DARTMOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

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1 presents DARTMOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Filippo Ciabatti conductor with Jessica Tong 17 piano This performance is made possible in part by the William D and Besse M. Blatner Fund No. 1, the Lane 1928 and Elizabeth C. Dwinell Fund No. 2, the Admiral Gene W. Markey 1918 Memorial Fund, the Roesch Family Fund in Support of Instrumental Ensembles, the Arthur R. Virgin 1900 Fund No. 1 for the Advancement of Music and the Friends of the Symphony Orchestra. Spaulding Auditorium s Hamburg Steinway concert grand piano was purchased with generous gifts from Members of the Hopkins Center and Members of the Hood Museum of Art; the class of 1942, in memory of Allan Dingwall 42; and anonymous donors. Spaulding Auditorium s New York Steinway concert grand piano was restored with a generous gift by Huntley Allison 42 P 74. Saturday, May 27, pm Spaulding Auditorium Dartmouth College

2 PROGRAM Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 19 Ludwig van Beethoven ( ) Allegro con brio Adagio Rondo, Molto allegro Jessica Tong 17 piano INTERMISSION Presentation of Dartmouth Symphony Awards for Service and Achievement La Mer Claude Debussy ( ) De l aube à midi sur la mer (From dawn to noon on the sea) Jeux de vagues (Play of the waves) Dialogue du vent et de la mer (Dialogue of the wind and the sea) Boléro Maurice Ravel ( ) PROGRAM NOTES Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 19 (1795) Ludwig van Beethoven ( ) In 1795, a young Beethoven was enjoying widespread fame for his dexterity at the keyboard, but even in Bonn, the city of his birth, few could predict that from this young virtuoso s pen would soon flow the trajectory of Western music. In this early stage of Beethoven s compositional career, he mainly wrote pieces for his own solo performances, tailored to display his talents at the piano. His B-flat Piano Concerto is one such work. Here is Beethoven at his most charming, equally confident in the agility of his fingers and the sharpness of his wit. But even in this youthful showpiece we hear hints of the texture of his later masterworks; with an occasional harmonic wink he assures us that he is something more than just another Mozart. With a brisk orchestral introduction to the opening Allegro con brio, the strings establish a jaunty, soldierly mood through sharply dotted rhythms, interspersed with passages of legato lyricism. In Classical fashion, the soloist enters with an original theme that resembles, but does not restate, the introductory material. Playfully extroverted at first, the piano soon assumes a more reflective role, favoring the lyrical even through the traditionally stormy development section. In the recapitulation, a touching passage in distant G-flat major offers a contemplative diversion, the start of a long crescendo towards the triumphant orchestral tutti. The final piano cadenza demonstrates Beethoven s early mastery of the balance between compositional substance and virtuosic indulgence: After a glance backward to antique counterpoint, and

3 PROGRAM NOTES CONTINUED then forward, almost to later Romanticism, the Allegro culminates in a dazzling scalar flourish. From the remarkable first entrance of the piano to its delicately whispered final bars, the Adagio that follows is a work of beauty. The occasional naiveté of the first movement here dissolves in melodies that speak with maturity beyond the composer s twenty-five years. The finale is an exuberant Molto allegro rondo, driven by an infectious rhythm peppered with playfully displaced accents. Delighting in this impish metrical misdirection, the piano reassumes the image of youth, radiating vigor, whimsy and a touch of bravado. La Mer (1905) Claude Debussy ( ) Childhood summers spent on the seaside at Cannes; dreams of becoming a sailor; the maritime landscapes of J.M.W. Turner; stylized seafoam in the woodcuts of Hokusai. These distant memories and exotic illustrations formed Claude Debussy s conception of the sea better than any physical entity could to him, they were worth more than reality. It is fitting then, that when Debussy seemed to turn seaward to find inspiration for La Mer (subtitled Three Symphonic Sketches ), he was really turning inward, and in doing so not only arrived at his greatest orchestral achievement but also inaugurated a radical new compositional approach to the subject of nature. The first sketch, From Dawn To Noon On The Sea, is a masterpiece of suggestion and evocation. With only the briefest musical motifs and a dedication to the subtlest shades of orchestral timbre, Debussy hints at the sun s passage reflected in the waves. Cellos and basses open the work with murky impressions, faint silhouettes squinted at through crepuscular mist. Gradually the woodwinds awaken with new themes; the scene springs to life. A pentatonic flavor reminiscent of Eastern music pervades this material; Debussy always found great inspiration from Asian arts, even selecting Hokusai s Great Wave off Kanagawa to decorate this score s front cover. With a noble brass chorale, the first movement ends in a meditation on the glory of the sun at its apex. The second sketch, the scherzo-like Play of the Waves, evokes the whimsical unpredictability of the surf as competing rhythms dance and collide. The third sketch, Dialogue of the Wind and Sea, features the resurgence of thematic material from the first part in an increasingly urgent interchange between the two titular elements, finishing with another sunny revelation. Continually evocative, La Mer never resorts to literal programmatic material, nor to overt naturalism. Instead Debussy explores the psychology of our relationship with the sea, its impalpable hues seen through the battered glass of memory, the way its swaying rhythm remains beneath our feet long after stepping onto shore. Boléro (1928) Maurice Ravel ( ) What became Ravel s best-known work of orchestral music began with a commission from Ballets Russes dancer Ida Rubinstein, who requested an orchestration of Albéniz s Iberia for a new ballet. Faced with copyright restrictions, Ravel instead decided to write an original work, but retained the Spanish spirit of Rubinstein s commission by drawing inspiration from the slow triple-meter folk dance called the bolero. Bronislava Nijinksa, the sister of Vaslav Nijinsky (of Rite of Spring fame) choreographed the 1928 premiere. Set in in a smoky Andalusian café, the original staging tells the story of a beautiful Gypsy woman who, dancing on a tabletop, gradually seduces her audience into a frenzy. But even when performed as a stand-alone concert work, Boléro s suggestive ostinato never fails to hypnotize.

4 PROGRAM NOTES CONTINUED I have done exactly what I have set out to do, and it is for listeners to take it or leave it, was Ravel s blunt disclaimer regarding the piece. He deemed it orchestral texture without music; one long, very gradual crescendo, but the straightforward structure of Boléro provides the foundation for a remarkable experiment in timbre, a colorful showcase of Ravel s mastery of the orchestral palette. Barely audible, the snare drum begins the dance, tapping out the two-bar bolero rhythm, a ceaseless beat that propels the piece to the final measure. Above the subtle pizzicato pulse of violas and cellos, a solo flute enters with a simple melodic thread of C-major diatonicism; an ingenuous clarinet echoes the sentiment. Still grounded in C by the bass line, the bassoon offers a sinuous minor-mode response, made somewhat jazzier by an E-flat clarinet. With only these two melodies, in a repeated AABB structure, Ravel s fifteen-minute crescendo features no melodic or harmonic development whatsoever, only the careful variation of instrumental color. As more instruments join the mesmerizing rhythms of the snare drum and lower strings, the two themes gain power and timbral complexity. Saxophone solos lead into a passage of orchestral brilliance: Above celesta and horn playing the primary melody in C, two piccolos provide a glimmering polish one in G major, the other in E. Finally, the piccolo trumpet announces the triumphant fortissimo culmination of the crescendo, but a sudden jolt into E major goes beyond the breaking point, and the dance crashes down amid clattering cymbals and smeary trombones. Program Notes by Grant Cook 19 SENIOR RECOGNITION Elaine Chiu viola came to Dartmouth from Singapore, and has enjoyed spending Monday and Thursday evenings with the DSO since her freshman fall. Majoring in government and minoring in computer science and German, her highlights of Dartmouth include the friendships she has made, growing in her faith, studying abroad in Berlin and studying viola with Marcia Cassidy, to whom she is particularly grateful for the innumerable musical and non-musical life lessons. Post-graduation she is looking forward to moving to Texas, marrying her best friend James, and exploring creative pursuits. Kayvon Coffey violin is a senior from Denver, CO, and is earning a degree in economics and psychology. He has been a member of the DSO for the past four years and continues to be grateful for the musical experience and community the ensemble has brought. Moving to New York after graduation for work, he intends to continue playing in chamber and orchestral ensembles. Ruth Heindel cello is graduating with a PhD in earth sciences; her research focuses on soils in the polar regions. She has played in the DSO for five years and has greatly appreciated the opportunity to make music at such a high level. She would like to thank Marcia, Paul and David for their musical friendship, evenings of sight-reading, and countless rides to rehearsals. Next year Heindel will be a post-doctoral researcher at University of Colorado Boulder, where she hopes to continue playing her cello.

5 SENIOR RECOGNITION CONTINUED David Horak violin, celeste, and piano, from Norwich, VT, has immensely enjoyed his four years in the DSO. He is grateful to Mr. Ciabatti and Mr. Princiotti for the opportunity to play under their exceptional musical leadership. This summer, Horak will participate in the National Youth Orchestra s tour to Latin America. In the fall, he will begin violin studies with Ben Sayevich at the International Center for Music at Park University. He would like to thank the DSO members for their enthusiasm and friendship especially Prajan Divakar for his mentorship, introducing him to the recordings of long-forgotten violinists, and teaching him about IS and SP. Ellen Kim violin is originally from Plano, TX, and will be graduating with a BE in bioengineering along with four years of treasured memories from her time in the DSO. Outside of orchestra, she enjoys hiking, reading and dreaming. This fall, she will begin a masters in immunology at the University of Oxford. Kim would like to thank all of her musical teachers and mentors who have shared their expertise and have inspired her, particularly Miki-Sophia Cloud, Mr. Ciabatti and Heidi Itashiki, who first helped her find her voice on the violin. Orestis Lykouropoulos violin began studying violin at the age of six in Athens, Greece. He is pursuing a computer science and music double major, with an honors thesis in composition. He has been a violinist with the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra since freshman year, serving as assistant concertmaster since junior year, as well as playing the Sibelius Violin Concerto as the winter term soloist. In addition to his academic and musical pursuits, he is very active in the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network. After graduation, he will join Amazon as a software engineer, but plans to continue writing and performing music. Christopher Park violin has been playing with the DSO since freshman year. He is graduating with a degree in computer science modified with biology and will attend Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai the following year. Park is grateful for having the chance to perform an extremely diverse musical repertoire and has enjoyed making music with his friends and colleagues these past four years. He considers the orchestra s tour of Eastern Europe one of his defining experiences at Dartmouth, and hopes to continue to make music in New York and beyond. Molly Ryan violin first began studying the violin at age four in Flagstaff, AZ. She has played with the DSO since her freshman fall, where she made many of her best friends, and served as a DSO manager since sophomore spring. At Dartmouth, she is pursuing a double major in geography and environmental studies. Over the past four years, she has also been involved in the Dartmouth Sustainability Office, the First Year Trips Program and the Dartmouth Outing Club. She would like to thank her family and friends for their support, and especially her mom for providing her with inspiration and a lifelong duet partner. Josh Warzecha clarinet is a double major in Arabic and linguistics modified with Hebrew. He has played in both the DSO and the DCWE since his freshman fall and has appreciated the numerous opportunities to continue his musical education at Dartmouth. He will spend the next year in Israel working as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant at Tel Hai College while continuing to study Arabic and Hebrew.

6 ABOUT THE ARTISTS Filippo Ciabatti conductor, a native of Florence, Italy, is completing his second year conducting the Dartmouth Symphony. Appointed as Interim Director in 2015, he was named Music Director of the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra in 2016 after an international search. In 2016 Ciabatti also conducted Puccini s Tosca at Opera North (NH), directed by Russell Treyz, and Britten s Midsummer Night s Dream at the Lyric Theatre at Illinois, directed by Christopher Gillett. In May 2015, he made his South American debut conducting the Universidad Central Symphony Orchestra in Bogota, Colombia, where he also taught masterclasses in orchestra and Italian opera. With La Nuova Aurora Opera, he conducted full productions of Handel s Rodrigo (2015) and Purcell s King Arthur (2016). In , Ciabatti will conduct Madama Butterfly at Opera North (NH), and Hansel and Gretel and Don Giovanni (directed by Nathan Gunn) at the Lyric Theatre at Illinois. Ciabatti has appeared as guest conductor with many orchestras including the Lamont Symphony Orchestra, Sangamon Valley Symphony Orchestra, East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra, University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Truman State Symphony Orchestra. He also served as Choirmaster of Emmanuel Episcopal Church (Champaign, IL). As a pianist and coach in Italy, Ciabatti worked for the Cherubini Conservatory, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and Florence Opera Academy, and performed with singers such as Adriana Marfisi and Silvia Bossa. He has played for masterclasses of Renée Fleming, Nathan Gunn, William Matteuzzi, Donald George, and Isabel Leonard. He is currently music director and coach of Scuola Italia per Giovani Cantanti Lirici (Piobbico, Italy), where he works with young singers and renowned coaches and directors. He has attended conducting masterclasses in Europe and in the United States, studying with prominent teachers such as Mark Stringer, Michael Luig, David Effron, Lawrence Golan and Donald Schleicher. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Illinois. Jessica Tong 17 piano was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. She started playing piano at the age of four with piano teacher, Anna DeBorah. Out of a burning desire to play in an orchestra, she began learning violin at age ten. Between the ages of eleven and sixteen, she studied piano with Nikolai Evrov at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, performed her first solo recital at age twelve, and graduated high school fifth in the state for music performance. At Dartmouth, Tong has studied with both Sally Pinkas and Evan Hirsch. She won first place in the annual Gerald Tracy Piano Competition her freshman and sophomore year, and she has thoroughly enjoyed performing in master classes. She has also loved playing piano for her church in Hanover and singing with her all-female a cappella group, the Dartmouth Rockapellas. Outside of music, Tong has been involved with Dartmouth Christian Union and written for the campus journal of Christian thought. She is graduating with a major in philosophy and minor in government, and is planning to apply to law school this fall. Tong would like to thank each musician in the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra and Filippo Ciabatti for this opportunity of a lifetime. She would also like to thank her piano professors, Sally Pinkas and Evan Hirsch, for the privilege of

7 ABOUT THE ARTISTS CONTINUED continuing to study piano in college with them and their friendship. She is incredibly grateful for her dear friends, professors, and the families in the area she has gotten to know, for creating for her a home away from home. Finally, she d like to thank her parents, whom she will never be able to thank enough. DARTMOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Filippo Ciabatti conductor Alyssa Gao 20, April Liu 18, Molly Ryan 17 managers Leslie Sonder F librarian Violin Kayvon Coffey 17* Prajan Divakar TH Alyssa Gao 20 David Horak C Gwendolyn Howard 19 Betty Kim 20 Ellen Kim 17 Orestis Lykouropoulos 17 Christopher Park 17 Molly Ryan 17 Bryan Shin 20 William Wolfe-McGuire 19 Zoe Yu 19 Michael Zhu 20 Viola Marcia Cassidy F Elaine Chiu 17 April Liu 18 Leslie Sonder F Michelle Wu 20 Cello Joe Brackbill 18 Ruth Heindel GR Richard Lu 20 Evan Morgan 19 Ellen Smalley 19 Caroline Tally C Bass Paul Horak TH 94 C Clarinet Diana Ge 19 Joshua Warzecha 17 Allen Yang 20 Trumpet Sriram Bapatla 20 Trombone Charles Johnson 19 C=Community F=Faculty GR=Arts and Sciences Graduate Student TH=Thayer School of Engineering Graduate Student *=Concertmaster

R FREE FOR ALL FREE MUSIC AND MOVIES AT THE HOP! Full schedule available May 31 at hop.dartmouth.

and guest presenter Niegel Smith 02, performance artist and Artistic Director of Obie Award-winning theater, The Flea. For tickets or more info, call the Box Office at 603.646.2422 or visit hop.

#HopkinsCenter Jay Cary 68, T 71 Business and Administrative Officer Joshua Price Kol 93 Director of Student Performance Programs/ Interim General Manager HOPKINS CENTER DIRECTORATE Mary Lou Aleskie

8 R FREE FOR ALL FREE MUSIC AND MOVIES AT THE HOP! Full schedule available May 31 at hop.dartmouth.edu A Hop Community Venture program ARTS AT DARTMOUTH AWARDS 2017 FREE tue MAY 30 4:30 pm THE MOORE THEATER Celebrate student achievement in the arts with live performances and short film screenings and guest presenter Niegel Smith 02, performance artist and Artistic Director of Obie Award-winning theater, The Flea. For tickets or more info, call the Box Office at or visit hop.dartmouth.edu. Share your experiences! #HopkinsCenter Jay Cary 68, T 71 Business and Administrative Officer Joshua Price Kol 93 Director of Student Performance Programs/ Interim General Manager HOPKINS CENTER DIRECTORATE Mary Lou Aleskie Howard L. Gilman 44 Director Margaret Lawrence Director of Programming Sydney Stowe Acting Director of Hopkins Center Film HOPKINS CENTER BOARD OF OVERSEERS Austin M. Beutner 82, P 19 Kenneth L. Burns H 93 Barbara J. Couch Allan H. Glick 60, T 61, P 88, GP 19 Barry Grove 73 Caroline Diamond Harrison 86, P 16, P 18 Kelly Fowler Hunter 83, T 88, P 13, P 15, P 19 Robert H. Manegold 75, P 02, P 06 Michael A. Marriott 84, P 18 Nini Meyer Hans C. Morris 80, P 11, P 14 Chair of the Board Laurel J. Richie 81 Trustee Representative Jennifer A. Williams 85 Please turn off your cell phone inside the theater. Assistive Listening Devices available in the lobby. DARTM OUTH RECYCLES Recycling bin provided in the lobby. Thank you.

DARTMOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

presents DARTMOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Anthony Princiotti conductor GUSTAV MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 6 This performance is made possible in part by the William D. 1905 and Besse M. Blatner Fund No. 1, the Lane