Shelly from St Louis has taken the initiative to organize Leonard Slatkin’s repertoire for 2009 based on the listing of programs on his website. Shelly writes that Leonard has been her favorite conductor ever since he did a memorable clinic with her youth orchestra about 15 years ago.
As with last year, it is an awe-inspiring list- diverse, unpretentious, not afraid to be fun, and seems to me to be a list of a conductor who is happy to take chances. How refreshing to see a conductor of international stature who lists Leroy Anderson alongside Mahler. Amazingly, it is 121 pieces compared to, um, 121 pieces last year. (Correction- see Keith Fitch’s comment below. 3 of the Erb pieces were not done by Leonard, after all. Now go check out Keith’s music!)
Of course, Leonard’s list would be even longer if he’d been well these last several weeks. We’ve all been sending good wishes and karma since his heart attack. I wouldn’t be surprised if Leonard reads this (he’s a self- confessed internet junkie), so let me just wish my old teacher and mentor a very Merry Christmas and Happy New year- may 2010 be a time of good health, happiness and many more successes. Thanks for all your wisdom and support, Leonard.
1- AHO: Concerto for Contrabassoon and Orchestra
2- ANDERSON: Blue Tango; The Waltzing Cat; The Syncopated Clock
3- BARBER: Overture to “The School for Scandal”
4- BARBER: Adagio for Strings
5- BARBER: Piano Concerto
6- BARBER: Symphony No. 1
7- BARBER: Prayers of Kierkegaard
8- BARBER: Medea’s Meditation and Dance
9- BEETHOVEN: Egmont Overture
10- BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 3
11- BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 7
12- BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 8
13- BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9
14- BERG: Violin Concerto
15- BERNSTEIN: Overture to Candide
16- BERNSTEIN: Facsimile
17- BERLIOZ: Overture to Benvenuto Cellini
18- BERLIOZ: Symphonie Fantastique
19- BERMEL: Swing Song
20- BIZET/F. SLATKIN: Carmen’s Hoe-Down
21- BOLCOM: Violin Concerto
22- BORZOVA: Songs of Lada
23- BORZOVA: To the New World (DSO premiere)
24- BRAHMS: Academic Festival Overture
25- BRAHMS: Hungarian Dance No.
26- BRAHMS: Violin Concerto
27- BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor
28- BRAHMS: Symphony No. 1
29- BRAHMS: Symphony No. 2
30- BRAHMS: Symphony No. 4
31- BRITTEN: Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes
32- BRITTEN: Sinfonia da requiem, op. 20
33- BROUWER: Rhapsody for Orchestra (World Premiere)
34- BRUCH: Concerto for Viola, Clarinet and Orchestra
35- BRUCH: Violin Concerto No. 1, op. 26 in G minor
36- COPLAND: Appalachian Spring Suite
37- COPLAND: Selections from Rodeo
38- COPLAND: Four Dance Episodes from “Rodeo”
39- COPLAND: El Salon Mexico
40- COPLAND: Lincoln Portrait
41- COPLAND: Symphony No. 3
42- CORIGLIANO: Elegy
43- DANIELPOUR: A Woman’s Life
44- DEBUSSY: Prelude a l’apres-midi d’un faune
45- DVORAK: Carnival Overture
46- DVORAK: Symphony No. 8
47- DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 9
48- DONALD ERB MEMORIAL CONCERT Remembrances (1994)
49- Erb Sonata for Solo Harp (1995)
50- Erb The Devil’s Quickstep (1982)
51- Erb Ritual Observances (1991)
52- FOSS: Time Cycle for Soprano and Orchestra
53- GERSHWIN: An American in Paris
54- GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue
55- GERSHWIN: Cuban Overture
56- GERSHWIN: Lullaby for Strings
57- GERSHWIN: Strike Up The Band
58- GERSHWIN: Second Rhapsody
59- GERSHWIN: Porgy and Bess: Symphonic Picture
60- GLAZUNOV: Violin Concerto
61- GLINKA: Russlan and Ludmilla Overture
62- GOULD: American Salute
63- HAYDN: Symphony No. 67
64- HINDEMITH: Symphonic Metamorphosis
65- IVES: Unanswered Question
66- JOPLIN: The Entertainer
67- LALO: Symphonie Espagnole
68- LISZT: Piano Concerto No. 1
69- MAHLER: Symphony No. 1 in D major – Blumine
70- MAHLER: Symphony No. 1 in D major
71- MAHLER: Symphony No. 5
72- MATHES: A Standing Crowd Concertino for Orchestra (World Premiere, NSO commission)
73- MANCINI/CUSTER: A Tribute to Henry Mancini
74- McTEE: Einstein’s Dream
75- MENDELSSOHN: Nocturne and Wedding March from A Midsummer Night’s Dream
76- MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto
77- MENNIN: Moby Dick
78- MEYER, FLECK, HUSSAIN: Triple Concerto
79- MOZART: Concerto for Flute, No. 2, K. 314 in D major
80- MOZART: Double Piano Concerto K. 365
81- MOZART: Symphony No. 40 in G minor
82- MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition
83- NICOLAI: Overture to The Merry Wives of Windsor
84- PORTER: “So in Love” and “I Hate Men” from Kiss Me Kate
85- PRIMIAMI: Sirens (World Premiere)
86- RACHMANINOFF: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
87- RACHMANINOFF: Vocalise
88- RACHMANINOFF: Symphonic Dances
89- RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concerto No. 3
90- RACHMANINOFF: Symphony No. 1 in D minor, Op. 13
91- RACHMANINOFF: Symphony No. 2
92- RODGERS: “Falling in Love with Love” from The Boys from Syracuse
93- RODRIGO: Fantasia para un gentilhombre
94- ROSSINI: “Willow Song” from Otello
95- ROSSINI: La Gazza Ladra Overture
96- ROSZA: Sinfonia Concertante – Double Concerto for Violin and Cello
97- ROUSE: Friandises
98- SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 3
99- BRIGHT SHENG: Harp Concerto
100- SHOSTAKOVICH: Cello Concerto No. 2
101- SIBELIUS: Violin Concerto
102- SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 2
103- SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 5
104- SIERRA: Missa Latina
105- R. STRAUSS: Don Quixote
106- R. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben
107- STRAVINSKY: Violin Concerto
108- STUCKY: Son et lumiere
109- TCHAIKOVSKY: Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
110- TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 5, Op. 64 in E minor
111- TCHAIKOVSKY: Capriccio Italien
112- TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto, op. 35 in D major
113- TCHAIKOVSKY: Suite from Swan Lake
114- TCHAIKOVSKY: 1812 Overture
115- TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, op. 36
116- TOWER: Made in America
117- VERDI: Requiem
118- WALTON: Partita for Orchestra
119- WALTON: Partita for Orchestra
120- WILLIAMS: The Imperial March from Star Wars
121- WILLIAMS: Concerto for Horn
Hi Ken,
A small correction to your list. LS conducted just “Ritual Observances” on the Don Erb Memorial Concert. I conducted “The Devil’s Quickstep,” and the other two pieces were played by students and a faculty member, respectively (you can see some of the performances on You Tube).
Hope you have a great holiday season! I’d love to catch up after the holidays! Keith
”
yumm…delicious
FOSS: Time Cycle for Soprano and Orchestra
BOLCOM: Violin Concerto
WALTON: Partita for Orchestra
LALO: Symphonie Espagnole
BERG: Violin Concerto
Erb Ritual Observances
Aye?
MAHLER – say how come no one plays the 6th that much?
yuk
MENNIN: Moby Dick – sorry ladies and gentleman…but i think it’s trash. falls apart. structurally unbalanced. don’t understand the interest in Mennin outside of his Juilliard relationship.”
CB- I completely agree with you on all the “yum” works. Donald Erb is a hugely under-rated composer whose music is always full of color. I’ve only had the chance to hear a few Foss pieces, but I’ve always enjoyed his music, and found him a fun and interesting conductor to play for too. Berg- one of the great works of all time. Walton- always the master craftsman. Lalo- okay, I agree with you on almost all the yum works.
Mahler 6- I think it’s mostly a budget thing. It’s one of the larger orchestra of the Mahlers, and much more likely to well beyond the core players in even a major orchestra, where the 5th can be done with people already on the payroll. I couldn’t pick a favorite Mahler, but 6 would certainly be a possible favorite. It’s the first one I learned, and although I did read it with a good orchestra in my youth, I have yet to perform it. Soon. Soon. It must be soon.