Concerts Thursday, February 8, and Saturday, February 10, at 8:00p, and Sunday, February 11, 2018, at 3:00p

Transcription

1 Concerts Thursday, February 8, and Saturday, February 10, at 8:00p, and Sunday, February 11, 2018, at 3:00p Roberto Abbado, Conductor Jorge Federico Osorio, piano Jessica Rivera, soprano Magdalena Wór, mezzo-soprano William Burden, tenor Tom McNichols, bass Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Norman Mackenzie, Director of Choruses Ludwig van Beethoven ( ) Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in C Major, Opus 15 (1798) I. Allegro con brio II. Largo III. Rondo. Allegro scherzando Jorge Federico Osorio, piano Intermission Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ( ) Requiem in D minor, K. 626 (1791) (completed, Süssmayr) I. Introitus: Requiem II. Kyrie III. Sequenz No. 1: Dies irae No. 2: Tuba mirum No. 3: Rex tremendae

2 No. 4: Recordare No. 5: Confutatis No. 6: Lacrimosa IV. Offertorium No. 1: Domine Jesu No. 2: Hostias V. Sanctus VI. Benedictus VII. Agnus Dei VIII. Communio: Lux aeterna Jessica Rivera, soprano Magdalena Wór, mezzo-soprano William Burden, tenor Tom McNichols, bass Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus

3 Notes on the Program by Ken Meltzer Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra in C Major, Opus 15 (1798) Ludwig van Beethoven was baptized in Bonn, Germany, on December 17, 1770, and died in Vienna, Austria, on March 26, In addition to the solo piano, the Concerto is scored for flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings. Approximate performance time is thirty-eight minutes. First Classical Subscription Performances: April 26 and 27, 1969, Grant Johannesen, Piano, Robert Shaw, Conductor. Most Recent Classical Subscription Performances: November 19 and 21, 2015, Yevgeny Sudbin, Piano, Carlos Kalmar, Conductor. It was as a pianist that Ludwig van Beethoven first ascended to prominence in Viennese musical circles. Audiences accustomed to the elegant and refined brilliance of such virtuosos as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Muzio Clementi were stunned by the elemental force of Beethoven s attacks upon the delicate fortepianos of the day. Composer Anton Reicha recalled an incident in which he served as page-turner for Beethoven during the performance of a Mozart piano concerto: He asked me to turn pages for him. But I was mostly occupied in wrenching the strings of the pianoforte which snapped, while the hammers stuck among the broken strings. Beethoven insisted on finishing the concerto, and back and forth I leaped, jerking out a string, disentangling a hammer, turning a page, and I worked harder than Beethoven. Of course, Beethoven s keyboard artistry consisted of far more than displays of brute strength. Pianist and composer Carl Czerny recalled that audience members were reduced to tears by the sheer eloquence of Beethoven s improvisational powers, for apart from the beauty and originality of his ideas, and his ingenious manner of expressing them, there was something magical about his playing. At least part of that magic arose from Beethoven s uncanny plasticity of phrasing, which, according to first-hand accounts, employed a masterful use of dynamic contrast and rubato (tempo modifications within a phrase). The work known as Beethoven s First Piano Concerto, Opus 15, was actually the second in order of composition (if one excludes the youthful E-flat Concert pour le Clavecin ou Fortepiano, circa 1784). While the C-Major Concerto was completed in 1798, the B-flat Concerto, Opus 19, now known as the Second, was finished in However, Beethoven revised the B-flat Concerto and withheld submitting the work to his publisher until 1801, remarking: I do not give it as one

4 of my best. By that time, the C-Major Piano Concerto had already been published as Beethoven s First. It is probable that the C-Major Concerto received its premiere at a 1798 concert in Prague, with the composer as soloist. Beethoven s C-Major Piano Concerto bears comparison with his First Symphony (1800), in that both appear in form and content to be natural extensions of the Classical-era works of Mozart and Franz Joseph Haydn. However, the bold rhythmic profile, adventurous harmonic modulations, and sharp dynamic contrasts of these early Beethoven works foreshadow the revolutionary figure soon to emerge in such works as the Eroica Symphony (1803). Musical Analysis I. Allegro con brio The opening movement begins quietly, with a delicate statement by the first violins of the initial motif, which soon grows into a forceful proclamation by the entire orchestra. The elegant second theme, again introduced by the first violins, is in the unexpected key of E-flat. A martial subject, played by the brass and woodwinds, leads to the conclusion of the orchestral exposition and the entrance of the soloist, who at first appears to be introducing new material. Soon, however, it becomes apparent that the pianist is restating in somewhat improvisatory fashion the themes already introduced by the orchestra. In the development section, the orchestra defers to the soloist, whose tantalizing descending and ascending chromatic scales lead to a boisterous restatement of the initial theme. A cadenza for the soloist and a brief reprise of the martial theme conclude the movement. II. Largo The principal melody of this expansive and stunningly beautiful Largo is in three sections. The first is immediately introduced by the piano. The violins inaugurate the second portion, with the woodwinds providing brief, poignant dissonance. The clarinet offers the conclusion of the tripartite theme. A contrasting section leads to a reprise of the principal subject, and the Largo poignantly concludes with a hushed, extended coda. III. Rondo. Allegro scherzando The playful, scherzando element of the concluding Rondo is immediately apparent with the pianist s introduction of the tripping main theme, echoed by the orchestra. The initial high spirits are maintained throughout, as the pianist and orchestra offer contrasting sections in spirited dialogue. Particularly delightful are the pianist s fleeting alternation between bass and treble registers, and an extended, syncopated dance section. Toward the Rondo s conclusion, Beethoven provides two brief cadenzas. In the final measures, the orchestra at first seems puzzled as to its next step, but then dashes headlong to the finish. Requiem in D minor, K. 626 (1791) (completed, Süssmayr) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria, on January 27, 1756, and died in Vienna, Austria, on December 5, The Requiem is scored for soprano, alto, tenor and bass solos, mixed chorus, two basset

5 horns (clarinets may replace basset horns), two bassoons, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, organ and strings. Approximate performance time is fifty-two minutes. First Classical Subscription Performance: January 19, 1965, The Choral Guild of Atlanta, Robert Shaw, Conductor. Most Recent ASO Classical Subscription Performances: May 14, 16, and 17, 2009, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Robert Spano, Conductor. Recordings: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Robert Shaw, Conductor (Beyer, ed.) (Telarc CD-80128) Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chamber Chorus, Donald Runnicles, Conductor (Levin, ed.) (Telarc CD-80636) An unknown messenger No work by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is as shrouded in legend and mystery as the Requiem and for good reason. Many of the circumstances surrounding Mozart s final composition have a decidedly surreal quality. In the early summer of 1791, Mozart received a visit at his Vienna home from an unknown messenger. This individual, acting on behalf of another who wished to remain anonymous, requested Mozart to compose a Requiem Mass. According to Mozart s early biographer, Franz Xaver Niemetschek, the messenger cautioned the composer not to try to find out who had given the order, as it would assuredly be in vain. A few months later, Mozart received another visit from the messenger, who appeared like ghost, and inquired about the status of the commission. As Mozart s physical condition deteriorated, he desperately attempted to complete the Requiem. In fact, Mozart continued to work on the Requiem until almost the very moment of his death. The horrible irony of the situation was not lost upon the composer. On more than one occasion, Mozart remarked that he was writing his own Requiem. When Mozart died, just a few minutes before 1 a.m. on December 5, 1791, the Requiem was unfinished. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was 35 years old. Over time, much of the Requiem s mystery has been replaced by fact. For example, we now know that the unknown messenger was representing Count Franz Walsegg, a nobleman who resided in Lower Austria. Count Walsegg was an amateur musician who played both the flute and cello. One of the Count s hobbies was to commission, anonymously, works by various prominent composers. Walsegg would then copy the works in his own hand and present them at his musical soirées. The Count invited his guests to try to ascertain the identity of the composer. As one of the Count s friends recalled: We had to guess the composer. Usually we guessed the count himself ; he would smile at that and be pleased that he had (or so he believed) succeeded in mystifying us; but we laughed because he thought us so credulous.

6 The Count s wife died on February 14, It is quite possible that Walsegg commissioned the Requiem from Mozart with the intention of presenting it on the first anniversary of her passing. The image of Mozart deathly ill, and racing against time to complete the Requiem certainly makes for a compelling story. In the case of Peter Shaffer s Amadeus (1979), it even makes for compelling theater. But in truth, during a considerable portion of the time Mozart was involved in the creation of the Requiem, he was in reasonably good health and spirits. It is for myself I am writing this The summer and autumn of 1791 represented an extraordinary period of activity for Mozart. In June or July, Mozart began composition of the Requiem. However, Mozart was forced to suspend work on the piece in order to travel to Prague for the premiere of La clemenza di Tito, an opera he had composed in less than a month s time. After the premiere of Tito on September 6, 1791, Mozart returned to Vienna and completed his comic opera, Die Zauberflöte, which had its first performance on September 30. At the time of the premiere of Die Zauberflöte, Mozart s wife, Constanze, was in Baden, taking the curative waters. Mozart s letters to her, written at the start of October, reflect the composer s generally buoyant attitude. For example, on October 7, Mozart, referring to himself in both the first and third person, wrote: Immediately after your departure I played two games of billiards with Herr von Mozart, the fellow who wrote the opera that is running at Schikaneder s theater; then I sold my nag for fourteen ducats; then I told Joseph to get Primus to fetch me some black coffee, with which I smoked a splendid pipe of tobacco; and then I orchestrated almost the whole of Stadler s rondo (i.e., the finale of Mozart s Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra, K. 622, yet another work he completed in 1791). During this heady period, Mozart was again at work on the Requiem. However, by the middle or end of October, he began to feel ill. Mozart was convinced that he had been poisoned. He told Constanze: I know I must die someone has given me acqua toffana and has calculated the precise time of my death for which they have ordered a Requiem, it is for myself I am writing this. Constanze, fearful that the Requiem was the cause of her husband s morbid thoughts, convinced him to put the work aside. A few weeks later, Mozart told Constanze: Yes I see I was ill to have had such an absurd idea of having taken poison, give me back the Requiem and I will go on with it. But on November 20, Mozart became stricken with the illness (perhaps, rheumatic fever) that would kill him in a few weeks time. Nevertheless, Mozart continued his work on the Requiem. On the eve of his death, Mozart sang the music with his friends, Benedict Schack, Franz Xaver Gerl (the first Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte), and Josepha Weber Hofer. However,

7 when the group arrived at the Lacrimosa ( On this day full of weeping ), Mozart began to weep violently and the score was laid aside. Mozart and Süssmayr Shortly before his passing, Mozart spoke with his student, Franz Xaver Süssmayr, concerning the completion of the Requiem. Constanze s younger sister, Sophie, recalled that when she rushed back to the house, she found Mozart speaking to Süssmayr, explaining to him how he thought he should finish it after his death The last thing he did was to try to mouth the sound of the timpani in his Requiem; I can still hear it now. Constanze s final conversation with her husband occurred when she tried to reassure Mozart that his physician had offered an optimistic diagnosis. Mozart responded: It isn t true. I shall die, now when I am able to take care of you and the children. Ah, now I will leave you unprovided for. And with those words, Mozart died. After Mozart s death, Constanze entrusted Joseph Eybler with the task of completing the Requiem. Eybler was a pupil of Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, and a composer Mozart esteemed as a young musician of whom it is to be regretted only that so few are his equal. Eybler began work on the Requiem, but ultimately found that he did not have sufficient time to devote to the project. Constanze then approached several other composers before deciding upon Süssmayr. In a February 8, 1800 letter to publisher Breitkopf and Härtel, Süssmayr described his involvement in the completion of Mozart s Requiem: In the Requiem (i.e., Introit), together with Kyrie Dies Irae Domine Jesu Christe, Mozart completely finished the four vocal parts and the figured bass, but gave only brief indications of the orchestration here and there. In the Dies irae, the last line he set was qua resurget ex favilla, and my contribution was the same as in the previous sections. I completed the Dies irae (i.e., Lacrimosa) from the line judicandus homo reus. The Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus were composed afresh by me; I only allowed myself, in order to give the work more unity, to repeat the Kyrie fugue at the words cum sanctis. We now know that Mozart fully orchestrated the Introitus and composed the music for judicandus homo reus. In addition, there remains considerable debate as to whether Mozart did, to some degree, contribute to the Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei sections of the Requiem. One of the bases for this conjecture is found in an 1826 article by Abbé Maximilian Stadler, entitled A Defense of the Authenticity of Mozart s Requiem. Stadler, a friend of the Mozarts, contended: Mozart s widow told me that, after his death, she had found a few scraps of music on his desk, which she gave to Mr.

8 Süssmayr. What they contained, and what Mr. Süssmayr might have made of them, she did not know. In any event, Süssmayr s efforts allowed Constanze to receive the remainder of Count Walsegg s commission fee. On December 14, 1793, Count Walsegg presented the Requiem in Wiener Neustadt. The subsequent revelation of Mozart s authorship of the work caused him no small embarrassment. By the very nature of its creation, Mozart s Requiem has inspired considerable debate not to mention several performing editions (these concerts feature the Süssmayr completion, edited by Leopold Nowak and published by Bärenreiter). And while it is fascinating to speculate on what Mozart might have accomplished with the Requiem had he been given more time on this earth, what remains is a work of surpassing eloquence, beauty, and power. Perhaps it is only fitting that a sublime genius, taken far too soon, would bequeath as his valedictory statement a glorious work that, nonetheless, leaves us yearning for more.

9 Texts and Translations I. Introitus: Requiem aeternam Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Te decet hymnus, Deus in Sion, et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem. Exaudi orationem meam; ad te omnis caro veniet. Requiem aeternum dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis! Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them. Thou shalt have praise in Zion, oh God, and homage shall be paid to Thee in Jerusalem. Hear my prayer; to Thee all flesh shall come. Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them! II. Kyrie Kyrie eleison! Christe eleison! Kyrie eleison! Lord have mercy upon us! Christ have mercy upon us! Lord have mercy upon us! III. Sequenz No. 1. Dies irae Dies irae, dies illa solvet saeclum in favilla, teste David cum Sibylla. Quantus tremor est futurus, quando judex est venturus cuncta stricte discussurus. This day, this day of wrath shall consume the world in ashes, as prophesied by David and the Sibyl. What trembling there shall be, when the Judge shall come

10 to weigh everything strictly. No. 2. Tuba mirum Tuba mirum spargens sonum per sepulchra regionum coget omnes ante thronum. Mors stupebit et natura, cum resurget creatura judicanti responsura. The trumpet, scattering its awful sound across the graves of all lands, summons all before the throne. Death and nature shall stand amazed, when creation arises to answer to the Judge. Liber scriptus proferetur in quo totum continetur, unde mundus judicetur. Judex ergo cum sedebit, quidquid latet apparebit, nil inultum remanebit. A written book shall be brought forth that contains everything, whereby the world shall be judged. When the Judge takes his seat all that is hidden shall appear, nothing shall remain unavenged. Quid sum, miser tunc dicturus, quem patronem rogaturus cum vix justus sit securus? What shall I, a wretch, say? To which protector shall I appeal when even the righteous is barely safe? No. 3. Rex tremendae Rex tremendae majestatis, qui salvandos salvas gratis, salve me, fons pietatis! King of awful majesty, who freely saves the redeemed,

11 save me, fount of pity! No. 4. Recordare Recordare, Jesu pie, quod sum causa tuae viae, ne me perdas illa die. Quaerens me sedisti lassus, redemisti crucem passus, tantus labor non sit cassus. Juste judex ultionis, donum fac remissionis ante diem rationis! Remember, gentle Jesus, that I am the reason for Thy time on earth, do not cast me out on that day. Seeking me, Thou didst sink down wearily, Thou didst redeem me by enduring the cross, such travail must not be in vain. Just judge of vengeance, give me the gift of redemption before the day of reckoning! Ingemisco tanquam reus, culpa rubet vultus meus, supplicanti parce, Deus! Qui Mariam absolvisti et latronem exaudisti, mihi quoque spem dedisti. Preces meae non sunt dignae, sed tu bonus fac benigne, ne perenni cremer igne! Inter oves locum praesta et ab hoedis me sequestra, statuens in parte dextra. I groan, like the sinner that I am, and my face reddens with guilt, spare the supplicant, O God! Thou, who pardoned Mary and heard the prayer of the thief, hast given me hope as well. My prayers are not worthy, but Thou, Good One, in pity let me not burn in the everlasting fire! Give me a place among the sheep

12 and separate me from the goats, placing me on Thy right hand. No. 5. Confutatis Confutatis maledictis, flammis acribus addictis, Voca me cum benedictis! Oro supplex et acclinis, cor contritum quasi cinis. Gere curam mei finis! When the damned are cast away and consigned to the searing flames, call me with the blessed! Bowed down in supplication I beg Thee, my heart as contrite as ashes, take Thou my ending into Thy care! No. 6. Lacrymosa Lacrymosa dies illa, qua resurget ex favilla judicandus homo reus. Huic ergo parce, Deus, pie Jesu, Domine! Dona eis requiem! Amen. Oh this day full of weeping, when from the ashes arises the guilty man, to be judged. Have mercy upon him, O Lord, merciful Lord Jesus! Grant them rest! Amen. IV. Offertorium No. 1. Domine Jesu Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae! Libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum de poenis inferni et de profundo lacu! Libera eas de ore leonis! Ne absorbeat eas tartarus, ne cadant in obscurum.

13 Sed signifier sanctus Michael repraesentet eas in lucem sanctum, quam olim Abrahae pomisisti et semini ejus. Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory! Deliver the souls of the faithful departed from the pains of hell and the deep pit! Deliver them from the mouth of the lion! That hell may not engulf them, and that they not be plunged into darkness. But may the holy standard-bearer Michael lead them into the holy light, as Thou didst promise of old to Abraham and his seed. No. 2. Hostias Hostias et preces tibi, Domine, laudis offerimus; tu suscipe pro animabus illis, quarum hodie, memoriam facimus: fac eas, Domine, de morte transire ad vitam; quam olim Abrahae promisisti et semini ejus. In praise we offer to Thee, O Lord, sacrifices and prayers; do Thou receive them on behalf of souls of those, whom we remember this day: allow them, O Lord, to pass from death to life, as Thou didst promise of old to Abraham and his seed. V. Sanctus Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Dominus, Deus Sabaoth! Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Osanna in excelsis! Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts! Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory.

14 Glory to God in the highest! VI. Benedictus Benedictus, qui venit in nomine Domini. Osanna in excelsis! Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord. Glory to God in the highest! VII. Agnus Dei Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem sempiternam! Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world, grant them rest. Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world, grant them eternal rest! VIII. Communio: Lux aeterna Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine, cum sanctis tuis in aeternum, quia pius es. May everlasting light shine upon them, O Lord, with Thy saints forever, for Thou art merciful. Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis! Cum sanctis tuis in aeternum, quia pius es. Lord, grant them eternal rest and let perpetual light shine upon them! With Thy Saints forever, for Thou art merciful.