Wells School of Music Dedication Concert Wind Symphony & Wind Ensemble M. Gregory Martin, Andrew J. Yozviak, conductors
Thursday, September 27, 2018 Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall Philips Memorial Building 8:15 PM
ABOUT JAMES AND RICHARD WELLS Dr. James R. Wells ’54 majored in music education as an undergraduate at West Chester University. He returned to WCU becoming a full professor, directing the marching band, and teaching in music education and music history departments. He created the Marching Band and Band Front Conference in 1970. In addition, he and his brother, Richard, started Festivals of Music, a school band clinic/conference in 1982. In 1983, the two started World Travel Inc. to facilitate travel to their National/International Music Festivals. World Travel Inc. evolved into specializing in corporate travel and is the 4th largest independent travel company in the U.S. Dr. Wells is married to Joanne M. (Noble) Wells ’55, who received a Bachelor of Science in Music at West Chester State College, and is a former teacher and organist. Mr. Richard G. Wells ’58 majored in music education as an undergraduate at West Chester University. He taught for 29 years at Kutztown University as an associate professor in the Department of Music and as director of bands. In 1971, he created the Jazz program, as an accredited course at Kutztown University. Mr. Wells completed successful tenures at Kutztown Area and Owen J. Roberts School Systems. He partnered with his brother in the Festivals of Music and World Travel, Inc. enterprises. Mr. Wells is married to Elizabeth J. (Noble) Wells ’60, who graduated from West Chester State College in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science in Education. She received her Master of Education degree in 1968, and, after 40 years, retired from teaching in 2000.
PROGRAM WCU WIND SYMPHONY M. Gregory Martin, conductor Canzona ................................................................................................................... Peter Mennin (1923-1983) Wells School of Music Dedication President Christopher Fiorentino Elegy for a Young American............................................................................ Ronald Lo Presti (1933-1985) Miniature Suite for Wind Ensemble .................................................................... Steven Bryant I. Introit: Tin Riot (b. 1972) II. Echo Dreams III. Eristic Zeal IV. The Low Arc of the Sun V. Irrational Joy WCU WIND ENSEMBLE Andrew J. Yozviak, conductor Sokol Fanfare, from Sinfonietta ................................................................................ Leoš Janáček (1854-1928) Child Moon ............................................................................................................. Aaron Perrine (b. 1979) Prelude, Op. 34, No. 14 ............................................................................ Dimitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) Transcribed by H. Robert Reynolds Music for Prague: 1968 ............................................................................................... Karel Husa I. Introduction and Fanfare (1921-2016) II. Aria III. Interlude IV. Toccata and Chorale
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PROGRAM NOTES Canzona (1954) Canzona is a short, brisk work, which opens with a declamatory idea expressed in massed sonorities. Next, a broad melodic line is introduced and supported by powerful rhythmic figurations. This is followed by a cantabile section. These materials are developed and expanded, and the piece closes with the opening statements brought back in a more dramatic presentation. Elegy for a Young American (1964) Elegy for a Young American was written in 1964 and is dedicated to the memory of President John F. Kennedy. The Indiana Wind Ensemble, with Daniel Di Cicco conducting premiered the work in April of that same year. Except for a ten-measure allegro near the end, the tempo of the entire work is a slow adagio. Contrast and balance are achieved by solo instruments alternating with small sections of instruments with the sound of the full ensemble. Miniature Suite for Wind Ensemble (2017) Miniature Suite is a group of five works commissioned by Kappa Kappa Psi, National Band Fraternity and Tau Beta Sigma, National Band Sorority for the 2017 national convention. Introit: Tin Riot is a short brassy fanfare meant to serve as an opener, or the processional for entrance into a grand event. Echo Dreams is based on the Greek nymph Echo who was cursed by Hera to only repeat the last few words spoken to her as she longed for the love of Narcissus. He, in turn, was only in love with his own reflection in a pool of water, leaving them both to waste away from unrequited love. MerriamWebster defines eristic as “argumentative as well as logically invalid” and the word derives from Eris, Greek goddess of strife. Eristic Zeal is the eager pursuit of argumentative strife, seeking to provoke, rather than resolve. The Low Arc of the Sun is a wistful chorale, evocative of the short, gray days in midwinter, marked by the low path of the sun across the horizon. The final movement is called Irrational Joy and utilizes a perpetual motion ostinato in the woodwinds that propels the rising brass ever forward to create a joyful music tinged with moments of dissonance. Euphoria on the edge of catastrophe. Sokol Fanfare, from Sinfonietta (1926) Leoš Janáček was born in the town Hukvlady (now the Czech Republic) in 1854. Along with Dvorak and Smetana, he is regarded as one of history’s preeminent Czech composers. Janáček was active as a composer, educator and musicologist, known for his
Lachian Dances, Glagolitic Mass and Sinfonietta for large orchestra. The Sokol Fanfare serves as the introduction to this epic twentieth century masterpiece. The publisher notes of the Universal Edition state “The Sokol Fanfare was originally one of several fanfares that Janáček composed for a Sokol Slet (Falcon Festival), a gymnastic event in Prague,” and only later did it assume its place as the opening movement of the Sinfonietta. Janáček's lavish scoring for winds in the Sinfonietta has slightly impeded the regular programming of this work in its entirety. However, the Fanfare endures as a staple of the symphonic repertoire. Child Moon (2017) Child Moon was commissioned in loving memory of Leslie Taulbee Waddell by her mother, Peggy Taulbee and the University of Dayton Department of Music. Leslie was a Music Education major and member of the University of Dayton Symphonic Wind Ensemble. From the composer: "The title and form of the piece are taken from a poem of the same title by Carl Sandburg. The poem is perfect, as Peggy [Leslie's mom] shared a story about how Leslie's daughters used to think heaven was essentially the moon and they would talk to her every night." The premiere took place on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 at the Schuster Performing Arts Center in Dayton, Ohio, with the University of Dayton Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Patrick Reynolds, conductor. Prelude, Op. 34, No. 14 (1932/1988) Known for his large-scale symphonic works including fifteen symphonies and six concerti, Dmitri Shostakovich has composed in a variety of genres that also includes music for piano, string quartets and a substantial quantity of music for film. His Twentyfour Preludes for Piano are early works that span a wide range of styles and moods. The Prelude in E-flat minor, Opus 34, No. 14 was one in this set. Opening with a calm but strong chordal statement, the piece builds in a single direction to a final fortississimo climax, after which it quickly returns to the quiet mood and material of the beginning. While the Prelude is only thirty-six measures long, one senses a much more expansive and lengthy composition than these few short minutes reveal. H. Robert Reynolds transcribed the Prelude, Op. 34, No. 14 in 1988 for the University of Michigan Wind Ensemble.
Music for Prague: 1968 (1968) In January of 1968, Slovak reformist Alexander Dubček replaced Antonin Novotny as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. In the first few months of his rule, Dubček introduced a series of far-reaching political and economic reforms, including increased freedom of speech and the rehabilitation of political dissidents. Dubček’s effort to establish “communism with a human face” was celebrated across the country, and this brief period of freedom became known as the Prague Spring. These reforms, however, were short-lived. On August 20 some 650,000 Warsaw Pact troops descended on the country and by the afternoon of August 21 all of Czechoslovakia was occupied. Dubček’s reforms were quickly repealed and the staunchly pro-Soviet Gustav Husak assumed leadership in the form of an authoritarian Communist regime. Communist rule lasted until December of 1989 when Husak’s government conceded to demands for a multiparty Parliament. Composer Karel Husa was vacationing at his summer cottage in upstate New York when he heard about the invasion. He had recently been commissioned to write a piece for Kenneth Snapp and the Ithaca College Concert Band and “resolved to write a new composition for band that would honor the beauty of his native city, Prague, but also express the tragedy of the occupation.” Snapp officially premiered the work with the Ithaca College Concert Band on January 31, 1969 at the Music Educators National Conference in Washington D.C. Husa provides the following note for Music for Prague 1968: “Three main ideas bind the composition together. The first and most important is an old Hussite war song from the 15th century, Ye Warriors of God and His Law, a symbol of resistance and hope for hundreds of years, whenever fate lay heavy on the Czech nation. It has been utilized also by many Czech composers, including Smetana in My Country. The beginning of this religious song is announced very softly in the first movement by the timpani and concludes in a strong unison (Chorale). The song is never used in its entirety. The second idea is the sound of bells throughout, Prague, named also the City of “Hundreds of Towers,” has used its magnificently sounding church bells as calls of distress as well as of victory. The last idea is a motif of three chords first appearing very softly under the piccolo solo at the beginning of the piece, in flutes, clarinets and horns. Later it reappears at extremely strong dynamic levels, for example, in the middle of the Aria. Different techniques of composing as well as orchestrating have been used in Music for Prague 1968 and some new sounds explored, such as the percussion section in the Interlude, the ending of the work, etc. Much symbolism also appears: in addition to the distress calls in the first movement (Fanfares), the unbroken hope of the Hussite song, sound of bells, or the tragedy (Aria), there is also the bird call at the beginning (piccolo solo), a symbol of the liberty which the City of Prague has seen only for moments during its thousand years of existence.”
WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY WIND SYMPHONY Flute Wiktoria Godawa Morgan Turner Karina Olivencia Katherine Beasley Amanda Hepner Piccolo Emma Flinchbaugh, piccolo
Clarinet Morgan Kock Paige ReHill Julia Strohl Lauren Platt Caitlin Lennox Tatianna Dragon Jennifer Parziale Alexandra Garibaldi
Oboe Christian Spoerl Hannah Shields Elizabeth McAndrew
Bass Clarinet Taylor Chambers Contrabass Clarinet Katelyn Petrilak
Bassoon Emma Steinauer Andrew Gifford
Alto Saxophone Zhi Yong Tan James Weber Devon Rickert Skyler Cole
Eb Clarinet Lauren Brasch
Horn Josh Kovich Casey Jennings Hannah Atlas Michael Antonacci Aaron Hungerford Destinee Bebout Trumpet Morganne Piestrak Alyssa Kenny Andrew Walls Zach Walter Don Nguyen Dan Reinbold Matt Baldridge Brendan Hartner Charlotte McMillen
Tenor Saxophone John Simonnet Chris Swantek
Trombone Alex Dwyer Hannah Gregory Stephen Lowrie Christian Ryan
Baritone Saxophone John Westenberger
Bass Trombone Josh Ladonis
Euphonium Kyle Jackier Spencer Kendall Alex Sheetz Jackson Goslin Tuba Tom Wehrle Tim Goman Andrew Puleo Percussion Richard Barron Josh Burpo Ian McLaughlin Sean Slattery Fred Spaziani Daniel Farnum-Huelster Double Bass Sal Azzara Piano Aaron Hunger
WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY WIND ENSEMBLE Flute Jessica Lynch Chloe Leed Erica Hinchcliff Julia Carey Piccolo Christina George Oboe Isabelle Bender Theoron Hershey English Horn John DeBiase Bassoon Meghan Freer Alexander Brandreth Eb Clarinet Elizabeth Mahovsky
Clarinet Jack Hontz Zach Stola Tess Pierontoni Eric Liebenthal Maria Seffrin Laura Sachaczenski Bass Clarinet Alexander Siwa
Trumpet Antonino Bennici Nolan Wible David Bonilla-Garcia Josiah Stettler Chloe Francis Lauren Letherland Zach Prowse Morganne Pietstrak Alison Rack
Contrabass Clarinet Nadine Silverman Saxophone Andrew Morrison Kendra Woywod Brian Foster Stephen Andrewlavage
Trombone David Lewis Kevin Scheetz Jordan Rowan
Horn Evan Bucha Matt Hontz Danielle O’Hare Felicia Quinn Libby Ando
Euphonium Donovan Donnelly William Rachko
Bass Trombone Alexander Marshall
Tuba Christopher Liounis Gavyn Frankenfield Percussion Casey Dziuba Christopher Carlson Haley Cowan Alex DiFabio Andrew Gallagher Sean McWilliams Kendrick Bowman Piano Anthony Saddic Double Bass James Devor Harp Julianna Kocher
UPCOMING WELLS SCHOOL OF MUSIC EVENTS For full event details visit www.wcupa.edu/music or call (610) 436-2739 Saturday, September 29, 2018, 12:00 PM Senior Recital: Joseph Lally, guitar David Cullen, director Ware Family Recital Hall Swope Music Building Monday, October 1, 2018, 7:30 PM Faculty Recital: David Cullen, guitar Ware Family Recital Hall Swope Music Building Thursday, October 4, 2018, 12:00 PM Madeleine Wing Adler Concert Series - Keyboard Patricia Powell, director Madeleine Wing Adler Grand Foyer Performing Arts Center Thursday, October 4, 2018, 8:15 PM Symphony Orchestra Joseph Caminiti, director Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall Philips Memorial Building Friday, October 5, 2018, 8:00 PM Senior Recital: Patrick O'Neill, piano Ware Family Recital Hall Swope Music Building
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Steinway & Sons Piano Technical, Tuning and Concert Preparations by Gerald P. Cousins, RPT A majority of performances are available to watch via live stream at Facebook.com/ArtsAtWCUPA and LiveStream.com/wcupa. Mr. Robert Rust, Audio & Visual Technician Events at the Wells School of Music are often supported by individual sponsors and organizations. Contributions to the Wells School of Music may be made out to: West Chester University Foundation 202 Carter Drive, West Chester, PA 19382
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