Concerts of Thursday, January 5 and Saturday, January 7, 2017, at 8:00 pm

Transcription

1 Concerts of Thursday, January 5 and Saturday, January 7, 2017, at 8:00 pm Peter Oundjian, Conductor Stuart Stephenson, trumpet Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov ( ) Capriccio espagnol, Opus 34 (1887) I. Alborada. Vivo e strepitoso II. Variations. Andante con moto III. Alborada. Vivo e strepitoso IV. Scene and Gypsy Song. Allegretto V. Fandango of the Asturias Franz Joseph Haydn ( ) Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Major, Hob.VIIe:1 (1796) I. Allegro II. Andante III. Allegro Stuart Stephenson, trumpet Intermission Béla Bartók ( ) Concerto for Orchestra (1943) I. Introduzione. Andante non troppo; Allegro vivace II. Giuoco delle coppie. Allegro scherzando III. Elegia. Andante, non troppo IV. Intermezzo interrotto. Allegretto IV. Finale. Pesante; Presto

2 Notes on the Program by Ken Meltzer Capriccio espagnol, Opus 34 (1887) Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was born in Tikhvin, Russia, on March 18, 1844, and died in Lyubensk, Russia, on June 21, The first performance of the Capriccio espagnol took place at the Small Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia, on October 31, 1887, with the composer conducting the Orchestra of the Imperial Russian Opera House. The Capriccio espagnol is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, triangle, snare drum, tambourine, castanets, cymbals, bass drum, harp, and strings. Approximate performance time is sixteen minutes. First Classical Subscription Performance: February 27, 1949, Henry Sopkin, Conductor. Most Recent Classical Subscription Performances: October 20-22, 2011, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Conductor. Glitter with dazzling color Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov composed his brilliant Capriccio espagnol in the summer of For some time, the composer had been occupied with the orchestration of his opera, Prince Igor. However, according to Rimsky-Korsakov: In the middle of the summer this work was interrupted: I composed the Spanish Capriccio from the sketches of my projected virtuoso violin fantasy on Spanish themes. According to my plans the Capriccio was to glitter with dazzling color, and manifestly, I had not been wrong. It was Rimsky-Korsakov who led the October 31, 1887 premiere of his Capriccio espagnol. The concert took place at the Small Theater in St. Petersburg, as part of the Russian Musical Society s concert series. Rimsky-Korsakov conducted the Orchestra of the Imperial Russian Opera House. The concert, according to Rimsky-Korsakov, was played with a perfection and enthusiasm the like of which it never possessed subsequently, even when led by (Arthur) Nikisch himself. Despite its length, the composition called forth an insistent encore. Rimsky-Korsakov has long been hailed as one of the masters of orchestration. The composer himself acknowledged that the Capriccio espagnol, along with Scheherazade (1888) and the Russian Easter Overture (1888), marked the culmination of a period in which my orchestration had reached a considerable degree of virtuosity and bright sonority Nevertheless, Rimsky-Korsakov admonished: The opinion formed by both critics and the public, that the Capriccio is a magnificently orchestrated piece is wrong. The Capriccio is a brilliant composition for the orchestra. The change of timbres, the felicitous choice of melodic designs and figuration patterns, exactly suiting each kind of instrument, brief virtuoso cadenzas for instruments solo, the rhythm of the percussion instruments, etc.,

3 constitute here the very essence of the composition and not its garb or orchestration. The Spanish themes, of dance character, furnished me with rich material for putting in use multi-form orchestral effects. All in all, the Capriccio is undoubtedly a purely external piece, but vividly brilliant for all that. Musical Analysis The five movements are played without pause. I. Alborada. Vivo e strepitoso The Capriccio espagnol opens with a scintillating Alborado (an aubade, or morning serenade). The sparkling introduction leads to playful solos for the clarinet and violin. II. Variations. Andante con moto The horns introduce a languid, dolce theme that serves as the basis for a series of variations, showcasing the orchestra s wide range of colors. The movement concludes with a cadenza for the solo flute. III. Alborada. Vivo e strepitoso The third movement offers a repetition of the opening Alborada, now transposed from A to B-flat Major. IV. Scene and Gypsy Song. Allegretto A roll of the snare drum introduces a series of cadenzas for the horns and trumpets, violin, flute and clarinet, and harp. A vibrant Gypsy song dominates the latter part of the movement, gathering impressive momentum as it proceeds directly to the finale. V. Fandango of the Asturias The final movement opens with a Fandango, a lively dance in triple meter. The Gypsy song briefly returns, as does the opening Alborada, bringing the Capriccio espagnol to a dazzling Presto conclusion. Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Major, Hob.VIIe:1 (1796) Franz Joseph Haydn was born in Rohrau, Austria, on March 31, 1732 and died in Vienna, Austria, on May 31, In addition to the solo trumpet, the Concerto is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings. Approximate performance time is fourteen minutes. First Classical Subscription Performances: April 9, 10, and 11, 1992, James Thompson, Trumpet, Eduardo Mata, Conductor. Franz Joseph Haydn composed the Trumpet Concerto for his friend, Anton Weidinger ( ). Weidinger was one of the finest trumpeters of his day. Born in Vienna, Weidinger served first in regimental bands, and later became a member of the Court Opera. The natural trumpets (without valves) of Weidinger's time, although sonically brilliant, were limited in terms of passagework. The first valve trumpet did not appear until the 1820s. As a sort of interim solution, Weidinger invented a trumpet that employed side-holes and keys similar to those found on woodwind instruments. Depressing these keys allowed diatonic (and even chromatic)

4 playing in the trumpet s lower registers. In 1796, Haydn composed his famous Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra, providing Weidinger with a showpiece for his exciting invention. The first known public performance took place at the Vienna Burgtheater on March 28, 1800, with Weidinger as soloist. After the premiere of the Haydn Concerto, Weidinger continued to attempt to improve his trumpet. It was for this further-refined instrument that Johan Nepomuk Hummel composed his Trumpet Concerto (1803). When Haydn composed his Trumpet Concerto, he had returned from the second of his two triumphant visits to London. His final Symphony, the great No. 104 ( London ) had its successful premiere on May 4, A similar level of the genius and inspiration found in the London Symphony emerges in the Haydn Trumpet Concerto. Haydn s creativity, melodic genius, and sheer joy in the art of composing have made this virtuoso work the most beloved of all trumpet concertos. I. Allegro The first movement opens with the traditional orchestral presentation of the principal thematic material. The first violins immediately sing the initial central theme. The second violins present the descending subsidiary theme, incorporating the chromatics made possible by Weidinger s keyed trumpet. The soloist enters with his virtuoso take on the central themes. The ensuing development offers some excursions into the minor key. The soloist inaugurates the recapitulation of the themes, capped by a cadenza, and the vigorous final bars. II. Andante The slow-tempo second movement is in A B A form. The first violins introduce the A section with a lovely, cantabile melody, soon repeated by the soloist. The somewhat more melancholy B section leads to the soloist s reprise of A. A brief invocation of the central B section resolves to a hushed conclusion. III. Allegro The sparkling finale opens with the first of two principal themes, initially played by the first violins. The first violins also introduce the playful second theme. The themes return throughout, serving as the basis for numerous virtuoso flights by the soloist. A final iteration of the opening theme leads to the Concerto s emphatic close. Concerto for Orchestra (1943) Béla Bartók was born in Sînnicolau Mare, Hungary, on March 25, 1881 and died in New York on September 26, The first performance of the Concerto for Orchestra took place at Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 1, 1944, with Serge Koussevitsky conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The Concerto for Orchestra is scored for piccolo, three flutes, three oboes, English horn, three clarinets, bass clarinet, three bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, side drum, tam-tam, triangle, cymbals,

5 suspended cymbal, bass drum, two harps, and strings. Approximate performance time is thirty-eight minutes. First Classical Subscription Performance: January 17, 1967, Robert Mann, Conductor. Most Recent Classical Subscription Performances: April 11-13, 2013, Lionel Bringuier, Conductor. I have lost all my faith Béla Bartók composed his Concerto for Orchestra during a period of overwhelming adversity and despair. In October of 1940, Bartók and his wife left Hungary to escape the Nazis. During the journey to the United States, the composer wrote, this voyage is...like plunging into the unknown from what is known but unbearable...god only knows how and for how long I'll be able to work over there. Bartók's fortunes continued to decline when he settled in New York. Commissions for new musical works were scarce during this turbulent period in world history. Bartók, his health rapidly deteriorating, was often unable to fulfill those few assignments he received. Our situation grows worse from day to day, Bartók wrote in 1941 to his friend, the conductor Paul Sacher. Bartók continued: All I can say is that in the whole of my working life, that is to say for the past twenty years, I have never found myself faced with such a terrible situation as that into which I shall be plunged in the near future...i am becoming rather pessimistic; I have lost all my faith in men and nations, everything... In December of 1942, Bartók proclaimed: My career as a composer is as much as finished; the quasi boycott of my works by the leading orchestras continues; no performances of either old works or new ones. Bartók, Koussevitsky and the Concerto for Orchestra Early in 1943 two longtime friends of Bartók, violinist Joseph Szigeti and conductor Fritz Reiner, approached Serge Koussevitsky. They proposed the idea of commissioning Bartók to write a new orchestral work in memory of Koussevitsky's wife, Natalie. Koussevitsky, the conductor of the Boston Symphony, surprised Bartók by visiting him in his New York hospital room. Koussevitsky offered Bartók a commission of $1, During that initial visit, Koussevitsky gave the composer a check for $500.00, with the remaining amount to be forwarded upon completion of the score. Koussevitsky's visit seemed to rejuvenate the gravely ill composer. Bartók worked on his Concerto for Orchestra practically night and day from August 15 to October 8, 1943, while staying at a private sanatorium in Lake Saranac, New York. Bartók sensed that his health and fortunes were on the mend, and enthusiastically reported to Szigeti: Perhaps it is due to this improvement (or it

6 may be the other way round) that I have been able to finish the work that Koussevitsky commissioned. The resurrection of a man who had lost all (his) faith in men, nations, everything, is reflected in Bartók's own description of the Concerto for Orchestra: The general mood of the work represents, apart from the jesting second movement, a gradual transition from the sternness of the first movement and the lugubrious death-song of the third, to the life-assertion of the last one. Koussevitsky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra presented the triumphant world premiere of Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra at Symphony Hall on December 1, Bartók reported: The performance was excellent. Koussevitsky is very enthusiastic about the piece, and says it is the best orchestral piece of the last 25 years. The New York premiere at Carnegie Hall on January 10, 1945 inspired equally rapturous acclaim. As Olin Downes reported the following day in the New York Times: Repeatedly, Dr. Koussevitsky led Mr. Bartók from the wings, and finally left him alone on stage with the applauding audience. Illness finally overcame Bartók's great spirit, and the composer died in New York on September 26, 1945, less than a year after the Concerto for Orchestra s stunning premiere. The popularity of the Concerto for Orchestra, one of Bartók s most optimistic and brilliant works, remains undiminished. Musical Analysis Bartók offered the following general description of his Concerto for Orchestra for the 1944 premiere: The title of this symphony-like orchestral work is explained by its tendency to treat the single instruments or instrument groups in a concertant or soloistic manner. The virtuoso treatment appears, for instance, in the fugato section of the first movement (brass instruments), or in the perpetuum mobile -like passage of the principal theme in the last movement (strings), and, especially, in the second movement, in which pairs of instruments consecutively appear with brilliant passages. I. Introduzione. Andante non troppo; Allegro vivace The opening movement begins with an extended, mysterious introduction, featuring the dark hues of the cellos and double-basses contrasting with shimmering violins and flutes. The intensity of the introduction grows, building to the principal Allegro vivace, and the chromatic first theme played by the violins. The trombone introduces an angular ascending and descending motif, shortly followed by a lilting theme, played first by the oboe, and then by the clarinets, in octaves. Bartók offers a brilliant manipulation of the principal themes, often in counterpoint to each other. Finally, the movement closes with a massive statement of the trombone motif. II. Giuoco delle coppie. Allegro scherzando After a brief passage by a side drum without snares, the sprightly game of the pairs features a series of passages for groups of two instruments bassoons, oboes, clarinets, flutes, and

7 muted trumpets. The side drum introduces a chorale-like interlude for brass. A reprise of the game section offers new and varied instrumental combinations. Finally, the side drum returns to close this playful movement. III. Elegia. Andante, non troppo The Elegy, a lugubrious death-song, features eerie restatements of material found in the slow introduction to the first movement. The composer described the nocturnal setting as a misty texture of rudimentary motifs. IV. Intermezzo interrotto. Allegretto After a shrill introduction by the strings, the oboe plays a jaunty refrain, the first of two principal themes in this Intermezzo. The violas present the beautiful, cantabile second theme. The interruption is in the form of a parody of a theme from the first movement of Dmitri Shostakovich's Seventh ( Leningrad ) Symphony (1941). Bartók heard a radio broadcast of the Shostakovich Seventh while working on the Concerto for Orchestra. He developed an immediate disdain for the central first-movement theme. In Bartók s Concerto, the solo clarinet introduces the Shostakovich theme, quickly and mercilessly attacked by the full orchestra. Subsequent attempts to revive the Shostakovich theme lead to its annihilation and finally, a return to the Intermezzo. IV. Finale. Pesante; Presto The breathtaking Finale opens with a horn call that heralds a perpetuum mobile figure played by the violins, soon joined by the entire orchestra. The bassoons, clarinets, and oboes offer a brief contrapuntal treatment of the opening horn call. A short, tranquillo interlude leads to a return to the flurry of activity, highlighted by brilliant trumpet fanfares that form the basis for a masterful fugal development. The perpetuum mobile theme returns, soon intertwined with the other principal motifs, as the Concerto for Orchestra rushes headlong to its dazzling conclusion.