Program Notes
Arcis Saxophone Quartet: *POSTPONED UNTIL THE WEEK OF JULY 6-10 2020 (exact date TBD)*
The saxophone quartet is the woodwind counterpart to the string quartet. The soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones nearly cover the range of the string quartet. Of course, the saxophone is a relative newcomer on the classical music scene, since it was invented by a Belgian named Adolphe Sax only in 1841. It is a single-reed instrument like the clarinet, but made of metal, like the modern flute. Its association with jazz delayed its acceptance as a legitimate classical instrument, but it has rapidly gained success as many skillful groups like the Arcis have sprung up. One of the problems is the lack of music written specifically for the saxophone, so that much of their repertoire consists of transcriptions of existing works.
A case in point is the Dvorak string quartet adapted by the Arcis players with very few changes to the original. The quartet dates from 1894 when Dvorak was living in the United States. The nickname “American” was attached after the fact. Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings is another nearly seamless transfer from the original. The piece is the second movement of Barber’s 1936 string quartet, which he himself arranged for string orchestra. The composer also made a choral arrangement with text “Agnus Dei” thirty years later. The work has become a standard item for solemn occasions like funerals of famous people, including Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Albert Einstein.
New York Counterpoint by American Steve Reich is the third of his four ‘Counterpoint’ compositions. Each one of these is scored for one live performer who plays along with as many as twelve recordings by the same instrument. Clarinetist Richard Stoltzman commissioned New York Counterpoint, which is divided into three movements, labelled simply Fast, Slow, Fast.
The other two works on this program are highlights from two iconic American theater pieces. Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess from 1937 is a folk opera (Gershwin’s own title) with a rather dark story concerning poverty, prejudice, murder, and drug addiction. The popular numbers most often excerpted from the opera largely gloss over the gritty details and are enjoyed purely for their wonderful music. Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story is a 1950s take on the Romeo and Juliet story set in a rough district of New York City with two gangs substituting for the feuding Montagues and Capulets. The amazing music runs the gamut from tender ballads to tense, jazz-inflected dance numbers. - Angela Carlson, 2020
A case in point is the Dvorak string quartet adapted by the Arcis players with very few changes to the original. The quartet dates from 1894 when Dvorak was living in the United States. The nickname “American” was attached after the fact. Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings is another nearly seamless transfer from the original. The piece is the second movement of Barber’s 1936 string quartet, which he himself arranged for string orchestra. The composer also made a choral arrangement with text “Agnus Dei” thirty years later. The work has become a standard item for solemn occasions like funerals of famous people, including Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Albert Einstein.
New York Counterpoint by American Steve Reich is the third of his four ‘Counterpoint’ compositions. Each one of these is scored for one live performer who plays along with as many as twelve recordings by the same instrument. Clarinetist Richard Stoltzman commissioned New York Counterpoint, which is divided into three movements, labelled simply Fast, Slow, Fast.
The other two works on this program are highlights from two iconic American theater pieces. Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess from 1937 is a folk opera (Gershwin’s own title) with a rather dark story concerning poverty, prejudice, murder, and drug addiction. The popular numbers most often excerpted from the opera largely gloss over the gritty details and are enjoyed purely for their wonderful music. Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story is a 1950s take on the Romeo and Juliet story set in a rough district of New York City with two gangs substituting for the feuding Montagues and Capulets. The amazing music runs the gamut from tender ballads to tense, jazz-inflected dance numbers. - Angela Carlson, 2020