Program Notes

OTTORINO RESPIGHI

born: July 9, 1879 in Bologna, Italy died: April 18, 1936 in Rome, Italy

Trittico botticelliano

(Three Botticelli Pictures)

composed: 1927 premiere: 1927 in Vienna

Italian composer Ottorino Respighi is best known for his tone poems Fountains of Rome, Pines of Rome, and Roman Festivals, all of which employ huge symphonic forces to masterfully depict the life of the historic Italian city. After completing the “Roman Trilogy,” Respighi told his wife, “Now I am much more interested in small orchestras and chamber ensembles.” His new passion came to fruition in the Trittico botticelliano. Based upon three paintings by the great Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli, Respighi creates charming and unforgettable sound portraits of these visual masterworks with his remarkable gifts for melody and orchestral colors. I. Spring — This lively movement opens with evocations of bird songs and rustling leaves. The spirit of the dance pervades throughout. II. Adoration of the Magi — Haunting bassoon and oboe solos, as well as quotations of the hymn “Veni, Emmanuel” suggest the journey to Bethlehem. The shimmering middle section, depicting the Magi’s encounter with the baby Jesus, features the percussion and a violin solo. III. The Birth of Venus — The strings’ gentle depictions of flowing waves are occasionally punctuated by bursts of wind. The radiant central portion depicts Venus in all her beauty.

Primavera (Spring)

L’Adorazione dei Magi (The Adoration of the Magi)

PIETRO MASCAGNI

born: December 7, 1863 in Livorno, Italy died: August 2, 1945 in Rome, Italy

Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana

Melodrama in One Act

composed: 1890 premiere: May 17, 1890 in Rome

Pietro Mascagni’s one-act opera, Cavalleria Rusticana (Rustic Chivalry) is credited with launching the era of operatic verismo — the attempt to portray the drama, passion, and violence of real, everyday life. Cavalleria earned first prize in a contest to encourage young Italian composers to create new one-act operas. The prize entitled Mascagni to a staging of his opera at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on May 17, 1890. Mascagni was 27. The premiere was a stunning triumph, with the audience demanding, and receiving, 60 curtain calls. Since that time, Cavalleria Rusticana has remained a mainstay of the operatic repertoire. The beautiful and passionate orchestral Intermezzo that precedes the opera’s tragic final portion has enjoyed a regular presence in the concert hall.

lament of the wounded, imitated with arias and dedicated to Bacchus) Perhaps the most striking of the eight brief movements is #2, “The Profligate Society of Common Humor.” Here, Biber combines several popular songs of his day. A note in the score describes the resulting cacophony: “Hic dissonat ubique nam ebrii sic diversis Cantilenis clamare solent” (Here it is dissonant everywhere, for so the drunks are wont to bellow their different songs).

HEINRICH VON BIBER

born: August 12, 1644 in Wartenburg, Bohemia died: May 3, 1704 in Salzburg, Austria

Battalia à 10

composed: c. 1673 premiere: unknown

In 1670, the Bohemian composer Heinrich von Biber began his years of service in Salzburg. His work for strings, Battalia, was in all likelihood written for the 1673 Salzburg Carnival celebrations. The work’s complete title sets out the course of this programmatic work:

Battalia. Das liederliche Schwirmen der Musquetier, Mars, die Schlacht und

Lamento der Verwundten, mit Arien imitirt Und Baccho dedicirt. (The Battle. The profligate horde of

Musketeers, Mars, the battle and the

ANTONIO VIVALDI

born: March 4, 1678 in Venice, Italy died: July 28, 1741 in Vienna, Austria

The Four Seasons (Le quattro stagioni) Op. 8, No. 1–4, rv 269, 315, 293, 297

composed: 1718 – 1720 published: 1725 in Amsterdam

Antonio Vivaldi’s beloved The Four Seasons, scored for solo violin, continuo, and strings, is part of a larger series of twelve concertos for violin and orchestra the composer entitled Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione (The Contest of Harmony and Invention). The Four Seasons comprises the first four of these concertos. Le Cène, in Amsterdam, published Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione in 1725. The 1725 score of The Four Seasons includes sonnets that may have been written by the composer, describing the programs for each of the twelve movements. Further, certain passages in the score are accompanied by additional captions describing what the music is intended to portray. For example, the repeated forte viola figure in the second movement of Spring is designated by the composer as “Il cane che grida” — the goat herd’s “barking dog!” What is remarkable is that while Vivaldi incorporates dozens of such descriptive touches into The Four Seasons, the music never deteriorates into a mere series of effects. Rather, The Four Seasons demonstrates an admirable — and highly satisfying — sense of cohesion. This is achieved, in great part, by Vivaldi’s use of the ritornello (a recurring instrumental phrase) in the outer movements of each season. Further, Vivaldi’s considerable melodic gifts, daring harmonies, and brilliant writing for the solo instrument produce an immensely entertaining work, a perennial concert favorite. Each season consists of a threemovement concerto. Two quick-tempo outer movements frame a central slowtempo movement. The sonnets included in the score provide a specific description of each movement. A prose translation of the original Italian follows.

Vivaldi was ordained in 1703 — his distinctive red hair earned him the nickname Il Prete Rosso (“The Red Priest”) — but health problems (possibly asthma) interfered with his ability to say mass. He never left the priesthood: the death record lists him as “Antonio Vivaldi, Secular Priest.”

Notes on the Program by Ken Meltzer

No. 1 in E major, “Spring” (La Primavera) I. Allegro Festive Spring has arrived, The birds salute it with their happy song. And the brooks, caressed by little Zephyrs, Flow with a sweet murmur. The sky is covered with a black mantle, And thunder, and lightning, announce a storm. When they are silent, the birds Return to sing their lovely song. II. Largo e pianissimo sempre And in the meadow, rich with flowers, To the sweet murmur of leaves and plants, The goatherd sleeps, with his faithful dog at his side. III. Danza pastorale. Allegro To the festive sound of pastoral bagpipes, Dance nymphs and shepherds, At Spring’s brilliant appearance.

No. 2 in G minor, “Summer” (L’Estate) I. Allegro non molto Under the heat of the burning summer sun, Languish man and flock; the pine is parched. The cuckoo finds its voice, and suddenly, The turtledove and goldfinch sing. A gentle breeze blows, But suddenly, the north wind appears. The shepherd weeps because, overhead, Lies the fierce storm, and his destiny. II. Adagio; Presto His tired limbs are deprived of rest By his fear of lightning and fierce thunder, And by furious swarms of flies and hornets. III. Presto Alas, how just are his fears, Thunder and lightning fill the Heavens, and the hail Slices the tops of the corn and other grain. No. 3 in F major, “Autumn” (L’Autunno) I. Allegro The peasants celebrate with dance and song, The joy of a rich harvest. And, full of Bacchus’s liquor, They finish their celebration with sleep. II. Adagio molto Each peasant ceases his dance and song. The mild air gives pleasure, And the season invites many To enjoy a sweet slumber. III. Allegro The hunters, at the break of dawn, go to the hunt. With horns, guns, and dogs they are off, The beast flees, and they follow its trail. Already fearful and exhausted by the great noise, Of guns and dogs, and wounded, The exhausted beast tries to flee, but dies.

No. 4 in F minor, “Winter” (L’Inverno) I. Allegro non molto Frozen and trembling in the icy snow, In the severe blast of the horrible wind, As we run, we constantly stamp our feet, And our teeth chatter in the cold. II. Largo To spend happy and quiet days near the fire, While, outside, the rain soaks hundreds. III. Allegro We walk on the ice with slow steps, And tread carefully, for fear of falling. If we go quickly, we slip and fall to the ground. Again we run on the ice, Until it cracks and opens. We hear, from closed doors, Sirocco, Boreas, and all the winds in battle. This is winter, but it brings joy.