Historical American icon honored by HSO
Civil war costumes, vibrant music and an enthusiastic crowd filled Shriver Hall last Sunday afternoon for the Hopkins Symphony Orchestra's (HSO) performance of Symphony No.2, Antar by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and "Songs of Harriet Tubman" by Nkeriu Okoye.
The concert, conducted by HSO music director Jed Gaylin, was split into two parts, with the first half showcasing the technical mastery of the orchestra (composed of mostly Hopkins students) and the second half featuring soprano Kishna Davis accompanied by the orchestra.
Antar is a folk musical telling the story of a pre-Islamic adventurer. The real Antar wrote down his stories in poems, which ultimately converged into an epic folk legend written by Osip Senkovsky in the 1800s. Rimsky-Korsakov, the composer, was a traveler himself and was clearly inspired by Senkovsky and Antar's story, so he composed a symphony telling Antar's story through music.
The atmosphere of the first half of the concert was a quiet but intense experience. Gaylin, a conductor for the HSO since 1993, definitely demonstrated his leadership with his conduction of Sunday's performance.
The first movement of Antar started slowly, punctuated with the performance of the various flutists, particularly Karen Yanson, the principal flutist for the orchestra.
The first movement introduces Antar, and each different musical motif is supposed to represent a different character in the story. For example, the flute-enunciated motif represents Gul Nazar, a fairy whom Antar falls in love with. Rimsky-Korsakov, a composer of the Romantic Era, wrote each musical motif to represent an idea, theme or character and is much more profound than previous composers.
The first movement is immediately contrasted with the second movement featuring the brass and percussion of the orchestra. The movement is much faster and deeper and the efforts of the tubas, played by Randolph Harrison and sophomore Sarah Knapp. The quick movement is supposed to represent violence and vengeance, and does so exquisitely.
The concert, conducted by HSO music director Jed Gaylin, was split into two parts, with the first half showcasing the technical mastery of the orchestra (composed of mostly Hopkins students) and the second half featuring soprano Kishna Davis accompanied by the orchestra.
Antar is a folk musical telling the story of a pre-Islamic adventurer. The real Antar wrote down his stories in poems, which ultimately converged into an epic folk legend written by Osip Senkovsky in the 1800s. Rimsky-Korsakov, the composer, was a traveler himself and was clearly inspired by Senkovsky and Antar's story, so he composed a symphony telling Antar's story through music.
The atmosphere of the first half of the concert was a quiet but intense experience. Gaylin, a conductor for the HSO since 1993, definitely demonstrated his leadership with his conduction of Sunday's performance.
The first movement of Antar started slowly, punctuated with the performance of the various flutists, particularly Karen Yanson, the principal flutist for the orchestra.
The first movement introduces Antar, and each different musical motif is supposed to represent a different character in the story. For example, the flute-enunciated motif represents Gul Nazar, a fairy whom Antar falls in love with. Rimsky-Korsakov, a composer of the Romantic Era, wrote each musical motif to represent an idea, theme or character and is much more profound than previous composers.
The first movement is immediately contrasted with the second movement featuring the brass and percussion of the orchestra. The movement is much faster and deeper and the efforts of the tubas, played by Randolph Harrison and sophomore Sarah Knapp. The quick movement is supposed to represent violence and vengeance, and does so exquisitely.
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