Program Notes Five Bagatelles, Op.

23 by Gerald Finzi Born in London, Finzi was educated privately, beginning his musical studies in 1914. The deaths of his three brothers and his music teacher in World War I caused Finzi to withdraw into an introspective lifestyle, collecting books, cultivating rare apple trees, and composing with great urgency. He moved among a prominent circle of London musicians, including Holst and Vaughn Williams. A devoted pacifist, Finzi reluctantly recognized the necessity of the second world war, working for the duration in the London Ministry of War Transport, while continuing to compose. He felt that art played a vital role in representing civilization. In 1951, Finzi was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease and as a result began to compose some of his most impassioned works. On an outing with Vaughn Williams in 1956 he contracted chickenpox and in his weakened state succumbed to the illness. Finzi's compositions continue in the style of other English composers such as Elgar, Parry, and Vaughn Williams. Lacking experimentation and modernity, his work was unfashionable in his time, however he did have a very distinctive voice characterized by sensitivity, grace, and an overwhelmingly elegiac tone. Finzi's output of instrumental works is relatively small compared to his impressive choral works, though he put a great deal of effort into their composition, constantly editing and reworking them even after they had been published. His Five Bagatelles (1943) for clarinet and piano is his most popular work today. The Prelude is characterized by youthful exuberance, with the piano accompaniment demonstrating the variety of devices to be used in the following movements: contrapuntal complexity, bouncing stride, and hymnlike chords. Graceful and relaxed, the Romance gently shifts between triple and duple meters with an impassioned middle section, while the Carol is even simpler, functioning as a light chorale with the main theme repeated in three different voices. In the Forlana, the tempo picks up with a dance-like pulse, as the piano and clarinet exploit both their dark and light registers through unexpected harmonic progressions. In the Fughetta, Finzi relies heavily on counterpoint, without ever losing a sense of melody or excitement, ending the work on a light and humorous note. Sonata for Saxophone and Piano by Bernhard Heiden Born in Germany, Heiden began composing at the age of six and went on to study composition under Hindemith at the prestigious Hochschule fr Musik in Berlin. In 1934 he married Cola de Joncheere, a fellow music student, and a year later, seeking to leave Nazi Germany, they emigrated to Detroit. Becoming naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1941, Heiden entered the army as an assistant bandmaster. After the war's close, he earned his M.A. from Cornell University and joined the teaching staff of Indiana University's School of Music, eventually becoming the chair of the composition department. He continued to compose actively until his death at the age of eighty-nine. In his compositions, Heiden pays very strict attention to form and texture, with his works often being described as both neoclassical and polyphonic. They are painstakingly balanced, with every musical idea literally repeated or directly contrasted by another voice. Most of Heiden's works are for wind and string chamber groups, as well as for solo instruments and piano, such as his Sonata for Saxophone and Piano (1937). In this piece, the first movement outlines a sort of sonata form, with contrasting themes, an increasingly complex development, and a brief recapitulation-like section. This movement has the two instruments conversing, with each musical statement by one receiving a polite and balanced response from the other. In the second movement, Heiden captures the essence of a rondo, with a very rapid opening theme which recurs in varied forms. This movement has the instruments working the closest together, with many of their musical ideas in perfect agreement. In the final movement, a dramatic and slow opening is interrupted by very rapid contrapuntal figures which alternate between the two instruments and are accented by unusual rhythmic pulses. In this movement, the saxophone and piano are clearly at odds, with each struggling to assert itself. Sonata No. 3 for horn and piano by Alec Wilder Wilder was born to an affluent family in Rochester, New York. After being kicked out of several prep schools, he legally divorced his family, gaining some of their fortune for himself, and moved to Manhattan. Mostly self-taught as a composer, Wilder studied at Eastman briefly, but left without completing a degree, though he would be awarded an honorary one in 1973. He was good friends with Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Tony

Bennett and other stars of American pop music and wrote a significant number of songs for the genre, including I'll Be There and While We're Young. In 1939 Wilder gained some attention in the area of classical music with a series of pieces for wind and rhythm instruments. The pieces blended pop music with classical forms, and had such unusual titles as Sea Fugue Mama, Amorous Poltergeist, and Neurotic Goldfish. In the 1950's, Wilder left the world of pop music and concentrated exclusively on works for unusual chamber groupings, as well as operas and orchestral works. Although admired by the musicians who performed his works regularly, such as John Barrows and Stan Getz, these works, with their heavy pop influence, were generally rejected by critics from both sides. Wilder continued to compose in spite of criticism until his death in 1980. Described as an American original, Wilder's compositional style is very unique, drawing on his various experiences with pop, classical, and jazz. His best works possess clarity and honesty, with singing melodies and phrases that seem to ooze into each other. In his Sonata No. 3 for horn and piano (1970), Wilder captures all these elements. The first movement is a mellow piece with jazz harmonies, broken up by surprisingly melodious moments of counterpoint. The second movement consists of fuller harmonies in a much darker register which leaves a very haunting impression. Wilder then surprises with a lively and swinging movement that has the two instruments playing off each other and finishes the entire work with a bright jazz waltz, the horn realizing a crystal clear melody with the piano providing particularly rich accompaniment. Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano, Op. 29 by Robert Muczynski Born in Chicago, Muczynski attended DePaul University where he studied piano with Knupfer and composition with Tcherepnin. He earned both his B.M. and M.M. in piano performance and made his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of twenty-nine performing his own works. In the years that followed he received numerous commissions and countless awards for compositions, usually playing his own piano parts at live premieres. He went on to teach composition at the University of Arizona in Tucson, eventually becoming chair of the department and professor emeritus, retiring in 1988. Having garnered international recognition, Muczynski's works are appearing with increasing frequency on programs throughout the world. Under ten minutes long, Muczynski's Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano (1970) possesses all the intensity and excitement of a significantly longer piece. The first movement is especially majestic, using the entire range of both instruments and alternating very heavy passages with those that are lighter and more ethereal. The second and final movement is much faster, incorporating rapid shifts between duple and triple meter. The interplay between the saxophone and piano is fascinating and complex, with moments of unison, repetition, and complete chaos all blending into each other seamlessly.