Broomfield Symphony Recorded Concerts

Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)

Serenade in E Major for String Orchestra, Op. 22

Moderato
Tempo di Valse
Scherzo
Larghetto
Finale

Program Notes

In early 1875, Dvořák was awarded an Austrian State Prize, intended for “young, poor and talented artists,” by a distinguished panel of judges that included Johannes Brahms. With his personal financial burden eased, and inspired by the promise of recognition outside his native Bohemia, Dvořák worked on a number of compositions, including the Serenade for Strings, which he completed in less than two weeks in May 1875. A first performance of the work by the Vienna Philharmonic was proposed by one of its members, but the orchestra declined, determining that the composer was not well-known enough. The actual première took place in Prague in December of 1876, played by members of the Czech and German theatre orchestras.

Orchestra

Bass
Dusty Munger, Principal
Nina Brandin

Béla Bartók (1881-1945)

Romanian Folk Dances

Jocul cu bâtă (stick dance)

Brâul (sash dance)

Pe loc (“in one spot”)

Buciumeana (hornpipe dance from Bucium)

Poarga Românească (Romanian polka)

Mărunțel (fast dance)

Program Notes

Beginning in 1906, Bartók and his fellow Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály went on annual excursions to the most distant regions of Hungary, carefully transcribing or recording (on a primitive Edison recording device) thousands of folk tunes played and sung by local residents. These melodies, rhythms and harmonies were painstakingly classified and cataloged in a number of scholarly monographs and a set of twelve volumes containing the musicians’ research. Much of the material made its way either literally or stylistically into the works of both composers. In 1915 Bartók selected seven folk-fiddle melodies for his Romanian Folk Dances, originally for piano solo and later arranged for violin and piano and for string orchestra. “Romanian” refers to a region of Transylvania which was once part of Hungary, and also to “Roma”, a generic term for “Gypsies”.

Gustav Holst (1874-1934)

St. Paul’s Suite for String Orchestra, Op. 29 No. 2

Jig
Ostinato
Intermezzo
Finale (The Dargason)

Program Notes

From 1905 until his death in 1934, Gustav Holst held the position of Director of Music at the St. Paul’s Girls’ School in London’s Hammersmith district. In 1913 he completed the St. Paul’s Suite for string orchestra, in gratitude to the school for building him a soundproof music studio in which he could teach and compose. A number of melodies in this work, including the sixteenth-century ballad Greensleeves, reflect Holst’s keen interest in English and Scottish folk music. “The Dargason” refers to an English country dance.

Orchestra

Bass
Dusty Munger, Principal
Nina Brandin

.Broomfield Symphony Concertmaster Sarah Delevoryas is a violinist with over 30 years’ experience as a teacher and orchestral performer. She has a Suzuki violin and viola studio in Broomfield, directs a student orchestra at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church, and has taught violin and viola at Colorado Christian University. Sarah has been a member of the Boulder Philharmonic since 1997. Her other orchestral experience includes: Concertmaster of the Flatirons Symphony Orchestra and Livermore (CA) Symphony, as well as Boulder Chamber Orchestra, Fremont Symphony, Monterey Symphony, Santa Cruz Symphony and Reno Philharmonic. She holds a music degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Broomfield Symphony Music Director David Brussel has been Music Director of the Broomfield Symphony since 2009. He currently serves as Music Director at Scott United Methodist Church in Denver’s Park Hill, and has directed productions by a number of local orchestral, choral, theatrical and operatic ensembles. David played horn with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra from 1982 to 2018, and is an active freelance performer on horn and piano in the Denver area. He holds degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory and Northwestern University, and has taught at the University of Georgia, Metropolitan State University, and Colorado State University. His published works include two sets of art song and opera aria transcriptions for horn and piano, and a book of truly arcane musical trivia. You can hear him on piano at a number of venues in the Denver area, including the Mercury Café.

“The BSO 2021 Virtual Performances are produced by Broomfield Auditorium Manager Kris Nickeson and associates Each movement was recorded in a single take, to simulate live performance, and was skillfully edited from multiple camera angles. This is the BSO’s way of sharing our music with as wide an audience as possible, as we wait for the opportunity to perform for a live audience again.”

Bach Violin Concerto and Vivaldi Flute Concerto: recorded February 7, 2021

Bartok Romanian Dances and Holst St. Paul’s Suite: recorded April 7, 2021

Dvorak Serenade in E Major for Sting Orchestra: recorded May 27, 2021

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Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, BWV 1041

Allegro
Andante
Allegro assai

Sarah Delevoryas, violin

Orchestra

Bass
Dusty Munger

Keyboard/continuo
David Brussel (Broomfield Symphony Music Director)

Program Notes

In 1723 J. S. Bach became Kantor (Music Director and Teacher) at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, for which he wrote most of his sacred cantatas and choral works. In 1729 he began directing Leipzig’s Collegium Musicum, a society of university students, interested amateurs, and a few professional musicians who met on Friday evenings to play secular music at Zimmermann’s coffee-house, indoors in cold weather or in the outdoor garden during the summer. Bach supplied most of the music for these gatherings, including the A Major Violin Concerto, for which he most likely performed the solo part.

Broomfield Symphony Concertmaster Sarah Delevoryas is a violinist with over 30 years’ experience as a teacher and orchestral performer. She has a Suzuki violin and viola studio in Broomfield, directs a student orchestra at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church, and has taught violin and viola at Colorado Christian University. Sarah has been a member of the Boulder Philharmonic since 1997. Her other orchestral experience includes: Concertmaster of the Flatirons Symphony Orchestra and Livermore (CA) Symphony, as well as Boulder Chamber Orchestra, Fremont Symphony, Monterey Symphony, Santa Cruz Symphony and Reno Philharmonic. She holds a music degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Rosin the Bow consists of Marta Day playing fiddle, Grant Day on guitar and vocals, Kris Saprano on bass guitar, and Kendall Scally on the drums!

Rosin the Bow consists of Marta Day playing fiddle, Grant Day on guitar and vocals, Kris Saprano on bass guitar, and Kendall Scally on the drums!

Ponchielli La Gioconda Feb. 2018

Bach Brandenburg 3 Oct. 2019