Frankly Music Explores The Soul of a Nation In Season 23 Kickoff

Soul of a Nation. Image provided.Two pieces that create a dialogue across generations exploring the ideals, contradictions, and evolving identity of America open the 23^rd season of the Frankly Music chamber series. Series founder Frank Almond will appear as both violin soloist and conductor for the Sept. 28 concert, Soul of a Nation: An American Portrait. He will share the stage with string and woodwind players drawn mostly from the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra roster; MSO associate conductor Ryan Tani, and veteran American Players Theatre actor Brian Mani.

The centerpiece of the program is the Milwaukee premiere of a new work written for Almond by composer and conductor Victoria Bond (born 1945). “Soul of a Nation” is one of four concertos Bond wrote about 10 years ago to honor the gifts of four great American presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Inspired by the form of Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait,” which combines music with narration, Bond sought to achieve “a personal, intimate, conversational tone, with the music adding a sense of depth, grandeur, humor.”

“Soul of a Nation,” explained Bond, depicts “the personal Thomas Jefferson. We find him after he has left office. He’s at home. He’s making music for his own enjoyment, playing the violin…. He’s reflecting back on his past and talking about the things that he cares the most about.”

Dr. Myles Lee, a retired California surgeon and self-described “historical hobbyist,” included both familiar and less recognized quotations from Jefferson in the narration. Bond’s concerto for solo violin and string ensemble is based on a score found in Jefferson’s own library: a set of variations on “La Folia” written in 1700 by Italian composer Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713). Almond describes Bond’s new variations, which complement the narrator’s words, as “accessible and tonally attractive.” The combination of music and narration, Almond says, “illustrates what a complex man Jefferson is.” Tani will conduct the piece and Mani will narrate.

Copland (1900-1990), whose compositions include quintessentially American music like “Fanfare for the Common Man,” was commissioned in 1942 to write a score for a new ballet choreographed by modern dance pioneer Martha Graham. Titled “Appalachian Spring” by Graham, the piece won the 1945 Pulitzer Prize for music and became one of Copland’s most beloved works (a pretty amazing return on investment for a $500 commission fee).

Copland said his music for the ballet was intended to convey “the pioneer American spirit, with youth and spring, with optimism and hope.” Copland’s introduction of the Shaker hymn “Simple Gifts” midway through the piece is the most recognized portion of the work.

The enthusiastic response to the 1944 premiere encouraged Copland to adapt the ballet music for full orchestra. However, Almond, who will conduct, chose to use Copland’s original score, written for only 13 musicians. Appalachian Spring, he said, uses “deceptively simple harmonic language. It sounds transparent and honest…. But it is much more complicated, and challenging for the ensemble.”

Soul of a Nation: An American Portrait will be performed at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 914 E. Knapp St. on Milwaukee’s east side. Tickets are available online.