Kg’s guide to the KSYO Concert on November 13th 2017

First Piece: Shostakovich Festive Overture

This work was written in 1954 at the height of Soviet censorship. Stalin’s main
composing man needed an overture for some sort of Communist hoedown and only had
2 days, so they called up Shosty and said, “Just make it happy and encouraging for all
the people we’re brainwashing”. Shosty came through, sarcastically imitating Glinka
(Russian composer dude revered by the soviets for his darn tootin tunes in the 1800s).
Glinka wrote this dank overture called Introduction to Ruslan and Ludmillia, and Shosty
commandeered the theme for the cellos to squeak out at half speed about halfway
through the overture. It starts with a fanfare that jives on into some clarinets bouncing
around like life in Russia is just so darn swell (it wasn’t). Overall, it’s a great student
piece but not so great of a symbol for oppression. After it gets slow for the second time
near the end, watch everyone’s faces, especially F-Baum because it goes real wild.

Rimsky Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol

Now this is a real shindig. I’ll separate it off in movements for you to follow.
I. Alborada
So listen up pals because this’ll be one fun ride. This is the introduction to all
these Spanish folk songs that my boi rimsky heard when he went on an
expedition to Spain. He was originally going to make it a violin concerto but
decided he needed the full orchestral feel for it. Daniel makes his violin debut
like the master he is.
II. Variazioni
Then it transitions without a break (DON’T CLAP) into a slow pretty melody
emphasized by the cellos and the flutes. Then this rad instrument called the
“cor anglais” (aka big oboe) takes over, along with them brass. Then it gets
loud and pretty (the seconds are doing the loud-ish chunk chunks in the
background, where we belong). It is good and pretty and a good pretty
movement

III. Alborada but every time you play it the key changes
I actually don’t do much of anything in this movement. Just watch Daniel he’s
a violin god sent to earth to grace our ears with his presence. He has a grand
 time of it then I get to play a litty B flat at the end and F-Baum makes
uncomfortable eye contact with me every time anyways that’s that
IV. Sceneo e canto Gitano
Are you hearing a snare drum? Good news you’re in the fourth movement.
This one is the most complex and my favorite. It starts out with a brass
chorale doing their deal with really high trumpet notes. Then a minor chord
from the violin that is about as lit as it gets. Tambourine? Now I’m coming in.
It sounds like ripples and plucks and it is good. Then, we have the flute solo
by Leah (she’s from Maryville). Then a clarinet solo, then an oboe. Do you
hear the piercing shriek of a triangle and the wooshes of a harp? Woot woot
get ready to listen because the hardest and most terrifying part of this concert
is next. Brass, then the firsts. Brass then the SECONDS ALL BY THEMSELVES
WITH ABSOLUTELY NO HELP AND ITS HARD AS ABSOLUTE HECK. But that’s
okay because now we have the melody. Oh you thought that first one was
hard? Now theres another one starting about halfway up the G string. It’s
even harder. If the seconds made it through that, it’s a miracle and now we
can breathe. I think it’s cello solo time??? Not for sure, anywho it’s Kaitlyn,
Lindsey’s little sister. Then we do the ripples and pizzes again and gradually
crescendo into the last movement.
V. Fandango asturiano
Alrighty row we’re here. This movement comes without a pause too, so listen
for the brass to pick up the rousing fanfare. Then us violins get to do it! Then
Daniel gets to show off because that’s Daniel. Now it’s cellos being pretty.
Then some fluff and then ripple plucks yet again. That’s when you know its
getting real. When you hear the theme from that very first movement, the
one you recognize because it’s been referenced 3 times throughout the
piece? Yeah, it’s twice as fast. I can barely play it, but I can play it. There is
no wrong breathing because you’ll get off, and then you can’t play the rest.
This comes out into a rousing finish that makes us all pant like Rosie in the
heat every time we finish.

So that’s that, hope you enjoyed!