Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 7:30pm
Meyerson Symphony Center + Livestream

Fanfare

7:15pm, Meyerson lobby

Blue-Sky Fanfare
Alex C. Ehredt
University of Texas at Arlington Wind Symphony Brass and Percussion
Dr. Christopher Evans, Conductor

Program

Rienzi: Overture
Richard Wagner, arr. Mark Hindsley

Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo
Pietro Mascagni, arr. Lawrence Odom

Nabucco: Va, pensiero, sull’ali dorate
Giuseppe Verdi, arr. David Lovrien

Aïda: Triumphal March
Guiseppe Verdi, tr. Julius S. Seredy

— INTERMISSION —

La Boheme: Love Scene
Giacomo Puccini, arr. Merlin Patterson

Turandot: Nessun Dorma
Giacomo Puccini, arr. Merlin Patterson

From the Musical Les Misérables
Claude-Michel Schönberg, arr. Kazuhiro Morita

Dallas Winds Personnel

Program Notes

“Overture” to Rienzi (1842)

Richard Wagner (1813-1883), transcribed by Mark Hindsley

The operatic works of Richard Wagner changed the course of music history. It’s said that all classical music written after Wagner was either emulating his style or in opposition to it. His early opera, Rienzi, from 1842, tells the story of the rise and fall of Cola di Rienzo, a 14th-century Roman politician and so-called Tribune of the Roman people.

The overture opens with a soft trumpet call that is the war call of the House of Colonna (the enemy of Rienzi). We will then hear the melody of Rienzi’s prayer from Act 5, the most well-known aria from the opera. The overture concludes with a rousing military march. The kind of storytelling through music that Wagner uses in the Overture is something that he would expand upon in his later works, where the music itself and not just the words would become integral to the plot line.

Tonight’s performance features a transcription by Mark Hindsley, the long-time director of bands at the University of Illinois, who worked tirelessly to create transcriptions of classic orchestral works to the band stage.

“Intermezzo Sinfonico” from Cavalleria Rusticana (1890)

Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945), arranged by Lawrence Odom

Pietro Mascagni is most well-known for his single-act opera Cavalleria Rusticana (Rustic Chivalry) from 1890. Bridging the gap between the giants of Verdi and Puccini, Mascagni almost single-handedly created the verismo opera style, which focused not on the powerful or the mythological but rather the lives of everyday people. The quiet and introspective Intermezzo has become one of the most widely performed parts of the opera and has been featured in multiple movies and television shows.

Tonight’s concert features an arrangement done for the U.S. Air Force Band by Lawrence Odom. 

“Va, Pensiero” from Nabucco (1842)

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901), arranged by David Lovrien

Verdi’s Nabucco tells the story of the Babylonian king Nabucco (Nebuchadnezzar), who conquers Jerusalem and imprisons the Israelites. “Va, pensiero, sull’ali dorate” (Fly, my thoughts, on wings of gold), is also known as “Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves.”

Tonight we premiere a new arrangement by Dallas Winds Staff Arranger David Lovrien.

“Triumphal March” from Aïda (1871)

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901), transcribed by Julius S. Seredy

Considered the greatest Italian opera composer of the 19th Century, Verdi’s works presented opera on the grandest scale. In contrast to Mascagni’s take on the drama of the everyday, Verdi told the stories of kings, aristocrats, Biblical figures, and Shakespearean heroes.

In Aïda, we travel back to the Old Kingdom in ancient Egypt, where we focus on the forbidden love story between the enslaved Ethiopian princess, Aïda, and the captain of the royal guard, Radamès. The famous “Triumphal March” comes from Act II, where Radamès returns victorious from battle over the Ethiopians. Upon his return, the Pharaoh grants him anything that he wishes.

Love Scene from La Boheme (1896)

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), adapted and arranged by Merlin Patterson

Giacomo Puccini took Mascagni’s verismo style and took it to its grandest heights with works like La Boheme, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly. Curiously, Puccini and Mascagni were dorm mates for a time. While Mascagni found success first, Puccini’s success came quickly after and only grew with each passing opera. He eventually surpassed his old dorm mate to become one of the most celebrated opera composers of all time.

La Boheme, or the Bohemian Lifestyle, takes its inspiration from the 1851 book Scènes de la Vie de Boheme by Henri Murger and from Puccini’s own experiences living in poverty as a young student. Elements of La Boheme were later adapted into the hit Broadway musical Rent.

Tonight’s performance is of an adaptation by band arranger Merlin Patterson, who took elements from throughout the opera to create a tone poem based on different settings of the love theme.

“Nessun Dorma” from Turandot (1924)

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), arranged by Merlin Patterson

Puccini’s final opera, Turandot, was left incomplete upon his death in 1924. Because the libretto was still not finalized, the climax of the opera has become one of opera’s greatest enigmas, as no one knows what the true fate of the story would have been.

Set in China, Turandot tells the story of Prince Calaf of Tartary, who falls madly in love with the cold Princess Turandot. To win her heart, he must complete three tasks set by the Princess’ father, the Emperor. Upon the task’s completion, Princess Turandot rejects the Prince, who then offers the Princess a challenge of discovering his name by morning, or else he will die.

That night, the Prince sings a victory song declaring that he will win his challenge and claim the heart of the Princess. This song, “Nessun Dorma,” has become the highlight of the entire opera and is one of the most recognizable arias ever written. It became widely associated with the famed tenor Luciano Pavoratti who performed the notorious penultimate note of a high B with ease. Because the opera was left incomplete, we do not know the fate of the Prince and the Princess. Was his love left unrequited? Did they finally find happiness? We will never know.

Tonight we’ll hear an arrangement of “Nessun Dorma” without vocalist by Merlin Patterson.

Excerpts from Les Misérables (1980)

Claude-Michel Schönberg (b. 1944), arranged by Kazuhiro Morita

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo is widely regarded as one of the greatest novels ever written as well as being one of the longest. To condense its vast plot containing French history, thoughts on architecture and urban design, politics, religion, and a cast of numerous characters into a succinct narrative would be an almost impossible task. Yet, that is exactly what composer Claude-Michel Schönberg did in the wildly popular 1980 musical of the same name.

We follow the story of Jean Valjean from his release from prison for stealing a loaf of bread, to leading the antimonarchic uprising of 1832, to his pursuit by his former jailor, Javert.

Les Misérables straddles the fine line between opera and musical theater. Although presented as musical theater on Broadway and London’s West End, with little to no spoken dialogue, it is structurally closer to opera than most musical theater. Despite its ambiguous classification, it is one of the most popular productions of the last 40 years with numerous performances, revivals, and touring companies.

Tonight, we hear a medley by Kazuhiro Morita from Les Mis that features such favorites as “At the End of the Day,” “I Dreamed a Dream,” “One Day More,” and “Do You Hear the People Sing?”.