Oakland Symphony Orchestra

Wikipedia:

History

The Oakland Symphony traces its roots back to 1933, when a 40-member orchestra was founded under the direction of Dr. Orly See as a community orchestra. In 1958-59 Piero Bellugi, conductor of the University of California Symphony, served as the Music Director and Conductor for the group’s first professional season. When Bellugi left Oakland in 1959 to become Music Director of the Portland Symphony, Gerhard Samuel, former Associate Conductor of the Minneapolis Symphony, assumed leadership. 1.

Under Samuel’s leadership the orchestra grew, playing more than thirty concerts a season and attracting soloists of international renown. The high standards of performance set by Samuel and his interesting programming brought the Oakland Symphony into international prominence. Numerous new works were given their premieres, and in 1970 the Oakland Symphony made its first commercial recordings. 2. Harold Farberman took over the conductorship of the orchestra for the 1971-72 season. in 1986. In addition to the Symphony Orchestra several subsidiary performing groups were formed: The Oakland Symphony Chorus, under the direction of Joseph Liebling, performed choral works both with the orchestra and on its own. The Oakland Chamber Orchestra, comprised of members of the Oakland Symphony, performed smaller-scale works. The Oakland Youth Symphony Orchestra provided opportunity for local high-school students to perform major symphonic works.

In the fall of 1973 the Oakland Symphony moved from the previous venue at the Oakland Auditorium to the newly-restored Paramount Theatre of the Arts. They presented nine major concert programs in five different series, a Christmas concert, a series at Zellerbach Auditorium in Berkeley and two special “pops” concerts conducted by Arthur Fiedler.

The young conductor Calvin Simmons took over in 1978 and led the orchestra for the next four seasons until his life was abruptly cut short in a canoing accident. Assistant Conductor Joyce Johnson took over until the orchestra went into bankruptcy in 1986. 12.

Repertoire

Music performed by Gerhard Samuel and the Oakland Symphony 1959-69 3.

Larry Austin: Improvisations for Orchestra and Jazz Soloists J. C. Bach: Sinfonia in B-flat; Sinfonia for Double Orchestra, Op. 18, No. 3 J. S. Bach: Brandenburg Concertos No. 4 and No. 5; Piano Concerto in f-minor; Magnificat; St. John and St. Matthew Passions; Suite for Orchestra No. 3 Jacques Belasco: Kreutzcerto Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 3; Violin Concerto No. 2; Concerto for Orchestra (1944); Suite No. 2 Op. 4; Two Portraits for Orchestra Op. 5; Hungarian Sketches, Op. 77 Beethoven: Piano Concertos No. 1 Op. 15, No. 3 Op. 37, No. 5 Op. 73; Violin Concerto Op. 61; Triple Concerto Op. 56; Symphonies No. 2 Op. 36, 3 Op. 55, 4 Op. 60, 5 Op. 67, 7 Op. 92, 8 Op. 93, 9 Op. 125; Overtures to “Fidelio” Op. 72b and “Egmont” Op. 84; “Nameday” Overture Op. 115; “Consecration of the House” Overture Op. 124; “Lenore” Overture No. 1 Op. 138; Missa Solemnis Op. 123 Alban Berg: Violin Concerto; Drei Orchesterstücke Op. 6 (1929 revision); Symphonic Pieces from “Lulu”; Three Fragments from “Wozzeck” Op. 7 Arthur Berger: Polyphony for Orchestra* Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique Op. 14; “Romeo and Juliet” Part II Op. 17; “Roman Carnival” Op. 9, “Corsaire” Op. 21, “Benvenuto Cellini” Op. 23, “Beatrice and Benedict” Overtures Bizet: “L’Arlésienne” Suite No. 2 Ernest Bloch: Violin Concerto; “Schelomo” Charles Boone: Matrix II: “The Edge of the Land”*** Brahms: Piano Concertos No. 1 Op. 15 and No. 2 Op. 83; Violin Concerto Op. 77; Concerto for Violin and Cello Op. 102; Tragic Overture Op. 81; Symphonies No. 1 Op. 68, No. 2 Op. 75, No. 3 Op. 90, No. 4 Op. 98 Benjamin Britten: Nocturne for Tenor, Strings and Solo Instruments; Three Sea Interludes from “Peter Grimes” Bruckner: Symphony No. 4; Te Deum Carlos Chavez: “El Sol” Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 Op.11 Jani Christou: Enantiodromia*** Francesco Cilèa: “Io son l’umile” from “Ariana Le Couvreur” Aaron Copland: Orchestral Variations; Statements (1934); Short Symphony (No. 2) Corelli: Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 6 Ingolf Dahl: Aria Sinfonia Debussy: Jeux; La Mer; Le Martyre di St. Sebastien (Symphonic Fragments); Nocturnes; Prelude à l’Après-midi d’Un Faune de Falla: Suite from “The Three-Cornered Hat” Dvorak: Slavonic Dances Op. 46, Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8; Violin Concerto Op. 53; Cello Concerto Op. 104 Richard Felciano: Mutations for Orchestra*** Lucas Foss: The Song of Songs, Cantata for Soprano and Orchestra Glinka: Overture to “Russlan and Ludmilla” Gene Gutche: Holofernes Overture Op.27, No. 1* Handel: Judas Maccabaeus; “Awake Saturnia” from “Semele”; “Defend Her Heaven” from “Theordora”; “Di ad Irene” from “Atalanta”; “No, oh Dio” from “Calpurnia” Haydn: Cello Concerto in C; Concerto in D for Harpsichord; Missa Solemnis; “The Seasons”; Symphonies Nos. 44, 86, 88, 95, 101 Hans Werner Henze: Symphony No. 4** Hindemith: Mathis der Maler; Nobilissima Visione Ibert: Quatre Chansons de Don Quichotte Andre Imbrie: Drum Taps; Little Concerto for Piano Four Hands and Orchestra** Charles Ives: Symphony No. 4* John Broadbin Kennedy: Symphonic Fantasy*** Leon Kirchner: Toccata for Strings, Solo Winds and Percussion Zoltán Kodály: Budavári Te Deum Ernest Krenek: Symphonic Elegy for Strings Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole Op. 21 Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 Witold Lutoslawski: Jeux Vénitiens Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde; Kindertotenlieder; Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen; Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, 4 Bohuslav Martinu: String Quartet with Orchestra Mascagni: “Addio” from “Cavalleria Rusticana Massenet: Gavotte from “Manon”; Final scene from “Don Quichotte” Mendelssohn: Incidental Music to Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream” Op. 61; Violin Concerto in e-minor Op. 64; Symphony No. 4 Op. 90 Milhaud: Aubade***; Cortage Funebre; Murder of a Great Chief of State***; Serenade; Three Rag Caprices Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 9 K.271, 21 K.467, 24 K.491, 25 K.503, 27 K.595; Concerto for 2 Pianos K.364; Symphonies Nos. 1 K.16, 25 K.183, 28 K.200, 29 K.201, 31 K.297, 33 K.319, 36 K.425, 39 K.543, 40 K.550, 41 K.551; Motet: Exultate, Jubilate K.165; Sinfonia Concertante K.297b; Serenade for 13 Wind Instruments K.361; Mass in c-minor K.427; Masonic Funeral Music K.477; Adagio and Fugue for String Orchestra K.546; Requiem Mass K.626; “The Marriage of Figaro” (concert version); “Il mio tesoro in tanto” from “Don Giovanni”; “Non piu di fiore” from “La Clemenza di Tito” Fredric Myrow: Symphonic Variations Luigi Nono: Memento⎯Epitaph No. 3 Carl Orff: Carmina Burana Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 1 Penderecki: Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima Julia Perry: Stabat Mater Wayne Peterson: Exhaltation⎯Dithyramb and Caprice* Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 Op. 26; Violin Concerto Op. 19 Puccini: “Vissi d’Arte” from “Tosca” Purcell-Wood: Trumpet Voluntary Quantz: Concerto in e-minor for Flute, String Orchestra and Continuo Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 Op. 30 Ravel: Alborado del Gracioso; “Daphnis et Chloe”; “Ma Mère l’Oye”: Pavane pour une Infante Défunte; Piano Concerto in D-major for the Left Hand; Rapsodie Espagnole; Shéhérazade Ricciotti: Concertino in f-minor Rimskky-Korsakov: Schéhérazade, after “A Thousand and One Nights” Op. 55 Rossini: Overture to “La Scala di Seta”; Stabat Mater Saint-Saens: Piano Concerto No. 2 Op. 22 Sammartini: “Io, di clemenza e pace” from “Tre Angeli Che Cantano” Schoenberg: Music for a Film Scene Op. 34 Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 2, 5, 7; Mass in G Schumann: Piano Concerto Op. 54; Concerto for Violoncello Op. 129; Overture to “Genoveva” William Schuman: New England Triptych Harold Shapero: Adagietto Mordecai Sheinkman: “Passi”** Seymour Shifrin: Three Pieces for Orchestra* Sibelius: Violin Concerto Op. 47 Stockhausen: Mixtur** Richard Strauss: Don Juan Op. 20; Till Eulenspiegel Op. 28; Salome’s Dance Op. 54; Rosenkavalier Suite Op. 59 Stravinsky: Feu d’Artifice Op. 4; Oedipus Rex; Requiem Canticles; Schèrzo a la Russe; Symphony in Three Movements; Suite from “The Firebird”; “Suite de Pulcinella”; Orpheus; Persephone; Petrouchka; The Rite of Spring; Symphony of Psalms Morton Subotnik: Play No. 2* Motoyuki Takahashi: Aspin Concertante* Giuseppe Torelli: “Sinfonia con Trombe, Oboe et Altre Instrumenti per l’Accademia del 1707”** Tschaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 Op. 23; Symphonies Nos. 3 Op. 29, 4 Op. 36, 5 Op. 64, 6 Op. 74; Suite No. 3 Op. 55; Overture Fantasy, “Romeo and Juliet”; Rococo Variations for Violoncello and Orchestra Edgar Varèse: Arcana Verdi: Requiem; Te Deum; “Quando le sere al Placido” from “Luisa Miller”; Overture to “La Forza del Destino”; Overture to “The Sicilian Vespers” Vieuxtemps: Violin Concerto No. 4 Op. 31 Villa-Lobos: Choros No. 10 Vivaldi: Concerto in f-minor for Violin; Gloria for Chorus and Orchestra von Weber: Overtures to “Euryanthe”, “Der Freischütz”, “Oberon”; Konzertstück for Piano Op. 79 Anton von Webern: Im Sommerwind; 6 Orchestra Pieces Op. 6; Fuga Ricercata a 6 Voci Richard Wagner: Songs for Mathilde Wesendonck; Overture to “Die Meistersinger”; Good Friday Spell from “Parsifal”; Prelude and Love-Death from “Tristan und Isolde”; Siegfried Idyll; Siegfried’s Rhine Journey and Siegfried’s Funeral March from “Die Götterdämmerung”; Entrance fo the Gods into Valhalla, from “Das Rheingold” Isang Yun: Fluctuations for Orchestra**

Rockefeller Concerts:

Douglas Allanbrook: Four Orchestral Landscapes (Symphony No. 3)*** Arnold Elston: “Great Age Behold Us”, Cantata for Mixed Chorus and Orchestra*** Richard Felciano: Mutations for Orchestra*** John Harbison: Sinfonia for Violin and Double Orchestra*** Richard Hoffman: Orchestra Piece, 1961*** Karl Kohn: Episodes for Piano and Orchestra*** Henri Lazarof: “Mutazione”*** Freric Myrow: Music for Orchestra 1-11 Richard Swift: “Tristia”***

Oakland Chamber Orchestra Concerts:

Aldrovandini: Sinfonia con Trombe C. P. E. Bach: Cello Concerto No. 3 J. S. Bach: Violin Concerto No. 1; Sinfonia in D Op. 18, No. 4; Suite No. 2 Bartók: Divertimento for String Orchestra Boccherini: Symphony in c-minor Charles Boone: Starfish Aaron Copland: Music for the Theater Gounod: Petite Symphonie Handel: Suite from the Water Music; Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 1 Lou Harrison: Seven Pastorales Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 22, 24, 52 Hindemith: Hérodiade; Violin Concerto No. 3 Ives: The Unanswered Question Bohuslav Martinu: Concerto da Camera Menotti: “The Unicorn, the Gorgon and the Manticore” Milhaud: Les Charmes de la Vie Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 14 K.449, 17 K.453, 27 K.595; Violin Concerto No. 5 K.219; Symphony No. 38 K.504; Overture to “Titus” K.621 Pergolesi: Violin Concerto in B-flat Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin; Tzigane Schubert: Symphony No. 5; Rondo for Violin and Orchestra in A Richard Wagner: Siegfried Idyll

Youth Chamber Orchestra Concerts

Lou Harrison: Pacifika Rondo Copland: Billy the Kid Tim Imlay: Triptych Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 22, 92 Honnegger: Pacific 231

Music performed by Gerhard Samuel and the Oakland Symphony 1969-71: 4., 5.

Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2 Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 3 Op. 72a; Piano Concertos No. 3 Op. 37 and No. 5 Op. 73 Berlioz: “King Lear”; “The Damnation of Faust” Brahms: Nänie Op. 82; Piano Concerto No. 1 in d-minor Op. 15; Tragic Overture Chopin: Piano Concerto in f-minor Copland: “A Lincoln Portrait” David Sheinfeld: “Confrontation” for orchestra with electric guitar and electric violin*** Debussy: Fragments from “The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian”; La Mer Gerhard Samuel: “Looking at Orpheus Looking” Henry Brant: new work*** Larry Austin: “Catharsis and Open Form”* Ligeti: “Atmospheres” Luciano Berio: “Sinfonia”* Mahler: “Blumine”* (recently discovered movement to Symphony No. 1); Symphony No. 2 in c-minor, “Resurrection” Michael Colgrass: “As Quiet As…” Mozart: Overture to “The Magic Flute”; Requiem K.626; Symphonies No. 35, “Haffner” and No. 41 in C, “Jupiter” Penderecki: “Dies Irae” for orchestra, chorus, soprano, tenor and bass* Prokofiev: Symphonies No. 3 Op. 44 and No. 5 Rameau: Music from “Hippolyte et Aricie” Ravel: “Dahpnis and Chloe” Suite No. 2 Richard Strauss: Don Juan; Don Quixote Rossini: Overture to “Semiramide” Roussel: “Bachus et Ariane” Scriabin: Symphony No. 3, “Divine Poem” Shostakovitch: Cello Concerto in E-flat Op. 107; Symphony No. 5 Smetana: Overture to “The Bartered Bride” Stravinsky: “Le Rossignol” in concert form; Symphony of Psalms Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 Terry Riley: “In C”* Wagner: Funeral Music and Immolation Scene from “Götterdämmerung”; Prelude and Love-Death from “Tristan and Isolde” Xenakis: “Metastassis”

Music performed by Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra, Denis M. de Coteau, conductor

Stravinsky: Four Etudes Ravel: Piano Concerto in G-major Bartók: Rhapsody No. 1 for violin and orchestra Hindemith: Nobilissima Visione

Music performed by Herlold Farberman and the Oakland Symphony 1971-1976: 6., 8.. 9., 11,

Amram: Triple concerto for Brass Quintet - Woodwind Quintet - Jazz Quartet Bach: Cantata No. 50 for Double Chorus and Orchestra; Christmas Oratorio for Solo Voices, Chorus and Orchestra; Gigue and Air from Suite in D; Mass in b-minor Bacon: Fables for Narrator and Orchestra (1961) Balada: Guernica Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 3 Op. 72a; Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Op. 58; Symphonies No. 3 Op. 55 “Eroica”, and No. 7; Violin Concerto Benjamin Lees: Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra Berio: Magnificat Berlioz: Rob Roy Overture; Symphonie Fantastique Billings: Mariner’s Anthem; Lamentation Over Boston; Jargon; When Jesus Wept; Morpheus Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2; Symphony No. 1 Op. 68; Violin Concerto in D Op. 77 Bruckner: Symphony No. 1 Chadwick: Overture to Rip Van Winkle Chavez: Concerto for 4 French Horns and Orchestra Copland: Music for the Theatre Cowell: Symphony No. 15, “Thesis” Crumb: “Echos of Time and the River”* D’Indy: Istar de Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain; 7 Popular Spanish Songs Debussy: Iberia; Lia’s Recitative and Aria from “L’Enfant Prodigue” Donizetti: “Una furtiva lagrima” Dvorák: Cello Concerto; Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Farberman: “Greek Scene” for mezzo-soprano and orchestra Floyd: Suite from the opera “Of Mice and Men” Foster: Old Folks Quadrilles Franck: Symphony in d-minor Fred Fox: Ternion for Oboe and Orchestra Gershwin: Catfish Row; Rhapsody in Blue Gottschalk: Symphony “A Night in the Tropics” 2nd movement Grieg: Piano Concerto in a-minor Op. 16 Handel: Dettingen Anthem for Chorus and Orchestra; Messiah Hanson: Symphony No. 2 “Romantic” Haydn: Symphony No. 12; Trumpet Concerto in E-flat major Hill: Prelude Hovhanness: “And God Created the Great White Whale” Hughes: Radiances Imbrie: Concerto for Cello*** Ingalls: Election Ode Ives: Celestial Country; Three Places in New England Joplin: Treemonisha Kay: Overture of New Horizons Kirschner: Music for Orchestra* Korngold: Hollywood Suite Lalo: Rhapsodie Espagnol Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2 in A MacDowell: Indian Suite; Piano Concerto No. 2 Mahler: 4 “Rückert” lieder; Symphonies Nos. 1, 4, 8 “Symphony of a Thousand”, and 10 Mascagni: “Addio alla mamma” Mendelssohn: Selections from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Op. 61; Symphonies Nos. 3 “Scotch”, and 4 Menotti: Cello Concerto* Milhaud: Six Popular Hebrew Songs Moors: Psalm 100 Moussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 4 in E-flat K.495; Piano Concertos No. 21 K.467 in C and No. 23 in A; Symphonies Nos. 8 and 40 Orff: Carmina Burana Pagannini: Violin Concerto No. 2 in b-minor Paine: Overture to Oedipus Tyrannus Peter Mennin: “Hamelin Town” Piston: Symphony No. 2 Primous Fountain III, “Manifestation”* Prohaska: Concertino for String Orchestra and Jazz Quartet Puccini: “Nessum dorma” Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini Op. 43 Ravel: “Daphnis and Chloe” Suite No. 2; La Valse; Mother Goose Suite; Scheherezade for mezzo-soprano and orchestra Rossini: Di tanti palpiti, from “Tancredi”; Willow song and prayer, from “Otello”; Cruda sorte, from “L’Italiana in Algeri” Rossini: Overture to “The Barber of Seville” Roy Harris: Symphony No. 3 Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 Scharwenka: Piano Concerto Sessions: The Black Maskers Suite Shostakovitch: Symphony No. 1 Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 5 Strauss: Till Eulenspeigel’s Merry Pranks Stravinsky: Rite of Spring; Stravinsky: Suite from the ballet “Petrouchka” Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in b-minor; Piano Concerto No. 1 Op. 23; Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5; Violin Concerto in D Thomson: The Plow that Broke the Plains Verdi: “Ma se m’e forza perderti”; Requiem Wagner: Immolation Scene from “Die Götterdämerung” Weill: Suite from the “Three Penny Opera” Wen-Chung Chou: “And the Fallen Petals” William Smith: Interplay for Orchestra and Jazz Quartet

Music performed by the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra, Denis de Coteau, Conductor with Oakland Symphony Chorus, Joseph Liebling, Conductor: 7., 10.

Strauss: Seranade for Winds Op. 7 Brahms: Gesang der Parzen Berlioz: Chant des Chemins de Fer Milhaud: Les Choéphores Handel: Israel in Egypt

Music performed 1979-80 by the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra, Robert Hughes, Music Director 13.

Mozart: Overture to Cosi fan tutte Laurie Anderson: Born, Never Asked*** Robert Hughes: Eclogarii Mahler: Symphony No. 10

[1. Jan 1976 Performing Arts Vol 10, No. 1] [2. May 1971 Oakland Symphony concert bulletin] [3. Pamphlet published by the Oakland Symphony, 1969] [4. Oakland Symphony 1969 advance notice leaflet] [5. Oakland Symphony May 1971 concert bulletin] [6. May 1971 concert bulletin] [8. Performing Arts – S. F. Edition, Vol. 6, No. 12, Dec. 1972] [9. Performing Arts, April 1975, Vol. 9, No. 4] [11. 1975-76 Oakland Symphony season brouchure] [7. Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra program bulletin] [10. Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra concert bulletin] [12. Autopsy of an orchestra: An analysis of factors contributing to the bankruptcy of the Oakland Symphony Orchestra Association by M. Melanie Beene (1988)] [13. Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra concert bulletin]