Ravinia 2023 Issue 2

PATRICK GIPSON/RAVINIA (PINEDA) I I I I I young musicians and educational programs. “The famous melody from Ravel’s Boléro is a wonderful introduction to the instruments of the orchestra, as each instrument is in- troduced with its solo melody.” As Wittry explained, “This arrangement stays true to all of Ravel’s original musical ideas, but pro- vides a shorter version with a smaller instru- mentation that can be used on educational concerts for children or as an encore for your concert programs.” RAIMUNDO PINEDA (b.1967) Orchestras for All Scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, three saxophones (alto, tenor, and bass), two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, euphonium, two trombones and bass trombone, tuba, timpani, four percussionists (I. crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, cabasa, wind chimes, maracas, and tam-tam; II. snare drum and wood block; III. bass drum, jawbone, claves, congas, and cowbell; IV. glockenspiel, xylophone, and anvil), and strings Raimundo Pineda has developed a multifac- eted career as flutist, composer/arranger, and educator. He was one of the original partici- pants in the famed Sistema Nacional de Orquestas y Coros Juveniles e Infantiles de Venezuela (“El Sistema,” or National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras and Cho- ruses of Venezuela), founded in 1975 by José Antonio Abreu to provide musical opportu- nities for youth, especially those from low socio-economic backgrounds. Pineda served 33 years (1986–2019) as princi- pal flute and piccolo of the Orquesta Sinónica Simón Bolívar, performing, recording, and touring with the world’s leading conductors and soloists. He has taught at the Simón Bolívar Music Conservatory, National Flute School, and National Experimental Univer- sity of the Arts (UNEARTE), and, since 2019, has served as conductor with Sistema Ravin- ia. Pineda’s catalog of original compositions Raimundo Pineda includes works for solo flute, flute ensemble, and flute within mixed ensemble as well as concertos, symphonic scores, and, more re- cently, music for youth ensembles. The Ravinia Festival Association commis- sioned Orchestras for All especially for the National Seminario Ravinia: Orchestras for All, to which it is dedicated. Pineda offered this background: “Taking into account the age of the participants, the piece was written in such a way that it was accessible to stu- dents of intermediate and advanced levels. However, there are challenging passages that will require a great technical effort to achieve a high performance. “In just eight minutes, I tried to conceive a piece that would be explosive and that would keep the spirits and optimism of the musi- cians to the maximum. With a great display of percussive sounds and a great participation of the brass section, the beginning leads us on a path that ends with a reminiscence of an Irish dance transplanted to the American West. Later, a parenthesis full of calm and subtle harmonies suddenly appears that support the lyrical and brief solos of the woodwinds. “All this slow section is interrupted by a spar- kling theme that now brings us closer to the tropics and its contagious rhythms. From time to time, the theme of the American West tries to prevail, but the integration with Latin rhythms is unstoppable. The party prevails until the end, in an atmosphere of celebration and optimism. “When you are young and you have the op- portunity to share what you love with others of your same age, there is always a reason to celebrate the encounter, to make music to- gether, and share this wonderful experience. The inspiration of this work is to express that feeling of joy and optimism, the impact that an event of this type has on the lives of the participants.” LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827) An Ode to Joy Festival (Arranged by Todd Parrish) Scored for two flutes, one oboe, two clarinets, one bassoon, two horns, two trumpets, two tenor trombones and bass trombone, timpani, bass drum, crash cymbals, and beginning, intermediate, and advanced strings Few works of art elevate, inspire, and mystify with the same indescribable power that Bee- thoven’s Symphony No. 9 possesses. The depth of meaning in its inspired setting of Friedrich von Schiller’s “Ode to Joy” has not been exhausted and probably never will be. Although Beethoven announced his desire to compose music for Friedrich Schiller’s “Ode to Joy” in the early 1790s, the idea of includ- ing this text in a symphony occurred 30 years later. Anton Schindler, Beethoven’s secretary and biographer, remembered the magical moment: “One day, when I entered his room, he called out to me, ‘I have it! I have it,’ hold- ing out his sketchbook, where I read these words, ‘Let us sing the immortal Schiller’s song, Freude .’ ” Borrowing a notion—and actual melodic phrases—from his Choral Fantasy for pia- no, orchestra, and chorus, Beethoven made the unprecedented decision to incorporate a chorus and vocal soloists into his symphony. Schiller’s drinking song text required patient selection and rewriting to extol universal peace and brotherhood. The symphony’s premiere took place on May 7, 1824, at Vien- na’s Kärntnertor Theater, as part of a mon- ster concert with the Overture to Consecra- tion of the House and three movements from the Missa solemnis . Totally deaf, the com- poser stood beside conductor Ignaz Umlauf, beating time and turning pages. Todd Parrish brings the insight of a longtime public-school teacher to his instrumental arrangements. He received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Oral Roberts University, where he studied violin, piano, and string pedagogy, and a Master of Mu- sic degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Arizona. Parrish has taught orchestra in Illinois, Virginia, and Florida and currently serves as associate director of Winter Park (FL) High School Perform- ing Arts. In 2018, the venerable publishing firm Carl Fischer Music appointed him an orchestra editor. “The famous simple melody from Beetho- ven’s Symphony No. 9 has been used for de- cades to teach young students how to play notes in the key of D major,” explained Par- rish. “With this multi-level arrangement for beginning, intermediate, and advanced or- chestras, young students can experience the thrill of the original symphony. … An Ode to Joy Festival is a great selection to motivate young string students and their families.” Ludwig van Beethoven by August von Kloeber (1822) KOOL & THE GANG (formed 1969) Celebration (Arranged by Josh Henderson) Scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, three saxophones (alto, tenor, baritone), two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, two tenor trombones and bass trombones, euphonium, tuba, two marimbas, timpani, snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, drum set, and strings A Jersey City neighborhood gave birth to a unique blend of funk, jazz, rhythm and blues, and soul music in 1964, when a group of friends formed the Jazziacs, a band that, after several name changes, became Kool & the Gang in 1969. The band released its self-titled debut album five years later, reaching number 43 on the Billboard R&B album chart. More than 50 years, several transformations in personnel, hundreds of live performances around the world, and 24 studio albums later, Kool & the Gang is still going strong. The band became a hit machine in the 1970s and 1980s with singles such as “Jungle Boo- gie,” “Hollywood Swinging,” “Too Hot,” “Ladies Night,” “Get Down on It,” “Joanna,” “Misled,” and “Cherish.” The only single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 was “Celebration,” the opening track on their 12th album, Celebrate! , released in 1980. The song’s inspiration, as the group’s co-founder Ronald Bell explained, was a passage from the Qu’ran “where God was creating Adam, and the angels were celebrating and singing praises.” In 2021, the Library of Congress added “Celebration” to the National Record- ing Registry, “recordings showcasing the range and diversity of American recorded sound heritage.” Josh Henderson, who has arranged Kool & the Gang’s “Celebration” for orchestra, effortlessly crosses stylistic boundaries as a violinist, violist, and composer. He has performed classical, jazz, hip-hop, rock, electronic, and fiddle music as a soloist, collaborative artist, and member of the “genre-obliterating” ( Free Times ) piano trio, Warp Trio. His original compositions and improvisations similarly defy simple style description, as recent creative pro- ductions such as Mary Had a Little Silence of the Lambs (video, speaker, violin, elec- tronics), A Bird Fell Today (viola, speaker, fixed electronics), and Veni: A Dystopian Cowgirl Rhapsody (violin, fixed electronics) illustrate. –Program notes © 2023 Todd E. Sullivan RAVINIA.ORG • RAVINIA MAGAZINE 27