ROBERTSON CONDUCTS SCHUMANN 3 & 4 Tetzlaff & Widmann MONDAYS @ 7 Monday 16 February 2015
concert diary CLASSICAL Schumann 3 & 4 Tetzlaff & Widmann SCHUMANN Symphony No.4 WIDMANN Violin Concerto australian premiere SCHUMANN Symphony No.3 (Rhenish) David Robertson conductor Christian Tetzlaff violin Mondays @ 7 Mon 16 Feb 7pm Pre-concert talk at 6.15pm Robertson conducts La Mer Before and after Boulez BOULEZ Rituel in memoriam Bruno Maderna LENTZ Jerusalem (after Blake) australian premiere DEBUSSY La Mer David Robertson conductor Schumann 3 & 4 LENTZ Jerusalem (after Blake) australian premiere SCHUMANN Symphony No.4* SCHUMANN Symphony No.3 (Rhenish)* David Robertson conductor Discover Beethoven BEETHOVEN Symphony No.2 Richard Gill conductor SSO Sinfonia Meet the Music Wed 18 Feb 6.30pm Pre-concert talk at 5.45pm Tea & Symphony Fri 20 Feb 11am* Complimentary morning tea from 10am Great Classics Sat 21 Feb 2pm Pre-concert talk at 1.15pm DownerTenix Discovery Tue 24 Feb 6.30pm City Recital Hall Angel Place Beethoven Nine BRUCKNER Christus factus est Motet, WAB 11 BERG Act III of Wozzeck BEETHOVEN Symphony No.9 (Choral) David Robertson conductor Miriam Gordon-Stewart, Michelle DeYoung, Simon O Neill, Teddy Tahu Rhodes Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Gondwana Choir. An Evening with Ella, Louis and the Duke James Morrison s A-Z of Jazz From Armstrong to Zawinul, James Morrison covers the full trajectory of jazz. Benjamin Northey conductor James Morrison jazz trumpet Hetty Kate vocalist SEASON OPENING GALA Special Event Premier Partner Credit Suisse Fri 27 Feb 8pm Sat 28 Feb 8pm Sun 1 Mar 2pm Pre-concert talk 45 minutes before each performance Meet the Music Thu 5 Mar 6:30pm Kaleidoscope Fri 6 Mar 8pm Sat 7 Mar 8pm Pre-concert talk 45 minutes before each performance FOR COMPLETE DETAILS OF THE 2015 SEASON VISIT SYDNEYSYMPHONY.COM CALL 8215 4600 Mon Fri 9am 5pm NO FEES WHEN YOU BOOK THESE CONCERTS ONLINE WITH THE SSO *Selected performances. Booking fees of $5.00 $8.50 may apply. ^Additional fees may apply. Tickets also available at SYDNEYOPERAHOUSE.COM 9250 7777 Mon Sat 9am 8.30pm Sun 10am 6pm CITYRECITALHALL.COM^ 8256 2222 Mon Fri 9am 5pm All concerts at Sydney Opera House unless otherwise stated
SYMPHONIC VARIATIONS Star French-Canadian pianist Louis Lortie returns to Sydney to perform two short, spirited opportunities for virtuoso display by Mozart and Franck. As well, enjoy Mozart s Paris Symphony and Franck s grand Symphony in D minor. MOZART Symphony No.31 (Paris) FRANCK Symphonic Variations for piano and orchestra MOZART Rondo in D for piano and orchestra, K382 FRANCK Symphony in D minor THU 9 APR 1.30PM FRI 10 APR 8PM SAT 11 APR 2PM BEST SEATS Yan-Pascal Tortelier conductor Louis Lortie piano (pictured) BOOK NOW TICKETS FROM $39 * NO FEES WHEN YOU BOOK THIS CONCERT ONLINE AT CALL 8215 4600 MON FRI 9AM 5PM TICKETS ALSO AVAILABLE AT SYDNEYOPERAHOUSE.COM 9250 7777 MON SAT 9AM 8.30PM SUN 10AM 6PM *Booking fees of $5.00 $8.95 may apply.
2015 concert season MONDAYS @ 7 MONDAY 16 FEBRUARY, 7PM SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE CONCERT HALL SCHUMANN 3 & 4 David Robertson conductor Christian Tetzlaff violin ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810 1856) Symphony No.4 in D minor, Op.120 Ziemlich langsam [Rather slow] Lebhaft [Lively] Romanze (Ziemlich langsam) Scherzo (Lebhaft) Langsam [Slow] Lebhaft INTERVAL JÖRG WIDMANN (born 1973) Violin Concerto (2007) australian premiere On Saturday the two symphonies on this program will be recorded for broadcast by ABC Classic FM on Tuesday 24 February at 8pm. Pre-concert talk by Scott Davie at 6.15pm in the Northern Foyer. Visit sydneysymphony.com/speaker-bios for more information. Estimated durations: 28 minutes, 20-minute interval, 27 minutes, 32 minutes The concert will conclude at approximately 9pm. SCHUMANN Symphony No.3 in E flat, Op.97, Rhenish Lebhaft [Lively] Scherzo (Sehr mässig) [Very moderately] Nicht schnell [Not fast] Feierlich [Ceremonially] Lebhaft PRESENTED BY
BIBLIOTHÈQUE INGUIMBERTINE, CARPENTRAS / BRIDGEMAN IMAGES Pencil drawing of Robert Schumann in 1853, by Jean Joseph Bonaventure Laurens 6
INTRODUCTION Schumann and Widmann Last week saw the beginning of our Schumann cycle with the first two symphonies in a program with Mendelssohn s violin concerto. That pairing of composers has a certain historical inevitability to it the two men were colleagues and they represent the same strand of 19th-century German romanticism. But what do we make of the combination of Robert Schumann and Jörg Widmann? Two German composers, both represented by works from their late 30s or early 40s. This is the German musical tradition you could even say a romantic tradition but with nearly two centuries intervening, the sound worlds are vastly different. In choosing Widmann s Violin Concerto to sit alongside Schumann, David Robertson has responded to what he describes as a sense of forward-looking expression that he hears in both composers. He sees Schumann as pivotal in the journey of the Romantic symphony, as a composer who transformed the symphonic genre by writing music that aspires to a unified vision while also brimming with Romantic fantasy and imagination. In the same way, Widmann has transformed the genre of the violin concerto. As Christian Tetzlaff, tonight s soloist, says, Widmann has recreated the violin concerto anew, which is quite a feat these days. In tonight s concerto we get to hear the creation of a composer who is fully aware of the great violin concerto tradition, and of the predecessors who have each composed their solitaires in the genre: Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Berg Widmann s respect for this tradition is such that, unlike his previous concertos, he declined to give his violin concerto a literary title. Violin Concerto implies everything and says everything! The concerto took more than two years to write, but in that time, Widmann discovered something different in his musical voice, a lighter and more relaxed quality that he didn t know he had in him. The result is music that tugs at the emotions and in true Romantic spirit finds beauty even in its darkest moments. We hope you ll find tonight s program an illuminating one, with each composer reflecting something of the other and allowing us, says Robertson, to contemplate the true stature of Schumann, and to revel in the breadth and depth of his musical thought. PLEASE SHARE Programs grow on trees help us be environmentally responsible and keep ticket prices down by sharing your program with your companion. READ IN ADVANCE You can also read SSO program books on your computer or mobile device by visiting our online program library in the week leading up to the concert: sydneysymphony.com/ program_library Turn to page 31 to read Bravo! musician profiles, articles and news from the orchestra. Also available at sydneysymphony.com/bravo 7
ABOUT THE MUSIC Robert Schumann Symphony No.4 in D minor, Op.120 Ziemlich langsam [Rather slow] Lebhaft [Lively] Romanze (Ziemlich langsam) Scherzo (Lebhaft) Langsam [Slow] Lebhaft This symphony was composed during the happy first year of Robert Schumann s marriage to Clara Wieck, which had been resisted with almost legendary fierceness by her father, Friedrich. Robert and Clara were able to marry only after a particularly public and humiliating court challenge. By September 1841, however, Clara was able to write in her diary: My birthday was a day filled from morning to night with enjoyment and happiness. Robert surprised me with so many things, his completed symphony in D minor This D minor symphony was premiered as Symphony No.2 in 1841 in Leipzig, but Schumann was dissatisfied with the work and put it aside, revising it ten years later. It is this later version that is generally played today. The revised symphony, first performed in Düsseldorf on 3 March 1853, contains a number of structural alterations, neatening and tightening a work which already possessed considerable drive and momentum. At the same time, Schumann adjusted the Keynotes SCHUMANN Born Zwickau, Germany, 1810 Died Endenich Asylum, Bonn, 1856 Schumann s creations are vividly imaginative and deeply lyrical, and he was aligned with the literary concerns of the Romantic era. It s no accident that he was a critic as well as a musician. He pursued music under the guise of a law degree, studying piano with Friedrich Wieck in Leipzig. Wieck s star pupil was his daughter Clara, and she and Robert fell in love, eventually marrying despite Wieck s objections. Along the way, Schumann injured his hand, thwarting his performing hopes but leaving the way open for him to focus on composition. SYMPHONY NO.4 This symphony was originally numbered second, composed in the symphonic year of 1841 and presented to a delighted Clara on her birthday. (It was substantially reworked in Düsseldorf in 1851 and published as No.4.) It is formally fascinating, unifying its four movements in a web of thematic cross-referencing that owes something to Beethoven s Ninth Symphony and something to the conventions flashback, reminiscence of literary narrative. In fact Schumann nearly called it a Symphonic Fantasy. Further supporting the unity of the symphony, the movements are played without pause. Schumann in 1839 (lithograph by Josef Kriehuber) 8
orchestration, resulting in over-generous doublings of melodic lines and a consequently thickened texture. He obviously desired to make every entry as safe as possible (perhaps overcompensating for a municipal orchestra less gifted than that of the Leipzig Gewandhaus?), but the excessive doublings tend to take away the personality of a phrase, which, as Hans Gál writes, is what a Schumann phrase cannot do, without damage to its spontaneous expressive directness. Schumann s great successor, Brahms, a Schumann champion, resurrected the original 1841 score for his performances, annoying Clara who found it hard to concede that Robert might have revised something without thoroughly improving it. As a conductor, Gustav Mahler, too, made changes. Yet there are arguments in favour of either version. The work succeeds primarily on the basis of its structural brilliance, especially Schumann s ingenious and remarkably successful attempt at unifying the four movements of the symphony without diluting the distinctive character and structure of each one. A precedent for a large-scale unified cyclic work of this kind existed in Schubert s magnificent Wanderer Fantasy for piano. Schumann would have been familiar with Schubert s piece, and was no doubt at one stage sufficiently conscious of its peculiarity of form to call this symphony a Symphonic Fantasy. Schumann s Fourth Symphony is, writes Gál: music of irresistible momentum, a marvellous union of continuous improvisation and close construction, and its four movements, linked by thematic threads, are in ideal balance and magnificently contrasted In Schumann s symphony, the thematic lay-out progresses from one movement to another, new inventions emerging while the former ones reappear in variation as if it were an act of spontaneous recollection. The Fourth Symphony begins with a slow introduction, a strongly-phrased motif which extends to a 28-bar paragraph, one of the main pillars of the structure. This introduction moves straight into the main fast section (Lebhaft or Allegro), having anticipated its opening material. The continuous movement of rapid notes in the Lebhaft motif is hard to stop and therefore Schumann draws his subsidiary motif from the same material. With a limited pool of themes to expound upon, Schumann leaves till later, to the development section, a genuinely contrasting lyrical melody, and the responsibility for providing a huge and impressive climax. Because the opening material has been sufficiently presented in the exposition, the customary recapitulation of themes is unnecessary. There is a pause on a held note and we almost slip into the slow movement. What s in a name? Schumann thought of calling his Symphony No.4 a Symphonic Fantasy. In the end he didn t, but the full title on the first published edition is just as revealing: Symphony No.4 in D minor / Introduction, Allegro, Romanze, Scherzo and Finale in one movement. Here, spelled out, was his ambition (dating from as early as 1841) to create a grand cyclic structure in which the musical material of the different movements or sections was completely unified. 9
The main feature of the Romanze is an elegiac oboe melody. With the return of triple metre and a tempo similar to the beginning of the symphony, the opening motif of the first movement sees the opportunity to re-enter, providing an interlude-like passage. A contrasting middle section extends this opening motif into a soft, expressive tune while a solo violin elegantly paraphrases it. The elegiac oboe returns, the music pauses on A major, and without more ado, the Scherzo is launched. This is vigorously scored with driving imitation in the lower strings. The central trio section turns out to be an old acquaintance: the graceful figuration that the concertmaster s solo violin had added to the motif of the introduction in the middle section of the Romanze. The Scherzo returns and then Schumann, following the example of Beethoven in his Fourth, Sixth and Seventh symphonies, lets the trio come back once more, but this time slowed down so that we may move without interruption into the opening section of the finale (Langsam). With the striking fortissimos of the final Lebhaft section, we have another moment of recognition, for here again is music from the first movement. To cap off the gradual build-up of tension and effect, Schumann has chosen the climactic moment of the first movement to provide the main material which is to be built on in the finale. It is this sense of inevitable momentum and intense accumulation that provides the listener with so much enjoyment. Critics may praise the unity and balance of its construction, its succinctness its skilful links put one in mind of Wagner s observation that all composing is, at the base of it, the art of transition but it is the sense of inevitable progress and triumphant release that really draws the listener in. the sense of inevitable progress and triumphant release ADAPTED FROM A NOTE BY GORDON KALTON WILLIAMS SYMPHONY AUSTRALIA 1998/2002 Schumann s Symphony No.4 calls for pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons; four horns, two trumpets and three trombones (no tuba); timpani and strings. The SSO first performed this symphony in 1938, in a Celebrity Orchestral concert conducted by George Szell. It was the first of the Schumann symphonies to enter our repertoire, a reflection of its longstanding popularity, especially with conductors. Our most recent performance of the symphony was in 2008, conducted by Richard Gill. 10
Jörg Widmann Violin Concerto (2007) Christian Tetzlaff violin Widmann s Violin Concerto was written in 2007 on a commission from the touring Junge Deutsche Philharmonie. Up to that point Widmann had written several concerto and concertante works including the trumpet concerto Ad absurdum (which is, well, absurdly difficult) and the fascinating Echo-Fragmente for his own instrument, a piece that calls for two separately tuned orchestras (one modern, the other of period instruments). The challenges Widmann typically sets for himself as a performer have clearly affected the way he thinks about the concerto format. Perhaps the most frequently encountered word commentators resort to when describing Widmann s music is excess : its tendency to press emotions to the limits (and beyond), which goes hand in hand with outrageously virtuosic demands. The question as to what a solo concerto is has often led me to these excessive forms, Widmann has stated. Here, in the Violin Concerto, however, everything is different: it has a light air. Light, that is, in the sense of a translucent, even rapturous, clarity that informs every moment of this extraordinary singlemovement composition. Lasting about half an hour, the Violin Concerto is characteristic of Widmann in the way a deep sense of the musical past informs its fabric even as he reimagines the parameters of a solo concerto. The Guardian s music critic Tom Service aptly captures this aspect in one of his profiles of the composer: The reason I think Widmann s music is so invigorating and important is that it not only charts a new musical and imaginative terrain one that is joyously free to plunder the entirety of music history from Mozart to Lachenmann for its own ends but also has so much to say about the way we hear the music of the past. In his orchestral overture Con brio, for example, Widmann traces rather than copies fragments from Beethoven s Seventh and Eighth symphonies, absorbing them into his own voice. The Violin Concerto immediately evokes memories of the great Alban Berg concerto for this instrument as a model, as if Widmann were summoning the spirit of early 20th-century Viennese expressionism for our wired age. Shostakovich and Bartók may also come to mind. At the same time, orchestral precision and prismatic coloration are as essential to the musical content as is the manipulation of the thematic material we hear in the opening minute. Widmann s exquisite ear for orchestral nuance pays homage to Pierre Boulez (another important early influence) and later French composers. And in Keynotes WIDMANN Born Munich, 1973 Jörg Widmann leads a musical double life reminiscent of the great composer-performers of the 19th-century. Born in Munich, he studied both clarinet and composition from childhood. The former took him to the Juilliard School; the latter saw him studying with Wilfried Hiller, Hans Werner Henze, Heiner Goebbels and Wolfgang Rihm. He performs concertos and chamber music with some of the world s leading musicians, but he is also one of the busiest composers in Germany today. His output encompasses chamber music, including a cycle of string quartets; stage works such as Das Gesicht im Spiegel (The Face in the Mirror); and orchestral music, including a piano concerto, Trauermarsch (Funeral March), Ad absurdum for trumpet, and Echo-Fragmente for clarinet. Some of his orchestral music nods to the past, as in Armonica, a glass armonica tribute to Mozart, and Con brio, based on fragments from Beethoven. VIOLIN CONCERTO Over a 30-minute span, Jörg Widmann has the soloist perform an emotionally taxing part almost without a break. At the beginning and at the end of the concerto, the violin is alone, instructed to play as if drunk with beauty. The body of the concerto is accompanied by carefully darkened orchestral colours, and its sound world is overtly lyrical music that aches and soars, keens and pines. 11
MARCO BORGGREVE What s in a name? Unlike Widmann s earlier concertos Trauermarsch, Ad absurdum, Echo-Fragmente his violin concerto was not given a literary name. The composer has rejected that vehemently: Violin Concerto! What is implied in these words alone envelops me in a sweet, enticing scent. terms of the Concerto s overall form a single span whose inner movements are locked together in artfully hidden transitions the Seventh Symphony of Sibelius is a landmark to which Widmann has alluded. Yet the result avoids feeling like a merely eclectic piling on of sources, for Widmann sustains a remarkable sense of a concentrated, unified vision across the length of the piece. And he asks for the soloist to do the same. Written for Christian Tetzlaff, the Concerto allows the soloist no off-stage time. Widmann treats the violinist as an Orphic protagonist, a muse who may guide us through a bleak and forbidding underworld the singing voice that negotiates a way through a continually transforming soundscape of thematic motifs, harmonies, timbres. Widmann doesn t even take the idea of a beginning for granted. Unlike, say, the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto [heard in our concerts last week], with its in medias res orchestral motor, the first sounds we hear, from the soloist, give the illusion of a curtain gone up on music that s already been playing. Instructed to play in a style drunk with beauty [schönheitstrunken], gushingly in the opening measures, the soloist reaches down to its lowest note on its lowest (G) string before beginning a tentative pattern of ascent, then fall, then ascent, again and again. Despite the large orchestra called for, Widmann aggregates colours sparingly, I ve played many beautiful commissions, but the Widmann is a piece that makes me feel completely fulfilled as a violinist. I ve played it 20 or 25 times, and it deploys the violin in an ecstatic way for half an hour of uninterrupted singing. Widmann has recreated the violin concerto anew, which is quite a feat these days. CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF 12
Has Jörg Widmann discovered his romantic side? Until 2005 Jörg Widmann had never had to ask an orchestra to reschedule a premiere. With his violin concerto, however, the genre itself became the source of a two-year delay. This is a genre, he points out, for which many composers in music history, not only Brahms and Beethoven, have written just one a solitaire, so to speak. Sometimes, he explained at the time of the premiere, motifs, sounds and ideas require this echo space to be able to find their ultimate form. The Violin Concerto needed time to come, and as a result, it is a different solo concerto than that which I would have composed even two years ago. Each of my previous instrumental concertos has been about extremes The question as to what a solo concerto is has often led me to excessive implementations. Here, in the Violin Concerto, it is totally different: it has a light air, seemingly loosely tied, something relaxed that I did not know I had in me. often in softer dynamics a boom of double basses, then paired with the violas, for example, when the orchestra first enters and sets them in striking contrast. In place of linear events, the orchestra seems to generate a kind of energy field through which the violin leads the listener. About two-thirds through, as a deceptive calm spreads through the orchestra, comes a terrifying moment: an abrupt chasm of silence seems to signal the end. But the music resumes, passionately, even fiercely. Further cataclysm threatens, nostalgia beckons, and then a new, mysterious calm eventually settles in. Widmann has the instrument veer into its other extreme in the last measures, reaching into the stratosphere while simultaneously building a subtle crescendo. The soloist comes to rest on a long-held, ultra-high C and ends the Concerto in a subdued, shadowy state of irenic ambivalence. EXCERPTED FROM A NOTE BY THOMAS MAY 2014 The orchestra for Widmann s violin concerto calls for two flutes (one doubling piccolo), two oboes (one doubling cor anglais), two clarinets (one doubling bass clarinet) and two bassoons (one doubling contrabassoon); four horns but no other brass instruments; percussion, harp, celesta and strings. (The celesta player is also responsible for playing a bass drum.) The concerto was commissioned by the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, which gave the premiere in Essen in 2007 with Christian Tetzlaff and conductor Manfred Honeck. It has since been performed extensively throughout Germany, as well as in Glasgow, Paris, Stockholm, Washington DC and Vienna. This is the Australian premiere of the concerto and, we believe, the first Australian performance of any orchestral work by Widmann. In July we will give the Australian premiere of his Con brio on motifs by Beethoven. 13
WIN A LUXURY APT RIVER CRUISE You re invited to Win aroyal Experience with APt and SYdneY SYmPhonY orchestra For your chance to win a 15 day APT Magnificent Europe River Cruise, including return economy flights for two, valued at $21,590*, simply tell us in 25 words or less - Which of APT s global Signature Experiences would you most like to enjoy and why? TO ENTER VISIT www.aptouring.com.au/ssocompetition *Conditions apply, please go to www.aptouring.com.au/ssocompetition for full terms and conditions. ^Selected suites only. APT1880
Robert Schumann Symphony No.3 in E flat, Op.97, Rhenish Lebhaft [Lively] Scherzo (Sehr mässig) [Very moderately] Nicht schnell [Not fast] Feierlich [Ceremonially] Lebhaft In September 1850 Robert and Clara Schumann arrived in the Rhineland city of Düsseldorf, where Robert was to take up an appointment as Municipal Music Director, conducting the local chorus and orchestra. It is probable that this symphony was composed in the first flush of enthusiasm for the new job, which promised Schumann a chance to become more closely acquainted with the orchestral medium. It was composed between 2 November and 9 December 1850, and first performed in Düsseldorf on 6 February 1851. Schumann s conducting experience was to prove disappointing, however. His friend Albert Dietrich later pointed to characteristics in Schumann s muchcriticised orchestration which may have stemmed from an inability to balance the playing strengths of his musicians. Becoming acquainted with the Rhineland region, the Schumanns visited Cologne before the end of the month and Schumann was particularly struck by the mighty cathedral, with its unfinished towers, vast shadows and spaces. The crane left behind by the mediæval builders on the stump of the southern tower had itself become a feature of the city by this time. Schumann visited the cathedral again before the year was out, and this time witnessed the investiture of the new archbishop, a ceremony which impressed him greatly. These experiences formed the pictorial inspiration behind the striking fourth movement of the Rhenish symphony. Robert Schumann was steeped in literature indeed he had for many years been editor of the critical journal the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung. He was often inspired by literary and pictorial topics, and this symphony is the most programmatic of his four. Only vague hints in Clara s diary indicate the complete program that underlay this piece, but we can guess that it was at least a portrait of life on the Rhine Morning life on the Rhine was the original subtitle of the second movement scherzo, though Schumann seems to have deleted it, perhaps believing that there is a difference between non-musical stimulus for a composer and useful information for the listener to know. The symphony is cast in five movements, a departure from the usual four, though Beethoven s Sixth had been a formidable predecessor. It opens with a confident, vital melody in E flat major, containing a striking rhythmic trick. The broad triple beat Keynotes SCHUMANN As a young composer, Robert Schumann wrote music chiefly on an intimate scale, composing an astonishing wealth of lieder and song cycles. These, and his highly imaginative piano works, place him among the most revered Romantic composers. The depth of his lyricism, however, sought larger means of expression. Clara, a celebrated concert pianist and a composer in her own right, earnestly encouraged Robert in this direction, believing his music is all orchestral in feeling. An early attempt at symphonic composition, premiered during Robert s student days, led him to lament: I consider this art so difficult that it will take long years study to give me certainty and self control. SYMPHONY NO.3 This symphony actively depicts life in the Rhineland, where Schumann had moved to take a post in Düsseldorf. The beginning is full of rhythmic ambiguity before taking off in a joyous triple metre. The second movement is a Ländler (ancestor to the waltz) and the third a songlike interlude. The extra movement, with its solemn trombones and stylised solemnity was suggested to Schumann by the ceremonial enthronement of a cardinal in the famously unfinished Cologne Cathedral. It makes for a splendid contrast with the energetic, folklike character of the finale and the cathedral music recurs briefly toward the conclusion of the symphony. 15
Schumann s Third and Fourth Symphonies Schumann s symphonies have had their detractors over the years. The German conductor Felix Weingartner (1863 1942) wrote rather disparagingly of the Rhenish, judging its themes as essentially pianistic (therefore inadequate for symphonic development), criticising its orchestration as thick and awkward, and prescribing corrections to the score. Attitudes of this nature lingered through much of the 20th century. Schumann s Fourth Symphony begun before the Rhenish in 1841 but withdrawn and then reintroduced in 1853 experienced both a longer gestation and more assiduous revision. Its somewhat leaner orchestration and greater conciseness contribute to its popularity, particularly with conductors, among Schumann s four symphonies. Nonetheless, the Rhenish was a critical turning point in Schumann s symphonic evolution, a sincere and masterful expression of his musical spirit. To Tchaikovsky, there was no mightier or deeper manifestation of an artist s creative power than in the fourth movement of the Rhenish. Following its premiere, Schumann s Symphony No.3 quickly received performances in Germany and the Netherlands. More than 160 years later, it enjoys lasting success with modern orchestras and their audiences. SAMUEL C DIXON soon moves imperceptibly into double speed, and we realise that Schumann has simply disguised the basic beat of his opening six bars by holding notes over the giveaway accents an effect which was to be repeated much later by Schumann s friend and artistic ally, Brahms, in his own third symphony (it was perhaps intended as a tribute by the younger man). There is a beautifully lyrical second subject, beginning in G minor, but what is also remarkable is the way in which each modulation of the harmony has an inherent tendency to return to the heroic key of E flat. The middle three movements form a group of character pieces much in the manner of Schumann s piano music. The second movement is like a Ländler, the earthy predecessor to the waltz style later taken up for symphonic movements by Bruckner and Mahler. The third movement is a lyrical interlude, which according to Jonathan Kramer is too songlike and direct to be a real slow movement, and therefore establishing the need for an additional movement, a true adagio. Other writers, however, see the fourth and fifth movements forming two parts of the one whole. It is the fourth movement which is the most clearly pictorial. Schumann originally wrote over the music: In the character of the accompaniment to a solemn ceremony clearly recalling the enthroning ceremony he had seen. But he later struck it out, Portrait of Schumann held in the Vienna History Museum DE AGOSTINI PICTURE LIBRARY / A DAGLI ORTI / BRIDGEMAN IMAGES 16
Cologne Cathedral in 1856, showing its unfinished state, including the mediæval crane on the south tower. Detail from an early photograph of the city. declaring, One should not show his heart to the people, for the general impression of a work of art is more effective. The unfinished Cologne Cathedral was a powerful symbol to 19th-century Romantics. They saw it as a moving appeal to continue the work of creation. They were entranced by its majesty, and one writer spoke of its lofty, slender Gothic pillars grouped like trees in an ancient forest, their highest branches crossing and intertwining in a dim vault of pointed arches, where the eye could scarcely follow. Schumann achieves a sense of breadth and space in this movement by introducing three trombones to the orchestra. There is an evocation of the mediæval era in the use of polyphony, and as if to emphasise his intention, Schumann changes the basic beat thenceforward from crotchets to minims. The audience can t necessarily hear the difference, especially in the lively fifth movement, but the conductor is reminded to approach the subject matter with the appropriate air of solemnity. The final movement opens in the mood of a lively folk festival, but the cathedral music reappears near the end, bringing to a close what one writer describes as a viable marriage between the character piece, which was Schumann s specialty, and the surety of symphonic form for which he strove. GORDON KALTON WILLIAMS SYMPHONY AUSTRALIA 1998 Schumann s Symphony No.3 calls for pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons; four horns, two trumpets and three trombones; timpani and strings. The SSO was the first ABC orchestra to perform this symphony, in 1948 with conductor Eugene Goossens. Our most recent performance was in 2000 with Edo de Waart. 17
MORE MUSIC SCHUMANN SYMPHONIES If you d like to extend tonight s Schumann immersion to include more of his orchestral music, look for the EMI Triple featuring the four symphonies, the Manfred overture, the piano concerto with Christian Zacharias and the cello concerto with Truls Mørk. Hans Vonk conducts the Cologne West German Radio Symphony Orchestra in this 3CD collection. EMI CLASSICS 15310 If you re curious about the reception of the Schumann symphonies over time, and especially the way conductors have sometimes felt compelled to improve on Schumann s work, look for Decca s Mahler Edition of the Schumann symphonies, in which Riccardo Chailly conducts the Gewandhaus Orchestra using Mahler s re-orchestrations. Some of the effects are striking and impressive, even if they aren t Schumann. DECCA 478 0037 TETZLAFF PLAYS WIDMANN Christian Tetzlaff gave the premiere of the Widmann concerto in 2007, more recently he has recorded it with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and conductor Daniel Harding. On the same disc you can hear Widmann s Antiphon for orchestral groups and his earlier work, Insel der Sirenen (Island of Sirens) for solo violin and 19 strings. ONDINE ODE 1215-2 DAVID ROBERTSON Last year we released David Robertson s recording with the SSO of Stravinsky s complete Firebird ballet music. SSO LIVE 201402 And available any day now, also on our own label: Holst s suite The Planets. Watch this space! In 2013 the SSO gave the premiere of John Adams Saxophone Concerto with soloist Timothy McAllister and the composer conducting. The work was a co-commission with the St Louis Symphony among the partners, and it s now available in the Grammy-winning recording they made with David Robertson conducting and McAllister again playing the solo part. The concerto is paired with the very appealing City Noir, which also features saxophone. NONESUCH 541 356 CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF Last week Christian Tetzlaff performed the Mendelssohn concerto with us, and his expressive and songful interpretation can be found paired with Schumann s Violin Concerto in D minor and Fantasie in C for violin and orchestra. Paavo Järvi conducts the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. ONDINE 1195 For his most recent release on the Ondine label, he recorded the two Shostakovich violin concertos with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor John Storgårds. ONDINE 1239 And if you d like to hear more Schumann after tonight, look for his recording with pianist Lars Vogt of the three Schumann violin sonatas. ONDINE 1205 Broadcast Diary February March Monday 23 February, 8pm SCHUMANN 1 & 2 David Robertson conductor Christian Tetzlaff violin Schumann, Mendelssohn Tuesday 24 February, 8pm SCHUMANN 3 & 4 David Robertson conductor Lentz, Schumann Friday 20 March, 8pm BRAHMS & SIBELIUS Daniel Blendulf conductor Janine Jansen violin Brahms, Butterley, Sibelius Saturday 21 March, 1pm SONG & DANCE Ward Stare conductor Daniela Mack mezzo-soprano Ravel, Canteloube, Falla orch. Berio, Richard Strauss SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA HOUR Tuesday 10 March, 6pm Hosted by Andrew Bukenya with two of our 2015 Fellows as special guests. 18
MORE MUSIC SSO Live Recordings The Sydney Symphony Orchestra Live label was founded in 2006 and we ve since released more than two dozen recordings featuring the orchestra in live concert performances with our titled conductors and leading guest artists. To buy, visit sydneysymphony.com/shop Strauss & Schubert Gianluigi Gelmetti conducts Schubert s Unfinished and R Strauss s Four Last Songs with Ricarda Merbeth. SSO 200803 Sir Charles Mackerras A 2CD set featuring Sir Charles s final performances with the orchestra, in October 2007. SSO 200705 Brett Dean Two discs featuring the music of Brett Dean, including his award-winning violin concerto, The Lost Art of Letter Writing. SSO 200702, SSO 201302 Ravel Gelmetti conducts music by one of his favourite composers: Maurice Ravel. Includes Bolero. SSO 200801 Rare Rachmaninoff Rachmaninoff chamber music with Dene Olding, the Goldner Quartet, soprano Joan Rodgers and Vladimir Ashkenazy at the piano. SSO 200901 Prokofiev s Romeo and Juliet Vladimir Ashkenazy conducts the complete Romeo and Juliet ballet music of Prokofiev a fiery and impassioned performance. SSO 201205 Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto In 2013 this recording with James Ehnes and Ashkenazy was awarded a Juno (the Canadian Grammy). Lyrical miniatures fill out the disc. SSO 201206 Tchaikovsky Second Piano Concerto Garrick Ohlsson is the soloist in one of the few recordings of the original version of Tchaikovsky s Piano Concerto No.2. Ashkenazy conducts. SSO 201301 Stravinsky s Firebird David Robertson conducts Stravinsky s brilliant and colourful Firebird ballet, recorded with the SSO in concert in 2008. SSO 201402 MAHLER ODYSSEY The complete Mahler symphonies (including the Barshai completion of No.10) together with some of the song cycles. Recorded in concert with Vladimir Ashkenazy during the 2010 and 2011 seasons. As a bonus: recordings from our archives of Rückert-Lieder, Kindertotenlieder and Das Lied von der Erde. Available in a handsome boxed set of 12 discs or individually. Mahler 1 & Songs of a Wayfarer SSO 201001 Mahler 2 SSO 201203 Mahler 3 SSO 201101 Mahler 4 SSO 201102 Mahler 5 SSO 201003 Mahler 6 SSO 201103 Mahler 7 SSO 201104 Mahler 8 (Symphony of a Thousand) SSO 201002 Mahler 9 SSO 201201 Mahler 10 (Barshai completion) SSO 201202 Song of the Earth SSO 201004 From the archives: Rückert-Lieder, Kindertotenlieder, Das Lied von der Erde SSO 201204 LOOK OUT FOR Our recording of Holst s Planets with David Robertson. Due for release early in 2015. SSO Online Join us on Facebook facebook.com/sydneysymphony Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/sydsymph Watch us on YouTube www.youtube.com/sydneysymphony Visit sydneysymphony.com for concert information, podcasts, and to read the program book in the week of the concert. Stay tuned. Sign up to receive our fortnightly e-newsletter sydneysymphony.com/staytuned Download our free mobile app for iphone/ipad or Android sydneysymphony.com/mobile_app 19
THE ARTISTS MICHAEL TAMMARO David Robertson Chief Conductor and Artistic Director David Robertson is a compelling and passionate communicator whose stimulating ideas and music-making have captivated audiences and musicians alike. A consummate musician and masterful programmer, he has forged strong relationships with major orchestras throughout Europe and North America. He made his Australian debut with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2003 and soon became a regular visitor to Sydney, with projects such as The Colour of Time, a conceptual multimedia concert; the Australian premiere of John Adams Doctor Atomic Symphony; and concert performances of The Flying Dutchman with video projections. In 2014, his inaugural season as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director, he led the SSO on a seven-city tour of China. Last year he launched his tenth season as Music Director of the St Louis Symphony. Other titled posts have included Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Orchestre National de Lyon and resident conductor of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. An expert in 20th- and 21st-century music, he has also been Music Director of the Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris (where composer and conductor Pierre Boulez was an early supporter). He is also a champion of young musicians, devoting time to working with students and young artists. David Robertson is a frequent guest with major orchestras and opera houses throughout the word and in recent seasons he has conducted the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Philadelphia and Cleveland orchestras, as well as the Berlin Philharmonic, Staatskapelle Dresden, BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Last year he conducted the controversial but highly acclaimed Metropolitan Opera premiere of John Adams Death of Klinghoffer. His awards and accolades include Musical America Conductor of the Year (2000), Columbia University s 2006 Ditson Conductor s Award, and, with the SLSO, the 2005 06 ASCAP Morton Gould Award for Innovative Programming. In 2010 he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 2011 a Chevalier de l Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. David Robertson was born in Santa Monica, California, and educated at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he studied French horn and composition before turning to conducting. He is married to pianist Orli Shaham. THE POSITION OF CHIEF CONDUCTOR AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR IS SUPPORTED BY EMIRATES 20
GIORGIA BERTAZZI Christian Tetzlaff violin For more than 20 years Christian Tetzlaff has enjoyed a fulfilling concert life with a hundred concerts per year. He began the 2014 15 season with concerts at festivals in North America and an extensive tour with the Tetzlaff Quartet through Austria, Great Britain, Germany, Korea and Japan. He is currently Artist in Residence with the Berlin Philharmonic, playing in chamber music projects, directing from the violin, performing in recital and as a soloist with the orchestra under Simon Rattle (Brahms Violin Concerto). The season also includes mini-residence appearances in Paris with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France conducted by Daniel Harding. In addition to tours with the Swedish Radio Symphony and Daniel Harding in Sweden, Austria and Germany; with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen (Paavo Järvi) in Canada, Korea and Japan; and with the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin (Tugan Sokhiev) in Slovenia and Germany; Christian Tetzlaff will appear with the Munich Philharmonic, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Nederlands Philharmonic, Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, Vienna Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra and Vienna Symphony Orchestra. His North American appearances will include the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (Juraj Valcuha), Seattle Symphony Orchestra (Ludovic Morlot), Cleveland Orchestra (Franz Welser-Möst) and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (Manfred Honeck). He will also perform in both Boston and Carnegie Hall with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons. His discography includes the most frequently played works for the violin. His recent releases also include sonatas by Schumann and Mozart, recorded with pianist Lars Vogt; the Widmann violin concerto with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Daniel Harding; and the Shostakovich violin concertos with the Helsinki Philharmonic and John Storgårds. Christian Tetzlaff plays a violin made by German violinmaker Peter Greiner and teaches regularly at the Kronberg Academy near Frankfurt. His most recent appearances with the SSO were in 1993, when he played the Mendelssohn concerto, and 1998 (Berg). 21
SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA DAVID ROBERTSON Chief Conductor and Artistic Director PATRON Professor The Hon. Dame Marie Bashir ad cvo Founded in 1932 by the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra has evolved into one of the world s finest orchestras as Sydney has become one of the world s great cities. Resident at the iconic Sydney Opera House, where it gives more than 100 performances each year, the SSO also performs in venues throughout Sydney and regional New South Wales. International tours to Europe, Asia and the USA including three visits to China have earned the orchestra worldwide recognition for artistic excellence. The orchestra s first Chief Conductor was Sir Eugene Goossens, appointed in 1947; he was followed by Nicolai Malko, Dean Dixon, Moshe Atzmon, Willem van Otterloo, Louis Frémaux, Sir Charles Mackerras, Zdenĕk Mácal, Stuart Challender, Edo de Waart and Gianluigi Gelmetti. Vladimir Ashkenazy was Principal Conductor from 2009 to 2013. The orchestra s history also boasts collaborations with legendary figures such as George Szell, Sir Thomas Beecham, Otto Klemperer and Igor Stravinsky. The SSO s award-winning education program is central to its commitment to the future of live symphonic music, developing audiences and engaging the participation of young people. The orchestra promotes the work of Australian composers through performances, recordings and its commissioning program. Recent premieres have included major works by Ross Edwards, Lee Bracegirdle, Gordon Kerry, Mary Finsterer, Nigel Westlake and Georges Lentz, and the orchestra s recordings of music by Brett Dean have been released on both the BIS and SSO Live labels. Other releases on the SSO Live label, established in 2006, include performances with Alexander Lazarev, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Sir Charles Mackerras, Vladimir Ashkenazy and David Robertson. In 2010 11 the orchestra made concert recordings of the complete Mahler symphonies with Ashkenazy, and has also released recordings of Rachmaninoff and Elgar orchestral works on the Exton/Triton labels, as well as numerous recordings on ABC Classics. This is the second year of David Robertson s tenure as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director. 22
MUSICIANS David Robertson CHIEF CONDUCTOR AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR SUPPORTED BY EMIRATES Andrew Haveron CONCERTMASTER Dene Olding CONCERTMASTER Jessica Cottis ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR SUPPORTED BY PREMIER PARTNER CREDIT SUISSE FIRST VIOLINS Andrew Haveron CONCERTMASTER Sun Yi ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER Kirsten Williams ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER Lerida Delbridge ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER Fiona Ziegler ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER Jenny Booth Amber Davis Claire Herrick Nicola Lewis Emily Long Alexandra Mitchell Alexander Norton Léone Ziegler Emily Qin Dene Olding CONCERTMASTER Sophie Cole Georges Lentz SECOND VIOLINS Kirsty Hilton Marina Marsden Marianne Broadfoot Emma Jezek ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Emma Hayes Shuti Huang Stan W Kornel Benjamin Li Nicole Masters Philippa Paige Maja Verunica Monique Irik Emma Jardine Maria Durek Biyana Rozenblit VIOLAS Roger Benedict Justin Williams ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Sandro Costantino Rosemary Curtin Jane Hazelwood Graham Hennings Stuart Johnson Justine Marsden Felicity Tsai Amanda Verner Leonid Volovelsky Charlotte Fetherston Tobias Breider Anne-Louise Comerford CELLOS Umberto Clerici Catherine Hewgill Leah Lynn ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Kristy Conrau Timothy Nankervis Elizabeth Neville Christopher Pidcock Adrian Wallis David Wickham Fenella Gill DOUBLE BASSES Kees Boersma Alex Henery Neil Brawley PRINCIPAL EMERITUS David Campbell Steven Larson Richard Lynn Benjamin Ward Josef Bisits David Murray FLUTES Emma Sholl Carolyn Harris Rosamund Plummer PRINCIPAL PICCOLO Janet Webb OBOES Diana Doherty Shefali Pryor David Papp Alexandre Oguey PRINCIPAL COR ANGLAIS CLARINETS Francesco Celata Christopher Tingay Craig Wernicke PRINCIPAL BASS CLARINET Lawrence Dobell BASSOONS Matthew Wilkie Fiona McNamara Noriko Shimada PRINCIPAL CONTRABASSOON HORNS Ben Jacks Robert Johnson Geoffrey O Reilly PRINCIPAL 3RD Euan Harvey Marnie Sebire Rachel Silver TRUMPETS David Elton Mark Bremner* Paul Goodchild Anthony Heinrichs TROMBONES Ronald Prussing Nick Byrne Christopher Harris PRINCIPAL BASS TROMBONE Scott Kinmont TUBA Steve Rossé TIMPANI Richard Miller PERCUSSION Rebecca Lagos Mark Robinson Timothy Constable HARP Louise Johnson CELESTA Kate Golla* BOLD = PRINCIPAL ITALICS = ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL = CONTRACT MUSICIAN * = GUEST MUSICIAN = SSO FELLOW GREY = PERMANENT MEMBER OF THE SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA NOT APPEARING IN THIS CONCERT To see photographs of the full roster of permanent musicians and find out more about the orchestra, visit our website: www.sydneysymphony.com/sso_musicians If you don t have access to the internet, ask one of our customer service representatives for a copy of our Musicians flyer. The men of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra are proudly outfitted by Van Heusen. 23
BEHIND THE SCENES Sydney Symphony Orchestra Board John C Conde AO Chairman Terrey Arcus AM Ewen Crouch AM Ross Grant Catherine Hewgill Jennifer Hoy Rory Jeffes Andrew Kaldor AM David Livingstone The Hon. Justice AJ Meagher Goetz Richter Sydney Symphony Orchestra Council Geoff Ainsworth AM Doug Battersby Christine Bishop The Hon John Della Bosca MLC Michael J Crouch AO Alan Fang Erin Flaherty Dr Stephen Freiberg Simon Johnson Gary Linnane Helen Lynch AM David Maloney AM Justice Jane Mathews AO Danny May Jane Morschel Andy Plummer Deirdre Plummer Seamus Robert Quick Paul Salteri AM Sandra Salteri Juliana Schaeffer Fred Stein OAM John van Ogtrop Brian White Rosemary White HONORARY COUNCIL MEMBERS Ita Buttrose AO OBE Donald Hazelwood AO OBE The Hon. Paul Keating Yvonne Kenny AM David Malouf AO Wendy McCarthy AO Leo Schofield AM Peter Weiss AO Sydney Symphony Orchestra Staff MANAGING DIRECTOR Rory Jeffes EXECUTIVE TEAM ASSISTANT Lisa Davies-Galli ARTISTIC OPERATIONS DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC PLANNING Benjamin Schwartz ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION MANAGER Eleasha Mah ARTIST LIAISON MANAGER Ilmar Leetberg RECORDING ENTERPRISE MANAGER Philip Powers Library Anna Cernik Victoria Grant Mary-Ann Mead LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR OF LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT Kim Waldock EMERGING ARTISTS PROGRAM MANAGER Mark Lawrenson EDUCATION MANAGER Rachel McLarin EDUCATION OFFICER Amy Walsh ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT Aernout Kerbert ORCHESTRA MANAGER Rachel Whealy ORCHESTRA COORDINATOR Georgia Fryer OPERATIONS MANAGER Kerry-Anne Cook PRODUCTION MANAGER Laura Daniel STAGE MANAGER Courtney Wilson PRODUCTION COORDINATORS Ollie Townsend Dave Stabback SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING Mark J Elliott MARKETING MANAGER, SUBSCRIPTION SALES Simon Crossley-Meates A/ SENIOR SALES & MARKETING MANAGER Matthew Rive MARKETING MANAGER, WEB & DIGITAL MEDIA Eve Le Gall MARKETING MANAGER, CRM & DATABASE Matthew Hodge A/ SALES & MARKETING MANAGER, SINGLE TICKET CAMPAIGNS Jonathon Symonds DATABASE ANALYST David Patrick SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Christie Brewster GRAPHIC DESIGNER Tessa Conn SENIOR ONLINE MARKETING COORDINATOR Jenny Sargant MARKETING ASSISTANT Theres Mayer Box Office MANAGER OF BOX OFFICE SALES & OPERATIONS Lynn McLaughlin BOX OFFICE SYSTEMS SUPERVISOR Jennifer Laing BOX OFFICE BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR John Robertson CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES Karen Wagg Senior CSR Michael Dowling Tim Walsh Publications PUBLICATIONS EDITOR & MUSIC PRESENTATION MANAGER Yvonne Frindle EXTERNAL RELATIONS DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS Yvonne Zammit Philanthropy HEAD OF PHILANTHROPY Luke Andrew Gay PHILANTHROPY MANAGER Jennifer Drysdale A/ PATRONS EXECUTIVE Sarah Morrisby Corporate Relations CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER Belinda Besson CORPORATE RELATIONS MANAGER Janine Harris Communications COMMUNICATIONS & MEDIA MANAGER Bridget Cormack PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER Katherine Stevenson DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER Kai Raisbeck PUBLICITY & EVENTS COORDINATOR Caitlin Benetatos BUSINESS SERVICES DIRECTOR OF FINANCE John Horn FINANCE MANAGER Ruth Tolentino ACCOUNTANT Minerva Prescott ACCOUNTS ASSISTANT Emma Ferrer PAYROLL OFFICER Laura Soutter PEOPLE AND CULTURE IN-HOUSE COUNSEL Michel Maree Hryce 24
SSO PATRONS Maestro s Circle Supporting the artistic vision of David Robertson, Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Peter Weiss AO Founding President & Doris Weiss John C Conde AO Chairman Brian Abel Tom Breen & Rachel Kohn The Berg Family Foundation Andrew Kaldor AM & Renata Kaldor AO Vicki Olsson Roslyn Packer AO David Robertson Penelope Seidler AM Mr Fred Street AM & Dorothy Street Brian White AO & Rosemary White Ray Wilson OAM in memory of the late James Agapitos OAM David Robertson Chair CHAIR PATRONS Patrons Roger Benedict Principal Viola Kim Williams AM & Catherine Dovey Chair Kees Boersma Principal Double Bass SSO Council Chair Umberto Clerici Principal Cello Garry & Shiva Rich Chair Timothy Constable Percussion Justice Jane Mathews AO Chair Lerida Delbridge Assistant Concertmaster Simon Johnson Chair Lawrence Dobell Principal Clarinet Anne Arcus & Terrey Arcus AM Chair Diana Doherty Principal Oboe Andrew Kaldor AM & Renata Kaldor AO Chair Richard Gill oam Artistic Director, DownerTenix Discovery Paul Salteri AM & Sandra Salteri Chair Jane Hazelwood Viola Bob & Julie Clampett Chair in memory of Carolyn Clampett Catherine Hewgill Principal Cello The Hon. Justice AJ & Mrs Fran Meagher Chair Robert Johnson Principal Horn James & Leonie Furber Chair Elizabeth Neville Cello Ruth & Bob Magid Chair Shefali Pryor Associate Principal Oboe Mrs Barbara Murphy Chair Emma Sholl Associate Principal Flute Robert & Janet Constable Chair Janet Webb Principal Flute Helen Lynch AM & Helen Bauer Chair Kirsten Williams Associate Concertmaster I Kallinikos Chair Mrs Barbara Murphy (right) first fell in love with Shefali Pryor s oboe playing during her performances with violinist Nigel Kennedy and the SSO in 2010. After getting to know each other, they bonded over a mutual love of travel and knitting. n n n n n n n n n n FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHAIR PATRONS PROGRAM, CALL (02) 8215 4625. 25
SSO PATRONS Learning & Engagement Foundations Australia-Korea Foundation Crown Foundation The Greatorex Foundation James N Kirby Foundation Packer Family Foundation Ian Potter Foundation A U S T R A L I A - K O R E A F O U N D A T I O N Commissioning Circle Sydney Symphony Orchestra 2014 Fellows fellowship patrons Robert Albert AO & Elizabeth Albert Flute Chair Christine Bishop Percussion Chair Sandra & Neil Burns Clarinet Chair In Memory of Matthew Krel Violin Chair Mrs T Merewether OAM Horn Chair Paul Salteri AM & Sandra Salteri Violin and Viola Chairs Mrs W Stening Principal Patron, Cello Chair Kim Williams AM & Catherine Dovey Patrons of Roger Benedict, Artistic Director, Fellowship Anonymous Double Bass Chair Supporting the creation of new works. ANZAC Centenary Arts and Culture Fund Geoff Ainsworth AM Christine Bishop Dr John Edmonds Andrew Kaldor AM & Renata Kaldor AO Jane Mathews AO Vicki Olsson Caroline & Tim Rogers Geoff Stearn Dr Richard T White Anonymous fellowship supporting patrons Mr Stephen J Bell Gary Linnane & Peter Braithwaite Joan MacKenzie Scholarship Drs Eileen & Keith Ong In Memory of Geoff White June & Alan Woods Family Bequest MAKE A DIFFERENCE tuned-up! TunED-Up! is made possible with the generous support of Fred Street AM & Dorothy Street Additional support provided by: Anne Arcus & Terrey Arcus AM Ian & Jennifer Burton Ian Dickson & Reg Holloway Tony Strachan major education donors Bronze Patrons & above John Augustus & Kim Ryrie Mr Alexander & Mrs Vera Boyarsky Bob & Julie Clampett Howard & Maureen Connors The Greatorex Foundation The Ian Potter Foundation James N Kirby Foundation Mrs & Mr Judith A. McKernan Mr & Mrs Nigel Price Through their inspired financial support, Patrons ensure the SSO s continued success, resilience and growth. Join the SSO Patrons Program today and make a difference. sydneysymphony.com/patrons (02) 8215 4674 philanthropy@sydneysymphony.com 26
Stuart Challender Legacy Society Celebrating the vision of donors who are leaving a bequest to the SSO. Henri W Aram OAM & Robin Aram Stephen J Bell Mr David & Mrs Halina Brett Howard Connors Greta Davis Brian Galway Miss Pauline M Griffin AM John Lam-Po-Tang Peter Lazar AM Daniel Lemesle Louise Miller James & Elsie Moore Douglas Paisley Kate Roberts Mary Vallentine AO Ray Wilson OAM Anonymous (10) Stuart Challender, SSO Chief Conductor and Artistic Director 1987 1991 bequest donors We gratefully acknowledge donors who have left a bequest to the SSO. The late Mrs Lenore Adamson Estate of Carolyn Clampert Estate Of Jonathan Earl William Clark Estate of Colin T Enderby Estate of Mrs E Herrman Estate of Irwin Imhof The late Mrs Isabelle Joseph The Estate of Dr Lynn Joseph The Late Greta C Ryan June & Alan Woods Family Bequest n n n n n n n n n n IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON MAKING A BEQUEST TO THE SSO, PLEASE CONTACT LUKE GAY ON 8215 4625. Playing Your Part The Sydney Symphony Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the music lovers who donate to the orchestra each year. Each gift plays an important part in ensuring our continued artistic excellence and helping to sustain important education and regional touring programs. DIAMOND PATRONS $50,000+ The Estate of Dr Lynn Joseph Mr Andrew Kaldor AM & Mrs Renata Kaldor AO In Memory of Matthew Krel Roslyn Packer AO Ian Potter Foundation Paul Salteri AM & Sandra Salteri Mr Fred Street AM & Mrs Dorothy Street Mr Peter Weiss AO & Mrs Doris Weiss Mr Brian White AO & Mrs Rosemary White PLATINUM PATRONS $30,000 $49,999 Anne & Terrey Arcus AM Doug & Alison Battersby The Berg Family Foundation Tom Breen & Rachael Kohn Mr John C Conde AO Robert & Janet Constable Mrs W Stening Kim Williams AM & Catherine Dovey GOLD PATRONS $20,000 $29,999 Brian Abel Geoff Ainsworth AM Robert Albert AO & Elizabeth Albert Christine Bishop Sandra & Neil Burns James & Leonie Furber I Kallinikos Helen Lynch AM & Helen Bauer Mrs T Merewether OAM Mrs Barbara Murphy Mr B G O Conor Vicki Olsson Andy & Deirdre Plummer Garry & Shiva Rich David Robertson Mrs Penelope Seidler AM G & C Solomon in memory of Joan MacKenzie Geoff Stearn Ray Wilson OAM in memory of James Agapitos OAM Anonymous (2) SILVER PATRONS $10,000 $19,999 Bailey Family Foundation Audrey Blunden Mr Robert Brakspear Ian & Jennifer Burton Mr Robert & Mrs L Alison Carr Bob & Julie Clampett Michael Crouch AO & Shanny Crouch The Hon. Mrs Ashley Dawson-Damer AM Paul Espie Edward & Diane Federman Nora Goodridge Mr Ross Grant Ian Dickson & Reg Holloway Simon Johnson Mr Ervin Katz James N Kirby Foundation Ruth & Bob Magid Justice Jane Mathews AO The Hon. Justice AJ Meagher & Mrs Fran Meagher Mr John Morschel Drs Keith & Eileen Ong Mr John Symond AM The Harry Triguboff Foundation Caroline Wilkinson Anonymous (2) BRONZE PATRONS $5,000 $9,999 John Augustus & Kim Ryrie Stephen J Bell Dr & Mrs Hannes Boshoff Mr Alexander & Mrs Vera Boyarsky Peter Braithwaite & Gary Linnane Mr David & Mrs Halina Brett Mr Howard Connors Ewen Crouch AM & Catherine Crouch In memory of Dr Lee MacCormick Edwards Dr Stephen Freiberg & Donald Campbell Dr Colin Goldschmidt The Greatorex Foundation Rory & Jane Jeffes The late Mrs Isabelle Joseph Frank Lowy AM & Shirley Lowy OAM 27
SSO PATRONS Playing Your Part BRONZE PATRONS CONTINUED J A McKernan David Maloney AM & Erin Flaherty R & S Maple-Brown Mora Maxwell William McIlrath Charitable Foundation Taine Moufarrige John & Akky van Ogtrop Seamus Robert Quick Chris Robertson & Katharine Shaw Rodney Rosenblum AM & Sylvia Rosenblum Dr Evelyn Royal Manfred & Linda Salamon Mrs Joyce Sproat & Mrs Janet Cooke Tony Strachan David Tudehope & Liz Dibbs Mr Robert & Mrs Rosemary Walsh Westpac Group Michael & Mary Whelan Trust In memory of Geoff White June & Alan Woods Family Bequest Anonymous (2) PRESTO PATRONS $2,500 $4,999 Mr Henri W Aram OAM Ian Brady Mr Mark Bryant Ita Buttrose AO OBE Mrs Stella Chen Dr Rebecca Chin Dr Diana Choquette & Mr Robert Milliner Firehold Pty Ltd Dr Kim Frumar Warren Green Anthony Gregg James & Yvonne Hochroth Mr Roger Hudson & Mrs Claudia Rossi-Hudson Mr John Lam-Po-Tang James & Elsie Moore Ms Jackie O Brien Juliana Schaeffer Dr Agnes E Sinclair Ezekiel Solomon AM Mr Ervin Vidor AM & Mrs Charlotte Vidor Lang Walker AO & Sue Walker Yim Family Foundation Anonymous (1) VIVACE PATRONS $1,000 $2,499 Mrs Lenore Adamson Mrs Antoinette Albert Rae & David Allen Andrew Andersons AO Mr Matthew Andrews The Hon Justice Michael Ball David Barnes Mr Garry Besson Allan & Julie Bligh Jan Bowen Roslynne Bracher Mrs R D Bridges OBE Lenore P Buckle Margaret Bulmer In memory of RW Burley Mrs Rhonda Caddy Mr B & Mrs M Coles Ms Suzanne Collins Joan Connery OAM & Maxwell Connery OAM Debby Cramer & Bill Caukill Mr John Cunningham SCM & Mrs Margaret Cunningham Greta Davis Lisa & Miro Davis Elizabeth Donati Colin Draper & Mary Jane Brodribb Prof. & Mrs John Edmonds Malcolm Ellis & Erin O Neill Mrs Margaret Epps Mr Matt Garrett Vivienne Goldschmidt & Owen Jones Mrs Fay Grear In Memory of Angelica Green Akiko Gregory Mr & Mrs Harold & Althea Halliday Janette Hamilton Mrs Jennifer Hershon Angus Holden Mr Kevin Holland & Mrs Roslyn Andrews The Hon. David Hunt AO QC & Mrs Margaret Hunt Dr & Mrs Michael Hunter Mr Philip Isaacs OAM Michael & Anna Joel Mrs W G Keighley Dr Andrew Kennedy Jennifer King Aron Kleinlehrer Mr Andrew Korda & Ms Susan Pearson Mr Justin Lam Mr Peter Lazar AM Professor Winston Liauw Airdrie Lloyd Mrs Juliet Lockhart Peter Lowry OAM & Dr Carolyn Lowry OAM Kevin & Deirdre McCann Ian & Pam McGaw Matthew McInnes Macquarie Group Foundation Barbara Maidment John Mar Renee Markovic Mr Danny R May Helen & Phil Meddings I Merrick Henry & Ursula Mooser Milja & David Morris Mrs J Mulveney Mr Darrol Norman E J Nuffield Dr Mike O Connor AM Mr & Mrs Ortis Mr Andrew C Patterson Michael Paul Almut Piatti In memory of Sandra Paul Pottinger Dr Raffi Qasabian Mr Patrick Quinn-Graham Ernest & Judith Rapee Kenneth R Reed Patricia H Reid Endowment Pty Ltd Dr Marilyn Richardson In memory of Katherine Robertson Mr David Robinson Tim Rogers Lesley & Andrew Rosenberg In memory of H St P Scarlett Mr Samuel F Sheffer David & Alison Shilligton Dr Judy Soper Mrs Judith Southam Ms Barbara Spencer Mrs Elizabeth Squair Catherine Stephen The Hon. Brian Sully QC Mrs Margaret Swanson The Taplin Family Dr & Mrs H K Tey Kevin Troy John E Tuckey Judge Robyn Tupman Dr Alla Waldman Miss Sherry Wang Westpac Banking Corporation Henry & Ruth Weinberg The Hon. Justice A G Whealy Dr Richard T White Mrs Leonore Whyte A Willmers & R Pal Betty Wilkenfeld Dr Edward J Wills Prof. Neville Wills & Ian Fenwicke Ann & Brooks C Wilson AM Dr Richard Wing Dr Peter Wong & Mrs Emmy K Wong Geoff Wood & Melissa Waites Sir Robert Woods Mr & Mrs Lindsay Woolveridge In memory of Lorna Wright Dr John Yu Anonymous (13) ALLEGRO PATRONS $500 $999 Nikki Abrahams Ms Jenny Allum Katherine Andrews Mr Peter J Armstrong Garry & Tricia Ash Mr & Mrs George Ball Dr Lilon Bandler Barlow Cleaning Pty Ltd Barracouta Pty Ltd Beauty Point Retirement Resort Mr Michael Beck Dr Andrew Bell Richard & Margaret Bell Mrs Jan Biber Minnie Biggs G D Bolton In memory of Jillian Bowers R D & L M Broadfoot Dr Peter Broughton Dr David Bryant Arnaldo Buch Dr Miles Burgess Pat & Jenny Burnett Rosemary Campbell Mr JC Campbell QC & Mrs Campbell Judy Chiddy In memory of Beth Harpley Mr Phillip Cornwell Dr Peter Craswell Mr David Cross Phil Diment AM & Bill Zafiropoulos Dr David Dixon Susan Doenau Mrs Jane Drexler Dana Dupere Dr Nita Durham John Favaloro Mrs Lesley Finn Ms Julie Flynn & Mr Trevor Cook Mrs Paula Flynn Mr John Gaden Clive & Jenny Goodwin Richard Griffin AM Dr Jan Grose Benjamin Hasic & Belinda Davie Mr Robert Havard Mrs Joan Henley Roger Henning Sue Hewitt Dr Joan-Mary Hinds Dorothy Hoddinott AO Bill & Pam Hughes Ms Cynthia Kaye Mrs Margaret Keogh Dr Henry Kilham 28
SSO Vanguard Dr Joyce Kirk Mrs Patricia Kleinhans Anna-Lisa Klettenberg Sonia Lal L M B Lamprati Dr Barry Landa Elaine M Langshaw Dr Leo & Mrs Shirley Leader Margaret Lederman Mrs Erna Levy Mrs A Lohan Mr Gabriel Lopata Panee Low Melvyn Madigan Ms Jolanta Masojada Mr Guido Mayer Louise Miller Patricia Miller Kenneth Newton Mitchell Mrs Judith Morton Mr Graham North Mr Sead Nurkic Dr A J Palmer Dr Kevin Pedemont Dr Natalie E Pelham Dr John Pitt John Porter & Annie Wesley-Smith Mrs Greeba Pritchard The Hon. Dr Rodney Purvis AM & Mrs Marian Purvis Michael Quailey Miss Julie Radosavljevic Renaissance Tours Janelle Rostron Mrs Christine Rowell-Miller Mrs Louise Rowston Jorie Ryan for Meredith Ryan Mr Kenneth Ryan Garry Scarf & Morgie Blaxill Peter & Virginia Shaw Judge David S Shillington Mrs Diane Shteinman AM Victoria Smyth Doug & Judy Sotheren Colin Spencer James & Alice Spigelman Ashley & Aveen Stephenson Margaret & William Suthers Margaret Swanson Dr Jenepher Thomas Mrs Caroline Thompson Mrs June Thornton Ms Rhonda Ting Alma Toohey Mrs M Turkington Gillian Turner & Rob Bishop Mr Robert Veel Ronald Walledge In memory of Denis Wallis In memoriam JBL Watt Miss Roslyn Wheeler The Wilkinson Family Edward & Yvonne Wills Yetty Windt Mr Evan Wong Mrs Robin Yabsley Anonymous (34) SSO Patrons pages correct as of 5 January 2015 Together, we have an ambition to foster a love of orchestral music in school children of all ages, and to equip their teachers with the skills they need to develop this in our young people DAVID ROBERTSON SSO Chief Conductor and Artistic Director PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TODAY A membership program for a dynamic group of Gen X & Y SSO fans and future philanthropists VANGUARD COLLECTIVE Justin Di Lollo Chair Belinda Bentley Oscar McMahon Taine Moufarrige Founding Patron Shefali Pryor Seamus R Quick Founding Patron Chris Robertson & Katherine Shaw Founding Patrons MEMBERS James Armstrong Philip Atkin Luan Atkinson Joan Ballantine James Baudzus Andrew Baxter Adam Beaupeurt Anthony Beresford Andrew Botros Peter Braithwaite Blake Briggs Andrea Brown Melanie Brown Attila Brungs Ian Burton Jennifer Burton Paul Colgan Claire Cooper Bridget Cormack Robbie Cranfield Asha Cugati Juliet Curtin Rosalind De Sailly Paul Deschamps Catherine Donnelly Alistair Furnival Alexandra Gibson Sam Giddings Marina Go Jeremy Goff Hilary Goodson Tony Grierson Louise Haggerty Rose Herceg Francis Hicks Peter Howard Jennifer Hoy Katie Hryce Virginia Judge Jonathan Kennedy Aernout Kerbert Patrick Kok Alisa Lai John Lam-Po-Tang Tristan Landers Jessye Lin Gary Linnane David Lo Saskia Lo Gabriel Lopata Rebecca MacFarling Robert McGrory David McKean Nick Nichles Kate O Reilly Peter O Sullivan Jonathan Pease Cleo Poser Laurisa Poulos Michael Radovnikovic Sudeep Rao Michael Reede Chris Robertson Benjamin Robinson Alvaro Rodas Fernandez Jacqueline Rowlands Anthony Michael Schembri Benjamin Schwartz Katherine Shaw Cecilia Storniolo Randal Tame Sandra Tang Ian Taylor Michael Tidball Mark Timmins Michael Tuffy Kim Waldock Jon Wilkie Yvonne Zammit Amy Zhou n n n n n n n n n n 29
SALUTE PRINCIPAL PARTNER GOVERNMENT PARTNERS The Sydney Symphony Orchestra is assisted by the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body The Sydney Symphony Orchestra is assisted by the NSW Government through Arts NSW PREMIER PARTNER PLATINUM PARTNER EDUCATION PARTNER MAJOR PARTNERS GOLD PARTNERS SILVER PARTNERS UNIVERSAL MUSIC AUSTRALIA sinf inimusic.com VANGUARD PARTNER REGIONAL TOUR PARTNER MARKETING PARTNER
ORCHESTRA NEWS FEBRUARY MARCH 2015 Photo: Tobias Bohm AN EXCEPTIONAL MUSICIAN First violinist Georges Lentz straddles the complementary professions of composer and performer Once upon a time, performing composers were the norm. Sadly, these days they re the exception. And our very own exception is first violinist Georges Lentz, also an internationally celebrated composer who originally hails from Luxembourg. How do performing and composing inform each other? I ve always liked to do both, says Georges. It gives a nice balance. When one thing is not going so well, there s always the other to fall back on. Also, performing gives you insight into the practicalities of writing for musicians: you know what musicians like to see, you know what annoys them. It can sometimes be difficult as a composer who is also an orchestral musician to play Tchaikovsky all day long and then go home and write your own music. Sure, as musicians we have a responsibility to play the music of Tchaikovsky, or Walton, or even Elton John, in such a way that it is relevant and alive. But as a composer, he sighs, it s not always what you need to hear. Of his own music, Georges is extremely self critical. Before a rehearsal process starts on a new You have to find a way in music to grab people piece, I am always full of doubts and fear. When I write a piece, I quite literally believe it s the last piece I ever write. It s a torturous path. Every time I think this is my last piece. I may as well pour everything I ve got into this one. It makes it quite an intense thing when I get to rehearsals. I ve invested all of myself in that and what if, after all that, it s no good? Jerusalem (after Blake) is the most recent work completed in Georges magnum opus Caeli enarrant Based on the poetry and visual art of William Blake, this piece is somewhat psychedelic, even apocalyptic. Blake is a visionary, his poetry and art are very intense and direct. I too would like to grab people, take them by the throat. From a fortissimo darkness, through the most gentle serene moments. You have to find a way in music to grab people, not to leave them uninvolved. Georges Lentz s Jerusalem (after Blake) was commissioned with the assistance of an anonymous donor. It receives its first Australian performances in February. Robertson conducts La Mer Wed 18 Feb, 6.30pm Schumann 3 & 4 Sat 21 Feb, 2pm
Special Event Planet Earth Composer Charlie Chan of the Global Orchestra Foundation has ideas. Lots of ideas. For instance, coinciding with this year s Earth Hour, a performance by the SSO of Holst s Planets is going to be beamed around the globe. The Global Orchestra team wanted to find a way to encourage musicians to participate and extend the participation of Earth Hour, explains Charlie. A plan was hatched to find a soundtrack to Earth Hour. Nathan Waks, former principal cellist with the SSO, suggested The Planets and the idea took flight. The hope is that schools, universities, individuals and ensembles of all abilities will participate by playing along with the live stream of the concert. We ll be composing additional music that s suited to primary school students, adds Charlie. They ll make some junk instruments out of recycled materials, so that kids can make their own instruments and play along. With The Planets forming the true heart of this project, there are a number of satellite ways in which the Global team hope you ll take part. For more information: www.globalorchestra.com David Robertson conducts The Planets on Friday 27 March (11am) and for Earth Hour on Saturday 28 March (8.30pm). Ask a Musician I noticed in a recent concert that the clarinets seemed to keep swapping instruments, which, to the naked and distant eye, more or less looked exactly the same. What s the reason for this? What a great question! Let me first say, it s not because we re extremely indecisive! Mostly we re switching between two clarinets the B flat and A clarinets. Physically, they re about 2 cms different in length, with the A clarinet the longer of the two, and therefore sounding a semitone lower. There are subtle, but important differences in tone colour between the two instruments. The B flat is slightly brighter, whereas the A clarinet has a more mellow, rounded tone. Sometimes we have to change between clarinets really quickly, especially in the music of Mahler and Strauss. The mouthpieces are interchangeable, and we use cork grease to ensure the mouthpiece can come out easily and then be inserted into the other barrel. There s a danger in a really quick clarinet change that you might accidentally rip the reed out too. Clarinets are considered transposing instruments. From a clarinettist s point of view, using two different clarinets has the advantage of keeping key signatures to just four sharps or flats. Fully explaining transposition would take more space than I have here, but basically, if composers are nice then we don t have to play in horrible key signatures. Christopher Tingay, clarinet Photo: Ken Butti Yes, that s our concertmaster Andrew Haveron nine storeys high on the Sydney Opera House! If you were near the Sydney Opera House on 4 February you would have seen spectacular projections, bringing our Greatest Hits from Vienna concert from inside the Concert Hall to viewers, not just on the foreshore, but watching from around the world. The dynamic footage of our musicians in performance was complemented by gorgeous imagery inspired by Vienna s rich culture. The aweinspiring result represented a true cross-city cultural collaboration, and we thank the Vienna Tourist Board for presenting the event. Enjoy the webstream via YouTube: bit.ly/ VisionsViennaOnDemand
Artistic Focus ANZAC SPIRITS Gondwana Chorale will be joined by other young choristers from Turkey, France and New Zealand when they perform James Ledger s War Music in April. War is horrible, says Australian composer James Ledger. The extent of its casualties goes well beyond the horrific number of people who die on the battlefields. On 24 April, the Sydney and New Zealand symphony orchestras are commemorating the centenary of the Gallipoli landings with simultaneous concerts featuring two world premieres by Australian and New Zealand composers. The SSO commissioned James to write War Music, which features words by Australian musician and storyteller Paul Kelly; the NZSO has commissioned Kiwi composer Michael F Williams to write Letters from the Front. Paul s new text is written from the point of view of the souls and spirits of the diggers who died there, explains James. One of the lines in it was: We died in smoke and noise. We died alone. That s the line that really hit me We died alone. That just got me. To perform War Music, the SSO will be joined by singers from Gondwana Chorale, whose members are aged 17 25. Lyn Williams, Artistic Director and Founder of Gondwana Choirs, says there is a real impact in using young voices for a work like this. If you think of soldiers at Gallipoli, they would have been in their late teens, early 20s; that s exactly the age of our singers, says Lyn. To me, there s a power in that. For the centenary commemorations of the 1915 Gallipoli landing, choristers from Turkey, France and New Zealand will augment the Australian Gondwana Chorale. The idea was to represent many of the nations that were there in Gallipoli. Lyn explains. It makes a lot of sense for these choristers to come together especially with what s going on in the world, says Lyn. While there is conflict in the world, our young choristers can come together to present a positive affirmation of peace. Writing the piece also gave James pause for thought about war and conflict. I deliberately chose the title War Music, rather than specifically addressing the Gallipoli landing. I think anybody who has lost their lives through a political decision in the name of their country not just in 1915 deserves to be commemorated. Gondwana Choirs is looking for host families to billet the visiting international choristers for these performances. If you are able to extend the ANZAC spirit in this way, please contact Tessa Kay at tessa@gondwanachoirs.com.au or call (02) 8274 7003. The Score Farewell Bravo! till we meet again Since 2012, we ve been publishing Bravo! as an in-program magazine. But this has been just one manifestation of our audience newsletters over the years. If you ve been a subscriber for long enough you ll probably remember the quarterly Bravo! that was mailed to homes and the various newsletters Notations, Symphony that preceded it going back to the 1990s and even earlier. One of the reasons we moved Bravo! to the program books was a desire to reach everyone in our audience, not just those who were on our subscriber mailing list. And for the past three years Bravo! has functioned as our way of sharing news and insights with anyone who attended a concert. Recently we ve found that the news we d like to share and the musical personalities we want to introduce to you are too much for the few pages available at the back of the program. We re also realising that printed booklets aren t the best way to share music, talk or video in an increasingly multimedia world. So even though this is the final issue of Bravo! as you ve known it in recent years, stay tuned as we expand the offerings on our website, and continue to bring you a wealth of news and stories from behind the scenes. Finally, we d like to extend a huge thank you to Bravo! editor Genevieve Huppert, who has shepherded more than 30 issues of Bravo! into being. We especially admire the grace and imagination she has brought to the musician feature-profiles. Past issues of Bravo! can be downloaded from sydneysymphony.com/bravo