Author: Kevin

On Conducting 18

by Kevinin On Conducting

Today, we’re looking at a program from the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra (Group 6). This is a program from the current season entitled ‘Aurora’.

CARLOS SIMON: Motherboxx Connection from Tales: A Folklore Symphony
CHRISTOPHER THEOFANIDIS: Rainbow Body
RICHARD STRAUSS: Four Last Songs
I. Beim Schlafengehen [When Falling Asleep]
II. September
III. Frühling [Spring]
IV. Im Abendrot [At Sunset]

— Intermission —
 
RICHARD STRAUSS: Der Rosenkavalier, Suite

It may not appear there are any connections across these four very fine pieces, but lets’ take a closer look.

Simon’s Motherbox Connection (2021) – this is the stand alone version – is a piece based on philosophical aspects of Futurism and the representation of Black identity. It is well worth reading up on the background to this piece on Simon’s website along with all his catalogue of works.

Theofanidis’ Rainbow Body (2000) is composed around two interconnecting ideas: a melody based on Hildegard of Bingen’s chant, “Ave Maria, O Auctix Vite” and the Tibetan philosophy of the ‘Rainbow Body’ wherein they believe when a being dies physically, his or her body is absorbed directly back into the universe as energy and light. I might point out Theofanidis’ Symphony No. 1 is a major contribution to the 21st-Century symphony.

The symbiosis between the above works and Strauss’ more famous works which follow is the contemplation of the divine.

Strauss’ Four Last Songs is a muched-loved staple of the symphonic repertoire. As an aside, the film ‘Four Last Songs’ (2006) starring Stanley Tucci and Rhys Ifans, is probably the best film ever incorporating Strauss’s songs as its soundtrack.

Strauss had discovered Eichendorff’s poem “Im Abendrot” (“At Sunset”), which depicts an old couple contemplating the end of life together. In the first, “Frühling” (“Spring”), the soprano’s voice rises up as she dreams of trees and sky while the flute evokes birdsong. “September” paints a picture of a fading summer garden.

Of course, the suite from Der Rosenkavalier is Viennese poet, Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s paen and nostalgia for 18th-Century Vienna. Again the connection is about looking back as we face death and eternity.

Quite brilliant programming from the Fox Valley Symphony. Kudos.

On Conducting 17

by Kevinin On Conducting

To begin our overview of excellence in orchestral programming by U.S. orchestras, let’s begin with a concert from the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra, Tucker, GA (Group 8) from their 2025-6 season. These are the pieces on the program:

BERNSTEIN, Three Dance Episodes from On The Town
SHAW, Clarinet Concerto
COPLAND, Clarinet Concerto
RACHMANINOFF, Symphonic Dances, Op. 45

This is a stylish and well thought out program of music the orchestra entitled, “Rhythms of a New Era”.

What I particularly like about the choice of pieces, is the inclusion of the brilliant Clarinet concerto by Aaron Copland paired with the concerto by the legendary clarinetist, Artie Shaw, with its super-high C note at the end. I would, personally, have paired the Bernstein excerpts from ON The Town with the Copland suite from The Tender Land as an alternative to the exuberant and much-loved Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances.

These musical selections are a source of extraordinary richness as a means to delve into the influence of Jazz on all forms 20th-Century music and, critically, providing the all-important contextual nuance in establishing the presence and need of a symphony orchestra to bring these piece to life.

Well done DeKalb Symphony Orchestra.

On Conducting 16

by Kevinin On Conducting

The day after I wrote my previous post, I came across this article in the New York Times. It is a guest opinion piece by pianist and harpsichordist, Evan Shinners. Mr. Shnners also hosts the podcast, W.T.F. Bach on Substack.

The central tenet of Evan’s criticism in the way Classical Music is nowadays presented; erroneous in his view, is that presenters believe the “…music is too long, too boring, too unfamiliar to the modern ear. We need to chop it down and jazz it up. We need to make classical music more, you know, relevant.” He further posits that this belief is predicated on the the view that audience “…attention is scarce, difficulty repels and relevance must be demonstrated through familiar cultural forms.”

As expressed in at least one previous post on this website I, too, share some of Mr. Shinner’s criticisms, but I remain unconvinced that the root of the problem of assumed audience rejection for classical music is so easily described. There is undoubtedly a challenge to be overcome here, but causality often remains elusive.

A case in point: I was attending a Cleveland Orchestra concert several nights ago at Carnegie Hall. What a marvellous orchestra they are. The program note from their music director, Franz Welser-Möst, ran in part like this:

“After experiencing the vast emotional landscape of Shostakovich’s symphony…the memory of Mozart’s “Jupiter” inevitably shifts. The contrast reframes both works, allowing each to illuminate the other in unexpected ways.”

The problem with this thought process in the programming of two contrasting pieces is it is a highly nuanced, informed and expert interpretation of the inner-life and complexities in both Mozart’s and Shostakovich’s music. Don’t get me wrong, I agree with the conductor, but this statement is contextually foreign to all but the most avid and ardent classical music followers in the audience.

The problem is what I refer to as ‘assumed context’.

Without framing what is being played within a context that circumscribes the listening experience for both the first-time and returning audience listener alike, the ability to understand the depth of meaning from the auditory experience is inevitably going to be fatally compromised.

So, in the next series of posts we are going to discuss the idea of context in programming looking at various orchestra concert programming across the USA. Spoiler alert: much of the programming and contextualisation is marvellous and I’ll explain why.

On Conducting 15

by Kevinin On Conducting

MUSING ON ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING – PART 1

The question has often been put, “Can we sell new orchestral music to a far larger audience?” The question itself places it roots in a moral, if not righteous, musical quagmire: the person(s) asking the question more likely than not holding an unshakeable belief the proposition is sound.  Without condescension, they may well be right, but when asked if they can with all confidence assert a far larger audience will ensue based solely on that belief, the answer must be, “Truthfully, no.”

Artistic planning for large, middle-size and smaller orchestras alike requires confidence in the decision-making process that audiences will be so galvanized by the concert program – often in tandem with the artists performing the repertoire – they will be compelled to buy a ticket.  It is the classic FOMO.  I know, my wife and I do it all the time. The only problem is that we already belong to the tribe of the converted.

Artistic planning is a tremendously challenging job.  I know this from planning seasons ahead for the Australian Discovery Orchestra; a 64-piece ensemble made up of some of Australia’s finest orchestral players, designed to be adventurous and forward-thinking in terms of repertoire choices. Given the ADO only rehearses twice before any concert which last no longer than one hour; a schedule that necessitates utmost concentration from the orchestra to get the job done in the allotted time, the choice of music performed has to meet the following minimal criteria:

  1. The music itself has to warrant the time and effort spent on rehearsing it;
  2. Given that we only play the program once, if you don’t buy a ticket, there won’t be another chance to hear it live-in-concert – and we often perform works never previously performed in Australia (or sometimes not anywhere in many decades);
  3. The music must give the musicians performing it a level of gratification for the extraordinary efforts they make to convey the inherent beauty within the work, and
  4. Audiences need to feel they have spent their time and money wisely.

But with all this in mind, does it mean the audience will come?

They will, but only well conceived and executed mechanisms are in place. To demonstrate this, I am going to do a series of posts on artistic programming by American orchestras across all 8 Groups (or tiers) and discuss what I believe is insightful artistic planning.

Coming very soon. Stay tuned.