July 26 - August 10, 2008

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Bear Valley Music Festival

Program Notes

August 2, 2008

THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER - - British Warships Shell Fort McHenry the 1814 newspaper headlines might have said. The Fort endured and Baltimore poet Francis Scott Key was moved to write, "The Star Spangled Banner." The words were set to John Stafford Smith's melody, "To Anacreon in Heaven", the song of a London social club The Anacreontic Society. Over the years it was played at national meetings and special events. Then early in 1931 John Philip Sousa wrote an article calling for an official national anthem. In March, 1931 President Herbert Hoover signed a proclamation making The Star Spangled Banner our National Anthem.

AMERICAN TO THE TOES - - That is the music of Aaron Copland, a Brooklyn born creative genius who forged a powerful, personal and modern sound. As a 21 year old he went to Paris to further his musical studies and there linked up with the "Teacher of Generations" - -Nadia Boulanger. At her American Conservatory in Fontainebleau he was exposed to all types of traditional and experimental styles of composition. Paris and its environs was a culturally stimulating area with the likes of Stravinsky, Ravel, Les Six, Hemingway, Picasso, Gertrude Stein, James Joyce and many others running loose. What a place to lose your mind - - or anything else you might lose. But not to fear, Boulanger, the incredible pedagogue, set Copland on his life's course which was - - to let his intellectual curiosity guide his compositional direction. He returned to the U.S. in 1924 and a year later his Music for the Theatre was premiered by Serge Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This was just the warm up - - a bit later Walter Damrosch, in New York, conducted Copland's Symphony for Organ and Orchestra with Nadia Boulanger as soloist!!! Then in 1927 Koussevitzky presented Copland's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra which used jazz elements in the score - -gasp. Subscribers complained but Koussevitzky hung tough - - Aaron endured.

In the mid 1930's his compositional style changed as he began to reach out to a wider audience. In 1936 he wrote the immensely successful El Salon Mexico. This was followed by the ballet Billy the Kid and subsequent collaboration with the "grandames" of dance, Agnes de Mille (Rodeo) and Martha Graham (Appalachian Spring) . A truly unique work, Lincoln Portrait, made its appearance in 1942. Around this score he quoted lines from the letters and speeches of Abraham Lincoln - - it is one of his most oft presented works. That same year came his Fanfare for the Common Man. Following this, a multitude of works such as the opera, The Tender Land, and eight film scores. The awards and honors are many and include a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Pulitzer Prize, two New York Music Critics Circle Awards, an Academy Award, and the Presidential Medal Of Freedom.

Of his music, Copland explained, "We wanted to find music that would speak of universal things in a vernacular of American speech rhythms. We wanted to write music on a level that left popular music far behind - - music with a largeness of utterance wholly representative of the county that (Walt) Whitman had envisioned." And so it goes.

BARBERS BY THE BUSHEL - - There's Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber, The Marriage of Figaro (Barber) and the French newspaper Le Figaro. And then there's Samuel Barber, the composer - - a complex man in terms of his evolving education, social interactions, personal views and of course, his music. Born into a financially secure and culturally oriented family of post-Victorian sensibilities, he was the epicenter of family attention - - a "centrism" that lasted throughout his life. His major musical education was at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. It was here that he met fellow student Gian Carlo Menotti, with whom he developed a close bond of friendship, creativity and collaboration. Shortly after graduation, in 1936, he wrote the String Quartet from which his famously popular Adagio for Strings was adapted. Barber returned to the Curtis Institute in 1939 as a faculty member and that year he wrote the Violin Concerto, Op.14. Commissioned by industrialist Samuel Fels, for his adopted son Iso Briselli, funds were advanced and Barber went to Switzerland to compose. When he sent the first two movements to Briselli, the violinist rejected them as not "flashy" enough. When the final "perpetual motion" movement was completed, Briselli refused it as unplayable. Fels wanted his money back, but Barber said no, he had already spent it. Later Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra premiered the work to public and critical acclaim thus firmly establishing Barber's credentials. A tide of commissions and professional recognition began !!

Being an American composer in the 1940's was a competitive challenge. Many innovators, some traditionalists, some experimentalists - - but Copland and Barber seemed to lead the charge - - and their music survived. His opera Vanessa was premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1956, with the libretto by Menotti. It was an unqualified success and for this Barber won his first Pulitzer Prize - - his second Pulitzer was for the Piano Concerto No. 2. The major disappointment was at the Met with his opera Anthony and Cleopatra, written in 1966 - - very simply, the flamboyant stage design and production overwhelmed the music. Menotti exhumed it a few years later at a Juilliard School presentation, but it didn't last. Win a few but on balance we're talking about a man of the musical century. His music, as his life , was one of contradictions and complexity. Play it again, Sam - - .

MANUEL DE FALLA - - was referred to as "The Spanish Gershwin." And who named him thusly?? Why Gershwin himself. As Falla touched the Spanish heart, so too did Gershwin captivate American audiences. From the clarinet glissando introducing the Rhapsody in Blue, to the car horns in An American in Paris, we are reminded of this man's genius and his contributions to music literature, both classical and jazz. In 1924 Paul Whiteman, the "King of Jazz, commissioned Gershwin to write a concert piece - - three weeks later the score of Rhapsody in Blue was ready ! Whiteman turned it over to his arranger, Ferde Grofe, for editing and orchestration. The opening clarinet glissando is compliments of Grofe. It was premiered at Aeolian Hall in N.Y. with Whiteman conducting and Gershwin as soloist - - it was an instant success - - but not with everyone. Leonard Bernstein said, "The Rhapsody is not a composition at all. It's a string of separate paragraphs stuck together with a thin paste of flour and water. I don't think there has been such an inspired melodist since Tchaikovsky.but if you want to speak of a composer, that's another matter." Oscar Levant, a close friend of both Whiteman and Gershwin, said of Bernstein, "He uses music as an accompaniment to his conducting." So much for musical badinage.

Four years later he wrote the American in Paris, which clearly displayed his ability to combine the jazz idiom with a classical symphonic form. He went on to write over 14 Broadway musicals and his Of Thee I Sing was the first musical to win a Pulitzer Prize. His last major work was the opera, Porgy and Bess, which opened in N.Y. in 1935 and has since played regularly around the world.

As an established composer he regularly sought greater classical insight and studied counterpoint with Henry Cowell and composition with Wallingford Riegger. He even asked Arnold Schoenberg to accept him as a pupil and was turned down. "I would only make you a bad Schoenberg, and you're such a good Gershwin already," he said.

Perhaps Ferde Grofe said it best, " That the better elements of jazz could be incorporated into art music and be the basis of a series of symphonic creations typically expressive of our nation." So describes George Gershwin's musical creations !!

AUCTION GUEST CONDUCTOR - - Sousa's Stars and Stripes. John Philip Sousa 1854-1932 -seemed destined to write marches when he started playing with the Marine Band as a teenager (14). Then came theatre orchestras for a while and a return to the Marine Band as the Director at age 26. He had already begun to compose the spirited music that earned him the title of " The March King.". He formed his own Band in 1892 and began giving concerts throughout the U.S and Canada. Later he made four European concert tours and in 1910-11 made a grand tour around the world. His Stars and Stripes Forever has always been a particular favorite and in 1987 President Ronald Reagan signed a law making it the official - - National March of the U.S.A.

Jack Roberts

August 3, 2008

A GOOD STORY- - Early in his career Argentinean composer Astor Piazzolla was introduced to the great pianist Artur Rubenstein, who was concertizing in Buenos Aires at the time. Rubenstein saw potential in the young musician and suggested that he study classical composition with Alberto Ginastera. It was good direction by Artur and it was a reaffirmation of Ginastera's reputation as Argentina's leading composer and teacher. It was also indicative of Ginastera's objectivity, for soon after their meeting, he suggested that Piazzolla go to Paris and study with the "Teacher of Generations", the famous Nadia Boulanger. Her advice - - forget classical composition and seek your roots - - he did and wrote world class tangos!! Now, back to Ginastera.

Entering the National Conservatory of Argentina at an early age he quickly demonstrated compositional talent by winning the State Music Society's first prize. He studied in the U.S. on a Guggenheim Fellowship and on his return joined the National Conservatory faculty. In 1941 he was commissioned by the American Ballet Caravan to write a ballet, Estancia. The music and choreography was inspired by the rustic life on the pampas. Two years later he wrote Estancia: Dances, a dance suite taken from the ballet. In later works he began to push the compositional envelope by dissonant combinations of sounds, polyrhythmic variations and serial experimentation. His music has inspired a rebirth of musical education for youth throughout Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela. Way to go Alberto !!! (A totally unrelated side note: Estancia is also a full bodied Cabernet from Paso Robles, CA)

STRINGS - - What is there about the long standing fascination with strings, whether it has been plucking, picking, bowing or hammering?? This interest goes back to paintings of the Egyptian harp around 3500 B.C. and Mesopotamian figurines playing long necked lutes dating to about 2000 B.C. It took another 3,500 years or more for the guitar to make its modern appearance - - shedding the lute's pear shape and rounded bottom. As for fret bars - - probably after 550 B.C. when Pythagoras began experimenting with string length resonance and a movable bridge which allowed sound to be quantified

In 16^th century Spain the precursors of the modern guitar began to appear and by the 17^th century the instrument was on its way to prominence. In the early 1800's Fernando Sor wrote the definitive treatise on guitar method and technique - - whether rockers Carlos Santana and Eric Clapton needed that instruction is problematical.

In 1939 the Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo wrote what has become the most famous guitar concerto in the current repertory, the Concierto de Aranjuez. This inspiring work overflows with grace and melody and paints a sunlit tonal picture of the Aranjues Palacio Real just south of Madrid The lively first and third movements frame a poignant slow movement with interplay of English horn and guitar. This concerto prompted many commissions including those from flautist James Galway and cellist Julian Lloyd Webber. The great guitarist Andres Segovia commissioned the Fantasia para un Gentilhombre, a composition guaranteed to restore blighted perspective and bring a smile to the face,

Many honors were given Rodrigo, including being raised to nobility by King Juan Carlos and being made French Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters. As a fitting finale to his life, he and his wife were buried at the Aranjues Palacio Real.

NATIONALISM in music often has "That" sound - - a defining temporal and geographic statement. Spanish composer and musicologist Felipe Pedrell built upon that sound through his students that included Isaac Albeniz and Enrique Granados. They strengthened the foundations of the Spanish sound - - and those feelings and expressions were fine tuned by the "jewels" composed by Manuel de Falla . Born in the coastal city of Cadiz, it wasn't until his mid-20s that he went to Madrid to study with Pedrell. Here his direction toward nationalism was established and 1905 he wrote his prize winning one act opera La Vida Breve. Two years later he was off to Paris and contacts with Dukas, Ravel, Debussy and Stravinsky. The seven years in Paris was the catalyst for his future successes and a year later, upon his return to Spain, he wrote the Suite from El Amor Brujo. The ballet libretto was based on an Andalusian Gypsy tale in which a Gypsy girl's current love life is interrupted by the ghost of her former lover. This multi part work reflects the depths of frustration, tranquility, terror, love and tenderness - - and around the middle of the work zaps us with the Ritual Fire Dance. The following year Nights in the Gardens of Spain was premiered followed by the immensely well received The Three Cornered Hat. Later works began to show the influence of Stravinsky and his orchestrations became more complex. The growth of Fascism troubled him and the assassination of his friend, poet Federico Garcia Lorca was emotionally devastating. With the rise of Franciso Franco in 1939, Falla moved to Argentina and remained there until his death in 1946.

AMATUER HOUR ?? - - Hardly, but initially no elite music conservatories or illustrious teachers or private studies in composition for four of the Russian "Five". Of this composers group, Mily Balakirev, Alexander Borodin, Cesar Cui, Modest Mussorgsky and Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov, only Balakirev had significant formal musical training. As for the rest - - a Professor of Medicine and Chemistry, a Professor of Military Science, a Regimental Army Officer and a Naval Officer. It was the 1860's and the decade of the "Five" - - dedicated to nationalism and stoutly proclaiming against academics and the German school, particularly Richard Wagner. It was a distinctive and creative group and their collective strength gave Rimsky-Korsakov a sound compositional platform.

His widely acclaimed Capriccio Espagnole, Op. 34, was written in 1887 and the premier performance was given a tumultuous ovation by the public and members of the Russian Symphony. The work is in five movements and uniquely provides opportunities for individual instrumental cadenzas. A master of understated modesty, Rimsky-Korsakov had this to say about his work, "The Capriccio is a brilliant composition for the orchestra. The change of timbres, the felicitous choice of melodic design and figuration patterns, exactly suiting each kind of instruments, brief virtuoso cadenzas the very essence of composition." And on balance, Nicolai was right on !!!!

Jack Roberts

August 8, 2008

LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER ! - - That was exactly what Sergei Prokofiev did. As a child he would sit under the family grand piano and listen to his mother play Beethoven sonatas - - and the mold was cast. He also received superb training at the St. Petersburg conservatory with the greatest musicians Russia had to offer including Gliere, Liadov, Glazunov and Rimsky-Korsakov. He graduated from the Conservatory in 1914 receiving the coveted Anton Rubinstein prize as pianist-composer for his Piano Concerto No. 1 - -the critics dubbed him a "futurist". In 1917 he wrote his brilliant first Violin Concerto and the ground breaking Classical Symphony. In this work Prokofiev extended the lines of the Classical form while maintaining listener accessibility. He explained the four fundamental principles of his creative style as: first, a classical foundation; second, innovations or the search for "an individual harmonic language"; third, the element of toccata, or momentum; fourth, lyricism and the long melodic line.

In 1918 he took off to the U.S. for a few years, then to Paris where he married the Spanish singer Lina Llubera. Then, in an example of incredibly bad timing, he returned to Russia in 1936 - - just in time for the political and artistic purges. As with Shostakovich, he was later accused of decadence - - a major cultural and political transgression of the time. Although he subsequently recanted his interest in atonality, his work was never widely accepted by Soviet officialdom. He and his artistic nemesis Stalin died on the same day. The anniversary of Prokofiev's death is observed in Russia - - Stalin's is officially forgotten. And so it goes.

RACHMANINOFF'S CHALLENGE - - "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again and then quit. No need to make a fool of yourself." Sage words attributed to W.C. Fields. Thankfully, Sergei Rachmaninoff was not aware of this comment, particularly in light of the poor critical reception of his Piano Concerto No 1 (1891) and the failure of his First Symphony (1897) . Even the intervening success of his widely popular Prelude in C-sharp minor couldn't help his deep depression - - but then, with the help of some hypnotherapy, the Muse returned !!!

In 1901 he wrote his celebrated Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor which solidified his career as both composer and pianist. In an interesting compositional twist, he wrote the second and third movements first and played them at a benefit concert. This preview performance was so enthusiastically received that he approached the writing of the first movement with genuine excitement. About 40+ years later a familiar melody was popularized by an up and coming young singer named Frank Sinatra - - remember "Full Moon and Empty Arms"?

In 1909 he started his first concert tour of the United States which was so successful that he was offered the position of Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He respectfully declined the offer. One of the selections he played during this tour was his immensely successful Piano Concerto No. 3. It was eighty seven years later that the film "Shine" featured the Rach 3 which underscored the remarkable accessibility of this concerto and his music in general. Shortly after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, Rachmaninoff left Russia, never to return. He spent much of his time in Switzerland and the U.S. and concertized extensively. Again in 1918 he was offered the baton of the Boston Symphony - - and again he graciously said no. He had decided to concentrate on the piano and composing. In 1932 he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society of London. He made the U.S. his permanent home in 1939 and in spite of his long absence from his native land he, "remained a Russian in his songs and works for the piano solo," said author and music critic Peter Yates - - who further said of him, he had, "a noble serenity of style that no other pianist has equaled." Rachmaninoff became a naturalized U.S. citizen shortly before his death in Beverly Hills, CA on March 28, 1943. His legacy - - Broad, rhapsodic waves of long melodic lines that seem to find a welcoming place within the heart and mind.

EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES IN THE EXTREME - - or so it seemed in the life of Peter Tchaikovsky - - and yet creativity flourished with joyous and stimulating melodies coming forth in abundance - - as did works inevitably expressing emotional turmoil, frustration and despondency.

Things started out conventionally enough with a brief detour to law school - - there seemed to be a lot of that going around. This was followed in 1861 by Tchaikovsky's study with Anton Rubinstein at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. After gradation he became Professor of Harmony at the Moscow Conservatory in 1866. The following eight years was to be centered around Russian folk and nationalistic music which was being promoted by a group of composers called "The Five" (see program notes for August 3) . Tchaikovsky was not part of the group although they maintained generally positive relations -- - except for the times that Cesar Cui wrote some scathing reviews of Tchaikovsky's compositions - - composer's envy perhaps?

The incubation of the Overture Fantasy Romeo and Juliet began with a failed love affair with a French soprano and later, discussions with composer Mily Balakirev who thought that a symphonic work on a Shakespeare theme would be a great idea. This seemed like a good suggestion and Peter developed the first draft in 1869, revised it a year later and wrote the final score in 1880. The thematic design follows the major plot lines laid out by Shakespeare and is a major work in the modern orchestral repertory.

Another romantic glitch occurred in 1877 when Pete married a Conservatory student in an attempt to counter rumors about his sexual preferences. It was a disaster that lasted only a few weeks, if that. Understandably crushed, Peter tried to commit suicide by flinging himself in the river - - just as Schumann and Berlioz had done before him. They all failed. All were fished out and developed bad head colds.

It was in this same year that one of the most unique relationships began, with correspondence between Peter and the wealthy patron of the arts, Mme. Nadezhda von Meck. Although they both lived in Moscow, they never met face to face. For over 13 years von Meck was his major financial backer. She also provided a very real source of understanding and moral support in a non-threatening and depersonalized way that only correspondences could provide. Unfortunately von Meck lost interest in the relationship and ended her patronage and letter writing marathon in 1890. Emotionally the break was devastating for Peter - - his fantasy friend was no longer there and he could no longer share his confidences. Financially, however he survived for he had been given a life pension by the Csar and royalties from his many orchestral works, operas and ballets were providing security.

IT'S NOT OVER 'TIL THE CANNONS ROAR - - It is truly one of the most popular, exciting and dramatic overtures in orchestral literature - - The 1812 Overture which Tchaikovsky wrote in 1880 for the dedication of the Moscow Exhibition. The composition paints a tone picture of Napoleon's defeat - - from the Battle of Borodino to his flight from Moscow. The opposing armies of Russia and France are clearly idealized through the Czarist National Anthem and the "Marseillaise". In the premiere finale a cannon was an "active" member of the orchestra - - what a grand and glorious way to end a concert!!!

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky 1840 – 1893. His last work, Symphony No. 6 in B minor was titled "Pathetique" and is said by some to represent his prescient view of death. It was premiered on October 28, 1893 - - a week later he was dead. His last words were of Mme.von Meck and the utterance - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "The accursed one."

Jack Roberts

August 9, 2008

BVMF ORCHESTRA GOES TO HOLLYWOOD

VICTORY AT SEA - - Richard Rodgers wrote this sweeping composition for the 1952 award winning TV documentary Victory at Sea. This series of 26 programs covered the world-wide U.S. naval battles of WW II and is considered to be one of the most comprehensive film efforts in history. Richard Rodgers brought an immense breadth of skills to the scoring and had firmly established his "credential" with many Broadway musicals including Pulitzer Prizes for both South Pacific and Oklahoma. Many other hits followed including The Sound of Music in 1959.

OVER THE RAINBOW - - Harold Arlen won an Academy Award for this 1939 hit that became Judy Garland's signature song. The Wizard of Oz was directed by Victor Fleming who started his Hollywood film career in the silent movies directing the likes of Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. A winner of many Academy Award, he hit the jackpot in 1939 - - right after Wizard he directed Gone With the Wind. Back to Arlen - - he wrote many popular singles in his career including the old favorite Stormy Weather.

THE WAY WE WERE - - this 1973 film, starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford and directed by Sidney Pollack brought composer Marvin Hamlisch an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his score. Two years later he won a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony for the immensely successful A Chorus Line !!! Way to go Marvin.

THE PINK PANTHER - - introduced the magnificently bumbling Inspector Clouseau played by Peter Sellers. This 1963 film was directed by Blake Edward and the score written by Henry Mancini, who received an ASCAP award and Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy nominations. Mancini was an exceptionally successful composer with over 70 film scores to his credit. The music for Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Days of Wine and Roses won him Academy Awards and Grammies.

MOON RIVER - - from the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's. Words by Johnny Mercer and music by Henry Mancini - - an Oscar for best song and a Grammy winner. The film, based on the novel by Truman Capote, was directed by Blake Edwards. It starred Audrey Hepburn (sigh) and George Peppard. Hepburn sang the featured song. So did a guy named Andy Williams - - who made it his theme song.

MORE - - In 1962, Italian film makers Gualtierro Jacopetti and Franco Properi released their bizarrely unique movie Mondo Cane, a "shock" documentary spotlighting cult practices, tribal rites, etc. It was nominated for an Oscar. The featured song, More, was written by Riz Ortolani, a prolific composer with over 200 film scores to his credit. He won a Grammy for More.

BOLERO - - In 1979 Blake Edwards wrote and directed the fillm "10", starring Bo Derek and Dudley Moore. Henry Mancini did the musical score but used Ravel's Bolero as the centerpiece. Five years later Bo Derek's husband John decided to capitalize on the success of "10" and directed the film Bolero. The greatly respected film composer and arranger Elmer Bernstein (no relation to Leonard) did the score - - again using Ravel's work. The film was awarded the "Razzie" for the Worst Film of the Decade!!! Sorry about that Elmer. In 1928 the French composer Maurice Ravel wrote Bolero, originally as a ballet score in one movement. The repetitive rhythmic pattern and dynamics have made this one of the most widely recognized works in the orchestral repertory.

STAR WARS - - Fasten your seat belts for John William's brilliant score for the 1977 blockbuster Star Wars. Written and directed by George Lucas, it introduces Luke Skywalker, Princes Leia, Darth Vader and the gang. It garnered multiple Oscars and gave rise to a total of six "episodes". As of this year the Star War series has grossed over $ 4.3 billion. Music came naturally for Williams - - piano lessons at an early age guided by his father - - a film studio musician. After studies at Juilliard he returned to Hollywood and set to writing film scores - - to name a few, Close Encounters, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Fiddler on the Roof, Jaws, etc. etc. He has a truck load or two of well-deserved Oscars - - no relation to the great Australian Guitarist of the same name.

Jack Roberts

August 10, 2008

GIOACCHINO ROSSINI: 1792-1868

"RETURN WITH US NOW to those thrilling days of yesteryear..." Lead in line to the old time radio and TV series, The Lone Ranger, that, if you are old enough, evokes a sense of runaway nostalgia. The major theme music for the show was The William Tell Overture. The overture was, logically enough, written by Gioacchino Rossini for his opera, William Tell - - and if old Gioacchino were alive today he would be very happy to know that literally millions of people recognize his work!!!! When he was 14 he entered the Liceo Musicale in Bologna and just 2 years later tenor Domenico Mombelli commissioned him to begin his first opera, Demetrio e Polibio. Thus started a remarkably prolific life that by the time he was 21 was hitting the "top of the charts" with the opera seria Tancredi and the opera buffo, L'Italiana in Algeri (with a plot-line that could have served as a script for a Marx Brothers movie). One of his comments on composition was, "Give me a laundry list and I will set it to music." And write he did - - a total of 40 operas including such favorites as La Cenerentola, La Gazza Ladra, Il Barbieri di Siviglia and his last opera - - William Tell.

The Overture paints a tonal picture of dawn, a growing and erupting storm, a pastoral scene and a brass fanfare introducing a fast march or cavalry charge. The story line is about a Swiss patriot, William Tell and victory over Austrian Rule - - and yes, he does shoot an apple off his son's head. And no, William was not the Lone Ranger. According to legend, that was Dan Reid, a Texas Ranger who was the great-uncle to Britt Reid, also known as the Green Hornet. But back to Gioacchino - - William Tell was his last opera - - for the next 39 years, until his death in 1868, he wrote no more operas!!! Some chamber and chorale works and a number of piano pieces, but no opera. Speculation for this dramatic change in his life included health problems, creative exhaustion, growing competition and changing operatic forms. One thing is for certain - - it didn't cramp his style. His "retirement" was bolstered by substantial wealth giving life to a vibrant social scene. His musical soirees were legendary - - with homes in Bologna and Paris and a summer retreat in Passy, a suburb of Paris. An expansive host with a sharp wit, who didn't care for German opera, he commented, "Wagner has some fine moments but some bad quarters of an hour."

A totally irrelevant side note: Definition of an intellectual - - one who can listen to the William Tell Overture and not think of the Lone Ranger.

FELIX MENDELSSOHN: 1809-1847

HEREDITY OR ENVIRONMENT - - which has the greater influence? In Mendelssohn's case it probably was a positive abundance of both. He was a precocious young musician raised in a culturally rich Berlin family with acquaintances that included such luminaries as Cherubini, von Webber and Goethe. His education was coordinated by his father who brought in the leading musicians and academicians to develop an already amazing talent. Extensive European travel with his father added to the breadth of his intellectual growth - - including extended discussions with Goethe (Felix was only 12 at the time!!). During those adolescent years his skills, creativity and extraordinary perfection in his compositions were totally unique. At the age of 17 he wrote the incidental music for the Overture to a Midsummer Night's Dream, which clearly demonstrates his strength in developing an expressive and lyric line. Richard Wagner referred to him as, "A musical landscape painter of the first order." In 1829 he visited Scotland where he was inspired to write the Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave) and the Scottish Symphony began to incubate. It was in this same year, back in Berlin, he presented Johann Sebastian Bach's, St. Mathew Passion. This was a truly historic event for the 20 year old who conducted the entire work by memory- - it was the first time since Bach's death that the work had been performed and it started a revival in Johann's works.

In 1835 Felix was appointed conductor of the prestigious Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra - - one of his first actions was to appoint long time friend Ferdinand David as Concertmaster. Three years later the Violin Concerto in E Minor began to take shape in Mendelssohn's mind, coming to full reality in 1845. It was dedicated to David, who had given technical advice during the compositional process and who was the soloist at the premiere. The Concerto begins in a surprising way - - no extended instrumental introduction, but an immediate solo violin lead-off - - a beautifully plaintiff melody followed by an orchestral crescendo. The soloist / orchestra interchanges weave a lyric and flowing pattern of melody leading to a mid-movement cadenza, much of which was written by David. The dynamic conclusion of the movement is immediately followed by a sustained note from the solo bassoon introducing the romantic and yearning second movement. A very brief melodic bridge brings us to the brilliant concluding movement, a zestful and sparkling romp. Way to go Felix!!!

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: 1770-1827

A BROKEN MOLD - - and the breaker of that mold was Beethoven. He was the innovator who was continually reshaping the "mold" that became the Romantic Period. His music was the painting - - the frame was the historical facts and fictions; his deafness, failed or derailed romances, family struggles, illnesses and causes of death. In the beginning things fell far short of a happy childhood. His father, a dissolute court musician was convinced that his son was another Mozartian prodigy.. Little Ludwig was forced to stand at the keyboard and practice for hours. At age eight, he made his first public appearance - - but no jackpot for father Beethoven. At eleven Ludwig became deputy court organist to the Elector of Bonn which clearly demonstrated his performing "chops". His teen years were devoted to developing his virtuosic skills and in 1792 he moved to Vienna where he briefly studied with Haydn. He also took lessons in vocal composition from the Kapellmeister of the Austrian Court - - an individual by the name of Antonio Saliere !!

During the mid and later part of the 1790's Ludwig's creative juices began to increase in octane rating, producing chamber works for winds, 2 piano concertos, 6 string quartets, piano sonatas, etc. In 1800 he made his Viennese debut with Symphony No. 1, and in 1801 he began very early sketches of three movements of his Symphony in C Minor, No. 5. This seemed to coincide with a prelude to what has been called his second period of creativity. He said," I am making a fresh start." - - new musical idioms, tonalities, and a deeper awareness of societal conflicts began to pervade his work. Composer Vincent d'Indy described this period as one in which Beethoven's work becomes, "Externalized."

In 1802 a major non-musical event in Beethoven's life took place in the village of Heiligenstadt outside of Vienna. It was here that he wrote the "Heiligenstadt Testament " which expresses his torment and anguish brought on by deafness. He writes, "I was on the point of putting an end to my life - the only thing that held me back was my art. For indeed it seemed to be impossible to leave this world before I had produced all the works that I felt the urge to compose." His creative spirit seemed to offer him strength to endure his trial. Possibly the view from his apartment window offered him additional tranquility - - that of the serenity of St. Severin Church and of the"locus sanctus", or place within the church where the Saint had once been buried.

Despite his deafness, prolificity prevailed - - two more piano concertos, three symphonies (including the ground breaking Eroica), the opera Fidelio with its countless overtures, the magnificent Triple Concerto, and much more. Then in 1807 he returned to Heiligenstadt to put the finishing touches on Symphony in C minor, No. 5, which was premiered in 1808. Beethoven's close friend and biographer Schindler tagged the opening four notes," Thus fate knocks at the door." The motivation behind this symphony has been analyzed to death - - by composers, critics, psychiatrists and just plain music lovers. The simple fact is that the opening four note motif and the symphony's logical development resonate with the listener - - the "Fifth" provides a very tangible gift to the audience. " The pleasure of recognition." in the words of longtime New York Times critic and author Louis Biancolli. So enjoy!!!.

A continual creative evolution was to be his until the end - - changes that were accompanied by his growing and then total deafness with the inevitable social distancing. The musical "hearing" within Beethoven was exceptional - - his deafness concerned external sound - - internally, he heard the music, could read and hear the scores that he had composed. This has also been the case with many other composers who gave us great music created within their inner ear.

Beethoven's internal strength and self image can be summed up in part by a letter he wrote to Prince Lichnowsky - - "Prince, what you are, you are by the accident of birth; what I am, I am of myself. There are and there will be thousands of princes. There is only one Beethoven."

The last words attributed to him, "I shall hear in heaven." So may it be !!

Jack Roberts