Dance Rhythms

Dance rhythms permeate much of our Classics IV program—we’re hoping you’ll secretly be tappin’ your toes through many passages of the concert!

With over 90 fine film scores to his credit, one wonders how Toru Takemitsu was even able to choose—answering the request for a string orchestra suite with just a few selections. Yet he did just that, and the resulting little 9-minute collection, Three Film Scores, is masterful in its variety and contrast. We hear jazzy blues in the opening Music of Training and Rain from José Torres (1959), a documentary about the legendary Puerto Rican boxer. One of the hypnotic features of this score is that the silences seem to carry the beat as compellingly as the notes. The next selection is one of those few that is not dance-related: Funeral Music from Black Rain (1989) evokes the aftermath of Hiroshima in a highly moving and meditative fashion. Aficionados might want to check out http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097694/ and the great novel by Masuji Ibuse upon which the film was based (Black Rain, 1969). When we hear Takemitsu’s final selection, we could swear we’re instantly transported back to a night in old Vienna. We’ve definitely returned to dancin’ here—the Waltz from The Face of Another (1966 film about a fire victim who receives a life-like mask) lilts with charm and grace, importing wistfulness and a wonderful nostalgia.

Next, ready for some catchy and soulful tango? Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla created a style called nuevo tango after WWII, infusing the old form with elements of jazz and extended harmonies—influences he picked up in his early years in New York as well as from his native Argentina. Piazzolla originally created the Four Seasons of Buenos Aires as separate numbers for his own touring tango quintet. Leonid Desyatnikov’s subsequent arrangements of these tangos are masterful, combining the numbers into a four-movement suite featuring a solo violinist in the manner of Vivaldi’s famous Four Seasons, and even throwing in occasional tongue-in-cheek references to Vivaldi to boot. The tango rhythms range from slow and passionate to snappy and infectious. Did you catch our high-caliber concertmaster, Christina Mok, in the final encore at our recent Valentine Pops? She’s got quite a career as a soloist, chamber musician, and concertmaster, and it’s a real pleasure to put her into the spotlight for the Piazzolla.

After featuring our string section in the first half of the program, our winds/brass/timpani join for Mendelssohn’s celebrated “Italian” Symphony. Mendelssohn toured to Italy in 1830 and became enthralled with various songs and dances he heard along the way. The opening movement ranks as one of the most cheerful and ebullient in the repertoire—it “dances” its way in high spirits. The last movement combines influences from the leaping saltarello and the weaving lines from the tarantella, and builds to a wonderful frenzied pitch, capping off this supreme jewel of the repertoire.

Please bring your friends to share in the enjoyment of this evening!

Triumph over Adversity

We hear about acts of personal sacrifice and heroism in response to hurricane Sandy, and local acts of charity and bravery here in Stockton in the face of our harsh social and economic climate. The indomitable human spirit is a great source of inspiration.

In the symphonic world, Beethoven has provided us a shining example of such ability to triumph over adversity that has endured for centuries—it’s one of the key factors that keep his music as relevant now as it was then. As he was composing his Second Symphony in 1801–02, Beethoven had to confront the painful realization that he was going deaf. He wrote his famous “Heiligenstädter Testament,” addressed to his two brothers Carl and Johann, but not intended to be read until after his death, which includes the following:

What humiliation when someone, standing beside me, heard a flute from afar off while I heard nothing, or when someone heard a shepherd singing, and again I heard nothing! Such experiences have brought me close to despair, and I came near to ending my own life—only my art held me back, as it seemed impossible to leave this world until I have produced everything I feel it has been granted to me to achieve. . . .

It’s practically unfathomable, but Beethoven’s Second turns out to be one of his sunniest and most optimistic symphonies. Just by listening to it one would never guess that the composer had been weathering an emotional crisis! Beethoven’s perseverance for his art indeed enabled him to thrive, and he infused so many of his works with a sense of heroism—even from our seats we feel we have earned a well-deserved emotional victory at the conclusion of the performance. Beethoven’s gift to humanity has provided a fabulous model for conquering our worldly challenges—and we experience that inspiration afresh every time we listen.

What a magnificent opportunity indeed for revitalizing our human spirit—an entire program devoted to the sublime, powerful, and heroic Beethoven.

Peter Jaffe

A full program of Beethoven is in store when the Stockton Symphony continues its Classics season on Thursday, November 15, 2012. Classics II: Beethoven Bash begins at 8:00 p.m. at Atherton Auditorium on the San Joaquin Delta College campus in Stockton, and repeats Saturday, November 17, at 6:00 p.m. Audience members are encouraged to attend a free pre-concert talk by the Music Director, Peter Jaffe, beginning 45 minutes before the "Beethoven Bash" concert begins.

Psyched for Cirque

Make no mistake—Cirque de la Symphonie is unlike any other “Cirque” show. We’ll be presenting world-class acrobatic talent, specially choreographed to orchestral works performed live by our Stockton Symphony.

A few of us caught the act in Fresno a couple of years ago. We loved it. Here’s the crucial element. The acrobats are presenting a live performance art, just as is the symphony onstage—and the fusion works amazingly well. The result is not all that far removed from ballet, it’s just that the “choreography” belongs to a different realm. And indeed, many of the fifteen selections that Cirque de la Symphonie likes to use for their acts are dance-related pieces, ranging from the lush lilt of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Waltz to the peppy samba beat of Barroso’s Brazil.

This will be the first time in our 86-year history that the Stockton Symphony has ever done anything like this. Bring your kids and friends!

Poetry Reciter Update

Isaiah Stowers is quite a dynamic individual, and he will bring an engaging and dramatic dimension to our Classics V program as our reciter for Sensemayá. I just had a great meeting with him, and he has become quite captivated with the whole concept of the poem. What an enhancement to our season finale!

Marvelous Ride: Symphony Super-Charged

How many people remember The Competition, starring Richard Dreyfuss and Amy Irving? Near the end of the movie, a piano string breaks in the middle of a Mozart concerto, and Irving’s character walks offstage and insists on substituting a piece that will ultimately propel her to victory: Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto. That’s the piece that our guest artist—Van Cliburn winner Antonio Pompa-Baldi—is going to wow us with. It certainly features dazzling virtuoso pyrotechnics, and also lovely lyrical melodies—showing Prokofiev’s romantic side. This concert marks Pompa-Baldi’s first appearance in Stockton, and we are so excited about having this world-class talent on our stage!

Like the Prokofiev, the outer works of our program take us through a compelling and adventuresome range of expression. How often do you hear a symphonic piece inspired by a chant about killing a snake? In seven short minutes, Sensemayá, by Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas, charges ahead with vital rhythmic energy—and it begins with a tuba solo, no less! Plus, to kick off the evening, a member of With Our Words will recite the poem that inspired this work, which has now become a 20^th-century classic.

The Stockton Chorale joins us for our grand season finale: Ravel’s Suites from Daphnis and Chloé. The complete original didn’t fare too well as a ballet, but Ravel’s music has earned a permanent revered place on the concert stage. Inspired by a love story involving rescuing the heroine from pirates, Ravel’s music offers sumptuous orchestration and revs up to a joyful tumultuous conclusion. The work includes one of the most gorgeous sunrises ever depicted in music, and also offers some passages of special effects that continue to evoke wonder to this day. The percussion battery includes passages for a wind machine, and the chorus sings without any words—their “oohs” and “ahs” function alternately as the allure of sirens, the menace of pirates, or at the end, to enhance the simply irresistible energy and celebration of life. Chorale Music Director Megan Solomon invited me to make a house call recently. The singers and I had a great time getting into those “oohs” and “ahs”—making sure they sound like they’re in French. ☺

What a marvelous year we’ve been having artistically—we really look forward to having you join us for our Classics season finale!

Uzu & Muzu Becoming Reality—the Peter and the Wolf of the 21st Century?

When does a dream project turn into reality? It’s hard to define a precise moment—different aspects occur at different times. I visited world-renowned composer Avner Dorman for the first time over a year and a half ago—hoping he’d write the Stockton Symphony a premiere, and hearing him express his long wish to set Ephraim’s marvelous children’s story, Uzu and Muzu from Kakaruzu, to music. After the big team effort of getting a Music Alive residency to assist in the funding, it seemed to get more real.

We engaged Webster Williams to be our narrator, remembering how wonderful he is as an actor and what a fabulous job he did in Chris Brubeck’s Mark Twain’s World. And Avner said it would be great if the two percussion soloists could come from within the orchestra, demonstrating that eventually many orchestras could perform the piece after our world premiere—it only took a heartbeat to engage the talents of our own Mike Downing and Graham Thompson. The key components were lined up, and we strategized to use Uzu & Muzu for our Steppin’ Out youth programs as well as our Classics IV performances. Projects were planned for kids to write prose based on the theme of conflict and resolution for the Stockton Record newspaper and art works to be exhibited at the Haggin Museum—now the pieces had really starting falling in place.

But it was still all based on music that didn’t exist yet—or did it, just in Avner’s mind but not yet codified? During the next months I could tell, from our many great conversations, that Avner had immersed himself into that type of super-intense—perhaps even frenzied—work that is the hallmark of genius composers. Then, when he was nearing the end of the initial composition process this past fall, a small group of Symphony supporters were treated to something that couldn’t have occurred in Beethoven’s day. Avner played us sketches of his music from his computer software, using a MIDI system that very closely approximates the sounds of orchestral instruments. Back in the 19th century the great composers would sometimes try their symphonies out in piano transcriptions—they would have killed to have toys like this! For those of us at that intimate gathering, all of a sudden the piece became a lot more real. Avner made similar presentations in several school visits, and hundreds of kids were equally mesmerized.

Then, just a while ago, after an involved process of editing and proofing, the actual sheet music showed up on the Stockton Symphony’s doorstep. Now this thing is actually in print, and even the printing is gorgeous—Avner is one of few composers who is exclusively represented by G. Schirmer, one of today’s leading music publishers.

But even though it’s in print, it still has yet to exist in live performance. I’ve gotten together with Webster and we’ve planned someof our strategy for the narration. The percussionists have been getting together, and I’m going to join them soon. Then we go into orchestra rehearsals next week. I can hear the piece in my head and it’s fabulous—it may even become the Peter and the Wolf of the 21st Century. When will it reach the final phase of becoming real? At the performances—when you come to experience the launch!

Ain’t Just Kiddin’ on the Keys

The accordion evokes a wonderful nostalgia for me. It takes me back to my undergrad years at the Oberlin Conservatory (where I met my wife!). I had the good fortune of befriending Michael Pisani, who later became assistant conductor of the Houston Grand Opera. Michael was a super accordionist—he played his own arrangement of Mozart’s Figaro Overture at breakneck speed, or the last movement of Brahms’s Violin Concerto, covering the orchestra and the soloist parts on his accordion.

We were poor music students, and Michael and I were lucky enough to land a strolling restaurant job at the Oberlin Inn. While people were eating their roast beef or pasta dinners, Michael and I would serenade them, he on the accordion and myself on the violin. We played our own arrangements of Strauss waltzes, some Kreisler showpieces (imagine the Praeludium and Allegro with those opening chords on the accordion—it’s fantastic!), and even popular stuff—the movie Young Frankenstein had just come out, and the music was great for that kind of swooning crooning stuff that one expects in strolling dining territory.

Of course, the accordion has had its fair (or unfair!) share of jokes leveled at it. “I’ve always wanted to play the accordion badly, and now I do,” or “Play the accordion and go to jail—that’s the law.” But we must take these in stride, and put ’em next to all those viola jokes, drummer jokes, singer jokes, and yes, conductor jokes.

Fast forwarding to the present, I am simply awed by our guest soloist this week. Peter Soave is a true virtuoso—the National Accordion Association calls him “The Great One.” He has mastered Max Simončič’s Accordion Concerto. It’s an exciting world premiere—a novel addition to the repertoire.

And here’s the thing: Peter’s accordion doesn’t have any piano keys, both sides are entirely button-operated. It’s fascinating to watch, and to listen to. Peter really isn’t just kiddin’ on the keys!