Volume 16 Issue 3

December 2015

FreoNotes The Newsletter of the Fremantle Symphony

In our last concert, we celebrated the 150th anniversary of Sibelius, this time round, it will be the same anniversary for Paul Dukas.

If you have never heard of him, he is only known for one piece (although he wrote a lot more) - the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Most people know that work at least due to the antics of a small cartoon mouse.

Dukas’ musical training included the piano and he entered the Conservertiore du Paris at the age of 16. Among his fellow students was Claude Debussy. Unlike Debussy, Dukas, who was rather self-critical, destroyed most of his works before his death in 1925.

You probably know the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, written in 1894, quite well. It deserves the esteem in which it is held. It is described as a legitimate child of the 19th century’s much celebrated wedding of music and literature. The composition’s musical story telling is remarkably graphic, although for the many who have seen the Disney animation in the film Fantasia,a hearing of the piece may bring to mind Mickey Mouse. No matter. The music alone, sans Mouse suffices to tell the tale propounded in the ballad by the great German author von Goethe. (Howard, 2013, LA Philharmonic)

La Peri is much less well known. Written 15 years after the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, it demonstrates a significant maturing in Dukas’ composition.

We would like to give you the story of the ballet, but unfortunately cannot find two plots that agree with each other. So here is our take on the matter. Either one of the Magi, or Alexander the Great, is searching for the flower of immortality. He finds it in the hands of a sleeping fairy (Peri) and takes if for himself.

In one version, the flower is a lotus, decoratedwith emeralds. The fairy holds this in onehand,whichmakesitratherdifficulttoplaythelutesheholds in the other hand. Alexander/the Magisteals the flower, but it shines and wakes thesleepingfairy.Sheusesherwilestogettheflowerback and Alexander/Magi either dies or goeshome.

Fortunately you won’t need to know the wholestory,aswewillsimplybeplayingthebrassfanfarethatannouncestheballettothefull.

ThisballetisbasedonanancientPersianfairytale,sosomeonemaybeabletoenlightenusastotheactual story. It was commissioned by the BalletRussearoundthesameHmeasStravinsky’sRiteofSpring.

Concert Details:Fremantle Town Hall3pm, Sunday 13th

December

Dukas–Sorcerer’sAppren,ce&FanfareLaPeri

Faure–Pavane Glazunov–Saxophoneconcerto Franck-Symphony1inDminor

GlazunovwasaRussiancomposerlivinginFranceattheHmeofwriHnghisSaxophoneConcerto(1934).Previously,hehadbeentheProfessorofComposiHon&InstrumentaHonatthePetrogradConservaHore,butaVerleavingRussiatojudgetheSchubertCompeHHonin1928,heneverreturned.GlazunovfirstencounteredtheSaxophoneinParis,whichwasaninstrumentconsideredbytheSoviettobebourgeoisandWesterndecadence.Notsurprisingly,heencounteredtheSaxasajazzinstrument(anotherSovietno-no)andalthoughhewroteaconcertofortheinstrument,hedidnotwantittobeconsideredasthatgenre.

Glazunovwritesabouthisconcertoin1934:

IcompletedtheConcertoforSaxophone,boththescoreandclavier,andmostlikelyIwillhearperformanceswithindaysbytheFrenchmanMuleandtheDanishSaxophonistRascher.TheconcertoiswriJeninE-flatmajorandgoesnotstop.Firstgoesexposi,on,allegromoderato4/4andendsinGminor.ASerashortdevelopmentfollowedbyasingingandanteinCflatmajor(some,mesBmajor)3/4isthetransitoryintoaliJlecadenza.TheconclusionbeginsaSerthecadenzawithacondensedfugato12/8inCminor.AllthepreviouselementsappearagainwhichbringstocodainE-flatmajor.Theaccompanimentisbuiltonstringswithmuchdivisi,whichatsomepointwillsubs,tutethemissingwindsec,on.IusedthistechniqueveryoSen;stringsinoctavedivisiandanuppervoiceinunisonwithtwocellos.Infact,Iusedoublenotesalot.Iamafraidofthedoublenoteseffect.IwillaskYuliKonus,whowasworkingwithmyviolinconcerto.Heisabigexpertonsuchsubtle,esandheprescribedthear,cula,ontoTchaikovsky.

Amonthlaterhewroteagainthattheconcertowascomplete.

Faure’s Pavane (1887) is also very well known,although few people realise it was a balletdancedbyBalletRusseaswell. Ithashauntingechoes of Spain’s golden age reflected throughthemusic. Originally a piano piece, it is takenfrom a slow and stately Spanish court dance.Thepavanewasapopulardanceatatimewhentouching each other was rather risqué, so thepairswouldholdeitherendofahandkerchief.

Although you may know the music and haveevenheardtheversionwiththeoptionalchorus,you may not know the lyrics, which we haveincludedbelow.

ItisLindor,itisTircis,anditisallourvictors!ItisMyrtille,itisLyde!Thequeensofourhearts.Astheyaredefying!Astheyarealwaysproud!Aswedareruleourfatesandourdays!

Payattention!Observethemeasurement!

Ohmortalinsult!Thecadenceislessslow!And safest falling! We rabattrons gossip outthere!Wewillsoonbetheirrunningdogs!Theyareugly!Dearlittleface!Theyaremadmen!(Quaintairsandtunes!)

Anditisalwaysthesame,andsoforever!Weloveit!Wehateit!Wecurseherlove!FarewellMyrtille,Egle,Chloe,mockingdemons!Farewell and good day to the tyrants of ourhearts!

Andagoodday!

Whattheheck…?Isthatabout?

Forourreaderswhoarenotmusicians,hereisabriefexplanaHonofwribenmusic.Possiblyitwillhelpourfellowmusicianstoo.

Once upon a Hme, a long Hme ago, music was passed on bycommicngtunestomemoryinalongandarduousprocess. Thisiswhy ifyou travel throughEurope,youwillhear the folk songswithregional variaHons as themusicwas shared in a process similar toChinesewhispers.OneparHcularlybrightchap,GuidoofArezzo,wasthe person who made the breakthrough discovery of how torepresentmusiconpaper. It isessenHallywhatallowsus toenjoythecomplexiHesof themusicwehavetoday (as longaswedonotthinkaboutJusHnBieber,andthelike).

At the start of each staff (set of five lines),we see a clef - usuallyeither a very old fashioned “G” or “F”, although the violas, andoccasionallycelli&bassoons,usea“C.” Thistellsthemusicianthepitchandtherange.

The colour and stem of the note tells us the length, although onealsoneedstoknowthespeedofthebasicunitofmusicinordertowork that one out precisely. In theory, an orchestra does this bywatching the conductor., but in reality, the conductor can becompletely ignored. SHll,we like to lethim (usually “him”, thoughnotexclusively)thinkheisimportant.

Ofcourse,readingmusicissomewhatmorenuancedthanthisbriefcrash-course, with arHculaHon, volume and even variaHons on thebasic pitch being added in. That is another lesson - or course oflessons,sowillnotbeexploredhere.

Answer to September’s quiz.

The photo that did not come from the Grainger museum was the odd wind

instrument at the bottom of the page. In case you are wondering why there were whips in the museum, it was not because of a love of horse racing, but rather some of the more “interesting” items used in his bedroom.

LikeDakas,CesarFranck’sreputationisbasedonaverysmallnumberofhisworks.ThefactthatFranckfinallychosetowriteasymphonyisitselfunusual,giventherarityoftheformin19th-century France, which considered thesymphony amainstay ofGermanmusic. It islikely that the genesis of the Symphony inDminor followed upon the success of hisinfluentialSymphonicVariationsforpianoandorchestracomposedin1885.

Sitting in on a rehearsal under the baton ofJulesGarcin,wheretheplayerswereresistantand uncooperative, Conservatoire directorAmbroise Thomas is supposed to haveremarked in reaction to the secondmovement (andquotedbyVincentd'Indy, inhis biography of Franck) "name a singlesymphony by Haydn or Beethoven that usesthe English horn!" (This may well beapocryphal and used by d'Indy - who wasfirmly in the Franck camp - to mock theconservative Thomas, since Haydn had veryfamously used English horns in his ownSymphonyNo.22,"ThePhilosopher".)

The acid political climate helps explain notonly the ferocity of French nationalistreaction,butalsothespeedwithwhichthesymphonyattainedpopularitywherethe internecinedivisionsof

defining French music were not atissue.Thus,withinseveralyearsof itscomposition, the symphony wasregularly being programmed acrossEurope and in the United States. Itreceived its American premiere inBostonon16January1899underthebatonofWilhelmGericke.

What one remembers about thissymphony, once one has got beyondthe titilation of its bigness is Franck’swide-eyed frolic through the tonalsystem.

ItseemstousthatDavidGoyabeingatypicalstudentandleavinghis “assignment” (i.e. giving FSO his biography) until the lastpossible minute. Therefore we have had to rely on a musicteacherwebsitetosnafflesomeinformationforyou.

This tells us he is an accomplished saxophonist with substantialmusical experience and knowledge. Graduating high school in2012 (hemuststillbeyoung),hewas the recipientof theMusicExhibitionawardforreceivingthehighestgradesofanygraduatingmusicstudentinWA.Davidisnowstudyingabachelorofmusicatthe WA Academy of Performing Arts and performs extremelyregularlyatavarietyofvenuesaroundPerth.

(Herewehavedeletedhisadvertisement).

He ispredominantly a classicalmusician, andhas recently foundsuccessasthewinnerofthe2014FremantleEisteddfodconcertocompetition (which is why he is performing with us). However,David is alsoa very competent jazzmusician/improviserandhasperformed extensively with groups such as the WA Youth JazzOrchestra,OZBigBand,TheNewhouseCollectiveandmanyotherensembles.Furthermore,healsoregularlyplayswithavarietyofbluesandcontemporarymusicians.

WearedelightedtohaveDavidperformwithusatthisconcert.

Bruce Herriman has conducted our orchestra several times beforenow(hiswifeMandyisoneofourhornplayers,soitisrelativelyeasyto get hold of him). Bruce usually conducts the MetropolitanSymphony Orchestra and is the Principal of the School ofInstrumentalMusic.

FromtheMSO’swebsite,wecantellyouInaddition,BruceconductstheChurchlandsSeniorHighSchoolSeniorOrchestraandthePerthModernSeniorHighSchoolWindOrchestra.

Bruce graduated from the WA College of Advanced Education in1981 with a Bachelor of Education degree and began teaching atPerthModernSchoolin1982.From1983to1993hewasinchargeofmusicatHollywoodSeniorHighSchool.

AsAssociateDirectorof theformerWAYouthConcertBand,BrucehastouredJapanandKoreaandperformedinallstatesofAustralia.Hehasdirected theAustralian YouthWindOrchestra andNationalChildren's' Wind Orchestra. In 1998 he conducted the AustralianYouthWindOrchestraonatourofScandinavia.BrucealsoregularlyconductstheCityofFremantleSymphonyOrchestra.HeiscurrentlyNational President of theAustralian Band andOrchestraDirectors'AssociationInc.

FortheStarWarsfansoutthere

Conductor: Horns, are you piu f there?Horn: Yes. We're trying to play as insensitively as possible.

Strings: So are you going to conduct this in 2 or 4?Conductor: Oh I don't know, I thought I'd just flap my arms around.

Conductor: Violins, you need to be quieter, the brass are having difficulty coming through.

Conductor: Don’t let that note go “splat!”

Surgery is no longer available to get thatpuremale voice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukDAfF0-8q8

Violinistsbelong in the circus (if not in a zoo):https://www.facebook.com/svt/videos/928277623881493/

Real musicians have never said…: http://www.classicfm.com/discover/music/musicians-never-say/

ApologiestothosewhodonothaveFacebook-itdoesmakeaneasysourceofmusicalhumourforyoureditorstomine.

For thosewho receivethe email version ofthe Notes (whichmeans you get themmore regularly - hint,hint - as on occasionsyour editors need towritetheNotesslightlytoo late to post), hereare a few of thefunniesthathavebeendoing the rounds oftheinternet.

Th i s horse en joysmakingmodernmusic. https://www.facebook.com/musiciansare/videos/10153559847358564/

The“normal”person’sguidetotheorchestra:http://www.classicfm.com/discover/music/orchestra-guide/

Creat iv i ty whi le p lay ing mus ic : https : //www.facebook.com/bwil l iamsmusic/videos/629810217107574/

Rough translations of musical terms: http://www.classicfm.com/discover/music/performance-directions/

For all the new parents out there: https://www.facebook . com/mamavat i on/v ideos /10153051662773202/

Quotable Quotes(& other funnies).Sorry for the lack of quotes - my usual scribe has had to

miss a few rehearsals - Cynthia you are missed!

Violas RevealedWe have all heard viola jokes of varying quality. Now five top violists (yes,

they exist) reveal their favourites.

EricNowlinisassistantprincipalviolaoftheTorontoSymphonyOrchestraandmemberoftheNewOrfordStringQuartet.Hesaidhelovesviolajokesandsentusthiszinger:Q:WhyistheviolacalledBratscheinGerman? A:Thatisthenoiseitmakeswhenyousteponit.

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KeithHammisprincipalviolaoftheCanadianOperaCompanyOrchestra.He’salsooneofCBCRadio2'sNext!arHstsfor2013,soyou'llhearmorefromhimnextspring.Here’shisviolajokeentry:Q:What’stheonlythingaviolinistcandobeberthanaviolist?A:Playtheviola.

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TanyaKalmanovitchisanaHveofFortMcMurray,Alta.She’sanacHvechambermusicianandteachesattheNewEnglandConservatoryinBoston.Herviolajokeislong,butreadon.

It’soneofourfavourites.Theprincipalviolistarrivesonopeningnightfortheoperacompany'srunofSalome.Hecomesacrossthepersonnelmanagerinafrenzy.Theconductorhassuddenlydied,andtheyneedanotherconductor.Theviolist—let'scallhimTom—realisesthatthisishisshininghour."Itwouldbemygreathonourtostepinasconductortonight,"saysTom."Yousee,conducHnghasbeenmysecretpassionforover20years.I'vestudiedthisscoreextensively,andindeedeveryscorethisorchestrahaseverplayed.Givemeachance,youwon'tregretit.""Allright,Tom.You'reon,"sighsthepersonnelmanager.Well,theopeningnightisagreatsuccess.Tomconductswithextraordinaryfinesse,experHseandemoHon.HegetsaprolongedstandingovaHon.Theorchestramembersgatheraroundhimtoshakehishandandpathimontheback.Noonehadanyideahecoulddosuchathing!Sowellreceivedishe,infact,thathe’skeptonfortheenHrerun.It'sthrillingforhim,butit’shardwork.Sowhentherunisover,andthefirstdayofrehearsalsforthenextproducHonrollsaround,he'srelieved.Arrivingattherehearsalroomthatfirstday,hetakeshisseat.Henodsathisstandpartner,theassistantprincipalviolistTheassistantprincipalglaresathimandsays,"Andwherethehellhaveyoubeenforthepastsixweeks?!"

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JamesEhnesprovidesournextone.Whilenotsolelyaviolist,Ithinkit’sfairtoincludehiminthislistbecauseEhneshasrecordedsomanyHmesontheviola.HetoldmethatthiswasaparHcularfavouriteofhisteacher'satJuilliard,SallyThomas.Q:Whatdoyoucall1,000violistsburieduptotheirnecksinsand?A:Notenoughsand.

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JamesLeggeprovidesabitofbalancewiththislastjoke.LeggeisprincipalviolistwiththeSaskatoonSymphony.Q:What'sthedifferencebetweentheviolinandtheviola?A:There'snodifference.Violinsjustlooksmallerbecauseviolinists'headsaresomuchbigger.

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Youcanpurchaseyourconcert tickets inavarietyofways:1. Corner your FSO family member/

friend/enemy - the tickets should beavailableinthenextweekorso.

2. PurchaseticketsthroughtheEventBritewebsite(Ticketsavailablesoon)

3. Purchaseticketsatthedoor.