STRAUSS & SCHUMANN Friday, June 10, 2022 at 11:15 am Saturday, June 11, 2022 at 7:30 pm ALLEN-BRADLEY HALL Ken-David Masur, conductor Awadagin Pratt, piano
RICHARD STRAUSS Metamorphosen, TrV 290 JESSIE MONTGOMERY Rounds for solo piano and string orchestra Awadagin Pratt, piano INTERMISSION
FELIX MENDELSSOHN Overture to Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde, Opus 89 (The Return from Abroad) ROBERT SCHUMANN Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Opus 120 (1841 version) I. Andante con moto: Allegro di molto II. Romanza: Andante III. Scherzo: Presto IV. Finale: Allegro vivace The MSO Steinway piano was made possible through a generous gift from MICHAEL AND JEANNE SCHMITZ. This project is supported in part by the NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS. The 2021.22 Classics Series is presented by the UNITED PERFORMING ARTS FUND.
The length of this concert is approximately 2 hours. Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra can be heard on Telarc, Koss Classics, Pro Arte, AVIE, and Vox/Turnabout recordings. MSO Classics recordings (digital only) available on iTunes and at mso.org. MSO Binaural recordings (digital only) available at mso.org.
Guest Artist Biographies AWADAGIN PRATT Among his generation of concert artists, pianist Awadagin Pratt is acclaimed for his musical insight and intensely involving performances in recital and with symphony orchestras. At the age of 16, Pratt entered the University of Illinois where he studied piano, violin, and conducting. He subsequently enrolled at the Peabody Conservatory of Music where he became the first student in the school’s history to receive diplomas in three performance areas – piano, violin, and conducting. In 1992, Pratt won the Naumburg International Piano Competition and two years later was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant. Since then, he has played numerous recitals throughout the U.S., including performances at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, Chicago’s Orchestra Hall, and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. His many orchestral performances include appearances with the New York Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Atlanta, St. Louis, National, and Detroit symphonies, among many others. Summer festival engagements include appearances at Ravinia, Blossom, Wolftrap, Caramoor, Aspen, and the Hollywood Bowl. Pratt is the founder and artistic director of the Art of the Piano and produces a festival every spring featuring performances and conversations with well-known faculty members and pianists. Through the Art of the Piano Foundation and inspired by a stanza from T. S. Eliot’s Four Quartets, Pratt has commissioned seven composers – Jessie Montgomery, Alvin Singleton, Judd Greenstein, Tyshawn Sorey, Jonathan Bailey Holland, Paola Prestini, and Peteris Vasks – to compose works for piano and string orchestra or piano, string orchestra, and a Roomful of Teeth. Ms. Montgomery’s concerto will be performed by a consortium of nine U.S. orchestras, including the St. Louis, Baltimore, Milwaukee, and Indianapolis symphonies, in the spring of 2022. All seven works will be recorded in summer 2022 with the chamber orchestra A Far Cry for New Amsterdam Records. Pratt is currently Professor of Piano and Artist in Residence at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. He also served as the Artistic Director of the World Piano Competition in Cincinnati and the Next Generation Festival. In recognition of his achievements in the field of classical music, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Johns Hopkins University as well as honorary doctorates from Illinois Wesleyan and Susquehanna Universities and delivered commencement addresses at those institutions and at Peabody Conservatory.
Program notes by J. Mark Baker On a program largely devoted to works by German masters – Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Richard Strauss – we’ll hear a brand-new piece by American composer Jessie Montgomery, Rounds. We welcome pianist Awadagin Pratt, for whom the work was written. Richard Strauss
Born 11 June 1864; Munich, Germany Died 8 September 1949; Garmisch-Partenkirche, Germany
Metamorphosen, TrV 290
Composed: 1945 First performance: 25 January 1946; Zurich, Switzerland Last MSO performance: February 2015; Edo de Waart, conductor Instrumentation: strings Approximate duration: 26 minutes I may not be a first-rate composer, but I am a first-class second-rate composer. –Richard Strauss, 1947
The term “metamorphosis” has its root in a Greek word that means “to change shape.” By 1945, the 80-year-old Richard Strauss had seen his share of change in the world – from the humiliating defeat of Germany at the end of World War I to the destruction wrought upon his native country as the Allies fought to defeat Hitler and fascism. Munich, his beloved hometown, had been bombed in 1943, and its venerable opera house – the site of many a Strauss opera performance – had been destroyed. Learning of the latter, he sighed with sadness and resignation, stating, “I can write no more music today. I am beside myself.” Several months later, inspired to create a musical memorial, Strauss limned a brief Adagio for strings. From the outset, its intention was clear to the composer: atop one sketch he penned “Lament for Munich.” As time went on, the work kept increasing in size and scope. No longer intended for a non-descript string orchestra, he labeled it “a study for 23 solo strings” – ten violins, five violas, five cellos, and three double basses. In Metamorphosen, Strauss interweaves elaborate string textures to create what one writer called “an anguished elegy to a culture in ruins.” The composer pours out not only his grief, but also his love for a world that no longer existed, at least in the way he had known it. The music is heartbreaking – both in its sorrow and in its beauty. In their initial rhythmic pattern, the lower strings mimic a rhythmic pattern from the funeral march in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”). (At the end, Strauss quotes this explicitly. On his manuscript, he scrawled In memoriam above these measures.) There are also thematic allusions to Wagner, heightening the music’s pathos and pointing up Strauss’s angst-ridden state of mind over the wreckage of the country he had esteemed all his life. Metamorphosen turned out to be the composer’s valediction in the realm of instrumental music. It was completed in fulfillment of a commission from Paul Sacher for his Zurich Collegium Musicum. By the time of its 1946 premiere, the world was at peace – but Strauss’s cosmos had crumbled.
Jessie Montgomery
Born 8 December 1981; New York, New York
Rounds for solo piano and string orchestra
Composed: 2021-22 First performance: 27 March 2022; Hilton Head, South Carolina Last MSO performance: MSO premiere (co-commission) Instrumentation: strings Approximate duration: 15 minutes Jessie Montgomery is an acclaimed composer, violinist, and educator. She was born and raised in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Since 1999, Jessie has been affiliated with The Sphinx Organization, which supports young African-American and Latinx string players. Her growing body of work includes solo, chamber, vocal, and orchestral works. She holds degrees from the Juilliard School and New York University. Rounds was commissioned for pianist Awadagin Pratt by Art of the Piano Foundation and cocommissioned by Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, IRIS Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. The composer has provided the following program notes. Rounds for solo piano and string orchestra is inspired by the imagery and themes from T.S. Eliot’s epic poem Four Quartets. Early in the first poem, Burnt Norton, we find these evocative lines: At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless; Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is, But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity, Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards, Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point, There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.
© T.S. Eliot Reproduced by courtesy of Faber and Faber Ltd In addition to this inspiration, while working on the piece, I became fascinated by fractals (infinite patterns found in nature that are self-similar across different scales) and also delved into the work of contemporary biologist and philosopher Andreas Weber who writes about the interdependency of all beings. Weber explores how every living organism has a rhythm that interacts and impacts with all of the living things around it and results in a multitude of outcomes. Like Eliot in Four Quartets, beginning to understand this interconnectedness requires that we slow down, listen, and observe both the effect and the opposite effect caused by every single action and moment. I’ve found this is an exercise that lends itself very naturally towards musical gestural possibilities that I explore in the work – action and reaction, dark and light, stagnant and swift. Structurally, with these concepts in mind, I set the form of the work as a rondo, within a rondo, within a rondo. The five major sections are a rondo; section “A” is also a rondo in itself; and the cadenza – which is partially improvised by the soloist – breaks the pattern, yet, contains within it, the overall form of the work.
To help share some of this with the performers, I’ve included the following poetic performance note at the start of the score: Inspired by the constancy, the rhythms, and duality of life, in order of relevance to form: Rondine – AKA Swifts (like a sparrow) flying in circles patterns Playing with opposites – dark/light; stagnant/swift Fractals – infinite design I am grateful to my friend Awadagin Pratt for his collaborative spirit and ingenuity in helping to usher my first work for solo piano into the world. –Jessie Montgomery (February 2022)
Felix Mendelssohn
Born 3 February 1809; Hamburg, Germany Died 4 November 1847; Leipzig, Germany
Overture to Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde, Opus 89 (The Return from Abroad)
Composed: 1829 First performance: 26 December 1829; Berlin, Germany Last MSO performance: MSO premiere Instrumentation: 2 flutes; 2 oboes; 2 clarinets; 2 bassoons; 2 horns; 2 trumpets; strings Approximate duration: 6 minutes Like Mozart before him, Felix Mendelssohn was a wunderkind. By age 14, he had written 13 string symphonies, among other pieces. A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture, one his most enduring works, came at age 17. His extensive list of compositions includes concertos (including the ever-popular Violin Concerto), chamber music, solo piano and organ pieces, songs and duets for voice(s) and piano, and lots of choral music – both sacred and secular. Felix Mendelssohn was 20 years old when he wrote Heimkehr aus der Fremde in 1829, the same year he conducted the Berlin Singakademie in the revival of J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, the first time it had been heard since Bach’s day. The impression of that singular event was so farreaching that it ignited the great 19th-century revival of the 18th-century master’s music. Heimkehr aus der Fremde (The Return from Abroad) is a one-act Liederspiel (song-play) with a libretto by Mendelssohn’s friend Karl Klingemann, who later severed as a diplomat in London. Its comic plot involves Kauz, a likable dissembler, who pretends to be the long-absent son of the village mayor Schultz, in an effort to win the hand of the mayor’s ward, Lisbeth. Kauz’s ruse is exposed when Hermann, the true son, returns incognito. Mendelssohn penned an overture, seven strophic songs, a few ensembles, and a finale. We’ll enjoy the charming A-major overture, in which a lilting Andante introduction in 6/8 meter paves the way for a spirited cut-time Allegro di molto.
Robert Schumann
Born 8 June 1810; Zwickau, Germany Died 29 July 1856; Endenich (near Bonn), Germany
Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Opus 120 (1841 version)
Composed: 1841, 1851 Premiere: 6 December 1841; Leipzig, Germany (original version, as Symphony No. 2) 3 March 1853; Düsseldorf, Germany (as Symphony No. 4, Op. 121) Last MSO performance: October 2011; Edo de Waart, conductor Instrumentation: 2 flutes; 2 oboes; 2 clarinets; 2 bassoons; 4 horns; 2 trumpets; 3 trumpets; timpani; strings Approximate duration: 28 minutes Of the composers of the Romantic era, Robert Schumann is quite likely the most romantic. His music emphasized self-expression, is inherently lyrical, and often displays literary, extramusical connections. Schumann was prolific as a composer, father (eight children), and writer (co-founder of the periodical, Neue Zeitung für Musik, “New Journal for Music”). In the latter role, he helped further the career of the young Johannes Brahms. Schumann’s Symphony No. 4 began its life in 1841, as his Symphony No. 2. Ten years later, it was revised and renumbered. It is this revision that is most frequently heard today. Often hailed as one of his most original works, Opus 120 is notable for its formal continuity and for the cohesiveness of its thematic material. Though cast in the traditional four segments, the composer called it a “symphony in one movement” and instructed that it be played without a pause. In various musical guises, three main motifs recur throughout: • the somber, sinuously flowing opening melody that fills most of the slow introduction • the first theme of the Allegro section, a 16th-note passage introduced by the violins • a martial, fanfare-like figure, first heard about six minutes in; played by brass and timpani, punctuated by winds The Allegro is dominated by the 16th-note motif, but, following the militaristic fanfare, a lyrical theme is introduced in the movement’s development section. The oboe and cello open the lyrical Romanza, then the introductory melody returns to blossom into a sumptuous passage, set in D major. In the middle section, a solo violin provides generous ornamentation; the oboe/cello melody closes the movement. The tempestuous Scherzo is created largely from the first movement’s introductory theme (turned upside down) and martial theme; its trio is like the central section of the Romanza, but this time with all the violins playing arabesques. The 16th-note theme returns during the spellbinding transition to the Finale. The closing Allegro vivace is energetic, jubilant music, fueled by yet another version of the martial theme and the 16th-note motif. As the movement progresses, the music grows ever more exultant, ending in a whirlwind of delightful good humor.
2021.22 SEASON KEN-DAVID MASUR Music Director Polly and Bill Van Dyke Music Director Chair EDO DE WAART Music Director Laureate YANIV DINUR Resident Conductor CHERYL FRAZES HILL Chorus Director Margaret Hawkins Chorus Director Chair TIMOTHY J. BENSON Assistant Chorus Director FIRST VIOLINS Ilana Setapen, Acting Concertmaster Charles and Marie Caestecker Concertmaster Chair Jeanyi Kim, Acting Associate Concertmaster (2nd Chair) Chi Li, Acting Assistant Concertmaster Alexander Ayers Michael Giacobassi Yuka Kadota Dylana Leung Lijia Phang Margot Schwartz SECOND VIOLINS Jennifer Startt, Principal Andrea and Woodrow Leung Second Violin Chair Timothy Klabunde, Assistant Principal Glenn Asch John Bian Lisa Johnson Fuller Paul Hauer Hyewon Kim Shengnan Li Laurie Shawger Mary Terranova VIOLAS Robert Levine, Principal Richard O. and Judith A. Wagner Family Principal Viola Chair Samantha Rodriguez, Acting Assistant Principal Friends of Janet F. Ruggeri Viola Chair Alejandro Duque, Acting 3rd Chair Assistant Principal Elizabeth Breslin Nathan Hackett * Erin H. Pipal Helen Reich
CELLOS Susan Babini, Principal Dorothea C. Mayer Cello Chair Nicholas Mariscal, Assistant Principal Scott Tisdel, Associate Principal Emeritus Madeleine Kabat Gregory Mathews Peter Szczepanek Peter J. Thomas Adrien Zitoun BASSES Jon McCullough-Benner, Principal Donald B. Abert Bass Chair Andrew Raciti, Associate Principal Scott Kreger Catherine McGinn Rip Prétat HARP Julia Coronelli, Principal Walter Schroeder Harp Chair FLUTES Sonora Slocum, Principal Margaret and Roy Butter Flute Chair Heather Zinninger Yarmel, Assistant Principal Jennifer Bouton Schaub PICCOLO Jennifer Bouton Schaub OBOES Katherine Young Steele, Principal Milwaukee Symphony League Oboe Chair Kevin Pearl, Assistant Principal Margaret Butler ENGLISH HORN Margaret Butler Philip and Beatrice Blank English Horn Chair in memoriam to John Martin CLARINETS Todd Levy, Principal Franklyn Esenberg Clarinet Chair Benjamin Adler, Assistant Principal, Donald and Ruth P. Taylor Assistant Principal Clarinet Chair William Helmers E FLAT CLARINET Benjamin Adler BASS CLARINET William Helmers BASSOONS Catherine Chen, Principal Muriel C. and John D. Silbar Family Bassoon Chair Rudi Heinrich, Assistant Principal Beth W. Giacobassi
CONTRABASSOON Beth W. Giacobassi HORNS Matthew Annin, Principal Krause Family French Horn Chair Krystof Pipal, Associate Principal Dietrich Hemann Andy Nunemaker French Horn Chair Darcy Hamlin TRUMPETS Matthew Ernst, Principal Walter L. Robb Family Trumpet Chair David Cohen, Associate Principal Martin J. Krebs Associate Principal Trumpet Chair Alan Campbell, Fred Fuller Trumpet Chair TROMBONES Megumi Kanda, Principal Marjorie Tiefenthaler Trombone Chair Kirk Ferguson, Assistant Principal BASS TROMBONE John Thevenet, Richard M. Kimball Bass Trombone Chair TUBA Robert Black, Principal TIMPANI Dean Borghesani, Principal Chris Riggs, Assistant Principal PERCUSSION Robert Klieger, Principal Chris Riggs PIANO Melitta S. Pick Endowed Piano Chair PERSONNEL MANAGERS Françoise Moquin, Director of Orchestra Personnel Paul Beck, Interim Assistant Personnel Manager LIBRARIANS Patrick McGinn, Principal Librarian, Anonymous Donor, Principal Librarian Chair Paul Beck, Associate Librarian PRODUCTION Tristan Wallace, Technical Manager & Live Audio Supervisor Paolo Scarabel, Stage Technician & Deck Supervisor
* Leave of Absence 2021.22 Season
