Joaquin Turina, La Oracion del Torero, Op. 34
Think of luscious romance in Spain. Hear the dancing girls dance their dance. Feel the cold spring breeze slowly contributing to the inevitable heat death of the universe. It is ¡The prayer of the bullfighter! Will he die tonight? Maybe not in the original and impractical scoring for lute quartet, but with string orchestra... anything goes.
Paul Hindemith, Five Pieces for String Orchestra
Written for "advanced players in the first position," this masterwork of German automotive engineering combines Baroque and Renaissance forms with rather unconventional banging. At a band camp in 1999 this piece almost caused a duel over Hindemith's legacy (i.e. bowings) between two BSCP violists-to-be. Hindemith was an attractive German viola virtuoso who here demonstrates the range of his vocabulary (from langsam to lebhaft). He also liked Bach.
Johann Sebastian Bach, the Bach Double
We all know this piece from our childhood. It is good. Francesca and Alison like the colour purple. Our hope is to explore the subtle shades of violet in the beautiful slow movement, a deeply moving pastoral effusion. Did somebody say more cowbell? Beware the dark bubble: two fugues of terrifying intensity awash with hidden notes and microlyricism.
Brad Balliett, California Counterpoint
"California Counterpoint, composed on Miami Beach in February 2005, is based on the opening progression of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' 2002 song By the Way. This material is then developed in the manner of Steve Reich. The music attempts to capture the breezy yet driving atmosphere and attention to textural detail which characterise much of the band's music. This piece is dedicated to Kimberly Kanada, who taught me how awesome California really is." (Brad Balliett)
Josef Suk, Serenade for Strings, Op. 6
The Dvorak... no, no, no... the Suk Serenade for Strings is redolent of freshly scrubbed linen and Bohemian meadows where gypsy children gambol with gay abandon. High on the hill was a lonely goatherd looking down at market towns rife with carefree festivities, the lively dances of itinerant peasant troupes, and folk carousing in beerhalls amidst steaming plates of potato dumplings. The requisite yearning melodies, nubile accompaniments and floral freshness warm the cockles of our collective heart. The third movement is really nice.
Note: No illegal substances were consumed in BSCP rehearsals or in the making of this program.