Overture from the Opera William Tell Gioachino Rossini The William

Overture from the Opera William Tell
Gioachino Rossini
The William Tell Overture is the instrumental introduction to the opera Guillaume Tell (in English,
William Tell) by Gioachino Rossini. William Tell premiered in 1829 and was the last of Rossini's
39 operas, after which he went into semi-retirement, although he continued to compose
cantatas, sacred music and secular vocal music. The overture is in four parts, (Dawn, Storm,
Ranz des Vaches, and Finale) each following without pause. There has been repeated use (and
sometimes parody) of parts of this overture in both classical music and popular media, most
famously as the theme music for the Lone Ranger radio and television shows. Franz Liszt
prepared a piano transcription of the overture in 1838 (S.552) which became a staple of his
concert repertoire. The Overture is scored for piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2
clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, triangle,
and strings. Duration, 12 minutes.
“Laut verkunde unsre Freude” K. 623
Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus
When Mozart’s Masonic lodge moved premises he composed this piece "dedicating the new
facility to the ideals of the brotherhood". He completed the work on 15 November, 1791,
conducting the first performance three days later. It was his last completed work as he died just
two weeks later. The Little Masonic Cantata (Kleine Freimaurer-Kantate) entitled Laut verkünde
unsre Freude, for soloists, male chorus, and orchestra, K. 623, premiered under Mozart’s
direction November 18, 1791.
The Awakening
Joseph M. Martin
I dreamed a dream / A silent dream / Of a land not far away. / Where no birds sang / No
steeples rang, / And teardrops fell like rain. / I dreamed a dream, / A silent dream / Of a land so
filled with pride / That ev'ry song, / Both weak and strong, / Withered and died. / I dreamed a
dream. / No alleluia, / Not one hosanna, / No song of love, / No lullaby. / And no choir sang to
change the world. / No pipers played; no dancers twirled. / I dreamed a dream, / A silent
dream. / Silent. Silent.... / Awake! Awake! Awake! Awake! / Soli Deo Gloria! Awake! Awake! /
Awake! Awake, my soul, and sing! / The time for praise has come. / The silence of the night has
passed; / A new day has begun. / Let music never die in me! / Forever let my spirit sing! /
Wherever emptiness is found, / Let there be joy and glorious sound. / Let music never die in me!
/ Forever let my spirit sing! / Let all our voices join as one / To praise the Giver of the song! /
Awake! Awake! / Let music live!
Polka from the opera “The Bartered Bride”
Bedrich Smetana
The Bartered Bride is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, to a
libretto by Karel Sabina. The opera is considered to have made a major contribution towards the
development of Czech music. It was composed during the period 1863–66, and first performed
at the Provisional Theatre, Prague, on 30 May 1866 in a two-act format with spoken dialogue.
Set in a country village and with realistic characters, it tells the story of how, after a late
surprise revelation, true love prevails over the combined efforts of ambitious parents and a
scheming marriage broker. The opera was not immediately successful, and was revised and
extended in the following four years. In its final version, premiered in 1870, it gained rapid
popularity and eventually became a worldwide success.
Unter Donner und Blitz
Johan Strauss
Unter Donner und Blitz (Thunder and Lightning), Op. 324, was published in 1868, just after the
equally illustrative waltz, Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald, Op. 325. Possibly the noisiest of
Strauss' dance pieces, Unter Donner und Blitz evokes the sound of thunder and lightning
through incessant timpani rolls and cymbal crashes. In the first half of section A, a loud timpani
roll occurs every four measures, while the cymbals crash on each beat of the detached
descending melody of the second half. Drum answers cymbal in the arching woodwind tune that
begins section B, moving the accent to the second beat of the measure. A note-for-note return
of section A completes the traditional ternary form, and a rambunctious coda creates a
thunderous close. The only peculiar aspect of Unter Donner und Blitz is the percussive, eightmeasure bridge between the two parts of section A, and the absence of any return to the first
part of section A. Clearly, Strauss sought to amuse as much as compose a successful piece of
music.
Horse and Buggy
Leroy Anderson
Leroy Anderson (June 29, 1908 – May 18, 1975) was an American composer of short, light
concert pieces, many of which were introduced by the Boston Pops Orchestra under the direction
of Arthur Fiedler. John Williams described him as "one of the great American masters of light
orchestral music." Anderson composed Horse and Buggy in 1951. Originally four percussion
players and three saxophonists created a convincing depiction of this early form of
transportation. It was a trumpeters lullaby, but is fun for us all.
Buglers Holiday
Leroy Anderson
Composed in 1954 Bugler's Holiday is one of Anderson’s most enduring classics. Originally
scored for trumpet trio and orchestra, it has been performed by groups of nearly every
instrument imaginable, often to great comic effect. It was written as a solo piece for all three
members of the section. Typically, the three players take positions standing in front of the
orchestra in soloists' positions rather than remaining in their seats. The part is cunningly written
around both standard bugle calls and bugle-call-like figures written by Anderson. As usual in
Anderson's music, both the solo parts and the rest of the orchestration are highly accomplished
and meticulous.
“The Phantom of the Opera”
Andrew Lloyd Weber
Arr. C. Custer
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le
Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux. The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most
lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was
an early collaborator, but withdrew due to illness after some initial work on a single song,
"Masquerade". The central plot revolves around a beautiful soprano, Christine Daaé, who
becomes the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius. The Phantom of the Opera
opened in the West End in 1986, and on Broadway in 1988. It won the 1986 Olivier Award and
the 1988 Tony Award for Best Musical, and Michael Crawford (in the title role) won the 1986
Olivier and 1988 Tony for Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical. It is the longest-running
Broadway show by a wide margin, the second longest-running West End musical, and the third
longest-running West End show overall.