7:00 p m
T h u rs d a y , F e b ru a r y 28, 2013 K resg e A u d ito r iu m L a rs e n F in e A rts C e n te r
PR O G R A M
Invocation
Star Spangled B anner F. Scott K ey/arr. S. Sm ith
Prof. Ryan Schultz, conductor
V ariations On A T hem e o f R obert Schum ann R. Jager
Dr. N eal M cM ullian, conductor
D iversion for A lto S axophone and Band B. H eiden
E uguene R ousseau, alto saxophone Dr. H arlow H opkins, conductor
H ym n to a B lue H our J. M ackey
Prof. Ryan Schultz, conductor
Porgy and B ess M edley G. G ershw in
E uguene R ousseau, alto saxophone D r. H arlow H opkins, conductor B lue Shades
Prof. Ryan Schultz, conductor
F. T icheli
W ind Sym phony
Piccolo O boe C larinet
B ethany M unroe Joy M atthew s K ylee Stevens
K atelyn D unkm an M onika A lfke
Flute E lise Payne
B ethany M unroe Bassoon T racy Van Z andbergen
Justine V on A rb A shley Pitzer M egan Elroy
E lise R ose Josh K urchinski M ichael G orski
D esiree Hays Ethan M cC allister
R ose Hall Bass C larinet
B ritney Terpstra T aihla Eddins C ontra Bass C larinet
A ndrea LaM ontagne M ike Szostek
A lto Saxophone
T yler B ontrager T enor Saxophone B aritone Saxophone
Paige Penrod Brian Shaw R enee Runyan
W alker R unyan
H orns T rom bones Trum pets Stephanie M oore C ym one W ilder
V incent Jones K yle M iller M elissa Luby
A ndrew M oore B rooke B ellam y Z ach K ohlm eier
A dam W eeks K ristin W eaver A bby R agsdale
Jackie T rauscht N ate M cM anus
Jerem y W eber E uphonium
A udrey Sm ith Percussion G lenn H inkley
M alik Tem ple Suzanna Lovik
Tubas A m y H um richouser
Josh Ring B randon Reyes String Bass
Paul M atthew s Jensen Koch A lyssa K euther
Piano
M att Beiber A ndy B arnard Lauren H ausken
P R O G R A M N O T E S
Variations on a Them e o f R obert S ch u m a n n w as w ritten on com m ission for the
N o rth H ills H igh School B and in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and w as prem iered by this ex cellen t en sem b le an d th eir fine director, W arren M ercer, at th e 1969 Eastern R egion M usic E ducators N ational C onference in m eetin g in W ashington, D .C. T he th em e is “ T he H appy F arm er,” and the v ariations ev o lv e o n e from th e other thro u g h o u t the w ork using rhythm ic, m elo d ic and intervallic relatio n sh ip s fo r the b asis o f th eir variance. T he basic structure is as follow s:T hem e, T he H appy F arm er (also know n as th e “ R ed W ing P o lk a.”) V ariation I, T hem e is ju x ta p o se d thro u g h o u t “ so lo ” voices in a H ay d n -esq u e fashion V ariation II, F lutes outline them e in scherzo like styleV ariation III, Free variation on rhythm ic values. V ariation IV , M elodic and intervallic variation. V ariation V , D istortion o f m elodic lin e in rhapsodic variation. V ariation V I, R hythm ic variation o f them e.
- Program note by the com poser
B ernhard H eiden (1910 -2 0 0 0 ) w as bo m in F rankfurt am M ain an d received his m usical train in g at th e H o ch sch u le fu r M usik in B erlin w here he studied w ith Paul H indem ith from 1929 until 1933. In 1935 he cam e to the U n ited States and settled in D etroit w here he w as active as a com poser, arranger, and conductor. D iversion for
A lto S a x o p h o n e and B an d w as com posed w hile he served w ith th e 4 45th A rm y
Service F orces B and durin g W W II. H e received his M .A . deg ree in M u sico lo g y from C ornell U niversity in 1946 and in th e sam e y ear jo in e d th e facu lty o f the Indiana U n iv ersity School o f M usic w here he served as P ro fesso r o f M usic and longtim e C hairm an o f th e C om position D epartm ent until h is retirem ent in 1981. M r. H eiden is th e recipient o f n u m ero u s com m issions and grants, including a G uggenheim Fellow ship, grants from th e From m M usic F oundation, the N ational E ndow m ent for the A rts, an d “ M eet th e C o m p o ser” .
T he b lu e h o u r is an oft-poeticized m om ent o f th e day - a lingering tw ilight th at halos th e sky after su ndow n but b efo re com plete d arkness sets in. It is a tim e o f d ay know n fo r its rom antic, spiritual, and ethereal co nnotations, an d th is m agical m o m en t has frequently in sp ired artists to attem pt to cap tu re its rem ark ab le essence. T h is is the sam e essence th at inhabits th e sonic w orld o f John M ackey's Hymn to a Blue Hour.
P rogram m atic co n ten t aside, th e title itse lf contains tw o strongly suggestive im p licatio n s - first, the notion o f hym nody, w hich im plies a tran scen d en t and perhaps even sacred tone; an d second, the co lo r blue, w hich has an inexorable tie to A m erican m usic. C ertain ly Hymn to a Blue H our is n o t directly influenced b y th e blues, p er se,
but th ere is freq u en tly th ro u g h o u t th e piece a sense o f nostalgic rem orse an d longing - an ov erw h elm in g sadness th at is th e sam e as the typically m o ro se ja z z form . B lue also has a stro n g affiliation w ith nobility, authority, and calm ness. A ll o f these n o tio n s are w oven into th e fabric o f th e p iece - p erh ap s a result o f M ackey u sin g w hat w as, fo r him , an unco n v en tio n al com positional m ethod.
- Jak e W allace O n an O cto b er n ig h t in 1926, G eorge G ershw in, w ound up from rehearsals o f his B ro ad w ay -b o u n d m usical Oh! Kay, found h im se lf unable to sleep. H e turned to a
p o p u lar n ew novel, Porgy, about A frican-A m erican life in the C harleston ghetto
w ritten by a w hite South C arolinian nam ed D uB ose H eyw ard. T he com p o ser w as enthralled and read u ntil daw n. H is savvy theatrical sense to ld him th is w as a story crying out fo r d ram atic treatm ent, and he p rom ptly fired o ff a letter to H eyw ood expressing h is interest in u sin g it fo r a future opera. B ut G ershw in adm itted he d id n ’t
h ave the technical know ledge yet to tack le such an am bitious project. It w ould be an o th er n in e years b efo re Porgy an d Bess had its prem iere. A t last in 1933, G ershw in
felt ready to em bark on his operatic pro ject. T he first m ajo r piece h e com posed w as th e en ch an tin g "Sum m ertim e," sung at the b eginning o f th e opera. T he m ost intense perio d o f w ork, how ever, cam e du rin g th e sum m er o f 1934 w hen G ershw in rented a co ttag e n ear H eyw ood's su m m er hom e on Folly Island, o f f C harleston, and im m ersed h im se lf in local G ullah and black culture. G ershw in w as dazzled by th e spirituals and th e G ullah tradition o f "shouting": accom panying spirituals w ith com plicated rhythm ic p attern s beaten out by han d s and feet. B ack in N ew Y ork, G eorge's brother Ira jo in e d the creative team to w rite m any o f th e lyrics. Porgy and Bess opened at
B roadw ay's A lvin T heater on O cto b er 10, 1935. T he audience loved th e show , but critics w ere m ore reserved. E specially th e y questioned w hat kind o f w ork Porgy and Bess w as: m usical, operetta, o r opera? G ershw in m aintained it w as an opera and had
follow ed th e o peratic co nventions o f using continuous m usic w ith the dialogue largely in sung recitative. T his version, fo r alto saxophone and w ind band, w as arranged b y R alph H erm ann.
In 1992 I com posed a co ncerto fo r traditional ja z z band and orchestra, Playing With Fire, for the Jim C ullum Jazz B and and the San A ntonio
Sym phony. T hat w ork w as com posed as a celebration o f the traditional ja z z m usic I h eard so often w hile g row ing up n ear N ew O rleans. I experienced trem endous jo y durin g th e creation o f Playing With Fire, and m y love for early ja z z is expressed in
every bar o f th e concerto. H ow ever, after com pleting it I k new th at th e traditional ja z z influences d om inated th e w ork, leaving little room for m y ow n m usical voice to com e through. I felt a strong need to co m pose another w ork, on e th at w ould com bine m y love o f early ja z z w ith m y ow n m usical style. Four years, an d several com p o sitio n s later, I finally to o k th e opportunity to realize th at n eed by co m p o sin g B lue Shades. A s its title suggests, the w ork alludes to th e B lues, and a
ja z z feelin g is prevalent — how ever, it is in not literally a B lu es piece. T here is not a single 12-bar blues progression to be found, and except fo r a few isolated sections, the eighth-note is not sw ung. T h e w ork, how ever, is heav ily influenced by the B lues:
"B lue notes" (flatted 3rds, 5ths, and 7ths) are u sed constantly; B lues harm onies, rhythm s, and m elodic idiom s p ervade the w ork; and m any "shades o f blue" are depicted, from bright blue, to dark, to dirty, to h o t blue. A t tim es, Blue Shades burlesques som e o f the cliches from th e B ig B and era, not as a m ockery o f
th o se conventions, but as a tribute. A slow an d quiet m iddle section recalls the atm osphere o f a dark, sm oky b lu es haunt. A n extended clarinet solo played near the end recalls B enny G o o d m an 's hot playing style, and u sh ers in a series o f "w ailing" brass ch o rd s recalling th e train w h istle effects com m only u sed during th at era.
E ugene R ousseau has perform ed across N orth A m erica and on five continents since
his C arnegie H all debut. T he legendary saxophonist M arcel M ule described R ousseau as "a brilliant sax ophonist and distinguished artist," and critics the w orld over have ech o ed M ule's praise.
R ousseau's artistry has inspired m any "firsts." H e g ave the first solo saxophone recitals in Paris, B erlin, V ienna, London and A m sterdam . H e has given a yearly m aster course at th e prestigious M ozarteum in Salzburg during 1991-2001, m arking th e first tim e that the saxophone w as included at that institution. H e has prem iered num erous w orks w ritten for him , including th e P artita b y Juan O rrego-S alas (w ith th e H aydn Trio o f V ienna), Jindfich Feld's Sonata for alto saxophone and piano, and C oncerto for saxophones and orchestra, B ernhard H eiden's F antasia C oncertante for alto saxophone and w inds, H ear A gain in M em ory, by Frederick Fox, D on Freund's S kyscrapings fo r alto saxophone and piano, and C oncertos by Libby L arsen, C laude B aker, and D avid D eB oor C anfield.
R ousseau has appeared w ith the M innesota O rchestra under L eonard Slatkin, th e Pan- A m erican Festival O rchestra under L ukas Foss, the Indianapolis S ym phony under R aym ond L eppard and P hillipe E ntrem ont, the B B C O rchestra in L ondon, the Janacek Philharm onic (C zech R epublic), th e Prague S ym phony, the K ansai P hilharm onic (O saka), th e Santiago Philharm onic (C hile), the recitals and m aster classes throughout the w orld on a variety o f topics related to his instrum ent. H is solo perform ances include appearances w ith th e U .S. A rm y B and at K ennedy C enter, the B udapest Strings in H ungary, and the T okyo Bach B and, as w ell as the H am am atsu International W ind Instrum ent Festival in Japan.
T he C hicago-born R ousseau's service to th e saxophone com m unity is o f long standing. Since 1972, h e has been th e Y am aha C orporation's c h ie f consultant for saxophone research, contributing to the developm ent o f acoustic im provem ents in saxophones and m outhpieces. In 1985, he recorded a video program fo r Y am aha, Steps to Excellence. R ousseau co-founded the W orld S axophone C ongress in 1969 and has been P resident o f both the N orth A m erican S axophone A lliance (1979-80) and the C om ite International du S axophone (1982-85). In M ay 1998, he w as honored as a D istinguished A lum nus by the U niversity o f Iow a, at w hich institution he earned th e Ph.D . degree, h is principal teacher being H im ie V oxm an. H e h olds th e title o f D istinguished P rofessor o f M usic at Indiana U niversity, having served on th e IU faculty from 1964 to 2000. Dr. R ousseau jo in ed the faculty o f th e U niversity o f M innesota School o f M usic in fall 2000. In 1993, E ugene R ousseau w as designated an honorary faculty m em ber o f the Prague C onservatory. In 2003, R ousseau an d the U niversity o f M innesota School o f M usic hosted the 13th W orld Saxophone C ongress C onvention.
Harlow Hopkins w a s b o m and educated in Flint, M ich igan . H e m ade h is m usical debut in the high sch o o l band and orchestra. In 194 9 , h e began a m u sic m ajor at O livet sp ecia lizin g in clarinet. H e is noted as b ein g the first student ever se lec ted to direct O rpheus C hoir in a p ie ce w h ile on tour. W h ile a sen ior in O N C h e w a s selected W h o ’s W h o in A m erican C o lle g e s and U n iv ersities. U p o n graduation, Dr. W alter Larsen offered him a p osition at O livet, and so h e taught part-tim e in ’53 and began fu ll-tim e in ’54. Servin g h is country in the A rm y, the last 13 m onth s o f duty w ere spent traveling Europe w ith the S eventh A rm y S y m p h o n y w h ich prom oted g o o d w ill betw een the U S and European countries. D uring this tim e h e also continued to w ork on h is m aster’s degree at A m erica ’s C onservatory o f M u sic in C h icago. H e received h is m aster’s d egree in ’56 after typ ing the th esis during A rm y leave.
Dr. H op k in s then returned to O livet in 1957 and began h is 3 9 year span as director o f band. D u ring ’8 6 - ’7 0 he condu cted the K ankakee S y m p h o n y and p layed first clarinet in the K ankakee S ym p h on y Orchestra from 1972 - 2 0 1 2 .
In the 1 9 7 3 -7 4 academ ic year h e w a s nam ed “O utstanding Educator” and in ’7 4 w as an O livet A lum ni L aym an “O ” A w ard recipient. H e also received h is doctorate in
1974 from Indiana U n iversity.
Dr. H arlow H op k in s and h is w ife, Harriet ( ‘5 3 ), fund the H op k in s F am ily Instrumental Scholarship , w h ich is offered annually to an outstand in g instrum ental m u sic major. G o o d w in H all w as renam ed in 19 9 4 as the H opk in s A lum n i H o u se to honor Dr. H arlow E. H opk ins, professor o f m u sic from 1 9 5 4 -1 9 9 6 and chair o f the D iv isio n o f Fine Arts from 1 9 7 4 -1 9 9 6 .
Upcoming Events
M arch
11 Chris LeFevre Recital, Kresge, 7 pm
12 Faculty Jazz Recital, Kresge, 7 pm
14 Ben Geeding & Ashley Raffauf Recital, Kresge, 7 pm 15 Real Men Sing!, Kresge, 6 pm
15 Bailey Zeilenga, Kate W ilson & G eoff Sauter Recital, Kelley Prayer Chapel, 7 pm
18 Elizabeth M orley & M ike Zaring Recital, Centennial Chapel 7 pm
19 Composers o f Olivet Concert, Kresge, 7 pm
21 Night o f Jazz, Kresge, 7 pm
22 Rachel Kish & Desiree Hays Recital, Kresge, 7 pm 25 Chris Field & Chantalle Falconer Recital,
Centennial Chapel, 7 pm 26 Josh Ring & M onty Larcom Recital,
Centennial Chapel, 7 pm
Thank you f o r turning o ff cell ph on es and fo r n ot using flash photography.
O liv et N az a re n e U n iv ersity I D e p a rtm e n t o t M usic 8 0 0 -6 4 8 -1 4 6 3 I w w w .o liv e t.e d u