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Ninth Symphony

David Manning

in Vaughan Williams on Music

The Ninth Symphony was begun early in 1956, and was finished, so far as a composition is ever finished, in November 1957. It was written chiefly in London, but partly in Majorca and partly at ... More

The Ninth Symphony was begun early in 1956, and was finished, so far as a composition is ever finished, in November 1957. It was written chiefly in London, but partly in Majorca and partly at Ashmansworth, the home of Gerald and Joyce Finzi. The symphony is dedicated to the Royal Philharmonic Society and was first played at a concert on the 2 April 1958 by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent. The usual symphony orchestra is used, with the addition of three saxophones and flügel horn. This beautiful and neglected instrument is not usually allowed in the select circles of the orchestra and has been banished to the brass band, where it is allowed to indulge in the bad habit of vibrato to its heart's content. There are four movements, as is usual in a symphony: Allegro Moderato, Andante Sostenuto, Allegro Pesante, and Andante Tranquillo.Less

Piano Concerto

David Manning

in Vaughan Williams on Music

The first two movements of the Piano Concerto were sketched in 1926, and the third movement in 1930. The work is dedicated to Miss Harriet Cohen. There are three movements: Toccata leading to Romanza ... More

The first two movements of the Piano Concerto were sketched in 1926, and the third movement in 1930. The work is dedicated to Miss Harriet Cohen. There are three movements: Toccata leading to Romanza leading to Fuga chromatica con Finale alla Tedesca. There is no break between the movements. After various episodes a stretto on a dominant pedal is reached, built up chiefly on an augmentation of part of the fugue subject with which the subject and counter-subject of the fugue are combined. A cadenza for the pianoforte separates the fugue and the Finale, the subjects of which are the same as those of the fugue, but treated harmonically rather than contrapuntally; and finally there is another cadenza for the pianoforte. The cadenza ends with a quotation two bars long from a contemporary composer, added “according to my promise.” Then a few bars of Allegro bring the Concerto to an end.Less

Sixth Symphony

David Manning

in Vaughan Williams on Music

The Sixth Symphony was begun probably about 1944 and finished in 1947. It is scored for full orchestra including saxophone. There are four movements: Allegro, Moderato, Scherzo, and Epilogue. Each of ... More

The Sixth Symphony was begun probably about 1944 and finished in 1947. It is scored for full orchestra including saxophone. There are four movements: Allegro, Moderato, Scherzo, and Epilogue. Each of the first three has its tail attached to the head of its neighbour. In Allegro, the key of E minor is at once established through that of F minor, A flat becoming G sharp and sliding down to G natural at the half bar. In Moderato, this leads on from the first movement without a break. The principal theme is based on this rhythm. Scherzo may be possibly best described as fugal in texture but not in structure.Less

Elgar, Introduction and Allegro for String Orchestra

David Manning

in Vaughan Williams on Music

This work is written for the unusual combination of solo string quartet and full-string orchestra. It is very characteristic of the composer, full of unmistakeable Elgarian melody, especially the big ... More

This work is written for the unusual combination of solo string quartet and full-string orchestra. It is very characteristic of the composer, full of unmistakeable Elgarian melody, especially the big tune in D major that comes in the middle of the Allegro, and, it goes without saying, brilliantly and gratefully written for the instruments. In the Introduction the composer seems to be considering his themes one by one and wondering what use he will make of them. The composer has good reasons for the truncation. One understands what Edward Elgar was doing when he dwelt so lovingly on that theme in his Introduction. These discoveries make musical analysis a fascinating subject. It is only when the composer's last note is heard that everything falls into place and the surprises become the inevitable.Less

The Soporific Finale

David Manning

in Vaughan Williams on Music

Last movements are, very often, failures compared to the rest of the work to which they belong. Whether this difficult state of things affects the composition intrinsically or not, it certainly does ... More

Last movements are, very often, failures compared to the rest of the work to which they belong. Whether this difficult state of things affects the composition intrinsically or not, it certainly does affect the impression of the work on its hearers. Sometimes the difficulty may be solved by an undisguised appeal to the sensibilities, as in the Finale of the Symphonie Pathétique or by a series of short intellectual exercises, as is the case where the last movement takes the form of variations; but these two solutions only cover a few instances. In almost all cases the complete scheme seems to demand that very kind of movement which, if not carefully manipulated, produces the drowsiness we wish to avoid; that is to say, the usual vigorous, swinging Allegro. In a movement such as this, no amount of thematic beauty or structural interest will serve to rivet the jaded attention of the listener.Less

Psychedelic Frontiers in Religion

William A. Richards and G. William Barnard

in Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences

Underdeveloped areas of religious thought, Understanding prophets and prophecies, Decisions in Religious Life, Theological Circles, Martin Kaehler, Christ Archetype, Origin of Religions, Entheogens ... More

Underdeveloped areas of religious thought, Understanding prophets and prophecies, Decisions in Religious Life, Theological Circles, Martin Kaehler, Christ Archetype, Origin of Religions, Entheogens in Religious PracticeLess

Prose

Carol Bonomo Albright and Joanna Clapps Herman

in Wild Dreams: The Best of Italian Americana

This 1975 memoir by Jerre Mangione bears witness to the deathbed of one of the two uncles who reigned supreme over the spirited table of Mount Allegro.

Italian Intermezzo (1839–1840)

R. Larry Todd

in Fanny Hensel: The Other Mendelssohn

As 1839 neared its end, the Hensels celebrated Christmas by fabricating a tree from cypress, orange, and myrtle branches. The papal services left Fanny Hensel unexpectedly nostalgic for ... More

As 1839 neared its end, the Hensels celebrated Christmas by fabricating a tree from cypress, orange, and myrtle branches. The papal services left Fanny Hensel unexpectedly nostalgic for Berlin—instead of a sizeable choir and orchestra, even if of average quality, a small cohort of musicians offered thin, wafting chants soon lost in the vast recesses of St. Peter’s. Fanny divulged to Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy that at the pope's entrance into the Sistine Chapel on Christmas Eve the musicians broke into a fugal passage, allying sacred polyphony with the centuries-old authority of the church. Fanny returned to composition in February and March 1840 and quickly produced a miniature a cappella trio. Each introduction adumbrates the thematic material of the linked Allegro. Thus, a descending figure treated in imitative counterpoint undergoes transformations to generate the swirling, descending sixteenth-note patterns of the ensuing Capriccio in B Minor.Less

The Carole’s Virtual Circles

Seeta Chaganti

in Strange Footing: Poetic Form and Dance in the Late Middle Ages

This chapter reenacts the round dance often called carole by juxtaposing it with Mark Morris’s L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato (1988). In this reenactment, the carole reveals its virtual ... More

This chapter reenacts the round dance often called carole by juxtaposing it with Mark Morris’s L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato (1988). In this reenactment, the carole reveals its virtual circles and arcs of force. These virtual supplements to the dance, untimely and spatially estranging, complicate the carole's superficial appearance of symmetry and periodicity.Less

‘Roots, Remedies and Properties of Stones’: Dead Sea Healing

Joan E. Taylor

in The Essenes, the Scrolls, and the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea’s healing resources, being so well-known in antiquity, also attracted Essenes, who were attested as being adept in pharmacological lore (so Josephus, War 2: 136). As John Allegro once ... More

The Dead Sea’s healing resources, being so well-known in antiquity, also attracted Essenes, who were attested as being adept in pharmacological lore (so Josephus, War 2: 136). As John Allegro once noted, their location also lates to Ezekiel 47: 1-12, where a stream of healing water flows from the Temple down the Kidron to the Dead Sea, bringing alive the water from en Gedi to En Egallaim (Ain Hajla). Many healing resources are evidenced in antiquity: balsam, date palms, rue, mandrake, madder, honey, minerals (asphalt, sulphur, alum, salt), along with healing hot spring waters. These can be related to the continuing traditions of medicinal plant use among the Bedouin over the centuries. Likewise, in the Dead Sea Scrolls, there are many instances of a deep concern with healing, seen as a blessing of God. This is found in scientific works in the corpus (the wisdom of Solomon), containing lore concerning astrology, physiognomy, angelology, exorcisms, purifications and pharmacology. The archaeology of Qumran itself indicates a strong possibility that part of the site was used for medicinal manufacture, as also in En Boqeq.Less

From Stage to Screen

Tim Carter

in Oklahoma!: The Making of an American Musical, Revised and Expanded Edition

Oklahoma! was a surprising success on Broadway, and although the Theatre Guild considered other possible creative teams for new musicals, the now-sealed Rodgers and Hammerstein partnership proved ... More

Oklahoma! was a surprising success on Broadway, and although the Theatre Guild considered other possible creative teams for new musicals, the now-sealed Rodgers and Hammerstein partnership proved hard to resist. A touring company was in place by late summer 1943, and Oklahoma! traveled internationally after the end of World War II (not least, to London’s West End in 1947); meanwhile, the Guild needed to replace cast members leaving one or other productions of the show. In 1953, Rodgers and Hammerstein bought the Guild’s rights to all three of the shows they had done under its auspices (including Carousel and Allegro). In part, this was to maximize their profits from intended film versions. The 1955 film of Oklahoma! took advantage of the new Todd-AO wide-screen process and location shooting to produce a vivid rendition of the show that, however, also needed to be followed, or resisted, in subsequent stage versions.Less

Follies

Ethan Mordden

in On Sondheim: An Opinionated Guide

This chapter talks about another of Sondheim's musicals: Follies (1971). Follies is described as an epic in miniature and, like Allegro (1947), a work that polarized audiences' reaction from ... More

This chapter talks about another of Sondheim's musicals: Follies (1971). Follies is described as an epic in miniature and, like Allegro (1947), a work that polarized audiences' reaction from “depressing” to “fabulous.” Then again, Follies is both fabulous and depressing, a review of the past while examining the present. It was a rare case of a musical “wearing” its themes, making a realistic comparison of now and then.Less

A Selective Discography

Ethan Mordden

in On Sondheim: An Opinionated Guide

This chapter presents a discography of Stephen Sondheim, beginning with his earliest works: Saturday Night (1997), West Side Story (1957), and Gypsy (1959). It cites the Pasadena Playhouse revival of ... More

This chapter presents a discography of Stephen Sondheim, beginning with his earliest works: Saturday Night (1997), West Side Story (1957), and Gypsy (1959). It cites the Pasadena Playhouse revival of Do I Hear a Waltz? (2001) as one of the mot outstanding Sondheim non-original-cast albums. Moving on to concept-musical territory, the chapter initially considers Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Allegro (1947). This did not sell well, for Allegro was designed to be a staging and not simply a composition. There is a taste of Allegro in Sondheim’s Company (1970), if only in its use of open stage. However, Company: Original Cast Album takes a peek at the recording sessions, providing a glimpse of Sondheim at work. The latter part of the chapter details the discography of Sondheim’s later musicals, from Follies to Road Show, as well as his acting gig in June Moon, and full-length soundtrack score for the film Stavisky. Lastly, there are the discs of Sondheim’s private acetates and demos, entitled Sondheim Sings.Less

Staging Allegro

Kara Anne Gardner

in Agnes de Mille: Telling Stories in Broadway Dance

Allegro represented de Mille’s final collaboration with Rodgers and Hammerstein. She served as both director and choreographer for the musical. The show did not find the same level of success as ... More

Allegro represented de Mille’s final collaboration with Rodgers and Hammerstein. She served as both director and choreographer for the musical. The show did not find the same level of success as Oklahoma! and Carousel. Its plot lacked coherence, and it had no hit songs. Like Carousel, Allegro operated in the realm of fantasy in its attempt to surface the inner consciousness of the main character, Joseph Taylor Junior. De Mille and Hammerstein collaborated to produce innovative staging, using minimal sets, lighting, and a stage with multiple tiers to show fantasy on one level and reality on another. The show established principles that were later used to great effect in South Pacific. At the time of his death, Hammerstein was working to revise Allegro for television, suggesting that it posed creative challenges that he still hoped to solve.Less

Milton Modulated for Handel’s Music

Ruth Smith

in Milton in the Long Restoration

After the Bible, Milton’s verse was the principal choice of Handel’s collaborators as the source of texts to stimulate his highest art. Handel composed and performed three settings taken from Milton: ... More

After the Bible, Milton’s verse was the principal choice of Handel’s collaborators as the source of texts to stimulate his highest art. Handel composed and performed three settings taken from Milton: L’Allegro, Il Penseroso ed Il Moderato (1740); Samson (1743); and A New Occasional Oratorio (1746). They are among his major works, and constitute the most substantial and lasting English appropriations of Milton for music. Their genesis illuminates the varying circumstances of Handel’s career that shaped his output; their composition illustrates key aspects of the British response to Milton in the 1730s and 1740s; and their reception exemplifies English mid-eighteenth-century valuation of Milton as a moral lyricist and a consciously British poet. Their librettos form a major aspect of the endeavour to paraphrase and imitate his works, embodying a range of approaches from reverent respect to invasive dismemberment and interpolation.Less

Yet Once More: Milton’s Lyric Descendants

Christopher R. Miller

in Milton in the Long Restoration

This chapter examines how Milton, celebrated as an epic poet, became a presiding muse of lyric poetry during a period when the generic category of lyric came to be expanded in scope and elevated in ... More

This chapter examines how Milton, celebrated as an epic poet, became a presiding muse of lyric poetry during a period when the generic category of lyric came to be expanded in scope and elevated in literary prestige. It argues for the formal and thematic influence of Milton’s companion-poems, L’Allegro and Il Penseroso, as models for the eighteenth-century ‘great ode’. In particular, Milton’s concern with voluntary choice and eudaimonia in those poems was reborn in the eighteenth-century vogue for what might be called the poetry of health—a poetry concerned with the well-being of both body and mind, both poet and poetic tradition. The chapter traces that concern in the works of Anne Finch, John Pomfret, Thomas Parnell, Joseph Warton, William Collins, and Mark Akenside.Less

Sondheim’s Mentors and the Concept Musical

Ethan Mordden

in On Sondheim: An Opinionated Guide

This chapter begins by looking at the career of librettist and musical director Oscar Hammerstein, and his influence on Sondheim’s works. Hammerstein’s collaboration with composer Richard Rodgers ... More

This chapter begins by looking at the career of librettist and musical director Oscar Hammerstein, and his influence on Sondheim’s works. Hammerstein’s collaboration with composer Richard Rodgers proved to be his most successful, spurring Broadway hits such as Oklahoma! (1943), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951), and The Sound of Music (1959). Arguably the most significant musical is Allegro (1947), which was memorable for its execution—Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote it to defy traditional realism. Where other musicals narrate directly, Allegro was stylized; it explained its story while it was unfolding. This was a revolution in format, and young Sondheim was inspired by this subversion of the formal custom. Allegro’s non-realistic staging influenced Sondheim’s mature works, from Company through Roadshow.Less