Program Notes
George Frideric Handel composed during the baroque era. Born in 1685 Germany, Handel’s mother nurtured musical activity while his father tried to dissuade from all music. Deciding to make a career in music, Handel started several commercial opera companies for English nobility. Winton Dean, a musicologist, writes, “Handel was not only a great composer; he was a dramatic genius of the first order.” The Sonata in C Major was originally written for recorder and harpsichord before 1712. Published in 1726 with a collection of twelve sonatas, Handel’s Sonata in C Major has five movements. The first Larghetto is written in common time followed by the second movement, Allegro. Allegro uses compound meter to push the longer movement along. The second Larghetto uses compound meter, unlike the first movement, and is written in A minor. A Tempo Di Gavotti, the third movement, has three sections that repeat using common time. The final movement, Allegro, goes back to compound meter with two sections. The last movement relates to the duet “Placa l’alma” from Handel’s opera Alessandro.
Fantasiestücke (3 Fantasy Pieces), written by Robert Schumann in 1849, was originally intended for clarinet and piano, however; Schumann left notes that viola or cello could also be used in performance. The pieces were written in less than three days. Schumann first titled this work "Soirée Pieces” before settling on what is now know as “Fantasy Pieces” or Fantasiestücke. Written in three movements, this romantic piece allows the listener to feel different emotions through each section. The first movement, Zart und mit Ausdruck (Tender and with expression), starts in A minor creating a sense of sadness then changes to A major signifying hope which flows into the second movement. The next movement, Lebhaft, leicht (Lively, light), uses the first movements A major with an upbeat rhythmic melody. The final movement, Rasch und mit Feuer (Quick and with fire), is driven with passion and fire. The music creates a frenzy of rhythmic and melodic passages till the end where one can hear the triumphant finally.
Leonard Bernstein was known for several musical careers: conductor, educator, humanitarian, and composer.
Bernstein composed film music for West Side Story and On The Waterfront as well as solo and orchestral music. One solo, Waltz for Mippy III, was written for solo tuba and piano. The following note was taken from Øystein Baadsvik’s program: The short Waltz for Mippy III belongs to a series of brass works composed around
1948 and entitled For My Brother Burtie (the composer’s brother Burton Bernstein). The pieces in this cycle are tributes to domestic animals: Bima (for brass quartet), Lifey (for trumpet), Mippy I (for horn), Mippy II (for trombone) and Mippy III (for tuba). The three ‘Mippys’ were dogs owned by the composer’s younger brother. Aware of the tuba’s capabilities but also of its limitations, Bernstein here presents the instrument in a more romantic vein, with the comment: ‘As gracefully as possible under the circumstances’. With his customary rhythmic skill, Bernstein passes from a 3/4-rhythm to a central section in 5/4 before returning to the opening waltz-time.
Øystein Baadsvik is a world renown tuba soloist. He is the first tubist to make a career as a soloist and chamber musician instead of an orchestral tuba player. Baadsvik studied with the famous Arnold Jacobs at Indiana University. After solidifying a career as a solo artist, Baadsvik began composing music for tuba. Ordner seg, written by Baadsvik, is a lyrical piece written to allow the listener to hear the subtle nuances that the tuba can offer. The piece was originally written with a small string ensemble and piano to accompany the tuba.
Baadsvik said the following in an interview about the piece, “In Trondheim, where I live, the sun is absent during large stretches of the winter. One day in February I was in my kitchen cooking as the sun shone in through the window for the first time that year. Along with the sun a simple, peaceful melody appeared – like a gift, ready to be orchestrated.”
Just A Closer Walk is a popular gospel tune performed and arranged by many artists. This particular arrangement was written for the Canadian Brass Ensembles encore. Later, Canadian Brass changed the arrangement to be their introduction piece. Tonight, this piece is dedicated to the memory of my maternal grandparents. Being from the south, Louisiana, it is common for the passing of a loved one to also be a celebration of their life. Many funeral processions in Louisiana still practice the art of utilizing a marching band to perform Dixieland music to lead the people for the final goodbye.
