Wind Symphony: "WHAT DREAMS MAY COME..."

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO WIND SYMPHONY 

Pratik Gandhi, conductor

PROGRAM NOTES

Wild Nights!

Tonight's concert opens with a work by American composer Frank Ticheli, a joyous, colourful seven-minute musical journey inspired by Emily Dickinson's 1861 poem:

Wild Nights – Wild Nights!
Were I with thee
Wild Nights should be
Our luxury!

Futile – the winds –
To a heart in port –
Done with the compass –
Done with the chart!

Rowing in Eden –
Ah, the sea!
Might I moor – Tonight –
In thee!

The poem illustrates the speaker's desire to reunite with an absent lover, presenting passionate love as paradoxical: wild, comforting, dangerous, and secure. Ticheli utilizes these conflicting emotions as inspiration for Wild Nights!, which takes the form of what he calls a “purely instrumental tone poem.” In his own words, Ticheli heavily emphasizes the lines “Done with the compass,/Done with the chart” and “Rowing in Eden!/Ah! the sea!”, suggesting a sense of freedom and ecstatic joy within the work. Throughout the piece, even during its darker middle section, the music is mercurial, impetuous, and optimistic. A jazzy, syncopated rhythmic motive permeates the journey. Unexpected events come and go, lending the work spontaneity and a sense of freedom.

Dream Machine

Minnesota-based composer Katherine Bergman draws inspiration from nature, environmental themes, and the link between art and science to craft music that is both hypnotic and visceral. Her composition, Dream Machine, guides listeners on a mesmerizing journey characterized by mystic harmonies and repetitive motifs that create a trance-like atmosphere. Throughout the performance, the intensity escalates with the layering and interjection of voices, culminating in a final chord that marks the conclusion of this transcendent experience. 

The meaning of the title Dream Machine is twofold: in one sense, the title suggests the brain is a “dream machine”, generating odd, otherworldly landscapes when neural activity reaches a particular state. Simultaneously, it refers to a physical art piece designed by artist Brion Gysin called the Dreamachine, a phonograph-driven stroboscope described as “the first art object to be seen with the eyes closed.”

Music for “Hamlet”

Alfred Reed was an American neoclassical composer with more than two hundred published works for concert bands, orchestras, choruses, and chamber ensembles to his name. Music for “Hamlet” is one of four suites for concert band that Reed composed based on various plays by English playwright and poet William Shakespeare (1564–1616). Music for “Hamlet” chronicles the story of Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, who is visited by the ghost of his father, the king. The ghost urges Hamlet to avenge his father’s murder by killing the new king, Hamlet's uncle Claudius. 

In the first movement, “Prologue: Elsinore and the Court of Claudius”, a dark and ominous atmosphere depicts Hamlet, the prince, mourning his father and criticizing his mother for quickly marrying the new king. The abrupt mood shift and brass fanfare signal King Claudius's entrance at court and his rise to power. Movement II, “Hamlet and Ophelia”, is poignant and emotional, showcasing a tense interaction between Hamlet and Ophelia. While pretending to be insane, Hamlet declares that he has never loved Ophelia, causing her immense pain. Movement III, “Entrance of the Players”, presents a jubilant and vibrant mood as Hamlet reveals his plan to enlist actors to stage a play at court, illustrating a king's murder. He hopes this will unveil King Claudius as responsible for his father's demise. The final movement, “Epilogue: The Death of Hamlet”, opens with a chilling and ominous tone. A rush of energy accompanies a duel between Hamlet and Laertes, where a poisoned sword fatally wounds Hamlet. In his final moments, he retaliates by killing King Claudius, avenging his father and restoring Denmark's natural order. The third section of this movement echoes melodic themes from the first, capturing the sorrow and catharsis that follow Hamlet's death.

Evergreen: The View from Yesterday

This brand new work was commissioned from graduate student composer Mackenzie Hay as part of the composer-in-residence program. From the composer:

“Some of my earliest experiences with music were through my school’s band program, so whenever I write for band I feel as though I am writing from my roots. I wanted to write something that I would have enjoyed playing back then, but I hit a few early roadblocks creatively. At the time of writing this piece, I was still settling in after moving to Toronto from Saskatchewan. While I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to engage with such a robust contemporary music community at U of T, the transition to such a different environment led to insecurities and impostor syndrome early on. What helped me finish this piece, and what led to my choice of subtitle, was to imagine what my younger self would have thought if they could see the position that I am in now. I like to think that they would have been proud.”

In Dreams

University of Toronto alumna Cait Nishimura is a Japanese Canadian composer based in Waterloo, Ontario, who is known for writing nature-inspired, programmatic music. In Dreams explores the powerful and surreal experience of the crossover between dreams and reality. With subtle shifts in colour and texture, tender and soaring melodies, and driving ostinatos, the piece captivates audiences with a musical representation of exactly what our dreams are like: peaceful, calming, horrific, and unpredictable; yet, there is always something to remember about them when we wake up.  In Dreams takes players and listeners on an emotional and musical journey full of hope and yearning, from deep sleep to a world of dreams and back. The piece was commissioned by a consortium of 38 ensembles across Canada and the United States, including the University of Toronto Wind Ensemble. Dr. Patrick Murphy organized the consortium and gave the premiere performance with the University of Portland Wind Symphony.

Apocalyptic Dreams

Since time immemorial, civilization has pondered about “an eventual end”—what will it look like? When will it be? And what happens after?  David Gillingham's symphony attempts to unravel the mysteries of the Biblical Book of Revelation, which prophecies and describes the world's ending. The composer wrote Apocalyptic Dreams in three uninterrupted movements to create a continuous unfolding of broader events described in the Biblical narrative. Throughout the first movement, entitled "The Vision," the mood is very sombre and mysterious, setting the tone for the rest of the symphony. The second movement, "Cataclysmic Events," sets the chain of disasters in the Book of Revelation into motion. The trombone states a baleful motif, which is very descriptive of the melodic material as you hear this outpouring of incredible sorrow and distress. Gillingham abruptly transitions from the second movement to the finale, ultimately expressing an outpouring of joy, depicting the return of the Messiah and the Messiah's kingdom to the earth.

- program notes by Sophia Stellato

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES