CLIP ONE:
Symphony No. 3 in A minor, opus 56, Movement 2 by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847). Called the "Scottish"
symphony and completed in 1842. It was dedicated to Queen Victoria of the U.K., who was an admirer of his music. This second
movement features a nice solo for the clarinet. Mendelssohn was born in Germany, and lived in Berlin and Leipzig most of his
life. He spoke English, Italian and Latin; and was an accomplished artist in pencil and watercolor.
CLIP TWO: Concerto
in Eb for Trumpet and Orchestra, Movement 1 by Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). This concerto was written in 1796 for Viennese
trumpeter Anton Weidinger (who invented the keyed/chromatic trumpet with 4-6 keys). Haydn was a lifelong resident of Austria;
and was a friend and mentor to Wolfgang Mozart.
CLIP THREE: 2nd Suite in F for Military Band, I. March by Gustav
Holst (1874-1934). Written in 1911, this and the "First Suite" were cornerstones for band music. The "suites" were the first
pieces (other than marches) that were written especially for wind band. Holst was an English composer and music teacher.
He was a contemporary of Ralph Vaughan Williams.
CLIP FOUR: Overture to Candide by Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990).
This overture to "Candide" (an operetta) premiered in 1956, one year before "West Side Story" was completed. Bernstein was
born in Lawrence, MA. He taught beginning piano students in order to finance his own piano lessons. He later attended Harvard
and the Curtis Institute, before becoming conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra (1957-1969). He had a house in
Fairfield, Connecticut.
