Delta Classical Series Concerts. Thursday and Saturday, February 3 and 5, 2011, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, February 6, 2011, at 3 p.m.

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1 program Robert Spano, Music Director Donald Runnicles, Principal Guest Conductor Delta Classical Series Concerts Thursday and Saturday, February 3 and 5, 2011, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, February 6, 2011, at 3 p.m. Robert Spano, Conductor David Coucheron, Violin Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ( ) Overture to Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492 (1786) Concerto No. 5 for Violin and Orchestra in A Major, K. 219 ( Turkish ) (1775) I. Allegro aperto II. Adagio III. Rondeau. Tempo di Menuetto David Coucheron, Violin INTERMISSION Serenade No. 12 in C minor, K. 388 (384a) (1782) I. Allegro II. Andante III. Menuetto in canone. Trio in canone al rovescio IV. Finale. Allegro Symphony No. 38 in D Major, K. 504 ( Prague ) (1786) I. Adagio; Allegro II. Andante III. Finale. Presto Inside the Music preview of the concert, Thursday at 7 p.m., presented by Ken Meltzer, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Insider and Program Annotator. The use of cameras or recording devices during the concert is strictly prohibited. Atlanta s Performing Arts Publication 19

2 sponsors is proud to sponsor the Delta Classical Series of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Delta s commitment to the communities we serve began the day our first flight took off. For more than 80 years, Delta s community spirit worldwide continues to be a cornerstone of our organization. As a force for global good, our mission is to continuously create value through an inclusive culture by leveraging partnerships and serving communities where we live and work. It includes not only valuing individual differences of race, religion, gender, nationality and lifestyle, but also managing and valuing the diversity of work teams, intracompany teams and business partnerships. Delta is an active, giving corporate citizen in the communities it serves. Delta s community engagement efforts are driven by our desire to build long-term partnerships in a way that enables nonprofits to utilize many aspects of Delta s currency our employees time and talent, our free and discounted air travel, as well as our surplus donations. Together, we believe we can take our worldwide communities to new heights! Major funding for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council. Solo pianos used by the ASO are gifts of the Atlanta Steinway Society and in memory of David Goldwasser. The Hamburg Steinway piano is a gift received by the ASO in honor of Rosi Fiedotin. The Yamaha custom six-quarter tuba is a gift received by the ASO in honor of Principal Tuba player Michael Moore from The Antinori Foundation. This performance is being recorded for broadcast at a later time. ASO concert broadcasts are heard each week on Atlanta s WABE FM-90.1 and Georgia Public Broadcasting s statewide network. The ASO records for Telarc. Other ASO recordings are available on the Argo, Deutsche Grammophon, New World, Nonesuch, Philips and Sony Classical labels. Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta is the preferred hotel of the ASO. Trucks provided by Ryder Truck Rental Inc. Media sponsors: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and WSB 750 AM. 20 EncoreAtlanta.com

3 program Notes on the Program By Ken Meltzer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria, on January 27, 1756, and died in Vienna, Austria, on December 5, Overture to Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492 (1786) The first performance of Le nozze di Figaro took place at the Burgtheater in Vienna on May 1, The Overture to Le nozze di Figaro is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings. Approximate performance time is five minutes. First ASO Classical Subscription Performances: February 27, 1949, Henry Sopkin, Conductor. Most Recent ASO Classical Subscription Performances: January 30 and 31, and February 1, 1992, Jahja Ling, Conductor. In 1781, Mozart left his hometown of Salzburg to stake his fortune in Vienna. One of Mozart s great ambitions was to compose a successful Italian comic opera for the Viennese Court Theater. After a few false starts, Mozart found the right subject and collaborator. Mozart based his opera upon the controversial French play, La Folle Journée, ou Le Mariage de Figaro (The Insane Day, or The Marriage of Figaro) (1784), by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais. The librettist for the project was the Italian-born Vienna Court poet, Lorenzo da Ponte, who later supplied Mozart with the texts for Don Giovanni (1787) and Così fan tutte (1790), works that, along with Le nozze di Figaro, represent the apotheosis of 18 th -century Italian comic opera. In the fall of 1785, da Ponte and Mozart began collaborating on their operatic adaptation of Beaumarchais s Figaro. As da Ponte later recalled: I set to work, accordingly, and as fast as I wrote the words, Mozart set them to music. In six weeks everything was in order. There were still some hurdles to overcome before Mozart could achieve his goal. Emperor Joseph II expressed concern over whether Mozart, chiefly known in Vienna for his instrumental compositions, was the appropriate person to compose an Italian opera. The Emperor also was troubled by the revolutionary nature of the Beaumarchais story, which portrayed servants outwitting their corrupt master. Da Ponte interceded, and convinced the Emperor of Mozart s talents, describing Figaro s music as marvelously beautiful. The poet further assured the Emperor that he had omitted or cut anything that might offend good taste or public decency at a performance over which the Sovereign Majesty might preside. The Emperor was finally persuaded by da Ponte s arguments, and Le nozze di Figaro received its premiere at the Burgtheater in Vienna on May 1, Mozart led the Atlanta s Performing Arts Publication 21

4 performance from the keyboard and the audience called him to the stage several times. Le nozze di Figaro proved to be an instant success with the public, so much so that on May 9, the Emperor decreed that to prevent the excessive duration of the opera...no piece for more than a single voice is to be repeated. It was Mozart s habit to compose his overtures after the completion of the operas themselves. In fact, Mozart penned the Overture to Le nozze di Figaro just two days before the opera s premiere. The brief Overture (Presto) quotes no music from the opera itself. Nevertheless, from the frothy opening measures to its majestic coda, the Overture to The Marriage of Figaro serves as the perfect introduction to an evening of intrigue and high spirits. Concerto No. 5 for Violin and Orchestra in A Major, K. 219 (1775) In addition to the solo violin, the Concerto is scored for two oboes, two horns and strings. Approximate performance time is thirty-one minutes. First ASO Classical Subscription Performances: March 4, 5, 6 and 7, 1976, Miriam Fried, Violin, and Otto Werner-Mueller, Conductor. Most Recent ASO Classical Subscription Performances: April 19, 20 and 21, 2007, Cecylia Arzewski, Violin, Arild Remmereit, Conductor. Although Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the instrumentalist, is best known as a keyboard virtuoso, he was also a highly accomplished violinist. During his early tours of Europe, Mozart astonished audiences with his command of both instruments. Mozart s father, Leopold, himself a fine violinist, once admonished his son: (y)ou don t realize yourself how well you play the violin when you are on your mettle and perform with confidence, spirit and fire. In 1772, the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg appointed the 16-year-old Wolfgang as conductor and concertmaster of the Salzburg Court Orchestra. During the year 1775, Mozart, then 19, authored his five Violin Concertos. It is not entirely certain whether Mozart originally composed these Concertos specifically for his own use, or for the Italian violinist, Antonio Brunetti, a prominent Salzburg Court musician. We do know that Mozart played his Violin Concertos at public concerts. Without question, the Concertos were intended to display the technical fluency and pure, singing tone that were hallmarks of Mozart s impressive violin performances. Mozart completed his Fifth and final Concerto for Violin and Orchestra on December 20, It is considered the richest and most innovative of Mozart s Violin Concertos, a testament to his rapid development as a composer. The spirit and beauty of this work make one regret all the more that, although Mozart lived another sixteen years, no further violin concertos (at least those authenticated by scholars) came from the pen of this genius. 22 EncoreAtlanta.com

5 program Musical Analysis I. Allegro aperto Although the opening movement is in traditional sonata form, Mozart offers many inventive touches that vary the basic structure. The opening, ascending motif, played by the orchestra, turns out not to be the main theme, but merely its accompaniment! The soloist enters with a reflective Adagio episode before launching into the Allegro presentation of the various themes. The brief development journeys into the minor, but the recapitulation and solo cadenza recapture the high spirits with which the movement began. II. Adagio When one listens to the seamless flow of this gorgeous Adagio, it is remarkable to contemplate that, according to Leopold Mozart, Antonio Brunetti found it too studied. Wolfgang accommodated Brunetti by composing the Adagio in E Major, K Mozart himself preferred this original Adagio. Cast in A B A form, the movement is based upon the extended, graceful melody introduced first by the orchestra and then repeated, to sighing accompaniment, by the soloist. The melancholy, central B section provides contrast prior to the reprise of the Adagio s opening portion, the soloist s cadenza and the orchestra s final bars. III. Rondeau. Tempo di Menuetto The Rondo finale begins with the soloist s presentation of the principal theme, cast in the form of an elegant minuet. The theme returns with great frequency, alternating with spirited, contrasting episodes. Most conspicuous is a lengthy Allegro set in duple meter, that makes use of the Turkish effects popular in Mozart s day. Here, Mozart incorporates stark, percussive music that appeared in a ballet, Le gelosie del serraglio (1772), and used as an entr acte for his opera of the same year, Lucio Silla. The Rondo concludes with a return to the principal minuet theme, and the simplest but most striking of effects; a series of five ascending grace notes, played by the soloist. Serenade No. 12 in C minor, K. 388 (384a) (1782) The Serenade in C minor is scored for two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons and two horns. Approximate performance time is twenty-four minutes. These are the first ASO Classical Subscription Performances. Mozart expressed his singular musical genius in a remarkably wide range of forms and styles. In addition to his mastery of concert music, both instrumental and vocal, Mozart was a prolific composer of occasional pieces works intended as background entertainment for social and political functions. One might be tempted to assume that Mozart approached his occasional music with less seriousness of purpose than his concert works. In fact, these pieces display incredible variety, invention and substance. Perhaps Mozart took heed of the advice offered by his father, Leopold, who wrote that (w)hat is slight can still be great if it is written in a natural, flowing and easy style and at the same time bears the mark of sound composition. Atlanta s Performing Arts Publication 23

6 Mozart scholar Alfred Einstein once offered a telling perspective on the wealth of inspiration to be found in this background music when he commented: (t)here are people who would trade a whole act of (Richard Wagner s operas) Tannhäuser or Lohengrin for one of these works, a lost paradise of music. Thank goodness listeners aren t forced make such a choice. In recent decades, Mozart s occasional music has finally received the attention and respect it so richly deserves both in the concert hall and on recordings. The Serenade No. 12 in C minor, K. 388, belongs to a category known as Harmoniemusik. This was a form quite popular in Mozart s time, featuring a wind ensemble comprising horns, bassoons and various treble-clef instruments. Harmoniemusik typically provided entertainment for open-air ceremonies and parties. The specific occasion for which Mozart composed his C-minor Serenade remains unknown. But regardless of the circumstances surrounding its creation, the Serenade, K. 388, is notable for its intensity, high drama and brilliant ensemble writing. Mozart later arranged the Serenade for String Quintet (two violins, two violas and cello), K Musical Analysis I. Allegro The Serenade opens with the ensemble s forceful, unison statement, immediately followed by a hushed, plaintive response. The continued juxtaposition of forte and piano dynamics generates considerable tension and drama. The major-key, dolce second principal theme, introduced by the oboe, provides a marked contrast. A dotted-rhythm figure leads to the exposition s spirited conclusion. The development section ends with a measure of silence, followed by the ensemble s forte restatement of the work s opening measures. The reprise of the lyrical second theme is now in the minor key, and the opening movement hurtles to a brusque conclusion. II. Andante The Andante, in E-flat Major, opens with the clarinets introduction of the slow movement s principal theme, marked piano e dolce. In contrast to the opening movement, the Andante is imbued with glowing lyricism. The brief development injects some melancholy before a repetition of the opening section brings the Andante to a lovely pianissimo close. III. Menuetto in canone. Trio in canone al rovescio The Minuet (Menuetto in canone) opens with the oboes forte, C-minor introduction of the principal theme, echoed in the following measure by the bassoons. In the remarkable central Trio (Trio in canone al rovescio), scored for the oboes and bassoons, the thematic echoes are now in the form of mirror images. The movement concludes with a reprise of the opening Minuet. IV. Finale. Allegro The oboe presents the central theme of the Serenade s Finale. A series of variations on the theme follows, including an expansive, glowing episode in E-flat Major. A return to the home key of C minor finally resolves to C Major and the Serenade s sprightly conclusion. 24 EncoreAtlanta.com

7 program Symphony No. 38 in D Major, K. 504 ( Prague ) (1786) The first performance of the Symphony No. 38 took place at the National Theater in Prague, (now, the Czech Republic), on January 19, 1787, with the composer conducting. The Prague Symphony is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings. Approximate performance time is twenty-six minutes. First ASO Classical Subscription Performances: September 25, 1948, Henry Sopkin, Conductor. Most Recent ASO Classical Subscription Performances: March 6, 7 and 8, 2003, Alan Gilbert, Conductor. On May 1, 1786, Mozart s brilliant comic opera, Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), K. 492 (see, Overture, above), received its premiere at the Burgtheater in Vienna. In early December of that year, the Prague National Theater staged an extraordinarily successful production of Figaro. As one Prague critic wrote on December 12, 1786: No piece (so every one here asserts) has ever caused such a sensation as the Italian opera The Marriage of Figaro, which has already been given several times here with unlimited applause. During the height of the commotion over Figaro, Mozart accepted the invitation of the orchestra and a company of distinguished connoisseurs and music-lovers, and traveled to Prague. On the evening of his arrival on January 11, 1787, Mozart attended a lavish ball, where, the composer recalled: I looked on with the greatest pleasure while all these people flew about in sheer delight to the music of my Figaro, arranged for contredanses and German dances. For here they talk about nothing but Figaro. Nothing is played, sung or whistled but Figaro. No opera is drawing like Figaro. Nothing, nothing, but Figaro. Certainly a great honor for me! On January 17, Mozart attended a Prague staging of The Marriage of Figaro. The audience learned of Mozart s presence in the theater, and before the curtain rose for the first act, they greeted him with a rousing ovation. On the 22 nd, Mozart himself conducted another triumphant performance of Figaro. In between the two performances of The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart led a January 19 concert at the Prague National Theater. During the course of the evening, Mozart played three keyboard improvisations, including a series of variations on Figaro s first-act aria, Non più andrai. Mozart also led the premiere of a Symphony he had completed in Vienna on December 6, That Symphony, the D-Major, K. 504, has, of course, become known as the Prague. The concert was yet another impressive conquest for Mozart. Franz Niemetschek, a resident of Prague and Mozart biographer, attended the January 19 program: The theatre had never been so full as on this occasion; never had there been a more fervent, unanimous delight than that awakened by Atlanta s Performing Arts Publication 25

8 his heavenly playing. We did not, in fact, know what to admire most, whether the extraordinary compositions or his extraordinary playing; together they made such an overwhelming impression on us that we felt we had been bewitched It is certain that, just as this concert was a unique occasion for the people of Prague, Mozart likewise counted this day as one of the happiest of his life. On February 8, Mozart left Prague to return to his home in Vienna. However, prior to his departure, Mozart secured a commission from the Prague impresario, Pasquale Bondini, for a new opera. That opera, Don Giovanni, K. 527, opened in Prague in October of Don Giovanni proved to be yet another magnificent success for Mozart. Even as Mozart s fortunes waned in Vienna during the final years of his life, he continued to enjoy the undying adulation of the Prague audiences, who adopted the Austrian composer as one of their own. All told, Mozart traveled to Prague on five occasions between January, 1787, and September, The residents of Prague certainly appreciated the gift Mozart provided them in the form of one of his towering symphonic achievements. Several years after Mozart s death, Niemetschek wrote: the grand Symphony in D major is still always a favorite in Prague, although it has no doubt been heard a hundred times. Musical Analysis The Prague Symphony is in three movements, instead of the usual four. Mozart omits the traditional third-movement Minuet. I. Adagio; Allegro Mozart s Prague Symphony opens with a grand, extended and dramatic introduction (Adagio) that foreshadows the gripping music accompanying the arrival of the avenging Stone Guest in Don Giovanni. The first violins initiate the central Allegro with a furtive, syncopated figure. Instead of presenting an initial theme, per se, Mozart offers a series of short motifs that finally erupt into an exuberant orchestral proclamation. The exposition s second theme is more traditional a lyrical, descending melody (introduced by the first violins) that journeys from the major to the minor. The exposition concludes with a vigorous, martial passage for the orchestra. The development is a brilliant tour-de-force, featuring a lightning-quick juxtaposition of various motifs derived from the initial theme series. A series of descending figures for the violins (aided by flutes and bassoons) leads to the recapitulation of the central thematic material. The Allegro concludes with a stirring coda. II. Andante The Symphony s slow movement, cast in a flowing 6/8 rhythm, once again features a succession of brief themes. The opening melody, introduced by the violins, offers a welcome moment of repose after the high drama of the first movement. But soon, storm and stress penetrate the Andante as well. The exposition concludes in a more serene fashion, but the development serves to further heighten the tension. The recapitulation continues the unsettling juxtaposition of moods. A lovely dialogue for strings and winds finally brings the Andante to a graceful resolution. 26 EncoreAtlanta.com

9 program III. Presto The finale opens with the introduction of a rapid-fire motif that forms the nucleus for virtually the entire movement. The motif is at first played softly by the strings, with piquant color provided by the winds. Soon, however, the energy of the orchestra is released in a forte explosion. The violins present the finale s second principal theme, again to lively commentary by the woodwinds (contemporary accounts indicate that the wind players in the Prague orchestras were among the finest in Europe). A vibrant episode, again based upon the opening motif, concludes the exposition. The development section features jarring dynamic contrasts, and a mercurial journey of the central motif throughout the orchestra. The recapitulation provides the expected restatement of the principal themes, as well as an unexpected reference to the development section. The entire orchestra joins forces for the resounding final measures. Atlanta s Performing Arts Publication 27

10 david coucheron, Violin Originally from Oslo, Norway, David Coucheron began playing violin at the age of three. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from The Curtis Institute of Music, his Master of Music from The Juilliard School, and his Master of Musical Performance from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where his teachers included Igor Ozim, Aaron Rosand, Lewis Kaplan and David Takeno. David Coucheron Mr. Coucheron has worked with conductors such as Robert Spano, Alan Gilbert, Michael Tilson Thomas, Simon Rattle, Mstislav Rostropovich, David Zinman, Roger Norrington, Simone Young and Charles Dutoit, and performed as a soloist with orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (Maxim Vengerov conducting), the Sendai Symphony Orchestra, the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra. He has played solo recitals at the Oslo Chamber Music Festival, Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall (London), the Kennedy Center, the Olympic Winter Games (Salt Lake City, Utah), as well as in Beograd, Serbia, and Shanghai, China. Mr. Coucheron s chamber music performances have included appearances at Suntory Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Oslo Chamber Music Festival and Alice Tully Hall. His recordings with sister, and pianist, Julie Coucheron include David and Julie (Naxos/Mudi) and Debut (Naxos). Some of his awards and recognitions include first prize at the Concorso Internazionale di Musica Citta di Pinerolo Competition in 2009 (Turin, Italy), first prize at The Princess Astrid Competition in 2002 (Trondheim, Norway) and third prize at the Manchester International Violin Competition in 2005 (Manchester, U.K.). Mr. Coucheron plays a 1725 Stradivarius. 28 EncoreAtlanta.com