Renaissance, Ukraine, and Bach

A Beautiful Journey

As I type this, I am listening to the music of Arizona Philharmonic’s October 16 concert program. I love that Peter Bay has crafted a beautiful journey for us.

The concert opens with the Capriol Suite by Peter Warlock (the pseudonym of Philip Heseltine). The suite is inspired by tunes notated within a Renaissance dance manual that taught a fictional character named Capriole how to dance. Warlock lived a short life from 1894 to 1930, and Capriol Suite is Warlock’s most beloved piece. While you may not know Warlock’s name (and certainly not Heseltine’s name), Capriol Suite’s classic beauty, if not the actual tunes, will seem familiar to you. I’m convinced that this is intentional. What better way could there be to honor this Renaissance music and dance than to channel the classic styles of composing? (This why Peter calls this concert Classic Wines in New Bottles!)

Myroslav Skoryk’s short Melody follows. Skoryk was a Ukrainian composer who passed in 2020. I recently met Yavapai College’s beloved dance professor Marina Rogova O’Brien, who is from Ukraine. When I mentioned to her that AZ Phil is performing Skoryk’s Melody, her eyes lit up. She told me that Skoryk is well known in Ukraine, and that she absolutely loves this piece. The melody is gorgeous (hence its title?), full of both pathos and hope. The counter melodies beneath the top line add depth to the tug and release of the heart. Given today’s headlines, I find this work particularly moving.

Katherine McLinThe first half closes with our concertmaster Katherine McLin soloing on J.S. Bach’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in E Major. Katie brings to the violin a gorgeous tone with masterful technique and deep heart. This three movement work is a typical “slow, fast, slow” structure. In my ear, we start with stately joy, dip into lyrical poignancy, and conclude with exuberant dancing.

Next email, I’ll talk of the second half of our concert, Classic Wines in New Bottles. To whet your appetite, I invite you to listen to Melody by clicking here.  See if you can hear how the counter melodies beneath the main melody affect your emotional response to the work.

– Henry Flurry, Executive Director