MAHLER AND BRUCH. Ashkenazy and Zukerman. Saturday 16 November 2013 SPECIAL EVENT PREMIER PARTNER CREDIT SUISSE SPECIAL EVENT PRESENTED BY

Transcription

1 MAHLER AND BRUCH Ashkenazy and Zukerman SPECIAL EVENT PREMIER PARTNER CREDIT SUISSE Saturday 16 November 2013 SPECIAL EVENT PRESENTED BY

2

3 DECEMBER JANUARY CLASSICAL Thibaudet plays Gershwin Jazz Inspirations SHOSTAKOVICH Jazz Suite No.1 GERSHWIN Piano Concerto in F PROKOFIEV Symphony No.5 James Gaffigan conductor Jean-Yves Thibaudet piano Variations on an English Theme HAYDN Symphony No.92 (Oxford) BRITTEN The Young Person s Guide to the Orchestra BRITTEN Violin Concerto BRAHMS Variations on a Theme of Haydn James Gaffigan conductor Vilde Frang violin Symphony in the Domain Spread your blanket under the stars and enjoy the sounds of the orchestra with your family and friends in the Domain. HOLST The Planets TCHAIKOVSKY 1812 Overture Simone Young conductor John Bell actor-narrator Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Anne-Sophie Mutter plays Mozart MOZART Violin Concerto No.2 in D, K211 Violin Concerto No.3 in G, K216 (Strassburger) Violin Concerto No.5 in A, K219 (Turkish) Anne-Sophie Mutter violin-director Tickets for these concerts on sale from Monday 2 December THURSDAY AFTERNOON SYMPHONY Thu 5 Dec 1.30pm EMIRATES METRO SERIES Fri 6 Dec 8pm GREAT CLASSICS Sat 7 Dec 2pm 7 Mon 9 Dec 7pm Pre-concert talk by Yvonne Frindle MASTER SERIES Wed 11 Dec 8pm Fri 13 Dec 8pm Sat 14 Dec 8pm Pre-concert talk by David Garrett FREE EVENT PRESENTED BY THE SYDNEY FESTIVAL Sun 26 Jan 8pm Sydney Domain SPECIAL EVENT PREMIER PARTNER CREDIT SUISSE Fri 31 Jan 8pm Sat 1 Feb 8pm Sun 2 Feb 2pm Pre-concert talk 45 minutes before each performance BOOK NOW! SYDNEYSYMPHONY.COM or call Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Tickets also available at sydneyoperahouse.com Mon-Sat 9am-8.30pm Sun 10am-6pm * Booking fees of $7.50 $8.95 may apply.

4 WELCOME Credit Suisse warmly welcomes you to a special evening of music-making. Tonight, renowned violinist Pinchas Zukerman joins Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra on the stage of the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. During his time as Principal Conductor of the SSO, Vladimir Ashkenazy has brought some of the world s finest soloists to Sydney, some of them for the first time. Perhaps you were here in the concert hall to witness the Australian debuts of Anne-Sophie Mutter and Evgeny Kissin both in concerts conducted by Ashkenazy or, earlier this month, Murray Perahia. As Premier Partner we are proud to have played a role in bringing about remarkable collaborations such as these. And we re equally proud to support tonight s appearance by Zukerman. It s fitting that this final gala concert of the 2013 season sees Ashkenazy working with a friend and colleague of long standing. It promises to be an exciting concert, with a much-loved violin concerto in the hands of a master and Ashkenazy reprising one of the great Mahler symphonies. We hope you enjoy the performance and we look forward to many thrilling concerts in Rob Stewart Chief Executive Officer Credit Suisse Australia

5 2013 season special event premier partner credit suisse Saturday 16 November 8pm Sydney Opera House Concert Hall Mahler and Bruch Vladimir Ashkenazy CONDUCTOR Pinchas Zukerman VIOLIN Max Bruch ( ) Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor, Op.26 Vorspiel [Prelude] (Allegro moderato) Adagio Finale (Allegro energico) INTERVAL Gustav Mahler ( ) Symphony No.5 in C sharp minor Part I Trauermarsch (In gemessenem Schritt. Streng. Wie ein Kondukt) [Funeral march (With measured pace, stern, like a funeral procession)] Stürmisch bewegt. Mit grösster Vehemenz [Stormy, with utmost vehemence] Part II Scherzo (Kräftig, nicht zu schnell) [Strong, not too fast] Part III Adagietto (Sehr langsam) [Very slow] Rondo Finale (Allegro) This performance will be broadcast live on ABC Classic FM. This performance will also be webcast via BigPond and will be available for later viewing on demand. Visit: bigpondmusic.com/sydneysymphony Pre-concert talk by Roger Benedict at 7.15pm in the Northern Foyer. Estimated durations: 25 minutes, 20-minute interval, 70 minutes The performance will conclude at approximately 10pm

6 LEBRECHT MUSIC & ARTS The first page of the Adagietto from Mahler s Fifth Symphony. Willem Mengelberg s score shows his extensive markings in red and blue, together with a brief poem, which he has written into the left-hand margin (see page 15 for a translation). Mengelberg s annotations also include, in the top right corner: N.B. This Adagietto was Gustav Mahler s declaration of love to Alma! Instead of a letter he sent her this in manuscript; no accompanying words. She understood and wrote to him: he should come!!! Both told me this! W.M. And at the bottom of the page: If music is a language, then it is one here he tells her everything in tones and sounds in: music. 6 sydney symphony

7 INTRODUCTION Ashkenazy and Zukerman perform Mahler and Bruch Long before he began his tenure as Principal Conductor in 2009, Vladimir Ashkenazy had won the hearts of Sydney audiences. Perhaps you were there for the now famous Sibelius cycle in 2004, or the inspirational Rachmaninoff festival in Maybe you were fortunate enough to have heard the recitals and concertos that marked his first appearances for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Now, this week, Ashkenazy offers a program that highlights what has made his work with the SSO so special not only for audiences, but for everyone in the orchestra. It s a heart-warming program. It begins with the concerto that violinist Joseph Joachim described as the richest and most seductive of the four great German violin concertos. (He placed Bruch s G minor concerto in the company of Beethoven, Brahms and Mendelssohn.) And it concludes with Mahler s Fifth Symphony, with its musical declaration of love given voice by strings and harp. The symphony is a welcome reprise from Ashkenazy s Mahler Odyssey, the two-year journey through the complete symphonies in 2010 and Our performance then was captured on CD and has been praised for its compelling approach and vision under our principal conductor. It has the vividness and energy of a live performance, wrote Peter McCallum in The Sydney Morning Herald, blending fire and cogency, colour and concentration. For the concerto we welcome back to Sydney Pinchas Zukerman, a long-standing friend and colleague of Ashkenazy s. And in this the concert highlights something else about Ashkenazy s work with the SSO: it is about making music among friends and for friends. Once again, we re reminded of the T-shirt he so often wears for rehearsal, bearing one word: Musician. sydney symphony 7

8 ABOUT THE MUSIC Max Bruch Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor, Op.26 Vorspiel [Prelude] (Allegro moderato) Adagio Finale (Allegro energico) Pinchas Zukerman violin Max Bruch s First Violin Concerto is one of the greatest success stories in the history of music. The violinist Joseph Joachim, who gave the first performance of the definitive version in 1868, and had a strong advisory role in its creation, compared it with the other famous 19th-century German violin concertos, those of Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Brahms. Bruch s, said Joachim, is the richest, the most seductive. (Joachim was closely associated as performer with all four of these concertos, and with the creation of Brahms concerto, which he premiered in 1879.) Soon Bruch was able to report that his concerto was beginning a fabulous career. In addition to Joachim, the most famous violinists of the day took it into their repertoire: Auer, Ferdinand David, Sarasate. With his first important large-scale orchestral work, the 30-year-old Bruch had a winner. Keynotes BRUCH Born Cologne, 1838 Died Berlin, 1920 More than any other German composer, Bruch was the true successor of Mendelssohn, and their respective violin concertos share a family likeness. Bruch s next best-known work is his Kol Nidrei, an Adagio on Hebrew Melodies for cello and orchestra. On the strength of that work alone (Bruch was a Protestant Christian), his music was later banned by the Nazi party. VIOLIN CONCERTO NO.1 After Mendelssohn s concerto, Bruch s first is probably the most popular Romantic concerto in the repertoire. Bruch conducted the first performance in 1866, then revised it substantially in Bruch sold the work outright to the publisher Simrock for a pittance and never received another penny from the growing number of performances. Sadly, though he composed two more violin concertos, neither caught the public imagination in the same way as the first. Unusually, not just the opening section but the whole of the first movement is cast as an introductory Vorspiel (Prelude), which for the violin begins and ends with cadenzas. A held note for the orchestral violins leads to the memorable Adagio that forms the concerto s emotional centre. The finale is by turns lyrical and virtuosic, and takes on a decidedly Hungarian Gypsy feel. 8 sydney symphony

9 The success of this concerto was to be a mixed blessing for Bruch. Few composers so long-lived and prolific are so nearly forgotten except for a single work. (Kol nidrei for cello and orchestra is Bruch s only other frequently performed piece, its use of Jewish melodies having led many to assume that Bruch himself was Jewish.) Bruch followed up this violin concerto with two more, and another six pieces for violin and orchestra. But although he constantly encouraged violinists to play his other concertos, he had to concede that none of them matched his first. This must have been especially frustrating considering that Bruch had sold full rights in it to a publisher for the paltry sum of 250 thalers. In 1911 an American friend, Arthur Abell, asked Bruch why he, a pianist, had taken such an interest in the violin. He replied, Because the violin can sing a melody better than the piano can, and melody is the soul of music. It was the composer s association with Johann Naret-Koning, concertmaster of the Mainz orchestra, which first set Bruch on the path of composing for the violin. He did not feel sure of himself, regarding it as very audacious to write a violin concerto, and reported that between 1864 and 1868, I rewrote my concerto at least half a dozen times, and conferred with x violinists. The most important of these was Joachim. Many years later Bruch had reservations about the publication of his correspondence with Joachim about the concerto, worrying that the public would virtually believe when it read all this that Joachim composed the concerto, and not I. As we have seen, Joachim thought Bruch was on the right track from the first. Bruch was lucky to have the advice of so serious an artist, a composer himself, well aware of how the concerto problem presented itself 20 years after Mendelssohn s E minor Violin Concerto. Like Mendelssohn, Bruch had brought in the solo violin right from the start, after a drum roll and a motto-like figure for the winds. The alternation of solo and orchestral flourishes suggests to writer Michael Steinberg a dreamy variant of the opening of Beethoven s Fifth Piano Concerto. With the main theme launched by the solo violin in sonorous double-stopping, and a contrasting descending second subject, a conventional opening movement in sonata form seems to be under way. The rhythmic figure heard in the plucked bass strings plays an important part. But at the point where the recapitulation would begin, Bruch, having brought back the opening chords and flourishes, uses them instead to prepare a soft subsiding into the slow movement, which begins without a pause. Bruch first called the first The concerto s success was a mixed blessing for Bruch, since he d sold full rights in it for a paltry sum. sydney symphony 9

10 At this very moment a soloist s heart is beating in time to the music at the Vienna State Opera. It s a shame you can t hear it. VIENNA HOTELS & INFO Tel info@vienna.info Wiener Staatsballett, principal dancer, Olga Esina

11 movement Introduzione-Fantasia, then Vorspiel (Prelude), and asked Joachim rather anxiously whether he shouldn t call the whole work a Fantasy rather than a Concerto. The designation concerto is completely apt, replied Joachim. Indeed, the second and third movements are too fully developed for a Fantasy. The separate sections of the work cohere in a lovely relationship, and yet and this is the most important thing there is sufficient contrast. The songful character of the violin is to the fore in Bruch s Adagio. Two beautiful themes are linked by a memorable transitional idea featuring a rising scale. The themes are artfully and movingly developed and combined, until the second enters grandly below and so carries us out in the full tide of its recapitulation (Tovey). Although the second movement comes to a quiet full close, the third movement begins in the same warm key of E flat major, with a crescendo modulating to the G major of the Finale, another indication of the tendency of Romantic composers like Bruch to think of a concerto as a continuously unfolding and linked whole. The Hungarian or Gypsy dance flavour of the last movement s lively first theme must be a tribute to the native land of Joachim, who had composed a Hungarian Concerto for violin. Bruch s theme was surely in Brahms mind at the same place in the concerto he composed for Joachim. Bruch s writing for the solo violin grateful yet never gratuitous throughout the concerto here scales new heights of virtuosity. Of the bold and grand second subject, Tovey observed that Max Bruch s work shows one of its noblest features just where some of its most formidable rivals become vulgar. In this concerto for once Bruch s music displays enough emotion to balance his admirable skill and tastefulness. The G minor Violin Concerto is just right, and its success shows no sign of wearing out. Because the violin can sing a melody better than the piano can, and melody is the soul of music. Bruch, a pianist, explaining why he so loved the violin DAVID GARRETT 2004 The orchestra for Bruch s First Violin Concerto comprises pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons; four horns and two trumpets; timpani and strings. Yehudi Menuhin was soloist in Bruch s G minor concerto with Maurice Abravanel and a full professional orchestra (containing many moonlighting Sydney Symphony Orchestra players) in Sydney in June Georg Schneevoigt conducted the first official performance with the SSO in 1937; the soloist was Lionel Lawson. The orchestra s most recent performance was with Daniel Hope and conductor Oleg Caetani in sydney symphony 11

12 Gustav Mahler Symphony No.5 in C sharp minor Part I Trauermarsch (In gemessenem Schritt. Streng. Wie ein Kondukt) [Funeral march (With measured pace, stern, like a funeral procession)] Stürmisch bewegt. Mit grösster Vehemenz [Stormy, with utmost vehemence] Part II Scherzo (Kräftig, nicht zu schnell) [Strong, not too fast] Part III Adagietto (Sehr langsam) [Very slow] Rondo Finale (Allegro) Mahler s first four symphonies were more or less programmatic in their intention, drawing their inspiration from folk poetry, incorporating themes from songs, and (in all but the first) using the human voice in one or more of the movements. The Fifth Symphony, on the other hand, revealed no obvious program and was scored for orchestra alone. It was written in around the time of Mahler s meeting with, and rather hasty betrothal to, Alma Schindler. While no period in Mahler s life could be described as unequivocally happy, there is no doubt that the Fifth Symphony was conceived at a time of substantial personal and professional satisfaction. Yet any sign of outward pleasure or optimism tends to be avoided, at least early on in the symphony pointedly, and notoriously, it begins with a funeral march. Mahler s friend Natalie Bauer-Lechner recalled Mahler speaking to her about the symphony he was writing in his hut in the woods during the summer of 1901: Within the last few days Mahler has spoken to me for the first time about his work this summer, his Fifth Symphony, and in particular about the third movement: The movement is immensely difficult to work out because of the structure and the supreme artistic mastery which it demands in all its relationships and details The human voice would be utterly out of place here. There is no call for words, everything is said in purely musical terms. It will be a straightforward symphony in four movements too, with each movement independent and complete in itself and related to the others only by the common mood. Mahler worked on the first two movements and part of the third movement during the summer of The rest of the symphony was completed the following summer, by Keynotes MAHLER Born Kalischt, 1860 Died Vienna, 1911 Mahler is now regarded as one of the greatest symphonists of the turn of the 20th century. But during his life his major career was as a conductor he was effectively a summer composer. Mahler believed that a symphony must embrace the world. His are large-scale, requiring huge orchestras and often lasting more than an hour. They cover a tremendous emotional range, and they have sometimes been described as Janus-like in the way they blend romantic and modern values, self-obsession and universal expression, idealism and irony. FIFTH SYMPHONY Mahler described his Fifth Symphony originally as a straightforward symphony in four separate movements, though somehow, as the introductory opening grew into a separate slow movement, a Dead March, some of the promised straightforwardness was jettisoned. Mahler was composing the work in , around the time of his betrothal to Alma Schindler, and according to Mahler s colleague, Willem Mengelberg, the famous Adagietto for harp and strings is a declaration of love. Finally, Mahler caves in to the temptation to unify the work s separate parts. His finale duly melds ideas from all four previous movements, particularly the Dead March and the Adagietto, into a joyous (giocoso) celebration. It brings the whole symphony to the ecstatic brass hymn of the conclusion, as close as Mahler ever came to an Ode to Joy. 12 sydney symphony

13 which point Alma Schindler (whom he had met in November 1901) was very much part of his life. In her memoirs, Alma recalled the couple going to Maiernigg in June 1902: Mahler had the sketches of the Fifth Symphony with him. Two movements were completed, the rest were being drafted. I tried to play the piano softly, but when I asked him, he [said that he] had heard me, although his working cabin was located far away in the woods. Thereafter I changed my activities In the process I gradually became a real help to him. By the autumn of 1902 the Fifth Symphony was complete and Mahler played it for his new wife: It was the first time that he played a new work for me. Arm in arm we walked solemnly up to his studio in the woods. Soon afterwards the vacation was over, and we moved to Vienna. The Fifth was completed, and he worked all winter on the final copy. When the premiere took place in Cologne on 18 October 1904, the reception was mixed. The great conductor and early champion of Mahler s music, Bruno Walter, clearly remembered the occasion for a particular reason : it was the first and, I think, the only time that a performance of a Mahler work under his own baton left me unsatisfied. The instrumentation did not succeed in bringing out clearly the complicated contrapuntal fabric of the parts, and Mahler complained to me afterwards that he never seemed able to master the handling of the orchestra: in fact he later subjected the orchestration to the most radical revision that he ever felt obliged to undertake. Walter was not alone; Richard Strauss, also an admirer of Mahler s music, had reservations after witnessing a further performance of the symphony some months later. Revision after revision ensued, beginning with the overwritten percussion parts and following through into the entire orchestration. So thorough was Mahler s reworking that, even as the symphony s popularity grew, each performance was different from the previous. The Fifth is an accursed work, Mahler wrote. No one understands it! The symphony follows Mahler s principle of progressive tonality, working its way from the beginning in C sharp minor to a conclusion in a triumphant D major. On its travels it passes through a vast range of moods and emotions passionate, wild, pathetic, sweeping, solemn, gentle, full of all the emotions of the human heart in Bruno Walter s memorable description. A massive work, it is in three parts and five movements (rather than the four movements Mahler had planned in 1901). Gustav Mahler (portrait by Emil Orlik, 1902) and Alma Mahler sydney symphony 13

14 The opening movement begins with a distinctive trumpet call which recurs as the movement proceeds, and which Mahler noted in the score should be played somewhat hurriedly, in the manner of military fanfares. Like Berlioz and Tchaikovsky before him, Mahler opens with a funeral march and the first movement itself is filled with pain and grief. As if to belie the claim that the symphony is absolute rather than programmatic music, the main theme is actually based on a song by Mahler called Der Tamboursg sell a song about a drummer boy facing execution. There are two trios in the movement: the first in B flat minor with a brief violin theme, the second a quieter section in A minor following the return of the march theme. After an impassioned climax toward the end, the movement dies away amid echoes of the opening trumpet call. Mahler leaves no doubt as to the intended mood of the second movement marked Stormy, with utmost vehemence. Much of the material in this allegro movement derives from that in the first and there is a distinct reminiscence of the march rhythms. A brass chorale in part anticipates the conclusion of the symphony as a whole; after some distinctly sinister turns, the main themes of the allegro return as the movement ends quietly and ominously. The Scherzo, which forms the third movement, is another matter altogether. Its energetic main thematic material is in the form of a joyous ländler. Ideas tumble over themselves in an inventive contrapuntal display while a slower waltz theme is juxtaposed with the main material. Contrasting trios add a more sombre note and in one of these there occurs a striking obbligato passage for the principal horn. The Adagietto arguably the most famous single movement in all the Mahler symphonies is essentially a song without words. Scored for harps and strings alone, it is closely related to Mahler s song Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen (I am lost to the world). According to Mahler s colleague, Dutch conductor Willem Mengelberg, the Adagietto was intended as a declaration of love for Alma and was composed shortly after the couple met. More like a fascinated bystander than a conductor, Mengelberg wrote in his score: Instead of a letter, he sent her this in manuscript, no accompanying words. She understood and wrote to him: he should come!!! Both have told me this! If music is a language, then it is one here. He tells her everything in tones and sounds, in: music. At the dress rehearsal, your Fifth Symphony again brought me great pleasure, which was dimmed for me only by the little Adagietto. It serves you right that precisely that movement was liked the most by the audience. The first two movements especially are quite splendid; the ingenious Scherzo seemed a bit too long. How much this is the fault of the inadequate performance is beyond my judgement. RICHARD STRAUSS 14 sydney symphony

15 And also in Mengelberg s score at the beginning of the Adagietto was the following brief poem, presumably written by Mahler himself: Wie ich Dich liebe Du meine Sonne Ich kann mit Worten Dir s nicht sagen Nur meine Sehnsucht kann ich Dir klagen Und meine Liebe Meine Wonne! How I love you, my sun, I cannot tell you in words, I can only pour out to you my longing and my love, my delight! The Adagietto gained a wider audience when used in the soundtrack for Visconti s film Death in Venice. The Rondo Finale shares material with each of the previous four movements, particularly the Funeral March and the Adagietto. The movement is a joyous (giocoso) celebration which begins with a series of folk-like figures on solo wind instruments. (The opening of the movement quotes the witty Lob des hohen Verstandes (In Praise of Higher Understanding) from Des Knaben Wunderhorn.) The main rondo theme is first stated on the horns and the other ideas are woven contrapuntally around this as counter-subjects. When the main melody from the Adagietto returns it is so transformed with energy that it is practically unrecognisable. The development is elaborate, and the movement as a whole works its way towards the ecstatic brass chorale of the conclusion as close as the melancholy Mahler ever came to writing an Ode to Joy. MARTIN BUZACOTT, SYMPHONY AUSTRALIA 1997 Mahler s Fifth Symphony is scored for four flutes (two doubling piccolo), three oboes (one doubling English horn), three clarinets (one doubling E flat clarinet and bass clarinet), three bassoons and contrabassoon; seven horns, four trumpets, three trombones and tuba; timpani and four percussion; harp and strings. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra was the first ABC orchestra to perform this symphony, with conductor Georg Schnéevoigt on 5 August The most recent performance was in 2010 with Vladimir Ashkenazy conducting, also recorded as part of the SSO s Mahler Odyssey. Before World War II, Mahler s symphonies were not universally greeted as masterworks. When Georg Schnéevoigt conducted the SSO s first performance of the Fifth in the Sydney Town Hall on 5 August 1937, the Sydney Morning Herald reviewer found it: a long work, and an uncommonly patchy one the composer seemed to be going through the motions of grief, joy, or frenzy, but conveying nothing but a disturbing noise. Mahler s well-known fondness for brass instruments expressed itself in frequent and by no means uncertain terms. This, more than anything else, made the symphony fatiguing. Still, a score which includes such superb ideas as the Dead March in the first movement and the tender sincerity of the Adagietto is not lightly to be thrust aside. sydney symphony 15

16 MORE MUSIC ZUKERMAN PLAYS BRUCH Pinchas Zukerman has recorded the Bruch G minor violin concerto with Zubin Mehta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Look for it in a pairing with the Brahms violin concerto (Mehta conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra) on RCA, or in a program with Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto No.5 (Grétry) and Lalo s Symphonie espagnole in a Sony Classical Essential Classics release. ASHKENAZY CONDUCTS MAHLER Vladimir Ashkenazy conducted the SSO in Mahler s Fifth Symphony in 2010 as part of the Mahler Odyssey, in which we performed and recorded the complete symphonies and several major song cycles. The symphony is available on its own, and also as part of a handsome boxed set. SSO LIVE Visit to buy the SSO Mahler recordings and other music. PINCHAS ZUKERMAN Pinchas Zukerman and Vladimir Ashkenazy were frequent chamber music partners during the 1990s and they appear together in Mozart s Violin Concerto No.5 (the Turkish ), recorded in concert with Ashkenazy conducting the Deutsches Symphonie- Orchester Berlin. On the same disc Ashkenazy conducts Richard Strauss s Symphonia domestica. AUDITE Zukerman and Ashkenazy s chamber music recordings include the complete Schubert piano trios with cellist Lynn Harrell (who will perform with the SSO in 2014). DECCA Also a violist, Zukerman has recorded Berlioz s Harold in Italy with Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Available in a 2CD Berlioz collection that includes the Symphonie fantastique and highlights from Roméo et Juliette. DECCA To hear Zukerman in more core concerto repertoire, look for his recording of Beethoven s violin concerto with Daniel Barenboim conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Also in the 2CD set, Nathan Milstein in his final studio recordings of the Brahms, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky concertos, accompanied by the Vienna Philharmonic. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON On the Eloquence label, Zukerman plays the muchloved Lark Ascending in an all-english collection of music by Delius, Vaughan Williams and Walton. Daniel Barenboim conducts the English Chamber Orchestra. ELOQUENCE Broadcast Diary November December abc.net.au/classic Thursday 14 November, 1.30pm sibelius & brahms Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor Pinchas Zukerman violin Amanda Forsyth cello Saturday 16 November, 8pm mahler & bruch See this program for details. Thursday 28 November, 1.05pm wagner madness Nicholas Carter conductor Janet Webb flute Haydn, L Liebermann, Ledger, Wagner Saturday 14 December, 8pm variations on an english theme James Gaffigan conductor Vilde Frang violin Haydn, Britten, Brahms Fine Music sydney symphony 2013 Tuesday 10 December, 6pm Musicians, staff and guest artists discuss what s in store for Webcasts Selected Sydney Symphony Orchestra concerts are webcast live on BigPond and Telstra T-box and made available for later viewing On Demand. Our next webcast: mahler & bruch From Saturday 16 November at 8pm Visit: bigpondmusic.com/sydneysymphony We recommend our free mobile app, now optimised for the ipad, if you want to watch SSO live webcasts on your mobile device. 16 sydney symphony

17 MORE MUSIC Sydney Symphony Live The Sydney Symphony Live label was founded in 2006 and we ve since released more than a dozen recordings featuring the orchestra in live concert performances with our titled conductors and leading guest artists, including the Mahler Odyssey cycle, begun in To purchase, visit sydneysymphony.com/shop Glazunov & Shostakovich Alexander Lazarev conducts a thrilling performance of Shostakovich 9 and Glazunov s Seasons. SSO 2 Strauss & Schubert Gianluigi Gelmetti conducts Schubert s Unfinished and R Strauss s Four Last Songs with Ricarda Merbeth. SSO Sir Charles Mackerras A 2CD set featuring Sir Charles s fi nal performances with the orchestra, in October SSO Brett Dean Brett Dean performs his own viola concerto, conducted by Simone Young, in this all-dean release. SSO MAHLER ODYSSEY During the 2010 and 2011 concert seasons, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Vladimir Ashkenazy set out to perform all the Mahler symphonies, together with some of the song cycles. These concerts were recorded for CD and the set is now complete, together with a special disc of historical SSO Mahler performances. Available individually or as a handsome boxed set. Mahler 1 & Songs of a Wayfarer SSO Mahler 2 SSO Mahler 3 SSO Mahler 4 SSO Mahler 5 SSO Mahler 6 SSO Mahler 7 SSO Mahler 8 (Symphony of a Thousand) SSO Mahler 9 SSO Mahler 10 (Barshai completion) SSO Song of the Earth SSO From the archives: Rückert-Lieder, Kindertotenlieder, Das Lied von der Erde SSO LOOK OUT FOR Our next release featuring music by Brett Dean. Ravel Gelmetti conducts music by one of his favourite composers: Maurice Ravel. Includes Bolero. SSO Sydney Symphony Orchestra Online Join us on Facebook facebook.com/sydneysymphony Rare Rachmaninoff Rachmaninoff chamber music with Dene Olding, the Goldner Quartet, soprano Joan Rodgers and Vladimir Ashkenazy at the piano. SSO Prokofiev s Romeo and Juliet Vladimir Ashkenazy conducts the complete Romeo and Juliet ballet music of Prokofi ev a fi ery and impassioned performance. SSO Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto In May this recording with James Ehnes and Ashkenazy was awarded a Juno (the Canadian Grammy). Lyrical miniatures fi ll out the disc. SSO Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/sydsymph Watch us on YouTube Visit sydneysymphony.com for concert information, podcasts, and to read the program book in the week of the concert. Stay tuned. Sign up to receive our fortnightly e-newsletter sydneysymphony.com/staytuned Download our free mobile app for iphone/ipad or Android sydneysymphony.com/mobile_app sydney symphony 17

18 ABOUT THE ARTISTS Vladimir Ashkenazy PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR AND ARTISTIC ADVISOR Vladimir Ashkenazy first came to prominence on the world stage in the 1955 Chopin Competition in Warsaw and as winner of the 1956 Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. Since then he has built an extraordinary career, not only as one of the most outstanding pianists of the 20th century, but as a revered and 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, and this is his fifth season as Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Sydney Symphony. He has also been Chief Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic ( ) and Music Director of the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo ( ), and he is Conductor Laureate of the Philharmonia Orchestra, with whom he has developed landmark projects such as Prokofiev and Shostakovich Under Stalin and Rachmaninoff Revisited. He also holds the positions of Music Director of the European Union Youth Orchestra and Conductor Laureate of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. He maintains strong links with a number of other major orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra (where he was formerly Principal Guest Conductor) and Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (Chief Conductor and Music Director, ), as well as making guest appearances with major orchestras around the world. Vladimir Ashkenazy 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), Rachmaninoff transcriptions, Bach s Wohltemperierte Klavier and Beethoven s Diabelli Variations. His most recent solo releases feature the music of Rachmaninoff. A regular visitor to Sydney since his Australian debut in 1969, he has conducted subscription concerts and composer festivals for the Sydney Symphony, with highlights including the acclaimed Sibelius festival of 2004 and his Rachmaninoff festival of In he conducted the Mahler Odyssey concerts and live recordings, and his artistic role with the orchestra includes annual international touring. Russian-born Vladimir Ashkenazy inherited his musical gift from both sides of his family: his father David Ashkenazy was a professional light music pianist and his mother Evstolia (née Plotnova) was daughter of a chorusmaster in the Russian Orthodox church. KEITH SAUNDERS 18 sydney symphony

19 Pinchas Zukerman VIOLIN Pinchas Zukerman has remained a phenomenon in the world of music for over four decades, equally respected as violinist, violist, conductor, teacher and chamber musician. His extraordinary musicianship, prodigious technique and unwavering artistic standards are a marvel to audiences and critics. His busy annual performance schedule takes him all over North America, Europe and Asia, appearing in the season with such orchestras as the Vienna Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Salzburg Camerata, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. As a chamber musician he appears this season with pianist Yefim Bronfman in a North American recital tour, and his ensemble, the Zukerman ChamberPlayers, will perform at the Ravinia, Verbier and Miyazaki festivals, and make their third South American tour. Over the past decade, Pinchas Zukerman has become equally regarded as a conductor, directing many of the world s top orchestras. He is in his 15th season as Music Director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Ottawa and has served as Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra since His devotion to the next generation of musicians has resulted in innovative teaching programs in London, New York, China, Israel and Ottawa. He chairs the Pinchas Zukerman Performance Program at the Manhattan School of Music, pioneering the use of distance-learning technology, and in Canada he established the NAC Institute for Orchestra Studies and Summer Music Institute. Born in Tel Aviv in 1948, he moved to America in 1962, studying at the Juilliard School with Ivan Galamian. He has been awarded the Medal of Arts and the Isaac Stern Award for Artistic Excellence, and was appointed as the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative s first instrumentalist mentor in the music discipline. His extensive discography contains more than a hundred titles and has earned him 21 Grammy nominations and two awards. Pinchas Zukerman s most recent visit to Sydney was in 2000 as part of the Olympic Arts Festival, appearing for the Australian Youth Orchestra and Musica Viva. On this visit to Australia he also performs with the Adelaide and West Australian symphony orchestras. CHERYL MAZAK sydney symphony 19

20 MUSICIANS Vladimir Ashkenazy Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor supported by Emirates Andrew Haveron Concertmaster Dene Olding Concertmaster Jessica Cottis Assistant Conductor supported by Premier Partner Credit Suisse FIRST VIOLINS Dene Olding Concertmaster Sun Yi Associate Concertmaster Kirsten Williams Associate Concertmaster Lerida Delbridge Assistant Concertmaster Fiona Ziegler Assistant Concertmaster Julie Batty Jenny Booth Marianne Broadfoot Brielle Clapson Sophie Cole Amber Davis Georges Lentz Nicola Lewis Alexander Norton Léone Ziegler Rebecca Gill Andrew Haveron Concertmaster Jennifer Hoy Alexandra Mitchell SECOND VIOLINS Kirsty Hilton Marina Marsden Emma Jezek A/ Associate Principal Emily Long A/ Assistant Principal Shuti Huang Stan W Kornel Benjamin Li Nicole Masters Philippa Paige Biyana Rozenblit Maja Verunica Alexandra D Elia* Elizabeth Jones* Emily Qin* Kelly Tang Maria Durek Emma Hayes VIOLAS Roger Benedict Tobias Breider Anne-Louise Comerford Justin Williams Assistant Principal Robyn Brookfield Sandro Costantino Jane Hazelwood Graham Hennings Stuart Johnson Justine Marsden Felicity Tsai Leonid Volovelsky Amanda Verner CELLOS Catherine Hewgill Leah Lynn Assistant Principal Kristy Conrau Fenella Gill Timothy Nankervis Elizabeth Neville Christopher Pidcock Adrian Wallis David Wickham James sang-oh Yoo DOUBLE BASSES Kees Boersma Alex Henery Neil Brawley Principal Emeritus David Campbell Steven Larson Richard Lynn David Murray Benjamin Ward FLUTES Janet Webb Emma Sholl Carolyn Harris Rosamund Plummer Principal Piccolo OBOES Diana Doherty Shefali Pryor David Papp Alexandre Oguey Principal Cor Anglais CLARINETS Lawrence Dobell Francesco Celata Christopher Tingay Craig Wernicke Principal Bass Clarinet BASSOONS Matthew Wilkie Fiona McNamara Noriko Shimada Principal Contrabassoon HORNS Robert Johnson Geoffrey O Reilly Principal 3rd Euan Harvey Rachel Silver Abbey Edlin* Jenny McLeod-Sneyd* Brendan Parravicini Ben Jacks Marnie Sebire TRUMPETS David Elton Paul Goodchild Anthony Heinrichs Daniel Henderson* TROMBONES Scott Kinmont Nick Byrne Christopher Harris Principal Bass Trombone Ronald Prussing TUBA Steve Rossé TIMPANI Richard Miller PERCUSSION Rebecca Lagos Colin Piper Mark Robinson Brian Nixon* HARP Louise Johnson Bold = Principal Italics = Associate Principal * = Guest Musician = SSO Fellow Grey = Permanent member of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra not appearing in this concert To see photographs of the full roster of permanent musicians and find out more about the orchestra, visit our website: If you don t have access to the internet, ask one of our customer service representatives for a copy of our Musicians flyer. The men of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra are proudly outfitted by Van Heusen.

21 SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Vladimir Ashkenazy Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor PATRON Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO JOHN MARMARAS Founded in 1932 by the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra 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 it gives more than 100 performances each year, the SSO also performs in venues throughout Sydney and regional New South Wales. International tours to Europe, Asia and the USA have earned the orchestra worldwide recognition for artistic excellence, most recently in the 2012 tour to China. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra s first Chief Conductor was Sir Eugene Goossens, appointed in 1947; he was followed by Nicolai Malko, Dean Dixon, Moshe Atzmon, Willem van Otterloo, Louis Frémaux, Sir Charles Mackerras, Zdeněk Mácal, Stuart Challender, Edo de Waart and Gianluigi Gelmetti. David Robertson will take up the post of Chief Conductor in The orchestra s history also boasts collaborations with legendary figures such as George Szell, Sir Thomas Beecham, Otto Klemperer and Igor Stravinsky. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra s awardwinning education program is central to its commitment to the future of live symphonic music, developing audiences and engaging the participation of young people. The orchestra promotes the work of Australian composers through performances, recordings and its commissioning program. Recent premieres have included major works by Ross Edwards, Liza Lim, Lee Bracegirdle, Gordon Kerry and Georges Lentz, and the orchestra s recordings of works by Brett Dean have been released on both BIS and Sydney Symphony Live. Other releases on the Sydney Symphony Live label, established in 2006, include performances with Alexander Lazarev, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Sir Charles Mackerras and Vladimir Ashkenazy. In the orchestra made concert recordings of the complete Mahler symphonies with Ashkenazy, and has also released recordings of Rachmaninoff and Elgar orchestral works on the Exton/Triton labels, as well as numerous recordings on the ABC Classics label. This is the fifth year of Ashkenazy s tenure as Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor. sydney symphony 21

22 BEHIND THE SCENES Sydney Symphony Orchestra Board John C Conde ao Chairman Terrey Arcus am Ewen Crouch am Ross Grant Jennifer Hoy Rory Jeffes Andrew Kaldor am David Livingstone Goetz Richter Sydney Symphony Orchestra Council Geoff Ainsworth am Andrew Andersons ao Michael Baume ao Christine Bishop Ita Buttrose ao obe Peter Cudlipp John Curtis am Greg Daniel am John Della Bosca Alan Fang Erin Flaherty Dr Stephen Freiberg Donald Hazelwood ao obe Dr Michael Joel am Simon Johnson Yvonne Kenny am Gary Linnane Amanda Love Helen Lynch am David Maloney David Malouf ao Julie Manfredi-Hughes Deborah Marr The Hon. Justice Jane Mathews ao Danny May Wendy McCarthy ao Jane Morschel Greg Paramor Dr Timothy Pascoe am Prof. Ron Penny ao Jerome Rowley Paul Salteri Sandra Salteri Juliana Schaeffer Leo Schofield am Fred Stein oam Gabrielle Trainor Ivan Ungar John van Ogtrop Peter Weiss ao HonDLitt Mary Whelan Rosemary White Sydney Symphony Orchestra Staff MANAGING DIRECTOR Rory Jeffes EXECUTIVE TEAM ASSISTANT Lisa Davies-Galli ARTISTIC OPERATIONS DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC PLANNING Peter Czornyj Artistic Administration ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION MANAGER Eleasha Mah ARTIST LIAISON MANAGER Ilmar Leetberg RECORDING ENTERPRISE MANAGER Philip Powers Education Programs HEAD OF EDUCATION Kim Waldock EMERGING ARTISTS PROGRAM MANAGER Mark Lawrenson EDUCATION COORDINATOR Rachel McLarin CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICER Amy Walsh Library Anna Cernik Victoria Grant Mary-Ann Mead ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT Aernout Kerbert ORCHESTRA MANAGER Chris Lewis ORCHESTRA COORDINATOR Georgia Stamatopoulos OPERATIONS MANAGER Kerry-Anne Cook PRODUCTION MANAGER Laura Daniel PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Tim Dayman PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Ian Spence SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING Mark J Elliott SENIOR SALES & MARKETING MANAGER Penny Evans MARKETING MANAGER, SUBSCRIPTION SALES Simon Crossley-Meates MARKETING MANAGER, CLASSICAL SALES Matthew Rive MARKETING MANAGER, WEB & DIGITAL MEDIA Eve Le Gall MARKETING MANAGER, DATABASE & CRM Matthew Hodge GRAPHIC DESIGNER Lucy McCullough CREATIVE ARTWORKER Nathanael van der Reyden MARKETING COORDINATOR Jonathon Symonds ONLINE MARKETING COORDINATOR Jenny Sargant Box Office MANAGER OF BOX OFFICE SALES & OPERATIONS Lynn McLaughlin BOX OFFICE SYSTEMS SUPERVISOR Jacqueline Tooley BOX OFFICE BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR John Robertson CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES Karen Wagg Senior CSR Michael Dowling Katarzyna Ostafijczuk Tim Walsh COMMUNICATIONS HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS & SPONSOR RELATIONS Yvonne Zammit PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER Katherine Stevenson COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Janine Harris DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER Kai Raisbeck FELLOWSHIP SOCIAL MEDIA OFFICER Caitlin Benetatos Publications PUBLICATIONS EDITOR & MUSIC PRESENTATION MANAGER Yvonne Frindle DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Caroline Sharpen HEAD OF CORPORATE RELATIONS Jeremy Goff HEAD OF MAJOR GIFTS Luke Andrew Gay DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Amelia Morgan-Hunn DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Sarah Morrisby BUSINESS SERVICES DIRECTOR OF FINANCE John Horn FINANCE MANAGER Ruth Tolentino ACCOUNTANT Minerva Prescott ACCOUNTS ASSISTANT Emma Ferrer PAYROLL OFFICER Laura Soutter HUMAN RESOURCES HEAD OF HUMAN RESOURCES Michel Maree Hryce 22 sydney symphony

23 SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PATRONS Maestro s Circle Peter Weiss ao Founding President & Doris Weiss John C Conde ao Chairman Geoff Ainsworth am Tom Breen & Rachael Kohn In memory of Hetty & Egon Gordon Andrew Kaldor am & Renata Kaldor ao Vicki Olsson Roslyn Packer ao Penelope Seidler am Mr Fred Street am & Mrs Dorothy Street Westfield Group Brian & Rosemary White Ray Wilson oam in memory of the late James Agapitos oam Sydney Symphony Orchestra Corporate Alliance Tony Grierson, Braithwaite Steiner Pretty Insurance Australia Grou p John Morschel, Chairman, ANZ Chair Patrons Roger Benedict Principal Viola Kim Williams am & Catherine Dovey Chair 02 Lawrence Dobell Principal Clarinet Terrey Arcus am & Anne Arcus Chair 03 Diana Doherty Principal Oboe Andrew Kaldor am & Renata Kaldor ao Chair 04 Richard Gill oam Artistic Director, Education Sandra & Paul Salteri Chair 05 Catherine Hewgill Principal Cello The Hon. Justice AJ & Mrs Fran Meagher Chair 06 Kirsty Hilton Principal Second Violin Corrs Chambers Westgarth Chair 07 Robert Johnson Principal Horn James & Leonie Furber Chair 08 Elizabeth Neville Cello Ruth & Bob Magid Chair 09 Colin Piper Percussion Justice Jane Mathews ao Chair 10 Emma Sholl Associate Principal Flute Robert & Janet Constable Chair 11 Janet Webb Principal Flute Helen Lynch am & Helen Bauer Chair For information about the Chair Patrons program, please call (02) Sydney Symphony Orchestra Vanguard Vanguard Collective Justin Di Lollo Chair Kees Boersma Marina Go David McKean Amelia Morgan-Hunn Jonathan Pease Seamus R Quick Members Centric Wealth Matti Alakargas Stephen Attfield Damien Bailey Mar Beltran Evonne Bennett Nicole Billet David Bluff Kees Boersma Andrew Bragg Peter Braithwaite Blake Briggs Andrea Brown Helen Caldwell Hilary Caldwell Hahn Chau Alistair Clark Matthew Clark Benoît Cocheteux Paul Colgan George Condous Juliet Curtin Justin Di Lollo Alistair Furnival Alistair Gibson Sam Giddings Marina Go Sebastian Goldspink Tony Grierson Louise Haggerty Rose Herceg Philip Heuzenroeder Paolo Hooke Peter Howard Jennifer Hoy Scott Jackson Justin Jameson Aernout Kerbert Tristan Landers Gary Linnane Paul Macdonald Kylie McCaig Rebecca MacFarling David McKean Hayden McLean Amelia Morgan-Hunn Phoebe Morgan-Hunn Taine Moufarrige Nick Nichles Tom O Donnell Kate O Reilly Fiona Osler Archie Paffas Jonathan Pease Jingmin Qian Seamus R Quick Leah Ranie Michael Reede Paul Reidy Chris Robertson Benjamin Robinson Emma Rodigari Jacqueline Rowlands Katherine Shaw Randal Tame Sandra Tang Adam Wand Jon Wilkie Jonathan Watkinson Darren Woolley Misha Zelinsky sydney symphony 23

24 PLAYING YOUR PART The Sydney Symphony Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the music lovers who donate to the orchestra each year. Each gift plays an important part in ensuring our continued artistic excellence and helping to sustain important education and regional touring programs. Donations of $50 and above are acknowledged on our website at Platinum Patrons: $20,000+ Brian Abel Robert Albert ao & Elizabeth Albert Geoff Ainsworth Terrey Arcus am & Anne Arcus Tom Breen & Rachael Kohn Sandra & Neil Burns Mr John C Conde ao Robert & Janet Constable Michael Crouch ao & Shanny Crouch James & Leonie Furber Dr Bruno & Mrs Rhonda Giuffre In memory of Hetty & Egon Gordon Mr Andrew Kaldor am & Mrs Renata Kaldor ao D & I Kallinikos Helen Lynch am & Helen Bauer Vicki Olsson Mrs Roslyn Packer ao Paul & Sandra Salteri Mrs Penelope Seidler am G & C Solomon in memory of Joan MacKenzie Mrs W Stening Mr Fred Street am & Mrs Dorothy Street Peter Weiss ao & Doris Weiss Westfield Group Mr Brian & Mrs Rosemary White Kim Williams am & Catherine Dovey Ray Wilson oam in memory of James Agapitos oam Gold Patrons: $10,000 $19,999 Doug & Alison Battersby Alan & Christine Bishop Ian & Jennifer Burton Copyright Agency Cultural Fund Edward & Diane Federman Nora Goodridge Mr Ross Grant Mr Ervin Katz James N Kirby Foundation Ms Irene Lee Ruth & Bob Magid The Hon. Justice AJ Meagher & Mrs Fran Meagher Mrs T Merewether oam Mr John Morschel Mr John Symond Andy & Deirdre Plummer Caroline Wilkinson Anonymous (1) Silver Patrons: $5000 $9,999 Stephen J Bell Mr Alexander & Mrs Vera Boyarsky Mr Robert Brakspear Mr David & Mrs Halina Brett Mr Robert & Mrs L Alison Carr Bob & Julie Clampett Ewen Crouch am & Catherine Crouch Ian Dickson & Reg Holloway Dr C Goldschmidt The Greatorex Foundation Mr Rory Jeffes Judges of the Supreme Court of NSW J A McKernan R & S Maple-Brown Justice Jane Mathews ao Mora Maxwell Mrs Barbara Murphy Drs Keith & Eileen Ong Timothy & Eva Pascoe William McIlrath Charitable Foundation Mr B G O Conor Rodney Rosenblum am & Sylvia Rosenblum Estate of the late Greta C Ryan Manfred & Linda Salamon Simpsons Solicitors Mrs Joyce Sproat & Mrs Janet Cooke Michael & Mary Whelan Trust June & Alan Woods Family Bequest Anonymous (2) Bronze Patrons: Presto $2,500 $4,999 Mr Henri W Aram oam The Berg Family Foundation in memory of Hetty Gordon Mr B & Mrs M Coles Mr Howard Connors Greta Davis The Hon. Ashley Dawson-Damer Firehold Pty Ltd Stephen Freiberg & Donald Campbell Vic & Katie French Mrs Jennifer Hershon Gary Linnane Robert McDougall Renee Markovic James & Elsie Moore Ms Jackie O Brien J F & A van Ogtrop In memory of Sandra Paul Pottinger In memory of H St P Scarlett David & Isabel Smithers Marliese & Georges Teitler Mr Robert & Mrs Rosemary Walsh Mr & Mrs T & D Yim Anonymous (1) Bronze Patrons: Vivace $1,000 $2,499 Mrs Antoinette Albert Andrew Andersons ao Mr & Mrs Garry S Ash Dr Francis J Augustus Sibilla Baer Richard and Christine Banks David Barnes Mark Bethwaite am & Carolyn Bethwaite Allan & Julie Bligh Dr & Mrs Hannes Boshoff Jan Bowen Lenore P Buckle M Bulmer In memory of RW Burley Ita Buttrose ao obe Mr JC Campbell qc & Mrs Campbell Dr Rebecca Chin Dr Diana Choquette & Mr Robert Milliner Mr Peter Clarke Constable Estate Vineyards Debby Cramer & Bill Caukill Mr John Cunningham SCM & Mrs Margaret Cunningham Lisa & Miro Davis Matthew Delasey Mr & Mrs Grant Dixon Colin Draper & Mary Jane Brodribb Malcolm Ellis & Erin O Neill Mrs Margaret Epps Paul R Espie Professor Michael Field AM Mr Tom Francis Mr James Graham am & Mrs Helen Graham Warren Green Anthony Gregg Akiko Gregory Tony Grierson Edward & Deborah Griffin Richard Griffin am In memory of Dora & Oscar Grynberg Janette Hamilton Mrs & Mr Holmes The Hon. David Hunt ao qc & Mrs Margaret Hunt Dr & Mrs Michael Hunter Irwin Imhof in memory of Herta Imhof Michael & Anna Joel In memory of Bernard M H Khaw Mr Justin Lam Mr Luigi Lamprati Mr Peter Lazar am Professor Winston Liauw Dr David Luis Peter Lowry oam & Dr Carolyn Lowry oam Dr David Luis Deirdre & Kevin McCann Ian & Pam McGaw Matthew McInnes Macquarie Group Foundation Mrs Toshiko Meric Henry & Ursula Mooser Milja & David Morris Mrs J Mulveney Origin Foundation Mr & Mrs Ortis Dr A J Palmer Mr Andrew C Patterson 24 sydney symphony

25 Dr Natalie E Pelham Almut Piatti Robin Potter TA & MT Murray-Prior Dr Raffi Qasabian Michael Quailey Ernest & Judith Rapee Kenneth R Reed Patricia H Reid Endowment Pty Ltd Dr John Roarty oam in memory of Mrs June Roarty Robin Rodgers Lesley & Andrew Rosenberg Julianna Schaeffer Caroline Sharpen Dr Agnes E Sinclair Mrs Judith Southam Mrs Karen Spiegal-Keighley Catherine Stephen John & Alix Sullivan The Hon. Brian Sully qc Mildred Teitler Kevin Troy John E Tuckey In memory of Joan & Rupert Vallentine Dr Alla Waldman Miss Sherry Wang Henry & Ruth Weinberg The Hon. Justice A G Whealy Ms Kathy White in memory of Mr Geoff White A Willmers & R Pal Mr & Mrs B C Wilson Dr Richard Wing Mr Robert Woods In memory of Lorna Wright Dr John Yu Anonymous (12) Bronze Patrons: Allegro $500 $999 Mrs Lenore Adamson David & Rae Allen Michael Baume ao & Toni Baume Beauty Point Retirement Resort Richard & Margaret Bell Mrs Jan Biber Minnie Biggs Mrs Elizabeth Boon Mr Colin G Booth Dr Margaret Booth Mr Peter Braithwaite Mr Harry H Brian R D & L M Broadfoot Dr Miles Burgess Pat & Jenny Burnett Eric & Rosemary Campbell Barrie Carter Mr Jonathan Chissick Mrs Sandra Clark Michael & Natalie Coates Coffs Airport Security Car Park Jen Cornish Dom Cottam & Kanako Imamura Degabriele Kitchens Phil Diment am & Bill Zafiropoulos Dr David Dixon Elizabeth Donati The Dowe Family Mrs Jane Drexler Dr Nita Durham & Dr James Durham John Favaloro Ms Julie Flynn & Mr Trevor Cook Mrs Lesley Finn Mr John Gaden Vivienne Goldschmidt Clive & Jenny Goodwin Ms Fay Grear In Memory of Angelica Green Mr Robert Green Mr & Mrs Harold & Althea Halliday Mr Robert Havard Roger Henning Sue Hewitt In memory of Emil Hilton Dorothy Hoddinott ao Mr Joerg Hofmann Mr Angus Holden Mr Kevin Holland Bill & Pam Hughes Dr Esther Janssen Niki Kallenberger Mrs Margaret Keogh Dr Henry Kilham Chris J Kitching Aron Kleinlehrer Anna-Lisa Klettenberg Mr & Mrs Giles T Kryger The Laing Family Sonia Lal Dr Leo & Mrs Shirley Leader Margaret Lederman Mrs Erna Levy Sydney & Airdrie Lloyd Mrs A Lohan Mrs Panee Low Melvyn Madigan Barbara Maidment Helen & Phil Meddings David Mills Kenneth Newton Mitchell Ms Margaret Moore oam & Dr Paul Hutchins am Helen Morgan Chris Morgan-Hunn Mr Darrol Norman Mr Graham North Dr Margaret Parker Dr Kevin Pedemont Dr John Pitt Mrs Greeba Pritchard Mr Patrick Quinn-Graham Miss Julie Radosavljevic Renaissance Tours Dr Marilyn Richardson Anna Ro Mr Kenneth Ryan Mrs Pamela Sayers Garry Scarf & Morgie Blaxill Peter & Virginia Shaw Mr & Mrs Shore Mrs Diane Shteinman am Victoria Smyth Doug & Judy Sotheren Ruth Staples Mr & Mrs Ashley Stephenson Margaret Suthers The Taplin Family Dr & Mrs H K Tey Mrs Alma Toohey & Mr Edward Spicer Judge Robyn Tupman Mrs M Turkington Gillian Turner & Rob Bishop Mr & Mrs Franc Vaccher Prof Gordon E Wall Ronald Walledge In memory of Denis Wallis The Wilkinson Family Evan Williams am & Janet Williams Audrey & Michael Wilson Dr Richard Wingate Dr Peter Wong & Mrs Emmy K Wong Geoff Wood & Melissa Waites Mrs Robin Yabsley Anonymous (24) List correct as of 1 October 2013 To find out more about becoming a Sydney Symphony Patron, please contact the Philanthropy Office on (02) or philanthropy@sydneysymphony.com DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO TELL? Learn how, with the people who know books and writing best. Faber Academy at ALLEN & UNWIN T (02) W allenandunwin.com/faberacademy sydney symphony 25

26 SALUTE PRINCIPAL PARTNER GOVERNMENT PARTNERS The Sydney Symphony Orchestra is assisted by the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body The Sydney Symphony Orchestra is assisted by the NSW Government through Arts NSW PREMIER PARTNER PLATINUM PARTNERS EDUCATION PARTNER MAJOR PARTNERS GOLD PARTNERS SILVER PARTNERS THE LEADING SCHOOL FOR TODAY S MUSIC INDUSTRY REGIONAL TOUR PARTNERS MARKETING PARTNER Fine Music sydney symphony

27 ORCHESTRA NEWS NOVEMBER 2013 Photo: Keith Saunders HELLO CELLO Assistant Principal cellist Leah Lynn is at one with her instrument. Like many of our musicians, Assistant Principal cellist Leah Lynn has a very close relationship with her instrument. Most of the time, it s like an extension of my body, she says, it s a comfortable and symbiotic relationship. Running around after three kids with her husband Richard, who plays double bass in the orchestra, sometimes leaves less than the ideal amount of time to practise. If life has been busy and I ve had too little time with my cello, the symbiotic sense is lost. It can feel like I m holding some kind of strange thing it can feel a bit alien. A few years ago, the orchestra purchased a 1901 Vincenzo Sannino cello, an acquisition made possible through our Instrument Fund; Leah was the very happy recipient of this magnificent Italian cello. I ve now got this new and expressive language of colour and timbre available to me. It has a sonority with which I can express myself so much better [than before]. The sound [of the Sannino] is just so close to my ideal sound, to what s in my head. I think all music starts in the your head. When I was younger, I often thought quite naively that if I was to loose a sense, I would least mind losing my hearing, because I ve got the music in my head It s an extension of my body already; I can see it, and I can hear it. For the first few years in the job, says Leah, there s no amount of preparation that compares with the experience of repeating a piece, and what that brings to your bank of skills. Although I heard the words many times as a younger professional about needing experience, I don t think I quite understood what that meant, what experience really can bring. Having been in the orchestra for over 15 years, I feel like I ve reached a different point of reference. It s not that the music still always feels fresh, but most pieces you just take a different approach to. The only pieces that will ever feel tired to me are ones that I really dislike. For everything else, I just try to change and hopefully improve my perspective each time. For more information about donating to the instrument fund, contact Luke Gay at luke.gay@sydneysymphony.com or (02)

28 Education Highlight Love music. Will travel. Kamikaze kookaburras. Cake and cookies from the Country Women s Association. All in a day s work for our SSO Fellows when they took to the road to join in the music-making at the Moorambilla Festival in September. The festival s a celebration of music which brings local communities together, and gives rural kids the opportunity to be involved in a large-scale musical event, says clarinet Fellow Som Howie. The heart of the festival was hosted at Coonamble, seven hours drive northwest of Sydney. Some of the schools involved have only ten students enrolled, so without Moorambilla, it s unlikely those kids would have the chance to sing in a large choir or music ensemble. Our Fellows, alongside other professional and amateur ensembles from Sydney, worked with local groups, sharing their passion and expertise. Events culminated in an enormous combined gala performance. Horn Fellow Brendan Parravicini found it a moving experience: When we were accompanying the children s choir, made up of hundreds of kids, I felt humbled to share in such a special occasion. Ask a Musician I absolutely loved the sound of the Wagner tubas in the Orchestral Adventure concert, writes one concert-goer. They look like a euphonium given the once-over by Salvador Dali! Wagner tubas are the brainchild of Richard Wagner, who was searching for a bridge in the sound between the horns and trombones at the time of composing his Ring cycle. SSO horn player Marnie Sebire is often called on to play this notoriously unwieldy instrument: Let s just say it s interesting to play! Despite the name, Wagner tubas are normally assigned to the horn section, rather than tuba players; the shape of the instrument might be very different to the horn, but the mouthpiece used is identical. Wagner tubas have a few inherent flaws; often the notes don t centre. On the horn, we can move our right hand around in the bell to alter the intonation, but we lose that advantage when the bell is pointing straight up. Instead the player has to alter the shape of their embouchure. We re always lipping up or down to get the notes in tune. Few composers use the instrument Richard Strauss in some of his symphonic tone poems, Stravinsky in The Rite of Spring, Wagner of course but every orchestra will own a set of four. We need the instruments there for us to practise on and keep familiar, says Marnie. The SSO is currently investigating the purchase of a new set, at a cost of about $40,000. Challenges aside, Marnie says the sound of the Wagner tuba is one of the most honest and honourable. They have a rich, warm and resonant sound. When you ve got a good quartet playing, it s something very special. Have a question about music, instruments of the inner workings of an orchestra? Ask a Musician at yoursay@sydneysymphony.com or by writing to Bravo! Reply Paid 4338, Sydney NSW 2001 Photo: Ken Butti Our Education Partner Tenix recently gave three aspiring young Australian musicians the chance to travel to Sydney for the inaugural Tenix Sydney Symphony Orchestra Experience Day. Seventeenyear-old Grace Halloway (right) made the trip from Kingsley in Perth to take part in a private bassoon lesson with SSO principal Noriko Shimada (left). With Madeline Baker (clarinet) and Murphy Guo (piano) from Victoria, Grace also enjoyed lunch with the SSO s Fellows, a personalised Sydney Opera House tour with our Assistant Conductor Jessica Cottis, and a concert by the orchestra.

29 Photo: Ben Symons Philanthropy Focus JP ON THE VANGUARD JP (Jonathan Pease) was one of the first to join the SSO s Vanguard Collective. When Development Manager Amelia Morgan-Hunn was interviewed for her job in 2010 she pitched us the idea of SSO Vanguard. It got us excited, and needless to say, she got the job! One of the first to join Amelia on this initiative was Jonathan Pease, JP to everyone. With a 20-year background in marketing and advertising for the biggest guns in town, JP jumped at the chance to do something for the greater cultural good. I love art. I love music. I think without art and music around you, everything becomes extremely transactional and boring. I don t want to live in a world without either. When Amelia invited me to be involved, it was a no-brainer. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra Vanguard encourages young philanthropists to discover and enjoy classical music by taking it into unexpected spaces. We want a new audience to fall in love with music, says JP. And we re doing that by taking the orchestra out of the Opera House, giving it a twist, and making it more relevant for a Gen X Y demographic. These are people who don t have a season pass, and who may never go to the Opera House for a performance. The main thing is that people don t know what they don t know. If you say to someone who s never seen the SSO, Do you like this sort of music? Are you into it? they ll probably say No. But bring them to Vanguard to a car park in Kings Cross, or a warehouse in Surry Hills to witness the SSO playing our sort of music, and they walk away saying, Wow. I really love that. I haven t brought anyone to Vanguard who hasn t loved it and wanted to come back. In addition to the car park and the warehouse, Vanguard has hosted events in a basement and a brewery, and has raised over $45,000 to fund three yearlong places in the SSO s Sinfonia mentoring orchestra for talented young musicians. We re going to continue to push it, do new and creative things. The next one might be in an aircraft carrier, laughs JP, or maybe we ll launch the SSO blimp! Watch the skies Visit sydneysymphony.com/ vanguard for more information or contact Amelia Morgan-Hunn: amelia.morgan-hunn@ sydneysymphony.com or (02) The Score Dancing with Britten Our final set of concerts for the year offers Variations on an English Theme : music for the English, music by an Englishman, and music celebrating variation technique sometimes all three at once! And at the centre of the program is Britten s Violin Concerto, which will also see the Australian debut of young Norwegian violinist, Vilde Frang. Those who ve heard Vilde Frang play know she s a leading musician of her generation. She was discovered by Mariss Jansons at the age of 13, and last year made her debut with the Vienna Philharmonic at the Lucerne Festival, at which she received the 2012 Credit Suisse Young Artists Award. It s less well-known that she studied ballet for many years and dreamed of being a choreographer. Maybe it s appropriate then that her current musical focus is the Britten a concerto that ends with a Passacaglia, a massive set of dance variations. The concerto begins with a sense of impending doom (it was composed in 1939) but also has a wonderful intensity to it. And the Passacaglia introduces the variation form that Britten loved so much (think Young Person s Guide to the Orchestra), making for an expansive and virtuosic finale. Ideal music for a violinist with dancing in her bones; ideal music for a violinist with multifaceted sound and a maturity that belies her youth. Variations on an English Theme Master Series 11, 13, 14, December 8pm Photo: Sussie Ahlburg

30 CODA SSO FAMILY First violinist Alexandra Mitchell and husband Charles welcomed daughter Chloe in September. She didn t give her mum much time to recover from the rigours of Wagner before demanding her entry to the world. Brava Alex! CONDOLENCES We were saddened to learn of the death of Douglas Trengove, a horn player with the SSO for 42 years. In a Sydney Morning Herald review from 1962, he was praised for the liquescent cut and curl of the passagework in Mozart s Horn Quintet. Our thoughts are with Douglas s wife Barbara, children Christopher and Caroline, and extended family and friends. NEW CHAIR PATRONS We re delighted to announce two new Chair Patrons for the orchestra. The Principal Flute Chair (Janet Webb), is now supported by Helen Lynch AM & Helen Bauer. And Corrs Chambers Westgarth have come on board to support the Principal Second Violin Chair (Kirsty Hilton). Our Chair Patrons program formerly Directors Chairs builds special relationships between our musicians and members of our community of supporters. For more information, call (02) STUDENT RUSH Did you know we offer student rush tickets to many of our concerts? Follow our Facebook page to find out where, when, and how many. Tickets are always strictly limited, but you ll often spend no more than $15. Bargain! FELLOWS ON FILM Why does Brendan Parravicini call the SSO Fellowship program an arranged marriage? Get to know our 2013 Fellows through a series of short videos, created by Premier Partner Credit Suisse: bit.ly/5minuteswiththefellows 3 x 3 August and September saw us present three world premieres in three weeks. John Adams Saxophone Concerto, Mary Finsterer s Double Bass Concerto, and Compassion by Lior and Nigel Westlake, were heard by more than 10,000 people, thanks to ABC Classic FM broadcasts and our webcast of the Lior-Westlake concert. INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Fly with Emirates and enjoy the SSO in flight! A selection of webcast performances including our 2010 performance of Mahler s Sixth Symphony with Vladimir Ashkenazy can now be viewed on Emirates ice, which recently took out the award for best inflight entertainment system for the ninth year running in the Skytrax Awards. CATCHING THE WORM Our 2014 Season Emirates Early Bird prize has been won by Mrs Margaret Harlow, an SSO subscriber for more than 17 years. Mrs Harlow (and a lucky travel partner) will fly Emirates luxurious business class to Dubai and enjoy five nights in the JW Marriot Marquis Dubai. Congratulations! BRAVO EDITOR Genevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphony.com/bravo SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE TRUST Mr John Symond AM [Chair] Mr Wayne Blair, Ms Catherine Brenner, The Hon Helen Coonan, Ms Renata Kaldor AO, Mr Chris Knoblanche, Mr Robert Leece AM RFD, Mr Peter Mason AM, Mr Leo Schofield AM, Mr Robert Wannan EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT Clocktower Square, Argyle Street, The Rocks NSW 2000 GPO Box 4972, Sydney NSW 2001 Telephone (02) Box Office (02) Facsimile (02) 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. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the editor, publisher or any distributor of the programs. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication, we cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, or for matters arising from clerical or printers errors. Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright material prior to printing. Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor: program.editor@sydneysymphony.com Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer Director, Programming Jonathan Bielski Director, Theatre and Events David Claringbold Director, Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart Director, External Affairs Brook Turner Director, Commercial David Watson SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE Bennelong Point GPO Box 4274, Sydney NSW 2001 Administration (02) Box Office (02) Facsimile (02) Website This is a PLAYBILL / SHOWBILL publication. PAPER PARTNER SYMPHONY SERVICES INTERNATIONAL Suite 2, Level 5, 1 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010 PO Box 1145, Darlinghurst NSW 1300 Telephone (02) Facsimile (02) Playbill Proprietary Limited / Showbill Proprietary Limited ACN ABN Head Office: Suite A, Level 1, Building 16, Fox Studios Australia, Park Road North, Moore Park NSW 2021 PO Box 410, Paddington NSW 2021 Telephone: Fax: admin@playbill.com.au Website: Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD Managing Director Michael Nebenzahl Editorial Director Jocelyn Nebenzahl Manager Production Classical Music Alan Ziegler Operating in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart & Darwin All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address. Entire concept copyright. Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is prohibited. Title Playbill is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited. Title Showbill is the registered title of Showbill Proprietary Limited. By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher s consent in writing. It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of binding or cover than that in which it was published, or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page of this publication / S S94

31 LES AMIS DU MUSIC BRINGS US TOGETHER. Credit Suisse. Premier Partner of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. credit-suisse.com/lesamis Vladimir Ashkenazy, Principal Conductor, and Musicians of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.