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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1978-12-20, Page 9Lucknow Smiths'', Wednesday, December Zai, ths All11014#1,01119keipoe 444V:ast • ;4 • Nutcracker suite a Goderich concert Nineteenth century cbmposers not only had a great gift for melody of the singable variety, but they were also inclined toward subjects that were obviously ap- pealing. It is no wonder that their music has such universal- appeal now -a - days. Tchaikovsky's famous Nutcracker Suite is an excellent example of this style. He was very inf tereSted in ballet music and wrote many scores specifically intended for dancing. In the Nutcracker he used a simple folk tale about a magic set of nut crackers that come alive and encourage all the toys of Christmas to join in a session of revelry.. When the orchestral skills of a master com- poser are applied to such a simple folk tale,, the result has both charm and sophistication. This Suite includes dances for the various -toys:— a March_ for_ the entire company, dances - by the Sugarplum Fairie,• the Russian, Arabian and Chinese dolls; a dance by the Reed pipes (a child's toy instrument), and the final Waltz of the Flowers. Though the music was intended as a ballet, the version designed for -performance by or- • chestra without dancers is equally charming. • Another nineteenth century composer who was equally skillful in writing for the orchestra was Rimsky-Korsakov, a contemporary of Tchaikovsky. He was much, more nationalistic than Tchaikovsky, writing on distinctly ussian tnenies. The orchestral program being per- • parts eg nn ng formed at the Goderich District Collegiate Institute on December 16 includes music written for the tumblers (acrobats) who were a special feature of the Russian circus. This too may be called ballet music but it is equally suitable for concert presentation without the dancing acrobats in at-, tendance. SIMPLE FOLK TALE Many of the operas of the period dealt with grandiose plots of love but there were others _that treated simple folk tales in a highly expressive manner. Humperdinck's opera Hansel and Gretel is of this latter kind. He was a very skillful composer -but he chose a direct and simple style of presen- tation in this work, creating a most char- ming masterpiece that is still popular. The or- chestral prelude or overture, which includes .some of the most im- portant arias from the opera as its main themes, serves well as a concert piece. It too is included in the coming program. Hansel and Gretel are, of course, the two children who get lost in the forest and are enticed to a -candy house by a wicked witch. Benjamin Britten, who died only recently, • was keenly interested throughout his life to write music that ap- pealed to and '-could be performed by young people. For example, he wrote rather complex. __cantatas for school performance that in- cluded simple orchestral b i i WARM... WISHES As the sweet sounds. of Christmas echo round the world, we wish you all the blessings of a joyous ,holiday season. BACK -Hog SERVICE, SAND AND GRAVEL performers as well as a few difficult parts for more experienced or professional players. Also choral parts were often quite simple while solo voices would add• a dimension of complexity. One of his compositions which remains very popular is the Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. The title makes the- assumption that only young people would need instruction in orchestral instruments, but the work is both appealing and instructive_ to any concert audience., One comes to realize in listening to this work that certain music is ap- propriate for specific instruments - that music must be written with the instrument in mind. This is called idiomatic„ writing and is a necessary part of the study of orchestration. Britten's Guide to the Orchestra singles out the various "choirs" in the orchestra and shows what sort of music is appropriate to each: the woodwinds include the flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons; the brass choir includes trumpets, trombones, French horns, and tuba; the string choir has two violin parts, violas, cellos and double bass. Often -a perc-ussion section is large enough to be classed as a separate choir and in this com- position the main theme on which the whole piece is based is heard played by the percussion section, that is, the timpani (drums which can be tuned), bass drum, triangle, cymbals, xylophone, bells, gongs, - -and so -forth. - ----- ----- For the final flourish in this composition, Britten borrows a tune from the late -seventeenth century English composer Henry Purcell. The tune is treated as a fugue which means that only one theme is prominent, and that melody is passed around among the various sections of the orchestra. A very skillful, enjoyable, and enlightening piece of music! A CHRISTMAS TRADITION Tholigh Christmas is often thought . musically as involving choirs and carols and music for the worship service, there is much good music for orchestra that has Christmas connotations. The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovksy is the most popular xample of this. Many people do not think Christmas' can begin until they have heard Handel's oratorio Messiah; others are equally addicted to hearing the Nutcracker Suite or to seeing the ballet before Christmas. Performancesof this work are given in Toronto around Christmas time each year and are always • sold out. Concert goers in Goderich are fortunate to be able to. hear this work _andothers_equally en- joyable on December 16 when the London Sym- phony Orchestra will be performing in the GDCI at -8 p.m. Tickets for the season are still- available at all outlets in Goderich, Clinton, Lucknow and Kincardine Tickets will also be available, at the door after -7 :55 -p.m,- on the evening of the concert and are priced at $5 each for this concert. HOLM MENI4 owpi-4040 A •/// Pg. d Beady to serve •Appetizer of Happiness • Tossed Merriment • Generous Portions of Joy • Casserole of Sweet Thoughts • Serve or Take Out Orders Open 7 Days a Week From the Christmas Kitchen of Kwan's 'Restaurant Phone 528-3433 and thanks are corning your way ...have a Merry Christmas! Lyons Electric & Appliance' Service urcKsow, ONTARIO and everything good for Christina...42 Thanks front its to you. PINECRESt MANOR NUR$1NG HOMf