CRANE SYMPHONIC BAND
Program Notes • 17 November 2016
friendly tribute to a visiting Iroquois Chief named Skenandoah. Others suggest
that the region was named not by the Cherokee, but by the Senedo Indians of the
Virginia Valley. In the Senedo tradition, Shenandoah means “daughter of the
moon”, and bears no relation to the Iroquois Chief Skenandoah.
I don’t normally like to begin program notes with dictionary definitions—it feels
pretty stuffy to me—but it seemed appropriate for this piece, so here goes…
The origins of the folk song are equally obscure, but all date to the 19th century.
It has been attributed variously to a coal miner in Pennsylvania, a young protégé
of Stephen Foster, and to a housewife in Lexington, Kentucky. Many variants on
the melody and text have been handed down through the years, the most popular
telling the story of an early settler’s love for a Native American woman.
Note by Frank Ticheli
thunk [thuhngk] noun & verb
DEUX DANSES
1. [n.] an abrupt, flat, hollow sound (example: The book landed on the floor with
a thunk.); synonym: thud
2. [v.] to produce an abrupt, flat, hollow sound
3. [v.] colloquial past tense and past participle of think.
Dèsirè Dondeyne
MELODIOUS THUNK
David Biedenbender
Melodious Thunk was inspired by the famous jazz pianist Thelonious Monk.
Monk’s wife, Nellie Smith, nicknamed him “Melodious Thunk” because of his
clunky, awkward, and brilliant(!) piano playing, and his, somewhat scatterbrained
and disoriented nature. I really liked the idea of playing around with Monk’s
name—first, because I personally really enjoy goofing around with
“spoonerisms” (silly, ridiculous, mix-and-match letter games, which often happen
by accident: for example, slip of the tongue becomes tip of the slung), and, second,
because this nickname actually provided great musical inspiration. Melodious—
well, that’s fairly obvious—and thunk (which is a great onomatopoeia!) became
the starting points for the piece. Big, fat thunks are interspersed with pointy,
clunky, bluesy blips, which are then transformed into a long, smooth, laid-back
melody accompanied by a funky bass line. I haven’t consciously borrowed any
specific tunes or licks from Monk, although I do use a small fragment of Dizzy
Gillespie’s tune Salt Peanuts, but I hope you’ll hear some similarities between
this piece and Monk’s iconic musical style and quirky attitude.
Note by David Biedenbender
Désiré Dondeyne was a French military band leader, clarinetist, and composer,
known particularly for his wind band works. He began his training at the
Conservatory in Lille before moving on to the Paris Conservatory as a pupil of
Tony Aubin, from whose composition class also emerged Serge Lancen and Ida
Gotkovsky. Dondeyne distinguished himself by winning eight First Awards
between 1945-51. As a composer, he specialized in everything concerning wind
music: symphonies, concertos, trios and chamber works. His magnum opus is
without doubt Deux Danses pour Harmonie, as well as his Ballade pour une fête
populaire and the short but pithy Ouverture pour un festival. He wrote a treatise
on wind bands as well as one on instrumentation and orchestration that is
considered a valuable complement to those of Berlioz and Gabriel Parès. He was
appointed conductor of the band of the Gardiens de la Paix in Paris in 1954 and
later appointed to the French Ministry of Culture in 1979. He is also known for
his friendship and collaborations with Les Six composer Germaine Tailleferre
which began in 1975. She not only guided him in transcribing her works for
winds, but entrusted him to orchestrate all her subsequent works, as she could
only write out piano sketches due to her debilitating rheumatism.
RONDO
SHENANDOAH
Barton McLean
Frank Ticheli
Barton McLean is no stranger to Crane, having received his B.S. there in 1960.
Upon graduating, he was immediately hired to teach music theory and double bass
and to teach at the Campus School as well. Back in those days there was no
composition program, but McLean became the first undergraduate “composition
major,” invited by Helen Hosmer to convert his last semesters of instrument major
to composition study. Other early opportunities at Crane included the equivalent
of two fully orchestrated music comedies produced by Delta Kappa fraternity
(The DK Show), where he experimented with various modes of orchestration. As
a charter member of Willard Musser’s Crane Wind Ensemble on double bass, he
became familiar with the wind ensemble literature and wrote his first published
composition, Rondo for Band, which was subsequently performed by the CWE
In my setting of Shenandoah I was inspired by the freedom and beauty of the folk
melody and by the natural images evoked by the words, especially the image of a
river. I was less concerned with the sound of a rolling river than with its lifeaffirming energy – its timelessness. Sometimes the accompaniment flows quietly
under the melody; other times it breathes alongside it. The work’s mood ranges
from quiet reflection, through growing optimism, to profound exaltation.
The Shenandoah Valley and the Shenandoah River are located in Virginia. There
is disagreement among historians concerning the origins of their names. Some
claim that the river and valley were named in the 1750’s by the Cherokee as a
and taken by Willard Musser to the NYS All State Band at the NYSSMA
conference. Showing definite influence of Sibelius, this traditional work belies
his later efforts, both via the wind ensemble. Pathways, in particular, is a
modernist textural/timbral work influenced by his mentors, Henry Cowell and
Iannis Xenakis. Counterintuitively, McLean still retains his love of Sibelius while
creating pioneering and experimental works using the latest in audio technology.
Rondo for Band was written for the Cincinnatus Central School Band, McLean’s
high school alma mater. The composition combines lyrical and heroic elements
and demonstrates influences of Brahms and Sibelius. From the quiet,
introspective opening to the broad climax the moods of the Adirondacks are
depicted. The first performance was in 1965 by the Crane Wind Ensemble,
conducted by Willard Musser.
Note by Barton McLean
SYMPHONY NO. 4 – BOOKMARKS
FROM
JAPAN
Julie Giroux
Ray Cramer, Emeritus Professor at Indiana University and the Musashino
Academy of Music in Japan, and his wife Molly gave me a set of six bookmarks
they had purchased in Japan. Each paper bookmark had beautiful color sketches
of scenes or places by famous Japanese artists. They gave them to me during a
lunch outing we took together while at a convention. I did not eat much of my
lunch because I could not stop looking at the bookmarks.
My imagination was whirling with each scene painted on each bookmark. I knew
right then and there that those six little bookmarks would be the subject of my
next symphony. And sure enough, those six little pieces of paper with their tiny
little purple silk strings consumed the better part of six months of my life. Thank
you Ray and Molly!
I. Mount Fuji - "Fuji-san"
The sketch Fine Wind, Clear Morning (Gaifu kaisei), also known as South Wind,
Clear Sky or Red Fuji, by Hokusai Katsushika is the inspiration for this work
which is subtitled "Fuji-san." In early autumn when, as the original sketch title
specifies, the wind is southerly and the sky is clear, the rising sun can turn Mount
Fuji red. Fuji-san has many different looks depending on the viewer’s vantage
point, time of year, weather and even time of day.
Big, bold and easily recognized yet shrouded in mystery and lore, Mount Fuji
offers a multitude of inspirational facets. This piece is based on one view of Mt.
Fuji covered in mist and low clouds which slowly burns off as the day progresses.
Orchestration and composition techniques follows this scenario starting off with
mysterious, unfocused scoring. As the piece progresses, the scoring gets more
focused and bold with the final statement representing Fuji-san in a totally clear
view.
II. Nihonbashi - "Market Bridge"
Hiroshige Ando (1797-1858) traveled the Tokaido from Edo to Kyoto in 1832.
The official party he was traveling with were transporting horses which were gifts
to be offered to the Imperial court. The journey greatly inspired Hiroshige for he
sketched many of its scenes during his round trip travels. In all, Hiroshige
produced 55 prints for the series The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido. Fiftythree of the prints represent each of the 53 post stations along the way. The two
additional prints are of the starting and ending points. The post stations offered
food, lodging and stables for travelers of the Tokaido Highway.
Hiroshige's "Leaving Edo: Nihonbashi," is number 1/55 in the series of prints.
The Nihonbashi bridge was the central point of development of which is now a
business district of Chuo, Tokyo, Japan aptly named the Nihonbashi District. For
centuries it thrived as a mercantile district. The first department store ever
developed in Japan was by the Mitsui family named Mitsukoshi. From its early
days as a fish market to the current financial district of Tokyo (and Japan), this
bridge spanning the Nihonbashi River is a true landmark in Tokyo. In fact,
highway signs that state the distance to Tokyo actually state the distance to the
Nihonbashi bridge. Up until shortly before 1964, you could see Mount Fuji from
the bridge. However, the 1964 Summer Olympics put in a raised expressway over
the Nihonbashi bridge, obscuring its view entirely. Petitions to relocate the
expressway underground in order to regain view of Mount Fuji are continuous but
so far have been futile due to the costs for such a project.
This movement is a melody of my own crafting. It is folk sounding in nature as I
was trying to capture the spirit of the bridge going all the way back to 1603 when
the first wooden bridge was built over Nihonbashi River. It started out as a fish
market but quickly became a place for other merchants to gather. In this piece,
the melody gets tossed from instrument to instrument representing the continuous
street hoking and haggling that was present. It is light and playful in nature and
nearly every instrument gets to hoke their wares. All in all, we get to hear satisfied
vendors’ and customers’ melodic interpretations
III. The Great Wave off Kanagawa - "The Life of One Wave"
The artwork of Hokusai is well known and this particular woodblock print which
was published between 1830 and 1833 is well known throughout the world. His
series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji is Hokusai's most famous work. Looking at
this stunning print, you can see Mount Fuji in the background but the central focus
is an enormous wave called an okinami (wave of the open sea) peaked and curling
with several Japanese boats in different stages entering the perilous wave.
In this work, a single wave is depicted from its beginnings far out in the sparkling
sun drenched seas all the way through its final throes onto a rocky beach. The
piece starts in the open sea, fairly calm with sunlight refracting into thousands of
tiny points of light. Depicting this are the woodwinds rippling up and down with
sixteenth triplet variations. The trombones and French horns enter the mix with
a solid melodic statement. The trumpets add in near the end of the phrase all of
which depicts the first shaping of the great wave. This entire section peaks where
we get the full rolling motion throughout the entire band.
If looking at the score, you can see the melodic lines and phrases going up and
down the staves. Partway through the movement, the music winds down, ending
with only 2 instruments playing. This signifies the separation of the wave from
the open sea as it begins its final path towards landfall. After this, the wave grows
in strength and volume to the final moments of this movement.
IV. Kinryuzan Temple in Asakusa - "Thunder Gate”
The name of the print on the bookmark says Kaminari-mon, Gate of Asakusa
Kannon Temple but the true name of the print is "Kinryuzan Temple in Asakusa"
by the artist Hiroshige Ando. Hiroshige died before the entire collection was
completed. Hiroshige II finished it. The first prints were published in order
between 1856 and 1859.
The Temple History: Originally built in 941 AD, Kaminarimon is the outer gate
leading to the Senso-ji Temple which was constructed around 628 AD near
Kamagata and later relocated to its present location in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan in
1635. This large gate features 4 statues. The Shinto gods Fujin and Raijin are
located on the front of the gate and the Buddhist god Tenryu and goddess Kinryu
stand on the reverse side. Fujin displayed on the front east side of the gate is the
god of wind and Raijin on the west side is the god of thunder giving the gate its
nickname of “Thunder Gate.”
Displayed in the middle of the gate is a giant red chochin (lantern) which weighs
approximately 1,500 pounds. Despite its huge size, it is very fragile. The front
of the lantern bears the painting of the gate’s name Kaminarimon, and the painting
on the back reads Furaijinmon, the official name of the gate. The bottom or base
of the chochin displays a beautiful wooden carving of a dragon. Over the centuries
the gate has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. The current gate dates to
1960 and the new lantern was donated in 2003.
As a tourist, you cannot get close to the statues as they are protected by fences
and wire and you certainly cannot touch them. Despite all of that, the
magnificence of gate still shines through bearing testament to centuries of humans
that have passed through its structure and the centuries yet to come.
V. "Evening Snow at Kambara" - "Light is the Touch"
"Evening Snow at Kambara" was the 15th station Hiroshige Ando visited on his
route from Edo to Tokyo, chronicled in his series The Fifty-Three Stations of the
Tokaido. The subtitle "Light is the Touch" refers to snow softly falling on the
skin. In this piece, the falling snow symbolizes spiritual healing. The piece starts
with solo piano, harp and alto flute. The melody is simple yet haunting and grows
with the slow addition of players. The piece ends with the same 3 soloists it began
with. It is a song in structure, a song representing the soft touch of healing.
VI. Hakone - "Drifting"
Hakone-juku was the 10th station Hiroshige Ando visited on his route from Edo
to Tokyo, chronicled in his series The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido. At an
elevation of 725m, it is the highest post station on the entire Tokaido offering
spectacular views. Hakone-juku was established in 1618 and over the years has
proven to be a hard road to maintain due to its elevation.
THE MYSTERY: When I started researching Hakone there wasn't much of
anything striking a chord within my creative self. Just a city that had a long road
with lots of curves, switchbacks and other hazards passing through it. It wasn't
until I looked at the actual highway on a map that it rang a bell. I had seen this
road before. I truly recognized the shape of the entire highway.
Having never been on that actual highway in real life I knew I had to unravel the
mystery. A few more searches on the internet and there it was. I am an avid
"gamer" and though I tend to play all types of games both on the computer and on
consoles, I have always played racing games and that is where I had "driven" it
before, in a video game. The drifting I did on that highway in the game mostly
sent me sailing off the road, flying through air and ultimately landing in a fiery,
end over end wipeout. And as with any search on the internet, YouTube offered
up a seemingly endless supply of videos featuring not one, but long parades of
cars in single file drifting on the Tokaido Highway as it runs through Hakone.
THE MUSIC - Subtitled "Drifting" this piece reflects my love of fast cars doing
crazy fun things. In this instance that would be drifting. Drifting is the art of
manipulating the brakes, the gas and precise steering wheel positioning keeping
the car in a controlled skid/slide while traveling around curves. The music depicts
the adrenaline racing, heart pumping action of drifting cars on the Tokaido
Highway through Hakone and beyond. It is fast, furious, full of odd meters and
features nearly every instrument in the band at least once. My version of musical
drifting.
Let’s just hope there are no wipeouts or fiery crashes. Drifting on the Tokaido
Highway will be on my "to do" list during my next visit to Japan.
Note by Julie Giroux
OLD COMRADES
Carl Teike
Carl Teike, the son of a blacksmith and sibling to 13, began his musical studies at
the age of 14, and enlisted at 19 as a musician in the army of Württemburg – the
123rd König Karls Regiment. He composed over 100 military marches and twenty
concert works during his career. An interesting bit of irony surrounds Teike’s
Alte Kameraden, written in 1889. Upon presenting it to his military bandmaster,
it was met with disdain, “We’ve got plenty enough of military marches; put this
one on the stove!” Disheartened, Teike eventually left military music, selling the
rights to his Alte Kameraden to a music publisher. Upon publication however,
this work became one of the most famous marches in the world.