ACF 2010: The Greatest Generation

As the Great Recession of 2009 resulted in unprecedented challenges for the nation, Pacific Symphony's 2010 American Composers Festival (ACF) takes on greater relevance and meaning as it explores "The Greatest Generation"—a look back at a time that was in large part defined by The Great Depression. The term "The Greatest Generation," coined by Tom Brokaw in his book by the same name, refers to those who grew up in the United States during this time of extreme deprivation and then went on to fight in World War II or contribute to the effort on the home front—eventually rebuilding America into a superpower. Historically, periods of adversity tend to inspire artists to great creativity. This year's festival, led by Music Director Carl St.Clair, delves into the turbulent period of the 1930s and '40s and the music that could not have been composed without the somber impetus of The Great Depression.

"In thinking about this year's ACF, I have tried to create a mood and atmosphere of honor and respect," says St.Clair. "During these times of crisis, which we are all having to endure, it's comforting to me to remember that the backbone of our country was founded by honorable men and women who endured hardship. Their strength of character allowed them to overcome their troubles and through their will and dedication, they not only survived, but pulled through stronger, with more courage and with distinction.

Remind – Remember – Respect

"The music on this year's festival will honor this ‘great generation' of Americans. The heart of the festival for me personally is to remind, remember and to respect," says St.Clair.

In addition to a concert performed by the orchestra that explores works by composers influenced by the Depression and war, including Aaron Copland, Bernard Herrmann, Kurt Weill, Morton Gould—plus a commissioned work from one of today's most acclaimed composers and Pacific Symphony's composer-in-residence, Michael Daugherty—the festival includes two ancillary events, one presented by California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) and the other by the Orange County High School of the Arts (OSCHA). Adding to the discussion throughout the festival is guest lecturer/historian George Stoney. In addition to the premiere of Daugherty's "Mount Rushmore," the festival includes several West Coast premieres, including Weill's "Song of the Inventory," and his Walt Whitman Songs (orchestrated version).

"Sometimes art needs a cause," says Joseph Horowitz, the Symphony's artistic advisor, who continues to serve as host and ACF advisor, as he has done since the festival's inception in 2000—showcasing each year a different facet of American music. "The Great Depression and World War II inflicted trauma and hardship. They also galvanized music that would not otherwise have been composed."

In addition to The Great Depression and World War II, other markers of the era such as Communism, labor unrest, the New Deal, WPA projects—all bring to mind a time in history when Americans struggled on many levels. Politically, many American artists and intellectuals were pushed left by The Great Depression. On the global front, the full horrors of Stalin's Russia were yet unknown—and Russia supported the fight against fascism. In the U.S., the Communist party championed the rights of workers, immigrants and blacks in years of rampant poverty and mass unemployment. It was a time of turmoil that contrasted with great artistic expression—"a means of both lashing out and soothing the wounds," says Horowitz. Music was written both in response to adversity and as a means to mollify and distract.

The Greatest Generation

While it is not the first event to take place as part of the festival, "The Greatest Generation" is the core of this year's ACF. Taking place Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 4-6, 2010, in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, this concert features St.Clair leading the orchestra and the Pacific Chorale in Daugherty's world premiere, "Mount Rushmore for Chorus and Orchestra," commissioned by Pacific Symphony. The concert opens with Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man," while baritone Douglas Webster joins the orchestra for the West Coast premiere of the orchestrated version of Kurt Weill's Walt Whitman Songs. The program also includes Gould's "Amber Waves" and Bernard Herrmann's "For the Fallen," with images from World War II and The Great Depression projected onto the giant screen. A post-concert discussion further delves into the layers of the composers and their music and includes St.Clair, Daugherty, Stoney and Horowitz.

Read the program notes
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The River

Several days earlier, ACF 2010 officially kicks off with "The River," presented by the Orange County High School of the Arts (OCHSA) on Feb. 1, 2010, at 7:30 p.m., highlighted by a presentation of the classic 1936 government documentary, "The River"—a case for flood control that traces the history of the Great Plains and shows how abuse of the land led to the dust bowl—with Virgil Thomson's score performed live by the OCHSA orchestra, led by Chris Russell. The evening includes songs and hymns, which are part of Thompson's score, performed by students in the opera program.

The evening also features guest lecturer/historian Stoney and three documentaries by Film and TV Conservatory students who are part of OCHSA's documentary course. The themes of the students' final projects include subjects from "The Greatest Generation," and/or their relationship to the current political and economic climate. In advance of the concert, students submitted written treatments and pre-production plans to Stoney via e-mail for suggestions and feedback on content and perspective.

"The Greatest Generation" by Lauren Morales
"A Soldier of Life"" by Adrian Azevedo
"Remembering the Greatest Generation" by Kaylen Hadley

Into the Streets

The festival concludes on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010, at the California State University, Fullerton's Meng Hall, with a concert hosted by Horowitz, featuring members of the Symphony—concertmaster Raymond Kobler, violinist Bridget Dolkas, principal violist Robert Becker, cellist Kevin Plunkett—and guest pianist Gloria Cheng. Presented by CSUF as part of the Symphony's ACF, the diverse program includes commentary by Stoney and film clips of one of the most impassioned of all World War II-inspired compositions: Arnold Schoenberg's Ode to Napoleon (1942); composed in response to Pearl Harbor, the work memorably denounces the tyrant Hitler and exalts President Roosevelt.

The same program features a variety of music created in reaction to the adversities of the times: Copland's 1939 worker's song "Into the Streets May First!"; excerpts from Rodgers and Hammerstein's uplifting musicals, "Oklahoma!" (1943) and "Carousel" (1945), and more music by Weill from the 1930s, including "Mack the Knife," "Song of the Inventory," "Buddy on the Nightshift," and "Schickelgruber"—all sung by Webster and accompanied by Cheng. Weill's "Ice Cream Sextet" is performed by CSUF singers and Cheng. Commentary by Horowitz explores the radical response to the war and the "patriotic" response. The evening includes a presentation of a documentary by an OCHSA student and a post-concert discussion with Horowitz.

Tickets are $25, students and Pacific Symphony subscribers; $30, general; $5, CSUF music majors.
To purchase tickets, call the CSUF Box Office: (657) 278-3371.

Thanks to our sponsors

Pacific Symphony gratefully acknowledges the following concert and event sponsors of the American Composers Festival 2010:

National Endowment for the Arts
American Express Philanthropic Fund
Aaron Copland Fund for Music
Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, Inc., New York, NY
Music Alive, a residency program of the League of Americam Orchestras and Meet the Composer

Media sponsors:

Photo credits

WPA Murals by Carl Morris in the Eugene, Oregon Post Office - photos courtesy of Kent Peterson Photography
Migrant Mother (1936) - photo by Dorothea Lange
Toward Los Angeles (California 1937) - photo by Dorothea Lange
Aaron Copland - photo by Erika Stone, courtesy of Yaddo
Bernard Herrmann - photo courtesy of the Department of Special Collections, Davidson Library, University of California, Santa Barbara
Kurt Weill - photo courtesy of the Weill-Lenya Research Center, Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, New York
Arnold Schoenberg - photo courtesy of the Arnold Schoenberg Center, Vienna
Carl St.Clair - photo by Marco Boggreve