Cal Poly Humboldt Wind Ensemble
The Department of Dance, Music, and Theatre at Cal Poly Humboldt presents “the Cal Poly Humboldt Wind Ensemble. Join us Sunday, December 3rd at 8:00 p.m. in Fulkerson Recital Hall. Concert tickets are $10 General, $5 Children, and FREE for Cal Poly Humboldt students with ID. Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance at centerarts.humboldt.edu
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The program begins with Three Dances of Enchantment, a suite of three dances by Luigi Zaninelli. “[The pieces were] Inspired by personal experiences in my life that, through the years, continue to resonate in my memory.
I. The Via Veneto is a musical reminiscence of those “dolce vita” days I spent on one of Rome’s most fashionable streets. Here, as a young film composer, I watched and learned, with great fascination, about the world of Italian film-making.
II. She Walks Through the Fair is a haunting, bittersweet melody that I discovered on my visit to Ireland. Dedicated to Kylie Charra Keene.
III. The Feast of Saint Rocco is a joyous Italian-American celebration dedicated to Saint Rocco held every summer in my hometown of Raritan, New Jersey. It was here, in my father’s arms at the age of five, that I first experienced the vibrant, bold tartness of an Italian band. It was loud and so wonderful!” — Luigi Zaninelli
On December 14, 1844, the remains of Carl Maria von Weber were moved from London, where he had died, to Germany. In honor of his contributions to the Opera and Symphony, Richard Wagner composed Trauermusik—the evening’s second performance—or the torch light procession to Weber’s final resting place, the Catholic Cemetery in Friedrichstadt. As part of his musical remembrance, Wagner arranged several portions of Weber’s opera Euryanthe for a large wind band. Wagner amassed all of the military bands around Dresden for the occasion, and was gratified by the effect. He remained fond of the work throughout his life and in Mein Leben he wrote, “I had never before achieved anything that corresponded so perfectly to its purpose.”
The Ensemble will then perform Hanukkah in Humboldt , a Traditional piece arranged by Michael Kibbe expressly for the Cal Poly Humboldt Wind Ensemble.
The first half of the program concludes with March to the Scaffold by Hector Berlioz. Berlioz writes about the March to the Scaffold, “Convinced that his love is unappreciated, the artist poisons himself with opium. The dose of narcotic, while too weak to cause his death, plunges him into a heavy sleep accompanied by the strangest of visions. He dreams that he has killed his beloved, that he is condemned, led to the scaffold and is witnessing his own execution. As he cries for forgiveness, the effects of the narcotic set in. He wants to hide but he cannot, so he watches as an onlooker as he dies. The procession advances to the sound of a march that is sometimes somber and wild, and sometimes brilliant and solemn, in which a dull sound of heavy footsteps follows without transition the loudest outbursts. At the end of the march, the first four bars of the idée fixe reappear like a final thought of love interrupted by the fatal blow when his head bounced down the steps.”
INTERMISSION
The second half of the program begins with Brass Chamber Music Conducted by Fred Tempas
Next is On This Bright Morning by David Maslanka. Commissioned by a consortium led by James Smart of the University of Montana. The music explores the struggles and joys of times of transition. The musical material —melody, harmony, and rhythm— are all very simple, but also quite delicate and demand the utmost control from as large an ensemble as a symphonic band. The composer invites the players to commit fully to a very direct and powerful feeling. To the score, he attaches the following quote, taken from an interview with the poet Jane Kenyon: "Yes, there are things in this life that we must endure that are all but unendurable, and yet I feel that there is a great goodness. Why, when there could have been nothing, is there something? How, when there could have been nothing, does it happen that there is love, kindness, beauty?" - Program Note from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Wind Orchestra concert program, 6 December 2015
On Grant Them Rest from Requiem by Gabriel Faure, the Archbishop Julian Porteous speaks,
“The Church’s prayers in the funeral liturgy, known as the Requiem Mass, have been the source of some of the most beautiful pieces of music produced in the Western tradition. The Requiem in D minor by Gabriel Fauré stands among them. This work has sometimes been criticised for its serene nature. Other works have carried a greater sense of dread and anxiety at being cast into hellfire. The tradition of the Dies Irae, the Day of Wrath, is lacking in Fauré’s work ‘It has been said that my Requiem does not express the fear of death and someone has called it a lullaby of death. But it is thus that I see death: as a happy deliverance, an aspiration towards happiness above, rather than as a painful experience.’ These are words of a man of faith. Yes, death is a human tragedy, and a source of loss and grief for those mourning the passing of a loved one, but the faith of the Christian is that, as the Liturgy itself expresses, “life is changed not ended”. Thus, many a Christian has faced death not with dread but with serene trust and a sense of peace.”
The program concludes with Slava! By Leonard Bernstein. Bernstein completed this composition in 1977 with the title Slava! A Political Overture for the inaugural concerts of Mstislav Rostropovich’s first season with the National Symphony Orchestra. Clare Grundman’s transcription for band differs not only in medium and title, but also leaves out a large section of music that Bernstein provided in the orchestral version –- musical material from the beginning is repeated while a pre-recorded tape is played. The tape displayed different politicians, one after another, spouting out their political gab during their respective campaign rallies. This tape complements Bernstein’s intent to make light of a serious political atmosphere.
DATES/TIMES
WHERE
PRICE
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$10
/ Free Cal Poly Students with ID
/ $5 Children
