January 12, 2025

Music of the 18th Century and earlier was the focal point of our concert with the Lansing Symphony Friday night, but only one work on the program was actually from the 18th Century. Aside from the Haydn Symphony No. 43 itself, the rest of the program featured more modern composers each of whom found inspiration in earlier times.
 
We opened with a world premiere from our Composer-in-Residence, Jared Miller. Jared’s work explored what might be possible for a 21st Century composer facing the limitations of size and scope of the 18th Century orchestra.  Orchestras of that time tended to be smaller than today's with limited wind and percussion resources. This self-imposed limitation was one Jared borrowed from one of the popular cooking shows where chefs were challenged with preparing a meal using only American Colonial Era appliances and ingredients.  In his composition, Jared proved beyond a doubt that, in the hands of skilled and inspired composer, there were still limitless possibilities in that seemingly limited ensemble.
 
Richard Strauss, in his Second Horn Concerto, played brilliantly by our Principal Horn Corbin Wagner, looked back in dedicating the work to his father, Franz Josef a horn player. The work is also something of an homage to Mozart who wrote four concertos for horn and orchestra between the years 1783 and 1791.
 
Respighi stretched the nostalgia trip even farther, reaching back to the Renaissance for his “Trittico Botticelliano” a work celebrating the great painter. This is a real gem of a work, unfortunately not often performed. Kudos to our Principal Bassoon Michael Kroth and Principal Oboe Stephanie Shapiro for their exquisite solos in that work.
 
Even among these modern composers, Haydn still holds his own. Yes, his music is easily identifiable as of the 18th century, but it never sounds dated or stale. He was a font of creativity, a seeker, and a musical explorer. His explorations were not for the sake of innovation itself, but for the sake of keeping the musical experience of his audience fresh and alive.
 
Haydn was a master of creating expectations and then, at the last second, deflecting the path, a type of musical sleight of hand. He created music of surprising dramatic scope for his day, but also filled with grace, emotional complexity, vitality and wit. He keeps his listener on the edge of the seat, as the avant garde of the 1700’s. He changed forever the way music would be written, and we feel that spirit in his music still today.
 
Haydn’s innovations in structure, color, harmony  and invention created the mold that would guide composers for centuries and still does in many ways. Every composer of symphonies, string quartets and sonatas up to today built on Haydn’s work in one way or another, and even those composers who were disrupters were responding to Haydn’s legacy. The “rules” they were breaking were the ones Haydn created.
 
For decades Haydn has been among my favorite composers.  His massive output includes over 100 symphonies, 68 string quartets, and over 60 piano sonatas, not to mention a great number of works in other genres. There is always something new, rich, and surprising to find, even in the works you already know.  It was especially wonderful to explore his symphony with my colleagues in the Lansing Symphony who delivered a performance of which I am sure Haydn would have been pleased.
 
NEXT UP
 
February 2, 2025
 
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
WINTERLUDE
 
St. Pauls Episcopal Church
Lansing, Michigan
3:00 p.m.
 
Gounod                Petite symphony
Biedenbender   Kyrie (for Machaut and Paart)
Reger              Serenade in B-flat
Mozart            Serenade No. 10, “Gran Partita”
 
#JaredMiller #CorbinWagner #LansingSymphony