Concert IIISunday, April 13, 2014, 7:00 p.m.

Redondo Union HighSchool Auditorium

631 Vincent Street (at PCH)Redondo Beach

PROGRAM

Spring C leaning

Schumann Symphony No. 1 in B-flatmajor (“Spring”)

Copland Appalachian Spring(Complete Ballet)

CONCERT DETAILS

Symphony Association membersadmitted at 6:00. Center-sectionpriority seating is reserved formembers at the Patron level andabove.

Concert Preview by MaestroBerkson at 6:15.

General public admitted atapproximately 6:50.

S y m p h o n y S o u n d sApril 2014 47 Season, Number 3 Editor: Kenneth Gashth

As we approach the third concert in theRedondo Union High SchoolAuditorium, we are pleased to see that

the transition is progressing quite well. Ofcourse, there are the occasional bumpsand surprises. Our February, 2014concert happened to be scheduled onSuper Bowl Sunday, which reduced thetraffic on the roads but presented adilemma to many of our audiencemembers. And, of course we had rain onthe night of the concert - in the driestperiod for the area in years!

Peninsula Symphony Orchestra on Stage of the beautiful RedondoUnion High School Auditorium

Music Preview

The April concert celebrates springtimewith two beautiful but quite differentcompositions. We will hear RobertSchumann’s first symphony and AaronCopland’s last ballet. The program will

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highlight the orchestra’s musicianship andthe auditorium’s sound quality.

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

R o b e r tSchumann wasr a i s ed i n ahousehold ofbooks and ideas.His father was apublisher andbookseller withthe SchumannBrothers firm inZwickau (in theeastern part ofGermany close

to the Czech border). Although weprincipally remember him as a musician,he loved literature and poetry and tookeasily to writing at a young age.Throughout his life he used words as hismain creative tool and vocation. Hecreated his own musical journal, the NeueZeitschrift fûr Musik (still being publishedtoday), in which he championed thecareers of Felix Mendelssohn, FranzLiszt, and Johannes Brahms as heworked to broaden the influence of theRomantic aesthetic.

Schumann was an impulsive, obsessiveman and as a composer that wasmanifested by the way he focused on onegenre after another. For many years hewrote little more than piano music; thensuddenly he had a great year of song,1840-41, during which he wrote most ofhis vocal music and all of his greatsong-cycles. In 1841 he turned to thesymphony and in the space of twelvemonths produced three works which wereto become his first and fourth symphoniesand a quasi-symphony called Prelude,Scherzo and Finale – a sort of symphonywithout a slow movement.

There is some minor controversy aboutthe subtitle “Spring”. Some say the title isdrawn from a line by the GermanRomantic poet, Böttger: “Im Tale ziehtder frühling auf” (“In the valley, springapproaches”) while others refer toSchumann’s own admission that it wasinspired by his recent marriage to Clara and thus his Liebesfrühling (spring oflove).

Regardless of how it was nicknamed, thework is a light, joyous symphony, full ofenergy and merriment. Schumannwanted the music to convey all thefreshness and yearning of new growth -to capture the excitement and relief at theend of winter.

Originally, he gave all the movementspoetic titles, but withdrew them later.Even without subtitles, it is plain from thefanfare by trumpets and horns that opensthe symphony that this is very much ajoyous awakening. The songfulLarghetto and the spirited andexhilarating Scherzo lead to fullblossoming of Spring in the Finale.

Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

A a r o nCopland, anA m e r i c a nc o m p o s e r ,c o m p o s i t i o nteacher, writer,and later in hisc a r e e r aconductor ofhis own and

other American music was born onNovember 14, 1900 in Brooklyn, NewYork. His mother, who sang and playedthe piano, arranged for music lessons forher children; Aaron took his first pianolessons from his sister. Two years after

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graduation from high school, he went toParis where he studied with NadiaBoulanger. He included Ravel, Honeger,Roussel, and Milhaud among his musical friends and associates.

In 1925 he returned to the United States,rented an apartment near Carnegie Halland proceeded to become a full-timecomposer. He soon adopted thephilosophy of Alfred Stieglitz that theAmerican artist should reflect “the ideas ofAmerican Democracy.” His most enduringworks (out of hundreds of songs, pianopieces, chamber and orchestral works)are the ballets Billy the Kid, Rodeo,Appalachian Spring, orchestral worksFanfare for the Common Man and ALincoln Portrait. In 1945, Copland wasawarded the Pulitzer Prize and the NewYork Music Critics Award for the score toAppalachian Spring.

From my early teens, Aaron Copland hasinfluenced my involvement in classicalmusic. In 1947, a friend and I went to thelocal movie house to see a picture calledFiesta from which I remember only twothings - it starred Esther Williams and thesound track had a piece of music that sodelighted me that I had to find out moreabout it. It was an arrangement of ElSalón México by Mr. Copland. Iimmediately went and bought a recording,which I promptly wore out.

We always had music in my home. Myfather was a classical pianist and welistened to recordings and the radio(WQXR). My father thought that Rachmaninoff was the only twentieth-century composer worth hearing, so whenI heard the rhythms, melodies and sheerfun of this twentieth-century “serious”music, I was blown away. It opened myears to a whole new set of musicalexperiences. Coincidentally, I found out

that Copland grew up less than four milesfrom where I lived in Brooklyn, he wasborn twelve days after my mother’s birthand he graduated from the same highschool as my father. If you have neverheard El Salón México I urge you to go toYouTube and listen to it.

Past Events: Second Concert

Concert programs are planned years inadvance. Performance venues have tobe arranged, soloists must be contactedand then contracted for each date,musical scores and parts must beobtained and rehearsals held. Whensomething disturbs any of these events itusually causes a great deal of franticactivity to ensure that the concert,modified if necessary, is successfullypresented to the audience.

Three weeks before the February concertdate, one of the soloists in the scheduledConcertante for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoonand Horn had minor surgery whichrequired a period of rest. MaestroBerkson immediately contacted ElizabethPitcairn (who happened to be in theBahamas at the time) and arranged forher to play a second piece, the MozartViolin Concerto No. 3. He thenpostponed the Concertante until the Juneconcert. Parts for the orchestra playerswere obtained and rehearsed in the shorttime before the concert.

The revised concert was a rousingsuccess! The all-Mozart program openedwith Masonic Funeral Music, a somberbut beautiful piece featuring the bassethorn (a relative of the clarinet withadditional keys for an extended bassrange).

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The concert continued with ElizabethPitcairn playing the Violin Concerto No. 3in G major. The audience had noindication that this was a hastily arrangedpiece. The orchestra provided a beautifulaccompaniment to the lovely sound of Ms.Pitcairn’s “Red Violin.”

After intermission, we were treated tosplendid performance of the Concertantefor Violin, Viola and Orchestra. Ms.Pitcairn, wearing a different gown, partnered with Brett Deubner on the viola.Many of the audience members had neverheard this music before and weredelighted with the elegant interplaybetween the two instruments. A number ofpeople were heard to comment on thewonderful sound of the viola.

At the conclusion of the concert, membersof the audience participated in anentertaining and informative question andanswer session with the soloists and theconductor.

E d i t h K n o x P e r f o r m a n c eCompetition

The preliminary auditions were held onWednesday, February 19 at Los AngelesHarbor College. Fourteen youngsupremely talented musicians (and theiraccompanists) performed full concertosbefore a panel of judges. Five finalistswere chosen to compete for scholarshipsand the opportunity to perform with thePeninsula Symphony Orchestra at thefinal concert of the year on June 22,2014.

The finalists are:

Yuet Ka, Saint Saëns, Piano Concerto No. 5

Howard Chen, Prokofiev, PianoConcerto No. 3

Jeffery Li, Schumann, Cello Concerto

Erick Chen, Dvoøák, Cello Concerto

Karen Su, Bruch, Violin Concerto

I urge to attend this unique event. It’s freeand you will hear some of the finestyoung talent in the area performing someof world’s greatest concertos in thecomfortable surroundings of a greatauditorium.

March 30, 2014, 2:00 p.m.Redondo Union High School Auditorium

631 Vincent Street (at PCH)Redondo Beach

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Concert IVThe Norris Foundation Concert

June 22, 2014, 7 p.m.

AN IDYLLIC EVENING

Edith Knox Competition Winner Soloist

Mo z a r t Sinfonia Concertante forOboe, Clarinet, Bassoon,Horn and Orchestra

TBA Concerto performed by theKnox Competition winner

Beethoven Symphony No. 6 (“Pastoral”)

2013 - 2014 ScheduleAll concerts, including the Young Artists

Showcase, are held at Redondo Union High School

Auditorium

PCH and Vincent Street

Redondo Beach

Friends Have Fun!

On January 26, 2014, the Friends of thePeninsula Symphony hosted a salon at thebeautiful Rancho Palos Verdes home ofAnnette Smith. About sixty people attendedto hear Jeralyn Glass, an internationally

celebrated artist on the opera and concertstages of the world present operatic ariasof “Mozart’s Ladies.” Not only did she singbeautifully but she acted out the variousroles of Despina from Cosi fan Tutti,Pamina from the Magic Flute, Blondchenfrom the Abduction from the Seraglio,Susanna from the Marriage of Figaro andZerlina from Don Giovanni. She wasaccompanied on the piano by ChristophWeinhart.

Prior to the recital, Friends enjoyed aselection of wine, Viennese coffee andpastries.

If you would like to participate in futureFriends events which include membershipluncheons, trips, and musical salonsplease consider joining the Friends. Thefunds raised by the Friends of thePeninsula Symphony are essential to ourfinancial support

Friends membership donation is inaddition to your membership in thePeninsula Symphony Association and isopen to any current Peninsula SymphonyAssociation member. If you have notalready responded to our membershipmailing, we urge you to join now withyour tax-deductible donation. (Tax ID#23-7008895)

Summer Pops ConcertJuly 27, 2014 5:00 p.m.

Guest conductor Wayne Abravanel will returnto the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra topresent a program of popular favorites -details to be announced.

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Stop by the membership table in the lobbyat intermission. We hope you will join us. Our suggested donation levels are:

Best Friend(s) - $125 Good Friend(s) - $75Friend - $50

Membership donations can also bemailed to:Friends of the Peninsula SymphonyPO Box 3961Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274

Peninsula Symphony AssociationBoard of Directors

On March 24 2014, the GeneralMembership of the Peninsula SymphonyAssociation met to receive nominations forpositions on the Board of Directors. Therewas one new Board member nominatedand there were two persons who werenominated for an additional term. Fourmembers chose to retire at the end of thecurrent term.

The slate of nominees was elected by aunanimous vote.

The new Board member is Lilly Tom.

The Board members elected for anadditional term are:

Mona Gifford Terri Zinkiewicz

The term of office is three years and theseBoard members will serve until June, 2017The newly elected Board member will beformally installed on July 21, 2014, prior tothe first Board meeting of the new fiscalyear.

The board members who have retired atthe end of their current term are:

Jacky GlassDuane ConoverDan KellerNancy Mahr

We thank them for their service to thePeninsula Symphony Association and wishthem well.

Join our Symphony Team - Become aVolunteer

The Symphony Association could notfunction without the help of volunteers.There are many opportunities for you touse your talents. Some examples arehelping us with mailings, ushering,receptions, the membership campaign,pre-concert setup, and maintaining files. This is only a partial list, but it shows thediversity of tasks that must be done. If youhave any questions, or are ready tobecome a volunteer, please contactMarion Ruth, Concert Committee Chair,(310) 541-4144.

A Bit of Music 101

In the tenth century, an Italian monknamed Guido d’Arezzo created a systemto help him teach singers to learn newchants. He gave each note of the scale asyllable and thus created the beginningsof a method of musical notation that isstill in use today. These syllables,do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti, are familiar to mostpeople as the singing names for thetones of the scale.

As music progressed into more complexforms of tempi and dynamics, the use ofwords, Italian of course, graduallydeveloped into the extensive list of musicalnotations used to provide the composer’sinstructions about how he or she wants apiece to be played. Over the years,

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German and French words have beenadded as well.

Here is a list of a few musical terms thatare likely to be encountered, alone or incombinations, in printed scores, musicreviews, and program notes.

Adagio, At ease. A slow tempo.

Alla breve, A quick duple meter in which thehalf-note is given the beat; 2/2.

Allegretto, A lively tempo, often indicates alight character.

Allegro, Cheerful. A fast tempo, often used inthe first movement of a sonata or symphony.

Allegro non troppo, Rapid but not too fast.

Andante, Walking. A moderately slow tempo.

Andantino, A diminution of andante.

Arpeggio, Successive sounding of the notes ofa chord.

Assai, Very.

Brio, Vigor.

Cadence, Harmonic pattern signaling the endof a phrase.

Cadenza, Solo passage, often virtuosic,appearing in an orchestra work, usually in aconcerto.

Cantabile, In a lyrical or singing style.

Crescendo, Gradual increase in volume.

Decrescendo, Gradual decrease in volume.

Dolce, Sweet, soft.

Finale, The last movement in a symphony.

Forte, Loud (abbr. f).

Fortissimo, Very loud (abbr. ff).

Fuoco, With fire.

Giocoso, Playful.

Grazioso, Graceful, agreeable.

Largo, Broad. A very slow tempo.

Legato, Bound. With smoothly connectednotes. Opposite of Staccato.

Lento, Slow.

Marcato, With distinctness and emphasis.

Maestoso, Majestic.

Moderato, Restrained. A moderate tempo.

Nicht zu shnell, Not too fast.

Non tanto, Not too much.

Ostinato, A motif or phrase which ispersistently repeated in the same musicalvoice.

Pianissimo, Very soft (abbr. pp).

Piano, Soft (abbr. p).

Piu, More.

Pizzicato, Sound a note by plucking the stringof a usually bowed instrument.

Poco, A little.

Presto, Very fast.

Sostenuto, Sustained. Direction for notes tobe held for full value in a smooth flow.

Staccato, Detached. With separation betweennotes. Opposite of Legato.

Tempo, The speed of a piece.

Tremolo, Trembling.

Tutti, All; all the voices or instrumentstogether.

Vivace, Lively. A quick tempo.

Non-Profit Org.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPermit No. 47

Palos Verdes PeninsulaCalifornia

Contact InformationAny questions or requests about the Peninsula Symphony, the Peninsula Symphony Association, Symphony Sounds, or the Friends of the Peninsula Symphony should be sent tothe Peninsula Symphony Association office (we will route your message to the appropriateperson):

The Peninsula Symphony Association Post Office Box 2602 Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274

The office is normally staffed from 9:00 to noon on Monday and Friday. You may call at any time (310-544-0320) and leave a message on our answering machine. Phone replies will usuallybe made only during normal staffing hours. You can e-mail us at mail@pensym.org. Generalinformation about the Symphony (current season schedule, etc.) can be found on our website(www.pensym.org).

Other contacts are:

Peninsula Symphony Association President, John Williams 310-541-4660 jwskrs@verizon.net Friends of the Peninsula Symphony, Mona Gifford, Chair

310-377-7711 monagee@cox.net

Music Director/Conductor, Gary Berkson conductor.pensym@verizon.net

Post Office Box 2602

Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274