EnergyAustralia is one of Australia s leading energy companies, George Maltabarow Managing Director

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1 It is my great pleasure to welcome you to tonight s concert in which we celebrate the work of the great Russian pianist and composer, Sergei Rachmaninov. In this final festival in the Sydney Symphony s 75th anniversary season it is fitting that we will hear the orchestra perform under the baton of Maestro Vladimir Ashkenazy, who is regarded as one of the world s foremost interpreters of the music of Rachmaninov. During the festival we will be privileged to hear some of Rachmaninov s major symphonic works and his brilliant music for piano and orchestra. EnergyAustralia is one of Australia s leading energy companies, with more than 1.4 million energy customers in NSW, the ACT and Queensland. With one of the most recognised brands in the energy industry, we are proud to be associated with the Sydney Symphony, and we re very excited to be linked to the Orchestra s flagship Master Series. I hope you enjoy tonight s performance and will join us again for the final concerts in the EnergyAustralia Master Series this year. George Maltabarow Managing Director

2 SEASON 2007 ENERGYAUSTRALIA MASTER SERIES RACHMANINOV S SYMPHONIC DANCES AND THE THIRD PIANO CONCERTO Friday 16 November 8pm Saturday 17 November 8pm Sydney Opera House Concert Hall Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor Garrick Ohlsson piano SERGEI RACHMANINOV ( ) Vocalise arranged for orchestra by the composer Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor, Op.30 Allegro ma non tanto Intermezzo (Adagio) Finale (Alla breve) INTERVAL Symphonic Dances, Op.45 Non Allegro Andante con moto (Tempo di valse) Lento assai Allegro vivace Friday night s performance will be broadcast live across Australia on ABC Classic FM Pre-concert talk by Phillip Sametz at 7.15pm in the Northern Foyer. Visit talk-bios for biographies of pre-concert speakers. Estimated timings: 6 minutes, 39 minutes, 20-minute interval, 35 minutes. The performance will conclude at approximately 9.55pm. Cover images: see page 30 for captions Program notes begin on page 5 Artist biographies begin on page 20 PRESENTING PARTNER

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4 INTRODUCTION Rachmaninov Finale Here in an English-speaking country we are at a disadvantage: much of Rachmaninov s vocal music operas, choral works, and songs is rarely heard. Last year, when Vladimir Ashkenazy conducted the Three Russian Songs here in Sydney, it was the Orchestra s first performance of the work; in the same program was the choral symphony The Bells, which we d performed only once before. But there is one song of Rachmaninov s that does not depend on words: his Vocalise. In tonight s concert we perform it in Rachmaninov s orchestration a reminder that ultimately all instruments aspire to the singing expression of the human voice. A few years before he composed the Vocalise, Rachmaninov completed his Third Piano Concerto to take on tour with him to America. He hated the tour, but it allowed him to buy the automobile that he dearly wanted. As for the concerto, for its first twenty years it seemed that only its composer dared play it. But since the 1930s it has become a repertoire staple: still formidable, but a favourite with performers and audiences. Fortunes change, and Rachmaninov s critical reception has followed an erratic path. In his lifetime his works were both hailed and decried. Maestro Ashkenazy recalls, as recently as the late 1980s, seeing a German headline dismissing Rachmaninov as Dr Zhivago Music. More recently critics have come to understand what audiences have for the most part always known. (On page 19 you can read some of the views, past and present, that highlight this shift.) The final work on this program and in this festival, is a work that Maestro Ashkenazy considers one of Rachmaninov s greatest, and which Rachmaninov described as his last spark. And what a spark! In a festival that has celebrated piano virtuosity with the concertos and the Paganini Rhapsody, the Symphonic Dances offers a showpiece for the orchestra itself. The work also shows the late Rachmaninov at his best and in characteristic mood: deeply felt passions, often melancholy, but always tinged with faith and hope. 5 Sydney Symphony

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6 ABOUT THE MUSIC Sergei Rachmaninov Vocalise from 14 Songs, Op.34 arranged for orchestra by the composer I understand now why God allowed me to live to the age of 70: it was so that I should have the chance to hear His greatest creation Nezhdanova. Such was George Bernard Shaw s praise for the soprano Antonina Nezhdanova ( ), renowned for the beauty and clarity of her voice. Her coloratura technique, said one Soviet music historian, was of dazzling lightness and brilliance; her performances were unselfconscious and heartfelt, and she was a subtle and dramatic actress. Perhaps an even more eloquent tribute to Nezhdanova is the music created for her by contemporary composers: operatic roles such as Parasya in Mussorgsky s Sorochintsky Fair or the title character in Rachmaninov s Francesca da Rimini, not to mention his most famous song, the Vocalise. Fans of Rachmaninov s instrumental music may not realise his considerable achievements in composing operas, choral music, and more than 70 songs. These were overshadowed by his solo piano pieces and orchestral works. It is not surprising that the most popular song he ever wrote was essentially instrumental. His Vocalise is the last in a set of 14 songs, Opus 34, from 1912, the other 13 being settings of Russian texts by poets such as Pushkin and Balmont. Despite his elegant and affective responses to these texts, the final song without words has eclipsed them all with its enduring appeal. Without syllabic constraints, Rachmaninov s considerable melodic imagination is free to roam where it will. By the early 20th century, the vocalise had become a form suitable for concert performance in its own right, particularly in France, growing out of two traditions of 19th-century vocal training. The first of these traditions was that of performing existing songs without their words using only a vowel sound or humming in order to deal with the technical problems offered by the melodic line. The second tradition involved writing piano accompaniments to vocal exercises in the hope of producing more artistically minded practice in the student. Keynotes RACHMANINOV Born Oneg (Novgorod region), 1873 Died Beverly Hills CA, 1943 Most of Rachmaninov s major compositions date from before 1917, the year in which he fled Russia. As well as two symphonies, these include his first three piano concertos. After leaving Russia Rachmaninov composed much less most of his time was spent as a touring concert pianist. But he did complete another two works for piano and orchestra, including the brilliant Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, and his Third Symphony. His last original orchestral work was the Symphonic Dances, completed in 1940, just three years before his death. VOCALISE A vocalise is a song without words. It can be a concert piece, but the genre belongs to a long tradition of technical training for singers: words are replaced by pure vowels in order to concentrate on vocal production. It is an exercise in melody, and the focus is on the voice as an instrument. The most admired soprano instrument in Rachmaninov s Russia was Nezhdanova, and she provided the inspiration for one of Rachmaninov s most admired songs, the Vocalise, composed in His Vocalise is so admired, in fact, that it has been arranged and transcribed for countless instrumental combinations. It s a case of glorious music for a vocal instrument being transferred to instruments who long to sing. 7 Sydney Symphony

7 Rachmaninov s wordless song represents the peak of this peculiar hybrid genre. By the time he came to compose the Op.34 songs, he was well into his mature creative period, producing vocal music of a particular beauty, with simple yet striking accompaniments for the piano. The Vocalise is no exception, as the melody, emerging from a small and easily-identified motif, spins itself out in endless variation over the course of the piece. The orchestration presented in tonight s concert was written in 1917 at the suggestion of Nikolay Struve, the dilettante who had previously encouraged Rachmaninov to use Böcklin s painting The Isle of the Dead as a subject for composition. This was after Rachmaninov had accompanied Nezhdanova in the premiere of the Vocalise at one of Serge Koussevitsky s concerts in Since the tremendous success of that premiere, the Vocalise s smooth, unbroken melodic line has attracted instrumentalists of all kinds: violins, violas, cellos, flutes, trumpets, solo pianists, clarinets, trombones and saxophones, accompanied by pianos, organs, and orchestras of many different sizes. Arrangements for piano trios, cello ensembles, octets and nonets abound, and the music has crossed stylistic boundaries with interpretations by classical, jazz and pop artists. (Bobby McFerrin collaborated with cellist Yo-Yo Ma in one recording.) It may well be the Yesterday of classical music. This should not surprise us: inspired by a magical voice and written by a composer whose melodies never cease to find new admirers, the Vocalise gives an instrument the chance to truly sing. In tonight s case it is perhaps the greatest instrument of all: the symphony orchestra. Antonina Nezhdanova in costume for the role of Lyudmila in Glinka s opera Ruslan and Lyudmila (Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, 1911) the melody, emerging from a small and easilyidentified motif, spins itself out in endless variation over the course of the piece. LECRECHT MUSIC & ARTS ADAPTED FROM A NOTE BY DREW CRAWFORD SYMPHONY AUSTRALIA 1998 Rachmaninov s orchestration of the Vocalise calls for two flutes, two oboes, cor anglais, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns and strings. Sixteen or so violins take the solo line, accompanied by the rest of the ensemble. The Sydney Symphony first performed the Vocalise in its orchestral form in 1985 with David Measham; and the version for voice and orchestra in a 1996 Swoon concert with Richard Mills and soprano Arax Mansourian. Mstislav Rostropovich performed a cello and piano version in one of his Sydney recitals in Sydney Symphony

8 LECRECHT MUSIC & ARTS Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor, Op.30 Allegro ma non tanto Intermezzo (Adagio) Finale (Alla breve) Garrick Ohlsson piano Rachmaninov completed his Third Piano Concerto at his summer estate at Ivanovka in September or October 1909, intending it for his forthcoming American concert tour. This was a busy period in Rachmaninov s life, and he was unable to spend much time practising prior to departure. At one point he wrote to a friend: It would not be bad at all for me to get a secretary, if only the amount of business correspondence I have would correspond to the amount of my material means. But before getting a secretary I would like to buy an automobile! I want one so much, I just cannot tell you! All I need is a secretary and an automobile! Otherwise I have everything I need. It is extraordinary, therefore, considering the difficulties in the solo part, that Rachmaninov practised much of the piano part on a dumb keyboard aboard ship. (But not so extraordinary that he did in fact acquire an automobile with the proceeds of the tour.) Keynotes PIANO CONCERTO NO.3 Having been persuaded to embark on his first American tour, Rachmaninov needed a new piano concerto and the Third was completed shortly before his departure at the end of It has since become one of Rachmaninov s best-loved concertos, rivalling even the all-popular Second Piano Concerto, although there was a time when its physical demands elicited more awe than fondness. (In the past ten years the Third Concerto s popularity has been further enhanced by its central role in the movie Shine.) The concerto s most striking feature is its concision and the way in the musical ideas grow organically through the entire work it s a natural extension of the structural and thematic strategies that Rachmaninov had been exploring as early as his First Symphony. Rachmaninov in 1910, driving his new car, a four-cylinder Loreley 9 Sydney Symphony

9 The concerto was first performed in New York City under Walter Damrosch in November 1909; followed, in January 1910, by a third New York performance under Gustav Mahler, of which Rachmaninov recalled: He touched my composer s heart straight away by devoting himself to my concerto until the accompaniment, which is rather complicated, had been practised to the point of perfection Listening Guide This concerto has been described by critic John Culshaw as a masterpiece of conciseness. There are thematic ties between the first and third movements, which may explain why the second movement is labelled intermezzo. Much of the melodic material is derived from the opening rhythm (a trochaic pattern: long short, long short), played by clarinet and bassoon, though the concerto lacks none of Rachmaninov s typical lyricism. The piano enters with a simple melody similar to a chant sung at the Monastery of the Cross at Kiev, although Rachmaninov himself denied any connection, saying the theme was borrowed neither from folk song forms nor from church sources. It simply wrote itself! The structural subtlety of the work is soon apparent. After a short piano cadenza, a variant of the piano s opening theme is played on bassoons and lower strings. The woodwinds lead in a new direction and the music builds to a big new theme. This, however, is not the second subject, as we might expect; merely a premonition of future themes, which gradually, building bit by bit, add meaning to the work. The true second subject soon appears, a characteristically romantic Rachmaninov melody, emerging as a variation of the trochaic rhythm of the opening. The piano has become more and more dominant and the culmination of the movement is actually to be found in the impressive cadenza. Then, after another straightforward statement of the simple opening piano theme, a sudden ending, almost breathless, promises more. The second movement begins with some of the most melancholy music ever to come from the composer whose characteristic mood, at the best of times, was gloomy. (Stravinsky had described Rachmaninov as six-and-a-half feet of Russian scowl and his favourite expression mark was lugubre, lugubriously.) When the piano enters, it gives two versions of its opening theme. The first section builds to an impassioned climax and then slips smoothly into It simply wrote itself! In this performance Garrick Ohlsson performs the second of Rachmaninov s two alternative cadenzas for the first movement. It is longer and more demanding than the more playful first cadenza (which Rachmaninov always played), and gained real popularity after Van Cliburn performed it in the International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Sydney Symphony

10 the scherzo middle section. This fast section a recasting of the first subject of the first movement provides some relief from the gloom, but the tragic atmosphere soon returns. The finale breaks in with great urgency. The piano s opening tattoo is derived from the theme of the very opening of the concerto, and Culshaw sees in the linking of the second and third movements further evidence of the tight binding of the concerto. The long-short feel underlies the second subject, which in its melodic shape recalls the second subject of the first movement. The largely episodic nature of the musical development gives the movement a rhapsodic, formless impression. The piano presents two light-hearted versions of its opening melody which strike the listener as diversions from the main thrust of the movement. Eventually, however, we are shepherded back on track with the return of the opening material from the first movement in the lower strings, joined by a hint of the first movement s second subject. The urgent material and the main tempo of the movement returns, picking up hints of the second subject of this and the first movement in its momentum. The concerto s signature rhythm sounds from the depths of the orchestra, and leads us to a coda in which the mystery theme planted in the first movement finally blooms into a broad romantic statement. Much is made of the difficulties of this concerto. Oh, the Rach Three!, gasps Sir John Gielgud in the movie Shine; but the greatness of the concerto lies not merely in its technical hurdles. It lies in the way the material organically grows and in the way the immense technical challenges never swamp the lyrical purposes of the work. ADAPTED FROM A NOTE BY GORDON KALTON WILLIAMS SYMPHONY AUSTRALIA 1998/2001 The orchestra for the Third Piano Concerto calls for pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons; four horns, two trumpets, three trombones and tuba; timpani and percussion (bass drum, cymbals, snare drum) and strings. The Sydney Symphony first performed this concerto in 1941 with Percy Code conducting and soloist Alexander Sverjensky, and most recently in the 2003 Master Series with Alexander Lazarev and Simon Trpčeski. Since then the Orchestra has also accompanied the concerto in the 2004 Sydney International Piano Competition, with conductor János Fürst and soloist John Chen. 11 Sydney Symphony

11 Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances, Op.45 Non Allegro Andante con moto (Tempo di valse) Lento assai Allegro vivace Conductor, pianist and composer, Rachmaninov often complained that he could never maintain all three activities in his life simultaneously. After he moved himself and his family from Russia in 1917, the seizure of his Russian assets by the new Soviet government meant that Rachmaninov had to earn a living as a performing musician. He did not want to become an orchestra s musical director, so, outstanding pianist that he was, he set about establishing his career as a concert pianist. Although famous for interpreting his own music, he had rarely been called upon to perform music by other composers in public, and now, at the age of 44, he began building up a soloist s repertoire. This left little time for composition, and he wrote no original work for another nine years. Then, much to Rachmaninov s surprise, the urge to compose began to re-assert itself. A fitful procession of Indian summer pieces emerged between 1926 and 1940, many of which are now regarded as among his finest compositions. But at the time most of these works met with indifference from audiences and hostility from critics. His success as a pianist and he was regarded as among the greatest in the world at this time far outstripped that of his music. Leaving Russia also meant exile from the culture that had nurtured his musical style; in spirit, Rachmaninov remained an exile from his homeland for the rest of his life, and to his friend Medtner s question, Why do you no longer compose?, there is Rachmaninov s oft-quoted reply: How can I compose without melody? But to use this typically self-deprecating remark as a stick with which to beat the composer s later music and many critics have done so is to ignore the vigour with which Rachmaninov sought to re-shape his compositional style in these final years. Among the first fruits of his period in the West were the Fourth Piano Concerto (which made its first appearance in 1926) and the Variations on a Theme of Corelli (1931). Neither was successful. So unsure was Rachmaninov of the Corelli Variations intrinsic value that, when he played Keynotes SYMPHONIC DANCES Completed in 1940, the Symphonic Dances is Rachmaninov s last orchestral work (although the final revision of the Fourth Piano Concerto dates from 1941). It represents the peak of his late style: leaner and more modern than such works as the Second Symphony but still containing his trademark melodic gift and passionate expression. The three movements of the Symphonic Dances were originally conceived with the idea of a ballet in mind Rachmaninov hoped Fokine would choreograph the music. But in the end he dropped the descriptive titles and it became a concert work. Even so, the music retains a rhythmic vigour that reveals its origins. The Dies irae chant from the mass for the dead pervades the music, and there are macabre moments, even in the swirling waltz (second movement). But it ends with a sense of thanksgiving and the ringing of Alleluias. 12 Sydney Symphony

12 the work in recital, he would listen for signs of restiveness in the audience coughing, shuffling of programs and delete variations accordingly. In this way, on some occasions, he shortened the work by half its published length. The public and critical acclaim for his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (1934) gave him the confidence to write his Third Symphony (1936), to which, in the composer s words, audiences and critics responded sourly. In a letter to a friend he added: Personally, I m convinced that it is a good work. But sometimes composers are mistaken too! Be that as it may, I am holding to my opinion so far. The gigantic indifference to his music sapped his confidence once again. The orchestral style Rachmaninov cultivated in his later years was marked by great clarity of texture, a freer and more independent approach to brass and woodwind writing, and a tendency to express his ideas more concisely than in his earlier large-scale pieces. Harmonically and rhythmically, he had been attentive to the work of Prokofiev and Stravinsky, and his music of the 1930s bears unmistakable traces of contemporary trends, but very much on Rachmaninov s own terms. His melodies still move, on the whole, in stepwise fashion, in the manner of Russian Orthodox chant, and although he clothes his passionate melodies in lighter textures than of old, he is not ashamed to write tunes that could be called vintage Rachmaninov. The result was too modern and lean-sounding for audiences, who wanted him to keep re-writing the Second Piano Concerto, and too conservative for the critics, whose twin gods at this time were Stravinsky and Schoenberg. The Symphonic Dances represents perhaps the richest results of Rachmaninov s new approach to the orchestra. It was also his last original composition. I don t know how it happened. It must have been my last spark, is how Rachmaninov described the work s origins. Yet the idea of a score for a programmatic ballet had been at the back of his mind since 1915, and when Michel Fokine successfully choreographed the Rhapsody for a ballet called Paganini in 1939 the opportunity presented itself to Rachmaninov s imagination again. He wrote the Dances the following year, giving the three movements the titles Midday, Twilight and Midnight respectively. At this point the work was called Fantastic I don t know how it happened. It must have been my last spark. RACHMANINOV 13 Sydney Symphony

13 Dances, and Rachmaninov played it, in short score, to Fokine, who was enthusiastic about the music but noncommittal about its balletic possibilities. In any case, Fokine s death a short time later cooled Rachmaninov s interest in the ballet idea altogether. He deleted his descriptive titles and substituted the word Symphonic for Fantastic. In this new guise he dedicated the triptych to his favourite orchestra, the Philadelphia, and its chief conductor, Eugene Ormandy. It is a work full of enigmas, which Rachmaninov, surely one of the most secretive of composers, does nothing to clarify. In the first movement, there is a transformation from minor to major of a prominent theme from his first symphony, which at that time Rachmaninov thought was lost. (The score was lost, but the symphony was reconstructed from the orchestral parts after his death.) The premiere of that work in 1897 had been such a fiasco that Rachmaninov could not compose at all for another three years. The reference to the work in this new piece had a meaning that was entirely private. There is also the curious paradox that the word dance, with its suggestion of life-enhancing, joyous activity, is here put at the service of a work that is essentially concerned for all its vigour and sinew with endings, with a chromaticism that darkens the colour of every musical step. The sense of foreboding and finality is particularly strong in the second movement, with its evocations of a spectral ballroom, and in the bell-tolling and chant-intoning that pervade what was to be the last movement of any work by this composer. Rachmaninov s music of the 1930s was too modern and leansounding for audiences, who wanted him to keep re-writing the Second Piano Concerto, and too conservative for the critics Listening Guide The first movement, with its unusual tempo marking Non Allegro (what could he have meant?) begins hesitantly, before a bold, staccato statement of a theme that sounds very much like the plainchant for the dead, Dies irae, in disguise. It will reappear in different guises throughout the work. This leads us to the main part of the movement. From this point on, most of the major musical ideas are introduced by the woodwinds, including the leaping main theme, given to flutes, oboes and clarinets. The major lyrical theme is then given to that infrequent orchestral visitor, the alto saxophone, making its solo appearance with delicately scored accompaniment for winds only. (The saxophone has no other music to play in the work.) 14 Sydney Symphony

14 Rachmaninov also employs orchestral piano, and when the lyrical theme is given its second statement by the strings, in an impassioned unison, the piano traces a filigree accompaniment, creating an overall effect of shining brightness. In the coda of this movement, harp and piano together create a glistening, shimmering counterpoint to the plush, chorale-like statement of the motif plucked from the first symphony. The waltz movement begins with muted trumpet fanfares that have a sinister fairy-tale quality to them. Woodwind arabesques swirl around them, until a solo violin passage gives way to the main waltz theme, introduced by the oboe and cor anglais before being taken up by the strings. The ghostly woodwind arabesques continue to decorate this theme until the winds themselves announce the livelier second melody. Although the atmosphere becomes warmer and more passionate at times, it does not lighten, and sometimes becomes quite macabre. It is as if we are experiencing a memory of a ballroom rather than a ball itself. The finale is the work s most complex movement. The extensive use of the Dies irae (a regular source of material for Rachmaninov) and the curious inscription Alliluya, written in the score above the last motif in the work to be derived from Orthodox chant, suggest the most final of endings mingled with a sense of thanksgiving. The tolling of the midnight bell that prefaces the movement s vigorous main section reinforces the view that the work might, after all, be a parable on the three ages of man. Much of the main Allegro vivace material here is derived from chant, as is the motif that eventually drives the Dies irae away and dominates the work s forthright conclusion. But this is also the movement in which Rachmaninov takes time out from the dance, in an extensive central section in which morbidity, regret, passion and tears commingle in a complex and beautifully scored musical design. PHILLIP SAMETZ 1999 The orchestra for Symphonic Dances comprises two flutes and piccolo, two oboes and cor anglais, two clarinets and bass clarinet, two bassoons and contrabassoon, and alto saxophone; four horns, three trumpets, three trombones and tuba; timpani and percussion (bass drum, cymbals, side drum, triangle, tambourine, tam-tam, glockenspiel, xylophone, chimes); harp and piano; and strings. The Sydney Symphony first performed the Symphonic Dances in 1977 with Denis Vaughan, and most recently in a 2006 gala concert with Charles Dutoit. morbidity, regret, passion and tears commingle in a complex and beautifully scored musical design. Rachmaninov s use of the Dies irae motif in the third dance suggests a danse macabre, and one early reviewer even compared it to Saint- Saëns perhaps responding to the striking use of piccolo and xylophone a few minutes into the movement. The twelve chimes of midnight in the introduction only enhance the effect. But Rachmaninov goes well beyond the premise of a danse macabre, and one of his first steps is to take that Dies irae figure and transform it into music reminiscent of Orthodox chant. This is the same kind of music heard in Rachmaninov s amazing choral work, the All-Night Vigil. Indeed, he makes the connection clear, by quoting the alleluias from the Vigil and marking his score Alliluya. In this dance life, and faith, triumph over death. 15 Sydney Symphony

15 GLOSSARY ALLA BREVE a designation applied to music ostensibly written with four beats to the bar, but intended to be played so quickly that it is necessary to count and conduct it with two beats to the bar. CADENZA a virtuoso passage, traditionally inserted towards the end of a sonata-form concerto movement and marking the final cadence. CODA literally tail, a small section at the end of a movement or work that rounds off the music. DIES IRAE (Latin for Day of wrath ) a liturgical poem forming part of the Roman Catholic Mass for the Dead. The distinctive plainchant melody associated with the Dies irae is often quoted in other musical works, especially since the 19th century: Saint-Saëns Danse macabre, Liszt s Totentanz, numerous works by Rachmaninov including the Paganini Rhapsody and Symphonic Dances, and most famously in Berlioz Symphonie fantastique. DUMB KEYBOARD a portable piano keyboard without an attached mechanism of hammers and strings. Used for practice when travelling or in situations when noise would be an issue. INTERMEZZO in the middle ; originally an operatic term, in the 19th-century an intermezzo was an independent instrumental work of lyrical character. In symphonic music, it can refer to a section or movement within a larger work. SCHERZO literally, a joke; generally referring to a movement in a fast, light triple time, with whimsical, startling or playful elements and a contrasting central section called a trio. STACCATO a style of musical articulation in which the notes of a phrase are played shorter than their notated duration and are detached from each other. In much of the classical repertoire, movement titles are taken from the Italian words that indicate the tempo and mood. A selection of terms from this program is included here. Adagio slow Allegro ma non tanto fast but not so much Allegro vivace fast and lively Andante con moto at a walking pace, with motion Lento assai very slow Non allegro an idiosyncratic instruction, literally not fast Tempo di valse in the tempo of a waltz This glossary is intended only as a quick and easy guide, not as a set of comprehensive and absolute definitions. Most of these terms have many subtle shades of meaning which cannot be included for reasons of space. 16 Sydney Symphony

16 75 YEARS: HISTORICAL SNAPSHOT At Home The Sydney Symphony spends more of its time than any other Australian orchestra in the public eye, giving concerts, but this is still only a fraction of its time together, the bulk of which is spent rehearsing. Where? Edo de Waart insisted, early in his time as the orchestra s chief conductor, that more than just the final rehearsal should be in the Concert Hall. The SSO s management persuaded the NSW Government and the Sydney Opera House Trust that the Sydney Opera House should truly become as Eugene Goossens had imagined the orchestra s home, and so it has been since Immediately before, the SSO had rehearsed in the purpose-built Eugene Goossens Hall in the ABC s new Ultimo Centre, but spent only a few years there the over-generous acoustic and the players difficulty in hearing each other were problems obvious from the first. As a broadcasting organisation growing like topsy, the ABC had trouble over the years finding where best to put its orchestra. The first venue, in 1932, was in the now demolished Arts Club, in Pitt Street. It was small, but close to ABC management, and to the Sydney Town Hall, where the orchestra performed. War anxiety about central Sydney prompted a move in late 1941 to another Arts Club building, in Burwood. It was too far from the Town Hall, uncomfortable, and not designed for broadcasts. So in 1946 the SSO took up residence in a studio in Darlinghurst Rd, Kings Cross (occupied years later by the Australian Chamber Orchestra). Too small and in insalubrious surroundings, it was also no good for television, so in 1964 the SSO moved to a converted cinema in Chatswood, the Arcadia. Still further from the Town Hall, but close to a railway station, shopping and (desideratum of increasingly affluent musicians) on-site parking, this was to be the orchestra s rehearsal home until Many of the musicians bought homes in nearby suburbs. In 1973 the Opera House opened and the orchestra moved in, rehearsing in the Recording Hall (now The Studio), which had similar problems to those later experienced in Ultimo. By 1974 the SSO was back in Chatswood, but by 1989 the Arcadia had been sold and demolished. While waiting for the ABC Ultimo Centre to be finished, the orchestra spent a couple of years at the Sydney Town Hall, ironically long after it had ceased being their main performance venue. Spare a thought, as you grumble about the traffic and the parking on your way to and from the concert, for the musicians of the Sydney Symphony, who often do it twice, on a performance day! But they can hear the point, that this Concert Hall is where they should be for rehearsal and performance and you re hearing the benefits of their having found, at last, the right home. David Garrett, a historian and former programmer for Australia s symphony orchestras, is studying the history of the ABC as a musical organisation. The Arts Club in Pitt Street was big enough to accommodate the 70-piece orchestra for Sir Hamilton Harty, which was the ABC s first major orchestral venture, in Sydney Symphony

17 MORE MUSIC Selected Discography VLADIMIR ASHKENAZY Ashkenazy s Rachmaninov discography is extensive and includes recordings of the symphonies and other orchestral works with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and The Bells with the Concertgebouw Orchestra and Chorus. He has recorded the piano concertos and the Rhapsody of a Theme of Paganini with the London Symphony Orchestra and André Previn. These performances are available on a variety of Decca releases, including a souvenir 6-CD set with all the symphonies, the concertos, Symphonic Variations, the Rhapsody, The Bells and the Isle of the Dead, together with two solo piano works: the Corelli Variations and Piano Sonata No.2 DECCA For smaller selections of the repertoire: Rachmaninov: Symphonies 1 3 DECCA DOUBLE DECKER Rachmaninov: The Symphonies With the Symphonic Dances, Isle of the Dead and The Bells in a 3-CD set. DECCA Rachmaninov: The Piano Concertos DECCA GARRICK OHLSSON Garrick Ohlsson s recording of Rachmaninov s Second Piano Concerto with Neville Marriner and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields is paired with Tchaikovsky s First Piano Concerto. HÄNSSLER CLASSIC Three volumes of Beethoven piano sonatas are available on Bridge Records Garrick Ohlsson Edition. BRIDGE 9198; 9201; 9207 Ohlsson has recorded Chopin s works for piano and orchestra, including the two concertos, with Jerzy Maksymiuk and the Warsaw Polish Radio/TV Symphony Orchestra. EMI CLASSICS Other recent releases in his extensive discography include Bach s Goldberg Variations. BRIDGE 9193 SERGEI RACHMANINOV Those interested in hearing Rachmaninov s own interpretations should seek out: Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff the four piano concertos and the Rhapsody with the Philadelphia Orchestra and conductors Eugene Ormandy and Leopold Stokowski. RCA VICTOR GOLD SEAL These performances are also available on the excellent Naxos Historical label: Piano Concertos No.2 (1929) and 3 (1940) NAXOS HISTORICAL Piano Concertos No.1 ( ) and 4 (1941), and the Rhapsody (1934) NAXOS HISTORICAL Broadcast Diary NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 26 November, 8pm NOBODY KNOWS DE TROUBLE I SEE Hugh Wolff conductor Håkan Hardenberger trumpet Haydn, Zimmermann, Sibelius 7 December, 8pm SCHUBERT S GREAT SYMPHONY Gianluigi Gelmetti conductor Frank Peter Zimmermann violin Wagner, Berg, Schubert 10 December, 1pm ELGAR SYMPHONY NO.1 (2002) Edo de Waart conductor ELGAR CELLO CONCERTO (2005) Truls Mørk cello Jeffrey Tate conductor 14 December, 11am SERENADE FOR STRINGS Louis Lortie piano/director Mozart, Tchaikovsky 14 December, 8pm TCHAIKOVSKY FANTASY Gianluigi Gelmetti conductor Louis Lortie piano 19 December, 1.05pm IMAGES FOR ORCHESTRA Yannick Nézet-Séguin conductor Haydn, Meale, Debussy 2MBS-FM SYDNEY SYMPHONY 2008 Tue 8 January, 6pm What s on in concerts, with interviews and music. Webcast Diary Selected Sydney Symphony concerts are recorded for webcast by BigPond. Visit: November webcast: RACHMANINOV RHAPSODY On Demand from late November sydneysymphony.com Visit the Sydney Symphony online for concert information, podcasts, and to read the program book in advance of the concert. 18 Sydney Symphony

18 Rachmaninov changing perceptions In the early decades of the 20th century, many opinions regarding Russian music in the West echoed the views of Vladimir Stasov and César Cui, the notoriously one-sided propagandists of St Petersburg s nationalist school. Early disciples, such as Rosa Newmarch, repeated a familiar rant: Moscow composers were talentless hacks, while St Petersburg s kuchka composers represented the only authentic Russian voice. As a result, composers such as Tchaikovsky and Taneev were regularly derided. However, Rachmaninov, who was educated in Moscow, came in for special criticism. Perhaps due also to his enormous (and enviable) success in later years as a pianist in the West, few composers have suffered such sustained assaults of negativity. For many years, an entry for Rachmaninov by Eric Blom appeared in the authoritative music resource Grove, updating a previous entry by Rosa Newmarch. Among the many factual errors, it famously stated that technically he was highly gifted, but also severely limited. Caustically, it opined that his music was well constructed and effective, but monotonous in texture, which consists in essence mainly of artificial and gushing tunes accompanied by a variety of figures derived from arpeggios. It predicted the enormous popular success some few of [his] works had in his lifetime is not likely to last and closed by saying that musicians never regarded it with much favour. Chief criticisms were levelled at works such as the Second Piano Concerto, labelling them anachronistic. In truth, the early works dating from the 1900s are typical of their time, and later works such as the Third Symphony are comparatively modern. Interestingly, other composers of the 20th century who worked in tonal idioms such as Richard Strauss, Sibelius, and Vaughan Williams were not similarly condemned. Since Rachmaninov s centenary in 1973, renewed interest has led to more sympathetic, and better informed, appraisals of his works. Detailed analytical study of his scores has revealed compositions of extraordinary integrity, and the self-indulgent interpretations that cheapened a good few of his compositions now usually give way to insightful, multi-layered readings. Clearly, Rachmaninov s music has outlasted those early critics, while his popularity with audiences has never been in doubt. Sergei Rachmaninoff Russian composer, pianist and conductor. He was one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, the last great representative of Russian late Romanticism. The influences of Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and other Russian composers soon gave way to a thoroughly personal idiom, with a pronounced lyrical quality, expressive breadth, structural ingenuity and a palette of rich, distinctive orchestral colours. GEOFFREY NORRIS, writing in the current version of the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd edition) SCOTT DAVIE Sydney Symphony

19 ABOUT THE ARTISTS Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor In the years since Vladimir Ashkenazy first came to prominence on the world stage in the 1955 Chopin Competition in Warsaw, he has built an extraordinary career not only as one of the most renowned and revered pianists of our times, but as an inspiring artist whose creative life encompasses a vast range of activities. Conducting has formed the largest part of his musicmaking for the past 20 years. He was Chief Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic from 1998 to 2003, and took up the position of Music Director of the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo in He will take up the new position of Conductor and Artistic Advisor to the Sydney Symphony in Alongside these roles, Vladimir Ashkenazy is also Conductor Laureate of the Philharmonia Orchestra, with whom he has developed landmark projects such as Prokofiev and Shostakovich Under Stalin (a project which he also took to Cologne, New York, Vienna and Moscow and later developed into a TV documentary) and Rachmaninoff Revisited at the Lincoln Center, New York. He also holds the positions of Music Director of the European Union Youth Orchestra and Conductor Laureate of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and he maintains strong links with a number of other major orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra (of whom he is a former Guest Conductor), San Francisco Symphony, and Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin (Chief Conductor and Music Director ). He continues to devote himself to the piano, building his comprehensive recording catalogue with releases such as the 1999 Grammy award-winning Shostakovich Preludes and Fugues, Rautavaara s Piano Concerto No.3 (which he commissioned), and Rachmaninov transcriptions. His latest releases are recordings of Bach s Wohltemperierte Klavier and Beethoven s Diabelli Variations. A regular visitor to Sydney over many years, Vladimir Ashkenazy s most recent appearances with the Sydney Symphony were in 2006, when he conducted an all- Rachmaninov concert featuring The Bells. His future artistic role with the Orchestra will include collaborations on composer festivals, major recording projects and international touring activities. DECCA: VIVIANNE PURDOM 20 Sydney Symphony

20 Garrick Ohlsson piano Since winning the Gold Medal in the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, Garrick Ohlsson has established himself as a musician of magisterial interpretive and technical prowess. Although regarded as one of the leading exponents of the music of Chopin, he commands an enormous repertoire, ranging from Haydn and Mozart to works of the 21st century. He appears regularly in recital and with orchestras throughout North America, as well as in Europe. Highlights of the current season include performances in the Mark Morris Dance Group s Mozart Dances; performances in California and New York with the Russian National Orchestra; and a recital project focusing on the music of Scriabin and his Russian contemporaries. Last year he opened the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York, and performed at the BBC Proms with the Budapest Festival Orchestra. In recent seasons he has also toured with the Takács Quartet, appeared at the Bonn Beethovenfest, and presented complete cycles of Beethoven piano sonatas for Switzerland s Verbier Festival and for the Ravinia and Tanglewood festivals. A prolific recording artist, he is currently recording the Beethoven sonatas. Garrick Ohlsson is also an avid chamber musician and has collaborated with the Cleveland, Emerson and Tokyo string quartets, among other ensembles. Together with violinist Jorja Fleezanis and cellist Michael Grebanier, he is a founding member of the San Francisco-based FOG Trio. A native of White Plains, New York, Garrick Ohlsson began his piano studies at the age of eight; at 13 he entered the Juilliard School in New York City. His musical development has been influenced by a succession of distinguished teachers, most notably Claudio Arrau, Olga Barabini, Tom Lishman, Sascha Gorodnitzki, Rosina Lhévinne and Irma Wolpe. Although he won first prizes at the 1966 Busoni Competition in Italy and 1968 Montréal Piano Competition, it was his 1970 triumph at the Chopin Competition in Warsaw that brought him worldwide recognition. In 1994 he was awarded the Avery Fisher Prize, and he received the 1998 University Musical Society Distinguished Artist Award in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He makes his home in San Francisco. 21 Sydney Symphony

21 THE SYDNEY SYMPHONY PATRON Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, Governor of New South Wales JOHN MARMARAS Founded in 1932, the Sydney Symphony has evolved into one of the world s finest orchestras as Sydney has become one of the world s great cities. Resident at the iconic Sydney Opera House where the Sydney Symphony gives more than 100 performances each year, the Orchestra also performs concerts in a variety of venues around Sydney and regional New South Wales. International tours to Europe, Asia and the USA have earned the Orchestra world-wide recognition for artistic excellence. Critical to the success of the Sydney Symphony has been the leadership given by its former Chief Conductors including: Sir Eugene Goossens, Nicolai Malko, Dean Dixon, Willem van Otterloo, Louis Frémaux, Sir Charles Mackerras, Stuart Challender and Edo de Waart. Also contributing to the outstanding success of the Orchestra have been collaborations with legendary figures such as George Szell, Sir Thomas Beecham, Otto Klemperer and Igor Stravinsky. Maestro Gianluigi Gelmetti, whose appointment followed a ten-year relationship with the Orchestra as Guest Conductor, is now in his fourth year as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Sydney Symphony, a position he holds in tandem with that of Music Director at the prestigious Rome Opera. The Sydney Symphony is reaping the rewards of Maestro Gelmetti s directorship through the quality of sound, intensity of playing and flexibility between styles. His particularly strong rapport with French and German repertoire is complemented by his innovative programming in the Shock of the New concerts and performances of contemporary Australian music. The Sydney Symphony s award-winning Education Program is central to the Orchestra s commitment to the future of live symphonic music, developing audiences and engaging the participation of young people. The Sydney Symphony maintains an active commissioning program promoting the work of Australian composers and in 2005 Liza Lim was appointed Composer-in-Residence for three years. In 2007, the Orchestra celebrates its 75th anniversary and the milestone achievements during its distinguished history. 22 Sydney Symphony

22 MUSICIANS Gianluigi Gelmetti Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Michael Dauth Chair of Concertmaster supported by the Sydney Symphony Board and Council Dene Olding Chair of Concertmaster supported by the Sydney Symphony Board and Council First Violins Second Violins First Violins 01 Sun Yi Associate Concertmaster 02 Kirsten Williams Associate Concertmaster Kirsty Hilton Assistant Concertmaster 03 Fiona Ziegler Ian & Jennifer Burton Chair of Assistant Concertmaster 04 Julie Batty 05 Gu Chen 06 Amber Gunther 07 Rosalind Horton 08 Jennifer Hoy 09 Jennifer Johnson 10 Georges Lentz 11 Nicola Lewis 12 Alexandra Mitchell Moon Design Chair of Violin 13 Léone Ziegler Sophie Cole Second Violins 01 Marina Marsden 02 Susan Dobbie Associate 03 Emma West Assistant 04 Pieter Bersée 05 Maria Durek 06 Emma Hayes 07 Shuti Huang 08 Stan Kornel 09 Benjamin Li 10 Nicole Masters 11 Philippa Paige 12 Biyana Rozenblit 13 Maja Verunica Guest Musicians Carl Pini First Violin Emily Long First Violin# Emily Qin First Violin# Thomas Dethlefs First Violin Michelle O Young First Violin Alexandra D Elia Second Violin# Alexander Norton Second Violin# Victoria Jacono Second Violin Jacqueline Cronin Viola# Jennifer Curl Viola# Joanna Tobin Viola Nicole Forsyth Viola Shelley Sorensen Viola Rowena Crouch Cello# Martin Penicka Cello Jennifer Druery Double Bass# Jill Griffiths Double Bass Owen Torr Harp James Nightingale Alto Saxophone Casey Rippon Horn# Joshua Davis Trombone# Ian Cleworth Percussion Brian Nixon Percussion Key: # Contract Musician Sydney Symphony Fellow 23 Sydney Symphony

23 MUSICIANS Violas Cellos Double Basses Harp Flutes Piccolo Violas 01 Roger Benedict Andrew Turner and Vivian Chang Chair of Viola 02 Anne Louise Comerford Associate 03 Yvette Goodchild Assistant 04 Robyn Brookfield 05 Sandro Costantino 06 Jane Hazelwood 07 Graham Hennings 08 Mary McVarish 09 Justine Marsden 10 Leonid Volovelsky 11 Felicity Wyithe Cellos 01 Catherine Hewgill 02 Nathan Waks 03 Leah Lynn Assistant 04 Kristy Conrau 05 Fenella Gill 06 Timothy Nankervis 07 Elizabeth Neville 08 Adrian Wallis 09 David Wickham Double Basses 01 Kees Boersma Brian and Rosemary White Chair of Double Bass 02 Alex Henery 03 Andrew Raciti Associate 04 Neil Brawley Emeritus 05 David Campbell 06 Steven Larson 07 Richard Lynn 08 David Murray Harp Louise Johnson Mulpha Australia Chair of Harp Flutes 01 Janet Webb 02 Emma Sholl Mr Harcourt Gough Chair of Associate Flute 03 Carolyn Harris Piccolo Rosamund Plummer 24 Sydney Symphony

24 MUSICIANS Oboes 01 Cor Anglais Clarinets Bass Clarinet Bassoons Contrabassoon Horns Trumpets Trombones Bass Trombone Tuba Timpani 01 Percussion Piano Oboes 01 Diana Doherty Andrew Kaldor and Renata Kaldor AO Chair of Oboe 02 Shefali Pryor Associate Cor Anglais Alexandre Oguey Clarinets 01 Lawrence Dobell 02 Francesco Celata Associate 03 Christopher Tingay Bass Clarinet Craig Wernicke Bassoons 01 Matthew Wilkie 02 Roger Brooke Associate 03 Fiona McNamara Contrabassoon 01 Noriko Shimada Horns 01 Robert Johnson 02 Ben Jacks 03 Geoff O Reilly 3rd 04 Lee Bracegirdle 05 Marnie Sebire Trumpets 01 Daniel Mendelow 02 Paul Goodchild Associate 03 John Foster 04 Anthony Heinrichs Trombone 01 Ronald Prussing NSW Department of State and Regional Development Chair of Trombone 02 Scott Kinmont Associate 03 Nick Byrne Rogen International Chair of Trombone Bass Trombone Christopher Harris Trust Foundation Chair of Bass Trombone Tuba Steve Rossé Timpani 01 Richard Miller Adam Jeffrey Assistant Timpani/Tutti Percussion Percussion 01 Rebecca Lagos 02 Colin Piper Piano Josephine Allan (contract) 25 Sydney Symphony