Second Concert of the 53rd Season
Mozart Bicentennial Commemoration
Sunday, December 8th, 1991
Cordier Auditorium
Robert Jones, Conductor
| Exsultate, jubilate, K. 165 | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | |||
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Allegro: Exsultate, jubilate... |
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| Janie L. Hornung, soprano | ||||
| Intermission | ||||
| Requiem, K.626 (Süssmayr completion) | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | |||
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Introit et Kyrie |
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| Manchester Choral
Society John Yonkman, conductor Janie L. Hornung, soprano Sarah Firbley Reynolds, alto Fritz Robertson, tenor Doyle C. Preheim, bass |
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Program Notes by James R. C. Adams |
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Exultate, Jubilate, K. 165 (Composed in Milan in January, 1773) |
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) |
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Revisionsists point out that the popular conception of Mozart as a very rapid composer is based on ignorance of the fact that, unlike many others, he composed not at the keyboard, but in his head. It was not easy to know when he was composing, since he could do that (as he often did) while playing billiards, or drawing pictures (he was a talented artist, according to his wife, Constanze). One instance serves to illustrate this. Legend has it that he wrote the overture to Don Giovanni the night before its first performance, while Constanze kept him awake by telling him stories. Research suggests that it was before the second rehearsal, but still, he wrote it in one night. This was possible because he had already composed the piece, and had only to write it down when the time came. He often wrote music while carrying on conversations. Even with this demystification of his genius, it is apparent that Mozart was a rapid composer, simply on the basis of his enormous output during his short life. Regarding many of his works, we can find a good deal of commentary among his letters. But in the case of the Exultate, Jubilate we find little more than an off-hand remark in a letter to his sister, that he was writing a motet "which must be ready tomorrow." It was written to be sung by a man, Venanzio Rauzzine, according to the biographer W.J. Turner, but it is known as being for soprano, orchestra, and organ. Mozart wrote it in Milan, when he was sixteen years old. |
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Requiem in D Minor, K. 626 (Begun by Mozart in 1791 in Vienna and completed by Franz Xaver Süssmayr) |
Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart (1756-1791) |
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The success of the film "Amadeus" left viewers with a wealth of information about Mozart's personality and music, some of which is true. He was a child prodigy (true), had a vulgar sense of humor (no more than was common in his circle), had a foolish giggle (no evidence for that), thought highly of his own genius (true), was poisoned by Salieri (false), did not finish his last work, the Requiem (true), while on his death-bed dictated parts of the Requiem to Salieri (false), and was secretly commissioned by Salieri to write the Requiem so that he (Salieri) could claim it as his own (false). Mozart did write the Requiem on a secret commission, but not from Salieri, his chief rival. His patron was Count Franz van Walsegg, who frequently commissioned works which he copied and presented as his own at soireés on his estate. Members of his court indulged what they considered a harmless deception, and humored him by pretending to think he had written them. The commission, coming as it did through a mysterious intermediary, and at a time when Mozart was exhausted and melancholy, contributed to the obsession that there was a supernatural aspect to it ... that it was to be Mozart's own dirge. His friends and relatives were unable to snap him out of this dolor, and the day before his death, when they were all singing those parts which had been sketched out, Mozart broke down and wept. How much of the Requiem is actually by Mozart is still being debated. From the Sanctus on to the end, all is new music, except for judicious repeats of themes from the beginning. Probably none of the orchestration is Mozart's, except indirectly. While Mozart dictated nothing to Salieri, he did dictate to his friend and student Franz Süssmayr, and it was Süssmayr, very familiar with Mozart's thought process, who completed the version we hear today. Recorded versions vary, since several composers have made attempts to rethink the probabilities. The organ, often heard in other performances, is omitted here (it had always appeared more because of Viennese tradition than artistic judgement). The basset horns, with their mournful timbre, are too hard to find, and have been replaced by clarinets. |
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Manchester Symphony Orchestra Personnel |
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Violin Linda Kanzawa Hare, Concertmaster Rosemary Manifold * Stephanie Beery +^ Nelson Dougherty Matthew Hendryx Tracy A. Knechel + Sandra Neel Ilona Orban Moo Il Rhee Vernon Stinebaugh Viola Annete Hopkins * Kate Burdey Joyce Gouwens Naida MacDermid Cello Joe Kalisman * Jennifer Barnhart + Betty Bueker Joshua Stevenson Lisa White + Bass Randy Gratz * Darrel Fiene George Scheerer Oboe Lisa Kinsey *+^ Kathleen Andersen |
Clarinet Robyn Jones * LeAnn Compton + Bassoon Donna Russell * (co-) Takashi Yamano * (co-) Horn Nancy A. Bremer * (co-) Bryan L. Gibson * (co-) Trumpet Steven Hammer * Mike Jordan Trombone D. Larry Dockter * Jon Hartman + Scott Hippensteel Timpani Tana Tinkey * Denotes principal + Denotes MC student ^ Denotes MSS Scholarship recipient |
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Manchester Choral Society |
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| John Yonkman, conductor | ||||
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Soprano Christine Beery Heather L. Bungard Carolyn Carr Lori Gaerte Beth Hartley Holly Hoese Kimberly Koczan Barbara Leininger Rosetta Litke Jamie Little Deanna Beth Myers Carlotta Olinger Betsy Peterson Jana Ralston Heidi Rupley Carol Streator Sara Sunderman Jennifer Wade Krista Walker Jane Willmert Tenor Reginald Batusic James Bowyer William DeWitt Jeffery Jones Howard McKee Kazuhiro Momiyama Andy Ulrich |
Alto Carmen Beery Karin Brunk Justine Bucholz Elaine A. Campbell Ruth Craig Carla Croy Jennifer Flory Wendy Good Edith Hoffer Kristen Horwath Monica Lange Marcie Moller Kim Murray Wray Nye Tina Rieman Tanya Roop Tameche Shock Rebecca Simmons Connie Snyder Heidi Starr Katherine Tinsley Stacey Willbur Lisa White Bass Eric Barkey Robert Dickason Dwight Farringer Francis Hoffer Shawn Kirchner Geoff Markiton Chris Power Ken Rieman Jon Schrock Dan Smith Duane Wolfe |
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John Jerry Yonkman, in his first year as Director of Choral Activities at Manchester College, is a native of Chicago. He studied voice at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago with Donna Harrison and received the Bachelor of Arts degree in music theory and composition from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He began his conducting career in 1976 with his appointment as conductor of the Calvin College Chamber Singers. In 1977 he moved to San Francisco to continue his vocal and conducting studies before beginning graduate work at Indiana University, where he received the Master and Doctor of Music degrees in choral conducting. Besides conducting numerous choral groups at Indiana University, Mr. Yonkman was conductor and music director of the Bloomington Chamber Singers from 1983-1988. He has appeared as guest conductor of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, and, with the Bach Chorale Singers, as guest conductor of the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra. He has also served on the faculties of Denison University and the University of Indianapolis, and is currently in his fourth season as Music Director of the Bach Chorale Singers in Lafayette, Indiana.  Janie
L. Hornung received the Bachelor of Music Education degree from
Indiana University in 1970 and the Master of Music in Voice from Ball
STate University in 1976. She studied voice at Indiana University with
Virginia MacWatters. She has continued her study of voice/vocal pedagogy
at classes and workshops at the University of Iowa, St. Cloud State
University, St John's University, and Akron University.She taught one year in the Attica Consolidated Schools and will be completing her twentieth year in the Logansport Community School corporation this spring. She has taught at all levels of vocal and general music, concentrating on elementary general music and high school choral music the last fifteen years. Ms. Hornung has performed as guest soloist with both the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Ft. Wayne Philharmonic in opera arias, with the Marion Philharmoni in Haydn's Creation, with the Indiana University-Kokomo Orchestra in Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass, with the Manchester Symphony Orchestra in Poulenc's Gloria, and with the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra in Vaughan Williams' Antartica Symphony No. 7. Miss Hornung is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, Sigma Alpha Iota and Delta Kappa Gamma.  Sarah
Fribley Reynolds currently studies voice privately with
Violette Vernaud Meyers. She studied voice on scholarship at Indiana
University School of Music in Bloomington and in Fort Wayne. Ms.
Reynolds was recipient of the Ruth Palmer Music Scholarship and she was
the winner of the vocal division of the Federation of Women's Clubs'
Music Competition for the State of Indiana. She is also an active member
of Sigma Eta, Fine Arts, Incorporated.Ms. Reynolds has performed in operas on the I.U. bloomington campus, participated in Fort Wayne Opera Workshop, toured Europe with the "Sounds of Hope" Choir as soloist and choir member, and is a member of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Chorus and "Opus 18" chamber ensemble. She performs as alto soloist throughout the state of Indiana for various organizations. She has appeared most recently as soloist with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Huntington Nativity Festival, Auburn Oratorio Chorus, "Opus 18" Chamber Ensemble, and Concordia Theological Seminary.  Fritz
Robertson maintains a busy schedule as a performer and teacher.
A Maine native, he received his undergraduate education there, and
pursued graduate studies at Boston University where he held
assistantships in Opera and Choral Conducting, and received the
faculty-nominated Honor Award in Voice. During his years in Boston, Mr.
Robertson was tenor soloist at All Saints Parish of Brookline, was a
member of the Handel & Haydn Society professional chorus, and an active
free-lance musician. In the summer of 1984, he received one of twelve
vocal fellowships for intense study with world-renowned soprano Phyllis
Curtin at Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
From 1987-1990, while pursuing a Doctorate at Ball State University, Mr.
Robertson was the recipient of three Doctoral Teaching Fellowships, and
a three-time winner of that institution's Outstanding Graduate Student
Award.As a guest artist, Mr. Robertson has been heard in recital at Emerson College, Boston University, All Newton Music School, Ball State University and St. Mary's College of Raleigh, NC. He has performed extensively in the Greater Boston area as soloist with the Handel & Haydn Society, the Boston Cecelia, the John Oliver Chorale, Masterworks Chorale and the Neponset Choral Society. In Indiana, Mr. Robertson has been a featured soloist with the symphony orchestras of Muncie, Marion and Anderson, and has appeared in recital at Anderson University and on the Emily Kimbrough Chamber Series in Muncie. Performances elsewhere have included those with the Lake Placid Sinfoniette, the Bangor (ME) Symphony Orchestra, and in our nation's capitol with the Masterworks Chorus & Orchestra and the National Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Robertson is currently music director at Friends Memorial Church of Muncie, and is an Assistant Professor fo Music at Anderson University, where he teaches voice, opera theater and directs the women's choir.  Doyle
C. Preheim is professor of music and chairman of the music
department at Goshen College. Since joining the Goshen College
faculty in 1972, he has been director of the Chamber Choir, taught
voice, conducting, music history, and church music.Dr. Preheim is a native of Freeman, South Dakota. He received the B.A. degree in music education from Bethel College, Newton, Kansas. The M.M. in church music and the D.M.A. in choral music were earned at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Dr. Preheim appears frequently as guest conductor of choral festivals, and as baritone soloist in oratorio roles. He and his wife, Mary Jo, have presented recitals throughout the midwest. |
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