Concerts of Thursday, January 22, at 8:00p, Saturday, January 24, at 7:30p, and Sunday, January 25, 2015, at 2:00p Matthias Pintscher, Conductor Inon Barnatan, piano Richard Wagner (1813-1883) Siegfried Idyll (1870) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Concerto No. 24 for Piano and Orchestra in C Minor, K. 491 (1786) I. Allegro II. Larghetto III. Allegretto Inon Barnatan, piano Intermission Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Symphony No. 4 in B- flat Major, Opus 60 (1806) I. Adagio; Allegro vivace II. Adagio III. Menuetto. Allegro vivace IV. Allegro ma non troppo
Notes on the Program by Ken Meltzer Siegfried Idyll (1870) Richard Wagner was born in Leipzig, Germany, on May 22, 1813, and died in Venice, Italy, on February 13, 1883. The first performance of Siegfried Idyll took place at the Wagners home in Tribschen, Switzerland, on December 25, 1870. Siegfried Idyll is scored for flute, oboe, two clarinets, bassoon, two horns, trumpet and strings. Approximate performance time is eighteen minutes. First ASO Classical Subscription Performance: January 13, 1954, Henry Sopkin, Conductor. Most Recent ASO Classical Subscription Performances: April 21, 22 and 23, 1983, Louis Lane, Conductor. In the summer of 1864, Richard Wagner began an affair with Cosima von Bülow the daughter of Franz Liszt, and wife of conductor and pianist Hans von Bülow. Richard and Cosima s first child, Isolde, was born in 1865. Richard and Cosima later moved to a villa in Tribschen (Wagner spelled it Triebschen ), at Lake Lucerne. Their second daughter, Eva, was born at Tribschen in 1867. The birth of Richard and Cosima s son, Siegfried, took place two years later. After Hans von Bülow agreed to divorce Cosima, she and Wagner married on August 25, 1870. That November, Richard Wagner composed a special musical birthday gift for his wife, one that also served to commemorate the birth of Siegfried, whom the couple nicknamed Fidi. Cosima Wagner s birthday was December 24. On Christmas morning, 1870, Richard Wagner presented his special gift to Cosima. In her diary, Cosima described the magical event: I can give you no idea, my children, about this day, nor about my feelings. I shall only tell you quite barely what happened: As I awoke, my ear caught a sound, which swelled fuller and fuller; no longer could I imagine myself to be dreaming; music was sounding, and such music! When it died away, Richard came into my room with the children and offered me the score of the symphonic birthday poem. I was in tears, but so was all the rest of the household. Richard had arranged his orchestra on the staircase, and thus our Triebschen was consecrated forever...after lunch the orchestra came into our house downstairs, and now the Idyll was heard once again, to the profound emotion of us all. Wagner originally entitled this work Triebschener Idyll, with Fidi s Birdsong and Orange Sunrise, as a Symphonic Birthday Greeting from Richard to Cosima. Wagner never
intended this composition to be made public. Later, however, during a period of severe financial duress, Wagner agreed to the score s publication, with the title Siegfried Idyll. In Siegfried Idyll, Wagner incorporates several melodic themes that also appear in his epic cycle of heroic operas, The Ring of the Nibelung. But in the Siegfried Idyll, the themes are part of an instrumental work of extraordinary beauty, tenderness and introspection. As such, Wagner s Siegfried Idyll provides another, and most valuable window to the artistry of one of opera s most revolutionary composers. The Idyll opens with the first violins singing the work s lovely, principal theme, which also appears in the final act of Siegfried the Ring s third opera (all of Wagner s children were named after leading characters from his operas). The music becomes more ardent, finally yielding to a descending melody, played by the oboe, a quotation of the German lullaby, Sleep, Little Child, Sleep. Soon, both the opening theme and lullaby are presented in tandem. Later, the woodwinds introduce yet another theme from Siegfried s final act. The music proceeds to a vigorous climax, and the solo horn plays a motif associated with the opera s hero. Other themes from Siegfried also make their appearance. After yet another climax, the lullaby and opening theme return, as the Siegfried Idyll reaches its ethereal conclusion. Concerto No. 24 in C minor for Piano and Orchestra, K. 491 (1786) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria, on January 27, 1756, and died in Vienna, Austria, on December 5, 1791. The first performance of the Piano Concerto No. 24 took place at the Burgtheater in Vienna on April 7, 1786, with the composer as soloist. In addition to the solo piano, the Concerto No. 24 is scored for flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings. Approximate performance time is thirty- one minutes. First ASO Classical Subscription Performance: February 22, 1948, Eugenia Snow, Piano, Henry Sopkin, Conductor. Most Recent ASO Classical Subscription Performances: November 1, 2 and 3, 2012, Stewart Goodyear, Piano, Asher Fisch, Conductor. Vienna Triumph During the early to mid- 1780s, Mozart enjoyed the apex of his popularity in the great city of Vienna. Mozart found himself in constant demand as a teacher, composer and piano soloist. In a February, 1784 letter to his father, Leopold, Mozart wrote: The whole morning is given over to my pupils, and nearly every evening I have to play...have I not enough to do? I do not think I shall get out of practice in these circumstances...
In 1785, Leopold Mozart traveled to Vienna to visit Wolfgang and his family. There, Leopold wrote to Mozart s sister, Nannerl, and described the constant activity surrounding Wolfgang s remarkable popularity: We never go to bed before one o clock, we never get up before nine o'clock, and go to lunch at two or half past...every day a concert, always studying, music, writing, et cetera...if only all the concerts were over! It is impossible to describe all the rumpus and confusion: your brother's grand piano has been moved, in the time I have been here, at least twelve times from the house to the theater or to other houses. The Piano Concerto No. 24 One of Mozart s most lucrative activities during his Vienna heyday was a series of Lenten subscription concerts, also known as academies. These concerts, sponsored by Mozart, featured the composer performing his own music. Often, the highlight of the academy was the premiere of a new Mozart concerto for piano and orchestra, with the composer as soloist. From 1784-1786, Mozart composed twelve Piano Concertos, three of which were completed between December of 1785 and March of 1786. Mozart finished the last of this trio No. 24 in C minor, K. 491 on March 24, 1786. The composer was the soloist in the Concerto s April 7 premiere, which took place at the Vienna Burgtheater. Mozart once stated that (p)assions, whether violent or not, must never be expressed to the point of exciting disgust, and must never offend the ear. And while Mozart certainly adheres to this approach in his Concerto No. 24, there is also no question that this magnificent work is often one of profound darkness, and even of despair. It is one of only two Mozart Piano Concertos in the minor key (the other is the 1785 No. 20 in D minor, K. 466). Mozart also employs the largest orchestra he had used to that date for a Piano Concerto. The C- minor Concerto both epitomizes the grace and elegance of the late 18 th century, and foreshadows the torrid Romantic expression that was soon to follow. Musical Analysis I. Allegro The Concerto opens with the strings and bassoons quietly intoning the ominous principal theme. Soon, however, the orchestra presents the theme in a far more aggressive guise. The winds introduce a plaintive descending theme. After a varied repetition of the thematic material, the orchestral exposition concludes with a vigorous tutti. The soloist enters not with the opening theme, but with the descending motif. It is not long, however, before the initial theme makes its haunting presence felt. The themes serve as the basis for extended, florid excursions by the soloist. A recapitulation of the principal themes, capped by the ensemble s forte statement of the opening melody, leads to a solo cadenza. The closing measures begin forcefully, but finally resolve to a pianissimo whisper.
II. Larghetto The slow- tempo second movement, in E- flat Major, and featuring reduced orchestration (no trumpets or drums) and restrained dynamics, is far more introspective than its predecessor. The pianist sings the lovely principal theme that returns throughout, alternating with contrasting episodes, the first of which is inaugurated by the winds. After a brief repeat of the central melody, the winds usher in another sequence. The soloist reprises the principal melody for the final time, and the Larghetto concludes with an elegant coda. III. Allegretto The finale returns to the home key of C minor. The ensemble introduces the central theme, cast in two sections, each repeated. The remainder of the movement is a series of variations on this theme. Some of the variations (notably, a lovely C- Major episode) offer moments of sunshine. The final portion, in C minor and a skipping 6/8 meter, provides an intriguing and perhaps rather unsettling conclusion to this superb work. Symphony No. 4 in B- flat Major, Opus 60 (1806) Ludwig van Beethoven was baptized in Bonn, Germany, on December 17, 1770, and died in Vienna, Austria, on March 26, 1827. The Symphony No. 4 is scored for flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings. Approximate performance time is thirty- five minutes. First ASO Classical Subscription Performance: November 27, 1951, Henry Sopkin, Conductor. Most Recent ASO Classical Subscription Performances: March 22, 23 and 24, 2012, Leonidas Kavakos, Conductor. Most dear to me Toward the end of his life, Beethoven, speaking of his only opera, commented: Of all my children, (Fidelio) is the one that caused me the worst birth- pangs, the one that brought me the most sorrow, and for that reason, it is the most dear to me. The composition and production of Fidelio preoccupied Beethoven from the close of 1804 through April of 1806. The premiere, which took place at the Theater- an- der- Wien on November 20, 1805, was a failure, due in great part to the chaos resulting from Napoleon s occupation of Vienna. A revised version of Fidelio, which premiered on March 29, 1806, earned a marginally greater degree of success. Still, Beethoven was not satisfied, and in 1814, he composed his third, and final, version of Fidelio. As he lamented to Georg Friedrich Treitschke, the librettist of that final version: Let me add that this whole opera business is the most tiresome affair in the world. The premiere of the 1806 version of Fidelio seemed to offer Beethoven a sense of liberation from this most tiresome affair. During the remainder of that year, Beethoven composed a series of works remarkable both in quantity and exalted level of
inspiration. Compositions from that period include the Piano Concerto No. 4, Opus 58, the Symphony No. 4, Opus 60, Thirty- two Variations for Piano in C minor, WoO 80, the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 61 the three Razumovsky String Quartets, Opus 59, as well as the completion of the Piano Sonata known as the Appassionata, Opus 57. There is only one Beethoven During the summer of 1806, Beethoven visited his friend and patron, Prince Karl Lichnowsky, who owned a Silesian country estate. During that visit, Lichnowsky introduced Beethoven to Count Franz von Oppersdorf, whose castle was located nearby. Oppersdorf, an avid music- lover, greeted Beethoven with a performance of the composer s Symphony No. 2, played by the Count s own court orchestra. It was on that occasion that Count Oppersdorf commissioned Beethoven to write a new symphony. Beethoven had already begun work on what would become known as his Symphony No. 5. However, he temporarily put that work aside, in order to compose the B- flat Major Symphony for Prince Oppersdorf. Beethoven composed his Fourth Symphony during the months of September and October 1806, while residing at Prince Lichnowsky s estate. The Symphony probably received its premiere in March of the following year, at the Vienna Palais Lobkowitz. In addition to commissioning the Fourth Symphony, Count Oppersdorf was a participant in one of the most infamous incidents in Beethoven s life. Toward the end of October or beginning of November 1806, Prince Lichnowsky entertained a group of French officers at his Silesian estate. Lichnowsky requested Beethoven to perform some of his music for the guests. Beethoven viewed the task as menial labor and refused. When Lichnowsky jokingly threatened Beethoven with house arrest unless he complied, a violent quarrel ensued. By some accounts, Oppersdorf interposed himself between the combatants. Beethoven stormed out of the Lichnowsky estate. Beethoven then wrote to Lichnowsky: Prince, what you are you are by accident of birth; what I am I am through myself. There have been and will still be thousands of princes; there is only one Beethoven. When Beethoven returned to his apartment in Vienna, the composer destroyed a bust of Prince Lichnowsky, smashing it to pieces. But in time, Beethoven and Lichnowsky resumed their friendship. A slender Greek maiden It was Robert Schumann who characterized Beethoven s Fourth Symphony as, a slender Greek maiden between two huge Nordic giants. It is certainly true that the Fourth does not present the epic struggles found in the Eroica and Fifth Symphonies. Nevertheless, there is plenty of drama to be found in the Beethoven Fourth, as well as humor. The latter is a characteristic not often associated with a man who, through genius and force of will, overcame the greatest obstacles, including deafness.
Still, we know from contemporary accounts that Beethoven did, indeed, possess a robust sense of humor. And, we should also bear in mind that in his early years, Beethoven was a student of the greatest of all symphonic humorists, Franz Joseph Haydn. In listening to the Fourth, it is appropriate to recall what Haydn wrote of his young pupil in 1793: Beethoven will in time become one of the greatest musical artists in Europe, and I shall be proud to call myself his teacher. Musical Analysis I. Adagio; Allegro vivace The Fourth Symphony opens with an extended and mysterious slow- tempo introduction (Adagio). A crescendo leads to a whiplash motif in the strings, the springboard to the skipping principal motif of the Allegro vivace. The bassoon, oboe and flute exchange the opening of the second motif, comprising a series of themes. The culmination of the development section features a gripping crescendo, in which the initial principal motif seems to rise from the mists. After the joyous recapitulation, the movement concludes with a brief coda, based upon the opening motif. II. Adagio The Adagio begins with a repeated figure in the second violins. This serves as the accompaniment for the lovely cantabile (i.e., in a singing style) opening theme, played by the first violins, and later repeated by the winds. The clarinet introduces the second principal theme, also marked cantabile, and featuring a hint of pathos. A florid treatment of the opening melody leads to a dramatic orchestral outburst, which finally subsides. An ascending scale by the flute introduces the winds recapitulation of the opening melody. The clarinet, with support from the horns, reprises the second melody. The coda features a charming exchange by the horns, first violins, clarinets and flute. After a brief crescendo, the timpani softly intone the accompaniment figure that launched the Adagio. Two fortissimo chords serve as an emphatic rejoinder. III. Menuetto. Allegro vivace Beethoven titled the Fourth Symphony s third movement a Minuet (Menuetto). But in truth, the third movement is a fine example of the Minuet s more vigorous cousin, the Scherzo. The Scherzo s principal theme is in two parts. The first portion is a boisterous figure, introduced by the violins. The second portion of the theme an ascending figure in the clarinets and bassoons, answered by a descending figure in the strings immediately follows. The more pastoral Trio section (Un poco meno Allegro) highlights the winds. The Scherzo and Trio are then repeated. A final statement of the Scherzo leads to the closing measures, capped by a brief horn call, and the ensemble s fortissimo chord. IV. Allegro ma non troppo High spirits abound in the finale, opening with a perpetuum mobile figure in the strings. The oboes and flute introduce the lyrical second theme, marked dolce. The quicksilver development builds to a climax, leading to the bassoon s puckish quotation of the opening theme. This heralds the recapitulation of the principal thematic material. The coda seems to proceed toward a quiet resolution, but, suddenly, a raucous exclamation brings the Symphony No. 4 to a fortissimo conclusion.