CLASSICS
A NEW MOVEMENT BEGINS
2019.20
RENEW BY MAY 1, 2019
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Photo credits: Adam DeTour, Jean-Baptiste Millot, Erin Kavanaugh, Jonathan Kirn, Uwe Arens, Erik Knoff
Dear Subscriber, It is with great pleasure and anticipation that I look forward to the 2019.20 season of the extraordinary gift that is the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. From the very first time I visited Milwaukee in the spring of 2018, I sensed a crisp energy in the city and felt it reflected in the way in which the musicians approach their playing and lives. I cannot wait to be part of the performances with this orchestra on stage, as well as out in the community together with you, enjoying these wonderful programs we have created especially for you. I am honored to bring my first season to you in the fall, eager to explore Beethoven’s music and life with you in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of his birth, introduce you to my favorite worldclass guest artists, and create programs that really get us talking about the music and what you love most about it. Patrons like you are part of the strong foundation of the MSO, and I thank you for being a part of the inner circle of MSO patrons by subscribing.
SUSAN BABINI
KEN-DAVID MASUR
JUN MĂ„RKL
This is a special time in the history of the Orchestra and the city, when a new chapter will begin with the opening of our new concert hall in fall of 2020. This new space will inspire innumerable creative ideas and collaborations, continue to celebrate the extraordinary artistry that is inherent in the city, and draw visitors from every part of the world. Each time I get to tour the construction site, I am excited anew for this great orchestra and city of Milwaukee. A multitude of experiences await. As my family and I prepare to begin our life with you in Milwaukee, we are heartened and encouraged by the warm welcome we have already received. It is my privilege to join your community of music lovers, visionary leaders and committed donors who guide and support the MSO each day of the year.
YANIV DINUR
FRANK ALMOND
JOHANNES MOSER
HAN-NA CHANG
With gratitude and anticipation,
Ken-David Masur Music Director Polly and Bill Van Dyke Music Director Chair LEE MILLS
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Photo credit: Jonathan Kirn
Photo credit: Linn Noct
Renew INGRID FLITER
AUGUSTIN HADELICH
MASUR TAKES THE REINS SEPTEMBER 13 – 15 Uihlein Hall KEN-DAVID MASUR, conductor INGRID FLITER, piano
KEN-DAVID MASUR, conductor AUGUSTIN HADELICH, violin
JUN MÄRKL, conductor JORGE FEDERICO OSORIO, piano
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MASUR CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN NOVEMBER 1 + 2 Pabst Theater KEN-DAVID MASUR, conductor
6M | 18 | 9B | 7B
“Fate, that fatal force” is the driving theme of Tchaikovsky’s astounding Fourth Symphony, whose emotional finale builds from darkness to light. Augustin Hadelich returns to perform Sibelius’s wildly challenging Violin Concerto. KAIJA SAARIAHO Ciel d’hiver SIBELIUS Violin Concerto TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4
6M | 18 | 9A | 7A | 7M The sounds of Spain ripple through this lush program, which includes Falla’s musical impressions of Spanish gardens, selections from Bizet’s Carmen, Ravel’s Boléro and more. CHABRIER España FALLA Nights in the Gardens of Spain BIZET Selections from Carmen RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Capriccio espagnol RAVEL Boléro
7 | 18 | 9A
Music Director Ken-David Masur conducts this program bookended by Beethoven, opening with his highly heroic Coriolan Overture and closing with his First Symphony, which changed the symphony genre forever. BEETHOVEN Coriolan Overture STRAVINSKY Suite from Pulcinella BARTÓK Dances of Transylvania BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1
WAGNER Prelude to Die Meistersinger SCHUMANN Piano Concerto DETLEV GLANERT Brahms-Fantasie, Heliogravure for orchestra STRAUSS Suite from Der Rosenkavalier
SOUNDS OF SPAIN OCTOBER 4 – 6 Uihlein Hall
7 | 18 | 9A | 7A | 7M
b y M ay 1 for the BEST SE ATS!
MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY CHORUS
Welcome, Music Director Ken-David Masur! In his inaugural concerts, Masur conducts a few of his personal favorites, including Schumann’s only piano concerto and a suite from Strauss’s well-loved opera “The Knight of the Rose.”
HADELICH PERFORMS SIBELIUS SEPTEMBER 20 + 21 Uihlein Hall
JORGE FEDERICO OSORIO
STRINGS, HORNS + BEETHOVEN’S SECOND NOVEMBER 9 + 10 Pabst Theater LEE MILLS, conductor MATTHEW ANNIN, horn DIETRICH HEMANN, horn DARCY HAMLIN, horn JOSHUA PHILLIPS, horn
Beethoven’s Second is a work of cheer and sunlight — surprising, considering that Beethoven was beginning to lament his loss of hearing. Schumann’s Konzertstück challenges the entire horn section, while Britten’s Simple Symphony sets the strings apart. BRITTEN Simple Symphony SCHUMANN Konzertstück for Four Horns and Orchestra BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 2
MOZART’S REQUIEM NOVEMBER 22 – 24 Uihlein Hall YANIV DINUR, conductor + piano MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY CHORUS CHERYL FRAZES HILL, director
18 | 9B | 7B
18 | 9A | 7A | 7M
Considered to be one of the most sublime pieces of music ever written, Mozart’s staggering Requiem contains the final notes he ever composed. Resident Conductor Yaniv Danur both conducts and performs Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20. MOZART Piano Concerto No. 20 MOZART Requiem
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Photo credit: Anthony Chang
Photo credit: Jacob Blickenstaff
Renew
ing rity seat for prio ymphony in the S ter Cen
ORION WEISS
RUSSIAN FESTIVAL: PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION JANUARY 17 + 18 Uihlein Hall KEN-DAVID MASUR, conductor SERGEI BABAYAN, piano
Music Director Ken-David Masur conducts Gorchakov’s orchestral arrangement of Mussorgsky’s famous musical gallery, Pictures at an Exhibition — listen for the familiar, brassy “Promenade” between paintings made of sound. SHOSTAKOVICH Festive Overture PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 3 SCHNITTKE (K)ein Sommernachstraum MUSSORGSKY (ARR. GORCHAKOV) Pictures at an Exhibition
RUSSIAN FESTIVAL: JOYCE YANG RETURNS JANUARY 24 – 26 Uihlein Hall STEFAN ASBURY, conductor JOYCE YANG, piano
6M | 18 | 9A | 7A | 7M
Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto was originally considered too difficult to be played; this dazzling show-stopper has since become a centerpiece of piano repertoire. Prokofiev’s Third Symphony deals in dark obsession. RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Russian Easter Overture TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1 PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 3
RUSSIAN FESTIVAL: JOHANNES MOSER RETURNS JANUARY 31 + FEBRUARY 1 Uihlein Hall EDO DE WAART, conductor JOHANNES MOSER, cello
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7 | 18 | 9B | 7B
Music Director Laureate Edo de Waart returns to conduct Rachmaninoff’s large and lush Second Symphony. Johannes Moser performs Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto, a “deep meditation, reaching philosophical heights.” SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 1 RACHMANINOFF Symphony No. 2
JOYCE YANG
GEMMA NEW
MASUR CONDUCTS MENDELSSOHN FEBRUARY 22 + 23 Pabst Theater KEN-DAVID MASUR, conductor ORION WEISS, piano
Mendelssohn’s “Italian” symphony was inspired by a tour from Milan to Naples, calling to mind sunny Roman landscapes. Orion Weiss performs Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto, which abounds with youth and vigor. MENDELSSOHN Trumpet Overture BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 2 GABRIELI Canzoni MICHELE DALL’ONGRO La primavera MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 4 “Italian”
BEETHOVEN’S VIOLIN CONCERTO FEBRUARY 28 + 29 Pabst Theater GEMMA NEW, conductor ANTHONY MARWOOD, violin
PETER OUNDJIAN, conductor TODD LEVY, clarinet
18 | 9B
Violinist Anthony Marwood takes the stage to perform Beethoven’s revolutionary Violin Concerto, a technically demanding stunner; the MSO welcomes guest conductor Gemma New. STRAVINSKY Danses concertantes RAVEL Mother Goose Suite BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto
BEETHOVEN FIVE MARCH 13 – 15 Uihlein Hall
18 | 9A | 7A
6M | 18 | 9B | 7B | 7M Among the most iconic pieces of classical music ever composed, Beethoven’s Fifth has spellbound audiences for over 200 years, from its opening bars (dum-dum-dum-DUM) through its momentous finale. The MSO’s own Todd Levy performs Bernstein’s Sonata for Clarinet. RACHMANINOFF Isle of the Dead DEBUSSY Première rapsodie BERNSTEIN Sonata for Clarinet BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 mso.org | 7
Photo credits: Marco Borggreve, Adam DeTour
Renew ALESSIO BAX
ILANA SETAPEN
KEN-DAVID MASUR
BRAHMS + SCHUMANN APRIL 3 + 4 Uihlein Hall KEN-DAVID MASUR, conductor TAMARA MUMFORD, mezzo soprano MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY CHORUS CHERYL FRAZES HILL, director
MAY 1 – 3 Pabst Theater KEN-DAVID MASUR, conductor JESSICA RIVERA, soprano
YANIV DINUR, conductor ILANA SETAPEN, violin
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BRAHMS Gesang der Parzen BRAHMS Schicksalslied BRAHMS Alto Rhapsody EDMUND FINNIS The Air, Turning SCHUMANN Symphony No. 1, “Spring”
18 | 9B | 7B | 7M
Initially dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, the revised title “Eroica” (“Heroic”) suits Beethoven’s Third; this is a grand symphony of tension, energy and triumph. RODION SHCHEDRIN Beethoven’s Heiligenstädter Testament SCHUBERT/GOLIJOV She Was Here BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 3 ,“Eroica”
BEETHOVEN + BOLCOM’S VIOLIN CONCERTO MAY 8 + 9 Pabst Theater
JESSICA RIVERA
This program bursts with song, beginning with three choral pieces by Brahms and ending with Schumann’s joyous “Spring” symphony, which suggests “the world turning green.”
BEETHOVEN’S HEROIC SYMPHONY
7 | 18 | 9A
While sometimes overshadowed by Beethoven’s other symphonies, the Fourth is a buoyant, witty example of Beethoven’s brilliance. The MSO’s Ilana Setapen performs William Bolcom’s jazz-infused Violin Concerto. RESPIGHI Trittico botticelliano WILLIAM BOLCOM Violin Concerto BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 4
to save 20 on spec % per form ial a n ce s
PASTORAL SOUNDS MAY 22 + 23 Uihlein Hall EDO DE WAART, conductor SUSAN BABINI, cello
Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony, titled “Pastoral” after its idyllic country setting, invokes birdsong, a sudden downpour, and the call of the shepherds. Music Director Laureate Edo de Waart returns to conduct this icon. ELGAR Cello Concerto BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral”
BEETHOVEN’S EMPEROR JUNE 5 + 6 Uihlein Hall HAN-NA CHANG, conductor ALESSIO BAX, piano
KEN-DAVID MASUR, conductor FRANK ALMOND, violin MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY CHORUS CHERYL FRAZES HILL, director
6M | 18 | 9A | 7B
The MSO concludes its Beethoven celebration with his mighty “Emperor” piano concerto. Han-na Chang also conducts Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, which gives each section of instruments a chance to shine. BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor” BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra
SEASON FINALE: EVERYONE SANG JUNE 12 – 14 Uihlein Hall
6M | 18 | 9B | 7A
7 | 18 | 9B | 7M
The MSO closes its season with Bruch’s legendary Violin Concerto. The Milwaukee Symphony Chorus offers up choral gems including a sacred work by Dvořák and Everyone Sang by contemporary composer Helen Grime. HELEN GRIME Everyone Sang BRUCH Violin Concerto No. 1 VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Toward the Unknown Region DVORÁK Te Deum mso.org | 9
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MASUR TAKES THE REINS HADELICH PERFORMS SIBELIUS
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Renew by May 1 & enjoy these perks!
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