Music Ed. Seniors We made it!! I can’t think of a single group of people who deserves it more than we do. It’s insane to think about just how far we’ve all come, and where the next couple of years are going to take us. Thanks for standing by me through thick and thin. Class with the sass for life! Violin Studio I could not have asked for a more supportive group of people behind me. The amount of insight, dedication, and respect that all of you bring each and every week is incredibly refreshing. I feel so blessed to have a group that wants to see me succeed just as badly as a family member would. Thank you all for helping to make this leg of my musical journey extraordinary. Chorale Four years ago, I decided to audition for a choir just for fun. Little did I know then that I would be making one of the best decisions of my college career. The second I walked through the door of rehearsal the first time, I was a member of a family that cared about each other just as much as it cared about music. Chorale, thank you for accepting me as one of you, and helping me to emotionally connect with others through music on a level that I didn’t know could be reached. Friends Thank you all so much for being here today to share this momentous occasion with me. It has been a thrill to get to know all of you over the past few years, and your friendship truly means the world to me. I look forward to the day after graduation when we are able to cross paths again. Until then, I wish you all the success in the world, no matter what you decide to do.

– Please join me for a reception in CPA 101 following the performance –

© 2013 Alexander Port

Program

Partita no. 2 in D minor for solo violin, BWV 1004 J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

I. Allemanda II. Corrente III. Sarabanda IV. Giga

String Quintet no. 2 in G major, Op. 77 Antonín Dvořák

(1841-1904) I. Allegro con fuoco

Molly Jackson, Violin Sarah Blumberg, Viola

Alex Demetriades, Cello Jessie Johnson, Double Bass

-brief pause-

Violin Concerto no. 3 in B minor, Op. 61 Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)

I. Allegro non troppo II. Andantino quasi allegretto III. Molto moderato e maestoso

Heather MacPhail, Piano

Dr. Jones I’m not sure if I can accurately describe just how much of an influence you’ve had on me. It has been an absolute privilege to work with you for all of these years, both in the classroom and in the rehearsal room. Your strong leadership and coaching has helped me to shape so many of the views I have about teaching and making music. Thank you for constantly pushing me to do my best and never giving up on me. Mr. Speck Thank you for all of your insight about conducting, ensemble management, teaching, and leadership. I really appreciate you taking the time out of your already extremely busy schedule to work with me, both in the classroom and one-on-one. My time with you has greatly improved my skills of observation, creative thinking, and awareness, and I am very grateful that you have helped prepare me so well for what I want to do.

Music Department Faculty Each one of you has helped shape the last four years of my life in the best way possible. I spent quite a few late night writing papers for you, studying for your exams, and practicing for your juries, but each and every single one of you has had a hand in helping me become the student, teacher, musician, and adult that I am today. I am extremely proud of that. Thank you. Derek and Kayla *gasp*…yaaaay! Living with you two for the past two years has been unreal. I don’t know how I would’ve made it here today if I didn’t get to come back home every night to the both of you. Thank you for the laughs. Thank you for the tears. Thank you for the wine. Thank you for the Family Guy. Thank you for keeping me sane. Thank you for making me smile. Thank you for being in my life. Delta Omicron I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you guys are my family. I’ve looked forward to every Sunday night for the past three years, because it’s the one time when we are all in one place at the same time. That is usually the high point of my week. I don’t know if I’ve ever been this close to another group of friends before, and I know nothing about that will change after we graduate. Thank you for helping to make my experience that much more memorable.

Thank Yous

Heather Thank you so much for all of your patience and help in putting this recital together. I know how extremely busy you are, and I really appreciate all of the time you spent working with me to prepare my concerto. It’s been a pleasure making this beautiful music with you! Constantine Quintet Four years of us “keeping our lives in Czech”, and here we are! We’ve certainly had our highs and our lows along the way, but I wouldn’t trade my time in this group for anything. The amount of growth we’ve had, both as individuals and as a chamber group, is quite astounding, and I wanted to thank you for letting me share that journey and some incredible musical experiences with you. Family I would never be where I am today without all of your love and support. I’m unbelievably lucky to have the incredible parents and siblings (and dog!) that I do, and I’m so grateful every single day for it. Thank you for always believing in me. Thank you for always being there when I need you. Thank you for making me the person I am today. Thank you for everything. I love you. Harvey I don’t quite know what to say. Having the opportunity to study with you for these past four years has been one of the most impactful experiences of my life. You completely changed my outlook, not just on violin playing and music, but on life as well. It takes a pretty incredible teacher to be able to do that. Thank you for your guidance and for helping me to achieve more than I ever thought possible. Audrey Two years ago, I left you an awkward voicemail asking if you would give me voice lessons. There hasn’t been a dull moment since then. I’m so thankful that you were able to accept me into your studio and work with me. Your outlooks on the voice, performance, music, and life have been tremendously inspiring for me. Thank you for always encouraging me and challenging me to become a better singer, musician, and person.

Program Notes

J.S. Bach (1685-1750) Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the most renowned composers of the Baroque Era, as well as one of the most celebrated composers who ever lived. During his lifetime, Bach composed more than 1100 works, including works for choir, organ, harpsichord, violin, cello, and others. He was born in Eisenach, Germany to a very musical family, from whom he was exposed to music theory, violin, harpsichord, clavichord, and organ. After graduating from the St. Michael’s School in Lüneburg, Bach traveled all over Germany, holding many music positions in locations such as Weimar, Köthen, and Leipzig. It was these three venues in which Bach composed a great number of his many works. Interestingly, Bach’s reputation as a composer declined following his death; he was initially remembered primarily as a player and a teacher. It was not until the 19th century that the public started to recognize the greatness of Bach’s work as a composer. The Partita no. 2 in D minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1004, is from a set of six works called the Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006. There is some debate as to whether or not this particular partita was written as a tombeau in memory of Bach’s first wife, Maria Barbara Bach. Like a suite, a partita is a collection of musical pieces in the style of various dances for a solo instrument. The piece begins with an allemanda, which was a German dance in duple meter with a moderate tempo. The second movement is a corrente, a French dance in triple meter with a moderate to slow tempo. The third movement is a sarabanda, a Central American dance in a triple meter with a slow tempo. The fourth movement is a giga, an English dance in a compound meter with a fast tempo.

Anotnín Dvořák (1841-1904) Antonín Leopold Dvořák, like many other Central and Eastern European composers of the time, constantly sought to incorporate nationalism into his compositions. His works are very well known for combining Czech folk melodies with the Romantic musical style of the time. Dvořák was born in Nelahozeves, Czech Republic. From a very early age, he studied music theory, violin, organ, and piano. After spending the first part of his life studying German and music theory with Anton Liehmann in Zlonice, Dvořák moved to Prague to further his studies in organ. After graduating from the Organ School in Prague, he traveled to and composed in many different sites around the world, including the United Kingdom, Russia, and the United States, eventually moving back to Prague, where he remained for the rest of his life. In his lifetime, Dvořák composed a wide variety of music, including symphonies, symphonic poems, chamber music, and operas. The String Quintet no. 2 in G major, Op. 77, was originally composed in March of 1875 for a competition in Prague. Dvořák used the competition’s motto, “To my Nation,” as the piece’s dedication. It was first premiered in 1876 at a concert in Prague sponsored by the Umělecká beseda, an arts guild in the Czech Republic that strove to bring together and present examples of good literature, art, and music. Today, it is slightly unusual to find a composition that is scored for two violins, viola, cello, and bass, and this piece is considered to be one of the finest examples of this specific instrumentation. The first movement of this work is a perfect example of Dvořák’s aptitude for combining classical concepts with folk melodies. The movement is set in sonata-allegro form, with two Bohemian melodies proudly stated in the opening exposition. Both of these melodies are then exhibited repeatedly in several peculiar tonalities in a mysterious middle development section, before returning in reverse order for a fiery and grand recapitulation, which draws the movement to its close.

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns was a immensely multi-talented individual. In addition to being widely recognized for his compositions, he was also regarded by many, including Franz Liszt, to be the greatest organist in the world. He was also extremely well versed in geology, archeology, botany, lepidoptery, mathematics, and philosophy. At the age of two, Saint-Saëns was discovered to have perfect pitch, and at the age of four, he composed his first piano piece. At the age of ten, Saint-Saëns gave his first public piano recital, after which he turned to the audience and offered to play any of the 32 Beethoven piano sonatas from memory as an encore. After graduating from the Conservatoire of Paris, he made a living for himself by composing and playing organ in a variety of venues. Saint-Saëns composed more than 300 works in his lifetime. He was often criticized for his conservative compositional style, adhering to 19th-century forms and never fully embracing the romanticism of the time. However, the emotional depth and technical virtuosity required to play his music has allowed Saint-Saëns to withstand the test of time. The Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61 was composed in 1880 for Saint-Saëns’ friend Pablo de Sarasate. It was Sarasate who played the solo part at the premier, and, one year later, the piece was published. The first movement begins with an impassioned and dramatic theme on the violin’s lowest string. From there, the movement alternates between sections of rich, expressive melodies and sections of blistering, virtuosic flourishes. The second movement is a dialogue between the violin and the accompaniment, with both parts trading off a simplistic, pastoral melody, before closing with a series of whistle-like, harmonic arpeggios. The third movement begins with a dazzling violin cadenza before launching into a dynamic Spanish theme. This momentum is interrupted only twice throughout the movement with a mellow, dulcet chorale before immediately being flung back into the beginning’s high-octane melodies and flourishes that bring the piece to its exciting conclusion.