DEBUSSY LA MER AND
ZUILL BAILEY

by Michelle Pellay-Walker

Kathryn Bostic:  “Wiley Avenue” from The Great Migration: A Symphony in Celebration of August Wilson
First Performance:  Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (Lucas Richman, conductor):  Pittsburgh, 2018

“Wiley Avenue” is the third movement of Kathryn Bostic’s The Great Migration: A Symphony in Celebration of August Wilson.  This symphony, written to honour Wilson’s legacy as a playwright, was premiered by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in January of 2018.  Wiley Avenue is scored for full woodwind and brass sections, timpani, percussion, piano, guitar, harp, and strings, and addresses the energy and excitement of the Hill District in Pittsburgh.  The symphony as a whole is inspired by poems and plays Wilson wrote that described his experiences growing up in the aforementioned Hill District.  This particular movement is introduced by a trumpet solo, and proceeds into a lively rhythmic swing-influenced section that features many time signature changes;  the unpredictable shifts are sure to engage the listener’s interest as the work progresses.  [Note of interest:  The Memphis Symphony Orchestra performed the last movement of this five-movement composition during the 2022-2023 season.]

Édouard Lalo (1823-1892):  Cello Concerto in D Minor
First Performance:  Cirque d’Hiver (Jules Pasdeloup, conductor;  Adolphe Fischer, soloist):  Paris, 1877
This concerto is interesting in that it represents a collaborative effort between the composer (Édouard Lalo) and the original soloist (Adolphe Fischer).  Written in 1876 and premiered the following year, it remains a staple of 19th century literature for cello, despite lacking the immense popularity of other similarly constructed works from this era.  Occurring in the usual three-movement structure associated with the concerto, the scoring features woodwinds in pairs, a full brass section (no tuba), timpani, and strings.  The first movement begins with an 8-measure orchestral introduction, with the cello joining in recitative-like utterances punctuated by chords in the orchestra, in advance of the main allegro.  Movement two alternates between a slow lyrical theme, and faster sections featuring an almost guitar-like accompaniment in the pizzicato strings.  The third movement begins with the cello highlighted in a slow introduction, similar to the opening of concerto, before continuing along in a high-spirited rondo.

Claude Debussy (1862-1918):  La Mer
First Performance:  Orchestre Lamoureux (Camille Chevillard, conductor):  Paris, 1905
La Mer (The Sea) is one of three compositions Claude Debussy wrote for orchestra containing three movements.  It was written over a two-year period beginning in 1903, and is a tour de force with regards to French Impressionism—even though the composer himself never thought of himself as an Impressionist, and heartily disliked the title!  Be that as it may, many of the orchestral timbres we associate with this artistic movement can be found in La Mer:  Prominent woodwinds, muted brass (I always find myself thinking of the horns of Poseidon), predominant harps,…and a focus on the mood created by the work rather than an emphasis on its formal structure.  The orchestra for which it is scored is quite large, featuring a woodwind section containing most of the expected auxiliary instruments, a full brass section (plus cornets), timpani, multiple percussion instruments, 2 harps, and strings.  The first movement, “De l'aube à midi sur la mer” (From dawn to noon on the sea) contains one of the most glorious divided cello moments in the repertoire, occurring about midway through.  “Jeux de vagues” (Play of the waves), the scherzo-like second movement, features skittering passages for the strings and the woodwinds in a light and relatively transparent texture.  The last movement, “Dialogue du vent et de la mer” (Dialogue of the wind and the sea), alternates between boisterous and calm moods, ending on a triumphant note.       

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971):  Suite from “The Firebird”
First Performance:  Opéra de Paris:  Paris, June 1910
Igor Stravinsky’s composition studies with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov obviously bore fruit, for upon hearing a concert featuring some of his works in 1909, Sergei Diaghilev commissioned Stravinsky to provide the music for the Ballet Russes’ upcoming ballet, The Firebird;  it was the first original score that celebrated company would perform.  The work was premiered in Paris in 1910 and proved to be an instant hit with Parisian audiences.  It actually appears to be a blending of not one Russian fairy tale but two:  The story of the mythical Firebird, with the evil sorcerer, Kashchey, serving as the principal antagonist here.  The bare bones of this version are as follows:  Prince Ivan captures a magic Firebird, and upon releasing her, is given one of her feathers in gratitude, along with the promise that she will come to his assistance should the need arise.  Prince Ivan travels to Kashchey’s castle, where thirteen Princesses are imprisoned.  He does battle with Kashchey and his minions, calling upon the Firebird’s assistance.  Eventually he wins the day, and marries one of the Princesses.    While this music is very much written in the manner of a late 19th century-early 20th century work (obvious tonalities and meters, a large orchestra, lush melodic lines), there are also hints of things to come (strong rhythms, dissonant chords, and an emphasis on brass and percussion).  Stravinsky extracted three Suites from the original ballet score in 1911, 1919, and 1945.  The 1919 version is the best known and most popular, and will be featured in this set of performances.