PROGRAM NOTES

Reena Esmail | Ram Tori Maya (2019 rev. 2022)

Reena Esmail brings together Indian classical music and Western classical traditions in Ram Tori Maya. Originally written in 2019 for two Hindustani singers and string quartet, the piece is based on a traditional North Indian bhajan, a devotional song reflecting on the distractions of the material world. Esmail later arranged the work for string orchestra, allowing the instruments to double the original vocal lines. Throughout the piece, the strings imitate the expressive slides and ornaments of Indian vocal music, creating a connection between the two musical traditions. 

William Dawson | Break, Break, Break (1928)

Best known for his Negro Folk Symphony, William Dawson (1899–1990) was an African American composer, conductor, and longtime director of the Tuskegee Institute Choir. Break, Break, Break sets a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, written in memory of his close friend Arthur Hallam. The poem uses images of waves breaking against the shore to explore grief, loss, and the passage of time.

Written for chorus, solo voices, and accompaniment, Dawson’s composition alternates between slow, reflective passages and more energetic sections. The score includes detailed instructions for changes in volume and expression, including a passage where the chorus is directed to sing softly, almost in an undertone. The work survives in Dawson’s handwritten manuscript, offering a glimpse into a lesser-known part of his musical career.

Aaron Copland | Clarinet Concerto (1948)

Commissioned by jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman in 1947, Copland’s Clarinet Concerto brings together classical and jazz influences. The work consists of two contrasting movements connected by an unaccompanied clarinet solo. The first movement is slow and lyrical, while the second introduces lively rhythms inspired by jazz and Brazilian popular music.

Artie Shaw | Clarinet Concerto (1940)

Best known as one of the leading clarinetists of the swing era, Artie Shaw composed his Clarinet Concerto in 1940. Featured in the Fred Astaire film Second Chorus, the piece combines elements of jazz, blues, and classical music. Unlike a traditional concerto with several movements, Shaw’s work unfolds in one continuous section, featuring contrasting tempos, lively rhythms, and demanding solo passages. The piece concludes with a famously high note that showcases the clarinet’s remarkable range.

Leonard Bernstein | Prelude, Fugue and Riffs (1949)

Written in 1949 for Woody Herman’s big band, this piece combines classical musical forms with the rhythms and sounds of jazz. It is divided into three connected sections: a Prelude featuring brass instruments, a Fugue featuring saxophones, and Riffs, which brings the ensemble together with a prominent solo clarinet part. Although Herman’s band never performed it, the work premiered on television in 1955, conducted by Bernstein and featuring clarinetist Al Gallodoro.

Leonard Bernstein | Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (1960)

Inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Bernstein’s groundbreaking 1957 Broadway musical West Side Story tells the story of Tony and Maria, two young lovers caught between rival New York City gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. The musical combines classical music, jazz, and Latin American rhythms.

In 1960, Bernstein adapted music from the show into Symphonic Dances, with assistance from orchestrators Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal. Premiered by the New York Philharmonic in 1961, the suite features nine connected sections that capture the musical’s romance, conflict, and tragedy. Rather than following the original story in order, the music is rearranged into a standalone orchestral work.

Familiar moments include the energetic Mambo, the romantic Cha-Cha associated with Tony and Maria’s first meeting, and the tense Rumble. The suite concludes with music from I Have a Love, recalling the earlier Somewhere theme and its vision of a more peaceful world.

Leonard Bernstein | Make Our Garden Grow from Candide (1956)

Candide, based on Voltaire’s satirical novella, follows a young man whose optimistic outlook is repeatedly challenged by life’s hardships. In the musical’s finale, Make Our Garden Grow, the characters turn away from idealistic promises and embrace the value of working together. The music builds from a quiet opening into a powerful conclusion featuring solo voices, chorus, and orchestra.