POWER AND PASSION. For more Festival events and to book your tickets visit festival.co.nz

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2 The 2012 New Zealand International Arts Festival brings over 300 extraordinary events across 24 days to Wellington. As always, the Festival s programme of classical music is an essential and much-anticipated part of the line-up. Here s a look at just two of the many events waiting to be enjoyed. The New Zealand Post Season of PETER AND THE WOLF New Zealand Symphony Orchestra / Breakthru Films Sergei Prokofiev s classic children s tale has never looked or sounded so good, as Suzie Templeton s Academy Award-winning short film is accompanied by the live music of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. With an accompanying narrated orchestral performance of New Zealand composer Jenny McLeod s The Emperor and the Nightingale this will be a magical night for all ages. AGE RECOMMENDATION: 5+ WHEN 9 March 6pm WHERE Michael Fowler Centre TICKETS $10 $43 POWER AND PASSION New Zealand String Quartet with Jonathan Lemalu New Zealand s foremost chamber ensemble combines with the glorious baritone voice of Jonathan Lemalu for this programme of four stunning works. With Barber s famous Adagio and the music of Shostakovich combining with Variation 25 by Ross Harris (based on Bach s Goldberg Variations) and the world premiere of a new work by Chinese-born New Zealand composer Gao Ping, this will be a performance to remember. WHEN 4 March 6pm WHERE Wellington Town Hall TICKETS $38 $68 Sponsored by For more Festival events and to book your tickets visit festival.co.nz

3 Welcome Welcome to the launch of our 2012 Kaleidoscopes Concert Season! We are proud and excited to present I Musici di Roma on their first visit to New Zealand as part of their 60th anniversary world tour. This legendary ensemble will serenade us with Italian music, both familiar and new, all presented with flair and charm. Robert Catto All rights reserved We acknowledge and thank our partners the 2012 New Zealand International Arts Festival and the Embassy of Italy for their generous support of this national tour. Euan Murdoch Chief Executive, Chamber Music New Zealand Grazie a tutti! Serenata Italiana Gioacchino Rossini Sonata à quattro No 1 in G page 4 Une Larme page 5 Gaetano Donizetti Allegro in C page 6 Nicolò Paganini Il Carnevale di Venezia page 7 INTERVAL Marco Enrico Bossi 3 Intermezzi Goldoniani Opus 127 page 8 Ottorino Respighi Aria per strumenti ad arco page 9 Luis Bacalov Concerto Grosso for I Musici s 60 th anniversary page 10 Nino Rota Concerto per archi page 11 WELLINGTON* 28 FEBRUARY PALMERSTON NORTH 29 FEBRUARY NAPIER 1 MARCH NEW PLYMOUTH 3 MARCH HAMILTON 4 MARCH AUCKLAND 5 MARCH INVERCARGILL 7 MARCH DUNEDIN 8 MARCH CHRISTCHURCH 9 MARCH NELSON 11 MARCH * In association with the New Zealand International Arts Festival The Auckland concert will be broadcast live by Radio NZ Concert Please respect the music, the musicians, and your fellow audience members, by switching off all cellphones, pagers and watches. Taking photographs, or sound or video recordings during the concert is strictly prohibited unless with the prior approval of Chamber Music New Zealand. I Musici di Roma 1.

4 I Musici di Roma Kaleidoscopes In every style they bring the essential impulse of life. The result is playing of verve, stylistic purity and impeccable artistry. One is constantly impressed by their ability to achieve the full sonority of a string orchestra without sacrificing the clarity and the utter precision of a string quartet. Robert Sherman, New York Times The renowned chamber group I Musici di Roma started in 1951, when twelve young Italian music graduates got together to form a chamber orchestra without a conductor. Their first concert was in March 1952 at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, where many of the members had studied, and was an immediate success. Over the following 60 years, I Musici has become widely known for the excellence of their performances,

5 Antonio Anselmi violin: N Amati, Cremona, 1676 Ettore Pellegrino violin: G Cappa, Saluzzo, 1675 Pasquale Pellegrino violin: G Cappa, Saluzzo, 1691 Claudio Buccarella violin: GB Ceruti, Cremona, 1796 Gianluca Apostoli violin: G Pressenda, Torino, 1821 Antonio de Secondi violin: S Scarampella, Mantova, 1905 Massimo Paris viola: P Guarneri, Mantua, 1697 Silvio Di Rocco viola: copy by Blaurock of G da Salo, 1600 Vito Paternoster cello: L Carcassi, Firenze, 1780 Pietro Bosna cello: L Storioni, Cremona, 1791 Roberto Gambioli bass: C Farotto, Milano, 1935 Francesco Buccarella keyboard and although all members of the original group have gradually retired, the new players have been inducted into the I Musici tradition, ensuring a continuity of style. In 1955 the orchestra made its first recording, and that disc one of the first complete recordings of Vivaldi s Four Seasons, with Felix Ayo as soloist sold over 10 million copies, earning it a Diamond Disc award. Five subsequent versions of the same work have also proved to be best-sellers, adding to I Musici s extensive list of recordings and DVDs, many of which have also won awards. Each member of I Musici is a solo player, and many former members have gone on to have notable careers as soloists. I Musici di Roma is regularly invited to perform at major festivals around the world, and the group s touring schedule takes it to leading venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Centre in New York, the Musikverein in Vienna, Philharmonie in Berlin, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, and National Arts Centre in Beijing. This is the ensemble s first visit to New Zealand, and is part of their 60th anniversary Celebration World Tour that will see them perform in North and South America, Asia, Russia, Europe and Australia. I Musici di Roma 3.

6 Gioacchino Rossini Born Pesaro, 29 February 1792 Died Passy, 13 November 1868 The concert began with a Sinfonia especially composed by Signor Rossini, a young man of whom a great deal is expected. It turned out to be unbelievably harmonious. It is a completely new sort of work, and the composer reaped unanimous applause. review of a concert in Bologna, 28 December 1808 Kaleidoscopes 2012 In the early 19 th century, the city of Bologna was a musical hub that attracted musicians like the operatic soprano Anna Rossini and her horn-playing husband Giuseppe. Their son, Gioacchino, was also musically talented and after private study he was accepted into the Liceo Filarmonico Comunale in There he studied singing, cello and keyboard, and took counterpoint lessons with the director of the Liceo, Padre Stanislao Mattei. Alongside his academic studies, Rossini earned money playing for the opera, gaining practical experience which was to serve him well in later years, and he received his first commission for a one-act comedy when he graduated. As the composer of 39 operas, he earned a phenomenal level of fame and artistic influence throughout Europe, with works such as The Barber of Seville setting a new standard for the theatre. In 1829, though, after writing William Tell for the Paris Opera, Rossini retired as an opera composer, refusing all requests for new productions. He seems to have been both physically and mentally exhausted, but over the following years did write some smaller works, including his Stabat Mater. In 1855 he returned to live out his final years in Paris, where he regained some degree of health and began to participate in the musical life of the city again. His Saturday evening salon attracted leading musicians, and he began to write music in earnest, albeit in a lighter style. The most significant work from this time was the Petite Messe Solenelle, but he also wrote numerous piano pieces and songs. 4.

7 Sonata à quattro No 1 in G Moderato Andantino Allegro According to notes added to the score many years later by Rossini, the six Sonate a quattro were written in 1804 when he was just 12 - for himself and three friends, one of whom was a double bass player. The unusual combination of two violins, cello and bass was changed to that of a regular string quartet when the works were published in 1823, but modern performances usually return to the original instrumentation. The pieces are light, but also lively and inventive, and show Rossini s early interest in using wide instrumental ranges and timbres all notable features of his later development as an opera composer. The opening Moderato is in a threepart form, and a contrasting theme is featured in the central section. Lower instruments introduce the serenade theme in the Andantino, with the violins gradually adding contrasting melodic passages. The final Allegro movement is a rondo, with the repeated folk music-like theme contrasted with busier passages. Une Larme: theme and variations for cello and strings Soloist: Pietro Bosna After moving back to Paris, Rossini produced a large number of pieces that he called my sins of old age. These were instrumental miniatures, intended for the pleasure of his social circle. Although they are lighter in style, Rossini s former life is still evident: operatic elements such as recitative and aria are never far away. Une Larme [A Tear] is one of these elegant small pieces, and uses a weeping melodic idea to build up a theme and set of variations. Like the other works he wrote at the time, Rossini refused to allow it to be published. I Musici di Roma 5.

8 Gaetano Donizetti Born Bergamo, 29 November 1797 Died Bergamo, 8 April 1848 Allegro in C I have a vast mind, swift talent, ready fantasy - and I m a thunderbolt at composing. words spoken by the 14-year old Donizetti in his school production Kaleidoscopes 2012 Donizetti s highly successful career as a composer was largely due to the efforts of one man, Simon Mayr ( ), and was made more remarkable by the extreme poverty of his childhood. Mayr was music director at the church of Santa Maria Maggiore and a renowned opera composer in Italy, and in 1806 persuaded a local charitable institution to open a free music school. Among the first intake of pupils was the young Donizetti, who clearly thrived on the thorough training provided by the school s curriculum. Mayr recognised the boy s precocious talent early on and in 1811 cast him in the title role of Il piccolo compositore di musica [The Little Composer], a two-act operetta put together for the school s end-of-year student performance. Realising that his protégé would benefit from further advanced study, in 1815 Mayr arranged (and partly paid) for Donizetti to attend one of the most highly regarded music schools in Italy: the Liceo Filarmonico Comunale in Bologna. Donizetti s purely instrumental works are rarely performed today. During his two-year course of study at Bologna which focused primarily on strict counterpoint and fugue Donizetti made his first attempts at composing operas. They were not performed, but the young composer had more success with his smaller-scale instrumental works, among them a Concertino in G for cor anglais and orchestra and several string quartets. The Allegro in C probably dates from this time. 6.

9 Nicolò Paganini Born Genova, 27 October 1782 Died Nice, 27 May 1840 Il Carnevale di Venezia: theme and variations for violin and strings Soloist: Antonio Anselmi Born into a humble household, Paganini eventually became one of the world s most celebrated violinists, and even today his name is synonymous with virtuoso performances. His first lessons were from his dock worker father, who taught him to play both the mandolin and violin, but he quickly moved on to other teachers and by the age of 13 was studying both violin and composition in Parma. After working in the court orchestra of Lucca, he launched into a solo career in 1810, and spent the following 25 years touring as a virtuoso throughout Europe and Britain, despite suffering ill-health caused by venereal disease. Both his concerts and his private life were the subject of controversy, particularly for the liberties he took in both settings, but he was clearly an exceptional performance artist who was respected by his fellow musicians. Paganini s compositions are characterised by singing melodies, instrumental pyrotechnics, and the use of unusual effects, and his style of playing had a profound effect on the development of violin technique. Most of his pieces were written for the violin, but he also produced numerous works for his second instrument, the guitar. This set of variations is a wonderful demonstration of Paganini s showbiz side. He takes a small fragment of melody from a popular Neapolitan song, O mamma, mamma cara [Oh, dear mother], and varies it using pretty much every technique known to a violinist. The work was written in 1829 while he was on a tour of Germany, and Paganini later added the name Il Carnevale di Venezia [Carnival of Venice]. I Musici di Roma 7.

10 Marco Enrico Bossi Born Salò, Lake Garda, 25 April 1861 Died Atlantic Ocean, 20 Feb Intermezzi Goldoniani Opus 127 Gagliarda Serenatina Burlesca Kaleidoscopes Marco Enrico Bossi was one of the finest organists of his time, with an impressive international reputation. His first teacher was his father, and he then studied at the Liceo Musicale in Bologna and the Milan Conservatorium, including time with the composer Ponchielli. After graduation in 1881 Bossi became the organist at Como Cathedral, and in 1890 took up a position teaching harmony and organ in the Naples Conservatorium, subsequently filling similar roles in Venice, Bologna and Rome. His compositions were highly praised within Italy, particularly the choral work Canticum Canticorum, and a variety of works for organ. He also wrote two violin sonatas, which have recently been revived. The Intermezzi Goldoniani were written between 1901 and 1905 but the full set of six movements was not performed until Musically they recall the early Baroque style, though filtered through the ears of a late Romantic composer. The title refers to the Venetian comic playwright Carlo Goldoni, who was active at the time the early Baroque composers were writing. Each of the movements - three of which will be performed tonight - recalls a formal dance style of that time: a courtly galliard, a little serenade, and finally a contrapuntal burlesque.

11 Ottorino Respighi Born Bologna, 9 July 1879 Died Rome, 18 April 1936 Aria per strumenti ad arco Respighi began his musical career as a violin and viola student at the Liceo Musicale in Bologna. He also studied composition with Luigi Torchi, a musicologist who sparked Respighi s interest in earlier music. Lessons with Rimsky-Korsakov in Russia and Bruch in Berlin followed, but he settled back into Bologna as an orchestral musician. Composition, and re-composition of early Baroque pieces, increasingly occupied his time, and an interest in vocal music led to him gaining a reputation as a recital accompanist. In 1913 he was appointed as Professor of Composition in Rome, where he worked for over 10 years and became a sought-after teacher, retaining a part-time role there after his resignation. The lively orchestral scene in Rome led to his first major international success, in 1916, with Fountains of Rome, a work that shows the colourful influence of Rimsky- Korsakov in its instrumentation. His Ancient Airs and Dances of 1918 show a similarly imaginative use of instrumental colour, while also displaying Respighi s affinity for early music. The reflective Aria per strumenti ad arco [Air for stringed instruments] was written at the end of his student days in Bologna. It is in a highly romantic style while also paying homage to the more formal side of Baroque music, particularly some of Respighi s favourite predecessors such as Corelli and Frescobaldi. I Musici di Roma 9.

12 Luis Bacalov Born Buenos Aires, 30 March 1933 Concerto Grosso for I Musici s 60 th anniversary Allegro moderato - Andante - Allegro My personal thanks go to I Musici, who carried their wonderfully sonorous world everywhere, for the honour of them playing this piece. May the 60th anniversary be a stimulus to continue their superb career. Luis Bacalov Argentinian composer Luis Enríquez Bacalov has lived in Italy since the 1950s, and is known particularly for his film scores. His early musical education was as a pianist, and he has continued to perform as a soloist and chamber musician, with a particular interest in crosscultural music, especially that of Latin America. In the 1970s he worked with Italian progressive rock bands such as New Trolls, with whom he collaborated on several albums. More recently he has composed for orchestra and choirs, including a tango-based version of the liturgical Mass, Misa Tango, and a triple concerto for bandoneón, piano and soprano with orchestra. Kaleidoscopes 2012 From the 1960s he also began composing for French and Italian film makers, most notably Fellini, and in 1995 won an Academy Award for the soundtrack of Michael Radford s film Il Postino. He has also received numerous other awards, including an Oscar, a BAFTA, and the Nino Rota Prize. The Concerto Grosso pays homage to the Baroque origins of the title, and includes a sentimental central movement. It was written to celebrate the 60th anniversary of I Musici di Roma. 10.

13 Nino Rota Born Milan, 3 Dec 1911 Died Rome, 10 April 1979 Concerto per archi Preludio Scherzo Aria Finale Although he is now remembered as a composer of film music, Nino Rota had a long career as a composer of classical music for the concert hall and his output includes a dozen operas, concertos and symphonies, vocal works ranging from oratorios to solo songs, and a wide variety of instrumental works for chamber ensembles and solo players. He began composing at the age of eight, and at thirteen his oratorio The Childhood of St John the Baptist was performed in public and earned him a reputation as a child prodigy. His teachers included Alfredo Casella in Rome, and Rosario Scalero in Philadelphia. American popular music of the time - particularly the works of Gershwin - alongside his love of Italian song and opera, were strong influences Rota s writing. In 1939 Rota began teaching at the Bari Conservatorium, later becoming its director. His long association with the film industry started in 1942, but it was his collaboration with the director Fellini ten years later that brought him international fame. Rota produced the music for sixteen of Fellini s films, including La Strada and La Dolce Vita, but also worked with other leading directors such as Clement, Visconti (including The Leopard ), Vidor ( War and Peace ) and Coppola ( The Godfather ). Concerto per archi [Concerto for strings] was written for I Musici di Roma in The tender mood of the opening Preludio is spiced up with occasional dramatic gestures, while the following Scherzo seems to take its title as a joke literally, using slightly off-beat melodies to create a sense of fun and quirkiness. A somewhat darker mood in the Aria is relieved by the energetic, galloping Finale. I Musici di Roma 11.

14 Board Chair, Peter Diessl, June Clifford CNZM, Paul Baines, Michelle van Gaalen, Roger King, Helen Philpott, Gretchen La Roche, Lloyd Williams. Kaleidoscopes Staff Chief Executive, Euan Murdoch Audience Development Manager, Victoria Dadd Marketing & Communications Assistant, Candice de Villiers Ticketing & Database Co-ordinator, Laurel Bruce Design & Print, Chris McDonald Publicist, Sally Woodfield Business Manager, Jenni Hall Business Support Administrator, Christina Vellasamy Operations Co-ordinator, Jessica Lightfoot Office Administrator, Sue Jane Artist Development Manager, Anna Sedcole Programme Co-ordinator (Contest), Pip Want Programme Writer, Jane Dawson Branches Auckland: Chair, Victoria Silwood; Concert Manager, Ros Giffney Hamilton: Chair, Murray Hunt; Concert Manager, Gaye Duffill New Plymouth: Chair, Joan Gaines; Concert Manager, Susan Case Hawkes Bay: Chair, June Clifford; Concert Manager, Liffy Roberts Manawatu: Chair, Graham Parsons; Concert Manager, Karen Carter Wellington: Concert Manager, Jessica Lightfoot; Nelson: Chair, Henrietta Hannah; Concert Manager, Clare Monti Christchurch: Chair, Colin McLachlan; Concert Manager, Jody Keehan Dunedin: Chair, Terence Dennis; Concert Manager, Richard Dingwall Southland: Chair, Shona Thomson; Concert Manager, Jennifer Sinclair Regional Presenters Blenheim, Gisborne, Gore, Hutt Valley, Kerikeri, Motueka, Rotorua, Roxburgh, Taihape, Tauranga, Te Awamutu, Tokoroa, Upper Hutt, Waikanae, Waimakariri, Waipukurau, Wanaka, Whanganui, Warkworth, Wellington, Whakatane and Whangarei. Regional Concerts & Other Events Puertas Quartet Whanganui, 10 March Waikanae, 11 March Morrinsville, 12 March Motueka, 14 March Blenheim, 16 March Kaitaia, 18 March Gisborne, 21 March Akoka Quartet Rotorua, 20 April Wellington, 22 April Blenheim, 27 April Warkworth, 28 April Tauranga, 29 April Level 4, 75 Ghuznee Street PO Box 6238, Wellington Tel (04) Fax (04) /ChamberMusicNZ For all Concerts Managers phone 0800 CONCERT ( )

15 A Special Thank You to all our Supporters I Musici 60 th Anniversary Tour Supporters: Embassy of Italy Crowne Plaza, Auckland Beach Front Motel, Napier Quality Hotel Plymouth International, New Plymouth Travelodge, Palmerston North West Plaza Hotel, Wellington Quality Hotel Leisure Lodge, Nelson Pacific Park Hotel, Dunedin Heartland Hotel, Queenstown The Kelvin Hotel, Invercargill Chamber Music New Zealand acknowledges all donations and support at branch level: Auckland: THE EDGE New Plymouth: TSB Community Trust Wellington: Positively Wellington Venues Christchurch: The Canterbury Community Trust, Farina Thompson Charitable Trust Dunedin: Dunedin City Council Southland: Community Trust of Southland; Invercargill Licensing Trust Coffee supplier: Karajoz Coffee Company Chocolatier: de Spa Chocolatier Floral Supplier: Global Living Chamber Music New Zealand 2012 No part of this programme may be reproduced without the prior permission of Chamber Music New Zealand.

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