Saturday’s Quad City Symphony Orchestra concert promised something for everyone, and just about everyone came to hear it. Young and novice audience members joined experienced classical-music lovers for The Thrill of Music concert presented to a near-capacity crowd by the Quad City Symphony.
Each piece was chosen to pique the audience’s interest, whether with the story behind the piece, its musical elements, or its educational value. The new attendees seemed to enjoy the variety and performance of the music, although some works were a bit long for their tastes, judging from the amount of rustling around me. Still, Conductor Donald Schleicher delivered a well-rounded orchestral experience for seasoned concertgoers and novices alike.
The first piece, Music for the Royal Fireworks, was written by George Frideric Handel. King George II of England commissioned the work to accompany a fireworks display commemorating the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle and the end of a period of war. I found it difficult to think of fireworks as I heard this piece, as the music was a march and more royal than free. If the fireworks display was anything like Handel’s piece, not a spark was out of place. Actually, the program notes say the king’s fireworks display was “faulty”; however, the music was a success, as was this fitting beginning to Saturday evening’s concert.
Franz Josef Haydn’s Farewell Symphony (also known as Symphony No. 45 in F-Sharp Minor) also has an interesting story behind it. Haydn served as the court musician for the Esterhazy family. Each year, the family vacationed at a summer home in the Hungarian mountains. In the fateful summer of 1761, Prince Esterhazy prolonged his stay for so long that the family’s entourage of musicians became restless and asked Haydn to let the prince know it was time to go home. Haydn created the Farewell Symphony, a not-so-subtle hint. The first three movements follow the expected pattern, although the second movement is a bit longer than usual and the third movement stops mid-stream. During the fourth movement, the orchestra members leave a few at a time until only two violinists are left.
I easily pictured the prince’s reaction to the last sections of the piece. The third movement lilted along until the joyful music faded away in the middle of a strain. As the orchestra dwindled during the fourth movement, the musicians demonstrated their ability to play as a full orchestra, a small ensemble, and individuals. The audience shared a chuckle as even Schleicher left the stage during the final minutes of the piece, leaving the two violinists to end the piece beautifully with a sensitive duet.
Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis by Ralph Vaughan Williams provided a moving demonstration of how combinations of instruments produce different sounds, feelings, and dynamics. The full orchestra, a “mini-orchestra” of nine musicians, and a group of soloists were featured separately, and each group produced different textures and dynamics. The orchestra created a full, strident melody, which contrasted nicely with the more delicate mini-orchestra. The solo viola, two violins, and cello created a harmony of tones, bringing even more variety to the piece.
The final composition of the evening was educational and beautiful. Benjamin Britten composed The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra to educate the young about the four families of instruments (strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion) and the separate instruments within the families. Britten combined arrangements of a Henry Purcell composition and a fugue of his own to present the sounds of each family and individual instruments. Narrated by Jon Hurdy, this piece was a good review or introduction of each instrument’s role in the orchestra, as well as an opportunity for the Quad City Symphony to showcase the talents of each instrumentalist.
The first piece, Music for the Royal Fireworks, was written by George Frideric Handel. King George II of England commissioned the work to accompany a fireworks display commemorating the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle and the end of a period of war. I found it difficult to think of fireworks as I heard this piece, as the music was a march and more royal than free. If the fireworks display was anything like Handel’s piece, not a spark was out of place. Actually, the program notes say the king’s fireworks display was “faulty”; however, the music was a success, as was this fitting beginning to Saturday evening’s concert.
Franz Josef Haydn’s Farewell Symphony (also known as Symphony No. 45 in F-Sharp Minor) also has an interesting story behind it. Haydn served as the court musician for the Esterhazy family. Each year, the family vacationed at a summer home in the Hungarian mountains. In the fateful summer of 1761, Prince Esterhazy prolonged his stay for so long that the family’s entourage of musicians became restless and asked Haydn to let the prince know it was time to go home. Haydn created the Farewell Symphony, a not-so-subtle hint. The first three movements follow the expected pattern, although the second movement is a bit longer than usual and the third movement stops mid-stream. During the fourth movement, the orchestra members leave a few at a time until only two violinists are left.
I easily pictured the prince’s reaction to the last sections of the piece. The third movement lilted along until the joyful music faded away in the middle of a strain. As the orchestra dwindled during the fourth movement, the musicians demonstrated their ability to play as a full orchestra, a small ensemble, and individuals. The audience shared a chuckle as even Schleicher left the stage during the final minutes of the piece, leaving the two violinists to end the piece beautifully with a sensitive duet.
Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis by Ralph Vaughan Williams provided a moving demonstration of how combinations of instruments produce different sounds, feelings, and dynamics. The full orchestra, a “mini-orchestra” of nine musicians, and a group of soloists were featured separately, and each group produced different textures and dynamics. The orchestra created a full, strident melody, which contrasted nicely with the more delicate mini-orchestra. The solo viola, two violins, and cello created a harmony of tones, bringing even more variety to the piece.
The final composition of the evening was educational and beautiful. Benjamin Britten composed The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra to educate the young about the four families of instruments (strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion) and the separate instruments within the families. Britten combined arrangements of a Henry Purcell composition and a fugue of his own to present the sounds of each family and individual instruments. Narrated by Jon Hurdy, this piece was a good review or introduction of each instrument’s role in the orchestra, as well as an opportunity for the Quad City Symphony to showcase the talents of each instrumentalist.
