Franck: Psyché, symphonic poem for chorus and orchestra, M.47 - Libretto

I'd like to return to a piece that I have been in love with for a long time now. I will cover it musically soon, but for now here is a translation of the libretto. The piece premiered in 1888 to mediocre reviews. It was a 
symphonic poem, a three-part, seven movement work for orchestra and women's chorus which took its inspiration from the Greek myth of Psyché and Eros. However it was never published as such. Its most common form in performance was -and is - in the arrangement Franck wrote for four-hand piano and chorus, or in the four orchestral fragments that Franck later extracted (which is almost the only form it is heard in today).
The chorus is used only in certain climactic points during the piece (three of the seven movements), and addresses the character of Psyche through the drama, similar to how the Greek chorus was used in dramatic plays. You'll notice in the text that it tends to describe and dramatize the action.
As it was never published, the original libretto attributed to Sicard and Fourcard is terrifically difficult to find. I was originally looking for a direct transcription to go with this, but that will have to wait. Here is a translation which was done by Mike George and Mark Seto (libretto and program description respectively).

PART ONE
Psyche’s Slumber (Sommeil de Psyché) (orchestra): Psyche is sleeping and dreaming; while she dreams, she has a premonition of absolute, otherworldly happiness.
Psyche Carried Off by the Zephyrs (Psyché enlevée par les Zéphyrs) (orchestra): Suddenly the air trembles, filled with strange noises. Psyche, carried off by the Zephyrs, is transported into the gardens of Eros.

PART TWO
The Gardens of Eros (Les jardins d’Eros) (orchestra and chorus): More beautiful than beauty itself, Psyche rests among flowers, greeted like a sovereign by Nature in celebration: voices whisper in her ear of the power of Love. She awakens, gently touched. The voices sing again, and speak of the invisible bridegroom who approaches. Delighted, she listens, she waits. The voices still sing, but more seriously: “Remember,” they say, “you must never know the face of your mystery lover… Remember!”
Chorus:
Love! Source of all life!
Young, strong god with the strength to conquer!
Hail, O hallowed power,
Hail, O charming ruler of hearts!
You fill everything with holy joy,
In your wake the furrows turn fertile.
Mother Earth produces with rapture
When the ineffable kiss
From the brightest sun, her bridegroom, beams down on her.
O white sister of the lily, gentler than the dawn
And more beautiful than beauty itself,
Do you not long to feel a sweet desire bursting open
In your tormented breast?
Listen to the invisible lyres in the distance
Sighing gently on the melodious air!
Your mysterious bridegroom is coming,
To your innocent breast, to share this divine ecstasy.
For you the palace gates are thrown open.
But, Psyche, remember that you must never
Look at the face of your mystery lover.
Obey without understanding your ever virtuous fate.
Psyche! Remember.
Psyche and Eros (Psyché et Eros) (orchestra): The spirits have fallen silent: another voice already resonates, soft but penetrating: it is that of Eros himself. Psyche responds hesitantly… soon their souls merge… All is passion, all is light, all is happiness… forever, if Psyche can remember.

PART THREE 
The Punishment – Psyche’s Suffering and Laments (orchestra and chorus): Psyche did not remember! “The punishment begins,” the voices declare, but she weeps. Eros will forgive her, perhaps. Psyche weeps; she feels infinite sorrow, because she has known infinite happiness. Consumed by impotent desires, she visits the earth to suffer, and to die with a sorrowful and supreme fervor for the ideal love which she has lost forever, but which she still hopes for…
Chorus: 
Love, your secret is known. 
Woe on her! Among the sweet mystery, and pure happiness, 
Her heart was filled with an eternal youthfulness.
Her punishment begins and its pain is cruel.
Far from the gardens and sacred temples of Eros, 
She wanders aimlessly, 
On paths that are rough under her bruised feet. 
A lonely traveler on a sad journey, 
Sobbing with regret at the mystery of 
The blue gardens and sacred temples of Eros. 
And the dark night grows even deeper, 
And the wind alone hears her hopeless cries! 
There is no glimmer of hope. 
Love, Psyche has discovered your secret, and yet she weeps. 
Take her back to the blue gardens and sacred temples. 
Apotheosis (orchestra and chorus): Eros has forgiven, the mysterious choir announces, and the whole world rejoices. Rest, poor Psyche! Your desire, which outlasts your death, is lifted up to God and God descends to you; his mouth repeats the same love, Nature sings the same revelry. And here in the arms of her immortal bridegroom, Psyche leaves the world in triumphant glory!
Chorus: 
Eros has forgiven. 
Heaven and earth quake with delight! 
Psyche, lift up your pallid forehead. 
Let the pain of your first mistake 
Be forgotten for ever. 
Heavenly couple, soar into the light. 
The miracle of love is at last complete. 

Attributed to “Sicard and Fourcaud” 

Martinů: Toccata e Due Canzoni (1946)

The last in a set of a couple program notes I've written over the last semester.

Youtube has two recordings of this piece as far as i can tell. Both are pretty decent, but I include the live one here for a few reasons - the other one does not indicate the performers, it is not a video (only a sound recording with a nevertheless very nice picture of Martinu), and I'm reasonably sure that they do change the printed/composed bowing at the beginning to make it easier (it's a slurred ostinato that is extremely difficult to coordinate within and between the sections). But if you are curious you can check out the somewhat cleaner other recording here.
I. Toccata: Allegro moderato (1890-1959)
II. Canzone I: Andante moderato
III. Canzone II: Allegro
It's an unusual format, and became more so as he composed it - originally he wanted the latter two movements to be the "light" to the Toccata's "dark," the songs (literal translation for "canzone") to the Toccata's dance. But they ended up being equally weighty.


Bohuslav Martinů was an early 20th-century composer known for his prolificness and
versatility across a daunting abundance of genres. But of all the forms he experimented and, indeed, excelled at writing, his favorite was the concerto grosso.
This affinity shows itself strongly with this underperformed gem, composed in 1946 during his stint living in the United States, just after he had finished his Fifth Symphony. Martinů wrote that while the symphonic genre offered the broadest scope and "boundless dimensions," the formal, dynamic, and emotional limits of the concerto grosso were of a restrainedness which he enjoyed and blossomed under. He originally conceived of the piece as a return to "less obvious emotion, less noise, and much more music in a condensed form." However, after writing the fairly heavy toccata, his original intention for the canzoni to be light and simple underwent a metamorphosis, and they became much more dramatic and lyrical.

The Toccata, marked Allegro moderato, is a brilliant and compelling perpetuum mobile, featuring murmuring interwoven divisi strings which meld with a restless grumbling piano line. However, despite its incessant persistence in rhythm and in texture, there is an overarching lyricism which makes itself felt in the rhythmic figures as well as the brief but soaring fragments which overlay it. Throughout the movement the piano plays
a pivotal role, a conduit between the wind and string sections' continual sixteenth notes.

The two canzones take complimentary moods, one dignified and the other fierce, but both possessing the same rhythmic consistency and integrity as the toccata. Canzone No. 1 is solemn and stately, beginning with dark octaves and a highly chromatic melody in the solo piano. This line is fragmented and augmented by the rest of the orchestra, before the music coalesces into a luminous middle section featuring solo strings and glowing chords from the rest of the orchestra. The climax is an anguished series of falling triplets and chromatic lines; the movement closes as it began.

The second canzone alternates almost startlingly between the aggressive 6/8 which opens it and a much more lyrical theme. The orchestra plays alternating rhythms that seem to vie with each other for dominance over the meter before slowing to a 3/4 middle section which hovers in melancholy and gorgeously expressive unison lines in the violins. But the Allegro of the opening then returns with a vengeance, extended into a furious climax. The closing section, marked Adagio, is a recall of many of the textures and motifs which have dominated this rigorously rhythmic piece. The piece ends in a glorious, incandescent D Major.

Poulenc: Aubade, concerto choregraphique for piano and 18 instruments

Youtube has four very decent recordings of this piece (possibly more, but these were my highlights)

Claire-Marie Le Guay with Christophe Mangou and the Orchestre Nationale d'lle de France. I like this one because aside from being very well executed, it's a video and you can see (sort of) the unusual instrumentation and the configuration, which is one that Poulenc includes himself in the score of the piece.
Sviatoslav Richter
Pascal Roge
Jacques Fevrier

I. Toccata (Lento e pesante - Molto animato)
II. Récitatif: Les compagnes de Diane (Larghetto)
III. Rondeau (Allegro) - Entrée de Diane (Piu mosso)
IV. Toilette de Diane (Presto)
V. Récitatif: Introduction à la Variation de Diane (Larghetto)
VI. Andante: Variation de Diane (Andante con moto - Animer - Emporté)
VII. Allegro feroce: Désespoir de Diane
VIII. Conclusion: Adieux et depart de Diane (Adagio - Più mosso)

Poulenc's 1929 Aubade was written for and financed by the Vicomte and Vicomtesse de Noailles, the latter of who was one of 20th-century Paris's most forward-thinking and visible arts patrons. Its unusual instrumentation - it is one of a fairly exclusive group of orchestral concert pieces that does not include violins - is a result of the ensemble that was budgeted for the fete given the evening of the premiere at the Noailles' mansion on June 18th, 1929.
Poulenc was a master of compositional balance, toeing the line between levity and depth, clarity and richness. This piece, now known more or less as Poulenc's first piano concerto, was originally conceived as ballet music and was premiered with choreography by Bronislava Nijinska (George Balanchine choreographed the public premiere some months later). It chronicles the story of the Diana, Roman goddess of the hunt and of chastity. The action of the ballet depicts her anguished struggle with her fate-decreed bonds of abstinence; its name refers to a Middle Age piece played or sung outdoors at dawn, and references the fact that the plot here begins at daybreak and ends at dawn one day later. While the Aubade has since become exclusively a concert piece - in fact, Poulenc cautions performers and audiences not to overcredit the programmatic aspect of this piece - it is still evident that Diana's plight of solitude informs the character and emotional shape of this piece.
The Aubade opens with a stark brass fanfare, and the first of the eight short segments (which are performed without pause) consists mostly of a frenzied solo piano cadenza channeling Diana's distress and loneliness, at odds with her eternal chastity. The orchestra's reentrance signals the awakening of Diana's companions, and the music is at first grim and foreboding but then slides into a graceful rondo, with the piano stating each subject and theme before ceding it to the orchestra. Diana's entrance at the Piu mosso is marked by a brightening of timbres and quickening of pace. The third segment, marked Presto, is a merry, quick and lively depiction of the companions as they dress Diana for her day, and its pert ending marks the conclusion of the first half of the piece.
The following Recitatif is more solemn, beginning with dissonant flourishes from the bassoons and oboes, and marked by firm dotted rhythms. Diana is handed a hunting bow, upon which she proceeds to dance alone in a lovely but resigned Andante introduced by solo clarinet and flute. The end of this dance is marked by a pale oscillation in the flutes, a foreshadowing of the ending. The penultimate movement, Diana's despair, is a furious and fierce outburst. It is over as suddenly as it began, however, and in the end succumbs to bleakness and loneliness. The clarinets give a flurry of protest, but in the end, a lonely solo cello line leads us to the austere coda, which features a stern brass statement overlain by a seemingly neverending series of A-minor oscillations in the upper winds and solo piano. Eventually these, too, recede into the unelaborate ending of a single low A piano strike.

Haydn: Symphony No. 104 in D Major, "London"

Joseph Haydn's final symphony is rather arbitrarily nicknamed, being the last of twelve symphonies that Haydn wrote in London during his second and last visit to England. It premiered in 1795 to great success, and was the capstone on a group of symphonies that came to represent the height of late Classical-era symphonic writing, sealing Haydn's reputation as the "father of the symphony." For its time, it was a symphonic tour de force, lasting twenty-five minutes, thoroughly and compactly assembled with splendour and lighthearted brilliance, and truly meant to move the symphony from the aristocrat's ballroom to the public concert hall.

The first movement opens with a slow, grandiose introduction in D minor. The following Allegro is set in straightforward sonata form, with a playful theme in D Major which appears in A Major as the second theme as well. After repeating the exposition, the development begins with the strings in B minor; it climaxes with a dominant chord which is immediately cut off for a dramatic, unexpected silence before the recapitulation begins. The movement is closed with a brief triumphant coda in D Major.

True to form, the inner movements of this symphony are both distinct and full of character. The second movement, set in G Major, sets up a whimsical theme that serves as the basis for the rest of the movement. The middle section is stormy, but with typical tongue-in-cheek humor it is interrupted with abrupt silence, and in short order brings back the opening theme with classical ornamentations. The melody stalls and wanders into other keys, ending on a strange D-flat Major chord. A lonely flute solo lingers before the orchestra tentatively reenters and then confidently reasserts the main theme; horns bring the movement to a quiet close,
mischievous in its lack of fanfare. The Menuetto returns to the main key of D Major, a stately Allegro which ventures into a more lyrical trio in B-flat major, featuring expressive lines from the oboe and bassoon.

The finale is, as its tempo marking indicates, exuberant and plucky,opening with a lively theme for the violins set in piano and accompanied by a pedal D which promises more. Shortly thereafter, the orchestra bursts in with vigor; much of the movement features the sprightly scales in the violins. The apex of the moment centers
around a singular interval - a half step in the strings which widens into a yawning tenth before the D Major tonic returns with the rest of the orchestra, bringing the movement and symphony to a jubilant
ending.

Husa: Serenade for Wind Quintet, Strings, Harp and Xylophone (1963)

This piece was also performed by the chamber orchestra last semester. To be honest I found it kind of hard to access, but this is a good recording and very lyrical and takes the necessary time, and well-balanced to show off the important lines. These are the program notes I wrote for that concert.

Karel Husa's career as a composer took him from his birthplace, Prague, through Paris, where he studied with Arthur Honegger and Nadia Boulanger. In 1959 he became an American citizen and spent many years in Ithaca as a lecturer at both Cornell University and Ithaca College, retiring in 1992. His seldom-performed Serenade was composed in 1963, about a decade into his tenure at Cornell. In his later years Husa's music became increasingly atonal, but the mood of this fifteen-minute Serenade is, overall, bright and engaging. It was premiered by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 1964.

This work's unusual instrumentation is a diversification upon the original inspiration, a piece called Évocations de Slovaquie (Evocations of Slovakia) written for clarinet, viola, and cello in 1951. The three movements are named for the Slavic mountain, the night, and a lively folk dance; however, these titles are more symbolic than strictly programmatic. A largely serial work, the Serenade nevertheless employs inviting, plaintive tunes and driving rhythms inspired by Slavic folk music.

The serenade opens with a stark, jagged clarinet solo, and the rest of the first movement unfolds in mirror form, as if to mimic the shape of the movement's eponymous mountain. The first section is in a moderate 6/8 scored thinly for winds and harp; strings join in the second section, which is firmer and more regular in rhythm. The music accelerates into a more frenetic middle section, which then slows into abbreviated versions of the first two segments, ending with pointillistic series of pizzicati and harmonics in the strings.

The second movement is marked "tranquillo possibile" - as tranquil as possible. Long melodic wind lines mesh with muted strings until the mood is interrupted for a perturbed, agitated middle section marked by rapid, furious scales and aggressive pizzicati. The movement ends quietly, as it began. In the third movement, driving rhythms and articulations evoke a vigorous folk dance, which accelerates into a celebratory close.

Handel: Concerto Grosso in G Major, Op. 6 No. 1 HWV 319

George Frideric Handel was born a German and died a naturalized British subject. Accordingly, his long and varied career as a baroque composer took him throughout Europe, and his music shows influences from English as well as German and Italian traditions. This concerto grosso is one of twelve which constitute Handel's Op. 6. It was first published in 1739, at the beginning of the final phase of Handel's career. Prior to
this, he had found great success as an opera composer; however, the market became strained and Handel, who by this time had become a household name, began composing what we remember him most for today: his English-language oratorios.
The concerti grossi, few of which exceed fifteen minutes in length, were intended as interludes for concerts which mainly featured Handel's oratorios. Stylistically, they follow in the vein of Corelli's multi-movement concerti, scored for a concertino of two violins and one cello, along with ripieno strings and continuo - winds would have been included depending on availability, during this era.
The first movement has a stately tone of solemn majesty, featuring descending sighing lines which alternate with more sustained passages from the solo concertino. The second movement is a brisker Allegro, consisting mostly of variations and transformations upon the material introduced in the first two bars. The third movement, the only segment not focused on the G Major tonality, is set in the relative E minor. The fourth movement is largely fugal, but has a playful humor, including a surprise quiet ending. The concerto concludes with a spirited, vivacious gigue.

The chamber orchestra at my school performed this last october, and it was one of my favorite things that they did all semester. We also performed it with the addition of two oboes, which very well might have been done back in the day. The piece is not too long and has just the right amount of vivacity and stateliness.

Copland: Appalachian Spring

I performed this piece last semester with the chamber orchestra at my school. This was the nicest recording of it I found at the time - a good conductorless version with really great wind soloists.

Here are the program notes I wrote for it at the time, including Copland's own description of the eight segments.

Composed under commission in 1944, the "Ballet for Martha" lacked a name until just before the premiere, when choreographer Martha Graham chose the title from a poem called "The Dance" by American author Hart Crane. In truth, the name bears virtually no relation to the music or the ballet, causing Copland much amusement when he repeatedly received comments about the music's power to evoke the scenery of
mountains in spring. However, regardless what imagery this music may conjure in one's mind, the harmonic language is unmistakeably American, and it won Copland the Pulitzer Prize in Music in 1945. That same year, Copland rearranged the ballet music into an orchestral suite which retained most of the original music.

The suite is a continuous twenty-three minutes, and was originally scored for a chamber ensemble featuring thirteen instruments: flute, clarinet, bassoon, piano, and one desk each of the string family members (except the single double bass). He would subsequently score a version of the suite for full orchestra, which is more frequently performed. Copland also authorized the chamber version to be performed with an expanded string section, which is the version performed here today.

The action of the ballet features a pair of pioneers celebrating their newly-built farmhouse in Pennsylvania and their upcoming marriage. They are visited by various neighbors and advisors, and experience the spectrum of emotions that come with starting a new life in an unfamiliar place. After phases of both joy and uncertainty, in
the end the couple stands ready to face their new life with quiet courage.

The eight sections of the suite proceed thusly (text in quotation marks indicates Copland's own prose):
1. "Very Slowly. Introduction of the characters, one by one, in a suffused light." This serene section features gentle solos over an ever-present A Major tonality.
2. "Fast. Sudden burst of unison strings in A major arpeggios stars the action. A sentiment both elated and religious gives the keynote to this scene." Copland indicates "vigoroso" for this bright and lively tune, which later becomes superimposed upon a more expansive string texture. 2:38 in the video.
3. "Moderate. Duo for the Bride and her Intended--scene of tenderness and passion." This section is introduced by a lilting irregular rhythmic figure, which then dissolves into more intimate and expressive but muted sonorities in far-off keys. 5:25
4. "Quite Fast. The Revivalist and his flock. Folksy feelings--suggestions of square dances and country fiddlers." This section is sprightly and dancelike, depicting the exuberance of the spiritual revivalists. This eventually crests into an eloquent and grandiose statement, leaving a pronounced impression on the protagonists, who quietly reflect on these themes. 8:43
5. "Still Faster. Solo dance of the Bride--presentiment of motherhood. Extremes of joy and fear and wonder." After an irregular transitional section, the following presto is a sort of moto perpetuo, featuring highly syncopated tunes above a neverending tattoo of eighth notes. But with an abrupt silence the music lurches into a more deliberate, firm tempo, cadencing with a firm resolve in C Major. 12:08
6. "Very Slowly (as at first). Transition scenes reminiscent of the introduction." The music here is very similar to that of the slow introduction, but set in A-flat Major, a half-step lower, perhaps illustrating the mellowing effects of maturity and experience. 15:05
7. "Calm and Flowing. Scenes of daily activity for the Bride and her farmer-husband. There are five variations on a Shaker theme... sung by a solo clarinet..." This well-known hymn, otherwise known as "Simple Gifts," becomes more and more elaborate and excitable with every variation, until the final iteration, which is stated in glorious and dignified fashion. 17:06
8. "Moderate. Coda. The Bride takes her place among her neighbors. At the end the couple are left 'quiet and strong in their new house.' Muted strings intone a hushed, prayerlike passage. The close is reminiscent of the opening music." 20:12

I had a lot of fun working on this piece, but it was a huge nut to crack on four rehearsals' time. you can check out some of my performance here if you wish.