Neighborhood Program Book March 2023

DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS

2022-2023 CONCERT SERIES

SINKOVSKY PLAYS BACH

March 9, 10, 11 & 12

WEST BLOOMFIELD

PLYMOUTH

BLOOMFIELD HILLS GROSSE POINTE

DVOR ˇ ÁK VIOLIN CONCERTO

March 16, 17 & 19

SOUTHFIELD

MONROE

BEVERLY HILLS

MADE

LIFETIME DIRECTORS

Samuel Frankel◊

Stanley Frankel

David Handleman, Sr.◊

Dr. Arthur L. Johnson ◊

James B. Nicholson

Floy Barthel

Chacona Baugh

Penny B. Blumenstein

Richard A. Brodie

Lois Cohn

Marianne Endicott

Anne Parsons, President Emeritus ◊

Barbara Van Dusen

Clyde Wu, M.D.◊

CHAIRS EMERITI

Peter D. Cummings

Mark A. Davidoff

Phillip Wm. Fisher

DIRECTORS EMERITI

Sidney Forbes

Herman H. Frankel

Dr. Gloria Heppner

Ronald Horwitz

Bonnie Larson

Arthur C. Liebler

Harold Kulish

David McCammon

David R. Nelson

William F. Pickard, Ph.D.

Marilyn Pincus

Lloyd E. Reuss

OFFICERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Stanley Frankel

Robert S. Miller

James B. Nicholson

Renato Jamett, Trustee Chair

Ismael Ahmed

Richard Alonzo

Marjorie S. Saulson

Alan E. Schwartz

Jane Sherman

Arthur A. Weiss

Hadas Bernard

Janice Bernick

Elizabeth Boone

Gwen Bowlby

Dr. Betty Chu

Karen Cullen

Joanne Danto

Stephen D’Arcy

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Renato Jamett, Chair

Trustees are a diverse group of community leaders who infuse creative thinking and innovation into how the DSO strives to achieve both artistic vitality and organizational sustainability.

Maha Freij

Christa Funk

Robert Gillette

Jody Glancy

Malik Goodwin

Mary Ann Gorlin

Donald Hiruo

Michelle Hodges

Julie Hollinshead

Sam Huszczo

John Jullens

Laurel Kalkanis

Florine Mark

Anthony McCree

Kristen McLennan

Tito Melega

Lydia Michael

H. Keith Mobley

Scott Monty

Shari Morgan

Sandy Morrison

Frederick J. Morsches

Jennifer Muse, NextGen Chair

Laurie Rosen

Elana Rugh

Marc Schwartz

Carlo Serraiocco

Lois L. Shaevsky

Mary Shafer

Ralph Skiano, Musician Representative

Richard Sonenklar

Rob Tanner

Yoni Torgow

Gwen Weiner

David T. Provost Chair

Erik Rönmark President & CEO

Faye Alexander Nelson Vice Chair

Laura Trudeau Treasurer

James G. Vella Secretary

Ralph J. Gerson Officer at Large

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Glenda D. Price, Ph.D. Officer at Large

Shirley Stancato Officer at Large

Directors are responsible for maintaining a culture of accountability, resource development, and strategic thinking. As fiduciaries, Directors oversee the artistic and cultural health and strategic direction of the DSO.

David Assemany, Governing Members Chair

Michael Bickers

Amanda Blaikie, Orchestra Representative

Elena Centeio

Dave Everson, Orchestra Representative

Aaron Frankel

Herman B. Gray, M.D., M.B.A.

Laura HernandezRomine

Rev. Nicholas Hood III

Richard Huttenlocher

Renato Jamett, Trustee Chair

Daniel J. Kaufman

Michael J. Keegan

Xavier Mosquet

David Nicholson

Arthur T. O’Reilly

Stephen Polk

Bernard I. Robertson

Nancy Tellem

Laura J. Trudeau

David M. Wu, M.D.

Ellen Hill Zeringue

Maureen T. D’Avanzo

Jasmin DeForrest

Afa Sadykhly Dworkin

James C. Farber

Abe Feder, Musician Representative

Linda Forte

Carolynn Frankel

Jay Kapadia

David Karp

Joel D. Kellman

John Kim

Jennette Smith Kotila

Leonard LaRocca

William Lentine

Linda Dresner Levy

Sean M. Neall

Eric Nemeth

Maury Okun

Jackie Paige

Vivian Pickard

Denise Fair Razo

Gerrit Reepmeyer

James Rose, Jr.

Donnell White

Jennifer Whitteaker

R. Jamison Williams

Margaret E. Winters

MAESTRO CIRCLE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Janet & Norm Ankers, Chairs

Cecilia Benner

Joanne Danto

Gregory Haynes

Bonnie Larson

Lois Miller Richard Sonenklar

FIRST VIOLIN

Robyn Bollinger

CONCERTMASTER

Katherine Tuck Chair

Kimberly Kaloyanides

Kennedy

ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER

Schwartz and Shapero Family Chair

Hai-Xin Wu

ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER

Walker L. Cisler/Detroit Edison Foundation Chair

Jennifer Wey Fang

ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER

Marguerite Deslippe*

Laurie Goldman*

Rachel Harding Klaus*

Eun Park Lee*

Adrienne Rönmark*

Alexandros Sakarellos*

Drs. Doris Tong and Teck Soo Chair

Laura Soto*

Greg Staples*

Jiamin Wang*

Mingzhao Zhou*

SECOND VIOLIN

Adam Stepniewski

ACTING PRINCIPAL

The Devereaux Family Chair

Will Haapaniemi*

David and Valerie McCammon

Chairs

Hae Jeong Heidi Han*

David and Valerie McCammon

Chairs

Elizabeth Furuta*

Sheryl Hwangbo Yu*

Daniel Kim*

Sujin Lim*

Hong-Yi Mo *

Marian Tanau*

Alexander Volkov*

Jing Zhang*

VIOLA

Eric Nowlin

PRINCIPAL

Julie and Ed Levy, Jr. Chair

James VanValkenburg

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Caroline Coade

Henry and Patricia Nickol Chair

Glenn Mellow

Hang Su

Hart Hollman

Han Zheng

Mike Chen

DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

JEFF TYZIK Principal Pops Conductor

LEONARD SLATKIN Music Director Laureate

CELLO

Wei Yu

PRINCIPAL

Abraham Feder

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Dorothy and Herbert Graebner Chair

Robert Bergman*

Jeremy Crosmer*

Victor and Gale Girolami Cello Chair

David LeDoux*

Peter McCaffrey*

Joanne Deanto and Arnold Weingarden Chair

Una O’Riordan*

Mary Ann & Robert Gorlin Chair

Cole Randolph*

BASS

Kevin Brown

PRINCIPAL

Van Dusen Family Chair

Stephen Molina

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Christopher Hamlen

Brandon Mason

Nicholas Myers^

HARP

OPEN

PRINCIPAL

Winifred E. Polk Chair

FLUTE

Hannah Hammel Maser

PRINCIPAL

Alan J. and Sue Kaufman and Family Chair

Amanda Blaikie

Morton and Brigitte Harris Chair

Sharon Sparrow

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Bernard and Eleanor Robertson

Chair

Jeffery Zook

Shantanique Moore §

PICCOLO

Jeffery Zook

Shari and Craig Morgan Chair

OBOE

Alexander Kinmonth

PRINCIPAL

Jack A. and Aviva Robinson Chair

Sarah Lewis

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Monica Fosnaugh

ENGLISH HORN

Monica Fosnaugh

Shari and Craig Morgan Chair

CLARINET

Ralph Skiano

PRINCIPAL

Robert B. Semple Chair

Jack Walters

PVS Chemicals Inc./

Jim and Ann Nicholson Chair

Shannon Orme

E-FLAT CLARINET OPEN

BASS CLARINET

Shannon Orme

Barbara Frankel and Ronald Michalak Chair

BASSOON

Conrad Cornelison

PRINCIPAL

Byron and Dorothy Gerson Chair

Michael Ke Ma

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Marcus Schoon

Jaquain Sloan §

CONTRABASSOON

Marcus Schoon

HORN

Karl Pituch

PRINCIPAL

Johanna Yarbrough

Scott Strong

Ric and Carola Huttenlocher

Chair

David Everson

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Mark Abbott

TRUMPET

Hunter Eberly PRINCIPAL

Lee and Floy Barthel Chair

Stephen Anderson

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

William Lucas

TROMBONE

Kenneth Thompkins

PRINCIPAL

David Binder

Adam Rainey

BASS TROMBONE

Adam Rainey

TUBA

Dennis Nulty

PRINCIPAL

TIMPANI

Jeremy Epp PRINCIPAL

Richard and Mona Alonzo Chair

James Ritchie ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

PERCUSSION

Joseph Becker

PRINCIPAL

Ruth Roby and Alfred R. Glancy III Chair

Andrés Pichardo-Rosenthal ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

William Cody Knicely Chair

James Ritchie

LIBRARIANS

Robert Stiles

PRINCIPAL

Ethan Allen

LEGACY CHAIRS

Principal Flute

Women’s Association for the DSO

Principal Cello

James C. Gordon

Personnel Managers

Patrick Peterson DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL

Benjamin Tisherman MANAGER OF ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL

Nolan Cardenas AUDITION AND OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

Stage Personnel

Dennis Rottell STAGE MANAGER

William Dailing DEPARTMENT HEAD

Ryan DeMarco DEPARTMENT HEAD

Kurt Henry

DEPARTMENT HEAD

Steven Kemp

DEPARTMENT HEAD

Matthew Pons DEPARTMENT HEAD LEGEND

* These members may voluntarily revolve seating within the section on a regular basis

^ Extended Leave

§ African American Orchestra Fellow

WILLIAM DAVIDSON NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERT SERIES SINKOVSKY PLAYS BACH

Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. at Berman Theater

Friday, March 10, 2023 at 8 p.m. at NorthRidge Church, Plymouth

Director Emeritus

Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 8 p.m. at Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church

Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 3 p.m. at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church

DMITRY SINKOVSKY, conductor & violin

Johann Sebastian Bach Violin Concerto No. 5 in G minor, BWV 1056R (1685 - 1750) Dmitry Sinkovsky, violin

Alfred Schnittke Suite In The Old Style (1934 - 1998) I. Pastorale

arr. Wladimir Spiwakow II. Ballet & William Milman III. Minuet

IV. Fugue

V. Pantomime

Intermission

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Serenade in C major for Strings, Op. 48 (1840 - 1893) I. Peyzo in forma di sonatina: Andante non troppo - Allegro moderato

II. Walzer: Moderato - Tempo di valse

III. Elégie: Larghetto elegiaco

IV. Finale (Tema Russo): Andante - Allegro con spirito

The William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series is made possible by a generous grant from the William Davidson Foundation. WRCJ 90.9 FM also supports the Series.

JADER BIGNAMINI

PROGRAM NOTES

Concerto in G Minor for Violin And Strings, BWV 1056r

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH

Born March 21, 1685, Eisenach, Germany

Died July 28, 1750, Leipzig, Germany

Scored for solo violin, bassoon, keyboard, and strings. (Approx. 24 minutes)

Tracing the origins of certain Bach concertos can sometimes entail a great deal of investigative work. Examination of Bach’s Violin Concerto in G minor reveals the work as a reconstruction, for solo violin and strings, of Bach’s F minor Harpsichord Concerto. Yet the history of the concerto is more complicated than it seems. Bach scholars, notably Werner Breig, maintain that the two outer movements of the harpsichord concerto were arranged by Bach from a lost violin concerto in G minor. The slow movement apparently came from another lost concerto—this one for oboe. This slow movement went through an intermediate stage, serving as the instrumental introduction to Bach’s Cantata No. 156 (“I stand with one foot in the grave”) for the third Sunday after Epiphany. In the cantata, an oboe plays the lovely solo that is also the highlight of the harpsichord concerto, and the violin part in the concerto version.

Why did Bach change the key from G minor to F minor when he arranged the violin concerto for harpsichord? Likely because 18th century harpsichords did not have enough keys to play the highest note in the concerto. And when did Bach make the harpsichord arrangement? Scholars believe it was around 1738, a time when Bach had a temporary break from his responsibilities in Leipzig and sought to develop keyboard concertos he

could perform.

The concerto is in three extended movements and follows the well-established plan of baroque concertos, alternating thematic statements by the orchestra and soloist as they wend their way through various keys and return to the central tonality of G minor. The expressive first movement, taken at a moderate speed, offers the soloist many opportunities for decorative display, while the brisk finale achieves its brilliance through its driving pace and many running scale passages. The slow central movement, which is divided into two long halves, can be compared with some of Bach’s most famous melodies for its beauty and lyricism.

The DSO previously performed Bach’s Concerto in G minor for Violin and Strings just once: in February 1955, conducted by Paul Paray and featuring violinist Joseph Szigeti.

Suite in the Old Style

Composed 1972

ALFRED SCHNITTKE

B. November 24, 1934, Engels, near Saratov D. August 3, 1998, Hamburg, Germany

Scored for 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns, keyboard, and strings. (Approx. 16 minutes)

Alfred Schnittke lived much of his life in exile from Russia, returning to his native German soil in 1981 and never again living in the Soviet Union. His greatest fame in the West has come from his symphonies and concerti grossi, but during his Soviet period, he composed steadily for film and stage.

Pastiche and quotation from the musical past are hallmarks of Schnittke’s style, and the everyday realism of Russian

writer Nikolai Gogol gave him ample opportunity to reach into his curio box. Schnittke’s Suite in the Old Style is composed in five movements—Pastorale, Ballet, Minuet, Fugue, and Pantomime— and served as a form of satirical transcription of certain movements from his film scores written in the Baroque style. Composed in 1972, this work is unlike many of Schnittke’s typical compositions, and emulates the mannerisms of music from the Baroque era. Schnittke was heavily influenced by and identified with prominent Baroque and Classical composers such as Bach, Vivaldi, Haydn, and Mozart, among others. During this time, Russia was experiencing an early music movement within the Soviet underground. Schnittke happily partook in this movement, producing a composition that honored the Baroque tradition while maintaining an honest, modern application of the musical conventions of the past.

The first two movements, Pastorale and Ballet, were taken from a film scene depicting the tame adventures of a dentist. The Pastorale possesses a sense of tranquility and gentle lyricism, reminiscent of J.S. Bach’s aria “Sheep may safely graze.” The Ballet is written in a lively allegro tempo in a joyous manner, reminiscent of Bach’s Italian Concerto or a keyboard sonata by Domenico Scarlatti. The third movement of this piece, the Minuet, is peculiarly melancholic, taken from a children’s animation film in the height of the Soviet regime. The slowness and sadness in this movement raises questions about the type of entertainment children were exposed to in Soviet Russia during this time. The final two movements, Fugue and Pantomime, serve as an intriguing conclusion to the work. The Fugue is written in another lively Allegro tempo, depicting the virtuosity of the intertwining melodic lines characteristic

of the Fugue as a Baroque musical form. The Pantomime serves to restore the tranquility of the first movement, ending with stinging, prominent harmonies and lacking a desired tonal resolution. This unusual ending suggests that an era of musical composition for Schnittke was over, or that his more “serious” works would not sound the same again. Violinist Francisco Fullana, who recently recorded this piece for Orchid Classics, comments “not only does this work give us a window into the Baroque era, but also into performance practice as it existed in the 1970s.” This performance marks the DSO premiere of Alfred Schnittke’s Suite in the Old Style.

Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48

Composed 1880 | Premiered December 3, 1881

PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY

B.Votkinsk, Russia, May 7, 1840 D. St. Petersburg, Russia, November 6, 1893 Scored for strings. (Approx. 29 minutes)

Whenhe had nearly finished his Serenade for Strings in C Major, Tchaikovsky told his patron, Madame von Meck, “I wrote from an inner compulsion. It is a heartfelt piece and so, I dare to think, not lacking in real qualities.” Later, after hearing the music performed, he declared that “I consider [the Serenade] the best of all I have written so far.”

Tchaikovsky had not misplaced his confidence. Its seemingly effortless flow of melody, coupled with an original and beautiful handling of string sonorities, marks this serenade as one of the composer’s most successful works.

The first of the serenade’s four

PROGRAM NOTES PROFILE

movements is framed by passages presenting a broad theme, expressive yet dignified, in slow tempo. Between the two statements of this idea comes a more animated Allegro, the main body of the movement. The second movement is a waltz in whose phrases one can easily imagine the gliding and twirling of dancers across a polished floor. Tchaikovsky’s great talent as a melodist never served him better, nor was he anywhere more skillful than in his weaving of the movement’s various thematic strands together in deft counterpoint. We then hear an elegiac slow movement that is all the more poignant for its avoidance of emotional

hyperbole. The finale, by contrast, seems at once spirited and relaxed. It presents a succession of attractive themes, the principal one conveying a distinctly Russian character. At its conclusion, Tchaikovsky recalls the broad opening subject from the first movement, which accelerates into a brief and spirited coda to close the work.

The DSO most recently performed Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in C Major in September 2020, conducted by Jader Bignamini. The DSO first performed the piece in April 1924, conducted by Victor Kolar.

DMITRY SINKOVSKY

Dmitry Sinkovsky possesses a rare combination of Russian virtuosity and Italian cantabilità. A conductor, violinist, and countertenor, he weaves these three disciplines together with a profound musical awareness, boundless energy, and astonishing technique, resulting in electrifying performances that captivate audiences across the globe. A winner of awards at major European competitions, Sinkovsky enjoys a brilliant career working with the most prestigious ensembles and artists worldwide as a conductor and violinist conductor, with a repertoire ranging from Mozart to Bartók.

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For decades, we have partnered and collaborated with large organizations that are frequently in the public eye, to hyperlocal projects with only a handful of people.

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Sinkovsky’s international conducting career was launched in 2012 as a featured guest on Joyce DiDonato’s acclaimed “Drama Queens” tour. In 2018, he served as resident conductor of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, where he has been a regular guest since the 2015-16 season. In Europe, he has led the Spanish National Orchestra, Sinfonietta Riga, MusicAeterna, Kremerata Baltica, Orchestra Casa da Música Porto, and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, among others.

In April 2021, Sinkovsky conducted Il Pomo D’Oro for Handel’s pasticcio Oreste in Moscow, and opened the Stockholm Early Music Festival.

Together with his ensemble, La Voce Strumentale, Sinkovsky released for naïve Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Bach in Black. Other naïve recordings include Vivaldi’s Concerti per violino V “Per Pisendel” and Il Virtuosissimo, both with Il

Pomo d´Oro and both awarded a Diapason d’Or. An album with Dorothee Oberlinger entitled The Discovery of Passion (Deutsche Harmonia Mundi) was issued in 2020.

His first CD with the label Glossa, Idylle heroïque presenting Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and Triple Concerto, was issued in 2020 (ICMA nomination) and was followed in fall 2021 by Songs & Poems, featuring contemporary music for Baroque instruments.

Sinkovsky is a professor at the Moscow State Conservatory and artistic director of the Orlando Furioso Festival in Dubrovnik. He plays a violin by Francesco Ruggeri (1675) loaned by the Jumpstart Jr. Foundation.

Recent and future engagements include invitations as a conductor and soloist by the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He also leads the B’Rock Orchestra, the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, and La Voce Strumentale, and will reunite with Dorothee Oberlinger and Luca Pianca. This season, Sinkovsky conducts Porpora’s Orfeo at the Theater an der Wien and makes his debut at the Zurich Opera House with Cavalli’s Eliogabalo staged by Calixto Bieito.

DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

PROGRAM NOTES

Carnival Overture, Op. 92

Composed 1891 | Premiered April 1892

ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK

WILLIAM DAVIDSON NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERT SERIES DVOR

ÁK VIOLIN CONCERTO

Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Shaarey Zedek

Friday, March 17, 2023 at 8 p.m. at Meyer Theater, Monroe Community College

Sunday, March 19, 2023 at 3 p.m. at Seligman Performing Arts Center

MICHAEL BALKE, conductor

TAI MURRAY, violin

Antonín Dvorˇák Carnival Overture, Op. 92 (1841 - 1904)

Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 53

Allegro ma non troppo

Adagio ma non troppo

Finale: Allegro giocoso ma non troppo

Tai Murray, violin

Intermission

Myroslav Skoryk Melody (1938 - 2020)

Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 53

Composed 1879 | Premiered October 14, 1883

B. Sept. 8, 1841, Nelahozeves, Bohemia D. May 1, 1904, Prague, Czech Republic Scored for 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, english horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, and strings. (Approx. 9 minutes)

Life was sweet for Dvořák as his 50th birthday approached in 1891. Whether the composer was feeling philosophical that year, we can only surmise. But more than one commentator has seen his cycle Nature, Life, and Love, composed in 1891, as the product of midlife musing. The Carnival Overture forms the middle panel in this triptych and was composed between July and September 1891. All three parts, including the overtures In Nature’s Realm and Otello, were performed for the first time at a concert in Prague in April 1892, a farewell for the composer before he departed for the New World.

ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK

B. September 8, 1841, Nelahozeves, Bohemia (now Czech Republic)

D. May 1, 1904, Prague, Bohemia (now Czech Republic)

Scored for solo violin, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, and strings. (Approx. 31 minutes)

Antonín

Dvořák was encouraged to tackle a violin concerto by Joseph Joachim, one of the foremost violinists of the 19th century and a lifelong friend of Johannes Brahms (whose masterful violin concerto, written for Joachim, needs no defense here). Although Joachim quite liked the early drafts that Dvořák shared, he found the final product troubling, mostly because it dispensed with the customary orchestral exposition. Joachim found excuses to not perform the work, which frustrated Dvořák; the composer eventually sought to premiere the work with a different violinist, and only years later would Joachim begin to see the piece’s beauty.

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36 (1770 - 1827)

I. Adagio Molto - Allegro con brio

II. Larghetto

III. Scherzo: Allegro

IV. Allegro Molto

The Carnival Overture plunges directly into the festivities, whirling the listeners along before they have half a chance to demur. Only once is the celebratory mood broken, before taking up the development of his themes, Dvořák pauses for a reflective interlude in slow tempo, mulling over the “nature” theme—based on a series of rocking thirds—that recurs in all three overtures in the set. For a moment we can savor woodwind writing as luscious as any Dvořák ever penned, but suddenly, the party begins again, and there will not be a moment’s rest until the final chords.

The DSO last performed Dvořák’s Carnival Overture in November 2018, conducted by Cristian Măcelaru. The DSO first performed the piece in February 1920, conducted by Ossip Gabrilowitsch.

The concerto opens with a pair of brief and dramatic orchestral statements—but not a true exposition—presenting glimpses of the first movement’s principal theme. Each is answered by the solo violin. The featured instrument’s responses begin purposefully, taking up the orchestra’s material, but they end in cadenza like rhapsodies. The orchestra’s third attempt yields a more complete thematic exposition, but the soloist soon rejoins the proceedings, leading a lively exploration of the principal subject and the more lyrical subsidiary idea. Dvořák offers only an abbreviated recapitulation of the opening material before continuing without pause into the central Andante. This second movement opens with music of hymn like serenity, moves through

The William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series is made possible by a generous grant from the William Davidson Foundation. WRCJ 90.9 FM also supports the Series.

JADER BIGNAMINI , Music Director Music Directorship endowed by the Kresge Foundation

TERENCE BLANCHARD

Fred A. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair

NA’ZIR MCFADDEN Assistant Conductor, Phillip & Lauren Fisher Community Ambassador

NEEME JÄRVI Music Director Emeritus LEONARD SLATKIN Music Director Laureate

JEFF TYZIK Principal Pops Conductor

more impassioned episodes, and finally returns to the tranquil vein in which it began. The finale is of altogether different character, suggesting the spirited village dances of Dvořák’s native Bohemia.

The DSO most recently performed Dvořák’s Violin Concerto in A minor in December 2021, conducted by Jader Bignamini and featuring violinist Hilary Hahn. The DSO first performed the work in January 1928, conducted by Victor Kolar and featuring violinist Gustav Kleiner.

Melody

Composed 1982 | Premiered 1982 MYROSLAV SKORYK

B. July 13, 1938, Lviv, Ukraine

D. June 1, 2020, Kyiv, Ukraine

Scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, and strings.

(Approx. 3 minutes)

Born in 1938 in Lviv, Ukraine, Myroslav Skoryk made immense contributions to Ukrainian musical life and the world’s musical heritage. Skoryk’s own musical journey began at the age of 6, when his grandmother’s sister—none other than the famous Ukrainian opera singer Solomiya Krushelnytska—recognized his impeccable hearing abilities and encouraged him to attend music school. His young musical studies were abruptly interrupted when his family was deported to Siberia amidst intensifying Soviet repressions. Here, he continued to play piano, and his talent continued to be recognized. On his time in Siberia playing the piano, Skoryk stated, “they started to consider me a prodigy, and they drove me

to the regional town of Kemerovo and showed everyone saying whatever the number of notes you press for him, he will name all of them at once.”

Skoryk was finally able to return to his hometown of Lviv after Stalin’s death in 1953, where he enrolled in the local conservatory and began composing. He found great success in composition, writing a great variety of repertoire spanning from works for orchestra, chorus, ballet, and opera to jazz and popular music, as well as the scores for more than 40 films. Later in his career, he accepted a position to teach composition and theory at the Lviv Conservatory and the Kyiv Conservatory, and also served as the Artistic Director of the National Opera of Ukraine. His compositional influences consist of Carpathian folk music to the avant-garde.

Skoryk’s Melody— originally scored for flute and piano and later arranged for violin and orchestra—was composed in 1982 for the Soviet war film Vysokyy pereval (The High Mountain Pass), with the intention of “conveying an understanding of tragedy that cannot be expressed in words,” as stated by the composer himself. This film was set in the aftermath of World War II and was subjected to Soviet censorship, which led to the negative depiction of Ukrainian nationalism. Skoryk agreed to compose this work for the film’s director Volodymyr Denysenko in hopes of subversively conveying the film’s tragic and emotional themes.

Melody has since become one of Ukraine’s national spiritual anthems, skyrocketing in popularity following the tragic 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine as a proclamation of global solidarity with Ukraine. In an address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the US Congress in March 2022, the piece was

played accompanying a video of the destruction of the country. Based on common patterns of Ukrainian folk music, this piece is also a central part of the concert program of the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra’s tour in Europe and has been selected for its recognizability and sentimentality.

This performance marks the DSO’s premiere of Melody by Myroslav Skoryk.

Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36

Composed 1801-1802 | Premiered April 5, 1803

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

B. December 1770, Bonn, Germany

D. March 26, 1827, Vienna, Austria

Scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings. (Approx. 34 minutes)

Beethoven wrote his

Second Symphony in 1802, during a troubling period in his life. For several years he had noticed a progressive deterioration in his hearing, and he grew increasingly depressed as his condition worsened. But the Symphony No. 2 hints at none of that—in fact, it is as vibrant and joyous as any work in the symphonic literature, completely dissociated from Beethoven’s personal struggles.

Beethoven wrote the symphony at Heiligenstadt, a village outside Vienna where his doctor suggested he go for a medical retreat. He had written sketches for the piece in the winter of 1801, and brought them to Heiligenstadt to fully realize them in the summer sun. By the time he returned to Vienna, in the early autumn of 1802, the score was all but complete.

In form and style, the second symphony still belongs to the 18th century—its dimensions and spirit being closer to the symphonic works of Haydn and Mozart than to Beethoven’s own later essays in this genre. The first movement begins with a slow introduction, common and predictable at the time, but this prologue is more expansive and more powerful than any by Beethoven’s forerunners. Its purpose is not merely to precede the main body of the movement, but to gather energy and momentum that can only be released in a quicker tempo, giving the ensuing Allegro a gripping, necessary intensity.

The second movement suggests a nocturnal serenade, and by contrast the ensuing scherzo is a high-energy romp. Its sudden forte crashes and off-beat accents reflect Beethoven’s rough humor, and this jocular spirit carries over into the finale. Here, sudden outbursts and rhythmic surprises again enliven the music, the energy of which rivals the first movement.

The DSO most recently performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in January 2019, conducted by Pablo Rus Broseta. The DSO first performed the piece in November 1920, conducted by Ossip Gabrilowitsch.

PROFILES

MICHAEL BALKE

Equally at home in symphonic and opera repertoire, German conductor Michael Balke has gained international attention for his performances.

Between 2018 and 2021, Balke was Principal Guest Conductor at the St. Gallen Theatre and Symphony Orchestra (Switzerland). Recent engagements include his return to Japan for Madama Butterfly (Tokyo, Osaka) as well as symphony concerts in Tokyo; gala concerts with Marina Rebeka and the Croatian National Radio Orchestra (Zagreb) and the Munich Radio Orchestra; concerts at the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow; Palau de la Musica in Barcelona; Concertgebouw in Amsterdam; Sarasota Orchestra in Florida; at the Tongyeong Music Festival with Jean-Yves Thibaudet; his US debut with the Sarasota Orchestra in Florida featuring Midori; and a new production of Die Gezeichneten (Schreker) and Notre Dame (Franz Schmidt) in St. Gallen (Switzerland).

He led the new production of Salome in Verona, Tosca at the St. Gallen Theatre, L’heure Espagnol/Gianni Schicchi at Opéra national de Lorraine, La bohème with Danish National Opera, Merry Widow at the Metropolitan Theatre in Tokyo, Der fliegende Holländer in Sweden, Roméo et Juliette at Teatro Grande in Brescia, and La Traviata at the Mannheim National Theatre.

Important engagements of the recent past also include concerts at Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Alte Oper Frankfurt, KKL Luzern, and with Latvian National Orchestra in Riga.

From 2011 to 2016, Balke was Principal Conductor at Magdeburg Opera, where he has conducted a broad repertoire of new productions from Mozart, Rossini, and Donizetti to Verdi, Stravinsky, Korngold,

and Richard Strauss, as well as numerous symphony concerts.

He regularly works with orchestras including Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra (Tokyo), Osaka Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic, MDR Sinfonieorchester

Leipzig, Munich Symphony Orchestra, Munich Radio Orchestra, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, Residentie Orkest, Opéra Orchestre national Montpellier, Orchestre de Nancy, Orchestra Siciliana Palermo, and Budapest Symphony Orchestra.

CD productions include a solo album with Marina Rebeka (French opera arias) and a full production of Verdi’s La Traviata (nomination as Opus Klassik “Conductor of the Year”).

Balke was born in Braunschweig, Germany and studied conducting under Christopher Zimmerman and piano under James Tocco and Frank Weinstock at the Cincinnati Conservatory.

TAI MURRAY

Described as “superb” by The New York Times, violinist Tai Murray has established herself a musical voice of a generation. “Technically flawless… vivacious and scintillating… It is without doubt that Murray’s style of playing is more mature than that of many seasoned players…”

(Muso Magazine)

Appreciated for her elegance and effortless ability, Murray creates a special bond with listeners through her personal phrasing and subtle sweetness. Her programming reveals musical intelligence. Her sound, sophisticated bowing and choice of vibrato remind us of her musical background and influences, principally, Yuval Yaron (a student of Gingold &

Heifetz), and Franco Gulli. Winner of an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2004, Murray was named a BBC New Generation Artist (2008-2010). As a chamber musician, she was a member of Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Society II (2004-2006).

She has performed as guest soloist on main stages worldwide, including with leading ensembles such as the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Symphony Orchestra, and all the BBC symphony orchestras. She is also a dedicated advocate of contemporary works (written for the violin). Among others, she performed the world premiere of Malcolm Hayes’s violin concerto at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall. As a recitalist, Murray has visited many of the world’s capitals, having appeared in Berlin, Chicago, Hamburg, London,

Madrid, New York’s Carnegie Hall, Paris, and Washington DC, among many others.

Murray’s critically acclaimed debut recording for harmonia mundi of Ysaye’s six sonatas for solo violin was released in February 2012. Her second recording with works by American Composers of the 20th century was released by the Berlinbased label eaSonus, and her third disc with the Bernstein Serenade on the French label mirare.

Murray plays a violin by Tomaso Balestrieri fecit Mantua ca. 1765, on generous loan from a private collection.

Murray is an Assistant Professor of violin at the Yale School of Music (adjunct), where she teaches applied violin and coaches chamber music. She earned artist diplomas from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and the Juilliard School.

Young Artists of the Year Duo Concert

Sunday, March 12, 2023

at 3:00 p.m.

Recipients of the Ruth Laredo “An die Musik” Memorial Award

Featuring music of Brahms, Poulenc, and Franck

Afterglow immediately following the concert

Tickets: regular $25, students: $15, Under 12: free Birmingham Unitarian Church, Bloomfield Hills

For tickets and program details, visit TuesdayMusicaleofDetroit.org

Brant Ford, saxophone    Peyton Miller, piano