Second Concert of the 27th Season

I. Pomposo: Allegro
II. Andante
III. Gavotta (Risoluto)

I. Adagio maestoso (Tempo giusto)
II. Quasi Adagio
III. Allegretto vivace
IV. Allegro marziale animato

William Boyce ranks as England's most talented composer between Purcell and Elgar. He earned his livelihood as an organist, but is best known today as a composer of choral music. Extant instrumental works include twelve sonatas and eight symphonies. In 1749 the University of Cambridge conferred a Doctor of Music degree on the composer. Adding to his status, Boyce edited three highly regarded volumes of "Cathedral Music." Biographers describe him as a very kindly man, widely respected and loved.

Symphony No. 8 begins with a slow introduction in French style which is followed by a fugal allegro. The style strongly suggests the concerti grossi of Handel rather than a symphony by modern definition. A lyrical and extremely short slow movement is followed by a typical Baroque dance. This composition possesses a strength and clarity which is immediately engaging. It was one of the last works in the great Baroque tradition.

A professor of composition at the Paris Conservatory, Paul Dukas achieved international acclaim with The Sorcerer's Apprentice. In France his fame is not limited to this single work. Ariane and Bluebeard, an opera, and La Peri are also highly regarded.

La Peri is a dance-poem first presented in Paris in 1912 -- inspiration coming from an Oriental legend. The fanfare is scored for brasses alone. Dukas, a masterful orchestrator, succinctly displays the idiomatic capabilities of the instruments as he creates an air of excitement and expectation.

Without question, Aaron Copland ranks as one of the leading figures in American music. Composer, writer, teacher, and entrepreneur, he has been successful in many areas. Copland was the first of many Americans to study in France with Nadia Boulanger. The thorough technical training received there has enabled him to write in several different styles with impressive craftsmanship. Copland has preoccupied himself for nearly four decades to "expressing the deepest reactions of the American consciousness of the American scene."

World War II prompted the composer to write two patriotic works, A Lincoln Portrait, and Letter from Home. The latter work was commissioned by the American Broadcasting Company and first performed in 1944 with Paul Whiteman conducting. A 1962 revision by Copland has shortened the work somewhat. Expressive melodic lines create a nostalgic mood which is broken only briefly by dissonant chords suggesting the harsh reality of war.

Franz Liszt was a paradoxical figure. The story of his life is extremely colorful and engrossing! A child prodigy as a pianist, Liszt became a dazzling virtuoso and an overpowering personality. He ranks with Paganini as the most magnetic performer in history. As a composer, Liszt is also important. His highly cosmopolitan career led to an interesting eclectic style. In addition to his contributions to piano literature, Liszt developed the symphonic poem and created important innovations in harmony.

The Concerto No. 1 has a rather unusual form. Four sections are played without interruption, giving the impression of a single movement work. The first theme is stated immediately by the strings. Muted celli and basses introduce the second section, a plaintive adagio. After development a new theme appears in the solo flute. In the scherzo section is heard the triangle part which prompted the critic Hanslick to disparagingly call this work the "Triangle Concerto." In the words of Liszt, the finale "is merely an urgent recapitulation of the earlier subject matter with quickened livelier rhythm, and contains no new motives..." The concerto gives contemporary pianists an opportunity to display some of the emotion and bravura so successfully projected by the composer during his many years of concertizing.