Program Notes

ZOLTÁN KODÁLY

born: December 16, 1882 in Kecskemét, Hungary died: March 6, 1967 in Budapest, Hungary

Dances of Galánta (1926)

premiere: October 23, 1933 in Budapest
approx. duration: 15 minutes

Composer Zoltán Kodály maintained a lifelong affection for the folk music of his native Hungary. In 1905, Kodály, in his early 20s, began the first of many journeys throughout the Hungarian countryside. On several of these trips, Kodály was joined by his friend and fellow Hungarian composer, Béla Bartók. Kodály and Bartók used manuscript paper and a phonograph recorder to document thousands of Hungarian folk melodies. Kodály and Bartók felt these melodies were important not only in the context of ethnomusicology, but as the basis for concert works as well.

A fine example of Kodály’s blending of Hungarian folk melodies into the fabric of a classical work may be found in his Dances of Galánta. Kodály composed the orchestral work in response to a commission by the Budapest Philharmonic Society Orchestra, as part of the celebration of its 80th anniversary. The premiere took place in Budapest on October 23, 1933, led by the eminent Hungarian composer and pianist, Ernő Dohnányi.

In a preface to the score of his Dances of Galánta, Kodály provided the following background information:

Galánta is a small Hungarian market-town known to travelers from Vienna and Budapest. The composer passed there seven years of his childhood. There existed at that time a famous Gypsyband which has disappeared in the meantime. Their music was the first “orchestral sonority” which came to the ear of the child. The forebears of these gypsies were already known more than (a) hundred years ago. About 1800, some books of Hungarian dances were published in Vienna, one of which contained music “after several gypsies from Galánta.” They have preserved the old Hungarian tradition. In order to continue it the composer took his principal subjects from these ancient editions.

The Dances of Galánta are based upon the verbunkos, a dance used in the 18th century to recruit soldiers for the Hungarian military. The verbunkos contrasts slow and fast sections, and also contains virtuoso elements.

HENRYK WIENIAWSKI

born: July 10, 1835 in Lublin, Poland
died: March 31, 1880 in Moscow, Russia

Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor Opus 22 (1862)

premiere: November 27, 1862 in St. Petersburg, Russia
approx. duration: 25 minutes

The Polish-born violinist and composer Henryk Wieniawski was one of the greatest virtuosos of his day. Anton Rubinstein, the distinguished Russian pianist, composer, and teacher, commented: “He is without doubt the finest violinist of our time — there is no one comparable: his playing produces a tremendous effect.” The legendary violinist Leopold Auer, whose pupils included Efrem Zimbalist, Mischa Elman, and Jascha Heifetz, recalled:

Wieniawski was one of the greatest masters of his instrument in any age. He fascinated his audience with an altogether individual talent, and he was as entirely different from any of the other violinists of his day in outward appearance as he was in his manner of playing. Since his death no violinist has ever seemed able to recall him.

In 1860, Wieniawski accepted Rubinstein’s invitation to move to St. Petersburg. There, Wieniawski was appointed solo violinist to the Tsar, a position he held for twelve years. He was the leader of both the string quartet and orchestra of the Russian Musical Society. Wieniawski also served as a professor at the newly formed St. Petersburg Conservatory.

The Violin Concerto No. 2 is a product of Wieniawski’s Russian years. The score bears the dedication “to his friend, Pablo de Sarasate.” On November 27, 1862 in St. Petersburg, Wieniawski was the soloist in the world premiere, accompanied by an orchestra led by Rubinstein. The work was an immediate sensation. Even composer César Cui, a notoriously acerbic critic, admitted two days after the premiere: “I still cannot collect myself from the impact of that first Allegro of his Concerto.”

The Concerto is in three movements. The first (Allegro moderato) opens with the orchestra’s introduction of the principal themes that serve as the basis for the soloist’s virtuoso flights. The beautiful second movement Romance (Andante non troppo) follows without pause. The brilliant finale (Allegro con fuoco; Allegro moderato, à la Zingara) brings the Concerto to a whirlwind close.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

born: January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria
died: December 5, 1791 in Vienna, Austria

Symphony No. 41 in C Major, “Jupiter” K. 551 (1788)

premiere: December 5, 1791 in Vienna
approx. duration: 32 minutes

Mozart completed his final three Symphonies — No. 39 in E-flat Major, K. 543, No. 40 in G minor, K. 550, and No. 41 in C Major (“Jupiter”) K. 551 — over the remarkably brief span between June 26 and August 10, 1788. Even more remarkable is the fact that these glorious Symphonies, among Mozart’s crowning achievements, were the product of a particularly distressing period in the composer’s life.

Mozart’s career in Vienna as a composer, teacher, virtuoso pianist, and impresario reached its apex in the mid-1780s. However, the exhilaration of those triumphant years soon yielded to profound frustration and unhappiness. Mozart experienced a sharp decline in the demands for his services in Vienna. In time, Mozart was reduced to begging for money from acquaintances — principally, Michael Puchberg, a fellow Mason and ardent music lover. Several of Mozart’s letters to Puchberg have survived, and they are indeed heartbreaking to read.

There exists no specific record of performances of any of the final three Symphonies during Mozart’s lifetime. This fact has led some to theorize that Mozart composed these Symphonies not for monetary gain, but out of an overwhelming need to express himself in music.

We do know, however, that Mozart almost always composed large-scale works (such as piano concertos and symphonies) for specific, upcoming concerts. Correspondence from Mozart refers to subscription concerts scheduled for the summer of 1788. It is not certain whether these concerts ever took place. However, there is documentation of concerts conducted by Mozart in Germany in 1789 and 1790. The concert programs included symphonies by Mozart. While the specific symphonies are not designated, it is reasonable to assume that they would have included Mozart’s most recent compositions; i.e., one or more of the final trilogy.

A further clue is found in the fact that Mozart’s autograph of the score for Symphony No. 40 contains modifications of the original version’s slow-tempo movement, as well as a revised version of the entire work, adding clarinets to the orchestration. Such revisions would not have been made without the existence of previous performances, and the promise of new ones.

Mozart did not coin the Symphony No. 41’s familiar nickname, “Jupiter.” In August of 1829, the composer’s son told publisher Vincent Novello and his wife, Mary, that it was the German violinist and impresario, Johann Peter Salomon (the same individual who arranged for Franz Joseph Haydn’s London visits), who “christened” the Symphony as the “Jupiter.”

It is doubtful Mozart intended the “Jupiter” to be his final Symphony. The composer was only thirty-two at the time he completed the work. Illness prematurely cut short his life just three years later. Still, like his final Piano Concerto, K. 591 (1791), the “Jupiter” Symphony represents a fitting summation of Mozart’s achievements in the symphonic repertoire. It is a resplendent work of extraordinary power, majesty, and eloquence, culminating in a breathtaking virtuoso Finale.

The “Jupiter” Symphony is in four movements. The opening theme of the first movement (Allegro vivace) — a bold orchestral tutti and the strings’ subdued reply — sets the stage for the striking contrasts that are a hallmark of this movement. The poignant slow-tempo movement (Andante cantabile) employs muted violins and violas, while excluding trumpets and timpani. The third movement (Menuetto. Allegretto) is an elegant Minuet that also features moments of storm and stress. The Finale (Molto allegro) contains no fewer than five themes, often treated in brilliant contrapuntal fashion. In fact, the miraculous coda features a simultaneous presentation of all five. It is a testament to Mozart’s genius that this passage emerges not as an academic exercise, but rather, a thrilling musical experience. After this stunning episode, Mozart concludes his “Jupiter” Symphony with a series of powerful C-Major chords.