September 28th, 2008
Program Notes
Le Coq d'Or (The Golden Cockerel), Concert Suite for Orchestra
Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)
I. King Dodon at His Palace
from "Four Musical Pictures from the opera The Golden Cockerel"
Written In: 1907
First Performed: Moscow, October 7, 1909
Russian Title: Zolotoy Petushok
As with Mother Goose and Bugs Bunny,
the Pushkin story of the Golden Cockerel is basic political
satire in the form of the fantastic or dramatic. The Golden Cockerel, Rimsky-Korsakov's
final opera, is based on Pushkin's story and equally "informative" in its unspoken way.
The story is timeless, and could be the story of any one, from any time, but
because of the similarities between King Dodon and Czar Nicolas II, just suffering
a defeat against the Japanese, the censors of Imperial Russia did not allow a performance.
The composer would not allow alterations to his composition, so it was literally
released "over his dead body", in 1909. It was not performed in its original version
until after the Russian Revolution in 1917.
King Dodon, gluttonous and tired by the affairs of state, is looking for some
help. He is oppressed on all sides by his warlike neighbors and calls for an assembly.
Turning down the advice of his sons, and advisors all around, the entire group is
in turmoil. Finally an astrologer with a particular well placed spin sells the
weary king on the idea of a magic weather vane, the Golden Cockerel, which will
point out the direction of any attacking army. Ready for some peace, the king
agrees, and offers the magician anything he desires at some future time.
Things don't go as expected, and both of his sons are soon killed in battle.
The king is angered, decides to double-cross the magician and, well, we all know
how stories like that end.
This opera, the last by Rimsky-Korsakov, departs from his typical lush style
of the past. Usually the go-to guy for literally every composer of the time, this
master of orchestration utilized some of the newer trends of the day; complicated
harmonies, whole-tone scales, diminished seventh chords, augmented triads, and the
like. It's source is still recognizable, and enjoyable as any of his other works.
Scored for: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, english horn, 2 clarinets,
bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba,
percussion, timpani, 2 harps, celeste, and strings.
[3[1.2/pic2.pic1] 3[1.2Eh] 3[1.2bcl] 3[1.2cbn] - 4 3[1.2atp] 3 1 - tmp+4 - 2hp - cel - str]
Concerto in D minor for flute and orchestra (1968) [Opus 46B: Arrangement of Violin ]
Khachaturian, Aram Il'ich (1903-1978)
I. Allegro con fermezza
II. Andante Sostenuto
III. Allegro vivace
Written In: 1940 (Violin Concerto)
Transcription by: Jean-Pierre Rampal (1968)
Aram Khachaturian was born and raised
in Tbilisi, Georgia. Surrounded by native Georgian - Armenian - Azerbaijani folk
tunes, Aram had quite an opportunity to steep in the melodic styles and rhythms
that predominated. Although he rarely worked with the melodies themselves, he did
rely heavily on the influences, and his style was widely accepted by his audience.
The Concerto in D minor was originally premiered in November 1940 as a violin concerto
for soloist David Oistrakh, a favored soloist of the day. Shostakovich and Prokofiev
also wrote concerti with him in mind. In 1960, another famous soloist approached
Khachaturian, asking him to write a piece for him. His name was Jean-Pierre Rampal.
He must not have caught the composer at the right time, though; Aram offered to
let Jean-Pierre re-work the violin solo for the new instrument. He did, allowing
for such things as the slight differences in range and eliminating double stops,
and in 1968 the Flute Concerto was ready. As with today's performance, the piece
is often performed using the score and orchestral parts from the original violin
arrangement.
The first movement, Allegro con fermezza, is in sonata-allegro form, opening with
a two part introduction that tries to avoid the D minor influence, that's reserved
for the opening section of the solo. The second theme is an expressive effort between
the soloist and celli. The cadenza departs from Khachaturian's violin version,
but because of Rampal's artistry, it's almost impossible to tell where one version
stops and the other begins.
The second movement, Andante sostenuto, is in a rondo form. As with the first movement,
its opening by the bassoon and clarinet is not centered on the destination key.
The extremes, the bass instruments and the flute solo bring the movement in. This
movement is very heavily burdened and emotional. It's dark, but also quite romantic.
The solo (here, but also throughout the entire work) manages to pull through the
drama and lifts the orchestra up to a more optimistic level, but not without effort.
The last movement, Allegro vivace, charges off, boisterous and impatient, with just
a hint of Sabre Dance. The folk/dance influences are spread heavily throughout
the movement. The coda brings the piece to a finish, using themes from the first movement
Scored for: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, english horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons,
4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion, timpani, harp, and strings. [3[1.2pic]3[1.2Eh]22-4331-tmp+3-hp -str]
Musicianship has been a true adventure
for Andrea Dinkel, who began playing the flute at age 11 in her 5th grade band in
Olathe, KS. It took nearly two weeks for her to produce a single note on her instrument,
but she since then she has been successful in her schools' instrumental programs.
She began playing a hymn every Sunday morning at a local retirement center in 6th
grade, and playing at district solo competitions in 8th grade.
During high school she studied with Emily Smith and Cecelia Trabert, who encouraged
her to set her standards high and to expect personal achievement. She was flute
section leader and drum major for the Olathe North Marching Eagles , participated
in district band, and played in community bands during the summers. Andrea has
studied flute with Dr. James Hall
while attending Pittsburg State University where
she has played with the Pride of the Plains Marching Band (the best band in the
land), the Wind Ensemble, Southeast Kansas Symphony, and also the Chamber Winds.
Andrea is currently student teaching music to kindergartners through seniors
in high school in the Grandview, Missouri school district. She plans on graduating
in December with a Bachelor of Music Education and minor in general science.
Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 "Classical"
Sergey Prokofiev (1891-1953)
I. Allegro
II. Larghetto
III. Gavotte: Non troppo allegro
IV. Finale: Molto vivace
Last SEKSO Performance: Nov. 17, 2002
Completed/Written In: 1917
First Performed: Ap. 21, 1918, Petrograd. Former Court Orchestra, Sergei Prokofiev, cond.
Dedicated to: Boris Asafiev
Musicians speculate to this very day.
What would Haydn, Beethoven, Bach, or Mozart written if they had been alive today
and their abilities influenced by modern trends? That was one question Prokofiev
tried to answer with his "Classical" Symphony, one of the earliest examples of
neo-classicism that inspired a number of early 20th century composers.
Scored for an orchestra of that period - woodwinds and brass in pairs, strings
and light percussion, this symphony is structurally anything that could have arisen
from that earlier time. Written in the familiar four-movement form, with two fast
outer movements framing a slow movement and a dance-like movement, it's the harmonies
that show the 20th century inspiration. The symphony is sometimes rather dissonant
(or perhaps 'overly harmonic'), yet it retains a tightly knit framework of progressions
to hold the sudden shifts in harmony.
Prokofiev wanted the piece to be fun, energetic and witty. He was also trying
to learn to compose away from the piano, believing that the orchestra would sound
more natural that way. He spent the summer of 1917 in Petrograd, deliberately without
his piano after realizing the music he had composed away from it sounded better
to him than that written with it at his disposal.
The first movement (Allegro; D Major) is a short version of the first-movement
form that had served so well for so many composers.
The second (Larghetto; A Major) begins with the theme in the first violins and
flute, with a gentle string accompaniment. A contrasting middle section is given to
pizzicato strings.
The third movement (Gavotte; D major) is perhaps the subtlest in its humor. It
is not too difficult to envision attendees of a Paris court dancing the 'boot scoot'
of the time in full regalia, complete with powdered wigs and upturned noses. This
theme was also used quite effectively in Prokofiev's ballet "Romeo and Juliet".
The fourth movement (Finale: Molto vivace; D major) starts out with a bold chord,
the gunshot that starts a footrace through a sonata-allegro format and breaking
the tape in the final measure.
It's hard to believe that such a creative, humorous and witty piece was written
during a time when Russia was heading straight on towards revolution, however,
Haydn's Symphony No. 88 was premiered in Paris in 1789, on the eve of the French
Revolution.
Scored for: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, 3 clarinets, 2 bassoons,
4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion, timpani, and strings. [2222-4222-tmp-str]
Flute Links:
- The Dayton C. Miller
Flute Collection (Library of Congress) Nearly
1,650 flutes and other instruments, statuary, iconography, books, music, tutors, patents,
and other materials mostly related to the flute. The Miller Collection contains Western
and non-Western examples from all over the world, and at least 460 European and American
instrument makers are represented.
- National Flute Association
- FluteHistory.com
Other Links:
- "Sweet
Sounds" by Nikki Pattrick (Pittsburg Morning Sun, web posted Saturday, September 27, 2008)
