Loudoun Symphony Notes |
|
|---|---|
| Fall 2008 | Issue 5 |
|
Mark Your Calendar! Saturday, 10/25, 8 pm, Stone Bridge HS, Ashburn, VA Sunday, 10/26, 3 pm, Loudoun Valley HS, Purcellville, VA Dvorak: Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104 Stephen Framil, cello Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98 Our October 25th and 26th concerts feature guest soloist Stephen Framil, one of the world's leading cellists. His performances around the world have brought him high praise and stellar reviews. After a Carnegie Weill Hall performance, music critic Harris Goldsmith of the New York Concert Review said: "Framil [has] an aristocratic line and...a crystalline, spot-on, pure intonation.... This afternoon installment was one to brighten a reviewer's heart." The Loudoun Symphony Orchestra is both proud and honored to welcome Mr. Framil to the stage in a performance of Antonin Dvorak's Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104. A footnote: The Cello, or the Violoncello to be a tad more formal about it, is the third largest member of the 4-member string section of the modern orchestra, joining violins, violas, and the double bass. Its rich, warm tones have long made it a popular solo instrument for composers. Click HERE to order advance tickets on line and save $3 each. And remember, youth 18 and under are free, so bring the family! Who was Johannes Brahms? Every time one of the great composers is named in a concert's program booklet, his or her "dates" are listed immediately afterwards. Unfortunately, this tends to cement the idea that, ages ago (usually), someone now dead wrote something now being played. That parenthetical pair of numbers clouds the idea that the composer had a regular life, one filled with the kinds of ups and downs that we still experience today; there were breakfasts just as often. In the case of Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) (see what I mean?) we have, first, a young boy who loved playing the piano, even though his dad was a double-bass player for the Hamburg opera. Johannes gave his first recital at the age of 14, and not too long afterwards began to earn a modest income playing in dance parlors and bars. We do not know what his parents thought of this, but the household apparently needed the extra income. However, keep in mind that 14 is a tough age for anyone, and being surrounded by music was not too different a family situation than many youngsters experience today...genius or not. So how do we come to grips with Johannes, who, at the age of 20, travelled the countryside with Eduard Remenyi, one of the great violinists of the day? (Remenyi eventually became solo violinist to Queen Victoria! Imagine that.) Moreover, how do we understand the impact Johannes must have felt when, during the tour, he was introduced to Franz Liszt? What's even more, Franz immediately praised the young man's burgeoning talent as both performer and composer, singling out the Scherzo in E Flat Minor, and his piano sonatas too. Imagine that. There were no recordings, radio, television or internet in 1853, so here was a 20 year old young man whose notations on plain white paper were known and admired by the great Franz Liszt, 41 at the time. Astonishing. Brahms moved to Vienna in 1868, worked as a choral conductor for a little over three years, and then devoted himself entirely to composing. Among scores of other works, his Symphony No. 4 (his last symphony) is a work of complexity and great joy. The first movement, marked allegro non tropo (lively and fast), is alive with passion and drama. The second, andante moderato (moderate walking speed), seems to echo a requiem, the third, allegro giocoso (lively, happy), was written last and sounds spontaneous and very free-spirited, while the last, allegro energico e passionato (no translation needed!) is, in form, a chaconne--a set of variations that, as crafted by Brahms, are clearly "energetic" and "passionate." So how can we possibly sum-up this man’s life? Try this: encouraged by the support of a loving and musical family, magnified with massive talent--plus good fortune and judgment--Johannes Brahms has given us, on paper and in our minds, beauty, pleasure, and a full measure of musical variety. Timeless. We don’t need parentheses. (Don O'Brien) It's a Small (New) World The Dvorak Cello Concerto was written in the United States while Antonin worked as Director of the new National Conservatory of Music in New York City, starting in 1892. The exhilarating "From The New World" symphony, his Symphony No. 9, was also composed here. Dvorak was very homesick in New York, however, and spent much of his time at a Bohemian colony in Spillville, Iowa. Finally, after some difficulties with the founder of the Conservatory, coupled with the constant beckoning of his native Bohemia after three years abroad, he went home. The Cello Concerto in B minor, Opus 104, is notable for many reasons, not the least of which is that it is arguably the most famous cello concerto ever written. It is lyrical, moody (at times), passionate, and majestic in its power to move an audience. A good deal of the passion may exist in it because Dvorak included sections of an earlier song he had written, a favorite of his close friend and one-time love, Jozefina Kaunitzova -- but Jozefina married Antonin's brother. Then, to make the situation all the more heart-rending, as Dvorak neared the final revisions to his work at home, he learned that his now sister-in-law had taken ill...and died. So the music she so loved arises again in the final section of the work: you will feel the longing Antonin knew, and sense the power of his love as you listen. But even if you didn't know this story, the music is warm, gentle and beautiful in its final minutes. Curiously, Dvorak had written another cello concerto before this one, but it has never been orchestrated. P.S. Dvorak and Brahms were close friends; Johannes introduced Antonin to a publisher, opening way for the world to revel in such wonders as the great Cello Concerto. (Don O'Brien) |
Meet the Musician This Guy Really Cooks! Take one helping of strings, add one cup of brass and woodwinds and a dash of percussion; mix well; enjoy. We all know that Maestro Mark McCoy is a master chef at these types of recipes, bringing us a wide range of classical "dishes" to enjoy. But did you know that Mark also is a virtuoso in the kitchen, being equally comfortable in a tuxedo and an apron? 
Mark and Amy, a long way from Iowa Music has always been part of Mark's life. He played classical guitar, bass, and piano growing up in Iowa. Initially, he wanted to be the next Christopher Parkening, but when he was eight years old, he saw a concert on TV with Zubin Mehta conducting the New York Philharmonic in a performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Mark was captivated by the passion and power of Mehta's conducting and decided he wanted to be a conductor. This desire to dedicate his life to music was strengthened by the time he reached high school, when repeated broken bones from football and baseball convinced him that a career in sports probably wasn't for him.Mark studied at the Conservatory of Music in Kansas City, playing as principal bassist in their orchestra and also in the KC Civic Orchestra. He also began his conducting studies on a more serious note. After stints in Michigan, Missouri, and Illinois, he moved to the Washington, DC area to pursue his doctorate at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore. While at Peabody in 1994, he met his wife (and biggest fan) Amy; they were married on 11 September 1999. Since joining the Loudoun Symphony in 1997, Maestro McCoy has enjoyed a number of memorable moments. He remembers a performance of the Brahms First Symphony that "clicked" and was particularly good. He is also fond of the concerts featuring guest soloist Brian Ganz. Lastly, he has also thoroughly enjoyed several of the less formal "pops" concerts. Whenever asked for his favorite piece to conduct, Mark's reply is whatever he's working on at the moment. He enjoys conducting a broad range of composers, but Haydn, Rachmaninoff, Mahler and Stravinsky are among his favorites. Diplomatically, Mark will not express a preference for any one section of the orchestra, but understandably is partial to those sections that play together and in tune! Maestro McCoy has been responsible for considerable growth in the LSO's quality of performance, in part through his careful selection of repetoire. Mark spends considerable time thinking about this issue, seeking pieces that will challenge the orchestra while also putting it in the best possible light. At the same time, he considers what will appeal to audiences as well as what he would enjoy conducting. Mark mixes these ingredients to put together a menu of concerts with something for everyone: masterworks, new music, pops, etc. In addition to broad musical tastes, Mark also enjoys broadening his horizons via travel, particularly when Amy can join him. Together, they have taken fun trips to Japan, China, Ireland and the Caribbean. In the photo above, we see Mark and Amy enjoying the history of the Great Wall of China together. Come join us October 25 or 26 to watch Maestro McCoy mix up the ingredients for a memorable musical journey! (Vicki Rundquist) Did you know?
---------------*--------------- View Previous issues of "Notes" Issue 1, March 2008 Issue 2, April 2008 Issue 3, May 2008 Issue 4, Summer 2008 Be instrumental! Forward a copy of this Newsletter to friends and family. Comments? Want to suggest or write an article? Contact us! newsletter@loudounsymphony.org. ---------------*--------------- Please note that the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra has no connection, financial or otherwise, with any of the Web sites or other outside resources mentioned in this Newsletter. They are suggested only to help you discover additional information. Loudoun Symphony Notes, copyright 2008. All rights reserved. |