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Lucky 7
June 12 2010, 2:00 and 7:30 at the Barshinger Center (2010 Schedule)
As Allegro, the Chamber Orchestra of Lancaster begins its 9th year of joyful music-making, I’m reminded of just how “lucky” we are as Allegro’s musicians, having the opportunity to regularly perform the greatest works of the 17th and 18th centuries for enthusiastic audiences. What a blast it is to play Bach the youngest, Bach the elder, and Beethoven, all while wearing these crazy-colored blue golf shirts in beautiful Barshinger Concert Hall! By the way, if you consider yourself a groupie of Allegro (and you know who you are) the change from khaki to black slacks for season #9 could be simply monumental. Not to panic, our friendly, unassuming approach to performing classic musical repertoire remains our #1 mission, no matter the pigmentation of our attire. Enjoy yourself on this 2nd Saturday of June; smiles all around.
Sinfonia for Double Orchestra, Op.18, No.3 by Johann Christian Bach (1735-82)
Let’s begin this discussion with a brief life sketch of Johann Christian Bach (J.C.). He was the youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach. He was known by the likes of Haydn and Mozart as the “London” or “English” Bach. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. J.C. was born in Leipzig when his distinguished father was already 50 years of age. His father first instructed him in music but at 15 with J.S.’s death, music training moved to his second-oldest brother, Berlin-based Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, twenty-one years his senior and considered at the time to be the most musically gifted of the Bach sons. Five years later J.C. left for Italy, viewed as the hub of new music, and he all but turned Italian, even to the extent of leaving his family’s traditional Lutheran faith to become a confirmed Roman Catholic. In 1760 he was appointed as one of the two organists of the Milan Cathedral. In 1762 J.C. moved permanently to London, eventually becoming music master to Queen Charlotte, wife of George III. Italian taste was fashionable in London at that time and young Bach, coming directly from Milan, was perfectly equipped to seize the moment. In 1764, J.C. became friendly with the Mozart family, which had arrived in London to show off the keyboard talents of the prodigy siblings Wolfgang and Nannerl. Mozart wrote his first three symphonies under the influence of Johann Christian Bach.
It was in 1781, not long before his death, that J.C. offered to the public a collection of Six Grand Overtures, Opus 18. All are finely crafted works, but Nos. 1, 3, and 5, scored for double orchestra, are particularly impressive. Would I have even mentioned this if we weren’t performing #3 this evening? Bach’s unusual configuration is comprised of two string sections, seated left and right, with horns, oboes, and bassoon on one side and flutes on the other. With this arrangement Bach was able to create some splendid effects, such as the antiphonal exchange of musical ideas.
J.C.’s highly melodic style differentiates his works from those of his family’s legacy. He composed in the “Galante” style, a transitional period between the contrapuntal style of the Baroque and the melodic counterpoint of the Classical movement. Also in terms of duration, a typical Haydn symphony might last 25 minutes but tonight’s Italian-style sinfonia will conclude in approximately 11 minutes, 6 seconds. Now that’s pressure on our conductor!
Orchestra Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Johann Sebastian Bach’s orchestra suites were known in his day as “overtures”, simply because they were modeled after the operatic overtures which were originally composed for the pace-setting court of Louis XIV. Because of their association with the court of Versailles, these overtures had a connotation of royal majesty. Bach was at the top of his game when it came to depicting majesty, notably the first movements of his four orchestral suites. After such a regal introduction, it was customary to round off the grandiose overture with a string of dances and other light pieces, perhaps suggesting a suite of court dances. J.S. probably wrote this particular work in 1721 for the court of Köthen, shortly before moving to Leipzig in 1723. There are records of Bach conducting his orchestra suites throughout his lifetime, including modest gatherings at Zimmermann’s Coffeehouse in Leipzig on Friday evenings from 8:00-10:00pm during the winter months. Think about that one the next time you’re ordering your venti, sugar-free, non-fat, vanilla soy, double shot, decaf, no foam, extra hot, peppermint white chocolate mocha with light whip and extra syrup at Starbucks!
“Bach’s Second Orchestral Suite” is his only work that has survived for solo flute and orchestra. It is his closest approximation to a flute concerto. The instrument in this case is the modern “transverse” flute, basically the same instrument still in use today, not the older recorder flute which is often used for the Brandenburg Concerti. Between the genius of J.S. Bach and the virtuosity of solo flutist Matthew Allison, the Allegro audience is in for a real treat.
Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 by Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Beethoven began work on his Symphony No. 7 in 1811, while in the Bohemian spa town of Teplice, hoping to improve his health. Europe was in the grips of war with the Napoleonic Wars at this time. Beethoven himself conducted the premiere performance of this work along with the patriotic Wellington’s Victory Symphony in 1813. The concert was in the Hall of the University of Vienna as a benefit for wounded Austrian and Bavarian soldiers. The piece was very well received and the second movement had to be encored, quite rare for a slower movement.
Movement 1
After a long, expanded introduction, the first movement is in sonata form and is dominated by lively dance-like rhythms.
Movement 2
The second movement is in minor and is slightly slower that the other three. A rhythmic ostinato (repeated rhythmic figure) of a quarter note, two eighth notes and two quarter notes is heard throughout. Instruments weave in and out as a set of variations follow and we eventually move to a sunnier major mode.
Movement 3
The scherzo is explosive with dynamic contrasts. The trio section that follows is based on an Austrian pilgrim’s hymn. The movement comes to an abrupt end with five sharp chords that seem to hint at a gesture of humorous impatience.
Movement 4
The opening theme might conceivably suggest a sort of vast Virginia reel, but it soon develops into such a cosmic commotion as to leave any dance patterns far behind. Richard Wagner, in his worship of Beethoven, called it the “apotheosis of the dance.”
Recollection
I grew up in a house that didn’t listen to “classical music” and I was ok with that, especially around 1972 at the ripe young age of 15. My family’s listening library of vinyl was mostly instrumental pop: Doc Severinson, perhaps Mitch Miller, and, after my parents’ trip to Hawaii, the often under-appreciated Don Ho. There would occasionally be late-night television ads for record collections, including one such marketing ploy,“The Symphonies of Beethoven”. As an admitted compulsive buyer, I quickly took down the address and mailed in my $9.99 for the 8 record collection box of Beethoven. When the albums arrived, I took them to my bedroom and tried in earnest to listen to “classical music” for the first time. At this point my recollection gets somewhat foggy other than to say that the only grooves that got worn out by my manual placing of the record player needle was Symphony #7, movement 2. I had no idea why this particular track touched me so, only that I needed to hear it over and over again, usually before going to sleep.
Beethoven’s 7th Symphony first affected me those many years ago and tonight will be no exception. Whether this is your first or 100th hearing of this amazing work, I hope it touches your heart and brings you great joy.
Blessings!
Doug Albert