North Carolina Symphony Friday Favorites: Beethoven Symphony. No. 4

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BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 4 FRIDAY, MAY 28, 2021 | NOON

Filmed and recorded live from Meymandi Concert Hall Woolner Stage Raleigh

The North Carolina Symphony, in grateful acknowledgment of its generous grant-in-aid, performs under the auspices of the State of North Carolina, the Honorable Roy Cooper, Governor.

The North Carolina Symphony gratefully acknowledges financial support from Wake County, the City of Raleigh, and the Town of Cary.


ON E L S A W! NO

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BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 4 Friday, May 28, 2021 | Noon

Filmed and recorded live from Meymandi Concert Hall Woolner Stage

Raleigh Brett Mitchell, conductor Joseph Peters, host

Joan Tower (b. 1938)

Chamber Dance

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major, Op. 60 (1770-1827) I. Adagio – Allegro vivace II. Adagio III. Allegro vivace IV. Allegro ma non troppo

DIGITAL INITIATIVES SUPPORTER

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ABOUT THE MUSIC

Chamber Dance JOAN TOWER • Chamber Dance, by Grammy Award-winning composer Joan Tower, was commissioned by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and premiered in 2006.

• The work is not chamber music in the traditional sense, but Tower explained that the orchestra has to follow each other’s lead the way that small chamber music groups do. • Individual instruments also stand out as they would in a chamber music work. Tower writes: “Chamber Dance weaves through a tapestry of solos, duets, and ensembles where the oboe, flute, and violin are featured as solos and the violin and clarinet, cello and bassoon, two trumpets, and unison horns step out of the texture as duets. The ensemble writing is fairly vertical and rhythmic in its profile, thereby creating an ensemble that has to ‘dance’ well together.” LISTEN FOR:

• The opening gesture, a rising scale pattern followed by a descending pattern, that hints at what is to come in the piece thematically • Prominent violin, cello, and clarinet solos during the second theme • A whole-tone scale—expanded from the opening scale figure—that concludes the piece

Symphony No. 4 LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN • Beethoven wrote his Symphony No. 4 for Count Franz von Oppersdorff, whom he met while spending the summer at the countryside palace of his longtime patron Prince Karl Lichnowsky. It was premiered at a private concert at Lobkowitz Palace in Vienna.

• The Fourth Symphony is not as well known as the weightier Third and Fifth Symphonies—Robert Schumann referred to it as “a slender Greek maiden between two Norse giants.” It is notable for the beauty in its directness and simplicity. • The symphony is predominantly lighthearted, and harkens back to the style of Beethoven’s first two symphonies—perhaps because the Count requested it immediately after hearing the Second Symphony performed by the orchestra he employed. • Beethoven had already begun sketching the Fifth Symphony when he composed the Fourth. He often enjoyed working on pairs of contrasting works simultaneously.

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• When he composed his Symphony No. 4, Beethoven was deeply in love with a woman named Josephine Brunsvik, who is sometimes thought to be the mysterious “Immortal Beloved” of his love letters. The third movement, in particular, is seen as representing the ease and joy that was in his heart at the time. LISTEN FOR:

• The slow and deceptively dark introduction of the first movement, in B-flat minor rather than the expected key of B-flat major • The solo timpani in the final bars of the second movement, playing the heartbeat-like rhythm that underlies the entire movement • In the third movement, the unusual five-part design— with three appearances of the scherzo and two appearances of the trio section • In the fourth movement, the bassoon (rather than the full orchestra) re-introducing the primary theme at the recapitulation—this is sometimes called “the great bassoon joke” or, by bassoonists, “24 notes to glory”


ABOUT THE ARTISTS Brett Mitchell, conductor Brett Mitchell’s 2020/21 season features debuts with the North Carolina and Fort Worth symphonies. Guest engagements in prior seasons include the Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, National, Oregon, San Antonio, San Francisco, and Vancouver symphonies; the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl; the Minnesota Orchestra; and a two-week tour with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

Brett has served as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony since the 2017/18 season, and served as Music Director Designate during the 2016/17 season. During his five-season tenure, ending this summer, he has increased the orchestra’s engagement with its audience by offering in-depth demonstrations from both the podium and the piano, and has led the orchestra in world premieres, recording projects, and commissions. From 2013 to 2017, Brett served The Cleveland Orchestra as Assistant Conductor (2013-2015), Associate Conductor (2015-2017), and Music Director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (2013-2017). He has also held Assistant Conductor posts with the Houston Symphony, Orchestre National de France, and the Castleton Festival, and in 2015, he completed a five-year appointment as Music Director of

the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra. He has served on the faculties of Northern Illinois University, the University of Houston, and the University of Denver. Born in Seattle in 1979, Brett holds degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and Western Washington University, and has studied at the National Conducting Institute. He was a recipient of the inaugural American Friends of the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Foundation Scholarship in 2008 and was one of five recipients of the League of American Orchestras’ American Conducting Fellowship from 2007 to 2010. Joseph Peters, host Joseph Peters has been North Carolina Symphony Associate Principal Oboe and English Horn since 2018, and previously held Principal Oboe chairs with the Minnesota Orchestra and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. To his role as host for this season’s streaming concerts, Joseph brings a great love for teaching and communication. He has also conducted the Symphony twice, most recently for Music From the Movies in March.

Please find bios for orchestra personnel performing on this evening’s concert linked on the following page.

Thank you to the North Carolina Symphony Society Board of Trustees, the North Carolina Symphony Foundation Board, the North Carolina Symphony Chapter Boards, and the many individuals, businesses, foundations, and community partners who support the North Carolina Symphony through contributions each season. Our performances this season, along with our extensive music education program and community service across the state, are made possible by your support. View North Carolina Symphony board members here and a list of our supporters here.

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Thank you to the members of the Lamar Stringfield Society who support the future of your North Carolina Symphony with estate gifts and endowed funds. Their generosity will help the orchestra share the power of music for generations to come.

Want to make music part of your legacy? To learn more about including the Symphony in your estate plans, contact Rebecca Watkins, Director of Major Gifts & Planning Giving, rwatkins@ncsymphony.org or 919.789.5497

Please consider making a gift to the Annual Fund.

Your gift will count toward the 2020/21 State Challenge Grant, multiplying your generosity even more!

Click here to make a gift online or call 919.733.2750 or toll free 877.627.6724. We are re-imagining donor benefits for this unique time, including opportunities to meet our musicians and go behind the scenes virtually. Click here to learn more.

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SUPPORT STATEWIDE SERVICE THROUGH MUSIC

With creativity and innovation, your North Carolina Symphony remains committed to serving our state with inspiring music and meaningful music education programs.


ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL Grant Llewellyn, Music Director Laureate The Maxine and Benjamin Swalin Chair

Janet Gayer Hall

Wesley Schulz, Associate Conductor The Lucy Moore Ruffin Chair

Anton Shelepov

VIOLIN I Brian Reagin, Concertmaster The Annabelle Lundy Fetterman Chair Dovid Friedlander, Associate Concertmaster** The Assad Meymandi and Family Chair Karen Strittmatter Galvin, Associate Concertmaster* To Be Filled, Assistant Concertmaster The Anne Heartt Gregory Chair

Oskar Ozolinch

Jeanine Wynton VIOLA Samuel Gold, Principal The Florence Spinks and Charles Jacob Cate and Alma Yondorf and Sylvan Hirschberg Chair Kurt Tseng, Associate Principal The Betty Ellen Madry Chair To Be Filled, Assistant Principal Petra Berényi

DOUBLE BASS Leonid Finkelshteyn, Principal The Martha and Peyton Woodson Chair Robert K. Anderson, Associate Principal The Dr. and Mrs. Preston H. Gada Chair Craig Brown The Mark W. McClure Foundation Chair Erik Dyke The Harllee H. and Pauline G. Jobe Chair Bruce Ridge The John C. and Margaret P. Parker Chair FLUTE Anne Whaley Laney, Principal The Mr. and Mrs. George M. Stephens Chair

Robert Anemone**

Paul Malcolm

Emily Rist Glover The Jessie Wyatt Ethridge Chair

Christine Martin

Mary E. Boone, Assistant Principal The Dr. and Mrs. Shaler Stidham, Jr. Chair

Amy Mason The J. Sidney Kirk Chair

Elizabeth Anderton Lunsford The Jack and Sing Boddie Chair

Paul Goldsberry The Richard and Joy Cook Chair So Yun Kim The Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. Chair Marilyn Kouba The Phyllis (“Pat”) Conrad Wells Chair Eric McCracken The James C. Byrd and Family Chair Maria Meyer The Tom and Mary Mac Bradshaw Chair Eileen Wynne The Harvey At-Large Chair Erin Zehngut The J. Felix Arnold Chair VIOLIN II Jacqueline Saed Wolborsky, Principal The Nancy Finch Wallace Chair

Sandra Schwarcz The Samuel H. and Anne Latham Johnson Viola Chair CELLO Bonnie Thron, Principal The June and Tom Roberg Chair Elizabeth Beilman, Associate Principal The Sarah Carlyle Herbert Dorroh Chair Peng Li, Assistant Principal Anonymously Endowed Yewon Ahn Anonymously Endowed Sunrise Kim The William Charles Rankin Chair David Meyer The Nell Hirschberg Chair

PICCOLO Elizabeth Anderton Lunsford The Jean Dunn Williams Chair OBOE Melanie Wilsden, Principal The Hardison and Stoltze Chair Joseph Peters, Associate Principal The Lizette T. Dunham Chair Sandra Posch The Clarence and Alice Aycock Poe Chair ENGLISH HORN Joseph Peters The Bruce and Margaret King Chair

To Be Filled, Associate Principal The Blanche Martin Shaw Chair

Lisa Howard Shaughnessy The Sara Wilson Hodgkins Chair

CLARINET Samuel Almaguer, Principal The Mr. and Mrs. J. Christopher Walker, II Chair

David Kilbride, Assistant Principal

Nathaniel Yaffe The Secretary of Cultural Resources Betty Ray McCain Chair

To Be Filled, Assistant Principal The Kathryn Powell and Green Flavie Cooper Chair

Qi Cao

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ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL BASSOON Aaron Apaza, Principal The Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald S. Hudson Chair Wenmin Zhang, Assistant Principal The Beethoven Chair FRENCH HORN Rebekah Daley, Principal The Mary T. McCurdy Chair Kimberly Van Pelt, Associate Principal The James Marion Poyner Chair Christopher Caudill The Roger Colson and Bobbi Lyon Hackett Chair Rachel Niketopoulos The Paul R. Villard and Gabriel Wolf Chair To Be Filled The Mary Susan Kirk Fulghum Chair TRUMPET Paul Randall, Principal The George Smedes Poyner Chair To Be Filled, Associate Principal The Henry and Martha Zaytoun and Family Chair Don Eagle Anonymously Endowed

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TROMBONE John Ilika, Principal The Thomas Warwick Steed, Jr. Family Chair Jonathan Randazzo, Assistant Principal The Frances Armour Bryant Chair BASS TROMBONE Matthew Neff Anonymously Endowed TUBA Seth Horner, Principal The Governor and Mrs. James G. Martin, Jr. Chair HARP Anita Burroughs-Price Vonda Darr TIMPANI Colin Hartnett, Principal The Patricia R., Steven T. and George F. Hackney III Chair PERCUSSION Richard Motylinski, Principal The Margery and Earl Johnson, Jr. Chair Rajesh Prasad, Assistant Principal The Abram and Frances Pascher Kanof Chair

SHARE YOUR SYMPHONY EXPERIENCE

ORGAN To Be Filled The Albert and Susan Jenkins and Family Organ Chair LIBRARY Stephanie Wilson, Principal The Mary Colvert and Banks C. Talley Chair *Acting position **Leave of absence Named musician chairs are made possible through very meaningful gifts to the Symphony’s endowment. As such, these donor families are also members of the Lamar Stringfield Society. Learn more. All string players rotate stands on a periodic basis in each section with the exception of titled players: Principals, Associate Principals, and Assistant Principals. The North Carolina Symphony is a member of the League of American Orchestras and the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians. The North Carolina Master Chorale is the Resident Chorus of the North Carolina Symphony. The North Carolina Symphony Foundation gratefully acknowledges the generous gift of the Lupot violin from Arnold and Zena Lerman.

Show us how you’re spending your Friday afternoon with the Symphony! Are you hosting a friend to enjoy the music together? Enjoying lunch as you listen? Snuggled up with a pet?

Tag us in your posts! @ncsymphony #ncsymphony #TheMusicWillPlayOn

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CORPORATE SUPPORT 2020/21 SEASON The North Carolina Symphony is grateful for the generous support of the many corporations across the state that have partnered with us to sustain and advance the mission of the orchestra. With their help, the music WILL play on.

SUSTAINERS

BENEFACTORS

PARTNERS

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