TO THE SILVER BOW 16 FEBRUARY 2016
16 FEBRUARY 2016 ACADEMY OF ST MARTIN IN THE FIELDS Director and soloist: SIMON BLENDIS (violin) Soloist: MARTIN BURGESS (violin) Soloist: ROBERT SMISSEN (viola) Soloist: STEPHEN ORTON (cello) Soloist: LEON BOSCH (double bass)
VIOLIN I Simon Blendis Catherine Morgan Robert Salter Helena Smart Amanda Smith VIOLIN II Martin Burgess Jennifer Godson Helen Paterson Rebecca Scott
VIOLA Robert Smissen Ian Rathbone Alexandros Koustas
HARPSICHORD John Constable
CELLO Stephen Orton Martin Loveday Juliet Welchman
CHAIR PATRONS Catherine Morgan Chair supported by Charlotte Richardson
DOUBLE BASS David Stark Catherine Elliott
Stephen Orton Chair supported by Elizabeth Bennett
PROGRAMME Edward Elgar (1857–1934) Serenade for strings in E minor, Op. 20 I. Allegro piacevole II. Larghetto III. Allegretto
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) Nocturne for cello and strings, Op. 19 No. 4
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043 I. Allegro II. Largo ma non tanto III. Allegro assai
INTERVAL 30 minutes
John Woolrich (born 1954) To the Silver Bow (world premiere) Commissioned by Leon Bosch Supported using public funding by Arts Council England
Benjamin Britten (1913–1976) Simple Symphony, Op. 4 I. Boisterous Bourrée II. Playful Pizzicato III. Sentimental Sarabande IV. Frolicsome Finale
TONIGHT’S PROGRAMME Edward Elgar Serenade for strings in E minor, Op. 20 (1892) Elgar single-handedly put Britain back on the map after nearly a century-anda-half of floundering in the musical doldrums. Not since the death of Handel in 1759 had we been blessed with such a monumental creative talent. An essentially modest man, Elgar preferred walking his dogs around the glorious Malvern countryside, a round of golf, a day at the races or tinkering with some new-fangled invention to schmoozing with the musical jet set. He was already in his forties before achieving full recognition in 1899 with the ‘Enigma’ Variations, after which his creative flame burned with a blinding iridescence for some twenty years and then nothing, save for a handful of twilight fancies and sketches for a Third Symphony. By the time of his death, he had, like those other great arch-Romantics Richard Strauss and Sergey Rachmaninov, become something of a musical anachronism – greatly respected, but rather oldfashioned. Elgar’s output during the 1890s was dominated by choral music, including the two oratorios The Black Knight (1893) and The Light of Life (1896), and the cantatas King Olaf (1896) and Caractacus (1898). Yet by same distance his two most celebrated pieces of the decade were instrumental in origin: the ‘Enigma’ Variations and the enchanting Serenade for strings of 1892. The Serenade is scored immaculately – Elgar started out as a gifted violinist, playing in the British premiere of Dvořák’s Sixth Symphony under the composer’s baton – with particular care being taken over the dovetailing of the two violin lines. The opening allegro’s gently rising and falling phrases carry the unusual Italian marking piacevole (literally ‘pleasant’), while the central Larghetto mines a vein of gentle nostalgia that was to become an indelible ‘nobilmente’ feature of Elgar’s later work. A particularly grateful touch occurs towards the end of the finale, where the music is brought full circle by a recollection of the first movement as though it were the most natural thing in the world. No wonder the Serenade was the earliest of his pieces that Elgar declared himself ‘truly satisfied with.’
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Nocturne for cello and strings, Op. 19 No. 4 (1873) Although hardly a virtuoso in the
Anton Rubinstein class, Tchaikovsky was a gifted pianist for whom the piano was an important medium of expression throughout his creative life. Most important of his early collections of piano pieces is the Op. 19 set of six completed in November 1873, exactly a year before composing the work that would propel him to international stardom: the First Piano Concerto. Commissioned by his publisher Pyotr Jurgenson, who was keen to cash in on the huge demand for drawing-room miniatures with picturesque titles, Op. 19 features a haunting Nocturne and climaxes in a technically demanding Theme and Variations, destined to become the first of Tchaikovsky’s works to be heard outside Russia. No less skilled as a composer for string instruments, Tchaikovsky produced two original works for cello and orchestra: the Variations on a Rococo Theme Op. 33, written for the celebrated German cellist and distinguished professor at the Moscow Conservatory, Wilhelm Fitzenhagen, and the Pezzo capriccioso Op. 62 (1887) for Fitzenhagen’s pupil Anatoly Brandukov. Tchaikovsky was so impressed with Brandukov’s playing that he promptly made two special arrangements of existing pieces for him: the Andante cantabile from his First String Quartet and the Nocturne from his Op. 19 set of piano pieces, which we hear played tonight.
Johann Sebastian Bach Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043 (c.1721) One of Bach’s most important early appointments was as Court Organist at Weimar, and it was here that he first encountered the instrumental music of the Italian grand masters. It was now he discovered the three-movement concerto form which up to that point had almost entirely passed mainstream German composers by. Vivaldi’s music made a particularly deep impression, so much so that Bach immediately set about transcribing many of the great Venetian’s orchestral concertos for the organ or harpsichord. Bach was otherwise deeply unhappy at Weimar and early in December 1717 finally received permission to take his wife and their four children to Cöthen. Unlike his previous appointment, Bach’s new employer Duke Leopold was devoted to every conceivable kind of instrumental music. He had one of the finest orchestras in Germany and was discerning enough to pay his new
Kapellmeister the same salary as his Court Marshal, the second highest official of the realm. At Cöthen Bach took over a welltrained group of seventeen men, at least half of whom were of soloist standard, and over the following six years wrote dozens of orchestral and chamber works for this picked band of strings and winds, including suites for orchestra, sonatas for the violin, flute and viola da gamba, works for solo cello and solo violin, the Brandenburg Concertos and concertos for one and two violins. The D minor Concerto for two violins is one of Bach’s supreme masterpieces. He treats the soloists as two independent voices virtually throughout, opening with a contrapuntally interweaving Allegro of great vitality, followed by a central Largo whose heightened intensity was to provide an expressive template for the Romantic era. The concluding Allegro moves the piece briskly to an exhilarating yet impassioned close in the minor home key, highlighted by two glorious passages of chordal doublestopping played simultaneously by the two soloists.
John Woolrich To the Silver Bow (2016, world premiere) John Woolrich’s relationship with the Academy goes back a quarter-of-acentury to 1991 when the chamber ensemble commissioned and premiered his Contredanse for string octet. In a note for his Si va facendo notte, composed the same year, he revealingly quoted Frank Zappa: ‘…part of what you do as a composer is you organise data. Give me any kind of data and I can make a composition from it.’ This provides a valuable insight into Woolrich’s unique, introspective soundworlds in which he provides a fresh spin on creative semantics, tantalising us with music that is somehow cutting-edge yet still feels a vital part of an evolving tradition stretching back to Monteverdi and beyond. Rather than pummelling his audiences into submission, Woolrich tends to gently beguile the senses. As he once memorably put it ‘A work needn’t descend to soap opera to gain access to universal emotions.’ In a special note written for tonight’s concert, Woolrich explains that ‘Concertos often get their energy from contrast and conflict. In this piece there is none of that: the viola and the bass are partners, sharing and swapping material. Sometimes, at the very beginning for instance, they play in unison (though
octaves apart). The tutti strings are also on the same side, echoing the soloists. The viola and the double bass have the same dark, shadowy character. Violin and cello belong to the day, viola and bass to the night. This little concerto is a nocturne, exploring those dark colours. (The ‘silver bow’ is the moon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream).’
Benjamin Britten Simple Symphony, Op. 4 (1934) In addition to being one of the most outstanding English composers of the 20th century, Britten was a highly gifted pianist, accompanist, conductor, arranger and a natural recording artist, as is testified by his many definitive accounts of his own music for Decca, as well as landmark recordings of masterpieces by Bach, Purcell, Mozart and Schumann. Britten wanted above all to feel useful and be a vital part of everyday society. In a 1964 newspaper article he reflected that the creative artist wants ideally to be ‘accepted as an essential part of human activity and human expression and be accepted as a genuine practitioner of his art and consequently of value to the community.’ During Britten’s studies at the Royal College of Music, he became increasingly absorbed in contemporary music and even suggested that the college might like to place a copy of the score of Schoenberg’s groundbreaking Pierrot lunaire in the library – they refused point blank! He eventually won a scholarship to study with Schoenberg’s great disciple Alban Berg in Vienna, although his mother was totally against the idea, issuing the stern warning that ‘he’s not a good influence!’ Meanwhile, the young genius continued to pour forth engagingly original music, including a series of piano pieces and songs that would later form the basis for his popular Simple Symphony. The various sources include an early scherzo, a country dance, a series of short sonatas, three suites and a pair of songs: Now the King is Home Again and Here We Go in a Flung Festoon. The Playful Pizzicato second movement also alludes to the popular children’s rhyme Girls and Boys Come Out to Play. Composed in Lowestoft over two months during the winter of 1933–34 and dedicated to his first viola teacher Audrey Alston, Britten (who was still only 20 at the time) premiered the Simple Symphony with a band of local amateur players on 6 March 1934 in Norwich’s Stuart Hall. JULIAN HAYLOCK © 2016
BIOGRAPHIES SIMON BLENDIS
Simon Blendis enjoys an international career as a chamber musician, soloist and orchestra leader. He has been the violinist with the Schubert Ensemble since 1995, with whom he has performed in over thirty different countries, recorded over twenty CDs of music, made frequent broadcasts for BBC Radio 3 and appeared regularly at Europe’s major venues. In 1999 the group won the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Award for best chamber group. Alongside his work in the Ensemble, Simon has shared the position of First Concertmaster with Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa in Japan since 1999, and has recently been appointed Leader of the London Mozart Players. He is also in demand as a guest leader, and has appeared with most of the UK’s major orchestras. A keen exponent of new music, Simon has given over 50 first performances, and has had new pieces written for him by, amongst others, John Woolrich, Tansy Davies, Stuart Macrae, and jazz legend Dave Brubeck. His recording of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is available on the Warner Japan label.
MARTIN BURGESS
Martin began playing with the Academy in 1992, taking up the position of Principal 2nd Violin in 1998. Having studied with Emmanuel Hurwitz and the Amadeus Quartet he brought with him the love of chamber music. He leads the Grammy nominated Emperor Quartet (winners of the prestigious Evian International String Quartet Competition). The Quartet has released critically acclaimed CDs of music by Britten, Walton, Martinu and James MacMillan. They have also performed on several film soundtracks, notably There Will Be Blood and Norwegian Wood (both written by Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead). Martin enjoys a wide variety of playing away from both these ensembles, most recently recording and then touring the world with Peter Gabriel.
ROBERT SMISSEN
Born in Mansfield Nottinghamshire, Robert Smissen won a scholarship to Chethams School of Music and went on to study at the Guildhall School of Music, from which he graduated with distinction. After playing with the European Community Youth Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe he took the position of Principal Viola with the Northern Sinfonia before joining the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, with whom he has been Principal Viola for over 25 years. He often performs as a soloist with the orchestra, and as a member of the ASMF chamber ensemble and the Pro Arte Piano Quartet he has performed, broadcast and recorded all over the world. Outside of music, being a father of five keeps him more than busy, but his other interests include walking his six dogs, gardening, DIY, early renaissance art, philosophy, cooking and cricket.
STEPHEN ORTON
Stephen Orton was born in Ripon, Yorkshire, and studied with William Pleeth at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has been Principal Cello with the Bournemouth Sinfonietta and the City of London Sinfonia and was also a member of the Delmé Quartet for ten years. He has acted as Guest Principal Cello with the London Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonia. Stephen has wide experience of chamber music and has often played the Schubert Quintet with the Chilingirian Quartet. In 1985 Stephen became Principal Cello with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and has played concertos with the orchestra. He is also a member of the Academy Chamber Ensemble, touring internationally and making numerous recordings. He joined the Chilingirian Quartet in 2013.
LEON BOSCH
Leon Bosch grew up in 1960s and 70s South Africa, enrolling at the University of Cape Town to study the cello only because he was prevented by apartheid authorities from studying law. After graduating, and thanks to the generosity of private benefactors, Bosch moved to the UK to continue his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music. He has remained in the country since, combining orchestral work with chamber music and solo performing, both internationally and at home. Until recently Principal Double Bass with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, he has also held the post of principal with the Manchester Camerata. He has performed as concerto soloist many times with distinguished conductors including Sir Charles Groves and Pinchas Zukerman. In 2013, he founded the ensemble I Musicanti, a hand-picked ensemble dedicated to presenting distinctive programmes in a spirit of artistic freedom. He is also professor of double bass at Trinity Laban College, and is in demand as a teacher at masterclasses, festivals and summer schools around the world.
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