Since 1994, David Fienen has been a fixture on the Gustavus Band/Wind Orchesrtra’s international concert tours, both as a guest performer and as one of the teachers in the January Term course. Although it’s been a few years since he was in the classroom, David finds the fit is still good. As the Gustavus Wind Orchestra prepares the music for its 2014 international concert tour in central Europe, Dr. Fienen is prepping the members of the ensemble for the new (old) world they will encounter in just a few days.
The former provost of the college and professor music, David Fienen is no stranger to the classroom or the concert hall. He came to Gustavus in the fall of 1973 as a member of the Department of Music and the Chaplain’s Office as Organist of Christ Chapel. As such he was instrumental in the development of Christmas in Christ Chapel as the Chapel organist and conductor of the Choir of Christ Chapel and was a constant presence in faculty recitals and worship services. He finished his career with a two-year assignment as Provost of the College in 2011 and returns this month to teach the course as part of the Gustavus Wind Orchestra’s International Concert Tour.
With the wind orchestra’s busy rehearsal schedule, Fienen’s classes start early and run each day from 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. His challenge is to present the history, language, culture, religion and economics of the region to the 68-member ensemble is just 12 class sessions. He opened the first week of classes with “commonalities” in the history of the region and the constantly changing map of Europe over the time line of the past century from the demise of the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s supremacy at the end of WW I, through the rise of fascism and Germany’s National Socialist Party (the Nazis) in the 1930s, the division of Europe into East and West Blocks following WW II and into the current era of cooperation in the European Union.
This week the focus is on the culture (including language differences and some familiarization with the alphabets and common words) and history of the 4 countries — Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Austria — in which the wind orchestra will present its concerts. Each day also features composers and their music from each of the countries. Monday included Bedrich Smetana and Leos Janacek (Czech) with Tuesday focused on composers as varied as Frederic Chopin and Jan Paderewski, finishing with a score study and performance of Krzysztof Penderecki’s Threnody of the Victims of Hiroshima. The great composers of Hungary and Austria will complete the week.
On the wind orchestra’s arrival in Europe, Dr. Fienen will take on yet another hat as he will be featured as an organ soloist on the wind orchestra’s concert program. He has prepared Johann Sebastian Bach’s Fuga sopra il Magnificat and will perform it whenever an organ is available.
With teaching in his blood and performance in his fingers, David Fienen has been in integral part of the workings of the Department of Music and, especially, the Gustavus Wind Orchestra for 40 years. The Gustavus Wind Orchestra welcomes him once again into its ranks and knows that his contribution to music and education will continue far beyond this concert tour.
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