PROGR A M NOTES
c o n t.
PAUL DUKAS – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice French composer Paul Dukas may rightly be termed a one-hit-wonder. Despite his first-rate education, his prominent position as a teacher of composition at the Paris Conservatoire, and a catalogue of respectable works, Dukas’ reputation rests almost entirely on his brief orchestral scherzo The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Upon its completion in 1897 the work proved to be an immediate success, bringing its composer a measure of fame that he had never before enjoyed and, sadly, was never to see again. Almost 50 years later the work achieved even greater popularity after being immortalized by Mickey Mouse in the 1940 Disney classic movie, Fantasia. Dukas’ inspiration for The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was Wolfgang Goethe’s ballad Die Zauberlehrling, the tale of a magician’s hapless young assistant. Having observed his master bring a broomstick to life, the apprentice seeks to do the same. He utters the appropriate incantation, animates the broomstick, and orders it to fetch water from a nearby well to fill the sorcerer’s empty cistern. The cistern is soon overflowing but the apprentice cannot remember the appropriate spell to stop his wooden servant. In desperation he chops the broomstick in half, but that causes two brooms to emerge and further inundates the house with water. Disaster is averted only when the sorcerer returns and, with a wave of his hand, restores order. All of the action in Goethe’s poem is masterfully portrayed in Dukas’ brilliant music, where the composer’s highly developed sense of color and his mastery of orchestral effects served him well in depicting the supernatural, fantastic spirit of the story. He begins by evoking a magical, once-upona-time atmosphere with muted strings, fluttering woodwinds, and a harp. A fanfare-like figure in the brass represents the life-bringing incantation, while a delightfully comedic theme introduced by the bassoon portrays the demonic broomstick and the increasingly agitated young apprentice. The bustling action comes to a halt as the sorcerer returns home, and we hear the mysteriously hushed opening material once again. JOHN WILLIAMS – Harry Potter Symphonic Suite In a career spanning over six decades, John Williams has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in cinematic history, including Jaws, Superman, E.T. the ExtraTerrestrial, Home Alone, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Lincoln, the Star Wars saga, and in recent years, the first three Harry Potter films. He has won five Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, and twenty-one Grammy Awards. The popularity of Williams’ scores has inevitably meant that much of his music has enjoyed a life outside of the movie theater. Indeed, since his success with Star Wars in 1977, he has culled some of the most popular themes from many of his films and arranged them into works for the concert hall. The Symphonic Suite from Harry Potter brings together several of the most popular tunes from the first three Potter films. Though the music is continuous, it falls into seven distinct sections. “Hedwig’s Flight” uses the delicate sounds of the celesta, along with strings and woodwinds, to portray Harry’s pet owl, who serves as his messenger and confidant. The lilting, waltz-like melody and light, gossamer orchestral colors suggest the bird’s flight. “Broomstick Practice” is a raucous trumpet theme which accompanies the young wizards as they test out their magical modes of transportation for the first time, then quickly segues into “Hogwarts Forever,” a noble, nostalgic school song. “Diagon Alley” is the main shopping and commercial street in London’s wizarding world, depicted here as a cornucopia of sights and sounds. The terror of the Dark Lord, Voldemort, is conjured up in an eerie melody featuring brass and tolling bells. In contrast, “Quidditch” is a sprightly theme associated with the boisterous game played on broomsticks by Harry and his schoolmates. The suite is brought to a close by the sweeping, richly orchestrated theme known as “Harry’s Wondrous World.” The Wizard of Oz and Other Wizards
3