Mozart set Christian Adolph Overbeck's text to "Komm, lieber Mai" in January 1791 shortly before what would be his last birthday. Overbeck, a poet and lawyer and later Mayor of Luebeck, wrote a set of poems in 1776 under the title Fritzchen an den Mai (Fritz on the May). This song is highly regarded among the German art songs of the era. Mozart coupled it with two other songs under the title Sehnsucht nach dem Fruhlinge (Longing for Spring). Seemingly taken by his theme, Mozart uses it again in the finale of his last piano concerto, Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat Major, K. 595. Mozart's three songs were published in a collection of children's song by Ignaz Alberti. While the voice is supposed to be that of a child, it is really an adult's longing for the flowering of Spring and the promise of new birth and, perhaps, new love. American author, composer, arranger and conductor Robert Debbaut was born in Long Beach, California in 1956. He began his musical training at age ten and began to compose at age fifteen. His early compositions were for his principal instrument, the trumpet. As an undergraduate student at Missouri State University, Robert Debbaut studied composition and orchestration with the noted American wind composer, Claude T. Smith. Under Mr. Smith's guidance, Debbaut composed two works, "Spring," for symphony orchestra, and "Variations" for brass quintet. Both works were performed in 1977-78. While an undergraduate Debbaut also composed and arranged works for brass ensemble, wind ensemble, trumpet ensemble, and the Missouri State University Marching Band. Robert Debbaut actively returned to composing in 2007. His "Great New City" for string orchestra was premiered under his direction in Russia by the Great Novgorod Chamber Orchestra. Variations on a Theme by Mozart for Viola and Piano, "Petrushka Dances" (Stravinsky) and "Flower Duet" (Delibes) for violin duet and "Earth Song" for violin and piano were premiered this past year. Several new works are awaiting premiere, including "OK," (for either Cello or Viola or Tenor Saxophone with String Orchestra and Piano), "Country Dances" (for String Orchestra), "Songs of the Night" (for Brass and Strings), "Pana Jama" (for solo timpani, amplified violins, mallet percussion and piano), "Flight," (Classical Chamber Orchestra), and "Birch Trees," four Russian folk melodies for Woman's Chorus with piano accompaniment and violin obbligato. Throughout his career as a conductor and educator, Dr. Debbaut has arranged works for the orchestra. Recently performed have been "Three Scenes from Madama Butterfly," (Puccini), "Prelude, Night Scene and Vienna Finale" from Don Giovanni (Mozart), Monastatos' aria ""Alles fühlt der Liebe Freuden" from The Magic Flute (Mozart), Monti's "Csardas" for chamber orchestra and Glinka's "Kamarinskaya" for violin and piano and flute and piano. Robert Debbaut holds three degrees in music including the degree Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of Michigan, where he was the first American conductor to hold the title "Fellow in Conducting." He continued his musical studies at the Tanglewood Music Center, the Oregon Bach Festival, the David Oistrakh Festival in Estonia, and the International Conducting Workshop in Prague. His teachers and mentors include Maurice Abravanel, Gustav Meier, Neeme Jarvi, and Helmuth Rilling. He has held academic positions at the University of Utah, DePaul University, the University of Akron, Lawrence Conservatory and the University of Minnesota. As a guest conductor Robert Debbaut has appeared with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic, Filharmonia Sudecka, Hartford Symphony, Kharkiv Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, North Czech Philharmonic, Great Novgorod Chamber Orchestra, National Symphony of Guatemala, Shanghai Conservatory Orchestra, Utah Symphony and the Yaroslavl Symphony among many others.
About the Author: Robert Debbaut was born in Long Beach, California in 1956. He began his musical training at age ten and began to compose at age fifteen. His early compositions were for his principal instrument, the trumpet. As an undergraduate student at Missouri State University, Robert Debbaut studied composition and orchestration with Claude T. Smith, for whom he composed two works, "Spring," for symphony orchestra, and "Variations" for brass quintet. Both works were performed in 1977-78. While an undergraduate Debbaut also composed and arranged works for various ensembles and the Missouri State University Marching Band. Robert Debbaut actively returned to composing in 2007. His "Great New City" for string orchestra was premiered under his direction in Russia by the Great Novgorod Chamber Orchestra. Variations on a Theme by Mozart for Viola and Piano, "Petrushka Dances" (Stravinsky) and "Flower Duet" (Delibes) for violin duet and "Earth Song" for violin and piano were premiered this past year. Several new works are awaiting premiere, including "OK," (for either Cello or Viola or Tenor Saxophone with String Orchestra and Piano), "Country Dances" (for String Orchestra), "Pana Jama" (for solo timpani, amplified violins, mallet percussion and piano), and "Birch Trees" and "Trilogy of Joy'" both for Woman's Chorus. Dr. Debbaut has arranged several works for the orchestra, including "Three Scenes from Madama Butterfly," (Puccini), "Prelude, Night Scene and Vienna Finale" from Don Giovanni (Mozart), Monastatos' aria ""Alles fühlt der Liebe Freuden" from The Magic Flute (Mozart), Monti's "Csardas" for chamber orchestra and Glinka's "Kamarinskaya" for violin and piano and flute and piano. Robert Debbaut was awarded the degree Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of Michigan, where he was "Fellow in Conducting." His teachers and mentors include Maurice Abravanel, Gustav Meier, Neeme Jarvi, and Helmuth Rilling. He has held academic positions at the University of Utah, DePaul University, the University of Akron, Lawrence Conservatory and the University of Minnesota. As a guest conductor Robert Debbaut has appeared with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic, Filharmonia Sudecka, Hartford Symphony, Kharkiv Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, North Czech Philharmonic, Great Novgorod Chamber Orchestra, National Symphony of Guatemala, Shanghai Conservatory Orchestra, Utah Symphony and the Yaroslavl Symphony among many others.