Toledo Symphony

Description:

After Giordano Bellincampi’s triumphant debut with the Toledo Symphony in 2005, he returns with a program that explores the full sonic palette of the Romantic and 20th century orchestra – especially the brilliance and power of its brass section.

Orchestral pieces featuring the trombone are legion, but composers have been somewhat slow to exploit the modern trombone’s full range as a solo instrument.  Christopher Rouse’s concerto for trombone makes up for lost time – indeed, Rouse’s exploration of every dynamic, textural, rhythmic, and melodic possibility won the piece the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for music.  For trombonists everywhere, as well as for our soloist and Principal Trombone, Garth Simmons, the piece emanates mystique – both for its technical difficulty and for its extraordinary musical substance.

It is the trumpet section that takes the lead in the famous fanfare that opens Richard Strauss’s majestic tone poem Also Sprach Zarathustra.  The nine sections of the work, inspired by chapter titles from the book by Friedrich Nietzsche, cover a panorama of different moods, from the philosophical and ruminating to the heroic.  However, it is the opening proclamation, used so memorably by Stanley Kubrick in his movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, that has made this piece one of the most recognized musical utterances of the last one hundred and twenty-five years.


Points of interest:

• Our soloist, Garth Simmons, was at the Eastman School of Music when the Rouse concerto was premiered.  Rouse, who is on the faculty of Eastman, would occasionally have Garth demonstrate the capabilities of the trombone to composition students studying orchestration.
• Born in Rome, Giordano Bellincampi has lived in Denmark since 1976, and is the General Music Director of the Royal Danish National Opera.  His musical studies were at the Royal Danish Academy, where his major instrument was (naturally) the bass trombone.
• Richard Strauss’s own, somewhat acerbic views of the trombone: “Never look at the trombones.  You’ll only encourage them.”

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Program:

Barber                       The School for Scandal: Overture    8’

Rouse                        Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra    28’
                                        Movement I
                                        Movement II
                                        Movement III

Intermission

Strauss                      Also sprach Zarathustra    33’
                                         Einleitung – (Introduction)*
                                         Von den Hinterweltlern – (Of the Backworldsmen)
                                         Von der großen Sehnsucht – (Of the Great Longing)
                                         Von den Freuden und Leidenschaften – (Of Joys
                                             and Passions)
                                         Das Grablied – (The Song of the Grave)
                                         Von der Wissenschaft – (Of Science and Learning)
                                         Der Genesende – (The Convalescent)
                                         Das Tanzlied – (The Dance Song)
                                         Nachtwandlerlied (Song of the Night Wanderer)
                                                        
                                         *There are no breaks between movements.



WGTE – FM 91 broadcasts the Toledo Symphony on FM 91 In Concert.  Tonight’s concert will be rebroadcast Thursday, September 11, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. through the generosity of the Edward H. Schmidt Musical Arts Fund.

A preconcert lecture with Dr. Melvin Harsh, guest conductor Giordano Bellincampi, and trombone soloist Garth Simmons will be held at 7 p.m. onstage at the Peristyle both nights.

Media Sponsor for the Classics Series is WSPD Newsradio 1370 AM.

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