Ravinia 2023 Issue 2

TERRANCE RAGLAND (SIMON); JOE FRANCAVILLA (GARROP) CARLOS SIMON (b.1986) Motherboxx Connection from Tales: A Folklore Symphony Scored for two flutes and piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, two tenor trombones and bass trombone, tuba, glockenspiel, tubular bells, vibraphone, whip, guiro mark tree, two leather (rubber) gloves, triangle, snare drum, bass drum, tom-toms, suspended cymbal, tam- tam, drum kit, timpani, and strings Growing up in Atlanta, Carlos Simon experi- enced music as part of worship at the church his father served as pastor. The small congre- gation lacked a pianist, so 10-year-old Carlos began lessons so that he could play for church services. His formal training expanded over time through studies at Morehouse College, Georgia State University, and the University of Michigan. He also participated in the Film Scoring Summer Workshop at New York Uni- versity and at the Hollywood Music Work- shop in Baden, Austria. Simon has served on the music faculties of Spelman College, Morehouse College, and, since 2019, Georgetown University. COVID-19 and social justice issues dominated the first years of his Georgetown appointment. He be- came involved in the Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation Project, which confronts the “university’s role in the injustice of slavery.” This activism resulted in the composition of a full-length Requiem for the Enslaved , which premiered in 2021. Simon garnered further acclaim as a recipient of the 2021 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, “the highest honor be- stowed by the Sphinx Organization, recog- nizing extraordinary classical Black and Latine musicians.” Simon explained the social justice issue back- grounding Motherboxx Connection , the first movement of his Tales: A Folklore Symphony : “ ‘Where are all the Black people in comics?’ This is a question posed by the creative duo Black Kirby (John Jennings and Stacey Rob- inson). Based heavily in Afrofuturism, Black Carlos Simon Kirby’s characters show Black people as he- roes using ancient customs and futurist mo- tifs from the African and African American diaspora. This piece is inspired by the many heroic characters found in the work of Black Kirby, but mainly Motherboxx Connection. “To represent the power and intelligence of the motherboxx, I have composed a short, fast-moving musical idea that constantly weaves in and throughout the orchestra. A majestic, fanfare-like motif also provides the overall mood of strength and heroism. I imagine the motherboxx as an all-knowing entity that is aware of the multifaceted aspects of Blackness. This piece is a part of a larger multi-movement symphonic work entitled Tales , which explores several African and Af- rican American folklore as well as Afrofutur- ist stories. This work is commissioned by the Sphinx Organization for its 25th anniversary and the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra.” STACY GARROP (b.1969) Blurrr Scored for three flutes and piccolo, three oboes and English horn, three clarinets and bass clarinet, two bassoons and contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, two tenor trombones and bass trombone, tuba, timpani, three percussionists (I. bass drum, two tom-toms, woodblock, marimba, two brake drums, and vibraslap; II. bass drum, two tom-toms, high and medium suspended cymbals, crash cymbals, snare drum, and ratchet; III. tam-tam, triangle, finger cymbals, maracas, police siren, and whip), piano, and strings Widely acclaimed Evanston-based composer Stacy Garrop received degrees in composition from the University of Michigan, University of Chicago, and Indiana University. She has held composer-in-residence appointments with the Albany Symphony, Champaign-Ur- bana Symphony Orchestra, Skaneateles Festival, and was the first Emerging Opera Composer of Chicago Opera Theater’s Van- guard Program. Garrop served on the faculty of Roosevelt University for several years and taught at the Fresh Inc Festival before devot- ing herself full-time to composition. Lyrical storytelling that explores the depth of human experience has remained the most distinctive feature of her compositions. “The sharing of stories is a defining element of our humanity; we strive to share with others the experiences and concepts that we find com- pelling.” This quality surfaces in works such as My Dearest Ruth (based on the last written letter by Martin Ginsburg, husband of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg), Krakatoa , Shiva Dances (commissioned by the Grant Park Music Festival in honor of Carlos Kalmar’s 20th anniversary as Principal Conductor), The Transformation of Jane Doe (commissioned by Chicago Opera Theater), and The Battle for the Ballot , a centennial commemoration of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, which affirmed women’s right to vote. “ Blurrr was commissioned by the Minnesota Orchestra as part of their outreach program to school children. In my piece Blurrr , I ex- plored what I could do with a short, simple melody. After a brief introduction, you will hear a melody played by a solo clarinet. Every time you hear that melody after that, it will sound different from the original melody. For example, sometimes I lengthen the melody by repeating some of its notes or by adding new notes, and sometimes I shorten the melody. I also poked holes in the melody, so instead of hearing notes, you will hear silence. In addi- tion, I occasionally added some harmony to the melody (which means adding notes above or below the notes of the melody), so instead of hearing one note, you will hear two notes at the same time. “I also experimented with orchestral color. Color means how I mix instruments together to create different, unique sounds. For exam- ple, a melody played by a flute and a clari- net will sound very different from a melody played by an oboe and violin. Be sure to listen to all the different instruments I use to play the melody. In addition, I have added some other interesting sounds, such as lots of trills (which are two alternating notes played very rapidly), downward glissandos in the strings, and even a police siren.” MAURICE RAVEL (1875–1937) Boléro (An Introduction to the Orchestra) (Arranged by Diane Wittry) Scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, two percussionists (I. snare drum; II. tam-tam, cymbals, and bass drum), optional harp and celesta, and strings Ballet choreographer and producer Ida Ru- binstein invited Maurice Ravel to arrange Stacy Garrop selections from Isaac Albéniz’s Iberia for her dance troupe. Enrique Fernándéz Arbos al- ready had orchestrated this music, but Ravel, a French composer of Basque heritage, even- tually received permission to use Iberia . However, little time remained before the per- formance, and he decided to compose an original work instead. Rubinstein’s ballet was set in an Andalusian inn, where a crowd of travelers lay half-asleep on the floor. A bright- ly robed woman (Rubinstein) leaps onto the massive table, castanets in hand, and begins to dance to the music’s insistent rhythms. Gradually, other travelers are drawn into the action, building to a frenzied conclusion. “I am particularly desirous that there should be no misunderstanding about this work,” wrote Ravel. “It constitutes an experiment in a very special and limited direction and should not be suspected of aiming at achiev- ing anything other or more than what it actu- ally does. …There are no contrasts, and there is practically no invention save the plan and the manner of execution. The themes are al- together impersonal … folk tunes of the usual Spanish-Arabian kind.” Rhythm became the catalyst for Ravel’s composition. He original- ly thought of the fandango but settled on the triple-meter Spanish boléro. Beginning with this rhythmic backdrop, Ravel generated the slow-growing excitement of Rubinstein’s plot in his orchestral Boléro . Conductor and composer Diane Wittry holds appointments as music director of the Allen- town (PA) Symphony Orchestra and Garden State (NJ) Philharmonic. She has guest con- ducted throughout the United States and in Bosnia, Canada, China, Italy, Japan, Poland, Russia, and Slovakia. Musical America World- wide recognized Wittry as one the “Top 30 Professional Musicians” of 2015. A dedicated educator and author, she has published the Pulitzer Prize–nominated Beyond the Ba- ton and Baton Basics: Communicating Music through Gesture , both with Oxford University Press. Her original compositions favor the orchestra and often provide repertoire for Maurice Ravel RAVINIA MAGAZINE • JULY 3 – JULY 16, 2023 26 I ; I