Music Through the Years
This past weekend, on February 29, 2020, Brittany Peterson hosted at the Sammons Center for the Arts, the recital “Music Through the Years” with Uptown Violins' members Allison Peterson, Christy Peterson, and Kerri Parr, as well as her violin studio and guest musicians Heather Lovell (piano), Darin Parker (drums), and Matt Gregg (piano).
In honor of Brittany’s recital and upcoming birthday, we wanted to share the program notes of these wonderful works!
Baroque Era (1660-1750)
- Partita No. 2 in d minor, Allemande J.S. Bach (1685-1750)
- Minuet 3 J.S. Bach (1685-1750)
- Concerto for 2 Violins J.S. Bach (1685-1750)
Johann Sebastian Bach, renowned German Baroque composer, was arguably the most famous composer of all time. Born on the heels of the Renaissance musical era, he developed common tonality—the chord structures, forms, and key signatures—we use today. His polyphonic counterpoint is a staple to his music. He composed extensively for churches and royal courts. He was also an accomplished improviser, a talent valued in the 21st-century. His ornate work is filled with fancy trills and turns. His concertos even formed some of the earliest orchestras.
4. Concerto in G Major for 2 Violins Op. 8, No. 5, 3rd mvt
Giuseppe Torelli (1658-1709)
Corelli, an Italian composer, violinist, and violist, is surprisingly well-known for his trumpet compositions. He also developed the movements for instrumental concertos.
Classical Era (1750-1820)
5. Variations based off of Twinkle
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: (1756-1791)
Mozart, an Austrian composer, was a prodigy as a child. His brilliance on keyboard, violin, and composition earned him acclaim at an early age. He was prolific, composing over 600 works for many different kinds of ensembles. The pure, clean nature of his music produces a delicate, clear sound. During the classical era, melody rose in prominence over polyphony. Instrumentally, the piano replaced the harpsichord, and orchestras grew in size.
Romantic Era (19th century)
6. Waltz in A minor
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
Chopin was a brilliant musician and composer. He mostly wrote works for solo piano. He used folk tunes from his Polish heritage to exemplify his national identity.
7. Wedding Day at Troldhaugen
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
This Norwegian composer and pianist also drew from his national folk music. He was a true Romantic, as he composed this work for his wife for their 25th anniversary. The romantics were often emotional, heavy, and grandiose, with a flair for the dramatic. They used large orchestras, extreme dynamics, and they pushed the boundaries of chromatic harmony. Their programmatic works told stories in addition to the musical compositions.
20th Century
8. Gypsy Caprice
Fritz Kreisler: (1875-1962)
The Viennese Austrian composer and violinist remains one of the most renowned violinists who ever lived. He possessed a gorgeous tone and employed expressive phrasing. As the title suggests, Gypsy Caprice represents the music of the gypsies due to its carefree nature, as well as its deviation from traditional tonali
Jazz (1920s and on)
9. Jazz Medley: Dream a Little Dream of Me, Now’s the Time, and
It Don’t Mean A Thing (if it ain’t got that swing)
Jazz originated in the African-American community, especially in New Orleans w/ blues and ragtime. Like Bach, Jazz musicians incorporated a lot of improvisation into their playing, but now with different chord structures like the blues chord. When the style moved North to Kansas City, it morphed into a fast bebop. These songs used quick, intricate chord changes and rapid key signature shifts.
Brittany first arranged this jazz medley for the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. Paired with Jackson Pollock’s painting “Mural,” the intersection of music and art sparkled fascinating discussions.
Rock (mid 1900’s to now)
10. Bennie and the Jets (1974)
Elton John
Rock and Roll originated in the 1950's, especially with Elvis Presley and eventually Beatles in the 1960’s. Rock stars combined jazz with an element of country, adding electric guitars and basses. “Benny and the Jets” is an example of “glam rock.”
11. Tzigane by French impressionist/ modern composer Maurice Ravel mixed with the Eagles’ Hotel California.
In the Tzigane starts with the two violins battling and eventually coming together where they split the double
stops. This is just like Hotel California where the two different guitars have their different lines/parts until the
end where they play together separated by a third.
Pop (late 1900's to present
To conclude our program, we performed mashups of several classical works with contemporary twists, including:
12. Violin Concerto in E minor by Mendelssohn mixed with one violin playing the baseline of
7 Nation Army by The White Stripes with pizzicato and the octave pedal on, while the third violin played the
melody of Havana by Camila Cabello.
13. “Over the Rainbow” by Harold Arlen (1939) This was a special number originally planned for vocals
but instead Brittany, Matt, and Darin played this work in order to bring a slow lyrical piece to the program.
Brittany is originally from Kansas and thought this was the perfect tribute to her Grandmother Ruth Scheer
who was unable to attend due to illness.
14. Czardas by Monti combined with Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk. This number brought the program to a close
with a bang! The upbeat nature of both Uptown Funk and the spiccato section of Czardas brought the crowd
to their feet in grand applause!
We had a wonderful time preparing and sharing these timeless classics. We hope you enjoyed them!
