Thom Ritter George

BALLADE FOR ORCHESTRA, CN 278 (1972)

PROGRAM NOTES

The Harvard Dictionary of Music gives these words to explain the origin of the Ballade:  "In German usage the word Ballade denotes poems derived from English ballads, but of greater artistic elaboration and poetic refinement.  They usual deal with medieval matters... heroic deeds and knightly love, thus justifying the title Ballade."  Carl Loewe was the great 19th Century master of songs by this name.  The ballade idea was also used by Chopin, Brahms, and others, as a basis for solo piano compositions.

After a long period of planning and thought about this symphonic work, Thom Ritter George composed his BALLADE FOR ORCHESTRA in a short period of time.  The piece was sketched between September 28 and October 3, 1972, and the full score ws completed on October 8, 1972.  After the opening introduction, the following Allegro is written in second rondo form, ABABA.  Throughout most of this fast section, the strings play rapid, undulating background figurations over which the chief ideas of the piece are placed.  Since the themes are of contrasting emotional temperament, joining them together to make a smooth artistic whole led the composer to treat the musical material in the manner of a symphonic poem.

The score carries the following inscription: "Written for the 25th Season of the Quincy Symphony Orchestra."  Thom Ritter George conducted the Quincy Symphony Orchestra in the first performance on December 6, 1972.

The instrumentation for Ballade for Orchestra is piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, and strings.

(TRGcm:2008.09.09)