Step to the Music

 

Late May and early June are the traditional times for graduation ceremonies. When Tomoko taught at San Domenico School, the girls graduated to classical music – often Vivaldi. Classical piano music is perfect for graduation ceremonies. Here is the ultimate graduation piano repertoire.

 

1. Processional Music (Walking to Seats)

This music should be steady, dignified, and elegant.

• "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by J.S. Bach: A serene, uplifting chorale that brings a sense of grace and accomplishment.
• "Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy: Smooth, dreamy, and atmospheric. Perfect if you want an ethereal, reflective background during the walk-in.
• "Gymnopédie No. 1" by Erik Satie: Minimalist and calm, ideal for a quiet, focused processional.

 

2. Interludes & Diploma Presentations

Music played softly while diplomas are handed out should be engaging without overwhelming the speakers.

• "Waltz in A-flat major, Op. 39, No. 15" by Johannes Brahms: A bright, buoyant, and joyful waltz.
• "Für Elise" by Ludwig van Beethoven: Highly recognizable and gentle, excellent for quieter moments.
• "Nocturne in E-flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2" by Frédéric Chopin: Luxurious and flowing, offering a warm, celebratory elegance.

 

3. Recessional Music (Exiting the Ceremony)

The final walk-out music should be triumphant, energetic, and grand.

• "Rondo alla Turca" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Fast-paced, bright, and sparkling with victorious energy.
• "Triumphal March" from Aida by Giuseppe Verdi: While originally an orchestral piece, stellar piano arrangements capture the exact triumphant, crowning-achievement.
• "War March of the Priests" by Felix Mendelssohn: A robust and commanding piece from Athalia that projects an undeniable sense of triumph and accomplishment.

 

 

Fall for these Romantic October composers

 

As fall can evoke a romantic spirit, let’s celebrate five Romantic composers who began their lives in October.

Verdi was born October 9 or 10, 1813, near Busselo (Italy). While yet a teenager, Video wrote a set of variations for the pianoforte, which he performed publicly in may venues. As an adult her also gave private lessons, included to Margherita Barezzi, who became his first wife. A romantic, operatic story in itself.

Liszt was born October 22, 1811, in Raiding, Hungary. Like Verdi, who was about the same age, Liszt was a Romantic composer, but his list of piano compositions and performance greatly outpaced Verdi’s. Liszt was also a professional concert pianist, from age 10, and continued for decades, becoming a 19^th century “star” in Europe. He also taught hundreds more students than Verdi.

Johann Strauss II was born October 25, 1825, in Vienna. He composed over 500 dance pieces amd other light music. Known as the Waltz king, he popularized the Viennese waltz.

Saint-Saens was born October 9, 1835, in Paris. He too was a Romantic composer and performer. He started his public piano performances at age 10, although he made more money as an organist.   He taught both organ and piano studies, but left that profession to focus on composing and performing. During World War I he performed frequently to raise money for war charities. Even at age 86 he was still playing professionally.

Bizet was born October 25, 1838, in Paris. Bizet was an award-winning pianist himself, but he didn’t want to be known for this skill, so he seldom performed publicly. Mainly known for his operas, especially Carmen, Bizet also composed for the piano, but was largely ignored for them. To make a living, Bizet made hundreds of piano transcriptions of other composers’ pieces.

 

Laboring Music

 Labor Day celebrates workers, which includes pianists and other musicians. Here is a sampling of classical music that honors labor. While most of these pieces were not originally composed for the piano, arrangements for piano are usually available.

Probably the most renown piece that celebrates labor is Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, which honors those who fought in WWII. In response, Joan Tower wrote Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman, which is scored identically to Copland’s Fanfare. Copland also honored cowboys in his ballet Rodeo; the selection “Hoe-Down” is frequently performed on the piano.

For most of civilization, farming has been the job of the majority of people. Schumann's “The Happy Farmer” is one piece from his collection Album for the Young,  which was written for his own children to teach them about the piano. All the pieces are relatively easy to play, unlike the work of the farmer.

Traditionally, learning a job was done through apprenticeships. Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice musically demonstrates how a little knowledge can do damage.

Satie's Sonatine Bureaucratique is a humorous parody of Clementi's Sonatina Op. 36 No. 1. It musically depicts the daily life of the Parisian bureaucrat.

Another pointed message about labor is conveyed in Antheil’s Ballet Mecanique. It was written the same year as Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, and focuses on urban labor. In this case, the repetitiveness of factory work is emphasized.

On the other hand, Verdi’s Il Trovatore is best known through its “Anvil Chorus”, sung by gypsies who are proud of their hard work.

The sometimes-troubling life of the worker is depicted in music as well. Mozart’s Figaro, a valet, has trouble with his Count master in The Marriage of Figaro. Later, in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, Figaro becomes a barber, but still has troubles with the Count.  Bizet’s Carmen follows the deeper troubles of a seductive cigarette worker.

Workers’ hard labor often led to unionization. Arnold’s Peterloo Overture was written for the 1968 centenary of the Trade Union Congress.

This Labor Day, we honor the labor of pianists and other musicians everywhere who make our labor a little easier to bear.

Music and Politics

Music is an expressive window to people’s beliefs and values. Although Tomoko does not dwell on politics, but she is proud to be an American citizen. Her musicianship even helped her gain that status; her immigration interviewer loved music and said, “I am a member of the Marin Symphony,” so it was an easy process.

Usually people associate musicians with modern-day politics in terms of protest songs, folk songs such as Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land,” and the blues such as Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit.”

Certainly classical music included patriotic anthems. However, classical composers also expressed a political voice counter to the establishment. For instance, Beethoven’s third symphony was initially called “Bonaparte,” but when Napoleon crowned himself emperor, the symphony was renamed “Heroic Symphony composed to Celebrate the Memory of a Great Man.” Verdi’s opera “Nabucco” symbolized resistance to domination by other countries. Wagner’s majestic music was co-opted by Hitler. In contrast, Shostakovich was denounced by the Communists because his music did not embrace Stalinist ideology.

One wonders what music will emerge out of the politics of 2020. Let us look for compositions of hope.

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