Finally, a full month’s programme after all the stop-start imposed by the on again, off again restrictions because of the Pandemic.
The first of our two programmes featured Mahler’s 4th Symphony (or part of it because of its length) – a delightful, almost Schubertian work recalling Mahler’s childhood and finishing with melodies from another work “The Youth’s Magic Horn” in which Mahler imagines a child’s view of heaven. Other shorter woks were a selection of Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances, Copland’s Appalcahian Spring (which had absolutely nothing to do with Spring in the Appalachian Mountains) and “O Fortuna” which book-ended Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana - first as a ballet and ending as a concert piece for choir and orchestra. An added feature was that all works were recordings by youth orchestras and/or choirs.
Our second programme opened with an Overture by New Zealand composer Dougals Lilburn written to celebrate the centenary of The Waitangi Treaty – New Zealand’s founding document. The major work was Mozart’s Grand Sestetto Concertante – an arrangement for sextet of his earlier Grand Sinfonie Concertante, Schubert’s Offertorium written to accompany the procession of the gifts in the Christian celebration of the Mass, a short work by Bach – a musical offering for Prussian king Frederick the Great based on impromptus for a melody given him by the king, and finally a quartet for English Horn by contemporary French composer Jean Francaix.
All in all, a wonderful mixed bag spanning the centuries. Links to the music recordings and the session notes are available below.
Bill Squire
Friday 8th October
Session Notes
Mahler Symphony No.4 (Movements 1 & 4)
Mahler Symphony No 4 (Complete)
Dvorak Slavonic Dances
Copland Appalachian Spring
Orff Carmina Burana O Fortuna Ballet
Orff Carmina Burana Choir
Friday 22nd October
Session Notes
Aotearoa Overture
Mozart Grande Sestetto Concertante
Bach Musical Offering - Ricercar 3
Schubert Offertorium
Francaix Horn Quartet
The first of our two programmes featured Mahler’s 4th Symphony (or part of it because of its length) – a delightful, almost Schubertian work recalling Mahler’s childhood and finishing with melodies from another work “The Youth’s Magic Horn” in which Mahler imagines a child’s view of heaven. Other shorter woks were a selection of Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances, Copland’s Appalcahian Spring (which had absolutely nothing to do with Spring in the Appalachian Mountains) and “O Fortuna” which book-ended Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana - first as a ballet and ending as a concert piece for choir and orchestra. An added feature was that all works were recordings by youth orchestras and/or choirs.
Our second programme opened with an Overture by New Zealand composer Dougals Lilburn written to celebrate the centenary of The Waitangi Treaty – New Zealand’s founding document. The major work was Mozart’s Grand Sestetto Concertante – an arrangement for sextet of his earlier Grand Sinfonie Concertante, Schubert’s Offertorium written to accompany the procession of the gifts in the Christian celebration of the Mass, a short work by Bach – a musical offering for Prussian king Frederick the Great based on impromptus for a melody given him by the king, and finally a quartet for English Horn by contemporary French composer Jean Francaix.
All in all, a wonderful mixed bag spanning the centuries. Links to the music recordings and the session notes are available below.
Bill Squire
Friday 8th October
Session Notes
Mahler Symphony No.4 (Movements 1 & 4)
Mahler Symphony No 4 (Complete)
Dvorak Slavonic Dances
Copland Appalachian Spring
Orff Carmina Burana O Fortuna Ballet
Orff Carmina Burana Choir
Friday 22nd October
Session Notes
Aotearoa Overture
Mozart Grande Sestetto Concertante
Bach Musical Offering - Ricercar 3
Schubert Offertorium
Francaix Horn Quartet
