CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — The Clarion University Symphony Orchestra will present a concert on Sunday, December 11, in the Marwick-Boyd Auditorium.
The event begins at 3:00 p.m.
It is free and open to the public.
Under the direction of Dr. Casey C. Teske, the theme of the concert is “The French Connection” which presents various compositions from French Romanticism of the 19th century.
Special guest artist Newyopercussion Contemporary Quartet joins the symphony orchestra. The members of this exciting young professional group are: Bryan Teeters (CUP class of 2010), Dean Anshutz, Matthew Hayes, and Bob Young.
The concert opens with Georges Bizet’s L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2. Bizet was commissioned to write incidental music to the play L’Arlésienne (The Girl from Arles) by Alphonse Daudet, and while the play flopped, the music was well received resulting in two suites. The first movement, “Pastorale” begins with broad thematic material that is broken by a faster Spanish dance before returning to original material. The second movement, “Carillon,” is a wedding celebration complete with bells and a festive mood, and “Farandole” ends the suite with a return of the opening theme of the “Prelude” to the first suite as a canon eventually combining the two themes at the end.
“Soldiers’ Chorus” from Faust by Charles Gounod ends the first part of the Symphony Orchestra program. Faust is a grand opera in five acts based loosely on Goethe’s Faust, Part I. Although the opera was not originally well received it became very popular after a subsequent three-year revival. The “Soldiers’ Chorus” is from Act 4 where a military company returns to a triumphal march in the town square.
The Newyopercussion Contemporary Quartet will then perform two pieces on their portion of the concert. They start with Surprise! by Tim and Tom Ouderits and is for three players on one 5-octave marimba. The introduction is written in mixed meter but quickly evolves into a more common time. A unique feature of this rhythmic piece is the Jack in the Box melody in the middle. The group will end with Peck’s Lifrtoff!. This work uses a low, medium, and high drum in two sections. The first utilizes conflicting accent patterns while the second uses sixteenth note patterns leading to a crescendo that drives to a “hair-raising” finale.
The orchestra continues the last part of the concert with “Dance of the Gypsy” from Camille Saint-Saëns’s Henry VIII. Although Saint-Saëns preferred a French subject for an opera, he was able completely immerse himself into research of thematic material of England at Buckingham Palace. It premiered in 1883 but never gained any traction even though Saint-Saëns remarked, “The work stands out brilliantly.” During the reign of Henry VIII gypsies are said to have arrived and this dance exemplifies the unique character and infusion of encountered cultures.
The final piece is “Ballet Music” from Faust by Charles Gounod. Following a tradition established during Louis XIV’s rule, all French Grand Operas in the 19th century featured a ballet. After the revival, this Ballet was added in the final act where legendary and heroic characters dance to music that is buoyant, legendary, uplifting, ultimately leading to a wicked celebration of the underworld.
The Clarion University Symphony Orchestra is a premiere performing group consisting of the Clarion University community, including students, faculty, alumni, and residents of the surrounding area. The group is dedicated to the quality performance of standard orchestral repertoire and is typically joined by professional guest artists for each concert.
