The hiking is not the only local event that we have been able to experience. My question on Friday asked "What does an American composer, a British orchestra, and a small town in Germany have in common?" And for an explanation of that, I need to tell you about the concert we attended here in town on Friday night. Back in January, I mentioned about events that are held at the local performing arts/arena center, the BigBox. Well, we finally got to go see that concert I mentioned way back then for which we had tickets. It was great! The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (one of the best orchestras in the world - straight from London, England) played my favorite composition by American composer, Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring Suite" here in little ol' Kempten. I have wanted to hear this piece performed live ever since I discovered it.
In doing research on the piece before the concert (yes, I do research for just about everything), I found out a bit of info that I really didn't know before. Aaron Copland originally wrote the music as a ballet commission for a dancer named Martha Graham. The ballet was about a young couple starting out their married lives in the Quaker area of Pennsylvania. The piece was originally without title - being referred to as "Ballet for Martha". Never once during the entire time he was writing it did he have the Appalachian Mountains in mind. But the piece became associated with this beloved region when the dancer referred to it as such, latching on to a line in a poem by Hart Crane. It resonated so well with the music that the name stuck. Copland has said that he was always amused that people thought he had captured the spirit of the region so well when it never once occurred to him in writing the music. Sometimes, I think fate must play a hand in these things, because for me, it surely does capture the beauty and soul of those mountains. Kids, I recommend you take a moment for music appreciation and listen to this composer. He is one of the most important American composers ever, and his music is entirely dedicated to capturing the American spirit and experience. He has a couple of pieces you might recognize: "Rodeo", which has been used as the Beef Association's commercial music, and "Fanfare for the Common Man", which has been used for the Olympics music.
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is world-renown. It had its beginnings after World War II in 1946 as an attempt to bring the world's greatest music to the war torn country. Its reputation has grown, and over the years, it has attracted many leading conductors and artists alike. The orchestra on tour for this year had Leonard Slatkin, the principal guest conductor since 2005, as its conductor. He is an American conductor with many credentials to his name, including Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra in America and his winning of a Grammy for Best Classical Recording. Interestingly, he never spoke a word at the concert. I expected him to either address the audience in English or German, but it didn't happen.
I will have to say that I also learned that there is an Austrian classical composer that I will never purchase any recordings of - Gustav Mahler. We suffered through his music for the second portion of the concert, wondering if Mahler would ever find a melody. It takes a lot for me to not like classical music, but this one was the case. Amusingly for me, it was Mahler who brought the crowd to the BigBox. The man sitting next to me knew every chaotic rise and fall of the music. I very much wished to ask these Germans what they thought of the American music, but the opportunity never presented itself. I hope, at least, that they liked it half as much as they liked the Mahler. Perhaps, they also discovered the grand sounds of the pioneering spirit of America that Copland has brought us.
The word for the day is pioneer: der Pionier (pee o neer).
The question for the day is "What is the oldest female figurine in the world?"
Auf Wiedersehen,
Frau Spitzer
