NORTHWEST SINFONIETTAMusic off the Shelves: Ken Owen, D.M.A.

Concert:

April 27 – Seattle, Nordstrom Hall

April 28 – Tacoma, Rialto Theatre

April 29 – Puyallup, Pioneer Park Pavilion

PROKOFIEVSAINT-SAËNSMENDELSSOHN

Possible titles

“Child Prodigies”

or

“Almost Classical (1750-1810)”

Classical style

• 1750-1810ish• Haydn, Mozart and Early to mid Beethoven• What we expect:

• Singable tunes & even phrases

• Symphony has• 1st mvt – fast and in sonata form• 2nd mvt – slow and lyrical• 3rd mvt – minuet = triple meter dance• 4th mvt – fast and in sonata or rondo form

Classical style

• Sonata form – 3 parts• I (Exposition) – Also has 3 parts

• i – first theme “masculine”• ii – second theme “feminine” – contrasting key• iii – closing theme – more rhythmic, wraps it up

• II (development)• Take some or all of the themes from I and mess with

them

• III (Recap)• Same as Expo but without contrasting key

Classical style

•Concerto has• 1st mvt – fast, sonata form

• Orchestra plays all the expo themes 1st• Then soloist plays all the expo themes• Cadenza at end

• 2nd mvt – slow and lyrical• 3rd fast, rondo or other form

Sergey Prokofiev

• Born in Ukraine – 1891• Dad – Agricultural engineer. Manages a large estate• Mom – Well-educated & good pianist

• Only child – musically precocious• 5yrs old - 1st piano piece• 9yrs – playing Beethoven sonatas• By 11yrs – 2 operas and many short piano pieces

• Prominent musician hired to tutor – helped w/first symphony

Sergey Prokofiev

• 13 yrs – distinctive style emerges• Unusual meters, Uncommon tonalities• Wild rhythms, Musical humor • Applied to St. Petersburg Music Conservatory

• Studies at conservatory for 10 years• Few friends because of age difference and arrogance• Harmony class = boring and inhibiting• Orchestration class w/Rimsky-Korsakov = boring

Sergey Prokofiev

• 17yrs – debut as pianist and composer• Plays his own piece at a contemporary music

concert• Critics – “unintelligible and ultra-modern”• Prokofiev strives to maintain image of “enfant

terrible”

• 19yrs – graduates, mediocre grades

• Dedicates self to piano – back to conservatory!

Back at the conservatory• Argues w/teacher, hates classical repertoire

• “improved” Mozart, Schubert etc.• After Threat of expulsion – decided to behave

• 23 yrs – finally leaves conservatory

• Dyagilev – commissions but rejects several works• Finally accepts one for ballet – but put off because of war

• Back to conservatory to avoid military• Organ student

Classical Symphony

• During war – stays in Petrograd• Composed 1st Violin Concerto and “Classical

Symphony”

• Experiment – compose w/out piano• Haydn’s style “with something new”

• Prokofiev titled “Classical” to “tease the geese” and in hopes that it would become a “classic”• 1st of his works to gain international recognition

Classical Symphony – mvt. 1• Sonata Form - Classical• Opens with Manheim rocket

• http://www.pierce.ctc.edu:2058/catalogue/item.asp?cid=7190

• 2nd theme – mockingly graceful• Absurd range

• Development – all 3 themes

• Listen for rocket = recapitulation

Classical Symphony• 2 mvt – slow & dainty – some unusual harmony

• 3rd mvt – Dance – but not minuet

• 4th – Sonata form –

very fast, light, & bubbly

Camille Saint-Saëns• Born 1835 – Paris

• Dad = government clerk• Married, son born and died all w/in 1 year

• Raised by Mother and Great Aunt• Aunt started teaching him piano at 2 ½ years old

• 3 yrs – first piano piece• 7 yrs – new teacher• 10 yrs – playing Beethoven & Mozart piano concertos• Learned all subjects quickly

Camille Saint-Saëns

• 12 yrs – Begins at Paris Conservatory

• Friends w/Rossini, Berlioz, Gounod and others• “He knows everything, but lacks experience”

– Berlioz• “Greatest organist in the World” – Liszt

• Interest in old composers – promoted revival of Mozart and Handel

• Taught Faure and became life-long friends

Camille Saint-Saëns• Described as

• prominent nose, • short, • peculiar walk (bird-like strut)

• Produced music “as an

apple tree produces apples”

Camille Saint-Saëns

• 40 yrs – married (she was 19)• Mom dissaproved, Saint-Saëns hard to live with• 2 sons – both died w/in 6 weeks of each other

• One fell out of 4th story window• Other died of childhood illness

• Saint-Saëns blamed wife – separated

• 53 yrs – Mother died leaving Saint-Saëns with no family

• Traveled widely

Cello Concerto in A minor• Experimental form – no break between movements• Or all one movement?

• Rachmaninov admired its “delicacy and beauty”

• 1st mvt – loosely in sonata form

• 2nd mvt, or section – more like 3rd mvt of a symphony • Triple meter dance

Cello Concerto in A minor

• 3rd mvt – return of 1st mvt opening theme• Descending triplet figure.• Returns many times

• http://www.pierce.ctc.edu:2058/catalogue/item.asp?cid=BBCL4198-2

Felix Mendelssohn

• Born - 1809 in Hamburg• Dad = banker in Paris – moved to Hamburg after marriage• Mom = very wealthy family

• 4 children, Felix = #2

• Family to Berlin to avoid Napoleon conflict

• Educated by parents. • Mom taught piano – moved on to prominent teachers

• Family converted to Christianity and added Bartholdy name

Felix Mendelssohn

• 10 yrs old – tutor and new prominent piano teacher

• Studied classical models and composed

• Attended University• Interested in literature and politics as well – friends with

Goethe

• 20yrs – Parents send him on 4 year travel abroad• 1st England & Scottland• 2nd Italy

Mendelssohn

• In Italy visited Naples and Pompeii• Impressed by artistic treasures• Not impressed by state of music in Italy• Moved by poverty of Neapolitans• Witnessed a carnival and dances

• Begins Italian Symphony• Completed during winter stay at home in Berlin

• Premiered in London and remains his most popular symphony

Italian Symphony

• 1st mvt – inspired by “crazy” festival• Sonata form – but with many returns of 1st theme

• http://www.pierce.ctc.edu:2058/catalogue/item.asp?cid=PACSNAXOS0006#

• 2nd mvt – inspired in part by election and coronation of Pope Gregory XVI

• 3rd mvt – perhaps inspired by visual arts

• 4th mvt – “Saltarello” = a dance from Napoles featuring hopping and jumping• Listen for a big extended crescendo• quote