FOREWORD
“Unexpected Stories” was the chosen title of SymphonyNH’s first concert as well as the perfect lead-in for our Inkubator intern working with SNH this season.
Congratulations to Faye Jones from the Nashua Community Music School as the person selected to be the InkLink News student intern writing reviews of Symphony New Hampshire’s Music Director Finalists programs throughout this season. Faye and a guest will have the opportunity to attend each of the five finalists performances this year.
As SymphonyNH begins its season exploring the five music director finalists, we at InkLink News thought it would be great to sponsor a student musician to share their experience and thoughts about each conductor and program in this pivotal year. Her first article for InkLink News is below.
– Keith Spiro
The Orchestra
NASHUA, NH – SymphonyNH will, without a doubt, always put on such an impressive musical performance, the amount of detail and work that goes into every song performed truly shows the dedication of the musicians on stage.
For starters, the orchestra itself has some of the best section-to-section blending I’ve heard in my life. There was never a point in the performance where I felt like any section was fighting another one to be heard. On multiple occasions during Symphony No. 3, I could very clearly hear the flute section playing alongside multiple string sections. Everyone on stage was so in tune with what they were doing, what the people around them were doing, while also following all of Conductor Tiffany Chang’s instructions. It was a perfect representation of what a great musician does.
Conductor
Being a drum major, I always find it very important to note the style in which a conductor leads their band. It often feels like the final piece of the ensemble that ties all the personalities together. A conductor is quite literally the front of the orchestra. Chang was no exception. Every time I looked, my attention could be so easily drawn into how powerful her conducting was.
My most prominent example of this was how, throughout every song, she used the entire podium, taking a step toward each end while signaling a section. Chang also would use her entire arm span for loud cues toward a section or soloist; it made each cue feel much more powerful. On the contrary, when the dynamics were soft, her composure would match the style the musicians would play at.
The Pieces
- Overture to Don Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti
When the band began playing, I was immediately awed by how clean the ensemble was playing. The first few measures were bright and jumpy. Second after that passage, the band quieted down.
The higher string sections sustained a beautiful melody that had a skipping motion to it. The melody was then passed to the flute section for a short while, before being passed back to the high strings whilst the entire band returned loudly.
Closer to the end of the piece things shifted to a much more ominous tone. The transition from the lively tones toward feeling much more suspense was done immaculately. I felt very impressed by the low brass section transition in this part of the song. The final notes were played so powerfully by the entire ensemble, it truly made the moment feel magical.
- Nights in the Gardens of Spain by Manuel de Falla
This piece is a collection of Spanish rhythms that feature a pianist. On concert night I got to hear Clare Longendyke play. One of my favorite parts of this piece was being able to see the visual of her playing. She was so invested in what she was playing. I could tell she loved this piece.
Moving toward the structural side of things, the beginning of the first movement felt quite ominous prior to the piano coming in. The rest captured a dreamlike feeling that still sustained forward motion throughout. Moving to the second movement, one of the things that stuck out to me most in the entire concert was when both the section and the flute section began playing the melody at once, and I could actively hear both of them at the same time.
It was something that surprised me but kept me on my toes throughout the piece. And finally in the third movement, I find one of the most notable things to be the glissandos Clare was playing, before quickly switching to a smooth, beautiful melody.
- Symphony No. #3 by Jean Sibelius – [Favorite Piece]
Agreeing with Chang, I felt quite the connection toward Symphony No. 3. Her description of the piece in her words was “chaotic mixed with beauty,” she described the song as a large landscape painting, which is almost exactly how I pictured the final measures of this piece in the third movement.
When the band began the first movement, it was very joyous and upbeat within the lower string sections. Soon after the band would grow to have a rather ominous tone. The theme would switch between the jumpy version, and the suspenseful one.
The second movement of the song held a slightly similar tone to it. However this time the practice of layering different rhythms on top of one another was used a lot more. I was so awed by how well the band executed this. With it being Chang’s favorite movement, I really do think the ensemble brought her vision to life.
Along with that, every piece of the song was so intricate, there would be a million places where things could go wrong. From a musicians point of view, the moments where the melody would be thrown from section to section that could so easily initiate disaster performed with the appearance of such ease was beyond impressive.
Partially, I think this is what drew me toward liking this piece so much, when things could go horrible so quickly, but the performers are able to execute every bar perfectly. The amount of hard work and dedication that went into achieving that as an ensemble is something especially beautiful.
Faye Jones is a junior at Nashua High School North. She is an aspiring musician who looks forward to studying music education in college. She is involved in her school’s music program and very passionate about her role as one of the drum majors for the Nashua North Titans marching band. She also loves to play in the school jazz band. On top of this, she has been learning to play the double bass for Upbeat Youth Orchestra. Outside of the musical world, Faye has recently earned her first-degree black belt in American Kenpo. Some of her other interests include painting, skateboarding, and spending time with friends and family at the beach.
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