The symphonic poem MiÅ¡ke (In the Forest) was the first major musical success of Lithuanian composer and painter M.K. Äiurlionis. Throughout the piece, one hears hints of Lithuanian folk music and witnesses Äiurlionis’ mastery of organic unity and instrumental color. The Band is pleased to welcome guest conductor Ugnius Vaiginis, (music director of Trimitas, Lithuania’s official wind orchestra), who has arranged the piece for concert band. (More information about Trimitas and Maestro Vaiginis may be found at www.trimitas.lt).
William Schuman wrote New England Triptych as a tribute to the music of William Billings, an early American composer. The first section, Be Glad Then, America, is noble and majestic. The piece continues with When Jesus Wept, a sensitive interpretation of a sacred theme. Chester, an American Revolutionary hymn and marching song, offers a dramatic finish to this dynamic work.
Corpus Callosum, by Thomas C. Duffy, invites listeners to imagine a conductor whose brain has been split in half in order to create a bilaterally independent conductor. Frequently, the conductor’s hands are in different meters; while the left conducts nostalgic music in one meter, the right directs patriotic marches. This exciting musical collage is the realization of the “two-brained” conductor.
Yale Concert Band alumna Elizabeth Kelly ’04 wrote Ice to express her fascination with the changes of weather that characterize a northeastern winter. This three-movement concerto for electric guitar and band represent different states of water, ranging from a flow of cold water to the cracking of ice. Featuring Yale School of Music alumnus Trevor Babb ’14, electric guitar.
Additional music: Variations on America and Here’s to Good Old Yale (C. Ives)