(upbeat music) - [Narrator] This is a production of South Dakota Public Broadcasting.

(uplifting orchestral music) - Hello, I'm Delta David Gier, conductor of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra.

Welcome to our Young People's Concert, an exploration of the orchestra through a performance of Felix Mendelssohn's Symphony No.

3, called his "Scottish" symphony.

I'd like to begin by asking you a question.

Have you ever gone on a trip which was so exciting that you couldn't wait to share it with someone who wasn't there with you?

Maybe a family member or a friend?

Perhaps you'd take pictures or videos and send them while you were traveling.

Now, imagine it was 200 years ago.

No cameras, no cell phones.

How would you tell them about all of your exciting experiences?

When Mendelssohn was 20 years old, he traveled throughout Scotland for three weeks with his friend, Carl Klingemann.

He was so excited to share his experiences with his family.

How do you think he communicated with them?

Well, he wrote letters every day, and he drew pictures everywhere he went, like this one.

His first impression of Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland.

He wrote to his family, "It was Sunday when we arrived in Edinburgh, then we crossed the Meadows, going towards two desperately steep rocks, which are called Arthur's Seat.

And we climbed up.

Below on the green were walking the most variegated people, women, children, and cows.

The city stretches far and wide.

In the middle is the castle, like a bird's nest on a cliff.

It is beautiful here.

My swim was pleasant to today, and a float on the waves, I thought of all of you, how very closely we are linked together.

And yet I was deep in the Scottish ocean, that tastes very briny.

In the evening twilight, we went today to the palace, where Queen Mary lived and loved.

The chapel close to it is now roofless, grass and ivy grow there.

And at that altar, Mary was crowned Queen of Scotland.

I believe I found today in that old chapel the beginning of my "Scottish" symphony."

Another way Mendelssohn communicated his joy during his travels was by writing music.

That's a pretty big letter.

Wouldn't you say?

But how do you capture a place, the people, the landscape through music?

Listen to this music he wrote to describe his experience of seeing the ruins of that chapel.

(dramatic orchestral music) What a beautiful beginning, and such an interesting color.

Do you ever think about music as having a color of sound, in this case, dark and warm?

It begins with the violas.

(dramatic viola music) The unique sound of the violas is blended with the low woodwinds, clarinets and bassoons, and with the French horns.

Listen to how the color changes and becomes richer.

(dramatic orchestral music) A bit later, the violin center.

(dramatic violin music) How would you describe this music?

Maybe a little bit sad?

Perhaps he was a bit homesick?

This music is part of the introduction to the first movement of this symphony, then comes a new musical idea, the main theme of this first movement.

Here Mendelssohn uses only the string section of the orchestra.

(dramatic orchestral music) As you'll hear, this musical idea builds and becomes quite heated up and loud.

After there comes another beautiful melody, our second theme.

(dramatic orchestral music) Now let's hear how that all comes together.

(dramatic orchestral music) Mendelssohn and his friend Carl traveled all over the country of Scotland.

One of their highlights was the seaward journey to Fingal's Cave, which was rather rocky.

Carl Klingemann wrote, "The Atlantic stretched its thousand feelers more and more roughly, twirling us about like anything.

We were put out in the boats and lifted by the hissing sea up to the celebrated Fingal's Cave.

A greener roar of waves never rushed into a stranger cavern.

It's many pillars making it look like the inside of a great organ, black and resounding, the wide sea within and without.

How do you represent a storm in music?

Mendelssohn, again, uses the string section of the orchestra intertwining the violins with the low strings, the violas, cellos and bases.

(dramatic string music) Let's hear now the end of this first movement, picking up more or less where we left off.

(dramatic orchestral music) (audience applauds and cheers)