A Hopeful Fanfare

Synopsis

Perhaps the fanfare is the most optimistic and hopeful of all musical forms, since it signals the start of something new and worth noting.

The American composer Adam Schoenberg* was feeling optimistic and hopeful when he wrote the fanfare that opens his American Symphony, a work premiered on this date in 2011 by the Kansas City Symphony led by Michael Stern.

“’American Symphony’ was inspired by the 2008 presidential election,” says Schoenberg, “when both parties asked the people to embrace change and make a difference. I was both excited and honored about ushering in this new era in our nation’s history.”

Schoenberg celebrated his 28th birthday a few weeks after Barack Obama won the presidency in 2008, and says that just a few days after the election got the idea for his new Symphony after hearing what he calls “the quintessential American symphony,” namely Aaron Copland’s Symphony No. 3, composed in 1946, just after the end of World War II. Not coincidentally, Copland’s Symphony includes his famous Fanfare for the Common Man as a key thematic statement

“I believe Copland wanted to bring beauty and peace into the world during a time of great turmoil,” says Schoenberg “and seeing that our country and world had needs similar to those of Copland’s time, I set out to write a modern American symphony that paid homage to our past and looked forward to a brighter future.”

Music Played in Today's Program

Adam Schoenberg (b. 1980) American Symphony for Orchestra Kansas City Symphony; Michael Stern, conductor. Reference RR-139

On This Day

Births

• 1678 - Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi, in Venice;

• 1915 - Spanish-born American composer Carlos Surinach, in Barcelona;

• 1928 - German-born American composer Samuel Adler, in Mannheim;

Deaths

• 1925 - German-born composer Moritz Moszkowski, age 70, in Paris;

Premieres

• 1791 - Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 27 in Bb, K. 595, in Vienna with the composer as soloist;

• 1870 - 1870–Tchaikovsky: fantasy-overture "Romeo and Juliet" (first version) in Moscow, with Nicolas Rubinstein conducting (Gregorian date: Mar. 16);

• 1877 - Tchaikovsky: ballet "Swan Lake," at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow (Julian date: Feb. 20);

• 1885 - R. Strauss: Horn Concerto No. 1, by the Meiningen Orchestra conducted by Hans von Bülow, with Gustav Leinhos, that orchestra's principal horn, as the soloist;

• 1895 - movements 1-3 only of Mahler: Symphony No. 2 ("Resurrection"), by Berlin Philharmonic, with Mahler conducting; The first complete performance, also with the composer conducting the Berlin Philharmonic, took place on December 13 that same year;

• 1905 - Glazunov: Violin Concerto, in St. Petersburg, with violinist Leopold Auer as the soloist (Julian date: Feb. 19);

• 1921 - Daniel Gregory Mason: "Prelude and Fugue" for piano and orchestra, in Chicago;

• 1988 - Argento: "Te Deum" for chorus and orchestra, by the Buffalo (N.Y.) Philharmonic Orchestra and Schola Cantorum, Thomas Swan conducting;

• 1995 - Christopher Rouse: Symphony No. 2, by the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Christoph Eschenbach conducting;

Others

• 1809 - The U.S. Marine Band performed for James Madison's Presidential inaugural ball, the first ever held. The President, First Lady Dolly Madison, and their guests were serenaded by popular songs and dances of the period;

• 1965 - American premiere of Ligeti: "Poème symphonique" for 100 metronomes, in Buffalo, N.Y.