Concerts of Friday, September 30, and Saturday, October 1, 2011, at 8:00p, and Sunday, October 2, 2011, at 3:00p Osvaldo Golijov (b. 1960) Robert Spano, Conductor Joshua Bell, Violin Sidereus, Overture for Small Orchestra (2010) Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Premiere, Co-Commissioned by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 35 (1878) I. Allegro moderato II. Canzonetta. Andante III. Finale. Allegro vivacissimo Joshua Bell, Violin Intermission Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Opus 98 (1885) I. Allegro non troppo II. Andante moderato III. Allegro giocoso IV. Allegro energico e passionato
Notes on the Program by Ken Meltzer Sidereus, Overture for Small Orchestra (2010) Osvaldo Golijov was born in La Plata, Argentina, on December 5, 1960. The first performance of Sidereus took place at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in Memphis, Tennessee, on October 16, 2010, with Mei-Ann Chen conducting the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Sidereus is scored for two flutes, oboe, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, two horns, piccolo trumpet in B-flat, two trumpets in B-flat, trombone, bass trombone, tuba, timpani and strings. Approximate performance time is nine minutes. These are the first ASO classical subscription performances. In 2009, Henry Fogel concluded his six-year tenure as President and CEO of the League of American Orchestras. Mr. Fogel served as President of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1985-2003. Henry Fogel was also the Executive Director of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC (1981-85) and Orchestra Manager of the New York Philharmonic (1987-1981). In June of 2009, Henry Fogel was appointed Dean of the Chicago College of Performing Arts. He also continues to serve as a consultant to performing arts organizations around the world. The legacy of Henry Fogel, a generous, passionate and tireless advocate for great music, has profoundly influenced the lives of countless people (including this writer). After the announcement of Mr. Fogel s retirement from the League of American Orchestras, the Board of Directors decided to commission a new orchestral piece in his honor. The Board s first choice to write the work Atlanta School composer Osvaldo Golijov quickly accepted the project. A consortium of 37 Orchestras (including the Atlanta Symphony) in the United States and Canada participated in the commission of Mr. Golijov s Sidereus, and will perform the work by June of 2012. Mr. Golijov was in the audience for the October 16, 2010 world premiere of Sidereus, performed by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra under the baton of its Music Director, Mei-Ann Chen (a former Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Assistant Conductor and League of American Orchestras Conducting Fellow). The work s title, Sidereus, refers to a book by Galileo, Sidereus Nuncius (Starry Messenger) (1610). The Italian astronomer wrote the book after seeing the moon for the first time through his telescope and discovering the moons of Jupiter. These discoveries clashed with the prior doctrine of man s God-ordained position as the center of the universe, leading to conflict with the Vatican. As Mr. Golijov describes: The realizations of Galileo referred to the new discoveries in the surface of the moon. With these discoveries, the moon was no longer the province of poets exclusively. It had also become an object of inquiry: Could there be water there? Life? If there was life, then the Vatican was scared, because, as Cardinal Bellarmino wrote to Galileo: How were the people there created? How would their souls be saved? What do we do about Adam?
Wasn t he supposed to be the first man? How do we explain the origin of possible life elsewhere? What about his rib? It s the duality: the moon is still good for love and lovers and poets, but a scientific observation can lead us to entirely new realizations. Osvaldo Golijov scored Sidereus for a reduced chamber orchestra, thereby facilitating performances by as many American orchestras as possible. The composer offers this description of the work: In Sidereus, the melodies and the harmony are simple, so they can reveal more upon closer examination. For the Moon theme I used a melody with a beautiful, open nature, a magnified scale fragment that my good friend and longtime collaborator, accordionist Michael Ward Bergeman came up with some years ago when we both were trying to come up with ideas for a musical depiction of the sky in Patagonia. I then looked at that theme as if through the telescope and under the microscope, so that the textures, the patterns from which the melody emerges and into which it dissolves, point to a more molecular, atomic reality. Like Galileo with the telescope, or getting close to Van Gogh s brushstrokes. Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 35 (1878) Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in Kamsko-Votkinsk, Russia, on May 7, 1840, and died in St. Petersburg, Russia, on November 6, 1893. The first performance of the Violin Concerto took place in Vienna, Austria, on December 4, 1881, with Adolf Brodsky as soloist and Hans Richter conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. In addition to the solo violin, the D-Major Concerto is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings. Approximate performance time is thirty-six minutes. First ASO Classical Subscription Performance: January 25, 1948, Robert Harrison, Violin, Henry Sopkin, Conductor. Most Recent ASO Classical Subscription Performances: April 14, 15 and 16, 2011, Sergei Krylov, Violin, Arild Remmereit, Conductor. Unalloyed pleasure Tchaikovsky composed his only Violin Concerto during the spring of 1878. As Tchaikovsky reported to his patroness, Nadezhda von Meck: From the first moment that the right frame of mind came to me it has never left me. With one s inner life in this condition composing ceases altogether to be work: it becomes unalloyed pleasure. While you are writing you do not notice how time passes and if no one came to interrupt you you would sit there and never leave your work all day.
Still, there were refinements to be made to the Concerto. Tchaikovsky solicited the opinions of his friend, violinist Iosif Kotek, and the composer s brother, Modest. Both were dissatisfied with the original slow movement. Tchaikovsky replaced it with the beautiful Canzonetta that forms the central movement of the Concerto (the original slow movement ultimately became the opening Méditation of Tchaikovsky s 1878 Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Opus 42, for violin and piano). By the middle of April, Tchaikovsky had fully orchestrated his Violin Concerto. Tchaikovsky dedicated his Concerto to Leopold Auer, the great Hungarian-born violinist, who was living and teaching in St. Petersburg. Auer, for whom Tchaikovsky also composed his Sérénade mélancolique, Opus 26 (1875), declined to play the Concerto. As Tchaikovsky recalled some years later: I do not know whether Auer was flattered by my dedication only that, despite his sincere friendship towards me, he never wanted to master the difficulties of this concerto, deemed it awkward to play and that a verdict such as this from the authoritative St. Petersburg virtuoso cast my poor child for many years into the abyss, it seemed, of eternal oblivion. It was violinist Adolf Brodsky who took up the cause for Tchaikovsky s Concerto, serving as soloist for the first performance, which took place in Vienna on December 4, 1881. Hans Richter conducted the Vienna Philharmonic. Tchaikovsky greatly appreciated the courage displayed by Brodsky in premiering the work: He has not yet fully established his position in Vienna and I know very well that it was difficult and nerve-wracking for him to appear before a Viennese audience with a concerto by an unknown composer, and a Russian one to boot. For that reason I am doubly grateful to him for the service he has rendered me. A brutal and wretched jollity of a Russian holiday The extent of Brodsky s courage becomes even clearer when the circumstances of the premiere are examined. The reaction by the audience and critics was unfavorable, to say the least. The performance inspired the prominent Viennese critic, Eduard Hanslick, to write one of the most (in)famous reviews in music history. For several months after the concert, Tchaikovsky carried with him a copy of the review and, to the end of his days, could recite verbatim Hanslick s caustic prose: The Russian composer Tchaikovsky is surely not an ordinary talent, but rather an inflated one, with a genius-like obsession without discrimination or taste. Such is also his latest, long and pretentious Violin Concerto. For a while it moves soberly, musically, and not without spirit. But soon vulgarity gains the upper hand, and asserts itself to the end of the first movement. The violin is no longer played; it is pulled, torn, drubbed. The Adagio is again on its best behavior, to pacify and win us. But it soon breaks off to make way for a finale that transfers us to a brutal and
wretched jollity of a Russian holiday. We see plainly the savage vulgar faces, we hear curses, we smell vodka. Friedrich Visser once observed, speaking of obscene pictures, that they stink to the eye. Tchaikovsky s Violin Concerto gives us for the first time the hideous notion that there can be music that stinks to the ear. Still, Brodsky persevered in his advocacy of the Concerto, playing it throughout Europe. In time, the merits of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto became clear. Even Leopold Auer finally performed the work, as did such protégés as Mischa Elman and Jascha Heifetz. But it was Adolf Brodsky to whom Tchaikovsky dedicated this beloved masterpiece. Musical Analysis I. Allegro moderato The Concerto begins with an orchestral introduction, during which the violins foreshadow the Allegro s main theme. The soloist enters and, after a brief opening passage, presents the flowing, principal melody. There are some playful flights for the soloist, followed by the presentation of another expressive, lyrical theme. A dazzling virtuoso passage by the soloist leads to a grand orchestral proclamation of the principal melody, soon incorporated once again by the solo violin. After another orchestral statement of the theme, there is a fiery development section and a grand cadenza for the soloist. Over the soloist s trills, the flute ushers in the recapitulation of the principal themes. The stunning coda again features the soloist in breathtaking display. II. Canzonetta. Andante The brief and extraordinarily beautiful Canzonetta begins with a passage for winds. The muted solo violin soon enters with the soulful principal melody, echoed by the clarinet and flute. There is a contrasting, more wide-ranging theme for the soloist, followed by a reprise of the opening melody. A variant of the movement s introductory measures serves as a bridge to the Finale, which follows without pause. III. Finale. Allegro vivacissimo A boisterous orchestral statement and brief cadenza serve as prelude to the soloist s introduction of the energetic principal theme. The soloist over emphatic accompaniment by the cellos, and bassoon counterpoint plays the rustic second theme. A lyrical interlude twice serves as contrast to the repetition of the principal melodies. The writing for the soloist throughout the Finale is brilliant, perhaps nowhere more so than in the thrilling closing pages. Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Opus 98 (1885) Johannes Brahms was born in Hamburg, Germany, on May 7, 1833, and died in Vienna, Austria, on April 3, 1897. The first performance of the Symphony No. 4 took place in Meiningen, Germany, on October 25, 1885, with the composer conducting the Meiningen Orchestra. The Symphony No. 4 is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, triangle and strings. Approximate performance time is thirty-nine minutes.
First ASO Classical Subscription Performance: March 10, 1952, Henry Sopkin, Conductor. Most Recent ASO Classical Subscription Performances: April 30, May 2 and 3, 2009, Itzhak Perlman, Conductor. Beethoven s Tenth While Brahms has long been universally acknowledged as one of the great symphonic composers of the 19 th century, he approached this area of the repertoire with considerable trepidation. In 1870, Brahms wrote to conductor Hermann Levi: I shall never write a symphony. You have no idea how the likes of us feel when we hear the tramp of a giant like him beside us. Brahms was, of course, referring to Ludwig van Beethoven and his epochal Nine Symphonies. For several years, Brahms privately contemplated the possibility of composing a symphony. However, it was not until 1876 that the 43-year-old Brahms mustered the courage to complete his First Symphony. Brahms derived no great satisfaction from the fact that the work s stormy character, its journey from C minor to C Major, and presentation in the finale of a theme that strongly recalls the ode To Joy prompted conductor Hans von Bülow to dub the Symphony Beethoven s Tenth. My pieces are, unfortunately, pleasanter than I am Johannes Brahms composed his Four Symphonies during two relatively concentrated periods. The First Symphony appeared in 1876, with the Second following a year later. Six years would elapse before the completion of the Third Symphony in 1883. Brahms then composed his Fourth (and final) Symphony during the summers of 1884 and 1885, while vacationing in the Alpine village of Mürzzuschlag. On August 29, 1885, Brahms forwarded the manuscript of the Fourth Symphony s opening movement to his friend, Elisabeth von Herzogenberg, along with the following playful correspondence: Will you allow me to send you a piece of a piece of mine, and would you have time to glance at it and send me a word about it? Generally speaking, my pieces are, unfortunately, pleasanter than I am, and people find less in them that needs putting right! The cherries in this part of the world never grow sweet and are uneatable so that if the thing is not to your taste don t hesitate to say so. I am not at all eager to write a bad No. 4... In a letter of September 6, Mme. von Herzogenberg confessed, (t)he movement from the Symphony has already been heaving many sighs and groans under my unskilled hands...there are many passages where I still get quite lost. And, after hearing a piano duet performance of the Symphony, the prominent Viennese critic, Eduard Hanslick, commented: I feel as though I am being thrashed by two frightfully clever fellows. However, Bülow was thrilled by the score and invited Brahms to conduct his Meiningen
Orchestra in the October 25, 1885 premiere. The favorable response prompted that Orchestra to perform the Symphony during its autumn tour of Germany and Holland. Brahms and his Vienna had parted forever On March 7, 1897, in Vienna, the mortally-ill Brahms attended his final orchestral concert, in which Hans Richter conducted the E-minor Symphony. The audience became aware of Brahms s presence, and applauded after each movement. At the conclusion of the Symphony, the audience leapt to its feet and offered a massive ovation in tribute to Brahms. The frail composer summoned his remaining energy to rise and acknowledge the cheers. As biographer Florence May described: Tears ran down his cheeks as he stood there, shrunken in form with lined countenance, strained expression, white hair hanging lank, and through the audience there was a feeling as of a stifled sob, for each knew that he was saying farewell. Another outburst of applause and yet another; one more acknowledgment from the master, and Brahms and his Vienna had parted forever. It is entirely appropriate that the Fourth Symphony served to mark the farewell of Brahms to his beloved Viennese public. The work represents the summit of the composer s extraordinary symphonic output. While each of the Four Symphonies is an undisputed masterpiece, the E-minor is the perfect synthesis of Classical (and even pre-classical) form with searing Romantic passion and lyricism. The Fourth Symphony s dramatic power couched in a miraculous economy of utterance continues to move and amaze audiences. Musical Analysis I. Allegro non troppo The opening movement begins with the violins immediate presentation of the principal theme, based upon alternating pairs of descending and ascending notes. A woodwind fanfare leads to a wide-ranging and plaintive string melody. Another fanfare by the winds and horns serves as the basis for the exposition s stormy conclusion. The development opens in the same fashion as the very start of the work, but soon features ingenious manipulations of the thematic material. A mystical expansion of the opening theme, played by the winds, serves as prelude to the recapitulation. The tempestuous coda begins with a massive statement of the opening theme, and rushes headlong to a thunderous close. II. Andante moderato The horns and woodwinds intone a rather foreboding statement of the Andante s central, modal theme. The variations of the theme, presented throughout the movement, offer a remarkably wide range of moods and orchestra colors. Although there are moments of great agitation, the Andante concludes with the utmost serenity. III. Allegro giocoso By contrast, the third-movement Scherzo opens in boisterous fashion, as the orchestra immediately proclaims the vigorous main theme. The triangle adds a sparkling and festive touch. There are moments of lyricism, notably in the flowing, grazioso violin theme, and a brief interlude, introduced by the bassoons and
horns. But in general, an almost violent energy pervades this movement. During an orchestral rehearsal of the Fourth Symphony, conductor Fritz Steinbach asked Brahms to offer a description of the Scherzo. Brahms replied: That is Alexander the Great s march to India. IV. Allegro energico e passionato Several years before the composition of the Fourth Symphony, Brahms showed Hans von Bülow the final movement of Johann Sebastian Bach s Cantata No. 150 (Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich) and inquired: What would think of a symphonic movement written on this theme one day? But it is too heavy, too straightforward. It would have to be chromatically altered in some way. Brahms once referred to the magnificent Chaconne from Bach s Partita No. 2 in D Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1004, as one of the most incredible pieces of music. Using a single system...the man writes a whole world of the deepest and most powerful expression. Much the same may be said of the finale of the Brahms Fourth, a stunning series of variations on a ground bass, derived from the composer s modification of the noted passage in Bach s Cantata No. 150. The winds and brass proclaim the eight-measure ground bass figure that serves as the underlying structure for a series of thirty variations. The movement is also cast in a general A B A form, with two fiery outer sections and a central, lyrical episode. The concluding A section continues to build in intensity until the shattering final bars.