JANUARY 12, 15

Concerts of Thursday, January 12, 2023 8:00 PM

Sunday, January 15, 2023 3:00 PM

KAZEM ABDULLAH, conductor

TOM BORROW, piano LOUISE FARRENC (1804–1875) Overture No. 2, Op. 24 (1834) LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827)

Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major,

Op. 58 (1806)

I. Allegro moderato

II. Andante con moto

III. Rondo: Vivace Tom Borrow, piano

INTERMISSION

7 MINS

35 MINS

20 MINS

JEAN SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Finlandia, Op. 26, No. 7 (1899)

“Valse triste” from Kuolema (Death),

Op. 44, No. 1 (1904) 9 MINS

6 MINS

Symphony No. 7 in C Major,

Op. 105, “In One Movement” (1924) 23 MINS

by Noel Morris

Program Annotator

Overture No. 2, Op. 24

This overture is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two These are the first clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three ASO performances.

trombones, timpani and strings.

In 1840, Hector Berlioz heard a piece by Louise Farrenc and noted that it was “well written.” He went on to say that it was orchestrated “with a talent rare among women.” And it was rare. These skills are usually developed in an academic setting—where women were not allowed. The 19th century was a difficult time for musicians born of a certain gender. In affluent households, girls learned voice and piano and were afforded ample time to develop skills that would then be hidden from public view by protective fathers and husbands. Musicianship was a mark of accomplishment for the debutante (think of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice or Emma), but it was to be shared with family and friends only. Into this closed society came Louise Farrenc (née Dumont), born in 1804 to a family of artists. Her father was the sculptor Jacques-Edme Dumont, who arranged for her to receive piano lessons. When he realized she was gifted, he hired the best instructors available, including the prominent composerpianist Johann Nepomuk Hummel. At 15, Louise enrolled as a piano student at the Paris Conservatory. Because girls weren’t permitted to attend the composition class, her father paid for private lessons with the composition professor, Anton Reicha. With a lot determination, Louise Farrenc developed into a formidable musician. Reicha, a friend of Beethoven, would go on to teach Franz Liszt, Hector Berlioz and César Franck. While at the Conservatory, Louise fell in love with another student, the flutist Aristide Farrenc, who was ten years her senior. They married when she was 17. Becoming recital partners, they toured together and then returned to Paris to start a music publishing house. Louise continued to perform and, in 1842, won a faculty position at the Conservatory. She was the only female professor there during the entire 19th century. For all her fortitude, Farrenc was humble about her own compositions. It was Aristide who pushed her to publish her works. In 1849, her Nonet earned broad acclaim after a premiere headed by the famous violinist Josef Joachim. With the wind in her sails, she presented the Conservatory management with an accounting of faculty compensation and demanded equal pay—which they granted.

JOSEPH WILLIBRORD MÄHLER Farrenc wrote her Overture No. 2 in 1834. The Paris Conservatory declined to admit women to the composition class until 1870. First ASO performance: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58 March 21, 1951 In addition to the solo piano, this concerto is scored

Henry Sopkin, conductor for flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two Claudio Arrau, piano horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

Most recent Beethoven was a dreamy child. His mind would ASO performances: wander, and he’d fail to notice things happening February 15–17, 2018 around him; a family friend called it his “raptus.” It was Roberto Abbado, conductor a habit that persisted throughout his life. Biographer Jorge Federico Osorio, piano Jan Swafford wrote, “He spends hours lost in his raptus, improvising at the keyboard, ideas flowing from his fingers into sound, sketchbook on a table beside him to fix sounds before they are gone.” Every day, no matter the weather, the composer would venture outdoors to roam the countryside and hike through the woods, “growling and howling and waving his arms conducting the music in his head, stopping to pencil ideas in the pocket sketchbooks,” wrote Swafford. Biographer Edmund Morris referred to those sketchbooks as “inspirational bedlam.” Between 1803 and 1804, Beethoven was a fountain of ideas; he jotted down hundreds of sketches and bound them into a 192-page book. About half the sketches went into the Eroica Symphony. Others found their way into the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, the opera Fidelio, his Triple Concerto, and his Fourth Piano Concerto, which he wrote for himself to play. After all, he was among Vienna’s most sought-after pianists. Through performances by composer-pianists, such as Mozart and Beethoven, the audience came to have certain expectations about piano concertos. Typically, the orchestra would play some introductory music, and then the solo piano would enter. With the Fourth Piano Concerto, Beethoven surprised them by opening with the piano alone. Curiously, that delicate music grows from a germinal idea, a four-note rhythm, that is a close cousin to something far more tempestuous—the opening of the Fifth Symphony. Where the Fifth Symphony explodes with a torrent of notes, the Fourth Piano Concerto moves like moonlight dancing on the water. What binds them, beyond the use of the same rhythmic figure, is the little book that lived in Beethoven’s pocket. The opening themes of both works appeared on the same page of his sketchbook, as if he’d had a brilliant inspiration that was too fertile to exhaust in a single composition.

Sadly, the bedlam described by Edmund Morris was not limited to Beethoven’s sketchbooks. In the year 1806, the composer suffered from chronic illness and profound hearing loss. He had a spat with his theater manager and withdrew his opera. He quarreled with his brother, his publisher, and his patron, who cancelled Beethoven’s stipend. In spite of all this, the composer produced one landmark piece after another, including quartets, part of the Fifth Symphony, the Fourth Symphony, the Violin Concerto, and the Fourth Piano Concerto. The Piano Concerto had its public premiere on a bitter-cold night in 1808. It was a legendary fiasco during which Beethoven presented a whopping four-hour concert in an unheated hall. Making matters worse, the orchestra got angry and was underrehearsed. Over the course of that one evening, Beethoven premiered the Fourth Piano Concerto, the Fifth Symphony, the Sixth Symphony, and the Choral Fantasy. After its chilly debut, the Fourth Piano Concerto languished until 1836 (nearly a decade after Beethoven’s death) when Felix Mendelssohn revived the piece and brought it into the repertoire. Finlandia, Opus 26, No. 7 First ASO Performance: Finlandia is scored for two flutes, two oboes, February 4, 1945 two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three Henry Sopkin, conductor. trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, Most Recent ASO Performances: cymbals a2, bass drum, triangle and strings. Jan. 29–30, 2022

Finland enjoyed relative autonomy for the David Danzmayr, conductor greater part of the 19th century, despite its acquisition by Russia in 1809. In that year, Finland became a Grand Duchy under the Russian Czar. Nevertheless, Finland maintained its own government, army, currency and postal service. Finnish and Swedish served as official languages, and the Lutheran religion was maintained. The situation deteriorated toward the end of the 19th century with the growth of Russian nationalism. In February of 1899, a Russian imperial decree ordered that the Russian State Council would be responsible for all laws affecting Finland. Russia incorporated the formerly autonomous Finnish postal system. The Finnish army was disbanded and citizens became liable for conscription into the Russian military. The threat of Russian censorship of the Finnish press inspired the “Press Pension Fund Pageant” in November of 1899. As part of the pageant, Kaarlo Bergbom, director of the Helsinki Finnish Theater, arranged a series of six tableaux depicting landmark events in Finnish history. Texts by Eino Leino and Jalmari Finne accompanied the presentation of each of the tableaux. Jean Sibelius composed

“subdued (musical) accompaniment” to the texts, as well as overtures for the presentation of the tableaux. Sibelius composed his tone poem, Finlandia, for the final tableau, entitled “Finland Awakes.” In describing the composition of Finlandia, Sibelius noted in his diaries: “(t)he themes on which it is built came to me directly. Pure inspiration.” Sibelius dismissed Finlandia as a “relatively insignificant piece” and attributed the work’s broad appeal to “its plein air style.” Musicians and audiences have disagreed with Sibelius’s characterization of Finlandia, a blazing patriotic work that continues to move and thrill listeners, regardless of nationality. WIKIMEDIA The accompanying text for the tableau that inspired Sibelius’s Finlandia begins: “The powers of darkness menacing Finland have not succeeded in their terrible threats. Finland awakes!” Finlandia opens in somber fashion (Andante sostenuto) with an ominous brass chorale that contrasts with a plaintive statement by the woodwinds and strings. Suddenly, the mood changes as brass fanfares introduce the heroic principal Allegro theme. The woodwinds intone a beautiful, espressivo hymn that is soon played by the strings. Brass fanfares herald the return of the heroic theme, which joins the hymn for the triumphant conclusion of Finlandia. — Ken Meltzer First and most “Valse triste” from Kuolema (Death) recent ASO performances: “Valse triste” is scored for flute, clarinet, two horns, May 14–16, 1992 timpani and strings. Yoel Levi, conductor One of Jean Sibelius’ most popular and enduring works, the Valse triste began as a request from a family member. In 1903, Sibelius’ brother-in-law, author Arvid Järnefelt, asked the composer for incidental music to accompany a play he had written. “I’ll think about it,” Sibelius replied. His thoughts soon turned into music, and he wrote pieces for six scenes of the play. Valse triste, or “sad waltz,” went with a scene in which the protagonist sits with his mother as she lies on her deathbed. She has dreamed of attending a ball. As the weary son sinks into sleep, the sounds of a waltz begin to grow in the distance. The dying woman arises from her bed, her nightgown turning into a ball gown, and begins to dance, imagining herself surrounded by party guests. The music stops as she falls into bed, but she is roused again by a vision of her dead husband and the dance music becomes wild. The scene fades away as it becomes clear that she sees not her husband before her, but Death. Sibelius arranged the work a few years later and sold it to his publisher,

reportedly for a pittance, and the rights were subsequently aquired by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1905. The piece became wildly popular, not only in the orchestral version heard on this concert, but in arrangements for a variety of instruments and ensembles. Sibelius, however, did not see a penny of the profits, having entered into an agreement that did not include rights or royalties — Leah Branstetter

Symphony No. 7 in C Major, Opus 105, “In One Movement”

First ASO Performances: Oct. 29-Nov. 1, 1970 Robert Shaw, conductor. Most Recent ASO Performances: February 20–22, 2020 Thomas Søndergård, conductor

Symphony No. 7 is scored for two piccolos, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings.

Jean Sibelius’s Seventh (and final) Symphony was the product of an extended and sometimes difficult creative process. The first mention of the work occurs in a diary entry by the composer, dated July 18, 1917: “I have the symphonies VI and VII in my head.” In the May 20, 1918 letter to Axel Carpelan, Sibelius offers this description of his Seventh Symphony:

The Seventh Symphony. Joie de vivre and vitality, with appassionato passages. In three movements—the last a

‘Hellenic’ Rondo.

The planes will perhaps be changed as the musical ideas develop.

As usual, I am a slave to my themes and adapt myself to their needs. It was not until March 2, 1924, that Sibelius completed his Symphony No. 7. By that time, the Symphony embodied a far different structure than described in the 1918 letter to Carpelan. As Sibelius told his biographer, Karl Ekman: “at night, as I entered in my diary, I completed Fantasia sinfonica—that is what I first thought of calling my seventh symphony in one movement.” Sibelius conducted the world premiere of his Symphony No. 7 in Stockholm on March 24, 1924. At the time, the title of the piece was indeed Fantasia sinfonica. But when the work was published in 1925, it was finally given the title of the composer’s Symphony No. 7. The Symphony No. 7 is an extraordinary work on many levels. It is designated as being “In One Movement,” and in that sense, is unique among the composer’s Seven Symphonies. But it is also possible to discern a series of symphonic movements within the structure. During the brief course of the Seventh Symphony, Jean Sibelius presents the

constant metamorphosis of themes, couched in ever-shifting tempos and orchestral colors. The Sibelius Seventh manages to fly by in an instant, while maintaining an atmosphere of eternal timelessness. In every respect, the Sibelius Seventh represents the fitting culmination of a master composer’s unique achievements in this genre. The Symphony opens with a brief, hushed statement by the timpani (Adagio). The cellos inaugurate an ascending passage encompassing a C-Major scale that culminates in a mysterious A-flat minor chord. The flutes, bassoons, and clarinets play an undulating sixteenth-note theme, followed by a descending passage in the oboes (the ascending scale and subsequent themes all play central roles throughout the Symphony). Divided strings inaugurate a sublime lyrical episode, culminating with a solo trombone proclaiming a noble sonore theme. A further development of the principal themes (Un pochettino meno adagio) gathers momentum, resolving to a quicksilver scherzo (Vivacissimo) episode, featuring lightning-quick exchanges between the strings and winds. The tempo slows, and an undulating string figure serves as accompaniment for a reprise of the trombone theme (Adagio). An extended, quick-tempo episode (Allegro molto moderato) focuses upon a buoyant theme, first played by the winds. A second scherzo episode (Vivace) jaunts to a Presto conclusion. The trombone melody returns heralding the Symphony’s expansive concluding measures (Adagio). Echoes of the central themes (including the trombone melody, now played by solo flute and bassoon), resolve to the majestic closing bars. KAZEM ABDULLAH, CONDUCTOR

American conductor Kazem Abdullah, Music and Artistic Director of the City of Aachen, Germany from 2012 to 2017, most recently conducted the symphony orchestras of Oregon, Indianapolis, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati, as well as an opera Gala for the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the American premiere of Charles Wuorinen’s opera Brokeback Mountain with the New York City Opera, and Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda for Cape Town Opera. Other notable engagements include leading the Orquestra de São Paulo, one of Brazil’s most celebrated classical music ensembles, on its third United States coast-to-coast tour; conducting the New World Symphony’s 2009 Ives In-Context Festival by special invitation from Michael Tilson Thomas; and substituting on very short notice to conduct the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra in performances of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas in

collaboration with the Mark Morris Dance Group. Born in Indiana, Mr. Abdullah began his music studies at the age of 10 with clarinet and piano. He studied at the Interlochen Arts Academy, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and the University of Southern California. His primary conducting teachers were Jorma Panula, Kurt Masur, James Levine, and Bernard Haitink. He was awarded the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award by his alma mater, CCM in 2015. TOM BORROW, PIANO

Born in Tel Aviv in 2000, Tom Borrow began studying piano aged five with Dr. Michal Tal at the Givatayim Music Conservatory, and currently studies with Prof. Tomer Lev of the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University. Tom has been regularly mentored by Murray Perahia, and has participated in masterclasses under the instruction of Sir András Schiff, Christoph Eschenbach, Richard Goode, Menahem Pressler, and Tatiana Zelikman, among many others. Tom has won every national piano competition in Israel, including first prize at the Israeli Radio & Jerusalem Symphony Young Artist Competition in Jerusalem, and three first prizes at the “Piano Forever” Competition in Ashdod (in three different age categories). In 2018, he won the prestigious “Maurice M. Clairmont” award, given to a single promising artist once every two years by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation and Tel-Aviv University. Tom’s recent and forthcoming engagements include the Cleveland Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic, Sao Paulo Symphony, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, Basque National Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra and others.