PROGRAM NOTES

FANFARE FOR THE COMMON MAN

AARON COPLAND

DURATION: 4:00

Written by Bill Hemminger

Aaron Copland (1900-90) was an American composer whose music has become synonymous with quintessential American themes and sonorities. Copland did not benefit from a rich musical or social upbringing, and his musical development—at least in comparison with other composers in this program—was relatively slow. But as a young man he was nonetheless able to travel to Paris where he studied with famous pedagogue Nadia Boulanger in 1921 (who was still teaching in 1971 when I was studying in Paris). He was Boulanger’s first American student and became one of her greatest.

After some years and several important commissions, Copland returned to the US and experimented with jazz, the distilled neoclassicism of Stravinsky, and other compositional forms. By the 1930s he began to sense “the increasing dissatisfaction with the relations of the music-loving public and the living composer. It seemed . . . that living composers were in danger of working in a vacuum.” So Copland felt that he had to adapt his musical aesthetic to an American audience.

What followed that realization was nothing short of tremendous. He began to incorporate folk tunes in his works of the 1930s and 40s and write harmonically approachable works on themes familiar to members of his audiences. In 1942 he was approached by Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra conductor Eugene Goossens to write a symphonic work that would commemorate the US entry into WW II. At the time both Goossens and Copland were inspired by a speech of Vice President Henry A. Wallace, which announced the dawning of the “century of the common man.” Copland’s contribution is well-known to this day and has been conscripted for use in films and on many public occasions.

PIANO CONCERTO IN F

GEORGE GERSHWIN

Duration: 31:00

Written by Bill Hemminger

The son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, George Gershwin (1898-1937) grew up in New York

and then later made Los Angeles his home. His musical aptitude was obvious early on, so much so that his first teacher refused to accept money for piano lessons, acknowledging that his student was a genius. One of the greatest of American composers, Gershwin—like so many of the artist composers featured in these programs—was known for his contributions to many genres of music—jazz, Broadway musicals, folk opera, among others. A standard feature of classical concerts, his 1924 Rhapsody in Blue was orchestrated by Ferde Grofé, then pianist and arranger for Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra. But it took only a year for Gershwin to develop the skills to orchestrate a large-scale composition on his own—the Concerto in F. The composer was all of 27 years old.

The concerto was conceived in a traditional, three-movement fast-slow-fast format—but the traditional comparison ends there. Gershwin himself stated that the first movement “employs the rhythm of a Charleston,” hence bouncy and syncopated. The second movement postpones the entry of the piano until the woods and brass have spoken—slowly and sensuously—before the piano joins the quiet adagio. The well-known final movement is percussive, noisy, and virtuosic.

This evening’s performance will feature John Williams’ music from The Patriot, replacing the originally programmed “Main Theme” from JFK.

THE PATRIOT

JOHN WILLIAMS

DURATION: 7:00

Written by Orchestra staff with editorial assistance

John Williams’ music for The Patriot (2000) captures both the intimate and epic dimensions of the American Revolutionary War. The film, directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Mel Gibson, tells the story of a reluctant hero drawn into the struggle for independence. In this seven-minute concert suite, Williams distills the score’s most powerful themes into a sweeping, symphonic narrative.

The suite opens with a striking and atmospheric gesture: bright piccolos shimmer at the very top of the orchestra, their clear, penetrating tone cutting through the texture like distant fife calls of the 18th century. This color immediately places the listener in a Revolutionary-era sound world. Beneath them, the orchestra gradually unfolds a noble, spacious theme—often carried by strings and horn—evoking dignity, reflection, and quiet resolve. Williams’ gift for lyricism is on full display here, as long-breathed melodies unfold over warm harmonies, suggesting both personal loss and unwavering conviction.

As the music progresses, rhythmic energy intensifies. Snare drum figures and bold brass writing recall the pageantry and peril of the battlefield. Williams balances martial vigor with emotional depth; even at its most triumphant, the music retains a sense of sacrifice and humanity. Sweeping string passages and radiant brass fanfares build toward a stirring climax, embodying the spirit of courage and collective purpose.

Though compact in length, the suite feels expansive, moving seamlessly between tenderness and grandeur. Like many of Williams’ historical scores, The Patriot combines cinematic immediacy with symphonic craftsmanship, standing comfortably in the concert hall. In just seven minutes, the suite offers drama, heroism, and heartfelt reflection—an orchestral portrait of a nation’s struggle for independence.

GRAND CANYON SUITE

FERDE GROFÉ

DURATION: 32:00

Written by Bill Hemminger

Like many artists of his time (1892-1972), Ferdinand Rudolph von Grofé was born in the East and moved to the West Coast, Los Angeles in particular. Grofé’s parents were musicians and actors, and though they wanted Ferde to study law, they surely must have understood his gravitating to music. A pianist and arranger, Grofé worked with orchestra conductors such as Paul Whiteman throughout the teens and 20s. It was Grofé who orchestrated Rhapsody in Blue for Gershwin to play. Grofé played a significant role in the development of big band jazz and dance music.

His best-known “solo” composition is Grand Canyon Suite of 1931, written while he was still working with Whiteman. Grofé wrote that his childhood memories of big city New York were pretty much extincted by the time he had moved to California. There, he made regular visits to the great natural wonder of the Grand Canyon, keeping copious prosaic notes. He noted that he “watched the Canyon in all seasons, in all its moods.” In his effort to translate these notes and impressions into music, he wrote the five movements of the Suite you will hear tonight—Sunrise, Painted Desert, On the Trail (the most well-known), Sunset, and Cloudburst. The final movement is so forceful, so dramatic, that you may well have to take shelter from the formidable musical storm!