Miller Theatre at Columbia University th Anniversary Season. Bach, Revisited. Saariaho + Bach. Thursday, February 6, 8:00 p.m.

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1 Miller Theatre at Columbia University th Anniversary Season Bach, Revisited Saariaho + Bach Thursday, February 6, 8:00 p.m.

2 Please note that photography and the use of recording devices are not permitted. Remember to turn off all cellular phones and pagers before tonight s performance begins. Miller Theatre is wheelchair accessible. Large print programs are available upon request. For more information or to arrange accommodations, please call

3 Miller Theatre at Columbia University th Anniversary Season Bach, Revisited Saariaho + Bach Jennifer Koh, violin Jean-Baptiste Barrière, electronics Thursday, February 6, 8:00 p.m. Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004 J. S. Bach ( ) I. Allemanda II. Corrente III. Sarabanda IV. Giga V. Ciaccona Frises (2011) U. S. premiere Kaija Saariaho (b. 1952) I. Frise jaune II. Frise des fleurs III. Pavage IV. Frise grise INTERMISSION Frises (2011) Saariaho Onstage discussion with Kaija Saariaho, Jennifer Koh, and Melissa Smey This program runs approximately one hour and forty-five minutes, including intermission.

4 About the Program Frises Notes by Kaija Saariaho Frises (Friezes) was born of violinist Richard Schmoucler s request, who told me his idea of combining different works around Bach s second partita for solo violin, particularly in relation to the last part, the Chaconne. He asked me to compose a piece to be performed after Bach s Chaconne and start it with the note that ends the movement, the D. My piece, which I wrote in 2011, has four parts. I focused in each of them on the idea of one historical ostinato variation form, using as starting-point carillon, passacaglia, ground bass and chaconne. There are four variations around a theme, a harmonic process or other musical parameter. To expand the ideas and possibilities of the instrument, I added an electronic dimension to the work. According to its character, each part has a different processing. In general, and in accordance with the score, prepared sound materials are set off by the musician during the piece. These materials are completed by real-time transformations of the violin sounds. My aim in composing this piece was to create a rich work for violin with four very different and independent parts. The first part, Frise jaune (Yellow Frieze), is a prelude, a flexible improvisation around a constant D, colored by harmonics and the electronic part consisting of bell sounds. This part is also inspired by the idea of carillon, a continuous melodic variation. The second part, Frise de fleurs (Frieze of Flowers), is based on a harmony created on a ground bass. Sequences of successive chords are gradually enriched before opening to achieve a more free and lyrical development. The third part, Pavage (Paving), is inspired by transformations of a source material by a mathematical process where a frieze is a filling of a line or a band by a geometric

5 figure without holes or overflow, as in paving. But I do not work in the sense of perfect symmetry as with the cobblestones of a patterned ground rather to create continual metamorphosis, in the sprit of some M. C. Escher s images, though less consistently. The last part, Frise grise (Gray Frieze), is like a strange procession, solemn, fragile, but at the same time resolved. The idea of passacaglia is here realized with slow triplets, the constant accompaniment of the left hand pizzicati on three strings, while the melody is evolving on the fourth, which is not part of the accompaniment. The thematic material evolves, descending slowly from E, the highest string, to G, the lowest. The music finally reaches the initial D, double-stopped, restoring us to the beginning. The titles are inspired by the mathematical ideas mentioned above but also by Odilon Redon s painted friezes, which I saw recently in an exhibition dedicated to his work especially the Yellow Frieze, Frieze of Flowers, and Gray Frieze. Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004 Notes by Paul Griffiths Bach may still have been fresh from school, and in his first job, as a violinist at the ducal court in Weimar, when he set about writing a set of six solo pieces for violin, possibly for himself to perform. (We have the word of his son Carl Phillip Emanuel though much later, of course that he played the instrument cleanly and penetratingly. ) He was at Weimar for only a few months, during which he turned eighteen, before he was off to a better position, but the stay was long enough for him to learn from a senior musician, Johann Paul von Westhoff, who had published a dozen partitas for solo violin twenty years before. No doubt Bach fiddled over the years with what he had written, before making a fair copy in 1720, when he was at Cöthen. This manuscript survives, complete with its title page, on which we can read his inscription: Sei Solo, then Violino senza Basso accompagnato, then, with the tantalizing suggestion that there could have been more, Libro Primo, followed by a signature and date. The six solos were published in 1802, but it was not until Joseph Joachim took them up, several decades later, that they entered the concert repertory. Unlike the six solo pieces for cello, which Bach almost certainly also brought to final form during his time at Cöthen, the violin solos include sonatas in alternation with About the Program

6 partitas. Both have a basic scheme of four movements, slow-fast-slow-fast, those of the partitas being dances of the usual kind, moving to the dominant in their first halves and then balancingly back to the tonic. To these the D minor work makes an immense addition. Its first two dances start with a hiccough: the same note off the beat and on. Virtually monophonic, a wandering line, the allemande moves through scale patterns that are reinterpreted in triple time in the courante. They are reinterpreted again in the grave sarabande, and once more in the gigue, which is lively, but seems to know there is more to come, as indeed there is. The rhythm now heaving into view is once more that of the sarabande: slow, heavy, triple. But this is a dance also of another kind, on a repeating four-bar theme that descends from D to A, ready to make a rising cadence back to D: the inexorably circling, purposefully driving bass of the chaconne. Sixty-four times it comes, on through a middle section in the major (variations 34-52), all the time supporting counterpoint that implies up to seven simultaneous lines, until finally the voices spiral into the keynote. Brahms (one of several composers to adapt the work, in his case for piano left hand) had this to say: If I were to imagine that I could have created, even conceived the piece, I am quite certain that the excess of excitement and earth-shattering experience would have driven me out of my mind. Playing for around a quarter of an hour, the movement provides a momentous finale.

7 About the Artists Kaija Saariaho is a prominent member of a group of Finnish composers and performers who are now, in midcareer, making a worldwide impact. She studied composition in Helsinki, Freiburg, and Paris, where she has lived since Her studies and research at IRCAM have had a major influence on her music and her characteristically luxuriant and mysterious textures are often created by combining live music and electronics. Although much of her catalogue comprises chamber works, from the mid-nineties she has turned increasingly to larger forces and broader structures, such as the operas L Amour de loin, Adriana Mater, and Emilie and the oratorio La Passion de Simone. She was composer-in-residence for Carnegie Hall s season. Miller Theatre previously presented a Composer Portrait of Saariaho s music in the season, opened its season with the U.S. premiere of her ballet Maa, and produced a Touring Composer Portrait of her work at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in the season. Jennifer Koh is recognized for her intense, commanding performances, delivered with dazzling virtuosity and technical assurance. Since the season when she won the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the Concert Artists Guild Competition, and the Avery Fisher Career Grant, Ms. Koh has been heard with leading orchestras and conductors worldwide. Also a prolific recitalist, she appears frequently at major music centers and festivals. She is dedicated to performing the violin repertoire of all eras from traditional to contemporary, believing that the past and present form a continuum. The exploration of Bach s music and its influence in today s musical landscape has played an important role in Ms. Koh s artistic journey. In 2009 she debuted Bach and Beyond a three-recital series that explores the history of the solo violin repertoire from Bach s Sonatas and Partitas to works by modern day composers and new commissions; she frequently performs all six Sonatas and Partitas in a single concert; and last season she launched Two x Four with her former teacher from the Curtis School of Music, violinist Jaime Laredo a project that pairs Bach s Double Violin Concerto with newly commissioned double concerti. Highlights of Ms. Koh s 2013/14 season include Bach and Beyond recitals worldwide, Two x Four concerts with the Los Angeles Chamber About the Artists

8 Orchestra, Einstein in Philip Glass s Einstein on the Beach in Los Angeles and Berlin, the New York premiere of Jennifer Higdon s The Singing Rooms with the New York Choral Society at Carnegie Hall, and her Munich Philharmonic debut. Ms. Koh regularly records for the Cedille label. Her recording featuring works from her first Bach and Beyond recital was chosen as one of the best recordings of 2012 by the New York Times. Her most recent album Signs, Games & Messages with pianist Shai Wosner was released in October Ms. Koh s relationship with Miller Theatre began more than a decade ago; notable performances include Composer Portraits of John Zorn (2001), György Ligeti (2005), and Kaija Saariaho (2009), as well as a performance of Bach s Double Concerto with violinist Jaime Laredo in She has performed Bach s solo violin works both in Miller s free Lunchtime Concerts (2009) and in a marathon recital presented by Miller at the American Academy of Arts and Letters in Jean-Baptiste Barrière was born in Paris in His studies included music, art history, philosophy, and mathematical logic. In 1998, he joined IRCAM in Paris, directing Musical Research, Education, and Production; he left in 1998 to concentrate on personal projects focusing on the interaction between music and image. His piece Chréode (1983) won the Prix de la Musique Numérique of the Concours International of Bourges in 1983 (CD Wergo). He composed the music of several multimedia shows, including 100 Objects to Represent the World by Peter Greenaway, which premiered at the Salzburg Festival in Barrière has also composed the music of several virtual reality and interactive installations by Maurice Benayoun, including Worldskin (Prix Ars Electronica 1998). He developed Reality Checks, a cycle of installations and performances questioning the concept of identity in the digital age. He directed the CD-ROM, Prisma: The Musical Universe of Kaija Saariaho (Grand Prix Multimédia Charles Cros 2000), and regularly realizes visual concerts of Saariaho s music, including her opera L Amour de loin, performed in Berlin and Paris in 2006 by Kent Nagano and Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin. He directed visuals for concert versions of operas such as Olivier Messiaen s Saint François d Assise with Kent Nagano and Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal (which won the 24th Grand Prix du Conseil des arts of Montréal), and with Myung Whun Chung and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France in 2008; and Alban Berg s Wozzeck with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Philharmonia of London in During the academic year, he was a Visiting Professor in the music department of Columbia and this year he is the Composer-in-Residence for the music department s Computer Music Center. At Miller Theatre, Barrière s work was featured in a Pop-Up concert titled The Birth of Electronic Music and will be further explored in an upcoming Composer Portrait concert and concurrent multimedia installation, both in March 2014.

9 About Miller Theatre Miller Theatre at Columbia University is the leading presenter of new music in New York City and one of the most vital forces nationwide for innovative programming. In partnership with Columbia University School of the Arts, Miller is dedicated to producing and presenting unique events, with a focus on contemporary and early music, jazz, opera, and multimedia performances. Founded in 1988, Miller has helped launch the careers of myriad composers and ensembles over the past 25 years, serving as an incubator for emerging artists and a champion of those not yet well known in the United States. A three-time recipient of the ASCAP/ Chamber Music America Award for Adventurous Programming, Miller Theatre continues to meet the high expectations set forth by its founders to present innovative programs, support the development of new work, and connect creative artists with adventurous audiences. 25th Anniversary Committee Regula Aregger Eric Johnson Mercedes I. Armillas Fred Lerdahl Rima Ayas George Lewis Paul D. Carter Philip V. Mindlin Mary Sharp Cronson* Linda Nochlin Stephanie French* Margo Viscusi* Marcella Tarozzi Goldsmith Marian M. Warden Maureen Gupta Cecille Wasserman* Karen Hagberg Elke Weber Mark Jackson * Miller Theatre Advisory Board member Miller Theatre Staff Melissa Smey Executive Director Charlotte Levitt Director of Marketing and Outreach Beth Silvestrini Associate Director of Artistic and Production Administration Brenna St. George Jones Director of Production James Hirschfeld Business Manager Megan Harrold Audience Services Manager Bryan Logan Production Coordinator Nora Sørena Casey Marketing and Communications Associate Rhiannon McClintock Executive Assistant Aleba & Co. Public Relations The Heads of State Graphic Design Steinway is the official piano of Miller Theatre Columbia University School of the Arts Carol Becker Dean of Faculty Jana Hart Wright Dean of Academic Administration Columbia University Trustees William V. Campbell Co-Chair Jonathan D. Schiller Co-Chair A Lelia Bundles Vice Chair Mark E. Kingdon Vice Chair Esta Stecher Vice Chair Rolando T. Acosta Armen A. Avanessians Lee C. Bollinger President of the University Lisa Carnoy Kenneth Forde Noam Gottesman Joseph A. Greenaway, Jr. James Harden Benjamin Horowitz Ann F. Kaplan Jonathan Lavine Charles Li Paul J. Maddon Vikram Pandit Michael B. Rothfeld Claire Shipman Kyriakos Tsakopoulos Faye Wattleton About Miller Theatre

10 Thanks to Our Donors Miller Theatre acknowledges with deep appreciation and gratitude the following organizations, individuals, and government agencies whose extraordinary support makes our programming possible. $25,000 and above Francis Goelet Charitable Lead Trusts Dow Jones Foundation Ernst Von Siemens Foundation $10,000 - $24,999 William V. Campbell The Aaron Copland Fund for Music Mary Sharp Cronson The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation $5,000 - $9,999 The Amphion Foundation French American Cultural Exchange Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation $1,000 - $4,999 Paul D. Carter Hester Diamond R. H. Rackstraw Downes Claude Ghez Marcella Tarozzi Goldsmith Christine and Thomas Griesa Carol Avery Haber/ Haber Family Charitable Fund $500 - $999 Oliver Allen Regula Aregger Mercedes Armillas ASCAP Rima Ayas Barbara Batcheler Elaine S. Bernstein Gerry H. F. Lenfest National Endowment for the Arts New York State Council on the Arts The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation CLC Kramer Foundation Fritz Reiner Center for Contemporary Music at Columbia University Karen Hagberg and Mark Jackson Donella and David Held Elizabeth and Dean Kehler Roger Lehecka Philip Mindlin Linda Nochlin Jeanine and Roland Plottel Jessie and Charles Price Mary and Gordon Gould Marian M. Warden Fund of the Foundation for Enhancing Communities Maureen Gupta John Kander Mark Kempson and Janet Greenberg Frederick Peters The Evelyn Sharp Foundation Margo and Anthony Viscusi Craig Silverstein Peter Pohly Christopher Rothko Cecille Wasserman Elke Weber and Eric Johnson Anonymous Mark Ptashne James Sharp Timothy Shepard and Andra Georges J. P. Sullivan Cia Toscanini Kathryn Yatrakis Janet Waterhouse $100 - $499 Gail and James Addiss Qais Al-Awqati, M.D. Edward Albee Florence Tatischeff Amzallag Roger Bagnall Stephen Blum Jim Boorstein Adam and Eileen Boxer Elizabeth and Ralph Brown Jim Buckley Kerrie Buitrage Richard Carrick and Nomi Levy-Carrick Ginger Chinn Jennifer Choi Gregory Cokorinos Noah Creshevsky Kristine DelFausse David Demnitz Randy Ezratty Peter and Joan Faber Stephanie French Marc Gilman June O. Goldberg Lauren and Jack Gorman Richard Gray James P. Hanbury Bernard Hoffer Alan Houston and Lisa DeLange Frank Immler and Andrew Tunnick Burton Kassell Rebecca Kennison L. Wilson Kidd, Jr. Nikki Kowalski Daniel Lee Barbara and Kenneth Leish Arthur S. Leonard Stephen Leventis Richard H. Levy and Lorraine Gallard Peter C. Lincoln Helen Little Sarah Lowengard Anthony and Caroline Lukaszewski Lawrence Madison Marc Maltz Gerald McGee Bannon and Barnabas McHenry Rolf Meyershon Susan Narucki Susan and Sheldon Nash Mary Pinkowitz Carol Robbins Lisa Rubin Mariam Said Eliisa Salmi-Saslaw Mary Salpukas James Schamus and Nancy Kricorian Elliot Schwartz Anita Shapolsky Leila Shakour and Michael Thorne Karlan and Gary Sick Paul Sperry Gilbert Spitzer and Janet Glaser Spitzer Rand Steiger and Rebecca Jo Plant Peter Strauss Jim Strawhorn as of Jan. 17

11 Coming Up Jean-Baptiste Barrière Jean-Baptiste Barrière is a key figure in computer music. A native Parisian, he led the city s electronic-music mecca IRCAM for more than 15 years. A Portrait concert, special performance, and concurrent exhibition offer curious listeners an opportunity to fully explore the composer s multifaceted artistic pursuits this March. Special Exhibit: The Garden of Dreams Monday, March 24 Saturday, March 29 East Gallery, Maison Française Mon Fri, noon to 5 p.m. & Sat., noon to 8 p.m. FREE This interactive multimedia installation by Jean-Baptiste Barrière is an exploration of the ephemeral world of dreams. The work incorporates visitor-created recordings, submitted both online and in special booths at the two exhibition sites: Columbia University s Maison Française in New York, and the Musée Gadagne in Lyon, France. Special Performance: Distant Mirrors Saturday, March 29, 1 p.m. Miller Theatre at Columbia University FREE This concert performance an extension of the concurrent exhibition features a realtime international collaboration between flutist Camilla Hoitenga, in Lyons, France, and flutist Margaret Lancaster, who will play live on the Miller Theatre stage. Composer Portraits Concert Saturday, March 29, 8 p.m. Miller Theatre at Columbia University Tickets: $25 - $30 Jean-Baptiste Barrière s piece Chréode is recognized as a seminal work in the history of electronic music. Many of his more recent works entail live manipulation of both audio and video. This concert in Miller s acclaimed new-music series Composer Portraits includes premiere performance of three pieces, one of which was previously given an early reading in the more informal onstage Pop-Up series.

12 Upcoming Events Tuesday, February 11, 6:00 p.m. POP-UP CONCERT Ensemble Signal Saturday, February 22, 8:00 p.m. COMPOSER PORTRAITS Roger Reynolds Irvine Arditti, violin Ensemble Signal Brad Lubman, conductor Saturday, March 1, 8:00 p.m. JAZZ Miguel Zenón Quartet Tuesday, March 4, 6:00 p.m. POP-UP CONCERT Ekmeles Saturday, March 8, 8:00 p.m. EARLY MUSIC Stile Antico: The Phoneix Rising Church of St. Mary the Virgin on Twitter 2960 Broadway at 116th Street, MC 1801, New York, NY 10027