Posted on Facebook 7/22
“…a death-defying set of variations based on music from Bizet’s ‘Carmen’… it’s all flash and fun, as well as being full of dance rhythms, so it fits well with the waltz theme of the concert” says MN Orchestra Associate Principal Flute Greg Milliren in an interview published on the Orchestra’s website this week. He and Principal Flute Adam Kuenzel perform François Borne’s ‘Carmen’ Fantasy for Two Flutes and Orchestra this Friday night and Sunday afternoon. Learn more about it (and about Greg) in the interview here: http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/showcase/38-meet-a-musician-greg-milliren
On these programs you will also hear Steven Campbell perform Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Tuba Concerto. Read our post about that piece, published 6/25, below.
The highest orchestral wind instrument … the lowest orchestral wind instrument … and delightful Strauss family waltzes in between … what’s not to love! More info here: http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/555/-/strauss-the-waltz-king#.VYwRQvlViko
We hope to see you this weekend!
“…a death-defying set of variations based on music from Bizet’s ‘Carmen’… it’s all flash and fun, as well as being full of dance rhythms, so it fits well with the waltz theme of the concert” says MN Orchestra Associate Principal Flute Greg Milliren in an interview published on the Orchestra’s website this week. He and Principal Flute Adam Kuenzel perform François Borne’s ‘Carmen’ Fantasy for Two Flutes and Orchestra this Friday night and Sunday afternoon. Learn more about it (and about Greg) in the interview here: http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/showcase/38-meet-a-musician-greg-milliren
On these programs you will also hear Steven Campbell perform Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Tuba Concerto. Read our post about that piece, published 6/25, below.
The highest orchestral wind instrument … the lowest orchestral wind instrument … and delightful Strauss family waltzes in between … what’s not to love! More info here: http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/555/-/strauss-the-waltz-king#.VYwRQvlViko
We hope to see you this weekend!
Posted on Facebook 6/25
Tubaahhhh! Our friend Erika Sacks-White sent us a great intro to the Ralph Vaughan Williams Tuba Concerto that will be performed by Steve Campbell on July 24 & 26, and she also talks about her childhood memories of Sommerfest and why she’s excited about this summer’s festival. Read on….
Erika writes, “Ah, Sommerfest. Some of my favorite childhood memories of concerts at Orchestra Hall were during the month-long summer festival of concerts. After hearing great music, we would head out to Peavey Plaza for an ice cream treat. Invariably, we would talk with musicians who were also enjoying dessert. If you have never been to a Sommerfest concert, you really must go. There are so many options to choose from – great piano concerti with Andrew Litton, chamber music with our stellar orchestra members, and of course Madame Butterfly at the end of the festival.
“The concert that I am most looking forward to attending is devoted to Strauss. We can all enjoy a few waltzes during the summer, right? But, that is not all this concert will offer – there is also a tuba concerto that I cannot wait to hear. What’s that, did I just say tuba concerto?! (You’re thinking, “Why would anyone bother to write a concerto for the tuba?!” Right?) It turns out that many people have done so, but Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote one in 1954, and it is the gold standard (at least by my reckoning). I had the opportunity to play this piece several years ago, and I have loved it ever since.
“So, you’re wondering how a tuba even has anything to offer beyond the standard “oom pah” in Strauss waltzes or other pieces, I suppose. Actually, the tuba is like the double bass for the brass family. It provides the grounding and depth of sound that can’t be provided by trumpets. It creates enough reverberations to vibrate the stage floor. In the capable scoring of Vaughan Williams, the tuba comes alive and shows off a much greater range of sound than most of us were aware it could do.
The first movement is a rhythmic dance with a lot of interplay between the orchestra and the tuba. The tuba part displays a full range of colors, alternating between short rhythmic bursts of tongued notes, and longer mellifluous phrases. A cadenza towards the end of the movement allows the tubist to show off a bit, but in a refined manner.
“The second movement (Romanza) is the heart and soul of this piece. It is the longest movement of the three, and I am glad for that. The strings begin with a lovely melody, and the tuba part sneaks in about 90 seconds later. If you listen with your eyes closed, you might think you are hearing a French horn. The tuba takes over the phrase, and it is truly one of the most beautiful melodies I have heard. There is a lyricism that alternates between melancholia and yearning, it is signature Vaughan Williams writing. There is a short section that feels slightly faster and more urgent that gives the winds and brass more to do, but this movement belongs to the strings and the soloist.
“The final movement begins with a trill from the tuba, and it is a romp from beginning to end. Alternating between melodies that are dramatic, serious and have a sense of foreboding, the tubist demonstrates a virtuosic display of tonguing and trilling techniques. Like the first movement, there is a cadenza in which the tuba brings the piece to a rousing finish by roaring its lowest notes.
“Well, are you curious to hear this tuba concerto now? My descriptions can’t do it justice, I urge you to come and hear it for yourself. I think you will be pleasantly surprised, and maybe even find that it becomes one of your favorite pieces as well.
“See the links below for further information, and enjoy a great concert this summer!”
Thanks, Erika!
Sommerfest info here: http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/special-events/sommerfest
More info about the July 24&26 concert here: http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/555/-/strauss-the-waltz-king#.VYwRQvlViko
Tubaahhhh! Our friend Erika Sacks-White sent us a great intro to the Ralph Vaughan Williams Tuba Concerto that will be performed by Steve Campbell on July 24 & 26, and she also talks about her childhood memories of Sommerfest and why she’s excited about this summer’s festival. Read on….
Erika writes, “Ah, Sommerfest. Some of my favorite childhood memories of concerts at Orchestra Hall were during the month-long summer festival of concerts. After hearing great music, we would head out to Peavey Plaza for an ice cream treat. Invariably, we would talk with musicians who were also enjoying dessert. If you have never been to a Sommerfest concert, you really must go. There are so many options to choose from – great piano concerti with Andrew Litton, chamber music with our stellar orchestra members, and of course Madame Butterfly at the end of the festival.
“The concert that I am most looking forward to attending is devoted to Strauss. We can all enjoy a few waltzes during the summer, right? But, that is not all this concert will offer – there is also a tuba concerto that I cannot wait to hear. What’s that, did I just say tuba concerto?! (You’re thinking, “Why would anyone bother to write a concerto for the tuba?!” Right?) It turns out that many people have done so, but Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote one in 1954, and it is the gold standard (at least by my reckoning). I had the opportunity to play this piece several years ago, and I have loved it ever since.
“So, you’re wondering how a tuba even has anything to offer beyond the standard “oom pah” in Strauss waltzes or other pieces, I suppose. Actually, the tuba is like the double bass for the brass family. It provides the grounding and depth of sound that can’t be provided by trumpets. It creates enough reverberations to vibrate the stage floor. In the capable scoring of Vaughan Williams, the tuba comes alive and shows off a much greater range of sound than most of us were aware it could do.
The first movement is a rhythmic dance with a lot of interplay between the orchestra and the tuba. The tuba part displays a full range of colors, alternating between short rhythmic bursts of tongued notes, and longer mellifluous phrases. A cadenza towards the end of the movement allows the tubist to show off a bit, but in a refined manner.
“The second movement (Romanza) is the heart and soul of this piece. It is the longest movement of the three, and I am glad for that. The strings begin with a lovely melody, and the tuba part sneaks in about 90 seconds later. If you listen with your eyes closed, you might think you are hearing a French horn. The tuba takes over the phrase, and it is truly one of the most beautiful melodies I have heard. There is a lyricism that alternates between melancholia and yearning, it is signature Vaughan Williams writing. There is a short section that feels slightly faster and more urgent that gives the winds and brass more to do, but this movement belongs to the strings and the soloist.
“The final movement begins with a trill from the tuba, and it is a romp from beginning to end. Alternating between melodies that are dramatic, serious and have a sense of foreboding, the tubist demonstrates a virtuosic display of tonguing and trilling techniques. Like the first movement, there is a cadenza in which the tuba brings the piece to a rousing finish by roaring its lowest notes.
“Well, are you curious to hear this tuba concerto now? My descriptions can’t do it justice, I urge you to come and hear it for yourself. I think you will be pleasantly surprised, and maybe even find that it becomes one of your favorite pieces as well.
“See the links below for further information, and enjoy a great concert this summer!”
Thanks, Erika!
Sommerfest info here: http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/special-events/sommerfest
More info about the July 24&26 concert here: http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/555/-/strauss-the-waltz-king#.VYwRQvlViko