DVORÁK - Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95
DAVID AMRAM - Kokopelli
The Nashville Symphony
Kenneth Shermerhorn, Music Director & Conductor
THIS CD IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT
| Like Antonin Dvorak, much of David Amram's work is inspired by indigenous
musical traditions. A pioneer of World music since the 1950's, he has
acquired a hands-on knowledge as an accomplished performer on 35 instruments
of music from around the World. He has honored the roots of Jazz, Latin
American, Native American and Middle Eastern musical Cultures in many of his
symphonic compositions. A prolific composer, conductor and
multi-instrumentalist, he has become a frequently performed composer of
concert music in America. Kokopelli is dedicated to the memory of Murray Panitz, principal flutist of the Philadelphia Orchestra for 28 years. He and Amram became friends in 1957 when Panitz was principal flutist with the Little Orchestra Society of New York. When Panitz joined the Philadelphia Orchestra, he encouraged Amram to pursue his collaborations with Native American musicians and their traditional Music. Murray Panitz also shared Amram's appreciation of global folk music and jazz as an important part of every musician's life. In the fall of 1996, Myrna Panitz asked Amram to compose a symphony in memory of her late husband, Murray Panitz, for The Nashville Symphony. Kokopelli had its world premiere on January 17, 1997, with Amram conducting The Nashville Symphony at the invitation of Kenneth Schermerhorn. Amram describes the composition: "Kokopelli, the magical spirit widely known among the Pueblo peoples, is always depicted as a flutist, carrying a sack of seeds on his back. Leslie Silko, the award winning Laguna poet, told me her people feel that Kokopelli's symbolic planting of the seeds represents the spreading of the life force, giving joy, hope and energy to everyone when he plays his flute. "The first movement, 'Lene Tawi' ('Flute Song' in the Hopi language), is based on an original melody. It begins with an introductory motif in the tympani. These rhythms and the melody in the flute and drum which follow are the basis for the entire symphony, reoccurring in varied forms throughout all three movements. The flute melody, having sown the seeds, is played by the strings and various choirs of the orchestra and is restated and developed. Hints of the second movement are planted in the listener's ear, and the flute returns with the initial theme. The final fragments of this melody conclude the movement with soft, mysterious sounds evoking the quiet nightfall in the Indian pueblos of New Mexico and Arizona. "The second movement, 'Mizmor Kaddum' ("Song of Antiquiry" in the Hebrew language), is introduced again by the tympani, followed by the flute and harp-instruments evocative of the Old Testament scriptures, which both Murray and I shared in our childhood. The two themes are followed by a long melody in the cellos. They arc laments symbolizing the endless journeys and memories that music, prayers and dance evoke in all people who treasure their past through song. The entire orchestra is featured as the bittersweet themes are entwined contrapuntally. In addition, these melancholy themes appear in the cellos and basses as a cantus firmus, nourishing new melodies throughout the orchestra. "The final movement, 'Danza del Mundo' ('Dance of the World' in the Spanish language), is a celebration of Kokopelli's joyous spreading of the life force as his endless journey introduces us to an inclusive and global new millennium. The listeners are taken to Latin American dances where we hear the rhythms of the Guaguanco from Cuba, the Bomba from Puerto Rico and the twelve bar blues from all-night jam sessions in the 1950s. As all of these forms come together to reach a climax, we return to the original theme of the first movement. The entire orchestra restates all the other principal themes, played contrapuntally against Kokopelli's first Flute Song, and the symphony ends triumphantly. "For Murray Panitz and his family this symphony is a way of saying thank You for the blessing of a life and artistry that continue to enrich its every day. To Kenneth Schermerhorn, the gifted men and women of The Nashville Symphony and Magnatone Records, I give my heartfelt appreciation for their extraordinary achievement in making this music come alive."
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