Programme Notes
Tue 14 May 2024 •
Commemoration concert
PROGRAMME
conductor Giuseppe Mengoli
soprano Ilse Eerens
soprano Martha Bosch
mezzosoprano Nina van Essen
choir Laurens Collegium
Witold Lutosławski (1913–1994)
Musique funèbre (1954–58)
• Prologue – Metamorphosis –Apogeum – Epilogue
Anton Bruckner (1824–1896)
• Ave Maria (1861)
• Aequale Nos. 1 and 2 (1847)
• Christus factus est (1884)
Arnold Schönberg
Friede auf Erden, op. 13 (1907) version for choir and orchestra
Antonio Vivaldi
Gloria RV 589 (c. 1716)
Concert ends at around 21.45
Cover: Photo Pushpak Bhandari (Unsplash)
Rotterdam 1952, restoration of the St. Lawrence Church. Photo Daan Noske, Anefo.
From the rubble and ashes
Eight months before the bombardment of Rotterdam, the young Polish composer Witold Lutosławski was about to leave for Paris. He was about to pursue his composition studies in the music capital of the world.
The war, however, thwarted his plans: when Poland was attacked on 1 September 1939 –signalling the start of the Second World War – Lutosławski was drafted into the military. His unit was taken prisoner by German troops, but Lutosławski managed to escape and returned to Warsaw on foot, a journey of 400 kilometres. He had known fear and witnessed unspeakable horrors.
Tragedies of war
For Poland, the end of the war six years later did not mean real liberation. The country became a satellite state of the Soviet Union; the Stalinist regime allowed no scope for freedom of expression. Censorship was gradually relaxed only after Stalin’s death in 1953. It was against that background that Lutosławski composed his Musique funèbre. From the rubble and ashes of war and repression he created a totally new musical world, founded on the egalitarian ideals of Arnold Schönberg’s twelve-tone serialism. The single-movement composition in four sections is based on a series of notes made up of the twelve-tone chromatic scale. Lutosławski used two intervals for this: the plaintive, falling semitone and the menacing, rising tritone. In the Prologue, this series becomes a canon that slowly grows in intensity, until
the tension is almost unbearable. In the next section, Metamorphoses, Lutosławski braids three strands of music into a chain of sounds. The series from the Prologue undergoes twelve transformations, the texture gradually becoming richer. The short third section, Apogeum (highest point), consists of a very dense harmony that is repeated rhythmically. The final section begins in unison, after which a reversal of the canons from the first movement takes on even greater colour, culminating in a poignant ending.
Hope
Anton Bruckner was an extremely dedicated servant of God. Every day, he noted down coded prayers in a special diary. He evidently got divine inspiration in return. His music is of an unearthly beauty.
When God sent archangel Gabriel to expel Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden with a flaming sword, paradise became inaccessible to the human race. Eve’s sin was not taken lightly. Much later, God sent the same angel to Earth to give Mary news that would reverse –even undo – the history of Adam and Eve. The
Annunciation, which begins with the Latin word ‘Ave’, set a series of events in motion that would lead to the birth, death and resurrection
of Jesus. The Blessed Virgin would open the gate to paradise that Eve had closed. Ave – the salutation to the Roman emperor – conceals a divine symmetry. The name Eva (as Eve is known in many cultures) has been contrasted with the word Ave since the Middle Ages. Through Mary the bond between man and God is reaffirmed, and hope reigns once more. And nobody has given voice to that hope as beautifully as Bruckner.
Bruckner composed two Aequali for four trombones in 1847 for the funeral of his aunt Rosalia Mayrhofer while he was residing at the convent of St. Florian, just south of Linz. The enormous convent, to which he was appointed organist soon afterwards, impressed Bruckner greatly. That can be heard in these two short pieces.
The motet Christus factus est is based on the gradual for Holy Thursday. In this music, Bruckner uses a fine brush to paint an intimate and tranquil picture of Christ, who became obedient and died for us.
Peace
By coming up with a totally new tonal language – twelve-tone serialism – Arnold Schönberg became one of the major musical innovators of the 20th century. In his early years he was a composer with a late-romantic, post-Wagnerian signature. Friede auf Erden was his last work in that tradition. It begins serenely, the choir singing in hushed tones of the promise of peace on earth, at the birth of Christ. In the second section Schönberg reflects on all the brutality that has taken place since, but ultimately goodness triumphs. Schönberg uses rich harmonies and contrapuntal techniques to create a feeling of depth and emotion. Expressive melodies reflect the pursuit of harmony.
Schönberg might no longer have believed in it, but Friede auf Erden continues to offer hope that peace can one day be achieved.
Later, embittered by the First World War, he called the piece ‘An illusion for mixed choir’, written at a time in which he ‘believed that this pure harmony among human beings was conceivable’. Schönberg might no longer have believed in it, but Friede auf Erden continues to offer hope that peace can one day be achieved.
Resurrection
Vivaldi’s Gloria is one of the most popular choral works ever written. Vivaldi composed a spiritual and emotional journey from lavish praise to serene worship. Incredible to think that this Gloria, dating from around 1715, was unknown for many years: Bruckner and Schönberg never heard this music. Antonio Vivaldi was popular throughout the Western world during his lifetime but was forgotten after his death. By around 1800 nobody knew his name anymore. Only in 1926, when 300 concertos, 19 operas and 100 vocal and instrumental works turned up in a convent in Piemonte, did musicologists begin to wonder who this Vivaldi actually was. His name became more widely known again when a big Vivaldi week was organised at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, when works such as the Gloria were heard for the first time in centuries. That was on 20 September 1939. So the start of the Second World War coincided with the resurrection of Vivaldi’s ode to joy, life and beauty.
Alexander Klapwijk
Ilse Eerens • soprano
Born: Maasmechelen, Belgium
Education: Lemmens Institute (Leuven), Dutch National Opera Academy (Amsterdam and The Hague) with Jard van Nes Awards: International Vocal Competition ’s-Hertogenbosch 2004, ARD Musik Wettbewerb München 2006
Opera: Opéra de Lyon, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Theater an der Wien, La Monnaie, Salzburger Festspiele, Bregenzer Festspiele
Concert appearances: Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de Radio France, Scottish Chamber Orchestra with conductors such as Frans Brüggen, Laurence Equilbey, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Riccardo Muti, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Jaap van Zweden Debut Rotterdam Philharmonic: 2021 (online concert)
Giuseppe Mengoli • conductor
Born: Spongano, Italy
Education: violin at the conservatories of Monopoli and Cesena and at the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg with Tianwa Yang (cum laude); conducting at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar with Nicolás Pasquet
Assistant Conductor: with John Axelrod, Daniel Barenboim, Oleg Caetani, Valery Gergiev, Christoph König and Lorenzo Viotti; Real Orquesta Sinfonica de Sevilla, Oslo Opera House, Mariinsky Theatre, LaVerdi Symphony Orchestra, London Covent Garden, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Dutch National Opera
Breakthrough: Winner Gustav Mahler
Conducting Competition Bamberg 2023
Subsequently: concerts with Wiener Symphoniker, Bamberger Symphoniker, RAI Torino, Opéra Marseille, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
Debut Rotterdam Philharmonic: 2024
Photo: Simon Pauly
Photo: Clara Evens
Nina van Essen • mezzosoprano
Born: Rotterdam
Education: Dutch National Opera Academy with Sasja Hunnego, Lyon Conservatory with Françoise Pollet
Awards: Winner Concorso Lirico Internazionale di Portofino 2023, Laureate International Vocal Competition ‘s-Hertogenbosch
Breakthrough: 2019: Staatsoper Hannover
Subsequently: Ruggiero/Alcina, Cherubino/ Le nozze di Figaro, Orfeo/Orfeo ed Euridice, Rosina/Il barbiere di Siviglia, Hänsel/Hänsel und Gretel
Debut Rotterdam Philharmonic: 2024
Martha Bosch • soprano
Education: Sweelinck Conservatory
Amsterdam with Hein Meens and Sasja Hunnego, masterclasses with Margreet Honig, Johannette Zomer, Emma Kirkby and Nelly Miricioiu
Awards: Winner Princess Christina Competition
Solo appearances: Purcell Te Deum, Vivaldi Gloria, Bach St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion, Pergolesi Stabat Mater with conductors such as Ton Koopman, Jos van Veldhoven and Jos Vermunt
Debut Rotterdam Philharmonic: 2024
Laurens Collegium • Choir
Founded: 2002 by Barend Schuurman
Present conductor: Wiecher Mandemaker
Repertoire: music for chamber choir from all period styles
Co-operations: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, Residentie Orkest with conductors such as Frans Brüggen, Stéphane Denève, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Lahav Shani, and Jaap van Zweden
Debut Rotterdam Philharmonic: 2011
Photo: Martha Bosch Photo: Patrycia Lassocinska Photo: Anna PechkeAgenda
Sun 26 May 2024 • 14.15
conductor Bertie Baigent
soprano Chen Reiss
Mozart Overture Idomeneo
Korngold Einfache Lieder
Berg Sieben frühe Lieder
Bach/Webern Ricercare
Mozart Symphony No. 40
Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert
Fri 31 May 2024 • 20.00
Sat 1 June 2024 • 20.00
Rotterdam, Ahoy – RTM Stage
Williams Star Wars: A New Hope
Music for Breakfast 5
Sun 2 June 2024 • 10.30
Jurriaanse Zaal, de Doelen
violin Roman Spitzer and Tobias Staub
viola Anne Huser
cello Pepijn Meeuws
piano Maria Meerovitch
Rachmaninoff Trio élégiaque No. 1
Dvořák Piano Quintet No. 2
Thu 6 June 2024 • 20.15
Fri 7 June 2024 • 20.15
Sun 9 June 2024 • 14.15
conductor Lahav Shani
cello Emanuele Silvestri
viola Roman Spitzer
Boulanger D’un soir triste
Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3
Strauss Don Quixote
Fri 14 June 2024 • 19.45
conductor Tarmo Peltokoski
trombone Jörgen van Rijen
López Bellido Shift, Trombone Concerto
Shostakovich Symphony No.10
Musicians
Chief Conductor
Lahav Shani
Honorary Conductor
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Principal Guest Conductor
Tarmo Peltokoski
First Violin
Marieke Blankestijn, concertmeester
Quirine Scheffers
Hed Yaron Meyerson
Saskia Otto
Arno Bons
Mireille van der Wart
Rachel Browne
Maria Dingjan
Marie-José Schrijner
Noëmi Bodden
Petra Visser
Sophia Torrenga
Hadewijch Hofland
Annerien Stuker
Alexandra van Beveren
Second Violin
Charlotte Potgieter
Cecilia Ziano
Frank de Groot
Laurens van Vliet
Tomoko Hara
Elina Staphorsius
Jun Yi Dou
Bob Bruyn
Eefje Habraken
Maija Reinikainen
Wim Ruitenbeek
Babette van den Berg
Melanie Broers
Lana Trimmer
Viola
Anne Huser
Roman Spitzer
Galahad Samson
José Moura Nunes
Kerstin Bonk
Lex Prummel
Janine Baller
Francis Saunders
Veronika Lénártová
Rosalinde Kluck
León van den Berg
Olfje van der Klein
Cello
Emanuele Silvestri
Eugene Lifschitz
Joanna Pachucka
Daniel Petrovitsch
Mario Rio
Gé van Leeuwen
Eelco Beinema
Carla Schrijner
Pepijn Meeuws
Yi-Ting Fang
Double Bass
Matthew Midgley
Ying Lai Green
Jonathan Focquaert
Robert Franenberg
Harke Wiersma
Arjen Leendertz
Ricardo Neto
Flute
Juliette Hurel
Joséphine Olech
Flute/piccolo
Beatriz Da Baião
Oboe
Remco de Vries
Karel Schoofs
Anja van der Maten
Oboe/Cor Anglais
Ron Tijhuis
Clarinet
Julien Hervé
Bruno Bonansea
Clarinet/ Bass Clarinet
Romke-Jan Wijmenga
Bassoon
Pieter Nuytten
Lola Descours
Marianne Prommel
Bassoon/ Contrabassoon
Hans Wisse
Horn
David Fernández Alonso
Felipe Santos Freitas Silva
Wendy Leliveld
Richard Speetjens
Laurens Otto
Pierre Buizer
Trumpet
Alex Elia
Simon Wierenga
Jos Verspagen
Trombone
Pierre Volders
Alexander Verbeek
Remko de Jager
Bass trombone
Rommert Groenhof
Tuba
Hendrik-Jan Renes
Percussion
Danny van de Wal
Ronald Ent
Martijn Boom
Adriaan Feyaerts
Harp
Charlotte Sprenkels