Blossom Festival Band: A Salute to America

(The full program can be found below)

My personal tradition since moving to Cleveland has been to attend Blossom's Independence Day festivities. This year marked my ninth year attending, and Rachel and my's third year and enjoying the Blossom Festival Band under the direction of Loras John Schissel, an able conductor and a Senior Musicologist from the Library of Congress.

(Incidentally, since I pick up a few hits from the DC area around this time each year, Rachel will be interning with the Library in Washington DC in August and September -- if anyone knows someone whit a spare bedroom or couch available for rent rent in the area please drop me a line at lincoln at lincolnincleveland dot com.)

I had an unplanned trip to New York on Tuesday and had planned on returning Wednesday afternoon, but due to the wonders of United's reliability, about 6 hours after I first started trying to get back to Cleveland I just changed the flight to a 6am Thursday morning -- meaning that I was awake starting about 3:30. Not being a morning person to begin with, by the time concert time rolled around I was basically in a perpetual state of yawn. (You know you're too far gone when the cannon fire in the 1812 Overture doesn't stir you...)

The program was the typical fare -- patriotic pieces with a few more Sousa pieces than I'd personally like-- and you'll find my reactions to many of those pieces in my prior posts about the annual patriotic tradition.

Worth particular note, however were Copland's Variations on a Shaker Melody and Anthony O'Toole's arrangement of George F Root's The Battle Cry of Freedom. I learned from Mr. Schissel's introduction of Variations on a Shaker Melody that it's parent piece (the ballet Appalachian Spring - also a favorite of mine) was a commission by The Library of Congress for Martha Graham  The Shaker Melody is also known by its first few lyrics ('tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be free...) and the variations were interesting in their treatments of this from delicate and understated to bold, forceful declarations.

Meanwhile, Anthony O'Toole's treatment of The Battle Cry of Freedom -- receiving what is believed to be the first public performance with these concerts -- stated "elegiacal" (to borrow Mr. Schissel's description which I fully endorse) but took on a cinematic and triumphant swell about midway through the piece and became more of a declaration of future freedom the respect for past freedoms that seemed to mark the first half.

Mr Schissel's own November 25, 1963 had an intense and somewhat haunting drum beat

There were at least two encore pieces following the official end of the program, however, I was far too tired to stay and enjoy.

Key (arr. Schissel): The Star-Spangled Banner
Gomes: Overture: II Guarany
Sousa: Federal
Copland: Variations on a Shaker 
Root (arr. O'Toole): The Battle Cry of Freedom
Gould: Pavanne
Sousa: March: Jack Tar
Rodgers: Symphonic Synthesis: Victory At Sea
Goldwin: On the Mall
Sousa: Semper Fidelis
Sousa: Humoresque on Jerome Kern's "Look for the Silver Lining"
Schissel: November 25, 1963
Traditional: March-Past of the U.S. Armed Forces
Tchaikovsky: Overture: The Year 1812

Lincoln

Cleveland Orchestra/Blossom Festival Band: A Salute To America

I've lived in Cleveland for about eight years and two weeks. Tonight, Rachel and I headed out to Blossom for my eighth fourth of July with Loras John Schissel* and the Blossom Festival Band. The first half of the program had some staples, but a number of fresh and very enjoyable pieces. An intermission snafu** had me too livid, and Rachel in too much physical pain to really enjoy the second half, though, I didn't get the sense of much fresh blood there to begin with.

As always, first up on the program was the traditional Star Spangled Banner.  Immediately following, Joseph Wilcox Jenkins' American Overture for Band blew fresh air into the pavilion and created the imagery of wide open prairies, neighborly small towns, and even a hint of industry -- one of my favorites from the program. While listening to Sousa's Century of Progress, an addition to the program, I found myself thinking--and jotted down the note "feels like music for a World's Fair exhibit" (thinking of the faded old film strips of the "world of tomorrow" from the '30s and '40s) -- and Mr. Schissel satisfied my curiosity by mentioning that it was written in anticipation of the 1933 Chicago World's Fair.

Ballad for Band, Morton Gould's contribution as the fourth piece on the program, started significantly more subdued than the other pieces on the program and developed like a starless night before firing off some fireworks and ending with a musical kiss goodnight. Fillmore's Miami, another addition to the program, didn't do much for me but the sounds made me think "cruise ship". Lincoln's Funeral March scored for band by Jari Villanueva based on the original piano score by General J.C. Barnard, though tugged more firmly on the heartstrings and much more vivid imagery: I could see the horses drawing the casket past mourners dressed in black, but in the same token while the music was respectfully mournful, while hinting at optimism. Claudio S. Garfulla's Quick-Step: Skyrockets was a bit less compelling and was largely disrupted by a yakking family in the row behind us.

The eighth piece is listed in the program as Music from Taras Bulba by Franz Waxman and announced as the Ride to Durbano (sp?) and seemed appropriate for a gallop or old-time convertible jalopy ride. Closing out the first half of the program was the light fun of Wilson's A Hunting Scene (complete with animal calls) and the staple, Sousa's Semper Fidelis.

As mentioned, we had no warning of the impending end of intermission, and though my paranoia had Rachel and I heading back to our seats in the pavilion, we were still in transit when the orchestra started tuning and the first piece of the second half. If performed as programmed, Music by George-Lyrics By Ira: A Gershwin Medley--instead of hearing that piece, Rachel, a couple dozen other patrons and I were hearing ushers say that they knew no warning chimes could be heard and it was a ongoing problem but offer no real apology. My blood was still boiling for the second piece -- again, if performed as programmed that would be Leroy Anderson's Serenta.

By the third piece, my irritation had calmed and was replaced by concern for Rachel who was not looking at all comfortable -- and by this point we had reached the rote standards that form part of the Independence Day obligation -- the traditional March-Past of the U.S. Armed Forces, Tchaikovsky's Overture The Year 1812 (incidentally, through Mr. Schissel's commentary I learned that it's only really been an Independence Day staple since the Boston Pops played it in 1976 -- only a bit more than 30 years ago). God Bess America and Stars and Stripes Forever rounded out the musical program before the fireworks started.

Lincoln
*- Senior Musicologist at the Library Of Congress. Incidentally, it's interesting how many unique visitors from the Washington DC area this post in previous years has picked up.

**- Long story, but it involves the customary chimes to warn the impending end of intermission either not being played or not being played at an adequate volume (with a number of unhappy consequences)

Cleveland Orchestra/Blossom Festival Band: A Salute to America

[The complete program for this evening's concert is at the end of this post]
Loras John Schissel, conductor.

For each of the now eight years I've lived in Cleveland, I spent my fourth of July with Loras John Schissel and the Blossom Festival Band at Blossom Music Center -- also marking the beginning of the  Cleveland Orchestra's season at Blossom. As with last year, Rachel and I met up with her parents and brother for a picnic on the lawn before the concert started. I'm pretty sure that this was the hottest of the eight years, and from the time we started picnicking just after 5:30 until we excused ourselves to find seats in the pavilion, at about 7:30, if anything I think the temperature went up.

The program, as always, started with The Star Spangled Banner and ended with Tchaikovsky's Overture to The Year 1812 and Sousa's Stars and Stripes. The gooey filling in this musical sandwich was pleasantly varied and a lovely if sweltering evening of music.

No doubt my favorite of this evening's selections was John Williams's The Cowboys' Overture which was full of energy, well paced, and  delightfully textured. The piece conjured images of the excitement on the range, a quiet almost tender (within the confines of tender for a cowboy) evening scene, a sunrise, and even more action.

Sousa's Liberty Bell was more restrained than Williams's Overture and brought about a distinctly naval feeling, most clearly through a somewhat irregular bell clanging making me think of a ship at sea. Later in the program, Grainger's Shepherd's Hey was light and frothy, with hints of a jig. The quick-moving second part seemed almost Disney-cartoon-esque.

The sixth and seventh pieces on the program a march by Victor Herbert and Sousa's March: Nobles of the Mystic Shrine was an interesting contrast. The first seemed a clear march, and more than adequate for music you might encounter in a small town's parade, while the later had quite a bit of pomp and would have likely felt much out of place in the same parade.

The Symphonic Synthesis from Victory at Sea was an impressive piece of music and Rachel leaned over and noted that it makes her want to join a band again. (No word on when she will actually do this, however)
During intermission we checked in with Rachel's parents and a group of our friends out on the lawn -- eyeing the dark skies with lightning on the horizon we suggested that our friends avail themselves of the General Admission seating in the pavilion. As Intermission ended, Mr. Schissel returned to the stage with two announcements -- one encouraging those on the lawn to feel free to migrate to the pavilion, and the other was never made because at that moment the skies opened and the lawn disappeared from behind an impenetrable fog of rain and a mass of people streamed into the pavilion.

Once the human element was settled back down, the concert picked up with Mancini Magic which was interesting, but largely drowned out by the sounds of the downpour.

A tremendous thunderclap punctuated Mr. Schissel's introduction of narrator's Robert Conrad and Harold Walters, Duty, Honor, Country, and smaller thunderclaps followed -- almost as if the heavens were announcing the approval of tonight's concerts.

Lincoln
The program (as performed):
Key/Smith/Sousa: The Star Spangled Banner
Williams: Overture: The Cowboys
Sousa: Liberty Bell
Grainger: Colonial Song
Grainger: Shepherd's Hey
Herbert: Gold Bug
Sousa: March: Nobles of the Mystic Shrine
Rodgers: Victory at Sea, Symphonic Synthesis
Van Alston: In the Dark
Anderson: Sleigh Ride
Sousa: Semper Fidelis
Mancini: Mancini Magic
Walters: Duty, Honor, Country, Robert Conrad, narrator
Traditional: March-Past of the United States Armed Forces
Tchiakovsky: Overture: The Year 1812 

Blossom Festival Band: Stars and Stripes and Sousa Forever

(The full program can be found at the end of this post)

This weekend marked the beginning of the Cleveland Orchestra's Blossom Festival season -- this year, with three unique concerts. Though the contents of both the Saturday and Sunday concerts intrigued me, for the sixth year (of six years living in Cleveland) I marked my 4th of July with Loras John Schissel and the Blossom Festival Band... on the 4th of July itself.

This year my girlfriend joined me: We had two of the best box seats in the house, while her mother, father, and brother opted to enjoy the concert from the lawn. Another first, we picnicked on the lawn before the concert -- enjoying a wonderful early summer evening. Although featuring Mr. Schissel's trademark of abandoning the printed program in favor of frequent additions and rearrangements, the concert otherwise seemed fresh--there, were, of course, the patriotic staples, but everything in between seemed new, certainly not rote.

The wildlife was as lively as the program, with birds happily chirping away throughout (though, as my date an I both noted for Fucik's Florentine March, not necessarily on tempo); in the program opener, Thomas Knox's American Pageant there's a passage that instrumentally sings God Shed His Grace on Thee" as those notes were played, a bird dove from the pavilion rafters and gracefully zipped about the pavilion-- I couldn't help but to think of Tinkerbell.

Everything seemed a bit more lively than years past; the crowd certainly seemed a bit louder and more enthusiastic, although, it seemed like the number of people standing for their branch's music in the March-Past of the United States has thinned from year to year. It was difficult to choose a favorite from the program... Meditation: The Light Eternal had a beautiful sound and a touching story; Galop from Moskva Cheryomushki was fast and full of energy; Tone Poem: America was beautifully graceful at points -- and included chains at others.

Unannounced, the piece just before Field Artillery was quite amusing with musicians leaving the stage -- and occasionally hurling objects at Mr. Schissel -- while the piece was in progress... One musician even made good show at attempting to carry on a cell phone call, while shushing the conductor.

Following the concert my girlfriend and I rejoined her family where -- for the first time, actually -- we stayed to watch an incredible fireworks show, with the percussive explosions reverberating out of the pavilion for added impact.

Happy (belated) Independence Day

Lincoln
The Program (In order played; not as printed)
Knox: American Pageant
Sousa: Pathfinder of Panama
Sousa: Mosaic: Songs of Grace and Songs of Glory
Sousa: Power and Glory
Fucik: Florentine March: La Rosa di Toscana
Shostakovitch: Gallop from Moskva Cheryomushki
Sousa: Dauntless Battalion
Sousa: Tone Poem: America
Unannounced
Sousa: Field Artilerary
Sousa: Washington Post
Sousa: New York Hippodrome
Swearingen: Meditation: The Light Eternal (The Legend of the four Chaplains)
Traditional: March-Past of the United States Armed Forces
Tchaikovsky: Overture: The Year 1812
Berlin: God Bless America
Sousa: Stars and Stripes Forever

Blossom Festival Band: Salute To The USA

If you're having deja vu about the post title it is because I apparently can't read ticket stubs properly: Friday's concert was An American Celebration, tonight's concert was the Salute to the USA. As is typical for this event, the printed program was a rough guide for the evening, additions are noted with underline in the program, which follows this post.

This is my fifth year at Blossom for the Fourth of July weekend, and of course this concert draws a much different demographic than the typical concert weekend. Like the majority of the audience I don't go to this concert to listen critically or necessarily discover new music, but rather I go to share a summer evening with those strangers with whom I share a common bond: Namely citizenship.

The concert has the challenge of including the "patriotic staples" to avoid committing heresy while introducing enough variety that the program doesn't become rote. The first half of the program, by that standard was adventurous, with the overture from La Mutette de Portici receiving a somewhat tepid response (and honestly, it seemed somewhat out of place--especially without any context).

John Phillip Sousa is best known for his marches, and Sousa's Under the Cuban Flag was an interesting glimpse into a lesser-heard side of the composer's work--though at first glance the title seems at odds with an American Independence Day celebration. Loras John Schissel's coments about Sousa's band's prohibition-era trip to Cuba with instruments and their cases serving as vessels to smuggle alcohol arguably showcases part of the American spirit. Anderson's Sleigh Ride was a fun insertion on a warm summer evening.

The program following intermission was much less adventuresome. It was a little disturbing that I involuntarily mouthed along the introduction to the March-Past of the United States Armed Forces...and that I don't think it has varied by so much as a beat in the past five years.

America The Beautiful was possibly my favorite piece from the program and the sounds of birds chirping and children playing on the Blossom lawn added a certain ambiance only possible in a venue like Blossom; the same sounds of children playing sadly juxtaposed with Schissel's own somber composition Memorials, dedicated to those who have given their lives for our country.

It was interesting to contrast the Blossom Festival Band rendition of The 1812 Overture tonight to Friday's Cleveland Orchestra presentation of the same: I'm not sure I prefer one over the other, but tonight's--presented without the choral parts--seemed more familiar. I successfully suppressed my urge to jump at the sound of cannon fire, but it was amusing to watch the people in front of me, without exception, jump up and to the right in their seats. I'm still saying that it's overplayed, however.

Smith: The Star Spangled Banner
Auber: Overture to La Mutette de Portici
Sousa: Washington Post
Grainger: Molly on the Shore
Traditional: Yankee Doodle (arr. Schissel)
Sousa: Under the Cuban Flag from Cubaland Suite
Anderson: Sleigh Ride
Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 14
Goldwin: On the Mall
Sousa: Simper Fidelis
(Intermission)
Jager: Esprit de Corps (after the Marines' Hymn)
Schissel: Memorials
Traditional: America The Beautiful (arr. Dragon)
Traditional: March-Past of the United States Armed Forces
Tchaikovsky: Festival Overture: The Year 1812
Berlin: God Bless America
Sousa: Stars and Stripes Forever.

May your Deity bless America.

Lincoln