Download Program Notes - Sudbury Symphony Orchestra

French Romance
February 7, 2015- Program Notes
Program Notes by Lauren MacKenzie
Nicole Lizée (1973-): Arcadiac
One of a new breed of innovative musical composers, Nicole Lizée was born in Gravelbourg,
Saskatchewan. Her intriguing compositions are influenced by her passion for Hitchcock, early MTV
videos and electronic pop music. Composed in 2005, Arcadiac fuses the sounds of 1970s and 80s arcade
games with the Orchestra, and is often accompanied by a backdrop of video games on screen.
Debussy (1862-1918): Nocturnes, “Fetes”
French-born Claude Debussy studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, and was
considered one of the most influential composers of the early 20th century for
his use of discordant harmonies and lack of traditional musical structure. His
work was heavily influenced by literature and visual art and Nocturnes was
motivated by a series of impressionist paintings by Whistler. In “Fetes”, he
attempts to arouse emotion in his listener through his fusion of unusual
harmonies and rhythm.
Délibes (1836-1891): Suite No. 1 from Coppélia
Leo Délibes, composer of ballets and operas, was born in Saint-Germain-duVal, France. In Coppélia, he was the first to combine folk dancing and comedy
with ballet. From a feisty Mazurka to a gentle Waltz, Délibes generated a new
style of ballet that continues to the present day. Coppélia was first performed
in 1870 at the Paris Opera.
Coppélia tells the story of eccentric inventor Dr. Coppelius and his obsession
with his beautiful mechanical doll. In true Frankenstein style, he tries to bring
her to life. His plans however, are thwarted by Franz, who becomes infatuated
with Coppélia and Swanhilda, Franz’s fiancée, who takes matters into her own
hands.
Debussy (1862-1918): Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
As mentioned above, Debussy was influenced by literature and in particular,
poetry. His composition Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune was inspired by
Mallarme’s poem “Afternoon of a Faun” and his imaginative use of words that to
Debussy, almost had a musical quality to them. The words of the poem are those
of a faun- a lazy and pleasure loving half-goat, half man creature that frequently
makes an appearance in Classical mythology.
Prélude emphasizes Debussy’s unique compositional style and his disregard for
accepted musical standards, and much of the music in the piece has an
improvisational quality; free and sensual. It premiered in December 1894 in Paris.
Stravinsky (1882-1971): Suite from The Firebird (1919)
As a young, unknown composer, Igor Stravinsky created The Firebird when invited
by Ballets Russes’ founder, Sergei Diaghilev, to create a ballet for the Paris season.
It was first performed on 25th June 1910, and was a spectacular success.
The hero of this story, Prince Ivan, falls for a beautiful princess and enlists the help
of The Firebird, to win the fight against the evil magician Kashchei and break his
spell. Throughout the ballet Stravinsky creates atmosphere through his bold
amalgam of chromatic scales and folk songs, which became known as trademarks
of the composer.
Although originally written for a large orchestra, Stravinsky later wrote three shorter suites. The 1919
version is the most well-known of the three. The music continually quotes two Russian folk songs. The
first is a lyrical tune for the princess; the second, a majestic hymn that closes the piece.