ALCOHOL.THINK AGAIN MAsTers series Friday 7 & Saturday 8 March pm Perth Concert Hall SEASON OPENING

Transcription

1 ALCOHOL.THINK AGAIN MAsTers series Friday 7 & Saturday 8 March pm Perth Concert Hall SEASON OPENING

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3 3 MORNING SYMPHONY SERIES Asher Fisch Conducts Tchaikovsky Thursday 13 March 11am Perth Concert Hall BRAHMS Academic Festival Overture TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No.4 Asher Fisch conductor (pictured) Asher Fisch appears courtesy of Wesfarmers Arts. Tickets from $27* STOTT + HOARE PRESENTS Asher Fisch Conducts Tchaikovsky Friday 14 & Saturday 15 March 7.30pm Perth Concert Hall BRAHMS Academic Festival Overture ELGAR Introduction and Allegro STRAUSS, R. Till Eulenspiegel s Merry Pranks TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No.4 Asher Fisch conductor (pictured) Paul Wright violin Zak Rowntree violin Asher Fisch appears courtesy of Wesfarmers Arts. Paul McMillan viola Rod McGrath cello Tickets from $30* CHAMBER SERIES Glorious Baroque Fri 21 March 2pm Government House Ballroom Sun 23 March 2pm Fremantle Town Hall HANDEL Concerto grosso HWV 317 BRESCIANELLO Violin Concerto No.4 & Chaconne in A major TELEMANN Flute Concerto in E minor HANDEL Concerto HWV 310: Passacaglia GEMINIANI Concerto grosso La Folia Paul Dyer director (pictured) Shaun Lee-Chen violin Andrew Nicholson flute Andrew Nicholson appears courtesy of Apache. Tickets $42* Book Now Call or visit waso.com.au *Transaction fees may apply.

4 4 Welcome From the Minister I am pleased to welcome you to the opening concert of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra s 2014 season, Asher Fisch Conducts and Plays Mozart, the first concert in Maestro Fisch s tenure as Conductor at WASO. The State is fortunate to have attracted a seasoned conductor with the talent and experience of Maestro Fisch. As a frequent guest to the great orchestras around the world, he will be a great asset to WASO and will further enhance the high regard the Orchestra already enjoys. Maestro Fisch has built a relationship with the WASO as a visiting conductor and I look forward to seeing this relationship develop in the future as he brings his artistic leadership to the company. I congratulate Maestro Fisch on his new appointment at WASO and hope you enjoy tonight s outstanding performance. From the Lord Mayor The City of Perth has long been a proud supporter of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and the role it plays in bringing world class music to the people of Perth. As the state s largest and busiest arts company, WASO forms a crucial part of the cultural life of this city, with its world-class performances and award-winning community and education programs. The appointment of Asher Fisch as WASO s Conductor is evidence that the Orchestra continues to strengthen its standing in the international orchestral world. We are thrilled that a world class conductor will be leading WASO and we are sure that Asher, with his exceptional experience, talent and leadership, will take the Orchestra from strength to strength. On behalf of the City of Perth I would like to welcome Asher to Perth and wish him every success in his new role with WASO. Under his direction we look forward to another wonderful year of inspiring music with WASO. John Day Minister for Culture and the Arts Lisa-M. Scaffidi The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, City Of Perth

5 5 From the Wesfarmers Managing Director As Wesfarmers celebrates its centenary this year, we celebrate too, the role that arts and culture have played in the life of our company and the Western Australian community across our shared history. As WASO s longest standing supporter and now Partner, we ve been delighted to watch our state orchestra flourish in the Australian community and take its first steps towards a place in the international orchestral world. We know that the energy and passion for connecting people with music that Asher Fisch will bring to his role as Conductor from this year will inspire our musicians and community alike. I hope you and your family enjoy all that WASO has to offer in 2014 be it our very own Wesfarmers Centenary Concert in Northam in April, the WASO education program taking orchestral music into schools and, of course, the magnificent concerts at Perth Concert Hall. We look forward to another dynamic year with WASO and welcome maestro Asher Fisch to Perth. From the Healthway Chair Healthway is pleased to partner with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra to promote the Alcohol.Think Again health message through naming rights of the 2014 and 2015 Masters Series concerts. The Alcohol.Think Again message at these WASO concerts aims to encourage lovers of orchestral music to reduce their long term risk of developing alcohol-caused health problems by thinking about how much they drink on a regular basis. Remember, health experts recommend no more than two standard drinks a day. WASO is an iconic and much loved arts organisation and Healthway is delighted to share with it the vision for a healthy WA as we enjoy the Alcohol.Think Again Masters Series season. Richard Goyder Managing Director, Wesfarmers Associate Professor Rosanna Capolingua Chair, Healthway

6 6 Welcome From the WASO Chair It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Asher Fisch s first concert with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in his new role as Conductor and Artistic Adviser. We are delighted that a musician of such international standing has accepted this role and will lead the Orchestra through its next exciting chapter. I know that audiences throughout Western Australia will enjoy watching WASO grow and flourish as their relationship with Asher develops. Tonight s concert will showcase the incredible talent of Asher as not only as conductor, but also as soloist, when he performs Mozart s Piano Concerto No.20 with the orchestra. It is a rare privilege to see a Conductor and orchestra connect and create music in this very special way. WASO continues to be grateful to our Partner, Wesfarmers Arts, who support Asher s position. We thank them for the vital role they play in enabling WASO to secure artistic leadership of the highest calibre. From the Conductor WASO and I are exploring in the first program of our new journey two distinctly different ways of making music together. The obvious one is where I conduct and the orchestra plays. In the second half we are presenting two works which are so complex in texture and orchestral colour that they demand a firm conducting hand in order to secure a good performance. Death and Transfiguration by Richard Strauss is a classic tone poem. The composer is following the story of an old dying man, his initial rejection and quarrel with death in person who comes to collect his life, his subsequent resignation and acceptance and the transfiguration of his soul after his departure. In the first half however, I am giving up the baton to perform Mozart s D minor Piano Concerto. It gives me tremendous joy to be able to make music this way as it brings out completely different qualities in our orchestra playing together by listening to each other, just like in chamber music. The Mozart piano concertos were actually written to be played without a conductor, especially the ones that were composed for the master to play himself. Janet Holmes à Court AC WASO Chair Asher Fisch Conductor & Artistic Adviser Asher Fisch appears courtesy of Wesfarmers Arts

7 7 Program ALCOHOL.THINK AGAIN Masters Series Asher Fisch Conducts & Plays Mozart MOZART The Magic Flute: Overture (6 mins) MOZART Piano Concerto No.20 in D minor (30 mins) Allegro Romance Rondo (Allegro assai) Interval (Friday 25 mins, Saturday 20 mins) STRAUSS, R. Tod und Verklärung [Death and Transfiguration] (24 mins) WAGNER Meistersinger von Nürnberg Suite (21 mins) Act III, Prelude Dance of the Apprentices Act I, Prelude Asher Fisch conductor/piano Asher Fisch appears courtesy of Wesfarmers Arts. Pre-Concert Talks Find out more about the music in the concert with this week s speaker, Phil Robertson. Pre-concert talks take place at 6.45pm in the Terrace Level foyer. Pre-Concert Talks are supported by Wesfarmers Arts. Opening Night Celebrations Join members of the orchestra on the Riverside Balcony following Friday s concert to celebrate the opening of WASO s 2014 Season and welcome Conductor Asher Fisch. Enjoy live music by the Russell Holmes Trio and refreshments available for purchase at the bar. Meet the Artist Hear WASO s Conductor Asher Fisch, talk about his musical life and vision for WASO post-concert Friday night inside the auditorium and Saturday night on the Terrace Level of the Perth Concert Hall. Meet the Artist is supported by Wesfarmers Arts.

8 8 Making The Most Of Your Visit FOOD & BEVERAGES Foyer bars are open for drinks and coffee two hours before, during interval and afterwards. To save time we recommend you pre-order your interval drinks. FIRST AID There are St John Ambulance officers present at every concert so please speak to them if you require any first aid assistance. WASO RECORDINGS Continue to experience WASO in your own home! A variety of WASO CDs and DVDs are available for purchase at the Encore Gift Shop in the foyer. Connect with WASO LISTEN Tune in to 720 ABC Perth for Breakfast on Friday mornings when Prue Ashurst joins Eoin Cameron to provide the latest on classical music and WASO s upcoming concerts. This performance is being recorded for delayed broadcast on ABC Classic FM. For further details please refer to abc.net.au/classic CONCERT PLAYLISTS Listen to music featured in 2014 concerts at waso.com.au WASO WEBCASTS WASO will be streaming this concert live on Saturday, thanks to iinet. For more details and to watch webcasts on demand, visit waso.com.au SOCIAL MEDIA youtube.com/westaustsymorchestra facebook.com/westaustraliansymphonyorchestra twitter.com/_waso_ E-NEWS Stay up to date with the activities of your Orchestra by subscribing to SymphonE-news. Go to waso.com.au to join our mailing list. FEEDBACK We would love to hear from you! Please send your feedback to PO Box 3041, East Perth WA 6892, send an to waso@waso.com.au, call , or leave us a message on Facebook or Twitter.

9 9 WASO News Bringing set works to life for students On 24 February, 370 secondary students enjoyed a performance of the School Curriculum and Standards Authority Set Works at Hale School Auditorium. This program has become a regular in our education calendar and helps students studying Western Art Music, to understand the context of the musical selections when they were written, why they were written and more about the great composers who wrote them. Students from 20 different secondary schools across the state had the opportunity to hear conductor and presenter Peter Moore, pull the pieces apart, analyse and reassemble them in performance. Two members of WASO performed solos in the program Semra Lee-Smith (A/Associate Concertmaster) performed the first movement of Mendelssohn s exquisite Violin Concerto in E minor, and Brent Grapes (A/ Trumpet) treated students with a performance of the horrendously difficult piccolo trumpet part in J.S Bach s Brandenburg Concerto No.2. WASO NEWS IMAGE TBC The Big Sing moves to Harmony Week The WASO Chorus and WASO musicians are joining forces again with hundreds of Perth s enthusiastic singing community to present The Big Sing on Tuesday 18 March. Participants will enjoy rehearsing choral works that appeal to a broad range of musical tastes and abilities. This year s program, our seventh, celebrates Harmony Week * with a selection of repertoire from around the world chosen by guest conductor Prue Ashurst. Prue is one of Perth s most passionate and experienced choral directors who many of you will know from her Friday morning segment on 720 ABC Perth s Breakfast Show with Eoin Cameron. Participants will rehearse alongside the WASO Chorus, and for the final Big Sing, perform the selected works with members of WASO. Program highlight s include a traditional Ngoongar welcome song and Dan Walker s Laudate for Another Place, Another Time. * Harmony Week runs from March and encourages everyone to experience, explore and appreciate WA s wealth of cultural, religious, linguistic and ethnic diversity. The WASO Chorus is supported by Lotterywest. Semra Lee-Smith, A/Associate Concertmaster

10 10 Biography Asher Fisch Conductor Asher Fisch s first season with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra includes a range of contemporary and classical repertoire, as well as a West Australian first; Beethoven s nine symphonies performed over two weekends in August. A seasoned conductor in both the operatic and symphonic worlds, he is known best for his interpretative command of German and Italian repertoire of the Romantic and post-romantic era, in particular Wagner, Brahms, Strauss and Verdi. He is currently Guest Conductor of the Seattle Opera, where he conducted its quadrennial Wagner Ring cycle in 2013, and his former posts include Music Director of the New Israeli Opera ( ) and the Vienna Volksoper ( ). He first worked with WASO in Asher Fisch began his conducting career as Daniel Barenboim s assistant and kapellmeister at the Berlin State Opera. He is an accomplished pianist and released his first solo disc of Wagner piano transcriptions in Asher Fisch appears courtesy of Wesfarmers Arts. He has long maintained strong ties to the Bavarian State Opera, and in the season conducts a new production by Martin Kušej of The Force of Destiny, plus revival performances of Parsifal, Salome, Ariadne auf Naxos, La bohème and Turandot. Other highlights of the season include concerts with the Munich Philharmonic; Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra; National Orchestra of Belgium; Aarhus Symphony Orchestra (Denmark); a tour in Italy with the Orchestra della Toscana; and a visit to the Melbourne Festival in October 2013, where he conducted an all-wagner program with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He conducted the State Opera of South Australia s Wagner Ring cycle in 2005, which won ten Helpmann Awards.

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12 12 WASO On Stage Tonight VIOLIN Paul Wright Concertmaster Semra Lee-Smith A/Associate Concertmaster Graham Pyatt A/Assistant Concertmaster Rebecca Glorie A/ 1st Violin Zak Rowntree A/ 2nd Violin Kylie Liang A/Assoc 2nd Violin Sarah Blackman Fleur Challen Erin Chen Beth Herbert Alexandra Isted Sunmi Jung Shaun Lee-Chen Akiko Miyazawa Lucas O Brien Kathleen O Hagan^ Melanie Pearn Ken Peeler Louise Sandercock Jolanta Schenk Jane Serrangeli Ellie Shalley Kathryn Shinnick^ Jacek Slawomirski Bao Di Tang Cerys Tooby Andrea White^ David Yeh VIOLA Paul McMillan A/ Viola Kierstan Arkleysmith Nik Babic Alex Brogan Katherine Drake Alison Hall Rachael Kirk Allan McLean Martyn Payne^ Helen Tuckey Caleb Wright^ CELLO Rod McGrath Louise McKay Melinda Gourlay^ Shigeru Komatsu Oliver McAslan Nicholas Metcalfe Fotis Skordas Tim South Xiao Le Wu DOUBLE BASS Andrew Rootes Joan Wright Elizabeth Browning^ Christine Reitzenstein Louise Ross Andrew Tait Mark Tooby FLUTE Andrew Nicholson Chair partnered by Apache. Diane Riddell^ Michael Waye Piccolo OBOE Peter Facer Guest Leanne Glover A/ COR ANGLAIS Liz Chee CLARINET Allan Meyer Lorna Cook Alexander Millier Bass Clarinet Chair partnered by Alessandrino Property Group. BASSOON Adam Mikulicz A/ Colin Forbes-Abrams Chloe Turner Contrabassoon HORN David Evans Robert Gladstones 3rd Julia Brooke Aiden Gabriels^ Francesco Lo Surdo TRUMPET Brent Grapes A/ Evan Cromie Peter Miller TROMBONE Joshua Davis Liam O Malley Philip Holdsworth Bass Trombone TUBA Cameron Brook TIMPANI Alex Timcke PERCUSSION Robyn Gray Troy Greatz HARP Sarah Bowman Bronwyn Wallis^ Associate Guest Musician^

13 13 Meet the Musician Rachael Kirk Viola Do you come from a musical family? My parents and my four siblings all learnt to play instruments and two of my sisters went on to become professional musicians. Now my own children and my nephews and nieces are learning instruments and sometimes when we catch up at Christmas we put together a little orchestra. It s a bit imbalanced, though, because we have four violas! Do you have any standout concerts or performances in your time with WASO? Of course there are the obvious standout performances with superstars such as Pinchas Zukerman and Sumi Jo. At the other end of the spectrum community performances such as WASO on the Road are always extremely rewarding and memorable. There was one particular concert last year when I played in small string ensemble for a group of special needs students. They were one of the most excited and appreciative audiences I ve ever played to. I m not sure who had more fun that day, them or us, but the experience will remain with me for a long time. Who are your favourite composers? For orchestral and chamber music my favourites are Brahms and Mozart because they seemed to have a particular affinity for the viola. My favourite opera composer is definitely Puccini. You can t beat the end of La bohème! What are you most looking forward to in the upcoming 2014 season? I m really excited about playing the Beethoven Festival with Asher Fisch in August. I ve played all the symphonies many times over the years, but to perform all of them in the space of two weekends will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for both orchestra and audience. What is the best advice you ve received during your career? Keep practising! There s always scope for improvement or change when performing music. It s a never-ending journey. I really love... The enormous variety of the concerts we perform with WASO. I love the fact that as well as playing the great symphonic repertoire we also get to perform wonderful opera and ballet scores, collaborate with jazz and pop artists, create on stage with cooks and chefs, play along with movies, and educate and entertain families, school kids and community groups. With at least one, sometimes two or even three different programs a week, there s never a dull moment. Meet the Musician is supported by Alessandrino Property Group.

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15 15 Timeline of Composers & Works

16 16 Program Notes Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ( ) The Magic Flute, K.620: Overture An entertainment devised for a suburban theatre in Vienna, with a Shakespearian mixture of raw comedy, magical elements and high seriousness, became possibly the most influential opera ever written. The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte) by Schikaneder and Mozart is, at its simplest level, a rescue opera, in which a travelling foreign prince, Tamino, is given the task of returning a daughter, Pamina, to her mother, the Star-Flaming Queen (Queen of Night), only to discover that Sarastro, far from being a wicked ravisher, is the wise and generous leader of an order of priests, into which Tamino and Pamina are initiated together. Both Mozart and Schikaneder were Freemasons, and this aspect of the opera has sometimes been interpreted as a symbolic presentation of Masonic teachings and ritual. However Papageno, the birdcatcher who is assigned to Tamino as travelling companion (the role played by Schikaneder himself), is a figure from the world of satirical, knockabout Viennese theatre; and the magic flute, the magic bells and the many transformations are the stock of the magic play. Mozart brought this play with song (Singspiel) alive with every kind of music he had written up to then, and, in the last year of his life, new veins he had not tapped before. The symbolic three-fold knocking of Masonic initiation ritual is heard at the beginning and in the middle of the Overture. It is surrounded by learned yet airy fugal music. The Overture makes obvious that the opera to follow will be more than the kind of farce audiences at Schikaneder s theatre might have expected. Adapted from a note by David Garrett 1998 WASO last performed this work on 17 April 2008, conducted by Paul Daniel. IF YOU LIKE THIS WORK YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY WEBER Oberon: Overture featured in Brahms Violin Concerto Fri 28 & Sat 29 March Glossary Overture This term has two quite distinct meanings. It refers to an instrumental composition acting as an introduction to an opera or oratorio; it also refers to a stand-alone orchestral work with a descriptive title which the music illustrates in some way. These two genres are often referred to as the dramatic overture and the concert overture respectively.

17 17 Program Notes Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ( ) Piano Concerto No.20 in D minor, K.466 Allegro Romance Rondo (Allegro assai) The first of the two piano concertos for which Mozart chose the minor mode is one of his most often heard and admired works. Even in the 19th century, when much of his music was in eclipse, it was played and regarded as representing the daemonic Mozart. The first 15 bars of the concerto express the character of the whole of the first movement: throbbing, syncopated strings underlined by gruff bass triplets, rhythmic instability pushed as far as the Classical style would allow. The piano s first entry, in free recitative, is very moving like the voice of one against the many, and this principle of opposition is much exploited throughout. The slow movement begins in complete contrast, in an unexpected key (B flat major). It proceeds as a spacious rondo, but as the second episode begins, is startlingly transformed; a raging presto in G minor begins in breathless triplets. The return to the rondo theme is made in a transition of great breadth, like a horseman reining in his steed. The last movement is one of Mozart s few minor-key rondos, but its turn to the major key towards the end has provoked some disappointment from those who would judge this concerto by non-mozartian aesthetic standards. The rocket-like theme with which the piano begins and the sustained violence of the first orchestral tutti are of a piece with the first movement, and the conciliatory character of the ending is perhaps best considered as a restoring of 18th-century balance. Adapted from a note by David Garrett 2001 WASO last performed this work on 7, 8 & 9 October 2004, performed by Adrian Oeteker and conducted by Sachio Fujioka. IF YOU LIKE THIS WORK YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY MOZART Clarinet Concerto featured in Mozart s Clarinet Concerto Fri 10 & Sat 11 October Glossary Triplets Groups of three (usually fairly quick) notes. Rondo A musical form where a main idea (refrain) alternates with a series of musical episodes. Classical composers often wrote the final movement of their symphonic works in rondo form.

18 18 Program Notes Richard Strauss ( ) Tod und Verklärung (Death and Transfiguration), Op.24 On his deathbed, Strauss famously remarked to his daughter-in-law that he heard so much music. She offered him manuscript paper but he replied that he had composed it 60 years before in Tod und Verklärung. This is just like that. In 1888, however, Strauss was 24 years old and in perfect health. His career was beginning to take wing, and as a relatively recent convert to the ideals of the New German school of music represented by Liszt, Wagner and their followers Strauss largely abandoned the classicising, Brahmsian aesthetic which had been drilled into him by his father, horn player and composer Franz Strauss. Following Liszt, Strauss explored frankly descriptive music in his Aus Italien, and embarked on a series of symphonic poems such as Don Juan and Macbeth, in which his music embodied the events and characters in literary works of Lenau and Shakespeare respectively. In these and following works in the genre Strauss honed a musical idiom that enabled him to write music of great scenic and psychological immediacy in the great series of operas that he began, with Guntram, at around the time of Tod und Verklärung. But he did so by modifying the symphonic principles of thematic contrast, key relationships and motivic development that had sustained both Brahms symphonies and the endless melody of Wagner. The program, or narrative structure, of Tod und Verklärung was Strauss own. He explained to a friend that the work depicts the the dying hours of a man who had striven towards the highest idealistic aims, maybe indeed those of an artist. First, we hear the man s irregular breathing and heartbeat, softly sounded in strings and timpani. The harp introduces two motifs, a dipping melody from high on the flute and a rising chromatic figure from the oboe, perhaps representing the man regaining consciousness. The breathing music returns, followed by a melody, consisting of a rising octave and stepwise descent, which presages the music s later depiction of the man s memories of childhood and youth. The immobile opening section is shattered by music of sudden agony that introduces a new urgent theme and reaches a forceful climax. There follows a series of reminiscences, with development of some of the themes heard in the opening section. It s not hard to imagine the dying man remembering childhood, love, physical vigour; but increasingly a baleful syncopated figure, based on the irregular breathing of the start, seeks to interrupt these reveries. The suffering man refuses to bow to the pain, insisting on the memory themes in the face of the assault of pain. He is rewarded by three statements of the theme representing the Ideal: a simple upward-moving major melody brightened

19 19 Program Notes by the harmonic step from the tonic to a major chord one degree higher. The third statement combines with one of the heroic themes from earlier, but even here at what would be the climax of a symphonic movement, the resolution is withheld and the music sinks back to earth. The fast agonised music returns; brutal rhythms and a sudden upward rush of string and woodwind figures tell us that the man has died. From the depths of the orchestra, the tam-tam (the only percussion in this score) sounds softly. The music, based on the childhood theme, very gradually billows like cloud, finally reaching a stratospheric high G in the violins. The final coda is an ecstatic rhapsody on the Ideal motif, passing through different keys and colours. Unlike its first appearances, the motif here reaches a climax, but then gradually fades away. Strauss has been criticised for failing to depict this blissful moment convincingly, but he himself fully understood that the Ideal can only be gloriously achieved in everlasting space ; such a thing could not be achieved here below. Like poets who have fallen silent throughout the ages when asked to put the ineffable into words, Strauss music points the way, and produces a work of great beauty as it does so. In one of his last major utterances, Im Abendrot (at dusk) from the Four Last Songs, Strauss quotes the Ideal theme when the singer, watching the unbearably beautiful sunset with her partner of many years, asks, is this, perhaps, death? Gordon Kerry 2014 WASO last performed this work on 23 & 24 August 2002, conducted by Graeme Jenkins IF YOU LIKE THIS WORK YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY MAHLER Symphony No.9 featured in Asher Fisch conducts Mahler 9 Fri 13 & Sat 14 June Glossary Motif A short, distinctive melodic or rhythmic figure, often part of or derived from a theme. Octave A particular interval. For example, in the scale do re mi fa so la ti do, the interval between the first and last do s is an octave

20 20 Program Notes Richard Wagner ( ) Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Suite Act III, Prelude Dance of the Apprentices Act I, Prelude Richard Wagner was never one to do things by halves. So it is not altogether surprising that his comic opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg) should turn out to be well over four hours long and include no less than 17 named roles, one of which, Hans Sachs, is one of the largest and most challenging in all opera. That said, Wagner did not set out to write a monumental work with a hugely demanding principal part. Like many of his projects, Meistersinger sat at the back of his mind for a good number of years, gradually making its way to the front when he felt that the time was right. It ended up being the second of two works that he wrote (the first was Tristan und Isolde) when he broke off work on the epic Der Ring des Nibelungen to devote his time to smaller projects that might have some chance of being staged in conventional opera houses (he was saving the four-part Ring for a specially built festival theatre). But whereas he dashed off Tristan in a couple of years, Meistersinger took no less than six. Completed in 1867, it was premiered to rapturous acclaim in Munich the following year. Part of the reason why Meistersinger proved a challenge to Wagner is that it is set in a real place, Nuremberg, at a specific time, the mid-16th century, involving people who actually existed, such as the aforementioned Hans Sachs, and a musical tradition that likewise existed, the poetcomposer mastersinger tradition. The difficulty for Wagner was to come up with a musical idiom that referenced, to some degree, the conventions of 16th-century music while also adhering to the musicodramatic requirements of a modern opera with full orchestral accompaniment. Also, being a comedy, Wagner had to lighten up his normally intense musical language and attend to the crucial matter of comic timing. One of the things that is noticeable in Meistersinger and we hear it right from the start of the Prelude to Act I is the reasonably clean harmonic palette. The Prelude opens in a blaze of resplendent and unambiguous C major. It also opens with a big tune and, remarkably for Wagner, one that makes no attempt to subvert its time signature (it is in 4/4). In the course of the opera this grand and imposing theme will be associated with the mastersingers guild, an elite association of poet-composers. Another thing that is noticeable in Meistersinger is Wagner s use of counterpoint the art of combining different melodies at the same time which is one of the ways in which he casts a nod in the direction of music of the 16th century.

21 21 Program Notes There are three main themes in the Prelude and at one point (about two thirds of the way through) Wagner executes a stunning coup when he superimposes them one on top of the other. Another of Wagner s self-consciously archaic touches appears in the Dance of the Apprentices, which is from Act III. Here he makes use of a drone bass, which is a very simple and unsophisticated accompaniment type. It is also a very ancient technique. While lacking in regal splendour (these are apprentices after all, not masters), the Dance of the Apprentices is full of naive charm and winning simplicity. Meistersinger reaches its climax in a song contest in which a young and charismatic upstart, Walther von Stolzing, wins the hearts of his listeners and the hand of the woman he loves, Eva. But the hero of the opera is the somewhat older and wiser mastersinger, Hans Sachs, one of the adjudicators of the song contest. Early in Act III Sachs delivers one of the key scenes in the opera, the Wahn monologue. Here he ruminates on the extent to which Wahn (which can mean both illusion and madness ) impacts upon our lives and on the workings of our communities. Sachs s monologue is a serious and reflective episode, and the dramatic function of the Prelude to Act III is to establish the solemn and thoughtful mood. Wagner at this point deepens the character of Sachs and deepens the opera as a whole. The happy ending will come, but not just yet. IF YOU LIKE THIS WORK YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY BRUCKNER Symphony No.4 Romantic featured in Elgar s Cello Concerto Fri 1 & Sat 2 August Glossary Prelude A piece or movement that serves as an introduction to another section or composition and establishes the key. 4/4 Four beats in a bar: like the rhythm of Twinkle, twinkle little star.

22 22 Meet the Instrument The French Horn The French horn or horn, as it is now more commonly referred to is a brass instrument consisting of around twelve feet of tubing wound into a coil expanding into a flared bell. It is a descendant of the natural horn, on which notes were produced solely by means of variations in lip tension and air pressure. Crooks, or extra lengths of tubing, could be inserted to alter the harmonic series (the notes obtainable naturally from the instrument) and pitch was manipulated by means of handstopping, or inserting the hand into the bell. Modern horns have three or four valves which render the instrument fully chromatic. As the 19th century progressed the demands placed on symphony orchestras from increasingly harmonically complex music by composers such as Wagner led to the widespread adoption of the valve horn. The use of four horns is standard in today s orchestral line-up, with horns 1 and 3 playing the higher parts and horns 2 and 4 the lower parts. This interlocked scoring reflects the historical deployment of two pairs of high and low horns, each pair in a different key. Double and triple tonguing are possible on the horn, however flutter tonguing can be tricky. Other techniques or special effects include cuivré, which calls for a loud, brassy timbre produced by a more forceful attack, and bells up, which instructs the player to lift the bell of the horn into the air. The horn s hunting origins and heroic qualities have long been exploited by composers, and in addition to famous concertos by Mozart and Richard Strauss, favourite works and orchestral solos include Schumann s Adagio and Allegro and Concertstück for four horns and orchestra, Strauss Till Eulenspiegel s Merry Pranks, (featured in Asher Fisch conducts Tchaikovsky) and Weber s Der Freischütz. The British horn virtuoso Dennis Brain ( ) was the inspiration behind works by several composers, including Hindemith, Britten and Malcolm Arnold. Symphony Services International Mouthpiece valve levers 3. 3 rotary valves 3. 3 rotary valves 4. Bell 4. Bell n m k l

23 JOHN HOLLAND S HOSPITAL ORCHESTRA At John Holland we are committed to supporting our community. With the Hospital Orchestra Project, John Holland is helping bring music to the children at Princess Margaret Hospital through concerts and ward visits. JOHN HOLLAND S NEXT VISIT TO PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL WILL BE IN waso.com.au AUGUST

24 24 Philanthropy News Philanthropy Partner Welcome to 2014 from WASO Philanthropy The Philanthropy team at WASO wishes you a Happy New Year and welcomes you to the opening of our 2014 season. We are also delighted to welcome our new Conductor Asher Fisch and look forward to sharing with you what will be a wonderful year of music-making. The impact of supporting your Orchestra is powerful and far-reaching. Many of the instruments on stage are the result of philanthropic partnerships. You may already have seen our gorgeous new celeste on stage at the Perth Concert Hall, made possible through many generous donations to our Celeste and Brass Campaign last year. We are also excited about the imminent arrival of WASO s five new German trombones, which are certain to make a valuable contribution during our Beethoven Festival. Support from our Patrons is central to bringing concerts like this one to our audiences. Philanthropic support not only helps create these wonderful concerts in the Concert Hall, it helps take music all over Western Australia saw the launch of our first Giving Catalogue, supporting our ever-growing Education and Community Engagement programs across the state. The response has been fantastic, but if you haven t seen it yet, contact Jane (details below) or go online to waso.com.au/giving_catalogue, and help give someone a magical musical experience. This is your philanthropic support at work, with every gift making a difference. Philanthropy at WASO helps us to build a strong, vibrant Orchestra for this state that enriches the lives of many thousands of people. We invite you to become a WASO Patron this year. There are many ways you can be involved to help support and sustain your Orchestra. To learn more please call Jane Clare on or clarej@waso.com.au Patrons & Friends Event Make an afternoon of it and join us to meet acclaimed director of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Paul Dyer, after he leads WASO musicians in a delightful one-hour chamber concert at Fremantle Town Hall. Flute Andrew Nicholson and violinist Shaun Lee-Chen both feature as soloists in this charming program of exquisite music from the Baroque period. The concert starts at 2pm and tickets can be purchased for $42. Tickets for the post-concert Patrons & Friends event are $10 for Patrons & Friends ($15 for guests) and include a glass of wine and nibbles. Meet the Chamber Ensemble Sunday 23 March, 2pm, Fremantle Town Hall Call the WASO Box Office to book on

25 25 Our Supporters Your attendance helps sustain the Orchestra and we thank you for your commitment. We are also very grateful to our corporate supporters who make a significant contribution to WASO, and of course for government funding which is critical. However, these three sources of income are simply not enough to cover the ongoing costs of the Orchestra and increasingly it is our Patrons that enable us to continue to achieve our vision to touch souls and enrich lives through music. There are many ways you can be involved and your support is deeply appreciated. Endowment Fund for the Orchestra The Endowment fund includes major donations from individuals and bequests. The income earned is used for the benefit of the Orchestra. Tom & Jean Arkley Janet Holmes à Court AC Estates WASO is extremely grateful for the bequests received from the Estates of the following benefactors: Mrs Roslyn Warrick Symphony Circle Recognises Patrons who have made a provision in their will to the Orchestra. Anita Clayton Judith Gedero Wolfgang Lehmkuhl Tosi Nottage (in memory Edgar Nottage) Judy Sienkiewicz Sheila Wileman Anonymous (16) The WASO Song Book New works commissioned for the Orchestra by WASO. We gratefully acknowledge the support of the following individuals who have commissioned new music performed since Janet Holmes à Court AC Peter Dawson Geoff Stearn Anonymous (1) Reach Out Recognises Patrons who support our Education and Community Engagement programs. Prue Ashurst Andrew & Nicola Forrest The James Galvin Foundation Barrie & Jude Lepley McCusker Charitable Foundation Simon Lee Foundation Beethoven Circle WASO acknowledges Patrons who are generously supporting our Beethoven Festival. Jean Arkley (in memory of Tom Arkley) Bob & Gay Branchi Janet Holmes à Court AC (in memory of her mother) Torsten & Mona Ketelsen Joshua & Pamela Pitt

26 26 Our Supporters Annual Giving We thank the following Patrons for their generous contribution to WASO in the last twelve months through WASO s Annual Giving Program. Conductor s Circle Gifts $20,000+ Janet Holmes à Court AC Jill Mulheron Brian & Nancy Murphy Patricia New Impresario Patron Gifts $10,000 - $19,999 Gay & Bob Branchi Tony & Gwenyth Lennon Joshua & Pamela Pitt Anonymous (1) Maestro Patron Gifts $5,000 - $9,999 Jean Arkley (in memory of Tom Arkley) Bill Bloking Don Conroy Ian & Elizabeth Constable Bridget Faye AM Gilbert George & Associates Dr Patricia Kailis Margaret & Rod Marston Robert May Spinifex Trust Peter & Jean Stokes Sue & Ron Wooller Anonymous (1) Virtuoso Patron Gifts $2,500 - $4,999 Prof Fred & Mrs Margaret Affleck Neil Archibald & Alan R Dodge AM Sally Burton Mark Coughlan & Dr Pei-Yin Hsu Stephen Davis Tim & Lexie Elliott Robyn Glindemann Sylvia & Wally Hyams Keith & Gaye Kessell Michael & Dale Kitney Bryant Macfie Mrs Morrell Anne Nolan Ron & Philippa Packer John & Paula Phillips Ms Elizabeth Sachse & Dr Lance Risbey Judy Sienkiewicz Ros Thomson M & H Tuite Ian Watson Trish Williams Strategic Interactions Andrew & Marie Yuncken Anonymous (1) Patron Gifts $ $2,499 Margaret Atkins OAM Colin & Eve Beckett Tony & Mary Beeley Suzanne & David Biddles John & Sue Bird (in memory of Penny Bird) Kevin Blake Matthew J C Blampey Mr John Bonny Mrs Debbie Borshoff Jean Brodie-Hall AM Gavin Bunning Ann Butcher & Dean R Kubank Dr G Campbell-Evans Arthur & Nerina Coopes Hon June Craig AM Gay & John Cruickshank Norman & Denia Daffen Russell & Susan Dixon Margaret Dobson Julian Dowse Don & Marie Forrest Dr Andrew Gardner Roger & Ann Gillbanks Graham & Barbara Goulden Jannette Gray Sandra Gray Joe & Deidre Greenfeld Penelope Grosjean David & Valerie Gulland Brian & Romola Haggerty Richard B Hammond

27 27 Our Supporters Michael Harding Shigeki & Hinako Hirano Michael & Liz Hollingdale Jim & Freda Irenic Cynthia Jee Lilian & Roger Jennings Anthony Kane & Jane Leahy-Kane Bill Kean Anthony & Noelle Keller Dorothy Kingston Dr Rob Kirk & Sarah Gallinagh Stephanie & John Kobelke Ulrich & Gloria Kunzmann Irving Lane Paul Lee Rosalind Lilley Graham & Muriel Mahony Gregg & Sue Marshman Jennifer & Arthur McComb Betty & Con Michael AO Vicki Mizen Hon Justice S R Moncrieff Jane & Jock Morrison Lynn Murray Val & Barry Neubecker Dr Phil & Erlene Noble John Overton The Family of Hilary Owens Michael & Lesley Page Associate Prof. Tim Pavy Alan Pedersen (in memory of Hilary Owens) Charmian Phillips (in memory of Colin Craft) Pamela Platt Andrew & Suzanne Poli Dr Leon Prindiville Chester Reeve John & Alison Rigg Nigel & Dr Heather Rogers Maurice & Gerry Rousset Roger Sandercock Dr R & J Schwenger Margaret & Roger Seares Eve Shannon-Cullity Julian & Noreen Sher Judy Sienkiewicz Laurel & Ross Smith Dr Paul Smith & Denham Harry Gail & Tony Sutherland Richard Tarala & Lyn Beazley AO Gene Tilbrook Mary Townsend Dr Robert Turnbull Maggie Venerys Stan & Valerie Vicich Watering Concepts Joyce Westrip OAM Alan Whitham Jean & Ian Williams AO Dr Peter Winterton Anonymous (15) Tutti Patron Gifts $500 - $999 Geoff & Joan Airey Catherine Bagster Merle I Bardwell Betty Barker Bernard & Jackie Barnwell Shirley Barraclough P M Bennet Michael & Nadia Berkeley- Hill Diane & Ron Bowyer Elizabeth & James Brown C & K Brownlie Marilyn & Ian Burton Nanette Carnachan Claire Chambers & Dr Andrea Shoebridge Dr Anne Chester Lyn & Harvey Coates AO Agatha & Alex Cohen AO Helen Cook Brian Cresswell Gina & Neil Davidson Frances Davies Lesley & Peter Davies Jop & Hanneke Delfos Rai & Erika Dolinschek Lorraine Ellard Mrs G. Ewen The Farghaly Family Annette Finn Joan Gagliardi George Gavranic Elaine Gimson Isobel Glencross Jacqui Grove Pauline & Peter Handford Douglas M & Regina Hansen Prof Alan Harvey & Dr Paulien de Boer Richard Hatch Dr Penny Herbert (in memory of Dunstan Herbert) Helen Hollingshead John Isherwood B. M. Kent (in memory of Dr Brenton Knott) Trevor & Ane Marie Lacy George Lipton Megan Lowe

28 28 Our Supporters Dr M. E. MacDonald & Mr Michael Pauly Mrs Carolyn Milton-Smith (in loving memory of Emeritus Prof. John Milton- Smith) S.B. Monger-Hay Dr Peter Moss Marianne Nilsson Marjan Oxley Graham & Hildegarde Pennefather Bev Penny Adrian & Ruth Phelps Sheila Pinch Thomas & Diana Potter Alison & John Price Clarissa Repton James & Nicola Ridsdill- Smith Judith E Shaw Hendrick Smit Michael Snell & Vicki Stewart Peggy & Tom Stacy Dr Julian Todres S R Vogt Adrienne & Max Walters Anne Watson Joy Wearne Dr Chris & Mrs Vimala Whitaker Ann Whyntie Violette William Janet Williams Judith Wilton & David Turner Patricia Wong Yalambi Farm Stud Anonymous (14) Friends Gifts $40 - $499 Thank you to all our Friends who support WASO through their gift. Sadly, Mrs Joan Tonkin MBE JP has passed away. Joan was a valued Patron, and will be missed. If you are interested in becoming a Patron or learning more about WASO Philanthropy please contact Jane Clare, Fundraising and Philanthropy Officer, on or clarej@waso.com.au. WASO Philanthropy brochures are available from the WASO Programs & Information desk located in the main foyer of the Perth Concert Hall or you can visit waso.com.au. All donations over $2 are fully tax deductible.

29 Corporate Partners PLATINUM PARTNERS CONCERTO PARTNERS OVERTURE PARTNERS SONATA PARTNERS EDUCATION PARTNERS School of Music Tertiary Education Partner KEYNOTE PARTNERS ORCHESTRA SUPPORTERS MARGARET RIVER WINE PARTNERS Aravina Estate, Edwards Wines, Howard Park Wines, Leeuwin Estate, Moss Wood, Pierro Margaret River Vineyards, Vasse Felix. MEDIA PARTNERS FUNDING PARTNERS The West Australian Symphony Orchestra is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

30 30 West Australian Symphony Orchestra Conductor Asher Fisch Partnered by Wesfarmers Arts Conductor Laureate Vladimir Verbitsky VIOLIN Semra Lee-Smith A/Associate Concertmaster Graham Pyatt A/Assistant Concertmaster Rebecca Glorie A/ 1st Violin Zak Rowntree A/ 2nd Violin Kylie Liang A/Assoc 2nd Violin Sarah Blackman Fleur Challen Erin Chen Stephanie Dean Beth Hebert Alexandra Isted Sunmi Jung Shaun Lee-Chen* Akiko Miyazawa Lucas O Brien Anna O Hagan Melanie Pearn Ken Peeler Louise Sandercock Jolanta Schenk Jane Serrangeli Ellie Shalley Jacek Slawomirski Bao Di Tang Cerys Tooby David Yeh VIOLA Paul McMillan Guest Kierstan Arkleysmith Nik Babic Alex Brogan Katherine Drake Alison Hall Rachael Kirk Allan McLean Helen Tuckey CELLO Rod McGrath Louise McKay Assoc Shigeru Komatsu Oliver McAslan Nicholas Metcalfe Eve Silver* Fotis Skordas Tim South Xiao Le Wu DOUBLE BASS Andrew Rootes* Joan Wright Assoc Christine Reitzenstein Louise Ross Andrew Tait Mark Tooby FLUTE Andrew Nicholson Chair partnered by Apache Mary-Anne Blades Assoc PICCOLO Michael Waye OBOE Elizabeth Chee Stephanie Nicholls COR ANGLAIS Leanne Glover CLARINET Allan Meyer Lorna Cook BASS CLARINET Alexander Millier Chair partnered by Alessandrino Property Group BASSOON Jane Kircher-Lindner Adam Mikulicz Assoc Colin Forbes-Abrams CONTRABASSOON Chloe Turner HORN David Evans Robert Gladstones 3rd Julia Brooke Francesco Lo Surdo TRUMPET Brent Grapes A/ Evan Cromie Assoc Peter Miller TROMBONE Joshua Davis Liam O Malley Assoc BASS TROMBONE Philip Holdsworth TUBA Cameron Brook TIMPANI Alex Timcke PERCUSSION Robyn Gray Troy Greatz HARP Sarah Bowman ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR Christopher Dragon CHORUS DIRECTOR Christopher van Tuinen CHORUS VOCAL COACH Andrew Foote *Instruments used by these musicians are on loan from Janet Holmes à Court AC.

31 31 Board of Directors Janet Holmes à Court AC Chairman Bill Bloking Mark Coughlan Jeff Dowling Keith Kessell Barrie Lepley Deputy Chairman Anne Nolan Paul Shannon Julian Sher Executive Craig Whitehead Chief Executive Ellen Wisdom Human Resources Manager Hannah North Executive Assistant Artistic Planning Evan Kennea Executive Manager, Artistic Planning Maya Kraj-Krajewski Artist Liaison/Chorus Administrator Claire Stokes Program Manager Alan Tyrrell Program Manager Community Engagement Cassandra Lake Community Engagement Manager Hannah Clemen Education Coordinator Orchestral Management Keith McGowan Executive Manager, Orchestral Management Richie Burton Orchestral Operations Manager David Cotgreave Production & Technical Manager Alistair Cox Orchestra Manager Wee Ming Khoo Music Librarian Noel Rhind Orchestral Operations Coordinator Business Services Peter Freemantle Executive Manager, Business Services Andrew Chew Systems Administrator Angela Miller Accountant Svetlana Williams Payroll Officer Sushila Bhudia Accounts Officer Corporate Development Simon Lodge Executive Manager, Corporate Development Sharmini Poulsen Corporate Partnerships Manager Luci Steinhardt Corporate Partnerships Executive Holly Norman Events Coordinator PHILANTHROPY Alecia Benzie Executive Manager, Philanthropy Josie Aitchison Customer Service & Philanthropy Coordinator Jane Clare Fundraising & Philanthropy Officer Marketing Kelli Carnachan Executive Manager, Marketing Kirsty Chisholm Digital Marketing Coordinator Nancy Hackett Marketing Manager Claire Dewing Graphic Designer Marc Missiaen Relationship Marketing Manager Paula Schibeci Public Relations Manager Annie Loo Marketing Assistant Sava Papos Customer Service Manager Josie Aitchison Customer Service & Philanthropy Coordinator Beverley Trolio Customer Service Coordinator Alana Arnold Margaret Daws Vicki Prince Debbie Silvester Robyn Westbrook Customer Service Officers Perth Concert Hall AEG Ogden (Perth) Pty Ltd Perth Concert Hall is managed by AEG Ogden (Perth) Pty Ltd Venue Manager for the Perth Theatre Trust Venues. Andrew Bolt General Manager Helen Stewart Deputy General Manager Peter Robins Technical Manager Paul Richardson Assistant Technical Manager Penelope Briffa Event Coordinator AEG Ogden (Perth) Pty Ltd Rodney M Phillips Chief Executive The Perth Theatre Trust The Hon. Mr Peter Blaxell Chairman WASO programs are printed by Pilpel Print who are proud to be Green Stamp Accredited. This certification acknowledges Pilpel Print s commitment to minimising environmental impacts associated with producing printed material. All rights reserved, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions, or for matters arising from clerical or printers error. Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright material prior to printing. Please address all correspondence to the Executive Manager, Marketing, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, PO Box 3041, East Perth. WA waso@waso.com.au

32 32 STOTT + HOARE PRESENTS NEXT WEEKEND! Conducts TCHAIKOVSKY Fri 14 & Sat 15 March 7.30pm Perth Concert Hall BRAHMS Academic Festival Overture ELGAR Introduction and Allegro STRAUSS, R. Till Eulenspiegel s Merry Pranks TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No.4 Asher Fisch conductor Paul Wright violin Zak Rowntree violin Paul McMillan viola Rod McGrath cello Book Now Tickets from $30 * Call quoting 1086 Visit waso.com.au or ticketek.com.au Conductor Asher Fisch appears courtesy of Wesfarmers Arts. *Transaction fees may apply.