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Program Notes pomp and circumstance, op. 39 Edward Elgar (1857-1934) March no. 1 March no. 2 March no. 4 Sir Edward Elgar’s famous suite of concert marches entitled Pomp and Circumstance is a musical testament to the composer’s love of British pageantry. The first march dates from 1901 and first gained notoriety when the composer arranged the trio tune with lyrics as Land of Hope and Glory, and it was used in the 1902 coronation of King Edward VII. Renowned in the United States as a popular graduation processional, the march was first heard in this setting during a 1905 Yale University ceremony at which Elgar received an honorary doctorate. The second march was composed and premiered along with the first, and even with its minor tonality it is simple and light-hearted, and offers an entertaining mix of English civility and raucous horn calls. The fourth march was written in 1907, and, similar in style to the first march, features both ceremonial fanfare and a flowing trio melody that celebrates British patriotism. the firebird suite (1919) Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) Introduction L’oiseau de feu et sa danse Variation de l’oiseau de feu Ronde des princesses Danse infernale du roi kastchei Berceuse Finale Sergei Diaghilev, the well-known impresario of the Ballet Russes, was solely responsible for the early fame of Igor Stravinsky. He hired the then unknown 28 year-old composer to write the music for his 1910 production of The Firebird, and it proved to be an instant success. The two men collaborated again almost immediately on two more projects – Petrouchka and the iconic Rite of Spring, both which paved the way for Stravinsky’s international acclaim. The ballet relates the story of Prince Ivan Tsarevich capturing the Firebird – a magical creature that is half bird and half woman – in the garden of the evil King Kastchei. The Firebird bargains for her freedom, and when she is released she gives the Prince one of her magic feathers, which he later employs to escape the clutches of Kastchei. The Firebird then tells him the secret of the King’s immortality—which the Prince uses
to kill Kastchei and free his imprisoned young maidens. As this happens, the ugly castle turns into a beautiful palace, and the Prince takes the most beautiful maiden to be his bride. It was not until 1919 that Stravinsky extracted the popular symphonic suite from the original 45 minute ballet score. This reorchestrated version received its premier that same year in Geneva, and was given its American premiere at Carnegie Hall in 1921 with Walter Damrosch conducting. the pines of rome Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) The Pines of the Villa Borghese The Pines Near a Catacomb The Pines of the Janiculum The Pines of the Appian Way Ottorino Respighi’s fame as a composer is largely derived from his trilogy of tone poems inspired by Roman sites. Set in four movements and dating from 1924, The Pines of Rome is the most well known of the three. The work depicts four Roman landscapes at different times of day, and has as a unifying feature the stately pine trees that are as much a part of Rome as the ruins and the resident stray cats. The opening movement depicts children at play among the pines of the Villa Borghese; the second section explores the pines near a catacomb, the scene complete with a recurring chant melody that dominates the texture. In the composer’s words, a chant of martyrs “rises from the depths, re-echoes silently, like a hymn, and then dies away.” The third section features a prominent piano solo and the call of a nightingale that evokes the eerie midnight scene at the Janiculum – the site of an ancient temple to Janus. The finale is one of the most dazzling moments of twentieth-century music – The Pines of the Appian Way describes the approach of the Roman Legions marching in full regalia. Their signal trumpets announce their arrival at the outskirts of the Eternal City, while a blazing morning sun reflects off a thousand polished shields in a brilliant display. Notes by SFC Regena Swanson
Page 1 and 2: HHH from Washington, dc HHH The Uni
Page 3: col thomas rotondi, jr. conducting
Page 7 and 8: saxophone SGM Rick N. Parrell, Fair
Page 9 and 10: The United States Army Concert Band

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