Bantock Helena Variations

———-intermission———–

Sibelius Symphony No.2

The case for my program: The composers on this program were all colleagues and friends and furthermore exemplify the musical connections between Great Britain and Scandinavia that flourished in the first decades of the 20th Century.

As senior statesman of the British branch, I have selected Elgar’s lesser known Pomp and Circumstance no.4 to begin the program. Not many know the name of Granville Bantock these days, but as a conductor he was a champion of contempory music. Bantock and his wife Helena were close personal friend of the Elgars (Edward dedicated his 2nd Pomp and Circumstance to Bantock)and the latter was known to comment that he considered his younger colleague to be the superior composer. The Helena Variations, based upon Granville’s wife’s initials HFB, were inspired by Elgar’s Enigma Variations which appeared the year previously.
Jean Sibelius dedicated his 3rd Symphony to Bantock and later became the first President of the Bantock Sociey. He is represented on this program by his most familiar work, the 2nd Symphony.

His Program:
Wagner: Das Rheingold – Prelude (5:00)

Herrmann: Psycho – A narrative for String Orchestra (16:00)

Glass: The Hours – Concerto for piano and string orchestra (24:00)

- Intermission

Glass: Symphony No. 9 (50:00)

The case for my program: Film music is a largely untapped source of really great programming options for orchestras. And at the moment, film music is kept separate (mostly) from classical music. Thus we have Classical concerts, and Pops concerts, and even separate Contemporary Music concerts.

We ought to program all their music together, routinely.

This program shows what it might look like to mix all three. It’s a compelling example of what can happen if we agree to regard all American symphonic art on the same terms. This would be good for programming and for the larger art form, and perhaps even for the bottom line.

Gershwin: American in Paris

Intermission

Debussy: La Mer

The case for my program: This fun and eclectic program draws on three different epochs unified by Paris, the city of dreams, and two different responses to it. Debussy’s beloved La Mer brings the concert to an inspiring close.

Intermission

Philip Glass: Low Symphony

The case for my program: This program flows in–and out–of rock. Massenet inspired Laurie Anderson’s Oh! Superman; Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood brought Penderecki to his alt sensibilities; Christopher Rouse used one of rock’s most famous drum riffs as a springboard; Philip Glass melded Bowie and Eno to his signature sound. There are no genres. There are no boundaries. There is only music.

The case for my program: This program features to experience the romantic evening from the famous 3 Russian composers from the different period of time. It brings profound adoration, elegance, and serenity throughout the program.

The case for my program: This program features several pairs of contrasting and related pieces and performers. The program features two sections of the orchestra playing separately on different halves of the program: the winds and the strings. And two keyboard soloists: an organist a pianist. It features two important concerted works of Paul Hindemith from different periods of his life. The Kammermusik is more or less an organ concerto, as the Four Temperaments is more or less a piano concerto. The program features solo works of György Ligeti. The solo these pieces are not encores stuck at the end of the program, but integral parts of the program. The program is rounded out with two iconic masterpieces from the early 20th century. Ideally the program should be played in a large sonorous church where the Webern, the Stravinsky, etc. can really ring.