OCTOBER 2015
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
According to the MPRO Bylaws, one of the President’s duties is to contribute articles to the newsletter. My academic background is in biology, and my qualifications to write about music are summarized by Gilbert and Sullivan:
“... I know the scientific names of beings animaliculous:
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General.”
Nevertheless, in matters animal and musical, I would like to share evidence that one of MPRO’s pieces from the last season, Mainerio’s Caro Ortolano, was inspired by a bird’s song. Online research shows that one of several meanings of "ortolano" in modern Italian is the Eurasian songbird Emberiza hortulana, called the "ortolan" in French and the "ortolan bunting" in English. The bird is now a protected species within the European Union due to historic demand for it as a French gourmet delicacy and concerns about cruelty to animals. (You really do not want to read about the culinary details.) There are several recordings of the ortolan's song online. This one reminds me of the phrases in the Mainerio piece that include sixteenth notes followed by two longer notes: http://www.british-birdsongs.uk/ortolan-bunting. Compare this recording of the piece by a quartet of racketts (the video explains what a rackett is): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFfXS59UQs4. I haven’t found any concrete information about Mainerio’s inspiration, but this is my theory, and I’m sticking to it!
I am a lifelong collector of useless information, and I enjoy researching the background of the music that MPRO plays. I will try to find appropriate musical trivia to share in future President’s messages.
Judith Unsicker
CONDUCTOR’S CORNER
Dear members of the Mid-Peninsula Recorder Orchestra,
Listed below is the music for the next three meetings of the orchestra. Music can be purchased at these meetings for those who did not download and print it from the PDF files sent to the orchestra’s membership in August. Please note that there will be sectional seating for the Gabrieli Canzon Noni Toni, with those in Coro Primo on the right as they face the conductor and those in Coro Secondo on the left. Please observe this seating arrangement when you choose your place at the beginning of the meetings on October 21 and November 4. Please note as well that sopranino, great bass and contrabass recorders as well as bassoon will be needed at all three meetings and krummhorns will be needed on October 21 and November 4.
October 21
Gabrieli: Canzon Noni Toni
Anonymous: El Picardo
Wolkenstein: Ave Mater, O Maria
Sousa: The Liberty Bell March
October 28
Bach: Bourrée I and II
Krieger: Partie
Wolkenstein: Ave Mater, O Maria
Sousa: The Liberty Bell March
November 4
Gabrieli: Canzon Noni Toni
Anonymous: El Picardo
Bach: Bourrée I and II
Wolkenstein: Ave Mater, O Maria
Sousa: The Liberty Bell March
I look forward to seeing you at these upcoming meetings.
Sincerely,
Fred Palmer
Sonnet for AUTUMN from THE FOUR SEASONS
In three issues of UP BEAT for last year were found the translations from
Italian to English of the sonnets that were written, probably by Vivaldi
himself, to accompany the music for three concertos of Vivaldi’s
masterpiece, THE FOUR SEASONS—WINTER, SPRING, and SUMMER.
Now as we begin the new MPRO year (2015-2016) we complete the
“Vivaldi Project’ by providing the translation for AUTUMN. This concerto
has three movements, as did the others. The Allegro movement is about
peasant boys singing, drinking, and dancing, whereas, the Adagio movement
deals with the drunkards sleeping. The final Allegro movement describes a
hunt that ends with the death of the prey. The music for this autumn season
of the year is certainly more memorable than is this text!
Allegro
The peasants celebrate with song and dance
their happiness at harvest safely home,
and for many who yield to Bacchus’ charms
their pleasure ends in sleep.
Adagio
The balmy weather in which men all delight
and the summons of the season to the great
enjoyment of their sweet repose
make everyone forget singing and dancing.
Presto
At new day’s dawn the hunters
sally forth with horns and guns and dogs;
the prey takes to its heels and they pursue its trail.
Shocked and half paralyzed
by din of dogs and guns,
and wounded, wearily it attempts to flee
but, stricken, dies.
Transcribed from J. Koolbergen (1996) Vivaldi (1678-1741) by Keith
Kvenvolden.
RECORDINGS OF PIECES IN MPRO’S CURRENT REPERTOIRE
Bach, Bourees I and II: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsD1HxwefHI
A choral recording of Von Wolkenstein’s Ave Mater, O Maria: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td6Q766RUVU
A “completely different” recording (on recorders) of Sousa’s Liberty Bell March: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQlPHh-p_hk
The Board: President: Judith Unsicker; Treasurer: LouAnn Hofmann; Recording Secretary: Helen Shamble; Membership: Chris Flake; Publicity: vacant; Graphics: Mary Ashley; Newsletter Editor: vacant; Workshop Coordinator: vacant; Hospitality: Judith Unsicker; Music Sales: Laura Gonsalves; Historian: vacant; Webmaster: Dan Chernikoff; Facilities Mgr: Grace Butler; Music Director: Fred Palmer; Assistant Music Director: Greta Haug-Hryciw. MPRO website: http://www.mpro-online.org
Upbeat
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