INSTRUMENT SECTIONS OF THE ORCHESTRA

cello

violin

STRING SECTION: Instruments of wood with strings. Most use bows strung with horsehair on the strings to create sound.

WOODWIND SECTION: Sound is created by blowing into them.

viola

double bass harp

oboeflute

bassoon clarinet

BRASS SECTION: Metal instruments. Sound is created by blowing into the mouthpiece.

trombone

trumpet

French horn

tuba

PERCUSSION SECTION: Various instruments are struck to create sound.

Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia

2006 Young People’s Concerts

American Landmarks and Landscapes

Aaron Kula, Guest Conductor Olga M. Vazquez, Education Curriculum Coordinator

Edith and Martin B. Stein, Benefactors

Student Study Guide

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CONCERT PROGRAM October 17 and 18 ● 10:15 AM and 11:45 AM

Boca Raton High School

The musical selections in this program are divided into three main sections: Music from New England, Orchestral Jazz and Negro Spirituals, and Mambo in America. Each section makes up a different immigrant group from Europe, Africa, and Latin America, respectively. These groups are known to have greatly influenced “American” music as it is known today.

I. Music from New England Hoe-Down from Rodeo Aaron Copland Country Band March Charles Ives The Washington Post March John Philip Sousa

II. Orchestral Jazz and Negro Spirituals Symphony #9 in E minor, Op. 95 (From the New World),

Largo (Movement II) Antonín Dvořák Rag Time Dance from The Red Back Book Scott Joplin

(orchestrated by Gunther Schuller) III. Mambo in America

Cuban Overture George Gershwin Three Dance Episodes from On The Town Leonard Bernstein

I. The Great Lover III. Times Square SOURCES: Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia, www.bocasymphonia.org Carnegie Hall, Explore and Learn, http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/explore_and_learn/art_online_resources_listening_adventures.html Classics for Kids, http://www.classicsforkids.com/shows/showdesc.asp?id=29 Dallas Symphony Orchestra, http://www.dsokids.com/2001/dso.asp?PageID=58 Dallas Wind Symphony, http://www.dws.org/sousa/ GershwinFan.com, http://www.gershwinfan.com/soundstation.html The Scott Joplin International Ragtime Foundation,

http://www.scottjoplin.org/biography.htm The Encyclopedia of Music, Max Wade-Mathews and Wendy Thompson Leonard Bernstein, the official web-site, http://www.leonardbernstein.com/ The New Harvard Dictionary of Music, Edited by Don Randel Warren Trachtman’s Ragtime Library, http://www.trachtman.org/ragtime/ Webster’s School and Office Dictionary, Random House Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia, Inc. 2285 Potomac Road, Boca Raton, Fl 33431

(phone) 888-426-5577 * (fax) 561-994-4909 www.bocasymphonia.org

Teachers Education Information & Concert Scheduling education@bocasymphonia.org or 888-426-5577

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VOCABULARY WORDS AND DEFINITIONS

Amateur – a person who engages in an activity for pleasure rather than financial benefit Ballet – a theatrical performance of a dance form characterized by graceful, movements and conventionalized steps and gestures and its accompanying music Bavaria – a state in south East Germany Billboard Charts – music popularity chart using single sales and radio airplay, published by Billboard Magazine Bohemia – a region in the west part of the Czech Republic, formerly a kingdom Chamber Music – music for performance by a small ensemble in a room or a small concert hall Civil War – the war in the U.S. between the North and the South, 1861-1865 Commission – a sum or percentage allowed to agents, sales representatives, etc., for their services Composition – the combination of parts to form a whole, as a piece of music or a short essay Copyright – the exclusive right to sue a literary, musical, or artistic work, protected by law for a specified period of time Critic – a person who judges literary or artistic works Euphonium – a valved brass instrument in Bb, an octave lower than the trumpet, usually folded in tuba or upright form with the bell straight up or turned partly forward Genre – a class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, content, or technique Grammy Award - annual award for achievements in recording industry, given by the Recording Academy in the U.S. Hoe down – a community party featuring folk and square dances Immigration – coming to a country of which one is not a native, usually for permanent residence Infringement – committing a breach or infraction of, a violation of law Jazz – music originating in New Orleans, mostly instrumental and of black American creation, intertwining with American marching band music, ragtime, and Latin American dances Largo – the music is to be played at a slow tempo Mambo – a ballroom dance of Afro-Cuban origin developed in the early 1940’s using voices, trumpets, and extensive rhythm section Melody – musical sounds in coherent succession Movement – a principal division or section of a composition, as a sonata or symphony Opera – a drama that is primarily sung, accompanied by instruments, and presented theatrically

Opus – a musical or literary work or composition most often used with a number to designate a work in chronological relationship to a composer’s other works Orchestra – a group of performers who play various musical instruments together, in Western art music it consists of multiple strings plus an assortment of woodwinds, brass, and percussion instruments Overture – a composition for orchestra intended as an introduction to an opera or other dramatic or vocal work Posthumously – occurring after the one’s death Premiere – the first public performance of a piece of work, a play, opera, etc Ragtime – a composed instrumental genre, primarily for piano and principally created by black Americans, that combines syncopated melodies with forms of the march Repertoire – all the works that a performing company or artist is prepared to present Review – a critical report as on a book or artistic performance Rodeo – a public exhibition of cowboy skills Royalty – compensation paid to the owner of a right, as a patent or copyright, for the use of it Rumba – an Afro-Cuban dance, recreational event, and accompanying music performed by a vocal soloist and chorus, 2 or 3 conga type drums, a pair of wooden sticks, and claves Score – a musical composition with all the vocal and instrumental parts written or printed on staves Sousaphone – a circular tuba with a large bell pointing forward above the player’s head and coils of tubing balanced on the left shoulder and against the right hip for ease of carrying while marching Style - features that characterize a work or performance of a period, region, genre, or individual composer or performer Suite – a series of instrumental movements in the same or related keys with some element of unity Symphony – a work for orchestra in multiple movements Tone-Poem – an orchestral piece whose music is accompanied by a program, i.e., a text, generally poetic or narrative in nature, which is meant to be read by the audience before listening to the work Tony Award – annual award for achievements in American live theater

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Bernstein officially changed his first name from Louis to Leonard when he was 16 years old.

Leonard Bernstein (1918 – 1990) Leonard Bernstein, the first American conductor to receive world-wide acclaim, was born in Massachusetts of Ukrainian Jewish parents. His musical training began at an early age despite his father’s opposition. He pursued music studies through college and became a pianist, composer, and conductor. As assistant conductor for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra,

he was asked to fill in for Bruno Walter when Walter fell ill and Bernstein’s career took off. The performance was nationally broadcast and Bernstein, along with his charm and good looks, became an instant success.

After 13 years as assistant conductor, in 1958 Bernstein was appointed music director of the New York Philharmonic, a position he held until 1969 – that’s a total of 24 years! During this time, he became well known for his “Young People’s Concerts” that were televised on CBS. Bernstein conducted famous orchestras in the U.S. and from around the world. He wrote symphonies, operas, musicals, and other pieces and conducted his own works as well as works by other famous composers. He was a highly regarded conductor by many musicians of the time. West Side Story (a conflict between two teenaged gangs in NY) was his most famous musical. Numerous recordings have been made of his music and of his orchestral conducting and he has won a several Grammy Awards and a Tony Award.

Bernstein, a Humanitarian Bernstein lived during the time of World War II and was concerned with world peace. In 1985, he toured to Athens and Hiroshima on a tour entitled “Journey for Peace” commemorating the 40th anniversary of the atom bomb. In 1989, he conducted the “Berlin Celebration Concerts” on both sides of the wall as the Berlin Wall was being dismantled.

On The Town premiered on Broadway in 1944. It is set in New York City. The story is about 3 U.S. sailors on a 24-hour shore leave. The musical includes 16 works of which two will be performed at the concert, The Great Lover and Times Square. The most widely heard of the 16 works is New York, New York. The Three Dance Episodes, a shortened symphonic version of the musical, was premiered in 1947.

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If you close your eyes and listen to some of Copland’s pieces, you may be able to envision America’s urban landscape from the late 19th century or early 20th century.

In 1942, Rodeo, originally written as a “cowboy” ballet, was premiered by Agnes de Mille as the lead ballerina and choreographer. A year after its premiere, Copland extracted a concert suite from the work in order to create the “Four Dance Episodes,” performed without the ballet. These four dances have become the most commonly heard pieces from Rodeo. The last of the 4 dances, Hoe-Down, is based on a square dance tune entitled “Bonyparte.”

TRIVIA: Hoe-Down was used by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association for television

commercials, the rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer in

their album “Trilogy” (1972), and in the 2002 Winter Olympics of Salt

Lake City during the Opening Ceremony.

A HISTORICAL LOOK AT THE COMPOSERS AND THEIR COMPOSITIONS

Aaron Copland (1900 – 1990)

Aaron Copland, born in New York of immigrant parents (Lithuanian/Russian Jews), is the most prominent American composer of the 20th Century. His interest in music started at a young age and lead to his taking composition lessons by the time he was 17. After 3 years, he moved to Paris to study with one of the most famous

teachers at the time, Nadia Boulanger. He returned to America after 4 years.

Copland was a conductor, a lecturer, a pianist, an author of several books and a greatly admired and influential teacher. He deliberately set out to create music that could be identified as truly “American,” including both the United States and Latin America. He incorporated elements of jazz and folk music into his compositions and had strong feelings about the unique role of music in society. The Great Depression of the 1930s affected him as well as most of the other people who lived in the U.S. at that time.

Copland is best known for his ballet scores and orchestral music with American themes, but he also composed vocal works and music for film. Among his most frequently performed compositions are his patriotic works (Lincoln Portrait and Fanfare for the Common Man), his folksy ballets (Billy the Kid, Rodeo and Appalachian Spring), and his brilliant orchestral suite, El Salón Mexico.

Rō’dē ō’

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Ives wrote the Country Band March about amateur musicians trying to play the piece correctly while everything goes wrong! The piece begins with the musicians playing different parts and playing out of tune. Together in this mix are familiar tunes while the musicians march out of step and lose their places. Do they finally get it together? You’ll have to hear it to find out what happens.

TRIVIA: Ives was a millionaire. He was an owner and salesman of a successful insurance company.

He wrote music in his spare time.

MUSIC FROM NEW ENGLAND

Charles Ives (1874 – 1954)

Charles Ives was born in Connecticut. His musical life was heavily influenced by his father who had been a U.S. Army bandleader in the American Civil War and liked to experiment with unusual sounds. Ives became America’s 1st major composer. His musical style garnered him fame as one of the most innovative composers in music history. Ives had a significant influence in the lives of many American composers. He began composing at the age of 13. He specialized mostly in orchestral and piano music. Ives also wrote choral and organ music many of which were inspired by America’s landscapes, festivals, traditions, or historical events.

Ives held a church organist position at the age of 14. He held several different positions as organist and choirmaster. He liked baseball and football, and many other sports. He identified everyday music with deep emotions and spiritual aspirations. His adoption of a

child and obsession for working to support the American war effort, while engaged as a creative business man and often rejected musician, contributed to his heart attack in 1918. From this point on, his health never fully recovered and he hardly composed music.

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Gershwin died during surgery from a brain tumor at the age of 38. How much more could he have written if he had lived longer?

MAMBO IN AMERICA

George Gershwin (1898 – 1937)

George Gershwin is one of history’s greatest songwriters and one of the most popular composers of the 20th century. He was the son of an immigrant Russian Jewish family. He was born in New York with the name Jacob Gershowitz. He was taught by prominent musicians as a young child and studied piano and music theory. He started working in a music publishing company and began writing songs for other people at the age of 16. From then on his career took off. He is most famous for his vocal songs but also wrote for piano, orchestra, film,

opera and musicals. He wrote for both the popular and classical genres and incorporating jazz, classical traditions, and black folk music in his compositions. His opera, Porgy and Bess, is the only American opera performed regularly around the world. The opera uses folk music and rhythms from the black community of the Deep South, which is the setting for the opera.

Gershwin wrote Cuban Overture after a two-week holiday in Havana, Cuba in 1932. It was originally entitled Rumba and later changed because Gershwin believed it was “a more just idea of the character and intent of the music”. Caribbean rhythms and native Cuban percussion illustrate the influence of Cuban music and dance in the overture’s style.

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Joplin’s music became famous after his death:

●The Entertainer – Theme song for the movie The Sting (1973), won an Oscar for Best Film Scoring.

● An adopted version ofThe Entertainer hit #3 on the Billboard magazine charts and #1 on the Top 40 (1974). ● After playing on Broadway, Treemonisha – opera written in 1907, won Joplin a Pulitzer Prize, posthumously, for his contribution to American music (1976). ● Based on his pieces, the ballet Elite Syncopations was created for the Royal Ballet (1974).

Joplin’s Ragtime Dance (1902), a folk-ballet, was originally written for dancers and singing narrator. It was shortened and published in 1906 in order to recover losses from the earlier version. At the concert, you will hear a full orchestral version of the piece arranged (or orchestrated) by Gunther Schuller.

TRIVIA / MATH: The most famous of piano rags,

Maple Leaf Rag, was published in 1899 by a Sedalia music and publishing house. Uncommon for a black man, his

contract awarded him a one-cent royalty on the sale of each piece of

music – for the rest of his life.

In the first year it sold 400 copies. Ten years later, he had sold

approximately half a million copies.

1. Now much money did he make in the first year?

2. Approximately how much money did he make in ten years?

His most noted piece at the time and eventually the most famous of all piano rags was

Maple Leaf Rag.

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John Philip Sousa (1854 - 1932)

Sousa was born in Washington, D.C. of Portuguese and Bavarian (German) parents. He began playing the violin and several band instruments at the age of 6 and studied music theory. After an attempt to run away to join a circus, his father, a professional trombonist, enlisted him in the Marines as an apprentice at the age of 13, and he served for 7 years. After his discharge, he played the violin in theater orchestras and began conducting. In 1880 he returned to the Marine Corp Band as conductor and directed it with great success for the next 12 years. In 1892 he left the

Marines to form his own band, which toured and became famous worldwide. He composed 136 marches, the most famous of which is “Stars and Stripes Forever."

Sousa wrote The Washington Post March in 1889. It is a patriotic march commissioned by The Washington Post newspaper for their essay contest awards ceremony. The instant success of the march led to Sousa being nicknamed the “March King”. This march has since remained as one of his most popular marches in the U.S. and abroad.

DID YOU KNOW? ● In 1899, Sousa redesigned the helicon, known today as the sousaphone. ● He used the saxophone in his bands and is known for having introduced it to American audiences.

Sousaphones are still used in marching bands today.

TRIVIA: You may have heard The Washington Post march in:

Animal House (1978), Back to the Future (1985), Dumb and Dumberer (2003), MASH - the movie (1970), and a commercial by Hyundai (2004).

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What did Dvořák say when he came to America? “I am convinced that the future music of this country must be founded on what are called Negro melodies. These can be the foundation of a serious and original school of composition, to be developed in the United States. These beautiful and varied themes are the product of the soil. They are the folk songs of America and your composers must turn to them.”

ORCHESTRAL JAZZ AND NEGRO SPIRITUALS

Antonín Dvořák (1833 – 1897) Antonín Dvořák, the most famous Czech composer, was born in Bohemia. During his time, Dvořák’s music was performed throughout Bohemia, in England, and in the U.S. His music, especially those for orchestra and chamber groups, is frequently performed today. He created an individual musical style by integrating his native folk music into the standard musical genres: symphonies, concertos, operas, tone-poems, sacred music, songs and chamber music. In 1892, he sailed to New York with his family after

having received an invitation he could not refuse (the salary offer was much higher than he was making) to become director of the new National Conservatory of Music. He lived in the U.S. for a short 3 years where he worked as a teacher, conductor and composer. He was influenced by American folk music, Native American music and Negro spirituals. In 1893, Dvořák wrote the Symphony No. 9, opus 95, "From the New World." Popularly known as the New World Symphony, this became his best-known work and still today one of the most famous of all symphonies. The beautiful theme in the second movement (the piece has a total of 4 movements) inspired Dvořák‘s student, William Arms Fisher, to write lyrics for it in 1922, and it became a popular song entitled Goin’ Home.

dvôr’zhäk

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Scott Joplin (1867 – 1917) The “King of Ragtime,” Scott Joplin was born in Texas. His father had been a slave and his mother worked in a white–owned home where Joplin was able to play a piano. His musical talents were apparent at a very early age and were noticed by a local German music teacher, Julius Weiss. It is said that his formal classical music training, European art forms and opera, given by this teacher in the form of free lessons, may have sparked his compositional style.

Obtaining confirmed information about Joplin’s life is difficult since African-Americans were not integrated into American society at that time. He did attend high school in Sedalia, Missouri which is the city many consider his permanent home. He also attended an African-American college established by the Methodist Church, to study music. Due to a fire that burned documents at the college, it is not clear how long or what exactly he studied. Throughout his life, Joplin struggled to further his career as a performer but mostly as a composer. He traveled to cities in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska and to important centers like St. Louis, Chicago, New York, and even up to Syracuse. His difficulties at getting his music published may have resulted in possible copyright infringement and lost scores. Toward the end of his life, his personal and professional sufferings drained him mentally and financially and which possibly caused the further decline of his ill health leading to his early death at the age of 49.

His widow, Lottie Stokes Joplin, sums up his life with her quote: "... He was a great man, a great man! He wanted to be a real leader. He wanted to free the people from poverty and ignorance, and superstition, just like the heroine of his ragtime opera, “Treemonisha.” That's why he was so ambitious; that's why he tackled major projects. In fact, that's why he was so far ahead of his time... He would often say that he'd never be appreciated until after he was dead."

Ragtime developed into Dixieland Jazz – the rest is history.