The last quarter of the 18th and the first quarter of the 19th centuries saw a vast increase in the repertoire for the wind ensemble. Not only original compositions were published, but arrangements of operas, suites, concert overtures and even symphonies.  The performances took place at Court, garden parties and numerous other events.  Of particular significance was the “Harmoniemusik”, a wind ensemble comprised most frequently of five to eight instruments with the latter being pairs of oboes, clarinets, horns and bassoons.

 

In the case of the arrangement of the Overture to Fidelio, Beethoven in 1815 presented his opera score to a publisher for Wenzl Sedlak (1776-1851), an excellent clarinetist, to arrange.  Upon completion, Beethoven, ever the perfectionist, was unhappy with some of Sedlak’s minor inaccuracies.  Nevertheless, this arrangement is an excellent rendition of the original score.  A ninth voice, the contrabassoon, often doubles the second bassoon, but many times has an independent part.  Another voice, the timpani, has been added by our leader who has stated “How can we perform Beethoven without timpani?”  (And as you may know, we try to do whatever is necessary to keep him happy.)

 

Hummel’s play “Die Eselshaut” (from the French fairytale “La Peau d’Âne”), was first performed in Vienna in 1814.  It was a light-hearted production, which included a mixture of melodious, solo vocal numbers, choruses and dances, all with elaborate sets and costumes.  Again, it was Sedlak who scored these delightful movements for nine wind instruments (without timpani).  Incidentally the title translates as “The Donkey Skin”, but more about that later.

 

Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” was transcribed by Josef Triebensee (1772-1840) who was faithful to the score, showing considerable skill and sensitivity.  The overture and three arias from Act I have been chosen for this concert; “Notte e Giordano faticar”, (On the go from morn ‘till night), sung by Leporello; Zerlina’s aria “Giovinette che fate all’amore”, (Pretty maid with your graces adorning), and “Là ci darem la mano”, (Here with our hands entwining) the famous aria sung by the Don.

 

What an incredible period these three composers lived in and what compositions they wrote which would change the world of music!

 

Intermission

 

“In 1872 there died, undoubtedly unknown to each other, two plebeian Europeans of supreme originality, Ludwig van Beethoven and William Blake.  Had they known of each other, they could still not have known how much of the future they contained and how alike they were in the quality of their personal force, the defiance of the age and the fierce demands they had made on the human imagination.”  Alfred Kazin

 

Kazin’s quotation epitomizes the creative genius that was Beethoven and in this arrangement of his seventh symphony we find him again stretching his own boundaries.  According to Richard Wagner, “…..the very apotheosis of the dance; it is the highest being of the dance, the most blissful act of bodily movement, ideally embodied, as it were, in tone.”

 

Beethoven included seven different settings for his seventh symphony, when he handed the score to his publisher in 1816.  S. A. Steiner, the publisher and editor claimed that the composer himself had supervised the arrangements, but it remains unclear if this is true.  (More about this later.)  Among these arrangements was the one for wind octet and contrabassoon which we will be performing this evening. (Again, we’ve added timpani, hoping to keep G.C. happy.)

 

 

 

 

Director George Corwin

 

Oboe Katrina Bligh

 Patrick Conley

 

Clarinet Jacqui Sullivan

Melanie Pare

 

Horn Annie Claverie

Karen Hough

 

Bassoon John Larsen 

Bonnie Smith

 

Contra Bassoon Robyn Jutras

 

Timpani Rich Lang