Program
A Modal Menagerie
7 animals for 7 continents in 7 modes
(Orchestral Premiere)
Brian Scott Wilson (b. 1962)
I. Dorian Zebra
II. Lydian Penguin
III. Mixolydian Panda
IV. Aeolian Kangaroo
V. Phrygian Sloth
VI. Locrian Reindeer
VII. Ionian Eagle
Concerto for Clarinet No. 1 in F minor, Op. 73
Carl Maria von Weber (1786 - 1826)
Kyle Beard, clarinet soloist
I. Allegro
II. Adagio ma non troppo
III. Rondo: Allegretto
Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68
"The Pastoral"
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
I. Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande.
"Awakening of Cheerful Feelings Upon Arrival in the Countryside"
II. Scene am Bach.
"Scene by the Brook"
III. Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute
"Merry Gathering of Country Folk"
IV. Gewitter. Sturm.
"Thunder. Storm"
V. Hirtengesang. Frohe und dankbare Gefühle nach dem Sturm
"Shepherd's Song: Happy and Thankful Feelings after the Storm"
ORCHESTRA
Violin
Marcia Lotter
Susanne Wong
Pam Otsuka
Donny Lobree
Viola
Kathy Wright
Matthew Stern
Steve Machtinger
Cello
Marian Schuchman
Kathy Vast
Bass
Kevin Gordon
Mark Culbertson
Flute
Jane Lenior
Amanda Hahn
Oboe
Brian Thompson
Chris Krive
Clarinet
Kyle Beard
Matthew Rupert
Bassoon
Carla Wilson
Steven Peterson
Horn
Beth Milne
Ruth Wilson
Trumpet
Brendan Wilhelmsen
Chris Wilhite
Trombone
Jeff Barnard
Max Perkoff
Timpani/ Percussion
Christian Foster Howes
A MODAL MENAGERIE
7 Animals from 7 Continents in 7 Modes
(Orchestral Premiere)
by Brian S. Wilson
Composed for piano and first performed by Marilyn Thompson in 2025, A MODAL MENAGERIE is a loving exploration of the musical modes in a fun presentation geared for young pianists. Each movement tells a story uniting an animal in its native continent with a specific mode.
The seven musical modes trace their roots to ancient Greece and into medieval sacred music. They became displaced by the major and minor scales of Western Classical harmony, and re-emerged in the last century through works of Debussy and Ravel, and in jazz, folk, rock, and even metal bands.
Newly orchestrated by the composer for Echo Chamber Orchestra, A MODAL MENAGERIE includes seven short movements entitled
I. Dorian - Zebra - Africa
II. Lydian - Penguin - Antarctica
III. Mixolydian - Panda - Asia
IV. Aeolian - Kangaroo - Australia
V. Phrygian - Sloth - South America
VI. Locrian - Reindeer - Europe
VII. Ionian - Eagle - North America
Composer and conductor Brian S. Wilson is professor of music at Sonoma State University where he teaches music theory. His teachers include Malcolm Peyton, Edward Diamente, Dan Asia, Ralph Shapey and Shulamit Ran (composition); and Barbara Schubert, Michael Walters, Gregg Hanson and Kurt Klippstater (conducting).
Concerto for Clarinet No. 1 in F minor, Op. 73
Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)
The Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F minor, Op. 73 was composed in 1811 when Weber was 24 years old. The work was commissioned by King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, following the rousing success of the premiere of Weber’s Concertino, Op. 26. The Clarinet Concertino, the first concerto and the second concerto in E-flat major, Op. 74, were all written for and dedicated to the clarinetist Heinrich Joseph Baermann, and all three show a complete understanding of the capabilities of the instrument. Concerto No. 1 is distinctly different from the earlier concertino: where the earlier work is lightly playful and lyrically expressive, the Concerto No. 1 is deeply serious and dramatically, almost operatically, expressive. The concerto is in three movements: a forceful opening Allegro, an intensely expressive central Adagio, and an energetic closing Rondo Allegretto. Weber is clearly a master of the Romantic orchestra, and his writing for the soloists is supremely skillful throughout.
Kyle Beard, Clarinet
Kyle Beard enjoys a varied musical career in the Bay Area. He is active as a performer on clarinet and bass clarinet (along with occasional saxophone!) with numerous groups across Northern California, including the Luke Doughty Quartet, North State Symphony, the Slow Wave trio, ECHO Chamber Orchestra, Symphony Parnassus, and the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony. In addition to performing, Kyle is also a dedicated educator, working as an orchestral and reed instrument coach at Berkeley High School, as well as with various schools in Oakland, CA through the Oakland Symphony's MUSE program. He also maintains a private studio, and has had students gain admission to schools such as San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Boston Conservatory/Berklee College of Music, and the Peabody Conservatory. When not teaching or performing, Kyle is the owner and technician for RBK Winds, a repair shop in Oakland, CA performing instrument repairs for professionals in the Bay Area in addition to the public schools in San Francisco and Oakland. Kyle received his training at the Peabody Conservatory with Steven Barta, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with Luis Baez, and with Michael Sussman at UMass Amherst.
Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "The Pastoral"
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
ECHO STAFF AND STEERING COMMITTEE
Matthew Stern, Director of Operations
Daniel Canosa, Music Director
Carol Adee, Personnel Manager
Kyle Beard, Treasurer and Grants
Jane Lenoir, Development
Beth Milne, Librarian
Matt Rupert, Social Media
Marcelo Saettone, Graphic Design
Ruth Wilson, Publicity
Our most sincere thanks to the First Presbyterian Church of San Anselmo and Rev. Scott Clark for their support.