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Thomas
Pasatieri
Three
Symphonies
University
of Kentucky
Symphony
Orchestra
John
Nardolillo
conductor
Thomas Pasatieri
Three Symphonies
University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra
John Nardolillo, Conductor
Symphony No 1
Symphony No 2
Catherine Clarke Nardolillo ,
Soprano
Lexington Singers Children’s Choir
Lori R. Hetzel , Conductor
Danville Children’s Choir
Meg Stohlmann , Conductor
I. Maestoso II. Lento molto
III. Allegro IV. Allegro marcato
Symphony No 3
I. Andante. II. Allegro.
III. Lento cantabile. IV. Allegro giocoso
Recorded: Singletary Hall, University of
Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
Composer Thomas Pasatieri writes: “My association with
University of Kentucky and John Nardolillo began in 2006 as I
was writing the opera The Hotel Casablanca which premiered
in San Francisco and Lexington as a co-production. The excellent orchestra which performed and recorded the opera was
a delight for a composer to work with. The following year John
called to ask for a new piece to be written for this orchestra. I
knew their playing well, had admired their performances in
Carnegie Hall, and so decided to write a symphony which would
showcase the orchestra, featuring many solo instruments in the
course of the piece. I was surprised when the music came into
being in just one movement. I had thought it would be in the
traditional three or four movement form but ‘man plans and
God laughs.’ Writing a first symphony at age 63 must be a sort
of Guinness record for most-aged neophyte, but there it is.”
UKSO Assistant Conductor Marcello Cormio, who helped
Maestro Nardolillo prepare the Pasatieri works recorded here,
shares an affinity with the composer, based, in part, on their
common Italian roots. Cormio writes: “In a way Pasatieri is
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very much like his music—in his Symphony No 1, one
finds the tenderness and elegance of gracious pastoral
rhythms and playful, dance-like woodwind phrases in
the middle section, the Allegretto Grazioso in 6/8
(which re-appears in the monumental second symphony: one may think of Ravel’s Tombeau de Couperin,
or perhaps recall 19th-century Viennese music. On
the other hand, there is the passionate, dark melody of
the main theme, vibrantly played by the strings at the
beginning, then suddenly revealing an agitato character in a slightly different version. In the Adagio
section, one hears the elegant, transparent melody in
the oboe solo, floating above the muted strings, beautiful in its pureness and still full of emotion, deeply
romantic. When it comes to describing his first
symphony, Pasatieri quotes the words once used to
define his music by one of its performers: it is like
‘drinking a glass of apricot brandy that has a piece of
glass shattered in it.’”
Whereas Symphony No 1 is a single, broad movement, the second, also written for Maestro Nardolillo
and the UKSO, runs to the traditional four-movement
symphonic structure, concluding with a vocal finale
for soprano solo and children’s chorus, composed
specifically for soprano Catherine Clarke Nardolillo,
for whom Pasatieri also created a principal role in his
2012 chamber opera God Bless Us, Everyone.
Symphony No 2 boasts an even larger orchestration than No 1—he uses triple winds and brass and
six horns and an enormous complement of strings,
harp, piano and percussion. In the opening movement
one hears a lovely principal melody. The subsequent
6 /8 Allegretto echoes material from the first
symphony. Similarly, in the Lento Molto movement
two, a haunting song first heard in the solo winds,
then the strings, is reminiscent of the main melody of
Symphony No 1. The Allegro Energetico of the third
movement provides welcome contrast, but is soon
interrupted by a plaintive clarinet solo, then taken up
by the strings.
Like Beethoven’s mighty Choral Symphony, Pasatieri’s final movement, marked Allegro Marcato, is a
huge vocal work. Solo soprano and children’s chorus
intone the words of the Credo from the Catholic Mass
liturgy. In the midst of this, the orchestra makes
references to melodies from previous movements;
one even hears a subtle—and unexpected—nursery
rhyme tune. When the soprano takes up the Credo
again, her lines become more faultering, fragmented.
The voice cannot finish the final “Amen:” the great
affirmation of faith seems challenged, unsure. The
sweeping opening melody appears once again and then
it too seems to shatter; the work ends with the children’s voices, heard in the distance and singing at a
funereal pace “Ring Around the Rosy”—a harmless
ditty, but perhaps also a subtle reference to the
hideous Black Plague of the Middle Ages, surely the
greatest historical challenge to Church faith. The
work ends in stupified silence.
Writes composer Pasatieri: “Symphony No. 2 is
about life—the beginnings of life, the end , the life
force, energy and sickness. The opening intervals represent the cell that is the human embryo—the first
stirrings of the life force which then grows,
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PHOTO: Ellen Appel
experiences and dies. Throughout this movement
and the next two, the now fully-formed person
experiences great fluctuations of experiences: love,
loss, anger, beauty, art, etc. and goes through an
entire life with all of its pain and joy. I use the Latin
Credo in the last movement to reflect much of this
same material but from the perspective of religion
(I chose this because of my own Catholicism and my
childhood wish to enter the priesthood ). Here the
children represent innocence and the life force
swirling around us. The piece is about death and rebirth
and the end of life and new life. Granted, this is very
dark but there are shafts of light breaking through it.”
Much brighter is the third symphony, premiered in
Seattle in May 2014 by the Northwest Sinfonietta. It is
a short work like the first. It is separated into four brief
“movements,” the most glorious of which is the expressive third, entitled Lento Cantabile but referred
to by its composer as a “Romanza.”
This is the first recording of all three works.
Thomas Pasatieri was born in New York City. He was an accomplished
pianist and performer by age ten and a performed composer by fifteen.
At sixteen he entered Juilliard and became the school’s first recipient of a
doctoral degree. In 1964 he composed his first opera, The Trysting Place,
for which he wrote his own libretto. Many operas followed, including The
Seagull (1974), one of the best-known of his works. From 1980 to 1984,
Pasatieri was Artistic Director of the Atlanta Opera. In 1984, he moved
to Los Angeles and formed Topaz, his own film music production company.
He has produced 150 film orchestrations, including The Little Mermaid,
American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Fried Green Tomatoes, The Player,
Scent of a Woman, Men Don’t Leave, Little Women, The Pagemaster, The
Shawshank Redemption, Oscar and Lucinda, Meet Joe Black, The
Green Mile, Erin Brockovich, Finding Nemo and Angels in America. He has composed hundreds of songs, many
works for chorus, piano sonatas, symphonies, and chamber works. He has taught composition at Juilliard,
Manhattan School of Music and Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Despite this long list of accomplishments, Pasatieri is first and foremost a man of the theater, and has composed 22 operas, ten of which were
written to his own libretti. OPERAS: The Trysting Place 1964,* Flowers of Ice 1964, The Women 1965,*
La Divina 1965,*✝ Padrevia 1967,* The Penitents 1967, Calvary 1971, The Trial of Mary Lincoln 1972, BlackWidow
1972,* The Seagull 1974,✝ Signor Deluso 1975,*✝ Ines de Castro 1976, Washington Square 1976, Three Sisters
1979, Before Breakfast 1980, The Goose Girl 1981,* Maria Elena 1983,* Frau Margot 2007,✝ The Hotel Casablanca
2007*✝ Monologues,✝ and God Bless Us Everyone.*✝ The music of Thomas Pasatieri is published by Theodore
Presser Company.
*Written to his own libretto Recorded for Albany
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✝
John Nardolillo has
appeared with more than
thirty of the country’s
leading orchestras, including The BostonPops,
National Symphony, and
the principal orchestras
of Seattle, San Francisco,
Detroit, Atlanta, Dallas,
Milwaukee, Utah,
Columbus, Indianapolis,
Oregon, Fort Worth,
Buffalo, Alabama, Louisville, Missouri, North Carolina,
Toledo, Vermont and Hawaii. He recently conducted
concerts at the Kennedy Center, Kimmel Center in
Philadelphia, and Carnegie Hall. In fall 2010 he was
Music Director and Conductor for the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian
Games, a performance that featured 1500 performers
and 200 horses, broadcast worldwide for a television
audience of 500 million.
Mr. Nardolillo made his professional conducting
debut in 1994 at the Sully Festival in France, and has
since conducted in the U.S., France, Germany, Italy,
Norway, Sweden and Denmark. He has recorded for
Naxos, Albany, Rising Son and Klarity records, and has
been featured in articles in The New York Times,
Washington Post, Boston Globe and Vanity Fair
magazine. In 2004 Mr. Nardolillo joined the faculty at
the University of Kentucky, where he is currently
serving as the Director of Orchestras.
Catherine Clarke
Nardolillo, soprano,
lauded by The New York
Times for her“exquisite”
singing, is a frequent
concert soloist, appearing
twice at Carnegie Hall, and
with the Toledo Symphony,
Boulder Philharmonic,
Evansville Philharmonic,
Lexington Philharmonic,
Owensboro Symphony, Orchestra Sinfonica dell’International in Rome. She has also appeared with the
Aspen Opera Theater, Colorado Lyric Theater,
Chautauqua Music Festival, Opera Festival di Roma,
and University of Colorado Opera. In 2010 she sang in
the UK OperaTheate premiere and Albany recording
of Pasatieri’s opera, God Bless Us Everyone in a coproduction with DiCapo Opera in New York City.
She has been a finalist in the Rocky Mountain
District Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions, twice a
winner in the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition,
and a prizewinner at the American Traditions
Competition in Savannah. Ms. Nardolillo has toured
throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. In 2009, she
performed at the opening ceremonies of the Windsor
Equestrian Games at Windsor Castle in England. She
received her BM at the University of Kentucky, ’96,
her MM from the University of Colorado, ’99 and her
DMA from the University of Kentucky in 2013. She
currently maintains a private studio in Lexington, Ky.
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Founded in 1918, the University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra is regarded as one of the nation’s
best college orchestras. The UK symphony presents more than 50 concerts each year including classical,
chamber and education concerts. The group is made up of undergraduate and graduate students from across
the United States, Asia, South America and Europe. The orchestra regularly performs with world-renowned
concert artists including Itzhak Perlman, Sarah Chang, Gil Shaham, Mark O’Connor, Lynn Harrell, Marvin
Hamlisch, Denyce Graves, Ronan Tynan and Arlo Guthrie. It has toured in Carnegie Hall (2007, 2010), and the
Kennedy Center (2009). The symphony collaborates yearly with UK Opera Theatre.
Photo: Aaron Fineman
Assistant Conductors: Marcello Cormio (2011, 2014); Lucia Marin (2014)
General Manager: Yoonie Choi (2014). Assisted by Graduate Teaching Assistants Julian Bryson, Josh Chai, and
Patrick Callaghan
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UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY SYMPHONY 2011 UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY SYMPHONY 2014
VIOLIN: Jessica Miskelly, Concertmaster,*
Irina Kagan,* Kyle Vanarsdalen,* Daniel Brier,*
Michael Barbiarz, Karen Bottge, Madeline Carruci,
Cristina Cosoreanu, Troy Cotton, Marissa Goodman,
Ingang Han, Anna Henning, Ye-seul Kim, Kristen
Kline, Elliot Lane, Soohun Lee, Hyangwoo Lih,
Megan Lineberry, Charlie Lockhart, Amanda Markley,
Megan Mcclain, Sam McWilliams, Elizabeth Navarra,
Andrew Quick, Kierstin Quick, Katie Raybould,
Harper Smith, Brittany Waiters, Gisong You
VIOLA: Matthew Darsey,* Ivan Ugorich,*
Stephanie Albrecht, Chip Carnes,Leigh Dixon,
Logan Garrity, Sarah Grindle, Seon Kyu Kim,
Madison Pietrowski, Alison Ward
CELLO: Sara Birnbaum,* Chris Erickson,*
Geoffrey Hershberger, Alexandra Freeman, Chris Ice,
Jerram John, Chris Mills, David Oh, Rebecca Price,
Nicola Rohr
BASS: Jack Shields,* Mary Combs, Kiaya Lynn,
Taylor Mcdonald, Karl Olsen, Robert Pinkston,
Karl Washington
FLUTE: Aaron Sexton,* Jenny Maier, Rachel Hoiby
OBOE: Heather Baxter,* Brice Catlett, Rachel White
CLARINET: Kristen Welke,* Adam Pangburn,
Austin Miller
BASSOON: Emily Barnett,* Tony Nesta
HORN: Melanie Erena,* Samantha Davis, Jessica Long,
Megan McMahon, Desirae Carron
TRUMPET: Nick Ramsey,* Chase Hawkins, Eric Millard
TROMBONE: Tyler Sims,* Josh Dargavell,
Mike Bartlett (bass)
PERCUSSION: Jonathan Sharp,* Joe Frank Williams,*
Brad Davis, Michael McSweeny, Kelsey Moorhouse,
HARP: Mary Deicher
*principal
VIOLIN: Amanda Markley, Concertmaster,
Jessica Miskelly,* William Ronning,* Chi Young Song,*
Michael Babiarz, Karen Bottge, Kathlyn Fisher, Michael
Goffinet, Ingang Han, Rachael Hayes, Taylor Johnston,
YeDam Kim, YeSeul Kim, Chandler Martin, Miranda
Martin, Megan McClain, Sadie Meyer, Caroline Miracle,
Andrew Quick, Emily Rush, Alena Smigla, Harper Smith,
Stephanie Tseng
VIOLA: Seonkyu Kim,* Rafaela Copetti,* Michael Bale,
Jermaine Crutchfield, Logan Garrity, Sarah Grindle,
Alexandra Harper, Samuel Northrup, Abbye Smiley,
Alison Ward
CELLO: Chris Erickson,* Maureen Kelly,* Abbye Allan,
Harrison Bryant, Julia Dixon, Chris Ice, Tiffany Im,
Jerram John, Chris Mills, Maria Navarra, Rebecca Price,
Rachel Yau
BASS: Abraham Dutch,* Garrett Cline, Alexis Corsaut,
Kiaya Lynn, Taylor McDonald, Landon Simpson
FLUTE: Somang Lee-Thacker,* Jennifer Oakes,
Kristen Shearer
OBOE: Raechel White,* Maddie Loeffler, Danbee LeeThacker
CLARINET: Vince Dominguez,* Nora Bryant,* Holly Tumblin
BASSOON: Holly Smith,* Mathieu Keith, Heather Martin
HORN: Nate Williams,* Megan McMahon,* John Egger,
Andrew Osborne, Diana Pecaro, Emily Wilson
TRUMPET: Robbie Elliott,* Rui Li,* Connor Kidman,
Jared Wallis
TROMBONE: Tyler Simms,* Kristen Petty, Michael Bourne
TUBA: Blake Stahl*
HARP: Elaine Cook
PIANO / CELESTE: Robert Bosworth
TIMPANI: Chris Butler*
PERCUSSION: Katie Beckman, Hayden McNeal,
Franco Perez, Adam Schwartz, Connor Shafran
*principal
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Back Cover Photo: Matt Goins
Front Cover Photo: Ellen Appel
U.K. Symphony Orchestra TROY 1552
Composer Thomas Pasatieri with conductor John Nardolillo.
1
THOMAS PASATIERI
Three Symphonies
Catherine Clarke Nardolillo
(17:40)
University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra
JOHN NARDOLILLO, conductor
Symphony No 1
Symphony No 2
Lori R. Hetzel, conductor
Danville Children’s Choir
Meg Stohlmann, conductor
Symphony N 3 (14:58)
Andante /Allegro / Lento cantabile/Allegro gracioso
o
Catherine Clarke Nardolillo, solo soprano
Lexington Singers Children’s Choir
2 Maestoso (11:22)
3 Lento Molto (12:01)
4 Allegro (7:44)
5 Allegro Marcato (15:30)
6
.
Recorded Fall 2011 and Spring 2014 at Singletary Hall,
University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
John Ostendorf
Recording Producer
David Henderson
Recording Engineer
Three Symphonies
Albany Records U.S.
915 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207 Tel: 518-436-8814
Albany Records U.K.
Box 137 Kendal, Cumbria LA80XD Tel: 01539 824008
WARNING: Copyright subsists in all recordings issued under the label.
© 2015 Albany Records. Made in the USA. www.albanyrecords.com
PASATIERI
Three Symphonies
PASATIERI
U.K. Symphony Orchestra TROY 1552