about Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is a radical experiment in musical democracy, proving for fifty years what happens when exceptional artists gather with total trust in each other and faith in the creative process. Orpheus began in 1972 when cellist Julian Fifer assembled a group of New York freelancers in their early twenties to play orchestral repertoire as if it were chamber music. In that age of co-ops and communes, the idealistic Orpheans snubbed the “corporate” path of symphony orchestras and learned how to play, plan and promote concerts as a true collective, with leadership roles rotating from the very first performance.
It’s one thing for the four players of a string quartet to lean in to the group sound and react spontaneously, but with 20 or 30 musicians together, the complexities and payoffs get magnified exponentially. Within its first decade, Orpheus made Carnegie Hall its home and became a global sensation through its tours Europe and Asia. Its catalog of recordings for Deutsche Grammophon, Nonesuch and other labels grew to include more that 70 albums that still stand as benchmarks of the chamber orchestra repertoire, including Haydn symphonies, Mozart concertos, and twentieth-century gems by Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Ravel and Bartók.
The sound of Orpheus is defined by its relationships, and guest artists have always been crucial partners in the process. Orpheus brings the best out of its collaborators, and those bonds deepen over time, as heard in the long arc of music-making with soloists such as Richard Goode and Branford Marsalis, and in the commitment to welcoming next-generation artists including Nobuyuki Tsujii and Tine Thing Helseth. Breaking down the barriers of classical repertoire, partnerships with Brad Mehldau, Wayne Shorter, Ravi Shankar and many others from the sphere of jazz and beyond have redefined what a chamber orchestra can do. Relationships with composers and dozens of commissions have been another crucial way that Orpheus stretches itself, including a role for Jessie Montgomery as the orchestra’s first ever Artistic Partner. Having proven the power of direct communication and open-mindedness within the ensemble, the only relationship Orpheus has never had any use for is one with a conductor.
At home in New York and in the many concert halls it visits in the U.S. and beyond, Orpheus begins its next fifty years with a renewed commitment to enriching and reflecting the surrounding community. It will continue its groundbreaking work with those living with Alzheimer’s Disease through Orpheus Reflections, and the Orpheus Academy as well as the Orpheus Leadership Institute spread the positive lessons of trust and democracy to young musicians and those in positions of power. Each year, Access Orpheus reaches nearly 2000 public school students in all five boroughs of New York City, bringing music into their communities and welcoming them to Carnegie Hall. Always evolving as artists and leaders, the Orpheus musicians carry their legacy forward, counting on their shared artistry and mutual respect to make music and effect change.
about Alessio Bax
Combining exceptional lyricism and insight with consummate technique, Alessio Bax is without a doubt “among the most remarkable young pianists now before the public” (Gramophone). He catapulted to prominence with First Prize wins at both the Leeds and Hamamatsu International Piano Competitions, and is now a familiar face on five continents, not only as a recitalist and chamber musician, but also as a concerto soloist who has appeared with more than 150 orchestras, including the London, Royal, and St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestras, the New York, Boston, Dallas, Cincinnati, Seattle, Sydney, and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestras, and the NHK Symphony in Japan, collaborating with such eminent conductors as Marin Alsop, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir Andrew Davis, Fabio Luisi, Sir Simon Rattle, Yuri Temirkanov, and Jaap van Zweden. Bax constantly explores many facets of his career. He released his eleventh Signum Classics album, Italian Inspirations, whose program was also the vehicle for his solo recital debut at New York’s 92nd Street Y as well as on tour. He recently debuted with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, playing Schumann Concerto and the Seattle Symphony with Saint-Saëns’ Second Piano Concerto and embarked on a trio tour of Spain with violinist Joshua Bell and cellist Steven Isserlis. Bax and his regular piano duo partner, Lucille Chung, gave recitals at New York’s Lincoln Center and were featured with the St. Louis Symphony and Stéphane Denève. He has also toured extensively with Joshua Bell and presented the complete works of Beethoven for cello and piano with cellist Paul Watkins in New York City.
Bax revisited Mozart’s K. 491 and K. 595 concertos, as heard on Alessio Bax Plays Mozart, for his recent debuts with the Boston and Melbourne Symphonies, both with Sir Andrew Davis, and with the Sydney Symphony, which he led himself from the keyboard. In addition, Bax made his solo recital debut at London’s Wigmore Hall, and give concerts at L.A.’s Disney Hall, Washington’s Kennedy Center, and New York’s Carnegie Hall.
As a renowned chamber musician, he recently collaborated with Joshua Bell, Ian Bostridge, Lucille Chung, Steven Isserlis, Daishin Kashimoto, Sergei Nakariakov, Emmanuel Pahud, Lawrence Power, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Paul Watkins and Tabea Zimmermann.
Since 2017 he has been the Artistic Director of the Incontri in Terra di Siena Festival, a Summer Music Festival in the Val d’Orcia region of Tuscany. He appears regularly in festivals such as Seattle, Bravo Vail, Salon-de-Provence, Le Pont in Japan, Great Lakes, Verbier, Ravinia and Music@Menlo.
In 2009, he was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant, and four years later he received both the Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award and the Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists.
Bax’s celebrated Signum Classics discography includes Beethoven’s “Hammerklavier” and “Moonlight” Sonatas (a Gramophone “Editor’s Choice”); Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto; Bax & Chung, a duo disc with Lucille Chung; Alessio Bax plays Mozart, recorded with London’s Southbank Sinfonia; Alessio Bax: Scriabin & Mussorgsky (named “Recording of the Month … and quite possibly … of the year” by MusicWeb International); Alessio Bax plays Brahms (a Gramophone “Critics’ Choice”); Bach Transcribed; and Rachmaninov: Preludes & Melodies (an American Record Guide “Critics’ Choice 2011”). Recorded for Warner Classics, his Baroque Reflections album was also a Gramophone “Editor’s Choice.” He performed Beethoven’s “Hammerklavier” Sonata for Daniel Barenboim in the PBS-TV documentary Barenboim on Beethoven: Masterclass, available on DVD from EMI.
At the record age of 14, Bax graduated with top honors from the conservatory of Bari, his hometown in Italy, and after further studies in Europe, he moved to the United States in 1994. A Steinway artist, he lives in New York City with pianist Lucille Chung and their daughter, Mila. He was invited to join the piano faculty of Boston’s New England Conservatory in the fall of 2019.
PROGRAM NOTEs
PIANO CONCERTO NO. 1 IN E MINOR, OP. 11
FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN (1810-1849)
Frédéric Chopin holds the enviable position of being the Romantic composer who is perhaps most closely associated with piano composition. Chopin produced works full of delicate nuance and subtle virtuosity. He gave fewer than ten public performances throughout his career, preferring the intimate atmosphere of the salon over the grandeur of the concert hall. It was possibly his somewhat fragile constitution that led to this preference; the composer was in poor health for most of his life and died at age 39. Though Chopin’s greater legacy lies in the smaller piano forms which gained him the most notoriety, he did pen a handful of larger-scale works for piano as well, including two concertos. He composed his Piano Concerto No. 1 in 1830 at just 20 years of age and premiered the work in Warsaw as part of a farewell concert before leaving his native Poland to settle in Paris, where he spent the remainder of his short life.
Opus 11 is structured in the standard three-movement format (fast-slow-fast) typical to instrumental concertos of the time. In this work Chopin delegates the orchestra to a supporting role for the piano rather than the dramatic, dialoguing one more common to the Romantic era. The orchestra takes center stage just once in this work, at the very top: the first movement begins with a full orchestral introduction which serves to build anticipation and introduce the main theme. At length it subsides in preparation for the piano, which enters with a series of dazzling flourishes before presenting the first theme in E minor and the second in E major, both of which are lyrical in character (another departure from the norm of contrasting themes). The remainder of the movement plays on these two ideas; there are no fireworks here, but rather a succession of the composer’s signature rich and decorative passages.
Of the concerto’s second movement, Chopin wrote in a letter to a friend, “The Adagio of my new concerto…is not meant to create a powerful effect: it is rather a Romance, calm and melancholy, giving the impression of someone looking gently toward a spot which calls to mind a thousand happy memories. It is a kind of reverie in the moonlight on a beautiful spring evening.” The movement is earnest in its beauty and reminiscent of the composer’s nocturnes: graceful, song-like, and divinely expressive.
The Rondo finale is based on a Polish folk dance in syncopated duple meter called the Krakowiak. The movement is suffused with a lively, rhythmic energy as the soloist employs the entirety of the keyboard’s range in lightning-quick figurations and concludes in a head-spinning virtuosic rush. It is no wonder that upon the concerto’s premiere a notable music critic declared, “There is spirit in these melodies, there is fantasy in these passages, and everywhere there is originality.”
Note by Laney Boyd
FRANZ SCHUBERT CHAMBER SYMPHONY IN B-FLAT MAJOR, D. 960 [1828]
When Franz Schubert, in a state of declining health, moved into his brother’s apartment in a Vienna suburb in the fall of 1828, he might have guessed that he was dying from the late stages of the syphilis infection he had contracted six years earlier. He still managed to complete some of his most significant works in those final months, including the String Quintet in C Major (D. 956) and three extraordinary piano sonatas (D. 958-60).
It’s hard for us to appreciate today how unorthodox Schubert’s compositions were, especially when he approached tradition-laden forms like symphonies and piano sonatas. (As one publisher put it in a rejection letter to Schubert, ‘The public does not yet sufficiently and generally understand the peculiar, often ingenious, but perhaps now and then somewhat curious procedures of your mind’s creations.”) As in so many other aspects of his composing career, Schubert had to reckon with the shadow of Beethoven, whose 32 piano sonatas left little headroom for future composers; faced with that baggage, only half of Schubert’s attempts reached the final double-barline, and just three were published in his lifetime.
Schubert might have started sketching the piano sonatas in the spring of 1828, and he finished them in September. Two months later, he was dead at the age of 31, and the sonatas were sold posthumously to a publisher who then waited a decade to print them. (Many scores fared worse—they were essentially deemed worthless and left with Schubert’s brother, including the Ninth Symphony.)
Schubert’s final sonata in B-flat technically fulfills the formal requirements of a sonata in the Haydn-Mozart-Beethoven mold, but it is so enigmatic and expansive that it bursts any conventional definition. In that sense, it is a perfect candidate for transcription to a larger medium, as in this Chamber Symphony version created in 2006 by the German conductor and composer Heribert Breuer. He designed the instrumentation to match another of Schubert’s most celebrated creations, the Octet from 1825 for clarinet, bassoon, horn and string quintet. In the performance, Orpheus uses string sections to further draw out the symphonic dimensions of Schubert’s far-reaching score.
The Chamber Symphony disturbs expectations from the start, setting off in a Molto moderato tempo more suited to a slow movement than a sonata-form exposition. This hushed chorale in the warm key of B-flat breaks off after seven measures for an ominous trill from the bass, and then the chorale picks right up again as if nothing has happened. The next trilling interruption maintains its grip and transports the music to a new point of arrival—the distant yet strangely comforting key of G-flat major. When the crucial secondary theme arrives, it recasts that G-flat as its doppelganger F-sharp, and shifts to a wistful minor mode. These deft manipulations of harmony set up an emotional arc that pulls us away from familiar comfort, and leaves us suspended between hope (in the major key) and despair (in the minor key). Even when we reach the bravura coda at the end of four movements, a sense remains that some resolutions are unknowable in this lifetime.
© 2022 Aaron Grad.
FUNDING CREDIT:
This concert is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Orpheus is represented by Dorn Music. Orpheus has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, Sony Classical, EMI Classics, BMG/RCA Red Seal, Decca, Nonesuch, Verve, Avex Classics, and its own label, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Records
ANABETH H. COX
As the only member of the Piano Circle without a history on the piano, I must admit that my love of piano performance comes as a result of my sister, MarySue Harris. Her love of the piano, her 40+ years of teaching piano, and her joy in the performance on the piano, have sealed my commitment to perpetuating that love for the children, and the children at heart, in the beauty of the music written for the piano. I’m grateful to be a part of bringing that beauty to the Lincoln community. I can’t play the piano, but I can love it!
MARYSUE HARRIS
The Piano Series, offered by the Lied Center, is truly an opportunity to hear first-rate piano performances throughout the year! Before the Piano Series, we had some poor attendance at piano concerts, but there is so much interest now, both in the Series and in the active response to the pianists, it is most gratifying and fulfilling!! There is an increased awareness of the excellent pianism and an expectation from the audience of a higher standard of performance overall!
As a life-long, performing pianist who taught piano for over 40 years, and had many students win top honors in competitions, I am so thrilled with the resounding success of the Piano Series; and I look forward to another outstanding year with the powerful pianistic performances the series offers. MarySue has moved to the West Coast to be close to her son and daughter.
MRS. LARRY H. LUSK
The piano and music have played an important part in my life. From my early childhood piano lessons, through high school, college and beyond, there has always been music and especially the piano. Once again, the Lied Piano Series brings beautiful music and outstanding artists to the Lied stage, showcasing the endless variety, creativity and beauty of this grand and glorious instrument. We welcome these artists to the Lied stage for all to enjoy!
JOAN M. REIST
It’s wonderful that the Piano Series has received such a positive and enthusiastic response, and I’m delighted that is has become a permanent fixture in Lied Center programming. It’s especially gratifying that this program continues to reach out to young people, giving them a unique opportunity to hear great music and observe great artists interact with the instrument. In the end, all who enjoy these concerts will walk away with something new and exciting that can enhance their personal—and positive—relationship with the piano.
I really appreciate continuing efforts to engage interested and enthusiastic piano students beyond the concert hall. The initial Piano Academy was a success and the next events followed suit. What a great opportunity for piano students to engage with talented and experienced mentors and with peers who have similar passion for making music at the piano!
Keith Heckman
Having been a dealer in fine pianos for more than forty years, it gives me great pleasure to continue to provide Lincoln and the surrounding area the opportunity to hear some of the great artists of the world. It is also fulfilling to assist young piano students with interacting with excellent teachers and clinicians. What a treasure the Piano Circle is for the Lied.
Mary-Ann
K.Clinton
My late husband (John) and I have loved music all our lives. However, our passion for classical piano started in 1967 when we learned that our four-year-old son Mark had extraordinary musical talent. From that time, we dedicated our efforts to help him develop his God-given talents. We recently discovered that Mark’s paternal grandmother was such an accomplished pianist that she had been awarded a music scholarship to attend Boston University in the 1930’s. Due to family reasons, she never fulfilled that dream. This made us realize that although God works in wonderful and mysterious ways, family genes may also have been involved. Following our move to Lincoln, John and I soon found a home for all things musical and cultural at the Lied Center. The growth of the Lied Piano Circle allowed us to contribute to having some of the best piano music in the world on the Lied stage. Our musical journey has been wonderful one, and my continued participation in the Piano Circle is an honor and privilege. I look forward to this year’s Piano Circle artists as they provide another season of exciting performances for our Nebraska audiences.
CHARLOTTE HEERMANN
The Piano Series initially featured in the 2013–14 season of the Lied Center has enhanced the season program and promises to continue to do so in the 2022–23 season. Our community has had the special opportunity to experience piano performances of the highest quality presented by internationally acclaimed pianists. The response has been enthusiastic and has raised awareness and expectations of even more outstanding performances.
As a performing pianist and teacher for many years, I am particularly excited by the opportunity for students to hear some of the best pianists and performances in the world. What an inspiration! I look forward to another outstanding season with exceptional pianists and performances offered by the Piano Series.
Diana Warner
“I’m so pleased to be a part of the Piano Circle. It’s great to help bring excellent performers and fine piano music to the Lied Center.
It is our hope that this project will continue for many years to come.”
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.
DIRK
BROM AND KIM RUSSEL
We are pleased to support the Lied’s ongoing commitment to bring classical music to Lincoln. The internationally and nationally acclaimed artists that share their gifts with Lied audiences add to the outstanding quality of life in Lincoln. We sincerely appreciate the community and state-wide support for the arts in Nebraska.
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, IA International Orchestra Festival. We are pleased to be able to help provide support for the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra with Pianist Alessio Bax.
DRS DAVID & MARILYN MOORE
We value good music, and we’v 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 major orchestras to the Lied’s stage.
