Download Stories 87-91 - Quad City Symphony

Great Performances
BEETHOVEN’S 9 SYMPHONIES
Performance of all nine symphonies by
Beethoven in chronological order is a
challenging goal for any symphony
orchestra. To celebrate the QCSO’s
seventy-fifth anniversary in 1990 and his
own twenty five year mark as conductor,
James Dixon made the decision to do just
that. The McDonald commemorative
booklet tells this story in words worth
repeating:
“In reviewing the music played in twentytwo years, Dixon discovered that the
issue of balancing programs and the
repertory of guest artists had prevented
him from playing several of Beethoven’s
symphonies. He considered it his
responsibility that the orchestra musicians
identify with this critical body of musical
literature. It would provide an
opportunity to demonstrate the
orchestra’s capability after nearly
twenty-five years under his direction, and
give the audience the opportunity to
trace the development of the composer who is most responsible for the modern
symphony orchestra. The first four symphonies were performed in the 1986-87
season and the remaining five the following year. The efforts of the conductor to
attain performances of the highest quality were rewarded with success. The
cycle was an outstanding musical achievement and was among the highest points
of its history as an ensemble.”
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SPECIALLY COMMISSIONED
WORKS
Over its 100 year history the Quad City Symphony Orchestra has commissioned
many pieces to mark special occasions or at the initiative of the conductor.
Indeed, the centennial performance season will feature a new orchestral
composition for each of the six Masterworks Concerts. Patrons can look forward
to works by John Franzen, Michael Torke, David Gomper, James Romig, William
Campbell and Lee Hyla.
Here are other commissions in the order of their performance:
1953 Le Son du Cor for Horn and Orchestra by Arne Oldberg
1965 Festive Music by Morton Gould
Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Quad City Symphony
Orchestra
1975 Johnny Appleseed – a Symphonic Profile by Karl Ahrendt
Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Augustana College
1976 Ode & Cataclysm by Nicolas Roussakis
In Wilderness is the Preservation of the World by Brian Fennelly
1984 Fire and Earth and Water and Air by Nicolas Roussakis
1996 IOWA 150 by Richard Hervig
Commemorating the Sesquicentennial of Iowa Statehood 1846-1996
2004 Transfiguration – for Soprano, Contralto, Tenor, Bass and Orchestra by
Stephan Taylor
Three Nonsensical Songs – for Children’s Chorus and Orchestra by
Andrew Carter
Commemorating the 90th Anniversary of the Quad City Symphony
Orchestra
2012 Coyote Dancers by William Campbell
2013 Oracle by Michael Torke
2014 Rock Island Line by Jacob Bancks
Additionally the work Rhapsody for Bix by Lalo Schifrin was commissioned by the
Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Society to commemorate its 25th anniversary, and was
performed in 1996 by the orchestra at a special “Sound of Bix” concert.
DIXON &
MAHLER
One of James Dixon’s favorite composers was
Gustav Mahler. Mahler was an Austrian
composer who created ten symphonies in his
lifetime, the tenth being unfinished. Dixon
helped bring back this almost forgotten
composer during the 1950s and 1960s. He
was awarded the Bruckner Society’s Mahler
Medal in 1963 for these efforts. For his final
two concerts, Dixon felt it was only
appropriate to end with Mahler. He chose
Mahler’s Sixth Symphony in the spring of 1993, and his Fifth Symphony in
the spring 1994.
Dixon passed away on April 3, 2007. That summer following his death, the
board and the orchestra decided to honor James Dixon with a concert. The
concert was held on September 23, 2007 and ended with the “Adagietto”
from Mahler’s Fifth Symphony.
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WAR REQUIEM
March 2012
marked an
important
collaborative event
for the Quad City
Symphony
Orchestra. This
concert, along with
concerts all over the
world, celebrated
the works of
Benjamin Britten and
his contribution to
choral and musical
art. The Quad City Symphony Orchestra partnered with Augustana College,
the University of Minnesota, Macalester College, and musicians from
Detmold, Germany, to present five performances of Britten’s works, including
War Requiem.
This piece was written for the consecration of Coventry Cathedral in
England, as it had been bombed during WWII. War Requiem was first
performed at the church on May 30, 1962. Three specific soloists were
requested to perform the pieces. They were Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, a
German baritone, Russian soprano Galina Vishnevskaya, and Peter Pears, a
British tenor.
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1812 OVERTURE
A signature piece of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra is Tchaikovsky’s
1812 Overture. The piece was commissioned to celebrate the 70th
anniversary of Russia’s victory over Napoleon in 1812. Tchaikovsky finished
the piece on November 19, 1880 and premiered the work on August 20,
1882. It was a huge success. Tchaikovsky did not personally like the work
and referred to it as “very loud and noisy.”
The piece was first played by the Quad City Symphony Orchestra at the
summer pops concert in 1983. The concert concluded with live cannon fire
that was provided the “A” Battery 2nd Battalion of the 123rd Field Artillery
of the Illinois Army National Guard.
Another memorable performance of this piece was on September 9, 1995.
The concert was Kim Allen Kluge’s first
performance as the music director and
conductor of the Quad City Symphony
Orchestra. Not only did he conduct the
performance, but also played in it. Like
the concert in 1983, he too finished with
the 1812 Overture and cannon fire.
From that point on the Overture became
the staple concluding piece for the pops
concerts.
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