefilde, Der Wald erscheint mit seinem dunklen Bilde.
Daß die Natur ergänzt das Bild der Zeiten, Daß die verweilt, sie schnell vorübergleiten, Ist aus Vollkommenheit, des Himmels Höhe glänzet Den Menschen dann, wie Bäume Blüth’ umkränzet.
Perspective
Translation: Aleksi Barrière
When into the distance vanishes man’s life of dwelling That distance where gleams the time of vines Is also where lies the summer’s empty realm Then the forest appears, together with its dark image.
That nature completes the image of seasons, That she lingers, quickly gliding over them, Is out of perfection – the height of the sky gleams Upon men, then, just like leaves wreathe the trees.
Shaw: And So
And So
[Caroline Shaw, 2019] — after Robert Burns, Gertrude Stein, Billy Joel, and Shakespeare
would a song by another name sound as sweet and true would all the reds be just the same or violets as blue if you were gone would words still flow and would they rhyme with you if you were gone would i still know how to love and how to grow and how the vowel threads through.
and so they say the saying goes a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose is a tired rhyme but in the verse there’s always time.
would scansion cease to mark the beats if i went away would a syllable interrupt the feet of tetrametric iambs when i am gone listen
and i will sing a tune of love and life and of the ocean’s prose and the poetry of a red, red, rose, that’s newly sprung in june.
and so you say the saying goes a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose is how I’m keeping track of time.
when a’ the seas rise high, my dear and the rocks melt with the sun will the memory of us still rhyme with anyone will we still tune our violins will we still sing of roses will we exist at all, my love, or will we fade to stanzas of the dust that i suppose is all we were and all we’ll be.
and so the saying “so it goes” depends a lot on if a rose is a rose is a rose is rose is a rose is a rose is a rose is a thing sublime and so we stay, on borrowed time.
Balch: Tree Lines
Tree Lines is an ode to old growth trees. I suppose the only way I can approach trying to capture the idea of something that lives so long is to write something very short — the duration of my lived experienced in relation to theirs. It is dedicated with affection to the members of Exceptet.
Texts*
Oak: [sung] Quercus agrifolia (2,000 estimated)
Cedar: Koca Katran (Cedrus libani) — 2,027 (estimated)
Larch: Larix lyallii — 1,946
Jequitibá: 3,020 (estimated)
Cypress: Firzroya cupressiudes — 3,648; Taxodium ascendens —3,500 (estimated), Chamaecyparis formosensis — 3,000 (estimated), Taxdium distichim —2,089, others
Bristlecone: [sung] 4,900; 4,851; 2,462; 3,000; 5,069; others.
[* These movements represent a subset of an 11-movement collection Tree Lines]
Harrison: minichamber
Each movement is inspired by one gesture, intended to be light-hearted, awkward, and slightly “cringy.” Nothing is too serious.
Pilcher: of the Deep
What is ‘the deep?’ Is it a dull void? Is it dangerous, best left ignored? This “deep” is ominous yet intriguing; echoing the voices of those who dare to explore it, it presents itself as eerily dim and cavernous, beauty forever untouchable and invisible to the eye. There’s no telling what the deep truly holds, what it hides from us, what it has to offer.
of the Deep is a four-movement suite, comprised of whirlwinding emotions- those being along the lines of loneliness, curiosity, a sense of pining, hope, even eagerness. The first ideas for this piece were exploratory in nature - I had just gotten some new software and was testing how it sounded compared to what I had been using for nearly a decade prior. With my new software and the sounds that came to it, I found that I was able to build themes much more seamlessly, thus “of the Deep” was born as a concept with story and tone.
