Carl Maria von Weber (1786–1826) Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra in F major, Op. 75 Mainly known for his operatic works and their overtures, Carl Maria von Weber’s output of instrumental music is just as noteworthy, having enriched the existing literature to a great extent. The Bassoon Concerto was written in 1811 and occupies an important place in bassoon repertoire. Weber’s father had wanted him to be the next Mozart, and in following the example of Mozart, he had written a number of concertos for wind instruments, which, up until then, had been considered subordinate to the rest of the orchestra. Because of the success of the concertino for clarinet and orchestra, many instrumentalists approached him about writing concertos for them in their respective instruments. The Bassoon Concerto was revised three times, the final of which was done anonymously in 1865, nearly 40 years after the composer’s death, and is used as the basis for current editions.
The modern bassoon developed from a 16th century instrument, and underwent substantial development in composer Carl Maria von Weber’s lifetime. Weber’s appreciation of woodwind instruments is quite evident in this concerto, with its virtuosic and expressive passages. Soloist Kirchhoff selected it ‘because it allows the bassoonist to demonstrate the instrument’s ability to sound like a singing voice.”
Saint-Saens (1835–1921) Danse Macabre, Op. 40 Op. 40 is a tone poem for orchestra based on the superstition that Death appears at midnight every year on Halloween to call forth the dead from their graves. Death is represented by solo violin and the sounds of rattling bones dancing are imitated by the xylophone. Although the Danse was not received well when it first premiered, it has since been used in many movies and television series including The Road to Dracula, Grimm, Hugo, Doctor Madblood's Movies and others.
Charles Gounod (1818-1893) Ballet Music from Faust The program extends the "death" theme with a classic "deal with the devil" story with Ballet Music from Faust. Based on a German legend, a scholar unhappy with his life, makes a deal with the devil in exchange for his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. This tale has been the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic and musical works.
Georges Bizet (1838-1875) L'Arlésienne Suites 1 & 2 If previous pieces from the program can be singularily defined with the words "death" and "devil", this set of Suites can be thought of as "madness". This French incidental music, based on Alphonse Daudet's play, L'Arlésienne is about a young peasant named Fréderi who discover's his fiancee's infidelity prior to their marriage and is ultimately driven to suicide by jumping off a balcony.
The 2011-2012 concert series marks Pasadena Community Orchestra’s 28th year of bringing fine classical music to the community. This will be the last concert of the season to be held at First Church of the Nazarene, with the final Concert in the Park to be held at Sierra Madre Memorial Park on June 16 at 6:30 p.m. Concerts are free, with donations taken at the door. First Church of the Nazarene offers an abundance of free parking with wheelchair access. As an added bonus, guests are treated to refreshments at an after-concert reception enabling musicians, soloists, and concertgoers to meet and mingle. The church is located at 3700 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena. For further information, please contact the orchestra at 626.445.6708, via email at pcoemails@gmail.com, or at http://www.pcomusic.org. |
