Filed under: Keep It Classical | Tags: Gustav Holst, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
Gustav Holst (1874-1934) wrote his symphonic suite The Planets in 1915, depicting each known planet of the solar system, except for earth, in seven different movements. In 1930, with the discovery of Pluto, many people suggested that Holst should add on another movement for the new planet. Holst, however, refused, explaining that he felt that The Planets was already receiving too much attention in comparison to some of his other works which he felt were more worthy of praise. Or, perhaps, he foresaw the eventual revocation of Pluto’s planetary status in 2006, which would once again make the piece complete.
Filed under: Keep It Classical | Tags: Henry Fogel, Hugo Alfven, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, WONO-FM
Henry Fogel, announcer on the former classical music radio station in Syracuse, WONO-FM (now Hot 107.9!) and program annotator for the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra once wrote, “Hugo Alfven is cursed by history for having written one very popular work. By this he was referring to the fact that many people tended not to look past the most well known piece of the Swedish composer, the Swedish Rhapsody No 1, “Midsummer Vigil.” Actually, Alfven wrote many other works worthy of attention, including eight symphonies. The fourth of these symphonies was written in 1918.
Symphony No. 4 of Hugo Alfven is programmatic in nature, meaning that the music tells a story. In this case, it is a passionate love story. It begins with the first moments of attraction, when, as the composer explains, “two human beings find each other and the highest bliss of love reveals itself to them,” and concludes with the dramatic end of their relationship. While most symphonies have four movements, this is technically a one- movement work, although it still has four distinct sections. Each section depicts a different step of the doomed love story. The symphony also includes singers who vocalize on the syllable “Ah” rather than singing lyrics, an uncommon feature in the classical repertoire. (more…)
Filed under: Keep It Classical | Tags: Antonin Dvorak, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Karl Husa, Philippe Quint, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
Being one of my very favorite orchestral pieces, I doubt weather there could be a performance of Antonin Dvorak’s New World Symphony that I wouldn’t like. With that said, the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra performance of the New World Symphony, which concluded their concert on Saturday night, was one of the weaker performances that I have seen them give. Besides a couple of noticeable errors in the brass section, intonation in the strings was sometimes questionable, and the ensemble was not always precisely together. However, the beautifully phrased flute solo in the second movement was a highlight of the piece, and there were other powerful moments which made it an enjoyable performance overall. This piece is always an audience favorite, and the overwhelming applause showed that Saturday night’s crowd was not phased by the few minor glitches.
Filed under: Keep It Classical | Tags: Camille Saint-Saens, Fabio Bidini, Manuel de Falla, Max Valdes, Paul Dukas, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
Fabio Bidini
On Friday night I traveled across Europe, musically that is, with guest conductor Max Valdes and Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. The symphony put on a performance of a lively and colorful program titled “Noches Europeas.” Though I did miss seeing the SSO’s usual conductor, Daniel Hege, Mr. Valdes proved to be strong in his musical convictions without ever being distracting, as can sometimes be the case with guest conductors.
The night began with the magical “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” by French composer Paul Dukas. The wind section was especially impressive in this piece, with the flutes painting a vivid picture of the overflowing water and the bassoon portraying the charmed broomstick. This performance brought me back to the countless times of watching “Fantasia” as a kid.
Filed under: Keep It Classical | Tags: Eileen Stremple, Libby Larsen, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
In this day and age, we are accustomed to a constant bombardment of music in our daily lives. Music is on in our cars, it’s in the background of TV shows and commercials, it’s on in our headphones as we walk to class or study for midterms. The ancient Greeks also saw music as something that was ever-present, although you would need more than an iPod to be able to hear it.
“Music of the Spheres” is an ancient idea that claimed that the movement of the planets caused the most beautiful and harmonious sounds imaginable, but that this music could only be heard by divine beings. However, celestial sounds could have an effect on the disposition of mortals without them even being aware of it. Many people still believe that music affects our moods and even our actions, but these days we don’t leave our musical influences up to the solar system. With the click of a button, we can go from just-had-my-heart-broken ballads to ready-for-a-night-on-the-town dance music. The work of pulling the music out of the spheres has already been done for us by composers and song writers.
Contemporary composer Libby Larsen says, “Music exists in an infinity of sound. I think of music as existing in the substance of the air itself. It is the composer’s task to order and make sense of sound in time and space, to communicate something about being alive through music.” In other words, the composer organizes the sounds that surround us into something meaningful and effective. As one of the most performed contemporary composers with more than four hundred works, Larsen has had a lot to say though music.
A new work of Libby Larsen, titled “Through this Silence: Songs from the Balcony” will be performed by the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and soprano soloist Eileen Stremple on Monday, October 13th at 8:00 PM. This new work was written expressly for Stremple, an Associate Dean in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Also included in the SSO program are works by Haydn, Bernstein, and Copland. The concert will take place in the Setnor Auditorium of Crouse College and admission is free to students and the public. Put away your iPod for a couple of hours, come discover some music you may have never heard before, and see what these composers have found to say to you.
For more information on Libby Larsen, visit www.libbylarsen.com.
- Meredith Laing
