What does it mean to be at full strength? Full potency? Prime physical condition? In tune with the energy of the universe? I was attracted to this title because of its multiplicity of meanings and contexts . While I want the music to speak for itself, I will lay out a few points of inspiration for this orchestral work .
1 . An Easter Alleluia performance by Schola Antiqua, directed by John Blackley, sung from the Messine notation in the Laon 239 manuscript from about 930 AD . Certain neumes (the symbols above the words that indicated pitch) were interpreted as pitch bends, inflections that seem to float upward just for a moment . When I first heard this interpretation in Thomas Mathiesen’s Medieval Music class at Indiana University in the early 2000s, I was electrified by these pitch bends and the affect they conveyed: a gravity-defying sweep of praise and forward energy . Similar pitch bends permeate At Full Strength .
The neume above “ia” was performed with inflected pitch.
2 . Drum traditions of the Pacific Islands: the Cook Islands and Tahiti, Samoa and Tonga I made no attempt to mimic specific patterns, but the drums form a foundation for the work, and also have ties to the sea .
3 . The Pacific Ocean, the currents, winds, and waves that have enveloped me in my time in the islands . The imagery of the sea is most prevalent in the last section of the work (m . 283–end) .
4 The choral work Three Psalms by my father, Merrill Bradshaw, especially the two passages quoted in the slow section (mm . 265–282): “[Praise the Lord] with psalms,” and “The sea is His, and He made it . Fear before Him, all the earth . ”
5 My teacher Sven-David Sandström’s approach to drums and the physicality of struggle between percussion and the rest of the orchestra .
6 . Aaron Kernis’s Colored Field, with something close to a quote in mm . 256–264, signifying a state of transcendent peace or heavenly bliss .
Even with these influences, the work has its own language and character, integrating these sources into an overarching thread of conflict, pain, meditation, and ultimate triumph .
The Moldau— Bedřich Smetana
Bedřich Smetana’s The Moldau, or “Vltava” in its original Czech name, is a symphonic poem written for orchestra in 1880 (Ottlová) . It is the second movement out of six which form the larger piece Má vlast (My Fatherland) . The Moldau is named after the largest river in the Czech Republic, a river which flows across the countryside and through the city of Prague . Although we are accustomed to hearing only individual movements of Má vlast, in the Czech Republic Má vlast is commonly heard in its entirety . During the time that The Moldau was written, Smetana and many other Czech composers were rediscovering their cultural identity . For example, Smetana had lived most of his life speaking German, but as he matured, he started to speak Czech and began to write operas entirely in Czech (Sadie, 392) .
The primary theme of The Moldau has captivated listeners for centuries . The origins of the theme have been traced to the Italian madrigal “La Mantovana,” written in 1600 (del Biado) . Composers before and after Smetana borrowed this theme for their compositions . A more modern usage of the “Mantovana” melody is found in the Israeli national anthem, “Hatikvah .” The Moldau’s theme is in a minor key (E minor) and conjures feelings of melancholy and nostalgia . As the music reaches its climax, The Moldau’s theme returns, this time in a major key (E major), bringing feelings of joy as the river reaches its glorious entry into the city of Prague .
The ebb and flow of the music evoke the imagery of the flowing river . Because Smetana’s The Moldau musically personifies the Czech people and landscape, it is one of the earliest examples of what we now call soundtrack music . It was written at a time prior to the invention of motion pictures, yet the motion of the music unfolds a story for the listener . Enthusiasts of soundtrack music will hear the influence of The Moldau in films such as Bambi and How to Train Your Dragon .
The piece is divided into 8 distinct sections: (Flutes and Clarinets)
The Moldau Theme (Violins)
Forest Hunters (Horns and Trumpets)
Peasant Wedding
Moonlight, The Appearance of Nymphs
The Moldau Theme reprised
St John’s Rapids
Finale: The Moldau arrives in Prague and passes the Vyšehrad Castle
I chose this work for my master’s recital because of its beautiful musical imagery, which I first heard when I was about eleven years old . As a young child, I fell in love with the flowing nature of the music . As I grew up, I got a chance to play it as a percussionist, and now I have the great fortune to conduct this masterpiece with an orchestra of talented students and musicians . It is a work that can be enjoyed on its own terms, regardless of any previous knowledge of classical music . I find The Moldau to be a powerful work that consistently rewards the listener . Johannes Bowman, graduate conductor
Sources Cited:
del Biado, Giuseppino . “Fuggi Fuggi Fuggi da questo cielo” (La Mantovana) from Codex Barbera G F 83, p153
Ottlová, Marta, Milan Pospíšil, John Tyrrell, and Kelly St Pierre “Smetana, Bedřich ” Grove Music Online 28 Sep 2018; Accessed 7 Oct 2025 . https://www-oxfordmusiconline-com .byu .idm .oclc . org/grovemusic/view/10 1093/gmo/9781561592630 001 0001/ omo-9781561592630-e-3000000151 .
Sadie, Stanley “Smetana, Bedřich ” The New Grove Dictionary for Music and Musicians, vol . 17, Macmillan Publishers Limited, London, 1980, 392-400
Vasily Kalinnikov’s Symphony No. 1
Vasily Kalinnikov was born in 1866 to a policeman father and an ecclesiastical family . As a child, Kalinnikov was introduced to music by his father, who played guitar and sang in a local choir . After attending a seminary through his teenage years, Kalinnikov went to go study music at the conservatory in Moscow . Unfortunately, he had to drop out after a few months because he couldn’t pay the tuition . Instead of giving up, he transferred to the Moscow Philharmonic Society . There, he barely lived paycheck to paycheck as a music copyist and violin/ bassoon/timpani player for the theater . During this time, he was helped out by his friend S .N . Kruglikov and gained the praise of Tchaikovsky as well . Tchaikovsky recommended Kalinnikov for the conductor position in the Maliy Theater, which he accepted and worked at for about a year until his health finally caught up to him . Vasily’s poverty-style of living as a student and his recently diagnosed tuberculosis forced him to leave home for a warmer climate near the Crimean Peninsula in Yalta . It was during this time that Vasily decided to write his own symphony .
Picture yourself in Vasily’s shoes . After spending your entire life chasing music amidst poverty, what would you want your lasting impression and legacy to be? For Vasily, it was the beauty of life, especially regarding nature . Living in Yalta for his final years, Kalinnikov was surrounded by both the calm, peaceful shoreline in front of him and the glorious mountain tops in the distance . He wanted to write a symphony that encapsulated the heritage of his homeland, Russia, and the beauty that he found himself surrounded by in Yalta . Throughout the symphony, you’ll hear ideas that are based on Russian folk tunes, turned into more complex melodies and motifs .
Having a religious family and upbringing, Kalinnikov understood that music was a spiritually healing force that binds our souls with the serenity within nature and the peace of pure friendships . Vasily’s closest friends were the ones by his side supporting him in Yalta while he wrote music, and he wouldn’t
have lived to finish his works without them . They were also the ones who helped Kalinnikov publish and premiere his works throughout Russia . Who are the close people in your own life who help you accomplish your life goals?
Music is not just a healing force but a driving one . The ideas that we can express through music inspire creativity and demand imagination from the listener . As you listen to Symphony No . 1 tonight, imagine the times when you’ve felt close to nature . Imagine yourself longing for home both physically and spiritually . Imagine the story of Kalinnikov and how it can relate to your own life . Imagine the metaphor of life represented through a symphony . We hope you take time to appreciate the great force that music can be in our lives as you listen tonight and as you return home .
I . Allegro Moderato
- An energetic and lush first and second theme, introducing the symphony’s motif across multiple sections
II Andante Commodamente
- An ethereal, calm movement representing peace found in nature .
III . Scherzo . Allegro non troppo
- A Russian dance-like, upbeat feel infused with folk themes .
IV . Finale . Allegro Moderato
-Reintroduces the main theme and summarizes the symphony with a grand conclusion, symbolizing a return home
- Seth Rugg, clarinet
Biographies
Nathan Haines, conductor
Nathan Haines is an accomplished conductor, educator, and the director of orchestras at Brigham Young University’s School of Music in Provo, Utah . He holds a PhD in orchestral conducting and music education from Florida State University, where he served as the associate conductor of orchestras, taught courses in conducting, and pursued research in the art of conducting and music education under the mentorship of Dr . Alexander Jiménez .
After earning a bachelor of arts in percussion from Brigham Young University, Nathan Haines went on to complete a master of music in orchestral conducting under Kory Katseanes . His career has taken him to prestigious venues across the globe, with performances in Asia and Europe . He has studied and performed with top professionals from around the country, including the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in Washington, DC . Most recently, he was invited to guest conduct for the world-class Ballet West in their production of Jekyll and Hyde, choreographed by Val Caniparoli .
Dr . Haines is a strong advocate for the orchestral arts, particularly in new and innovative projects . In 2021, he cofounded the Studio Orchestra at FSU to create and perform music in film, video game, and other commercial media . BYU now also boasts a Studio Orchestra that Dr . Haines helped to develop . As a firm believer in the importance of music education, Dr . Haines has presented and published his research at the state and national levels . His dissertation at Florida State, titled “Conducting with Multimedia in Live Performance,” provides a framework of techniques and technologies that conductors can use on the modern concert stage .
When not conducting orchestras, Nathan enjoys writing,
alpine skiing, disc golf, and hiking . He is supported by his wife, Elise Haines, who specializes in audience interaction and performance studies and holds a master’s in theatre and media arts from BYU . They have two beautiful and energetic children, Estil (6) and Rowe (4), with one more boy coming in November .
Daniel Bradshaw, composer
While drawing inspiration from the music of earlier centuries, composer Daniel Bradshaw writes music which lives undeniably in the present . His music has been described as “simply beautiful,” “stunning,” and “multivalent and haunting” and draws from a variety of influences, from the classical tradition to rock idioms to the rhythm of waves to Polynesian drumming . Professional honors include awards from the American Music Center, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition, the Albany Symphony, and the American Composers Orchestra . He engages actively in promoting the work of living composers as executive director of the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University . After working for nineteen years in Lā‘ie, O‘ahu, as a professor at Brigham Young University–Hawai’i, he recently moved to Utah, where he works as a freelance composer . He is inspired by the stars in a clear night sky, by careful listening to new or unusual sounds, and by hiking and skiing in the Wasatch Mountains with his wife and five adventurous children .
