The Washington Wind Symphony presents 'Romance'
$18 ($13 youth/senior)
Richard Strauss — Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare
Claude Debussy — Préludes Book I, No. 10: La cathédrale engloutie ("The Sunken Cathedral")
John P. Lynch — Were You There?
Felix Mendelssohn — Overture for Winds
Percy Grainger — My Robin is to the Greenwood Gone
Fisher Tull — Sketches on a Tudor Psalm
R. Strauss – Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare
Debussy – The Engulfed Cathedral
Lynch – Were You There?
Mendelssohn – Overture for Winds
Grainger – My Robin is to the Greenwood Gone
Tull – Sketches on a Tudor Psalm
Hindemith – March from Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber
We have a confession to make. Like you, we have an ongoing love affair with evocative music. Harmonies that touch our hearts and kindle memories of beloved people or places. With that in mind, our conductor, Dr. Ed Powell, created a program of music we adore – and think you will, too.
Take your seat in the intimate Kirkland Performance Center and open your heart to these classic pieces, written by some of the masters of romantic repertoire:
Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare – Richard Strauss wrote this brilliant brass flourish in 1924 to announce the arrival of dignitaries at a ball during the Carnival-like “Fasching” holiday celebrated in German-speaking countries.
The Engulfed Cathedral – The horns set the scene in this transcription of Claude Debussy’s interpretation of a splendid cathedral rising proudly from the sea mist to bask its spires in the sun, only to eventually sink again as punishment to the people for their sins.
Were You There? – Throughout this religious tone poem based on the Christian hymn by the same name, composer John P. Lynch uses a river motive to represent a flowing metaphor for life. Later in the piece, he weaves in an ostinato to reflect on Buddhist philosophy, then brings it to a close by alluding to an atheist point of view.
Overture for Winds – Originally scored for wind octet, Felix Mendelssohn wrote this piece in the summer of 1824 at the tender age of 15 while vacationing with his family. Listen carefully as the delicate melody is passed from the clarinets through the different sections of the band.
My Robin is to the Greenwood Gone – Developed from a fragment of a popular English song, Percy Grainger instructs musicians to play “with a drowsy lift” to help capture the dreamlike, magical effect he sought to achieve reflecting Maid Marian’s thoughts at the passing of her love, Robin of Loxley (Robin Hood).
Sketches on a Tudor Psalm – Fisher Tull based his composition on a sixteenth-century setting of the Second Psalm by Thomas Tallis. Penned in 1971, Tull’s picturesque sketches employ a solo alto saxophone to introduce the theme, which is then developed with several variations.
March from "Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber" – An audience favorite, this masterwork by Paul Hindemith leads off with fanfares, then quickly moves into catchy, driving rhythms that you’ll be replaying in your head long after the concert.
Hear all this and more as we celebrate spring and the spirit of romance in the Washington Wind Symphony’s final concert of the season. If you love great music, be sure to join us for this memorable program!