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RUDOLF HAKEN “QUINQUAGENARIUM”
A CELEBRATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHAMPAIGN-URBANA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
PREMIERE FEBRUARY 19TH 2010
KRANNERT CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
STEVE LARSEN, CONDUCTOR
MARK SMART, HAKEN CONTINUUM
Quinquagenarium is a tone poem commemorating the birth of the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra fifty years ago. Featured in this work is the Continuum Fingerboard, an electronic musical instrument invented by my brother Lippold Haken, and played by Mark Smart.
The work begins with a Continuum improvisation on a crying infant sound, representing the birth of the orchestra. After several further improvisations, the Continuum plays the words “Happy Birthday CUSO” to the tune of the Altgeld Hall chimes, indicating that the chimes are sending the newborn orchestra their best wishes from across the Quad. (The voice used as a sample for “Happy Birthday CUSO” is that of my sister Armgard, a violinist in the orchestra whose birthday is February 19th. I would also like to thank Armgard for coming up with the title “Quinquagenarium”.)
The infant orchestra then begins preparing for its inaugural concert of October 20th 1960, with the Continuum slowly practicing a theme from Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto.
After a lengthy celebratory orchestral tutti, the Continuum returns with its rendition of “Happy Birthday CUSO”. This is interrupted by a jazz clarinet solo - an indirect tribute to the first conductor of the CUSO, Bernie Goodman, whose name was occasionally confused with that of Benny Goodman.
An anvil strike ends the work, symbolizing the end of the Eisenhower era, which occurred during the CUSO’s first season. (Eisenhauer is the German word for “iron worker”.)
Rudolf Haken “Quinquagenarium” - Instrumentation
continuum
piccolo
flute
2 oboes
2 clarinets in b-flat
bassoon
contrabassoon
2 horns
2 trumpets in c
trombone
bass trombone
tuba
4 tomtoms
drum set (snare / susp. cym. / HiHat / kick drum / brake drum)
harp
1st violins
2nd violins
violas
cellos
basses
