Conductors' Notes
Symphonic Gershwin As in several other selections previously performed by the Wind Ensemble, I feel it is important that young band musicians should have the opportunity to experience classic American composers even though most selections of this nature are written for orchestra. Gershwin has always been a favorite of mine. His music straddles classical, modern, jazz, blues and popular styles. This selection features themes from three of Gershwin's most revered pieces, Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris and Cuban Overture. I hope that in the future when these students hear these themes they can say "I know that music, we played it in WCYO."
Eric Mahl, Symphony Orchestra
Upon the first few performances of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony in 1888, he was convinced the piece was a failure - stating that “It was clear to me that the applause and ovations referred not to this but to other works of mine, and that the Symphony itself will never please the public.” Forever a self-doubting perfectionist, the Symphony today stands as one of the great orchestral masterworks, and a pinnacle of the Romantic Era. Romanticism in music, while associated with sweeping strings, long melodies, and emotional depth, had much more to do with philosophy than any particular “sound.” The general ideal for the Romantics was to express what it means to be human through a musical narrative. Every composer in this era had different ideas for how to accomplish this, but Tchaikovsky’s compositional techniques and ingenuity make this piece particularly poignant. Specifically, Tchaikovsky employed the use of a recurring theme that returns throughout the entirety of the symphony. This theme, played at the very beginning of the piece by the clarinets, has a somber, almost dejected tone. Throughout the symphony though, the very same theme changes keys, character, dynamic, instrumentation and purpose. The Second movement for example, one the most remarkable slow movements in orchestral literature and a kind of distillation of the human condition, has this theme return twice; first as a triumphant hero staving off a terrible fate, and second as the terrible fate itself. The final movement sees this theme being used at both the beginning and the end - as a final victory over the forces of evil, both outside of us and within us. As the Symphony reaches a thrilling conclusion, Tchaikovsky also brings back the minor, sinister main theme from the first e minor movement, now in E major and as a heralding call of triumph in the trumpets and horn. This of course harkens back to Beethoven’s 5th symphony which we played at our first concert, and begins in a terrifying c minor, and ends in jubilant C major (it’s easy to see how Beethoven is known for ushering in the Romantic Era!). If we keep our ears open, these returns of thematic material give us something to hold on to. Pillars of sound that we can latch onto as listeners, and guide us through this epic narrative. Ultimately, this narrative is about overcoming - about the greatness of joy, and of finding hope even in the darkest of times.
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