Concerts of Thursday, November 10 and Saturday, November 12, 2016, at 8:00p

Transcription

1 Concerts of Thursday, November 10 and Saturday, November 12, 2016, at 8:00p Robert Spano, Conductor Elizabeth Pridgen, piano David Coucheron, violin Oliver Knussen (b. 1952) Flourish with Fireworks, Opus 22 (1988) Alexander Scriabin ( ) Prometheus, Poem of Fire (Symphony No. 5), Opus 60 (1910) (arr. Michael Kurth) Elizabeth Pridgen, piano Intermission Sergei Prokofiev ( ) Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Opus 19 (1917) I. Andantino II. Scherzo. Vivacissimo III. Moderato David Coucheron, violin Igor Stravinsky ( ) Suite from The Firebird (1910, 1919 Revision) I. Introduction: The Firebird and Her Dance; Variation of the Firebird II. The Princesses Round: Khorovode III. Infernal Dance of King Kastcheï IV. Berceuse V. Finale

2 Notes on the Program by Ken Meltzer Flourish with Fireworks, Opus 22 (1988) Oliver Knussen was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on June 12, The first performance of Flourish with Fireworks took place at the Barbican Hall in London, England, on September 15, 1988, with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. Flourish with Fireworks is scored for piccolo, four flutes, two oboes, English horn, four clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, two tenor trombones, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion I: vibraphone, suspended cymbal, spring coil, whip: percussion II: orchestra bells, tamtam, wood block, snare drum; percussion III: suspended cymbal, wood block, bass drum; percussion IV: triangle, wood block, tenor drum; harp, celesta, and strings. Approximate performance time is five minutes. First Classical Subscription Performances The London Symphony Orchestra commissioned Oliver Knussen s Flourish with Fireworks for Michael Tilson Thomas s first concert as the LSO s Principal Conductor, which took place in London s Barbican Hall on September 15, In liner notes for the DGG recording with the London Sinfonietta ( ), the composer describes Flourish with Fireworks as a four-minute celebratory opener. Mr. Knussen acknowledges the occasional presence of a composition much admired by Michael Tilson Thomas Igor Stravinsky s Fireworks, Opus 4 (1908), which can be heard peeking through the textures of Flourish from time to time. There is also a tribute to the dedicatees of this brief, vivacious work, through the use of a motif based upon musical pitches corresponding to the initials LSO MTT (La, es, sol; Mi, Ti, Ti). This motif is, according to the composer, subjected to constant variation, sometimes of a kind not unknown to the Stravinsky who composed the Variations more than half a century after Fireworks. Prometheus, Poem of Fire (Symphony No. 5), Opus 60 (1910) (orch. Kurth) Alexander Scriabin was born in Moscow, Russia, on January 6, 1872, and died there on April 27, The first performance of Prometheus took place in Moscow on March 2, 1911, with Serge Koussevitsky, conducting. The Kurth orchestration of Prometheus is scored for piccolo, three flutes, two oboes, English horn, three clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, cymbals a2, bass drum, tam-tam, chimes, orchestra bells, triangle, piano, harp, celesta/organ (1 player; organ pedals optional), and strings. Approximate performance time is twenty-three minutes. First Classical Subscription Performances: December 13, 14, and 15, 1973, Robert Shaw, Conductor

3 These are the First Classical Subscription Performances of the Kurth Orchestration marked a stunning turning point for Alexander Scriabin. A classmate of Sergei Rachmaninov at the Moscow Conservatory, Scriabin became a professor of piano at that institution, commencing in However, in 1903 Scriabin left the Conservatory to focus on his musical compositions and a series of concert tours. That same year, Scriabin abandoned his wife and family to live in Western Europe with a young admirer named Tatyana Schloezer. Schloezer, a devotee of cult philosophy, encouraged Scriabin in his messianic sense of creative omnipotence, based first upon his interpretations of the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche, and later, the theosophy of Helena Blavatsky. Scriabin envisioned a series of four orchestral works that would express his mystical philosophy. Scriabin described the first composition in the series, The Divine Poem (1904), as portraying the struggle between Man enslaved to a personal God and Man, who is himself God but lacking the will to proclaim his divinity. The score for the second work, The Poem of Ecstasy, 1908, includes an explanatory poem, authored by Scriabin that begins: The spirit, Pinioned on its thirst for life, Soars in flight To heights of negation. Scriabin intended the final two portions of his tetralogy, Prometheus, The Poem of Fire (1910), and Mysterium to offer an unprecedented synthesis of the arts and senses. The original version of Prometheus is scored for large orchestra, piano, organ, wordless chorus, and a keyboard that projects colors onto a screen. Scriabin envisioned the even more ambitious Mysterium as the tetralogy's apocalyptic culmination, a grand religious event to be held in India, in which both the chorus and audience would be clothed in white. Scriabin was unable to complete Mysterium before his death in In all these works, Scriabin explored revolutionary harmonic expression and instrumental sonorities that presages the course of much of 20 th -century concert music. The premiere of Prometheus took place in Moscow on March 2, Serge Koussevitsky conducted, and Scriabin performed the central piano part. The color keyboard did not function properly during the premiere, and Scriabin never witnessed a performance that included this revolutionary element. For the premiere, Scriabin authorized the following explanatory program note, by Leonid Sabaniev: Prometheus, Satan and Lucifer all meet in ancient myth. They represent the active energy of the universe, its creative principle. The fire is light, life, struggle, increase, abundance and thought. At first this powerful force manifests itself wearily, as languid thirsting

4 for life. Within this lassitude, then, appears the primordial polarity between soul and matter. The creative upsurge or gust of feeling registers against this torpor. Later it does battle and conquers matter of which it itself is a mere atom and returns to the quiet and tranquility thus completing the cycle. These performances of Scriabin s Prometheus feature the premiere of an orchestration by Michael Kurth, composer and a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra s double-bass section. In early 2016, Robert Spano asked if I'd be willing to re-orchestrate Scriabin's Poem of Fire. The original orchestration involves a massive ensemble orchestra, larger than our own Orchestra, and prohibitively expensive to program (much like Stravinsky's original score to The Firebird, which he himself called wastefully large. ). But Robert believes that Atlanta audiences deserve the chance to hear the work, so I agreed to the project. As I immersed myself in the score, I realized that a few of the parts were practically superfluous, and could be subsumed by other instruments, without noticeable sonic sacrifice. Perhaps Scriabin purists will disagree and even take offense at my efforts; hopefully they will accept my apologies and console themselves with the knowledge that their hero s music is reaching new audiences. Additional, more tangible solace is offered: Scriabin believed in a bizarre theosophy in which fully-realized performances of his works would bring about the end of humanity. I cherish my role in helping humanity to avoid cataclysm by denying theosophists this Pyrrhic victory. I actually produced three different re-orchestrations of the score: one with reduced woodwinds, one with reduced brass, and a third with both families reduced to a more sensible complement. In all versions, the organ and choir are optional, as their parts are doubled by other instruments. It is my hope that the availability of these re-orchestrations will provide many new audiences the opportunity to explore the unique musical, emotional, and metaphysical realm created by this underrated genius of the early 20 th century. Michael Kurth Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Opus 19 (1917) Sergei Prokofiev was born in Sontsovka, Russia, on April 23, 1891, and died in Moscow, Russia, on March 5, The first performance of the Violin Concerto No. 1 took place at the Opéra in Paris, France, on October 18, Marcel Darrieux was the soloist, with Serge Koussevitsky

5 conducting. In addition to the solo violin, the Concerto is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, tuba, timpani, snare drum, tambourine, harp, and strings. Approximate performance time is twenty-two minutes. First Classical Subscription Performance: February 27, and 28 and March 2, 1969, Edith Peinemann, Violin, Michael Zearott, Conductor. Most Recent Classical Subscription Performance: February 18, 19, and 20, 2010, Leila Josefowicz, Violin, Roberto Abbado, Conductor. In 1917, Russia was in the grips of the Revolution that led to the overthrow of the Czarist regime. Sergei Prokofiev chose to distance himself physically and emotionally from these turbulent events. As Prokofiev recalled in his autobiography: I spent the summer of 1917 in the country near Petrograd (St. Petersburg) all alone, reading Kant and working a great deal. In 1917, Prokofiev composed his Symphony No. 1 ( Classical ), the twenty Visions fugitives for solo piano, the Piano Sonatas Nos. 3 and 4, and a cantata entitled Seven, They Are Seven. Another Prokofiev composition from that stormy year of 1917 was his First Violin Concerto. Prokofiev originally began the work in 1915, then intending the piece to be a concertino, a small-scale composition for violin and orchestra. By the time Prokofiev finished the composition in the summer of 1917, however, the concertino had expanded into a full-scale Concerto. The premiere of Prokofiev s First Violin Concerto was scheduled to take place that November in Petrograd. However, Prokofiev was warned: There is shooting in the streets of Moscow and Petrograd. You ll never get there. Accordingly, the Violin Concerto s premiere was cancelled. Under the circumstances, Prokofiev believed that Russia had not use for music at the moment, whereas in America I might learn a great deal and interest people in my music at the same time. On May 7, 1918, Prokofiev began a journey that led to his arrival in New York that September. Later, Prokofiev moved to Paris, where, on October 18, 1923, the First Violin Concerto received its premiere as part of the Concerts Koussevitsky. Serge Koussevitsky led the performance, with his concertmaster, Marcel Darrieux, appearing as violin soloist. The Paris critics, expecting a more avant-garde form of expression, were disappointed by the rather conservative nature of Prokofiev s Violin Concerto. One critic both noted and decried the influence of Felix Mendelssohn (as if that were somehow a bad thing). In time, however, the considerable charms of Prokofiev s First Violin Concerto have earned the respect, admiration, and affection of violinists and their audiences. Musical Analysis I. Andantino The Concerto opens with divided violas offering a quiet tremolo figure. This serves as the accompaniment for the soloist s introduction of the lovely principal theme, which the composer directs be played sognando (in a dream-like fashion). A vibrant episode leads to the soloist s presentation of the

6 more angular second theme. After a brief pause, the soloist, flutes, and clarinet launch the central section that begins peacefully, but soon generates considerable energy and tension. After the mood finally calms, a magical recapitulation of the opening theme ensues, played by the flute and harp, as well as the soloist and violas (both muted). Prokofiev directs that this restatement be performed at a slower tempo than the Concerto s opening. The music concludes with a final ascent by the flute, capped by a pianissimo trill. II. Scherzo. Vivacissimo The Scherzo is based upon a scurrying theme, first stated by the soloist after a brief introduction by the flute, harp, and pizzicato strings. This principal theme alternates with two contrasting episodes. In the first, the soloist employs a spiccato (bouncing) technique with the bow. In the second, the soloist is required to play sul ponticello, con tutta forza ( on the bridge of the instrument, with the greatest force ). The soloist s muted variation of this sequence ensues. The flute launches the final statement of the principal Scherzo theme, as the second movement dashes to its playful close. III. Moderato The finale opens with a repeated staccato eighth-note tick-tock rhythm in the clarinet and strings that Prokofiev directs be played with precision. This rhythm featured throughout the greater part of the movement serves as the basis for a series of varied episodes for the soloist. The hushed final section (Più tranquillo) offers ethereal trills by the soloist and a pianissimo resolution. Suite from The Firebird (1910, 1919 Revision) Igor Stravinsky was born in Lomonosov, Russia, on June 17, 1882, and died in New York on April 7, The first performance of The Firebird took place at the Paris Opéra on June 25, 1910, with Gabriel Pierné conducting. The 1919 Suite from The Firebird is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, xylophone, tambourine, triangle, cymbals, bass drum, piano/(optional) celesta, harp, and strings. Approximate performance time is twenty-three minutes. First Classical Subscription Performances: January 21, and 22, 1960, Henry Sopkin, Conductor. Most Recent Classical Subscription Performances: April 30, May 1 and 2, 2015, Robert Spano, Conductor. Recording: Telarc CD-80039, Robert Shaw, Conductor. For the spring 1910 Paris season of his Ballets Russes, impresario Sergei Diaghilev commissioned Anatoli Liadov to compose The Firebird, a full-length ballet based upon Russian folk tales. However, by the summer of 1909, it became clear that Liadov would not finish the score in time for production. Diaghilev contacted Igor Stravinsky and offered him the commission.

7 For various reasons, Stravinsky had misgivings about undertaking this assignment on such short notice. Nevertheless, according to Stravinsky: I accepted the order. It was highly flattering to be chosen among the musicians of my generation, and to be allowed to collaborate in so important an enterprise side by side with personages who were generally recognized as masters in their own spheres. Stravinsky began composition of The Firebird in November of 1909, and completed the score on May 18, The composer participated in all the rehearsals at the Paris Opéra. Tamara Karsavina, who danced the title role in the premiere of The Firebird, recalled that during one rehearsal when Stravinsky approached the orchestra pit, Diaghilev turned to her and said: Mark him well. He is a man on the eve of celebrity. The fulfillment of Diaghilev s prophecy took place on June 25, 1910, with The Firebird s triumphant premiere. Among the appreciative audience members at the premiere was French composer Claude Debussy, who came on stage after the performance to offer Stravinsky his compliments. The Firebird s winning synthesis of lyric and dramatic elements, couched in dazzling orchestration, captured the imagination of the Paris audiences and catapulted Stravinsky to national and international prominence. The Firebird was the first in a trilogy of masterpieces Stravinsky crafted for Diaghilev s Ballets Russes the other two being Pétrouchka (1911) and The Rite of Spring (1913). Those latter ballets marked a profound departure from the late-romantic atmosphere of The Firebird, a work that remained Stravinsky s most popular during his lifetime. Stravinsky fashioned three orchestral Suites from The Firebird, the first (1911) employing the huge orchestral forces of the original score. In 1919, Stravinsky created another Suite for reduced orchestra. Stravinsky completed the third (and final) Suite in The 1919 Suite the most frequently performed of the three is featured in these concerts. The Story of The Firebird I. Introduction: The Firebird and Her Dance; Variation of the Firebird The Suite opens with a mysterious Introduction. While wandering in the forest at night, the Prince Ivan encounters a magic Firebird. The Prince is entranced by the Firebird s beauty and captures her. However, the Prince takes pity on the Firebird and sets her free. In gratitude, the Firebird gives the Prince one of her feathers and promises to aid him in his hour of need. II. The Princesses Round: Khorovode The Prince comes to the courtyard of an enchanted castle, where he finds thirteen beautiful Princesses, captives of the evil magician Kastcheï. The Princesses warn Prince Ivan not to enter the castle,

8 for Kastcheï has the power to turn intruders to stone. The Prince boldly ignores their warnings. III. Infernal Dance of King Kastcheï The Prince is suddenly confronted by Kastcheï s horrible servants, and ultimately, the magician himself. Kastcheï tries to turn the Prince into stone, but the hero produces the Firebird s magic feather. The Firebird appears and forces Kastcheï and his followers into a frenetic dance. IV. Berceuse When Kastcheï and his followers are exhausted, the Firebird lulls them to sleep. V. Finale Kastcheï and his retinue are destroyed. All of the prisoners are set free, including the Thirteenth Princess, whom the Prince weds.