Thom Ritter George

FIRST RHAPSODY FOR ORCHESTRA ("Summer Dances"), CN 284 (1974)

PROGRAM NOTES

Written in Quincy, Illinois, during Summer 1974, Thom Ritter George's First Rhapsody for Orchestra ("Summer Dances") was conceived as a showpiece for orchestra.  The instrumental writing is in a brilliant style and is meant to challenge the players musically and technically.  First Rhapsody for Orchestra won the Seventh Sigvald Thompson Award (1974) sponsored by the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestral Association.

The form of the composition is founded on three major dances.  These dances are connected by musical interludes derived from the introduction.  The tempo is fast throughout, and the music is played without pause.

After an agitated introduction, the first major dance is heard.  It is in 3/8 meter, D major, and bears the tempo marking "Giocoso."  Then, themes from the introduction are used to bridge the first and second dances.  The second dance is in A major and has alternating meters of 4/4, 3/4, and 2/4.  The tempo marking is "Vivace piacevole."  This music is lighter than that of the first dance.  Also, a more transparent instrumentation is used by the composer.  Once again, themes from the introduction are used, this time to connect the second and third dances.

The third dance is a driving rondo in 2/4 meter, G major-minor, and has the tempo marking "Presto."  Statements of the rondo theme are given in the tonal centers of G, B, D, and finally G again at the end.  This treatment of tonality is quite unlike the customary use of tonality in rondo form in which the main theme is always brought back in the tonic key.  By having the rondo theme return on the notes of the G major triad, the composer is emphasizing the fundamental tonality of the Rhapsody in an unorthodox, but logical, way.  The rondo harmony weaves back and forth between major and minor versions of the principal chord.  This technique allows neither the major nor the minor harmonization to predominate; rather, they co-exist, finally coming together in the last few measures of the piece.

First Rhapsody for Orchestra is subtitled "Summer Dances" because various feelings and emotions related to the Summer season are the core of the music's inner character.  Summer has a presence of its own.  It is at the same time both obvious and mysterious, extroverted and introspective, active and passive.

J. Robert Hanson conducted the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra in the first performance on November 16, 1975.

The instrumentation for First Rhapsody for Orchestra is three flutes (third flute alternates with piccolo), two oboes, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, and strings.

(TRGcm:2008.09.09)