ProMusica Prelude – November 2009


Dear Friends:

Fast on the heels of our invigorating season opening weekend, the orchestra is preparing for our next series of concerts. The program for both of our upcoming November performances, Saturday and Sunday, at the Southern Theatre features music relating to nature, including works inspired by birds and water.

The major offering each evening will be Beethoven’s glorious Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral). One of Beethoven's few works of program music, the symphony was labeled at its first performance with the title "Recollections of Country Life". The symphony has five movements, each with a descriptive sub-title:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._6_(Beethoven)


The first half of our program concludes with the world premiere of the chamber orchestra version of Rodney Roger’s Iridescent Prairies (2009). Rodney is a fantastic colleague of mine at Arizona State University. He is the recipient of composition awards from BMI, ASCAP, and the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA). He has received commissions from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA Consortium Commission) and numerous individual performers and chamber groups. Fellowships in composition include Tanglewood, the MacDowell Colony and, and the Yaddo Artist Colony.

The first version of the work was played last fall in a chamber version. While the music of the outer movements is essentially the same, the middle movement has been re-written. The title comes from the composer’s love of nature. Rodney is originally from Minnesota and the original work was written for a group in Madison, Wisconsin. He used the midwestern connection (having taught in Wisconsin and been familiar with their landscape) as inspiration.

The composer writes, “While one often thinks of the prairie as being monochromatic, on closer inspection--and depending on the light at a given time of day (or night)--there are many varied colors within it.” The three movements of the work are titled as “Scenes”:

Scene 1: rain, breeze - Scene 2: Moonlit (through clouds) - Scene 3: amber waves

Also featured on the first half of the program will be Water Night by Eric Whitacre, who has quickly become one of the most popular and performed composers of his generation. The Los Angeles Times has praised his compositions as "works of unearthly beauty and imagination, (with) electric, chilling harmonies"; while the BBC raves that "what hits you straight between the eyes is the honesty, optimism and sheer belief that passes any pretension. This is music that can actually make you smile.”

I have chosen to pair the Whitacre work with the Song of the Birds by Pablo Casals. This evocative and heartwarming miniature became the signature work of the great Spanish composer, conductor, and cellist. The featured artist for our performance will be our principal cellist Marc Moscovitz.

The featured soloist for the first work on our program will be our principal flutist Katie DeJongh. She will soar in another bird inspired composition, Vivaldi’s “Goldfinch” concerto.

Throughout musical history the sounds of birds and nature have inspired composers in wonderful ways. Our concert will feature a variety of these works, new and old . . . from Vivaldi and Beethoven to three modern sonic portrayals.

Plan to join us for these evenings of transcendent beauty! Share the sounds of ProMusica and the sounds of nature with your friends. These are great programs with which to introduce newcomers to the joys of our ensemble. Spread the word . . . as the winds blow and the birds fly . . . far and wide. Enjoy!

Cheers!!

Yours sincerely,

Timothy Russell Music Director