ROBERTSON CONDUCTS SCHUMANN 1 & 2 Tetzlaff & Mendelssohn APT MASTER SERIES Wednesday 11 February 2015 Friday 13 February 2015 Saturday 14 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
WELCOME Welcome to this first concert in the APT Master Series for 2015. We re delighted to see you in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall for this evening of great music with the SSO s chief conductor David Robertson and special guest Christian Tetzlaff. This week s performances are among the first in a year full of exciting music-making not just in this concert series and this hall but in venues throughout Sydney and New South Wales (and the world!) and in programs designed to appeal to a wide range of musical tastes. Even within the Master Series, the musical choices range from the Romantic classics of tonight s program to thrilling works by Shostakovich and Richard Strauss, fresh new voices such as Jörg Widmann and Steve Mackey, and sublimely moving music by Beethoven. Geographically, the music will take us all around Europe the heartland of orchestral classical music as well as visiting Australia and the United States. In the same way, APT s numerous itineraries offer unforgettable experiences catering to all interests and styles of travel. Wherever you d like to go, whatever you d like to explore, we can help you get there in absolute luxury and style. We hope you enjoy this evening s performance and look forward to seeing you through the year! Geoff McGeary oam APT Company Owner
2015 concert season APT MASTER SERIES WEDNESDAY 11 FEBRUARY, 8PM FRIDAY 13 FEBRUARY, 8PM SATURDAY 14 FEBRUARY, 8PM SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE CONCERT HALL SCHUMANN 1 & 2 David Robertson conductor Christian Tetzlaff violin ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810 1856) Symphony No.2 in C, Op.61 Sostenuto assai Allegro, ma non troppo Scherzo (Allegro vivace) Trio I Trio II Adagio espressivo Allegro molto vivace INTERVAL SCHUMANN Symphony No.1 in B flat, Op.38 (Spring) Andante un poco maestoso Allegro molto vivace Larghetto Scherzo (Molto vivace Molto più vivace) Allegro animato e grazioso Saturday night s performance will be recorded for broadcast by ABC Classic FM on Monday 23 February at 8pm. Pre-concert talk by Benjamin Schwartz at 7.15pm in the Northern Foyer. Visit sydneysymphony.com/speaker-bios for more information. Estimated durations: 38 minutes, 20-minute interval, 30 minutes, 26 minutes The concert will conclude at approximately 10.05pm. FELIX MENDELSSOHN (1809 1847) Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64 Allegro molto appassionato Andante Allegro non troppo Allegro molto vivace PRESENTED BY
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS GERTRUDE CLARKE WHITTALL FOUNDATION COLLECTION Tonight Schumann and Mendelssohn appear together in the Sydney Opera House. But in the 1840s, the concert hall we could have associated with both composers was the Leipzig Gewandhaus. This watercolour of the Gewandhaus was painted by Felix Mendelssohn himself as a memento of a performance on 11 February 1836, and given to the soprano soloist in that concert, Henriette Grabau. 6
INTRODUCTION Schumann and Mendelssohn This month at the SSO we re immersing ourselves and by extension you, our audience in the Schumann symphonies. This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences: a chance to hear all four of these symphonies in a relatively short space of time and performed by the one orchestra under the direction of a single conductor. It s something the Sydney Symphony Orchestra has never done before. And to the best of our knowledge, only the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra has done something similar in Australia (in 2010, Schumann s anniversary year). But if you believe in this music, and our chief conductor certainly does, then you don t need an anniversary as a pretext. For the sheer love of it, February 2015 is all about Schumann. But there is, says David Robertson, another composer who hovers over this program and that s Felix Mendelssohn. He is present in his exquisite, perfect violin concerto, the heart s jewel as violinist Joseph Joachim described it. But Mendelssohn is present in other ways too. As conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra he gave the first performances of both the Schumann symphonies that we ll hear tonight. He also conducted the first performance of Schubert s Great C Major Symphony, which may have inspired the introduction of Schumann s First. And in the finale of his first symphony it s possible that Schumann is quoting, or at least alluding to, music by Mendelssohn. Similarly, the Second Symphony seems to pay tribute to Mendelssohn tiny gestures of gratitude to a friend who was generous with his advice as a composer and practical in his support as a conductor. By presenting Schumann symphonies in the company of a composer so intimately connected with the same musical tradition, it s possible, says Robertson, to contemplate the true stature of Schumann, and to revel in the breadth and depth of his musical thought and above all in his amazing way of handling orchestral colours and textures. We hope you will share our joy in this rare opportunity! 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.2 in C, Op.61 Sostenuto assai Allegro, ma non troppo Scherzo (Allegro vivace) Trio I Trio II Adagio espressivo Allegro molto vivace Schumann s Second Symphony begins with a motto theme. This assertive repetition of the tonic then the dominant chord may or may not be a reference to the identical opening of Haydn s Symphony No.104. Schumann s use of his motto to unify the symphony, bringing it back in the finale, also recalls Beethoven, in particular the Fifth Symphony. Schumann belonged to the first generation of composers who wrote in full awareness and sometimes in awe of what their great predecessors had done. Any symphony composed in Germany in 1845 was written for audiences for whom Haydn, Mozart, and especially Beethoven provided the models of what a symphony should be. Felix Mendelssohn, who conducted the first performances of Schumann s First and Second Symphonies, had done much to create this public awareness of past music, in his representative programs at the Leipzig Gewandhaus. The Second Symphony pays tribute to Mendelssohn, with whom Schumann had an exceptionally close 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.2 This symphony begins with results of an earworm: Schumann s inner ear had been plagued by the sounds of trumpets and drums. A fanfare? Yes, but a solemn one slow and quietly grand. Keep your eyes and ears on the trumpets (and horns) as they introduce this motif, which will turn up again towards the end of the first movement and again at the end of the finale. In the background of this symphony is Schumann s nervous breakdown of 1844 and he himself seems to have regarded its composition (during 1845 46) as both therapeutic and a sign of recovery. This is echoed in the emotional transitions from the sombre despair of the slow introduction, through healing, to redemption and a long and magnificent finale. 8
artistic collaboration. But by the already backward-looking standards set by its first critics, Schumann s symphonies did not seem Classical enough, nor were their novelties convincing. Even a sympathetic musical colleague of Schumann s in Leipzig, Moritz Hauptmann, found the First Symphony somewhat curious, but always musical. The curiousness is just what makes Schumann s symphony original. The form may be classical, but the language is new. Even as the motto is being stated not with Haydn s luminous clarity, but with what has been well described as a mysteriously muted solemnity another theme is outlined by the strings, rather ominous and chromatically creeping. This begins a movement Schumann described as of a very moody and unruly character. As he was about to begin the symphony, he wrote to Mendelssohn that for several days he had been hearing drums and trumpets in C major I don t know what will come of it. Drums are not in the first statement of the motto at the very beginning of the symphony, but they are there, with a vengeance, when it returns in the first movement recapitulation. The symphony, written with great difficulty and, according to Schumann himself, documenting in music his recovery from serious illness, demands to be read, or rather heard, for its sub-text, a record of a changing mental state, from despair, through healing, to redemption. Between Schumann s First Symphony of 1841 and the Second, begun in late 1845, came his serious nervous breakdown beginning in 1844, marked by depression and lapses of memory. On his doctor s advice he moved from Leipzig to the quieter Dresden. He finished the Piano Concerto for his wife Clara, but both Schumanns saw in the Second Symphony the sign of his full recovery, and a return of confidence to attempt large-scale orchestral works. Schumann s tribute to Clara support is encrypted in the symphony s finale. The difficulties did not end with the burst of creativity which saw the symphony drafted in piano score in December 1845. Schumann had to put the orchestration aside when he had an attack of ringing and clicking in the ears in 1846. The symphony s premiere was conducted by Mendelssohn in the Leipzig Gewandhaus on 5 November 1846, but Schumann made many changes, including adding the trombones, before the second performance 11 days later. The inseparability of the creation of the music from Schumann s mental and physical state appears in his admission: In the finale, I first began to feel myself again; and indeed, I was much better after I had completed the work. All the same, it reminds me of dark days. Schumann did indeed master his materials, and created a new kind of Romantic symphony inside a Classical scaffolding. A great kettledrumming and trumpeting (trumpets in C) has been going on in my mind s ear for quite a time. I have no idea what will come of it. SCHUMANN TO HIS FRIEND FELIX MENDELSSOHN, SEPTEMBER 1845 9
This has been increasingly recognised, against those who find in Schumann s formal devices such as motto themes simplistic attempts at thematic unity, and in the poetic element, with its wealth of references and associations, parentheses rather than the real, convincing thread of the music. The struggle of the first movement is a real one: from the slow introduction with its germinal themes the music seems almost with difficulty to gear itself up to begin a fast movement but not too fast, and the development section is very long the working-out is not straightforward. The victory is not yet won, in spite of the return of the motto. Schumann owed much to Mendelssohn s advice, not least on the orchestral scoring at which he was a novice. It seems Mendelssohn suggested the transfer of the theme in triplets in the first of the Scherzo s two trios from strings to winds. This movement, which comes second, is the most explicit of Schumann s many tributes by imitation to Mendelssohn in his first two symphonies. Much in the brilliant non-stop dashing GET $25 OFF YOUR NEXT PURCHASE! Subscribe to our fortnightly e-newsletter Stay Tuned and receive exclusive priority bookings, special offers, and more! Also get a bonus $25 off discount voucher for your next ticket purchase. sydneysymphony.com/staytuned 10
of the strings sounds Mendelssohnian, as do some of the wind interventions. But this is no fairy scherzo. The music is restless, and as the writer Michael Steinberg notices, a layer of melancholy underlies the jocularity. The two trios give complete contrast from the perpetuum mobile. In the second, a fugato section points to the B A C H fugues for pedal piano Schumann had been writing in 1845 as part of an intensive study of Bach s music. At one point the notes B A C H (B flat, A, C, B natural in German note spelling) can be heard played in long notes by the first violins. Schumann s dialogue with Mendelssohn continues, Steinberg suggests, in the slow movement. In this Romantic and eloquent music Schumann seems to be saying: I am not Mendelssohn. Again there is a fugato section, where the strings are joined by what Schumann called the melancholy bassoon. The movement starts in C minor, but ends in E flat major it is full of felicitous scoring, for the wind soloists in particular, and has always escaped critical strictures. The conductor Felix Weingartner considered this the best movement in all of [Schumann s] four symphonies. Especially after Beethoven s Ninth Symphony, the symphonic finale had become a challenge to composers: to clinch the whole symphony with a telling conclusion. Given Schumann s program or emotional narrative in this symphony, he was seeking an expression of victory over the dark, disturbing forces. This movement falls into two parts, the second so substantial that it has struck some as a finale in the finale. As in the first movement, the first part is dominated by a single rhythmical pattern, to which the theme of the slow movement provides a contrast, when it is introduced as a second subject. Then come a series of pauses, punctuated by string chords, following which Schumann introduces as new material a quotation from Beethoven s song cycle To the Distant Beloved (An die ferne Geliebte). This reference, which he has already made in his C major Fantasie for solo piano, was to Clara. In the symphony it leads to a long and exultant conclusion, in which the opening motto is gradually reintroduced, shedding the mystery in which it was first heard, and affirming the light. Given Schumann s program or emotional narrative in this symphony, he was seeking an expression of victory over the dark, disturbing forces. DAVID GARRETT 2005/2015 Schumann s Symphony No.2 calls for a modest orchestra comprising pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons; two horns, two trumpets and three trombones (no tuba); timpani and strings. The SSO first performed this symphony in Newcastle, Lismore and Grafton, on tour with Eugene Gooseens in 1948. We first performed the symphony in Sydney in 1952, again with Goossens, and most recently in 2006, conducted by David Robertson. 11
Robert Schumann Symphony No.1 in B flat, Op.38 (Spring) Andante un poco maestoso Allegro molto vivace Larghetto Scherzo (Molto vivace Molto più vivace) Allegro animato e grazioso Schumann wrote his First Symphony with a quill pen he had found near Beethoven s grave in Vienna. It was his first major orchestral composition, and began a brief but intensive creative spurt, in which he also composed the first version of what became Symphony No.4. This was typical of a composer whose creative focus shifted from genre to genre. In April 1839 Schumann wrote to a friend, Sometimes I would like to smash my piano, it has become too narrow for my thoughts. Nevertheless, these thoughts still came in small units typically four- and eightbar phrases, but Schumann now worked very hard to assemble them into convincing larger forms. The example of Beethoven showed him that each symphony should have a very definite and individual character. Although Schumann removed the title Spring Symphony when the music was published, he wrote to a conductor of the work: Try to inspire the orchestra with some of the spring longing [Frühlingssehnsucht] which chiefly possessed me when I wrote the symphony in February 1841. At the very beginning I should like the trumpets to sound as if from on high, like a call to awaken. In what follows of the introduction there might be a suggestion of the growing green of everything, even of a butterfly flying up, and in the following allegro of the gradual assembling of all that belongs to spring. But these are fancies that came to me after the completion of the work. Schumann was inspired by the spring time in which he was composing, and by the overwhelming happiness of his marriage to Clara Wieck, which had finally happened after so many obstacles. He was ambitious for the esteem he might gain by composing a successful symphony. Schumann sketched the whole work in four days, and had completed the orchestration within a month. There was another musical stimulus, too. Schumann had just discovered Schubert s hitherto forgotten Great C Major Symphony (No.9). This excited him by showing that even after Beethoven a symphony could be written in a new way. The slow introduction to Schumann s own symphony may have been inspired by Schubert s. The Great C Major was conducted by Felix Mendelssohn, who conducted the premiere of Schumann s own symphony in the Leipzig Gewandhaus on 31 March 1841. Mendelssohn also had a beneficent influence on Schumann s Keynotes SYMPHONY NO.1 This symphony was written rapidly, in a matter of weeks, and with what Schumann described as a vernal passion. He thought of it as his Spring symphony, filled with a longing for spring. And after he d completed it he began noticing little pictorial details: the way the trumpet s first entry is like a summons to awakening and how, during the slow introduction, the world turns green, perhaps with a butterfly hovering in the air ; finally, as the music of the first movement quickens, the world comes to life. The slow movement evokes an evening mood with graceful, singing music. Towards its end the trombones enter and the music is transformed, moving without a pause directly into the energetic scherzo movement. Initially, at least, Schumann had thought of this third movement as Merry Playmates and it has a boisterous and often capricious character to match. The projected title for the finale was Spring at its Height but in the end Schumann was content to mark it Allegro animato e grazioso: fast, animated and graceful. 12
orchestration: as a novice in matters orchestral, Schumann was happy to accept his colleague s guidance. The very opening of the symphony, the call of spring motif, probably spells out an underlying poetic text its rhythm matches the first lines of a poem by Adolph Boettger: O wende, wende deine Lauf, Im Tale bluht der Frühling auf! Oh turn, turn aside thy course, the valley blooms with spring! Schumann sent the first notes to the poet, with the words Beginning of a symphony inspired by D. Adolph Boettger. This opening caused an embarrassing moment at the first rehearsal. Schumann had scored it, for horns as well as trumpets, on B flat, the tonic note of the symphony. He seems to have forgotten that on valveless horns the notes would sound as though they had caught a violent head cold, and that the valveless trumpets could not play the required notes at all. Mendelssohn deftly solved the problem by transposing the phrase up so that it began on D, and the symphony was published with that alteration. Even after the Gewandhaus Orchestra and others had valved horns and trumpets, Schumann never changed it back. [Mahler was among the first conductors to restore Schumann s original opening in performance. David Robertson admits to being of two minds, but for these performances has chosen to begin on B flat, saying, the original idea of Schumann is picked up in so many places that it always feels sad not to do his initial conception.] The clarity of the scoring of the symphony, on the whole Schumann s most effectively orchestrated, suggests the benefits of working with a first-rate conductor who was also an experienced 13
orchestral composer. The symphony was immediately successful, and has remained Schumann s most-often performed. The opening motif dominates the first movement, the first subject of the Allegro being essentially a speeded up version of it, this time on B flat, since the trumpets and horns don t have to play it. There is a lovely contrasting second subject led by the winds, and the material is elaborately, but essentially undramatically, developed by Schumann s characteristic method of sequential repetition with harmonic modulation. At the point of climax which comes with the recapitulation, Schumann substitutes for the first subject of the Allegro an expanded version of the opening fanfare motive, in long note values and with a broadening of the tempo an effect of grandeur. At the end of the graceful Larghetto, in a song form with middle section and da capo, the melody is gradually transformed, at the entrance of the trombones, so that after a half-close it becomes the theme of the Scherzo. This follows without a break, soon establishing its key of D minor. The vigorous, stamping dance is contrasted with two trios, and, after the second, a very compressed last appearance of the Scherzo leads to a coda with capricious changes of tempo, and a quietening of the mood. The finale begins with a loud outburst for the full orchestra stating an upward scale which will play a role later in the movement. The tripping main theme light as a daisy chain, writes Tovey made Schumann caution a conductor: I like to think of it as the farewell of spring, so I wouldn t want it played too frivolously. Soon, marked off by restatements of the opening scale, comes a quotation. This skipping theme also appears in Schumann s cycle of piano pieces Kreisleriana, composed in 1838, and a favourite of its composer. Schumann liked riddles a clue to this one is that the phrase is so close to one from the Canzonetta movement of Mendelssohn s String Quartet Op.12 that it may be Schumann s tribute to the conductor of his first symphony. The rhythmic pattern of the symphony s opening plays its part in this movement, too. Schumann thought he was following Beethoven in thus unifying the work, and perhaps he was following Beethoven (the oboe solo in the first movement of the Fifth Symphony), in pausing just before the recapitulation for a flute solo cadenza. But the way this is ushered in by the horns, and its colouristic effect, is poetic and Romantic. Beethoven s quill pen in a fresh hand. On Spring Schumann ultimately removed the Spring title from his first symphony and he never assigned titles to the individual movements as he d considered doing. Even so, he thought of it as his Spring symphony and, as he told the composer Louis Spohr, he wrote the music with a vernal passion that always sways men even into old age and surprises them anew each year. Description and painting were not part of my intention, but I do believe that the season in which this symphony was born influenced its structure and helped make it what it is. Writer Michael Steinberg points out that the symphony was born in the months of January and February, suggesting not the mood of spring itself but the longing for spring in a cold and grey Leipzig winter. DAVID GARRETT 2005 Schumann s Symphony No.1 calls for pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons; four horns, two trumpets and three trombones; timpani, percussion and strings. The SSO first performed this symphony in 1941, conducted by Percy Code in a Studio Orchestral concert, and most recently in 1998, conducted by János Fürst. 15
Felix Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64 Allegro molto appassionato Andante Allegro non troppo Allegro molto vivace Christian Tetzlaff violin The late Hans Keller, one of the most stimulating and opinionated of writers on music, used to say that the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto was the greatest concerto ever written for the instrument. Many violinists share this view, and Jascha Heifetz said: If it is conceivable that the music of Mendelssohn can die, then all music can die. This concerto is one of the best-loved of all Mendelssohn s works. Its main rival for top ranking among violin concertos is probably Beethoven s, and even in Mendelssohn s day the comparison was already being made. The English pianist-composer William Sterndale Bennett wrote: There seems to me to be something essentially and exquisitely feminine about it, just as there is something essentially and heroically masculine in the Beethoven Violin Concerto. Mendelssohn has a reputation in some quarters for facility, even for unthinking note-spinning. The Violin Concerto gives the impression of spontaneous invention, but only through the art which conceals art. The violinist Ferdinand David, the leader of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under Mendelssohn, helped the composer with the technicalities of the solo part of his concerto, and gave the premiere in 1845. As early as 1838 Mendelssohn wrote to David: I should also like to write a violin concerto for you next winter. One in E minor runs in my head, the beginning of which gives me no peace. Over the next six years Mendelssohn peppered David with questions about technical difficulties, and Keynotes MENDELSSOHN Born Hamburg, 1809 Died Leipzig, 1847 Felix Mendelssohn is often called the 19th-century Mozart: he was a child prodigy, composing masterpieces such the Octet and the Midsummer Night s Dream Overture when he was 16 and 17; his music has a classical sensibility; and he died in his 30s, his tremendous activity as composer, pianist, conductor and administrator having taken its toll on a fragile constitution. Some claim he never quite recaptured the genius of the two teenage masterworks, but the Violin Concerto, completed when he was in his 30s, proves them wrong. VIOLIN CONCERTO This is not Mendelssohn s only violin concerto (he wrote one for violin and strings when he was 13) but it s his best-known: the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto as far as most music lovers are concerned. He began thinking about it in 1838 and finished work in 1844, consulting the violinist Ferdinand David about technical matters along the way. It is an exquisite, song-like concerto, and Mendelssohn brings the soloist and the orchestra together in an intimate dialogue instead of a competitive relationship. Listen for the way the soloist enters almost at the very beginning and the way Mendelssohn delicately links the movements together, leaving no room for the applause he personally disliked. All the music in tonight s program was premiered in the Leipzig Gewandhaus. 16
finished: Thank God this fellow is through with his Concerto, you will say. Excuse my bothering you, but what can I do? Mendelssohn s thoughtful approach to the challenge of writing this concerto produced a number of structural innovations in the first movement. The first was his solution to the problem of the traditional opening orchestral tutti (already tackled by Beethoven in his last two piano concertos). Mendelssohn abolishes it completely: the violin soars in with the impassioned and lyrical first subject after just a bar-anda-half of orchestral accompaniment. Another happy find is the single open G-string note, which the soloist sustains as a bass to the beautifully contrasted second subject. The next formal innovation shows how the virtuosity of the writing for violin is subordinated to the overall musical purpose: the cadenza, fully written out, occurs in the middle of the movement, and concludes with the recapitulation a magical moment, as the orchestra states the main theme while the violin continues with figuration from the cadenza. The bassoon note sustained from the last chord of the first movement, linking it with the second movement, is usually explained as Mendelssohn s attempt to persuade the audience not to applaud at this point. But it is such a subtle device that he can scarcely have expected it to succeed in that purpose. What it does do is make the music continuous, and emphasise the change of key to C major for the songful slow movement, with its more agitated middle section. Mendelssohn again shows his concern for overall unity by writing an introduction to the last movement, with a theme for violin and strings a little reminiscent of the first movement the soloist leads the listener in a typically Romantic manner through the unfolding story of the concerto. The last movement has many affinities with Mendelssohn s fairy scherzo vein, first proclaimed in his teenage masterpieces, the Octet and the Midsummer Night s Dream Overture. It is a movement of entrancing contrasts: between the opening callto-attention, the substantial second subject, and the violin s curving lyrical theme while the orchestra plays with scraps of the main theme. The whole concerto reveals how completely Mendelssohn, contrary to received opinion, could recapture the fresh inspiration of his youth in his full musical maturity. The bassoon note sustained from the last chord of the first movement, linking it with the second, is usually explained as Mendelssohn s attempt to persuade the audience not to applaud at this point. DAVID GARRETT 1998 The orchestra for Mendelssohn s Violin Concerto comprises pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns and trumpets; timpani and strings. The SSO first performed the concerto in its entirety in a 1940 War Funds Concert, conducted by Georg Schnéevoigt with Yehudi Menuhin as soloist, and most recently in 2013 with Charles Dutoit conducting and violinist Arabella Steinbacher. 17
MORE MUSIC SCHUMANN SYMPHONIES When it comes to the Schumann symphonies you ll be spoilt for choice, but one place to start might be with the orchestra that gave the premieres, the Leipzig Gewandhaus. You can find all four in assured and graceful interpretations conducted by Kurt Masur in the 1970s. RCA RED LABEL 34172 If you re curious about the reception of these 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. But in at least one respect Mahler returned to Schumann s original intent (as does David Robertson in these concerts), restoring the opening notes of the Spring symphony. DECCA 478 0037 TETZLAFF PLAYS MENDELSSOHN Christian Tetzlaff s expressive and songful interpretation of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto can be found in an apt pairing 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 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 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 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. CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF In a completely different vein from Mendelssohn: Shostakovich s two violin concertos. Christian Tetzlaff recorded the pair with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor John Storgårds for his most recent release on the Ondine label. ONDINE 1239 Closer to the spirit of tonight s program is his recording with pianist Lars Vogt of the three Schumann violin sonatas. ONDINE 1205 18
Forty Years of Fine Music The SSO joins in celebrating the 40th anniversary of Sydney s fine music radio station Radio has played a big part in developing the appreciation of music not least orchestral music. No wonder Sydney s own fine music station, Fine Music 102.5, has enjoyed a close relationship, across the 40 years since its birth in 1974 5, with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Many of the radio station s volunteers and listeners received their first experience of orchestral music, played live, from Sydney s orchestra. Before there was any FM station (and what was then 2MBS-FM was Australia s first), listeners found their music on the ABC. They recognised the ABC as the founder, and for decades the manager, of the SSO. But the ABC is national, whereas Fine Music 102.5 is local and can make its focus local. It has been able to support the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, not by broadcasting its concerts (long may the ABC continue to do that) but in many other ways by broadcasting programs that support the SSO s concert programs, by interviewing on air both resident and visiting SSO musicians, by publishing orchestra-related material in its program magazine, and so on. Subscribers to the radio station and subscribers to the orchestra have a lot in common they are supporters, who put down their names (and their money) for the sake of the music they love. There can never be an excess of such support, and especially, the orchestra will feel, of the music for which they exist. Forty years of collaboration in music s cause is all the more to be celebrated since on both sides it remains as sweet as it was before. Play on, SSO, and Fine Music, give us that strain again! DAVID GARRETT 2015 In addition to his work writing and speaking for the SSO, David Garrett is a volunteer programmer and presenter for Fine Music. The original mast being erected on the AMP Centre roof in Sydney (1976 77) Image courtesy Fine Music 102.5FM. 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). On Monday 16 February (7pm) Christian Tetzlaff will perform Jörg Widmann s Violin Concerto in a program with Schumann s Third and Fourth symphonies, conducted by David Robertson. 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 Emily Long Jenny Booth Sophie Cole Amber Davis Claire Herrick Georges Lentz Nicola Lewis Alexandra Mitchell Alexander Norton Léone Ziegler Dene Olding CONCERTMASTER 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 Felicity Tsai Amanda Verner Leonid Volovelsky Tobias Breider Anne-Louise Comerford Justine Marsden CELLOS Umberto Clerici Catherine Hewgill Leah Lynn ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Fenella Gill Timothy Nankervis Elizabeth Neville Adrian Wallis David Wickham Kristy Conrau Christopher Pidcock DOUBLE BASSES Kees Boersma Alex Henery David Campbell Steven Larson Richard Lynn Benjamin Ward Neil Brawley PRINCIPAL EMERITUS David Murray FLUTES Janet Webb Carolyn Harris Emma Sholl Rosamund Plummer PRINCIPAL PICCOLO OBOES Diana Doherty Shefali Pryor David Papp Alexandre Oguey PRINCIPAL COR ANGLAIS CLARINETS Lawrence Dobell Christopher Tingay Francesco Celata Craig Wernicke PRINCIPAL BASS CLARINET 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 Josh Rogan Paul Goodchild Anthony Heinrichs TROMBONES Ronald Prussing Nick Byrne Christopher Harris PRINCIPAL BASS TROMBONE Scott Kinmont TUBA Steve Rossé TIMPANI Richard Miller PERCUSSION Mark Robinson Rebecca Lagos Timothy Constable HARP Louise Johnson BOLD = PRINCIPAL ITALICS = ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL = CONTRACT MUSICIAN * = GUEST MUSICIAN 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