Wind Ensemble Andrew Yozviak, conductor
Sunday, November 4, 2018 Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall Philips Memorial Building 3:00 PM
PROGRAM
Slava!................................................................................................................. Leonard Bernstein 1918-1990 Suite of Old American Dances ............................................................. Robert Russell Bennett 1894-1981 I. Cake Walk II. Schottische III. Western One-Step IV. Wallflower Waltz V. Rag Apparition de l’église éternelle ......................................................................... Olivier Messaien 1908-1992 Trans. David J. Miller Three Dance Episodes from On the Town ................................................ Leonard Bernstein Trans. Paul Lavender I. The Great Lover II. Lonely Town: Pas de deux III. Times Square: 1944
Please Turn Off All Electronic Devices
PROGRAM NOTES Slava! A Political Overture (1977) Leonard Bernstein met the cellist Mstislav "Slava" Rostropovich on a State Department sponsored tour with the New York Philharmonic to Russia in 1959. SLAVA! A Political Overture was premiered on October 11, 1977 as a part of Mstislav Rostropovich's inaugural concerts as music director of the National Symphony Orchestra. Jack Gottlieb wrote in the program note for the premiere performance: "The first theme of Slava! is a vaudevillian tune redolent of political campaign high jinks. Theme two, which prominently features the electric guitar, is a canonic tune in7/8 time (both themes based on songs from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue). A very brief kind of development section follows, after which the two themes recur in reverse order. Near the end they are combined with a quotation (proclaimed by the ubiquitous trombones) from the "Coronation Scene" of Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, where the chorus sings the Russian word slava meaning "glory!" In this way, of course, the composer is paying an extra four-bar homage to his friend Rostropovich. The original version has a tape of election conventioneering. The recording session was held at a studio on the East Side of New York City, near the United Nations building, with LB, Michael Wager, Adolph Green, and Patrick O'Neal as orators who shout typical cliches: "If I am elected to this high office . . .," "The people of this nation are sick and tired . . .," "Never again shall we submit to . . .," "Permit me to quote the words of . . .", "I give you the next president. . . ." All of these slogans get lost in the roar and cheers of the crowd. Although the composer has called this piece an overture, it has been found to be equally effective as the conclusion of a program, or even, if the occasion warrants, as an encore." Dedicated to Rostropovich, the piece concludes with the musicians shouting "Slava!" Suite of Old American Dances (1949) Robert Russell Bennett enjoyed a brilliant career practicing the art of music arranging. The “Broadway sound” is not merely the sound of American tunes; it is the sound of America’s best melodies as arranged for pit orchestra by Bennett and other whom he influenced. Simultaneously, he had a busy career as a composer, working in every medium including chamber music, opera, organ sonatas, symphonies, movie and television scores, and band works.
Suite of Old American Dances was composed in 1949 for the Goldman Band. The piece was originally titled Electric Park, which referred to an amusement park in Kansas City that Bennett recalled from his childhood. He described the park as: “a place of magic to us kids – the tricks with big electric signs, the illuminated fountains, the band concerts, the scenic railway and the big dance hall. One could hear in the dance hall all afternoon and evening the pieces the crowd danced to.” The goal achieved is a genuine piece of music – not as a novelty as one might expect from such a setting. Bennett has described the music as “native American dance forms…treated in a ‘riot’ of instrumentation colors.” The composition is distinguished by superb effectiveness of instrumental writing and a facile flow of music ideas. In recalling the composition of this work, Bennett wrote, “there was no particular purpose in mind…except to do a modern and, I hope entertaining version of some dance moods of my early youth.” Apparition de l’église éternelle (1932/2012) It is easy to make comparisons between Olivier Messiaen’s Apparition de l’église éternelle and Wagner’s Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral or Debussy’s La cathédrale engloutie. Each represents a journey symbolic of a strong and lasting testament of faith. However, where Wagner and Debussy seek to describe the vision of these existing structures in approaching a cathedral from a distance or the gradual appearance and disappearance of an edifice, Messiaen’s imagery speaks to the time and craftmanship involved in the creation of these monolithic testaments of faith. In describing the piece, Messiaen quotes the hymn Cœlestis urbs Jerusalem: “Chisel and hammer, sufferings and trials, cut and polish the elect – living stones of the spiritual edifice (expressed by the incessant pulsation of the bass). Formed slowly, only time we see it disappear.” He also contributed the following poem: Made out of living stone, Made out of heavenly stone, It appears in heaven: It is the Lamb's bride! It is the heavenly church Made out of heavenly stone Which is the chosen's souls. They are in God, and God is in them For heavenly eternity! Composed originally for organ, David J. Miller transcribed the work for the U. S. Navy Band in 2012.
Three Dance Episodes from On the Town (1944/2016) The 1944 Broadway Musical On the Town represents Leonard Bernstein’s first venture into musical theatre. It is a wartime story about three sailors on a 24-hour shore leave in New York City. Bernstein notes: “It seems only natural that dance should play a leading role in the show On The Town, since the idea of writing it arose from the success of the ballet Fancy Free. I believe this is the first Broadway show ever to have as many as seven or eight dance episodes in the space of two acts; and, as a result, the essence of the whole production is contained in these dances. I have selected three of them for use as a concert suite: 1. Dance of the Great Lover (from the Dream Ballet, Act 2) 2. Pas de Deux (from the “Lonely Town” Ballet, Act 1) 3. Times Square Ballet (Finale, Act 1) That these are, in their way, symphonic pieces rarely occurs to the audience actually attending the show, so well integrated are all the elements by the masterdirection of George Abbott, the choreographic inventiveness of Jerome Robbins, and the adroitness of the Comden-Green book. Their use, therefore, as concert material is rather in the nature of an experiment.” Bernstein’s 1961 suite was initially transcribed for band in 1975 by Maurice Stitt and premiered by the Cornell University Wind Ensemble with Bernstein himself conducting. Paul Lavender’s 2016 transcription is scored for a more common contemporary instrumentation.
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 Contrabass Clarinet Nadine Silverman Saxophone Andrew Morrison Kendra Woywod Brian Foster Stephen Andrewlavage Horn Evan Bucha Matt Hontz Danielle O’Hare Felicia Quinn Libby Ando
Trumpet Antonino Bennici Nolan Wible David Bonilla-Garcia Josiah Stettler Chloe Francis Lauren Letherland Zach Prowse Morganne Pietstrak Alison Rack Trombone David Lewis Kevin Scheetz Jordan Rowan
Tuba Christopher Liounis Gavyn Frankenfield Percussion Casey Dziuba Christopher Carlson Haley Cowan Alex DiFabio Andrew Gallagher Sean McWilliams Kendrick Bowman Piano Anthony Saddic
Bass Trombone Alexander Marshall
Double Bass James Devor
Euphonium Donovan Donnelly William Rachko
Harp Julianna Kocher
UPCOMING WELLS SCHOOL OF MUSIC EVENTS For full event details visit www.wcupa.edu/music or call (610) 436-2739 Monday, November 5, 2018, 7:30 PM Faculty Recital: Domenic Salerni, violin w/ Guest Artist Efi Hackmey, piano Philips Autograph Library Philips Memorial Building Tuesday, November 6, 2018, 8:15 PM Keyboard Honors Recital Patricia Powell, director Ware Family Recital Hall Swope Music Building Wednesday, November 7, 2018, 8:15 PM Trumpet Ensemble Jean-Christophe Dobrzelewski, director Philips Autograph Library Philips Memorial Building Friday, November 9, 2018, 6:00 PM Senior Recital: Alex Dwyer, trombone Daniel Cherry, director Ware Family Recital Hall Swope Music Building Saturday, November 10, 2018, 12:00 PM Senior Recital: John P. Miller, composition Robert Maggio, director Ware Family Recital Hall Swope Music Building *Tickets required for this event.
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
For further information, please call (610) 436-2868 or contact Dr. Christopher Hanning, Dean. If you do not intend to save your program, please recycle it in the baskets at the exit doors. The Wells School of Music | West Chester University of Pennsylvania Dr. Christopher Hanning, Dean