Rimsky-Korsakov: Suite from Christmas Eve

Eric Whitacre: Winter, Naryan Padmanabha, sitar

Respighi: L’Adorazione dei Magi from Trittico Botticelliano

Bach: Weihnachtsoratorium, BWV 248 [Christmas Oratorio]

Cantana IV: On New Year’s Day (The Feast of Circumcision)

No. 36 Fallt mit Danken, fallt mit Loben (chorus)

No. 38 Recitativ: Immanuel, o susses Wort ! (baritone and soprano)

No. 39 Aria: Flost, mein Heiland, lost dein Namon (soprano and boy soprano)

Cantata V: On the Sunday After New Year (King Herod)

No. 53 Choral: Zwar ist solche Herzensstube

Cantata VI: On the Feast of the Epiphany (The Adoration of Magi)

No. 64 Choral: Nun said ihr wohl gerochen

Emily Helenbrook, Brad Hutchings, Ayden Herried, Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus

Intermission:

Randol Bass: Festival Magnificat. Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus

Arr. John Rutter: I saw Three Ships. Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus

John Rutter: Mary’s Lullaby. Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus

Adam/ John Rutter: O Holy Night. Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus

Handel/ John Rutter: Joy to the World. Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus

Tchaikovsky: Finale to Act 1 of The Nutcracker, Op. 71

6. Scena 7. Scena (Battle) 8. Scena

9. Waltz of the Snowflakes

Women of the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus

Handel: Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah. Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus

Classical CHristmas 10:30am

Friday, Dec. 9

REPERTOIRE:

Stefan Sanders leads the BPO and Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus in this festival

celebration of timeless musical treasures, including Bach’s Christmas Oratorio

and Handel’s Messiah .

Rimsky-Korsakov’s Opera Christmas Eve was completed in

1895. The four act libretto (text of the opera) by the composer is based

on a short story by Nikolai Gogol from his collection titled “Evenings on

a farm near Dikanka”, published in 1832.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: “Christmas Eve”

Russian Composer (1844-1908)

Page 2

From day one in the history of Western music, no

greater master of the art can be found than Johann Sebastian

Bach. His influence can be put in a simple word: profound. For

the power of spiritual expression and the poetic blend of science

and art, the music of Bach is unsurpassed. In virtually any work

by Johann Sebastian, the melody is exquisitely spiritual or reso-

lutely down-to-earth (he used many folk tunes, even in his sacred

scores). Likewise, the harmony is perfectly lucid, often with

counterpoint that sounds like heavenly geometry, with rhythms

in timer with a mystical clock. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio was

composed in Leipzig in 1734. The full piece includes six canta-

tas derived from two biblical narratives, St. Luke 2,1-21 for I-IV

and St. Matthew 2, 1-12 for V and VI.

Eric Whitacre: “Winter”

American Composer (1970-present)

Whitacre is renowned for his brilliant settings for chorus and vari-

ous instrumental ensembles. In his life times he has earned many acco-

lades, including a Grammy in 2012 for Best Choral Performance. In

March of 2016 he was appointed as Artist-in-Residence at the Walt Dis-

ney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. His piece Winter is based on a 3-note

raga from the tradition of Indian music in Asia, of which is primarily in-

terpreted on sitar. Indian music in a nutshell is based from two major

elements, the raga (pattern of notes) and the tala (repeating rhythmic

phrase). The composer uses raga desh and tin tala in his piece.

(Raga Desh)

Ottorino Respighi: “Botticelli Tryptych”

Italian Violinist, Composer and Musicologist (1879-1936)

Respighi is known primarily as a composer of tone poems devoted

to the Italian panorama. Most frequently performed are his lavishly or-

chestrated Pines of Rome and Fountains of Rome. No less accomplished

is his Botticelli Tryptych, composed in 1927. Sandro Botticelli (1445-

1510) was a great master of the Italian Renaissance, producing master-

pieces for major churches of Florence and also for the Sistine Chapel in

Rome. Respighi’s Botticelli Tryptych offers am Impressionist tribute to

the art and music of the Italian Renaissance.

Johann Sebastian Bach

German Composer (1685-1750) “Christmas Oratorio”

FRIDAY, DEC. 9

As a composer and arranger, Randol Bass has received commissions by leading choruses and

orchestras throughout the U.S. and Europe, including the Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Symphony

and the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus. For the 70th Anniversary of the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus he

composed Passage into Spirit, a tuneful, five-movement suite based on the lyrics of American poet

Walt Whitman. Bass' up-beat setting of Festival Magnificat was commissioned by the Sacramento

Choral Society and Orchestra and the Sacramento Children's Chorus. Composed in 2012, the well-

known text is derived from the Catholic Liturgy. Marked Allegro vivo, the blend of chorus and orches-

tra offers an uplifting celebration of the spirit of Christmas.

Page 3

Randol Alan Bass: “Festival Magnificat”

America Composer and Arranger (1953-present)

John Rutter: “I Saw Three Ships”, “Mary’s Lullaby”, “O Holy Night”

British Composer, Conductor and Arranger (1945-present)

Rutter has become the most popular and widely performed vocal composer of his generation, espe-

cially in the United Kingdom, and in the United States and Canada. His style derives from centuries of

British choral tradition, from Handel through Vaughan Williams. Rutter's catalog includes hundreds of

carols and chorus works for the Christmas season. The current selections derive from his collected Carols

for Choirs and stand-alone settings. Rutter's settings are all bright, with well defined melody and clear and

dynamic harmony, all set over a lucid orchestration.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: “The Nutcracker”

Russian Composer (1840-1893)

Tchaikovsky was a composer from the late-romantic period. He

made a lasting impact as the first Russian composer to leave an interna-

tional impression. Many of his works are among the most popular in the

classical repertoire. Like the pre-eminence of La Bohème or Carmen in

the world of opera, Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker composed in 1892 is the all-

time most-performed ballet in the world, largely due to its setting on

Christmas Eve, with stunning music and brilliant dances.

Without question, Handel's greatest contribution

to the form known as the English Oratorio is Messiah.

The now-famous story accounts that the work was completed in

just 24 days - August 22 through September 14, 1741. About the

creative process, Handel noted: "I had the impression that our all-

powerful God had opened all of heaven's skies before my eyes."

The full score is replete with brilliant recitatives, powerful instru-

mental settings and glorious choruses. Handel is known as one of

the greats from the Baroque period, while born in Germany, he is

also considered to be a “British” composer considering the

amount of time spent in London during his career.

George Frideric Handel:

German (English) Composer (1685-1759)

“Joy to the World”, “Messiah”

Explore and Learn:

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas Oratorio composition is based off of

text from the Bible. Bach was greatly influenced by the Christian church

as was his music. The Christian church has for a long time influenced mu-

sic even as early as the 9th century AD with styles like Gregorian chant.

Can you think of any modern examples of music that have influence from

the Christian church, or likewise, from another religious background?

(Blues, Gospel Etc.)

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra

As Buffalo’s cultural ambassador, the Grammy Award-

winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, under Music Director

JoAnn Falletta, presents more than 120 Classics, Pops and Youth

Concerts each year and reaches more than 42,000 K-12 students per

year across all eight counties of Western New York.

Since 1940, the orchestra’s permanent home has been

Kleinhans Music Hall, a National Historic Landmark designed by

Eliel and Eero Saarinen with an international reputation as one of

the finest concert halls in the United States.

JoAnn Falletta, Conductor

Friday Morning

Concert Series

BUFFALO PHILHARMONIC

ORCHESTRA

education@bpo.org

Sources: Edward Yadzinski, BPO.org, Wikipedia.org