Harrisburg Symphony - ROMANCING THE CELLO Masterworks Concert Studyguide

ROMANCING

THE CELLO

February 8-9, 2014 Masterworks 4

Welcome to the Concert begins 45 minutes before each Masterworks concert outside section 208 of the Forum Lobby.

Special Thanks to:

Sponsor or the Harrisburg Symphony Musical Chairs Program

The Gift, a brand new composition (a world-premiere!), by Steve Rudolph Cello Concerto by Antonin Dvorak (pronounced D-VOR-zhahk) with Zuill (pronounced ‘Zool’) Bailey, cellist Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat major, Op. 60 by Ludwig van Beethoven

There are seven HSO Masterworks concerts each season. This one is number four. So we’ve just passed the mid-point of our Masterworks season. If you’ve visited us at our Welcome to the Concert program previously this season, you know that we are adding a wedge to our color wheel at each concert. Each of those wedges has a distinct color that we’re adding to our Hear the Color wheels.

This concert, the color is RED.

Why RED? Red is the color most commonly associated with love. It the symbolic color of the heart and the red rose, is closely associated with romantic love or courtly love and Saint Valentine’s Day. The Roman de la Rose, the Romance of the Rose, a thirteenth-century French poem, was one of the most popular works of literature of the Middle Ages. It was the allegorical search by the author for a red rose in an enclosed garden, symbolizing the woman he loved, and was a description of love in all of its aspects.

Later, in the 19th century, British and French authors described a specific language of flowers; giving a single red rose meant ‘I love you,’.

Red is the color most commonly associated with joy and well-being. It is the color of celebration and ceremony. A red carpet is often used to welcome distinguished guests. Red is also the traditional color of seats in opera houses and theaters (however, not The Forum!).

While red is the color most associated with love, it also the color most frequently associated with hatred, anger, aggression and war. People who are angry are said to “see red.” Red is the color most commonly associated with passion and heat. In ancient times red was the color of Mars, the god of War- the planet Mars was named for him because of its red color.

As we are very close to Valentine’s Day, the music we will be hearing is romantic in nature. The Gift has a movement titled “Romance” and both the Cello Concerto and Symphony were written during the Romantic period of music.

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What Do Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony and Steve Rudolf’s The Gift have in common?

Both pieces were commissioned to be written. Commission means to give an order for the production of something, often a work of art and in this case, a piece of music. The Harrisburg Symphony Association wanted to celebrate Maestro Malina’s birthday and what better way to honor him than with a musical composition to be performed by the orchestra he conducts, the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. Imbedded in the music is the theme S-T-U-A-R-T, as well as the names of his wife and children. Listen throughout the piece to hear how Mr. Rudolph has woven the melodies together. The brass section introduces the theme and then it is heard throughout the four movements (Fanfare, Humoresque, Romance, Finale).

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 was commissioned by Count Franz von Oppersdorf, a wealthy member of the aristocracy that loved music so much that he would not employ anyone if they were not also a musician.

Written in 1806, Beethoven wrote the piece while staying at another music patron’s castle. Like Rudolph’s The Gift, it also has four movements, Adagio-Allegro vivace Adagio Menuetto: Allegro vivace Allegro ma non troppo Beethoven bridged two periods of music, the Classical and the Romantic. In the Symphony No. 4, we hear the romantic theme introduced by the violins. It is an expressive, sweet, melodic symphony that one can imagine the countryside that Beethoven was surrounded by when he began writing it.

Composer Corner Steve Rudolph, American composer, jazz musician Born Evansville, Indiana, 1949 Steve Rudolph is well known throughout the Central Pennsylvania area as a master of jazz music, most notably at the keyboard for over twenty years at the Hilton Hotel in Harrisburg.

Interestingly, Steve began his studies at Butler University as a trumpet major but was so fascinated by the jazz music he was hearing that he switched to piano. He has performed all over the United States and Europe. He has also composed pieces for orchestra entitled Andrea and Remembrance, a piece composed for the HSO’s 9/11 commemoration on 9/11/2011.

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Antonin Dvorak, Czech composer Born Nelahozeves, Bohemia 1841 Died Prague, 1904 Dvorak played the piano, violin, viola and organ. He graduated from the Prague Organ School in 1859. As a composer he often used folk themes from his native country in his compositions.

Johannes Brahms was a big fan of Dvorak and was instrumental in having his Slovanic Dances published. These became quite popular. Dvorak traveled to England where he was commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic to compose a piece of music and the result was his Symphony No. 7. He became internationally known and traveled to the United States in 1892., where he remained for three years as the Director for the National Conservatory of Music in New York City. He composed probably his most famous symphony, Symphony No. 9, ‘The New World Symphony’ while he was here. In 1896, Dvorak, himself, conducted the premiere of the Cello Concerto in London.

Ludwig van Beethoven, German composer Born 1770, Bonn Died 1827, Vienna Beethoven’s talent was recognized early by his father who was his first teacher. He had visions of him being the next Mozart. He taught him both day and night and Beethoven first performed publicly at the age of 7 1/2. His father told everyone he was only 6 year old, strengthening the idea that he was a child prodigy. Beethoven went on to study with other teachers of the day, worked as an organist and later became well known as a composer. He was the first independent composer of his day. Prior to this, many composer worked as musicians in the households of famous aristocrats. Beethoven became aware in 1801 that he was losing his hearing. He then began an intensive period of musical composition including the symphony we will hear today. Imagine writing music that you could not hear!

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DkG8fiCBHk Dvorak’s Cello Concerto http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL_kU47IYvY

Excerpt w/YoYo Ma and NY Phil

Activity Center

Activity: 1.

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- Valentine Craft

Choose a piece of thread and make a knot in the end.

Choose three different lengths of 1” wide paper: 8-1/2 “ - 10-1/2” – 12”.

Fold each piece of paper in half. Place the smallest piece on the outside so that all the folds line up. Staple the knotted end to the inside of the fold (about 1/2 inch from the fold).

Bring all the ends together and staple that end.

You will have a hanging musical heart.

BEFORE YOU STAPLE YOUR HEARTS: Write on the outside heart how music makes you feel.

Here are some famous quotes from people related to music and the heart.

“Music is a second language to my heart.” ― Mara Arps “A great song should lift your heart, warm the soul and make you feel good.” ― Colbie Caillat Where words leave off, music begins.” ― Heinrich Heine “Ah, music,” he said, wiping his eyes. “A magic beyond all we do here!” ― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone “Music touches us emotionally, where words alone can’t.” ― Johnny Depp“ Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart..” ― Pablo Casals (note: he was a cellist!)

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MUSICIAN: HSO CELLIST, JENNIFER DEVORE Our color wheel musician for Masterworks 4 is Jennifer DeVore, who plays in the HSO cello section. One of the pieces you will hear on the program in this concert is a Cello Concerto and thus, we have chosen Jen DeVore as our highlighted musician for this concert. We have reason to believe that Jen likes the color red.

Doesn’t everyone?

Here’s some information about Jen. Cellist Jennifer DeVore received her BA in Art History from Harvard University before earning her Masters degree from the New England Conservatory, where her teachers were Colin Carr and Laurence Lesser. An active chamber musician and soloist, she has appeared at Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, Zankel Hall and Weill Hall and at the Musicorda, Yellow Barn and Spoleto festivals. Groups she has played with include the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra, Ensemble Pi, the Jose Limon Dance Company, and the Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra. She is also a member of the Harrisburg Symphony.

As a member of the Lumina String Quartet, Ms. DeVore has toured Russia and the Ukraine. Travel with other chamber groups has included concerts throughout Southeast Asia, Europe, Israel and Costa Rica. A champion of contemporary music, Ms. DeVore has worked closely with composers John Cage, Ornette Coleman, and John Zorn, has premiered many solo and chamber works, played in the BangOn-A-Can Marathon and on WNYC’s “New Sounds,” and has recorded pieces by Cage and Xenakis, as well as pieces by many American composers. Her diverse interests have led to recordings and performances with artists such as Il Divo, DJ Spooky, East Village Opera Company, Josh Groban, Laura Brannigan, Suzanne Vega, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and many independent bands in New York.

Television appearances include spots on Good Morning America, Live with Regis and Kelly, and the CW11 Morning Show. She teaches at the Packer Institute in Brooklyn and privately.

Get Ms. DeVore’s autograph here_______________________________________________________

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Questions for Jen DeVore (she will be at Welcome to the Concert at 7:30 Saturday (2/8) and 2:30 Sunday afternoon (2/9).

1. When did you first start playing the cello?

2. Do you play any other instruments besides cello?

3. What is your favorite piece of music (to play)?

4. How long have you played with the Harrisburg Symphony?

5. Do your children play any instruments?

6. Where do you sit on stage during HSO Masterworks concerts?

7. Are there other questions you might like to ask Ms. DeVore?

Composing from a code: If you like doing puzzles, you’ll have fun with this!

ABCDEFGHI J KLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ ABCDEFGABCDE F GABCDEFGAB CDE Match the letters of your name on the top line to the names of the notes in music on the bottom line.

Write them on this paper and then play your name on the big keyboard. This is what composer, Steve Rudolph did with Maestro Malina’s name to compose the piece of music for tonight’s concert.

You can try his name: STUART MALINA Or use your own!

Example: Jane Doe = C A G E D A E

Go to this web site and put your notes on the staff and you can hear your composition. http://www.artsalive.ca/en/mus/activitiesgames/games/compose_music.swf

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Parts of the Cello:

Find the parts of the Cello:

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The Harrisburg Symphony’s Welcome to the Concert program features a color wheel to go with a full season of seven Masterworks concerts. We welcome you to make your own color wheel and store it with us in the Welcome to the Concert folder OR, if you will only be attending one concert this season, you might wish to add your wheel wedge in the space provided below.

(Actual size pie wedge 1/8th of the pie.)

C Har ellist r Sym isburg p h ony

Jen De nifer V o re