20th-century composers as diverse as
Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky and Prokofiev.
The composer originally titled this
overture “The Bright Holiday,” the name
by which it was familiarly known in Orthodox Russia. He selected various chant
melodies of the Orthodox Obikhod, a collection of the most important canticles of
the Orthodox liturgy, to trace the progression from the mood of solemn expectation
on Easter eve (the slow introduction) to
the joyous, almost pagan celebration of
the Resurrection on Easter morning (the
Allegro main section).
The work opens with the chant
theme “Let God Arise!” (heard first
in the woodwind choir). This theme
dominates the slow introduction, but
we also hear, in the solo cello and later
solo clarinet, a second Orthodox chant
melody, “An Angel Wailed.” RimskyKorsakov: “The beginning of the
Allegro, ‘Let them also that hate Him
flee before Him’ [yet another Orthodox
chant] led to the holiday mood of the
Greek Orthodox church service … The
solemn trumpet voice of the Archangel
was replaced by a tonal reproduction of
the joyous, almost dancelike bell-tolling. … This legendary and heathen side
of the holiday, this transition from the
gloomy and mysterious evening of Passion Saturday to the unbridled paganreligious merry-making on the morn of
Easter Sunday, is what I was eager to
reproduce in my overture”
Instrumentation: Two flutes, piccolo, two oboes,
two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two
trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani,
percussion, harp and strings.
Innovation
has always been at the heart of
Willow Valley Communities’ success.
With the opening of The Clubhouse, Willow Valley breaks
through convention to create something that once again helps
redefine senior living. Every amenity in this 30,000-square-foot
building illustrates the spirit of “agelessness” that guides the
philosophy of development at Willow Valley. The building is also a
reflection of our organization’s commitment to intergenerational
engagement. The Clubhouse opens a new world of possibilities
for those who live at Willow Valley and creates a spirit of vibrancy
compelling to people of all ages.
Life Lived Forward
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat
minor, opus 23
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Born in Votkinsk, Russia, May 7, 1840; died in
St. Petersburg, November 6, 1893
If one had to pick one work that epitomizes the Romantic piano concerto, it would
have to be Tchaikovsky’s First. Written
in 1874–75, it was the first Russian piano
concerto to enter the standard concert
866.230.0279 | WillowValleyCommunities.org | LifeLivedForward.org
Lancaster, PA
May– June 2015 |
O v ertur e
13