Concert of Wednesday, April 19, 2017, at 6:30pm Joseph Young, Conductor Matt Haimovitz, cello Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) Overture on Hebrew Themes, Opus 34b (1919) Ernest Bloch (1880-1959) Schelomo, Hebraic Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra (1916) Matt Haimovitz, cello Intermission Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (1960) Prologue. Allegro moderato Somewhere. Adagio Scherzo. Vivace leggiero Mambo. Presto Cha-Cha. Andantino con grazia Meeting Scene. Meno mosso Cool, Fugue. Allegretto Rumble. Molto allegro Finale. Adagio Notes on the Program by Ken Meltzer Overture on Hebrew Themes, Opus 34b (1919) Sergei Prokofiev was born in Sontsovka, Russia, April 23, 1891, and died in Moscow, Russia, on March 5, 1953. The first performance of the original chamber ensemble version of Overture on Hebrew Themes took place in New York on January 26, 1920 with Zimro, and the composer as pianist. The orchestral version of Overture on Hebrew Themes is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoon, two horns, two trumpets, bass drum, piano, and strings. Approximate performance time is nine minutes.
In 1918, Russian composer and pianist Sergei Prokofiev decided to escape the chaos that plagued Europe, and try his fortunes in the New World. Prokofiev s American concert debut took place at the Brooklyn Museum in New York on October 29, 1918. A triumphant recital followed on November 20 before a capacity audience at New York s Aeolian Hall. Prokofiev s December 10 Carnegie Hall debut, as soloist in his own First Piano Concerto, was not quite so successful, perhaps due to the less than sterling quality of the accompanying orchestra and conductor. Matters considerably improved later that month when Prokofiev traveled to Chicago. There, Prokofiev again was the soloist in his First Concerto, performing with the Chicago Symphony and Music Director Frederick Stock, who also performed the composer's Scythian Suite. Prokofiev reached an agreement with the Chicago Opera to stage The Love for Three Oranges, the premiere of which took place on December 30, 1921. In the spring of 1919, Prokofiev became quite ill and was hospitalized for a few weeks. Prokofiev recalled: When I recovered I could barely wait for the doctor s permission to get back to work. That autumn, Prokofiev received a request from the Russian chamber ensemble, Zimro, who had recently arrived in New York. The members of the ensemble hoped that their concert tour would help to raise money to found a music conservatory in Jerusalem. Zimro s clarinetist, Simeon Bellison, shared with Prokofiev his annotated notebook filled with Jewish melodies. Bellison asked Prokofiev to use the themes as the basis for a new chamber work. At first Prokofiev refused, on the grounds that I used only my own musical material. But Prokofiev soon became interested in some of the melodies, and composed his Overture on Hebrew Themes, Opus 34, scored for piano, clarinet, and string quartet. Prokofiev and Zimro gave the Overture s premiere in New York on January 26, 1920. Prokofiev performed this brief, charming work several times during the course of his career, and in 1934, created a version for orchestra, Opus 34b. Schelomo, Hebraic Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra (1916) Ernest Bloch was born in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 24, 1880, and died in Portland, Oregon, on July 15, 1959. The first performance of Schelomo took place at Carnegie Hall in New York City on May 3, 1917, with Hans Kindler as the soloist, and Artur Bodanzky conducting. In addition to the solo cello, Schelomo is scored for piccolo, three flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, snare drum, cymbals, suspended cymbal, tambourine, bass drum, tamtam, two harps, celesta, and strings. Approximate performance time is twenty-two minutes. Ernest Bloch began composition of Schelomo in 1915, while living in Geneva. Schelomo is the Hebrew name for Solomon, the third King of Israel, who lived circa 10 th century, BCE. Solomon, the son of King David, has traditionally been credited with authorship of the Book of Ecclesiastes. Bloch originally intended to compose a work that would include a human voice declaiming portions of Ecclesiastes. However, according to Bloch: I could not hear the fervor of the text in the French language or in the
German or English and since I did not know Hebrew the sketches mounted while the work lay dormant. Then, Bloch received a visit from the superb Russian cellist, Alexandre Barjansky and his wife, the sculptress, Catherine Barjansky. When Bloch heard Alexandre Barjansky play, he found the inspiration for Schelomo: Why, instead of a human voice, limited by a text and language, should not my Ecclesiastes utilize the soaring unfettered voice of the cello? Bloch then composed Schelomo in the span of just six weeks during January and February of 1916. The composer dedicated the score to the Barjanskys. In 1917 correspondence to Philip Hale, then program annotator of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Ernest Bloch explained his approach to music based upon Jewish themes: It is not my purpose, nor my desire, to attempt a reconstruction of Jewish music or to base my works on melodies more or less authentic. I am not an archaeologist. I hold it of first importance to write good, genuine music, my music. It is the Jewish soul that interests me, the complex, glowing agitated soul, that I feel vibrating throughout the Bible; the freshness and naiveté of the Patriarchs; the violence that is evident in the prophetic books; the Jew s savage love of justice; the despair of the Preacher of Jerusalem; the sorrow and immensity of the Book of Job; the sensuality of the Song of Songs. All this is in us; all this is in me, and it is the better part of me. It is in all this that I endeavor to hear in myself and to transcribe in my music; the venerable emotion of the race that slumbers way down in our soul. Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (1960) Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, on August 25, 1918, and died in New York on October 14, 1990. The first performance of the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story took place at Carnegie Hall in New York on February 13, 1961, with Lukas Foss conducting the New York Philharmonic. The Symphonic Dances from West Side Story are scored for piccolo, three flutes, two oboes, English horn, E-flat clarinet, two clarinets, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, tuba, timpani, vibraphone, xylophone, chimes, orchestra bells, guiro, suspended cymbal, bongo drums, triangle, snare drum, finger cymbals, bass drum, police whistle, tam-tam, timbales, conga drum, tambourine, small maracas, wood block, cowbells, drum set, harp, piano/celesta and strings. Approximate performance time is twenty-three minutes. In January of 1949, Jerome Robbins approached Leonard Bernstein with a suggestion for a new project a modern-day version of Shakespeare s Romeo and Juliet. The updated Romeo would be set in the slums during the Easter-Passover celebrations, and depict a conflict between Catholics and Jews. Robbins suggested that Arthur Laurents write the show s book.
Bernstein s many conducting obligations delayed progress on the work. However, in 1955, Robbins and Laurents resumed the project. Everyone agreed to change the original story line to one that focused on a conflict between two teen-age gangs, one the warring Puerto Ricans, the other self-styled Americans. That year, Bernstein met Stephen Sondheim and immediately pronounced him ideal for this project. West Side Story premiered on August 19, 1957, at the National Theater in Washington, DC. The production featured one of the most remarkable collaborative teams in the history of musical theater a book by Arthur Laurents, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, music by Leonard Bernstein, with the entire production directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins. After performances in Washington, DC, and Philadelphia, West Side Story opened at the Winter Garden in New York City on September 26, 1957. The production finally closed on June 27, 1959, after 734 performances. A tour followed, as well as a Hollywood movie in 1961. West Side Story has remained in the repertoire ever since. In West Side Story, the setting of Shakespeare s Romeo and Juliet shifts from Verona to New York City. The Capulets are now the Puerto Rican gang, the Sharks. The Montagues become the Jets, the gang of self-styled Americans. Tony, a member of the Jets and Maria, the sister of the leader of the Sharks, are the modern-day star-crossed lovers. One of the miracles of American musical theater, West Side Story is a remarkable fusion of drama, music, and dance, all placed at the service of a powerful and timeless story. West Side Story, a breathtaking synthesis of popular and classical elements, represents a sublime marriage of the Broadway stage with the grand traditions of opera and ballet. In 1960, Bernstein fashioned an orchestral work from the original Broadway score. Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal assisted Bernstein in orchestrating the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, which premiered at New York s Carnegie Hall on February 13, 1961, with Lukas Foss conducting the New York Philharmonic. The Symphonic Dances from West Side Story comprise the following sections, played without pause: Prologue. Allegro moderato Somewhere. Adagio Scherzo. Vivace leggiero Mambo. Presto Cha-Cha. Andantino con grazia Meeting Scene. Meno mosso Cool, Fugue. Allegretto
Rumble. Molto allegro Finale. Adagio