Valentines Day Concert - Be There!!!!

Dear Crescendo members,
Tomorrow night it's time to fall in love all over again with a program of romantic music! On the menu - Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue plus the Warsaw Concerto and Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet. The reception will not be held before the concert but at intermission. I wanted to share this incredible performance of the Mambo from West Side Story that you will hear us play. This is the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra from Venezuela, just unbelievable!



Here are the program notes fro the concert, see you tomorrow
Ron Spigelman

Both the beginning and the end of tonight's program draws inspiration from William Shakespeare's most popular work, the tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Tonight's opening selection from Leonard Bernstein's musical West Side Story borrows extensively from Shakespeare's plot and characters. Bernstein was initially approached by choreographer Jerome Robbins in 1949 about collaborating on a present-day musical adaptation of the Shakespearean masterpiece. In the eight years that followed, the project suffered several setbacks and changes in personnel before receiving its Broadway premiere in 1957. The score for West Side Story requires much more orchestra personnel than most traditional Broadway shows due in large part to the extended percussion section needed by many of the numbers. Bernstein later created an orchestral suite of music from the show, simply titling it Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.

Richard Addinsell's Warsaw Concerto was supposed to have been written by Sergei Rachmaninoff. This requires some explaining. The Warsaw Concerto is a one-movement piano concerto originally written for the 1941 movie Dangerous Moonlight, later titled Suicide Squadron. The producers wanted something resembling Rachmaninoff's Second or Third Piano Concertos, but Rachmaninoff refused to write a new piece or allow the use of these existing pieces. The task of writing the Warsaw Concerto fell to Addinsell, who had made a career of writing film music despite his lack of formal qualifications. Dangerous Moonlight's love-story plot revolves around the fictional composer of the concerto, a pianist and shell-shocked combat pilot who meets an American war correspondent in Warsaw during the occupation of Poland in World War II.

Rhapsody in Blue remains one of George Gershwin's most popular works. Leonard Bernstein once wrote to Gershwin "The Rhapsody is not a composition at all. It's a string of separate paragraphs stuck together. The themes are terrific – inspired, God-given. I don't think there has been such an inspired melodist on this earth since Tchaikovsky." The work was commissioned by band leader Paul Whiteman, who wished to have a concerto-like piece for an all-jazz concert he was to be giving. The concert was significantly long, and the story goes that the audience was noticeably bored until the opening clarinet glissando of the Rhapsody. It is also interesting to note that this opening clarinet glissando was not exactly one of Gershwin's original ideas. Whiteman's virtuoso clarinetist rendered the upper portion of the scale as a glissando rather than the notated 17-note scale: Gershwin heard it and insisted that it be repeated in the premiere performance.

The other "inspired melodist" to which Bernstein referred is the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky, influenced by Shakespeare enough to write music based on Hamlet and The Tempest, shows his skill as melodist in his Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture. The work's "love theme" is instantly recognizable due to its use in popular culture. Work on Romeo and Juliet started after the premiere of Tchaikovsky's Fatum (Fate), which did not meet with the success he had planned. Friend and fellow composer Mily Balakirev was aware of two things: The failure of Fatum to achieve acclaim was a source of great disappointment for Tchaikovsky, and Tchaikovsky had just emerged from an infatuation with the Belgian soprano Désirée Artôt. Balakirev suggested using Romeo and Juliet as inspiration, and offered guidance during the compositional process. The work received several revisions between its premiere performance and the overture-fantasia version heard tonight, making this work a true "labor of love" for Tchaikovsky.

Kyle D. Vanderburg studies composition under Dr. Carlyle Sharpe at Drury University where he is finishing his BA in Music. He plays bassoon in the Drury Wind Symphony and Drury Chamber Orchestra. After finishing his BA he plans on attending graduate school to further his study of composition.

Home for the Holidays - next Saturday!

Dear Crescendo friends!
Our December 13th concert is a week away, and it's going to be a spectacular concert I look forward to seeing you at the reception when our Jazz duo the Hiser Brothers return by popular demand to give a jazzy spin on some holiday favorites. Here is a quick promo about the concert itself:

Home for the Holidays!

See you next Saturday!
Ron Spigelman

1 Day to go!!!!!

1 Day to go, and last night's rehearsal was awesome! We have some of the finest Jazz musicians from around Missouri who will be with us tomorrow night, which is sure to be "Unforgettable" which incidentally is one of the songs our soloist Nancy Kelly is going to sing. At Coffee and Classics at Borders last night I interviewed her and she discussed the program and then did an impromptu scat to the recording I had of Count Basie's One O'Clock Jump:

Listen to Nancy Kelly at Borders

Also yesterday at Rotary Club Southeast where I am a member, I brought with me a group from MSU's Jazz Symposium which is directed by Saxophonist Randy Hamm (also a soloist tomorrow night). The group is called "Groove Unit", and Jacob Hiser who plays in our 1st Violin section is their Pianist. I recorded their performance, here's one of the selections:

500 Miles by Chick Corea

Jazz for me has always felt authentic. Great melodies, harmonies, virtuosity, creativity and personality are needed in equal measure just like in Classical music. At its very best Jazz is a visceral experience when either listening or playing Jazz. I feel the same way about Classical music and composers such as Bernstein, Stravinsky, Copland and especially Gershwin incorporated Jazz into their compositions. There are many other parallels with Classical music along with iconic performers and composers that helped shape America’s cultural landscape. Louis Armstrong, Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Oscar Peterson, Dave Brubeck (who recently appeared here at Juanita K Hammons Hall), all geniuses.

Tonight we combine an Orchestra and a Big Band to create a HUGE BAND! If you look along our Trombone section you will see Bill Hartmann on Bass Trombone. He actually played with Stan Kenton (who visited Springfield several times) and so playing a Kenton Medley tonight will surely bring special memories for him, and hopefully for you. Randy Hamm has arranged Laura transcribing it directly from the Charlie Parker with Strings album. Nancy Kelly our vocalist as you will hear in Aint Nobody’s Business channels Billie Holiday whilst bringing her own unique style and sound to all the numbers she sings. We have assembled some of the finest Jazz musicians from around Missouri to make this a night to remember!

I wrote a post last November called “Save the Wails” on my blog Sticks and Drones about the disappearing Jazz Club establishment. I make a suggestion at the end of the post which I am hoping to act upon, to start Jazz in the lobby after our concerts. You can read it Here

See you tomorrow!!!

Ron Spigelman

Jazzing it UP - 4 days to go!

This Saturday is our Swing Swing Swing extravaganza!  It is our first Crescendo event of the season and I will be in the Fuldner lounge prior to the concert to welcome you all.  There will be a Jazz combo for your pre-concert entertainment and of course fine food, drink and company.  On Thursday we will be at Borders starting at 5:30pm and our special guest is Jazz Vocalist Nancy Kelly who will talk about her career as a Jazz singer.  Find out if there's anything behind singing the blues! It is not too late to join Crescendo.  Just call 864 6683!

For the next few days I will preview my program notes in sections.  Part 1:

Although I spend most of my time now in the realm of Classical music, it certainly didn’t start that way.  When I started playing the Trumpet at 7 years old, initially I didn’t learn to read music, I learnt everything by ear.  I believe this gave me my instincts for music as I wasn’t working things out by reading, but instead I was feeling, listening and watching.  The first musical group I joined was my school Jazz band in the 5^th grade, and I didn’t join an orchestra until two years after that.  Jazz essentially is where I got my start and it holds a special place for me still.  When 2 years ago I was on Dr. Nietzel’s round table radio show on KSMU discussing the arts, one of the questions was: what is missing from the arts scene in Springfield? Without hesitation, I said a vibrant jazz scene. There was certainly more than a little surprise from the other participants that I the Symphony music director would say that, but Dr. Nietzel agreed and it is a credit to him that more Jazz is appearing on campus being lead by one of our soloists tonight, Missouri State Music faculty member and master Saxophonist  Randy Hamm. 

Ron Spigelman 

Hear the Symphony Live below!

With modern technology I was able to to take the live performance of the Force of Destiny Overture by Verdi and put it right here for you to listen to! It was the opening work (after the National Anthem) of our concert on September the 13th and as you will hear the Orchestra is in top form! Our Branson Landing concert was huge, absolutely full (probably around 3000 people I was told). Rember our first Crescendo concert is coming up on October the 18th. We have exciting performances coming up this weekend also that I will let you know about in the next couple of days. In the meantime enjoy your Springfield Symphony and if you want to hear the whole concert listen to the full broadcast on KSMU 91.1FM on Wednesday at 10am. Let us know what you think of our performance!
Ron Spigelman

Verdi - The Force of Destiny Overture - LIVE!

Check us out Sunday at Branson Landing!

The Symphony for the 3rd year running will perform at Branson Landing on Sunday Sept 21 at 6pm. They will turn the fire show off but there will be plenty of musical fireworks with a mix of Pops such as a tribute to John Williams of Star Wars fame and I'm getting out my Trumpet to play Bugler's Holiday with Tijuana Julian and Grant Peters! Thunder and Lightning Polka, selections from Phantom of the Opera, an Armed Forces Salute plus many more popular and beloved pieces will fill the air. Carrie Tillis is going to stop by and sing some Puccini and of course the climax will be with the legendary Andy Williams. Best of all.......

It's FREE.....

Don't miss this signature event!
Ron Spigelman

Time to get LOUD!!!!!!

It is great to be here thanks for the invite Billy, sorry for the belated acceptance. I just realized that Crescendo is a Young Patron's group for the Symphony, and I turned 40 in April which means according to one now former friend that I am in the youth of my old age! Not only that, on Friday Lisa and I celebrate our 15th anniversary! I guess being Music Director means that I get a pass to be allowed to participate in my soon to be dotage. Our first concert in the Crescendo series is coming up October 18, and is going to be a blow it out loud Jazz extravaganza, with full Big Band, plus Orchestra so A REALLY BIG BAND. Don't miss it and Askinosie Chocolate for Crescendo members in the Fuldner Lounge at Juanita K, call Kelly at the office 864 6683 for details.
Hey today I recorded Lacey Lee our Harpist in performance, she played at one of the Crescendo gatherings last season. Just click HERE to check it out!
RS