FSU’s Department of Music Presents Dr. Mark Gallagher in Faculty Artist Series Concert

Frostburg State University’s Department of Music will present Dr. Mark Gallagher in his clarinet concert on Sunday, April 7, at 3 p.m. in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU’s Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center. He will be accompanied by pianist Dr. Joseph Yungen. The concert is free and open to the public. This event will also be livestreamed; click the “Join Stream” button on this page a few minutes before the recital is scheduled to begin, or any time during the recital, to view the live performance

The program will include “Grand Duo Concertant for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 48” by Carl Maria von Weber, “Three Etudes on Themes by Gershwin for Solo Clarinet” by Paul Harvey and “Sonata for Clarinet and Piano No. 3 in B-flat Major, Op. 107” by Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian (Max) Reger.

Weber composed “Grand Duo Concertant” from 1815 to 1816. It consists of three movements: “Allegro con fuoco,” “Andante con moto” and “Rondo: Allegro.” Weber most likely composed the work for himself (on piano) and his friend Heinrich Baermann, a leading clarinetist of the era. During its composition, Weber designated the work as a sonata, but abandoned that title on its completion. This decision reflected the piece’s character as more of a showcase for two virtuosos than a conventionally structured and integrated work. The first movement is in sonata form, the second is an andante in C minor and the finale is a lilting rondo in E-flat major.

“I Got Rhythm,” “Summertime” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So” are the three Gershwin tunes that the renowned performer, teacher and composer Paul Harvey took as the themes for his studies. “I Got Rhythm,” published in 1930, became a jazz standard. Its chord progression, known as the “rhythm changes,” is the foundation for many other popular jazz tunes. “Summertime” is an aria Gershwin composed in 1934 for the 1935 opera “Porgy and Bess.” The song soon became a popular and much-recorded jazz standard. “It Ain’t Necessarily So” is also from “Porgy and Bess,” where it is sung by the character Sportin’ Life, a drug dealer, who expresses his doubt about several statements in the Bible.

“Sonata for Clarinet and Piano No. 3” is the best known of the three clarinet sonatas by Reger. Composed in 1909, it is one of the most important works in the clarinet solo repertory. Reger’s style mixed strongly traditional formal procedures (dating back from Brahms all the way through Beethoven and Bach) with the harmonic language of Wagner and Strauss. Reger falls clearly into the line of Brahmsian formal thinking that resulted in the creation of the 12-tone row. His inclination toward absolute music, along with his successful career in the German university system, led him to compose generous quantities of chamber music, of which this sonata is an excellent example. The work, at 31 minutes, is exceptionally long for a wind sonata.

For more information, contact FSU’s Department of Music at 301-687-4109.