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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.” Story 87 Story 89 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. Story 88 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. Story 90 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. Story 91