Tweaking the old saw a little, I would say it looks like all good things come at the end, with respect to the UCSB musicians and their concerts. As the quarter draws in, finals looming, the major ensembles give their valedictorian concerts.
First there was the Spanish Piano Festival, then the ECM concert, and now Maestro Paul Bambach will conduct the UCSB Wind Ensemble in its Fall Quarter concert, called Bits and Pieces, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30, in Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall.
The University Winds will open with Roger Cichy’s “Galilean Moons (1996),” followed by Eric Whitacre’s “October (2000).”
Then, Gustav Holst’s “Suite No. 1 in Eb-Major for Military Band, Opus 28a (1909),” transcribed for modern band by Colin Mathews; Robert Sheldon’s “Flight of the Piasa (2008)” (conducted by graduate assistant, Cynthia Vong).
Steve Rouse‘s “Blaze (1987);” and Antonin Dvořák‘s “Carnival Overture, Opus 92 (1891),” arranged by Mark Walker, revised and edited by Charles Yeago.
The Cichy piece is a vision of the four moons of Jupiter seen by Gallileo through his telescope, an event that wound up revising the way he, and the Western World saw the universe.
The “October” has just the sort of mood you’d expect from the name, and Whitacre sustains it beautifully throughout.
It’s not much of an exaggeration to say the majestic Holst “Suites” of 1909 and 1911 laid the foundation for the dazzling proliferation of symphonic wind literature throughout the 20th century.
Sheldon’s piece is mythological, based on the legendary flying bird-monster of the Alton, Illinois Illini tribe. Rouse’s “Blaze” makes me think less of flames than of sparks rising about bonfires on an open plain.
The Dvořák, if it is the last piece, will make an exciting, headlong finale.
Ticket prices for this splendid concert are $10 general admission, $5 for non-UCSB students with ID, and free for UCSB students with ID, and for children under 12.
Tickets may be purchased at the door, at the Associated Students Ticket Office window (UCEN Room 1535, across from Corwin Pavilion), by calling the Associated Students Ticket Office, 893-2064, or online at https://ticketing.axs.com/Quantity.aspx?t=8E4425CB8D5365BB72A3CB2&og=-1.
— Gerald Carpenter covers the arts as a Noozhawk contributing writer. He can be reached at gerald.carpenter@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are his own.