Spring 2010 Program Notes & Instructions |
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The Iliad | The Inferno | Abram's Pursuit | Overture to Colas Breugnon | Of Sailors and Whales
The Iliad
Program Notes
The Iliad (In the 10th Year of the Trojan War) is the first movement from The Odyssey (Symphony No. 2) by Robert W. Smith. Based upon Homer's literary epic of the same name, The Odyssey brings to the listener an incredible series of adventures and torments as seen through the eyes of Odysseus, King of Ithaca.
As the epic begins, Odysseus is called to battle and must sail with his army to take part in the campaign against the city of Troy. After ten years of bloody warfare and countless unsuccessful attempts to breach the mighty walls of the city, Odysseus suggests a new strategy.
Giving the Trojans the impression that the Greeks have withdrawn, their gift of a great wooden horse is wheeled into the city. The Trojans celebrate the long-awaited victory. Odysseus and his most accomplished warriors hide inside the Trojan Horse during the revelry, only to surprise the unsuspecting Trojans during their post-celebratory sleep. The final victory belongs to the Greeks as they burn the city of Troy.
Beginning with the call of the ram's horn, the musical adventure unfolds. If one listens carefully, the wheels of the Trojan Horse can be heard as it is pushed into the city. The fires of battle are unleashed as the Greeks bring the ten years of the Trojan War to an exhaustive conclusion.
The Iliad (In the 10th Year of the Trojan War) was commissioned by and is dedicated to the Regina Lions Band of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. This unique and talented ensemble has been under the executive and musical leadership of Mr. Robert Mossing for many years. It is through his vision and dedication that this wonderful band program has flourished.
Notes to Conductor [band]
The opening horn solos should be placed on ether side of the band to create a call-and-response effect. The soloists should return to the stage during the full ensemble statement at bar 13 to avoid any visual distractions at bar 23.
For authenticity, the recorder solo at bar 23 should be performed with a soprano descant in Bb. If a recorder is not available, a flute will provide an adequate substitute. The harp part is scored for the synthesizer. However, if a harpist is available, please feel free to substitute.
The woodwinds should be carefully balanced at bar 52 to maintain the fluidity of the line. The horns/trumpets at bar 56 should be allowed a bit of freedom to create a snarling and menacing melodic statement.
The "Trojan Horse" effect at bar 95 requires two sets of cymbals. Each player should hold one cymbal perpendicular to the other, placing the edge of one inside the dome of the other "groaning and squeaky wheel" effect will be achieved by grinding the edge into the dome. The player will have to experiment to find the exact amount of pressure to be used to maximize the effect. Please note the effect of the overlapping of the two cymbalists. Do not take the notated rhythmic values literally. Feel free to experiment with varying lengths depending upon the cymbals used.
In bar 97, the slow march into the city begins. I have used bodhrans for authenticity. Pleas note the dynamic indications between the bodhrans and the bass drum. The bass drum should be more "felt" than "heard". If bodhrans are not available, toms may be substituted.
In measure 110, the fire effect will be achieved by wind players gently crumbling pieces of paper. The effect should begin on one side of the band and sweep to the other while growing in intensity. The bodhrans should be cued, then accelerando on their own to a frantic state by bar 114. The brake drum should be improvised to simulate a sword fight. If desired, multiple brake drums may be used to create a "larger" battle. The snare/bass drum roll at bar 113 allows the winds to transition from the paper effect back to their instruments.
The return of the battle should be treated with a sense of "impending victory." The intensity should be maintained "with a vengeance" to the conclusion at bar 160.
The Inferno
Program Notes
The Divine Comedy is a four-movement work based on Dante Alighieri's literary classic of the same name. The story of Dante's trilogy is basic: One day Dante finds himself lost in a dark wood. Virgil, a character based on the revered Roman poet, appears and rescues him. Virgil guides Dante to a contemplation of Hell and Purgatory. Dante, having confessed his faults, and with Beatrice as his guide, is led into Paradise and attains a glimpse of the face of God.
"The Inferno" is the first of four movements in The Divine Comedy. Dante's vision of hell consists of nine concentric circles divided into four categories of sin. The principal theme behind the literary work is the concept of symbolic retribution. In other words, man's eternal damnation in Hell is directly correlated to the character and weight of his sin on earth.
Like Dante's Inferno, the movement is divided into four sections. The opening melodic statement in the oboe represents the sins of "incontinence". As Dante finishes his relatively short journey through the sections of "The Inferno", he is confronted with the Wall of Dis (the gate into Hell). The next section is structured around the sins of "violence" with its incredibly intense storms and fiery sands. The crimes of "ordinary fraud" follow the violent sinners. The composer used the sin of hypocrisy as visual imagery in the formation of this section of the musical work. Dante describes the hypocrites as they file endlessly in a circle, clothed in coats of lead, which represent the weight of the hypocrisy on earth.
The final section of "The Inferno" features the sins of "treacherous fraud." As Dante enters this circle of Hell, he hears the dreadful blast of a bugle. "Not even Roland's horn, which followed on the sad defeat when Charlemagne had lost his holy army, was as dread as this." Dante and Virgil are lowered into the last section of Hell by giants who are constantly pelted with bolts of thunder [lightning]. As their journey nears the end, they are confronted with the sight of Dis (Lucifer), whose three mouths are eternally rending Judas, Brutus, Cassius. Dante and Virgil climb down the flanks of Lucifer, exiting to the other hemisphere and leaving the fiery world of "The Inferno" behind.
Abram's Pursuit
Program Notes
In the fourteenth chapter of Genesis there is a story of a rebellion led by Chedorlaomer, the King of Elam. Chedorlaomer and three other Kings joined together to ravage and conquer everything that lay in their path. They were met in battle at the Valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea) by an army mustered from the forces of the King of Sodom, the King of Gomorrah (pre-destruction days, of course...), the King of Admah, the King of Zebolim, and the King of Bela. Unfortunately this opposition army was not a match for Chedorlaomer and each of these city-kingdoms, including Sodom and Gomorrah, were overrun. Chedorlaomer's forces, as was the custom, pillaged and fled with all the goods and provisions of the cities. Unfortunately for Chedorlaomer, his men also kidnapped Lot, Abram's brother's son. This, of course, is the same Abram who later became Abraham, Father of the Jewish Nation, and a very close friend of GOD. (In retrospect, this was probably Chedorlaomer's "not-so-bright" decision of the campaign!) When Abram heard that Lot was taken captive, her armed three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born of his house and went in pursuit of the invaders. With his small contingent, he divided his forces against the kings, attacked, and routed Chedorlaomer's entire army, recovering Lot and his goods, as well as all the women and people who had been kidnapped during the conquest!!
Overture to Colas Breugnon
Program Notes
Dmitri Kabalevsky completed his opera, Colas Breugnon, the Master of Clamecy, in 1937; it was given its premiere the following year at the Leningrad State Opera.
Based on the novel by Romain Rolland, the plot is set in sixteenth century France and centers about the efforts of Colas to overthrow the cruel lord (the duke) and to free his people from tyranny. The story develops Colas into a sort of Burgundian Robin Hood, at once a jester and philosopher, vine grower and artist, combining in himself a lusty appetite for food and wine and an ardent love of art.
The "Overture to Colas Breugnon" sets the mood for the ensuing action and literally sweeps the listener into the first act of the opera. A pulsating, driving rhythmic force propels the overture into heights of frenzy which are balanced by the second theme. The orchestral colors are in a class of their own, ranging from overwhelming fortissimos to chamber effects to raucous splashes of wind and percussive energy.
Of Sailors and Whales
About the Work
Of Sailors and Whales is a five-movement tone poem based on five scenes from Herman Melville's Moby Dick. It was commissioned by and is dedicated to the California Band Directors Association, Inc., and was premiered in February 1990 by the California All-State Band conducted by the composer. The work is sub-dedicated to Robert Lanon White, Commander USN (Ret.), who went to sea as a simple sailor.
I. Ishmael - "I go to sea as a simple sailor."
II. Queequeg - "It was quite plain that he must be some abominable savage, but Queequeg was a creature in the transitory state - neither caterpillar nor butterfly."
III. Father Mapple - "This ended, in prolonged solemn tones, like the continual tolling of a bell in a ship that is foundering at sea in a fog - in such tones he commenced reading the following hymn; but changing his manner towards the concluding stanzas, burst forth with a pealing exultation and joy."
The ribs and terrors in the whale arched over me a dismal gloom While all God's sunlit waves rolled by, and lift me lower down to doom. In black distress I called my God when I could scarce believe Him mine, He bowed His ear to my complaint, no more the whale did me confine. My songs forever shall record that terrible, that joyful hour, I give the glory to my God, His all the mercy and the power.
IV. Ahab - "So powerfully did the whole grim aspect of Ahab affect me that for the first few moments I hardly noted the barbaric white leg upon which he partly stood."
V. The White Whale - "Moby Dick seemed combinedly possessed by all the angels that fell from heaven. The birds! - the birds! They mark the spot."
About the Performance
The work is 15 minutes and 40 seconds of music and approximately 17 minutes of "tape time". Although I hope you will play all five movements, it was designed so that any portion may be used. If you wish to use only two movements, please play I and V (II and V are alright). If you wish to use three movements, use I, II and V or II, I and V. If you wish to use four movements, use I, II, IV and V. I know that some people will consider dropping movement III because it is sung, but you will be pleased at how easy it is and how tremendously effective it will be with the audience.
The piano part adds greatly to the overall effect, especially in movement III, but it does not have to be used.
Be sure to list the titles of the movements and the quotes in your program so the audience will understand the piece. In a descriptive piece such as this one, the audience must be aware of the concept.
A narration is included if you wish to use it. Have it read before each movement. This narration is taken from one devised by CDR Lewis Buckley, which he used when he took this work on tour with the U.S. Coast Guard band.
Movement I
In 95% of the performances of this piece, the wrong mallets have been used in the second measure. The score and parts have always asked for yellow rubber mallets (temple block mallets) for the glock, but they are seldom used. When the correct mallets are used, the glock must play at a f for the right effect. I have marked this as a p for glock because I knew that most would use the wrong mallets and at a f the wrong mallets would be a disaster, but the correct mallets must play at a f. The wind chimes are played at a moderate drag, not slow or fast. Be sure to work out the staggered breathing throughout the movement. At [C/29] be sure to use compound style on the triplets. At [G/74] the horns and saxes will try to lower their entry notes to "tune them" in their ears, but these notes are a tritone away from the chord. Keep them high for correct pitch. In the last measure be sure the flutes hold to the entry of the last fermata chord.
Movement II
The band will always try to play this movement too fast. Stay with the indicated tempo. Play the grace notes as close to the beat as possible. In the measure 9 (the fourth measure of [A]) the tubas must be made to do the sfp. If left alone they just play a loud note. The oboe solo after [C/23] and the bassoon solo at [D/30] will need explanation as to style. Do not play it straight or "pretty." It is a very playful style with a strong pulse on the accented notes, with the 8th notes which are slurred from the accented notes softer. At [D/30] the triangle must be heard, equal volume with the woodblock. Note the instruction in the score for the drum group before [G/62]. Between [G/62] and [H/72] the sleigh bells must be heard.
Movement III
For the initial rehearsal of movement III, I would strongly suggest that you have all members of the band reseat themselves into four pie wedges, SATB, for this rehearsal. They will learn it faster because of their common groups as opposed to regular band seating. This is only necessary for one or two rehearsals. Naturally, they are to be in their normal seating when it is performed, but the students are much more shy in the initial rehearsals unless they are grouped in like voices. Bands usually have no problem singing this movement, but if they do, have two flutes play the women's lines and two euphoniums play the men's. Often the men have trouble getting the perfect fourth after the fermata in measure 30 (fourth measure after [C]). A little extra work here is usually needed. The euphoniums and tubas never understand the accent at a p volume. It should sound as a mfp. Try to imitate a double bass pizzicato. The chimes never play loud enough in the last three measures.
Movement IV
Make sure there is a difference of accents in the bass line between the > and ^. At [C/23] the horns must be strong - nothing timid here. After [E/37] and [F/43] the timpani will never get to ff on the solo unless the player's forced to do so. In 50% of the performances, the timpani misses the notes in measure 90 (one measure before [J]). The bass drum and timpani are so important in this measure - no one else is playing. In measures 103 and 104 (four and three from the end), just giving a downbeat for each measure is more effective than conducting through them.
Movement V
The reason for the timpani notation in the first measure is for the "and" of the count to sound as an echo. The aleatoric sections of [A/7] and [B/12] have most of the information written in the score. The 1/3 of clarinets means 1/3 of first, 1/3 of seconds and 1/3 of thirds, with the remaining clarinets playing the tremolo. You do not conduct through this because the clarinets will fall into a pattern. You do have to give beat 2 for the horns to enter. Start again where indicated in a 3/4 frame. The first section is indicated as 9 pulses before you begin conducting again, but it does not have to be exact. Sometimes I start right on pulse 10, sometimes if the aleatory is really going well, I might wait one or two extra counts. It does not have to be exactly 10 pulsations in the first one or exactly 7 pulsations in the second. The more the 1/3 of the clarinets get apart, the better. The two blocks are played simultaneously. The tempo change at [C/21] is subito. In measures 33 and 35 (fourth and sixth measures after [D]) the horns and saxes must come through. Timpani, especially high school, will seldom be loud enough at [E/39]. Go into 2 at [I/70] and back to 4 in measure 86 (two before [K]). You must go back to 4 to not lose the drive at [K/88]. If you have lost some tempo, measures 105 and 106 (fifth and sixth measure after [L]) is a good place to pick it back up. In measure 143 (next to the last measure) it is a G and G# in the 1st trumpets and C and C# in 1st horns played together on beat 3. Hold the last fermata longer than you think you should and half-way through the fermata let the bass drum and timpani crescendo.