Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble

Claude Debussy (1862-1918), Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (arr. by Michael Webster for flute, clarinet and piano)

Achille Claude Debussy was a French composer and is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and his orchestral as well as his chamber works are among the most well-known and most often-performed works from that period.  Born to a family of modest means and little cultural involvement, Debussy showed enough musical talent to be admitted at the age of ten to France's leading music college, the Conservatoire de Paris. He originally studied the piano but found his vocation in innovative composition, despite the disapproval of the Conservatoire's conservative professors. It took many years to develop his mature style, and he was nearly 40 when he achieved international fame in 1902 with the only opera he completed, Pelleas et Melisande. 

The symphonic poem “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun” was composed for full orchestra and first performed in 1894, and it later served as the prelude to a ballet version.  It is one of Debussy’s most famous works and is thought by some to be a turning point in the history of Western music. Conductor Pierre Boulez considered the score to be the beginning of “modern music”.  The main musical themes of the original score are introduced by the woodwinds.  Therefore, this arrangement by clarinetist Michael Webster is an appropriate chamber music setting.  

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901), Introduction and Romanza from Act III of La Forza del Destino (arr. by Frank Morelli for clarinet, bassoon and piano)

Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was one of the most famous opera composers of all time.  He was born near Busseto in the province of Parma in Italy.  Works of earlier Italian composers such as Rossini and Donizetti greatly influenced his work.  There are three distinct periods of composition in Verdi’s life. After major success in his early and middle years, he surprised many by producing very popular works near the end of his long life, including the Requiem, Otello, and Falstaff.  Verdi’s funeral in 1901 was a massive public event and was a day of national mourning in Italy.

Introduction and Romanza from Act III of La Forza del Destino (The Force of Destiny) is an arrangement of the orchestral version.  The story of the opera follows star-crossed lovers Leonora and Don Alvaro whose attempt to elope is tragically interrupted when Alvaro accidentally kills Leonora’s father. This music from Act III is arranged by bassoonist and composer Frank Morelli.

André Previn (1929-2019), Trio for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano

André George Previn was a German and American conductor, composer and pianist.  He achieved success in the genres of Hollywood films, jazz, and classical music. He served as music director of major orchestras including the London Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He also became well-known to the general public through televised performances of orchestral concerts. As a composer, Previn was involved in more than 50 films and would win four Academy Awards.  

The Trio for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano was composed in 1994 and first published in 1996.  This perky and delightful trio sounds like something Francis Poulenc might have written if the great 20^th century composer had been American. It has character, elegance, and great sympathy for the sound of the two double-reed instruments.  It also has the lively rhythms that remind us that Previn was a well-known jazz pianist during the 1950s.

Alexander Zemlinsky (1871-1942), Humoresque for Wind Quintet

Alexander von Zemlinsky was an Austrian composer whose parents came from diverse families of both staunch Roman Catholic and of Jewish backgrounds. His entire family converted to Judaism, and Alexander was born and raised Jewish.  He studied piano from a young age and was admitted to the Vienna Conservatory in 1884 at age 13. After achieving high acclaim for his pianistic talents, he studied composition with mentors including Anton Bruckner through 1892 when he began writing music for publication.  His strong supporters included Brahms and his close friend Arnold Schönberg (who also became his brother-in-law when Schönberg married Zemlinsky’s sister). Much of his career was spent in Prague and Berlin, but he did return to Vienna in 1933. In 1938 he fled from the Nazi regime to the United States where he died in 1942.

Humoresque for Wind Quintet was among the last works composed by Zemlinsky before his death in 1942. Conceived as “school pieces” for the sole purpose of earning financial support, the work’s light-heartedness and charm are a far cry from the usual depth and darker themes explored in his music (the production of his opera Kandaules was cancelled by the Metropolitan Opera due to its explicit sexual content). This single-movement work features melodic lines, both lyrical and playful, that are shared by all of the instruments. It is quite grounded harmonically in a style that is fully Romantic.

György Ligeti (1923-2006), Six Bagatelles (for wind quintet)

György Sándor Ligeti was a Romanian-born Hungarian-Austrian composer who has been described as “one of the most important avant-garde composers of the latter half of the 20^th century”.  He emigrated to Austria in 1956 and became an Austrian citizen in 1968.  He taught composition at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg from 1973-1989. He could only fully realize his passion for avant-garde music and develop new compositional techniques after leaving Romania for the West.  

Six Bagatelles was composed in 1953, before his new compositional exploration. Melodies and harmonies are surely characteristic of mid-twentieth century trends.  Harsh and strident qualities are a part of the work. However, some segments are quite somber, beautiful, and calming. We will hear lots of rhythmic energy and excitement. Though his full embrace of twelve-tone technique is not yet present in this work, Ligeti shows his affection for the style that will be more fully-employed in later works. 

Jean Françaix (1912-1997), L’Heure du Berger for Wind Quintet and Piano

Jean René Désiré Françaix was a French pianist, orchestrator, and neoclassical composer known for his prolific output and vibrant style. He is particularly known for his chamber music for piano and for winds.  He was born into a musical family in Le Mans, and his first publication in 1922 at age 10 caught the attention of a composer who steered young Jean toward the famous teacher Nadia Boulanger.  He was also an accomplished pianist, and he earned a First Prize in Piano at the Conservatoire de Paris. Françaix remained very active as a composer, right up to his death.

Many of Francaix’s works feature segments that can only be described as “intentionally humorous”.  L'Heure du Berger (The Shepherd’s Hour) from 1947 indeed features a comical theme from the very start.  It is in the style of “musique d’ameublement” or “background music” which was a common form written for Parisian fashion shows and other events of the day.  The work closes with a most energetic and dazzling rhythmic display. 

Program notes by Larry Reed