Hundreds of years from now, as people look back on the 20th century and talk about its music, I think that music written for film will be one of the centers of conversation. Film music from this century will not only still be performed, but I think that many of the best pieces will become the classical standards for the next century.
As silent pictures moved to “talkies” and film developed in the early part of the century, so did the music that accompanied it. Many of the names that we commonly associate with classical music during that time period were also involved with writing music for film. Great composers like Aaron Copland, Dmitri Shostakovich, William Walton, and Serge Prokofiev, all wrote film scores. For some of them, it was their way of helping out the war efforts and serving their country; for others, it was a much more lucrative way of supporting themselves as composers during difficult times.
How grateful we are, however, for the legacy that these composers have left. On Saturday night (May 15th) at 8:00pm at the Norwalk Concert Hall, the Norwalk Symphony will explore some of the music that these classical composers wrote. The connections between their film music and their classical music is undeniable, to the point that Shostakovich used some of the same melodies for the film The Great Citizen as he used in the slow movement of his 11th Symphony. Copland often extracted concert suites from his early film scores such as The Red Pony, Of Mice and Men, Our Town, and The City. These are performed on the concert stage with orchestras all over the world. William Walton received his calling-up papers for British military service in 1941, but was exempted from military service on the condition that he would provide music for films deemed to be “of national importance”. The melodies for his film score for the First of the Few (a film about R.J. Mitchell, the designer of the Spitfire airplane that helped win the war) were later adapted into his “Spitfire” Prelude and Fugue concert overture. The Russian film Alexander Nevsky with music by Serge Prokofiev is often done today as a live orchestral performance accompanying the film, or it is performed in its Cantata version for orchestra and chorus. The concert on Saturday night will feature selections from the film Alexander Nevsky with a chorus of high school students from New Canaan High School and Darien High School.
Some other composers that crossed between film music and classical compositions are Miklós Rósza, and Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Rósza is most famous for the music for the movies Ben Hur, Madam Bovary, Jungle Book, King of Kings, and El Cid; while Korngold wrote the music for the films Robin Hood, Captain Blood, and Sea Hawk. He received an Academy Award and two Oscars for his film scores. Both of these composers also wrote extensive classical concert pieces that are still performed today.
In our own time, we are still experiencing some incredible compositions for film. One of my favorites is the Italian composer Ennio Morricone. His scores for The Postman, Cinema Paradisio, and The Mission, are all so beautifully crafted and so classical in their approach. And of course, what concert involving film music would be complete with some music by John Williams, the famous composer of the music for Star Wars, Superman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T, Schindler’s List, the Harry Potter movies, and countless more films.
Writing for film requires the same skill in crafting a beautiful melody, developing a theme, cleverly orchestrating the piece to provide power and warmth, building up to exciting climaxes, and engaging your audience. The film music we will perform in our concert Saturday night crosses the boundaries between film music and classical music. With music by all of the composers listed above, it is a concert of great music – music that should be performed more often.
by Diane Wittry
Music Director and Conductor
Norwalk Symphony Orchestra
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Film music is not good film music if it can be used for any other purpose.....
Walton, “Spitfire” Prelude and Fugue
“Walton, “Spitfire” Prelude and Fugue
“Film music is not good film music if it can be used for any other purpose,” wrote William Walton (1902-1983) in April 1942. It was just a month before he began work on the score to the wartime morale-boosting film The First of the Few. Soon, however, he had to eat his words. The movie became an outstanding success, and people clamored to hear two unique musical excerpts from it: the rousing march-prelude played with the main titles and the dazzling fugue that accompanied a scene in the Spitfire fighter-plane factory. By the end of the year, Walton had re-scored this music as “Spitfire” Prelude and Fugue, a concert work.
The Prelude, prefaced by fanfares and spellbinding to its first film audiences, swells with noble optimism, courage, and affirmation. Walton’s infallible instinct to write a fugue for the aircraft-factory scene resulted in some of his most exciting music. In all, the“Spitfire” Prelude and Fugue is an inspiring reminder of civilian heroism during World War II.
“Walton, “Spitfire” Prelude and Fugue
“Film music is not good film music if it can be used for any other purpose,” wrote William Walton (1902-1983) in April 1942. It was just a month before he began work on the score to the wartime morale-boosting film The First of the Few. Soon, however, he had to eat his words. The movie became an outstanding success, and people clamored to hear two unique musical excerpts from it: the rousing march-prelude played with the main titles and the dazzling fugue that accompanied a scene in the Spitfire fighter-plane factory. By the end of the year, Walton had re-scored this music as “Spitfire” Prelude and Fugue, a concert work.
The Prelude, prefaced by fanfares and spellbinding to its first film audiences, swells with noble optimism, courage, and affirmation. Walton’s infallible instinct to write a fugue for the aircraft-factory scene resulted in some of his most exciting music. In all, the“Spitfire” Prelude and Fugue is an inspiring reminder of civilian heroism during World War II.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Are you looking forward to our concert next weekend?
Saturday, May 15th will be a variety of classical music that also doubles as movie themes. Between now and then we thought we would give you some advanced notes on each selection that will be performed.
“2001: A Space Odyssey”
(Opening to Strauss, Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30)
Hardly was the ink dry on the score of Richard Strauss’s Till Eulenspiegel in 1895, when he began to sketch a new symphonic poem. Till had been one of Strauss’s most pictorial, illustrative works for orchestra, but the new piece would be inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical writings. Young Germans of Strauss’s generation had avidly read Nietzsche’s poetic-philosophical book,. The book’s hero, named after the pre- Christian Persian prophet, seemed to exemplify the fin-de-siècle artistic ideals of the time: a “super-person” who is a free spirit longing after higher aspirations than his world seems to offer.
It came as no surprise that when Richard Strauss (1864-1949) announced the subject of his new symphonic poem, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, a great outcry went up. Philosophy through music? Ridiculous! Yet, unknown to Strauss or anyone else, author Friedrich Nietzsche had confided to his journal that the nature of Zarathustra belongs “almost among the symphonies.” The famous (“2001: A Space Odyssey”) introduction has no subtitle, yet it is clearly a depiction of dawn. The tonality of the opening is C, symbolizing the purity and simplicity of Nature.
“2001: A Space Odyssey”
(Opening to Strauss, Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30)
Hardly was the ink dry on the score of Richard Strauss’s Till Eulenspiegel in 1895, when he began to sketch a new symphonic poem. Till had been one of Strauss’s most pictorial, illustrative works for orchestra, but the new piece would be inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical writings. Young Germans of Strauss’s generation had avidly read Nietzsche’s poetic-philosophical book,. The book’s hero, named after the pre- Christian Persian prophet, seemed to exemplify the fin-de-siècle artistic ideals of the time: a “super-person” who is a free spirit longing after higher aspirations than his world seems to offer.
It came as no surprise that when Richard Strauss (1864-1949) announced the subject of his new symphonic poem, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, a great outcry went up. Philosophy through music? Ridiculous! Yet, unknown to Strauss or anyone else, author Friedrich Nietzsche had confided to his journal that the nature of Zarathustra belongs “almost among the symphonies.” The famous (“2001: A Space Odyssey”) introduction has no subtitle, yet it is clearly a depiction of dawn. The tonality of the opening is C, symbolizing the purity and simplicity of Nature.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
AN INSIDE LOOK AT “ROMEO AND JULIET”
Romeo and Juliet – the classic tale of two star-crossed lovers whose passionate love ends in tragedy is a story of two families in a never-ending feud that has gone on for so long that neither remembers the original cause. It is also a story of youth and innocence confronted with the realities of life; and a story of sacrifice and death.
Have you ever loved some one so much that you just couldn’t imagine life without them? That you would rather take your own life, than to linger here on earth without them by your side? This is the love that Romeo and Juliet had for each other. Yes, it was young love. Perhaps in our older, wiser minds, we think they would have gotten over each other. Or we rationalize that the families would have eventually given in and allowed them to be together, but that is not how the story goes. There is no easy, happy ending for Romeo and Juliet, only tragedy and death. Yet, we are continually drawn to this story because it speaks of a love that was more powerful than death; a type of love that we all hope to have in our own lives. A love that is pure and overflowing, accepting and not judgmental.
The Romeo and Juliet plot is based on an Italian tale, translated into verse as “The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet” by Arthur Brooke in 1562, and retold in prose in “Palace of Pleasure” by William Painter in 1582. Shakespeare borrowed heavily from both. When Shakespeare wrote his play “Romeo and Juliet” in around 1595, I doubt that he ever imagined that it would become one of the most famous plays ever written. Every child studies this work in school, and almost all of us can recite the basic plot by heart. Over the centuries, writers, artists, and composers have been inspired by this famous story and many have created their own versions.
On Saturday, March 20th, the Norwalk Symphony will explore this theme of “Romeo and Juliet”. Over the years, so many great composers have set this story to music that I found it very difficult to narrow the selections down to a length that would properly fit on a concert. In the end, I choose the three that I love: Serge Prokofiev, with his beautifully romantic ballet music for Romeo and Juliet; Tchaikovsky with his powerful Fantasy Overture Romeo and Juliet; and perhaps the most famous version – modernized and reset in New York City – Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story.”
During the concert we will explore the similarities and differences between the composers as they each set this story to music. Highlighted selections will include:
The Montagues and the Capulets; the famous balcony love scene; the fight scene where Tybalt dies; the staged death of Juliet; and of course, the real death of Romeo followed by the death of Juliet.
Joining us for this concert will be the famous actor Avery Brooks (he played the Captain on the television show Deep Space Nine) and the actress Gretchen Hall ( The Courtesan, Shakespeare on the Sound production) giving us highlights of the story with the music.
To capture the intense emotions of each of these scenes is a challenge for any composer, and each of the composers represented in this concert have approached it in a different way. When Prokofiev originally wrote his ballet music, there was much controversy over his music and the premiere performance was postponed. This is because he had changed the ending for story and gave it a happy ending – Romeo and Juliet were alive and dancing in the finale. He had his reasons. Mainly, he wanted a happy ending with no deaths because dead people can’t dance. Well this did not go over well with the sponsors of the concert, and so the premiere was cancelled. Later on, the original tragic ending was restored.
Tchaikovsky first approached the concept of a concert overture based upon the story of Romeo and Juliet at the suggestion of the Russian composer Balakirev. Over the years, the piece went through many revisions, many of them at the suggestion of Balakirev. The version we will play is from 1880, the third and final version. With this piece, Tchaikovsky captures the flavor of the story with his dark introduction in the bassoons and clarinets and followed by the heavenly harp passage. His love theme music is beautifully haunting and has been used in many feature films. The sword fight scenes are punctuated with sharp cymbal crashes and furiously fast runs in the strings. Even though the piece was not warmly welcomed at its premiere in 1870, it has now become a favorite of the standard repertoire.
For the final piece on the concert, we bring you a totally different look at Romeo and Juliet. Leonard Bernstein was brought into the famous “West Side Story” project by Jerome Robbins. Here is what he wrote about it in his log of projects: “Jan 6, 1949. Jerry R called today with a noble idea: a modern version of Romeo and Juliet set in the slums at the coincidence of Easter-Passover celebrations. Feelings run high between Jews and Catholics. Former: Capulets; latter: Montagues. Juliet is Jewish. Friar Laurence is a neighborhood druggist. Street brawls, double death – it all fits. But it’s all much less important than the bigger idea of making a musical that tells a tragic story in musical-comedy terms, using only musical-comedy techniques, never falling into the “operatic” trap. Can it succeed? It hasn’t yet in our country. I’m excited. If it can work – it’s the first.”
So with their music, each of these composers had different visions, different goals, and different results, in setting the story of Romeo and Juliet. I hope that you will join us as we compare and contrast these three unique approaches, Saturday, March 20, 2010, 8:00pm at the Norwalk Concert. The pre-concert talk starts at 7:00pm. For ticket information, visit www.NorwalkSymphony.org or phone: 203-847-8844.
I hope to see you at the Symphony!
by Diane Wittry
Music Director and Conductor
Have you ever loved some one so much that you just couldn’t imagine life without them? That you would rather take your own life, than to linger here on earth without them by your side? This is the love that Romeo and Juliet had for each other. Yes, it was young love. Perhaps in our older, wiser minds, we think they would have gotten over each other. Or we rationalize that the families would have eventually given in and allowed them to be together, but that is not how the story goes. There is no easy, happy ending for Romeo and Juliet, only tragedy and death. Yet, we are continually drawn to this story because it speaks of a love that was more powerful than death; a type of love that we all hope to have in our own lives. A love that is pure and overflowing, accepting and not judgmental.
The Romeo and Juliet plot is based on an Italian tale, translated into verse as “The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet” by Arthur Brooke in 1562, and retold in prose in “Palace of Pleasure” by William Painter in 1582. Shakespeare borrowed heavily from both. When Shakespeare wrote his play “Romeo and Juliet” in around 1595, I doubt that he ever imagined that it would become one of the most famous plays ever written. Every child studies this work in school, and almost all of us can recite the basic plot by heart. Over the centuries, writers, artists, and composers have been inspired by this famous story and many have created their own versions.
On Saturday, March 20th, the Norwalk Symphony will explore this theme of “Romeo and Juliet”. Over the years, so many great composers have set this story to music that I found it very difficult to narrow the selections down to a length that would properly fit on a concert. In the end, I choose the three that I love: Serge Prokofiev, with his beautifully romantic ballet music for Romeo and Juliet; Tchaikovsky with his powerful Fantasy Overture Romeo and Juliet; and perhaps the most famous version – modernized and reset in New York City – Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story.”
During the concert we will explore the similarities and differences between the composers as they each set this story to music. Highlighted selections will include:
The Montagues and the Capulets; the famous balcony love scene; the fight scene where Tybalt dies; the staged death of Juliet; and of course, the real death of Romeo followed by the death of Juliet.
Joining us for this concert will be the famous actor Avery Brooks (he played the Captain on the television show Deep Space Nine) and the actress Gretchen Hall ( The Courtesan, Shakespeare on the Sound production) giving us highlights of the story with the music.
To capture the intense emotions of each of these scenes is a challenge for any composer, and each of the composers represented in this concert have approached it in a different way. When Prokofiev originally wrote his ballet music, there was much controversy over his music and the premiere performance was postponed. This is because he had changed the ending for story and gave it a happy ending – Romeo and Juliet were alive and dancing in the finale. He had his reasons. Mainly, he wanted a happy ending with no deaths because dead people can’t dance. Well this did not go over well with the sponsors of the concert, and so the premiere was cancelled. Later on, the original tragic ending was restored.
Tchaikovsky first approached the concept of a concert overture based upon the story of Romeo and Juliet at the suggestion of the Russian composer Balakirev. Over the years, the piece went through many revisions, many of them at the suggestion of Balakirev. The version we will play is from 1880, the third and final version. With this piece, Tchaikovsky captures the flavor of the story with his dark introduction in the bassoons and clarinets and followed by the heavenly harp passage. His love theme music is beautifully haunting and has been used in many feature films. The sword fight scenes are punctuated with sharp cymbal crashes and furiously fast runs in the strings. Even though the piece was not warmly welcomed at its premiere in 1870, it has now become a favorite of the standard repertoire.
For the final piece on the concert, we bring you a totally different look at Romeo and Juliet. Leonard Bernstein was brought into the famous “West Side Story” project by Jerome Robbins. Here is what he wrote about it in his log of projects: “Jan 6, 1949. Jerry R called today with a noble idea: a modern version of Romeo and Juliet set in the slums at the coincidence of Easter-Passover celebrations. Feelings run high between Jews and Catholics. Former: Capulets; latter: Montagues. Juliet is Jewish. Friar Laurence is a neighborhood druggist. Street brawls, double death – it all fits. But it’s all much less important than the bigger idea of making a musical that tells a tragic story in musical-comedy terms, using only musical-comedy techniques, never falling into the “operatic” trap. Can it succeed? It hasn’t yet in our country. I’m excited. If it can work – it’s the first.”
So with their music, each of these composers had different visions, different goals, and different results, in setting the story of Romeo and Juliet. I hope that you will join us as we compare and contrast these three unique approaches, Saturday, March 20, 2010, 8:00pm at the Norwalk Concert. The pre-concert talk starts at 7:00pm. For ticket information, visit www.NorwalkSymphony.org or phone: 203-847-8844.
I hope to see you at the Symphony!
by Diane Wittry
Music Director and Conductor
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Norwalk Symphony Orchestra to Spearhead Food Drive in Fairfield County
Community outreach is taking on a new meaning for The Norwalk Symphony Orchestra as it joins orchestras across the nation in a food drive that will benefit food banks in each locale. Last year was the first ever national effort of this kind to be undertaken by orchestras and of the over 250 symphonies participating, from all of the 50 states, the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra raised the twelfth greatest amount of food.
The program, Orchestras Feeding America, is the second national food drive by America’s symphony orchestras. Norwalk Symphony’s musicians, staff, and volunteers will collect non-perishable food between March 14th and March 20th to benefit Norwalk’s Emergency Shelter and the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County.
The USDA reports that in 2009, one in five Americans does not know where their next meal is coming from.
“As a non-profit the NSO is here to enhance the cultural assets of our community but also to help serve our residents in all of their needs,” said Audrey Szychulski, Executive Director of the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra. “We hope that those who can will join us by donating to the food drive or by volunteering their time to help with food collections.”
In addition to performing at Norwalk Concert Hall, Norwalk Symphony’s musicians work with local agencies, schools, and libraries in a variety of programs, including educational outreach that is multi-generational.
Foods like dry and canned soup, rice, cereal, peanut butter, tuna, stew and fruit juice are the most needed foods. Patrons who drop off food donations at the Symphony’s Office at One Park Street between 10 am to 2 pm between Monday, March 15 and Friday, March 19 prior to the Symphony’s concert at 8 pm on Saturday, March 20, will receive a 60% off coupon towards the concert. Additional drop off locations can be found on the Symphony’s website, www.norwalksymphony.org.
For more information on the food drive and a list of drop-off locations and volunteer opportunities, please visit the website, www.norwalksymphony.org, or call 203-847-8844.
About The Norwalk Symphony Orchestra
The Norwalk Symphony Orchestra is a fully professional orchestra under the leadership of Conductor Diane Wittry. Approximately 70% of our musicians live and work in Fairfield County. Many of the world's greatest emerging musicians have performed with the Orchestra and its mission of hosting talented young musicians continues today. The NSO performs in the Norwalk Concert Hall at City Hall, 125 East Avenue. For information, visit www.norwalksymphony.org.
About Orchestras Feeding America
Orchestras Feeding America is organized by the League of American Orchestras, which represents the nation’s professional, volunteer, and youth orchestras and Feeding America’s network of more than 200 food banks and 63,000 agencies.
The program, Orchestras Feeding America, is the second national food drive by America’s symphony orchestras. Norwalk Symphony’s musicians, staff, and volunteers will collect non-perishable food between March 14th and March 20th to benefit Norwalk’s Emergency Shelter and the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County.
The USDA reports that in 2009, one in five Americans does not know where their next meal is coming from.
“As a non-profit the NSO is here to enhance the cultural assets of our community but also to help serve our residents in all of their needs,” said Audrey Szychulski, Executive Director of the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra. “We hope that those who can will join us by donating to the food drive or by volunteering their time to help with food collections.”
In addition to performing at Norwalk Concert Hall, Norwalk Symphony’s musicians work with local agencies, schools, and libraries in a variety of programs, including educational outreach that is multi-generational.
Foods like dry and canned soup, rice, cereal, peanut butter, tuna, stew and fruit juice are the most needed foods. Patrons who drop off food donations at the Symphony’s Office at One Park Street between 10 am to 2 pm between Monday, March 15 and Friday, March 19 prior to the Symphony’s concert at 8 pm on Saturday, March 20, will receive a 60% off coupon towards the concert. Additional drop off locations can be found on the Symphony’s website, www.norwalksymphony.org.
For more information on the food drive and a list of drop-off locations and volunteer opportunities, please visit the website, www.norwalksymphony.org, or call 203-847-8844.
About The Norwalk Symphony Orchestra
The Norwalk Symphony Orchestra is a fully professional orchestra under the leadership of Conductor Diane Wittry. Approximately 70% of our musicians live and work in Fairfield County. Many of the world's greatest emerging musicians have performed with the Orchestra and its mission of hosting talented young musicians continues today. The NSO performs in the Norwalk Concert Hall at City Hall, 125 East Avenue. For information, visit www.norwalksymphony.org.
About Orchestras Feeding America
Orchestras Feeding America is organized by the League of American Orchestras, which represents the nation’s professional, volunteer, and youth orchestras and Feeding America’s network of more than 200 food banks and 63,000 agencies.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
A CONCERT OF “FIRSTS!”
As a musician, one sits in awe of the great composers, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Berlioz, Debussy, Stravinsky… the list goes on and on. I remember in school when they had us write those two-line melodies and fugues, how stifled I felt in my creativity thinking. Often, I wondered, how does one compete with the past? Brahms definitely had some of the same thoughts as he struggled with the composition of his first Symphony under the daunting shadow of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. In fact, Brahms took about 20 years to actually finish his first Symphony. Luckily, my first composition “Mist” did not take that long.
For many years, people had asked me if I composed music, and I had always told them “No.” You see, at my young age, I didn’t really feel that I had anything to say - and I certainly did not have anything to say that hadn’t already been said before. But as the years went by, and as I studied and conducted more and more pieces, I began to have musical ideas of my own. I wanted to capture emotions into sound; I wanted to make people feel and experience things; I wanted to take them on a musical journey. But that is not the real reason why I wrote my first piece “Mist”. No, you see, I needed a project idea for a proposal so that I could go to an artist’s retreat in Italy. The opportunity to spend two weeks in a beautiful villa on the Island of Elba (with a fabulous Italian cook) was the driving motivation for me to become a composer. Besides, if one could consider John Cage’s compositions as “music” then surely absolutely anything I would write would be justifiable and accepted.
So, I bought the music software program called “Sibelius;” packed up the portable keyboard and the computer. Threw in the manual for good luck and went off to Italy. Well the first day, I sat down, plugged everything in and tried to put “note” to paper. I tried and I tried. I guess it would have helped if I would have actually read the manual on how the software program worked. The notes just kept appearing in all the wrong places. Whether I tried to play them in, or carefully placed them with the mouse, I could not get the system to work properly. Luckily, I had also brought music staff paper. And so by process of elimination, I realized that I was actually an old fashion composer. Pencil to paper was my mode of operation. I found that I really enjoyed seeing the shape of the piece on the page – all those little dots and lines.
As I composed, I was amazed at how the piece took on a life of its own. I don’t really feel like I wrote the piece “Mist.” Rather, it just happened. I heard the music it in my head and then figured out how to write it down. It took me on a journey and continually surprised me when melodies came back on top of each other. Some people think it is rather surprising that I wrote for full symphony orchestra for my first composition, but I have to say that because the orchestra is “my instrument,” I hear music in my head with all the instruments clearly defined. The melodies must be played by that specific instrument and color of sound.
By now, you should be a little bit curious about what my music might sound like. Each composer usually strives for a distinctly unique sound. My unique sound is totally unplanned, and since it is my first piece, we will all have to wait and see what my style develops into. My piece “Mist” however, is haunting and reflective; a little strident and tense in the middle: and then it returns to a reminiscent calm.
The concert of the Norwalk Symphony on Saturday January 30th (8:00pm) is called “A Concert of Firsts.” We will perform the Connecticut Premiere of my first composition “Mist” followed by Pianist Andrew Armstrong’s first performance with the Norwalk Symphony, performing Mendelssohn’s First Piano Concerto. The second half of the program will feature Brahms’ First Symphony that he struggled over for so many years. I hope that for all of you that have never been to hear the Norwalk Symphony that this will be your “First” time. Enrich your life by experiencing something new, and please join us as we explore some wonderful music together. You will be glad that you did.
Diane Wittry
Music Director and Conductor
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
"Mist" by Wittry - A Connecticut Premier
On the
As the piece developed, it took on a shape of its own and gradually became centered around diminished chords and the interval of a tri-tone (diminished 5th). I remember about a year ago when I was standing in an elevator at a Chicago Symphony rehearsal with Michael Tilson Thomas and some other conductors, and he asked us, “If you could become any “chord” what would it be?” Then he said he would be a flat 15th chord. We all sort of looked at him (and at each other), not quite knowing what to say, and then we each stumbled with answers. I said, “I would be a diminished chord, because from there, you could go anywhere.” Perhaps that is why subconsciously, my piece “Mist” is centered around multiple diminished chords. I love them for their angst and for their sadness, but also for their flexibility.
My piece is very textural in nature; and yes, it does have a melody of sorts, and yet, this melody comes and goes, and is never quite grasped until the end. Portions of it are repeated and spun out creating layers of sound without the heaviness of form. It is indeed a depiction of mist, where one minute you see things and the next they are gone. As you move through the piece, you find that the trumpet is also an antagonist, creeping in with a haunting cry; a reminder of things unsettled. Throughout the piece, we are quietly searching. We search for a tonal center for stability, and also for a melody that will make us feel fulfilled. Once found, we hold them for an instant, and then like the clouds and like life itself, they are gone. We are warmed by their presence and saddened by their loss.
I hope that you will reflect upon your own memories of life’s quiet moments as we enjoy the world premiere of this new work together. “Mist” is not a piece to be analyzed, but rather a piece to be experienced and absorbed. As you listen, release your mind, embrace your emotions, close your eyes, and allow the mist to creep in.
Diane Wittry
Music Director and Conductor
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