Suite Serenades

Eugene Migliaro Corporon, conductor
David D. Robinson, guest conductor*
Quin Matthews, emcee
LSWO Clarinet Choir

Program

Preludio, Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Three Dances*, Guy Woolfenden (b. 1937)
Ronald Searle Suite, Lyn Murray (1909-1989)
Divertimento, Karel Husa (b. 1921)
Serenade, Op. 44, Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)

Program Notes

Written and compiled by David Robinson and Robert Schwartz

Preludio (1899)
Jean Sibelius
Ed. by Eugene Migliaro Corporon

Preludio was an original work by Sibelius for symphonic wind ensemble and percussion. This new edition, prepared by Lone Star Wind Orchestras principal conductor Eugene Migliaro Corporon, is believed to be, at the time of this writing, the only extant publication, and was engraved from the autograph score of Sibelius. Preludio originally comes from a larger work titled Press Celebration’s Music, Op. 25. Composed as tableau music for celebrations honoring the Finish Press, the piece was originally comprised of a prelude and six tableaux and was first performed at the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki in November of 1899. The last of these movements, Finlandia Awakes, was revised a year later as a separate work, the well-known Finlandia.

Three Dances (1984)
Guy Woolfenden

Three Dances for clarinet choir was commissioned by the British Federation of Music Festivals for the clarinet course at its summer school in 1985. The first dance, with its many changes of meter and infectious rhythms, is based on a dance originally sketched for the masque in an abandoned production of Troilus and Cressida. The second and third movements are extended re-workings of two dances from The Winter’s Tale — the gentle dance of the lovers, Perdita and Florizel, is followed without a break by the rumbustious Dance of the Satyrs. Three Dances is also the source of material for Woolfenden’s Bohemian Dances for concert band.

Ronald Searle Suite (1957)
Lyn Murray
Orch. by Frederick Steiner

The Ronald Searle Suite was composed for a documentary cartoon designed by the famous British animator, Ronald Searle. It was commissioned by Standard Oil of New Jersey in 1957. The cartoon, entitled “Energetically Yours,” chronicles the development of energy sources and was produced by Transfilm. The suite was orchestrated by Murray’s friend and colleague, Frederick Steiner.

Divertimento (1960)
Karel Husa

Divertimento for brass and percussion consists of four modest movements, calling for three trumpets, four horns, three trombones, tuba, and two percussion. Husa composed Divertimento early in his tenure at Cornell. The Divertimento is a re-orchestrated, four-movement excerpt of his Eight Czech Duets for four-hand piano. Husa dedicated the duets to his young daughters, wanting to share with them his interpretation of their Czech heritage. The work received its premiere in February 1960 by the Ithaca Brass Ensemble with Robert Prins conducting.

Serenade in d minor, Op. 44 (1892)
Antonin Dvorak

Serenade, Op. 44 was composed in two weeks, with the first movement being written in one day. With its instrumentation of ten winds and two strings and the charm of its melodies, it is reminiscent of the Mozart’s Gran Partita written a century earlier. The minuet is an example of the native influence on Dvorak’s compositions. Its trio is a “furinant”, a Czech dance in quick triple meter with syncopation. This provides a marked contrast to the surrounding minuet sections of the movement. Also noteworthy is the return of the opening first movement theme towards the end of the final movement, leading into a grand conclusion of the piece. The piece was premiered in Prague during the year of its composition, with the composer conducting.