1. NORTHWEST SINFONIETTA Music off the Shelves: Ken Owen, D.M.A. Concert: April 27 – Seattle, Nordstrom Hall April 28 – Tacoma, Rialto Theatre April 29 – Puyallup, Pioneer Park Pavilion

2. PROKOFIEV SAINT-SAËNS MENDELSSOHN Possible titles “Child Prodigies” or “Almost Classical (1750-1810)”

3. Classical style 1750-1810ish Haydn, Mozart and Early to mid Beethoven What we expect: Singable tunes & even phrases Symphony has 1 st mvt – fast and in sonata form 2 nd mvt – slow and lyrical 3 rd mvt – minuet = triple meter dance 4 th mvt – fast and in sonata or rondo form

4. Classical style Sonata form – 3 parts I (Exposition) – Also has 3 parts i – first theme “masculine” ii – second theme “feminine” – contrasting key iii – closing theme – more rhythmic, wraps it up II (development) Take some or all of the themes from I and mess with them III (Recap) Same as Expo but without contrasting key

5. Classical style Concerto has 1 st mvt – fast, sonata form Orchestra plays all the expo themes 1st Then soloist plays all the expo themes Cadenza at end 2 nd mvt – slow and lyrical 3 rd fast, rondo or other form

6. Sergey Prokofiev Born in Ukraine – 1891 Dad – Agricultural engineer. Manages a large estate Mom – Well-educated & good pianist Only child – musically precocious 5yrs old - 1st piano piece 9yrs – playing Beethoven sonatas By 11yrs – 2 operas and many short piano pieces Prominent musician hired to tutor – helped w/first symphony

7. Sergey Prokofiev 13 yrs – distinctive style emerges Unusual meters, Uncommon tonalities Wild rhythms, Musical humor Applied to St. Petersburg Music Conservatory Studies at conservatory for 10 years Few friends because of age difference and arrogance Harmony class = boring and inhibiting Orchestration class w/Rimsky-Korsakov = boring

8. Sergey Prokofiev 17yrs – debut as pianist and composer Plays his own piece at a contemporary music concert Critics – “unintelligible and ultra-modern” Prokofiev strives to maintain image of “enfant terrible” 19yrs – graduates, mediocre grades Dedicates self to piano – back to conservatory !

9. Back at the conservatory Argues w/teacher, hates classical repertoire “improved” Mozart, Schubert etc. After Threat of expulsion – decided to behave 23 yrs – finally leaves conservatory Dyagilev – commissions but rejects several works Finally accepts one for ballet – but put off because of war Back to conservatory to avoid military Organ student

10. Classical Symphony During war – stays in Petrograd Composed 1 st Violin Concerto and “Classical Symphony” Experiment – compose w/out piano Haydn’s style “with something new” Prokofiev titled “Classical” to “tease the geese” and in hopes that it would become a “classic” 1 st of his works to gain international recognition

11. Classical Symphony – mvt. 1 Sonata Form - Classical Opens with Manheim rocket http://www.pierce.ctc.edu:2058/catalogue/item.asp?cid=7190 2 nd theme – mockingly graceful Absurd range Development – all 3 themes Listen for rocket = recapitulation

12. Classical Symphony 2 mvt – slow & dainty – some unusual harmony 3 rd mvt – Dance – but not minuet 4 th – Sonata form – very fast, light, & bubbly

13. Camille Saint-Saëns Born 1835 – Paris Dad = government clerk Married, son born and died all w/in 1 year Raised by Mother and Great Aunt Aunt started teaching him piano at 2 ½ years old 3 yrs – first piano piece 7 yrs – new teacher 10 yrs – playing Beethoven & Mozart piano concertos Learned all subjects quickly

14. Camille Saint-Saëns 12 yrs – Begins at Paris Conservatory Friends w/Rossini, Berlioz, Gounod and others “He knows everything, but lacks experience” – Berlioz “Greatest organist in the World” – Liszt Interest in old composers – promoted revival of Mozart and Handel Taught Faure and became life-long friends

15. Camille Saint-Saëns Described as prominent nose, short, peculiar walk (bird-like strut) Produced music “as an apple tree produces apples”

17. Camille Saint-Saëns 40 yrs – married (she was 19) Mom dissaproved, Saint-Saëns hard to live with 2 sons – both died w/in 6 weeks of each other One fell out of 4 th story window Other died of childhood illness Saint-Saëns blamed wife – separated 53 yrs – Mother died leaving Saint-Saëns with no family Traveled widely

18. Cello Concerto in A minor Experimental form – no break between movements Or all one movement? Rachmaninov admired its “delicacy and beauty” 1 st mvt – loosely in sonata form 2 nd mvt, or section – more like 3 rd mvt of a symphony Triple meter dance

19. Cello Concerto in A minor 3 rd mvt – return of 1 st mvt opening theme Descending triplet figure. Returns many times http://www.pierce.ctc.edu:2058/catalogue/item.asp?cid=B BCL4198-2 http://www.pierce.ctc.edu:2058/catalogue/item.asp?cid=B BCL4198-2

20. Felix Mendelssohn Born - 1809 in Hamburg Dad = banker in Paris – moved to Hamburg after marriage Mom = very wealthy family 4 children, Felix = #2 Family to Berlin to avoid Napoleon conflict Educated by parents. Mom taught piano – moved on to prominent teachers Family converted to Christianity and added Bartholdy name

21. Felix Mendelssohn 10 yrs old – tutor and new prominent piano teacher Studied classical models and composed Attended University Interested in literature and politics as well – friends with Goethe 20yrs – Parents send him on 4 year travel abroad 1 st England & Scottland 2 nd Italy

22. Mendelssohn In Italy visited Naples and Pompeii Impressed by artistic treasures Not impressed by state of music in Italy Moved by poverty of Neapolitans Witnessed a carnival and dances Begins Italian Symphony Completed during winter stay at home in Berlin Premiered in London and remains his most popular symphony

23. Italian Symphony 1 st mvt – inspired by “crazy” festival Sonata form – but with many returns of 1 st theme http://www.pierce.ctc.edu:2058/catalogue/item.asp?cid=PACSNAXOS0006# 2 nd mvt – inspired in part by election and coronation of Pope Gregory XVI 3 rd mvt – perhaps inspired by visual arts 4 th mvt – “Saltarello” = a dance from Napoles featuring hopping and jumping Listen for a big extended crescendo quote