English Dances: Set Two, Op. 33 Malcolm Arnold (1921–2006)
14 + 15 November
Slavonic Dances
7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall
Malcolm Arnold composed the first set of English Dances in 1950 at the request of his publisher, who was looking for repertoire in the vein of Antonín Dvořák's Slavonic Dances. Being well-received, Arnold, then a still up-and-coming composer, was commissioned to write a second set the following year. This piece debuted in 1952 with a performance by the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Both sets are inspired by, but not based upon, English folk tunes.
Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)
Concert Supporters: Heather + Peter Marreck Rumon Gamba, conductor Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Malcolm Arnold
English Dances: Set Two, Op. 33 No. 1: Allegro non troppo No. 2: Con brio No. 3: Grazioso No. 4: Giubiloso
8'
Antonín Dvořák
Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 No. 1 in C Major: Presto No. 2 in E Minor: Allegretto scherzando No. 3 in A-Flat Major: Poco allegro No. 4 in F Major: Tempo di menuetto No. 5 in A Major: Allegro vivace No. 6 in D Major: Allegretto scherzando No. 7 in C Minor: Allegro assai No. 8 in G Minor: Presto
23'
INTERMISSION
20'
Carl Nielsen
44'
Symphony No. 5, Op. 50 I. Tempo giusto – Adagio II. Allegro – Andante
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Prior to the success of his Slavonic Dances, Antonín Dvořák was relatively unknown outside of Prague. In 1874 he would have a chance to change that: the newly created Austrian State Stipendium — a prize organized by the Ministry of Education for poor but talented young artists — was accepting submissions. The Czech composer bombarded the committee with 15 compositions, with excellent results: he won the stipend and would do so two more times in the following years. A report from the minister describes him as "33 years old, music teacher, completely without means... who has never yet been able to acquire a piano of his own." But financial support was not the only boon gained from these victories: Dvořák would enter upon a lasting friendship with one of the great German composers of the time, Johannes Brahms, who was a member of the judging committee — a friendship that lasted from 1877 to Brahms' death. It was Brahms who recommended Dvořák's 1877 submission, the Moravian Duets, to his publisher, who then commissioned Dvořák to write the Slavonic Dances. Unsure of where to begin, the Czech composer modeled them on Brahms' Hungarian Dances; he greatly admired the older composer, addressing him effusively as "Master" and "Your Nobleness" in their correspondence. The enthusiastic reception of the Moravian Duets and Slavonic Dances brought Dvořák international fame; performances were organized in France, England, and the United States. Western listeners found the national character of his music "bizarre and fantastic" and "semi-barbaric," but this only contributed to its charm and appeal. Dvořák wrote eight dances (Op. 46) in 1878 for piano 4-hands — the publisher soon