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| Symphony Under the Sky 2011 has concluded. Please check out Symphony Under the Sky 2012! About this Concert Edmonton raised pianist Sarah Ho joins your ESO to present Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue before the outstanding festival finale featuring the guns of the Royal Canadian Artillery in Tchaikovsky’s powerful 1812 Overture. This is a festival tradition you don’t want to miss! Featured Repertoire GERSHWIN: An American in Paris GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue MÁRQUEZ: Danzón No. 2 ASSAD: Brazilian Fanfare TCHAIKOVSKY: 1812 Overture |
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Ticket InformationAdult Reserved $33 / Grass $20Child (12 & under) Reserved $13 / Grass Free Tickets subject to applicable service charges. |
 Your ESO is extremely pleased to have Bullfrog Power as a partner to lower the electricity-related emissions footprint of the festival with Alberta-made wind power. |
 Heritage Amphitheatre celebrates its 25th Anniversary in 2011. |
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Program Info
Program
LAVALLÉE (Arr Gilliland)
O Canada (1’)*
ARNE (attributed) (Arr Chapman)
God Save the Queen (30”)*
GERSHWIN
An American in Paris (16’)*
GERSHWIN (Arr Grofé)
Rhapsody in Blue (17’)*
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Sarah Ho, piano
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INTERMISSION
MÁRQUEZ
Danzon No. 2 (11’)*
ASSAD
Brazilian Fanfare (8’)*
ANDREW REID (2011 Young Composer)
Echoes of Time (5’)*
TCHAIKOVSKY
1812 Overture (14’)*
*Indicates approximate performance duration
Program subject to change.
Program Notes
An American in Paris
George Gershwin (b. Brooklyn, 1898 / d. Hollywood, 1937)
By the mid-1920s, George Gershwin had captured the Broadway stage with many smash musical hits. With Rhapsody in Blue (see below), he showed that he could capture the classical stage as well. New York Philharmonic conductor Walter Damrosch commissioned a new work for the opening of the 1928 concert season and Gershwin, freshly returned from a visit to Paris, responded with the tone poem An American in Paris.
It is conceived along traditional three-part guidelines. At the outset, an American strolls through the busy Paris streets (the “ambling theme” is even accompanied at the start by specifically pitched car horns) while taking in a number of sights as he strolls. There is a central section dominated by the “homesickness theme,” first heard in lovely trumpet solo. There is also an underpinning of a Charleston-like jazz theme. The work concludes with the homesickness giving way to the charms of Paris. It’s rather metaphorical, actually. Gershwin was indeed fascinated by French impressionist music while he visited Paris, and that influence is evident in many of the work’s orchestral touches and harmonic colours.
Rhapsody in Blue (arr. Grofé)
Gershwin
On January 4, 1924, George Gershwin was finishing a musical called Sweet Little Devil when his brother - and oft-times lyricist - Ira read him an article in the New York Tribune. In it, famous and influential bandleader (and friend of the Gershwins) Paul Whiteman announced details of an upcoming concert he planned to conduct, to be called “What is American Music?” and which would include a new piano concerto by George Gershwin. George vaguely recalled an unspecific conversation with Whiteman about the idea - but now, the concert was only five weeks away! A frantic call from George to Whiteman got everything put on the front burner.
With time so short, it was decided that Gershwin would supply a piano score, which would be orchestrated by Whiteman’s arranger, Ferde Grofé. A train ride to Boston gave Gershwin his inspiration. “I suddenly heard (in the train’s noises) - even saw on paper - the complete construction of the Rhapsody from beginning to end,” Gershwin later wrote. “I worked on thematic material already in my mind…I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America - of our vast melting pot, of our incomparable national pep, our blues, our metropolitan madenss.”
Gershwin played the solo part at the work’s premiere, improvising many of the piano solos on the spot, and the work was a smashing success from the outset. Sales of sheet music alone made Gershwin a millionaire. Ira came up with the title Rhapsody in Blue, and this sweeping, invigorating, charmingly naïve, and thoroughly American work continues to work its magic on audiences to this day.
Danzón No. 2
Arturo Márquez (b. Alamos Sonora, Mexico, 1950)
The name of Arturo Márquez is not known widely outside his native Mexico, but there he is held in high regard. In fact, this afternoon’s work, Danzón No. 2, is regarded by some as Mexico’s second national anthem. The dance begins quietly, on a clarinet (Julianne Scott) accompanied by percussive sticks and piano. Other woodwind instruments eventually join in, and the sound expands broadly from there. A second section, one of urgency and drive, turns into a vivacious orchestral dance with strong brass accents. There is a more tender middle section recalling the opening, though featuring the strings much more prominently. After a brief pause, the passionate pace picks up once again, with a vibrant trumpet solo (Robin Doyon) ushering in a rousing finish.
Brazilian Fanfare
Clarice Assad (b. Rio de Janeiro, 1978)
Brazilian Fanfare was commissioned by Robert Bernhardt and the Chattanooga Symphony, which premiered the work in 2005. “I first heard of Clarice through Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, and the Violin Concerto that Clarice wrote for her,” writes Bob Bernhardt. “I was impressed by it, and then even more by the few other works of hers that I was able to hear. I was further delighted by Clarice's 'popular' music, her piano playing, improvisation and vocal strength. While talking with her, hearing about her Brazilian roots and her family's musical connection, and realizing that she had compositional abilities in so many genres, we came up with the idea of her writing an overture-length work based upon the flavors of her native land, a work that might fit a classical concert as easily as a pops concert.”
Of her work, Ms. Assad has written:
Composing a Brazilian orchestral work has been a very exciting experience for me. I was thrilled with the immense arsenal of possibilities that this entailed; but I was also a bit skeptical because I knew that it would be virtually impossible to incorporate all aspects of Brazilian music into one single piece. Brazil is a very young country with a very young history, but it is also the largest country in South America. Consequently, there is a great variety of cultures and sub-cultures within each little region. It would be extremely difficult to describe the many different styles and genres that make up the music of Brazil. Still, I wanted Brazilian Fanfare to comprise as many of these elements as possible, portraying a portion of every region as a caricature, while focusing on the joyful, light, humorous and warm aspect of this country because this is how most people relate to Brazil. The piece uses the most commonly known Brazilian rhythms in their raw form such as the Olodum from Bahia, the Samba from Rio de Janeiro, Chorinho from São Paolo, Baiao from the Northeast part of the country, as well as some other rhythms that may be derivative of those regions or variations on the rhythms themselves.
Echoes of Time (World premiere through the Young Composers Project)
Andrew Reid (b. Edmonton, 1993)
Andrew Reid’s journey in composition began at six years of age with piano lessons. He quickly discovered his ability to play familiar songs solely by ear. A few years later, Andrew began composing and recording music for the films he was making. Now a graduate from Edmonton Christian High School, his portfolio includes compositions ranging from piano to full orchestral pieces. “It’s my greatest aspiration in life,” says Andrew. Andrew plans to take his Music Diploma at Grant MacEwan University.
Of his work Echoes of Time, Mr. Reid writes:
“Since early childhood, music has been a passion of mine, and over the years, I have come to appreciate the compositional aspect of it. I began composing songs on the piano from a young age, and would often feature them in the home films I was creating. Since then, I have composed many original pieces, been involved in Edmonton Christian School’s band and choir, and had many private music lessons on various instruments. In the fall, I will be attending Grant MacEwan’s music diploma program. I hope to carry on with my musical studies to continuously gain knowledge and pursue my dream of composing for films.
“I chose to call my piece Echoes of Time because it reflects my years of composition leading up to this point. The experience of writing for the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra has been very enjoyable, as I have learned a lot about proper orchestration. As this piece is an echo of my past, I hope that it can resound into the future as I gain more knowledge in the area of composition.”
Ouverture solennelle, Op.49 “1812 Overture”
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (b. Kamsko-Votinsk, 1840 / d. St. Petersburg, 1893)
1882 marked the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Napoleon’s army at Borodino. That same year, the consecration of the new Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was to take place, built as a memorial to the Russian victory. Nikolas Rubinstein asked his friend Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to write a ceremonial piece for chorus and orchestra. Never one to find particular inspiration in commissions which restricted his artistic expressiveness, the composer accepted reluctantly, and dashed off the work in less than a week, having little hope that such an occasional piece would have any enduring appeal.
“The Overture will be very noisy,” Tchaikovsky wrote to his patroness, Nadezhda von Meck, “I wrote it without much enthusiasm. It has no great artistic value.” Time proved him wrong, however, and the only person who persisted in feeling this way about the 1812 Overture was Tchaikovsky himself.
While certainly a programmatic piece, the overture does not follow a chronological sequence. It opens with the hymn God Preserve Thy People, and gradually, the two great armies (represented by nationalistic songs) come together. The famous march of the overture is first heard quietly, and with great skill and momentum, Tchaikovsky combines all these disparate elements - including two cannonades - building the work to a glorious climax. The Tsar’s Hymn gradually defeats Le Marseillaise, church bells ring out the victory, and the rousing march theme ushers in the final volley of cannons, leaving no doubt as to the victor in the conflict.
Artist Info
Robert Bernhardt, conductor
Robert Bernhardt served as Music Director and Conductor of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera for 19 seasons. He was the second Music Director in the combined company’s history, and is now the first with the title Emeritus. A lover of all genres of music, he is equally at home in symphonic, operatic, pops, and educational performances. He also nears another milestone in his career with the Louisville Orchestra, with this year representing his 30th consecutive season with the LO, and his 15th as Principal Pops Conductor. 2010-2011 saw Mr. Bernhardt make his conducting debuts with the Houston Symphony and Cincinnati Pops, and returning twice to the Boston Pops. His vast symphonic repertoire covers most of the standard canon and his commitment to the music of our time is significant. He has been a frequent guest conductor with the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, and the Boston Pops. He has also been a guest with the Seattle Symphony, the Phoenix Symphony, the Nashville Symphony, the Colorado Symphony, the Iceland Symphony, the Pacific Symphony, and others. He has recorded for Vanguard, First Edition, Carlton Classics, and RPO record labels. He has also conducted the Louisville Ballet, the North Carolina Ballet, the Jacksonville Ballet, and the Lonestar Ballet.Born in Rochester, NY, Robert Bernhardt holds a Master's Degree with Honours from the University of Southern California School of Music where he studied with Daniel Lewis. He was a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of Union (NY) College, where he was an Academic All-American baseball player. His son, Alex, lives and works in Seattle with his wife and new daughter, and his daughter, Charlotte, is a resident of New York City. He and his wife, Nora, live on Signal Mountain.
Robert Bernhardt holds a special place in the hearts of Edmonton Symphony Orchestra musicians and audiences. This year’s Symphony Under the Sky marks his sixth consecutive as the festival’s conductor, and he frequently leads the ESO in subscription series performances at the Winspear Centre. He last conducted the ESO in December 2010, and returns to kick off the Robbins Lighter Classics series on October 6, 2011.
Sarah Ho, piano
Canadian pianist Sarah Ho has been consistently recognized for her performances as a soloist and chamber musician in recitals and competitions across Canada, the United States, and in Europe. Sarah has appeared with orchestras in Canada such as the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Orchestra, and has frequently been recorded in recital for CBC radio. She has performed in notable venues and summer festivals around the world, including the Schubert Theatre in New York, the Banff Festival for the Arts, the Internationale Meisterkurse für Musik-Zurich, and the Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. Sarah has studied under some of the most renowned pianists of our time. At Indiana University, she received her Bachelor's Degree with Distinction and was awarded a Performer's Certificate for outstanding musical performance, studying with Menahem Pressler. At Yale University, where she studied with Claude Frank, she received a Master's degree and an Artist Diploma. In Edmonton, she studied with Wolfram Linnebach and in addition, was also a student of Stéphane Lemelin and Marek Jablonski.In recognition of her achievements, Sarah was twice awarded The Sir James Lougheed Award of Distinction by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. She has also received numerous grants and scholarships from organizations such as the Anne Burrows Foundation and the Edmonton Community Foundation-Winspear Fund. Sarah resides in Edmonton, Alberta and is on the piano faculty at the Alberta College Conservatory of Music - Grant Macewan University, and is an assistant Artistic Director for the Edmonton Recital Society. She is currently very active in her newest role, as a mother, to her one-year old son, Markus. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys being an avid runner and has completed four marathons.
Ms. Ho last appeared with the ESO in February 2010.
Festival Info
Parking
Park your vehicle for only $5 at the U of A’s Stadium Car Park (116 St & 89 Ave), and ride ETS buses for free directly to Hawrelak Park! Parking is very limited at Hawrelak Park and not guaranteed. Free, supervised bike racks will also be available at Hawrelak Park, courtesy of the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society.
Park 'n' Ride Shuttle Hours
Friday, September 2nd: 5 pm - 10:30 pm
Saturday, September 3rd: 12 pm - 11:30 pm
Sunday, September 4th: 12 pm - 11:30 pm
Monday, September 5th: 12 pm - 5:30 pm
On-site Box Office
The on-site Box Office Tent is cash only. There will be an ATM machine on site.
On-site Box Office Hours
On-site Box Office Hours
Friday, September 2nd: 5 pm - 7:30 pm
Saturday, September 3rd: 12 pm - 7:30 pm
Sunday, September 4th: 12 pm - 7:30 pm
Monday, September 5th: 11:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Food & Drink
Food vendors will be located in the Heritage Amphitheatre and the Winspear Concession stand will offer snacks, hot and cold drinks, wine & beer.
Symphony Under the Sky Online
Stay tuned to festival updates by connecting with us on Facebook and Twitter!Twitter: @edmsymphony (festival hashtag is #yegSUTS)
Facebook: facebook.com/edmontonsymphony
Weather
In case of inclement weather, festival concerts will take place at the Winspear Centre. If at all possible, all performances will remain at Hawrelak Park. The decision about whether to change venues will be made 3 hours prior to the performance. Venue change information will be announced on 92.5 JOE FM, posted on the front page of this website, and noted at 780-428-1414 and 1-800-563-5081.
Festival Supporters
Thank you to our festival supporters The City of Edmonton through the Edmonton Arts Council and The REALTORS® Association of Edmonton.
My ESO COMMUNITY
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