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Continuing in our seasonal theme, you probably do not need to read the Notes to realise that we will be focussing on summer for our next concert. For the first two issues of the Notes this year we included a translation of the annotations that Vivaldi made on his Four Seasons. Unfortunately, we must have changed editions halfway through the year because those annotations disappeared. However, this time a r o u n d w e h a v e remembered to include the sonnet on which this concerto is based.
There’s a good parody of this concerto available at h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m /SydneyUrshanOfficial/videos/657260734410297/.
Summer–Concertoing-minorAllegrononmoltoBeneaththeblazingsun'srelentlessheatmenandflocksaresweltering,pinesarescorched.Wehearthecuckoo'svoice;thensweetsongsoftheturtledoveandfinchareheard.SoAbreezessBrtheair….butthreateningnorthwindsweepsthemsuddenlyaside.Theshepherdtrembles,fearfulofviolentstormandwhatmaylieahead.
Adagioepiano-PrestoeforteHislimbsarenowawakenedfromtheirreposebyfearoflightning'sflashandthunder'sroar,asgnatsandfliesbuzzfuriouslyaround.
PrestoAlas,hisworstfearswerejusBfied,astheheavensroarandgreathailstonesbeatdownupontheproudlystandingcorn.
Like to make your own contribution? We aren’t picky, maybe you could ask a question to help makes sense of music.
Email us [email protected]
Volume 17 Issue 4
November 2016
Concert Details:Fremantle Town Hall
3pm, Sunday 11th December
Vivaldi–Summer(fromTheFourSeasons)
Prokofiev–SummerDayOp65 Glazunov-TheSeasons Soloist&Conductor: JessicaGothic(violin)
FreoNotes The Newsletter of the Fremantle
Symphony Orchestra
♫♬♩♫ Summer is a coming in ♫♬♩♫
Prokofiev may be well known as a composer, but his children’s suite “Summer’s Day” is not. It was composed in response to the demand from the Soviet authorities for music that is accessible to children and it makes rather light and easy listening, particularly when one considers the rest of Prokofiev’s works. Despite the easy-to-listen-to nature of the music, it still has its challenges for the musicians - its simplicity is deceptive.
It seems the music actually depicts a day of the summer holidays rather than school time. Starting with Morning, it follows with a quick game of tip and run. A lively waltz follows and then it is time for repentance (presumably for breaking a window during the earlier game). The child is subsequently marched off - perhaps to dinner before the evening settles down. Finally, we see the moon over the meadows and it is time for bed.
The music is actually based on a set of piano duets that Prokofiev later orchestrated. The music is light and enjoyable - painting pictures of a child’s summer in Russia will be enjoyable for all ages.
Tickets are available via https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-seasons-summer-fremant le-s y m p h o n y - o r c h e s t r a -t i c k e t s - 2 9 1 1 0 6 0 1 5 9 3 ?ref=ebtnebtckt You can also purchase them by contacting FSO musicians or at the door.
Ticket prices:Adults: $25Concession: $20Under 12s: Free
That’s not a mute - this is!
Glazunov wrote his Seasons as a ballet, however, unlike most ballets that tell a story, the Seasons are a series of tableaux which depict the various aspects of the year. It was premiered in St Petersburg in February of 1900 by the Imperial Ballet.
Tableau 1 — A winter landscapeWinter is surrounded by his companions: Hoar-frost, Ice, Hail and Snow, who amuse themselves with a band of snowflakes. Two gnomes enter, and soon light a fire that causes all assembled to vanish.Tableau 2 — A landscape covered with flowersSpring dances with Zephyr, flower fairies, and enchanted birds. Upon feeling the heat of the sun, the assembly takes flight.Tableau 3 — A landscape of flowing fields of wheatCornflowers and poppies revel in the light and warmth of the sun. They take rest after their exertion. Now Naiads appear, who bring water to refresh the growth, and the Spirit of Corn dances in thanksgiving. Satyrs and Fauns enter playing their pipes, and attempt to carry off the Spirit of Corn, but she is rescued by the wind of Zephyr.Tableau 4 — A landscape in AutumnThe Seasons take part in a glorious dance (the well-known "autumn bacchanale") while leaves from autumn trees rain upon their merriment.Apotheosis — The Sable skyConstellations of stars sparkle above the earth.
Yes, Jessica Gethin is talented - not only is she our marvellous conductor, but for this concert, she is also being our solo violinist!
Jessica has conducted our orchestra several times now and our audience may have heard her conducting in quite a few of the
orchestras around Perth.
Last year, Jessica was selected as one of six Inaugural Fellows chosen internationally from over 27 countries and was accepted into
the Institute of Women Conductors with the Dallas Opera (USA).
A passionate and energetic music educator with over fifteen years pedagogy experience, Jessica is in popular demand as a concert
presenter, writer, orchestrator, orchestral arranger, guest lecturer and conductor for organisations across the country. Jessica currently
lectures in orchestral conducting at the WA Academy of Performing Arts. As something of a treat to our orchestra, Jessica brought some of her conducting students to a rehearsal so they could have a go at
the real thing.
A popular keynote speaker for organisations including KPMG's Women In Business, Ernst and Young High Performance Teams and The Entrepreneurs Club, Jessica also sat as a Board Director for the Make A Difference Foundation for seven years, often appearing as
their MC and host for charity events and gala dinners. She has interviewed the likes of
acclaimed journalist Ray Martin, cricket legend Justin Langer and Olympic Gold medalists Elise
Rechichi and Rachelle Hawkes, as well as speaking at schools, charities and corporate
bodies on the topic of Leadership and the Arts.
Our Soloist & Conductor
One night our conductor for the season did a conducting masterclass, to give a few university students studying conducting an idea of what it is like to actually be standing in front of an orchestra instead of sitting down in it. It was a lot of fun, and we got a few insights into what goes behind all the arm waving.
Conductor: Don't look at the trombones, they don't need
any encouragement.
Conductor: What did you think about the start? Student 2: I was just really surprised that there was noise!
Conductor: All you need for the lead in is an upbeat. Don't do more than that, they can't count that far.
For music conducted in two:Conductor: Which beat do you think is the important one here?Student 3: The downbeat, or maybe the upbeat...?
Conductor: Seconds, while yes, you do need to creep in on that entry, that time you crept in by not playing the notes.
Conductor: Hopefully we'll get a larger percussion section, otherwise our percussionist will be playing with his fingers and his nose and his toes.Also tonight we have more violas than cellos! 6 to 4! I know, we were all in shock too!
Conductor: You should be feeling seasick! If it gets too seasick I will tell you!
And a few from our regular David Pye (when Jessica was otherwise engaged).
Conductor: So this part here is where Spring finally comes on stage, halfway through Spring.Orchestra: Sounds about right.
Conductor: This bit is the birds, twittering about ...not you cellos, you're the worms. You need to be quiet and hide.
Conductor: Flutes, at your flutter-tongue bit - Flute: Those demi-semis? Do we get to flutter tongue those?Conductor: Well, the orchestra I was listening to did, and they were Russian, so they ought to know.Violin: What about our demi-semis?Viola: You can flutter-tongue yours as well if you really want to.
Conductor: More Russian passion, less Cottesloe reserve!
Quotable Quotes
And other funnies
Want to know about next year's concerts?
So do we!
Watch this space and we will send you an
email early in the New Year with all the concert
details for 2017.
Q&A of the music worldWhat on earth does a conductor do? Sometimes we also ask ourselves that question and you will notice that when we play the Vivaldi, we will do so without a conductor. As we discovered when being the guinea pigs for the conducting masterclass this season, what the conductor does can actually change the resulting sound. Whether this can be considered useful or not depends on the quality of the musicians and the quality of the conductor.
The conductor’s role is not so much to show where the beat is (though with a changing tempo, this can be an important aspect), but rather to show the musicians how and where to play. With simple music, such as the Vivaldi, this is not as necessary, so it can be performed to a high standard without the conductor. That said, many of the larger orchestral works are complex, with different sounds needing to be brought out at different times.
We also learned the reason why conductors only ever give an upbeat is because an orchestra cannot be trusted to count past one. It also turns out that if a conductor beats rigidly (as one guinea pig did), then the sound that comes from the orchestra is also rigid in its sound.
The story was told (by one of this editor’s partners in crime) of attending a Ben Folds Five gig with the WASO a
couple of years ago. It was his first time playing with an orchestra. His
comment was along the lines of:
You know, usually playing with a group of musicians, you get a count in.
“Three and four and,” or “a one, two, a one, two, three, four!” But orchestras,
you need to have ESP or something. The conductor raises the stick and everyone knows how fast they are
going.
Victor Borge on what a conductor actually does: https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=r1cgk0v_kXE
Funnies from the Web…Why percussionists do not like rehearsals… https://www.facebook.com/TwoSetViolin/
videos/972801026157599/
Things they never told you about learning music… http://www.classicfm.com/discover/music/learning-musical-instrument/
Sometimes it takes two conductors: https://www.facebook.com/suntoryhall/videos/1002191889903371/
Not for West Side Story fans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddKHdrUktkY
Similarly, if you like Mozart, this is not for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MymJo1ksbmo … and ditto for this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ci4CQlRSBEs
Now to really ruin Mozart’s reputation with three of his naughty songs: http://www.abc.net.au/classic/content/2016/09/02/4530854.htm (Amazing how nice being
rude sounds when it is set to music by a classical composer)
Wondered about the history of the piano? This may not necessarily help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_FuxwnCrdY
Not all musicians are human (we knew that already) https://www.facebook.com/Share.It.Pics/videos/510752318942659/
Your crash course in reading music (orchestra members, take note): https://youtu.be/-3WuQxnA7Hg
June
201
6
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your name & email here and put it in the box by the door. Otherwise, email [email protected] for us to add your name to the mailing list.
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Purchase your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-
seasons-summer-fremantle-symphony-orchestra-tickets-29110601593?
ref=ebtnebtckt Or ask your friendly orchestra member
What goes on in a musician’s head: http://www.classicfm.com/instruments/
musician-brains-pie-charts/
Improving “Happy Birthday” http://www.classicfm.com/discover/music-
theory/improved-happy-birthday/
If only the trombone was this easy…
