Symphony Music School to begin school year

JSO Community Music School to begin school year, adds flute instruction

The Jackson Symphony Orchestra Community Music School is proud to announce the addition of Marissa Olin to the faculty as instructor of flute.  She received her doctorate in flute performance from Michigan State University in 2010.  Dr. Olin has a long-standing relationship with the JSO, playing in the symphony’s flute section, coaching students and performing a concerto with the Jackson Youth Symphony, and teaching at the Community Music School’s Summer Music Camp.  She is also the flute instructor at Spring Arbor University

Registration for private music lessons begins August 27. Lessons and classes for the fall semester will start on Sept. 10. Instruction is available on the following instruments: bass, bassoon, cello, flute, oboe, percussion, piano, trumpet, viola and violin. (Instruction on some instruments may be temporarily unavailable due to enrollment levels.) 

The Community Music School is continuing its successful “Education Explosion” classes from last year.  The topics include Chamber Music, Theory/Ear Training, Composition/Arranging, Conducting, and Percussion Ensemble. (See more details below.) Start dates are anticipated for late September. Please call school registrar Liz DeLano at 782-3221 ext. 118 if you think you might like to enroll. 

Registration for Early Childhood Music Classes also is underway. The classes begin Sept. 11 and last for 13 weeks. The program provides children — infants through age 5 — with exposure to a variety of listening, vocal, tactile and movement activities. The classes not only contribute to brain development, but also facilitate the development of skills such as communication, self-expression, social interaction, group collaboration, language development and literacy. Parental participation in these classes is required.

To celebrate the new season an Open House will be held from 6-8 p.m. Sept. 7 at the JSO, 215 W. Michigan Ave. 

“All students and families, both new and returning, are invited to attend,” said David Schultz, CMS Administrative Director. “At the open house you’ll be able to get your first look at our new facilities and talk with instructors about the new class offerings. There will be general information meetings for new parents/guardians.  We’ll also have live music and refreshments!”

Schultz also is encouraging inspiring musicians to check out the Jackson Youth Symphony Orchestra.  

“The main group consists of a full symphony orchestra of intermediate to advanced students in grades 8-12,” he said. 

The JYSO also has a strings-only ensemble for younger students that acts as a training program for the full symphony. An open rehearsal will take place at 3 p.m. Sept. 9 with auditions the following weekend.  

“Any student interested in participating is welcome to attend,” Schultz said. “If you’ve ever dreamed of what it’s like to play in a large symphony orchestra, these groups are for you.”

For more information about the JSO’s Community Music School programs, visit the JSO web site at www.JacksonSymphony.org or call DeLano at 782-3221 ext. 118.

“Now in its 21^st year, the JSO Community Music School is celebrating over two decades of providing life-long music learning opportunities to Jackson area families,” DeLano said. “If you want to become a musician, or take a class just for fun, there’s a wide variety of courses available.” 

SIDEBAR — Education Explosion

Chamber Music

For: Any student taking private lessons that has had at least a year of previous private instruction.

Class Description: Experience the joy of music by playing together with your peers! Students are arranged into small chamber ensembles (2-5 people) for the entire semester. Each group is given specific repertoire to play and is assigned a faculty coach. Groups will rehearse on a regular basis and will receive regular coaching from faculty. Enrollment includes access to JSO rehearsal rooms during normal school hours and participation on an end-of-semester recital. Beginning/Intermediate ensembles will receive twelve 45-minute coaching sessions. Advanced ensembles will receive nine 60-minute coaching sessions.

Faculty: Ji Hyun Kim, Clyde McKaney, David Schultz, Fangye Sun, Daniel Tressel

Theory/Ear Training

For: Beginning/Intermediate students who have studied music for at least one year and more Advanced students who have studied music for at least four years.

Class Description: Enhance your musical skills by focusing on the building blocks of musical construction.  Students receive instruction in music theory, covering topics such as note recognition, intervals, key signatures, chord construction, and chord progressions. Classes will make use of the Community Music School’s brand new computer and keyboard lab. The class contains two sections: Beginning and Advanced. Each section contains twelve 45-minute sessions per semester.

Faculty: Daniel Tressel

Composition/Arranging

For: Advanced students who have studied music for at least four years.

Class Description: Put your original musical ideas on paper, learn about the art of orchestral arranging and gain experience using musical notation software. Students will receive class instruction on composition techniques, ways to develop musical ideas, orchestration and notation. Classes will make use of the Community Music School’s brand new computer and keyboard lab. (The class will also be offered as private lessons at teacher’s discretion.) Class consists of ten 60-minute sessions per semester.

Faculty: Daniel Tressel

Conducting

For: Advanced students (10^th grade or older) who have studied music for at least four years.

Class Description: Learn the basics of directing an ensemble. Class will cover baton technique, expressive gestures, and score study. Enrollment includes one conducting session in front of a chamber ensemble comprised of professional Jackson Symphony Orchestra musicians. (Class will also be offered as private lessons at teacher’s discretion.) Class consists of ten 60-minute sessions per semester.

Faculty: David Schultz

Percussion Ensemble

For: Any musician interested in banging a drum (no prior experience necessary!), or more advanced percussion students with at least three years of instruction.

Class Description: Class consists of two sections: beginning and advanced. The beginning class offers a chance for anyone to learn the basics of percussion technique. The advanced class presents an opportunity for more experienced percussionists to rehearse in an organized ensemble with specified repertoire, culminating in an end-of-semester performance. (The advanced class will run in conjunction with the Jackson Youth Symphony Orchestra. Auditioning for JYSO is strongly recommended. Class consists of ten 60-minute sessions per semester.

Faculty: Scott Moilanen

Pops Concert Goers Should Get Ready to Party!

It's summer, which means the time has come to party and unwind with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra.

The JSO's popular "Annual Summer Pops Concert" will begin at 7:30 p.m. July 28 at the Potter Center on the Jackson Community College campus, 2111 Emmons Road. A post-concert outdoor party will follow.

The orchestra's evening concert will feature an eclectic mix of patriotic pieces, Broadway songs, summertime classics and folk music with many special guests. Guests include "Fiddlers ReStrung," a string ensemble made up of Saline High School students, who are spotlighted annually in more than 80 performances. Their diverse repertoire includes fiddle music, bluegrass, Celtic and progressive folk. Other guests are the Jackson Chorale, members of the Jackson Youth Symphony and string musicians of all ages from throughout Jackson County.

"I'm very excited for this concert," says JSO Associate Conductor David Schultz, who will be conducting the performance.  "The Summer Pops is always a fun way to start our season, and this year promises to be no different.  I'm especially looking forward to our collaboration with Fiddlers ReStrung, who are one of the most entertaining acts I've had the privilege of seeing."

Program selections include the festive "Carnival Overture," plus "Dance of the Hours" (which Allan Sherman used as the tune for his 1963 summer-camp parody "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduah") and "Hoedown" from Rodeo (an American cowboy ballet that was later used in the Broadway musical "Oklahoma"). Also on the program are "Olympic Fanfare and Theme" and the easy-livin' classic "Summertime." The fanfare piece is a composition that John Williams wrote for the 1984 Olympic Games, held in Los Angeles. Sometimes described as "goosebump music," it was featured during the opening parade of athletes, medal ceremonies and official events to reflect the Olympics' spirit of cooperation and heroic achievement.

After the concert, dancers (and observers!) are invited to enjoy the Michigan State University Salsa Band during an outdoor (weather permitting) "Dancing Under the Stars" party.

The Jackson Symphony Guild is sponsoring the "JSO's 31st Annual Summer Pops Concert."

So, put on your party mood for this exuberant event, which has long been a favorite summer event for listeners of all ages.

Tickets are $15 for VIP seating, $10 for general admission and $5 for children and students with ID. Tickets may be ordered online at the JSO website www.jacksonsymphony.org, at the box office by phoning 517-782-3221, or in person at 215 W. Michigan Ave., Jackson.

If You Enjoy Singing, Don't Miss This Opportunity!

Calling all singers! As part of its annual Summer Pops Concert on July 28, the Jackson Symphony Orchestra will be performing several works which include a chorus. Singers with some chorale experience are invited to join in the festivities. No audition is required. There are three rehearsals for the concert as follows:

7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 17 — Jackson Symphony Orchestra Hall, 215 W. Michigan Ave.

7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 24 — same location
7:30 p.m. Friday, July 27 — TBA

“The Jackson Symphony Orchestra and Jackson Chorale need you," says Stephen Osmond, Music Director of the JSO, "and Summer Pops is always a lot of fun."

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at JCC’s Potter Center Music Hall. Following the concert, all are invited to “Dancing Under the Stars” with MSU’s Salsa Band from 9-11 p.m.

If you’d enjoy singing with the chorus at Summer Pops, please phone 782-3221, ext. 117 or email jso@acd.net and leave your name, contact information, and voice range.

JSO Summer Pops Concert 2012 - It's a Party!

Summer Pops
It's a Party!

Saturday, July 28 7:30 PM
Jackson Community College Potter Center

Special guests: Saline’s Fiddlers ReStrung

Jackson Chorale

Jackson Youth Symphony members

Jackson Community Strings members

Jackson County area string musicians

Carnival Overture • Dance of the Hours • Hoedown for Rodeo

The Olympic Fanfare • Summertime • and more!Concert Tickets:$15 VIP-Main floor, center
$10 General Admission-Main floor, back

$5 Students w/ID and Children

517-782-3221

http://www.jacksonsymphony.org/tickets_events/tickets.html

215 W. Michigan Ave.
Jackson, MI 49201

Dancing Under the Stars 9-11 PM
Post-concert party featuring the MSU Salsa Band
Free!
sponsored by the Jackson symphony guild

JTV's new music show, SoundWave, features Viktor and Brad and airs 30X through Thursday, May 31.  Hope you get a chance to see and enjoy it!  This can be viewed on www.jtv.tv/soundwave . 

JSO on WKAR

WKAR-FM will begin the fifth season of "90.5 Community Concerts" on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 at 7 p.m. and continuing each Tuesday night.  The concerts will be streamed on 90.5 WKAR and on WKAR Classical on wkar.org.  Each week's program will also be repeated on the WKAR Classical stream Saturday at 6 p.m.  Jody Knol will host the series.

June 5   

John Adams:  "The Chairman Dances"; David Schultz

June 19  
Tchaikovsky:  Symphony No. 5; Stephen Osmond
Addinsell:  "Warsaw Concerto"; Rich Ridenour, piano; Stephen Osmond 

July 17

Arturo Marquez: Danzon No. 2; David Schultz 
Debussy: "Sacred and Profane Dances"; Laurel Federbush, harp; David Schultz 

July 24
Korngold: "Captain Blood" Overture; Osmond
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2; Arthur Greene, piano; Stephen Osmond

August 7

Gershwin:  "Rhapsody in Blue"; Rich Ridenour, piano; Osmond 

August 14

Morricone:  "Gabriel's Oboe" from "The Mission"; Heather Peyton, ob; Osmond
 
August 28
Debussy: "Clair de Lune"; Rich Ridenour, piano; Osmond

Program Notes for May 5, 2012

Program Notes

May 5, 2012

By Composer in Residence

Bruce Brown

Buy tickets for this concert

            Composers, like all writers and artists, continually strive for originality.  The search for a unique voice takes many forms, but some pieces are universally hailed for their freshness and originality.  Tonight’s performance of Original/Cutting Edge music by the JSO will feature two works by pioneering composers of the past and a brand new composition by two highly-creative artists of our own time. 

Overture to Oberon

            The landmark operas of Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826), Der Freischütz, Euryanthe and Oberon, played a very significant role in the evolution of music, especially in German Romantic opera.  His strikingly imaginative music paved the way for the operas of Wagner and Richard Strauss, as well as magical “fairy music” of Felix Mendelssohn.

            Weber was also one of the first conductors to lead the orchestra without also playing the piano or violin, and his brilliant concepts of orchestration are cited several times in Hector Berlioz’ Treatise on Instrumentation, which was the definitive bible for orchestral writing in its time.

            Weber’s Oberon, also known as “The Elf King’s Oath,” is a three-act Romantic opera which – surprisingly – was written in English.  The opera was commissioned by British impresario Charles Kemble, and Weber traveled to London against his doctor’s wishes as the work neared completion.  Weber studied English at a furious pace as he put the final touches on the music, and the strain of the work and his social obligations proved too much.  He died on June 5, 1826, just weeks after Oberon’s April 12^th premiere in Covent Garden.

            Oberon was later translated into German, and that version is most often performed today.

            The story is a farcical tale of knights, fairies, the Caliph of Baghdad and a magical horn that summons Oberon, the fairy king.  Weber’s music transcends the silly plot with brilliant characterizations, colorful evocation of exotic scenes and unifying elements like the horn call, which several later composers quoted as a tip of their hat to Weber’s creative genius.

Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber

            One of the most famous tributes to Weber was written by German composer Paul Hindemith (1895-1963), a very unique composer in his own right.  

            Hindemith was working as a violinist and violist in 1922 when several of his compositions were performed in Salzburg at a festival sponsored by the International Society for Contemporary Music.  The 27 year old Hindemith was quickly recognized as one of the finest composers of his time.

            Hindemith was a remarkable musician.  He wrote a series of very difficult concertos for a wide variety of instruments, from the tuba to the harp, and reportedly could play all of them very well on the original instruments.  He was highly praised for many professional achievements, including a top-to-bottom reorganization of music education and performance in Turkey.

            Hindemith was forced to flee Nazi Germany when World War II broke out. Friends arranged for him to travel to the USA, where he taught at Yale and delivered influential lectures at Harvard.

            In 1940, choreographer Léonide Massine commissioned Hindemith to create a ballet based on music by Weber, but Massine didn’t like Hindemith’s arrangements, and Hindemith found he didn’t care for Massine’s ideas either.  The project collapsed.

            Hindemith later crafted the music into a four movement set, which he called Symphonic Metamorphosis. He finished the adaptation on August 29, 1943, and the first performance was given on January 20, 1944, by the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Artur Rodziński.

            Three of the movements of the Symphonic Metamorphosis are based on tunes from piano duets by Weber that Hindemith and his wife often played together.  For the second movement he chose a theme from Weber’s incidental music for the play Turandot, the same story that inspired Puccini’s famous opera of the same name.

            Perhaps ironically, the Symphonic Metamorphosis has proven to be one of Hindemith’s most enduringly popular works.

Duo Concerto for Cello and Guitar

      Viktor Uzur and Brad Richter became familiar to Jackson audiences in 2011, when they dazzled us with their impressive performance and their colorful mix of classical, rock and world music styles.

            Both men are highly accomplished classical musicians – Uzur studied at the Moscow Conservatory and Richter at The Royal College of Music – but both also played guitar in rock bands in their youth.  They also share a passion for folk music and music styles from many far-flung parts of the globe.  In their collaboration, they make the most of these diverse interests and skills.

            The duo met in 2005 at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, where Uzur teaches cello.  As they worked together on Richter’s composition Navigating Lake Bonneville, they developed a close friendship and deep mutual respect.  Since then, they have performed together in many venues, and their music has been featured several times on radio programs like NPR’s Performance Today.

            Richter lives in Tucson, Arizona, which is almost exactly 1000 miles from Uzur’s home in Ogden.  It isn’t easy to collaborate on compositions when you live that far apart, but the two men make a concerted effort to create works through genuine collaboration.  To do that they make the most of electronic media, sharing Finale files by email and communicating by Skype and by phone.  When they do have an opportunity to perform together, they spend as much time as possible backstage and in their hotel rooms sharing ideas and polishing their performance.

            As far as they know, their new Duo Concerto for Cello and Guitar is the first concerto ever written for this combination.  That’s surprising, they say, “because of the beautiful contrast the two voices create: the guitar with its percussive attack and rhythmic precision and the cello with its singing tenor and warm depth.”

            In their own words: “The Duo Concerto has an accessible tonal language and a pulse that borrows more from world music than classical. It is modern to be sure, but through a blending of eastern European folk melodic structures, rock music idioms and classical form and development [we have] created a piece that is both forward looking and familiar. Movements I and II are more traditional, reminiscent of some of the great romantic concerti in their structure and use of instrumentation. Movement III is a flashy and intelligent mash-up of the Duo’s favorite Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) guitar riffs that intertwines layers of fantastic rock riffs with a studied sense of counterpoint and pointillism.”

News Release - Original/Cutting Edge - May 5

5th Subscription Concert – 62nd Season

Original/Cutting Edge

7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 5

Jackson Community College Music Hall, 2111 Emmons Rd. 

For further information, contact:

Joan Cummings 517-782-3221, 517-782-3268 (Fax), joan.cummings@jacksonsymphony.org   

For Immediate Release:  April 17, 2012 

JSO to present Original/Cutting Edge works in concert

The cello/guitar team of Viktor Uzur and Brad Richter will present an exciting new “mash-up” work for guitar, cello and orchestra at the Jackson Symphony Orchestra’s season finale on May 5. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Jackson Community College Music Hall, 2111 Emmons Road. 

The rest of the program will include the intense and joyous Overture to Oberon from Carl Maria von Weber’s English opera. Weber, a German composer, learned English in order to write the dialogue and music for Oberon (Elf King’s Oath), which premiered in 1826 at London’s Covent Garden.  

There also will be a surprise visit by “Ludwig van Beethoven” — a good friend of Weber's — conducting sections of one of his favorite overtures, Egmont.

Also on the program is the colorful and energetic Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber. This piece is composer Paul Hindemith’s 1943 elaboration on one of Weber’s earlier works for two pianos. 

The Richtur Uzur Duo’s World premier of Duo Concerto is a blend of classical, rock and world music idioms.

“As far as we know, this is the first duo concerto written for these two instruments,” Richter said. “This is surprising because of the beautiful contrast the two voices create: the guitar with its percussive attack and rhythmic precision and the cello with its singing tenor and warm depth. The Duo Concerto has an accessible tonal language and a pulse that borrows more from world music than classical,” he continued. 

Through a blending of eastern European folk melodic structures, rock music idioms and classical form and development, the piece is both forward looking and familiar. Movements I and II are more traditional, reminiscent of some of the great romantic concerti in their structure and use of instrumentation. Movement III is a flashy and intelligent mash-up of the Duo’s favorite Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) guitar riffs that “intertwines layers of fantastic rock riffs with a studied sense of counter point and pointillism,” Richter said.

A lot is made of the fact that the Richter Uzur Duo collaborate from a distance,  with Brad Richter living in Tucson, Az. and Viktor Uzur living in Ogden, Utah. This distance, along with the fact that it is rare in the classical music world that two successful composers truly collaborate on writing new music, make this venture unique. 

There are several things the Duo has done to make their work possible: they share Finale computer scores over the Internet enabling them to make subtle changes and quickly send ideas back and forth, and they use Skype Internet video, phone and email regularly. Their most important work, however, happens when they are actually together on tour. While traveling, the Duo spends many hours each day in hotel rooms and backstage writing, refining and practicing in an effort to take advantage of every moment they are together.

Willis & Jurasek P.C., CPAs & Consultants is sponsoring this concert.

To order tickets, call 782-3221, ext. 118; visit www.jacksonsymphony.org; or stop by the orchestra’s downtown office at 215 W. Michigan Ave., Jackson. Tickets are $32 for Section A - Main Floor; $27 for Section B and Balcony Wings and $18 for Section C 

Ticket holders are invited to attend the complimentary and highly acclaimed pre-concert lecture series hosted by Dr. Bruce Brown, JSO’s Composer-in-Residence. Called Backstage Glimpses, the lectures take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Federer Rooms off the first floor lobby in the Potter Center. Allegiance Health sponsors Backstage Glimpses.

NOTE: The Jackson Symphony Orchestra is a community resource providing performances of the classics and popular music, a community music school with private and group instruction and numerous educational programs for students of all ages. The organization owns a 30,000-square-foot facility in the heart of downtown Jackson which not only serves as an administrative, rehearsal, and recital performance space for the orchestra but also is home to the Jackson Youth Symphony, the Jackson Chorale and Children's Choir, the Michigan Shakespeare Festival and JSO Community String Ensemble. The orchestra primarily performs at the world-class Music Hall of the Jackson Community College Potter Center and other venues in town including several churches, the County Fairgrounds and Michigan Theatre.

Since 2008, when the Richter Uzur Duo began to be regularly featured on NPR’s Performance Today, they have played to critical acclaim around the globe. 

“Here is serious musicianship that doesn’t take itself too seriously- an illusive combination, but skillfully realized…Bravo, and bravo again!” 

  — Fanfare Magazine

Their recent debut on PBS’s WoodSongs (also heard in 173 countries via Armed Forces Radio Network) was met with overwhelming enthusiasm and the Richter Uzur Duo will be guests on the show several more times in 2012. 

“The Richter Uzur Duo is doing some amazing stuff.  Wait until you hear…”

— Michael Johnathon, Host of PBS's WoodSongs 

JSO on WKAR April 13, 14, and 16

Friday, April 13

10:35 a.m.  approx  Bizet: "Children's Games"; Jackson Sym Orch, Stephen Osmond, conductor (recorded March 15, 2008 at Jackson Community College)

Saturday, April 14

11:20 a.m. approx  Debussy: "Danses sacree et profane"; Laurel Federbush, harp; Jackson Sym Orch, David Schultz, conductor (recorded February 4, 2012 at Jackson Community College)

Monday, April 16

9:50 a.m.  Hanson: Suite from "Merry Mount"; Jackson Sym Orch, Nathaniel Parker, conductor

(recorded March 15, 2008 at Jackson Community College)

2:45 p.m.  Tchaikovsky:  Finale from the Symphony No. 5; Jackson Sym Orch, Stephen Osmond, conductor

(recorded November 12, 2011 at Jackson Community College)

Program Notes - Out of This World - March 17

Program Notes
March 17, 2012
By Composer in Residence
Bruce Brown

Tonight’s concert by the JSO takes us “Out of This World” with music by two composers whose music storms the heavens and a dynamic, fanciful look at the planets of the solar system.

Richard Wagner famously said “I believe in God, Mozart and Beethoven.” The Swiss philosopher Henri Frédéric Amiel once wrote “Mozart has the classic purity of light and the blue ocean; Beethoven the romantic grandeur which belongs to the storms of air and sea, and while the soul of Mozart seems to dwell on the ethereal peaks of Olympus, that of Beethoven climbs shuddering the storm-beaten sides of a Sinai.”

Gustav Holst may have a more humble place in history, but his epic work, The Planets, is a stunning tour de force and one of the most enduring creations of the past century.

These great works certainly promise to lift us to a higher realm!

Overture to Idomeneo K. 366

Idomeneo, is generally considered Mozart’s first mature opera, even though it was his twelfth. Mozart conducted the premiere two days after his 25th birthday, on January 29, 1781, in the palace of Karl Theodor, the Elector of Bavaria, who commissioned the work for a court carnival.

The opera relates the story of King Idomeneo who is returning to Crete after fighting on the losing side in the Trojan War. When a terrible storm threatens the ship, he swears to the gods that he will sacrifice the first person he meets on land. Naturally, this turns out to be his own son, Idamante. In the end Neptune allows Idomeneo to save his son, but forces him to give up his throne in return.

Concerto in D major for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 61

Beethoven’s landmark violin concerto and his seventh symphony - which the JSO performed in February - both come from the fertile middle period of his creativity, which was a defiant reaction to his increasing deafness. Much of Beethoven’s music of this time reflects his energetic “heroic” style, but this concerto is often described as lyric and genteel.

There is a famous quote in which Beethoven scolds a member of the Schuppanzigh Quartet by saying "Do you think I care about your wretched fiddle when the spirit takes hold of me?" The truth is, he knew the capabilities of the instrument very well, and he used that knowledge to great effect whenever he wrote for the violin.

Beethoven wrote his concerto for the 26-year-old violinist Franz Clement, who performed it for the first time on December 23, 1806, in Vienna’s famous Theater an der Wien, with Beethoven himself conducting. Beethoven wrote the concerto very quickly – some reports say in as little as two days – which is even more remarkable since it is by far the most extensive violin concerto written up to that point.

Clement had very little time to rehearse and was practically sight reading the music! To make the evening complete, he inserted a little piece of his own - which some say involved playing the violin upside down - between the first and second movements of Beethoven’s concerto! It’s hard to imagine such a thing today, but it was far more common then.

The initial reaction to the new concerto was lukewarm, and it didn’t enjoy great popularity at first. That all changed in 1844, almost 20 years after Beethoven’s death, when another young genius of the violin, 12-year-old Joseph Joachim, championed the piece on a tour of Europe with conductor Felix Mendelssohn. Joachim played the piece many times during his illustrious career, and it quickly became one of the most important concertos in the repertoire.

The Planets

In August of 1914, as the great conflagration of World War I was erupting in Europe, British composer Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was finishing the first movement of his suite, The Planets, in his rural cottage in Thaxted. Like so many others, Holst tried to enlist, but several medical conditions made him unfit for duty.

Holst wrote the remaining six movements of The Planets over the next two years. There was no reason to rush. It would probably have been impossible to perform his piece, which calls for a huge orchestra, during the conflict.

The first full-blown performance of The Planets was hastily assembled on September 29, 1918, as the war was ending. Holst was about leave for the Greek city of Salonika to entertain the troops, when his friend Henry Balfour Gardiner arranged for a performance in The Queen’s Hall in London.

The orchestra only the got the music a couple of hours ahead of time, and only about 250 people attended, but Holst was so delighted he wrote in the conductor’s score "This copy is the property of Adrian Boult who first caused The Planets to shine in public and thereby earned the gratitude of Gustav Holst."

Over time The Planets became so popular that Holst began to resent the attention it received, feeling that his other works were being ignored.

The movements of the suite are named after the planets of the solar system, but Holst said his inspiration for the music was astrological, not astronomical. Holst developed a great interest in astrology, and in his music he interpreted the ideas and emotions associated with each planet, but in his own way and very freely. His daughter Imogen later wrote that once the basic idea for each movement was decided “… he let the music have its way with him.”

The subtitles for the movements vividly describe the character of the music. Mars, the Bringer of War beats out a harsh five-beat ostinato as dissonant harmonies evoke all-too-prophetic images of massive war machines. The serenity of Venus, the Bringer of Peace could hardly be a more dramatic contrast. Mercury, the Winged Messenger is a lightning fast scherzo that Holst felt mirrored quickness of human thought. Uranus, the Magician is playful and boisterous. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age, Holst’s favorite movement, plumbs the mystery of the stages of life and ends with the serenity of wisdom. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity draws on Holst’s interest in British folk music to create a jovial spirit of celebration.

JSO After-Concert Party March 17

An after-concert party, Symphony and the Stars, will be held at the Jackson Symphony Orchestra Performing Arts Center, 215 W. Michigan Ave., immediately following the March 17 concert. Erin Mazur and Marco Pullan are sponsoring the late-night refreshments. Special ticket packages are being offered. Two concert tickets and party passes are just $35. JSO season ticket holders may attend the party for $10 per person. Tickets are available at 782-3221 or at http://www.jacksonsymphony.org/tickets_events/tickets.html .

JSO taking listeners OUT OF THIS WORLD

Two large-scale, captivating musical works will be presented in Jackson on March 17 when the Jackson Symphony Orchestra performs its fourth concert of the 2011-2012 season, titled Out of This World. Gustav Holst’s The Planets and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra will be on the program, which begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Potter Center Music Hall, Jackson Community College, 2111 Emmons Rd.

A visual show will accompany the orchestra’s presentation of The Planets and the JSO’s talented Concertmaster and violinist, Xie Min, will perform the challenging Beethoven violin concerto.

“Brian Shaw, who is on the art faculty at Spring Arbor University, is developing a visual presentation to be played with The Planets that will explore not only the images we have of the planets and solar system but also the astrological meaning of the stars,” said Stephen Osmond, JSO Music Director and Conductor. “This is what Holst was originally after. He was in a way an amateur astrologist and typical of that era very influenced by Eastern cultures and religions.”

The Planets, composed between 1914 and 1916, has seven parts — each corresponding with the seven known planets at that time, excluding Earth. Holst described his work as a “series of mood pieces.” The Planets became extremely popular and the music has been imitated in Hollywood, most notably in the Star Wars movie. When the planet Pluto was discovered in 1930 (and later demoted in 2006), Holst declined to add another piece to his suite.

Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra was written in 1806 and is considered to be “the apex concerto for all violinists.” Remarkable proficiency in violin performance is required to perform this piece.

“It has always been my dream to play this music with an orchestra on stage and the JSO is giving me this wonderful opportunity to fulfill my wish,” Min said. “I have never had a chance to perform it with an orchestra before now.”

Some acclaimed violinists who have recorded Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra include Isaac Stern, David Oistrakh, Yehudi Menuhin, Arthur Grumiaux, Nathan Milstein, Itzhak Perlman, Anne-Sophie Mutter and Gil Shaham.

“I have listened to numerous recordings and all their performances have touched me in different ways,” Min said. “I cannot say who the best is. Maybe that is the beauty of Beethoven’s violin concerto. They all have put their own interpretations to this music. Some of them are more romantic, emotional; some are more pure and innocent; some are more lyrical and lovely; others are more enthusiastic and agitated. It totally depends on how you feel it.”

Great Lakes Caring is sponsoring this concert. The co-sponsor is Citizens Bank.

To order tickets, call 517-782-3221, ext. 118; visit http://www.jacksonsymphony.org/tickets_events/tickets.html; or stop by the orchestra’s downtown office at 215 W. Michigan Ave., Jackson. Tickets range from $18 to $32.

Ticket holders are invited to attend the complimentary and highly acclaimed pre-concert lecture series hosted by Dr. Bruce Brown, JSO’s Composer-in-Residence. Called Backstage Glimpses, the lectures take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Federer Rooms off the main floor lobby in the Potter Center. Allegiance Health sponsors Backstage Glimpses.

Challenging economy doesn't stop JSO from meeting goal

Event to celebrate successful Sound Vision campaign for orchestra


The public will have an opportunity on March 11 to view the Jackson Symphony Orchestra’s transformed building and hear details about the successful Sound Vision fund-raising campaign, which is now completed. The celebration, beginning at 2 p.m., will include a press conference, a bit of music, a ribbon cutting ceremony and tours of the building.

“The financial generosity from the community and musicians was nothing short of overwhelming,” said Mary Spring, Director of Development of the JSO. “With a donated facility, valued at $720,000 and $3.5 million in monetary donations from the campaign, and the tireless efforts of scores of volunteers, I’m confident the JSO’s future is secure.”

The JSO facility houses not only the orchestra, but also the JSO Community Music School, Jackson Youth Symphony Orchestra, Jackson Chorale and Children’s Choir, and Michigan Shakespeare Festival. More than 400 musicians and students use the JSO center weekly.

In July of 2007 Comerica Bank generously gave the JSO the building at 215 W. Michigan in the heart of downtown Jackson.

“With the ownership of the building came the responsibility of maintenance, but also the opportunity to invest in technology and renovations knowing that the property was good for the long term,” said campaign co-chair Phil Willis.

Thus, the JSO’s capital campaign was announced in February 2008. Excitement grew as plans were made to turn the building into an Education and Performing Arts Center. Another goal of the campaign was to expand the endowment fund. The Weatherwax Foundation gave the campaign a final push in November 2010 by offering a $500,000 challenge grant. The foundation matched dollar-for-dollar any new donations up to $500,000.

As funds came in from individuals, foundations and local businesses, building improvements were made, programs expanded and technology upgraded. Initially, a new facade was built, a kiosk installed outdoors to publicize events and adult education classes added.

Now, the building has been completely renovated with major improvements to the lighting and acoustical properties. The Education Center has been modernized to take advantage of the learning space. There’s also been significant additions and upgrades to teaching and recording technology. A rehearsal/recital space has been created as well as office space to accommodate the staff, youth orchestra, chorale and members of the Michigan Shakespeare Festival.

“Reshaping the education level to accommodate class as well as private instruction expanded the scope of offerings extensively,” said Stephen Osmond, Music Director and Conductor of the JSO. “On the main level, the goal was to provide for the orchestra the finest rehearsal venue possible. New lighting was researched, designed and installed with excellent results. An acoustic plan was needed to maintain the liveliness of the space as well as provide an acoustically dry environment for rehearsal. Tracks of curtains made it possible to "tune" the hall for any group or individual rehearsal or performance.”

Among the participants in this event are Board Chair, Dr. Jon Lake; campaign leaders Phil Willis, immediate past chair of the JSO, founder of Willis and Jurasek CPAs; Pat Willis, founding partner of Willis and Machnik Investments; Tom Evanson, CPA; Nancy Evanson reading teacher/consultant; Rick Davies, retired Banker; Deb Davies, retired English professor and poet; Conductor Stephen Osmond; and Mary Spring, Development Director of the JSO.

Go to http://www.jacksonsymphony.org/tickets_events/openhouse2012.html for a sneak peek!

Program Notes - Let's Dance - Feb 4, 2012

Tonight’s program by the JSO, “Let’s Dance,” is all about rhythm. Much wonderful music has been written for ballet and the dance, but tonight’s music goes beyond that to celebrate rhythm itself, the energizing force that makes music move and makes us respond with movement of our own!

Rhythm is vital in the music of all cultures throughout history. In many societies a task like threshing grain may become an intricate rhythmic dance. Children sing rhythmic tunes as they play, not realizing they are learning to synchronize their movements. Music with energetic rhythms makes our workouts fun.

It is difficult to imagine music without rhythm’s motivating force. Tonight’s program revels in it!

The Chairman Dances

John Adams (born in 1947) is one of the most exciting composers on the American scene today. He has won many awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for his deeply moving work On the Transmigration of Souls, a tribute to the victims of the September 11 attacks. Adams and other minimalist composers use repetitive figures, brilliant orchestral colors and vivid imagery to write works that audiences have embraced with enthusiasm.

The Chairman Dances was commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Milwaukee Symphony and first performed under the direction of Lukas Foss on January 31, 1986 and in Jackson October of 1988. Adams describes the piece as an “out-take” from his celebrated opera Nixon in China: “…a kind of warmup for embarking on the creation of the full opera.”

“The Chairman Dances,” he wrote, “began as a "foxtrot" for Chairman Mao and his bride, Chiang Ch’ing, the fabled "Madame Mao," firebrand, revolutionary executioner, architect of China’s calamitous Cultural Revolution, and (a fact not universally realized) a former Shanghai movie actress. In the surreal final scene of the opera, she interrupts the tired formalities of a state banquet, disrupts the slow moving protocol and invites the Chairman, who is present only as a gigantic forty-foot portrait on the wall, to "come down, old man, and dance." The music takes full cognizance of her past as a movie actress. Themes, sometimes slinky and sentimental, at other times bravura and bounding, ride above in bustling fabric of energized motives.”

Danses Sacrée et Profane

In 1904, Claude Debussy (1862-1918) received an unusual commission. Gustave Lyon of the Pleyel Company in Paris had come up with a new style of harp, and the firm asked Debussy to write a composition to show off the capabilities of the new instrument.

Lyon’s harp had two sets of strings that crossed in the middle and allowed any chromatic note to be played without retuning. Pleyel hoped Lyon’s new design would replace the standard pedal harp, which was developed by piano maker Sébastien Érard in Paris in 1810. Érard’s design, with its glorious sound, is the style in common use today, but it does require the player to adjust tuning pedals to create chromatic changes (for example, changing C to C-sharp).

Debussy responded to the request with these two lovely dances, now known as his “Sacred and Profane Dances,” which were first performed in Paris on November 6, 1904.

The word “profane” in the title doesn’t mean that Debussy chose to write something vulgar! It simply means “secular,” rather than sacred, and both dances are full of beauty, transparent textures and rich harmony.

Danzón No. 2

The second of the eight Danzóns by Arturo Marquez is so popular in his native Mexico that it is sometimes considered the country’s second national anthem. (Its rival for that honor is Huapango by José Pablo Moncayo, which the JSO performed in November of 2009.)

Marquez was born in 1950 in Álamos in the Mexican State of Sonora. He pursued his interest in music when his family moved to La Puente, a suburb of Los Angeles. Marquez studied at the Concervatorio Nacional (National Conservatory) in Mexico before winning a scholarship from the French government to study in Paris. He later won a Fulbright scholarship to complete his studies at the California Institute of the Arts.

The danzón is popular in Mexico and Puerto Rico and is the official dance of Cuba. The Latin form of this dance for couples evolved from the 18th-century European contradance.

Marquez conceived of the idea for his Danzón No. 2 when he traveled to the state of Malinalco in southern Mexico with painter Andrés Fonseca and dancer Irene Martínez, “both of whom are experts in salon dances with a special passion for the danzón.”

“From these experiences onward,” he wrote, “I started to learn the danzón’s rhythms, its form, its melodic outline, and to listen to the old recordings ... I was fascinated and I started to understand that the apparent lightness of the danzón is only like a visiting card for a type of music full of sensuality and qualitative seriousness, a genre which old Mexican people continue to dance with a touch of nostalgia and a jubilant escape towards their own emotional world ...”

The music is dedicated to the composer’s daughter Lily!

Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92

Beethoven’s deafness had been advancing for at least fifteen years in 1811, when he failed miserably in an attempt to perform his own fifth concerto, “The Emperor,” and ended his playing career forever. It had been three years since the creation of his landmark fifth and sixth symphonies, but his ability to hear music in his head was still razor sharp, and he started work on his seventh symphony in the spa resort of Teplitz, near Prague, where he was taking the cure.

He finished his work in April of 1812, and dedicated his new symphony to his friend and patron Count Moritz von Fried. The 7th symphony was premiered on December 8, 1813, at a benefit concert for soldiers wounded in the Battle of Hanau. The piece was an immediate hit, and it was performed three more times in the following ten weeks.

Beethoven, hardly known for his modesty, may have been ironic when he said his seventh symphony was "one of the happiest products of my poor talents." Wagner praised Beethoven’s seventh as “... the Apotheosis of the Dance itself: it is Dance in its highest aspect, the loftiest deed of bodily motion, incorporated into an ideal mold of tone."

The poignant second movement was immediately recognized as something special, and it has remained one of Beethoven’s most recognizable and enduring creations.

If you saw The King’s Speech, which won the Academy Award for the Best Film of 2010 and three other Oscars, you will recognize this dramatic music, which was woven through the film’s climactic scene in a very powerful way.

Orchestra’s Let’s Dance concert to enliven cold winter night

Three 20th Century pieces and a classical masterwork will be presented Feb. 4 when the Jackson Symphony Orchestra presents a mid-winter concert meant to raise pulses and inspire listeners.

“Our theme is Let’s Dance, but rather than being a depiction of actual dancing, I’d say the concert is more a celebration of rhythm,” said David Schultz, who will conduct the concert at the Potter Center in Jackson beginning at 7:30 p.m. “Each piece of music is built upon continual rhythmic themes that the listener can easily latch onto — a significant aspect of many a popular dance tune.

“At times the rhythms are more subtle (though still present in the background), allowing gorgeous and brilliant orchestral colors to shine through,” he continued. “Then there are moments when the rhythm is so strong you can’t help but move along with it, tapping your finger or nodding your head. Audience members are strongly encouraged not to resist these impulses; I guarantee you the orchestra will be moving right along with you!”

First on the program is The Chairman Dances (subtitled Foxtrot for Orchestra) by American composer John Adams. Written in 1985, the piece is an outtake from his opera Nixon in China, which recently played at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Next is Claude Debussy’s Sacred and Profane Dances, featuring soloist and regular JSO harpist Laurel Federbush.

“Composed in 1904, the piece is a lovely tour-de-force for the harp, featuring many techniques not before seen on the instrument,” Schultz said.

The third 20th Century piece on the program is Danzón No. 2, an increasingly popular orchestral favorite by Mexican composer Arturo Marquez. Composed in 1994, the music reflects the style of a dance that originated in Cuba and remains a tradition in Mexico and Latin America.

After intermission, the program will conclude with Ludwig van Beethoven’s monumental Symphony No. 7 in A major. It was written in 1811 at the peak of Beethoven’s “Heroic” period. Richard Wagner later dubbed it “the apotheosis of the dance” due to its emphasis on persistent rhythmic motives. The second movement remains the most popular (it was recently used to great effect in the Oscar-winning film The King’s Speech), but all four movements are dazzling strokes of genius.

“The ambition of the first movement, beauty of the second, the breathlessness of the scherzo, and relentless energy of the finale did not fail to impress audiences,” according to a National Public Radio article describing the initial 1813 and 1814 performances.

“I’m very excited to be directing this program,” Schultz said. “It’s an honor and a privilege to make music with the fine musicians of the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, and I look forward to working with them in presenting the music for our community.”

Schultz was assistant conductor of the JSO for two years before his promotion to associate conductor this year.

“A fine musician with a most impressive background, Dr. Schultz has earned the respect of the musicians and audience with his numerous appearances conducting most of the Pops concerts since his hire and making several appearances on our classical series,” said JSO Music Director Stephen Osmond. “He received his Doctorate from MSU this Spring and has done a great job developing the Jackson Youth Symphony into the fine ensemble it is today.”

Consumers Energy is sponsoring the concert. Co-sponsor is Melling Engine Parts Co.

Ticket holders are invited to attend the complimentary and highly acclaimed pre-concert lecture series hosted by Dr. Bruce Brown, JSO’s Composer-in-Residence. Called Backstage Glimpses, the lectures take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Federer Rooms off the main floor lobby in the Potter Center and are sponsored by Allegiance Health.

To order tickets, call 782-3221, ext. 118; visit http://www.jacksonsymphony.org/tickets_events/tickets.html; or stop by the orchestra’s downtown office at 215 W. Michigan Ave., Jackson. Single-show tickets range from $18 to $32. The JSO also is offering passes to the final three concerts of the season at special rates. Subscriptions for the Feb. 4 Let’s Dance!, March 17 Out of This World and May 5 New Age/Cutting Edge concerts range from $40 to $75.