Program Notes

Program Notes for June 13, 2026

Aram Il’yich Khachaturian “Adagio” from the ballet Spartacus

(1903-1978)

Aram Khachaturian was one of the most prominent composers of the Soviet era alongside Dmitri Shostakovich and Sergei Prokofiev. Khachaturian was born into an Armenian family (the son of a bookbinder) in Tbilisi, Georgia. The folk music from the Caucasus region (Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan) was a lifelong influence in his compositions. With the exception of playing tuba in the school band and being a self-taught pianist, he had little formal training as a musician. In 1921, he moved to Moscow, initially to study biology, but also studied cello and composition at the Moscow Gnesin Music Academy. He continued his composition studies at the Moscow Conservatory. His Piano Concerto, composed in 1936 during his postgraduate studies, was a break-through piece in both public acclaim and creative development. He went on to hold numerous positions in the Soviet Composer’s Union in the 1940s. In 1947-48, Khachaturian, Shostakovich, Prokofiev and other Soviet composers of the time fell victim to vicious attacks by the Communist Party’s Central Committee over objectionable traits in the development of their music, deeming it “anti-people.” Khachaturian, a self-described loyal communist, weathered the criticism more than the others by submitting apologies for his “artistic errors.” From the 1950s, he focused on composing, conducting (which included engagements in Europe and the U.S.), and teaching composition at both the Moscow Conservatory and the Gnesin Academy. The most recognizable works by Khachaturian are the “Sabre Dance” from his 1942 ballet Gayane and the “Adagio” from Spartacus.

The scenario for the ballet Spartacus was proposed to Khachaturian in 1938 by Soviet author Nikolai Volkov. The ballet story is based on the historical Spartacus, a Thracian (Bulgarian) gladiator who led the largest and most successful slave uprising against ancient Rome around 70 B.C.E.; he commanded an army of 100,000 freed slaves before being defeated by Marcus Licinius Crassus (also portrayed in the ballet). Spartacus became a hero for socialists and others working on behalf of human rights. Khachaturian wanted the music to express the drama of the plot. He traveled to Italy in 1950 and drew inspiration from seeing the Roman Coliseum: “I never ceased to feel the spiritual affinity of Spartacus to our own time.” He completed the ballet in 1954 and was awarded the Lenin Prize, and it was premiered two years later by the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad (St. Petersburg) on December 27, 1956. It achieved greater notoriety in a 1968 Bolshoi Ballet production in Moscow choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich.

The intensely romantic Adagio is featured near the end of Act 2 of the 3 Act ballet and depicts the reunion of Spartacus and his wife Phrygia after they escape their Roman captivity. The music aptly expresses the intense passion and depth of emotions of the couple. In 1955, Khachaturian arranged music from the ballet into four orchestral suites. The Adagio is the first movement of Spartacus Suite No. 2; the Adagio is also performed as a stand-alone movement. Khachaturian’s Adagio theme has had a considerable impact in popular culture. It was used as a love theme in the 1968 film Mayerling and other films like The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) and Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006). It should be noted that the Stanley Kubrick Spartacus film of 1960 (starring Kirk Douglas) does not use Khachaturian’s music (film composer Alex North wrote this music). Khachaturian’s Adagio was also the theme for the 1970s BBC TV series The Onedin Line. In 1984, the theme became a popular song called “Journey’s End” and was recorded by singer Andy Williams.

Music for Film

The introduction of synchronized sound-on-film technology in the late 1920s revolutionized the movie industry. Live theater musical accompaniments of silent movies gave way in the late 1920’s to what became known as the “Golden Age of Film Music” of the 1930s through the 1950s. The film music of this era is lush and dramatic with massive studio orchestras incorporating the late 19th century operatic tradition of deeply weaving music into the storytelling. The concept of thematic transformation or leitmotif (a technique mostly associated with the operas of Richard Wagner) was frequently used. This method assigns specific musical themes to characters, ideas, or settings; these themes undergo changes as the storylines develop. The use of leitmotifs is still a common method of enhancing the drama in films to this day. 

In the 1930s, European composers versed in this thematic transformation were brought to Hollywood. Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957) was one of these pioneers. The Austrian-born Korngold was a child prodigy (writing compositions by age 14); his talent was noted by Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss. His career was well-established when he came to the United States. Korngold’s success in his 16 films, including The Sea Hawk (1940), not only earned two Academy Awards and two additional nominations, but he was able to use his earnings to help his family, friends, colleagues, and Jewish refugees to flee Nazi-occupied Europe. The Sea Hawk was primarily an adventure film and a period piece about Elizabethan England’s struggles with Spain leading up to the Spanish Armada; it was also intended to help build British morale during World War II. Errol Flynn starred as the dashing swashbuckling Captain Geoffrey Thorpe, an English privateer/sea hawk. Korngold used a brass fanfare to represent Thorpe throughout the film (and in various points of the adapted suite by Jerry Brubaker in tonight’s concert). A sweeping chromatic theme deemed the “Floating Theme” is heard in various ways throughout the film representing sailing on the seas, the expression of freedom and patriotism for England as well as the developing romance between Thorpe and the Spanish Dona Maria. Two sad themes depict the despair of the galley slaves and the yearning of the lovers. This is followed by two themes of hope: one is that the lovers will reunite and the other that the forces of good will prevail.

In the 1950’s the late-Romantic style of film big orchestral composition was not as popular; this allowed for various styles in film scores, including rock, jazz, musical theater, and synthesizers (the latter was especially true in science fiction and thriller films). American composer Elmer Bernstein (1922-2004) was particularly successful in navigating these different styles and wrote music for over 200 films and television shows. He received 14 Oscar nominations, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement award from the Academy of Motion Pictures, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Bernstein’s most noted soundtrack is for The Magnificent Seven of 1960. This film showcased some of the biggest box office names in Hollywood of the time (Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen notably) and follows a group of seven gunfighters hired to protect a small village in Mexico from a group of marauding bandits. The two main themes are heard in the opening credits, the first theme features an energetic repeated rhythmic pattern (rhythmic ostinato) and the memorable melodic theme represents the open beauty of the Mexican desert location. These themes reappear frequently throughout the film, but the underlying accompaniment transforms with the changes in the story plot. Bernstein even said that it “was one of the few pictures I wanted to do so badly I really put myself out to get it.” He blended style elements of American (especially the influence from Aaron Copland) and Mexican Chicano music. This film score became very iconic of the western/cowboy vibe and has been quoted in numerous films and ever TV commercials.

The late 1970’s saw an enormous revival of the grand orchestral sound, with John Williams (b. 1932) returning to the leitmotif-generated themes in his Star Wars and Harry Potter films. Williams wrote music for the first three films in the Harry Potter series, but his increasingly busy schedule conflicted with the fast-paced post-production timetable for the fourth film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The composition was passed to Scottish composer/actor Patrick Doyle (b. 1953), who has had a 50-year career scoring over 60 feature films as well as television and theatre. Williams’ iconic franchise motif “Hedwig’s Theme” (the theme for Harry’s messenger owl) is combined with new, darker and mature music by Doyle. The new “Voldemort Theme” is especially ominous. The “Quidditch World Cup” theme features a Celtic-style fiddle tune representing Ireland’s win over Bulgaria (the Quidditch World Cup also pokes fun at the “muggle world” FIFA World Cup hype). “The Foreign Visitors Arrive” theme announces the entrance of students from two rival schools to Hogwarts School for the “Triwizard Tournament”. The “Potter Waltz” is a Viennese-style waltz heard during the Hogwarts Yule Ball. The “Harry in Winter” theme underscores the Yule Ball scene symbolizing Harry’s vulnerability and awkwardness when he attempts to ask Cho Chang to the ball. This theme takes a menacing turn when it is combined with Voldemort’s theme leading up to the death of classmate Cedric Diggory. The “Hogwarts Hymn” has a similar majestic quality of the academic hymn “We have built a stately house” quoted in the Brahms Academic Festival Overture.

Pirates of the Caribbean is an extremely successful 5-movie series (with a possible 6th film in

development) based on Disney’s theme park of the same name. It features Johnny Depp as the cheeky and bumbling swashbuckler hero Jack Sparrow (there are some humorous parodies of Errol Flynn’s Captain Thorpe in Depp’s characterization). The first film The Curse of the Black Pearl hit theaters in 2003 in which Sparrow helps the blacksmith Will Turner to rescue Elizabeth Swann from the cursed crew of the Black Pearl ship. The music was written by German composer Klaus Badelt (b. 1967) and produced by Hans Zimmer (b. 1967). Baldelt’s score has a combination of sweeping action-packed themes, some of which have the essence of sea shanties and jigs of the historical pirate songs. The “Fog Bound” theme is from the opening titles and features a jaunty jig in the cello. “The Medallion Calls” is a heroic theme that introduces Jack Sparrow’s character. “To the Pirates Cave” has a forceful rhythm and highlights Elizabeth’s battle to rescue the crew of the Black Pearl. “The Black Pearl” theme has a driving thunderous quality that represents the cursed ship and crew. “One Last Shot” accompanies both the expression of love between Will and Elizabeth, and Sparrow regaining the command of the Black Pearl. “He’s a Pirate” is the most recognizable theme with its rapid motion and shifting rhythms that personifies the rebellious spirit of Jack Sparrow.

Michael Giacchino (b. 1967) is an American composer of music for film, television and video games and especially known for his soundtrack for the 2009 Disney-Pixar film Up. The film follows widower Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner) who ties thousands of helium balloons to his house and, fulfilling a promise to his late wife Ellie, travels to South America with the eager Wilderness Explorer Russell, along with “Dug” the talking dog and an exotic bird named “Kevin.” They meet Carl’s childhood idol Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer) who turns out to be a con artist planning to kidnap Kevin. Giacchino’s score won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and two Grammys. The music for the entire film is essentially based on a single nostalgic four-note theme introduced in the waltz tune called “Married Life”. This tune undergoes constant thematic transformation as the story unfolds. The selections of the soundtrack in tonight’s concert begin with an intro called “Carl Goes Up.” The “Married Life” theme is then heard in its entirety. It gets a gentle Latin Bossa Nova-like treatment and a Big Band presentation from the film scene “Walking the House.” The next variation, titled “Memories Can Weigh You Down,” is at the climax of the film where Carl must empty out his house to lighten the load in order to save Kevin. This is followed by a gladiator-esque section called “Spirit of Adventure,” and an upbeat section titled “Paradise Found.” The nostalgic vibe of the theme returns in “It’s Just a House” (after the rescue), and then the full theme returns in the end credits.

The British born composer John Powell (b. 1963) has written soundtracks for over 70 feature

films, including the Academy Award nominated score for How to Train Your Dragon (2010). This animated fantasy story follows Hiccup, a scrawny Viking teen from the island of Berk, who is desperate to prove himself as a dragon slayer. Instead, he shoots down and ends up befriending a rare Night Fury that he names Toothless. Through their bond, Hiccup realizes that dragons are misunderstood, which leads to a new era of peace in Berk. For the soundtrack Powell blended a massive symphonic orchestration with elements drawn from Celtic and Nordic folk traditions, including folk instruments like bagpipes, dulcimers and penny whistles (unfortunately these will not be used in tonight’s concert). Three main themes are featured in Sean O’Loughlin’s arrangement. “The Viking and Battle Theme” represents the traditionally aggressive Viking culture (heard in the cue “This is Berk”); it features a jig-like set of tunes with Scottish snap embellishments. The “Hiccup and Toothless Theme” represents their growing friendship. The breathtaking “Flying Theme”, heard in the opening credits (as well as the “Test Drive” and “Coming Back Around” cues) captures the thrill of flying and the deep trust between Hiccup and Toothless.

Video Games Live Suite Ralph Ford, arr.

The history of video games has developed rapidly since the late 1950s. Driven by continuous technological breakthroughs, it went from early computer science experiments by students and researchers, to the current global phenomenon across arcades, consoles, PCs, and mobile devices that it is today. Beginning in the late 1970s, the music for video games evolved from basic chip-generated bleeps and bloops into a full, cinematic art form of the present day. As games have grown in complexity, the soundtracks have become more interactive and adaptive depending on the player’s actions on the screen. Game developers began to call upon renowned film and television composers to produce soundtracks with full orchestras or hybrid electronic-orchestral elements. Video game enthusiasts and tech news sources have said that music tracks enhance the game experience and can engage the player without being distracted. SPSCC Orchestra bass player Hunter Downing says that the game music is as important as the game story and “gives emotion to scenes, creates the mood, and makes the experience of the games so much more memorable.”

The appreciation for video game music is strong among both fans and composers. Some of the music and sound effects of the “video game genre” has become recognizable outside the context of the game, in the form of recorded media, streaming services, sheet music, popular music, art installations, and live public performances. Game soundtracks have also been featured in concert programming for symphony orchestras. On July 6, 2005, the Los Angeles Philharmonic premiered an event at the Hollywood Bowl called Video Games Live. It was produced and hosted by game industry composer Tommy Tallarico (b. 1968) and featured the music of some of the most popular games of all time. It subsequently has become an award-winning series of unique and immersive entertainment experiences around the world that combines orchestras and choirs performing alongside synchronized video footage, solo performers, live action, special effects lighting, electronic percussion and interactive segments.

Tonight’s performance features a music-only suite arranged by composer/educator Ralph Ford

(b. 1963) featuring four iconic games based on the Video Games Live concept and is intended for smaller concert venues. Halo (first released in 2001) is an epic saga of a 26th century war between humanity and an alien theocracy. The “Halo theme” (also known as “Master Chief’s Theme”) was composed by Marty O’Donnell (b. 1955) and Michael Salvatori (b. 1954); it blends Gregorian chant style with heavy percussive elements. SPSCC Orchestra tuba player Dan Craig recalls playing the game with friends growing up by connecting LAN cables throughout his house, “This theme would play in pivotal moments of gameplay, so when you heard it, you knew you were in for a frantic battle.”

Civilization is a series of games first created by Sid Meier in 1991 where the player guides a society from the dawn of human history into the space age. Composer Christopher Tin (b. 1976) came to the franchise with the release of Civilization IV in 2005. He wrote the game intro theme “Coronation” and the featured song “Baba Yetu” (Swahili for “Our Father”) originally performed by singer Ron Ragin (heard in the brass in Ford’s version) and the Stanford Talisman Choir. A re-release of “Baba Yetu” in 2011 made history when it became the first video game music to win a Grammy Award.

The game Advent Rising was produced in 2005. In an intergalactic conflict, the game features a rookie space pilot who develops superhuman psychic powers to avenge humanity. The “Bounty Hunter” theme was composed by Tommy Tallarico and Michael Richard Plowman (b. 1965). The score features additional compositional contributions from Emmanuel Fratianni (b. 1966) and Laurie Robinson. The piece blends heavy cinematic percussion with dramatic vocals singing a Latin chant “Dona eis requiem” (“Give them rest”), heard in the brass in Ford’s arrangement.

SPSCC Orchestra violist Alyx Triebel considers herself a “massive fan” of Kingdom Hearts and is excited to be playing the music. The franchise began in 2002 with music composed by Yoko Shimomura (b. 1967). It follows the young hero Sora along with Disney characters like Donald Duck and Goofy as they travel across different Disney and Pixar worlds to fight forces of darkness and protect the universe. The main theme is based on the song “Hikari” (“Light”) in the original Japanese version written by the Japanese-American singer Hikaru Utada; the song is also known as “Simple and Clean” in the English and international releases. The lyrics deal with navigating through fears in relationships.

Program notes by Anne Edge

Special thanks to Hunter Downing, Dan Craig and Alyx Triebel for their insights.