Collins: Chamber Symphony No. 1 in D minor, Villanelle (2024)
I. Misterioso - Agitato (00:08)
II. Lamentoso - Tempestuoso (07:24)
III. Tempo di valse (13:18)
IV. Alla marcia (17:58)
Commissioned by Yolanda Cole, Board President, DC Concert Orchestra Society.
Appalachian Spring
DC Chamber Orchestra
Sunday, March 10, 2024, at 3:00 pm
Lutheran Church of the Reformation
Washington, DC
CREDITS
Yolanda Cole, flute
Rhett Summers, oboe
Karin Caifa, clarinet
Audrey Boles, bassoon
Edith Gilmore, horn
William Tobias, trumpet
Michael Pak, timpani
Daniel Wasse, piano
Erin Baker, harp
Eugene Kim, Vesper Mei, and Olivia Zalesin, violin 1
Caroline Favero and Kyle Simmons, violin 2
Rachel Lukens and Claire Roberts-Thompson, viola
Philip Hopko and Elizabeth Crotty, cello
Larry Medsker and Andrew Bryant, double bass
Daniel Collins, conductor
Recorded and edited by Will Timmons.
PROGRAM NOTE
In modern parlance, a villanelle is a six-stanza poetic form structured around the alternation of two repeated lines, known as refrains. The refrains are introduced together in the first stanza, treated separately in the following four stanzas, then recombined in the final stanza. The commission for this work called for a “soulful melody” that would allow the instruments to engage in dialogue. In response, I composed a long, searching theme that, after being intoned by the viola, is passed around the orchestra. I then wrote a second theme-this one short and incisive-that could be paired with the first. These two ideas became the “refrains” of my symphonic villanelle, reappearing in various guises throughout the subsequent movements before being reunited in the finale.
Historically, the word “villanelle” derives from the Latin villa (meaning “country house”) via the Medieval Latin villanus (meaning “farmhand”). Incidentally, villanus also gave rise to the modern “villain” (in response to the uncouth behavior of these rustics). Thus, the title, Villanelle, connotes not only the form of the composition but also the character, which is frequently rough, uncultivated, and even sinister. In the first movement, the opening Misterioso contrasts the light, glittering timbres of piano and harp with the dark, woody sound of the viola, setting the stage for the unvarnished Agitato. In the second movement, the pastoral oboe presents a keening melody punctuated by harp arpeggios in an anguished Lamentoso that is interrupted by a violent Tempestuoso. In the third movement, an elegant waltz emerges from the shadows but struggles to keep the darkness at bay. The fourth movement is a fatalistic march underpinned by a seemingly inexorable rhythmic ostinato. Although the piano temporarily diverts the procession, the music ends up retracing its steps through the material of the preceding movements, only to arrive back at the relentless march. A somber coda reunites the two melodic refrains, bringing an uneasy closure.
Chamber Symphony No. 1 in D minor, Villanelle, was commissioned by Yolanda Cole, Board President of the DC Concert Orchestra Society (DCCOS). She writes: “In commissioning this piece, I had a trio of motives. First, I sought to expand the repertoire of a young composer, which is in keeping with DCCOS’ mission to foster the future of classical music. Second, as an architect who is interested in the creative process, I wanted to be involved in construction of themes, recognition of patterns, and discovery of magical moments that are all part of composing a piece of music. Finally, I was eager to perform a brand-new work alongside my musical friends and colleagues in DCCOS.” The premiere was given on Sunday, March 3, 2024, at Calvary Lutheran Church in Silver Spring, MD, under the direction of the composer.
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
Daniel Collins (b. 1996) is a composer, conductor, and educator based in Baltimore, MD. A graduate of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, he earned his bachelor’s degrees, summa cum laude, in Composition & Music Theory and Physics from Boston University and his master’s in Composition & Music Theory Pedagogy from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University.
Daniel has composed music in a variety of genres ranging from chamber music to opera. Recent projects include a trio for his coworkers at Boston University Tanglewood Institute, where he served as Publications Coordinator; a reed trio for the Seattle-based Trio de Bois; and an overture for the DC Chamber Orchestra. He also has the distinction of being the first freshman ever commissioned by the ALEA III Contemporary Music Ensemble and was honored to be selected for the inaugural season of Connecticut Summerfest.
An unabashed bibliophile, Daniel has amassed a sizeable library that reflects his eclectic interests in sailing ships, steam trains, and military history, to say nothing of music. After surviving two years as a high school mathematics teacher, he now serves as Operations Manager of the DC Concert Orchestra Society.