Commissions and Repertoire: St. Matthew's Music Guild




Music Guild Home 2008-09 Season Current Subscribers Become a Subscriber! Chamber Orchestra Thomas Neenan Bill Bitting The Orchestra, Commissions and Repertoire Directions Contact Us	About The St. Matthew's Chamber Orchestra The St. Matthew's Chamber Orchestra was formed in 1985 as a resident professional ensemble at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Pacific Palisades, California. Counting among its members some of the finest professional freelance musicians in Los Angeles, the orchestra has received critical acclaim for its stylish performances of music from all periods and has been referred to as "a jewel in Westside [L.A.] musical life". During its twenty-five year residence at St. Matthew's Church, the orchestra and it's parent organization, St. Matthew's Music Guild, has presented over 200 concerts, featuring some of the most outstanding national and international artists on today's musical stage. Of equal importance, the orchestra frequently features its own members as soloists and, on occasion, enjoys performing music by member-composers such as Benedikt Brydern. The orchestra and St. Matthew's Music Guild are particularly proud of the more than 25 world premieres that have taken place over the years – many of which were of works commissioned by or for the Music Guild. In its Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Season, St. Matthew's Music Guild commissioned six new works (listed below). St. Matthew’s Music Guild's President, Bill Bitting Bill BittingLongtime Music Guild supporter Bill Bitting was elected President of the Music Guild Board in 2008. Bill is a partner in the law firm of Hill, Farrer and Burrill LLP and specializes in all areas of civil and business litigation with extensive experience in the field of eminent domain. Bill has served as special counsel to public agencies in landmark litigation and has participated as legal counsel in numerous significant trials in the private sector. He represents major clients in the aerospace, manufacturing, transportation, banking, and entertainment industries. Bill received both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1962 and 1965, respectively. He developed a love of classical music early on but particularly through some general ed courses in music as an undergrad at UCLA. In 1998 Bill and his wife, Kathleen, donated a fine two-manual harpsichord by John Phillips to St. Matthew's Parish in memory of William Faulkner Bitting. Commissions and Repertoire Hear some excerpts from pieces we have commissioned over the past several seasons. Dwayne Milburn: Four Water Scenes for Clarinet and Orchestra (Music Guild Commission) MP3 Marc Falcone: Bells (Organ and Orchestra) MP3 Joseph Curiale: Four Encores (Trumpet, English Horn, Clarinet, French Horn solos with Orchestra) Roger Bourland: The Night Train (Flute, Cello, Harp and Percussion solos and Orchestra) MP3 Paul Chihara: Magnificat (Vocal Ensemble and Orchestra) MP3 Gerald Near: Apostrophe to the Celestial Spheres: The Spacious Firmament on High (Choir and Organ) MP3 Selected Repertoire, 1984-2007 Adams: Voyage J. S. Bach: Brandenburg Concertos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Christmas Oratorio Cantatas 37, 53, 82, 140, 147, 172, 189 Concerto in C minor for Violin & Oboe Concerto for Two Harpsichords Magnificat Motet: Der Geist hilft St. John Passion Overtures Nr. 1, 2, 3 Barber: Capricorn Concerto Bearer: Ultrasonics I (World Premiere, Music Guild commission) Beethoven: Choral Fantasy Creatures of Prometheus Overture Piano Concertos Nos. 1, 2, 3 Romance for Violin and Orchestra Symphonies 1 - 9 Berio: Folksongs Berlioz: Nuit d'Ete Bloch: Concerto Grosso Suite modale Boccherini: Cello Concerto in G Bourland: The Night Train (World Premiere, Music Guild Commission) Far into Night (Premiere, revised version) Bright Sheng: Postcards Britten: Rejoice in the Lamb Les Illumination Nocturne for Tenor, Strings & 7 Obbligato Instruments Serenade Simple Symphony Te Deum Broughton: English Music Bruch: Violin Concerto in G minor Brydern: Three Songs for Mezzo and String Orchestra Chihara: Magnificat (World Premiere, Music Guild Commission) Copland: Appalacian Spring Clarinet Concerto Quiet City Theater Music Corelli: Concerti Grossi Curiale: Encores (World Premiere, Music Guild Commission) Passages (World Premiere) Danzi: Konzertstück No. 2 in G minor Davison: "From my Travels" for Flute and Orchestra Debussy: Dances sacrée et profane Debussy/Schoenberg: Prèlude a l'Aprés-Midi d'un Faune Delius: On hearing the first cuckoo in Spring; Summer night on the river Del Tredici: Dracula (West Coast Premiere) Duruflé: Requiem Dvorak: Serenade for Strings Serenade for Winds Waldesruhe Elgar: Serenade Falcone: Elegy (U.S. Premiere) Sinfonia (World Premiere) Bells (World Premiere) Farzinpour: Ich habe genug (World Premiere) Faure: Pavanne; Masques et Bergamasques Finzi: Five Bagatelles Françaix: L'Horlogue de Flore Octour 7 Dances from the ballet "Les Malheurs de Sophie" String Symphony Francescini: Concerto for Two Trumpets Fussell: Being Music Gershwin: Porgy & Bess (excerpts, concert performance) Lullaby for Strings Rhapsody in Blue (original dance band version) Grieg: Holberg Suite Handel: Concerti Grossi Concerto in C for Organ (Broadcast on Nat’l Public Radio) Coronation Anthems Messiah Roman Vespers Utrecht Te Deum Water Music Harrison: Suite for Violin, Piano & Chamber Orchestra Haydn: Concerto in C for Harpsichord and Strings Concerto in D for Trumpet (Broadcast on Nat’l Public Radio) Concerto in D for Cello Concerto in C for Violin Organ Concerto No. 1 Harmoniemesse; Missa Cellensis; Mass in the Time of War Symphonies Nos. 45, 63, 83, 94, 96, 100, 101, 102 Honegger: Concerto da Camera Symphony No. 4 Ives: Symphony Nr. 2 & 3 Three Places in New England (Chamber Orchestra version) Unanswered Question Korngold: Suite from Much ado about Nothing Lauridsen: Lux aeterna Lutoslawski: Dance Preludes Mahler: Kindertotenlieder (arranged for Chamber Orchestra) Martin: Passacaglia Martinu: Nonet Rhapsodie Concertante Sinfonia Giacosa Sinfonietta La Jolla Matson: Range of Light (World Premiere) Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night’s Dream (Suite) Symphony No. 4 (Italian) Violin Concerto Milburn: Suite for Chamber Orchestra (World Premiere) Moore: Ballad of Baby Doe (excerpts, concert version) Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante for Violin & Viola Sinfonia Concertante for Winds Concertos Nos. 2 & 3 for Horn Concerto Nos. 2 & 4 for Violin Concerto for Bassoon; Concerto for Clarinet Concertos Nos. 14, 19 & 23 for Piano; Concerto for Two Pianos Coronation Mass, Missae brevis Magic Flute Overture Marriage of Figaro (concert performance) Posthorn Serenade Requiem Serenade in G (Eine kleine Nachtmusik) Serenades in C minor and E-flat major, for winds Symphonies 20, 27, 29, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41 Vesperae Solennes de Confessore Near: Apostrophe to the Celestial Spheres: The Spacious Firmament on High (World Premiere) Nielsen: Suite for Strings Newman: Concerto gross Young Person’s Guide (World Premiere) Newmark: High-strung Fun (World Premiere) New Dimension Overture (World Premiere) Pärt: Fratres Pasatieri: Serenade (World Premiere) Pergolesi: La Serva padrona (concert version) Phillips: Concertino (World Premiere) Harpsichord Concerto (World Premiere) Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf Violin Concerto No. 2 Poulenc: Gloria Organ Concerto Ravel: Mother Goose Suite Pavanne Trois poemes de S. Mallarme Respighi: Ancient Airs & Dances Il Tramonto Trittico Botticelliano Rorem: Violin Concerto Rossini: The Barber of Seville Overture The Italian Girl in Algiers Overture Rozsa: Rhapsody for Violin (World Premiere) Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals Introduction and Rondo; Havanaise Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht (String Orchestra version) Schnittke: Sonata for Violin & Chamber Orchestra Schubert: Mass in C Symphony Nr. 5 Schumann: Piano Concerto Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 2 Sibelius: Suite caracéristique Stravinsky: Concerto “Dumbarton Oaks” L’Histoire du Soldat Pulcinella Suite Ragtime Danses concertantes Takemitsu: Archipelago S. Rain coming Tavener: To a Child Dancing in the Wing Tchaikovsky: Valse-Scherzo Teleman: Don Quixote Viola Concerto Vaughan Williams: Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus The Lark Ascending Oboe Concerto Vivaldi: Concerto for Four Violins Concerto for Two Cellos Concerto for Two Violins & Two Cellos Concerto for Piccolo Four Seasons Wagner: Sigfried Idyll Walton: Façade Warlock: Capriol Suite Weill: Suite from “Three-penny opera” Wright: Four Talents (World Premiere) Concerto for Tenor Saxophone and Orchestra (World Premiere, Music Guild Commission) Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra (World Premiere, Music Guild Commission)

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