Punch Howarth A brief explanation of Classical is a necessary opening as there are music forms other than Classical; Pop music that changes with culture modifications, Jazz that stresses invention and individual expression, Folk music relating to culture groups are but a few among others. Some vocabulary relating to Classical are serious, old, complex, highbrow,…
Tag: SASO
Generals, June 2016
SASO: Past, Present and Future
Punch Howarth The Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra season ended on May 7 and 8 with one of their most ambitious programs that included Brahms, Samuel Barber and Berlioz. Each of these works has intrinsic difficulties that gave the orchestra no small challenge. Also with these concerts this writer of SASO articles retired as principal timpanist…
Generals, April 2016
SASO ends season performing a Brahms and Oxymoronic Masterwork
Punch Howarth Academic Festival Overture Op. 80 (G. Akedemische Festouverture) by Johannes Brahms will open the final concert of the current season by the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra conducted by Linus Lerner. Also on this program of mighty-major works are Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto performed by Emily Sun and Symphonie Fantastique, a five movement symphony by…
Generals, March 2016
SASO to perform Bruckner’s Te Deum
Punch Howarth Te Deum, a massive choral work for orchestra, soloists and chorus will be a featured work on the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra’s April concerts conducted by Linus Lerner. The massive refers to the full tutti parts especially with brass. However there are numerous relief passages of sublime beauty and passion. Scored for a…
Generals, February 2016
SASO – Final two programs preview
Punch Howarth This article is a preview of the final two concert programs of the current season by the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra conducted by Linus Lerner. The first of these concerts is to be performed in early April following an invitational performance by SASO in mid-February at the Gramado International Music Festival in Brazil,…
Generals, December 2015
SASO performs Rachmaninoff and Dvorak at next concert
Punch Howarth Before looking ahead to next year’s opening concert, the Southern Arizona Symphony Family wishes everyone a Joyous Holiday Season and a Healthy 2016 New Year. Morton Gould’s raucous and stimulating American Salute opens the concert. This work is a series of variations on When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again, an American military folk song.…
Generals, September 2015
SASO presents highlights from the Oxaca Opera Festival
Tim Secomb Twenty-five members of the Southern Arizona Symphony returned recently from Oaxaca, Mexico, where they performed in the Oaxaca Opera Festival. The full SASO orchestra will perform highlights of the festival on September 15 in a special Mexican Independence Day free concert with vocalists from the festival and Mariachi Sol Azteca, sponsored by the…
Generals, September 2015
An exciting 2015-2016 Southern AZ Symphony preview
Punch Howarth The following is a short survey of the new Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra season starting on October 10. Returning will be Linus Lerner on the podium and most of last season’s players. The programs will include symphonies by Tchaikovsky, Berlioz, Dvorak and Vaughan Williams, concertos by Rachmaninov, Mendelssohn, Barber and Harberg and the…
Generals, August 2015
Marchons – Marchons: Musical world of marches part II
Punch Howarth Part I of this essay on marches covered their history, military and circus marches and before going on, the title above needs explanation. Marchons-Marchons starts the chorus of a song by Rouget de Lisle that became musically the greatest of all national anthems, the March La Marseillaise and was arranged for orchestra by Berlioz.…
Generals, July 2015
Marchons – Marchons: The Musical World of Marches
Punch Howarth Continuing this summer’s look at music forms, this essay will delve into the various applications of marches, military and otherwise. Mostly they are in double time, 2/4, 2/2, 6/8. There are a variety of march types: military, circus, funeral, ceremonial and concert marches for bands and orchestras. Most marches follow an A B…