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Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra
Song of Solomon (Symphony No. 3)
The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
Klauspeter Seibel conductor
Lawrence Gwozdz alto saxophone
Stephen Dankner is a composer whose works encompass the breadth of scope and range of expression of the late-Romantic tradition. An emphasis on melody, rich textures, chromatic harmony and contrapuntal devices characterize his style.
His music has been commissioned, performed and recorded by such orchestras, ensembles and institutions as the National Symphony, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the Aspen Music festival, the Hawthorne Trio, the Gina Bachauer Piano Competition, the Cypress Quartet, the Audubon Institute, the Amernet Quartet, the Hawthorne duo, the Loyola University Piano Trio, and the Valcour Quartet. He has composed extensively for orchestra, chamber ensembles, solo performers, and voice, in addition to works for computer-controlled synthesizers. He was the two-time recipient of Louisiana State Fellowships in music composition, in 1984 and again in 1998.
Mr. Dankner's music is published by Ries and Erler, Berlin.
Stephen Dankner and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
From its very origins, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra — the only musician-owned and managed orchestra in the United States — has maintained a new outlook in both its vision and repertoire. In a city with such a rich musical heritage, there perhaps can never be one “New Orleans sound.” However, Music Director Klauspeter Seibel and this orchestra have achieved a distinct “LPO sound.”
As each successive season has proven, it is a sound of diversity, freshness and intrigue. With that sound, Seibel and the orchestra share a vision that never sacrifices quality music.
Thus, it is fitting that the orchestra's first recording features the music of composer Stephen Dankner. Dankner's relationship with the LPO is a close one. Each of these three works was given their New Orleans premiere by the LPO — “Hurricane” and “Song of Solomon” were world premieres.
Dankner's music has earned applause, not only from the orchestra and its conductor, but also from audiences. Unlike the music of those composers Ned Rorem dubbed the “serial killers,” his work is progressive but accessible, capturing a style of late-Romanticism while incorporating newer influences and voices.
Listen for the rich, Straussian-like colors in the vivid “Hurricane.” The sweeping expanse of love in all its delight and mystery infuses “Song of Solomon” (Symphony No. 3). And with the newest piece on the disc, the Concerto for Alto Saxophone, Dankner expands our perceptions of where this instrument fits in the world of classical music.
As it enters its 10th performance season, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra's first recording project shows just how much the orchestra has grown and reflects the exciting directions to which we can look forward.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune
When the commission came to compose a brief work specifically for the Louisiana Philharmonic, I was told that it could be in any style I found agreeable. Every composer needs a short “curtain-raiser,” and I didn't have one of recent vintage. So, I decided to compose a piece that was basically fast, loud (not in its entirety), and as agreed, short (about ten minutes).
My first impulse was to conceive of a New Orleans connection. Although I've previously written music that hybridizes jazz and pop elements with classical music, this time I wanted another theme more in keeping with traditional concert music. Not Mardi Gras, not Jazz. How about — the weather?!
The title of my piece is suggestive of the elemental force of the hurricane as a phenomenon. I have tried to depict its power through the use of very direct and concise musical means — lots of brass and percussion — even including a wind machine and thunder sheet at the end. By way of explanation, let me say that I am not infatuated with this destructive force for itself — only with its power to stir the imagination and to captivate our emotions. The modern orchestra lends itself to musical portrayals of nature, and composers have done this kind of thing for many years: think of the storm movement from Beethoven's Pastorale Symphony, as well as similar movements by Liszt, Richard Strauss, Wagner, Vivaldi (The Four Seasons), Gershwin's hurricane scene from Porgy and Bess, et al. There is even the remarkable Depiction of Chaos orchestral introduction to Haydn's oratorio The Creation of 1803.
Hurricane is in the form of a series of 13 continuous variations, and is based upon the opening horn chords, followed by a theme played by three flutes. Throughout, the piece presents an ebb and flow of ideas and movement that is mostly headlong, yet at times alternates in intensity by holding back (as is the case in the progression of a tropical storm over its life of many days on the open sea).
The orchestration changes with each variation. Towards the end, the string drum (otherwise known as “lion's roar”) and anvil add to the immensity of sound as the work builds to the inevitable tumultuous conclusion.
Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra (1998)
My Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra was composed for Dr. Lawrence Gwozdz. I had just completed two previous works for him — a Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano, and a Symphony for Saxophone Chamber Orchestra (11 saxophones). This last piece was written for his students at the University of Southern Mississippi at Hattiesburg.
So, by the time the Concerto was written, my conception of the alto saxophone had gone through a metamorphosis. Like most people, I was familiar with the instrument mainly as played by jazz musicians. For a good while, though, there has been a very devoted group of performers who have worked tirelessly to promote the saxophone as a classical instrument, as its creator, Adolphe Sax intended.
The classic sax, when played with beauty of tone and musical phrasing that emulates a fine singer can certainly hold its own with the violin, oboe or clarinet. These are the qualities I focus on in my music, whatever I am writing. As a result, you may expect to hear long strands of melody played with warmth and sensitivity by Dr. Gwozdz and the orchestra.
The function of any concerto is to show the high level of ability of the soloist. So, beyond melody, there are also many places where lightning fast passages occur. One of the interesting things about the alto sax is how certain performers can play very high notes without loss of beauty of tone or control. This specialized technique featuring the “top tones” is evolving as more players learn the method. In this sense, the saxophone is where the violin was two centuries ago — expanding its range and performance vocabulary. It has been a great opportunity for me to collaborate with Lawrence Gwozdz in order to learn these advanced techniques.
There are four movements. The first focuses mainly on melody and beauty of tone. Toward the end there is a big buildup of sound in the orchestra followed by an extended solo passage (cadenza) for the sax. The second movement is a very short, very fast piece and features the top tones and a certain plucking sound that has a funny slapping quality. It is a showpiece for the soloist, to be sure. This is followed by a sweet and highly melodic slow movement that has a tune similar to a hymn as its main idea. It is a respite from the excitement of the previous piece. The last movement is playful and has the feel of a fast waltz. It is direct and light in texture.
Song of Solomon (Symphony No. 3) (1998)
If one were to do a survey of classical music to see if there was one universal theme that had inspired composers over the centuries, I have no doubt it would be the subject of love. I had recently composed some choral and solo voice settings of the Psalms, so it occurred to me to follow up with another biblical theme, as I was in that frame of mind.
The Song of Songs, or Song of Solomon is misleadingly named, because it wasn't written by Solomon, but it is about him. The texts are really a collection of several love poems of Syrian, Persian and Greek origin. There is no real story, but there are scenes that imply action. The alternate title Song of Songs suggests that it was considered the most beautiful of the many love lyrics that were composed in the time following his reign. The title pays homage to Solomon, who was considered the greatest author of love songs.
Over the centuries there have been attempts to interpret the poem as an allegory of spiritual love, since there is no mention of God, Israel or any other directly religious idea. As the poem is a part of the canon of the Old Testament, religious interpretations have made it into something far removed form its exotic and sultry language. My intention was to freely interpret it musically, without any religious connection, because I found it inspiring as literature.
The Song is rapturous and sensual in feeling, conjuring up images of tender emotions combined with a sensitivity to the beauty of nature. When I was composing, I thought of the words “loveliness,” “delight,” and “mystery.” These were the images I had in mind for the first and third movements of the symphony; the solo violin and harp are prominently featured. The second movement is a musical portrait of Solomon, the warrior-king, in all his majesty. The martial nature of this section is interrupted by a placid middle section in which he reflects on nature and the abundance of springtime; woodwinds, muted strings and piano are given prominent solos. Abruptly, Solomon stirs from his reverie. The triumphant trumpet fanfares heard at the beginning return, and the music depicts his sense of exultation.
The Song of Solomon is a program symphony — that is, music that tells a story or depicts moods or images — real or imagined. The best example of this is La Mer by Debussy, which describes the sea in a three movement symphony. To give a more specific idea of my conception of the Song of Solomon, I have excerpted sections of the text. I hope that the piece can be enjoyed as pure music, but if you are interested in following my references to the text, you might want to keep the words, printed below, in mind while listening. The first movement “The Banquet,” marked “languid and atmospheric” sets the mood. This flows directly into movement two, “The coming of Solomon” / “The Voice of the Beloved” without pause. The last movement, “In Praise of Beauty” sums up the rapturous nature of the text in a languorous dialog between harp and strings, progressing to a rhapsodic song first played by the horn, then solo violin, and finally full orchestra. The symphony ends triumphantly, with a transformed version of the opening theme heard in the first movement, combined with the vigorous fanfares of movement two.
This symphony is dedicated to my beloved wife Laura, and to our closest, dearest friend Rosalee McReynolds.
Song of Solomon (excerpts)
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth —
For your love is better than wine…
Who browses among the lilies.
When the day blows gently
Movement II (beginning) - The Coming of Solomon
Who is this that comes up from the desert
In clouds of myrrh and frankincense,
Of all the powders of the merchant?
There is Solomon's couch,
Encircled by sixty warriors
Of all the warriors of Israel,
All of them trained in warfare,
Because of terror by night…
Movement II (middle) - The Voice of the Beloved
For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
The fig tree puts forth her green figs,
And the vines with the tender grapes
Movement II (return) - The Return of Solomon
My beloved is like a gazelle
Movement III - In Praise of Beauty
Who is she that shines through like the dawn,
Vast floods cannot quench love,
If a man offered all his wealth for love,
He would be laughed to scorn.
O you who linger in the garden,
Swift as a gazelle or a young stag,
Texts of the Song of Solomon appropriated from the “King James” Bible, and from the Song of Songs from the Tanakh - The Jewish Publication Society Bible. Used by permission.
Currently in his fifth season as Music Director of the Louisiana Philharmonic in New Orleans, Klauspeter Seibel is also principal guest conductor of the Frankfurt Opera and guest conductor of the Dresden Opera. Previous music directorships include the Freiburg Opera and Philharmonic, Nuremberg Symphony, the Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and the Kiel Opera and Philharmonic. He also served as professor of conducting at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Hamburg. Seibel has guest conducted the Deutsche Oper and Deutsche Staatsoper unter den Linden in Berlin, the Dresden Opera, Hamburg Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Zurich Opera, New Orleans Opera and Opera Colorado, among others. On tour with the Hamburg Opera, he conducted highly acclaimed performances of Romeo and Juliet in Israel and of Wozzeck and Samson and Delilah in Moscow. Seibel has also appeared with the symphony orchestras of Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Bratislava, Copenhagen and Reykjavik. Recent performances in the U.S. include the symphonies of Colorado, Charlotte, Kansas City and San Diego.
Seibel conducts a vast number of contemporary works, in addition to the standard 18th- and 19th-century operatic and orchestral repertoire. He has recorded on Deutsche Grammophon, RBM, Colosseum and CPO. New productions include the world premiere recording of Der Ring des Polykrates, an opera by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, and the first recording of orchestral works by Franz Lehar, both for the CPO label.
Born in Offenbach, Germany, Seibel studied piano, composition, conducting, flute and horn in Nuremberg and Munich. He made his conducting debut at the age of 21 at Munich's Theater am Gärtnerplatz. He was a prize winner at both the Malko Competition in Copenhagen and the Mitropoulos Competition in New York.
The only musician-owned and operated symphony in the United States, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra is celebrating its 10th anniversary season. The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in September 1991 by more than 60 musicians formerly employed by the New Orleans Symphony, which had recently ceased operations. The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra's musicians, staff, trustees, and supporters believe that the existence of a full-time professional symphony orchestra is an essential part of the cultural fabric of New Orleans and the surrounding communities.
The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra performs a full 36-week concert season, including more than 125 concerts to a live audience of more than 200,000 people and 45,000 schoolchildren, as well as additional thousands of WWNO radio listeners. It performs in public parks, plantations along the Mississippi river, schools and numerous other venues along with its regular subscription season at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown new Orleans and at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner, Louisiana.
For more information about the orchestra visit their web site at www.lpomusic.com.
Born to Polish-American parents in Niagara Falls, New York, Lawrence Gwozdz has achieved an international reputation for his success at revealing the inherent qualities of the saxophone intended originally by its inventor, Adolphe Sax.
Gwozdz has concertized in Asia, North America and Europe: Beijing, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Leipzig, Prague, Zurich, Zagreb, Spoleto USA, and the Menuhin Festival, among others. European reviews declare, “Gwozdz is a most highly versed soloist” (Neue Zuercher Nachrichten), with “a lively, expressive and personal style that arouses thrilling, new dimensions of experiencing music” (Das Orchester).
Gwozdz's debut in New York's Weill Recital Hall was described in Musical America as an “extraordinary performance of contemporary music” with “the kind of timbre Adolphe Sax most likely had in mind,…always with subtlety and taste” (New York Concert Review).
His other compact discs — An American Tribute to Sigurd Raschèr, Raschèr International, and An American Concerto Tribute to Sigurd Raschèr — have won high praise in American Record Guide, Classical Magazine, Fanfare, Turok's Choice and other journals.
Gwozdz is Professor of Saxophone at the University of Southern Mississippi, and has studied saxophone with Jean-Marie Londeix, Ronald Tyree, Robert Fought, Laurence Wyman, and the renowned artist Sigurd Raschèr. Gwozdz's degrees come from the University of Iowa, the University of Nebraska, and Fredonia State University College of New York.
Stephen Dankner, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and Albany Records
gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the following individuals and companies
who helped make this recording possible.
A Child's Wish/ Mr. & Mrs. Leonard N. Alsfeld
Dr. & Mrs. David W. Aiken, Sr.
Dr. Stewart Altman & Valerie J. Poullette
Dr. & Mrs. Joseph J. Biundo, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Philip Breitmeyer II
Mr. & Mrs. Ernest G. Chachere
Mr. & Mrs. Carlo Capomazza
Mr. & Mrs. Orlin R. Corey
Ms. Priscilla Bohn Dalton
David Drinkwater & Jacquelyn Smethurst
Dr. & Mrs. Arnold Gelfand, D.D.S.
Mr. Charles A. Hermann, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. William D. Hess
Hibernia Bank/Bill Herrington
Mr. & Mrs. Warren Hildebrand/Mardi Gras Records
Mr. & Mrs. Scott P. Howard
Dr. & Mrs. Fred M. Hunter
Dr. & Mrs. Bernard M. Jaffe
Mr. & Mrs. Harold B. Judell
Jamie M. Manders, D.D.S. & James M. Riopelle, M.D.
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Manshel
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Buckmayer
Drs. R. Ranney & Emel Songu Mize
Mr. & Mrs. Phillip D. Mollere
Mr. & Mrs. Peter V. Moulder, M.D.
Mr. & Mrs. David Rubenstein
Dr. & Mrs. Joseph A. Sabatier, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Schenk
Ms. Marcelline St. Germain
Dr. & Mrs. John M. Yarborough, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Young, Jr.
Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence Zaslow
Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
Klauspeter Seibel, Music Director
Amy L. Thiaville (Concertmaster)
Ziva Patt (Associate Concertmaster)
John Chung-Hang Law (Assistant Concertmaster)
Teiji Okubo (Principal Second Violin)
Richard Woehrle (Principal)
Bruce Owen (Assistant Principal)
William Schultz (Assistant Principal)
David Anderson (Principal)
Tony Yang (Assistant Principal)
Patti Adams (Assistant Principal)
Helen Erb (Assistant Principal)
Allan Kolsky (Assistant Principal)
Susan Andrews (Principal)
John Fairlie (Assistant Pricipal)
Jack Gardner (Associate Principal)
Scott Young (Assistant Utility)
Cheryl Hollinger (Principal)
Ronald Benko (Associate Principal)
Gregory Miller (Principal)
Rachel Van Voorhees (Principal)
Orchestra Personnel Manager
Scott Young (Principal Librarian)
Carole Shand (Assistant Librarian)
*The string section of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra is listed alphabetically and participates in revolving seating with other members of their section.
The Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra is published by Ries and Erler Musikverlag, Berlin, Germany. Hurricane and Song of Solomon are published by Anasazi Music, Inc.
Executive Producer Stephen Dankner
Producer Klauspeter Seibel
Recording Engineer David Kerzner
Front/back cover Terry DeRoche
Special Thanks Ranney Mize
Recorded at The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA)
Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
Klauspeter Seibel, conductor
Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra
2 I Allegro Moderato [12:35]
3 II Scherzo:Molto vivace [2:30]
Lawrence Gwozdz, saxophone
Song of Solomon (Symphony No. 3)
6 I Languid and atmospheric [6:53]
7 II Allegro maestoso ma agitato[6:55]
8 III Lento misterioso (tempo rubato) [10:25]
Recording Engineer &Editor:David Kerzner
Assistant Engineer:Dave Tarzian
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