Chapter 14 | Program Notes and the Concert Program
Program notes are a convenient way to communicate with your audience and your musicians. They provide more information than can easily be shared during a stage announcement or rehearsal and they give the reader the opportunity to prepare for what they will hear or reflect on what they have just experienced.
Good writing, like a good performance, requires rehearsal. Writing and rewriting to achieve the proper language, tone, and detail can be a difficult task but the result should be a clear, easily understood story about the music.
A good writer also writes for the audience. Find a tone that is interesting for the musicians in the audience, but don’t write over the heads of the interested amateurs or musical enthusiasts. Typically you will want to save the detailed theory and analysis for the musicologists—don’t make your concertgoers turn to their companions and ask, “What is a cancrizans?”
Reading an article on how to write program notes won’t make you a better writer, but it may give some ideas about how to structure your own writing. Furthermore, reading the works of good writers on music will give you a sense of what to include and how to frame the information. There are several collections of program notes in print from esteemed writers such as Michael Steinberg, D. Kern Holoman, and Donald Francis Tovey, and collections of writings from critics and essayists including Nicolas Slonimsky, Virgil Thomson, and Alex Ross. Read widely and be influenced by quality literature wherever it is found.
■Guides to Writing Program Notes
Allsen, J. Michael. “Writing Concert Program Notes.” University of Wisconsin, Whitewater. http://facstaff.uww.edu/allsenj/MSO/NOTES/WritingNotes.htm.
Bayne, Pauline Shaw. “Program Notes.” In A Guide to Library Research in Music, 68–72. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2008.
Bellman, Jonathan. “Program and Liner Notes.” In A Short Guide to Writing About Music. 2nd ed., 52–62. New York: Pearson, 2007.
Burkat, Leonard. “Ask the Experts.” Symphony Magazine 34, no. 3 (June-July 1983): 121–124.
———. “What DID Beethoven Say? Getting It Right In Those Program Notes.” Symphony Magazine 37, no. 3 (June-July 1986): 92–93.
Friedheim Music Library. “Guidelines for Preparing Program Notes.” Peabody Institute of Music, Johns Hopkins University. http://musiclibrary.peabody.jhu.edu/programnotes.
Henry, Michele L., and Laurel E. Zeiss. “Musicians as Authors: Teaching the Art of Writing Program Notes.” College Music Symposium 44 (2004): 121–132.
Holoman, D. Kern. “Program Notes.” In Writing About Music: A Style Sheet. 2nd ed., 81–84. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008.
Kirk, Elizabeth P. “Klaus George Roy and the Program Annotator’s Art.” Symphony Magazine 39, nos. 5–6 (October-November 1988): 20–23, 54–55.
McGee, Timothy. “Programs and Program Notes.” In Medieval and Renaissance Music: A Performer’s Guide, 221–222. Toronto; Buffalo: Toronto University Press, 1985.
Michaels, Arthur J. “How to Write Program Notes.” The Instrumentalist 34, no. 3 (October 1979): 42–43. Reprinted in Conductors Anthology. Vol. 1, 2nd ed., 587–588. Northfield, IL: The Instrumentalist, 1993.
Thomson, Virgil. “Program Notes.” In The Art of Judging Music, 270–273. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1948.
Wingell, Richard. “Program Notes.” In Writing About Music: An Introductory Guide. 4th ed., 91–97. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2009.
■Resources for Program Note Information
To find books about your topic, look in your local library catalog under the subject headings Band music — Analysis, appreciation and Band music — History and criticism. For books about music typically performed by other ensembles, substitute “Band Music” with Orchestral music, Choral music, or Chamber music. For works in a specific form or genre, substitute “Band Music” with Marches, Overtures, Concertos, or Symphonies.
When looking for information, examine biographies and studies on the composers and their music. Search online databases for magazine articles about the work. Many helpful resources are listed elsewhere in this book in the chapters of bibliographies, biographies, websites, and composer and literature research.
Check the composer’s and the publisher’s websites for program notes, biographical information, or advertising blurbs. Visit the websites of other ensembles (orchestras, military bands, wind ensembles, opera companies) to read their notes for writing style and content. Locate recordings of the works on your concert to see if there are helpful liner notes. Gather information and then write original text in your own voice. Do not, however, reproduce copyrighted information without permission.
Bierley, Paul. The Works of John Philip Sousa. Westerville, OH: Integrity Press, 1984. [This is a revised edition of the author’s book, John Philip Sousa: A Descriptive Catalog of His Works. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1973.]
Bly, Leon J. “The March in American Society.” PhD diss., University of Miami, 1977.
Camphouse, Mark, ed. Composers on Composing for Band. 4 vols. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2002–2009.
Chevallard, Carl. Teaching Music Through Performing Marches. Compiled and edited by Richard Miles. Chicago, IL: GIA Publications, 2003.
Fennell, Frederick. A Conductor’s Interpretive Analysis of Masterworks for Band. Galesville, MD: Meredith Music Publications, 2008.
Goldman, Richard Franko. The Band’s Music. New York: Pitman, 1938.
Instrumentalist. Conductors Anthology: A Compendium of Articles from The Instrumentalist from 1946 to 1992. 2 vols. Anthology series, 5–6. 2nd ed. Northfield, IL: The Instrumentalist, 1993.
Miles, Richard, comp. and ed. Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. 10 vols. Chicago: GIA Publications, 1997–2014.
Neidig, Kenneth, ed. Performance Study Guides of Essential Works for Band. Galesville, MD: Meredith Music Publications, 2009.
Salzman, Timothy, ed. A Composer’s Insight: Thoughts, Analysis, and Commentary on Contemporary Masterpieces for Wind Band. 5 vols. Galesville, MD: Meredith Music Publications, 2003–2012.
Smith, Norman E. March Music Notes. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2000.
———. Program Notes for Band. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2001.
Band and Wind Ensemble Websites
College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA). “Program Notes.” http://www.cbdna.org/cgi-bin/sounds2.pl.
Concord Band (Concord, NH). “Program Notes.” http://www.concordband.org/notes.html.
Foothills Symphonic Winds (Palo Alto, CA). “Music Program Notes for Band and Wind Ensemble Music.” http://www.windband.org/foothill/pgm_note.htm.
Palatine Concert Band (Palatine, IL). “Program Notes.” http://palatineconcertband.org/program-notes/.
Pease, Andy. “Andy Pease’s Wind Band Blog.” http://andypease.wordpress.com.
Reynish, Timothy. “Programme Notes for 180 Works.” http://www.timreynish.com/pdf/programme-notes.pdf.
Silver Clef Music. “Program Notes.” http://www.silverclefmusic.com/ProgramNotes/ViewNotes.htm.
Wikia.com. “Program Notes.” http://programnotes.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page.
“Wind Repertory Project.” http://www.windrep.org/Main_Page.
Orchestral, Choral, and Chamber Music Books
Holoman, D. Kern. Evenings With the Orchestra: A Norton Companion for Concertgoers. New York: W. W. Norton, 1992.
Keller, James M. Chamber Music: A Listener’s Guide. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Lee, Douglas A. Masterworks of 20th Century Music: The Modern Repertory of the Symphony Orchestra. New York: Routledge, 2002.
Steinberg, Michael. Choral Masterworks: A Listener’s Guide. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
———. The Concerto: A Listener’s Guide. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.
———. The Symphony: A Listener’s Guide. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.
Tovey, Donald Francis. Essays in Musical Analysis. 6 vols. London: Oxford University Press; H. Milford, 1935–39. Reprint (reduced to 3 vols.), 1981–89. [1. Symphonies; 2. Symphonies (II), Variations and orchestral polyphony; 3. Concertos; 4. Illustrative music; 5. Vocal music; 6. Miscellaneous notes, glossary and index.]
“Media Center.” http://www.bso.org/MediaCenter/. [Podcasts and program notes for the Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, and Tanglewood.]
“Beyond the Score.” http://csosoundsandstories.org/category/beyond-the-score/.
“Program Books.” http://csosoundsandstories.org/category/program-books/.
“Program Notes.” http://nyphil.org/ConcertsTickets/your-visit/program-notes.
“Keeping Score.” http://www.keepingscore.org.
“Program Notes.” http://www.sfsymphony.org/Watch-Listen-Learn/Read-Program-Notes/Program-Notes.aspx.
Indexes to Program Notes and Writings on Specific Works
Allen, Milton. “An Index of Wind Band Literature Analyses from Periodical and University Research.” DMA diss., Ohio State University, 2006. Available online at https://etd.ohiolink.edu/rws_etd/document/get/osu1148431169/inline.
Diamond, Harold. J. Music Analysis: An Annotated Guide to the Literature. New York: Schirmer Books, 1991.
Good, Michael. “A Selected Bibliography of Original Concert Band Music.” http://michaelgood.info/publications/music/a-selected-bibliography-of-original-concert-band-music. [Originally published in Journal of Band Research.]
Hoek, D. J. Analyses of Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Music, 1940–2000. MLA Index and Bibliography Series, 34. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press and Music Library Association, 2007. [Incorporates material from the earlier edition by Arthur Wenk.]
University of Tennessee, Knoxville. “UT Analysis Index.” http://www.lib.utk.edu/databases/analysis/.
Voorhees, Anna Tipton. Index to Symphonic Program Notes in Books. Keys to Music Bibliography, 1. Kent, OH: Kent State University, School of Library Science, 1970.
■Style Guides for Writing About Music
These resources will provide guidance on the general rules of language in printed text, as well as the specific issues of writing about music terminology and characteristics.
Bayne, Pauline Shaw. A Guide to Library Research in Music. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2008.
Cowdery, James R., ed. How to Write About Music: The RILM Manual of Style. 2nd ed. New York: Répertoire International de Littérature Musicale, 2006.
Gottlieb, Jane. Music Library and Research Skills. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009.
Holoman, D. Kern. Writing About Music: A Style Sheet. 2nd ed. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008.
Radice, Mark A. Irvine’s Writing About Music. 3rd ed. rev. and enl. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1999.
Sampsel, Laurie J. Music Research: A Handbook. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
University of Chicago Press. The Chicago Manual of Style. 16th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010.
Wingell, Richard J., and Sylvia Herzog. Introduction to Research in Music. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001.
■The Concert Program
The concert program is the documentation of the performance. It is a historical record of what took place at that event. It is also another means to communicate what happens on the stage to the members of your audience. Because of these responsibilities, the document must be accurate and complete.
The program header or title page should include the full details of the performance: day, date, year, time, location, organization, conductor, soloists. Make note of interesting information, such as premiere performances (world, region, or local), commissions or dedications, and sponsorships or special events. Include enough information to identify each composition, as well as any details about arrangers, editors, and versions of the work.
Additional details may be added if informative or if it helps identify the specific edition or state of the work. Composition dates may be added in parentheses following the title to help the audience to identify new or unfamiliar works. The composer’s birth and death dates may also be included to give the audience a historical perspective on the work.
The form of the title used in the concert program should be different from that used in the library’s computer catalog. A database application requires a consistent structure of information in order for it to be searched and sorted accurately. This structure may look stilted in a concert program that would benefit from a more natural language style. A database entry reading
Concerto, piano, no.5, op.73, E-flat major (Emperor)
will look more natural in a program format as
Concerto No. 5 in E-flat for Piano, Opus 73, “Emperor”
or
Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat, Opus 73, Emperor
Avoid the awkward construction “Concerto for Piano in E-flat” by remembering that it is the concerto that is written in the key of E-flat and not the piano that is pitched in E-flat.
Other Issues
Basic rules about musical information in text may also be applied to the concert program. Titles of major works (operas, tone poems, etc.) are set in italics while shorter works (songs, marches, arias, etc.) are set in roman type and enclosed in quotation marks. Titles that are a generic musical form (symphonies, concertos, serenades, etc.) are set in roman type. More details are available in The Chicago Manual of Style and D. Kern Holoman’s Writing About Music: A Style Sheet.
University of Chicago Press. The Chicago Manual of Style. 16th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010. [Rules 7.66–7.71 and 8.188–8.192 are applicable to music.]
Holoman, D. Kern. “The Printed Program.” In Writing About Music: A Style Sheet. 2nd ed., 73–87. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008.