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ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA JANUARY 13, 2022 ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
This performance is supported by the Anabeth Hormel Cox Lied Center Performance Fund. CONDUCTOR’S CIRCLE:
DRS. DAVID & MARILYN MOORE TOM & LINDA HOEGEMEYER RHONDA SEACREST LIANA SANDIN—PEARLE FRANCIS FINIGAN FOUNDATION
This project is generously funded by Mid-America Arts Alliance, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the state arts agencies of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.
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PROGRAM
PROGRAM NOTES
Thursday, January 13, 2022, at 7:30 p.m.
STÉPHANE DENÈVE ON PROKOFIEV’S ROMEO AND JULIET SUITE
Stéphane Denève, Conductor Augustin Hadelich, Violin Valerie Coleman (b. 1970)
Umoja: Anthem of Unity (2019)
Samuel Barber (1910–1981)
Violin Concerto, op. 14 (1939) Allegro Andante Presto in moto perpetuo Augustin Hadelich, Violin INTERMISSION
Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953)
ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Suite from Romeo and Juliet (1935, rev. 1940) Montagues and Capulets— Minuet Juliet, the Young Girl Masks Montagues and Capulets Romeo and Juliet Friar Lawrence The Death of Tybalt Romeo at Juliet’s Grave Juliet’s Death
My piano teacher, André Dumortier, adored Russian music. I studied and played a lot of Prokofiev’s music. In those days I already realized that, while French music was in my blood, Russia was my second musical motherland. Prokofiev’s music gives me the feeling of being at home. A link exists between French and Russian music. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Russian aristocracy spoke French. At the beginning of the 20th century, “FrancoRussian modernity,” from Rimsky-Korsakov to Ravel, and from Debussy to Stravinsky, shared a taste for shimmering orchestral colors, together with a special appetite for the dance. Romeo and Juliet provides the synthesis of Prokofiev’s “Western” and “Soviet” periods. By virtue of its dramatic unity, its breadth, its motifs that change unceasingly and its richness in theme and rhythm, the ballet rapidly became one of the most famous of his works. He would draw three symphonic suites from it. I have given a great deal of thought to the ideal presentation of this music in concert. I’ve never found Prokofiev’s own suites to be convincing. I imagined my own suite, which would tell the story of the ballet.
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VALERIE COLEMAN Born: 1970, Louisville, KY UMOJA: ANTHEM OF UNITY Valerie Coleman is a GRAMMY™-nominated flutist, composer, teacher and advocate. She is the founding flutist of the Imani Winds, a wind quintet whose history is represented in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Coleman’s music embraces the full range of humanity. She has works that celebrate the poet Gwendolyn Brooks, pay tribute to the life of boxer Muhammed Ali and shout in defiance at the death of Eric Garner. Umoja is the Swahili word for unity. It is also the first of seven Principles of Kwanzaa. One Kwanzaa website asks people “to strive for unity in the family, community, nation and race.” Coleman’s Umoja has its origins in a simple song for women’s choir. Her goal was to embody “a sense of ‘tribal unity’ through the feel of a drum circle, the sharing of history through traditional ‘call and response’ form and the repetition of a memorable sing-song melody.” The orchestral version, Coleman writes, “brings an expansion and sophistication to the short and sweet melody.” At first, the melody sings sweetly. It is then interrupted by “the clash of injustices, racism and hate that threatens to gain a foothold in the world today.” The melody returns “as a gentle reminder of kindness and humanity. The journey ends with a bold call of unity that harkens back to the original anthem. Now more than ever, ‘Umoja’ has to ring as a strong and beautiful anthem for the world we live in today.” Coleman’s preface in the score includes the following words: Listen my people, Children of ALL It’s time for Unity Hear the Winds call. Oh a-hum, a-hum Nkosi ah. Oh a-hum, a-hum Nkosi ah.
ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
First performance: September 19, 2019, by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick NézetSeguin conducting First SLSO performance: This concert Instrumentation: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, trombone, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, piano, strings Approximate duration: 10 minutes
SAMUEL BARBER Born: March 9, 1910, West Chester, PA Died: January 23, 1981, New York, NY VIOLIN CONCERTO, OP. 14 At age 9, American composer Samuel Barber handed his mother a letter. “Mother,” he wrote, “I have written to tell you a worrying secret. I was not meant to be an athlete. I was meant to be a composer.” Barber’s musical voice was clear early. It would combine deep wells of emotion with rigorous technique. “My aim,” he said, “is to write good music that will be comprehensible to as many people as possible.” The Violin Concerto was Barber’s first significant commission. Months prior, a broadcast of the Adagio for Strings brought his name to national attention. His music would be in demand for the rest of his life. The concerto was commissioned by a soap magnate. Tension over the music’s difficulty left a bitter taste—Barber would later call the work his Concerto del sapone (“The soap concerto”). But he poured time and care into the work, testing and revising the concerto over months. The first movement’s long, arcing lines are a reminder that the young Barber wanted to become a professional singer. But storm clouds darken the sky—Barber wrote much of the concerto in Europe, threatened by the imminent danger of war.
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The second movement pulls us inwards. It paints a Barber at home in solitude, musing quietly in his private world of music, books and art. Solo winds and horn bring us to a place that lies somewhere between melancholy and nostalgia.
Prokofiev spent his first summer in a tiny cottage outside Moscow, writing the ballet Romeo and Juliet. It would face an uphill battle: disagreements about the music (“too complex, undanceable”) and the ending (happy or tragic?).
The finale fizzes like popped champagne. At parties with friends, Barber’s warmth was sharpened with an acid wit. The violin is a tongue that dishes gossip and enjoys several rounds of drinks.
There were also arguments about politics. The Soviets had cast older works aside, but Shakespeare survived: his plays had a centuries-old history in Russia, and Karl Marx was a fan. Still, was the story “Soviet” enough?
First performance: February 7, 1941, by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy conducting, with Albert Spalding as soloist
Prokofiev’s music matches Shakespeare’s blend of love and violence, humor and tragedy. He combines instruments like flavors, blending and enhancing and contrasting. The full orchestra revels in virtuosity, while orchestral solos seek emotional truth.
First SLSO performance: June 24, 1976, Leonard Slatkin conducting with Dylana Jenson as soloist Most recent SLSO performance: December 6, 2009, Peter Oundjian conducting, with David Halen as soloist Instrumentation: solo violin, 2 flutes (2nd doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, percussion, piano, strings Approximate duration: 25 minutes
SERGEI PROKOFIEV
First performance: December 30, 1938, at the Mahen Theatre in Brno, Czech Republic (ballet) First SLSO performance: February 4, 1949, Vladimir Golschmann conducting (Suite No. 2) Most recent SLSO performance: January 28, 2018, Gemma New conducting (selections from Suite No. 2 and No. 3) Instrumentation: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, tenor saxophone, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, cornet, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, piano, celesta, strings Approximate duration: 40 minutes
Born: April 23, 1891, Sontsivka, Ukraine Died: March 5, 1953, Moscow, Russia SUITE FROM ROMEO AND JULIET At 40, Sergei Prokofiev was world-famous. He toured the globe, writing fashionable music that took risks. His home was divided between Paris and Moscow, but the gathering clouds of the 1930s would make this life impossible. Soviet operatives made a pitch to bring Prokofiev back to Russia. The carrot: a bottomless well of work as the preeminent Soviet musician. The stick: a ban on entering Russia if he continued living in the West. Homesick and trusting, he chose Russia.
ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
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ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES SYNOPSIS
STÉPHANE DENÈVE
Stéphane Denève has made his own suite of sections from the ballet. Below, he introduces the music and story.
Stéphane Denève joined the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra as Music Director in September 2019. Previously he served as Music Director Designate for the SLSO during the 2018/2019 season. He also served as a guest conductor with the SLSO eight times from 2003 to 2018. He recently extended his commitment to the SLSO through spring 2026.
Montagues and Capulets. In the first moments, Prokofiev expresses the opposition between these two clans. A loud, dissonant chord fades to reveal the strings playing as quietly as possible. On one side, the Montagues, and on the other the Capulets. The décor has been set and the story can begin. Minuet. A gallery of characters glare at one another. Juliet. Prokofiev introduces Juliet at three different ages. In infancy, learning scales and arpeggios. In adolescence, embodied by a graceful clarinet melody. At the cusp of adulthood, with a nostalgic flute. Prokofiev’s apparently simple musical ideas express complex sentiments. Masks. Here come the Montagues! These mocking young men are very excited by the prospect of wearing a mask to join in the Capulets’ celebrations. Knights Dance. Romeo and Juliet fall in love. The image is frozen: over two chords, Prokofiev unfolds a simple, syncopated arpeggio; the rhythm develops into a slow waltz; a flute solo is doubled by the violas. Balcony Scene. The hot-headedness of the two lovers is expressed with passion. Prokofiev’s music is sensual and lyrical. The music, and bodies, fly away. Friar Laurence. Prokofiev evokes this affable character with a slow, clumsy march on the bassoon, tuba and low strings, accompanied by clarinets. Death of Tybalt. Romeo, urged to take revenge, kills Tybalt in a virtuosic musical duel, with the violins playing countless notes per second! Romeo at Juliet’s Tomb. Romeo flees and, believing Juliet to be dead, goes secretly to the Capulets’ crypt. Finding her inanimate body, he takes poison and dies in music of overwhelming dissonance. Juliet’s Death. Juliet awakens and, on discovering the lifeless Romeo, she dies by suicide. Prokofiev, a Christian Scientist, believed in the immortality of the soul.
Now in his third season as the 13th Music Director of the SLSO, Denève has shaped his tenure around creating thrilling musical experiences that give an authentic voice to music across genre and time. He maintains his commitment to composers and music of today through thoughtful and innovative programming. He also remains committed to listening and learning as well as nurturing the SLSO’s reputation as a creative hub for the St. Louis community and making orchestral music accessible to all. In his third season as SLSO Music Director, Denève programmed music that spans genre and time, with familiar and beloved pieces alongside works that spark curiosity and adventure, continuing the SLSO’s longstanding tradition of identifying and performing music by composers of today. Each classical concert presents at least one work to St. Louis audiences for the first time. In total, 34 pieces will enter the SLSO’s repertoire in the 21/22 season, including 26 works by 22 composers of today. Since his first visit to St. Louis in 2003, he has charmed audiences with his wit and genuine warmth, and has since shared memorable moments at the annual concert in Forest Park, introduced new ideas, including SLSO Crafted concerts, and made music more accessible with new ticket pricing and free tickets for community partners through Stéphane’s Seats. He sold out Powell Hall for concerts, including Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (February 2020) and a night of movie music, sharing the podium with acclaimed composer John Williams (November 2019). His concerts have been described as “near perfect,” “revelatory,” “Olympian in its grandeur” and “stunning” by critics.
PROGRAM NOTES BY TIM MUNRO Tim Munro is the SLSO’s Creative Partner. A writer, broadcaster and GRAMMY™winning flutist, he lives in Chicago with his wife, son and badly behaved orange cat.
ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
LIED CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS
AUGUSTIN HADELICH
THE ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Augustin Hadelich is one of the great violinists of our time. From Bach to Brahms, from Bartók to Adès, he has mastered a wide-ranging and adventurous repertoire. Named Musical America’s 2018 “Instrumentalist of the Year,” he is consistently cited worldwide for his phenomenal technique, soulful approach and insightful interpretations.
Celebrated as a leading American orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest orchestra in the country, marking its 142nd year with the 2021/2022 season and its third with Music Director Stéphane Denève. The SLSO serves the St. Louis region through its commitment to artistic excellence, educational impact and community collaborations, honoring its mission of enriching lives through the power of music.
Hadelich’s 2020/2021 season culminated in performances with the San Francisco Symphony of the Brahms Violin Concerto, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. Hadelich’s 2021/22 season includes his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic, playing Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with Gustavo Gimeno on the podium. Shortly thereafter, he will perform with the South Netherlands Symphony Orchestra the premiere of a new violin concerto written for him by Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy. Hadelich has appeared with every major orchestra in North America, including the Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony. His worldwide presence has been rapidly rising, with recent appearances with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra/Munich, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Danish National, Orquesta Nacional de España, Oslo Philharmonic, São Paulo Symphony, the radio orchestras of Finland, Frankfurt, Saarbrücken, Stuttgart and Cologne and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Engagements in the Far East include the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Seoul Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony, NHK Symphony (Tokyo) and a tour with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Hadelich is the winner of a 2016 GRAMMY™ Award – “Best Classical Instrumental Solo” – for his recording of Dutilleux’s Violin Concerto, L’Arbre des songes, with the Seattle Symphony under Ludovic Morlot (Seattle Symphony MEDIA). A Warner Classics Artist, his most recent release is a double CD of the Six Solo Sonatas and Partitas of Johann Sebastian Bach. Born in Italy, the son of German parents, Hadelich is now an American citizen. He holds an Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School, where he was a student of Joel Smirnoff. After winning the Gold Medal at the 2006 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, concerto and recital appearances on many of the world’s top stages quickly followed.
The core of the SLSO’s artistic foundation is its dynamic partnership with Stéphane Denève. Denève’s energetic musicianship, visionary storytelling and collaborative spirit have created stronger connections with local and visiting artists as well as advanced the SLSO’s role as a leader in music education. The SLSO musical family also includes two resident choruses: the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, founded in 1976; and the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus, founded in 1994, which focuses on the music of African American and African traditions.
Augustin Hadelich plays the violin “Leduc, ex-Szeryng” by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù of 1744, generously loaned by a patron through the Tarisio Trust.
ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
LIED CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS
CONDUCTOR'S CIRCLE STORIES In addition to its concerts at historic Powell Hall, which has been the SLSO’s home for more than 50 years, the orchestra is an integral part of the vibrant St. Louis community. Orchestra musicians share dozens of education and community performances throughout the region each year at medical facilities, places of worship, community centers and schools. The St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra was founded by Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin in 1970. The SLSO is proud to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its education programs in 2021. For more than 15 years, the St. Louis Symphony: Live at the Pulitzer series has highlighted composers and music of today through innovative performances in collaboration with the Pulitzer Arts Foundation. The SLSO has also served as the resident orchestra for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for more than 40 years and enjoys enduring artistic collaborations with individuals and organizations locally and around the world. The GRAMMY™ Award–winning SLSO’s impact is expanding with a growing digital presence that helps make music more accessible to all, realized through digital concerts and weekly Saturday night concert broadcasts on St. Louis Public Radio and Classic 107.3, acclaimed recordings and regular tours domestically and abroad. Since the arrival of Marie-Hélène Bernard as President and CEO in 2015, the SLSO has aligned its mission to make music more accessible, while fostering a culture welcoming to all. The SLSO serves as a convener of individuals, creators and ideas, and is committed to building community through compelling and inclusive musical experiences. As it continues its longstanding focus on equity, diversity, inclusion and access, the SLSO embraces its strengths as a responsive, nimble organization, while investing in partnerships locally and elevating its presence globally. For more information, visit slso.org.
DRS. DAVID & MARILYN MOORE We value good music, and we’ve both been involved in both instrumental and choral forms of it for most of our lives. We’re delighted to have the opportunity to help bring the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and “Movie Music of John Williams” to the Lied’s stage.
TOM & LINDA HOEGEMEYER Music has been a part of Tom and Linda’s lives since they were children. Their appreciation for orchestral music began when they used their student discounts to attend the annual Ames, Iowa, International Orchestra Festival. They are pleased to be able to help provide support for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and “Movie Music of John Williams.”
RHONDA SEACREST Few Nebraskans have supported the arts and culture of the state like the Lied Center for Performing Arts more than Rhonda Seacrest and her late husband, James C. Seacrest. In their giving and leadership, the Seacrests have gone above and beyond to provide world-class cultural events and education to citizens all across Nebraska. Rhonda puts a high priority on providing quality and equality of cultural experiences for all Nebraskans. She is proud to support the Lied Center for Performing Arts.
LIANA SANDIN—PEARLE FRANCIS FINIGAN FOUNDATION Liana Sandin and the Pearle Francis Finigan Foundation are ardent supporters of the arts, especially of music, and more especially of classical music. We are happy to help the citizens of Nebraska find more opportunities to hear and enjoy great music. The Lied Center Conductor’s Circle is a wonderful way to do this. ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
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LIED CENTER RECOGNIZED AS “OUTSTANDING ARTS ORGANIZATION” AT THE 2021 MAYOR’S ARTS AWARDS In recognition of a year of innovation, adaptation, and a relentless commitment to continue serving the community no matter the circumstances, the Lied Center is honored to have been recognized as "Outstanding Arts Organization" at the Lincoln Arts Council's 2021 Mayor's Arts Awards, aptly themed “The Arts Find a Way.” As Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird put it in her opening remarks at the awards ceremony on November 8, 2021, “Keeping the arts alive over the past year and a half has demanded so much more than we ever imagined it could. Lincoln is a community that loves the arts...And thanks to the creativity and hard work of artists and arts organizations, the arts did find a way to reach us over this past year.” The Lincoln Arts Council chose the Lied Center as Outstanding Arts Organization in celebration of the ways in which the Lied continued bringing the arts to the community through the pandemic, writing, “The Lied has received national recognition for its creativity and innovation during the pandemic." On Feb. 24, 2021, Michael Paulson wrote in The New York Times that the “future has already arrived at the Lied Center for Performing Arts”. He recognized the Lied for online performances and for hybrid performances when they were allowed. The Journal Star’s L Magazine on Nov. 12, 2020, chronicled the Lied’s success in online performance. USA Today, May 18, 2021, highlighted the Lied’s ability to overcome the limitations of the COVID response. “But something unusual happened at the Lied...Two weeks after the shutdown, performances shifted online. In June, the nationally recognized Music on the Move program began winding its way through Lincoln neighborhoods.” The National Endowment for the Arts published "The Art of Reopening" in January 2021 and cited the Lied as its first example of how to manage a performing arts center during the pandemic and its aftermath. Mayor Gaylor Baird called special attention to the Lied Center’s partnership with American Ballet Theater in launching their ABT Across America tour in Lincoln, highlighting it as a historic moment for the city. “Lincoln put an exclamation point on an extraordinary year July 1 when 6,000 people gathered in Pioneers Park for a free performance by the American Ballet Theater Company. This historic performance by the esteemed ballet company kicked off their cross-country tour and brought national media attention to our Lied Center, to our community, and to our love for the arts. It sent a message that the arts in Lincoln, Nebraska were not just surviving—they were thriving.” The Lied Center is grateful to Mayor Gaylor Baird and the Lincoln Arts Council for the recognition, and to the generous community that has continued to support the arts. In Nebraska, “The Arts Find a Way!”