October 24-26, 2014 Michael Stern, Music Director Kansas City Symphony Chorus, Charles Bruffy, Chorus Director Wagner Overture to Der fliegende

Transcription

1 October 24-26, 2014 Michael Stern, Music Director Kansas City Symphony Chorus, Charles Bruffy, Chorus Director Wagner Overture to Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) (1843) Zemlinsky Psalm 23, for Chorus and Orchestra, Op. 14 (1910) Brahms Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny), Opus 54 ( ) Intermission Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56, Scottish (1842) I. Andante con moto; Allegro un poco agitato II. Vivace non troppo III. Adagio IV. Allegro vivacissimo; Allegro maestoso assai Notes on the Program by Ken Meltzer Concert Overview Richard Wagner ( ) Overture to Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) (1843) 11 minutes Wagner s fourth opera, The Flying Dutchman, recounts the legend of a sea captain, condemned to travel the seas until he finds redemption through a woman s true love. The thrilling orchestral Overture depicts the Dutchman s treacherous journeys on the high seas, and his ultimate redemption by Senta. Alexander von Zemlinsky ( ) Psalm 23, Op. 14 (1910) 10 minutes In recent decades, the music world has rediscovered the works of Alexander von Zemlinsky, one of Vienna s finest late-romantic composers. In 1910, Zemlinsky created a rich and powerful setting for chorus and orchestra of Psalm 23 ( The Lord is my shepherd ). Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny), Op. 54 ( ) 18 minutes

2 Brahms began his work for chorus and orchestra, Song of Destiny, in the summer of 1868, following the triumphant premiere of another great choral work, A German Requiem. Song of Destiny is a setting of verse by Friedrich Hölderlin, describing the gods indifference to the suffering of man. Felix Mendelssohn ( ) Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56, Scottish (1842) 40 minutes In 1829, Mendelssohn traveled to Scotland. The journey inspired two masterpieces, the Fingal s Cave Overture, and the Scottish Symphony. Mendelssohn composed the opening of the Scottish Symphony after visiting the Holyrood Palace. The Scottish Symphony is in four movements. The first opens with a brooding introduction, inspired by Holyrood. The second movement evokes an old Scottish bagpipe melody. The lyrical slow third movement leads to the finale, bringing the Scottish Symphony to a triumphant close. Richard Wagner ( ) Overture to Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) (1843) 11 minutes Piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, harp, and strings. Richard Wagner s fourth opera, Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman), is based upon the legend of a sea captain, condemned to travel the seas until he finds the true love of a woman. The opera s premiere took place in Dresden, on January 2, The orchestral Overture foreshadows the narrative. During a furious storm, the Flying Dutchman successfully negotiated the Cape of Good Hope. As punishment for his defiance of nature, the Devil condemned the Dutchman to wander the seas. Every seven years, the Dutchman is permitted to leave his vessel and seek the love of a faithful woman. If the Dutchman s quest proves successful, the curse shall be removed. The Dutchman meets Daland, a Norwegian sea captain. The Dutchman promises to give all his wealth in exchange for the hand of Daland s daughter, Senta, in marriage. Senta, who has long been fascinated by the legend of the Dutchman, promises to be faithful until death. But when Erik, who is also in love with Senta, pursues the young woman, the Dutchman believes she has betrayed him. As the Dutchman s ship departs, Senta leaps into the waters. The Dutchman s ship sinks into the sea. The opera concludes with a vision of the Dutchman and Senta, rising together to heaven. Alexander von Zemlinsky ( ) Psalm 23, Op. 14 (1910) 10 minutes Mixed chorus, 2 piccolos, 4 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, triangle, cymbal, glockenspiel, two harps, celeste, and strings. In 1949, seven years after the death Alexander von Zemlinsky, his friend and fellow Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg ( ) acknowledged: I owe almost

3 everything I know about composing and its problems to Alexander Zemlinsky. I always thought he was a great composer, and I still think so. Perhaps his time will come sooner than one thinks. In recent decades, the music world has indeed rediscovered Alexander Zemlinsky, one of Vienna s finest late-romantic voices. Zemlinsky was a prolific composer, who excelled in choral, orchestral, and chamber music, as well as songs and theater works. Zemlinsky s rich and powerful setting for chorus and orchestra of Psalm 23 ( The Lord is my shepherd) was commissioned by the Austrian composer and conductor, Franz Schrecker ( ). Schrecker conducted his Philharmonic Choir in the world premiere, which took place in Vienna in December, Psalm XXIII: Ein Psalm Davids Der Herr ist mein Hirte, mir wird nichts mangeln. Er weidet mich auf grüner Aue, er fü hret mich zum frischen Wasser. Er erquikket meine Seele, er fü hret mich auf rechter Strasse, um seines Namens willen. Und ob ich schon wanderte im finstern Tal, fürchte ich kein Unglück, denn du bist bei mir, dein Stab und Stekken trösten mich. Du bereitest vor mir einen Tisch gegen meine Feinde, du salbest mein Haupt mit Öl und schenkest mir voll ein. Gutes und Barmherzigkeit werden mir folgen mein Leben lang, und ich werde bleiben im Hause des Herrn immerdar. Psalm XXIII: A Psalm of David The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name s sake. Yea, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Johannes Brahms ( ) Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny), Op. 54 ( ) 18 minutes

4 Mixed chorus, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, and strings. Johannes Brahms began his work for chorus and orchestra, Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny), in 1868, following the triumphant premiere of A German Requiem, Op. 45. Brahms completed Song of Destiny three years later. The premiere took place in Karlsruhe, Germany, on October 18, The prominent German conductor, Hermann Levi, led the premiere (Levi also conducted the first performance of Richard Wagner s final opera, Parsifal, on July 26, 1882). It was Levi who suggested the idea of including the orchestral postlude as a method of providing some closure to the despairing final portion of Hölderlin s poem. Ihr wandelt droben im Licht auf weichem Boden, selige Genien! Glänzende Götterlüfte rühren Euch leicht, wie die Finger der Künstlerin heilige Saiten. Schicksallos, wie der schlafende Säugling, atmen die Himmlischen; keusch bewahrt in bescheidener Knospe, blühet ewig ihnen der Geist und die seligen Augen blicken in stiller ewiger Klarheit. Doch uns ist gegeben, auf keiner Stätte zu ruhn; es schwinden, es fallen die leidenden Menschen blindlings von einer Stunde zur andern, wie Wasser von Klippe zu Klippe geworfen, jahrlang ins Ungewisse hinab. Friedrich Hölderlin ( ), Hyperions Schicksalslied, 1798, from Gedichte ( ) You wander up there in the light on soft soil, blessed genies! Shining, divine breezes Lightly touch you like the fingers of an artist on her holy strings.

5 Fateless, like sleeping babies, the divine ones breathe, chastely protected in more modest buds, their spirits eternally blooming, and their blessed eyes look in silent, eternal clarity. But to us there is given no place for rest; we shrink, we fall the suffering humans blindly from one hour to another, like water thrown from cliff to cliff, for years into uncertain depths. Felix Mendelssohn ( ) Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56, Scottish (1842) 40 minutes 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings. In April of 1829, twenty-year-old Felix Mendelssohn departed his native Germany to embark upon a series of journeys throughout Europe. These travels would provide the inspiration for several of Mendelssohn s finest compositions. Mendelssohn first traveled to England. Then, in the summer of 1829, Mendelssohn journeyed to Scotland. A treacherous voyage to the island of Staffa led Mendelssohn to compose his Overture, The Hebrides ( Fingal s Cave ), Op. 26 (1830). In a letter to his family, Mendelssohn described another visit to a famous Scottish site: We went, in the deep twilight, to the palace (of Holyrood) where Queen Mary lived and loved. There is a little room to be seen there, with a winding staircase leading up to it. That is where they went up and found Rizzio in the little room, dragged him out, and three chambers away is a dark corner where they killed him. The adjoining chapel is now roofless; grass and ivy grow abundantly in it; and before the ruined altar Mary was crowned Queen of Scotland. Everything around is broken and moldering, and the bright sky shines in. I believe I found today the beginning of my Scottish Symphony. That day, Mendelssohn sketched the Symphony s first 16 measures. But it was not until January 20, 1842 almost thirteen years after the visit to Holyrood that Mendelssohn finally completed his Scottish Symphony. Mendelssohn conducted the work s premiere at the Leipzig Gewandhaus on March 3, The composer later revised the score. He conducted the first performance in England at the Philharmonic Society on June 13, Mendelssohn dedicated the Symphony to Queen Victoria.

6 The Scottish Symphony is in four movements. The first begins with a slow introduction (Andante con moto), inspired by the mysteries of Holyrood. The introduction s thematic material serves as the basis for the ensuing, dramatic quick-tempo section (Allegro un poco agitato). The second movement Scherzo (Vivace non troppo) is, according to Mendelssohn, based upon an old Scottish bagpipe melody. The beautiful slow movement (Adagio) features two central themes. The finale begins with a marital outburst (Allegro vivacissimo). The Symphony s sublime closing measures (Allegro maestoso assai) feature a majestic variant of the finale s second principal theme, in turn based upon the principal melody of the first movement.