SPACE: Music of the Universe - ASO Study Guide

Joseph Young, Assistant Conductor

Music of the Universe

Music of the Universe

HHave you ever stared at the night sky

with wonder? Many composers have also looked to the stars for inspiration and written music about the universe. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra celebrates those composers and their musical tributes to the galaxy. Get ready to blast off! Assistant Conductor Joseph Young is on the launch pad for this out-of-the-world musical adventure!

Mankind has always been curious about the stars. Early astronomers studied the skies, hoping to discover not

only what the sun, moon, stars, and planets were — but how and why they seemed to move across the sky. For a long while, of course, people believed the Earth was the center of the universe and that everything revolved around us. People even used to think the world was flat!

Over 56 years ago, the United States government began the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, known as NASA. The goal of NASA was to send rockets into outer space and land a man on the moon! NASA’s Space Shuttle program sent people to space to learn about space and perform experiments. Today, NASA is mostly sending robots to Mars, tracking space missiles, and taking pictures of deep space with the Hubble telescope.

Composers have also been amazed by outer space. Long before the Hubble telescope sent back pictures of the universe, composers were putting the galaxy into their music.

Mars: “The Red Planet”

It used to be the closest you could get to Mars was a candy bar. Nowadays, you can click on the

NASA website and watch a live-cam!

The planet Mars has always been a focus of NASA. Right now, NASA

has three spacecraft in orbit around Mars — and two on the surface, the Mars Exploration Rover

Opportunity and the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity. Just one year ago, Curiosity found water in Mars’ soil, a seemingly small but major discovery.

Jupiter: The Giant among Giants

There’s no getting around it. Jupiter is huge! Earth has one moon, but Jupiter has over 60 moons! Space missiles have conducted several “fly-by” missions to explore Jupiter, but they can’t land there. The planet is a “gas giant” so it has a surface made of gas and liquid. NASA believes it has a solid center about the size of Earth.

Meet the Orchestra

An orchestra is a large group of musicians who perform together on several different instruments — strings (including the violin and cello), woodwinds (including the clarinet and flute), brass instruments (including the trumpet and tuba), and percussion (including drums and xylophones.)

Meet the Conductor

The conductor is the man or woman who leads the orchestra. Using hands and sometimes a stick called a baton, a conductor sets the tempo of the musicians, controls the volume, and shapes the sound of the orchestra. The musicians stay focused on their conductor and start and to stop at the conductor’s command.

Do the stars and planets control us?

Astronomy is the study of stars, planets and other objects in outer space. Astrology is the study of how the placement of stars and the movement of planets is thought to impact the world and the way we live and behave. Astrology is popular around the world but isn’t a true science.

Meet Gustav Holst

Gustav Theodore Holst (1874–1934) was an English composer. Between 1913 and 1914, Holst wrote seven “mood pieces” called The Planets. Each part represents a different planet in the solar system. The music from The Planets is about

the grandeur of the planets and their astrological qualities.

You will hear two “planets” at the Atlanta Symphony Space concert, “Mars” and “Jupiter.” “Mars” depicts the “Red Planet” but also suggests Mars, the Roman god of war, with

its trumpet calls, military rhythms and clashing notes. Holst actually called this part of his music “Mars: The Bringer of

War.” Listen as the war gets more and more intense.

The music of “Jupiter” summons the massive planet — as well as Jupiter, the majestic

king of the Roman gods, with an uplifting sense of power and calm. Holst called

this section, “Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity.” “Jollity” means cheerful so for all the happiness and cheer in this music.

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How

big is the biggest

planet? If the sun were

as tall as a front door, the

Earth would be the size

of a nickel – and Jupiter

would be as big as a

basketball.

WOW!

The composer Gustav Holst was inspired by astrology when he wrote a piece of music for orchestra, The Planets.

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and the fifth planet from the sun.

The Science & music of SpaceThe Science & music of Space

Did Holst get it right? Count the planets!

Holst’s work contains seven musical planets, not including Earth. Sixteen years after Holst had written The Planets, astronomers discovered a ninth planet, named Pluto. The composer was not interested in writing a new movement for Pluto at the time — and he was right. Holst died in 1934, but many years later, in 2006, astronomers decided that Pluto was not actually a planet but a “dwarf planet” because of its small size. So Holst had the right number of planets after all.

The Science of Music

Music is a mystery. Think about it. Music started thousands of years ago but no one knows how. Of all the creatures on Earth, humans are the only ones to make music for enjoyment alone. Music from around the world might sound “different” to our ears but we still recognize it as music. And we say that music “speaks” to us but often it has no words, only tones and rhythm. What music “speaks” to you? And what does it “say”?

The scientific explanation is that our ears take in sounds and then our brains process those sounds into emotions. The same thing happens when our eyes take in light and our brains process images. Scientists also claim that when they take pictures of people’s brains listening to music, almost every area of the brain is active and engaged. Even with these explanations, however, music remains a mystery.

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Mars is the second smallest planet in our galaxy and the fourth planet from the sun.

Curiosity got its name from Clara, a sixth grade girl who entered an online contest to name the

rover. “Mars is such a mysterious and

wonderful planet,” said Clara, “and it

inspires so many questions in all of us.”

As the contest winner, Clara signed

her own name on the rover and was at the launch pad when

it was sent into space.

WOW!Composer’s Choice: Musical Dynamics

When composers write a musical work, they make several decisions. They choose to tones and rhythm for their melodies, of course. After that, one big decision involves “musical dynamics.”

Musical dynamics refer to sudden changes in volume, all the way from very quiet to very loud. The decision, however, involves more than a volume control dial. Composers understand that music can be quiet — and still be soft and gentle or forceful and intense. In the same way, loudness can make music fun and energetic or else also grand, stately and serious.

In The Planets, Holst “paints” with music to depict Mars and Jupiter orbiting through our galaxy. He also uses music to describe Mars and Jupiter as separate planets with distinct personalities. Listen to how Holst uses musical dynamics to achieve those results.

WOW!The reddish

appearance on the

surface of Mars is caused

by traces of iron oxide —

or what we Earthlings

call “rust.”

Holst’s The Planets allows you to listen to all the different decisions made by the same composer in two different

pieces. Holst used the “loud” and “quiet” of musical dynamics for the opposite

purposes in “Mars” and “Jupiter.” Does the “loud” music in “Mars” sound like a battle being fought? Does the “loud” music in “Jupiter” suggest a gigantic jovial planet? Notice too that Holst chose different instruments and instrument combinations to feature in each segment. What instruments did Holst choose to create the warrior sounds of “Mars”? What instruments did Holst use to make “Jupiter” sound majestic and happy?

The Science & music of SpaceThe Science & music of Space

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A disco version

of the Star Wars theme

topped the Billboard

charts in 1977 as the

most popular song in

America for two

solid weeks.

WOW!

Music is a physical reality. A musical instrument releases sound vibrations

that reach our ears. At the same time, music has mystical powers. A pulsing rhythm can energize us or lull us to sleep. A stirring melody can make us joyful or sorrowful — or cause us to cheer on a football team or salute a flag.

This magical quality is sometimes called “music of the spheres,” as though music fell to Earth from some other place. But we know that it did not. We know that music has been written down by composers deciding how the music should sound.

Even though the music might seem “out of this world,” remember that the orchestra is playing music that composers wrote. In a sense, composers are relying on the mysterious elements of music as they depict the majesty of the universe. Music engages our imagination in ways that words or drawings cannot.

Composer’s Choice: Instrumentation

Another big decision for composers is the specific instruments and instrument combinations that make their music as expressive as possible. Every orchestra is divided into four sections or “families” of instruments, each with its own personality — so the composer has a lot of options.

The brass section contains horns, trumpets, trombones, and tuba, each with a bright sound typically associated with courage. They are often used in the loud, exciting parts of the music to create drama and sudden bursts of sound.

The string section is made of violins, violas (vee-OH-las), cellos, and basses with a sound that can be soft and sweet, or soaring and majestic.

The woodwind section includes the flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon. Their warm sound has been compared to the human singing voice.

The percussion section holds the drums, chimes, gongs, cymbals, and whistles that provide pounding rhythms and driving energy.

The Science & music of SpaceThe Science & music of Space

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The composer John Williams is famous for his film scores, including Star Wars.

Meet Richard Strauss

Richard Strauss (1864-1949) is considered one of the great Romantic composers of Germany. The Romantic Period does not mean “romantic” love, although love is a popular theme in music. Instead, “romantic” refers to work that contains big, passionate ideas or emotions. Before this Romantic Period, classical music was much more formal and reserved.

Strauss is famous for his orchestral “tone poems.” These works were shocking in their day because they were about subjects that were not considered appropriate for music. “Sunrise” from Also Sprach Zarathustra (1896), for example — (AHL-so SPRAH-k Zah-rah-THOO-strah) — was inspired by a free-thinking book of philosophy. Its famous opening motif was written to depict a glorious sunrise. That same motif, however, was used in a movie titled 2001: A Space Odyssey. Since that movie, Strauss’s motif reminds people more of the entire galaxy.

Meet John Williams

John Williams (1932 —) is an American composer best known for his award-winning film scores for Jaws, E.T., Indiana Jones, and Star Wars. An accomplished conductor and composer, he has worked with orchestras around the globe. Williams is well known for his use of musical motifs. Jaws has its famous “bah-dum” shark sound, E.T. has its flying-on-a-bike melody, and Indiana Jones arrives with his own theme song. William’s film score for Star Wars was created to sound and feel like intergalactic space travel but it is also suggests the struggle of good against evil.

It’s hard to miss all the big decisions that Strauss made in the opening

moments of “Sunrise” from Also Sprauch Zarathustra.

Listen carefully to the musical motif that Strauss uses to create the Sun. Why do you think he chose these particular pitches and rhythms to represent the Sun? Also listen for Strauss’s choice of instruments and instrument-combinations. You’ll hear the brass section, the string section and the percussion section used to big effect. And you won’t be able to miss Strauss’s choice for musical dynamics. The opening to “Sunrise” from Also Sprach Zarathustra is both very quiet—and very loud.

You’ll hear all the composer’s decisions in Williams’ Star Wars as well. Notice the musical dynamics. In some ways, Williams uses “loud” to make the music feel grand and majestic, the same way that Strauss did. At other times, Williams uses “loud” to make the music sound exciting and dangerous. Williams also made careful decisions about the musical instruments. Ask yourself which instruments sound heroic. Which instruments sound

suspenseful? Which instruments feel like their sound is coming from a “galaxy far far away”?

Composer’s Choice: Musical Motifs

A musical motif (moh-TEEF) is a short rhythmic or melodic phrase that is introduced and repeated in a composition. Typically, a motif is “branded” with a particular meaning, the image of a mountain, for example, or a value like danger. When the composer repeats a motif, the listener is likely to recall that same image or value. You are probably already familiar with some famous musical motifs in Star Wars — such as when Darth Vader arrives or Luke Skywalker uses “The Force.”

The composer Richard Strauss wants you to hear a powerful sunrise in his musical “tone poem,” “Sunrise” from Also Sprach Zarathustra.

The Science & music of SpaceThe Science & music of Space

The composers on this program have used music to express notions of outer space. Each composer, however, has looked at

space from a different perspective — and has told a different story. Holst’s The Planets, for example, considered space through astrology. Strauss’s “Sunrise” from Also Sprach Zarathustra tackles the powerful force of nature. Williams’s Star Wars visits “a galaxy far far away” in an adventure story of good against evil.

Even though music “speaks” without words, we can use words to describe our experience of composers’ work. As you listen to these works, write down the story or the images that the music inspires in your imagination.

Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a child prodigy who is widely considered a great musical genius.

Meet Wolfgang Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was born in Germany but travelled and performed all across Europe as a boy. Mozart was a child prodigy (“praw-di-GEE”), someone who displays remarkable talents at an early age. Mozart wrote his first symphony at the age of 8. He composed more than 600 great works in his lifetime, but sadly, he died when he was only 35. We can only wonder what he might have accomplished if he had lived longer.

Twinkle, twinkle…and repeat!

Mozart was known as a genius but also a prankster. He would entertain royal audiences with flashy displays of his remarkable talent. For example, when Mozart was 25 in 1781, he improvised a dozen versions of “Ah! Vous Dirai-Je, Madam?” (“Shall I tell you, Mother?”), a children’s counting song with the same melody as “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Each version is more complicated and impressive than the last. Mozart was very popular for this kind of stunt, taking a simple song and making it complex.

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The Science & music of SpaceThe Science & music of Space

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Meet Antonio Vivaldi

Italian composer Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (Viv-VALL-dee), (1678–1741) wrote a formal style of music, referred to as Baroque. A great violinist himself, Vivaldi is best known for a series of violin concertos titled The Four Seasons. Each segment describes a different season, including “Winter.” Trained as a priest, Vivaldi wrote a great deal of church music before he decided to become a full-time composer.

What does winter have to do with the solar system?

Why is it cold in the winter and warm in the summer? The answer lies in outer space.

You probably know Earth orbits around the sun and spins as it orbits, with one complete turn each day. The tricky part is that Earth spins — on a tilt.

Not long ago after Earth had just formed, another large planet-sized object bumped into Earth and knocked it off-kilter. As a result, Earth spins at an angle instead of straight up and down. As Earth orbits the Sun, it continues to tilt in that same direction, even as it spins — and different parts of Earth get the Sun’s rays as it orbits. The lucky part is that Earth’s tilt allowed for the change of seasons on the planet. Even luckier, our seasons are pretty well-balanced so that it’s never too hot or too cold.

The composer Antonio Vivaldi almost became a priest before he chose a career in music.

Most

of Vivaldi’s music

was completely lost

when he died. Much of

what we have today was

found in 1926, stuffed

away into a trunk

somewhere.

WOW!

Vivaldi chose the string section to express nature in his Four Seasons. Why do you think he chose the string section over the woodwinds,

brass or percussion sections? Notice during “Winter” that Vivaldi

has musicians pluck high notes on their strings to recreate the dripping sound of a cold and icy rain.

The Science & music of SpaceThe Science & music of Space

L istening to this music before your Atlanta

Symphony Orchestra field trip will make your

concert experience more fun and interesting.

Sometimes listening isn’t easy. Sometimes the

music within a piece will change a lot, so the

way you feel, what you imagine, and the way

you describe the music might change, too. The

music might go from soft to loud, or slow to fast,

or back and forth. It might be calm and then

suddenly exciting. Different instruments might

play at different times, or the entire orchestra

might play together. How can you become a

great listener? Try these three easy tips!

Listening Tip 1While you are listening, think about what instruments you hear and what music words might describe the music. If you can’t identify each instrument, that’s ok! Try to hear the instrument families instead. Use words from the following word bank to help you describe the music while you listen.

How many different things can you notice while you listen?

Word Bank

Add your vocabulary here!Fast or Slow

Loud or Soft

Brass

String

Exciting or Calm

High or Low

Choppy or Smooth

Woodwind

Percussion

High or Low

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stOP, look, and listen!stOP, look, and listen!

Listening Tip 2Now that you’ve learned to describe the music using words from Listening Tip #1 (page 8), try this listening trick! While you are listening to music, compose a three-part sentence that describes what you hear. Make sure that your sentence is complete by filling in the spaces correctly:

Look for places where you can compose your own listening sentences throughout this study guide!

Listening Tip 3Listening Map: As you listen, create a map of the music you hear. Write down words or pictures along a straight line that will help you remember what you heard. Listen again, and this time, follow your map like a timeline. Can you find your way along your map? Can you add anything to the map the second time you listen?

To listen to the music from the Space: Music of the Universe concert, follow these steps:

1 With permission from your parent/teacher, visit the website www.aso.org/fieldtrips2 Click the “Learn More” button under the concert you are attending, Space. 3 Click this link: Listening Guide: SPACE: Music of the Universe4 Follow the instructions for registering for the free playback software, Spotify.5 Use your study guide as you listen to learn more about the music!

Can’t use Spotify? Try the websites youtube.com or grooveshark.com and search for each piece of music individually. 9

When I hear _______________________ , I think of _______________________ and I feel __________________.

Examples:Listening to “Mars” from The Planets

(noun or description) (imaginary noun/verb) (emotion or adjective)

When I hear _______________________ , I think of __________________ and I feel __________________. loud drums scareda battle

When I hear _______________________ , I think of __________________________________________ and

I feel __________________.

the brassexcited

a rocket going into spaceListening to Star Wars

Listen Map Example

(beginning)

softslow

highflute

fasterloud

brassvery fast

softcalm (end)

stOP, look, and listen!stOP, look, and listen!

I Can Hear It! What to Listen for in “Jupiter” from The Planets by Gustav Holst Check-list Activity:

Directions: As you listen to “Jupiter,” check off the sections you hear on the list below. It might take you a few tries to hear every section. Use the times listed below to help you find each section of the music as you listen to the recording.

❏ Part 1: Fast notes in the strings and woodwinds and exciting fanfares from the brass. (Beginning to 0:58)

❏ Part 2: A jolly melody by the horns is repeated by the woodwinds. Then, a crescendo (getting louder) leads to another faster melody, first by the horns, then the rest of the orchestra. This part gets faster and faster! (0:59 to 2:20)

❏ Part 3: A sudden change leads to quiet, sneaky woodwinds. Then, the strings begin a slow, smooth, and beautiful melody. (2:20 to 4:45)

❏ Part 4: The sneaky woodwinds return and lead to very fast strings and woodwinds and brass fanfares, just like Part 1. (4:45 to 5:50)

❏ Part 5: Both of the jolly melodies from Part 2 return again in the horns and woodwinds. (5:50 to 7:00)

❏ Part 6: A short return of the slow melody from Part 3 leads to a surprise fast and dramatic ending. (7:00 to 7:30)

What do you hear and imagine when you listen to “Jupiter”? Answer below using your 3-part listening strategy.

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I Can Hear It! What to Listen for in “Mars” from The Planets by Gustav Holst

Most music has steady beat feeling of 2, 3, or 4 beats per group. “Mars” is a very unique piece of music because it has a different feeling of FIVE beats per group. Can you count to five on a steady beat, over and over? Try it!

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

Great! Now as you listen to “Mars,” count along with those 5 beats. You will hear the same rhythm repeated, dark brass fanfares, and lots of exciting changes during this music. Does “Mars” sound like “The Bringer of War” to you?

I Can Hear It! What to Listen for in “Sunrise” from Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss

The fanfare “Sunrise” from Also Sprach Zarathustra is a very famous piece of music by Strauss, even though it is not even two minutes long. You might recognize it from movies and tv shows.

Can you hear these characteristics? Pair up with a friend and listen together.

1) A trumpet call gives the feeling of the sun rising over the horizon.

2) A surprising dramatic chord from the orchestra gives a sudden jolt of energy, like a burst of light from the sun.

3) The timpani (large drums) pound out a bold, steady pattern.

1–3, 1–3) Repeat the order above two more times, higher and louder each time. 4) The entire orchestra rises up to a final huge blast of light!

Could you hear the “Sunrise” in this music?

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I Can Hear It! What to Listen for in “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star” By Mozart and Sean O’Boyle

Two composers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Sean O’Boyle, used the traditional French melody “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” in many different ways when writing their compositions. Both composers include the original “Twinkle” melody, known as the “theme” and then turn it into different unique versions. These different versions are called “variations,” so this style of composing music is called “Theme and Variations.”

Mozart’s version of Twinkle, Twinkle is written for piano and O’Boyle’s is written for strings.

Activity: Listen to both versions of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” by Mozart and O’Boyle. How many variations of the melody do you hear? How are the variations different? Count the variations as you listen.

I Can Hear It! What to Listen for in “Winter” from The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi

“Winter” from The Four Seasons is written only for the string family of the orchestra. In this music, the steady pulse from the string section gives an ominous feeling that the harsh winter has only just begun. Fast and frantic notes in the solo violin sound like shivering in the cold. Brrr! There are three other pieces in The Four Seasons – Spring, Summer, and Autumn. Listen to all four!

Writing Activity:Listen to “Winter” from The Four Seasons. Think carefully about the story that this music might tell. Who are the characters? What is the setting? What happens at the beginning, middle, and end of your story? Get a sheet of paper and write your own story to go with “Winter.” Share your story with your friends and family.

I Can Hear It! What to Listen for in Dominus by Mason Johnston, ASO Next Generation Student Composition Contest Winner

Dominus was inspired by the moon. As you listen to this music at the concert, imagine the moon rising with a powerful brightness. The solo violin has a high sound, like the moon in the sky. See what things you can imagine as you listen to this brand new music!

I Can Hear It! What to Listen for in Star Wars by John Williams

What makes Star Wars sound like, well…Star Wars? Listen for these different characteristics! See if you can hear them all! Check off the boxes as you hear each musical idea.

❏ Bright brass fanfares❏ Twinkling sounds in the percussion (triangle, cymbal)❏ Fast moving notes in the strings and woodwinds

Add more to the list! What else did you hear?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

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❏ Snare drum, like a military march❏ A rise in pitch, like going into space❏ Bold brass melody and contrasting

smooth string melody

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Education & Community Engagement Staff

Mark B. Kent Vice President for Education and Community Engagement

Katherine Algarra Program Assistant for Student Musician Programs

Niki Baker Manager of Ensembles and Instruction

Janice Crews, D.M.A. Manager of School and Family Programs

Kaitlin Gress Wells Fargo ArtsVibe Teen Program Coordinator

Tiffany Jones Education Associate for Audience Development

Ahmad Mayes Manager of Community Programs

Support Music Education

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra thanks the following organizations for their support of our Education and Community Programs. The support of these corporations, foundations, and individuals is invaluable in helping us reach and educate diverse communities.

404.733.4871 | ASO.ORG

Major support is provided by the Mayor’s Office

of Cultural Affairs.

Major funding for this program is provided by the

Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the

Fulton County Arts Council.

This program is supported in part by the Georgia Council

for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. GCA also

receives support from its partner agency, the National

Endowment for the Arts.

This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment

for the Arts.

With deepest gratitude…

AT&T

Abraham J. & Phyllis Katz Foundation

Brown & Moore Associates, LLC

Chick-fil-A Foundation

The Coca-Cola Company

Delta Air Lines

Georgia Pacific

InterContinental Hotels Group

JBS Foundation

Links, Inc., Azalea City Chapter

Livingston Foundation, Inc.

Lockheed Martin

Massey Charitable Trust

MetLife Foundation

Primerica, Inc.

The Helen Plummer Charitable Foundation

Publix Super Markets & Publix Super Markets Charities, Inc.

Remillard & Associates, Inc.

SunTrust Bank Trusteed Foundation – Walter H. and Marjory M. Rich Memorial Fund

SunTrust Foundation

The Society, Inc., Greater Atlanta Chapter

Wells Fargo

The William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund

The Zeist Foundation, Inc.

Composer Mason Johnston is a 15-year-old rising 10th grader at Grady High School in Atlanta. Mason is

the recipient of the ASO’s 2014 Next Generation Student Composition Contest for his work Dominus. Mason has studied the cello since the age of 4 and has performed with the Buckhead Youth Orchestra. He started composing on his computer two years ago– and was thrilled to learn that Dominus was

included on this ASO program.

Mason was inspired by the moon to write Dominus, named after the Latin word for “lord.”

“The moon has lord-like authority over many things,” says Mason, “including the climate, the water currents, and what night looks like.” The work is written for a solo violin and orchestra. The solo violinist will be Justin Bruns, ASO Assistant Concertmaster, and Mason has polished and orchestrated his composition with ASO bassist/composer Michael Kurth. “I’m really nervous and excited to hear the musicians,” says Mason. “I’m used to midi files as the audio track. When you hear it ‘live,’ you hear sounds you didn’t expect because you’re listening to actual musicians.”

Meet Assistant Conductor Joseph Young

ASO Assistant Conductor Joseph Young wanted to be a conductor after he saw his first orchestra at the age of 16. “The sheer massive sound of that big orchestra convinced me that I wanted to be that conductor standing in front,” he says.

As a student, Maestro Young recalls studying outer space and being involved in science fair projects. “I remember constructing a mobile of planets one year that prompted me to take astrology in college,” he says. “And there was a field trip to a planetarium where we explored the night sky in all its majesty. I remember being fascinated by the constellations and all the different planets. I hope students will hear some of that majesty in the magnificent music in this concert.”

Composer Mason Johnston (left), winner of the 2014 Next Generation Student Composition Contest, stands with ASO bassist/composer Michael Kurth.

Mason JohnstonMeet