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Toscanini Conducts 20th Century Music
Roy Harris Symphony No. 3 notes from Wikipedia
Roy Harris wrote his Symphony No. 3 in 1939 on a commission from Hans Kindler but gave it to Serge Koussevitzky instead (Stehman, 1984). It is now regarded as "the quintessential American symphony" (Canarina, 1993). The music is scored for 3 flutes (the third doubling on piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 2 tubas, timpani, base drum, cymbals, triangle, xylophone, vibraphone and strings. The score was published by G. Schirmer with copyright 1940. The rehearsal numbers are circled and are actually measure numbers divided by 10. In one movement, the work begins with a tragic melody for the cellos, soon joined by the violas and gradually joined by low woodwinds and low brass. With the entry of the horns, the mood turns more lyrical. This leads almost imperciptibly to a section beginning at rehearsal number 21 in which muted string arpeggios accompany solo woodwinds. "Among American orchestral musicians this episode has come be known as the 'wallpaper section' because the pages and pages of arpeggios in the string parts look like a wallpaper design." (Canarina, 1993) At 32 the music begins gradually accelerating, and at 36 the string players gradually begin removing the mutes from their instruments. This leads at 39 to energetic exchanges between massed woodwinds and pizzicato strings and the famous timpani solo at 42; the ensuing section was described by the composer as "fugal" but which others describe more precisely as "canonic development." A change in tempo after 63 to meno mosso, pesante, is indicated by the periodic beating of the timpani on D and tragic melodies on the woodwinds. An F-sharp on the horns, trombones, violas and cellos (with a C-sharp on the violins) leads at 70 to the first and only G minor tonic chord in the entire Symphony, concluding the work on an unequivocally tragic note. In 1939, Koussevitzky conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the premiere. Success was neither "immediate" nor "unequivocal" but eventually the work achieved "legendary status" and "became the most often performed and one of the most widely admired works in the [symphonic] genre." (Stehman, 1984) The first edition of Kent Kennan's orchestration book quotes passages from this Symphony to illustrate good writing for cello, timpani and vibraphone. No other Harris works are quoted in the book. Discography Lasting about 20 minutes, this Symphony fits on one side of an LP. Nowadays, CDs tend to pair this work with other Third Symphonies by American composers commissioned by Koussevitzky. A Deutsche Grammophon repackaging of Leonard Bernstein performances with the New York Philharmonic in the "American Masters" series pairs the Harris with William Schuman's Symphony No. 3 (plus the Barber Adagio for Strings with Bernstein conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic to fill up the previously released pairing), while Neeme Järvi and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra on Chandos play Harris and Aaron Copland's Symphony No. 3. Naxos, on the other hand, has Marin Alsop and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra playing the Harris No. 3 with the seldom heard Symphony No. 4 (with the Colorado Symphony Chorus joining in).
Leone Sinigaglia notes from Wikipedia
Leone Sinigaglia (born Turin, 14 August 1868; died Turin, 16 May 1944) was an Italian composer and mountaineer.
Born into a prominent upper middle class family, Sinigaglia grew up in Turin. He knew the leading figures of thought, arts and science that lived in the city at the time, such as Galileo Ferraris, Cesare Lombroso, and Leonardo Bistolfi. A lover of literature and mountaineering from an early age, the young Sinigaglia spent many holidays in or near Cavoretto, just outside the city, a place that would provide him with much inspiration. Among the works composed in these Turinese years are the Romanza opus 3 for horn and string quartet. (This has been recorded in an arrangement for horn and string orchestra.) In 1888 Sinigaglia began to travel: after spells in several European cities, from 1894 he lived in Vienna, where he associated with Johannes Brahms from whom he developed a taste for so-called absolute music, studying with Eusebius Mandyczewski. In these years he wrote several Lieder and the Concerto for violin and orchestra, opus 20. From 1900 he worked in Prague with Antonín Dvořák (whom he possibly met through his friendship with the Bohemian Quartet in Vienna). From Dvořák he learned the ability to apply classical techniques to the arrangement of popular songs. His productivity diminished progressively in the following decades, during which European music underwent far-reaching changes. He died during the Second World War, in tragic circumstances: his Jewish origins made him subject to the persecutions of the Nazi police who occupied Turin during 1944; despite his 75 years he was to be sent to Germany as slave labour, but suffered a fatal heart attack at the moment of his arrest. Musical works In the ten years that followed his return to Turin in 1901, Sinigaglia transcribed an enormous amount of popular song from from the oral tradition, largely collected on the hills of Cavoretto. Many of these were arranged for singer and pianoforte in a style that is reminiscent of the German songs of the late nineteenth century: they include a set of twelve Old popular songs of Piedmont (published initially in Lipsia by Breitkopf & Härtel, 1914; a third and fourth edition were published in 1921, and a fifth and sixth in 1927). As well as this collection, for which Sinigaglia's name is still remembered today, his other compositions of the same period show a deep love for the musical spirit of his native region, as for example in the two Piedmontese Dances opus 31 (1905) and the Suite for orchestra “Piemonte” (1909). Both of these are closely identified with the name of Arturo Toscanini, who performed them frequently. It was not only ethnically-inspired works that resulted from these happy years: the overture to The Chiozzotte Quarrels (1907), as well as the Piedmontese works, were directed by conductors of the calibre of Wilhelm Furtwängler and John Barbirolli. Among his chamber works that are still remembered are the two sonatas, opus 41 for cello and pianoforte, and opus 44 for violin and pianoforte. Mountaineering Sinigaglia was a keen mountain climber in his youth, amassing an impressive catalogue of ascents in the Dolomites. He has been described as "the first great Italian climber in the Dolomites". Two of his most famous climbs were first ascents on Croda Da Lago and Monte Cristallo. His book, Climbing reminiscences of the Dolomites , was published in English in 1898, shortly after the Italian edition, and is still regarded as a classic of climbing literature. Other compositions Chamber works
Kurt Atterberg notes from Wikipedia
Kurt Magnus Atterberg (December 12, 1887 – February 15, 1974) was a Swedish composer. He is best known for his symphonies, operas and ballets. Atterberg was born in Gothenburg. He studied cello and would later on in life occasionally play the cello in orchestras. He published his first work, a Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra, opus 1, in 1908. In 1910 he sent the Rhapsody and an incomplete version of the Symphony No. 1 in B minor, soon published as opus 3, to the Stockholm Conservatory for admission. He studied composition and orchestration with Andreas Hallén there while simultaneously receiving instruction at the Royal Institute of Technology, earning a Masters degree in engineering in 1911. From 1912 to 1968 Atterberg worked at the Swedish Patent and Registration Office, becoming head of a division there in 1937. In 1912, he made his conducting debut conducting his own First Symphony. In 1916 he was appointed to Maestro of the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, a position he held until 1922. From 1919 to 1957, he was a music critic for the Stockholmstidningen. In 1924, Atterberg helped found the Society of Swedish Composers and the Swedish Performing Rights Society (an organization similar to ASCAP in America). In 1926 he became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music and was secretary of that organization from 1940 to 1953. While composing an opera about the Vikings, Härvard Harpolekare, Atterberg also wrote a "Sinfonia Piccola" (Symphony No. 4 in G minor, Opus 14) inspired by an anthology of Swedish folk tunes published in 1875. For the Schubert centenary in 1928, the Columbia Gramophone Company sponsored a competition for a symphony completing or inspired by Schubert's Unfinished, and Atterberg won the first prize of $10,000 with his Symphony No. 6. The symphony was recorded by Sir Thomas Beecham, Arturo Toscanini, and Atterberg later recorded it himself. Atterberg died in Stockholm on February 15, 1974. He once said that: "The Russians, Brahms, Reger were my ideals." Atterberg's music combines their influences with Swedish folk tunes.
Stravinsky's Petrushka notes from Wikipedia
Petrouchka or Petrushka (French: Pétrouchka; Russian: Петрушка) is a ballet with music by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky and choreography by Michel Fokine. It is a story of a Russian traditional puppet, Petrushka, who is made of straw and with a bag of sawdust as his body, but who comes to life and has the capacity to love, a story superficially resembling that of Pinocchio. According to Andrew Wachtel, Petrushka is a work that fuses music, ballet, choreography and history in perfect balance. It resembles Richard Wagner's Gesamtkunstwerk (total artwork), but with a Russian approach.
Composition Stravinsky composed the music during the winter of 1910-1911 for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. It was premiered at the Paris Théâtre du Chatelet on June 13, 1911 in Paris under conductor Pierre Monteux. While the production was generally a success, more than a few observers were taken aback by music that was brittle, caustic, and at times even grotesque. One critic approached Diaghilev after a dress rehearsal and said, "And it was to hear this that you invited us?" Diaghilev succinctly replied, "Exactly". When Diaghilev and his company traveled to Vienna in 1913, the Vienna Philharmonic initially refused to play the score, deriding Petrushka as schmutzige Musik ("dirty music"). The work is characterized by the so-called Petrushka chord (consisting of C major and F♯ major triads played together), a polytonic device heralding the appearance of the main character. Instrumentation 1911 original versionThe original 1911 version of Petrushka is scored for 4 flutes (3rd and 4th doubling piccolo), 4 oboes (4th doubling English horn), 3 clarinets in B flat, bass clarinet in B flat (doubling clarinet 4), 3 bassoons, contrabassoon (doubling bassoon 4), 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in B flat (often doubling piccolo trumpet), 2 cornets in B flat and A, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, 2 snare drums (one offstage), 2 tambourines (one offstage), triangle, tam-tam, glockenspiel, xylophone, piano, celesta, 2 harps and strings. 1947 revised versionStravinsky's 1947 revised version is scored for the following smaller orchestra: 3 flutes (3rd doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets in B flat (3rd doubling bass clarinet in B flat), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in B flat and C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, snare drum, tambourine, triangle, tam-tam, xylophone, piano, celesta, harp and strings. Story
The libretto was written by Alexandre Benois and Igor Stravinsky. The play opens at a Shrovetide fair in Saint Petersburg: Maslenitsa, a Russian carnival before Lent that is analogous to Mardi Gras. The people rejoice before the privations of the long fast. Stravinsky's orchestration and rapidly changing rhythms depict the hustle and bustle of the fair. An organ grinder and dancing girl entertain the crowd. Drummers announce the appearance of the Old Wizard, who charms the captivated audience. Suddenly, the curtain rises on a tiny theater, as the Wizard introduces the inert, lifeless puppet figures of Petrushka, the Ballerina and the Moor (the brute). The Old Wizard casts a magic spell with his flute. The puppets come to life, leap from their little stage, and perform a vigorous Russian dance among the astounded carnival-goers. The second scene, after the performance, is set in the Petrushka's room. The walls are painted in dark colors and decorated with black stars and a half-moon. With a resounding crash, the Wizard kicks Petrushka into his barren cell. We see that Petrushka leads a dismal "life" behind the show curtains. Although Petrushka is a puppet, he feels human emotions, including bitterness toward the Old Wizard for his imprisonment, as well as love for the beautiful Ballerina. A frowning portrait of the Wizard hangs above, as if to remind Petrushka that he is a mere puppet. This infuriates Petrushka, and he shakes his fists at the Wizard's glare. Petrushka tries to escape from his cell, but fails. The Ballerina enters the room. Petrushka tries to profess his love, but the Ballerina rejects his pathetic advances. As the Wizard treats Petrushka cruelly, the Ballerina engages in wanton affairs with the Moor. This snaps poor Petrushka's sensibilities. In the third scene, the audience learns that the Moor leads a much more comfortable "life" than Petrushka. The Moor’s room is much more spacious and lavishly decorated, painted in bright reds, greens and blues. Rabbits, palm trees and exotic flowers decorate the walls and floor. The Moor reclines on a lounging couch and plays with a coconut, attempting to cut it with his scimitar. When he fails, he believes that the coconut must be a God. The Wizard places the Ballerina in the Moor’s room. The Ballerina is attracted to the Moor’s handsome appearance. She plays a saucy tune on a toy trumpet (represented by a cornet in the original 1911 orchestration) and begins to dance with the Moor. Petrushka finally breaks free from his cell. The Wizard brings him into the Moor's room to interrupt the Ballerina’s seduction. Petrushka attacks the Moor, but soon realizes he is too small and weak. The Moor beats Petrushka. Petrushka runs for his life, with the Moor chasing him, and escapes from the room. The fourth and final scene, that evening, returns to the carnival. The orchestra introduces a chain of colorful dances as a series of unrelated characters come and go about the stage. The first and most prominent is the Wet-Nurses’ Dance, to the tune of the folk song "Down the Petersky Road". Then comes a peasant with his dancing bear, followed in turn by a rake merchant and Gypsies, coachmen and grooms, and masqueraders. As the merrymaking reaches its peak, a cry is heard from the puppet-theater. Petrushka suddenly runs across the scene, followed by the Moor in hot pursuit with an axe. The crowd is horrified when the Moor catches up with Petrushka and hacks him to death. The police question the Old Wizard. The Wizard seeks to restore calm by shaking sawdust from the "corpse," to remind everyone that Petrushka is but a puppet. As night falls and the crowd disperses, the Wizard leaves, carrying Petrushka’s limp body. Petrushka’s ghost appears on the roof of the little theater, his cry now in the form of an angry protest. Petrushka’s death only enlivens his spirit, which thumbs its nose at his tormentor from beyond the wood and straw of his carcass. Now completely alone, the Old Wizard is terrified to see the leering ghost of Petrushka. The wizard scampers off, with a single frightened glance over his shoulder, and the scene is hushed, leaving the audience to wonder who is "real" and who is not. SectionsThe work is divided into four parts (tableaux) with the following scenes: Part I: The Shrovetide Fair
Part II: Petrushka's Room
Part III: The Moor's Room
Part IV: The Shrovetide Fair (Evening)
In 1947, Stravinsky penned a revised version of Petrushka for a smaller orchestra, in part because the original version was not covered by copyright and Stravinsky wanted to profit from the work's popularity. He also created a suite for concert performance that cut the last three sections: The Fight - The Moor and Petrushka, Death of Petrushka and Apparition of Petrushka. The drumrolls linking each scene, optional in the 1911 original, are compulsory in the 1947 edition. The ballerina's tune is assigned to a trumpet in the 1947 version instead of a cornet as in the original. The 1947 version also provides an optional fff (fortissimo) near the piano conclusion of the original. Stravinsky also created a piano reduction of Petrushka (Three Movements from Petrushka), which Stravinsky admittedly could not play himself for lack of adequate left hand technique. In 1956, an animated version of the ballet appeared as part of NBC's Sol Hurok Music Hour. It was personally conducted by Stravinsky himself and was the first such collaboration. Directed by animator John David Wilson with Fine Arts Films, it has been noted as the first animated special ever to air on television.
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