Virginia Commonwealth University Professor Antonio J. Garc�a has taken Haydn?s ?London? Symphony as a point of departure for his London Town Fantasy for trombone and orchestra (or piano accompaniment), commissioned by the Charlottesville Symphony Society for the Charlottesville & University Symphony Orchestra (Virginia). CUSO Music Director Kate Tamarkin sought a piece that would ?showcase the trombone in a jazz ballad style and somehow reference the Haydn ?London? Symphony? that would follow it on the program, knowing that the first half of the concert would also include the Brahms ?Variations on a Theme of Joseph Haydn.? She and trombone soloist Nathan Dishman suggested the title ?London Town Fantasy,? envisioning a potential intersection with elements of George Gershwin?s ?A Foggy Day (In London Town),? which seemed apt given a scheduled trip of Garc�a?s to London during the compositional process.

Listeners familiar with Haydn's ?London? Symphony No. 104" will notice references starting at the first measure. And the violin part at the outset of the Symphony?s fourth movement, Allegro Spiritoso, offered the core of what became the melody to this Fantasy. The melody of the ?bridge? section of the tune is crafted from the first seven measures of the opening theme of Haydn?s first movement (Allegro).

The use of ?A Foggy Day? had to be more subtle, as copyright law must be observed, limiting the use of its actual melody within this piece. But Gershwin?s harmony actually is the harmonic basis under the melody of the Fantasy; and his devotees will recognize that when the soloist improvises medium-swing jazz with the orchestra, the chord progression is indeed entirely that of ?A Foggy Day.? (An optional written-out solo is provided.)

Note that the string section is not asked to play swing eighth-notes at any time. Their jazz-phrased passages are couched in even-eighth, syncopated double-timed-sixteenth, and triplet-eighth cross-rhythmed lines well-rooted in the jazz tradition. Winds and brass, however, have swing-eighth passages to perform (and some even-sixteenth lines).

The superb piano reduction makes the six-minute London Town Fantasy ideal for performances on student and professional recitals, and no improvisational skills are needed by the pianist. Available MIDI demonstration recordings of the duo and orchestral settings, with MIDI soloist or ?minus one,? make rehearsals easy and even provide the aural basis for your own potential ?virtual? performance.

Romanian Folk Dances Sz. 56, BB 68 is a suite of six short piano pieces composed by B�la Bart�k in 1915. He later orchestrated it for small ensemble in 1917 as Sz. 68, BB 76.

It is based on seven Romanian tunes from Transylvania, originally played on fiddle or shepherd's flute.

The original name for the piece was titled Romanian Folk Dances from Hungary but was later changed by Bart�k when Transylvania became part of Romania in 1920. It is nowadays available in the 1971 edition which is written with key signatures although Bart�k rarely ever used key signatures.

This set of dances consists of six movements and, according to the composer, it should take four minutes and three seconds to perform, but most professional pianists take up to five minutes. The list of the movements is as follows (with the original Hungarian title listed first, the most commonly known Romanian title second, and the English translation in parentheses):




Bot t�nc / Jocul cu b�tand#259; (Stick Dance)The melody of the first movement, according to Bart�k, came from the Mezand#337;szabad (present-day Voiniceni) village that was part of Mezand#337;cs�v�s (present-day Ceuaand#537;u de C�mpie) commune which was located in the Maros-Tordaadministrative county within Transylvania, and he first heard it when two gypsy violinists were playing it.
Br�ul (Sash Dance)The second movement is a typical dance from Romania called Br�ul, for which traditionally a sash or a waistband was used. This melody came from Egres (present-day Igriand#537;), in the Banat region.
Topog� / Pe loc (In One Spot)The third dance comes also from Egres (Igriand#537;), but its theme is much darker and its melody recreates Middle Eastern instruments, such as the flute.[4]
Bucsum� t�nc / Buciumeana (Dance from Bucsum)The fourth dance came from Bucsony, Als�-Feh�r County (today Bucium, Alba county in Romania)
Rom�n polka / Poarga Rom�neascand#259; (Romanian Polka)The fifth dance is an old Romanian dance similar to the Polka and comes from Bel�nyes (present-day Beiuand#351;, in Bihor county), near the border between Hungary and Romania.
Apr�z� / Mand#259;runand#539;el (Fast Dance)The sixth and last dance is formed by two different melodies: the first one comes from Bel�nyes (present-day Beiuand#537;) and the second one comes from the then named Nyagra (present-day Neagra) village within the Palotailva (present-day Lunca Bradului) commune. Both on the orchestral version and on the original piano version, the final two dances are performed attacca?without a break between movements.