Episode 5 - Music for Winds
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Program
Francis JOHNSON (arr. Alice JONES)
Collection of New Cotillions
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
Quintet for Piano and Winds, Op. 16
Francis JOHNSON
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 16, 1972, Francis Johnson is the first American composer featured on The Chronophone. Johnson was, notably, the first Black American to have his music published, and he first gained public fame for his publications in 1818 with his Collection of New Cotillions (which you will hear on tonight’s episode). Throughout his lifetime, Johnson earned his reputation as a violist, virtuosic bugle player, bandleader, and composer, and as a composer he was incredibly versatile, working in a number of popular genres of the day including dance music, martial music, and sacred church music. In addition to his work as a composer, Johnson led the official band of the Philadelphia State Fencibles in both military and celebratory activities. He was highly sought after, and usually supplied music for important events, such as George Washington’s annual birthday celebrations, and major military receptions for people like General Lafayette (1824) and Jean Pierre Boyer (1825). He even performed in England for Queen Victoria, who was so taken with his talent that she awarded him a silver bugle. Despite his fame, Johnson was not immune to racism, and he experienced discrimination when he toured in several cities, especially New York, Providence, and St. Louis. Nevertheless, he triumphed over the discrimination and became a trailblazer for other Black musicians and composers of the day.
Johnson originally wrote his Collection of New Cotillions for solo piano. Published in 1818, it was the music that was responsible for launching him into the public eye. A cotillion is a social dance, and this set of dances highlights Johnson’s trademark ability to turn popular melodies into danceable forms. In this episode you will hear Alice Jones’s arrangement of Johnson’s Cotillions for oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, and piano. Alice Jones is a Texas-raised, Brooklyn-based listener, flutist, teacher, and dog lover (www.alicehjones.com). . . and a dear phriend of Phoenix! This particular arrangement was commissioned by and generously dedicated to Phoenix, and this episode marks its World Premiere. About her arrangement Jones writes:
“This arrangement is meant to be a companion piece to Beethoven and Mozart’s quintets for the same instrumentation (Op. 16 and K. 542, respectively), although my treatment of the ensemble’s color palette is at times more 21st century than classical, I have retained Johnson’s original ordering of movements.”
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
One of the most recognized composers of Western art music, Ludwig van Beethoven displayed his musical talents at a very young age. His extensive compositional output includes symphonies, chamber music, solo piano music, choral works, opera, and a litany of solo instrumental music (among others). His works were unprecedented in their individuality, dramatic power, and wide appeal, and he was responsible for fundamentally changing society’s concept of music and of composers. The beginning of his career is steeped in Enlightenment ideals as well as the music of Haydn and Mozart. Beethoven’s career is typically divided into three periods (early, middle, late) and in this episode we highlight his first period, which ends around 1802. This period reflects the murky line that “separates” the classical and romantic periods. Beethoven spent his youth in Bonn, Germany and was educated by his father and other local musicians. He was encouraged to further his studies with Haydn, so in November 1792, 22 year old Beethoven arrived in Vienna to work with the musical icon. While their student/teacher relationship did not last long, Beethoven deeply respected Haydn and his compositions, so much so that he waited until he was more established to take on the genre dominated by Haydn and Mozart at the time: the string quartet.
Instead, Beethoven sought out to establish his reputation as a composer in Vienna with a series of pieces for wind instruments, including the Septet, Op. 20 (which was the most popular piece during his lifetime), and the Quintet for Piano and Winds, Op. 16 (which you will hear on this episode). This output of wind music enabled the young composer to demonstrate his skill in the traditional modes of chamber music, without yet broaching the intimidating, and more high-stakes, string quartet. Beethoven wrote his Quintet for Piano and Winds in 1796; he modeled the piece on Mozart’s Quintet for Piano and Winds, K. 542 (1784); however, it was very much a product of Beethoven’s original style. The quintet stands right at the tipping point between the classical and romantic periods; you can clearly hear Beethoven’s regard for Mozart, especially in the formal and thematic design, but you can also hear Beethoven pushing the boundaries of expression, especially in the breathtaking second movement.
Credits
Musicians
Oboe: Andrew van der Paardt
Clarinet: Nicholas Brown
Bassoon: Christina Dioguardi
Horn: Nicholas Auer
Piano: Julia Scott Carey
Staff
Host: Chris Voss
Principal Videographer: Scott Quade
Assistant Videographer: Chris DeSanty
Recording Engineer: Antonio Oliart Ros
Video Editor: Michael Schondek
Research conducted by: Christina Dioguardi
Recording venue: GBH’s Fraser Recording Studio
Thank Yous
And a big thank you to John Carey for letting us use his home to rehearse!
Bibliography
Burkholder, J P., Donald J. Grout, and Claude V. Palisca. A History of Western Music. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2014.
Jones, Alice. Program notes for Cotillions for Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon, and Piano. ASCAP: tinyefforts, 2020.
Kerman, Joseph, Alan Tyson, Scott G. Burnham, Douglas Johnson, and William Drabkin. “Beethoven, Ludwig van.” Grove Music Online. https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.40026.
La Brew, Arthur R. “Johnson, Frank.” Grove Music Online. https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.A2249913.