Summer Classical I

Program

Overture to The Barber of SevilleGioacchino Rossini

Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite IOttorino Respighi

Symphony No. 104, “London”Franz Joseph Haydn

 

Program Notes

 

Overture to The Barber of SevilleGioachino Rossini (1792-1868)

Gioachino Rossini was the most prominent Italian composer of his time. He is best known for his comic operas, and of course for the marvelous overtures which today are often taken out of context and used as orchestra concert openers. He came from a family of musicians; his father was a horn player and his mother was a singer. His father was also an outspoken republican, and during Gioacchino’s early years, his father was jailed for his political views. During that time, Rossini’s mother had to take singing jobs to pay the bills, and so the young Gioacchino was exposed to many operas, which may well have been the impetus for him to compose operas.

Once he started composing operas, his successes came early and often. As Rossini’s fame spread, he became so important that he was exempted from military service. In mid-career, he began expanding his efforts to Europe, especially France. It was during this time that he composed two very important works: Le Comte Ory and Guilliame Tell (William Tell), which is known to many of us for the overture’s use as the theme music to The Lone Ranger.

Rossini composed 39 operas in 39 years – most of them very successful – after which he retired. There have been all kinds of speculation as to why he stopped writing. Some thought he was lazy, and others guessed that he might have suffered from physical and mental exhaustion. Although it is difficult to prove, to me, the latter seems to make the most sense.

Today, his overtures are considered to be some of the greatest and most popular in the genre. And they are very versatile as well. It is probably fair to say that most children (and adults) are familiar with his music, not because of orchestra concerts or opera performances, but rather because the music from William Tell, The Barber of Seville, and countless other pieces have been used as background music for cartoons, movies and even advertisements. Perhaps we are just updating some very appealing, timeless and thoroughly engaging masterworks. jf



Ancient Airs and Dances Suite IOttorino Respighi (1879-1936)

Ottorino Respighi came to prominence as a composer in 1916 with his Fountains of Rome, the first of what was to become several depictions of entities related to Rome – Pines of Rome, Church Windows, etc.

Respighi was one of ten Italian composers, including Ildebrando Pizzetti and Rocardo Zandonai, who signed a manifesto against the modern trends of composition that said in part:

We are against art that cannot and does not have any human content and desires to be merely a mechanical demonstration and a cerebral puzzle.… A logical chain binds the past and the future – the romanticism of yesterday will again be the romanticism of tomorrow.

Composed in 1917, the Ancient Airs and Dances Suite I was the first of three suites that took “ancient” (16th and 17th century) lute music from the Renaissance and Baroque, kept the melodies and harmonies as they were first written, and then orchestrated them using modern instruments.

The first movement, “Ballo detto il Conte Orlando,” was a popular piece from the 17th century written by Simone Molinaro.

Vincenzo Galilei, who coincidentally was the father of the famous astronomer, composed the second movement’s “Gagliarda,” which was originally called “Polymnia.” In the middle section of this movement, Respighi added an anonymous dance with a drone bass.

For the third movement, Respighi chose a “Villanella,” which originally was a setting of the dying words of a character in Ariosto’s Orlando furios. This of course suggests a sad (slow) piece, which is the case, but there is a slightly quicker Italiana (which probably refers to an Italian dance or dance form) in the middle.

The last movement combines two 16th century anonymous dances, the first including several variations on a “passa mezzo” (a fast Italian dance) mixed with a “mascherada” (party dance), ending the movement and the suite with a brilliant flourish. jf



Symphony No. 104, The LondonFranz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Franz Joseph Haydn is commonly known as the father of the classical symphony. Because he had the luxury of consistent and long-lived financial security, and the opportunity to work with quality musicians over a long period of time, he was able to develop his composing styles (he went through five) slowly and methodically. Haydn spent the years of 1761 to 1790 in the employ of the Esterhazy family – first with Paul Anton, and after his death, his brother Prince Nicolaus. Both loved music and were very supportive of Haydn and his efforts. Nicolaus (who had a longer reign than his brother) employed excellent musicians and singers, which gave Haydn a marvelous laboratory to develop and sharpen his composition skills. The Esterhazy estate, which was described by a French traveler as “having no place but Versailles to compare with for magnificence,” became a center for excellent music making and productions.

At first Haydn’s orchestra was small (his early symphonies generally used few winds and a small string compliment), but over time the size of the orchestra grew, as did the proficiency of its players. Haydn’s composing mirrored these changes. The complexities and the lengths of his symphonies increased, and he made more technical demands on his musicians. Over this time frame, the typical four-movement classical symphony format became formalized, largely because of the development of his compositions.

Haydn’s fame spread across Europe, and after the death of his patron Prince Nicolaus, he was very much in demand. The German born, London-based impresario Johann Peter Salomon brought Haydn to England, where he commissioned two sets of six symphonies, all for the London audiences. These twelve symphonies (numbers 92-104), which are referred to as the London Symphonies or the Salomon Symphonies, were Haydn’s last of this genre, and are considered not only to be his best, but also the pinnacle of the classical symphonic form.

Many of these symphonies have nicknames, somehow related to the musical content. Examples include the Surprise, because of the sudden loud noises in the slow movement, or the Drumroll, because of the opening roll in the timpani. Other symphonies have specific associations, such as the Oxford, because of Haydn’s being awarded an honorary doctorate at one of the town’s universities, or the Clock, because of the constant “ticking” sound in the second movement. In the case of the symphony on this program, the symphony is titled The London, most likely because it represents the people and character of that city. jf

 

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