2012 SEASON SPECIAL EVENT. Anne-Sophie Mutter plays Beethoven. Fri 30 March 8pm Sat 31 March 8pm

Transcription

1 2012 SEASON SPECIAL EVENT Anne-Sophie Mutter plays Beethoven Fri 30 March 8pm Sat 31 March 8pm

2 WELCOME We at Credit Suisse warmly welcome you to the Australian debut concerts of German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter. In 2011, we were proud to support the Sydney Symphony in presenting the Australian debut of pianist Evgeny Kissin. His long-awaited visit to this country was due in large part to the musical and personal rapport between Kissin and the orchestra s principal conductor, Vladimir Ashkenazy. Similarly, Anne-Sophie Mutter s first visit to Australia has resulted from Ashkenazy s determination to invite some of the world s best soloists to perform here in Sydney. It is no exaggeration to say that Anne-Sophie Mutter is a superstar in the classical music world. She came to the attention of Herbert von Karajan and thus the world as a teenager. In the years since, Mutter has matured into an artist of the highest calibre, renowned for her immaculate precision, bold musical ideas and powerful sound. The sold-out hall tonight is testament to the eagerness with which Sydney audiences have been anticipating this landmark appearance by a great international artist. For all of us, it will be a privilege to hear Anne-Sophie Mutter bring her artistry to one of the absolute masterpieces of the violin repertoire: the Beethoven concerto. For us at Credit Suisse, there is tremendous satisfaction in supporting this event, ensuring that Australian music lovers can experience, first hand, musicmaking at the highest level. We hope you have an enjoyable and inspiring evening in the concert hall. David Livingstone Chief Executive Officer Credit Suisse Australia

3 2012 season special event premier partner credit suisse Friday 30 March, 8pm Saturday 31 March, 8pm Sydney Opera House Concert Hall Anne-Sophie Mutter plays Beethoven Vladimir Ashkenazy CONDUCTOR Anne-Sophie Mutter VIOLIN Ludwig van Beethoven ( ) Violin Concerto in D, Op.61 Allegro ma non troppo Larghetto Rondo (Allegro) INTERVAL Dmitri Shostakovich ( ) Symphony No.5 in D minor, Op.47 Moderato Allegro non troppo Allegretto Largo Allegro non troppo Allegro Pre-concert talk by Scott Davie at 6.15pm in the Northern Foyer. Visit sydneysymphony.com/talk-bios for speaker biographies. Approximate durations: 42 minutes, 20-minute interval, 45 minutes The concert will conclude at approximately 10pm. No photographs or sound recordings may be taken or made during the concert.

4 ANJA FRERS / DG 6 sydney symphony

5 INTRODUCTION Anne-Sophie Mutter plays Beethoven In this 80th anniversary season, the Sydney Symphony has been looking back to the past as well as forward to the future. One significant event in our history was the introduction of subscription concerts in Perhaps even more significant in light of tonight s artists was the name of that series: Celebrity Concerts. The first celebrity was conductor Malcolm Sargent, who was a great success slim, handsome, well dressed and a showman conductor to boot, reports Phillip Sametz in his history of the orchestra. As a series the Celebrity Concerts didn t last. But their legacy remains, especially in the practice of casting a concert season with a mix of artists of international repute (some of whom we re proud to say are Australian), young overseas artists just beginning to make a name, and established and emerging Australians. Then, every so often, we enjoy the presence of an artist who is more than a celebrity a true star. In 2011 thanks to the advocacy of our principal conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy, himself a star of the musical world Sydney audiences witnessed stellar performances by Lang Lang and Evgeny Kissin. This year, we re delighted to bring Anne-Sophie Mutter to Sydney for her long-awaited Australian debut. Our program presents two composers who were celebrities in their lifetimes: Beethoven and Shostakovich. Beethoven s only violin concerto was composed for the celebrity virtuoso Franz Clement. But Beethoven makes no concessions to empty display in this mighty work. This is a concerto that calls for depth of musicianship as well as a virtuoso technique. Shostakovich s Fifth is the most popular of his symphonies, but this doesn t make it any less complicated. Much has been written about Shostakovich s life and music, and there will never be a simple answer. But Ashkenazy, who met the composer as a student and who knew his world, offers a musician s perspective when he says: If you could describe Shostakovich s attitude and what he tried to express in his music, it s simply the tragedy of an individual in impossible circumstances. But we knew what he wanted to say because we felt the same that he did, and we somehow deciphered it emotionally and spiritually And he said it so eloquently. We were looking into a mirror of our existence. That s what it was like. It s reality. But reality can be expressed only by a genius, in musical terms. sydney symphony 7

6 ABOUT THE MUSIC Ludwig van Beethoven Violin Concerto in D, Op.61 Allegro ma non troppo Larghetto Rondo (Allegro) Anne-Sophie Mutter violin cadenzas by Fritz Kreisler In December 1806, Johann Nepomuk Möser attended a benefit concert which he reviewed for the Wiener Theaterzeitung. He wrote that the excellent Klement, leader of the orchestra at the Theater an der Wien, also played, besides other beautiful pieces, a Violin Concerto by Beethhofen, which on account of its originality and many beautiful parts was received with exceptional applause. Well, we might say, quite. But Möser went on to note that the experts were unanimous: allowing it many beauties, but recognising that its scheme often seems confused and that the unending repetitions of certain commonplace events could easily prove wearisome. While it was rumoured that the wife of a 20th-century virtuoso used quietly to sing At last it s over, at last it s over to the tune of the finale, it is still hard to imagine how the critics back then got it so wrong and why there was only one other documented performance during Beethoven s life. (It was not until Joseph Joachim took the piece up in 1844, that it gained any currency at all.) Beethoven himself may have felt that the work had no future, as he made a version for piano and orchestra for the pianist, composer and publisher Muzio Clementi soon after the premiere. Then again, the excellent Klement had played one or two lollipops of his own composition (one, according to legend, with the instrument upside down) between the first and second movements, which, though not unusual practice, must have broken the spell. And to be fair, Beethoven, who had been working at tremendous speed in the latter half of 1806, only delivered the score at the last minute leaving little, if any, time for rehearsal. He had finally completed the first version of his opera Fidelio and then in quick succession composed the Fourth Symphony, Fourth Piano Concerto, the three Razumovsky string quartets, the Violin Concerto and one or two other things before the end of the year. We often describe the early years of the 19th century as Beethoven s heroic decade the music includes works such as the Eroica and Fifth Symphonies that dramatise seemingly titanic struggles and epic victories on a scale unimagined by previous composers. It is almost too easy to Keynotes BEETHOVEN Born Bonn, 1770 Died Vienna, 1827 Beethoven wrote only a small number of solo concertos, but his five concertos for piano (his own instrument) and the violin concerto have become repertoire standards. He also completed the Triple Concerto for violin, cello and piano, and during his youth in Bonn he began a violin concerto and composed two romances for violin and orchestra. These works, together with his violin sonatas, laid the groundwork for the great masterpiece that he composed with such assurance in VIOLIN CONCERTO Beethoven s Violin Concerto was composed for its first soloist, Franz Clement ( ). After the premiere, the critics praised the concerto s originality and beauty, but they were puzzled too. They were used to the brilliantly virtuosic concertos of composerviolinists such as Viotti and Spohr, and Beethoven s elegant concerto tends to highlight the inherent drama of its lyrical themes rather than the expected confrontation between virtuoso and orchestra. The concerto begins with five taps from the timpani, and this motif turns out to be an important gesture, dominating the radiant first movement. The second movement is a set of variations on a theme, and Beethoven links it seamlessly to the finale with a transition for the soloist. Tradition has it that Clement suggested the leaping main theme for the finale himself. 8 sydney symphony

7 see this as reflecting Beethoven s own heroic response to the deafness which began to hamper his professional and personal life at the time; it may also reflect radical upheavals in European society: Napoleon s armies occupied Vienna three times in the course of the decade. But the period also produced works of great serenity especially the Fourth Symphony, Fourth Piano Concerto and the Violin Concerto. They remain large-scale works, but their emotional worlds are far from the violent tensions of the odd-numbered symphonies. Beethoven had toyed with the idea of a Violin Concerto in the early 1790s: there exists a fragmentary first movement in C, and it is possible that one of the Romances for violin and orchestra was intended as a slow movement for the uncompleted work. While he may have abandoned the early concerto, by the time of the D major work he had nonetheless composed nine of his ten sonatas for piano and violin. From the 1802 Op.30 set on, he invested these with the same complexity of emotion and expanded scale heard in the symphonies and string quartets. But Beethoven s interest in the concerto medium was, until 1806, primarily in composing works for himself as soloist the first four piano concertos; after that time his hearing loss made concerto playing too risky. At one remove, as it were, in this work he could concentrate on the problem of reconciling the principles of symphonic composition which stress dramatic contention and ultimate integration of contrasting thematic Franz Clement Beethoven s Violin Concerto was composed for a virtuoso, the Austrian violinist Franz Clement ( ). Clement fi rst gained renown as a child prodigy. By 1806 he was the leader of an orchestra and had been a professional performer for more than half his life. He was famous for his astonishing memory, and his style was characterised by clarity and elegance. It was Clement who commissioned the concerto from Beethoven, intending it as the mainstay of a benefi t concert. Clement probably gave Beethoven advice on technical matters just as Joseph Joachim was to do for Brahms and Ferdinand David for Mendelssohn. But he may have provided other inspiration too: Clement had written his own violin concerto, also in D major, which was premiered in 1805, sharing the program with Beethoven s new Eroica Symphony in another benefi t concert for Clement; and tradition has it that Clement supplied the leaping theme for the hunting rondo that concludes Beethoven s concerto. This theme is fi rst played entirely on the G string, bringing to mind Clement s favourite party trick: performing variations of his own, on one string, while holding the instrument upside down! Cadenzas Beethoven did not compose cadenzas for his Violin Concerto. In the first performance, Clement provided his own, and many great violinists since, including Joseph Joachim and Fritz Kreisler have composed cadenzas for the concerto. When Beethoven transcribed the work as a piano concerto, however, he did compose cadenzas, distinctive in their unusual strategy of bringing the timpani along as a duo partner, echoing the drum taps of the opening. More recently, some violinists have adapted these piano cadenzas for the violin, retaining the timpani sydney symphony 9

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9 material and concerto composition, which adds the complication of pitting the individual against the mass. In the Violin Concerto Beethoven uses a number of gambits to bring about this synthesis. As in a number of works of this period, the Violin Concerto often makes music out of next to no material: the five drum taps which open the first movement, for instance, are a simple reiteration in crotchets of the key note (D). This gesture, seemingly blank at the start, returns several times during the movement, most strikingly when the main material is recapitulated: there the whole orchestra takes up the motif. Similarly, the Larghetto slow movement has been famously described by Donald Tovey as an example of sublime inaction nothing seems to be happening, though in fact subtle changes and variations of material stop the piece from becoming monotonous. The seemingly improvised transition into the last movement was not so much to preclude Clement from playing something with his teeth or behind his back, but to dramatise the gradual change from that immobility to the release of energy in the finale. Throughout the work Beethoven plays expertly with our expectations: the soloist only enters after a fully symphonic introduction, and only then with an ornamental flourish, rather than any thematic material. The beautiful second theme is, as Maynard Solomon notes, perfectly composed to exploit the richness of the lowest string of the instrument, but the soloist only gets that theme at the movement s end. This large scale plotting of the work allowed Beethoven to expand the scale of the violin concerto beyond all expectations, and lay the foundation for the great concertos of Brahms and Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky and Sibelius. Beethoven plays expertly with our expectations GORDON KERRY 2008 Beethoven s Violin Concerto calls for an orchestra of flute with pairs of oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns and trumpets; timpani and strings. The Sydney Symphony first performed the concerto in 1938 with conductor George Szell and violinist Nathan Tossy Spivakovsky, and most recently in 2010 with Renaud Capuçon and conductor Kristjan Järvi. sydney symphony 11

10 Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No.5 in D minor, Op.47 Moderato Allegro non troppo Allegretto Largo Allegro non troppo Shostakovich s Fifth Symphony is one of the iconic works of the 20th century. In purely musical terms it is a masterpiece, coherently expressed and brilliantly orchestrated in a largescale architecture whose pacing is always expertly judged. But the work s status derives at least in part from extramusical considerations: the circumstances in which the work was conceived were extraordinary, and the piece has become a powerful symbol in the battle for the composer s ideological soul. The well-known facts of the symphony s genesis bear repeating. By 1936 Shostakovich s opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk had enjoyed a very successful two year run, but then Stalin, whose tastes tended to extend no further than Lehár s Merry Widow, saw the show. An anonymous review appeared in the official newspaper Pravda accusing the composer of producing muddle [or chaos] instead of music and warning that this could end very badly for him. Shostakovich took to sleeping in the hallway of his apartment so as not to disturb his family when the NVKD (the predecessor of the KGB) arrived to arrest him though it never came to that. Lady Macbeth was pulled from the stage and revised as the toneddown Katerina Ismailova, and he withdrew, or allowed to be withdrawn, his Symphony No.4. He had good reason for alarm. The Great Terror, Stalin s infamous purges, was at its height, resulting in the incarceration, and often murder, of a colossal number of leading intellects in all walks of life as well as potential political rivals. Whether out of caprice, paranoia or sheer sadism, Stalin came close to fatally weakening his country. Shostakovich s Fourth Symphony which had to wait decades for a performance is an epic, blisteringly ironic work where triumphal fanfares turn sour in the space of a single bar and glacial spaces unfold menacingly. Composed in 1937, the Fifth, by contrast, is essentially a neoclassical piece, the angular contour and dotted rhythms of its opening gesture immediately recalling the baroque overture. The work has four movements in conventional forms (sonata-allegro, scherzo and so on); its musical language affirms traditional diatonic harmony in a Beethovenian journey from a striving D minor opening to the blazing major-key optimism of the finale. Following the common Keynotes SHOSTAKOVICH Born St Petersburg, 1906 Died Moscow, 1975 One of the great symphonic composers of the 20th century, Shostakovich was also a controversial and enigmatic personality who lived through the Bolshevik Revolution, the Stalinist purges and World War II. His music is often searched for cryptic messages: criticism of the Stalinist regime disguised in music that, it was hoped, would be found acceptable by authorities. But Shostakovich s compromises only went so far and his music was nonetheless subject to censure, usually on stylistic or moral grounds. Most famously, in 1936, his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk was dismissed in Pravda as Muddle instead of Music. FIFTH SYMPHONY This symphony was composed in 1937, following the Pravda criticism and the withdrawal of his audacious Fourth Symphony, and it has long been associated with the tagline (not from Shostakovich): A Soviet artist s reply to just criticism. In that light, the conservative aspects of the symphony make sense. The first movement seems positively orderly in character, despite its boldly jagged opening. The second movement is a traditional scherzo with playful central section, and the slow third movement is powerful and expressive in a way that made the first audience weep. The finale is contentious it might be optimistic on the surface but for some listeners the rejoicing seems forced. 12 sydney symphony

11 Dmitri Shostakovich, 1943 practice of Russian composers like Borodin, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov, Shostakovich places the dance-like scherzo second, before an emotionally powerful Largo which alludes briefly to his own setting of Pushkin s poem Rebirth. At the time, Shostakovich claimed that: man with all his experiences [is] in the centre of the composition, which is lyrical in form from beginning to end. In the finale, the tragically tense impulses of the earlier movements are resolved in optimism and joy of living. Composers program notes are often unreliable, but years later Shostakovich s conductor son Maxim claimed that his father had described it as an heroic symphony not unlike Beethoven s Third in intent. The Fifth Symphony was a huge success at its premiere, with audience members weeping during the slow movement and on their feet, cheering, as the finale drew to a close. (And they stayed on their feet for 40 minutes after the piece finished!) As a work which reflected the ideals of Socialist Realism, and which was clearly such a hit with the masses, the Fifth was Shostakovich s passport to a return for now at least to official favour. When a journalist described it as an artist s response to just criticism Shostakovich didn t demur, and that phrase has come to be seen as the work s subtitle, though there is no evidence that it was indeed Shostakovich s expressed view. During the early stages of the Cold War, Shostakovich was derided in the West as a composer of what Virgil Thomson called national advertising and a work like the Fifth seen as a piece of mandatory optimism and Soviet propaganda. In the late 20th century, however, that attitude changed radically as the view emerged that Shostakovich was a secret dissident, encoding anti-soviet messages in his music, including the Fifth Symphony. Soon after his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk was denounced in 1936, Shostakovich composed Rebirth (Vozrozhdenie), a setting of verse of Pushkin, portraying the immortality of beauty, the victory of the artist over his persecutors and the triumph of genius over mediocrity. In the Fifth Symphony he first alludes to the main theme of Rebirth in the Largo movement. Then, in the finale, he hides the theme amongst the triumphant brass and rejoicing strings, as if to say that the secret of the symphony is the triumph of culture over barbarism. sydney symphony 13

12 TCHAIKOVSKY at the ballet The Sydney Symphony performs orchestral highlights from two of Tchaikovsky s great ballets: Nutcracker and Swan Lake. Also on the program... GOLIJOV Last Round FALLA Nights in the Gardens of Spain Andrew Grams conductor Louis Lortie piano THURSDAY AFTERNOON SYMPHONY Thu 19 Apr 1.30pm EMIRATES METRO SERIES 7 Fri 20 Apr 8pm Mon 23 Apr 7pm Kal ka dun gu After sold-out concerts in 2008, William Barton returns to Sydney with his didjeridu to play his collaboration with Matthew Hindson, Kalkadungu. MOZART Symphony No.31 (Paris) MACKEY Stumble to Grace Piano Concerto (Australian premiere) BARTON & HINDSON Kalkadungu PROKOFIEV Classical Symphony David Robertson conductor William Barton didjeridu Orli Shaham piano MEET THE MUSIC PRESENTED BY AUSGRID Wed 27 Jun 6.30pm Thu 28 Jun 6.30pm BOOK NOW! Tickets available from $35* 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

13 This view gathered strength with the publication in 1979 (four years after Shostakovich s death) of a volume entitled Testimony: Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich as related to and edited by Solomon Volkov. In it Volkov quotes Shostakovich contradicting what he told his son, by saying: I think it is clear to everyone what happens in the Fifth. The rejoicing is forced, created under threat, as in Boris Godunov. It s as if someone were beating you with a stick and saying, Your business is rejoicing, your business is rejoicing, and you rise, shaky, and go marching off, muttering, our business is rejoicing, our business is rejoicing. What kind of apotheosis is that? You have to be a complete oaf not to hear that. Testimony created an ongoing furore, with musicologists and journalists confidently proclaiming the work either a complete fraud or a valuable document of the composer s thought. In 2004 one of the sceptics, Laurel E Fay, subjected the text to detailed examination. Fay cast doubt on the authenticity of the book, having discovered that the eight pages which the composer signed as having read all contained material which was not only innocuous but all of which had been published before. There was no guarantee that he saw, let alone dictated, the rest. The stylistic change that came about with the Fifth was almost certainly fuelled by Shostakovich s brush with the regime, and it is no accident that he began his epic cycle of intensely personal string quartets at this time. But certain facts are inconvenient to a simplistic reading of the man and his work, such as his decision to join the Communist Party in 1960, long after the immediate danger of Stalinism had passed. Moreover the Fifth Symphony was at one stage seen as pro-soviet tub-thumping and then almost overnight regarded as a denunciation of the very same regime. Maybe it s neither, but as critic Alex Ross puts it: The notes, in any case, remain the same. The symphony still ends fortissimo, in D major, and it still brings audiences to their feet. The applause went on for an entire hour. People were in uproar, and ran up and down through the streets of Leningrad till the small hours, embracing and congratulating each other on having been there. They had understood the message that forms the lower bottom, the outer hull, of the Fifth Symphony: the message of sorrow, suffering and isolation; stretched on the rack of the Inquisition, the victim still tries to smile in his pain. The shrill repetition of the A at the end of the symphony is to me like a spear-point jabbing in the wounds of a person on the rack. The hearers of the first performance could identify with that person. Anybody who thinks the finale is glorification is an idiot yes, it is a triumph of idiots. MSTISLAV ROSTROPOVICH (PREMIERE) The Great Hall erupted. Everybody left their seats and ran towards the platform, and their ecstatic clamouring joined into a single roar. DAVID OISTRAKH (MOSCOW PREMIERE) GORDON KERRY 2007 Shostakovich s Fifth Symphony calls for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, E flat clarinet, two bassoons and contrabassoon; four horns, three trumpets, three trombones and tuba; timpani and a large percussion section; two harps, piano, celesta and strings. Shostakovich s Fifth Symphony was premiered in Leningrad on 21 November 1937 in a Leningrad Philhamonic concert conducted by the young Evgeny Mravinsky. The Sydney Symphony gave the first Australian performance of the symphony on 16 June 1944, conducted by Eugene Ormandy. Our most recent performance was in 2005, conducted by Charles Dutoit. sydney symphony 15

14 MORE MUSIC ANNE-SOPHIE MUTTER The true fan of Anne-Sophie Mutter should look no further than the limited edition 40-CD collection ASM35 Anne-Sophie Mutter: The Complete Musician, released last year to celebrate her 35th year of concert performance. It s a handsome tribute to some mighty musical achievements and includes extensive documentation, photographs and exclusive content not previously released. The music ranges from Mozart, the composer Mutter first recorded, to new works that have been written especially for her. The collection is quite an investment, but there is also a highlights release and a digital edition for the thrifty music-lover. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON (Highlights, 2 CDs) DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON (Digital Edition, 8 hours) Anne-Sophie Mutter s most recent new release is a disc of music by Sebastian Currier (Time Machine for violin and orchestra), Wolfgang Rihm (Lichtes Spiel for violin and orchestra, and Dyade, for violin and double bass), and Krzysztof Penderecki (his Duo concertante, also for violin and double bass). The orchestra is the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Alan Gilbert and Michael Francis, and her duo partner is double bass virtuoso Roman Patkoló. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON And for music from the established repertoire, look for her recording from 2009 of the Brahms violin sonatas with pianist Lambert Orkis. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON orchestral works, recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, St Petersburg Philharmonic and NKH Symphony Orchestra. (The RPO is the orchestra for Symphony No.5, the first in the cycle to be recorded, in 1987.) DECCA More recently, in a 2001 concert in Suntory Hall, Tokyo, he recorded the Fifth Symphony with London s Philharmonia Orchestra. Where the earlier recording has been described as contemplative, the new one offers an interpretation of greater urgency and concentration. On the same disc is Shostakovich s Festive Overture. SIGNUM UK 135 The premiere of the Fifth Symphony was given by the Leningrad Philharmonic, conducted by Evgeny Mravinsky then a young conductor of no name, as he described himself. He recorded the symphony with the Leningrad Philharmonic in 1954, a performance that s been re-issued on the Melodiya label, and again in a live concert in 1984, which can be found in the Erato 12-CD collection, The Art of Evgeny Mravinsky. MELODIYA (1954) ERATO (1984) Broadcast Diary April May BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO Anne-Sophie Mutter has released two recordings of the Beethoven Violin Concerto, both with the Kreisler cadenza. The first was made in 1979 with the Berlin Philharmonic and Herbert von Karajan and has been re-issued several times since, both alone and in collections. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON Then in 2002 she recorded the concerto again, live in Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center the concert was Kurt Masur s final program as music director of the New York Philharmonic. This disc also includes the two Beethoven Romances. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON Friday 20 April, 8pm tchaikovsky at the ballet Andrew Grams conductor Louis Lortie piano Golijov, Falla, Tchaikovsky Saturday 12 May, 1pm mozart's requiem: choral contrasts David Zinman conductor Welch-Babidge, Campbell, McMahon, Whelan vocal soloists Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Poulenc, Mozart SHOSTAKOVICH 5 Shostakovich s Fifth is easily his most popular symphony in the concert hall and the recording catalogue. Vladimir Ashkenazy s take on the Fifth Symphony is currently available in a 15-CD boxed set of all the Shostakovich symphonies and selected 2MBS-FM sydney symphony 2012 Tuesday 10 April, 6pm Musicians, staff and guest artists discuss what s in store in our forthcoming concerts. 16 sydney symphony

15 Webcasts Selected Sydney Symphony concerts are webcast live on BigPond and Telstra T-box and made available for later viewing On Demand. Coming up next: a gershwin tribute Monday 21 May at 7pm Visit: bigpondmusic.com/sydneysymphony Live webcasts can also be viewed via our mobile app. 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 Unfi nished 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 Ravel Gelmetti conducts music by one of his favourite composers: Maurice Ravel. Includes Bolero. SSO Rare Rachmaninoff Rachmaninoff chamber music with Dene Olding, the Goldner Quartet, soprano Joan Rodgers and Vladimir Ashkenazy at the piano. SSO MAHLER ODYSSEY ON CD During the 2010 and 2011 concert seasons, the Sydney Symphony and Vladimir Ashkenazy set out to perform all the Mahler symphonies, together with some of the song cycles. These concerts were recorded for CD, with nine releases so far and more to come. Mahler 9 OUT NOW In March, Mahler s Ninth, his last completed symphony, was released. SSO ALSO CURRENTLY AVAILABLE Mahler 1 & Songs of a Wayfarer SSO Mahler 8 (Symphony of a Thousand) SSO Mahler 5 SSO Song of the Earth SSO Mahler 3 SSO Mahler 4 SSO Mahler 6 SSO Mahler 7 SSO Sydney Symphony Online Join us on Facebook facebook.com/sydneysymphony 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 or Android sydneysymphony.com/mobile_app sydney symphony 17

16 ABOUT THE ARTISTS Vladimir Ashkenazy PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR AND ARTISTIC ADVISOR In the years since Vladimir Ashkenazy first came to prominence on the world stage in the 1955 Chopin Competition in Warsaw he has built an extraordinary career, not only as one of the most renowned and revered pianists of our times, but as an inspiring artist whose creative life encompasses a vast range of activities. Conducting has formed the largest part of his music-making for the past 20 years. He has been Chief Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic ( ), and Music Director of the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo ( ). This is his fourth season as Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Sydney Symphony. Alongside these roles, Vladimir Ashkenazy is also Conductor Laureate of the Philharmonia Orchestra, with whom he has developed landmark projects such as Prokofiev and Shostakovich Under Stalin (a project which he toured and later developed into a TV documentary) and Rachmaninoff Revisited at the Lincoln Center, New York. 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), San Francisco Symphony, and Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin (Chief Conductor and Music Director, ), as well as making guest appearances with orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic. Vladimir Ashkenazy continues to devote himself to the piano, building his comprehensive recording catalogue with releases such as the 1999 Grammy awardwinning Shostakovich Preludes and Fugues, Rautavaara s Piano Concerto No.3 (which he commissioned), Rachmaninoff transcriptions, Bach s Wohltemperierte Klavier and Beethoven s Diabelli Variations. In 2009 he released a disc of French piano duo works with Vovka Ashkenazy. A regular visitor to Sydney over many years, he has conducted subscription concerts and composer festivals for the Sydney Symphony, with his five-program Rachmaninoff festival forming a highlight of the 75th Anniversary Season in In he conducted the Mahler Odyssey concerts and live recordings, and his artistic role with the orchestra also includes annual international touring. KEITH SAUNDERS 18 sydney symphony

17 Anne-Sophie Mutter VIOLIN Anne-Sophie Mutter has been one of the most famous violin virtuosos of our time for more than 35 years. Born in Rheinfelden in Baden, she began her international career at the Lucerne Festival in A year later, she appeared as a soloist at the Salzburg Whitsun Concerts under the baton of Herbert von Karajan. Since then, Anne-Sophie Mutter has given concerts in all the major musical centres worldwide. As well as performing traditional, famous works, she repeatedly introduces new repertoire to her listeners: Sebastian Currier, Henri Dutilleux, Sofia Gubaidulina, Witold Lutosławski, Norbert Moret, Krzysztof Penderecki, Sir André Previn and Wolfgang Rihm have dedicated works to her. In addition, she is involved in many charity projects and the promotion of top young musical talents. The year 2012, with concerts in Asia, Europe and North America and for the first time in Australia too demonstrates her musical versatility and unparalleled distinction in the world of classical music. Thus, she will perform Time Machines by Sebastian Currier and Lichtes Spiel by Wolfgang Rihm in a series of European countries and in Asia for the first time. Additionally, she will give the world premiere of two new works by André Previn: his second sonata for the violin and piano in July, followed by the Violin Concerto No.2 for Violin and String Orchestra with two Harpsichord Interludes in September. Anne-Sophie Mutter has been awarded the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis, the Record Academy prize, the Grand Prix du Disque and the Internationaler Schallplattenpreis, as well as several Grammys. On the occasion of her 35th stage anniversary, Deutsche Grammophon launched a comprehensive boxed set with all her DG recordings, extensive documentation and recordings of rare items hitherto unpublished. Simultaneously, an album dedicated to Anne-Sophie Mutter was released with the world premiere recordings of works by Wolfgang Rihm (Lichtes Spiel and Dyade), Sebastian Currier (Time Machines) and Krzysztof Penderecki (Duo concertante): a further tribute to her high devotion to contemporary music. In 2008, she established the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation, whose objective is the further strengthening of the worldwide promotion of top young musical talents: a task she set herself in 1997 with the foundation of the Freundeskreis der Anne- Sophie Mutter Stiftung e.v. (Friends of the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation). Work on current-day medical and social problems is also important to Anne-Sophie Mutter; she supports these concerns with regular charity concerts. In 2011, Anne-Sophie Mutter was awarded the Brahms prize, and the Erich-Fromm prize and Gustav-Adolf prize for her social involvement. In 2010 the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim awarded her an honorary doctorate; in 2009 she was distinguished with the European St. Ullrichs prize as well as the Cristobal Gabarron award. In 2008, Anne-Sophie Mutter received the International Ernst von Siemens Music prize and the Leipzig Mendelssohn prize. She has also received the Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz (Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany), the French Order of the Legion of Honour, the Bavarian Order of Honour, the Großes Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen (Grand Austrian State Decoration of Honour) as well as numerous other awards. ANJA FRERS / DG sydney symphony 19

18 MUSICIANS Vladimir Ashkenazy Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor supported by Emirates Dene Olding Concertmaster Nicholas Carter Associate Conductor supported by Premier Partner Credit Suisse FIRST VIOLINS Dene Olding Concertmaster Kirsten Williams Associate Concertmaster Sun Yi Associate Concertmaster Fiona Ziegler Assistant Concertmaster Julie Batty Jennifer Booth Marianne Broadfoot Brielle Clapson Sophie Cole Amber Davis Jennifer Hoy Georges Lentz Nicola Lewis Alexandra Mitchell Alexander Norton Léone Ziegler Katherine Lukey Assistant Concertmaster SECOND VIOLINS Kirsty Hilton Marina Marsden Susan Dobbie Principal Emeritus Maria Durek Shuti Huang Stan W Kornel Benjamin Li Emily Long Nicole Masters Philippa Paige Biyana Rozenblit Maja Verunica Alexandra D Elia Emily Qin Emma West Assistant Principal Emma Hayes VIOLAS Tobias Breider Anne-Louise Comerford Robyn Brookfield Sandro Costantino Jane Hazelwood Graham Hennings Stuart Johnson Justine Marsden Leonid Volovelsky Tara Houghton Neil Thompson David Wicks Roger Benedict Felicity Tsai CELLOS Catherine Hewgill Leah Lynn Assistant Principal Fenella Gill Timothy Nankervis Christopher Pidcock Adrian Wallis David Wickham Eleanor Betts Mee Na Lojewski* Rowena Macneish Kristy Conrau Elizabeth Neville DOUBLE BASSES Kees Boersma Alex Henery Neil Brawley Principal Emeritus David Campbell Steven Larson Richard Lynn David Murray Benjamin Ward FLUTES Emma Sholl Carolyn Harris Rosamund Plummer Principal Piccolo Janet Webb OBOES Diana Doherty Shefali Pryor David Papp Alexandre Oguey Principal Cor Anglais CLARINETS Francesco Celata Christopher Tingay Lawrence Dobell Craig Wernicke Principal Bass Clarinet BASSOONS Matthew Wilkie Fiona McNamara Noriko Shimada Principal Contrabassoon HORNS Ben Jacks Geoffrey O Reilly Principal 3rd Marnie Sebire Euan Harvey Jenny McLeod Robert Johnson Lee Bracegirdle TRUMPETS David Elton John Foster Andrew Evans* Paul Goodchild Anthony Heinrichs 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 Philip South* HARP Louise Johnson Owen Torr* PIANO & CELESTA Catherine Davis* Bold = Principal Italics = Associate Principal * = Guest Musician = Contract Musician = Sydney Symphony Fellow Grey = Permanent member of the Sydney Symphony 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 are proudly outfitted by Van Heusen. 20 sydney symphony

19 THE SYDNEY SYMPHONY JOHN MARMARAS Founded in 1932 by the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the Sydney Symphony 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 Sydney Symphony 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 2011 tour of Japan and Korea. The Sydney Symphony 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, most recently, Gianluigi Gelmetti. 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 s award-winning education program is central to its commitment to the future of live symphonic music, developing audiences and engaging the participation of young people. The Sydney Symphony 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 a recording of works by Brett Dean was released on both the BIS and Sydney Symphony Live labels. Other releases on the Sydney Symphony Live label, established in 2006, include performances with Alexander Lazarev, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Sir Charles Mackerras and Vladimir Ashkenazy. The orchestra has recently completed recording the Mahler symphonies, and has also released recordings with Ashkenazy of Rachmaninoff and Elgar orchestral works on the Exton/Triton labels, as well as numerous recordings on the ABC Classics label. This is the fourth year of Ashkenazy s tenure as Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor. sydney symphony 21

20 BEHIND THE SCENES Sydney Symphony Board John C Conde ao Chairman Terrey Arcus am Ewen Crouch Ross Grant Jennifer Hoy Rory Jeffes Andrew Kaldor Irene Lee David Livingstone Goetz Richter David Smithers am Sydney Symphony 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 Joan MacKenzie 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 am Mary Whelan Rosemary White Sydney Symphony Staff MANAGING DIRECTOR Rory Jeffes EXECUTIVE TEAM ASSISTANT Lisa Davies-Galli ARTISTIC OPERATIONS DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC PLANNING Peter Czornyj Artistic Administration ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION MANAGER Elaine Armstrong 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 Library LIBRARIAN Anna Cernik LIBRARY ASSISTANT Victoria Grant LIBRARY ASSISTANT Mary-Ann Mead ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT Aernout Kerbert ORCHESTRA MANAGER Christopher Lewis-Todd ORCHESTRA COORDINATOR Georgia Stamatopoulos OPERATIONS MANAGER Kerry-Anne Cook TECHNICAL MANAGER Derek Coutts PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Tim Dayman PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Ian Spence STAGE MANAGER Peter Gahan SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING Mark J Elliott MARKETING MANAGER, SUBSCRIPTION SALES Simon Crossley-Meates A/SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER, SALES Matthew Rive MARKETING MANAGER, BUSINESS RESOURCES Katrina Riddle ONLINE MARKETING MANAGER Eve Le Gall MARKETING & ONLINE COORDINATOR Kaisa Heino GRAPHIC DESIGNER Lucy McCullough DATA ANALYST Varsha Karnik MARKETING ASSISTANT Jonathon Symonds Box Office MANAGER OF BOX OFFICE SALES & OPERATIONS Lynn McLaughlin MANAGER OF BOX OFFICE OPERATIONS Tom Downey CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES Steve Clarke Senior CSR Michael Dowling Derek Reed John Robertson Bec Sheedy COMMUNICATIONS HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS Yvonne Zammit PUBLICIST Katherine Stevenson DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER Ben Draisma Publications PUBLICATIONS EDITOR & MUSIC PRESENTATION MANAGER Yvonne Frindle DEVELOPMENT HEAD OF CORPORATE RELATIONS Leann Meiers CORPORATE RELATIONS Julia Owens CORPORATE RELATIONS Stephen Attfield HEAD OF PHILANTHROPY & PUBLIC AFFAIRS Caroline Sharpen PHILANTHROPY, PATRONS PROGRAM Ivana Jirasek PHILANTHROPY, EVENTS & ENGAGEMENT Amelia Morgan-Hunn BUSINESS SERVICES DIRECTOR OF FINANCE John Horn FINANCE MANAGER Ruth Tolentino ACCOUNTANT Minerva Prescott ACCOUNTS ASSISTANT Emma Ferrer PAYROLL OFFICER Geoff Ravenhill HUMAN RESOURCES HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Anna Kearsley 22 sydney symphony

21 SYDNEY SYMPHONY PATRONS Maestro s Circle Peter Weiss am Founding President & Doris Weiss John C Conde ao Chairman Geoff Ainsworth am & Vicki Olsson Tom Breen & Rachael Kohn In memory of Hetty & Egon Gordon Andrew Kaldor & Renata Kaldor ao 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 Leadership Ensemble David Livingstone, CEO, Credit Suisse, Australia Alan Fang, Chairman, Tianda Group Macquarie Group Foundation John Morschel, Chairman, ANZ Andrew Kaldor, Chairman, Pelikan Artline Lynn Kraus, Sydney Office Managing Partner, Ernst & Young Shell Australia Pty Ltd James Stevens, CEO, Roses Only Stephen Johns, Chairman, Leighton Holdings, and Michele Johns Directors Chairs Roger Benedict Principal Viola Kim Williams am & Catherine Dovey Chair 02 Lawrence Dobell Principal Clarinet Anne Arcus & Terrey Arcus am Chair 03 Diana Doherty Principal Oboe Andrew Kaldor & Renata Kaldor ao Chair 04 Richard Gill oam Artistic Director Education Sandra & Paul Salteri Chair 05 Jane Hazelwood Viola Veolia Environmental Services Chair 06 Catherine Hewgill Principal Cello Tony & Fran Meagher Chair 07 Elizabeth Neville Cello Ruth & Bob Magid Chair 08 Colin Piper Percussion Justice Jane Mathews ao Chair 09 Shefali Pryor Associate Principal Oboe Rose Herceg Chair 10 Emma Sholl Associate Principal Flute Robert & Janet Constable Chair For information about the Directors Chairs program, please call (02) Watch us online bigpondmusic.com/sydneysymphony sydney symphony 23

22 PLAYING YOUR PART The Sydney Symphony 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 sydneysymphony.com/patrons Platinum Patrons $20,000+ Brian Abel Geoff Ainsworth am & Vicki Olsson Robert Albert ao & Elizabeth Albert Terrey Arcus am & Anne Arcus Tom Breen & Rachael Kohn Sandra & Neil Burns Mr John C Conde ao Robert & Janet Constable Dr Bruno & Mrs Rhonda Giuffre In memory of Hetty & Egon Gordon Ms Rose Herceg Mrs E Herrman Mr Andrew Kaldor & Mrs Renata Kaldor ao D & I Kallinikos James N Kirby Foundation Justice Jane Mathews ao Mrs Roslyn Packer ao Dr John Roarty oam in memory of Mrs June Roarty Paul & Sandra Salteri Mrs Penelope Seidler am Mrs W Stening Mr Fred Street am & Mrs Dorothy Street Mr Peter Weiss am & Mrs Doris Weiss Westfield Group Mr Brian & Mrs Rosemary White Ray Wilson oam in memory of James Agapitos oam Kim Williams am & Catherine Dovey June & Alan Woods Family Bequest Anonymous (1) Gold Patrons $10,000 $19,999 Alan & Christine Bishop Ian & Jennifer Burton Mr C R Adamson The Estate of Ruth M Davidson The Hon. Ashley Dawson-Damer Paul R Espie Ferris Family Foundation James & Leonie Furber Mr Ross Grant Helen Lynch am & Helen Bauer Mrs Joan MacKenzie Ruth & Bob Magid Mrs T Merewether oam Tony & Fran Meagher Mr B G O Conor Mrs Joyce Sproat & Mrs Janet Cooke Ms Caroline Wilkinson Anonymous (2) Silver Patrons $5,000 $9,999 Mark Bethwaite am & Carolyn Bethwaite Jan Bowen Mr Alexander & Mrs Vera Boyarsky Mr Robert Brakspear Mr Robert & Mrs L Alison Carr Bob & Julie Clampett Ian Dickson & Reg Holloway Mr Colin Draper & Mary Jane Brodribb Penny Edwards Michael & Gabrielle Field Mr James Graham am & Mrs Helen Graham Mrs Jennifer Hershon Michelle Hilton Stephen Johns & Michele Bender Judges of the Supreme Court of NSW Mr Ervin Katz Gary Linnane Mr David Livingstone William McIlrath Charitable Foundation David Maloney & Erin Flaherty Eva & Timothy Pascoe Rodney Rosenblum am & Sylvia Rosenblum Manfred & Linda Salamon The Sherry Hogan Foundation David & Isabel Smithers Ian & Wendy Thompson Michael & Mary Whelan Trust Dr Richard Wingate Jill Wran Anonymous (1) Bronze Patrons $2,500 $4,999 Dr Lilon Bandler Stephen J Bell Marc Besen ao & Eva Besen ao Mr David & Mrs Halina Brett Lenore P Buckle Howard Connors Ewen & Catherine Crouch Vic & Katie French Mr Erich Gockel Ms Kylie Green Anthony Gregg & Deanne Whittleston Ann Hoban Irwin Imhof in memory of Herta Imhof J A McKernan R & S Maple-Brown Greg & Susan Marie Mora Maxwell James & Elsie Moore Justice George Palmer am Bruce & Joy Reid Foundation Mary Rossi Travel Mrs Hedy Switzer Marliese & Georges Teitler Ms Gabrielle Trainor J F & A van Ogtrop Anonymous (3) Bronze Patrons $1,000-$2,499 Charles & Renee Abrams Andrew Andersons ao Mr Henri W Aram oam Dr Francis J Augustus Richard Banks David Barnes Doug & Alison Battersby Michael Baume ao & Toni Baume Phil & Elese Bennett Nicole Berger Mrs Jan Biber Julie Bligh M Bulmer In memory of R W Burley Eric & Rosemary Campbell Dr John H Casey Debby Cramer & Bill Caukill Dr Diana Choquette & Mr Robert Milliner Joan Connery oam & Maxwell Connery oam Mr John Cunningham scm & Mrs Margaret Cunningham Lisa & Miro Davis Matthew Delasey John Favaloro Mr Edward Federman Mr Ian Fenwicke & Prof. N R Wills Firehold Pty Ltd Dr & Mrs C Goldschmidt Akiko Gregory In memory of the late Dora & Oscar Grynberg Janette Hamilton Dorothy Hoddinott ao Paul & Susan Hotz The Hon. David Hunt ao qc & Mrs Margaret Hunt Dr & Mrs Michael Hunter Mr Peter Hutchison Michael & Anna Joel The Hon. Paul Keating In Memory of Bernard MH Khaw Anna-Lisa Klettenberg Mr Justin Lam Wendy Lapointe Ms Jan Lee Martin & Mr Peter Lazar Kevin & Deidre McCann Robert McDougall Ian & Pam McGaw 24 sydney symphony

23 Matthew McInnes Macquarie Group Foundation Mr Robert & Mrs Renee Markovic Alan & Joy Martin Harry M Miller, Lauren Miller Cilento & Josh Cilento Miss An Nhan Mrs Rachel O Conor Mr R A Oppen Mr Robert Orrell Mr & Mrs Ortis Maria Page Piatti Holdings Pty Ltd Adrian & Dairneen Pilton Dr Raffi Qasabian Ernest & Judith Rapee Kenneth R Reed Patricia H Reid Endowment Pty Ltd John Saunders In memory of H St P Scarlett Juliana Schaeffer Mr & Mrs Jean-Marie Simart Catherine Stephen John & Alix Sullivan The Hon Brian Sully qc Mildred Teitler Andrew & Isolde Tornya Gerry & Carolyn Travers John E Tuckey Mrs M Turkington In memory of Dr Reg Walker Henry & Ruth Weinberg The Hon. Justice A G Whealy Geoff Wood & Melissa Waites Warren Green Mr R R Woodward Dr John Yu & Dr George Soutter Anonymous (12) Bronze Patrons $500 $999 Mr Peter J Armstrong Mr & Mrs Garry S Ash Mrs Baiba B Berzins & Dr Peter Loveday Dr & Mrs Hannes Boshoff Minnie Briggs Dr Miles Burgess Pat & Jenny Burnett Ita Buttrose ao obe Stephen Bryne & Susie Gleeson The Hon. Justice J C & Mrs Campbell Mr Percy Chissick Mrs Catherine J Clark Jen Cornish Greta Davis Elizabeth Donati Dr Nita & Dr James Durham Greg Earl & Debbie Cameron Mr & Mrs Farrell Robert Gelling Vivienne Goldschmidt Mr Robert Green Mr Richard Griffin am Jules & Tanya Hall Mr Hugh Hallard Mr Ken Hawkings Mrs A Hayward Dr Heng & Mrs Cilla Tey Mr Roger Henning Rev Harry & Mrs Meg Herbert Sue Hewitt Mr Joerg Hofmann Ms Dominique Hogan-Doran Mr Brian Horsfield Alex Houghton Bill & Pam Hughes Susie & Geoff Israel Mrs W G Keighley Mr & Mrs Gilles T Kryger Mrs M J Lawrence Dr & Mrs Leo Leader Margaret Lederman Mrs Yolanda Lee Martine Letts Anita & Chris Levy Erna & Gerry Levy am Dr Winston Liauw Mrs Helen Little Sydney & Airdrie Lloyd Mrs A Lohan Mrs Panee Low Carolyn & Peter Lowry oam Dr David Luis Melvyn Madigan Dr Jean Malcolm Mrs Silvana Mantellato Mr K J Martin Geoff & Jane McClellan Mrs Flora MacDonald Mrs Helen Meddings David & Andree Milman Kenneth N Mitchell Chris Morgan-Hunn Nola Nettheim Mrs Margaret Newton Mr Graham North Dr M C O Connor am A Willmers & R Pal Dr A J Palmer Mr Andrew C Patterson Dr Kevin Pedemont Dr Natalie E Pelham Mr Allan Pidgeon Robin Potter Lois & Ken Rae Mr Donald Richardson Pamela Rogers Agnes Ross Dr Mark & Mrs Gillian Selikowitz Caroline Sharpen Mrs Diane Shteinman am Dr Agnes E Sinclair Doug & Judy Sotheren Mrs Elsie Stafford Mr Lindsay & Mrs Suzanne Stone Mr D M Swan Mr Norman Taylor Ms Wendy Thompson Kevin Troy Judge Robyn Tupman Gillian Turner & Rob Bishop Prof. Gordon E Wall Ronald Walledge Mr Robert & Mrs Rosemary Walsh Mr Palmer Wang David & Katrina Williams Audrey & Michael Wilson Dr Richard Wing Mr Robert Woods Mr & Mrs Glenn Wyss Mrs Robin Yabsley Anonymous (18) To find out more about becoming a Sydney Symphony Patron, please contact the Philanthropy Office on (02) or philanthropy@sydneysymphony.com sydney symphony 25

24 SALUTE PRINCIPAL PARTNER GOVERNMENT PARTNERS The Sydney Symphony is assisted by the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body PREMIER PARTNER The Sydney Symphony is assisted by the NSW Government through Arts NSW COMMUNITY PARTNER PLATINUM PARTNER MAJOR PARTNERS GOLD PARTNERS SILVER PARTNERS REGIONAL TOUR PARTNERS MARKETING PARTNER 2MBS Sydney s Fine Music Station 26 sydney symphony

25 ORCHESTRA NEWS APRIL 2012 I don t feel like a card-carrying viola player. PARTNERS IN TIME Associate Principal Viola Anne-Louise Comerford on buying an instrument, international perspectives, and the climate. Anne-Louise Comerford and her viola have been partners for almost as long as she s been a member of the Sydney Symphony. I joined the orchestra in 87. I had been looking for an instrument for years in Europe and all over the States. When the SSO was on tour there in 88, a friend who was playing in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was getting her instrument cleaned, so I tagged along to the dealer s. The first instrument I tried, I fell in love with. It w as a Domenico Degani viola made in Montagnana in It was the beautiful big sound on the C string that I loved. It was exactly the sound I wanted for myself. So I borrowed the viola for two concerts, rang my jazz trumpeter husband who was on tour in Europe and he wired me the entire fee from his tour for the deposit. That viola has made every single day of my working life a pleasure ever since. One of three professional viola-playing sisters, Anne- Louise credits viola legend Robert Pikler with firing their passion for the instrument: I still carry the sound of his playing with me today. I don t think I ve ever heard anything like it since. She s also grateful for the perspective she gained in the States and Europe during her studies. I felt very comfortable in Germany, because there was a single-mindedness in their approach to music. It was also a real melting-pot of cultures. You could learn as much from your peers as from your teachers. In Australia I think there s a broader sense of musicianship. I don t feel like a card-carrying viola player. I feel like a musician. I feel like everyone in the orchestra would think of themselves first as musicians. That said, the climate here is sometimes at odds with the pursuit of high art and culture: There was one time I was playing Shostakovich s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk next door [as a guest musician with the opera orchestra]. That music is so dark, and murderous, and grim. But it was a matinee! I walked out of the Opera House and into this brilliant blue afternoon, like a Brett Whitely painting! It was so at odds with the opera I remember thinking you couldn t write that piece in Australia.

26 Anniversary Event BRASS ON THE BRIDGE Good things happen in threes, and 1932 saw the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge as well as the founding of the ABC and the beginnings of the Sydney Symphony. Monday 19 March was the anniversary of the opening of the Bridge, and early that morning an intrepid band of eleven Sydney Symphony brass players climbed the coathanger to wish this Sydney icon a happy 80th birthday. High above the harbour, they played the theme from Chariots of Fire and Copland s Fanfare for the Common Man. Fittingly, ABC Radio played its part in the event, broadcasting its sounds to all those who couldn t join us 134 metres above sea level. Your Say I so enjoyed seeing the Opera House and the Beethoven concert. I was impressed that the entire 100-plus members of the choir had memorised their entire parts to sing. Very rare! Kay Bruns, Michigan USA Deidre Sim wrote to express her uplifting experience of Beethoven s Ninth, and to share a touching tale of serendipity involving Tim Minchin. Wow! What can I say? That was such beautiful music. [Beethoven 9: Ode to Joy] The choir, the double basses, the wind, the soloists what voices! Awesome. I felt like swinging over the balcony and dancing on a safety harness of course. Such glorious music. You really deserved that standing ovation. That was truly glorious. I also loved hearing Tim Minchin at the Opera House a year ago. The night I heard Tim Minchin play was the same day I was told I was going blind and needed urgent surgery. I was feeling pretty sad. I simply walked down from the specialist s rooms to the Opera House for the concert. Knowing nothing about the type of work Tim performed, I was beside myself with delight when he sang the song about Sam s mum having her sight saved because a group of people got together in Dandenong and prayed for this miracle. It was really funny, very naughty, and I just loved it. He is so deliciously naughty, prescient, politically incorrect and brave. Deidre Sim We like to hear from you. Write to yoursay@sydneysymphony.com or Bravo! Reply Paid 4338, Sydney NSW Ask a Musician I m curious to know how the rehearsals happen when the orchestra performs with a chorus? Don t all those singers have day jobs? You re quite right in thinking that daytime rehearsals are an impossibility when the orchestra works with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. While a handful of chorus members do make their living as musicians and therefore can work flexible hours the majority are talented amateur singers who work in 9 to 5 jobs. So when the program incorporates choir as in Beethoven s Ninth, or the forthcoming Mozart Requiem and Poulenc Gloria program (in May) the orchestra adjusts its schedule to a pattern of afternoon and evening rehearsals. But before the two ensembles even meet, the chorus will have been rehearsing once a week for months beforehand, working with a language coach, memorising their parts and perfecting th eir intonation. Cantillation, a chamber choir which also regularly appears with the orchestra, comprises professional singers who can thus attend daytime rehearsals. They prefer to work in the afternoons though, when their voices have warmed up! Have a question about the music, instruments or inner workings of the orchestra? Write to yoursay@ sydneysymphony.com.au or Bravo! Reply Paid 4338, Sydney NSW emirates.com/au Complimentary Concert in Vienna. When you fly First or Business Class to Vienna. 500 international awards and over 115 destinations worldwide including 29 in Europe. To learn more, visit sydneysymphony.com/emirates.

27 Education Focus Richard Gill works with young composer Anthony Appino on his work Der Zauberlehrling (The Sorcerer s Apprentice) in the 2010 Sinfonietta Project. MUSICAL OFFERINGS Teenage composers tackle an 18th-century challenge When JS Bach was challenged in 1747 by the King of Prussia to improvise a three-voice fugue on a long and complex theme, Bach managed it without any trouble. Was it Frederick II s petulance, or perhaps the spirit of competition that then led him to raise the stakes and demand a six-voice fugue on the same subject? It s hard to say. In any case, the remarkable result was Bach s landmark composition, The Musical Offering. This year, the Sydney Symphony Sinfonietta Project challenges students from across Australia to take Bach s Offering as a starting point for their own compositions, with a focus on the art of counterpoint. The Sinfonietta, now in its sixth year and recently broadened to reach out at a national level, is a program designed to encourage creativity in young people. Richard Gill, artistic director of the Sydney Symphony s Education Program, believes the creation of new music, rather than the performance of existing repertoire, represents a pinnacle in the study of music. It enriches the entire art-form. His vision in creating Sinfonietta was to enrich and develop the music-writing skills of Australian high school students opening to them new career pathways in the classical and contemporary music, film and media industries. The competition doesn t have a single winner. Instead, the national finalists will be flown to Sydney in November for workshops with Richard and the 2012 Sydney Symphony Fellows. Giving life to brand new music was part of the appeal of the Fellowship program for oboist Rachel Cashmore: Playing contemporary music is something I ve grown increasingly interested in. I m really looking forward to helping bring these works to life. This year we welcome Leighton Holdings as Presenting Partner for Sinfonietta. The project was launched with a four-year seed gift from Geoff Ainsworth AM and Vicki Olsson, and also received support from the James N. Kirby Foundation in If you or someone you know is interested in entering the Sinfonietta Project, see Coda at the end of this newsletter for more information. The Score Falstaff a noble rascal Elgar s Falstaff is a mass of con tradictions. Elgar didn t regard it as program music and he was careful not to call it a tone poem. Instead it was a symphonic study and he insisted that rather than providing a series of incidents à la Strauss s Alpine Symphony, he d painted a musical portrait, a sketch of a character. But if that s true, why is Falstaff so eventful? This might be a portrait, but it s a vivid narrative as well. Falstaff is so rich in dramatic detail that it almost calls for surtitles, with captions to highlight the myriad of images and happenings as the music progresses. Falstaff himself was, in Elgar s mind, made up wholly of incongruities. He is a goodly, portly man, of a cheerful look, a pleasing eye and a most noble carriage. But he s also a bumptious libertine, with a chaotic zest for life. Elgar reconciles the two. His Falstaff can fall into a drunken sleep (snoring courtesy of the contrabassoon) only to find himself in a delicate dream picture that takes him back to boyhood innocence. The Sydney Symphony hasn t played Falstaff for more than 20 years, so this May seize the opportunity to hear the music that Elgar considered his best work and which he enjoyed writing more than any other music. Carnevale Beethoven, Berlioz & Elgar Thursday Afternoon Symphony Thu 10 May 1.30pm Emirates Metro Series Fri 11 May 8pm Great Classics Sat 12 May 2pm To find out more about supporting the Sinfonietta project and to attend the public performance on 15 November, philanthropy@sydneysymphony.com or phone (02)