It will be a juggernaut of a concert.
With around 100 student musicians set to decorate the stage of Bailey Hall, the Cornell Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Band are “banding” together this Sunday, Dec. 7 at 3 p.m. for a performance bridging a motley of musical genres. The concert will brazenly explore the sounds of classical, contemporary, rock and jazz music over the course of five compositions performed by the two groups. Guest violist Kimberly Sparr will also join as a soloist alongside the Cornell Symphony Orchestra in D.J. Sparr’s “Extended Play Viola Concerto.”
In a boisterous classical style, the orchestra will open the concert with Antonín Dvořák’s “Carnival” Overture, the second in a series of three nature-themed overtures written by the Czech composer in the 1890s under the original collective title, Nature, Life and Love. According to the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s digital program notes, the piece “represents humankind’s capacity for joy and celebration.” There’s no better way to ring in the holiday season than with Dvořák’s bursting and jovial cheer. In fact, Cornell Symphony Orchestra’s conductor, Gabriela Gómez Estévez, shared that one of the underlying themes of the concert is celebration.
That and electric guitar-inspired music. Following this classical celebration is an orchestral celebration of classic rock. Composer and electric guitar soloist D.J. Sparr’s “Extended Play Viola Concerto” is a contemporary piece that pushes the boundaries of orchestral music with rock influences that manifest in unique technical instructions and musical motifs. Instead of using the traditional “movement” organization form, Sparr even separates his piece into “tracks” — as is characteristic of a true EP — blurring the line between two genres of music that are too often deemed completely disparate. Sunday’s performance is especially exciting since it will serve as the collegiate premiere of the composition, completed with violist Kimberly Sparr’s role as a visiting soloist.
As a cellist in the Cornell Symphony Orchestra, my personal anticipation for the premiere is high. So far, the orchestra has rehearsed Sparr’s viola concerto with an imaginative ear; we haven’t yet played alongside Kimberly Sparr, so we have been mentally filling in the solo part where we can. This situation is standard — that a soloist and an ensemble do not join together until concert week, often in a dress rehearsal or two. Not only does this amplify each member’s excitement to hear the piece in full, but it also tasks the orchestra with becoming a truly cohesive ensemble. As long as we know how we individually coincide with the whole, we can establish a joint responsiveness to support and fit into the solo. In our final rehearsals, the last piece of the puzzle will be placed. How exciting it will be to step away from our parts and completely experience the work!
Yet another piece fueled by the expressive sounds of electric guitar follows Sparr’s premiere; the jazz band will perform Jimi Hendrix’s “Up From the Skies,” arranged by Jim McNeely. A masterful creative mind in music during the ’60s, Hendrix was known for his experimental and avant-garde use of the electric guitar. This jazz arrangement pays homage to the musical force, also embracing the theme of genre-blending during this concert.
The peak of genre-blending will culminate at the end of the concert, when the orchestra and jazz band take the stage together for a call-and-response performance of Tchaikovsky’s renowned The Nutcracker Suite. Movement by movement, the two groups will play select works from the ballet. First, the orchestra plays the classical version of a movement. In response, the jazz band performs the same movement from the Duke Ellington jazz arrangement. In real time before the audience, the classical and jazz groups will engage in a diverse musical conversation. They’ll highlight the contrast between genres while simultaneously savoring their similarities. Both the jazz band and the orchestra will unite in a holiday celebration with this beloved composition.
Six weeks of rehearsals, practice and musical immersion from two different groups are on display this Sunday, highlighting the collaborative mission of Cornell’s music department. A concert like this, which mixes genres, instrumentation and subverts supposed musical norms is key to exposing student musicians and listeners to a wider range of sonic landscapes.
So stop by for a joyful, experimental, genre-bending performance this Sunday! How could you possibly miss out on a two-for-one Nutcracker performance as we usher in the holiday season? And, did I mention it’s free?
Hazel Tjaden is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at hlt43@cornell.edu.
