Bloomington Symphony Orchestra
Inspirational Performances of Orchestral Music
Michael Sutton, Violin
photo by Joel Larson
The Bloomington Symphony is supported in large part by donations from our audience members and playing members. One of the fundraisers we do is a benefit recital presented by our concertmaster, in a private home. This year Michael Sutton will be joined by pianist Sonja Thompson in a program featuring great violin works by Mozart, Ysaye & Franck. BSO Principal clarinetist Karen Hansen will host the recital in her St. Paul home on Sunday, March 20 at 2 p.m.
The tickets for the benefit recital are $100 and include the performance by Michael and Sonja, along with drinks and light appetizers. $75 of each ticket is tax-deductible to the extent of the law.
Seating is limited and we urge you to purchase tickets as early as possible to ensure availability.
For more information, or to purchase tickets, email recital@bloomingtonsymphony.org or call Brianna at 612-360-7762.
The recital is supported by the contributions of Michael Sutton, Karen Hansen, the BSO Board of Directors and piano tuner John McKone, all of whom are providing products and services to make the recital a success.
Before each concert, we share “Manny’s Musings,” thoughts from our Music Director and Conductor, Manny Laureano. This is the second of three “Musings” that will be posted in advance of the BSO’s concert on October 11.
Manuel de Falla (y Matheu) was born in Cadiz in 1876. Like Richard Wagner, he had a great interest in literary works and felt a pull between music and writing. Music won out but not surprisingly, as he was exposed to a great many musical events in his younger life. However, it was his admiration for the work of the Norwegian Edvard Grieg that pushed him toward wanting to be a proponent of Spanish music and its national character. His tremendous work ethic and self-discipline paved the way for that to happen. Ironically, it was the work and recognition he received from fellow composers in Paris that helped him establish a foothold in musical circles as the 19th century turned into the 20th. He began to crank out success after success until he finally achieved immortality with his ballet/pantomime El Sombrero de Tres Picos or The Three-Cornered Hat.
The Second suite from The Three-Cornered Hat deals with the events in the latter half of the ballet. Essentially, the plot is farcical, dealing with stereotypical characters like the good miller and his wife, a lecherous and self-aggrandizing magistrate, and a bodyguard. Mistaken identities (the life-blood of theatrical works) and unrealistic situations that culminate in the powerful receiving their just desserts are the inspiration for Falla’s musical treat. Listen for the constantly shifting beat patterns that typify so much of the music from Spain. 6/8 time slyly becomes ¾ and vice versa. The sound of castanets tickle the ear as does the energetic restraint of Flamenco stylings.
Camille Saint-Saens, born in Paris in 1835, was one of those Frenchmen for whom the captivating music of the Spanish tradition had great appeal. However, his contribution to this program comes through a different outlet. The source of the style comes from the island nation of Cuba, thus the title “Havanaise.” The Havanaise is typified by its rocking back and forth between a set of triplets and eight note duplets. The grouping is a gentle one-two-three, one… two, one-two-three, one… two. If it is reminiscent of the “Habanera” from the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet, then that is an astute observation on the part of you, the listener, as both rhythms come from the same source.
That Saint-Saens would be attracted to a musical form from outside the French tradition is not surprising considering that he also wrote music that gave a nod to the Russian style and he was also a fierce defender of the music of Wagner, a stance occasionally taken during a time when Wagner’s music was still considered somewhat revolutionary. Perhaps the young Saint-Saens’ efforts and dedication to art could be summed up best by countryman Hector Berlioz: “He knows everything but lacks inexperience.”
Since music is prone to being the stuff of legend, a popular notion is that the crackling of a fire in a pit at a hotel provided Saint-Saens with the crisp Havanaise rhythm that typifies the work. Of course, the violinist, Rafael Diaz, to whom the work was dedicated was, after all, a Cuban. Legend or not, Saint-Saens had a winner on his hands and the work was immediately popular.
The next Manny’s Musings with insights about Chabrier’s España and Capriccio Espagnol will be posted on Thursday, October 8. Check back for more about “In the Spanish Style!”
Join Music Director & Conductor Manny Laureano, for the concert, “In the Spanish Style” featuring BSO Concertmaster Michael Sutton, as soloist. The concert takes place on Sunday, October 11 at 3 p.m. at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Bloomington.
To learn more about the concert, click here. You can order tickets online through the Bloomington Box Office or by calling 952-563-8575.
Before each concert, we share “Manny’s Musings,” thoughts from our Music Director and Conductor, Manny Laureano. This is the first of three “Musings” that will be posted in advance of the BSO’s concert on October 11.
When I set about the task of creating a program to begin the BSO 2015-16 season, I thought it necessary to define in musical terms what characterizes Spanish music of the 19th and 20th centuries. This is important because this concert is not only about Spanish music, but about composers who tried their hand at writing in that style. Several things surprised me. One was that the only piece we’re playing that was written by a Spanish composer, was written after three of the non-Spanish composers’ works. The other thing which was most interesting was that three of the works on this program were written four years apart from each other with two of them being published in the same year, 1887! Clearly, this style of music was compelling enough to draw the attention of both Russian and French composers.
The music of Spain is complex because there were so many regions that had their own forms of musical expression. The music of Andalusia is essentially that which we have come to know as Flamenco, characterized by its sharp rhythms and use of castanets. Aragon is where the jota (hoh-tah) likely developed with its addition of guitars and tambourines to the castanets. Add to this the regions of Asturias, Galicia, the Basque Country, and Seville and you can understand that such richness would appeal to composers with keen ears. But what is most important to recognize is that virtually all of these types of Spanish music lent themselves to or were born in the spirit of the dance.
What this concert will explore is not only the music of Spain but also Cuba via France and Minnesota! Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. Let’s start with Spanish music of the 20th century and Manuel de Falla…
The next Manny’s Musings will be posted on Monday, October 5. Check back for more about “In the Spanish Style!”
Join Music Director & Conductor Manny Laureano, for the concert, “In the Spanish Style” featuring BSO Concertmaster Michael Sutton, as soloist. The concert takes place on Sunday, October 11 at 3 p.m. at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Bloomington.
To learn more about the concert, click here. You can order tickets online through the Bloomington Box Office or by calling 952-563-8575.
If you haven’t seen a hard copy of the BSO’s 2015-16 Print Materials, please download them from this page! It contains all of the information you need to know about this year’s concerts and how to purchase tickets! (Click on the images to enlarge!)
Before each concert, we share Manny’s Musings, thoughts from our Music Director and Conductor, Manny Laureano. Please enjoy this concert preview!
We Americans are a unique bunch. We eat differently from the rest of the world, from the size of our portions to the variety of cultures that have affected our diet. Our pastimes are hard-nosed and energetic and we root for our teams with faithful enthusiasm. We come together in times of great joy and national tragedy with hearts on our sleeves. We even have a different way of speaking the Queen’s English… in almost every state you travel to.
So it is not surprising that our music in the concert hall is not unlike the way we express ourselves verbally. It is almost impossible to establish a manner of speaking that is the same, even within our own borders. We are a nation that has inherited its myriad voices from those of our ancestors. Of course, we are such a relatively young country that our ancestors were probably born somewhere else. East Coasters are notorious for a brusque and impatient staccato. The flowing Southern drawl is the archetype of so many Hollywood movies that introduce others abroad to a more friendly, down-home character we’re known for. Midwesterners are proud that their way of speaking is the standard when it comes to pronunciation. Woe be unto you if you are not privy to the latest slang expressions that pepper the conversations of those on our West Coast, for you shall be lost!
One of the wonderful paradoxes of the American concert hall is how Aaron Copland (who had the good taste to be born in the year 1900), a Jewish boy from Brooklyn, New York, would become associated with a sound that reflected open plains and legendary aspects of our “Wild West.” In point of fact, his earliest efforts revealed his strong interest in emerging jazz harmonies and rhythms. Yet, in his Quiet City, the deft use of the open fifths that typified his expansive voice are used here to help us envision an urban landscape late at night. It is as though the shepherd’s calls by the English horn in Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique are answered by the familiar sound of the modern jazz trumpet. Both rich voices rest on vaporous string writing that complete the texture. This is Copland at his intimate best (even with the failure of the play of the same name by Irwin Shaw, for which the music was written).
There are several legends that surround the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. The most often-told story is that of the young, emerging talent, Iso Briselli, whose adoptive father wished to commission a concerto for him. It was suggested that an up-and-coming composer by the name of Samuel Barber (1910- 1981) would be a good choice, as he had already commanded the attentions of several great conductors and orchestras of the day. So while Aaron Copland was setting about writing his incidental music for a doomed play in 1939, Barber was concurrently setting the stage for an interesting scene of his own. As the story goes, Bruselli was displeased with the first version of the finale and actually wanted half of the money paid by his father, Samuel Fels, to be returned! In very short order, Barber is supposed to have composed the perpetual motion that would be the final finished product. Now, Bruselli claimed it unplayable, forcing Barber to enlist the aid of another young violinist from the Curtis Institute to learn the piece in two hours and prove the piece was playable. Whether the story is accurate or apocryphal, Barber’s creation is in another voice that we can claim as American. There is much tenderness in Barber’s writing, as well as wit, running the gamut of violinistic possibilities.
If Americans are known for an indomitable spirit and rugged individuality, the Symphony No. 1 of Charles Ives (1874-1954) portrays those qualities but only in a nascent form. Ives set about composing the work during and after his studies at Yale University with the choirmaster, Horatio Parker. The symphony comes as a great surprise when one considers the impressions of the Ives we think we know. The influences of a father (George E. Ives) who reveled in the sound of two bands passing each other playing different melodies give way to a truly romantic style of writing for the first three movements. Immediately, one is enchanted by the waltz that is reminiscent of the music of Dvo?ák and various other composers. Speaking of Dvo?ák, do not be surprised if the English horn solo that begins Ives’ slow movement reminds you of another rather famous one. His scherzo is charming and conversational in its lightness. It is, however, in the finale where the shadow of his future self is revealed, challenging the orchestra to create fireworks in a theme that is quintessentially Yankee. His nod to Tchaikovsky is proud and open, much like an American announcing pride for a heritage of many branches. Papa Ives must indeed have been proud at hearing the development is his son’s writing. After hearing his first attempt at a symphony you may well find yourself arguing Ives to be the most American of the three composers you hear at this performance!
Join Music Director & Conductor Manny Laureano, for the concert, “Anybody Here Speak American?” featuring BSO concertmaster Michael Sutton as soloist. The concert takes place on Sunday, November 16 at 3 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie. To learn more about the concert, click here, or to order tickets, follow this link.
We asked our concertmaster and soloist for this concert, Michael Sutton, to share a few words about Samuel Barber’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. Here is what he said:
“When Manny asked me what I would like to play with the BSO, the very first thing that came to mind was the Barber. And Manny swears he knew I would choose it before he even asked.
“I often play the first 90 seconds of the piece to test the capabilities of a violin, because it demonstrates many of the things a fiddle needs to be able to do.
“The second movement has that trademark Barber heartfelt quality heard in his Adagio for Strings. It has a great deal of meaning to me personally, as I have played it (per their request) at two of my grandparents’ memorial services.
“The third movement is pure energy combined with controlled chaos, and is one of the most technically demanding 6 minutes in the violin repertoire.”
Michael will be playing the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra at the BSO’s concert, “Anybody Here Speak American?” on Sunday, November 16. To learn more about the program, visit the November concert page. To order tickets, click here.
We hope to see you on November 16!
The Bloomington Symphony Orchestra
Bloomington Symphony Orchestra Music Director Manny Laureano has assembled four concerts with a variety of well-known classics and a few pieces that may be new to some in the audience. The 2014-15 concert season will feature a young soprano, a seasoned cellist and the BSO solo debut of our new concertmaster. Click on the link to learn more about each concert.
October 5, 2014 – Three Singing Masters: Wagner, Strauss & Mahler
November 16, 2014 – Anybody Here Speak American?: Copland, Barber & Ives
February 15, 2015 – Melodious Tchaikovsky: Three pieces by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
April 19, 2015 – Music in 3D: The Sequel: Franck, TBA & Mussorgsky/Ravel
Season tickets (one ticket for each concert) are available for purchase through the Bloomington Box Office (only). You can click here to order tickets online or you can call 952-563-8575 or stop by the Box Office in person at 1800 West Old Shakopee Road in Bloomington.
Can’t make it to every concert? You can still get the discounted price by purchasing in advance, four or more tickets to any of the concerts. Season and four-ticket packages are $48 for adults and $40 for seniors.
Single tickets are available in advance or at the door for $14 for adults and $12 for seniors. Students are always free, thanks to our generous donors.
For more information about any of our concerts, please contact our General Manager, Sara Tan at info@bloomingtonsymphony.org
The Board of Directors of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Sutton as its next Concertmaster. Sutton will begin his appointment at the beginning of the BSO’s 52nd season with a performance at Bloomington’s SummerFete on July 3.
BSO Artistic Director and Conductor Manny Laureano says, “I am very pleased that Michael Sutton has agreed to serve as concertmaster of the BSO. Michael’s reputation as being a fine musician precedes him with honor. I am sure that he will lead the strings of the BSO with the same fiery elegance and good humor that has distinguished him as my colleague in the Minnesota Orchestra for many years. Welcome, Michael!”
Michael Sutton – Bloomington Symphony Concertmaster
Michael Sutton has been a proud member of the Minnesota Orchestra for 16 years. Sutton grew up in Minneapolis, studying at MacPhail Center for Music. He left for Manhattan School of Music where he earned two degrees.
Next, Michael went to Miami Beach to join the New World Symphony. After living abroad for two summers each in Japan and Europe playing in music festivals–and getting New York and paradise out of his system, it was great to come full circle…back to the Twin Cities.
Sutton has been active with causes he believes in; he served on the board of directors of the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies, and the Hamm Clinic for Mental Health in St. Paul. Michael is married to the ever-vivacious Beatrice Blanc, a Suzuki teacher at the MacPhail Center for Music.
Please join us in giving a warm welcome to Michael! You can leave a comment or greeting in the comment area below.
