Sinfonia

Concert Program Notes:

George Frideric Handel: Concerti Grosso, Op. 6 No. 12 in B minor - Nalini Ranjan - viola

Born in 1685 in Halle, Germany, George Frideric Handel was a German Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Handel learned the harpsichord, the organ, the clavichord, and the violin at a very young age, and at the age of nine, he was already composing. In college, at the University of Halle, he switched from studying law to music after his father died, and soon produced his first two operas. In his compositions, he was strongly influenced both by the German choral tradition and by composers of the Italian Baroque.

Following the success of his organ concertos, Handel composed Twelve Grand Concertos to be performed at the Lincoln's Inn Fields theatre, as a feature to attract audiences. The slow dotted rhythms of the opening largo movement of Concerto Grosso No. 12 precedes the brilliant and animated allegro. The busy figures in this second movement, passed constantly between different parts of the orchestra, adds to the overall sense of rhythmic and harmonic direction. The central third movement contains a beautiful yet simple melody in ¾ time. The fourth movement is a brief largo, which leads into the final gigue-like allegro fugue.

Aaron Copland: Hoe-Down - Akshara Swaminathan - viola

Aaron Copland was an American composer, conductor, and teacher. He was known as the Dean of American Music and blended classical music with jazz, folk tunes, and open harmonies. Some of his popular pieces are Appalachian Spring, Fanfare for the Common Man, and scores for films like Of Mice and Men. Hoe-Down was written in 1942 by Aaron Copland and it was a part of his ballet score, Rodeo. The ballet tells the story of a young cowgirl trying to find her place—and love—on a Western ranch, and Hoedown serves as its exuberant finale. Hoe-Down later became the finale of Copland’s popular orchestral suite Four Dance Episodes. Its inspiration was mainly American folk music. One of its famous uses was in the famous commercial “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner” and the 2002 Winter Olympics. Copland was 42 years old when he wrote Hoe-Down. Hoe-Down captures the energy, openness and ruggedness of the American West. 

Aaron Copland uses driving rhythms, sharp accents, and bright textures to make his simple, rustic material into a bold orchestral arrangement. The syncopation and the sudden dynamic contrasts give the piece a sense of spontaneity. With its infectious energy and unmistakable American sound, Hoe-Down has become a cultural and historical icon, appearing in many shows and movies. More than just an orchestral arrangement, the piece reflects Copland’s goal of creating music that was accessible, national in character, and rooted in the sounds of everyday American life.