Script for NYP 16-30: Ax/Brahms (INSERT NATIONAL UNDERWRITING CREDIT #1) (THEME MUSIC UP AND UNDER TO "X") AB: And this week...

Transcription

1 Script for NYP 16-30: Ax/Brahms (INSERT NATIONAL UNDERWRITING CREDIT #1) (THEME MUSIC UP AND UNDER TO "X") AB: And this week...(x) AB: Emmanuel Ax is the soloist in the Piano Concerto No. 2 by Johannes Brahms. This is Alec Baldwin inviting you to stay tuned, now, for a broadcast that will also include the Symphony No. 7 by Beethoven. We begin right, this moment, with another work by Brahms his Tragic Overture. Music Director Alan Gilbert conducts The New York Philharmonic. AB: Written in what the composer called the tragic-heroic key of d-minor, that was the Tragic Overture by Johannes Brahms. The New York Philharmonic performed under the direction of Alan Gilbert. 21

2 AB: As the story goes, Brahms composed that piece as a fraternal twin to his light-hearted Academic Festival Overture in an attempt to be taken more seriously by critics and colleagues. AB: We ll have more music by Brahms in the second half of our broadcast, when Emmanuel Ax is the soloist in the Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major. Up next we turn to music by one of the composers that most greatly influenced Brahms: Ludwig van Beethoven and the Symphony No. 7. AB: Beethoven seemed to enjoy the challenge of working on two contrasting works at the same time. He did so in composing his 5th and 6th symphonies...and once more with his 7th and his 8th. The premiere of the 7th was one of the greatest successes in Beethoven s life firmly establishing him as the greatest living composer of the day. In fact, the public enthusiasm over the Seventh largely overwhelmed and overshadowed the premiere of the 8th Symphony a few months later but that s a story for another time.

3 AB: First performed in Vienna in 1813, the Seventh Symphony of Beethoven has had many unusual characterizations and comparisons ascribed to it from all quarters: the dour Friedrich Wieck (Clara Schumann s father) opined that the music could only have been written by someone who was seriously intoxicated; Carl Maria von Weber said upon hearing it that Beethoven was ready for the madhouse; music writer Ernest Newman spoke of a divine intoxication of the spirit ; and Richard Wagner called it the apotheosis of the dance and continued, if anyone plays the Seventh, tables and benches, cans and cups, the grandmother, the blind and the lame, aye, the children in the cradle fall to dancing. And speaking of dance, Beethoven s Seventh has been choreographed more than once, including by Twyla Tharp for New York City Ballet in (APPLAUSE) AB: and we return to the stage at David Geffen Hall for the Symphony No. 7 in A-major by Beethoven. Alan Gilbert conducts The New York Philharmonic. 69

4 (APPLAUSE) AB: Symphony No. 7 by Beethoven. The New York Philharmonic was conducted by its Music Director, Alan Gilbert. AB: In a moment, our broadcast will continue with a performance of the Piano Concerto No. 2 by Johannes Brahms. Emmanuel Ax will be the soloist and Alan Gilbert will return to conduct. I m Alec Baldwin and you re listening to The New York Philharmonic. (FADE OUT) (ID) (FADE IN)

5 AB: Described by some as a symphony with piano obbligato and by still others as a symphony for piano and orchestra, the Brahms second piano concerto has its origins in sketches that date back as far as When he completed the work in July, 1881, Brahms-who was ever selfconscious about his work--wrote a letter to his dear friend, Elisabeth von Herzogenberg. [eh- LISS-a-bet phone her-tsohg-en-berg] In it, he wrote quote, "I don't mind telling you that I have written a tiny, tiny pianoforte concerto with a tiny, tiny wisp of a Scherzo. It is in B-flat and I have reason to fear that I have worked this udder, which has yielded good milk before, too often and too vigorously." The B-flat major concerto was given its first public performance at the Redouten Saal [ray- DOO-ten ZAHL] in Budapest November 9, 1881 with the composer as soloist

6 AB: Initial response to the concerto was generally positive, but neither was it ecstatic. This is attributed to the likelihood that Brahms-though a fine pianist perhaps lacked the requisite virtuosity to make his concerto really shine. Today, of course, it stands as one of the cornerstones of the piano literature. It s been performed well over 100 times at the Philharmonic since Rafael Jossefy performed it with Theodore Thomas in 1882 and it has been programmed on a nearly annual basis since Here now is our Music Director Alan Gilbert with a few words about the piece: (TRACK 2: ALAN) ~1:02 AB: Brahms begins this concerto with a brass motifanswered with great beauty by the piano-and this really becomes the source material for much of the first movement's power: AB: I probably don t need to tell you that the aforementioned "wisp" of the scherzo the composer referenced is anything but wispy ; instead, it is a stormy, dramatic statement:

7 AB: The Andante of the B-flat major concerto features a gorgeous cello solo and provides moments of tenderness and lyricism. This is one of Alan Gilbert s favorite parts of the work as we hear him discuss here: (ALAN) AB: And since we ve talked about, let s hear just a little of that section: AB: The finale of the piece is summed up perfectly with its marking of "Allegretto grazioso" Quick and graceful. Some listeners have even suggested that one might detect a hint of Hungarian gypsy music here-perhaps a nod to the Budapest premiere. I ll leave it to you to judge that for yourself: AB: and we return to the stage, now, for the Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major by Brahms. Emmanuel Ax is the soloist and Alan Gilbert conducts The New York Philharmonic. 158

8 AB: Piano Concerto No. 2 by Johannes Brahms. The New York Philahrmonic was conducted by its Music Director, Alan Gilbert. As soloist, we heard the orchestra s former Artist-in- Residence, Emmanuel Ax. And all of the music you heard on this week s broadcast is available for purchase via the orchestra s digital download series. More information is available when you visit nyphil.org and search the Watch & Listen page. Once again, the address is nyphil.org. AB: Vince Ford is the Executive Producer of this series. The Music Producer is Audio Director Lawrence Rock. The broadcasts are written and directed by Mark Travis with production assistance from Ian Good, Sarah Zwinklis, and Stacy Gerard. and for now, until the next time: This is Alec Baldwin wishing you good health and good music. This program is distributed worldwide by the WFMT Radio Network. 181