Turandot is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Though Puccini's first interest in the subject was based on his reading of Friedrich Schiller's[1] adaptation of the play, his work is most nearly based on the earlier text Turandot by Carlo Gozzi. Turandot was unfinished by the time of Puccini's death and was later completed by Franco Alfano. The first performance was held at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan on 25 April 1926 and conducted by Arturo Toscanini. This performance included only Puccini's music and not Alfano's additions.
SYNOPSIS Act 1 In front of the imperial palace The original 1926 scene design for Act I. A Mandarin announces the law of the land ( Popolo di Pekino! - "Any man who desires to wed Turandot must first answer her three riddles. If he fails, he will be beheaded" ). The Prince of Persia has failed and is to be beheaded at moonrise. As the crowd surges towards the gates of the palace, the imperial guards brutally repulse them, a blind old man is pushed to the ground. His slave-girl, Liù, cries for help. A young man hears her cry and recognizes the old man as his long-lost father, Timur, the deposed king of Tartary. The young Prince of Tartary is overjoyed seeing his father alive but urges him not to speak his name because he fears the Chinese rulers who have conquered Tartary. Timur tells his son that of all his servants, only Liù has remained faithful to him. When the Prince asks her why, she tells him that once, long ago in the palace, he smiled upon her (The crowd, Liù, Prince of Tartary, Timur: Indietro, cani! ). The moon rises, and the crowd's cries for blood turn into silence. The doomed Prince of Persia is led before the crowd on his way to execution. The young Prince is so handsome that the crowd and the Prince of Tartary are moved to compassion and call on Turandot to spare his life (The crowd, Prince of Tartary : O giovinetto! ). She appears, and with a single imperious gesture orders the execution to continue. The Prince of Tartary, who has never seen Turandot before, falls immediately in love. He cries out Turandot's name (three times) with joy, and the Prince of Persia echoes his final cry. The crowd screams in horror as the Prince of Persia is beheaded. The Prince of Tartary is dazzled by Turandot's beauty. He is about to rush towards the gong and strike it three times— the symbolic gesture of whoever wishes to marry Turandot—when the ministers Ping, Pong, and Pang appear and urge him cynically ( Fermo, che fai? ) not to lose his head for Turandot but to go back to his own country. Timur urges his son to desist, and Liù, who is secretly in love with the Prince, pleads with him ( Signore, ascolta! - "My lord, listen!" ) not to attempt the riddles. Liù's words touch his heart. The Prince tells Liù to make exile more bearable and never to abandon his father if the Prince fails to answer the riddles ( Non piangere, Liù - "Don't cry, Liù" ) . The three ministers, Timur, and Liù try one last time to hold the Prince ( Ah! Per l'ultima volta! ) but he refuses to listen. He calls Turandot's name three times, and each time Liù, Timur, and the ministers reply, "Death!", and the crowd gasp ("Ah!"). Rushing to the gong that hangs in front of the palace, he strikes it three times, declaring himself a suitor. From the palace balcony, Turandot accepts the challenge, as Ping, Pang, and Pong laugh at the prince's foolishness. [edit] Act 2 Scene 1: A pavilion in the imperial palace. Before sunrise Ping, Pang, and Pong lament their place as ministers, poring over palace documents and presiding over endless rituals. They prepare themselves for either a wedding or a funeral (Ping, Pang, Pong: Ola, Pang! ) . Ping suddenly longs for his country house in Honan, with its small lake surrounded by bamboo. Pong remembers his grove of forests near Tsiang, and Pang recalls his gardens near Kiu. The three share fond memories of life away from the palace (Ping, Pang, Pong: Ho una casa nell'Honan ) but are shaken back to the realities of Turandot's bloody reign. They continually accompany young men to death and recall their ghastly fate. As the palace trumpet sounds, the ministers ready themselves for another spectacle as they await the entrance of the Emperor. Scene 2: The courtyard of the palace. Sunrise The original 1926 scene design for Act II Scene II. The Emperor Altoum, father of Turandot, sits on his grand throne in his palace. He urges the Prince to withdraw his challenge but the Prince refuses (Altoum, the Prince: Un giuramento atroce ). Turandot enters and explains ( In questa reggia ) that her ancestress of millennia past, Princess Lo-u-Ling, reigned over her kingdom "in silence and joy, resisting the harsh domination of men" until she was ravished and murdered by an invading foreign prince. Lo-u-Ling now lives again in Turandot and out of revenge she has sworn never to let any man possess her. She warns the Prince to withdraw, but again he refuses. The Princess presents her first riddle ( Straniero, ascolta! ) "What is born each night and dies each dawn?" The Prince correctly replies, "Hope." The Princess, unnerved, presents her second riddle ( Guizza al pari di fiamma ) "What flickers red and warm like a flame, but is not fire?" The Prince thinks for a moment before replying, "Blood". Turandot is shaken. The crowd cheers the Prince, provoking Turandot's anger. She presents her third riddle ( Gelo che ti da foco ) "What is like ice, but burns like fire?" As the prince thinks, Turandot taunts him. Suddenly he cries out victory and announces, "Turandot!" The crowd cheers for the triumphant Prince. Turandot throws herself at her father's feet and pleads with him not to leave her to the Prince's mercy. The Emperor insists that an oath is sacred, and it is Turandot's duty to wed the Prince (Turandot, Altoum, the Prince: Figlio del cielo ). As she cries out in anger, the Prince stops her, saying that he has a proposal for her. "You do not know my name. Bring me my name before sunrise, and at sunrise, I will die" ( Tre enigmi m'hai proposto ). Turandot accepts. The Emperor declares that he hopes to call the Prince his son come sunrise. [edit] Act 3 Scene 1: The palace gardens. Night The original 1926 scene design for Act III Scene I. In the distance, heralds call out Turandot's command ( Cosi comanda Turandot—"This night, none shall sleep in Peking! The penalty for all will be death if the Prince's name is not discovered by morning" ). The Prince waits for dawn and anticipates his victory by singing "Nobody shall sleep!... Nobody shall sleep! Even you, O Princess" ( Nessun dorma ). Ping, Pong, and Pang appear and offer the Prince women and riches if he will only give up Turandot ( Tu che guardi le stelle ), but he refuses. A group of soldiers then drag in Timur and Liù. They have been seen speaking to the Prince, so they must know his name. Turandot enters and orders Timur and Liù to speak. The Prince feigns ignorance, saying they know nothing. Liù declares that she alone knows the Prince's name, but she will not reveal it. Ping demands the Prince's name, and when she refuses, she is tortured. Turandot is clearly taken by Liù's resolve and asks her who put so much strength in her heart. Liù answers "Princess, Love!". Turandot demands that Ping tear the Prince's name from Liù, and he orders her to be tortured further. Liù counters Turandot ( Tu che di gel sei cinta - "You who are begirdled by ice" ), saying that she too shall learn love. Having spoken, Liù seizes a dagger from a soldier's belt and stabs herself. As she staggers towards the Prince and falls dead, the crowd screams for her to speak the Prince's name. Since Timur is blind, he must be told about Liù's death, and he cries out in anguish. Timur warns that the gods will be offended by this outrage, and the crowd is subdued with shame and fear. The grieving Timur and the crowd follow Liù's body as it is carried away. Everybody departs leaving the Prince and Turandot. He reproaches Turandot for her cruelty (The Prince, Turandot: Principessa di morte ) and then takes her in his arms and kisses her in spite of her resistance. Here Puccini's work ends. The remainder of the music was completed by Franco Alfano. [12] The original 1926 scene design for Act III Scene II. The Prince tries to convince Turandot to love him. At first she is disgusted, but after he kisses her, she feels herself turning towards passion. She asks him to ask for nothing more and to leave, taking his mystery with him. The Prince however, reveals his name, "Calàf, son of Timur" and places his life in Turandot's hands. She can now destroy him if she wants (Turandot, Calàf: Del primo pianto ). Scene 2: The courtyard of the palace. Dawn Turandot and Calàf approach the Emperor's throne. She declares that she knows the Prince's name: "It is ... love!" ( Diecimila anni al nostro Imperatore! ). The crowd cheers and acclaims the two lovers ( O sole! Vita! Eternita ).
Saxed- 11:14 PM.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
TO ALL ACJC SAXOPHONISTS:
HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!!!
Lets do well for SYF! WE CAN DO IT! TOP BAND TOP BAND TOP BAND!
Saxed- 6:33 PM.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
TO ALL ACJC SAXOPHONISTS WHO ACTUALLY STILL BOTHER TO READ THIS BLOG.
MERRYCHRISTMAS!
love, KENNETHNEO YOUR BELOVED SL.
Saxed- 8:23 AM.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
EL CAMINO REAL
El Camino Real is a work for concert band by the American composer Alfred Reed. The following are the program notes that Alfred Reed wrote to accompany his composition: El Camino Real (literally "The Royal Road" or "The King's Highway") was commissioned by, and is dedicated to, the 581st Air Force Band (AFRES) and its Commander, Lt. Col. Ray E. Toler. Composed during the latter half of 1984 and completed in early '85, it bears the subtitle: "A Latin Fantasy. The music is based on a series of chord progressions common to countless generations of Spanish flamenco (and other) guitarists, whose fiery style and brilliant playing have captivated millions of music lovers throughout the world. These progressions and the resulting key relationships have become practically synonymous with what we feel to be the true Spanish idiom. Together with the folk melodies they have underscored, in part derived by a procedure known to musicians as the "melodizing of harmony," they have created a vast body of what most people would consider authentic Spanish music. The first section of the music is based upon the dance form known as the Jota, while the second, contrasting section is derived from the Fandango, but here altered considerably in both time and tempo from its usual form. Overall, the music follows a traditional three-part pattern: fast-slow-fast. The first public performance of El Camino Real took place on April 15th, 1985 in Sarasota, Florida, with the 581st Air Force Band under the direction of Lt. Col. Ray E. Toler.
Saxed- 4:00 AM.
FIRST SUITE IN Eb for Military Band The "First Suite in E-flat major for Military Band" (Op. 28, No. 1) is a cornerstone in the concert band repertoire. This piece, along with its sister piece, "Second Suite in F for Military Band", was written by the prominent British composer Gustav Holst. Aside from these two suites, Hammersmith and A Moorside Suite were his only band works. The First Suite, as it is informally called, was written for a full military band in 1909. During this time of band music, the repertoire was almost exclusively transcriptions from orchestral works. Holst's First and Second Suites are two of the very few works for concert bands that have been transcribed for orchestra.
Structure The First Suite has three movements, each with its own character and form. The complete composition is based upon a 8-measure melody reminiscent of English folk song; however, the tune is original to Holst. Most notably, the theme statement that initiates the first movement is developed throughout each movement. Its variations range in style from lyrical to playfully rhythmic to ornamentally embellished.
Movement 1: "Chaconne" This movement, in 3/4 time, is based upon an 8-measure melody initiated by the low brass which repeats sixteen times throughout the piece. This form is synonymous with a passacaglia, however both terms are often used interchangeably. The rhythm of the theme with its half note-quarter note and quarter note-half note rhythm is believed to be based upon medieval English carols; the "Agincourt Song" from 1415 in particular bears a strong resemblance. Holst uses many colorful effects to vary the chaconne theme. These include "band hits" (synonymous with the popular term "orchestra hits") in the brass and percussion outlining the notes of the theme while the woodwinds play virtuosic sixteenth-note runs. The whole passage is marked brilliante or "brilliantly." Exactly following this is a famous low brass excerpt where they play an eighth-note line based again on the notes of the theme. This section is marked pesante or "heavily" which sharply contrasts with the material directly before. Following this are more interesting variations using mostly combinations of solo instruments including a solo horn, duet between flute and oboe, and solo alto saxophone. This section eventually develops into a minor key. Two of the repetitions, the tenth and eleventh, are an inversion of the theme. Here the mood changes drastically with a funeral march like feel with the dynamics exceptionally soft. The bass drum and tuba emphasize a hemiola rhythm while a solo euphonium plays the inversion in a minor key. The twelfth, the theme played a third higher, is a famous trombone soli that hints at Holst's earlier years as a trombone player. Then a crescendo poco a poco extends over two more repetitions of the theme. At the height of the crescendo, more hemiola in the brass and saxophones is used to heighten the harmonic interest. The climax is at the top of the crescendo with the theme being stated in almost all of the low instruments. The higher instruments play soaring counterpoint lines, all of which is marked ff. The final repetition, stated in the trombones and low trumpets/cornets (an unusual combination for its day) is transposed up a fifth, chromatically altered, and extended. The movement ends with the trombones and trumpets/cornets playing against the rest of the band playing on beats one and two while the rest of the band is striking sustained chords on the third of each measure. Holst, in the final chord, interestingly drops out all of the bass voices from the band leaving a very brilliant sounding chord with high concert B-flats in the flutes, piccolos, and trumpets/cornets. This powerful coda is difficult to play well, but has very high emotional impact when it is. Movement 2: "Intermezzo" Nearly all of this movement is devoted to a rhythmic and well-articulated oboe, clarinet and cornet soli. The exploitation of wind band tone colour combinations flavor this movement. While the movement is predominanly light in character, the lyrical euphonium solo—another variation on the main theme from Mvmt. 1—provides contrast with sustained and rich tone
Movement 3: "March" The march is usually played at a march tempo, although many recordings play it quite fast. It opens with the famous bass drum solo, one of the few in the band literature. It features two primary melodies both very contrasting in style. The first is featured in brass section in the opening strain in a very marcato manner. The trio features the mid-low woodwinds with the second theme in a lyrical and legato manner with the euphonium providing a counterpoint melody. The finale of the march uses both melodies layered on top of one another and with variation in the woodwinds. The last few bars are very powerful (marked ffff) and have one of the most famous trombone solis in the band repertoire.
Instrumentation and Standard Editons There are three standard editions of the First Suite: 1909 Autograph Manuscript Written in Holst's own handwriting. 1948 Boosey and Co. Full Score Based on parts made by Boosey and Co. circa 1926. This edition was first made with a condensed score and later a full score circa 1948 was created from the parts by Boosey. Multiple errors are found in the score that are not shown in the original parts.
1984 Boosey and Hawkes Revised Edition (Ed. Colin Matthews) This edition merges the two preceding versions and also merges other sources and common playing practices of the Suite. For example, a suspended cymbal is added in the percussion part even though this is not indicated in the original manuscript or later Boosey edition; the part is only indicated as "cymbal" but is commonly performed not with the typical crash cymbals, but with a suspended cymbal. Miscellaneous parts are also included in the set for alto clarinet in E-flat, contrabass clarinet in B-flat, and two flugelhorns, all of which are ad lib. They are omitted from the score (due to their absence in the original manuscript), but remain in the set for convenience. The three standard versions' instrumentations are listed below side by side for comparison.
Symphonic Dances Bernstein later prepared a suite of orchestral music from the show, entitled Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. Although the suite is most frequently performed in its entirety, it is occasionally abbreviated. The full sequence is: Prologue (Allergo Moderato) "Somewhere" Scherzo (Vivaco e Leggiero) Mambo (Meno Presto) Cha-Cha (Andantino Con Grazia) Meeting Scene "Cool", Fugue Rumble Finale (Adagio)
Musical Ideas A common musical device in West Side Story is the tritone (also known as the augmented fourth). It is featured throughout the musical, such as the repeated word, Maria, in the song "Maria", and in the overture and all of the fight music ("The Rumble"). The interval is dissonant (that is, it sounds jarring and unsettled and creates musical tension). By embracing the musical disunity created by the tritone, Bernstein is providing a musical representation of the opposing gangs in West Side Story.
