Friends of Chamber Music by Sunflower Publishing

2014-15 season

the friends of cha mber music

Table of Contents 8 Welcome from Cynthia Siebert 9 Welcome from the Board Chair 11 2014-15 Concert Schedule 15 Soirée 2014 16 Ticket Information 17 The Venues 18 FORTE Film Series 19 The Live Concert Experience 20 Lecture Schedule 112 Special Thanks 114 Contributors 115 Special Committees and Advisory Board 118 Glossary 128 Ad Index

Concert Programs and Notes 22 Brentano String Quartet with Juho Pohjonen, piano 28 Philarmonia Quartett Berlin 32 Vox Luminis 44 Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra 50 Quatuor Ébène 54 Anonymous 4 68 Ariel Quartet with Alon Goldstein, piano 74 Lise de la Salle, piano 80 Stile Antico 88 Sir András Schiff, piano 96 Les Violons du Roy with Marc-André Hamelin, piano 102 Dubravka Tomšič, piano 108 Artemis Quartet

Cover Art Title: The Violinist II Artist: Joseph DeCamp (1858-1923) Date: 1902 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 36.25 x 28.25 in (estimate) © Public Domain

Program Book Credits Publisher: Sunflower Publishing Editor-in-Chief: Cynthia Siebert Editor: Marcy Chiasson Associate Editors: Tricia Kyler Bowling, Robert Holland, & Laura Schneider Program Annotators: Laurie Shulman, Dr. William Everett, Alison Mackey, Susan Hellauer, Matthew O’Donovan and Richard Jones. Special thanks to Helga Bruening and Kristin Allred for help with translations. Advertising Sales: Sunflower Publishing Content Design & Layout: Laura Schneider Advertising Layout: Sunflower Publishing

The Friends of Chamber Music Staff Cynthia Siebert Founder and President Tricia Kyler Bowling Director of Development Marcy Chiasson Director of Marketing and Public Relations Robert Holland Production and Artist Services Manager Laura Schneider Customer & Creative Services Manager

Contact The Friends 4635 Wyandotte, Suite 201 Kansas City, Missouri 64112 Telephone: 816-561-9999 Fax: 816-561-8810 www.chambermusic.org

39th season 2014-15

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the friends of chamber music | Live Performance. Be There.

39th season 2014-15

from the

Founder

and President Dear Friends, As you read through this brochure, you will see artists from all over the world who enrich our lives with their joyous music making. Old friends return to our stage - legends in their own time - such as pianists Sir András Schiff and Dubravka Tomšič, Anonymous 4 and the Artemis Quartet. Artists new to our stage are pianist Lise de la Salle from Paris; The Philharmonia Quartett Berlin; Vox Luminis from Belgium; the provocative Quatuor Ébène from Paris; the Ariel Quartet from Israel and most recent winners of the Cleveland Quartet Award; and pianists Marc-André Hamelin from Quebec and Juho Pohjonen from Helsinki, Finland. These are artists whom we highly value for their imaginative powers and who will play some of the world’s most beautiful music. And we have more reasons to celebrate this season. Tafelmusik returns to Kansas City with its multi-disciplinary program: The Galileo Project. To enhance this event for our audience, we will partner with the Linda Hall Library to present Dr. Bill Ashworth in a pre-concert talk, as well as Visions of the Spheres – A Display of Images from Original Documents of the Renaissance exhibit in the Shareholders’ Room at the Folly Theater. The Galileo Project is a theatrical production narrated by an actor that incorporates stunning visuals and music written during Galileo’s lifetime, as well as breathtakingly beautiful photos by the Hubbell Space Station telescope, an instrument that is an outgrowth of Galileo’s invention made over 400 years ago. In another partnership, The Friends joins with the National WWI Museum and UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance to mark the 100th anniversary of the Great War. The Ariel Quartet and pianist Alon Goldstein will perform a program of music written during this period of history on Friday, January 30 at the Folly Theater. On Wednesday, January 28 at the National WWI Museum, you will not want to miss Sounds from an Unsettled World with the museum’s President and CEO Matt Naylor, Dr. Bill Everett from UMKC, and other experts who will come together to discuss the relationship between events of WWI and music. The musicians will join this conversation on the stage at the museum for the program. Though these collaborations accentuate connections to other disciplines and art forms, every program of The Friends of Chamber Music is an opportunity to explore multiple connections through the lens of ravishingly beautiful music, played by performers and scholars who represent the finest artists and curators in their respective fields in the world. It’s worth singling out Sir András Schiff’s program which focuses on the late works of Haydn, Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven. While we have always enjoyed programs that balance youthful and mature works, this exclusive focus on late works invites us to make closer observations, for they represent a kind of spiritual diary for these composers. These works take their “…substance from a deep inner process of introspection and emotional synthesis.” (Joseph Kerman.) They ask us to penetrate our innermost feelings with an unmatched directness. Like all great works of art, these are as much about selfdiscovery, as they are about the discovery of a much larger world. From the legendary to the newly discovered, from old friends to new ones, from the young to the mature, with literature that spans over 700 years that is thought-provoking and beautiful, no other program in Kansas City brings you a series of such depth and breadth. No other program in Kansas City brings you a series of such incomparable artistry. We look forward to seeing you at all of these wonderful concerts!

Cynthia Siebert President & Founder the friends of chamber music | Live Performance. Be There.

from the

chairman of the board

Dear Friends, I am pleased to welcome you to the 39th season of The Friends of Chamber Music, which continues the grand tradition of superb music with both internationally renowned and up-andcoming headliner artists from around the globe. The Friends is delighted to maintain its devotion to presenting the world’s finest musicians in a lovely array of performance venues in downtown Kansas City including beautiful churches evocative of the early music series, and the area’s venerable concert venue – The Folly Theater. The splendor and fine acoustics of these environments will only add to your experience of the exquisite music. I encourage you, also, to take advantage of the innovative supplemental programs which The Friends offers throughout the season. These visual, intellectual and educational programs will enhance your concert-going experience: the FORTE Film Series, panel discussions, master classes, pre-concert lectures. Our partnership continues with the UMKC Conservatory of Dance and Music through the Music Alliance Series. New partnerships with the World War I Museum and Linda Hall Library are wonderful ways to broaden your understanding of the genre. In addition, the Young Friends program expands accessibility to classical music for young people through several programs, including free tickets for students 18 and younger. Clearly, the focus of The Friends is not solely on providing great music, but to further its appreciation by all. My husband and I have been attending FCM concerts for over thirty years, and have delighted in sharing these performances with our children and friends. When we receive The Friends of Chamber Music’s brochure, we immediately put every concert date on our calendar. We have come to learn that no matter what the ensemble or repertoire will be – we know it will be excellent! I am very proud to be involved with The Friends, and I thank you for your support of this outstanding series. Very truly yours,

Nancy Lee Kemper Chair of the Board of Directors

Board of Directors:

Nancy Lee Kemper Board Chair

Tom Bowser

Cynthia Siebert President

Scott K. Martinsen

Dwight Arn Secretary

Dick Bruening Patricia Miller Tom Nanney

39th season 2014-15

SEPTEMBER

NOVEMBER

JANUARY

Friday, September 26, 2014 | 8 pm Folly Theater $30-$20; FREE for 18 and under

Sunday, November 9, 2014 | 2 pm Folly Theater $45-$35; FREE for 18 and under

A co-presentation with UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance Friday, January 30, 2015 | 8 pm Folly Theater $25; $10 for 18 and under (and students)

brentano string quartet with juho pohjonen, piano

OCTOBER

philharmonia quartett berlin A co-presentation with UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance Friday, October 10, 2014 | 7:30 pm White Recital Hall – UMKC $25; $10 for 18 and under (and students)

vox luminis

Friday, October 24, 2014 | 8 pm Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral $35; FREE for 18 and under General Admission

tafelmusik baroque orchestra: the galileo project

quatuor Ébène

ariel quartet with alon goldstein, piano

Friday, November 21, 2014 | 8 pm Folly Theater $30-$20; FREE for 18 and under

FEBRUARY

DECEMBER

Friday, February 13, 2015 | 8 pm Folly Theater $35-$25; $15 for 18 and under

Sunday, December 14, 2014 | 2 pm Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception $35; FREE for 18 and under General Admission

stile antico

anonymous

lise de la salle

Friday, February 27, 2014 | 8 pm Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception $35; FREE for 18 and under General Admission

MARCH

sir andrás schiff

Friday, January 31, 2014 | 8 pm Folly Theater $35-$25; $15 for 18 and under

les violons du roy with marc-andré hamelin, piano Friday, March 13, 2015 | 8 pm Folly Theater $40-$30; FREE for 18 and under

APRIL

dubravka tomšič

Friday, April 10, 2015 | 8 pm Folly Theater $35-$25; $15 for 18 and under

artemis quartet

Saturday, April 18, 2015 | 8 pm Folly Theater $30-$20; FREE for 18 and under

Special thanks to our sponsors:

39th season 2014-15

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commercial industrial residential 3119 Bell street Kansas city, missouri 64111 816/931-1075 fax 816/931-1455 wrc@wrc-Kc.com

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Soirée

2014

Benefit & Wine Auction

Soirée, The Friends of Chamber Music's annual benefit, was held on May 10 at the Indian Hills Country Club. Patricia Cleary Miller was the honorary chair. Guests enjoyed silent and live auctions, and a performance by the Ariel Quartet. Master of Wine and Master Sommelier Doug Frost and Lucille Windsor served as auctioneers. Nancy Lee Kemper, FCM Chair of the Board, introduces the Honorary Chair of Soirée 2014, Patricia Cleary Miller.

FCM President and Founder Cynthia Siebert and Larry Hicks

Honorary Chair Patricia Cleary Miller

The Ariel Quartet

More scenes from Soirée 2014

photos by Stu Nowlin Imaging

Ellen and Jerry Wolfe

Bruce and Cynthia Campbell flanked by Mark and Lynne O’Connell.

Soirée

W ine . M usic. Dinner.

2015

Nancy Kohn, Mayor Charlie Wheeler, Tom Bowser, Marcie and Dr. Robert Walzel,

Save the date! Soirée 2015 will take place on Saturday, May 9, at Indian Hills Country Club. Visit www.chambermusic.org for more information. 39th season 2014-15

Ticket Information → How to order

1. Mail: 4635 Wyandotte, #201 Kansas City, MO 64112 2. Phone: 816.561.9999 or toll-free 877.MY.SEATS 3. Choose your seats online: www.chambermusic.org Cash, checks and all major credit cards acccepted.

→ Box office hours

Season Hours: Monday—Friday, 9 am–5 pm Summer Hours: Monday—Thursday, 9 am–5 pm On Location: 90 minutes before the start of the concert

→ reminders

BOX OFFICE SCHEDULE

You may purchase and print tickets online up to 30 minutes before a performance (excluding the Philharmonia Quartett Berlin on October 10, 2014) or by phone during office hours. Ticket orders that do not meet these criteria cannot be confirmed or guaranteed. You may also purchase tickets the night of the performance at the Box Office beginning 90 minutes before each performance. Student rush tickets (see explanation of discounts below) are sold 30 minutes before each performance at the box office window.

DISCOUNTS

Series Subscriptions are available at significant savings to you! For more information on series subscriptions, request a subscription brochure or visit us online at chambermusic.org. Rush Tickets: College students with a valid student ID receive a special rate of $15 per ticket beginning 30 minutes prior to each concert. Senior citizens (60+) are also eligible for this rush discount. This discount is not applicable for Music Alliance Concerts.

All sales are final. There are no refunds. Ticket exchanges are free for series subscribers up to 48 hours before the performance.

Group Sales: Adult groups of 10 or more receive a special rate of $20 per ticket to all The Friends’ concerts. Please contact the box office manager at 816.561.9999 for more information. This discount is not applicable for Music Alliance Concerts.

There are no exchanges for single tickets. If you are unable to attend a concert, please return your tickets to The Friends 24 hours before the concert. You will receive a tax deduction letter for your donation.

Young Friends Program: We offer FREE tickets to students 18 and younger to most concerts on the International Chamber Music and Early Music Series. Master Pianists Series tickets for students18 and under are only $15 each. This discount is not applicable for Music Alliance concerts.

For questions, email tickets@chambermusic.org

Piano Teacher/ Student Discount Piano Teachers and Students can purchase the entire Master Pianists Series for $30-$40 or Ensemble + Piano Package for $30-40 Please call 816-561-9999 for more details.

the friends of chamber music | Live Performance. Be There.

The Venues FOLLY THEATER Employee Share Discounts: If your employer participates in our Employee Share Program, you may pay as little as half of the total single ticket price (your employer pays the balance.) Call The Friends of Chamber Music or check our website for a current list of participating companies. Ask for information on how your company can become part of our Employee Share Program! Our Partners: • Cerner Corporation • DST Systems, Inc. • State Street Other Employee Discounts: UMB employees can purchase tickets for 20% off the regular ticket price. This may not be combined with any other promotion or discount.

EXCHANGES/REFUNDS

Exchange privileges: If you are a series subscriber and are unable to attend a performance on your subscription series, you may exchange your tickets for a different performance. All exchanges must be made within the same season and you must call The Friends of Chamber Music at least 48 hours before the performance. Tickets are non-refundable. If you are not a series subscriber and unable to attend a concert, but would like to release your tickets, we will mail you an acknowledgement of a tax-deductible contribution for the amount you paid for your tickets. To release your seats, please call The Friends of Chamber Music at least 48 hours before the performance. Lost tickets: If you have lost your tickets, please contact us at least 48 hours before the performance. We will hold reprinted tickets for you in Will Call. If you forget your tickets on a performance night, please see the Box Office Manager in the box office to reprint your tickets. *We ask that children under the age of 12 years be accompanied by an adult. Infants and children under six years old are not allowed at concerts.

300 West 12th Street | Kansas City, MO 64105 Parking is available in the garage west of the theater for $8-$10. For a donation of $175 to the Folly Theater, patrons receive the benefit of complimentary parking next to the Folly. For details, call the Folly Theater at 816.842.5500.

Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral 415 West 13th Street | Kansas City, MO 64105 The parking lot can accommodate about 100 cars. If the lot is full, free overflow parking is available across 13th Street in the Kansas City Southern Headquarters parking garage. Enter the garage from Washington Street on the west.

CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION 416 West 12th Street | Kansas City, MO 64105 There is limited parking in the church parking lot on the east side of the building. Paid parking is available at a variety of downtown lots.

WHITE RECITAL HALL - UMKC CAMPUS 4949 Cherry | Kansas City, MO 64110 Free parking is provided in the lot adjacent on the east side of White Recital Hall and in the multi-tiered garage west of White Recital hall at Oak Street and 51st for evening and weekend performances.

TIVOLI CINEMAS 4050 Pennsylvania Avenue | Kansas City, MO 64111 Free covered parking is available in the Manor Square Parking Garage which can be entered off of Pennsylvania Avenue or Mill Street. The main pedestrian entrance is on Pennsylvania. Look for the Tivoli sign above the doorway. Free surface parking is also available in the lot just east of the front door on Pennsylvania Avenue.

National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial 100 W. 26th St. | Kansas City, MO 64108 Free parking is available in the rectangular drive as well as the west-side parking lot at the Museum. Guests may enter the Museum through the large bronze doors located underneath the Liberty Memorial. Please note: Because of other events downtown, there may be times when the garages are full, and you may be directed to another parking area by the attendant. Please plan your trip accordingly. Sign up for our e-newsletters for up-to-date information on downtown parking for upcoming events.

39th season 2014-15

forte Film Series The Forte Film Series is a delightful addition to The Friends’ renowned concert series. This season, we bring you two award-winning Stanley Kubrick films that complement two concerts presented on the main series. Both films are free with a reservation. Please call 816-561-9999 or sign-up on www.chambermusic.org

2001: A Space Odyssey A mind-bending sci-fi symphony, Stanley Kubrick's landmark 1968 epic pushed the limits of narrative and special effects toward a meditation on technology and humanity. Based on Arthur C. Clarke's story The Sentinel, Kubrick and Clarke's screenplay is structured in four movements with music by Richard Strauss and György Ligeti. Four million years ago something ‘nudged’ evolution by placing a monolith on Earth. When humankind reaches the moon, another monolith is found, one that sends a signal beyond Jupiter. And now, man and machine race out into space to find the next clue. Companion film to Tafelmusik: The Galileo Project presented on Sunday, November 9 at 2 p.m., the Folly Theater. Visit www.chambermusic.org to buy tickets. Thursday, November 6 at 7 p.m. Directed by Stanley Kubrick 1968

Paths of Glory In the third year of World War I, the erudite, but morally bankrupt French general Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) orders his troops to seize the heavily fortified "Ant Hill" from the Germans. General Mireau (George MacReady) knows that this action will be suicidal, but he will sacrifice his men to enhance his own reputation. Against his better judgment, Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) leads the charge, and the results are appalling. When, after witnessing the slaughter of their comrades, a handful of the French troops refuse to leave the trenches, Mireau very nearly orders the artillery to fire on his own men. Still smarting from the defeat, Mireau cannot admit to himself that the attack was a bad idea from the outset: he convinces himself that loss of Ant Hill was due to the cowardice of his men. Mireau demands that three soldiers be selected by lot to be executed as an example to rest of the troops. Acting as defense attorney, Colonel Dax pleads eloquently for the lives of the unfortunate three. Thursday, January 22 at 7 p.m. Starring Kirk Douglas Directed by Stanley Kubrick 1957

Companion film to Ariel Quartet with Alon Goldstein, pianist and Sounds from an Unsettled World presented on Friday, January 30 at 8 p.m., the Folly Theater. Visit www.chambermusic.org to buy tickets. This concert is part of the Music Alliance Partnership with UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance

Tivoli cinemas

4050 Pennsylvania Avenue | Kansas City, MO 64111

Free covered parking is available in the Manor Square Parking Garage which can be entered on either Pennsylvania Avenue or Mill Street. The main pedestrian entrance is on Pennsylvania. Look for the large Tivoli sign above the doorway.

Special thanks to Jerry Harrington and the Tivoli staff for making this possible. the friends of chamber music | Live Performance. Be There.

Your Guide

to Live performance Be There

Quatuor Ébène ( see p. 52)

Other Notes and Reminders If you wish to receive future mailings from The Friends of Chamber Music, please leave your name and address at the box office, call our offices during business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) or visit our website at www.chambermusic.org. Patrons needing wheelchair seating or other assistance are asked to notify the box office when ordering tickets. Smoking is prohibited at all concert venues. Food and drink, including bottled water, are not permitted in the concert hall. Lost articles may be claimed at the box office, or at the offices of The Friends of Chamber Music. Programs and artists are subject to change.

Welcome to today’s live performance. No matter the quality of a compact disc, and regardless of opportunities to hear “virtual” concerts on the Internet, nothing can replace the exhilaration of experiencing a live performance. Chamber music concerts, especially, provide audiences the opportunity to participate in a unique musical event, where the energy is unpredictable and always affected by those in attendance. We hope the following notes, reminders and rules of etiquette help make today’s concert one you’ll remember for a lifetime. Enjoy! What if I arrive late? Latecomers are asked to remain in the lobby and not enter the hall until the first work is completely finished and the audience is clapping. There are no exceptions to this rule. The ushers will prompt you when it is time to enter, and you may then quietly enter the hall and take a seat nearest the door. What if I need to leave during the performance? When possible, please wait for the end of a piece to leave the concert hall. Of course, if you need to leave the hall at once due to an emergency or an incessant cough, please do so as quietly as possible. Is it okay to cough? Extraneous noise does affect the musicians on stage and those around you. The Friends of Chamber Music provides free cough drops in an effort to keep distractions to a minimum. These are available in the lobby by the doors; please take only what you expect to use during the concert. It is advisable to unwrap the cough drop before the work begins. No matter how quietly you attempt to remove the wrapper, it will cause some annoying rustlings that are sure to distract those seated around you. When should I clap? Most musical works consist of a series of movements, and it is at the end of the last movement that audiences applaud the musicians. Still unsure? Follow along in your program, watch for the musicians to completely lower their instruments, or wait until others around you begin clapping. Are children welcome at concerts? If you are using this concert to introduce a young person to fine music, Bravo! We welcome young people to our concerts and have many students in our audience. However, as a general rule, we ask that children 12 years and younger be accompanied by an adult. It is a good idea to talk about concert etiquette before the performance begins, ensuring the best experience for all. Please note that infants and children less than six years old are not allowed at concerts. What if there is an emergency? Should a medical emergency arise, please contact an usher or a Friends of Chamber Music staff person. May I photograph the performance? No. Cameras (including cell phone cameras), recording equipment, and flashlights are all prohibited in the concert hall. What about cell phones, watches and other electronic devices? For the enjoyment of all, please ensure that all electronic devices are turned off. I’m on call and must keep my pager with me at all times. If your pager or mobile phone can be placed on vibrator mode, please do so before the concert begins. However, if you have an audio pager and are on call, please check your pager with the box office. Your pager will be monitored during the performance, and you’ll be notified immediately of any pages. Please note that your seating assignment may be changed to accommodate such an emergency.

39th season 2014-15

Lecture Series The Lecture Series is free for concert ticket holders. Various times and Venues

OCTOBER 24 – VOX LUMINIS

NOVEMBER 21 – QUATOUR ÉBÈNE

NOVEMBER 9 – TAFELMUSIK: THE GALILEO PROJECT

JANUARY 28 – Music Alliance event

The German Baroque Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral Founder’s Hall at 7 p.m. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, musical life in the German-speaking world was extremely rich and vibrant. This discussion will provide insights into this fascinating time in the history of music, with a focus on the lives and works of Schütz and Bach. Lecturers: Dr. William Everett, UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance and Dr. Paul Laird, Musicology Dept., University of Kansas

Galileo, Kepler, and the Harmony of the Spheres Folly Theater at 1 p.m. Beginning in 1609, Galileo used the newly-invented telescope to discover craters on the moon, satellites around Jupiter, and stars in the Milky Way. At about the same time, Johannes Kepler discovered the laws that regulate the motion of the planets around the sun. For Kepler, his discoveries were part of a search for the harmony of the spheres, an idea that had been around since Pythagoras, and which Kepler fervidly embraced. Galileo showed us a new kind harmony of, revealing that earth and heavens are one, and not the two separate worlds envisioned by Aristotle. This illustrated talk will discuss the ancient origins of the idea of a harmony of the spheres, look at the role it played in the work of Galileo and Kepler, and examine why, by the time of Isaac Newton, the idea of a harmony of the spheres had faded from the scientific world. Lecturer: Dr. William B. Ashworth, Jr., UMKC Visions of the Spheres – A Display of Images from Original Documents of the Renaissance Shareholder’s Room at the Folly Theater Ancient concepts of the stars and planets placed them in crystalline spheres, centered on and moving around a stationary earth. This graphic display of images from rare books from the time of Galileo illustrates that concept of the cosmos – the one that Galileo learned -- and how Galileo and others changed it with revolutionary thinking and observations. New images of the stars and of the cosmos allowed their viewers to imagine a new universe that was truly out of this world. Curator: Bruce Bradley, Linda Hall Library of Engineering and Science

The Possibilities of the String Quartet Folly Theater Shareholder’s Room at 7 p.m. As one of the central ensembles in the chamber music realm, the string quartet offers composers a particularly rich forum in which to explore and express a wide range of ideas. This discussion will delve into some of these notions and how the composers featured on the Quatour Ebène’s program have addressed them. Panel members: Drs. William Everett, Andrew Granade and David Thurmaier, UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance

Sounds from an Unsettled World, 1914-19 Cash bar and small plates available at J.C. Nichols Auditorium Lobby from 5:30 -6:30 p.m. Seating is limited and available on a first come, first-serve basis. National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial Composers respond in different ways to their world. The events leading up to World War I and the conflict itself greatly affected how composers thought of their art and also how audiences responded to new works. Using the music from the Ariel Quartet and Alon Goldstein’s program on Friday, January 30 as inspiration, the panelists will investigate the relationships between music and world events between 1914 and 1919. Panel Members: Dr. William Everett and Dr. Andrew Granade, UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance; Dr. Lynda Payne, UMKC Dept. of History; Matthew Naylor, President and CEO of the National World War I Museum with musical guests the Ariel Quartet and Alon Goldstein, piano This event is general admission and free to the public, but tickets are required. Please reserve online at http://www.chambermusic.org/lecture-series.html or call 816-561-9999. Co-presented by The Friends of Chamber Music, UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance, and the National World War I Museum. Hear this music in its entirety with the Ariel Quartet and Alon Goldstein, piano Friday, January 30 at 8 p.m., the Folly Theater Buy tickets at www.chambermusic.org or 816-561-9999

the friends of chamber music | Live Performance. Be There.

FEBRUARY 27 – STILE ANTICO

War, Marriage, and Music: Sacred Sounds and Secular Power at Habsburg Courts St. Pius X Chapel, Cathedral of Immaculate Conception at 7 p.m. For several centuries, the House of Habsburg ruled over Central Europe and Spain, consolidating power on the battlefield but gaining renown for its singular ability to expand its territories through strategic marriages. In the words of a maxim that circulated widely in the Renaissance, "Let others wage war while you, Happy Austria, marry." Those listening carefully to the sounds of sixteenth-century Europe might well have said to themselves, "Let others wage war while you, Happy Austria, sing." If power was acquired through war and marriage, it was projected through the music of the composers—Nicolas Gombert, Clemens non Papa, and Cristobal de Morales—featured on tonight's program. Lecturer: Dr. Erika Honisch, Assistant Professor of Music History, Stony Brook University, New York

MARCH 13 – LES VIOLONS DU ROY with MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN, piano

APRIL 10 – DUBRAVKA TOMŠIČ

The Worlds of Chopin Folly Theater Shareholder’s Room at 7 p.m. Chopin’s life and work offer distinctive lenses through which the worlds of nineteenth-century pianism can be viewed. The intimacy of the salon, the lavishness of improvisation, and the inspiration of the dance are just some of the topics to be covered in this presentation. Lecturer: Dr. William Everett, UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance

APRIL 18 – ARTEMIS QUARTET

Slavic Voices Folly Theater Shareholder’s Room at 7 p.m Composers from the Slavic parts of Europe treat chamber music in a distinctive way that simultaneously embraces and defies Western European norms. Using the Artemis Quartet’s program as a basis, this discussion will illustrate various ways in which Slavic composers approach chamber music. Lecturer: Dr. William Everett, UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance

Music and the German Enlightenment Folly Theater Shareholder’s Room at 7 p.m. In the eighteenth century, Germans viewed themselves as a nation of poets and thinkers. Philosophy, literature, and music interacted in many essential ways in the German-speaking world at the time. This dialogue between a musicologist and a literary scholar will explore the relationships between music and other cultural manifestations of the German Enlightenment. Lecturers: Dr. William Everett, UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance and Dr. Scott Baker, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, UMKC

Sweet Poppies by Nicole Ninrichs

39th season 2014-15

T h e W i l l i a m T. K e m p e r I n t e r n a t i o n a l c h a m b e r M u s i c s e r i e s

Brentano String Quartet with juho pohjonen, piano Friday, September 26

The Folly Theater

8 pm

Mark Steinberg Serena Canin Misha Amory Nina Lee Juho Pohjonen

violin violin viola cello piano

SCHUBERT String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, D. 810 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Death and the Maidenâ&#x20AC;? Allegro Andante con moto Scherzo: Allegro molto Presto INTERMISSION BRAHMS Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34 Allegro non troppo Andante un poco adagio Scherzo: Allegro Finale: Poco sostenuto; Allegro non troppo; Presto non troppo

This concert is underwritten, in part, by The Sosland Family Foundation. The International Chamber Music Series is underwritten, in part, by the William T. Kemper Foundation Additional support is also provided by:

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program notes

Quartet in D Minor, D. 810 “Death and the Maiden” Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

I have not written many new songs, but I have tried my hand at several instrumental works, for I’ve written two Quartets for violins, viola and violoncello and an Octet, and I want to write another Quartet, in fact I intend to pave my way towards grand symphony in that manner.

So wrote Schubert to his friend Leopold Kupelweiser in March 1824. Having established his reputation with Lieder, the still young composer was turning more toward instrumental music in the mid-1820s. In this case, his inspiration came in part from a song he had composed in February 1817 on a text by Claudius: “Der Tod und das Mädchen,” (“Death and the Maiden”) D.531. Modern scholars believe that Schubert composed 19 string quartets. Three of those are lost, and another four were not completed. Most of the efforts date from his teenage years. Young Franz played viola creditably, and by age 14 was considered to be quite accomplished. The entire family was musical: older brother Ferdinand played first violin, brother Ignaz second violin, and Papa Schubert cello in the Schubert family musicales. His family were thus the first performers of all the youthful string works. Stylistically, the difference between the early quartets and this comparatively late one is overwhelming. No longer the Salieri student of counterpoint and vocal technique, by 1820 Schubert had earned a fair amount of recognition and established a circle of friends and admirers in Vienna. By 1824 he was ailing, already suffering from symptoms of the syphilis that would cut short his life only four years later. The specter of death clearly preoccupied him. Interestingly, the subtitle “Death and the Maiden” does not appear in the autograph manuscript, perhaps because the song was well known to Schubert’s Viennese audience.

Lithograph of Franz Schubert by Josef Kriehuber, 1846

Rather than quoting himself literally, he paraphrases the music of the song’s piano introduction. This part of Claudius’s poem deals less with fear, and more with acceptance of death and the peace that death may bring.

The Maiden:

Pass by, ah, pass by! Away, cruel Death! I am still young, leave me, dear one And do not touch me.

Death: Give me your hand, you lovely, tender creature. I am your friends, and not to chastise. Be of good courage. I am not cruel; You shall sleep softly in my arms.

All four quartet movements have rhythmic and melodic patterns in common, recurrent motives more Beethovenian than Schubertian. Indeed, Schubert displays a mastery of counterpoint and developmental technique unequalled in any of his earlier chamber The D Minor quartet distinguishes itself by a works. This quartet is the ultimate synthesis of Lied (the unity of purpose that pervades all four movements. Its German art-song) and chamber music. In its technical centerpiece is the slow movement, a set of five variations challenges and defiance, its range of expression from on “Der Tod und das Mädchen.” The original song is in D savage to tender and resigned, the “Death and the Minor, which is the overall tonality of Schubert’s quartet. Maiden” quartet must be counted among Schubert’s For the slow movement variations, however, Schubert greatest compositions. presents the melody in the subdominant key of G Minor.

39th season 2014-15

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OTTO ERICH DEUTSCH AND THE SCHUBERT CATALOGUE The opus numbers assigned to Schubert’s compositions are sometimes confusing and occasionally misleading. During Schubert’s lifetime, his different publishers each had their own numbering systems. Some works appeared without an opus number. Others were published posthumously; some first editions of his music were issued as late as 1850. Because Schubert was prolific, another method of clearly identifying individual works was necessary to avoid confusion.

Vienna and Graz. Early in his career, he worked as an art critic, bookseller, and bibliographic assistant. Ultimately his passion for music and curiosity about the great composers governed his activities.

The Austrian biographer and bibliographer Otto Erich Deutsch (1883-1967) first published several articles and a book about Schubert in 1905. Deutsch had studied literature and art at universities in

He was uninterested in music criticism, believing that documents and illustrations were the key to understanding the lives of such great composers as Handel, Mozart, and Schubert. Deutsch effectively invented the documentary biography, merging his background as an art historian with his keen interest in music.

One year after the Nazis annexed Austria in 1938, Deutsch fled to Britain. He lived in Cambridge until 1951, adopting British citizenship in 1947. Thus many of his scholarly contributions were first published in English.

When he began compiling his Schubert catalogue, Deutsch drew on numerous 19th-century listings of Schubert’s works and his own documentary research. He correspondended extensively with owners of public and private collections containing Schubert’s autograph manuscripts. He worked on the book throughout the 1940s. First published in 1951, the Schubert: Thematic Catalogue of all his Works in Chronological Order was enlarged and updated in 1978, eleven years after Deutsch died. The catalogue is the source of the D. number that identifies Schubert’s individual compositions. It is a model of useful, concise, and accurate information about Schubert’s compositions, manuscripts, and early publication history. – L.S. ©2014 Otto Erich Deutsch

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With two pianos at his disposal, Brahms achieved the power and clarity he sought, but he remained dissatisfied with the forfeiture of string color and timbre. He finally arrived at a synthesis of piano and strings. The result – in the version we hear – is a chamber music masterpiece that has been called the climax of his first maturity. The overall impression this quintet creates is one of grandeur and monumental tragedy. Perhaps because it underwent such extensive reworking, it is filled with a profusion of melodic ideas. If the grand scale and impassioned mood of the quintet as a whole are Beethovenian, its melodic abundance, particularly in second themes and in the slow movement, is more Schubertian. Brahms’s opening movement is initially restrained and tragic. Piano, violin and cello state the theme in stark unison before the full ensemble races forth with a series of angry, defiant musical utterances. These two contrasting ideas furnish much of the material that Brahms develops in the expansive Allegro non troppo. Along with a related motive that is introduced by a falling, sighing half-step, these musical ideas will recur in subtly altered form throughout the entire quintet. The slow movement, in tripartite (ABA) form, shares the dreamy, lyrical quality of the slow movement in the early Piano Sonata in F Minor, Op. 5. Photographic image of Johannes Brahms by C. Brasch

Quintet for Piano and Strings in F Minor, Op. 34 Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) One of the darkest musical canvasses of Brahms’s entire career, the Piano Quintet underwent several metamorphoses before it crystallized in its current form. The music dates from 1862, although it was not published until 1865. Originally Brahms intended it for string quintet. His friend and chamber music collaborator Joseph Joachim persuaded him that the string ensemble, even enlarged by the second cello, was insufficient to do justice to the work’s musical climaxes and symphonic conception. Switching to the keyboard, whose sound could achieve a more orchestral breadth, Brahms chose to rewrite the piece as a sonata for two pianos; in this version it was performed in Vienna in April 1864, more than two years before the Quintet’s première. (The two piano version was published in 1871 as Op. 34a.)

The scherzo is expansive and massive, with thunderous passages that call to mind the scherzo of the Beethoven Fifth Symphony. Brahms sets up a splendid contrast between the pizzicato pedal of the cello and the sinuous, syncopated meanderings of first violin and viola in unison. Their quiet opening statement switches meter briefly to introduce a rat-a-tat-tat reference, still pianissimo, to the first movement. Then the full ensemble explodes into the Beethoven allusion. The gentler side of Brahms’s musical personality manifests itself in the Trio, whose melody draws on the heritage of folk music. Still, there are grandeur and majesty in these gestures. The slow movement, in tripartite [ABA] form, shares the dreamy, lyrical quality of the analogous movement in the early Piano Sonata in F Minor, Op. 5. Piano introduces Brahms’s material in parallel thirds and sixths, with syncopated octave commentary from the strings. Hints of minor mode inflect the harmonies with an Eastern European flavor. Brahms is at his most Schubertian in this lovely movement.

39th season 2014-15

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The Early 19th Century Perspective of Death From the late 17th century though the mid-19th century death was romanticized, and depicted as a human companion in art and literature. Dying and lifeafter -death were believed to be beautiful, peaceful experiences. One romantic depiction of death compared it with the emergence of a butterfly from a cocoon. The old notions of Heaven and Hell that had so motivated people in an earlier period now emphasized the reunion of loved ones in an afterlife; death was familiar and tame. Mozart reflected the views of his time in a letter to his father in 1787:

As death, when we come to consider it closely, is the true goal of our existence, I have formed during the last few years such close relations with this best and truest friend of mankind, that his image is not only no longer terrifying to me, but is indeed very soothing and consoling! And I thank my God for graciously granting me the opportunity . . . of learning that death is the key which unlocks the door to our true happiness.

A mysterious slow introduction – the only one in Brahms’s chamber music – opens the Finale. Marked Poco sostenuto (a bit sustained), that introduction is one of the sections for which strings were essential to deliver the desolate quality that Brahms desired. The balance of the finale is an abbreviated sonata/rondo. Brahms gathers momentum slowly, deceiving the listener with apparent switches of temperament, for there is much humor in this music to mitigate its darkness. Very likely the entire movement served as a structural model for the finale to the First Symphony (1862-1876). The quintet culminates in a magnificent, oversize coda that shifts into overdrive. Brahms recasts the main theme first in 6/8 time, then by syncopation, driving it toward its dramatic conclusion. Symphonic in its conception, the quintet is a masterpiece of the chamber music literature, providing a profound and memorable listening experience. Program Notes by Laurie Shulman ©2014

The Cup of Death, by Elihu Vedder, 1885 (The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond)

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Juho Pohjonen

Brentano String Quartet S

ince its inception in 1992, the Brentano String Quartet has appeared throughout the world to popular and critical acclaim. “Passionate, uninhibited and spellbinding,” raves the London Independent; the New York Times extols its “luxuriously warm sound [and] yearning lyricism”; the Philadelphia Inquirer praises its “seemingly infallible instincts for finding the center of gravity in every phrase and musical gesture”; and the Times (London) opines, “the Brentanos are a magnificent string quartet...This was wonderful, selfless music-making.” In July, 2014, the Brentano Quartet succeeded the Tokyo Quartet as Artists in Residence at Yale University, departing from their 14-year residency at Princeton University. The Quartet also currently serves as the collaborative ensemble for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. In recent seasons, they have traveled widely, appearing all over the United States and Canada, in Europe, Japan and Australia, and performed in the world’s most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York; the Library of Congress in Washington; the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam; the Konzerthaus in Vienna; Suntory Hall in Tokyo; and the Sydney Opera House. In 2012, the Brentano String Quartet provided the central music (Beethoven Opus 131) for the critically-acclaimed independent film A Late Quartet. The feature film, directed by Yaron Zilberman, starred Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Christopher Walken and Mark Ivanir. In addition to performing the entire two-century range of the standard quartet repertoire, the Brentano Quartet has a strong interest in both very old and very new music. It has performed arrangements of many works pre-dating the string quartet as a medium, among them Madrigals of Gesualdo, Fantasias of Purcell, and secular vocal works of Josquin. The Brentano has also worked closely with some of the most important composers of our time, among them Elliot Carter, Charles Wuorinen, Chou Wen-chung, Steven Mackey, Bruce Adolphe, and György Kurtág. The Quartet has commissioned works from Wuorinen, Adolphe, Mackey, David Horne and Gabriela Frank. Within a few years of its formation, the Brantano garnered the first Cleveland Quartet Award and the Naumburg Chamber Music Award. They are named for Antonie Brentano, whom many scholars consider to be Beethoven’s “Immortal Beloved,” the intended recipient of his famous love confession. For more information visit www.brentanoquartet.com

ne of the brightest young instrumental talents to emerge from Finland today, Juho Pohjonen has attracted great attention as one of the Nordic countries’ most intriguing and talented pianists. Juho Pohjonen was selected by András Schiff as the winner of the 2009 Klavier Festival Ruhr Scholarship. In addition, he has won numerous prizes in both Finnish and international competitions, including: First Prize at the 2004 Nordic Piano Competition in Nyborg, Denmark, First Prize at the International Young Artists 2000 Concerto Competition, Stockholm, the Prokofiev Prize at the AXA Dublin International Piano Competition 2003, and prize winner at The Helsinki International Maj Lind Piano Competition 2002. He made his debut at the Aspen Music Festival performing Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles… in 2012-13, and in that same year, was selected as one of fourteen musicians to work with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln’s ‘CMS Two Residency Program for Outstanding Young Artists.’ Mr. Pohjonen has given recitals in Hong Kong, Dresden, Hamburg, Helsinki, London (Wigmore Hall), New York (Carnegie Hall), San Francisco, Vancouver, Warsaw and at the Lucerne Piano, Savonlinna and Bergen festivals. He has performed with orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony, Danish National, Finnish Radio Symphony, Swedish Radio Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic and Lahti Symphony - with whom he toured Japan. Most recently, he has worked with such conductors as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Marek Janowski, Hugh Wolff and Lionel Bringuier. His debut recording Plateaux featured a performance of Scandinavian composer Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen’s piano concerto Plateaux pour Piano et Orchestre with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and a solo piano piece For Piano. His sensational opening recital at the 2010’s Music@Menlo Festival led to a recording for the Music@Menlo Live 2010 series entitled Maps and Legends: Disc 8. For more information visit www.juhopohjonen.com Juho Pohjonen appears courtesy of Kirshbaum Demler and Associates Joho Pohjonen has recorded for DaCapo and Music@Menlo LIVE The Brentano String Quartet record for AEON (distributed by Naxos of America)

The Brentano String Quartet appears courtesy of David Rowe Artists 39th season 2014-15

the music alliance series

Philharmonia Quartett Berlin Friday, October 10

White Recital Hall - UMKC

7:30 pm Daniel Stabrawa Christian Stadelmann Neithard Resa Dietmar Schwalke

violin violin viola cello

MOZART String Quartet in C Major, K. 465, “Dissonance” Adagio; Allegro Andante cantabile Menuetto: Allegro Allegro molto BARTÓK String Quartet No. 1, Op. 7 Lento; attaka Poco a poco accelerando all’allegretto; Introduzione: Allegro; attaka Allegro vivace INTERMISSION BRAHMS String Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 51 No. 1 Allegro Romanze: Poco adagio Allegretto molto moderato e comodo; Un poco più animato; attaka Allegro

Music Alliance: A co-presentation of The Friends of Chamber Music and UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance This concert is underwritten by the James and Vera Olson Fund for the Arts The International Chamber Music Series is underwritten, in part, by the William T. Kemper Foundation Additional support is also provided by:

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String Quartet in C Major, K. 465, "Dissonance" Wolfgang Amadè Mozart (1756-1791) Mozart moved from Salzburg to Vienna in 1781. Initially still in service to the Archbishop of Salzburg, he soon dissociated himself from the Archbishop’s entourage and embarked upon a career as an independent musician. The following few years proved to be his happiest and most successful. It seems very likely that the historic meeting between Haydn and Mozart took place during the winter of 1781. The older master encouraged Mozart, and the warm friendship and musical stimulation each provided to the other enriched the creative output of both composers. For his part, Mozart returned to the string quartet, a medium he had neglected for some ten years. Between 1782 and 1785 he completed six quartets, which the Viennese firm of Artaria published in 1785. Collectively, they are known as the ‘Haydn Quartets’ because of their dedication to the older master, who had become Mozart’s mentor and friend. They are an unusual example of Mozart freeing himself for a while from the restrictions, real or imagined, of commissioned music. Mozart appears to have made a conscious effort to emulate Haydn’s innovative Op. 33 quartets (1781). During the early 1780’s, there is no denying the significant contact between the two composers and the strong mutual influence between them. Yet these quartets are highly individual, born of Mozart’s innermost soul. They are also the pivotal chamber music of Mozart’s first few years in Vienna. Though he described them in his dedication as the “fruit of a long and laborious endeavor,” all six quartets glow with the effortless polish of genius. K. 465 was the last of the six to be completed; the composer seems to have cast it as the musical climax of the set. It earned its nickname from the extraordinary opening measures, the only slow introduction in any of the Mozart string quartets. Mozart used the chromatic scale liberally throughout the so-called Haydn quartets, but this opening is unlike anything else in the Mozart canon, and indeed has been the subject of great controversy since it was written. What is its mood: tragedy? mystery? mournfulness or perhaps regret? It is music that probes the heart, demanding entrance to emotional corners, secret places one doesn’t always admit to.

The Adagio introduction of the first movement is grounded in the key of C Major only tenuously, by the opening cello notes. The same measure also establishes, albeit ambiguously, a slow pulse of triple time. Other than that initial bass line, we would have no clue to a tonality of C Major until the 16th measure. Mozart swims through the circle of fifths, flirting with an impossible number of keys along the way, seemingly leaving no tonal implication untouched in the sinuous chromaticism of his contrapuntal fabric. It makes for dizzying listening. The familiar brightness of sunny C Major is a relief when we arrive at the Allegro of this remarkable opening movement. A highly imitative texture dominates. Mozart had learned a great deal from Papa Haydn about sharing the development of musical ideas equally among his four players; throughout the movement and the entire quartet, the cello is an important and integral part of the texture. C is the lowest note on both the cello and the viola, a note which provides additional resonance in this C Major work. Without compromising the integrity of his bass line, Mozart imparts much imagination to the lower voices. String Quartet No. 1, Op. 7 Béla Bartók (1881-1945) The six string quartets of Béla Bartók are among the twentieth century’s greatest achievements in the realm of chamber music. For depth, consummate artistry, and musical drama they are rivaled only by the Shostakovich quartets. Because Bartók’s six essays in the genre span three decades, they also constitute an overview of his artistic development. The First Quartet has received somewhat less attention than the others, probably because it is more derivative. Although this piece followed Bartók’s first ethnomusicological work in his native Hungary, his efforts to distill an authentic Hungarian style were still in the formative stage. Viennese taste reigned supreme when Bartók was learning music, thus it is no real surprise to hear echoes of Strauss, Brahms, Reger, and even Wagner, in his early works. Bartók was also becoming acquainted with the music of Claude Debussy. Occasional hints of whole-tone scales in the String Quartet Op. 7 may plausibly be traced to Debussy.

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This quartet was one of the first important compositions that Bartók published, a sure mark of his own high regard for it. Partly because of its free approach to tonality (this music may sound conservative to us, but it was quite adventurous for its time), the First Quartet was not performed until two years after its composition. A newly-formed ensemble, the Waldbauer-Kerpely Quartet, played the premiere. Bartók repaid their loyalty by dedicating the Second Quartet to them in 1920. But emotionally, his first published quartet is associated with the same woman for whom he composed the First Violin Concerto: violinist Stefi Geyer. His unrequited passion for her found expression in the mournful lamentation of the Quartet’s opening movement. That personal stamp was eminently clear to his contemporaries, though they could not have known the circumstances. Reminiscing in 1955, French composer Darius Milhaud wrote:

As far back as 1909 I was going to the publishers Eschig, on Rue Lafitte in those days, to study their scores of Bartók, brought out in Hungary, and those of Schoenberg, published in Vienna, for which Eschig was the agent. It was there that I bought Bartók’s first quartet. My Conservatoire friends and I were regularly performing quartets at my place and we had become passionately fond of this work, so full of life and such personal lyricism.

The First Quartet consists of three large movements played without pause. Bartók opens with a slow movement in imitative counterpoint that is melodically related to the Violin Concerto written for Geyer. The movement reaches its most feverish intensity on clear triads, oddly exacerbating the subdued anxiety of the otherwise expressionist language. The second and third movements are progressively faster and often more folklike in character, hinting at his mature style. Bartók’s lifelong predilection for contrapuntal techniques manifests itself here in the finale’s scherzo-like fugue.

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Béla Bartók

works. What this quartet shares unmistakably with its five siblings is a powerful sense of rhythmic drive, particularly in the last movement, and a steady increase of energy that assists in driving the narrative to its dramatic conclusion. String Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Opus 51, No. 1 Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Johannes Brahms left no excess baggage behind when he died in April 1897. Unlike Beethoven, who hoarded all of his musical sketches and conversation notebooks, Brahms left no record of his creative thought processes. If a composition did not satisfy him after revision, he destroyed it. Occasionally he reworked one composition into another; the Piano Concerto in D Minor, Op. 15, for example, was originally conceived as a symphony. But Brahms took the legacy of Beethoven very seriously, and it is not without reason that his Symphony No.1 in C Minor, Op. 68, was hailed as “the Other than the absence of unusual string techniques, Beethoven Tenth” when it was premiered in 1876. The the principal difference between this early quartet composer had waited until the age of 43 to contribute to and Bartók’s later ones is the comparative lack of the symphonic canon. compression. A sense of spaciousness bordering on Brahms held the genre of the string quartet in romantic abandon characterizes this music. The much the same reverence, for many of the same reasons. composer takes exactly as much time as he needs -- a Beethoven’s monumental contribution to the string solid half-hour, in this case -- to state and develop his quartet literature remains unparalleled in the history ideas. Further, the musical ideas are less explicitly of western music. It must have been a formidable governed by the folk tunes that constitute such an psychological obstacle to the young Brahms. integral part of Bartók’s musical vocabulary in later the friends of chamber music | Live Performance. Be There.

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One powerful indication of this preoccupation is the fact that Brahms wrote more than 20 string quartets. Only three survive: the two quartets of Opus 51, and Opus 67 in B-flat Major. None of the others met the exceptionally high standards he set for himself, hence he destroyed them. The first of these repudiated works was one he had brought to Robert Schumann, who had approved the work enthusiastically and encouraged his protégé to publish it. In spite of the older composer’s endorsement, Brahms withdrew the quartet and its music is lost, presumably burnt by the composer. The loss to music posterity of that quartet and its successors is incalculable: at once tantalizing to the imagination and tragic for the music lover. Certainly the three quartets that do survive are doubly precious because of the paucity of companion pieces. Brahms worked on the Opus 51 quartets from the mid-1860s, periodically setting them aside in favor of a series of choral pieces culminating in A German Requiem. He finally completed the two quartets in summer 1873, shortly after turning 40. The opus bears a dedication to Dr. Theodor Billroth, a prominent surgeon and amateur musician who had become one of the composer’s closest friends. The C Minor quartet is the more aggressive of the pair. Extensive double stops in the inner voices – second violin and viola – suggest that Brahms was still grappling with the textural issues presented by chamber music without piano. His harmonies often required more than four voices. Still, the movements cohere, sharing a sense of thematic and spiritual unity that make this quartet an admirable first-published effort in the genre. Brahms was emulating the Beethoven of the three Rasumovsky Quartets, Op. 59, rather than his late quartets. In scale, structure, and developmental technique, the C minor quartet cleaves to Beethoven’s Opus 59 model. The minor mode prevails in all four movements. The surging first theme, in the unusual and expansive meter of 3/2, sets forth in the opening measures the basis for the entire work. Subtle relationships link the themes throughout the quartet. Indeed, the piece may be argued as the extended consideration of a single musical idea. Program Notes by Laurie Shulman ©2014

PHilharmonia Quartett Berlin OH

ne of the brightest to emerge ailed as “four of theyoung best”instrumental by the Britishtalents press after their from Finland JuhoHall Pohjonen has attracted attention as one debut attoday, Wigmore in London over twogreat decades ago, the of the Nordic countries’ most intriguing and talented pianists. Philharmonia Quartett Berlin has celebrated a critically acclaimed career. The Quartett has established itself among thewinner world’sofpremier Juho Pohjonen was selected by András Schiff as the the stringKlavier quartets, with its 20-plus years of In travelling internationally 2009 Festival Ruhr Scholarship. addition, he has won and its extensive and diverse discography. Their concert calendar has numerous prizes in both Finnish and international competitions, taken them to destinations throughout Europe, North and including: First Prize at the 2004 Nordic Piano CompetitionSouth in America,Denmark, as well as Asia. Lord at Yehudi Menuhin commented: “I’d Nyborg, First Prize the International Young Artists like toConcerto hear music always played as beautifully as you play.” 2000 Competition, Stockholm, the Prokofiev Prize at the AXA Dublin International Piano Competition 2003, and prize Founded by theInternational principal concertmaster and Competition the section winner at in The1984 Helsinki Maj Lind Piano leaders of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Quartet appears 2002. regularly at the world’s most prestigious concert halls such as He made his at theAnnual Aspen Music Festivalinclude performing Carnegie anddebut Wigmore. appearances performances Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles… in 2012-13, and inWigmore that same at the Berlin Festival, Salzburg Festival, Bath Festival, year, was selected as one of fourteen musicians to work with the by Hall, as well as a series of five performances each season presented Chamber Society of Lincoln’s Other ‘CMS performance Two Residency Program the BerlinMusic Philharmonic Orchestra. highlights for Outstanding Artists.’ have included anYoung invitation by his Excellence Pope Benedict XVI to perform a private concert at the Vatican, andDresden, regular invitations Mr. Pohjonen has given recitals in Hong Kong, Hamburg, from the London Spanish Royal Family to the Palacio to playHall), on the Helsinki, (Wigmore Hall), New York Real (Carnegie San royal Stradivari instruments. Francisco, Vancouver, Warsaw and at the Lucerne Piano, Savonlinna and Bergen festivals. He has performed with orchestras including TheLos ensemble’s discography includesSymphony, recordings Atlanta of the the Angeles extensive Philharmonic, San Francisco quartets of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Shostakovich and Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony, Reger for the Thorofon The Reger recording Danish National, FinnishClassics Radio label. Symphony, Swedish Radio was awarded theHelsinki GermanPhilharmonic Record Criticsand prize. The quartet is-awith two time Symphony, Lahti Symphony recipient the “ECHO KLASSIK” award forworked Chamber Music. whom he of toured Japan. Most recently, he has with such conductors as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Marek Janowski, Hugh Wolff and Until the sudden death of the cellist Jan Diesselhorst in February Lionel Bringuier. 2009 the members of Philharmonia Quartet Berlin had never His debut recording Plateaux featured a performance of changed. Cellist Dietmar Schwalke continues the tradition of superb Scandinavian composer Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen’s piano ensemble playing on the great stages of the world. concerto Plateaux pour Piano et Orchestre with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and a solo piano piece For Piano. His sensational opening recital at the 2010’s Music@Menlo Festival led For more information visit: www.philharmonia-quartett-berlin.de/en to a recording for the Music@Menlo Live 2010 series entitled Maps Philharmonia Quartett and Legends: Disc 8. Berlin appears courtesy of Alliance Arts Management For more information visit www.juhopohjonen.com Juho Pohjonen appears courtesy of Kirshbaum Demler and Associates

Found a word or phrase that you are unfamiliar with? Check out our extensive Glossary beginning on page 118 to discover the meaning. 39th season 2014-15

the friends of cha mber music endowment early music series

Vox Luminis Friday, October 24

Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral

8 pm

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: LIONEL MEUNIER Soprano: Zsuzsi Tóth Armelle Froeliger Kristen Witmer, Kerlijne Van Nevel

Alto: Jan Kullmann Barnabás Hegyi

Organ: Masato Suzuki

Tenor: Olivier Berten Philippe Froeliger Robert Buckland Michael Barrett

Bass: Bertrand Delvaux Lionel Meunier

Viola da gamba: Ricardo Rodríguez Miranda

SCHÜTZ AND THE BACH FAMILY HEINRICH SCHÜTZ Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin (by Martin Luther) Musikalische Exequien i. Concert in Form einer teutschen Begräbnis, Missa, SWV 279 ii. Motette: Herr, wenn ich nur dich habe, SWV 280 iii. Herr, nun lässest du deinen Diener in Friede fahren, SWV 281 INTERMISSION Johann BACH Johann Michael BACH Johann Michael BACH Johann Christoph BACH

Sei nun wieder zufrieden meine Seele Herr wenn ich nur dich habe Ich weiß, daß mein Erlöser lebt Herr nun lässest du deinen Diener

Johann Christoph BACH Johann Ludwig BACH Johann Sebastian BACH

Fürchte dich nicht Das Blut Jesu Christi Ich lasse dich nicht, BWV 159a

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Musicalische Exequien Heinrich Schütz (1585 – 1672) Heinrich Schütz was a German composer and organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before J.S. Bach and is often considered to be one of the most important composers of the 17th century along with Claudio Monteverdi. He wrote what is thought to be the first German opera, Dafne, performed in the city of Torgau in 1627; however, the music has since been lost. His musical talents were discovered by Moritz von Hessen-Kassel in 1599. After being a choir-boy, he studied law at Marburg before going to Venice from 1609 to 1613 to study music with Giovanni Gabrieli. After a short stint as organist at Kassel, Schütz moved to Dresden in 1615 to work as court composer to the Elector of Saxony. In 1628, he returned to Venice, most likely meeting Claudio Monteverdi, and in 1633, after the Thirty Years' War had disrupted life at the court, he took a post at Copenhagen. In 1641 he returned full time to Dresden and remained there for the rest of his life. Heinrich Schütz's compositions show the influence of his two main teachers, Gabrieli (displayed most notably with Schütz's use of resplendent polychoral and concertanto styles) and Monteverdi. He was instrumental in bringing new musical ideas to Germany from Italy, and had a large influence on the German music which was to follow. The style of the north German organ school derives largely from Schütz; a century later this music was to culminate in the work of J.S. Bach. The Musicalische Exequien were written for the burial service of Prince Heinrich Posthumus von Reuss, a local Dresden nobleman. Although the music was commissioned by the widow and sons after his death in December of 1635, it had been planned in some detail by the Prince himself well before his death. His will specifies which biblical texts he wanted, and even the character of the music to be used in setting them. He even detailed the decorations on the coffin, as well as the positioning of the attendants and participants in the service. Heinrich von Reuss died on December 3, 1635, and his funeral rites were celebrated on February 4, 1636. Schütz therefore had very little time in which to compose this score, unless we assume that the prince had already commissioned the work before his death.

Heinrich Schütz, 1627

When the work was published, Schütz addressed its dedication to the man who to him had been much more than a simple local ruler:

What good does it do, if I say here that you appreciated my modest song And my rustic music just as much as the finest things? What favour, grace And kindness you have so often shown to me Because of my art: this you did immediately Because of my origins — I was born In the lands that you rule; you considered this an honour For yourself and for this reason you loved me even more.

The composition was intended for an ensemble of six to eight voices plus ripieno singers, with the basso continuo accompaniment with the organ. The work is divided into three parts that correspond to the three sections of the liturgy. And funeral procession was accompanied at the start of the office by the chorale work written by Martin Luther, Mit Fried und Freud, and was sung by all present.

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Part I - Concert in Form einer Teutschen Begräbnis Missa The first part of Musicalische Exequien is the longest of the three, and is made up of two sections that Schütz associated with two sections of the Deutsche Messe - the Kyrie and the Gloria - as can be seen from the title itself: Concert in Form einer Teutschen Missa, nach art des Lateinischen Kyrie, Christe, Kyrie Eleyson. Gloria in excelsis. Et in terra pax etc. The two sections are easily recognizable, each one being introduced with a plainsong incipit. The texts used here are not those of the Mass as used by Lutherans, but come from the collection of texts compiled by Prince Heinrich Posthumus von Reuss for his own service. The two sections are easily recognisable, each one being introduced with a plainsong incipit. Part II - Herr, wenn ich nur dich habe The second part, composed for a double choir of eight voices (of four voices each) in an homophonic style, uses a pattern of systematic alternation between the two ensembles that accords with the performance practice that Schütz would have experienced during his first period in Venice. Schütz’s subtitle for the motet is Concerto per choros; its place in the liturgy would have been after the sermon. Part III - Herr, nun lässest du deinen Diener in Friede fahren The text of the Nunc dimittis or Song of Simeon is frequently used for funeral music. The vocal layout of this third part is linked to the organisation of the liturgy: the piece was composed for a choir of low voices in five parts (AATT B) and for a choir of high voices (SSB) in three parts; the three-part choir is set at a distance, seemingly in the vault close to the sarcophagus. Each of the three solo voices is allocated an identity: the baritone represents the soul in bliss, the “beata anima”, whilst the two sopranos are both seraphim. We may therefore imagine that this choir represents the soul of de Reuss ascending to heaven accompanied by seraphim. The distant choir, however, sings a different text: “Selig sind die Toten, die in dem Herren sterben”. Program notes, in part, by Jérôme Lejeune ©2014 Translation: Peter Lockwood

Bach Family Motets Johann Bach (1604 – 1673) Johann Michael Bach (1648 – 1694) Johann Christoph Bach (1642 – 1703) Johann Ludwig Bach (1677 – 1731) Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) Johann Sebastian Bach did not appear out of nowhere. There had been musicians in his family tree at least as far back as his great-great-grandfather in the sixteenth century. Most were Stadtpeifer or town bandsmen, but some were instrument-makers and a significant number of them were church organists and composers. The Bach family was close. If they didn’t actually intermarry, they took partners from other musical families. They remained largely in their home province of Thuringia in old East Germany and gathered frequently for music-making. In Arnstadt, where the notable Johann Sebastian had his first job, they met at the Goldene Sonne hotel, which still stands. Gatherings began with a serious chorale or motet, but the musicmaking would eventually evolve from the serious into comic, bawdy folksongs and quodlibets, a Bach specialty, typically mixing lines from different songs to amusing effect. (The final Goldberg variation is a quodlibet on homecoming and turnips.) Johann Sebastian Bach was proud of his ancestors and, in 1735, at age 50, he compiled a Bach genealogy. He also possessed a collection, the Altbachisches Archiv, begun by his father, the court trumpeter Johann Ambrosius, which contained twenty motets by different members of the Bach family, six of them presented on this program. The Archiv begins with works by Johann Sebastian’s great-uncle, Johann Bach, the clan’s first composer. Born at Wechmar, he studied with a local bandsman and then married his daughter. In 1635, aged 31, he went to Erfurt as head Stadtpfeifer and church organist, an important double position, although he was overshadowed by a cousin of his wife who had written the Swedish army’s marching song. Supposedly an ally in the Thirty Years War, the Swedes occupied towns, paid no rent, imposed taxes. ‘God save us from our friends, never mind our enemies,’ was the Thuringian joke.

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Johann’s appointment coincided with the Peace of Prague which ended the war, and was perhaps the occasion for his festive motet Sei nun wieder zufrieden meine Seele (‘Be happy again, my soul’), a setting of verses from Psalm 116 scored for double choir, one topped by sopranos, the other by altos. The simplicity of this style appealed to the early Lutherans and other reformists as a reaction to the complex polyphony of Roman Catholicism. The new emphasis on homophony gave birth to the Lutheran Chorale, the heart of the Lutheran service. Founder Martin Luther had studied at Erfurt University in the previous century and Thuringians were enthusiastic Lutherans. Biblical texts were set in the motet, which the choir alone sang. This was not a style designed for soloists. It was likely a tribute to Johann that almost every male of the next several generations of Bach’s took his name although they were naturally known by the variable part. Johann employed his brothers Christoph and Heinrich in the Erfurt town band and although his sons did not follow him as organists, his nephews did. (Johann) Michael and (Johann) Christoph, the progeny of brother Heinrich, became the next Bachs to achieve lasting renown as composers.

Michael’s brother Johann Christoph Bach, meanwhile, was showing the irascibility which (Johann) Sebastian inherited. At 23, he moved to Eisenach, employed by the Duke as court keyboardist and by the council as church organist. He constantly complained about accommodations and pay, and died impoverished at age 61. His cousin and court trumpeter at Eisenach was Ambrosius, father of Sebastian, who would one day perform his music at Leipzig. Christoph’s Fürchte dich nicht (‘fear not’) is a dramatic chorale motet with a text from Isaiah combining with the chorale O Jesu du mein Hilf und Ruh (‘O Jesus, my help and rest’), the text of which (Johann) Sebastian would later use in the lost St Mark Passion. (Only the libretto is extant.) The low voices make playful use of rests, and sing a fugal passage on Christ’s life calling before the sopranos sing the cantus firmus hymn.

No works by Johann Ludwig Bach make the Archiv, presumably because he came from separate branch of the family in western Thuringia. Though ten years older, he was the same generation as (Johann) Sebastian and held a position as court composer to the Duke of Meiningen. He wrote music in all forms, though only his vocal works survive. His son was a student in Leipzig during the At 25, Johann Michael Bach became organist of Gehren 1730s and stayed with (Johann) Sebastian, who copied in south Thuringia and stayed there until his death out Ludwig’s compositions and performed them at St twenty years later. He composed, built instruments and Thomas’. sat on the town council. His daughter Maria Barbara married her cousin-once-removed Johann Sebastian. Michael specialised in the chorale motet, eleven of which are included in the Archiv. In his Herr wenn ich nur dich habe, the lower voices sing texts from Psalm 73 (‘Lord, if you were all I had’), while the soprano sings a chorale Jesu du edler Bräutigam wert (‘Jesus the noble bridegroom’) which expressed the same longing. The strands of text converge in meaning on identical last verses, sung together in presto. In Michael’s Ich weiss dass mein Erlöser lebt (‘I know that my redeemer liveth’), the soprano sings the chorale Christus der ist mein Leben (‘Christ is my life’) in the long, bell-like notes of cantus firmus technique, which (Johann) Sebastian would use so effectively in the opening of the St Matthew Passion.

Morning Hymn At Sebastian Bach's by T. E. Rosenthal, 1877

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Ludwig’s Das Blut Jesu Christi is a double choir motet on a verse from the First Epistle of John, reassuring early Christians that Christ’s sacrifice was indeed paramount in the new creed. He sets it with antiphonal choirs of four parts each, volleying the same phrases back and forth. By 1723 when Johann Sebastian Bach was accepted as Cantor at St Thomas’ Leipzig, the motet had become a special item for use mainly at weddings and funerals, its place in regular services taken by the multi-movement solo cantata. Thus (Johann) Sebastian composed motets only for important events and though small in number (the catalogue counts fewer than ten), they are among his greatest works. There were even fewer when Ich lasse dich nicht was attributed to an ancestor – a dynastic hazard. (Johann) Sebastian composed it probably for the 1713 funeral of the Mayor of Arnstadt’s wife. It is a double-choir chorale motet of which the main text from Genesis is God’s promise not to abandon mankind. At first, Choir II echoes Choir I, but then their parts conflate until, after a rapid ping-pong on the word ‘mich’, they unite, the sopranos taking the chorale with its self-effacing ‘ich bin ein armer Erdenkloss’ (‘I am a poor clod of earth’) while the lower voices run with polyphonic independence on the text from Genesis. .

Found a word or phrase that you are unfamiliar with? Check out our extensive Glossary beginning on page 118 to discover the meaning.

Vox Luminis OV

ne the brightest young instrumental talents to emerge from ox of Luminis, founded in 2004 in Namur, Belgium, is an ensemble Finland today, Pohjonen has greatcentury attention as one specializing in Juho the performance of attracted 16th – 18th vocal of the Nordic countries’has most and music. The ensemble beenintriguing praised for itstalented seamlesspianists. blend of high quality, individual tuning and of sound. Juho Pohjonen wasvoices, selectedexquisite by András Schiff as clarity the winner of the CriticsKlavier have also commented on the ensemble’s enthusiasm in 2009 Festival Ruhr Scholarship. In addition, he has won sharing its passion for early music with an audience. The majority numerous prizes in both Finnish and international competitions, of the group met at one of the most significant centers for early including: First Prize at the 2004 Nordic Piano Competition in music inDenmark, Europe: the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. Nyborg, First Prize at the International Young Artists 2000 Concerto Competition, Stockholm, the Prokofiev Prize at VoxAXA Luminis has International performed inPiano festivals and venues2003, in Belgium the Dublin Competition and prize (Nuits de Septembre de Liège, festival de Stavelot, Juillet Musical winner at The Helsinki International Maj Lind Piano Competition de Saint-Hubert, Automne Musical de Spa, MA festival Bruges, 2002. festival van Vlanderen Gent, Laus Polifoniae Antwerpen, festival He his debut at Aspen de Music Festival performing desmade midi-Minimes, Etéthe Musical Roisin, Société Philharmonique Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles… in 2012-13, andde in Saintes, that same de Namur…); France (festival d’Ambronay, festival year, was selected as one of fourteen musicians to work with Rencontres Musicales de Vézelay, festival de Saint-Michel enthe Chamber Music Society offestival Lincoln’s ‘CMS Two Residency Program Thiérarche, Midsummer d’Hardelot, festival Contrepoint for Outstanding Young Artists.’ 62, Festival Musique et Mémoire de Luxeuil, Musique et Natures en Bauges, festivalhas Bach en recitals Combrailles); Germany (Ratingen Bachtage Mr. Pohjonen given in Hong Kong, Dresden, Hamburg, festival, Muziekfest Stuttgart);Hall), The Netherlands (Oude Muziek Helsinki, London (Wigmore New York (Carnegie Hall), San Utrecht, Den Haag, Delft); Portugal Cultural BélemFrancisco, Vancouver, Warsaw and at (Centro the Lucerne Piano, Savonlinna Lisbon) andfestivals. Croatia (Varazdin Baroque with Evenings). and Bergen He has performed orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Atlanta The ensemble records exclusively for the Belgian Label Ricercar. Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony, Their first CD, released the end of 2007, features vocal Danish National, FinnishatRadio Symphony, Swedishfour Radio works by Domenico Scarlatti, including his famous 10-part Stabat Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic and Lahti Symphony - with Mater. he In toured May 2010 the Most ensemble released its worked second album, whom Japan. recently, he has with such Samuel Scheidt’s Sacrae Cantiones, whichJanowski, features several conductors as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Marek HughworldWolff and premieres. Vox Luminis’ most recent CD, released in June 2012, Lionel Bringuier. attracted much attention for its interpretation of Heinrich Schütz’s His debut recording Plateaux featured a performance of Musicalische Exequien. This recording has received several prestigious Scandinavian composer Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen’s piano awards such as the Gramophone ‘Recording of the Year’, the ‘Baroque concerto Plateaux pour Piano et Orchestre with the Danish National Vocal Gramophone Award’ and the ‘International Classical Music Symphony Orchestra and a solo piano piece For Piano. His Award’. sensational opening recital at the 2010’s Music@Menlo Festival led to a recording for the Music@Menlo Live 2010 series entitled Maps and Legends: Disc 8. For more information visit: www.voxluminis.com For more information visit www.juhopohjonen.com Vox Luminis appears courtesy of Aaron Concert Artists Juho Pohjonen appears courtesy of Kirshbaum Demler and Associates

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Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin ( by Martin Luther) Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin In Gottes Wille. Getrost ist mir mein Herz und Sinn, Sanft und stille. Wie Gott mir verheißen hat, Der Tod ist mein Schlaf worden.

With Peace and Joy I go on My Way ( by Martin Luther) With peace and joy I go on my way in God’s will. My heart and mind are comforted, peaceful and calm. As God promised me death has become my sleep.

Das macht Christus, wahr Gottes Sohn, Der treue Heiland, Den du mich, Herr, hast sehen lon Und macht bekannt, Daß er sei das Leben Und Heil in Not und Sterben.

This is the work of Christ, God’s true son, the faithful saviour, whom you, Lord, have allowed me to see and made known that He is our life and salvation in need and in dying.

Den du hast allen vorgestellt Mit groß Gnaden, Zu seinem Reich die ganze Welt Heißen laden Durch dein teur heilsams Wort, An allen Ort erschollen

You have set him before everybody with great mercy, that to his kingdom the whole world may be called and invited through your precious healing Word that has resounded everywhere.

Er ist das Heil und selig Licht Für die Heiden, Zu erleuchten, die dich kennen nicht, Und zu weiden. Es ist deins Volks Israel Der Preis, Ehr, Freud und Wonne.

He is salvation and the blessed light unto the Gentiles, to enlighten those who do not know you, and to give them pasture. For your people Israel He is their reward, honour, joy and delight.

Musikalische Exequien Heinrich Schütz

i. Concert in Form einer teutschen Begräbnis-Missa, SWV 279

Intonatio Nacket bin ich von Mutterleibe kommen.

Intonation Naked came I from my mother's womb.

Soli Nacket werde ich wiederum dahinfahren. Der Herr hat's gegeben, der Herr hat's genommen, der Name des Herren sei gelobet.

Soli Naked shall I return thither. The Lord has given, the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.

Cappella Herr Gott Vater im Himmel, erbarm dich über uns.

Cappella Lord God, Father in Heaven, have mercy upon us.

Soli Christus ist mein Leben, Sterben ist mein Gewinn. Siehe, das ist Gottes Lamm, das der Welt Sünde trägt.

Soli Christ is my life and to die is to gain. Behold the Lamb of God who carries the sins of the world.

Cappella Jesu Christe, Gottes Sohn, erbarm dich über uns.

Cappella Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon us.

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Soli Leben wir, so leben wir dem Herren; Sterben wir,so sterben wir dem Herren. Darum wir leben oder sterben, so sind wir des Herren.

Soli When we live, we live for the Lord; when we die, we die for the Lord: therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

Cappella Herr Gott, heiliger Geist, erbarm dich über uns.

Cappella Lord God, Holy Ghost, have mercy upon us.

Intonatio Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt, daß er seinen eingebornen Sohn gab.

Intonation God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.

Soli Auf daß alle, die an ihn glauben, nicht verloren werden, sondern das ewige Leben haben.

Soli That whosoever believeth in him Should not perish but have everlasting life.

Cappella Er sprach zu seinem lieben Sohn: die Zeit ist hie zu erbarmen, fahr hin, mein's Herzens werte Kron und hilf ihn aus der Sünden Not, erwürg für sie den bittern Tod und laß sie mit dir leben.

Capella He spake to his beloved Son: The time to be merciful has come, Go forth, my heart’s precious crown and redeem them from the dangers of sin, destroy for them the bitter death and let them abide with thee.

Soli Das Blut Jesu Christi, des Sohnes Gottes, machet uns rein von allen Sünden.

Soli The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from all sin.

Cappella Durch ihn ist uns vergeben die Sünd, geschenkt das Leben, im Himmel soll'n wir haben, o Gott, wie große Gaben.

Cappella Through Him our sins are forgiven, life is restored to us. What happy retribution shall be ours, O God, in Heaven!

Soli Unser Wandel ist im Himmel, von dannen wir auch warten des Heilandes Jesu Christi, des Herren, welcher unser‘n nichtigen Leib verklären wird, daß er ähnlich werde seinem verklärten Leibe.

Soli Our future lieth in Heaven, where we shall await our Savior, Jesus Christ, who will transfigure our corruptible body, that it may be like his transfigured body.

Cappella Es ist allhier ein Jammertal: Angst, Not und Trübsal überall. Des Bleibens ist ein kleine Zeit, voller Mühseligkeit, und wers bedenkt, ist immer im Streit.

Cappella This life is but a vale of tears: fear, misery and affliction everywhere. Our brief stay upon this earth is but woe, and whosoever thinketh on it is in constant strife.

Soli Wenn eure Sünde gleich blutrot wäre, so soll sie doch schneeweiß werden. Wenn sie gleich ist wie rosinfarb, soll sie doch wie Wolle werden.

Soli If your sin be as scarlet, it shall become as white as snow. Were it red like crimson, it shall become as white as purest wool.

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Cappella Sein Wort, sein Tauf, sein Nachtmahl dient wider allen Unfall; der Heilge Geist im Glauben lehrt uns darauf vertrauen.

Cappella His word, his Baptism, his Communion serve against all misfortune; belief in the Holy Ghost teacheth us to set our trust therein.

Soli Gehe hin, mein Volk, in eine Kammer und schleuß die Tür nach dir zu. Verbirge dich einen kleinen Augenblick, bis der Zorn vorrübergehe.

Soli Go hence my people into a chamber and bolt the door behind you. Hide yourselves for a brief while until the wrath hath passed.

Soli Der Gerechten Seelen sind in Gottes Hand Und keine Qual rühret sie an, aber sie sind in Frieden.

Soli The souls of the righteous are in God’s hand and no torment shall touch them, but they are in peace.

Soli Herr, wenn ich nur dich habe, so frage ich nichts nach Himmel und Erden.

Soli Lord, if I have none but thee, so shall I ask nothing of Heaven or Earth.

Soli Wenn mir gleich Leib und Seele verschmacht, so bist du Gott allzeit meines Herzens Trost und mein Teil.

Soli And if my body and my soul should so perish, yet thou art God everlasting, my heart’s comfort and part of me.

Cappella Er ist das Heil und selig Licht für die Heiden, zu erleuchten, die dich kennen nicht und zu weiden. Er ist seines Volkes Israel der Preis, Ehr, Freud und Wonne.

Cappella He is the Salvation and the Blessed Light unto the heathens, to enlighten them, who know thee not and delight not in thee. He is the praise, the honour, the joy and the delight of his people Israel.

Soli Unser Leben währet siebenzig Jahr, und wenn's hoch kommt, da sind's achtzig Jahr, und wenn es köstlich gewesen ist, so ist es Müh und Arbeit gewesen.

Soli The duration of our lives is threescore years and ten, though some men may come to fourscore years, and though it be their delight, it is but labour and sorrow.

Cappella Ach, wie elend ist unser Zeit allhier auf dieser Erden, gar bald der Mensch darniederleit, wir müssen alle sterben. Allhier in diesem Jammertal, auch wenn dirs wahl gelinget.

Cappella O how wretched is our time upon this earth, man is soon overthrown and we all must die. Here in this vale of tears, All is but toil and labour, though ye be prosperous.

Soli Ich weiß, daß mein Erlöser lebt, und er wird mich hernach aus der Erden auferwecken, und werde darnach mit dieser meiner Haut umgeben werden, und werde in meinem Fleisch Gott sehen.

Soli I know that my Redeemer liveth, And herealter he shall awaken me from out of the earth, then, in this my Skin and in my flesh shall I see God.

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Cappella Weil du vom Tod erstanden bist, werd ich im Grab nicht bleiben. Mein höchster Trost dein Auffahrt ist. Todsfurcht kannst du vertreiben, denn wo du bist, da komm ich hin, daß ich stets bei dir leb und bin, drum fahr ich hin mit Freuden.

Cappella Since thou hast risen from the dead, I shall not tarry in the grave. Thine Ascension is my greatest comfort. Thou canst drive out the fear of death, for where thou art there shall I be also, that I may be with thee and I live forever, therefore I depart in joy.

Soli Herr, ich lasse dich nich!, du segnest mich denn.

Soli Lord, I shall not forsake thee, for thou wilt bless me.

Cappella Er sprach zu mir: halt dich an mich, es soll dir itzt gelingen, ich geb mich selber ganz für dich, da will ich für dich ringen. Den Tod verschlingt das Leben mein, da bist du selig worden.

Cappella He spake unto me: Cleave to me and thou shalt now accomplish it, I give myself wholly to thee and for thee shall I struggle. Death will devour my life, then thou shalt be blessed.

ii. Motette: Herr, wenn ich nur dich habe SWV 280 Herr, wenn ich nur dich habe, so frage ich nichts nach Himmel und Erden. Wenn mir gleich Leib und Seele verschmacht, so bist du doch, Gott, allezeit meines Herzens Trost, und mein Teil.

ii. Motette: Lord, if I Have But Thee SWV 280 Lord, if I have none but thee, so shall I ask nothing of Heaven or Earth, and if my body and my soul should perish, yet thou art God everlasting, my heart’s comfort and part of me.

iii. Herr, nun lässest du deinen Diener in Friede fahren SWV 281

Intonatio Herr, nun lässest du deinen Diener.

Intonation Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart.

Cappella In Friede fahren, wie du gesagt hast. Denn meine Augen haben deinen Heiland gesehen, welchen du bereitet hast für allen Völkern, ein Licht, zu erleuchten die Heiden und zum Preis deines Volks Israel.

Cappella In peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Seraphim 1 et 2, Beata anima Selig sind die Toten, die in dem Herren sterben. Sie ruhen von ihrer Arbeit und ihre Werke folgen ihnen nach. Sie sind in der Hand des Herren Und keine Qual rührt sie. Selig sind die Toten, die in dem Herren sterben.

Seraphim 1 et 2, Beata anima Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. They may rest from their labours and their works do follow them. They are in the hands of God and there shall no torment touch them. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.

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Sei nun wieder zufrieden meine Seele Johann Bach

Now Again be Content My Soul Johann Bach

Sei nun wieder zufrieden, meine Seele, denn der Herr tut dir Guts. Denn du hast meine Seele aus dem Tode gerissen, meine Augen von Tränen, meinen Fuß vom Gleiten. Ich will wandeln vor dem Herrn im Lande der Lebendigen.

Now again be content, my soul, for the Lord does good things for you. For you [Lord] have snatched my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my foot from slipping. I will walk in the Lord’s presence in the land of the living.

Herr wenn ich nur dich habe Johann Michael Bach

Lord, if Only I Have You Johann Michael Bach

Herr, wenn ich nur dich habe, so frage ich nichts nach Himmel und Erden. Wenn mir gleich Leib und Seele verschmacht, so bist du doch, Gott, allezeit meines Herzens Trost und mein Teil. Psalm LXXIII:25-26

Lord, if only I have you, I ask nothing else from Heaven or earth. If my body and soul alike languish, then are You, O God, always my heart's comfort and part of me.

Unser leben währet 70 Jahr Johann Michael Bach Unser Leben währet siebenzig Jahr, und wenn's hoch kömmt, so sind's achtzig Jahr, und wenn es köstlich gewesen ist, so ist es Müh und Arbeit gewesen. Denn es fähret, schnell dahin, Als flögen wir davon.

The Duration of Our Lives is Threescore Years Johann Michael Bach The duration of our lives is threescore years and ten, though some men be so strong, that they come to fourscore years, and though it be their delight, yet is it but labour and sorrow. Because it passes quickly as though they fly away.

I Know That My Redeemer Lives Johann Michael Bach I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end, he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, In my flesh I will see God. I will see him with my own eyes I, and not another.

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Herr nun lässest du deinen Diener Johann Christoph Bach

Lord, Now Lettest Thou Thy Servant Depart Johann Christoph Bach

Herr, nun lässest du deiner Diener in Frieden fahren, wie du gesagt hast. Denn meine Augen haben deinen Heiland gesehen welchen du bereitet hast für allen Völkern, ein Licht, zu erleuchten die Heiden und zum Preis deines Volks Israel.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant Depart in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared for all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel.

Herr, nun lässest du deiner Diener in Frieden fahren, Herr, in Friede, Herr, Herr!

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant Depart in peace, Lord, in peace, Lord, Lord!

Das Blut Jesu Christi Johann Ludwig Bach

The Blood of Jesus Christ Johann Ludwig Bach

Das Blut Jesu Christi, des Sohnes Gottes, machet uns rein von allen Sünden.

The blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, purifies us from all sins.

Ich lasse dich nicht (BWV 159a) Johann Sebastian Bach

I Will Not Let You Go (BWV 159a) Johann Sebastian Bach

Ich lasse dich nicht, du segnest mich denn.

I will not let you go unless you bless me.

Weil du mein Gott und Vater bist, dein Kind wirst du verlassen nicht, du väterliches Herz! Ich bin ein armer Erdenkloß, auf Erden weiss ich keinen Trost.

Since You are my God and Father, this child of yours hopes, You don’t forget your Fatherly heart! I am a clod of earth, I do not trust earthly things.

Law and Grace by Lucas Cranach, c. 1550 (Lutherhaus Wittenberg)

39th season 2014-15

T h e W i l l i a m T. K e m p e r I n t e r n a t i o n a l c h a m b e r M u s i c s e r i e s

Tafelmusik Baroque orchestra Sunday, November 9

2 pm

The Folly Theater

TAFELMUSIK BAROQUE ORCHESTRA Jeanne Lamon Music Director Jeanne Lamon, violin Patricia Ahern, violin Thomas Georgi, violin Aisslinn Nosky, violin Christopher Verrette, violin Julia Wedman, violin Cristina Zacharias, violin Patrick G. Jordan, viola Stefano Marocchi, viola

Christina Mahler, violoncello Allen Whear, violoncello Alison Mackay, bass John Abberger, oboe Marco Cera, oboe Dominic Teresi, bassoon Lucas Harris, lute/guitar Olivier Fortin, harpischord

Rick Banville, Lighting Director Raha Javanfar, Production Assistant Beth Anderson, Tour & Stage Manager

THE GALILEO PROJECT: MUSIC OF THE SPHERES Programmed and scripted by Alison Mackay Glenn Davidson, Production Designer/Technical Director Marshall Pynkoski, Stage Director John Percy, Astronomical Consultant Shaun Smyth, narrator

The Harmony of the Spheres I VIVALDI Concerto for 2 violins in A Major, op. 3, no. 5 Allegro â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Largo Music from Phaeton LULLY Ouverture Suite des quatre saisons (Dances for the Four Seasons) EntrĂŠe des furies (Entrance of the Furies) Chaconne

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program

Music from the Time of Galileo MONTEVERDI Ritornello, from Orfeo Ciaccona, after Zefiro torna MERULA Ciaccona GALILEI

Toccata for solo lute, from Il primo libro d’intavolatura di liuto

MARINI Passacaglia MONTEVERDI Moresca, from Orfeo INTERMISSION PURCELL Song Tune “See, even night herself is here,” from Fairy Queen Rondeau from Abdelazer The Dresden Festival of the Planets RAMEAU

Entrée de Jupiter (Entrance of Jupiter) from Hippolyte et Aricie

HANDEL

Allegro from Concerto grosso in D Major, Op. 3, No. 6

RAMEAU TELEMANN

Entrée de Venus (Entrance of Venus) from Les surprises de l’Amour Allegro from Concerto for 4 Violins in D Major

ZELENKA RAMEAU

Adagio ma non troppo from Sonata in F Major, ZWV 181/1 Entrée de Mercure (Entrance of Mercury) from Platée

LULLY WEISS

Air pour les suivants de Saturne (Air for the Followers of Saturn) from Phaeton Allegro from Concerto for Lute in C Major

ANONYMOUS, 18th century

The Astronomical Drinking Song The Harmony of the Spheres II

BACH Sinfonia “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern” (How brightly Shines the Morning Star) after BWV 1 Sinfonia after BWV 29

2014 / 2015 Season Presenting Sponsor

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The Galileo Project received its premiere in January 2009 at The Banff Centre where it was co-produced in a residency.

39th season 2014-15

program notes

The Galileo Project: Music of the Spheres was created as Tafelmusik’s contribution to the International Year of Astronomy, marking 2009 as the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s development and use of the astronomical telescope. The performance uses music, words and images to explore the artistic, cultural and scientific world in which 17th- and 18th-century astronomers lived and did their work. In late 16th-century Florence, the house of the lutenist and composer Vincenzo Galilei (father of the famous Galileo) was a fertile breeding ground for important innovations in the realms of music and of science. Vincenzo’s experiments with the expressive power of accompanied solo song influenced the creation of opera as a musical form and the style of music that we now describe as “baroque.” He also conducted repeated trials with lute strings to find the mathematical formulas that express the relationships between length, tension and musical pitch. He is thought to have been assisted in these experiments by his oldest son, Galileo Galilei, a brilliant young teacher of mathematics who went on to apply his expertise to world-changing discoveries about the universe.

magnificent music for his opera Phaeton. We include excerpts from the opera in our concert as an example of the cultural inheritance that the world of baroque music received from the observations of ancient stargazers. The first important opera, Claudio Monteverdi’s Orfeo, was composed in 1607 and published in Venice in 1609, the year that Galileo travelled from Padua to Venice to offer his newly created telescope as a gift to the Venetian Doge. Monteverdi and Galileo were exact contemporaries and near the end of their lives Galileo arranged for Monteverdi to procure a beautiful Cremonese violin (probably built by Nicolo Amati) for his nephew Alberto Galilei, the son of Galileo’s brother Michelangelo who composed the lute solo in the first half of our programme. Monteverdi, Tarquinio Merula and Biagio Marini were the most important composers in Galileo’s world and we present some of their most beautiful works as a backdrop to his own account of his discovery of the moons of Jupiter and the events that followed.

In spite of the efforts of the Inquisition to suppress his discoveries and writings, Galileo’s influence was soon felt throughout Europe and the telescope was adopted as a tool for astronomical research. England’s most important astronomer, Isaac Newton was born within Galileo inherited his spirit of scientific inquiry and a year of Galileo’s death and was buried in 1727 in love of playing the lute from his father, therefore, it is fitting that a musical tribute should honor an astronomer Westminster Abbey near the tomb of Henry Purcell. This period saw the establishment of a Royal Observatory in whose intellectual and artistic vitality stemmed from a place where music and science intersected. Performances Greenwich, Newton’s creation of the reflecting telescope, of The Galileo Project around the world have brought us his discoveries about the properties of refracted light, into contact with scientists, star-gazers and music lovers and his development of the principles of universal gravitation. in many diverse communities, greatly enriching our orchestral life. Newton used the musical analogy of a seven-note scale in explaining the seven colours of the rainbow, but Ancient civilizations depended on an awareness of unlike Galileo, he does not appear to have been a music the natural world for their livelihood and survival, and enjoyed an intimate relationship with the daily, monthly lover. After having been to hear Handel play a concert, he complained that there was nothing to admire except and yearly patterns of the night sky. The Greeks and the elasticity of his fingers. Romans identified characters in their mythological stories with planets and stars, and gave them names that we still use today. In Ovid’s story of Phaeton, the impetuous son of the sun god Apollo, the minutes, hours, days and seasons are personified as denizens of the palace of the sun. At Versailles, the French “Sun King,” Louis XIV, created his own palace of the sun, a building that strongly reflected the cosmology of the ancient world in its statuary and decoration. Jean-Baptiste Lully, the resident composer at Versailles, wrote some of his most

George Frideric Handel made more of a sensation when he travelled from his adopted country of England to his homeland of Germany in order to play at a glittering royal wedding celebration in Dresden in September of 1719. It was a month-long “Festival of the Planets” with numerous operas, balls, outdoor events and special concerts in honour of each of the known planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. (Uranus was discovered in 1781 by oboist, organist, composer and amateur astronomer, Sir William Herschel

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who, like Handel, had moved to England from Hanover. Herschel also built the largest and finest telescopes of his day, catalogued nebulae and discovered infrared radiation with the help of his musician sister Caroline, the discoverer of several comets.) There are detailed archives of the musical events at the 1719 Festival of the Planets, and we know that not only Handel but also Georg Philipp Telemann, who was living in Frankfurt at the time, joined the renowned musicians employed by Augustus the Strong in Dresden. These included double-bass player Jan Dismas Zelenka and Silvius Leopold Weiss, Europe’s most famous lutenist. We present excerpts from works by these four composers, and we are grateful to Lucas Harris for his reconstruction of the missing parts from Weiss’s Lute Concerto in C Major. All that survives of the original is the solo lute part, although the title page confirms that the lute was accompanied by two violins, viola and violoncello.

Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra H

Our program begins and ends with reflections on the ancient concept of the “Music of the Spheres,” thought to have been created by a heavenly ensemble of planets and stars making music together as they move through space. The concert’s opening speech from The Merchant of Venice contains Lorenzo’s beautiful expression of this idea: “There’s not the smallest orb which thou behold’st but in his motion like an angel sings, still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins.”

ailed as “one of the world’s top baroque orchestras” by Gramophone Magazine, Tafelmusik was founded in 1979 by Kenneth Solway and Susan Graves, and has been under the inspired leadership of Music Director and Concertmaster Jeanne Lamon since 1981. At the heart of Tafelmusik is a group of talented and dynamic permanent members, each of whom is a specialist in historical performance practice. Delighting audiences worldwide for more than three decades, Toronto-based Tafelmusik reaches millions of people through its touring, critically acclaimed recordings, broadcasts, new media, and artistic/community partnerships. The vitality of Tafelmusik’s vision clearly resonates with its audiences in Toronto, where the orchestra performs more than 50 concerts every year for a passionate and dedicated following. Tafelmusik maintains a strong presence both nationally and on the world stage, performing in over 350 cities in 32 countries.

The subject was treated extensively in Harmonices Mundi (The Harmony of the World, 1619) by Johannes Kepler, who used the formulas from his laws of planetary motion to derive musical intervals and short melodies associated with each planet. We perform these short tunes on their own, and then weave them into the chorale tune “Wie Schön Leuchtet der Morgenstern,” (How Brightly Shines the Morning Star).

Tafelmusik has released over 75 CDs on the Analekta, Sony Classical, CBC Records, BMG Classics, Hyperion and Collegium labels, and has been awarded numerous international recording prizes, including nine JUNO Awards. In 2012 Tafelmusik announced the creation of its own label, Tafelmusik Media, and has released a number of new and past recordings. Among recent releases are live-performance CDs of Handel Messiah and Beethoven Eroica Symphony, and DVDs of three of Tafelmusik’s most popular performance events: Sing-Along Messiah, and Alison Mackay’s The Galileo Project, and House of Dreams.

This is followed by music adapted from the opening sinfonia movement of Johann Sebastian Bach’s cantata of the same name, BWV 1, and from the opening sinfonia of Bach’s Cantata BWV 29. We have chosen these works by Bach to end our concert because they speak profoundly and eloquently of the wonders of the cosmos and the achievements of the human spirit. Program Notes by Alison Mackay / Tafelmusik ©2012

The Galileo Project premiered in Banff and Toronto in January 2009, and has toured across Canada and the US, and in Mexico, Malaysia, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. The orchestra was honoured by the International Astronomical Union, who named an asteroid after Tafelmusik in recognition of this project. Visit www.tafelmusik.org for more information. Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra appears courtesy of Colbert Artists Management

Found a word or phrase that you are unfamiliar with? Check out our extensive Glossary beginning on page 118 to discover the meaning.

39th season 2014-15

l i n d a h a l l l i br a r y c ol l a b or at i on

The celestial or divine monochord, engraved by Mathew Merian for Robert Fluddâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Utriusque cosmi â&#x20AC;Ś historia (History of the Macrocosm and Microcosm, Oppenheim, 1617-1618). The diagram links the notes of the Greek musical scale with the orbits of the planets, suggesting a mathematical basis for the harmony of the spheres.

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Pre-Concert Lecture, November 9 at 1 p.m. Galileo, Kepler, and the Harmony of the Spheres with William B. Ashworth, Jr. Beginning in 1609, Galileo used the newly-invented telescope to discover craters on the moon, satellites around Jupiter, and stars in the Milky Way. At about the same time, Johannes Kepler discovered the laws that regulate the motion of the planets around the sun. For Kepler, his discoveries were part of a search for the harmony of the spheres, an idea that had been around since Pythagoras, and which Kepler fervidly embraced. Galileo showed us a new kind harmony of, revealing that earth and heavens are one, and not the two separate worlds envisioned by Aristotle. The illustrated talk will discuss the ancient origins of the idea of a harmony of the spheres, look at the role it played in the work of Galileo and Kepler, and examine why, by the time of Isaac Newton, the idea of a harmony of the spheres had faded from the scientific world. Visions of the Spheres – A Display of Images from Original Documents of the Renaissance Shareholder’s Room at the Folly Theater Ancient concepts of the stars and planets placed them in crystalline spheres, centered on and moving around a stationary earth. This graphic display of images from rare books from the time of Galileo illustrates that concept of the cosmos – the one that Galileo learned -- and how Galileo and others changed it with revolutionary thinking and observations. New images of the stars and of the cosmos allowed their viewers to imagine a new universe that was truly out of this world. Curator: Bruce Bradley, Linda Hall Library of Engineering and Science The Linda Hall Library The Linda Hall Library (LHL) is the world’s foremost independent research library devoted to science, engineering and technology. Since 1946, scholars, students, researchers, academic institutions, and businesses throughout the Kansas City region, the nation, and around the world have used the Linda Hall Library’s collections to learn, investigate, invent, explore and increase knowledge.

Hundreds of people of all ages attend the Library’s public programs each year to expand their awareness and understanding of science and technology. A not-for-profit, privately funded institution, the Library is open to the public free of charge. BIOS William B. Ashworth, Jr. William B. Ashworth, Jr. is Associate Professor of History at the University of Missouri—Kansas City, and Consultant for the History of Science at the Linda Hall Library. He has a PhD in the History of Science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and has a special interest in Renaissance and Baroque science, especially early scientific illustration. He teaches courses at UMKC on the Scientific Revolution and the Darwinian Revolution and, for the Linda Hall Library, he advises on rare book acquisitions, organizes exhibitions, writes exhibition catalogues, offers a regular lecture series, and writes two daily blogs on scientific anniversaries, one of which can be accessed on the LHL website. Bruce Bradley Bruce Bradley is the Librarian for History of Science at the Linda Hall Library, where he serves as curator for the library’s special collection of rare books in the history of science and technology. He administers an active program of rare book acquisitions, oversees the security and preservation of the collection, and assists library researchers and visitors in need of access to the collection. Through the acquisitions program, the library was able to acquire at auction a first edition of Galileo’s Sidereus nuncius (Starry Messenger, Venice, 1610), the first book by Galileo to report on his startling observations with a telescope. Other books by Galileo and by his contemporaries have also been acquired for the collection. Bruce works with visiting groups and gives special classes and presentations on aspects of the history of science and rare books. He participates in the library’s exhibition program of rare books, which is offered to local visitors and, through the library’s website, to virtual visitors around the world. He has degrees in history and library science from Carleton College and the University of Illinois.

39th season 2014-15

T h e W i l l i a m T. K e m p e r I n t e r n a t i o n a l c h a m b e r M u s i c s e r i e s

Quatuor Ă&#x2030;bĂ¨ne Friday, November 21

8 pm

The Folly Theater

Pierre Colombet violin Gabriel Le Magadure violin Mathieu Herzog viola Raphael Merlin cello

HAYDN String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 20 No. 5, Hob. III:35 Allegro moderato Menuetto; Trio Adagio Finale: Fuga a due Soggetti MENDELSSOHN String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 13 Adagio; Allegro vivace Adagio non lento Intermezzo: Allegretto con moto; Allegro di molto Presto; Adagio non lento

INTERMISSION JAZZ SELECTIONS TBA

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program notes

Quartet in F Minor, Op. 20, No. 5, Hob. III:35 “With the Handel Theme” Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Joseph Haydn went to work for the princely house of Esterházy in 1761, composing and supervising performance of church music and operas. His responsibilities to Prince Paul Anton were extensive. He rehearsed, coached, and directed all other facets of in-house musical activity for both sacred and entertainment music. The prince’s court orchestra included some excellent players who inspired Haydn to write many of his instrumental concertos. When Prince Paul Anton died in March 1762, he was succeeded by his brother Nikolaus, who was even more enthusiastic about music. Haydn composed for the Prince’s preferred instrument, the baryton, and performed regularly in both chamber and orchestral ensembles.

fugal finales in which, by definition, the players have a more balanced distribution of material. Opus 20 is also significant in that it has two quartets in minor mode. By the second half of the 18th century, it was customary to issue works in sets of six, each one in a different tonality. Generally five of the six pieces would be in major mode, with only one in a minor key. Much of Haydn’s music from the early 1770s is characterized by flamboyance and agitation. Such works are often referred to as his Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress) compositions. This quartet is representative, beginning with its tonality. For Haydn, F Minor was an intensely personal key, analogous to G Minor in Mozart’s music. Only the second movement Trio and the Adagio relieve the tension and tragedy of F Minor. The opening Allegro moderato movement has two principal themes, remarkable for their contrast in character despite having been derived from the same

Between 1769 and 1772, his duties were somewhat lighter, permitting him some free time to compose works beyond those specifically requested by the Prince. In string quartets, which he still called divertimenti à quattro (divertimenti in four parts) on his manuscripts, he could write in a concertante style for his first chair players. The seamless elegance and virtuosic difficulty of the string writing is a reminder how accomplished were the Prince’s musicians.

motive. Both themes are unusually long, heightening their pathos. Haydn stays focused on the contour of his principal ideas throughout his development, which grow out of that initial gesture. His recapitulation (see Glossary for the diagram of the Sonata-Allegro form) and coda offer further variants on the same idea. The movement ends quietly.

In Opus 20, Haydn made a decisive change in the quartet fabric by allotting significantly more importance to the cello part. He introduced the concept of a more assertive and independent bass or cello line that revolutionized music composition, a principal that has been practiced ever since. Four of the six quartets have

harmonic disagreement, at the discretion of the first violin.

Placement of the Menuetto second rather than third is unusual but not unprecedented. Here, it confounds The phrase that recurs most frequently in written our expectations by reiterating the F Minor tonality. discussions of the Op. 20 quartets is “emancipation of Haydn underscores his dark mood with occasional the cello.” The early 1770s were a period of transition in unison passages for viola and cello. A gentle trio in F music. Rococo (an ornamented 18th-century style) and Major offers much needed respite, though its silences style galant (an 18th-century style that was more free and have an ominous quality: the shadows remain. homophonic) elements were ceding to what we call the The first violin has a monopoly on elaborate high classic style. Symphonies composed during these decorative figuration in the Adagio, a siciliana in F years still include a harpsichord as a component of the Major. In one particularly intricate passage, Haydn writes continuo, most often with a cello. Although the cello per figuram retardationis in the first violin part. The anchored the bass line in late Baroque and early classic Latin phrase means that the violinist is to take his time, music, it was relegated to a supporting harmonic role, not keeping precise pace with the harmonic changes in and rarely assumed a melodic lead. the lower three parts. The effect is subtle rhythmic and

Haydn’s finale is one of Opus 20’s contrapuntal glories: a double fugue whose first subject is adapted from the “And With His Stripes” chorus from Handel’s Messiah. A dramatic falling seventh, first stated by the 39th season 2014-15

program notes

second violin, defines the theme; the viola answers immediately with the second subject. Equally short, this second motive does double duty as a countersubject. The counterpoint is Baroque in inspiration, but Haydn’s treatment is classical in form and design. He uses pedal points very effectively to build rhetorical climaxes, all the while maintaining the integrity of his polyphonic fabric. The quartet ends on stark open fifths, underlining the impact of F Minor.

ORIGIN OF A NICKNAME The Opus 20 quartets, which date from 1772, have a curious publication history. Haydn waited nearly three years after composing them to see them in print. Johann André published the first edition in Offenbach-am-Main in 1775. Four years later, an edition issued in Berlin by the house of Hummel pictured a rising sun on its frontispiece. The image stuck, resulting in the set becoming collectively known as the “Sun” Quartets. A Viennese edition, published by Artaria in 1801, was dedicated to Baron Nikolaus Zmeskall von Domanovecz, who is better known as a friend and patron of Beethoven. – L.S. ©2014

Quartet in A, Op. 13, “Ist es wahr?” Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) The genius stories about young Felix Mendelssohn are well known to most music lovers. He had penned the splendid Octet, Op. 20, at age 16, and within a year had written his magical Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 21. These two masterpieces on their own would have earned him a place in music history, even had he not gone on to compose the Hebrides Overture, the Italian Symphony, Elijah, the Violin Concerto, and dozens of other magnificent works. Mendelssohn also played a central role in the “rediscovery” of Johann Sebastian Bach’s music in the 19th century. During his late ‘teens, he became engrossed in the music of Beethoven, an absorption that bore fruit in the 1827 string quartet that closes this evening’s first half. Beethoven may seem an unlikely model for the refined and elegant Mendelssohn. Generally speaking,

Print of Mendelssohn by Carl Jäger, 1870

Mendelssohn is regarded as the most classic of the German romantics, taking Mozart as his model. Beethoven was indisputably the most influential figure of the first half of the 19th century, however, and it makes perfectly good sense that Mendelssohn would make it his business to acquaint himself thoroughly with Beethoven’s music. The late quartets held a particular fascination for young Felix, especially the A Minor Quartet, Op. 132. Although that quartet was not published until the end of 1827, Mendelssohn had certainly heard it performed. A comparison of Op. 132 with Mendelssohn’s A Major quartet, Op. 13, makes it clear that Beethoven’s work served as a model for the 18-year-old composer. For those who do not know Op. 132 well, the Beethovenian spirit of Mendelssohn’s music should still be apparent. Surprisingly, this quartet borrows more from the stormy, passionate character of middle-period Beethoven than it does the transcendent beauty of the late works. This is particularly evident in Mendelssohn’s liberal use of recitative style, most prominently in the finale. The subtitle of Mendelssohn’s quartet is that of his song, “Ist es wahr?” (“Is it true?,” Op. 9, No. 1, also known as “Frage” [Question]). Mendelssohn composed it in 1827, the same year as the quartet, while on holiday at Sakrow, near Potsdam. He had gone there for a rest and a change of scenery, to visit some family friends. Apparently he became enamored of a young lady there.

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The attachment was short-lived, and the girl’s identity is unknown. “Ist es wahr?” is thought to be an expression of his romantic devotion. It is brief: a mere 24 bars in A Major on one page of music. The declamatory text is by Johann Gustav Droysen, known as Voss, an historian and Felix’s good friend.

Ist es wahr? Ist es wahr? Daß du stets dort in dem Laubgang, An der Weinwand meiner harrst? Und den Mondschein und die Sternlein Auch nach mir befragst?

Ist es wahr? Sprich! Was ich fühle, das begreift nur, Die es mit fühlt, Und die treu mir ewig, Treu mir ewig, ewig bleibt.

Is it true? Is it true? That over there in the leafy walkway, you always wait for me by the vine-draped wall? And that with the moonlight and the little stars you ask about me also? Is it true? Speak! What I feel, only she grasps -she who feels with me and stays ever faithful to me, eternally faithful.

Essentially the speaker asks his beloved if it is true that she always waits for him in the arbored walk. The song appears in full in the quartet score. In 19th-century salon performances, the song would have preceded the quartet. Mendelssohn incorporates its opening motive as a motto in the quartet’s slow introduction, and brings it back in the finale. Listeners familiar with the piano literature will note a striking resemblance to the Absence motif from Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 81a, Les Adieux. The least Beethovenian movement is the Intermezzo, which encloses a decidedly Mendelssohnian scherzo section within a capricious folk tale. The dramatic recitative-cum-tremolando that opens the stormy finale re-establishes the hegemony of Beethoven’s influence in this startling work. Program Notes by Laurie Shulman ©2014 Found a word or phrase that you are unfamiliar with? Check out our extensive Glossary beginning on page 118 to discover the meaning.

Quatuor Ébène “A string quartet that can easily morph into a jazz band,” praised The New York Times’ Alan Kozinn following a March 2009 performance featuring the Quatuor Ébène. “ Mesmerized, Mr. Kozinn describes how the four musicians first performed Haydn and Debussy before performing their own arrangement of the music from the movie “Pulp Fiction”, improvising to Chick Corea’s “Spain”, and finally closing with an encore in which the quartet unveils the vocal talents of an excellent a capella quartet.

There is, in French ensemble music today, a certain élan, which suits modern chamber music particularly well. And these four French musicians move with such ease and enthusiasm between different styles.

The Quatuor Ébène studied extensively with the Ysaye Quartet in Paris as well as with the eminent Gábor Takács, Eberhard Feltz and György Kurtág. Since its dramatic 2004 triumph at the prestigious ARD international competition in Munich, where the Quartet was awarded five additional special prizes, the Ébènes have gone on to win the Forberg-Schneider Foundation’s Belmont Prize in 2005. It has since remained close to the Foundation, which arranged to loan them several unique Italian instruments from private owners. From “promising young ensemble”, the Quatuor ébène has grown to become one of today’s foremost quartets on the international scene. 2009 marked the beginning of an especially fruitful collaboration with the Virgin Classics label. The Quartet’s Debussy, Ravel and Fauré recording was awarded several prizes, including “Chamber Music Record of the Year” by ECHO-Klassik, the fff Télérama award, the “choc” Monde de la Musique award, and most notably “Recording of the Year” by Gramophone. A Jazz and World Music album entitled Fiction, released in the Fall of 2010, received an Echo Award and nearly hit the top of the charts. In 2012, Virgin Classics released a live DVD of Fiction, recorded at Folies Bergère in Paris. This was followed by a CD with Mozart’s string quartets K.421 and K.465 and the Divertimento K.13. Both recordings received an Echo Award in 2012. “Felix & Fanny” – featuring Felix Mendelssohn’s string quartets Op. 13 and 80, as well as the only string quartet composed by his sister Fanny – was released in the beginning of 2013. For more information visit: www.quatuorebene.com Quatuor Ébène appears courtesy of Arts Management Group 39th season 2014-15

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Anonymous 4 Sunday, December 14

2 pm

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

Ruth Cunningham Marsha Genensky Susan Hellauer Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek

ON YOOLIS NIGHT: MEDIEVAL ENGLISH CAROLS & MOTETS HYMM MOTET

Vox clara, ecce, intonat Balaam de quo vaticinans/[Ballam]

SONG CAROL CONDUCTUS

Gabriel fram heven-king Ave Maria Ave Maria gracia plena

CAROL CAROL

Lullay, Lullay: Als I lay on Yoolis night Alleluia: A nywe werk

CAROL SONG SEQUENCE CAROL

Lullay I saw a swete semly syght Peperit Virgo O ceteris preamabilis Ther is no rose of swych vertu

BALLAD-CAROL SONG SONG MOTET

Lullay my child - This endris nithgt Edi beo pu hevene quene Salve virgo virginum Prolis eterne genitor/Psallat mater gracie

SONG CAROL

Qui creavit celum (“Song of the Nuns of Chester”) Ecce quod natura

CAROL ANTIPHON

Now may we syngyn Hodie Christus natus est There is no intermission with this program.

This concert is underwritten, in part, by the Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund The Early Music Series is underwritten, in part, by The Friends of Chamber Music Endowment Funds Additional support is also provided by:

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program notes

During the high Middle Ages, Christian Europe was swept up in a wave of passionate adoration of the Virgin Mary. If we may judge by surviving sources of sacred music and poetry, nowhere was her cult stronger than in the British Isles, where Ladymasses and other special votive services were said and sung daily in churches large and small. The English adored the “spotless rose,” virgin both before and after bearing Jesus; and the central event in her life, the Nativity, fascinated them almost as much as did Mary herself. The topics of the incarnation, the virgin birth, and Jesus’ humble origins occur so often in medieval English song and poetry that it sometimes seems as if it were the English who gave form and substance to the celebration of Christmas.

The medieval English motet, based on a pre-existing foundation or tenor part, usually declaims multiple texts simultaneously. The motet Balaam de quo vaticinans / (Ballam) is unusual in that jolly rondellus (voice exchange) sections are superimposed on the basic motet structure. The special genius of the pes motet Prolis eterne genitor / Psallat mater gracie / (Pes) (built on a brief recurring melodic fragment called a pes, or foot) lies in the way it’s simple, repetitive tenor is artfully obscured and reinterpreted with subtly shifting harmonies and melodic phrasings. It seems fitting that both motets praise Mary, a woman whose humble simplicity was to be so greatly elevated and adorned.

Two of the works, called ‘songs,’ have strong, popular The program contains plainchant, songs, motets, connections and were apparently widely known. In “The and carols for Christmas from English sources that date Miller’s Tale” from the 14th-century Canterbury Tales, from the 13th through the 15th centuries. These works Chaucer describes Nicolas, Clerk of Oxenford, as a fine illuminate all of the aspects of the Christmas story and musician, sweetly playing Angelus ad virginem on his its many kindred legends: biblical precursors, Balaam’s psaltery. Gabriel, fram heven-king is an English-language prophecy, Gabriel’s greeting, Mary’s virginity, the birth of version of this 13th-century work. The poem Peperit Jesus, the rising of the star, the angels and the shepherds, virgo, from the 14th-century Red Book of Ossory, is meant the manger and its animals, the virgin mother’s lullaby, to be sung to the tune of the secular songs Mayde in the the three Magi and their gifts. And these works express moore lay and Brid one breere. No doubt realizing that a range of responses to these marvels: mirth and joy, these elegant love songs would not be repressed, and wonder and praise, and even theological exegesis. But the wishing to turn the minds of his musical monks toward thread that ties this music together is a striving toward more spiritual thoughts, the Irish Franciscan abbot something out of the ordinary, a special sound or gesture, Richard de Ledrede composed a new Nativity text in reserved for this most wonderful time. gentle praise of Mary. The plainchant hymn and antiphon are taken from a 13th-century Antiphoner (collection of chants for the Divine Office) from Worcester. We chose to open our program with the striking, fanfare-like opening of the hymn Vox clara, ecce, intonate. This work is perfectly attuned to its Advent theme, recalling John the Baptist’s proclamation that he was “a voice crying in the wilderness.” The program ends with Hodie christus natus est, the Magnificat antiphon for Vespers of Christmas Day. While the feast is drawing to a close, this antiphon reaffirms the miraculous events. Between the plainchant and the song is our recessional, the early 15th-century Song of the Nuns of Chester (Qui creavit celum), a carollike lullaby hymn that was used in an advent procession.

The Blessed Virgin Mary in a rose garden, painting by Stefan Lochner, circa 1448

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biography

Though they all follow a basic structure of burden (refrain) alternating with a number of verses, the carols included here are varied and individual in expression Lullay, lullay: Als I lay on Yoolis Night and Lullay my child - This ender nithgt are ballad-like lullaby carols of the 14th and 15th century. Dating from the early 15th-century, the other carols vary between two- and three-voice texture. The two-voice sections of these pieces sometimes lend themselves to fauxbourdon, an improvisatory technique in which a third harmonizing voice is added between two written outer voices, creating a rich triadic harmony. We have used fauxbourdon in the carols Ther is no rose of swych vertu, Ave Maria, Now may we syngen and Ecce quod natura. This last carol survives in multiple versions; our performance of it combines two of these, one quite simple, and one more elaborate. The music in this program spans hundreds of years, from the early medieval antiphon Hodie Christus natus est, to the polyphonic carols of the 15th-century. The styles and textures vary greatly; the texts speak with many voices. But despite all the technical diversity, there is a common purpose in these works. As if in response to the quiet force of a supernatural moment, when the paths of humanity and divinity meet, the anonymous composers marked each piece with some special characteristic, making each a universe in itself, and making each a unique artistic response to the Christmas story. Program Notes by Susan Hellauer ©2014 Found a word or phrase that you are unfamiliar with? Check out our extensive Glossary beginning on page 118 to discover the meaning.

Anonymous 4 I

n the spring of 1986, four women came together for a musicreading session to see what medieval chant and polyphony would sound like when sung by four female voices. Though it was rare, these women knew that there were women who lived in the medieval period who sang the music they were reading. Nearly 30 years later, Anonymous 4 has performed for sold-out audiences on major concert series and at festivals throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. With over 20 recordings for Harmonia Mundi USA, Anonymous 4 has sold over two million copies world-wide. Anonymous 4’s programs have included music from the year 1000; the ecstatic music and poetry of the 12th-century abbess and mystic, Hildegard of Bingen; 13th- and 14th-century chant and polyphony from England, France, Spain, and Hungary; medieval and modern carols from the British Isles; American folksongs, shape note tunes, gospel songs, and works newly written for the group. Their recordings have received France’s prestigious Diapason d’Or, Classic CD’s Disc of the Year, Classic FM’s Early Music Recording of the Year, several Gramophone Editor’s Choice awards, Italy’s Antonio Vivaldi Award and Le Monde de la Musique’s Choc award. The group has also twice been voted one of Billboard’s top classical artists. Anonymous 4 recently returned to the Billboard charts with the release of Marie et Marion. Composers who have written for Anonymous 4 include David Lang (love fail, a full-evening-length work premiered in June 2012), Richard Einhorn (Voices of Light, an oratorio with silent film; and A Carnival of Miracles, for vocal quartet and two cellos), John Tavener (The Bridegroom, for Anonymous 4 and the Chilingirian String Quartet), Peter Maxwell Davies (A Carnival of Kings), and Steve Reich (Know What is Above You). Anonymous 4 has recorded and toured with the Chilingirian String Quartet, fabled medieval harpist Andrew Lawrence King, newgrass stars Darol Anger (violin) and Mike Marshall (mandolin, guitar), and collaborated with John Darnielle’s indie rock band, the Mountain Goats. The group’s newest project, 1865, featuring songs of hope and home from the American Civil War, pairs the ensemble with renowned singer and old-time fiddler, master banjo and guitar player, Bruce Molsky. For more information visit: www.anonymous4.com Anonymous 4 appears courtesy of Alliance Artist Management

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Hymn: Vox clara, ecce, intonat

Hymn: Behold a clear voice resounds

Vox clara, ecce, intonat, obscura quaeque increpat; pellantur eminus somnia, ab aethre Christus promicat.

Behold a clear voice resounds and cries out against the dark; let dreams be driven away: from eternal heaven Christ comes down.

Mens iam resurgat torpida, quae sorde exstat saucia; sidus refulget iam novum, ut tollat omne noxium.

Let the sluggish mind be revived that was smitten by vileness; now a new star shines that will take away all evil.

E sursum agnus mittitur laxare gratis debitum; omnes pro indulgentia vocem demus cum lacrimis.

From high the lamb is sent, freely to absolve our debts; let us all for the kindness cry out with tears.

Gloria tibi, trinitas, aequalis una deitas et ante omne saeculum et nunc et in perpetuum.

Glory to you, trinity, one coequal godhead, before all ages, now and forever. Trans. Susan Hellauer

Motet: Balaam de quo vaticinans / [Ballam]

Motet: Prophesying him, Balaam said / [Ballam]

Balaam de quo vaticinans: “Iam de Iacob nova micans, orbi lumen inchoans, [rutilans] exibit stella.” Huic ut placuit, tres magi mistica virtute triplici portabant munera, ipsum mirifice regem dicencia deum et hominem mira potencia.

Prophesying him, Balaam said: “Now a new star shall arise out of Jacob, flashing and shining, creating light for the world.” In order to please him, the three Magi be threefold virtue brought mystic gifts, which pronounced him miraculously king, god, and man by wondrous power. Trans. E. H. Sanders

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Song: Gabriel, fram even-king

Song: Gabriel, sent from the king of heaven

Gabriel, fram even-king sent to þe maide swete, broute þire blisful tiding and faire he gan hire greten: “Heil be þu, ful of grace arith! For Godes sone, þis euene-lith, for mannes louen wile man bicomen and taken fles of þe maiden brith, manken fre for to maken of senne and deules mith.”

Gabriel, sent from the king of heaven to the sweet maiden, brought her happy news and greeted her courteously: “Hail be thou, full of grace indeed! For God’s son, this light of heaven, for love of man will become man and take flesh from thee, fair maiden, to free mankind from sin and the devil’s power.”

Mildeliche im gan andsweren þe milde maiden þanne: “Wichewise sold ichs beren child withhuten manne?” Þangle seide, “Ne dred te nout; þurw þoligast sal ben iwrout þis ilche þing warof tiding ichs bringe; al manken wrth ibout þur þi swete childinge and hut of pine ibrout.”

The gentle maiden then gently answered him: “In what way should I bear a child without a husband?” The angel said to her, “Fear not; this very thing of which I bring news will be done by the means of the Holy Spirit; all mankind will be redeemed by means of thy sweet child-bearing and brought out of torment.”

Wan þe maiden understud and þangles wordes herde, mildeliche with milde mud to þangle hie andswerde: “Hur lordes þeuemaiden iwis ics am, þat her abouen is. Anenttis me fulfurthed be þi sawe þat ics, sithen his wil is, maiden, withhuten lawe, of moder have þe blis.”

When the maiden understood and heard the angel’s words, she answered the angel gently, with gentle spirit: “I am indeed the bond-maid of our Lord, who is above. Concerning me may thy saying be fulfilled, that I, since it is his will, may as a maiden, contrary to natural law, have the bliss of a mother.”

Þangle wente awei mid þan al hut of hire sithte; hire wombe arise gan þurw þoligastes mithe. In hire was Crist biloken anon, suth God, soth man ine fleas and bon, and of hir fleas iboren was at time. Warþurw us kam God won; He bout us hut of pine an let im for us slon.

The angel went away with that, altogether out of her sight; her womb began to swell through the power of the Holy Spirit. In her Christ was straightaway enclosed, true God and true man in flesh and bone, and was born of her flesh in due time. Whereby good hope came to us; he redeemed us from torment and let himself be slain for us.

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Maiden-moder makeles, of milche ful ibunden, bid for hus im þat þe ches, at wam þu grace funde, þat he forgive hus senne and wrake and clene of euri gelt us make and euen-blis, wan hure time is to steruen, hus giue, for þine sake, him so her for to seruen þat he us to him take.

Matchless maiden-mother, fully endowed with compassion, pray for us to him who chose thee, | in whose sight thou didst find grace, that he forgive us sin and hostility and make us innocent of every offence, and, when it is our time to die, give us the bliss of heaven, and [grant us], for thy sake, so to serve him here that he may take us to himself. Trans. Lawrence Rosenwald

Carol: Ave Maria

Carol: Hail Mary

Ave Maria, gracia Dei plena. Hayl, blessid flour of virginite, þat bare this tyme a child so fre, þat was & is & euer shal be.

Hail, Mary, full of the Grace of God. Hail, blessed flower of virginity, who now has borne a child so noble, who was and is and ever shall be. Trans. Lawrence Rosenwald

Conductus: Ave maria

Conductus: Hail Mary

Ave maria gracia plena dominus tecum benedicta tu in mulieribus et benedictus fructus ventris tui.

Hail Mary full of grace, the lord be with you, you are blest moang women and blest is the fruit of your womb. Trans E. H. Sanders

The Annunciation painted by Fra Angelico (San Marcos Nathional Museum, Florence, Italy)

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Carol: Lullay, lullay: Als I lay on Yoolis night

Carol: Lullay, lullay: As I lay on Christmas night

Lullay, lullay, lay lay, lullay: mi deere moder, sing lullay.

Lullay, lullay, lay, lay, lullay: my dear mother, sing lullay.

Als I lay on ӡoolis niӡt alone in my longing me þouӡt I saw a well fair siӡt, a may hiar child rokking.

As I lay on Christmas night, alone in my desire, it seemed to me I saw a very lovely sight, a girl rocking her child.

“Sing nou, moder,” said þe child, “wat schal to me befall heerafter wan I cum til eld, for so doon modres all.”

“Sing now, mother,” said the child, “what is to befall me in the future when I am grown up, for all mothers do that.

“Sweete sune,” saide sche, “weroffe schuld I sing? ne wist I nere yet more of þee but Gabriels greeting.”

“Sweet son,” said she, “of what should I sing? I never knew anything more about you than Gabriel’s greeting.

“He grett me goodli on his knee and saide, ‘Hail, marie! Hail, full of grace, God is wiþ þee; þou beren schalt Messie.’”

“He greeted me courteously on his knee and said ‘Hail, Mary! Hail, full of grace, God is with thee; thou shalt bear the Messiah.’

“I wundred michil in my þouӡt, for man wold I riӡt none. ‘Marie,’ he saide, ‘dred þee nouӡt: let God of heven alone.’ ‘Þe Holi Gost schal doon al þis,’ he said wiþouten wun, þat I schuld beren mannis blis and Godis owne sun.” “‘Þer, als he saide, I þee bare on midewenter niӡt in maidenhede wiþouten kare be grace of God almiӡt.’ ‘Þer schepperds waked in þe wold þei her a wunder mirþ of angles þer, as þeim þei told þe tiding of þi birþ. Serteynly þis siӡt I say, þis song I herde sing, als I me lay þis ӡoolis day alon in my longing.

“I wondered greatly in my mind, for I by no means desired a husband. ‘Mary,’ he said, ‘do not fear; leave the God of heaven to his ways. “‘The Holy Ghost is to do all this,’ he said without delay, that I should bear man’s bliss and God’s own son. “There, as he said, I bore you on Midwinter Night, in virginity without pain, by the grace of almighty God. “Where shepherds were watching in the uplands, they heard a wondrous song of angels there, as they told them the tidings of your birth. Certainly I saw this sight, I heard this song sung, as I lay this Christmas Day alone in my desire. Trans. Lawrence Rosenwald

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Carol: Alleluya: A nywe werke

Carol: Alleluya: A new work

Alleluya…

Alleluia...

A nywe werke is come on honde Þorw myӡt & grace of Godys sonde: To saue þe lost of euery londe, For now is fre þat erst was bonde; We mowe wel synge, alleluya.

A new work has come on hand, through the might of grace of God’s messenger, to save the lost of every land. For he is now free who was once in bondage; we may well sing, alleluia!

By Gabriel by-gunne hit was; ryӡt as the sunne shone thorwe the glas, Ihesu Cryst conceyued was of Mary moder, ful of grace. Nowe synge we here, alleluya.

By Gabriel it was begun; just as the sun shone through the glass, Jesus Christ was conceived of Mary, mother, full of grace. Now let us sing, alleluia!

Nowe is fulfylled the prophecie of Dauid and of Jeremie and al-so of Ysaie. Synge we ther-fore, both loude & hye, alleluya, alleluya.

Now are fulfilled the prophecies of David and Jeremiah, and also of Isaiah. Let us therefore sing both loud and high, alleluia, alleluia!

Alleluya, this swete songe, oute of a grene branche hit spronge. God sende vs the lyf þat lasteth longe; nowe ioye & blysse be ϸem a-monge þat thus cunne synge, alleluya.

Alleluia, this sweet song has sprung out of a green branch. God send us long lasting life. Now joy and bliss be among those who thus can sing, alleluia!

Trans. Lawrence Rosenwald

Carol: Lullay: I saw a swete semly syght

Carol: Lullay: I saw a sweet, beautiful sight

‘Lullay, lullow, lully, lullay, Bewy, bewy, lully, bewy, Lully, lullow, lully, lullay, Baw, baw, my barne, Slepe softly now.’

I saw a swete semly syght, A blisful birde, a blossum bright That murnyng made and mirth of mange;

I saw a sweet, beautiful sight, a blissful maiden, a blossom bright, who mourned and rejoiced together.

A maydin moder, mek and myld, In credil kep a knaue child That softly slepe; sche sat and sange.

A maiden mother, meek and mild, in a cradle kept her boy child, who softly slept; she sat and sang. Trans. Lawrence Rosenwald

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Song: Peperit virgo

Song: A maiden gave birth

Peperit virgo, virgo regia, mater orphanorum, mater orphanorum. Peperit virgo, virgo regia, mater orphanorum, plena gracia.

A maiden gave birth, a royal maiden, the mother of orphans. A maiden gave birth, a royal maiden, the mother of orphans, full of grace.

Præbuit honorem vox angelica regi angelorum, regi angelorum. Præbuit honorem vox angelica regi angelorum cantando gloria.

The angelic voice paid honor to the king of the angels. The angelic voice paid honor to the king of the angels by singing “Glory.”

Puero feruntur tria munera obsequio magorum, obsequio magorum. Puero feruntur tria munera obsequio magorum cum stella prævia.

Three gifts are borne to the child as the homage of the magi. Three gifts are borne to the child as the homage of the magi, with the star leading the way.

Tribuat salutem virgo cælica, sola spes lapsorum, sola spes lapsorum. Tribuat salutem virgo calica, sola spes lapsorum in hac miseria.

She grants salvation, the heavenly maiden, the only hope of the fallen. She grants salvation, the heavenly maiden, the only hope of the fallen in this misery.

Angelo docente nati magnalia, vigilia pastorum, vigilia pastorum – angelo docente nati magnalia, vigilia pastorum, laus et læticia.

To the angel who tells of the mighty works of her son, of the vigils of the shepherds – to the angel who tells of the mighty works of her son, [let there be] glory and joy.

Virgo, prece pia per tua munera, regina supernorum, regina supernorum – virgo, prece pia per tua munera, regina supernorum, duc nos ad supera.

Maiden, by devout prayer relying on thy offices, O queen of heaven – maiden, by devout prayer relying on thy offices, O queen of heaven, bring us to the realms above. Trans. Lawrence Rosenwald

The Visitation painted by Domenico Ghirlandaio, Tornabuoni Chapel

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Sequence: O ceteris preamabilis

Sequence: O matchless virgin

O ceteris preamabilis virgo singularis, que mater inviolabilis casta deum paris. Quamplurium prelaudabilis mater salvatoris, tu mulier admirabilis, parens expers paris.

O matchless virgin, more worthy of love than all others, who, a chaste, inviolable mother, gives birth to God; O mother of the saviour, most praiseworthy of all, thou wonderful woman, parent without equal.

O mater incomparabilis, de qua generatur rex christus insuperabilis, homo quo salvatur. Eva fit vero dampnabilis, in morte probatur per te, virgo venerabilis, saluti donatur.

O mother without compare, from whom springs Christ, the invincible king, by whom man is saved. Eve, to be sure, is condemned and tested in death; through thee, venerable virgin, she is granted salvation.

Heu, nostra statura fragilis iterum fedatur, heu, ad mala declinabilis ruinam miratur. Hinc, virgo, per te culpabilis zelo corrigatur tandemque cum nato stabilis celo statuatur.

Alas, our fragile stature is again disgraced; alas, easily deflected to evil, it finds itself face to face with its downfall. Hence, may the guilty be reformed through thee with zeal, and may he at last be placed secure in heaven with the son.

Trans. E. H. Sanders

Carol: Ther is no rose of swych vertu

Carol: There is no rose of such virtue

Ther is no rose of swych vertu As is the rose that bar Ihesu; Alleluya.

There is no rose of such virtue\ as is the rose that bore Jesus, alleluia.

For in this rose conteynyd was Heuen and erthe in lytyl space, Res miranda.

For in this rose was contained both heaven and earth in a little space, a thing to wonder at.

Be that rose we may weel see That he is God in personys thre, Pari forma.

By that rose we may well see that he is God in persons three, but of equal form.

The aungelys sungyn the sheperdes to: ‘Gloria in excelcis Deo.’ Gaudeamus.

The angels sang to the shepherds, “Glory in the highest to God.” Let us rejoice!

Leue we al this worldly merthe, And folwe we this joyful berthe; Transeamus.

Let us leave this worldly mirth and follow this joyful birth. Let us go.

Trans. Lawrence Rosenwald

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Ballad-Carol: Lullay my child - This endris nithgt

Ballad-Carol: Lullay my child - and weep no more

Lullay my chyld and wepe no more Sclepe and be now styll Kynge of blis thi fader he es And thus it es his wyll.

Lullay my child and weep no more, sleep and be still now. Your father is the king of heavenly bliss and thus it is all as he wishes it to be.

This ender nithgt I sauy ha sithgt Ha may ha credill kepe Hand ever schuy sang Hande sayde in mang Lullay my child ande slepe.

The other night, I saw a sight, a maiden watched by a cradle, and ever she sang and all the while said: lullay my child and sleep.

I may nocht slepe I may bot wepe I ham so wobegony. Slepe I wolde But me hes colde Hande clothse hauf I nony.

I cannot sleep, I can only weep: I am so woebegone. I would sleep, but I am cold, and I have no clothing.

The chylde was swet Hand sor he wepe Hande ever me thoht he sayde Moder dere Way doy I here In crache wy ham I layde

The child was sweet, but he wept sorely, and ever I thought he said: Mother dear, what am I doing here? Why am I lying in a manger?

Adam gilt That man has spilde That syn rues me fole sore Man for the Here sal I be xxx [Thyrty] yere ande mor.

Adamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transgression that condemned humankind to perdition, that sin grieves me sorely. Mankind, for you will I stay here for thirty years and more.

Dolles to dreye And I sale dye, Ande hyng I sale on the rode Wondys to wete My bals to bethe Ande gif my fleches to blode.

I will endure suffering, and I will die, and I will be hung on the cross. To wash away sin and to redeem mankind I will give my body to be bloodied.

A spere so charpe Sale thirll my hert For the dede that man has done Fadere ofe blys, Wartu thu has Forsakin me thi sone.

A spear so sharp will pierce my heart because of the sins of man. Father of heavenly bliss, why have you forsaken me, your son? Trans. Marsha Genensky

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Song: Edi beo þu hevene quene

Song: Blessed be Thou, Queen of heaven

Edi beo þu hevene quene folkes froure and engles blis, moder unwemmed and maiden clene swich in world non oþer nis. On þé hit is wel eþ sene of alle wimmen þu havest þet pris mi swete levedi, her mi béne and reu of mé ӡif þi wille is.

Blessed be Thou, Queen of heaven, comfort of men and bliss of angels, unblemished mother and pure virgin, such as no other is in the world. As for Thee, it is most readily seen that of all women Thou hast that prize. My sweet Lady, hear my prayer and have pity on me, if Thou wilt.

Þu asteӡe so þe daiӡ rewe þe deleð from þe deorke nicht, of þe sprong a leome newe, þat al þis world haveð iliӡt. Nis non maide of þine heowe, swo fair, so schene, so rudi, swo bricht; swete levedi of me þu reowe, and have merci of þin knicht.

Thou didst ascend like the first dawn that brings dark night to an end; from Thee sprang a new light that has lightened the whole world. There is no other maid like Thee, so fair, so beautiful, so ruddy, so radiant, so bright; sweet Lady, pity me and have mercy on Thy knight.

Spronge blostme of one rote, þe holi gost þe reste upón, þet wes for monkunnes bote and heore soule to alesen for on. Levedi milde, softe and swote, ic crie þe merci, ic am þi mon boþe to honde and to fote, on alle wise þat ic kon.

O blossom sprung forth from a root, the Holy Ghost reposed upon Thee; that was for mankind's salvation to deliver their soul in exchange for one. Gracious Lady, gentle and sweet, I cry to Thee for mercy; I am Thy man with hand and foot, in every way I can.

Moder ful of þewes hende, Maide dreiӡ and wel itaucht, ic ém in þine love bende and to þe is al mi draucht. Þu me sschild ӡe from þe feonde ase þu ert freo, and wilt, and maucht, help me to mi lives ende, and make me wið þin sone isauӡt.

Mother, full of gracious virtues, maiden patient and well-taught, I am in the bonds of Thy love, and everything draws me to Thee. Wouldst Thou shield me from the fiend, as Thou art noble, willing and able; help me to my life's end and reconcile me with Thy son.

Trans. E. H. Sanders

Song: Salve virgo virginum

Song: Hail, virgin of virgins

Salve virgo virginum parens genitoris, salve lumen luminum, radius splendoris. Salve flos convallium stilla veri roris; nostra spes in te.

Hail, virgin of virgins, mother of the Father, hail, light of lights, ray of brightness. Hail, lily of the valley, drop of the true dew; our hope is in thee.

Salve virgo regia porta salutaris, veri viri nescia, quia deum paris. Ave quia deica prole fecundaris; nostra spes in te.

Hail, royal virgin, portal of salvation, not knowing any real man; because it is God thou bringest into the world. Hail, because thou art made fruitful with the divine offspring; our hope is in thee.

Ave nostre spei finis et salutis, ave per quam rei letantur cum tutis. Ave speciei decus et salutis; nostra spes in te

Hail, goal of our hope and salvation; hail to thee, through whom the guilty and the saved rejoice together. Hail, ornament of beauty and wholesomeness; our hope is in thee. Trans. E. H. Sanders

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Motet: Prolis eterne genitor / Psallat mater gracie / [Pes]

Motet: When time had run its course

Triplum Prolis eterne genitor loquens de filio et prophetis vario vaticinio consummato temporum iam curriculo misit unigenitum e celi solio qui carnem assumeret absque contagio in beate virginis sacrato utero ut in carnis vinceret domicilio hostem cuius vincerat carnis suggestion et sic digna dieret reconpensation hominis quam transtulit Ade transgressio dum pro servo filius offertur domino homo maior homine dus in filio sic ablatum cumulat restitution et offensam diluit amara passio. Dum pro reis innocens fit immolation que opertet fieri visitatio ut relatum fieret satisfactio incarnati filii iam patet seculo quam transsumpsit pastorum pura devotio.

Triplum When time had run its course, the father of the eternal offspring, speaking about the son and the prophets through diverse prophecies, sent from the heavenly throne his only begotten son, who was to become flesh without any contagion in the blessed virgin’s hallowed womb, that in this fleshly abode he might vanquish the devil, whose temptation of the flesh had been victorious, and that thus man’s fitting compensation might be accomplished, which Adam’s transgression had postponed; since on behalf of the slave the son, a man greater than man – God in the son – is offered to the Lord, the restitution thus augments what was once lost and the bitter passion washes away the offence. Since for the benefit of the culprits the innocent sacrifice takes place, which needs to bring about the visitation so that the report might be written, it is now manifest to this age that the Son, having been made flesh, has accomplished the penance, because the shepherd’s pure devotion has spread the news.

Duplum Psallat mater gracie gaudet ecclesia per quam nova gaudet prole celi curia in excelsis canitur deo gloria, quo testatur resonans vox angelica pariente genitorem nati filia vagit in presepio celorum gloria; o beata que [assident] animalia pastor petit Bethleem grandi fiducia, ut cernant in stabulo regentem omnia. O quam alta summi regis sunt palacia cui cedunt ut recumbant animalia ubi queso milites ubi familia ubi thronus ubi capax aula regia talia respondeat virgo paupercula que diversorii parit angustia cuius fetum enim locant cubicula ergo regis glorie mater et filia nos [de hac] ingloria transfer miseria.

Duplum Let the gracious mother sing praises, the church rejoices; because of her the heavenly assembly rejoices in the new offspring, and glory is sung to God in the highest, wherefore the angels’ voices resoundingly bear witness, while the son’s daughter gives birth to the father. The glory of the heavens is crying in the manger; o blessed animals sitting there; the shepherd with abounding trust proceeds to Bethlehem that there in the stable he might descry Him who rules over everything. O how great are the palaces of the highest king, from whom the animals move away that they might lie down; pray, where are the soldiers, where is the household, where the throne, where the spacious royal hall? Let the poor virgin answer such questions, who gives birth in the cramped spaces of the inn, whose bedchamber accommodates the babe; therefore, mother and daughter of the glorious king, take us away from this inglorious misery.

Carol: Qui creavit celum

Carol: He who created heaven

Qui creavit celum lully lully lu Nascitur in stabulo by by by by by Rex qui regit seculum lully lully lu.

He who created heaven, lully lully lu, is born in a stable, by by by by by, the king who rules the ages, lully lully lu.

Joseph emit panniculum by by by by by Mater involvit puerum lully lully lu Et ponit in presepio by by by by by.

Joseph bought a little cloth; the mother swaddled her baby boy and placed him in a manger.

Inter animalia lully lully lu Jacent mundi gaudia by by by by by Dulcis super omnia lully lully lu. Lactat mater domini by by by by by osculatur parvulum lully lully lu et adorat dominum by by by by by.

Among the animals, the world’s joys are laid, sweet above all things. The mother nurses the lord; she kisses her little child and thus adores her lord.

Roga mater filium lully lully lu ut det nobis gaudium by by by by by in perenni gloria lully lully lu.

Mother, pray your son that he may give us joy in eternal glory.

Trans. E. H. Sanders

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t e xt s a n d t r a n s l at i on s

In sempiterna secula by by by by by In eternum et ultra lully lully lu Det nobis sua gaudia by by by by by.

Through everlasting ages, through eternity and beyond, may he grant us to rejoice in him. Trans. Susan Hellauer

Carol: Ecce quod natura

Carol: Behold, nature changes her law

Ecce quod natura mutat sua jura: virgo parit pura dei filium.

Behold, nature changes her law: a pure virgin bears Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s son.

Ecce, novum gaudium, ecce novum mirum: virgo parit filium, que non novit virum; que non novit virum, sed ut pirus pirum, gleba fert sphirum, rosa lilium.

Behold, a new joy, behold, new wonder: a virgin bears a son without knowing man; without knowing man, but as the pear tree bears a pear, the earth creates a sapphire and the rose a lily.

Mundum deus flebilem videns in ruina, florem delectabilem produxit de spina; produxit de spina virgo que regina, mundi medicina, salus gencium.

This doleful world God saw in ruins, so a delectable rose he produced from the thorn; he produced from the thorn a virgin queen, a healing for the world and the salvation of its people.

Nequivit divinitas plus humiliari, nec nostra fragilitas magis exaltari; magis exaltari quam celo locari, deo coequari per conjugium.

Divinity could not be more humbled, nor could our fragility be more exalted; more exalted than to be placed in heaven, equal with God, through this union. Trans. Lawrence Rosenwald

Carol: Now may we syngyn

Carol: Now may we sing

Now may we syngen as it is quod puer natus est nobis.

Now may we sing as it is: for unto us a child is born

This babe to us that now is bore Wyndyrful werkys he hath y wrowt He wil not lese that was y lore but baldly aÓĄen it bowth And thus it is fforsothe y wys He asketh nouth but that is hys.

This baby, who has been born for us, has done miraculous deeds; he will not forsake those who are lost, but will boldly redeem them. And thus it is, certainly: he asks for nothing but what is his.

Hys raunsum for us hath y paid Of resoun than we owyn to ben hys Be mercy askyd and he be prayd We may be rith kalange blys. And thus it is . . .

The ransom for us has been paid, and for this reason, we are in his debt. By asking mercy and by praying to him we may claim heavenly bliss as our due. And thus it is . . .

Almythy god in trynyte Thy mercy we pray with hool herte Thy mercy may all woo make fle And daungerous dreed fro us do sterte. And thus it is . . .

Almighty God in Trinity, we pray for your mercy wholeheartedly. Your mercy will dispel all affliction and keep from us the most perilous danger. And thus it is . . . Trans. Marsha Genensky

Antiphon: Hodie Christus natus est

Antiphon: Today Christ is born

Hodie Christus natus est; hodie salvator apparuit; hodie in terra canunt angeli, letantur archangeli; hodie exultant justi dicentes: Gloria in excelsis deo. Alleluya!

Today Christ is born; today the savior has appeared; today the angels sing on earth, the archangels rejoice; today good people exult, saying: Glory to God in the highest. Alleluia! Trans. Lawrence Rosenwald

39th season 2014-15

the music alliance series

Ariel Quartet with Alon Goldstein, piano Friday, January 30

The Folly Theater

8 pm Gershon Gershikov Alexandra Kazovsky Jan Gr端ning Amit Even-Tov Alon Goldstein

violin violin viola cello piano

SCHULHOFF Divertimento for String Quartet, Op. 14 Lebhaft Cavatine Intermezzo Romanze Rondo STRAVINSKY Three Pieces for String Quartet 1. Dance 2. Eccentric 3. Canticle INTERMISSION ELGAR Piano Quintet in A Minor, Op. 84 Moderato; Allegro Adagio Andante; Allegro

Music Alliance: A co-presentation of The Friends of Chamber Music and UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance This concert is underwritten, in part, by the 2014 Cleveland Quartet Award The International Chamber Music Series is underwritten, in part, by the William T. Kemper Foundation Additional support is also provided by:

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program notes

This evening’s program comprises works by composers of Czech, Russian, and English origin. Thus one would expect differences of style. The diversity among these particular pieces, however, is startling, especially considering that all three were written within a five year span. The two string quartet works on the first half are exactly contemporary, both dating from 1914. That year has its own significance, of course. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in late June 1914 is credited by some historians as having triggered a series of events that led to the outbreak of World War I at the end of July. Four years later, in the final months of that devastating conflict, Sir Edward Elgar began his Piano Quintet. When he finished the piece in early 1919, the world was dealing not only with the consequences of the Great War, but also with the aftermath of a horrific influenza epidemic that killed some 50 million people globally. In addition to that politically fraught context for their music, each of the composers was in a different place in his career when these pieces were written. The Schulhoff Divertimento is a student work, composed while he was at the Cologne Conservatory. Rebelling against what he regarded as the oppression of his composition teachers, Schulhoff seems intent on mocking tradition in this five-movement suite. Stravinsky was a dozen years older than Schulhoff and, by 1914, vastly more experienced. He had already enjoyed the triumphs of the ballets Firebird and Petrouchka and survived the scandal of The Rite of Spring. Unafraid to take chances or, in today’s vernacular, to ‘push the envelope,’ he continued to stretch his players and his audience. The Three Pieces for String Quartet prickle with in-your-face dissonance, expressionist angst, and a firm break from anything remotely associated with post-romanticism. Although Elgar’s Piano Quintet is the latest work on this program, it sounds as if it predates the other two by decades. Born in 1857, he was the oldest of our three composers, and firmly entrenched in the very romanticism from which Stravinsky and Schulhoff wished to dissociate themselves. By 1918, Elgar was an old man. His mature works are wistful and valedictory, commemorating a world that was gone forever. In harmonic language, structure, and cyclic techniques, the Quintet seems an effort to recapture a vanished value system. Elgar looks back over his shoulder by at least a quarter century.

Erwin Schulhoff

Music Alliance Event:

Sounds from an Unsettled World, 1914-19 National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial Wednesday, January 28 at 6:30 p.m. Cash bar and small plates available at J.C. Nichols Auditorium Lobby from 5:30 -6:30 p.m. Seating is limited and available on a first come, first-served basis. Composers respond in different ways to their world. The events leading up to World War I and the conflict itself greatly affected how composers thought of their art and also how audiences responded to new works. Using the music on the Ariel Quartet’s program with Alon Goldstein as inspiration, the panelists will investigate the relationships between music and world events between 1914 and 1919. Panel Members: Dr. William Everett and Dr. Andrew Granade, UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance; Dr. Lynda Payne, UMKC Dept. of History; Matthew Naylor, President and CEO of the National World War I Museum This event is general admission and free to the public, but tickets are required. Please reserve online chambermusic.org or call 816-561-9999. Co-presented by The Friends of Chamber Music, UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance, and the National World War I Museum.

39th season 2014-15

program notes

Master Classes

Alon Goldstein, piano Thursday, January 29 10 AM – 12 PM White Recital Hall

Ariel Quartet Saturday, January 31 10 AM – 12 PM White Recital Hall

All of our Master Classes are FREE and open to the public. Please join us!

The forms of the individual movements are simple and straightforward. His three inner movements are ternary structures with a literal repeat of the A section following a central, contrasting B section. Dance types dominate the Divertimento.

He opens with a march marked Lebhaft (lively) that functions as a fanfare introduction. Rhythmic energy Divertimento for String Quartet, Op. 14 and a free approach to tonality set the tone for the work. Erwin Schulhoff (1894-1942) Schulhoff’s writing is playful, with engaging use of Czech-born Erwin Schulhoff was a protégé of Dvořák pizzicato. and a student of Max Reger and Fritz Steinbach. Despite The Cavatine movement is a gentle waltz for muted the fact that his name and music are new to most of us upper strings accompanied by pizzicatos in the cello part. this evening, in his day he was a musician of remarkable Schulhoff’s directive is Ruhig fließend (calmly flowing). versatility and stature. As a student in Leipzig and Cologne, he earned prizes in both piano and composition, This interpretive guideline applies equally well to the middle section, with its undulating sixths in the second and went on to a successful career as a jazz performer! Between 1918 and 1938, his music was widely performed violin and viola. in Europe. The viola takes the spotlight in the Intermezzo movement, supported by the other three strings playing Although the early work that opens this concert is pizzicato. The B section switches from a brisk 3/8 meter hardly revolutionary, Schulhoff later allied himself with a number of avant-garde movements, including Dadaism to a more relaxed waltz tempo. Schulhoff plays games with his phrases, asking hesitant, tentative questions that and quarter-tone music. He was one of the first to he never fully answers. address the challenges of music “between” the pitches of the piano, as developed by his contemporary Aloïs Hába.

Another viola solo introduces the Romanze Schulhoff did not limit his radical causes to music. movement; the melody soon passes to the first violin. The violin dominates the brief middle section, which He became a Communist and a naturalized Soviet citiconcludes with a passage marked A la Cadenza. zen. When the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, Schulhoff ’s Jewish heritage and Communist At nearly seven minutes, the concluding Rondo affiliation were more than enough to mandate his is the Divertimento’s longest movement. After three incarceration. He died in the German concentration movements in a triple or compound meter, Schulhoff camp at Wülzburg, Bavaria. returns to 4/4 time and a strong rhythmic profile. His The Divertimento was written in 1914, when theme has Haydnesque wit and energy, making virtuosic Shulhoff was not yet twenty, while completing his studies demands on all four players. Sudden changes of dynamics at the Cologne Conservatory. In a letter to the music and articulation and the occasional unexpected full stop scholar Alfred Einstein dated April 26, 1922, Schulhoff are yet other examples of techniques used by Haydn. described his student days. This is the sole movement in which Schulhoff engages in a bit of imitative writing as opposed to his style in the With regard to composition, I am self-taught since Divertimento movement which is written in homophonic there always occurred differences of opinion between rather than polyphonic style. my teachers and me which usually led to my “being

Throughout the Divertimento, Schulhoff seems to thumb his nose at conventional rules of harmony. Though he writes without key signatures, his music is distinctly tonal, yet he takes frequent left turns into unexpected key The five movements of Opus 14 have an undercurrent centers. Imaginative accompaniment figures and strong melodic ideas give the Divertimento both substance and of satirical humor that bears out Schulhoff’s comments. charm. The term Divertimento implies a lighter character: entertainment music often rooted in dance rhythms.

chucked out.” . . . None of my teachers influenced the direction I was taking. Rather, the oppression of my teachers gave my work more shape. In my compositions I ridicule all my teachers.

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program notes

Igor Stravinsky (Library of Congress)

Three Pieces for String Quartet Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) After the three great ballets L’oiseau de feu (“The Firebird,” 1910), Petrouchka (1911), and Le sacre du printemps (“The Rite of Spring,” 1913), Stravinsky was moving away from the large orchestras he had employed for those masterworks. Instead, he concentrated more on exploring the specific tone colors available to him within smaller chamber ensembles. His Three Pieces for String Quartet, composed in 1914, are an example. The title itself is a clue to the work. By not calling it a string quartet, Stravinsky was distancing himself from the string quartet tradition. Specifically, he avoided the notion of the sonata form, with all its implications of tonal and structural organization, as well as the expectations of specific movements that had been used since Haydn. All three pieces experiment with unusual methods of producing sounds on the string instruments. The first piece has frequent changes of meter and misplaced accents. Repetition of melodic fragments and motivic patterns overlap to give it variety. In the second, Stravinsky explores changing tempos, with specific episodes of rapidly changing moods. The third piece differs from the first two, and is calmer with more chorale-like writing.

These brief pieces leave one feeling the absence of dialogue. Each instrument follows its own path, beginning and ending at the same place via four independent routes. Stravinsky liked these pieces. He later transcribed them for large orchestra, incorporating a fourth movement in the Spanish style. In that version, Quatre Etudes pour Orchestre (revised in 1928), the work has been performed more frequently, but it is still a comparative rarity in concert. The movements are untitled in the string quartet score, bearing only metronome markings. In the orchestral version, Stravinsky gave titles to the movements. He called the first one ‘Dance.’ Its melody, restricted to four pitches spanning a fourth, is related to Russian folk music. The second piece, called ‘Eccentric’ in the orchestration, was inspired by the English music hall comedian and dancer called Little Tich (né Harry Relph), whom Stravinsky saw perform in the summer of 1914. ‘Eccentric’ is his musical evocation of Little Tich’s clownish movements. Stravinsky thought highly of the third piece, (later called ‘Canticle’) and reused its opening triplet motive in his Symphonies of Wind Instruments (1920). Listeners will identify fragments of the Dies irae chant. Stravinsky revised the original Three Pieces in 1918. They were published in 1922 by Edition Russe de Musique with a dedication to the Swiss conductor Ernest Ansermet. Piano Quintet in A Minor, Op. 84 Edward Elgar (1857-1934) In the waning months of the Great War, as Armistice looked increasingly likely, Edward and Alice Elgar leased a cottage called Brinkwells, situated in Sussex between the tiny village of Fittleworth and Wisborough Green. The oak-beamed, thatch-roofed cottage was situated on a hill. A studio across the property had a splendid view of wooded countryside, the Arun River, and the South Downs hills toward the coast. On a nearby plateau, a grove of gnarled trees was visible. They had been struck by lightning, denuding the branches and, of course, killing the trees. At dusk and after nightfall, their bizarre silhouettes against the night sky resembled eerie, deformed figures. Local legend held that, centuries before, an order of Spanish monks had been engaged in ‘impious rites’ - presumably some blasphemy unacceptable to the Catholic liturgy-and were struck dead; the trees were said to be their earthly remains. 39th season 2014-15

program notes

Quintet to a group of friends. George Bernard Shaw was among the guests, and wrote to Elgar the next day, dwelling on his impressions of the Quintet. The English biographer Ian Parrott has observed, “The main paradox of Elgar’s three mature chamber music works is that in one sense the composer has too few instruments yet in another he has too many.” The Quintet, which is regarded as the best of the three, has a symphonic grandeur in some places and an aching, solitary soulfulness in others. The outer movements often struggle to break free of chamber music, surging toward symphonic grandeur. Elgar’s piano writing is marvelously effective, particularly in the surges towards climaxes. The textures have a Brahmsian thickness, and he frequently matches Brahms’s breadth, drama, and nobility as well. Harmonically, the language is more conservative than Elgar’s music of the previous decade. He employs a Wagnerian chromaticism that lends the music a post-romantic appeal. Structurally, the Quintet suggests César Franck, with its use of cyclic quotations or allusions; themes introduced in the opening movement recur in the second and third movements. Elgar has been criticized for some passages that evoke Photograph of Sir Edward Elgar by Edgar Thomas Holding, c.1905 salon music in both of the outer movements. The (Nathional Portrait Gallery) Adagio, however, is unimpeachable and the Quintet’s Elgar was enchanted with Brinkwells and its greatest glory. Opening with a creamy viola solo, the slow surroundings and found himself full of new musical ideas. movement is now wistful, now melancholy, now tender. During the summer, he embarked on a series of three Elgar ascends to the sublime, achieving the same works that were to be his most substantial efforts in the qualities as the beloved ‘Nimrod’ Variation from the realm of chamber music. The first to be completed was a Enigma and the lesser-known, but eloquent slow violin sonata. The day he finished the sonata, movement to his First Symphony. September 15, 1918, he began composing the Piano Quintet. A string quartet followed in 1919. The three Program Notes by Laurie Shulman ©2014 were published, respectively, as his Opp. 82, 83, and 84. The dead trees on the plateau found their way into Found a word or phrase that you are unfamiliar with? Check out our extensive the Quintet in the second theme of the first Glossary beginning on page 118 to discover the meaning. movement. He wrote the work for Ernest Newman, a prominent English writer on music. In a letter dated January 5, 1919, Elgar reported to his friend: Your Quintet remains to be completed–the first movement is ready & I want you to hear it–it is strange music I think & I like it–but–it’s ghostly stuff.

He composed the Adagio that month and completed the work by March. A private performance took place at Severn House, the Elgars’ London residence, on March 7, introducing the Violin Sonata, the Quartet, and the

Cleveland Quartet Award The Ariel Quartet is the recipient of Chamber Music America’s 2014 Cleveland Quartet Award. The quartet’s performance has been made possible by the Cleveland Quartet Award Endowment Fund.

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biography

Alon Goldstein

Ariel Quartet C

haracterized by its youth, brilliant playing, and soulful interpretations, the Ariel Quartet has quickly earned a glowing international reputation. In January 2012 the Quartet was named quartet-in-residence at the University of Cincinnati’s CollegeConservatory of Music, a remarkable accomplishment for such a young ensemble and a testament to the Ariel’s skill and dedication to their craft. And in October 2013, the Quartet was selected to receive the Cleveland Quartet Award. Established in 1995, the biennial award honors and promotes an emerging young string quartet whose exceptional artistry demonstrates the potential for a major career. Formed in Israel, the Quartet moved to the United States in 2004 to continue its professional studies as the resident ensemble at the New England Conservatory’s prestigious Professional String Quartet Training Program. Since their graduation in 2010, the Ariel has won a number of international prizes, including the Grand Prize at the 2006 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and third prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2007. At that same Banff competition, the quartet was also awarded the Székely Prize for their performance of Bartók. The American Record Guide described the Ariel Quartet’s performance at the 2007 Banff Competition as “a consummate ensemble gifted with utter musicality and remarkable interpretive power” and called their performance of Beethoven’s Op. 132 “the pinnacle of the competition.” In addition to performing the traditional quartet repertoire, the Ariel Quartet regularly collaborates with many musicians and composers, including such artists as pianists Menahem Pressler and Roman Rabinovich; the American and Jerusalem String Quartets; violist Roger Tapping, and cellist Paul Katz. The Ariel also served as quartet-in-residence in the Steans Music Institute at the Ravinia Festival for two consecutive years. Taught by Paul Katz, Donald Weilerstein, Miriam Fried, Kim Kashkashian, and Martha Strongin Katz, among others, the Quartet has received extensive scholarship support for the members’ studies in the United States from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation, Dov and Rachel Gottesman, and the Legacy Heritage Fund. Most recently, they were awarded a substantial grant from The A. N. and Pearl G. Barnett Family Foundation. For more information, please visit www.arielquartet.com The Ariel Quartet appears courtesy of Melvin Kaplan, Inc.

lon Goldstein is one of the most original and sensitive pianists of his generation, admired for his musical intelligence, dynamic personality, artistic vision and innovative programming. He has played with the Israel, London, Radio France, and Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestras as well as the Philadelphia, San Francisco, Baltimore, St. Louis, Dallas, Houston, and Vancouver symphonies under such conductors as Zubin Mehta, Herbert Blomstedt, Vladimir Jurowski, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Leon Fleisher, Peter Oundjian, Yoel Levi and others. In the fall of 2013, Mr. Goldstein released q recording of Mendelssohn Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 with the Israel Chamber Orchestra conducted by Yoav Talmi. This collaboration scored a major success on a 17-concert Latin American tour that included concerts in Teatro Colon, Palacio des Bellas Artes and Teatro Nacional. A return tour is planned for the 2015-16 season. Performance highlights of the last season include appearances at the Ravinia Festival as soloist with the Chicago Symphony under James Conlon in the Mozart Double and Triple concertos with Leon Fleisher and Katherine Jacobson Fleisher. In addition, Mr. Goldstein was heard nation-wide in performances with the Goldstein-PeledFiterstein Trio (piano, clarinet, cello) and solo recitals, many of which included the music of Debussy in homage of the composer’s 150th birthday Other recent highlights include two world premieres of concerti that were written for Mr. Goldstein - Lost Souls by Avner Dorman with the Kansas City Symphony under Michael Stern, and Ornaments by Mark Kopytman with the Jerusalem Camerata, as well as performances at Carnegie Hall with the New York String Orchestra under Jaime Laredo, and solo recitals in Beijing (in the Forbidden City), Moscow (Kremlin), New York (Town Hall), Chicago, Guatemala City, Kent (UK), Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv. Alon has performed at the Gilmore, Santa Fe, Tanglewood, Ravinia, Marlboro, Seattle, Verbier, Prussia Cove and Jerusalem music festivals. Over the past several years he has also taught and played at the Steans Institute of the Ravinia Festival, New York’s International Keyboard Festival and given master classes at “Tel Hai” in Israel.

For more information visit: www.alongoldstein.com Alon Goldstein appears courtesy of Frank Salomon Associates

39th season 2014-15

the muriel mcbrien kauffman master pianists series

Lise de la salle, piano Friday, February 13

8 pm

The Folly Theater

BRAHMS Theme and Variations in D Minor, Op. 18b BRAHMS Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24 Aria Var. I Più vivo Var. II Var. III Var. IV Var. V espressivo Var. VI Var. VII con vivacità Var. VIII Var. IX poco sostenuto Var. X Allegro Var. XI Moderato Var. XII L’istesso tempo Var. XIII Largamente, ma non troppo Var. XIV Var. XV Var. XVI Var. XVII più mosso Var. XVIII grazioso Var. XIX leggero e vivace (ma non troppo) Var. XX Andante Var. XXI Vivace Var. XXII Alla Musette Var. XXIII Vivace Var. XXIV Var. XXV Fuga - Moderato INTERMISSION DEBUSSY

Selections from Préludes, Books I and II

RAVEL Gaspard de la nuit Ondine Le Gibet Scarbo This concert is underwritten, in part, by The Sanders & Blanche Sosland Music Fund This concert is underwritten, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts The Master Pianists Series is underwritten, in part, by the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation Additional support is also provided by:

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program notes

In her debut program on this series, the young French pianist Lise de la Salle juxtaposes two Brahms variation sets with a pair of early 20th-century French masterworks. Her choices are intriguing, because the musical and pianistic innovations of Debussy and Ravel were, in part, a reaction to what they regarded as the excesses of German romanticism. Brahms was a major exponent of that tradition. Like Beethoven, Brahms composed variations throughout his career, finding endless stimulation in the potential of melodies that seem simple on the surface. Both the sets that Ms. de la Salle plays have Baroque origins. The first, while borrowed from Brahms’s own String Sextet Op. 18, is indebted both to Bach’s immortal violin Chaconne and to the La Folia tune (the origin of which is not known, but which stretches back hundreds years) which was very popular in the Baroque era. The second work – surely his greatest keyboard variations – is based on a humble tune from a Handel harpsichord suite. Between them, Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel revolutionized the world of piano. Each man brought prodigious technique and imagination to his perception of what sounds and textures could emerge from the keyboard. Regarding their respective approaches to harmony and form, both composers ignore the traditional rules about musical structure, which provides a striking contrast to the Brahms that precedes the intermission. The French portion of the program opens with selections from Debussy’s miraculous Préludes for piano, two volumes published in 1910 and 1913. Each movement has its own character, history, and pianistic texture. In her Debussy Préludes and Ravel’s virtuosic Gaspard de la nuit, Lise de la Salle surveys the achievement of these two French 20th-century titans.

Photograph of the Eiffel Tower, c.1900 (State Library of Victoria)

The apparent reason for this omission is that Opus 18b is Brahms’s arrangement of the slow movement from You will not find Opus 18b in any standard his First String Sextet, Op.18. His manuscript of the ‘complete piano works’ of Johannes Brahms. Nearly every piano version is dated September 13, 1860, which was edition opens with the three massive sonatas, the Scherzo Clara Schumann’s 41st birthday. This work, his birthday Opus 4, the Variations on a Theme by Schumann, Opus gift to her that year, reflects his high regard for the 9, and the Opus 10 Ballades. Volume I of most editions original movement. then moves to the two variation sets of Opus 21. Theme and Variations in D Minor, Op. 18b Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

39th season 2014-15

program notes

The stark drama and the tonality evoke the Bach D Minor Chaconne from the Second Partita for unaccompanied violin, BWV 1005. We know that Brahms knew and revered that masterpiece; many years later, after Clara had developed arthritis in her right hand, Brahms transcribed the Bach Chaconne for left hand piano (Studie No. 5, 1879). For the variations, he also drew on La Folia, a famous tune with roots extending back to the 15th century that inspired many composers from the Renaissance era to Brahms’s day. The variations are gripping and inexorable, growing progressively more ominous and menacing until a veritable storm erupts in the third section. The wildness of the surging lower scales is punctuated by the sharp exclamations in the upper voices; this is Brahms at his most unbridled, reckless and passionate.

Johannes Brahms, 1855

Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24 Johannes Brahms As a composer of variations, Brahms is best-known and loved for the incomparable Haydn Variations, Op. 56a and 56b (1873), which are equally splendid in both the two-piano and the orchestral versions. He had written several earlier sets of variations for solo piano, including the transcribed set that opened this program. The crowning achievement of them all is the Handel Variations, whose colossal scale and splendid invention transcend and ennoble their modest Baroque origins. Brahms drew his theme from Handel’s Leçons, a collection of harpsichord suites originally published in London in 1733 by Walsh. Friedrich Chrysander began his edition of the complete works of Handel in 1858. Its Volume 2, which included the harpsichord suites, appeared in the early 1860s. Brahms, who had great knowledge and respect for the music of his 18th-century predecessors, devoured the new publication. At the time, it was fairly esoteric music. The eight-bar theme is the air from Handel’s Petite Suite in B-flat, although Handel’s original composition included five simple variations. Brahms’s treatment is vastly more extensive and complex, consisting of 24 variations and a splendid concluding fugue. Throughout the variations, he maintains the strict formal outlines of the original theme, and his first variation pays tribute to Handel. From the second variation forward, however, the music is pure Brahms, with voyages through heavy chromaticism, occasional forays to the parallel and relative minor keys, one in Hungarian style, another rather like a siciliana. The level of invention is dizzying. The Handel Variations require enormous musical intelligence and massive strength from the pianist. Like the early piano sonatas, they date from a time in the composer’s life when he was still a virtuoso pianist himself. This work is among the most fiendishly difficult in the entire piano literature. It is also a masterpiece of compositional and fugal technique. The closing fugue pulls out all the contrapuntal stops, employing inversion and augmentation of the fugue subject, then a combination of the two, in a monumental ascent to the musical climax of the entire work. The effect is electrifying. The Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel are not only Brahms’s finest essay in the form; they take their place with pride alongside Bach’s Goldberg Variations and Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations as a cornerstone of the virtuoso keyboard repertoire.

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Claude Debussy (Library of Congress)

Selections from Préludes, Books I and II Claude Debussy (1862-1918) Every pianist has a favorite work by Debussy, but few would deny the overarching importance of the Preludes in setting forth his singular approach to the keyboard. Published in two sets of twelve in 1910 and 1913, the Preludes comprise a profusion of ideas for connecting sound, mood, and image. Everything in Debussy’s youth pointed toward a career as a piano virtuoso. He matriculated at the Paris Conservatoire at age ten and played Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto when he was twelve. Although composition eventually supplanted performance as Debussy’s primary focus, he remained a superb pianist his entire life. His achievement as a composer for piano is, in large part, an extension of the sound color and techniques he learned from studying Chopin.

The two books of Préludes crystallized Debussy’s innovative approach to the piano. Each one explores the keyboard in highly individual ways that involve pedaling, arpeggios, delicate figuration, and frequent whole tone harmonies. He was a literate and cultured man who knew many of the important painters and writers of his day as well as the other prominent musicians active in Paris. In his piano music, Debussy sought to recreate the subtle colors and play of light of the Impressionist school of painters, and to evoke the rich, layered imagery of Symbolist and Parnassus poets. The Preludes are unusual in many respects. One is that the titles occur at the end in the printed music, not at the beginning. It is as if Debussy wants your imagination to wander free as the music unfolds, before he tips his hand as to the imagery he seeks to evoke in the individual movements. The music of Spain exercised a strong attraction for Debussy. Though he only traveled there once, just across the border to attend a bullfight, he remained enchanted with the rhythms and quasi-Arabic harmonies of flamenco and Spanish guitar music. These sonorities found their way into several of the Préludes. Another striking aspect of Debussy’s language at the piano is his harmony. Although he was schooled in traditional 19th-century harmony, counterpoint, and form, he cared little for rules. Three summers (1880-1882) in the employ of Tchaikovsky’s patron Nadejda von Meck gave him early exposure to the works of Russian nationalists such as Mussorgsky and Borodin; he was enchanted with Slavic folk music. Later, in 1889, he heard the music of the Javanese gamelan orchestra at the Paris Exposition Universelle. Soon Eastern sonorities inspired by the gamelan were cropping up in his piano pieces, including several of the Préludes. While these disparate influences bewildered some of his audience and many of his critics, they distinguished Debussy from his contemporaries. His ceaseless efforts to elicit novel sounds from the piano yielded landmarks in keyboard literature. In terms of his influence on the generations of composers that followed, Debussy was as important as Arnold Schoenberg, in a completely different way. At press time, Ms. de la Salle had not decided which Préludes she would perform. Please refer to the insert in the program.

39th season 2014-15

program notes

Gaspard de la nuit Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) In a brief autobiographical sketch from 1928, Ravel wrote: Gaspard de la nuit, piano pieces after Aloysius Bertrand, are three romantic poems of transcendental virtuosity.

His pithy assessment was accurate. Gaspard remains one of the most demanding virtuoso works in the entire piano literature, presenting daunting technical and interpretive challenges. Aloysius Bertrand (1807-1841) was a minor French writer who was influential on the romantic poets Théophile Gautier and Charles Baudelaire. His major work was a series of prose-poems, Gaspard de la nuit: fantaisies à la manière de Rembrandt et de Callot (Callot was a 17th-century engraver who specialized in beggars and deformities). The collection was published posthumously in 1842, then reprinted in 1865. The French journal La mercure reiussed Bertrand’s work in 1895, which was when Ravel’s friend Ricardo Viñes discovered them and introduced Ravel to Gaspard. It is also among Ravel’s most stunning compositional achievements. Aloysius Bertrand (1807-1841) was a minor French writer who was influential on the romantic poets Théophile Gautier and Charles Baudelaire. His major work was a series of prose-poems, Gaspard de la nuit: fantaisies à la manière de Rembrandt et de Callot (Callot was a 17th-century engraver who specialized in beggars and deformities). The collection was published posthumously in 1842, then reprinted in 1865. The French journal La mercure reiussed Bertrand’s work in 1895, which was when Ravel’s friend Ricardo Viñes discovered them and introduced Ravel to Gaspard. Thirteen years later, Ravel revisited Bertrand’s poems and found their grotesque, hallucinatory imagery a springboard for his evolving piano style. Declaring to his friend Maurice Delage that he wanted to write something more difficult than Balakirev’s notorious Islamey, he set to work in May 1908. Writing to Ida Godebski on 17 July, 1908, Ravel reported:

Photographic image of Maurice Ravel by Boris Lipnitzki, 1920

At the moment, inspiration seemes to have quickened. After all too many months of pregnancy, Gaspard de la Nuit will perceive the light of day. As soon as these three pieces are finished, I shall do the corrections on my L’heure espagnole and complete the orchestration. As for Gaspard, the devil has had a hand in it. No wonder, for the devil himself is indeed the author of the poems.

His observation reveals a great deal about Ravel’s reaction to Bertrand’s writing. Indeed, he reproduced the relevant poems from Gaspard in the printed score, and each movement takes its cue from the poetry.

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In Central European legend, Ondine was a water sprite who fell in love with a mortal. The tale has inspired authors and composers from E.T.A. Hoffmann and Dvořák to Giraudoux and Henze. Ravel’s setting sparkles and shimmers. Water droplets spray the window of the man who has caught Ondine’s fancy. Whole tone scales mix with swirling arpeggios that suggest the nymph’s gracefulness. Ondine is the most melodic and tender of Gaspard’s three movements. Its final pages follow Bertrand closely, speaking in the voice of the man who rejects Ondine’s advances:

And when I replied that I loved a mortal, she, pouting, vexed, shed some tears, burst into laughter, and vanished in a sudden shower which trickled in white rivulets the length of my blue window panes.

Le gibet takes us to a decidedly darker world, the desolate music of death. “What is it I hear?” the poet asks. “Could it be the north wind howling in the night or the hanged man sighing on the gibbet?” The obsessive, hypnotic repetition of a B-flat in octaves is the sound of the church bell, answering the poem’s initial question. Bertrand’s last couplet tells us, “It is a bell ringing at the city walls, below the horizon, and the hanging carcass turned red by the sun.” With Scarbo, Ravel moves from the macabre to the supernatural. Scarbo is a malevolent dwarf who haunts the poet’s dreams when he sleeps, and prevents him from slumber when he is awake. The music veers between impish playfulness and taunting cruelty. An infamous 20-bar passage requires the thumb to play major and minor seconds in rapid succession, one among many demands making this movement a Mount Everest of the repertoire. In the late 1920s, pianist Vlado Perlmutter worked with Ravel on this movement and later recalled, “He said to me, ‘I wanted to produce a caricature of romanticism,’ but he added under his breath, “Maybe I got carried away.’” Program Notes by Laurie Shulman ©2014 Found a word or phrase that you are unfamiliar with? Check out our extensive Glossary beginning on page 118 to discover the meaning.

Lise de la Salle OI

of athe young instrumental talents to emerge from nnejust fewbrightest years, through her international concert appearances Finland today, Juho Pohjonen has attracted attention and her award-winning Naïve recordings, 24 great year-old Lise deaslaone of thehas Nordic countries’ most intriguing andtoday’s talented pianists. Salle established a reputation as one of most exciting young artists, and a musician of uncommon Juho Pohjonen wasasselected by András Schiff as sensibility the winnerand of the maturity. HerFestival playingRuhr inspired a Washington Post critic to write, 2009 Klavier Scholarship. In addition, he has won “For muchprizes of theinconcert, the audience had to remember to numerous both Finnish and international competitions, breathe...the exhilaration up forPiano a second until her hands including: First Prize at thedidn’t 2004letNordic Competition in came offDenmark, the keyboard.” Nyborg, First Prize at the International Young Artists 2000 Concerto Competition, Stockholm, the Prokofiev Prize at A native of France, now living Piano in Paris, Ms. de la Salle firstand came the AXA Dublin International Competition 2003, prize to international attention in 2005, at the age of 16, with a Bach/ winner at The Helsinki International Maj Lind Piano Competition Liszt recording that was selected as “Recording of the Month” by 2002. Gramophone Magazine. Ms. de la Salle, who records exclusively He his debut at was the Aspen Music Festival performing withmade the Naïve label, then similarly recognized in 2008 for her Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles… in 2012-13, andand in Shostakovich that same recording of the first concertos of Liszt, Prokofiev, year, was selected as one of fourteen musicians to work with the2013, – a remarkable feat for someone only 20 years old. In January Chamber Music Society of Anniversary Lincoln’s ‘CMS Twocollaboration Residency Program Naïve celebrated the 10th of their with for Young Artists.’ LiseOutstanding in a “Portrait” release of highlights from her recordings, as well as a Pohjonen recital DVD. Mr. has given recitals in Hong Kong, Dresden, Hamburg, Helsinki, London (Wigmore Hall), New York (Carnegie Hall), San Ms. de la Salle has played withand the at Boston, Chicago and Savonlinna Francisco, Vancouver, Warsaw the Lucerne Piano, San Bergen Francisco Symphonys, twice with theorchestras Los Angeles and festivals. He hasand performed with including Philharmonic. the pastSan few Francisco seasons, Ms. de la Salle’s the Los AngelesDuring Philharmonic, Symphony, Atlanta North American engagements have included recitalsSymphony, in New Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra, Bournemouth York, Montreal, Francisco, Chicago,Radio Vancouver, Danish National,San Finnish RadioPhiladelphia, Symphony, Swedish Quebec, Miami, St. Paul, at the Gilmore International Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic and Lahti SymphonyKeyboard - with Festivalheintoured Michigan, andMost Duke University. Sheworked has also given whom Japan. recently, he has with such recitals in Berlin, LondonSalonen, and Paris, has made concerto conductors as Esa-Pekka Marek Janowski, Hughappearances Wolff and in Lisbon, Copenhagen, St. Petersburg and Lyon, and is equally Lionel Bringuier. renowned for her frequent performances in the Far East. His debut recording Plateaux featured a performance of Scandinavian composer Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen’s piano In 2003, Lise de la Salle won the European Young Concert Artists concerto Plateaux pour Piano et Orchestre with the Danish National Auditions in Paris and in 2004, she won the Young Concert Artists Symphony Orchestra and a solo piano piece For Piano. His International Auditions in New York. At the Ettlingen International sensational opening recital at the 2010’s Music@Menlo Festival led Competition in Germany, Ms. de la Salle won First Prize and the to a recording for the Music@Menlo Live 2010 series entitled Maps Bärenreiter Award. She has also won First Prize in many French and Legends: Disc 8. piano competitions, including the Steinway, Sucy, Vulaines, and Radio-France Competitions. In 2003, she won the “Groupe Banque Populaire Natexis” Prize, for which she received a three-year scholarship.For more information visit www.juhopohjonen.com Juho Pohjonen appears courtesy of Kirshbaum Demler and Associates For more information visit www.lisedelasalle.com Lise de la Salle appears courtesy of Frank Salomon and Associates Lise de la Salle records exclusively with Naïve Records www.naive.fr

39th season 2014-15

the friends of cha mber music endowment early music series

Stile Antico Friday, February 27

8 pm

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

FROM THE IMPERIAL COURT: MUSIC FOR THE HOUSE OF HAPSBURG

CHRISTOBAL DE MORALES Jubilate Deo JOSQUIN DES PREZ Mille Regretz THOMAS CRECQUILLON Andreas Christi famulus THOMAS TALLIS Loquebantur variis linguis PIERRE DE LA RUE Absalon fili mi NICHOLAS GOMBERT Magnificat ‘primi toni’

INTERMISSION

THOMAS TALLIS Gloria (Mass Puer natus est) CLEMENS NON PAPA Carole magnus eras NICHOLAS GOMBERT Mille Regretz ALONSO LOBO Versa est in luctum HEINRICH ISAAC Virgo prudentissima

This concert is underwritten, in part, by the Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund This concert is underwritten, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts The Early Music Series is underwritten, in part, by The Friends of Chamber Music Endowment Funds Additional support is also provided by:

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One of Europe’s most extraordinary ruling dynasties, the Hapsburgs ruled greater or lesser portions of Europe from the 11th century until 1918, their heyday coinciding with the supreme musical flourishing of the 16th century. Their rule saw a particular increase during the reign of Maximilian I (son of Fredrick III, Duke of Austria, King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor) – secured first by his marriage to Mary of Burgundy in 1477 and then by the union of their son Philip ‘the Handsome’ with Joanna ‘the Mad’ of Castile. Thus, Maximilian’s grandson Charles V essentially ruled Spain, Germany, Austria, Burgundy and the Low Countries, before he in turn, divided his territories between his son Philip II and his brother Ferdinand of Austria in 1555-6. As these successive generations enlarged their power and territory, they gathered around themselves the leading composers of the day. Maximilian’s most notable court composer was Heinrich Isaac, whom he appointed in 1497 and who remained in his employment until the composer’s death in 1517. Though he was often overshadowed in his lifetime by the renowned Josquin des Prez, a famous letter advising the Duke of Ferrara on the appointment of a court composer in 1503 is revealing: ‘[Isaac] is of a better disposition… and he will compose new works more often. It is true that Josquin composes better, but he composes when he wants to and not when one wants him to.’ Duke Ercole favoured prestige over reliability and hired Josquin. Meanwhile, in Maximilian’s service, Isaac’s Virgo prudentissima is a good example of a piece written to order: it was composed for the Reichstag of 1507 which confirmed Maximilian’s position as Holy Roman Emperor, and was performed under the direction of ‘Georgius’ – Jurij Slatkonja, who was Maximilian’s first Kapellmeister and is therefore, considered to be the founding director of what is now the Vienna Boys’ Choir. Rather unusually, Georgius even receives a mention in the motet, the text of which is a somewhat unwieldy one written for the occasion – and one at which a less obliging composer might perhaps have protested! Isaac’s motet is a work of stunning grandeur, employing a musical language which is strikingly individual, while still paying homage to the music of the previous generation: full sections with monumental block chords and slow-moving harmony alternating with florid, virtuosic passages for reduced forces. Meanwhile at the Burgundian court, the Grande Chapelle had in 1492 acquired a new musician: the Flemish composer Pierre de la Rue. He remained until

two years later, when Maximilian relinquished his regency and his son Philip assumed control of the Burgundian lands. Phillip died in 1506 while still young, and it is thought that this was the occasion for which Absalon fili mi was composed. The text of this motet, taken from the Old Testament account of King David’s lament upon the death of his son Absalom, was a text often chosen to lament a deceased prince (an interesting comparison can be made with the numerous settings of When David heard by English composers upon the death of Prince Henry in 1612). De la Rue’s setting is striking for its dark harmonic colours, reaching for the distant chords of D flat and A flat (rarely used in this period of music history) at points of particular emotional intensity. The common misattribution of this piece to Josquin indicates that it was popular in its day. De la Rue stayed on for two years in the employment of Philip’s increasingly insane widow Joanna for the purpose, it seems, of comforting her with his soulful music.

Portrait of Maximilian I by Albrecht Dürer, 1519

Having outlived his son, Maximilian died in 1519, and his court and titles passed directly to his grandson Charles V. Charles was comparatively uninterested in maintaining his grandfather’s court musicians, preferring to focus his patronage on his father’s Grande Chapelle. The Grande Chapelle, or Capilla Flamenca as the Spaniards knew it, flourished during Charles’s reign. At this point, the Low Countries produced most of Europe’s finest musicians, and the fact that this entourage accompanied Charles on his travels ensured that the Flemish musical style was influential throughout the empire, and that the Capilla would become known as the finest musical establishment of its day. 39th season 2014-15

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A Young Charles V painted by Bernard van Orley, after 1515 (Louvre, Paris)

One of its most gifted composers during this period was Nicolas Gombert, a chapel singer from 1526 until his abrupt removal from the post in 1540. One account gives the explanation that he was sentenced to penal labour in the galleys for a serious crime, but he eventually managed to gain Charles’s pardon by composing his ‘swan songs’ - allegedly a reference to his Magnificat settings. This account is not unproblematic (could he have found the time or place to compose while in the galleys?), but the eight Magnificat settings – one for each of the church modes – are certainly works of distinction. As was common in such settings, the Magnificat primi toni consists of polyphonic verses alternating with plainsong; in this instance, Gombert uses textural variation to give the work an overarching sense of structure. After two four-voice verses, he reduces the forces to three parts, before rebuilding the texture, adding an additional part for each verse, until the grandiose conclusion of the Gloria in sumptuous six-part polyphony. It was said that Josquin’s Mille regretz was one of Charles’ favourite songs. Indeed, when the music teacher to Charles’ children made a vihuela arrangement of the song, he entitled it La canción del emperador (‘The Emperor’s Song’). That Gombert also wrote a setting of the same chanson is perhaps further evidence of the song’s popularity in Charles’ household, not least as

Gombert’s version is essentially a six-voice re-working of Josquin’s original. Gombert replaces the powerful simplicity of the earlier composer’s work with a more involved contrapuntal texture spread over a wider range of voice parts, and some affectingly luminous harmonies. Charles’s tastes may have been influenced by those of his aunt, Marguerite of Austria, who was responsible for his upbringing after his father’s death; apparently she had a keen penchant for mournful chansons. One work whose occasion is in no doubt is Cristóbal de Morales’ festive motet Jubilate Deo, commissioned in 1538 by his employer Pope Paul III, to celebrate the peace treaty signed that year between Charles and Francis I, King of France. Whoever wrote the text ensured that the Pope received plenty of credit for the two parties’ reconciliation. The motet employs a cantus firmus consisting of the word ‘gaudeamus’ (the incipit of the plainsong Gaudeamus omnes in Domino), repeated in the first tenor part throughout the motet – eight times in the first part and ten times (of which six are in diminution – at double speed) in the second part of the piece. Around this weaves varied and exuberant polyphony giving thanks for the ‘lasting peace’ brought about by the treaty. Sadly the treaty was to be short-lived, but Morales’ ceremonious piece is one of enduring appeal. Even more opulent is Crecquillon’s festive motet Andreas Christi famulus, which seems likely to have been written for a meeting of the Order of the Golden Fleece (of which Charles was a member) in 1546. That year a new ceremonial rubric had been introduced stating that a motet should be sung after Vespers and Compline on the feast of St Andrew (the Order’s patron saint); Crecquillon, as Charles’ court composer at the time, was as likely as anyone to have been called upon to compose something suitable. The glorious eight-part texture, with its rich harmonies and a plethora of ingratiating false relations, would doubtless have befitted such an occasion, as would the text, a compilation of antiphons for the feast of St Andrew. Clemens’ motet Carole magnus eras was most probably composed three years later for the enacting of the Pragmatic Sanction of 1549, whereby Charles determined that the Seventeen Provinces of the Low Countries would be inherited by his son Philip II. Although cast in the form of a motet, there is nothing sacred about this ceremonial text, which addresses Charles in fairly unmeasured terms of adulation and speaks of the increase of his rule through his son,

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biography

who, as part of the deal, would of course also inherit the revered Capilla Flamenca. Somewhat ironically, given the jingoistic spirit of the text, a significant part of Charles’s Kingdom passed not to Philip but to Ferdinand, and Philip’s rule over the Netherlands was to prove neither happy nor peaceful, though in his beloved Spain he presided over a period of unrivalled prosperity. On British soil, Philip II is best remembered for nearly making England a Hapsburg nation through his marriage to Mary Tudor. Their union proved childless, and on Mary’s death the throne passed to her half-sister Elizabeth, whose Navy defeated Philip’s Armada three decades later. Nonetheless this connection may provide a link with Thomas Tallis’s much-loved motet Loquebantur variis linguis: one theory holds that Loquebantur is amongst a small number of pieces intended for performance by the joint forces of the Capilla Flamenca and Mary’s Chapel Royal. Its unusual seven-part scoring hints at forces larger than the usual Chapel Royal configuration. Tallis wrote only two other works in this same, seven-part scoring, his large scale motet Suscipe quaeso and Missa Puer natus est, whose ‘Gloria’ is included in this programme. Meanwhile the text – at first glance a Pentecost responsory concerning the giving of the Holy Spirit as related in Acts – could alternatively be read as a witty depiction of the singers’ difficulty understanding each other! Likewise, the constant stream of clichéd false relations – the work’s most striking feature – could either be seen as a colourful depiction of the clamour of Pentecostal tongues, or as a friendly jibe at the Flemish compositional style. It’s a plausible theory. Returning to Philip, Alonso Lobo’s sublimely beautiful motet Versa est in luctum takes us to the end of his life: it was composed for the occasion of his funeral in 1598. Program Notes by Matthew O’Donovan ©2014 Found a word or phrase that you are unfamiliar with? Check out our extensive Glossary beginning on page 118 to discover the meaning.

Stile Antico OS

ne the brightest young instrumental talents to emerge from tileofAntico is an ensemble of young British singers, considered Finland today, Pohjonen has attracted great in attention one one of the mostJuho original and exciting new voices its field.asMuch of Nordic most intriguing andregularly talentedthroughout pianists. in the demand in countries’ concert, the group performs Europe and North Juho Pohjonen was America. selected by András Schiff as the winner of the 2009 Klavier Festival Ruhr Scholarship. In addition, he has won Working without conductor, members of Stilecompetitions, Antico rehearse numerous prizes ina both Finnishthe and international and perform as chamber musicians, each contributing artistically including: First Prize at the 2004 Nordic Piano Competition in to the musical result. Their performances have repeatedly been Nyborg, Denmark, First Prize at the International Young Artists praised for theirCompetition, vitality and commitment, expressive lucidity and 2000 Concerto Stockholm, the Prokofiev Prize at imaginative response to text. Stile Antico’s repertoire ranges from the AXA Dublin International Piano Competition 2003, and prize the glorious of the English Tudor the works of winner at Thelegacy Helsinki International Majcomposers Lind PianotoCompetition the Flemish and Spanish schools and the music of the early Baroque. 2002. Their workshops and masterclasses are much in demand, and they He his debut Aspen Music Festival performing are made regularly invitedattothe lead courses at Dartington International Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles… in 2012-13, and in that same Summer School. year, was selected as one of fourteen musicians to work with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln’sMundi ‘CMS label Two Residency Program Their recordings on the Harmonia have enjoyed great for Outstanding Young Artists.’ success, winning awards including the Diapason d’Or de l’année and the Preis der deutschen and have twice attracted Mr. Pohjonen has givenSchallplattenkritik, recitals in Hong Kong, Dresden, Hamburg, Grammy London nominations. TheirHall), releaseNew SongYork of Songs won the 2009San Helsinki, (Wigmore (Carnegie Hall), Gramophone Award for Early and Music andLucerne reached Piano, the topSavonlinna of the US Francisco, Vancouver, Warsaw at the Classical Chart. and Bergen festivals. He has performed with orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Atlanta Stile Antico’s engagementsOrchestra, have included the BBC Proms, Wigmore Symphony, Philharmonia Bournemouth Symphony, Hall, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, majorSwedish festivalsRadio throughout Danish National, Finnish Radio Symphony, Europe, Lebanon, and Mexico, andand prestigious concert venues Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic Lahti Symphony - with across the USheand Canada. TheMost grouprecently, has toured extensively with such Sting, whom toured Japan. he has worked with appearing throughout Europe, Australia the FarHugh East as partand of conductors as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Marek and Janowski, Wolff his Dowland project Songs from the Labyrinth. Lionel Bringuier. His debut recording Plateaux featured a performance of Scandinavian composer Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen’s piano For more visit www.stileantico.co.uk/ concerto Plateaux pourinformation Piano et Orchestre with the Danish National Stile Antico appears courtesy of Ikon Arts and Productions, Symphony Orchestra and a solo piano pieceKnudsen For Piano. His LLC sensational opening recital at the 2010’s Music@Menlo Festival led Stile Antico records exclusively for Harmonia Mundi Label for andthe PR Music@Menlo contact: Sarah Folger mundi usa Maps to a recording Live- harmonia 2010 series entitled and Legends: Disc 8. For more information visit www.juhopohjonen.com Juho Pohjonen appears courtesy of Kirshbaum Demler and Associates

39th season 2014-15

t e xt s a n d t r a n s l at i on s

Jubilate Deo Christobal de Morales Jubilate Deo omnis terra, cantate omnes, jubilate et psallite quoniam suadente Paulo Carolus et Franciscus principes terrae convenerunt in unum et pax de caelo descendit.

Rejoice in God Christobal de Morales Rejoice in God, all ye lands, sing all ye people, rejoice and sing psalms, because – persuaded by Paul – the earthly princes Charles and Francis have united, and peace has descended from Heaven.

O felix aetas, O felix Paule, O vos felices principes qui christiano populo pacem tradidistis.

O happy age, O happy Paul, O ye happy princes, who have delivered peace to the Christian people.

Vivat Paulus! Vivat Carolus! Vivat Franciscus! Vivant simul et pacem nobis donent in aeternum!

Long live Paul! Long live Charles! Long live Francis! Long may they live together, and may they give us peace forever!

Mille regretz Josquin des Prez Mille regretz de vous abandonner, et d’eslonger vostre fache amoureuse. J’ay si grand dueil et peine douloureuse, qu’on me verra brief mes jours definer.

A thousand regrets Josquin des Prez A thousand regrets at leaving you and being parted from your loving face. I have such great sadness and painful sorrow that it seems to me my days will shortly come to an end.

Andreas Christi famulus Thomas Crecquillon Andreas Christi famulus dignus Deo Apostolus germanus Petri et in passione socius. Dilexit Andream Dominus, in odorem suavitatis. O Iesu Christe, fili Dei, ora pro nobis.

Andrew, servant of Christ Thomas Crecquillon Andrew, servant of Christ and God’s worthy Apostle, brother of Peter and companion in his passion. The Lord delighted in Andrew in an aroma. O Jesus Christ, Son of God, pray for us.

Loquebantur variis linguis Thomas Tallis Loquebantur variis linguis apostoli, alleluia; magnalia Dei, alleluia. Repleti sunt omnes Spiritu sancto, et ceperunt loqui.

The Apostles spoke in different tongues Thomas Tallis The apostles spoke in different tongues, alleluia; the great works of God, alleluia. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak.

…Magnalia Dei, alleluia. Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto.

…the great works of God, alleluia. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Alleluia.

Absalon fili mi Pierre de la Rue Absalon fili mi, quis det ut moriar pro te, Absalon? Non vivam ultra, sed descendam in infernum plorans.

Absalon, my son Pierre de la Rue O Absalom, my son! Would that I had died for thee. I shall live no more, but descend to the grave weeping.

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t e xt s a n d t r a n s l at i on s

Pentecost, painted by Salomon de Bray, 1654

Magnificat Nicholas Gombert Magnificat anima mea Dominum, et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salvatore meo, quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae. Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes, quia fecit mihi magna, qui potens est, et sanctum nomen eius, et misericordia eius in progenies et progenies timentibus eum. Fecit potentiam in brachio suo, dispersit superbos mente cordis sui; deposuit potentes de sede et exaltavit humiles; esurientes implevit bonis et divites dimisit inanes. Suscepit Israel puerum suum, recordatus misericordiae, sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, Abraham et semini eius in saecula.

Magnificat Nicholas Gombert My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; for he has looked upon the lowliness of his handmaid. For behold, from henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has magnified me, and holy is his name, and his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts; he has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the humble; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.

Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

39th season 2014-15

t e xt s a n d t r a n s l at i on s

Gloria in excelsis Deo Thomas Tallis Gloria in excelsis Deo. Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te. Benedicimus te. Adoramus te. Glorificamus te. Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam. Domine Deus, Rex caelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens. Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe. Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris. Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis. Quoniam tu solus Sanctus. Tu solus Dominus. Tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe. Cum Sancto Spiritu, in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.

Glory be to God in high Thomas Tallis Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will towards men. We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us. For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord; thou only art most high, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Carole magnus eras Clemens non Papa Carole magnus eras cum solus regna tenebas, major ab imperio, maximus a puero. Rex multos Caesar plures ditione tenebas. Nunc omnes nato tu regis a puero. Roma tua est, Europa tua est, Asia, Africa tota. Quid plus ultra? non potes: omnia habes.

Charles, mighty king Clemens non Papa Charles, you were mighty when only a king, mightier as emperor, mightiest through your son. As king you ruled much, and more as emperor. Now you rule all by your son. Rome is yours, Europe is yours, Asia and all of Africa. What more? You cannot: you have everything.

The baptism of Christ in the river Jordan painted by Jan Brueghel the Elder and Hans Rottenhammer, circa 1600

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t e xt s a n d t r a n s l at i on s

Mille regretz Nicholas Gombert Mille regretz de vous abandonner, et d’eslonger vostre fache amoureuse. J’ay si grand dueil et peine douloureuse, qu’on me verra brief mes jours definer.

A thousand regrets Nicholas Gombert A thousand regrets at leaving you and being parted from your loving face. I have such great sadness and painful sorrow that it seems to me my days will shortly come to an end.

Versa est in luctum Alonso Lobo Versa est in luctum cithara mea, et organum meum in vocem flentium. Parce mihi Domine, nihil enim sunt dies mei.

My harp is turned to mourning Alonso Lobo My harp is turned to mourning, and my instrument to the voice of weeping. Spare me, O Lord, for my days are as nothing.

Virgo prudentissima Heinrich Isaac Virgo prudentissima quae pia gaudia mundo attulit, ut sphaeras omnes transcendit et astra sub nitidis pedibus radiis, et luce chorusca liquit et ordinibus iam circumsepta novenis ter tribus atque ierarchiis excepta. Supremi ante Dei faciem steterat, patrona reorum. Dicite qui colitis splendentia culmina Olimpi: Spirituum proceres, Anchangeli et Angeli et alme Virtutesque Throni vos Principum, et agmina sancta, vosque Potestates, et tu dominatio caeli flammantes Cherubin, verbo Seraphinque creati, an vos laetitiae tantus perfuderit unquam sensus, ut aeterni Matrem vidisse tonantis consessum. Caelo, terraque, marique potentem Reginam, cuius nomen modo spiritus omnis et genus humanum merito veneratur adorat.

Wisest Virgin Heinrich Isaac When the wisest Virgin, who brought holy joy into the world, rose above all the spheres and left the stars beneath her shining feet in gleaming, radiant light, she was surrounded by the ninefold Ranks and received by the thrice three Hierarchies. She, the protectress of sinners, stood before the face of the supreme God. Say - you who inhabit eternally the dazzling lights of Heaven: Archangels, leaders of the spirits, and Angels, and sustaining virtues, and you thrones of princes, and you holy armies and you powers, and you dominions of Heaven, and you fiery Cherubim, and you Seraphim, created from the Word – whether such a feeling of joy has ever overwhelmed you as when you saw the assembly of the Mother of the everlasting Almighty. She is the queen, powerful in Heaven, on land and at sea; every Spirit and every human being rightly praises and adores her divine majesty.

Vos, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael testamur ad aures illius, ut castas fundetis vota precesque pro sacro Imperio, pro Caesare Maximiliano. Det Virgo omnipotens hostes superare malignos: restituat populis pacem terrisque salutem. Hoc tibi devota carmen Georgius arte ordinat Augusti Cantor Rectorque Capellae. Austriacae praesul regionis, sedulus omni, se in tua commendat studio pia gaudia mater. Praecipuum tamen est Illi quo assumpta fuisti, quo tu pulchra ut luna micas electa es, et ut sol.

You, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, we beg you to pour out to her chaste ears our prayers and entreaties for the sacred Empire and for Maximilian the Emperor. May the all-powerful Virgin grant that he may conquer his wicked enemies and restore peace to the nations and safety to the lands. With faithful skill Georgius, the emperor’s Precentor and Kapellmeister, rehearses this anthem for you.

Cantus firmus: Virgo prudentissima, quo progrederis, quasi aurora valde rutilans? Filia Sion. Tota formosa et suavis es: pulchra ut luna, electa ut sol.

The Governor of the Province of Austria, diligent in all things, earnestly commends himself to your holy pleasure, mother. The highest place, however, belongs to Him by whom you were taken up, so that you shine beautiful as the moon, excellent as the sun.

39th season 2014-15

the muriel mcbrien kauffman master pianists series

Sir ANDRĂ S SCHIFF, piano Friday, March 6

8 pm

The Folly Theater

HAYDN Sonata No. 60 in C Major, Hob.XVI:50 Allegro Adagio Allegro molto BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109 Vivace, ma non troppo; Adagio espressivo; Tempo I Prestissimo Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung (Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo) INTERMISSION MOZART Sonata in C Major, K. 545, Sonata facile Allegro Andante Rondo: Allegretto SCHUBERT Sonata in C Minor, D. 958 Allegro Adagio Menuetto: Allegro Allegro

This concert is underwritten, in part, by Irv and Ellen Hockaday This concert is underwritten, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts The Master Pianists Series is underwritten, in part, by the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation Additional support is also provided by:

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program notes

This evening’s recital presents masterworks by the greatest composers of the high classic era. Each of these four sonatas represents the composer’s most mature view of the keyboard and its possibilities. Haydn’s last three piano sonatas, including the one on tonight’s program, date from his second trip to London in the mid-1790s. Mozart composed K.545 in C major in the summer of 1788, the same time he was working on what proved to be his final three symphonies. Only two solo keyboard sonatas would follow it, K.570 in B-flat Major and K.576 in D Major. By coincidence, the Beethoven and Schubert works that Mr. Schiff plays are also part of final trilogies. Both are early 19th-century compositions. While adhering broadly to classical models, Beethoven’s Op. 109 and Schubert’s C Minor Sonata peer into the dawning age of Romanticism, particularly in their harmonic explorations. Ironically, both Mozart and Schubert were young – 32 and 31, respectively – when they composed these astounding pieces. Hearing this music reminds us how richly their genius flowered at such a tender age. Conversely, we must be grateful that Haydn and Beethoven lived as long as they did, so that each of them could achieve the glories of his later style. Sonata No. 60 in C Major, Hob.XVI:50 Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Haydn composed his last three piano sonatas for Therese Jansen, a pupil of Muzio Clementi who was much admired for her technical skill and musicianship. Haydn also composed three superb piano trios for her. Collectively, those trios and sonatas are his most technically demanding piano works. The C Major Sonata is a classic example of Haydn’s monothematicism. The witty opening gesture generates nearly all the material of the first movement, including the second theme and much of the transitional material. Haydn’s imagination and inventiveness in embellishing this simple material is marvelous to hear. From the sparest of means, he expands the idea, first in big rolled chords, then in all manner of variants and decoration.

HOW MANY HAYDN SONATAS? Exactly how many keyboard sonatas Haydn composed is a bit of a sticky wicket. For one thing, he didn’t always use the term ‘sonata.’ He often labeled his early multimovement pieces Divertimento or Partita. He first used the term ‘sonata’ in 1771 and adopted it regularly from the mid-1770s. Different editions and listings of his sonatas use conflicting numbering. For example, the Universal Urtext Edition edited by Christa Landon comprises sixty-two sonatas, but the Hoboken catalogue lists only fiftytwo. (Landon includes some spurious works and allows for sonatas that have been lost or that only survive in fragments.) By the 1780s, Haydn was famous throughout Europe and his music was popular with both amateur and professional pianists. Greedy publishers issued works by other composers labeled as music by Haydn, knowing it would sell. In his old age, Haydn attempted to clarify what music was indeed his, but he complicated matters further by repudiating some early works, dismissing them as “not worth preserving.” The German publisher Gottfried Christoph Härtel first attempted a complete edition of Haydn’s keyboard works in 1799. That publication, Oeuvres complettes de Joseph Haydn, eventually comprised twelve volumes that included piano trios, duets for piano and violin (some of which were arranged from solo piano pieces) and songs. Thirty-four pieces in Härtel’s edition were what we would call sonatas, and that ‘official’ number persisted for most of the 19th century. Scholars in the early 20th century developed an authenticated, standard number of 52 sonatas. While Haydn scholarship continues to grapple with issues of chronology, authenticity, and accurate editions, no one disputes the stature of the last three sonatas, the English Sonatas, identified today as Hob.XVI:50-52. – L.S.©2014

39th season 2014-15

program notes

Haydn was knowledgeable about the mechanics of instruments. He was eager to explore new developments in English pianos. This sonata calls for ‘open pedal’ in one passage, by which Haydn intended sopra una corda – a pedal to quieten the sound. The device was not yet available on his Viennese piano, but in this sonata he took advantage of the new English invention. The technical demands of the first movement are legion: chains of parallel thirds, extended octave passages and a generally dense texture. These traits attest to Jansen’s command of the piano – and indicate that Haydn also wanted to maximize the beefier sound possible with the larger English pianos. While the rhetorical argument of the sonata is concentrated in the opening Allegro, the central Adagio in F major is also impressive. Haydn apparently wrote this movement in Vienna (Artaria published it there in June 1794) and decided to incorporate it into the C Major Sonata. The structure is like a free fantasia, with intricate rhythmic detail and dramatic dynamic contrasts that foreshadow Beethoven. Haydn concludes the Sonata with an Allegro molto that pushes the idea of a minuet to the edge of a scherzo. His use of silences, sudden stops and starts, and anticipation of “wrong” key changes all fulfill the promise of humor in the first movement’s initial motive. Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) The year 1820 was emotionally chaotic for Beethoven. In the autumn of 1819 he had been removed as guardian of his adolescent nephew Karl, forcing him to relinquish custody to his sister-in-law Johanna. Beethoven appealed the decision in early January 1820. Three months later, he was reappointed co-guardian with Hofrat (Privy Councilor) Karl Peters, tutor to the children of Beethoven’s patron Prince Lobkowitcz. Resolution of that difficult situation seemed to break a compositional logjam. Still, the Op. 109, E Major Piano Sonata was the only significant piece Beethoven completed in 1820. He interrupted work on the Missa Solemnis when the Berlin publishing house of A. Schlesinger wrote to request three new piano sonatas. The commission restored Beethoven’s productivity, which he would sustain nearly unabated until his death in 1827.

India Ink drawing of Franz Joseph Haydn (from a painting of Haydn by John Hoppner) by George Sigismund Facius, 1800

This sonata followed the oversized Hammerklavier, Op. 106, of 1817-18. In contrast to that notorious finger-buster and cry of outrage, Op. 109 is filled with intimacy and warmth, and only the second movement gives us a brief flash of fury. Yet all of those qualities have their balance. Beethoven never strayed far from his architectural instincts. He chooses a much smaller-scale work in keeping with the understated mood that permeates most of the sonata. And his intellect is present in the sonata’s clear sense of formal organization and its contrapuntal devices. The first movement is surprisingly brief: an economical four minutes. In discussing this sonata, William Kinderman writes of Beethoven’s ‘intense interest at this time with parenthetical structures that enclose musical passages within contrasting sections.’ That translates to interruptions and startling shifts between animated music and adagio sections. The effect is not unlike a Baroque fantasia, resulting in a sense of improvisation.

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program notes

Such flexibility in his treatment of sonata form is a noteworthy trait of the late sonatas, paving the way toward the late quartets and his romantic piano music. Beethoven’s scherzo is even more concise: barely two and one-half minutes of resolute, angry, disruptive music. Surprisingly, this prestissimo is a taut sonata-form structure. Beethoven is setting us up. Having ascertained that he has our full attention, he moves to the emotional heart of the sonata, a set of double variations marked mit der innigsten Empfindung (with innermost feeling). If we were not certain that this was the centerpiece of the sonata, sheer length would persuade us. The finale is more than twice as long as the previous two movements combined. More to the point is that it is a profound meditation, initially serene, presently ecstatic. The theme moves like a sarabande, another connection to Baroque thinking, as is Beethoven’s reliance on a variety of contrapuntal devices. Biographer Marion Scott has noted the influence of Bach in the sonata’s emphasis on counterpoint as a variation tool. Charles Rosen, in his landmark book The Classical Style, offers a more philosophical insight to Beethoven’s approach.

By means of an extended pedal point trill, introduced as an inner voice, then transferred from left hand to right, Beethoven somehow suspends us in midair. The extended gesture lifts us, bird-like, aloft to the realm of the sublime. Our heavenly destination is the restatement of the theme, now layered with significance because of the journey we have completed. Listeners familiar with Bach’s Goldberg Variations may sense a connection to that work in Beethoven’s reprise of the theme with reinforced octaves in the bass. Opus 109 reveals a distinctly private side of Beethoven. He achieves a spiritual ecstasy that clearly paved the way for the glorious heights of the late string quartets.

In many of the late variation sets (opp. 109, 111, 127, etc.) there is a progressive simplification as the variations proceed — not of the texture but of the conception of the underlying theme. . . Beethoven tends to simplify as the texture becomes more complex. For this reason, his late variations give the impression that they are not so much decorating the theme as discovering its essence.

The six variations that follow Beethoven’s heartfelt theme span a universe of emotions, capitalizing on the expressive contrast of which the piano is capable. First is a slow waltz that preserves the dignity of the theme. Among the variations that follow are a playful virtuoso Allegro vivace (Var. III) and a distinctly Bach-like Allegro ma non troppo (Var. V). The movement culminates in the radiant sixth variation, which re-establishes the serene opening tempo. Ludwig van Beethoven by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1819

39th season 2014-15

program notes

From 1784, Mozart maintained a catalogue of his new compositions. On 26 June 1788, he entered several recently completed works, including a new symphony in E-flat Major (we know it as No. 39, K. 543) and a piece he called “eine kleine Klavier Sonate für Anfänger” (a little piano sonata for beginners). That assessment has been translated into Italian as Sonata facile and, in French, Sonate facile. Mozart was remarkably consistent in his piano sonatas. All are in three movements. With the exception of the A Major Sonata, K. 331, which opens with variations, they begin with a sonata allegro form movement. (See page 125 in the Glossary for a diagram of the Sonata Allegro form) The slow movements tend to be in ternary form and share a cantabile character. Most of Mozart’s finales are lighter and fast, either a sonata or a rondo or some combination thereof. Unlike his piano concerti, which are virtuoso works, many of the solo keyboard sonatas were intended for domestic study and entertainment. Mozart clearly conceived the C Major Sonata as a teaching piece. It avoids black keys for the most part, and is not brilliant in its technical demands. The scale is miniature compared to his more ambitious sonatas. Yet no beginner could play it. A gifted student might require at least one year of study before attempting a work of this complexity. The opening Allegro demands Sonata in C Major, K. 545, "Sonata facile" exceptional evenness of scale technique and rhythmic Wolfgang Amadè Mozart (1756-1791) control. Mozart’s Andante has galant grace.. Listeners What is a world famous virtuoso like András familiar with the composer’s operas will hear a Schiff doing playing a piece that Mozart described as “for resemblance to Don Ottavio’s aria “Dalla sua pace” in beginners?” This C Major Sonata has become a cliché: Don Giovanni. The finale is cheerful and unclouded: a played regularly on student recitals, labored over in suitable conclusion to this piece. Rest assured: the sonata living rooms, a parody of itself with its foursquare phrases, is not easy. More to the point, its performance in the Alberti bass accompaniment, and scale patterns. At the hands of a master is a thing of beauty. same time, it is the apogee of structural purity and classical elegance in Mozart’s keyboard music. Sonata in C Minor, D. 958 Musicians often observe that Mozart is too easy for Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828) children and too difficult for adults. This sonata is an In March 1827, the Austrian pianist and composer excellent example demonstrating that aphorism. The Johann Nepomuk Hummel traveled with his pupil very things that Mozart deemed essential for a budding Ferdinand Hiller from Weimar to Vienna. The purpose of young pianist to master are exceptionally difficult to the trip was to see Beethoven before he died. During their execute well. Scale passages and arpeggios must be even stay, they dined frequently at the home of Katharina von and smooth. The left hand Alberti bass – broken triads in Lászny, a music-loving friend who had settled in Vienna. a repetitive pattern – should anchor harmonic movement On one of those evenings, the guests included Franz and rhythmic flow, without distracting from the melody it Schubert, who had just turned 30. supports. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (artist unknown)

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Hummel did not know much about Schubert or his compositions, but was most impressed with what he heard that evening. Schubert played some original piano pieces and accompanied several singers in his Lieder. Despite the difference in their ages and reputations Hummel was 49, established, and famous – the two men hit it off well and Hummel was generous in his praise of Schubert’s music. Gratified by the older man’s enthusiastic response, Schubert planned to dedicate three keyboard sonatas to Hummel. In a letter to his Leipzig publisher Heinrich Probst dated October 2, 1828, he wrote: “I have composed, among other things, 3 sonatas for piano solo, which I should like to dedicate to Hummel.” Seven weeks later he was dead. A year after Schubert’s untimely death, the Viennese publisher Anton Diabelli purchased the manuscripts of three keyboard sonatas from Schubert’s brother Ferdinand. Either unaware of the treasure he had acquired or preoccupied with other business dealings, he sat on them for a decade. When Diabelli finally published the sonatas in 1839, Hummel had also died. Diabelli engraved the dedication to Robert Schumann. The three sonatas crown Schubert’s achievement as a composer for the piano: the C Minor Sonata that concludes this program, the A Major Sonata D. 959, and the B-flat Major Sonata D. 960. He finished all three in September 1828. In that same month, he also finished the String Quintet in C Major, D.956, and several songs in the Schwanengesang cycle. His productivity is all the more astounding considering his declining health. Contemporary accounts from his friends and associates report that Schubert suffered in September from chronic headaches and dizziness. Although all three of the final piano sonatas have found a place in the repertoire, the C Minor is less frequently performed than the other two, perhaps because of its character. If the A Major Sonata may be summarized as lyrical and flowing and the B-flat Major as contemplative, the C Minor is stormy, tempest-tossed, occasionally violent. Indeed, it is almost unrelieved in its tragic mien throughout its four movements.

Schubert clearly had Beethoven’s 32 Variations in C minor on an Original Theme, WoO 80 in his mind’s ear when composing the Sonata’s aggressive opening Allegro. However, the parallels go beyond the shared key of C minor, a classic ‘heroic’ key for Beethoven. Schubert’s harmonic progression, triple meter, rhythmic pattern, and thematic outline all bear a strong resemblance to Beethoven’s. The opening is powerful: big chords, decisive rhythms, and a dramatic descending scale that will recur at key moments. Schubert pays attention to his transitional material, moving with grace to a gorgeous theme in E-flat Major that is as serene as the opening theme is tortured. He does not stay calm for long, and his variants on the E-flat Major theme wander to a couple of distant key centers, hinting at the adventurous development section that lies ahead.

Franz Peter Schubert by Wilhelm August Reider, 1875

39th season 2014-15

program notes

ON LATE STYLE WORKS What makes the later works in a composer’s output exceptional and worthy of special attention? It seems perhaps obvious to think that a late style would emerge when a composer reaches an old age and that it would be the result of a lifetime of experiences, a tremendous creative maturity, and the particular wisdom that comes with advanced years. For composers who die young, though, late-style works appear at a relatively early chronological age—Schubert was just 29 when he wrote his final three piano sonatas, and Mozart didn’t live to see his thirty-sixth birthday. Factors other than a long life, therefore, can be associated with a late style. The noted music theorist Joseph N. Straus, in his book Extraordinary Measures: Disability in Music, views late works as “stories of disability” in which composers are “narrating their fractured minds and bodies.” (p. 82) This stance certainly applies to the composers represented on tonight’s program. Haydn lived well into old age and experienced its attendant physical challenges, while Beethoven became emotionally exhausted after the protracted and hostile custody battle for his nephew that he eventually won in 1820. Mozart experienced a tremendous decline in both health and finances in 1787, and Schubert suffered intolerably from syphilis in his final years. Straus identifies six descriptors that can be applied to late works: 1) introspective, 2) austere, 3) difficult, 4) compressed, 5) fragmentary, and 6) retrospective. (Extraordinary Measures, p. 34) The eminent literary theorist and cultural critic Edward W. Said in his final book, aptly titled On Late Style, offered further attributes:

“anachronism and anomaly” (p. xiii), “intransigence, difficulty, and unresolved contradiction” (p. 7), and, in the case of Beethoven, giving “an impression of being unfinished.” (p. 10) When listening to late-style works, and when performing them, these characteristics certainly come to the fore. Many compositions, especially those created according to the classical paradigms of the late eighteenth century, tend to exude unity, order, and reason. Late-style works offer something else. Tensions do not need to be resolved, fragmentation and non-congruence exist on equal terms with cohesion and accord, and only what is necessary need be present—nothing is extraneous. Late musical works stretch human limits both physically and intellectually. These pieces often include fiendishly difficult passages and require formidable technique. They are also virtuosic in terms of musical processes. One discovers extraordinary fugues, novel harmonies that challenge the very essence of tonality, and astonishing sets of variations in which the composer looks at the same musical idea from previously unimagined perspectives and vantage points. Finally, late-style works defy time. They look backward to centuries of musical developments and absorb the past into the present. Likewise they presage the future in redefining musical elements and reimagining previously accepted musical processes, forms, and genres. These are pieces to be savored, contemplated, and admired as sublime artistic statements from the mature and sometimes troubled minds of their creators.

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biography

Everything about the second movement speaks of late Schubert: sudden modulations, relaxed exposition, mini-variants on themes, and chromatic alterations that take surprising turns even when we hear them a second time. Schubert’s harmonic invention finds new territory in a chromatic theme introduced in the development section. Never losing his narrative momentum, he drives the movement forward in ways both delicate and inevitable. The recapitulation and coda are all the more effective for his skill. Such a movement requires contrast and relief. Schubert provides it in the third movement with a modified rondo in A-flat Major. His pace is relaxed, though the episodes wander far afield harmonically and have considerable drama. They are barely controlled explosions; the returns of the A-flat Major section are not without their dark moments. Though he ends peaceably in a variation on the opening theme, Schubert clearly does not want us to forget that this is a very serious sonata. Thus we have no lighthearted Scherzo, but rather a somber Minuet with irregular phrase lengths where silences are as important as the music. We are meant to think. Schubert is reinforcing the overall tragedy of the sonata. His Trio is a Ländler, a salute to Schubert’s Austrian roots and his connection to the sturdy, simple melodies of country folk. The last movement, the Finale, is perhaps the most amazing of all: a galloping tarantella that, like the first movement, calls to mind Beethoven. In this case, it is the Beethoven of the Kreutzer Sonata finale, or perhaps that of the Piano Sonata Op. 31, No. 3 – but this finale is much darker than either of those works. Actually, it is closer in spirit to Schubert’s own finale to the Death and the Maiden String Quartet, sharing that intense drama. Insistent rhythm drives this movement, which is closer to an expanded sonata form than the rondo it initially appears. It is a minefield for any pianist to learn, let alone to memorize. Overall, the C Minor Sonata is a brooding work on a grand scale. Here is a different side of the Schubert we thought we knew – and more of him to love. Program Notes by Laurie Shulman ©2014 Found a word or phrase that you are unfamiliar with? Check out our extensive Glossary beginning on page 118 to discover the meaning.

Sir ANDRÁS SCHIFF

ir András Schiff is world-renowned and critically acclaimed as a pianist, conductor, pedagogue and lecturer. Born in Budapest, Hungary in 1953, he started piano lessons at age five with Elisabeth Vadász. He continued his musical studies at the Ferenc Liszt Academy with Professor Pál Kadosa, György Kurtág and Ferenc Rados, and in London with George Malcolm. In June 2014, he was awarded a KBE (Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the 2014 Birthday Honours. Having recently completed The Bach Project throughout the 20122013 and 2013-2014 concert seasons, North America prepares for The Last Sonatas, a series of three recitals comprising the final three sonatas of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. The Last Sonatas takes place over the course of the next two seasons with the complete series slated for New York’s Carnegie Hall, San Francisco’s Symphony Hall, Los Angeles’s Disney Hall, Chicago’s Symphony Hall, Washington Performing Arts’ Strathmore Hall, The Vancouver Recital Society and University Musical Society of The University of Michigan. Further recitals are scheduled in Napa, La Jolla, Santa Fe, Scottsdale and Kansas City. In October 2015, the San Francisco Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic host this versatile artist in a series of concerts with orchestra and chorus – Sir Schiff’s first performances in North America on the podium and at the piano with chorus, orchestra and soloists. In his role as lecturer, Sir Schiff has put together a round table forum to be presented by New York’s 92nd Street Y, addressing the pianist’s belief that it is the responsibility of every politicallyinformed artist to speak out against racial injustice and persecution. Violinist Gidon Kremer and author David Grossman join the dialogue. As pedagogue, he partners with 92Y and SubCulture for “Sir András Schiff Selects: Young Pianists” – a three-concert series in February & March curated by Sir Schiff introducing rising young pianists Kwouk-Wai Lo, Roman Rabinovich and Adam Golka. Sir András Schiff has established a prolific discography, and since 1997 has been an exclusive artist for ECM New Series and its producer, Manfred Eicher. Recordings for ECM include the complete solo piano music of Beethoven and Janáček, two solo albums of Schumann piano pieces, his second recordings of the Bach Partitas and Goldberg Variations, The Well Tempered Clavier, Books I and II and Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations recorded on two instruments: The Bechstein from 1921 and an original fortepiano from Vienna 1820 – the place and time of the composition. For more information visit: www.andrasschiff.com Sir András Schiff appears courtesy of Kirshbaum Demler and Associates Recordings are available on the Decca/London, Teldec/Warner and ECM lables 39th season 2014-15

T h e W i l l i a m T. K e m p e r I n t e r n a t i o n a l c h a m b e r M u s i c s e r i e s

Les Violons Du Roy with Marc-André Hamelin, piano Friday, March 13

8 pm

The Folly Theater

BERNARD LABADIE, ARTISTIC & MUSIC DIRECTOR

RAMEAU

Suite from Les Boréades

HAYDN Concerto in D Major for Piano and Orchestra, Hob.XVIII:11 Vivace Un poco adagio Rondo all’ungarese: Allegro assai INTERMISSION MOZART

Concert-Rondo in A Major, K. 386

HAYDN Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp Minor, Hob.I:45, “Farewell” Allegro assai Adagio Menuetto: Allegretto Finale: Presto; Adagio

This concert is underwritten, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts The International Chamber Music Series is underwritten, in part, by the William T. Kemper Foundation Additional support is also provided by:

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program notes

Suite from "Les Boréades" Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) France’s greatest 18th-century composer and music theorist, Jean-Philippe Rameau, came late to opera. He spent much of his early career as an organist in provincial French churches. After settling in Paris in 1723, he eventually became the composer of the King’s chamber music, during which time he composed harpsichord and organ works that are in the top tier of the French claveciniste school. At age fifty, Rameau began to write for the stage and embarked on a successful new chapter as an opera composer. Thirty of his operas have survived. All of them involve dance. About half are opéras-ballet, a category unique to France that flourished from the late 17th century well into the 18th century. As the name implies, an opéra-ballet combined elements of both ballet (instrumental interludes and dances) and opera (aria, recitative, chorus), without necessarily forging close plot links between the two art forms. Other Rameau stage works are labeled comédieballet, comédie-lyrique, pastorale héroïque, or simply acte de ballet. These genres all descended from Rameau’s predecessor Jean-Baptiste Lully, who directed musical activities in the court of Louis XIV. A great lover of ballet, Louis enjoyed dancing in many of the operas of both Lully and Rameau. Consequently, every French opera included a ballet sequence, a tradition that continued through the 19th century. Thus dances pervade the score of all Rameau operas. Rameau’s most substantial dramatic works are called tragédies en musique. They include Hippolyte et Aricie, Castor et Pollux, Dardanus, and Zoroastre. Such works, which also derive from Lully, were consistent in their five-act structure and more serious aspect. Subject matter for their libretti generally drew on ancient Greek mythology, introducing elements of magic and supernatural powers that encouraged elaborate stage machinery and special effects. Les Boréades was Rameau’s last tragédie en musique. Rehearsals took place in Paris and at Versailles in April 1763, and a performance was apparently planned, but none is documented. It may have been intended for private performance at the royal court.

Jean-Philippe Rameau by Jacques Aved, circa 1728

The title means “The Descendants of Boréas” – the god of the North Wind. Other supernatural figures – Cupid, Polyhymnia, Apollo, and a nymph – play a part in the plot. It takes place in an ancient kingdom, with the lovers Alphise and Abaris at the center of a battle among the gods. A major tempest rages for much of Act 3 and all of Act 4, providing Rameau with ample opportunity for stormy music. Even before Rameau’s time, composers and publishers extracted suites of instrumental numbers from operas so that they could be performed as ballets or instrumental music. Les Violons du Roy have drawn on the numerous dance numbers in Rameau’s score, which include Menuets, Rigaudons, Gavottes, and Contredanses. The Suite begins with the opera’s brief Ouverture. The score calls for flutes, oboes, bassoons, horns, and strings.

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program notes

Though the D Major concerto is not listed by Haydn in his own thematic catalogue of his compositions, it is generally accepted to be authentic. Between the Unlike Mozart, Haydn did not write his best music in the realm of the concerto. Part of the reason is that so summer of 1784 and the end of the year, five publishers many of Haydn’s concertos are early and were composed in four countries printed editions of Haydn’s new at a time when musical style was undergoing a shift from keyboard concerto. The rapid dissemination of the piece late Baroque to classical. We think of Haydn – rightfully throughout Europe indicates how famous and popular Haydn had become. The concerto was his most popular so – as an anchor of the high classic tradition and a towering figure in the late eighteenth century. The fact is work in his lifetime and has remained in the repertoire. that he was born in 1732, nearly a quarter of a century The score calls for two oboes, two horns, before Mozart, and nearly two decades before Bach died. solo keyboard and strings. The musical world in which Haydn came of age was a period of transition. Piano Concerto in D Major, Hob.XVIII:11 Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

During his first years in the employ of the noble Esterházy family, Haydn was delighted by the fine orchestra of the princely court. He composed many instrumental concertos that were designed to show off the superior skill of the individual players. Haydn’s C Major violin concerto was composed in the 1760s for Luigi Tomasini (1741-1808), who was concertmaster of the Esterházy orchestra. Another friend among that group was the excellent cellist Joseph Weigl (1740-1820), who played in the Esterházy orchestra from 1761 until 1769. The Cello Concerto in C was composed for Weigl, probably around 1765. Haydn himself was a fine string player, but never the virtuoso that Mozart was at the keyboard. The two composers met and became friends in Vienna in the early 1780s, at which point Haydn probably heard Mozart play some of his wonderful concertos. Haydn’s D Major keyboard concerto seems uninfluenced by Mozart. Its style argues for a somewhat earlier composition date, as does its designation for harpsichord or fortepiano, during a transitional period when the harpsichord was still widely played. Certainly this keyboard concerto is later than the string concertos for Tomasini and Weigl, but it almost certainly predates Haydn’s and Mozart’s personal friendship. The exact date that Haydn composed his D Major concerto is unknown. It may have been played at a private concert in 1780 by one Fräulein von Hartenstein, a student of Leopold Koželuch. The Viennese publisher Artaria issued the first edition in 1784.

MUSICIANS CORNER The extended orchestral exposition that opens Haydn’s D Major concerto shows great expansion over Haydn’s earlier instrumental concerti. This broader conception of concerto/ sonata form is one of the characteristics that differentiates this piece, identifying it as a somewhat later work. The solo cadenza is another feature marking this as a classical (rather than rococo) concerto. The soloist interacts with the orchestra in a variety of ways, including several opportunities for brief improvisatory cadenzas. The soloist and orchestra are cohorts, intimate members of a chamber ensemble. Haydn frequently assigns the soloist’s thematic material to the orchestra. The expressive slow movement shows off his gift for elegant melodic ornament to great advantage. Haydn scholar A. Peter Brown believes that the third movement Rondo all’ungherese [Hungarian rondo] is one of the earliest examples of Haydn using an eastern European folk style. H.C. Robbins Landon identifies the melody as based on a dance tune not from Hungary, but from Bosnia and Dalmatia. Either way, the finale is vivacious and appealing, with its mock-serious minore section and winking grace notes. The figuration is not so elaborate as Mozart’s, perhaps reflecting Haydn’s background as a string player. Often the soloist’s passage work is more violinistic than pianistic. – L.S. ©2014

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program notes

Concert Rondo in A Major, K.386 Wolfgang Amadè Mozart (1756-1791) Musical sleuthing and a veritable jigsaw puzzle Like all fields, the discipline of musicology has its mysteries. The story of the Concert Rondo that opens our second half – or rather, the story of its manuscript – is one of the most bizarre in all of music history. When Mozart died in 1791, his widow Constanze retained his papers, including manuscripts. Her first task was finding someone to complete the unfinished Requiem so that she could collect the balance of the commission due her late husband. In the ensuing years, she gradually divested herself of many other works. She sold a significant cache in 1799 to the German publisher Johann Anton André, including this Rondo; however, its last page was missing, which made publication impossible. André sold it to an English buyer. The English composer and pianist Cipriani Potter reconstructed the work as a solo piano piece in 1838. The autograph then fell into the hands of another English composer, William Sterndale Bennett (1816-1875), who was apparently responsible for cutting K.386 into multiple pieces and leaves. The fragments, which were valuable as souvenirs of a great composer, were scattered throughout England. In the 20th century, the American scholar Alfred Einstein attempted a reconstruction working from Cipriani Potter’s solo piano version and two of the dismembered pages – the only two then available to him. Subsequently, Austrian pianist Paul Badura-Skoda made a complete orchestral version with the assistance of the English conductor Sir Charles Mackerras, devising a plausible finale. Badura-Skoda also composed a cadenza for the movement. Then in 1980, musicologist Alan Tyson came across the original ending in the British Library, in Mozart’s hand. For the first time since before Mozart’s death, the Concert-Rondo in A Major could be performed in an authentic version.

In the composer’s words And what of the music? In a letter to his father Leopold dated December 28, 1782, Mozart wrote of three new piano concertos he had completed:

The concertos are in fact something intermediate between too difficult and too easy; they are very brilliant and fall pleasantly on the ear – without of course becoming vapid. Here and there only connoisseurs can derive satisfaction – but in such a way that the non-connoisseur will be pleased without knowing why.

His description covers just about everyone today, as well as his Viennese audience. The three works in question were K. 413 in F, K. 414 in A, and K. 415 in C. They were the first series he wrote for a Lenten subscription series after his arrival in Vienna, and heralded his most successful years in the Austrian capital. The Concert Rondo was almost certainly the original finale to the Concerto No. 12 in A Major, K. 414. Biographer Alfred Einstein hypothesized, “No doubt the reason for abandoning it was that it repeated certain melodic turns of phrase that had appeared in the first movement [of K. 414].” Regardless, Einstein thought this Concert Rondo “possibly superior” to the Rondo that Mozart did use for K. 414. We may think of it as a free-standing, independent concerted work for piano and orchestra, analogous to a concerto finale. The score calls for two oboes, optional bassoon, two horns, and strings. Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp Minor, Hob. I:45, ‘Farewell’ Franz Joseph Haydn The term Sturm und Drang, usually translated ‘storm and stress,’ refers to an eighteenth century movement in literature, art, and music that emphasized the overt expression of intense emotion. In literature, the movement had origins in Rousseau’s naturalism and Goethe’s early writings. In music, however, its roots are more obscure.

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program notes

Certain operatic conventions, such as scenes of terror and/or the underworld in the operas of Gluck, invite comparison to analogous scenes in drama or novels. Abstract music, on the other hand, was another matter altogether. In the 1760s and 1770s, several Austrian composers wrote symphonies and other instrumental works in minor keys that raged and ranted, plumbing the expressive depths of music. The chronological coincidence of these compositions with their literary counterparts has fascinated music scholars, since there is little evidence that any of the composers in question was influenced by Sturm und Drang literature. Nevertheless, the term has become closely associated with some early classical works. At least a dozen Haydn symphonies are characterized as ‘storm and stress’ symphonies. The most famous of them is unquestionably the ‘Farewell’ Symphony of 1772, No. 45 in the extraordinary key of F-sharp Minor. The symphony’s violence and intensity of musical expression have been nearly eclipsed by the famous story of the symphony’s genesis. In late autumn, 1772, the musicians of Prince Nikolaus Eszterházy’s orchestra went to their leader, Haydn, with a plea. Rumors were circulating that the Prince was planning to reduce both the number of musicians in his court orchestra and the salaries of those who remained. Understandably, morale was low. The men were further disgruntled by the fact that the Prince had elected to remain at the summer palace of Eszterháza quite late that year. Since quarters were available only for a handful of musicians’ wives and families, most of the players were housed in a single large building with the rest of the palace servants. That meant they were separated from their loved ones even longer than usual. Could Haydn do anything to persuade the Prince to return to the city? they asked. He could indeed. He composed what is surely the broadest musical hint of all time: a symphony in whose last movement, the musicians ceased playing, one by one, blew out their music stand candles, packed up their instruments, and walked out. At the end, only two were left: Haydn himself (he was both concertmaster and court composer) and his principal violinist, Luigi Tomasini. The Prince responded to the hint graciously and gave orders the following day to move back to Vienna.

Of course the finale is deservedly famous, but to appreciate this symphony for only its last movement is a grievous error. The first two movements have earned their place among the Sturm und Drang symphonies. Haydn underscores the impassioned gestures of the opening Allegro assai with the singularly bold key of F-sharp Minor. So unusual was this key that special crooks had to be fabricated for the horns in order for them to play their parts. The vigorous gestures and angst-ridden pulse of this opening set the tone for a work of emotional extremes. By contrast, the second movement Adagio is downright romantic, with its chromatic suspensions, elongated phrases and pregnant silences. The minuet and trio are in F-sharp Major, a very bright key that was also exceptional in the eighteenth century. Even here, dark hints of uneasiness tinge the pleasantries of the dance, never allowing us to settle altogether comfortably into the key center. As for the well known finale, it is grand musical theatre. Haydn heightens the drama of the slow exodus by changing both tempo and tonality to herald the departures. The movement is in two distinct parts. The first is a Presto in the home key of F-sharp Minor, with abrupt contrasts of piano and forte that hark back to the strong gestures of the first movement. After an energetic development, Haydn brings matters to an unexpected halt with a fermata (pause). When the music resumes, it has switched to A Major and a dignified Adagio in triple time. This is the time to start paying close attention to who is ceasing to play. The first oboe and second horn are the first to call it quits, followed by the bassoon, second oboe, first horn, and bass. At the bass’ departure, Haydn effects a skillful modulation to F-sharp Major, effectively returning home. Only the strings play this final section, their forces progressively thinned. Both the symphony and the finale, like the proverbial month of March, have come in like a lion and gone out like a lamb. Haydn runs an emotional gamut in this work, giving his listener four full seasons of musical temperatures and barometric pressures. Haydn scored the ‘Farewell’ Symphony for two oboes, bassoon, two horns and strings. Program Notes by Laurie Shulman ©2014 Found a word or phrase that you are unfamiliar with? Check out our extensive Glossary beginning on page 118 to discover the meaning.

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biography

MARC-ANDRé HAMELIN

LES VIOLONS DU ROY T

he chamber orchestra Les Violons du Roy borrows its name from the renowned string orchestras that served the court of the French kings. The group, which has a core membership of fifteen players, was brought together in 1984 by music director Bernard Labadie and specializes in the vast repertoire of music for chamber orchestra, performed in the stylistic manner most appropriate to each era. Although the ensemble plays on modern instruments, its approach to the works of the Baroque and Classical periods has been strongly influenced by current research into performance practice in the 17th and early 18th centuries; in this repertoire Les Violons du Roy uses copies of period bows. The orchestra has been widely acclaimed for the exceptional energy, brilliance and vitality of its performances. Les Violons du Roy is at the heart of the music scene in Québec City, where it has been in residence at the Palais Montcalm since 2007. The orchestra is well known throughout Canada thanks to the numerous concerts and recordings broadcast by Société RadioCanada and CBC, and its regular presence at music festivals. Les Violons du Roy first performed in Europe in 1988 and had its first performance in the US in 1995. The twenty-one recordings made by Les Violons du Roy have been acclaimed by critics and earned various distinctions and awards at the national and international levels. Of twelve CDs released by DORIAN, two won Juno Awards: Apollo e Dafne by Handel and the Mozart Requiem. Since 2004, the association with the Québec label ATMA has led to six CDs, including Handel’s “Water Music,” which won a Félix Award in 2008; a CD of works by Piazzola which won a Juno Award in 2006; and Britten’s Les Illuminations with soprano Karina Gauvin. The group’s first collaboration with the multinational VIRGIN CLASSICS label led to the release in the fall of 2006 of cantata arias by Handel and Hasse with the U.S. mezzosoprano Vivica Genaux. Les Violon’s most recent recording present arias by Mozart, Haydn, Gluck and Graun with the contralto MarieNicole Lemieux, which was produced for the NAÏVE label.

ianist Marc-André Hamelin’s unique blend of musicianship and virtuosity brings forth interpretations remarkable for their freedom, originality, and prodigious mastery of the piano’s resources. A musician of broad musical interests and curiosity, Hamelin is renowned in equal measure for his fresh readings of the established repertoire and for his exploration of lesser known works of the 19th and 20th century, both in the recording studio and the concert hall. Marc-André Hamelin records exclusively for Hyperion Records. His most recent release is a CD of the Haydn concerti with Les Violons du Roy and its founder and conductor Bernard Labadie. This season will feature an upcoming disc of the late piano works of Busoni. Other recent releases include three double-disc sets of Haydn sonatas; a solo disc of works by Liszt; and an album of his own compositions, Hamelin: Ètudes, which received a 2010 Grammy nomination (his ninth) and a first prize from the German Record Critic’s Association. The Hamelin études are published by Edition Peters. His complete Hyperion discography includes concertos and works for solo piano by composers such as Alkan, Godowsky, and Medtner, as well as brilliantly received performances of Brahms, Chopin, Liszt and Schumann. A resident of Boston, Marc-André Hamelin is the recipient of a lifetime achievement prize by the German Record Critic’s Association, is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Chevalier de l’Ordre du Québec, and a member of the Royal Society of Canada.

For more information visit: www.marcandrehamelin.com Marc-André Hamelin appears courtesy of Colbert Artist Management

For more information visit: www.violonsduroy.com/en Les Violons du Roy appears courtesy of Opus 3 Artists

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the muriel mcbrien kauffman master pianists series

Dubravka TomŠiČ, piano Friday, April 10

8 pm

The Folly Theater

HAYDN Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob.XVI:52 Allegro Adagio Finale: Presto BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op. 53, “Waldstein” Allegro con brio Introduzione : Adagio molto Rondo: Allegretto moderato; Prestissimo INTERMISSION CHOPIN

Fantaisie in F Minor, Op. 49

Nocturne in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 1

Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2

Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante, Op. 22

This concert is underwritten, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts The Master Pianists Series is underwritten, in part, by the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation Additional support is also provided by:

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program notes

Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob.XVI:52 Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) If you think of Haydn’s keyboard works as wellmannered, thin-textured galant pieces suitable for student pianists, you might want to regroup. This late E-flat Major sonata is big, brash, and aggressive. Its dramatic chordal opening demands attention. Only the most gifted student pianists could master this sonata’s technical challenges. Two principal factors affected the metamorphosis in Haydn’s keyboard writing: English fortepianos and the German-born pianist Therese Jansen. Although Haydn’s principal instrument was the violin, he could make his way around the keyboard instruments and was a competent pianist. When he arrived in London in the 1790s, his acquaintance with keyboards centered on Viennese harpsichords and fortepianos. Like Paris, London was a center of innovative piano manufacturing. Haydn was delighted with the new English instruments, particularly those made by the firms of Longman & Broderip and Broadwood. Their fuller sonority and capacity for rapid repeated notes influenced his keyboard writing throughout the 1790s. Eventually he ordered a Broadwood piano for his use in Vienna. Haydn met Therese Jansen during his first trip to London and admired her playing. He composed at least two (and probably all three) of his last solo sonatas for her, and later dedicated three piano trios to her as well. They apparently became good friends, for he served as a witness at her wedding to Gaetano Bartolozzi in London in May 1795. If the E-flat Major sonata is any indicator, Miss Jansen (as she is identified in Haydn’s correspondence) must have had a formidable technique. The sonata bristles with big chords, extended phrases in parallel thirds, rapid repeated notes, octave passages, crossed hands, and brisk passage work demanding evenness of touch. Dynamics change rapidly. One needs both pianistic control and a responsive instrument.

The sonata’s three movements are startlingly different in character, warranting wholesale gear-shifting to accommodate the music’s personalities. The first movement’s heroic opening is an outgrowth of the French overture. That, and the theatrical gestures that follow, make a statement that this is decidedly public music. The second movement, the Adagio, is in the astonishing key of E Major, a key that has four sharps as opposed to the three flats of the outer movements in E-flat Major*. This movement requires an interpreter who can meld rhythmic precision with intense expressivity. Rhythms are complex and detailed, sometimes with florid ornamentation that foreshadows Chopinesque flights of fancy. Haydn uses unisons effectively, their unexpected spare sound adding to the eloquence. The finale is Haydn at his wittiest, teasing us even as to what key we are in at the beginning (he settles back iton E-flat Major). Repeated notes, sudden stops, and broken chords that dart between the two hands add to the sparkle. Power, delicacy, and moments of lingering expressivity all manifest themselves in this sonata. The boldness of its harmonic relationships and the blazing celebration of high classic technique mark it as perhaps Haydn’s greatest keyboard composition. Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op. 53, “Waldstein” Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Count Ferdinand Ernst Joseph Gabriel Waldstein (1762-1823) was a Bohemian nobleman who joined the Teutonic Order in his twenties. He served the Elector Maximilian Franz, Grand Master of the Order, for much of his early career, working as a diplomatic envoy. Maximilian Franz was the youngest son of the Austrian Emperor Franz I and became Archbishop and Elector of Cologne and Bishop of Münster in 1784.

* Our annotator makes an important observation here. The choice of a key for a composer is akin to the choice of a color for a painter. In music, each key has its own particular “color” and characteristics which establishes the atmosphere of a work. In the E- flat major sonata, Haydn puts us on high alert that he is moving from one world to another. The development section of the first movement foreshadows the “astonishing “ key of the second, we would never believe that Haydn will actually devote an entire movement to this interloper of a planet until we hear it. In all of his 55+ piano sonatas, Haydn never repeats this radical a change of keys between movements again. -Cynthia Siebert

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program notes

Waldstein is best remembered today as the dedicatee of this C Major Piano Sonata, which is identified universally by his surname. The dedication is something of a mystery in Beethoven scholarship. Waldstein served in the British army from 1795 to 1805, and is not known to have had any contact with Beethoven in 1803 and 1804, when Beethoven composed his Opus 53. The sonata is one of the triumphs of Beethoven’s so-called ‘heroic decade’ and one of the great middleperiod piano works. He was inspired in part by the gift of a new piano by the French instrument maker Sebastian Érard in 1803, which had an extended upper range. Bold pianistic innovations in the Waldstein reflect his experimentation with that keyboard, particularly in the high register. All three movements of the sonata open pianissimo, and the designation pp (“pianissimo,” very soft) appears frequently throughout the score. The pulsing C Major chords that open the Allegro con brio are more gesture than melody; it is Beethoven’s subsequent little fillips of commentary – seemingly throwaway motives-that will provide essential material for his development section. The second theme is a grand, chorale-like idea in the distant key of E Major (with four sharps), rather than the conventional modulation to G Major (with only one sharp), which one would expect in a sonata in C Major Count Ferdinand von Waldstein by Antonín Machek, circa 1800 (no sharps). He expands the chorale theme with triplets that usher in a series of closing themes organically related Beethoven met Count Waldstein in 1788, when the to the opening idea. Such ingenious surprises abound Elector summoned the Count to Bonn to be knighted. throughout the first movement. Both the Elector and the Count were cultured men and Beethoven’s original slow movement was an Andante passionate about music. Waldstein was among the first in F Major. He rethought the pacing and balance of to recognize the teenage Beethoven’s prodigious talent the sonata and withdrew that movement, eventually and potential. He and the young composer socialized publishing it independently as the popular Andante frequently in Bonn, and Beethoven wrote music for a favori, WoO57. His replacement for the Waldstein is ballet that the Count presented for Carnival season. marked Introduzione: Adagio molto. It is the one of Beethoven also composed variations for one piano, four many middle period slow movements in which he hands on a theme by Waldstein, WoO 67. proceeds directly to the finale. (Connecting the last When Beethoven moved to the Austrian capital in 1792 to study with Haydn, Waldstein famously wrote to him, “You are now going to Vienna in fulfilment of your long-held wish. . . . As a result of unceasing effort, you will receive Mozart’s spirit from Haydn’s hands.”

two movements became a favorite device. Beethoven would do the same in the Appassionata and Les Adieux Sonatas, the A Major Cello Sonata, the Fifth Symphony, the Violin Concerto, and the Fourth and Fifth Piano Concertos.)

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program notes

This Introduzione is shorter than the Andante favori, but has more emotional depth. The music asks profound questions, moving in spare textures through a series of startling modulations. We are not quite certain whether this is a free-standing slow movement or an eloquent preface to the finale: a bridge between two mighty C Major shores. When the delicate arpeggios of the Allegretto moderato return us to the home tonality, Beethoven’s rondo theme feels like a ray of sunlight. His episodes introduce elaborate left hand passage work and extensive right hand trills. The atmosphere is elated, even ecstatic, clearly foreshadowing the transcendent world of the late sonatas and quartets. A prestissimo coda in double time brings the Waldstein to a jubilant close. Fantaisie in F Minor, Op. 49 Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) The Fantaisie is one of a kind. Critics often group it with Chopin’s four Ballades, but the Fantaisie’s relationship to them is really peripheral. Unique among Chopin’s works, its only analogues are the Berceuse, Op. 57 and the Barcarolle, Op. 60, each one unique in its own way. This work is an incomparable jewel. The Fantasie, Op 49 should not be confused with the flashy Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op. Posth. 66: deservedly popular, but a work of lesser depth and polish. This extraordinary Fantaisie, which must be considered one of Chopin’s supreme masterpieces, is profligate in its generosity of themes, its breadth of texture, its richness of musical substance. Starting in 1839, Chopin spent several summers at Nohant, George Sand’s country house. These were happy times for him. His health improved and he was composing superbly. He began work on the Fantaisie in 1840, completing it the following year. It was published in Paris in 1841. Chopin thought a lot of the Fantaisie, placing a high price on it in negotiating with his publishers. In a letter to Juljan Fontana he stated his terms: he was willing to sell the Third Ballade in A-flat, Opus 47, for 300

francs; so too would he relinquish the two Nocturnes, Op. 48 and the Polonaise in F Minor, Op. 44 for 300 francs each. For the Fantaisie, however, he asserted that he must have 500 francs. In today’s world, when we consider the priceless musical legacy of such a piece, these sums seem paltry, beyond inadequate. But Chopin had to earn his living like any other working musician of the 1840s, and such mundane commercial negotiations allow us to infer a considerable amount about his relative assessment of his own accomplishments. Chopin’s instincts served him well. The Fantaisie breaks from convention on a number of levels, for example, the piece begins in one key, F Minor, and ends, triumphantly, in another: A-flat Major. Still, it is a masterful balance of form, combining elements of the sonata structure and its attendant development with the freedom associated with fantasy. Gorgeous themes abound, ranging from the triumphant and elated, to the contemplative. Nocturne in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 1 Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2 The term ‘nocturne’ shares the same root as the 18th-century notturno, a cousin of the serenade and divertimento that denoted multi-movement instrumental entertainment music for performance at evening events. In the 19th century, nocturnes evolved into romantic character pieces for piano. The Irish composer John Field (1782-1837) composed the earliest known works for piano using the title ‘Nocturnes,’ but in Chopin’s hands this variety of miniature flourished more richly. Chopin’s Nocturnes favor a cantabile theme over an elegant, broken chord accompaniment. The arpeggiated accompaniments are masterful and worthy of close scrutiny unto themselves for they rarely move in a predictable way, and therefore, are more consequential to the drama than any that John Fields’ used. Not only do Chopin’s move in unpredictable ways and directions, they also include notes dissonant to the arpeggios to signify potent emotional information.

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Chopin develops his melodies in ways quite different from Beethoven’s techniques of motive manipulation. He adds chromatic notes and decorative ornamentation to develop his melody and mini-cadenzas to provide a springboard for flights of fancy. He creates coloratura outbursts that captivate the ear and the soul, never exceeding the boundaries of good taste. The most ambitious of his Nocturnes seethe with virtuosic passion in their middle sections. Even the shorter, simpler ones make every note count with the eloquence of poetry. Shrouded in the keyboard’s low register, a gentle arpeggiated figure built on open fifths opens the Nocturne in C-sharp Minor with quintessential nocturnal mystery. Are we in a major or minor mode? The melodic entry prolongs the mystery, postponing even a momentary cadence until the sixth measure. Glimmers of brightness in major mode ultimately surrender to the minor. The left hand harmony takes on its own melodic importance, even though the contour of the broken chords remains consistent. Twice, the right hand is altogether absent, placing further emphasis on the enigmatic accompaniment. In the middle Più mosso episode, Chopin switches from 4/4 time to a triple meter, which increases a sense of acceleration. The music explodes to triple forte in a triumphant A-flat Major mazurka. Exultation dissipates as a stark cadenza in octaves in the left hand provides the transition back to the initial music. At the end, Chopin’s coda resolves, deliciously, to C-sharp Major. On the piano keyboard, C-sharp is the same black key as D-flat; in music, the switch from one to the other is called an enharmonic change. Chopin’s choice of D-flat Major as the key for the second Nocturne of Opus 27 thus has a tonal logic that grows out of the cadence of the first one. The mood is completely different in this piece: a continuous melody, unfolding over barcarolle-like eighth notes in the left hand. Rather than incorporating a contrasting middle section, Chopin continuously varies and decorates his lovely theme with rhythmic flexibility and elegance. A gorgeous coda shows off his harmonic genius. Using a series of descending fourths, he allows the piece to draw to a close with a sense of inevitability, rare beauty and repose.

Frédéric-François Chopin by P. Schick, 1873

Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise Brillante, Op. 22 Frédéric-François Chopin Chopin’s splendid output for the piano comprises waltzes, nocturnes, etudes, ballades, scherzos, preludes, sonatas, polonaises, and mazurkas. A small handful of his works occupy none of these categories. The Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise Brillante is one of those anomalies: neither fish nor fowl. Indeed, it is unique in that it is a hybrid of two unrelated sections composed at different times. Furthermore, the piece exists in versions for solo piano and for piano and orchestra. It has fared better as a solo piece, as Ms. Tomsic plays it this evening.

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biography

The actual title of the piece is Grande Polonaise brillante précédée d’un Andante spianato: that is, a polonaise preceded by an Andante spianato. The Italian verb spianare means to make level, to even out, to smooth. This opening segment of Chopin’s Opus 22 is a spiritual cousin to his nocturnes. Idyllic and pastoral, it unfolds in a gentle, rippling 6/8 meter like a barcarolle, almost in suspended animation. The body of the piece is in G Major. A central section switches to 3/4 time and a chordal texture, but the atmosphere remains tranquil. Chopin’s celebrated finger technique and delicious counter-melodies invite both a delicate touch and a rich tone. The Andante spianato functions as an introduction to the flashy Polonaise brillante. Chopin makes the transition via a fanfare in G Major to a slick modulation to E-flat Major. This sixteen-bar bridge is a reduction of the original orchestral tutti that ushers in the main Allegro. Essentially Chopin’s polonaise is a cross between a rondo and variations. Each time the main theme recurs, he embroiders it with invention and sparkle. Chopin’s sole public performance of this work took place on April 26, 1835. The occasion, the conductor François Antoine Habeneck’s benefit concert, was one of Chopin’s few Parisian successes with a large audience; he was more comfortable in the intimacy of a salon. The exact chronology of the Polonaise is uncertain. It probably dates from 1830 or 1831. We know that he added the Andante spianato in 1834. The combined pieces were published as Opus 22 in 1836 in a sort of orchestral shorthand. The piece has become more popular as a solo vehicle, because of its remarkable combination of grace, elegance, and technical brilliance. Program Notes by Laurie Shulman ©2014 Found a word or phrase that you are unfamiliar with? Check out our extensive Glossary beginning on page 118 to discover the meaning.

Dubravka TomŠiČ OT

ne the brightest youngpianist instrumental to emerge from he of celebrated Slovenian Tomšič talents enjoys “something of a Finland today, Juhopianophiles” Pohjonen has attracted great attention as one cult status among (Gramophone Magazine), with of the Nordic countries’ most intriguing pianists. performances that convey “heroic powerand andtalented Olympian vision” (Los Angeles Times) well asby“splendor, drama, poetry, Juho Pohjonen was as selected András Schiff as passion, the winner of theand subtlety” (Boston Globe). The only protégé legendary 2009 Klavier Festival Ruhr Scholarship. In of addition, he pianist has wonArtur Rubinstein, whoin considered her “a perfect and marvelous pianist,” numerous prizes both Finnish and international competitions, she gave her first public recital at age five and later embarked on including: First Prize at the 2004 Nordic Piano Competition in an international career took her International to five continents, Nyborg, Denmark, Firstthat Prize at the Youngperforming Artists more Concerto than forty-five hundred Stockholm, concerts to date. 2000 Competition, the Prokofiev Prize at the AXA Dublin International Piano Competition 2003, and prize Over the of her career, Ms. Tomšič has been in recitals winner at course The Helsinki International Maj Lind Pianoheard Competition at major halls of Munich, Berlin, Prague, Moscow, St. Petersburg, 2002. Budapest, Madrid, Amsterdam, London and Rome and at the He made his debut at the Aspen Music FestivalPrague, performing international festivals of Dubrovnik, Vienna, Naples, Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles… in 2012-13, and in that same Dresden, Paris, Mexico City, Joliette (Canada), Gilmore, Newport, year, was selected as one of fourteen musicians to work with Tanglewood, and Mostly Mozart in New York City. Equally the in Chamber Society Lincoln’s she ‘CMS Residency demand asMusic a soloist withoforchestras, hasTwo appeared with Program the for Outstanding Young Artists.’ Vienna Symphony, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London, Czech Philharmonic, Leipzig Orchestra, l’Orchestre Mr. Pohjonen has given recitalsGewandhaus in Hong Kong, Dresden, Hamburg, de la Suisse Romande, Munich Philharmonic, Berlin Symphony, Helsinki, London (Wigmore Hall), New York (Carnegie Hall), San Mozarteum OrchestraWarsaw in Salzburg, Staatskapelle, Francisco, Vancouver, and atDresden the Lucerne Piano, Savonlinna Moscow State Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Amsterdam and Bergen festivals. He has performed with orchestras including Concertgebouw, Mexico City Philharmonic the symphonies the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Franciscoand Symphony, Atlanta of Boston, Atlanta, Detroit, San Francisco and the major orchestras of Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony, Australia. Danish National, Finnish Radio Symphony, Swedish Radio Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic and Lahti Symphony - with More than 90 recordings of recital works concertos whom he toured Japan. Most recently, heand has piano worked with such released since 1987 attestSalonen, to Dubravka Tomšič’s status as aWolff majorand conductors as Esa-Pekka Marek Janowski, Hugh recording artist. In 2003 she won the prestigious Grand Prix du Lionel Bringuier. Disque of the Franz Liszt Society in Budapest for her album on the His debut recording Plateaux featured a performance of ipo label, featuring an all-Liszt program that includes the B Minor Scandinavian composer Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen’s piano Sonata. She can be heard on Vox Classics, Koch International and concerto Plateaux pour Piano et Orchestre with the Danish National other labels. She collaborated with great conductors such as Seiji Symphony Orchestra and a solo piano piece For Piano. His Ozawa, Hans Graf, Bernard Haitink, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Rudolf sensational opening recital at the 2010’s Music@Menlo Festival led Kempe, Neemi Jaarvi, Herbert Blomstedt, John Pritchard, Edo de to a recording for the Music@Menlo Live 2010 series entitled Maps wart, Carlos Miguel Prieto, among many more. and Legends: Disc 8. For more information visit www.dispeker.com/artist.php?id=dtomsic For more information visit www.juhopohjonen.com Dubravka Tomšič appears courtesy of Dispeker Artists Juho Pohjonen appears courtesy of Kirshbaum Demler and Associates

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T h e W i l l i a m T. K e m p e r I n t e r n a t i o n a l c h a m b e r M u s i c s e r i e s

Artemis Quartet Saturday, April 18

The Folly Theater

8 pm

Vineta Sareika Gregor Sigl Friedemann Weigle Eckart Runge

violin violin viola cello

DVOŘÁK String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, Op. 96, “American” Allegro ma non troppo Lento Molto vivace Finale: Vivace ma non troppo

VASKS String Quartet No. 5 (2004) I klätbütne (being present) II tälu prom . . . tik tuvu (so distant . . . yet near)

INTERMISSION TCHAIKOVSKY String Quartet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 11 Moderato e semplice Andante cantabile Scherzo: Allegro non tanto Finale: Allegro giusto

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program notes

String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96, “American” Antonin Dvořák (1841-1904) The American Quartet holds an analogous position among Dvořák’s chamber works to the New World Symphony in his orchestral music. Both are especially beloved to American audiences because of their origins in the United States. Dvořák had been in New York City for a year, directing the new National Conservatory, when he decided to take a summer holiday in 1893. Homesick for his native Bohemia but contractually bound to remain in America for another year, he chose a destination where he could at least speak his mother tongue. He traveled halfway across the North American continent to the remote hamlet of Spillville, Iowa, home to several hundred Moravian immigrants. After a season of big city hustle and bustle, this small farming community provided Dvořák with welcome relief. Spillville’s Czech-born residents welcomed their famous countryman with open arms. The summer months in Iowa proved fruitful both personally and professionally. Dvořák’s children joined him for the sojourn. He was overjoyed to have his family with him and to be among other Czech speakers. Filled with energy, enthusiasm, and a host of melodic ideas, he began to sketch a new string quartet on 8 June, 1893. Two days later, after apparently effortless work, he completed the sketch, marking on the manuscript, “Thanks be to God, I am satisfied, it went quickly.” Two weeks later, on 23 June, he finalized the full score.

there is another composer in the world who would do as much.” The story is heart-warming testimony to the exceptionally high regard in which Brahms held his younger colleague. The music of the American quartet, like that of the New World symphony, has historically been associated with spirituals and American folk song. In fact, its syncopations, dotted rhythms, and propensity for pentatonic scales all share roots in the folk music of Dvořák’s native Bohemia. In addition, Bedřich Smetana’s autobiographical quartet, In my Life, also served as an important model for Dvořák’s first movement. British commentator Richard Graves once described Op. 96 as `eating blueberry pie and washing it down with Slivovic.’ Dvořák’s genius in this work is his fusion of AfricanAmerican, Native American, and Czech harmonies and rhythms. It doesn’t take too much imagination to hear Indian drums in the finale, and the quartet’s wholesome melodies and vigorous rhythms may well prompt aural memories of folk songs we recall from our American youth. Nevertheless, ultimately Dvořák’s own national spirit prevails, making this quartet Czech through and through. String Quartet No. 5 Pēteris Vasks (b.1946)

Like the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, Latvia’s Pēteris Vasks has written music of powerful spiritual and expressive means. Trained initially as a violinist in Latvia’s capital, Riga, he switched to the double bass with Perhaps because it is suffused with the excitement additional study at the Lithuanian State Conservatory and immediacy of the moment, the American has in Vilnius. As early as 1961, he played professionally become Dvořák’s most popular string quartet. Among with several orchestras in Lithuania and Latvia. his chamber works, it is rivaled only by the A Major Returning permanently to Latvia in 1973, he focused Piano Quintet. That stated, it would be an injustice to Dvořák not to mention that he composed fourteen string on composition, studying with Valentīns Utkins at the quartets. Anyone who enjoys this one should seek out its Latvian State Conservatory in Riga. Since 1989, Vasks has served on the faculty of the Dārzinš Music School, companion pieces. Listeners will reap generous rewards also in Riga. from this wonderful music. The American is one of a group of works that Dvořák sent to Fritz Simrock, his German publisher, from the United States. In order to expedite prompt issuance of the new compositions, Simrock asked Johannes Brahms to proofread the musical galleys. When he learned of Brahms’s labor on his behalf, Dvořák was overwhelmed, writing to Simrock, “I can scarcely believe

Vasks is the son of a Baptist minister. Because of the USSR’s repressive policies toward religion, he encountered considerable opposition from the Kremlin cultural authorities in the 1970s and 1980s. Composing became a channel through which he could express his ideas and philosophy – and elude government control.

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His early compositions were influenced by Lutosławski, Penderecki, and other members of the Polish school. Beginning in the 1980s, he often embedded Latvian folk music in his scores, a technique that enhanced his reputation as a musical champion of Latvian independence. The events of 1991, when the Baltic Republics were asserting their independence from the Soviet Union, catalyzed several such works. Today, his best known composition is probably the Violin Concerto Distant Light (1997), written for the Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer, whose advocacy has done a great deal to make Vasks’s work better known internationally. Especially in chamber music, Vasks has favored quasi-programmatic works that address major social issues. He is particularly concerned with the environment and mankind’s place in a world that is not always humane. Like Dmitri Shostakovich, Vasks has found the string quartet a vessel for highly personalized musical statements. He first wrote for quartet in 1977. His Second Quartet, Summer Tunes (1984), comprises three movements inspired by nature and reminiscent of France’s Olivier Messiaen: “Coming Into Bloom,” “Birds,” and “Elegy.” The leading motive of his Third Quartet (1995) is a Latvian Christmas carol, “Peace on Earth.” Its music is a meditation on the possibility of peace in our society. The Quartet No. 4 (2000) was a commission for the Kronos Quartet; Vasks used it as an opportunity to reflect on the century that had just passed. “There has been so much bloodshed and destruction, and yet love’s power and idealism have helped to keep the world in balance,” he wrote at the time of its premiere. The Fifth Quartet (2003-04) was also written for the Kronos Quartet, a commission from Mrs. Ralph I. Dorfman. The first performance took place in Tallinn, Estonia on October 19, 2005. Vasks speaks in broader, more conceptual terms in this quartet, but his social conscience and ruminative personality remain front and center. His composer’s note explains its two contrasting movements.

In this composition I wished to communicate how we are each a part of the world and a world unto ourselves, of the existence and necessity of idealism and the love around us and in us.

The first movement, being present, immediately ushers in an atmosphere of high emotional tension.

The dominant musical atmospheric elements are dramatic and turbulent. They intertwine with one another kaleidoscopically. In contrast, a second theme is intoned three times – an invitation, a reminder of the existence of some other world, a lighthouse illuminating the twilight in which we so often live. This invitation is not heard. The first movement concludes with dissonances in the high register – a call filled with despair. The second movement, so distant . . . yet so near, is the quartet’s quiet, unhurried passage of singing; a forgiving, love-filled gaze upon a world tormented by pain and contradictions. Gradually the singing becomes more personal, emotional and dramatic. The funeral march in the recapitulation of the second movement is a gesture of loss. Eventually, the quartet dies away in a mood of light-filled sorrow. “One cycle has ended. We continue to live.” Pēteris Vasks (Translated from the Latvian by Dace Aperane) String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11 Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Music-lovers know that Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings originated as the slow movement of his First String Quartet. Apart from chamber music devotees, however, few listeners actually know the complete Barber Quartet. Their acquaintance with the Adagio is generally limited to the popular transcription for string orchestra. Tchaikovsky’s First Quartet has a similar history. From the first performances, listeners adored the slow movement which was based on a familiar folk song. That movement was then excerpted from its context and arranged for all manner of instrumental combinations and simply called Andante cantabile. In fact, Tchaikovsky’s Quartet was the first major Russian string quartet, and his most successful effort in chamber music. Other than three quartets, the piano trio, the string sextet Souvenir de Florence and a handful of pieces for violin and piano, there is nothing but juvenilia in his chamber catalogue. Why did he write this piece? The answer is finances. In early 1871, he was short of funds. Needing cash quickly, he decided to raise money through arranging a concert of his works. An orchestra concert was too expensive, so he planned an evening of chamber music. The young composer hurriedly penned a string quartet to flesh out his

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program notes

slender catalogue, then prevailed upon some colleagues at the Moscow Conservatory, led by violinist Ferdinand Laub, to perform it. The quartet’s cellist, Wilhelm Fitzenhagen, would later play the premiere of the Rococo Variations, and received that work’s dedication. The new quartet was an immediate success, largely because of the slow movement. No doubt the conservative writing in the opening Moderato e semplice made this work easily accessible, for Tchaikovsky’s modulations and structure are both classical. Little of the adventuresome spirit displayed in Romeo and Juliet just two years before surfaces in this piece. The harmonies are simple, embroidered with simple counterpoint, much in keeping with the fledgling Russian nationalist approach to folk song treatment. The Andante cantabile is a beloved folk tune. The composer actually based the first theme on a folk song he had heard at Kamenka, his family’s summer home in the country. Tchaikovsky sometimes resented the fact that this movement became so fashionable at the expense of compositions he considered superior, which were overlooked or criticized. He grew to be very proud of it, however. In an 1886 diary entry, the composer wrote of sitting with Leo Tolstoy at a concert where the great author was moved to tears by a performance of the Andante cantabile. Tchaikovsky himself scored it for cello solo and orchestra in the late 1880s. He also sanctioned the performance of the Andante cantabile as a separate work for string orchestra. The version we hear this evening is, however, the original, and in its complete, intended context. The quartet is rounded out by a Schubertian Scherzo/ Trio in D Minor, whose scherzo section plays sophisticated games with two against three, and a foursquare finale in sonata/rondo form. The inclusion of a quasi fugue shows that the weight of conservatory training lay heavily on Tchaikovsky’s shoulders, and that he still sought an individual voice. Program Notes by Laurie Shulman ©2014 Found a word or phrase that you are unfamiliar with? Check out our extensive Glossary beginning on page 118 to discover the meaning.

Artemis Quartet T

he Berlin-based Artemis Quartet was founded in 1989 at the Musikhochschule Lübeck, and is recognized today as one of the foremost quartets in the world. Their mentors include Walter Levin, Alfred Brendel, the Alban Berg Quartet, the Juilliard Quartet and the Emerson Quartet. The ensemble had its international breakthrough with first prizes at the ARD Wettbewerb in 1996 and at “Premio Borciani” half a year later. Subsequently, the musicians received an invitation to the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, where they were able to continue their music studies and enjoy interdisciplinary exchanges with renowned scholars. In 2003, the Beethoven-Haus Society awarded the Artemis Quartet an honorary membership in recognition of its interpretations of Beethoven’s works. Film director Bruno Monsaingeon created an impressive portrait of the musicians and their performance of Beethoven’s Grosse Fuge Op. 133 in his 2001 film “Strings Attached”. Since 2004, the Artemis Quartet has been programming its own critically-renowned series in the Berlin Philharmonie and was named Quartet in Residence at the Vienna Konzerthaus in 2011. The Artemis Quartet has had an exclusive recording contract with Virgin Classics/EMI since 2005. As a celebration of its special affinity for Beethoven’s music, as well as its 20th anniversary as an ensemble, the Quartet embarked on its first Beethoven cycle in 2009, performed them over two seasons in Berlin, Brussels, Florence, Cologne, London, Paris and Rome. The project culminated in a recording of the complete quartets with Virgin Classics/EMI, which was awarded the prestigious French “Grand Prix de l’Académie Charles Cros.” Their recordings have been recognized by a “Gramophone Award” as well as the “Diapason d’Or” and the ECHO-Klassik (twice). A focus on contemporary music is an important part of the ensemble’s work, in part because they wish to keep developing an eye for new elements in already well-established music. Composers such as Mauricio Sotelo (2004), Jörg Widmann (2006) and Thomas Larcher (2008) have written pieces for the Artemis Quartet. The premiere of a concerto for quartet and orchestra by Daniel Schnyder is planned for 2014. In addition to their concert careers, the four musicians are professors at the Universität der Künste in Berlin and at the Chapelle de la Reine Elisabeth in Brussels. For more information visit: www.artemisquartet.com The Artemis Quartet appears courtesy of Arts Management Group 39th season 2014-15

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special thanks

Bon Appetit A big thank-you goes to those who so generously hosted pre- and post-concert dinners and receptions for our artists and patrons last season: A. Rae Price; Cynthia Schwab; Doug and Cecelia McNair; Patricia Miller; Irv and Ellen Hockaday; Dalton and Christine Hermes; and Cynthia Siebert and Larry Hicks. Beyond the Concert Experience The Friends provides complementary programming to enhance the concert-going experience. Special thanks to those who shared their vast expertise with us for the 2013-14 season: Dr. William Everett, Dr. Andrew Granade, Dr. Erika Honisch and Dr. David Thurmaier of the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance, and Dr. Paul Laird of KU, Kimberly Masteller of the NelsonAktins Museum of Art, Professor Ali Asani of Harvard University, Scott Metcalfe of the Blue Heron Choral group and Peter Phillips of the Tallis Scholars. Church Venue Staff and Volunteers Special thanks to the staff and volunteers of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception who supported the presentation of our concerts in their beautiful sanctuary last season: Mario Pearson and Gail Monaco. Also, special thanks to the staff and volunteers from Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral, especially John Schafer. Firm Financial and Legal Footing A special thank you goes to our CPA's Christy Peterson, and Harold J. Nicholson, for donating time and resources in performing our annual audit, all financial reports and tax returns. Folly Theater Staff and Volunteers Sincere appreciation goes to Gale Tallis, Stephanie Spatz-Ornburn, Lee Saylor, Kelley Lapping, Travis Ives, Kathy Stipek, Joan Hubbard; and to all the friendly and helpful Folly volunteers who make The Friends’ Folly concert experiences so enjoyable. Forte Films A big thanks to Jerry Harrington and his staff for providing the Tivoli Cinemas for the showing of our FORTE Film Series. Few people understand, better than he, the value of the synergy of great art forms.

The Friends Volunteers Our heart-felt thanks to some of our favorite people— our invaluable volunteers, the “friends of The Friends!” Last season this hard-working, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable group of chamber music aficionados performed innumerable tasks from selling CDs to transporting artists, tearing tickets, and providing invaluable support at our annual soirée. We couldn’t produce a season without them! Thanks go to Jack and Deb Mclaren, Hugo Becker, Marcia Cooper, Liz Craig, Jack Jarsulic, Jessica Jarsulic, Rick Stephenson, George Moss, Claudia Toomim, Sayo Hood, Richard Keith, Ryan and Amy Inderlied, Stan Willis and Brian Logan, Anne Biswell, Michelle Davis, Carmen Hostuic, Dan Fischer, Dale and Jan Rickert. Harpsichords Oliver Finney generously provides his fine instruments for The Friends’ artists throughout each season. He also provides all of the transportation, maintenance, and tuning necessary to guarantee our artists instruments that meet the highest of possible concert standards. We appreciate his liberal kindness. IT Perfection Kasama Kasemvudhi keeps all of our office equipment purring. He is always there for all emergencies with gentle assurances. Legal Counsel We are grateful to have one of the area's finest corporate lawyers in Jerry Wolf, from Dentons. In addition to providing his own personal expertise, Jerry has made available several experts from the firm, who represent the best in their respective fields in the nonprofit industry. We are grateful, also, for the use of Denton's conference rooms for all FCM board meetings. Our Friends in the Legislature Thank you to Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and the legislature for supporting the arts in our state. Piano Sincere thanks to our expert piano tuner, Conrad Hulme. And to the Harriman-Jewell Series for the use of the Hamburg Steinway at the Folly Theater.

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special thanks

Sweet Intermission André’s Confiserie Suisse and the Bollier family add a sweet note by providing their spectacular chocolates for the entire audience for opening night and by kindly allowing us to sell their delicious chocolates at every concert. Soirée 2014 Benefit and Wine Auction Our utmost thanks to the Soirée 2014 contributors, table hosts, attendees, and auction items donors. Thanks also to Doug Frost, Lucille Windsor, Stu Nowlin of Stu Nowlin Imaging, the Indian Hills Country Club, Marquee Selections, and Soli Printing for their invaluable help with Soirée. UMKC Special thanks to Peter Witte, Dr. James Snell, Jane Schaefer, Bob Beck, Kristin Schafel, Dana Self, and Amanda Schuster for their hard work and assistance with the Music Alliance Series. Further Thanks Boelte Hall; The Kansas City Marriott Downtown; Sheraton Suites Country Club Plaza; Kasama Kasemvudhi; The Kansas City Police Department.

Hugo Becker escorted patrons into the Folly Theater on Opening Night 2013

Become a volunteer. . . The Friends depends heavily on its corps of volunteers-especially to perform important duties at our concerts. From selling luscious Andre’s chocolates, CDs by our renowned performers, or concert tickets, to setting up receptions and transporting artists, The Friends of Chamber Music's magnificent volunteers are integral to our success. In appreciation, our volunteers attend our gorgeous concerts for free! For additional information, please contact Robert Holland at 816.561.9999.

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contributors

Why Give?

The Friends of Chamber Music is loyal to its mission of presenting world-class artists for affordable ticket prices. Our tickets cost a fraction of what other major cities charge for the same artists, and most of our concerts are free to students 18 and under. As ticket sales cover only one-third of our expenses, we rely on the generosity of individuals, foundations, corporations, and government funders for the remaining two-thirds of our budget. Your generous financial support of our concerts and educational activities allows you to share in the joy of bringing outstanding music to our community. If you have not yet made a donation to The Friends, we invite you to join our donor family. Please call the Development Department at 816-561-9999 to learn more about making a contribution.

VISIONARIES ($50,000 and above) Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation William T. Kemper Foundation

GUARDIANS ($25,000 - $49,000) The Friends of Chamber Music Endowment Funds

SUSTAINERS ($15,000 - $24,999) Charles and Virginia Clark H&R Block Foundation Hall Family Foundation Sanders and Blanche Sosland Music Fund

MAJOR BENEFACTORS ($10,000 - $14,999) Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Bacon, Jr. Stanley H. Durwood Foundation Francis Family Foundation Irv and Ellen Hockaday Fund for The Friends of Chamber Music Steven and Jeanette Karbank David Woods Kemper Foundation Master Craftsmen Foundation Dr. and Mrs. Douglas McNair Patricia Cleary Miller Missouri Arts Council National Endowment for the Arts Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund Oppenstein Brothers Foundation Sosland Foundation Michael Waterford

BENEFACTORS ($5,000 - $9,999) Dwight and Naomi Arn Mr. and Mrs. Tom Bowser Dick and Jane Bruening Commerce Bank of Kansas City Ever Glades Fund/Sarah & Landon Rowland J. Scott Francis/Francis Family Foundation Discretionary Fund J.B. Reynolds Foundation RLS Illumination Fund Morton and Estelle Sosland

PATRONS ($1,000 - $4,999) ArtsKC Fund of the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City Mr. & Mrs. Charles Abbott Carter, Jr. CCS Family Fund – Topeka Community Foundation Drs. Melissa Rosado Christenson and Paul Christenson

Contributors

We gratefully acknowledge the kindness of our many contributors who have given their financial support on behalf of our concerts and our educational activities. This list of contributors represents donations and pledges received between July 1, 2013 and August 7, 2014. The Friends of Chamber Music’s fiscal year is July 1 – June 30. Special thanks to the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts for underwriting the Hamburg Steinway piano. Every effort has been made to ensure an accurate list of contributors. If we have made an inadvertent mistake, please bring it to the attention of the Development Department by calling 816-561-9999.

Copaken Family Foundation David M. and Sandy Eisenberg Mr. and Mrs. Joseph T. Fahey Fike Corporation Anne Fraser William Gann and Gary Toms John R. and Ellen R. Goheen Mike and Karen Herman Jonathan and Nancy Lee Kemper Linda Lighton and Lynn Adkins Cindy and Jay Longbottom Scott and Sheila Martinsen J. David and Roxie S. McGee Edward P. Milbank Marshall & Janet Miller Tom and Kathy Nanney Mark and Lynne O'Connell A. Rae Price Ms. Cynthia H. Schwab Cynthia Seibert and Lawrence Hicks Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLC Martha Lee Cain Tranby Music Enrichment Fund

DONORS ($500 - $999) Anonymous Dan Bernstein Alietia Caughron Dr. Robert L. Claassen Jane Ratcliffe Coakley and Jack Coakley CNA Foundation Jacqueline and Robert Epsten Foundation Neil and Lona Harris Monica Jeffries Hazangeles and John Peter Hazangeles Marilyn and Jim Hebenstreit Dave Hughes Rita and Lamar Hunt, Jr. Vera Isenberg Mr. and Mrs. William B. Kort Don Marquis Ann and Whitney Miller Dr. and Mrs. Ernest Neighbor Nan Muchnic and Rick Pardy Stanley S. & Ardyce H. Pearson Lisa and Charles Schellhorn Joshua and Jane Sosland Philanthropic Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City SPONSORS ($250 - $499) Anonymous Andrews McMeel Universal Foundation

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Mr. and Mrs. Richard O. Ballentine Sharon and Lance Beshore Dr. and Mrs. Robert H. Easterday Jon and Juli Ellis William Fossati Norman E. and Marilyn A. W. Gaar Alan Grimes Klaus and Claudia Grunewald Hallmark Corporate Foundation Nanci Hawkins Shirley & Barnett Helzberg Foundation Margaret Jackson Wayne E. Lippman Thomas M. Lucero Alan P. McDermott Virginia McD. Miller David Field Oliver June and Cal Padgett George and Wendy Powell Mr. and Mrs. William E. Quirk John and Fiona Schaefer Naoma and Webster Schott Gerald and Marilyn Uppman, in memory of Gabriel Marquez Paul and Meta Ann White

SUPPORTERS ($100 - $249) Yuliya Alexeeva Bill and Kristin Amend Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Russell W. Baker, Jr. Jane Anne Beachner Duane and Nancy Benton James L. Bingham Marcel and Connie Bollier Margaret Borkon, in honor of Mary Lynn and Kamal Mikhail Bruce and Linda Bradley Jim and Kay Calvert Karen L. Christiansen Marcia Cooper, in memory of Clyde Stoltenberg Don and Patricia Dagenais Ivan and Andrea Damjanov Robert C. De Lisle Roger Dirks and Cindy Capellari Marles Smith Dudley Jerry Fry Catherine Green and Thomas Taylor Mr. Jerome Harrington Caroline and George Helmkamp Kim and Ted Higgins

contributors Dr. and Mrs. Howard Hsu Dr. and Mrs. Marius M. Hubbell Joan S. Hunt Joseph T. Jensen Jerry and Joy Kaplan Drs. John and Ann Kenney Pamela D. Kingsbury Kramer Family Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City Art and Marianne LaFex Michael Lester Judith Lindquist Sharon Lundy Robert and Lynn Mackle, in memory of Bob Kirkman Sheelagh Manheim James and Eileen Marshall Santiago Martinez Jimenez Robert and Heather Maynard The Honorable Patrick and Patricia McAnany Dr. and Mrs. H. Richard McFarland Merck Partnership for Giving Metzler Bros. Insurance Jeannette T. Nichols Stewart and Nancy Nowlin Richard and Louise Parizek Mark and Janice Schonwetter Herbert and Cynthia Shanks Cyprienne Simchowitz Ronald Sipes Glenn and Rita Spillman Alice Statland Arthur and Barbara Stern Dr. and Mrs. John Sutphin Barney Goodman Donor Advised Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City Peter Tremain Vendini Loves the Arts Program Rebecca Vogt Robert Weirich and Karen Kushner John Wilkinson Bruce J. Williams Raymond Zbacnik

FRIENDS (Up to $99) Tandy and Janet Allen Amazon Smile Program Donald and Jeanne Andrade Anonymous Richard Barohn, M.D. Kate and Reed Beebe Jeff Beseth Joseph and Francoise Bien Curtis and Sharon Bock Debra Bolton Lynn Bowman Marilyn T. Bradt Michael Brandel Dr. Dorothy Brandwein Kyle Britton Dennis Crow William Cutler Cheryl Davis Edra and Rene Diaz William Dixon Virginia T. Dunn Jennifer Edwards Julie Elfving

Carter M. Enyeart Rob and Melissa Falkner Stephen Foley Rick Fortner Baila Goldstein Peter and Lynda Goulet Elizabeth Mueller Grace, NCTM Marc Greenberg Serge and Jess Guislain Gabor Gyulafia Karen and William Halverhout Mark Hull Michael Isaac Nicholas and Cora Jarrett Sonja and Louis Joline Edward & Ann Kander, in memory of Jerry Berkowitz Richard Keller Duane and Cosette Kelly Paul Kittle Jane Kunz Yannick Leroy Jeremy M. Lillig Mark E. Lowry Jay and Symie Menitove Tad Messenger Carol Mueller Linda Nagel Wilbur and Gerry Niewald Ben and Lyndal Nyberg D.K. and Audre Patel Kathy Peters Ann T. Reed George and Goldie Sakoulas Julia Scherer Nancy Schurle Penny Senften Thomas and Vicki Smith Egon Stammler Anthony and Diane Stolz Robert and Sue Strickler Darrick Taylor Melanie Vandenberg Gerard Van Hoet Jan Way Ron Williams Paula Winchester/Twelve Winds Tea Company Nathan Wood James Graham

IN MEMORY OF JAMES L. MILLER Susannah S. Evans Nancy Martin Barnes Morton and Estelle Sosland Mrs. Shirley Spiegel Dwight and Naomi Arn Mr. and Mrs. Bryant Bozarth David and Dionne Cottle John R. and Ellen R. Goheen Lona Harris Day and Whitney Kerr Neil and Blanche Sosland David and Sandy Eisenberg Catherine Green and Thomas Taylor Sandra Petersburg and Mary Carey George and Wendy Powell Richard and Beverly Rush Ashley Sanor Mr. and Mrs. Warren W. Weaver

Finance Committee Joseph T. Fahey Nancy Lee Kemper Harold J. Nicholson Christy Peterson Dale W. Young

Endowment Oversight Committee William Coughlin Nancy Lee Kemper Janice Newberry Gary Smith Joshua Sosland

Board Liaisons, Endowment Committee J. Scott Francis Patricia Cleary Miller

Advisory Board Paul Katz Cellist and Founder, Cleveland String Quartet, Director, Chamber Music Program at New England Conservatory of Music Ruth Felt Founder and CEO, San Francisco Performances Leila Getz Founder and CEO, Vancouver Canada Concerts Andrรกs Schiff Pianist Takรกcs String Quartet Artemis Quartet, Berlin Peter Tallis Founder and Director, Tallis Scholars, England Menachem Pressler Pianist and Founder, Beaux Arts Trio

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endowment donors

Endowment Donors

In addition to their annual gifts, endowment donors have given to The Friends of Chamber Music’s future. The Friends’ endowments are permanent funds from which earnings may be used at the Board’s discretion for special initiatives, concerts, or operations. We thank the following donors for recognizing the need to strengthen The Friends’ and for ensuring its future. Amounts shown are cumulative, reflecting multiple gifts over the years.

$100,000 and above The Cleveland Quartet Award The Irv and Ellen Hockaday Fund William T. Kemper Foundation National Endowment for the Arts Challenge Grant Sanders & Blanche Sosland Music Fund

$2,500 - $4,999 Mr. and Mrs. Richard O. Ballentine Charles and Virginia Clark Robert Loyd Whitney F. and Ann Miller Jane E. Ratcliffe Beth K. Smith

$10,000 - $99,999 Anonymous Anonymous, in memory of James W. & Ruth T. Evans Commerce Bank of Kansas City Mr. & Mrs. George C. Dillon David M. & Sandy Eisenberg Isaac (Jack) & Rena Jonathan Steven & Jeanette Karbank David Woods Kemper Memorial Foundation Mr. & Mrs. William G. Levi Mr. & Mrs. Robert P. Lyons Vera Patton William Quirk Mr. & Mrs. Lamson Rheinfrank, Jr. Cynthia H. Schwab Cynthia Siebert & Lawrence Hicks Joshua and Jane Sosland Philanthropic Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City Lester T. Sunderland Foundation Sutherland Lumber Courtney S. Turner Charitable Trust, Daniel C. Weary and Bank of America, Trustees Mark & Nancy Viets

$1,000 - $2,499 Leonard and Irene Bettinger Julie A. Burgess Jack Coakley Mr. and Mrs. Charles French Tom and Ann Gill Dr. and Mrs. John R. Goheen Mr. and Mrs. William Greiner Hallmark Cards, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Irvine O. Hockaday Mrs. G.M. Mulhern Janice Newberry Julia Scherer Claudia Scognamiglio-Pasini Mr. and Mrs. Barney White Marc and Elizabeth Wilson

$5,000 - $9,999 Nancy Martin Barnes Vera Isenberg Douglas McNair & Cecelia Stadler McNair Patricia Y. & Gerald B. Rivette

$500 - $999 Butler Manufacturing Company Sally Chapple, in memory of Charles Culloden Chapple $250 - $499 Joan Gallos and Lee Bolman Jon and Janet Henderson Kathleen A. Markham Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Parks Mr. and Mrs. Glenn R. Spillman

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Special thanks to those who remember The Friends of Chamber Music or The Friends of Chamber Music Endowment Funds in their wills or estate plans: Anonymous (3) Nancy Martin Barnes Mr. and Mrs. Charles Abbott Carter, Jr. Sally Chapple Victor (Vic) Contoski Dorothy Dreher Marsha L. Enterline Adele Levi Sally Verburg Livengood Jane E. Ratcliffe Julia Scherer Cynthia H. Schwab Cynthia Siebert & Lawrence Hicks Joshua and Jane Sosland Dr. Harry and Alice Statland, in memory of Suzanne Statland Kaleen Tiber Michael Waterford

soirée 2014 acknowledgements

Soirée 2014 Acknowledgements

For more information on Soirée, The Friends of Chamber Music’s annual benefit and wine auction, please see pages 20 and 21.

Honorary Chairs of Soirée 2014 Patricia Cleary Miller, in memory of James Ludlow Miller Wine Auction Consultant Doug Frost Auctioneers Doug Frost Lucille Windsor Photographer Stu Nowlin, Stu Nowlin Imaging Floral Arrangements Trapp and Company CONTRIBUTORS Sponsors (as of July 15, 2014) $2,500 and Above Dick and Jane Bruening Commerce Bank of Kansas City Steve Karbank Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation Demi and David Kiersznowski Doug and Cecelia McNair Stinson Leonard Street Foundation Fund Sprint $500 - $2,499 Michael and Peggy Borkon Mr. and Mrs. Philip R. Love Brad and Dr. Jan-Marie Kroh David and Suzanne Bradley Jay and Cindy Longbottom Robert and Lynn Mackle Dennis Marker and Susan Lordi Mark and Lynn O’Connell Steven and Vanessa Schneider Charlie and Jeanne Sosland Drs. Samuel and Nancy Robertson Mike and Marlys Haverty J. Scott Francis/Francis Family Foundation Discretionary Fund

$25 - $499 William Barstow and Laurie Shulman Jane Ann Beachner Betty Brand C. Stephen Metzler and Brian D. Williams Richard and Sanna Cass Alietia Caughron William Fossati John and Ellen Goheen Eugene Bileski and Diane Krizek In-Kind Sponsors Stu Nowlin Imaging Soli Printing/Kamal and Mary Lynn Mikhail Table Hosts Dwight and Naomi Arn Bud and Jennifer Bacon Tom and Judy Bowser Dick and Jane Bruening Bruce and Cynthia Campbell Bryan Cave LLP/Tom Nanney Commerce Bank/ Jonathan and Nancy Lee Kemper Dentons Law Firm/Jerry and Ellen Wolf Hallmark Cards, Inc. Chris and Hibberd Kline Scott and Sheila Martinsen Soli Printing/Kamal and Mary Lynn Mikhail Whitney and Ann Miller Patricia Cleary Miller John and Ann Readey/ Tuck and Susan Spaulding Landon and Sarah Rowland Cynthia H. Schwab Shook, Hardy and Bacon/John Sherk Cynthia Siebert and Larry Hicks Soirée 2014 Committee Jennifer Bacon Nancy Lee Kemper Mary Lynn Mikhail Chris Kline Cynthia Siebert Kansas City Marriott Downtown, Kevin Pistilli Catherine Larrison Chris Kline Jan-Marie Kroh Hillary McCoy Auction Item Donors Affäre Restaurant Aixois Bistro Aixois Brasserie

André’s Confiserie Suisse Carol L. Antle Ariel Quartet Dwight and Naomi Arn Asiatica bijin Salon and Spa Tom and Judy Bowser Café Europa Café Provence Charlecote Antiques Paul and Bunni Copaken Carl & Sheri Cuda of Brookside Jewelry Dean & DeLuca Dillard’s Department Stores Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole Scott Francis and Susan Gordon French Market Halls Kansas City Margaret Karczewski Julia Irene Kauffman Le Fou Frog Lon Lane’s Inspired Occasions Phil and Patty Love Meierotto’s Midwest Jewelry Michael Smith Restaurant Pear Tree Antiques People’s Bank Peruvian Connection Rainy Day Books Raphael Hotel Room 39 Seasons 52 Swirk Jewelry Swoon Cookies Terry Binns Skincare, Inc. The Capital Grille Voices in Time Webster House Paula Winchester/ Twelve Winds Tea Company Wink and Associates, Barb Bloch Wines David and Sandy Eisenberg Jerry Eisterhold Doug Frost Steve Karbank King Estate Dennis Lowdon Mark and Lynne O’Connell Mr. and Mrs. Scott T. Penning Josh and Jane Sosland Morton and Estelle Sosland Neil and Blanche Sosland

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glossary A accompaniment that part of a music composition which supports a melody or principal part or parts. adagio very slow tempo. adagio ma non tanto a slow tempo, but not too much. affettuoso affectionate, tender. agitatto agitated, excited. air a tune, vocal or instrumental. allegro [It., 'merry' or 'lively'] fast tempo; merry or lively. allegro non troppo merry and lively, but not overly so. allegretto moderately fast tempo; often lighter in texture or character than allegro. allemande a German dance of the mid16th century in a moderate 2/4 or 4/4 time which eventually became incorporated into instrumental suites in the 18th century. andante moderately slow; a walking tempo. andantino slightly faster than andante. animé [animando or animato, It.] animated. In common use since the 19th century to indicate either a quickening of the tempo or a more excited expression. antiphon brief Latin liturgical chant sung as the refrain or response to the verses of a psalm. antiphony [adj. antiphonal] the use of two or more performers or ensembles that are spatially separated, and that alternate or oppose one another in a piece of music. aperto [It. 'open'] the first of two endings for a section of a piece. appassionato impassioned. appoggiatura meaning to “lean,” this term describes a dissonant pitch that is in a strong metrical position as if “leaning” against a note or notes, that is resolved or ceases to “lean” by moving to a consonant* pitch in a relatively weaker position by ascending or descending a step. arco bow; often seen in music following pizzicato* sections (where the strings are plucked with the fingers); “arco” indicates the performer is to play with the bow. aria elaborate solo song found primarily in operas*, oratorios* and cantatas*. arietta a small aria or song, usually sung by a secondary character in an opera*. articulation the characteristics of attack and the means by which these characteristics are produced. Staccato* and legato* are types of articulation.

arpeggio a chord whose pitches are sounded successively, usually from the lowest note to the highest, rather than simultaneously. assai [It.] much, very much. atonal the absence or opposite of tonality, or the absence of a key center. attacca attack immediately. When placed at the end of a movement, it serves as an instruction to begin the next movement without pause. augmentation the reappearance of a musical theme in notes of longer value than those in the original statement. The opposite of diminution. B bariolage a virtuoso string technique requiring rapid shifting back and forth between two or more strings to produce a tremolo effect. ballade In the 19th century, a long, dramatic type of piano piece; music equivalent to a poetic ballad, such as the Chopin Ballades. bar line in musical notation, a line drawn vertically through one or more staves to mark off a measure.* Baroque period period or style in Western music extending from roughly 1600-1750, during which J. S. Bach, Teleman, Vivaldi, and Handel composed and characterized by strict music forms, contrapuntal* textures and florid ornamentation. basso continuo [It.] “thoroughbass.” Also called simply “continuo.” Independent, continuous bass line throughout a piece that serves as an accompaniment to instruments or voices performing the melody. At a minimum, it consists of a keyboard instrument (harpsichord, organ, clavichord) and a bass instrument (viola da gamba, violoncello, bassoon.) In earlier Baroque works, a lute, guitar, or theorbo* participates as part of the continuo. In late Baroque concertos the continuo most often comprises harpsichord and cello; however, period instrument ensembles frequently call on the other continuo instruments. bel canto bel canto singing characteristically focuses on evenness throughout the voice, skillful legato*, a light upper register, flexibility, and a lyric, “sweet” timbre. It also refers to the art and science of that vocal technique which originated in Italy during the late seventeenth century and reached its pinnacle in the early part of the nineteenth century. binary form describes a piece comprised of two sections, each usually repeated. The first section generally modulates* to a related key, and the second generally progresses back to the original key of the first section. Symbolized by AA’.

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bitonality simultaneous use of two tonalities or keys (also see polytonality.) breve [Lat.] short, brief. brio [It.] vivacity; spirit. buffo [It.] comic. burden an archaic term for the drone or bass in the bass line, and the pipe or instruments that play it; also refers to a part of a song that is repeated at the end of each stanza. C cadence harmonic formula that concludes or resolves a musical phrase, section or piece. cadenza elaborate passage for the soloist in a concerto, during which all other instruments are silent; usually near the end of a movement and often not written out by the composer but left to the performer to improvise. canon [adj. canonic] piece, or moment in a piece, in which a subject or musical idea is imitated by one or more voices playing the same musical idea, but beginning after the first voice states the subject and overlapping with it. A well-known example is “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” The voices which follow the first statement of the subject may or may not begin on the same note or pitch as the first voice. This was a technique commonly employed in the Renaissance and Baroque periods, though the practice has been occasionally used from the 18th century to the present. cantabile to be performed in a melodious, singing manner. cantata vocal composition developed in the Baroque period for chorus and/or solo voice(s), based on secular or religious texts, generally with several movements* and accompanied* by an instrumental ensemble. canticle song from a book of the Bible other than Psalms. cantilena [Lat.] 1) in the Middle Ages, melody or song, including liturgical chant as well as secular songs; 2) In the 13th – 15th centuries, polyphonic* song, especially the French chanson*; 3) In the 19th century to present, a lyrical vocal or instrumental melody. cantiones sacred songs. cantus firmus a “fixed” song or melody, commonly used as a basis for contrapuntal* treatment. canzona [It., ‘song’] instrumental arrangement of French chansons* popular in the 16th and 17th centuries. canzonetta [It.] a light vocal piece popular in Italy and England from the 1560’s, and in Germany in the early 17th century.

glossary capella [Ger. 'Chapel']; usually refers to a church or court music ensemble. However, in Germany in the 15th and 16th centuries, the term came to be used to describe any music group. capriccio [It.: ‘whim, fancy’; Fr. ‘caprice’] a character piece that emphasizes the exceptional, the whimsical, the fantastic and the arbitrary. cauda a textless passage that often appears at the end of lines in medieval sacred songs. cavatina in 18th- and 19th- century opera, a short solo song, simple in style and without a da capo* or repeat. Usually consists of a short, instrumental introduction followed by a single statement set to music. chaconne a form of variations based on a basic chord progression of a dance in triple meter and major mode which originated in Latin America and spread across Europe in the17th century. Ciaccona [It.] chamber concerto works for chamber orchestra in which all instrumentalists participate in both the orchestral tutti as well as sharing the solo sections. chamber music music written for small ensembles intended to be performed in more intimate spaces such as a private or domestic space, or a space in a small hall. chanson [Fr.] song. chant see plainsong. chitarrone [It.] 1) in 16th-century Italy, a large bass lute* whose strings were tuned similarly to the descant* (soprano) lute, but with the first two courses* an octave lower. 2) In the17th century, the theorbo. chorale the congregational song or hymn of the German Protestant Church. chord (adj., chordal) three or more tones played simultaneously. The most commonly used chord is built on intervals of thirds, such as a C major chord comprised of the notes C, E and G. chromatic scale from the Greek word for 'color,' a scale* which includes all 12 tones of the octave; moving in half steps.* chromaticism the addition of at least some pitches of the chromatic scale,* which is the scale that includes all 12 pitches (half steps* or semitones) contained in an octave. This may result simply from the filling in of whole steps with half steps. Classical 1) in Western music, the period or style extending from the early 18th century through the early 19th century; 2) art music, as opposed to folk or popular music forms. claveciniste referring to an era of 18thcentury French harpsichord compositions. clef sign placed at the beginning of a staff to indicate the position of pitches.

coda [It., 'tail'] concluding section of a composition or movement,* usually reinforcing the final cadence. col legno [It., 'with the word'], a directive for string players to use the stick of the bow to hit the strings, rather than drawing the hairs of the bow across the strings. compound meter a meter* that includes a triple subdivision within the beat; i.e., 6/8 time. con brio [It.] with vivacity, spirited. con fuoco [It.] with fire. Wild and fast con moto [It.] with motion concertante in the 18th century, works for two or more performers (including orchestral works) in which one or more performers is called upon for soloistic display. Mozart’s Concertante for violin and viola soloists plus orchestra is an example. concertino (1) the group of soloists in a concerto grosso,* (2) in the 18th century, a multi-movement work for orchestra or chamber music ensemble. concerto a work for one or more solo instruments accompanied by orchestra, often in three movements. concerto grosso an early form of the concerto, from the 17th and 18th centuries, for a small group of soloists (the concertino*), and larger orchestra (the tutti* or ripieno*.) conductus in medieval music, a type of sacred, non-liturgical vocal composition for one or more voices. con moto literally 'with motion;' to be played more rapidly. con spirit with spirit. consort [Eng.] a group of instruments for playing music composed before 1700. A broken consort consists of instruments from different families using different methods of producing sound. A whole consort consists of instruments all belonging to the same family. continuo see basso continuo. contrapuntal see counterpoint. cornetto [It.] a wooden or ivory instrument of the brass family, with a wide conical bore and side holes for a thumb and six fingers. It was used in church and chamber music from about 1550 to 1700. corrente [It. courante, Fr. running, flowing] a dance and instrumental form which flourished in Europe from the late 16th century to the mid 18th century, often as a movement* of a suite in 3/8 or 3/4 time. countermelody an accompanying part with distinct, though subordinate, melodic interest, in a piece with a clear melody and accompaniment.

counterpoint when two or more melodic voices proceed simultaneously and relatively independently. Renaissance and Baroque works are particularly rich in counterpoint, also called contrapuntal writing. couplet two successive lines of poetry forming a pair, often within a larger form. courses in a string instrument, the term refers to a pair of strings tuned to the same note and sounded as one, producing a stronger, more ringing sound. An example is the four-course* mandolin, strung in four double courses. crescendo [It.] gradually increasing in loudness. cross rhythm a rhythm in which the regular pattern of accents of the prevailing meter is contradicted or challenged. D da capo to repeat a composition by returning to the beginning and playing until the word “fine” (“the end”) appears in the music. decrescendo [It.] gradually becoming softer. descant [discant] (from medieval Latin, discantus, ‘sounding part’), term first used in the 12th century , a technique of composition where one voice is added to a plainchant* (or single-voiced song), usually note against note and usually in contrary motion. descant lute a high-pitched member of the lute family, played in the soprano clef. development development of a musical idea or ideas through variations or transformation; middle section in a sonata* form. diatonic a scale with seven different pitches, made-up of five whole* and two half* steps such as a major* or minor* scale. diminished seventh chord a chord composed of four tones, each a minor third above the next. It is often used to modulate* to another key. diminution in counterpoint*, the repetition of a subject or figure in notes of shorter value than those of its original statement. The opposite of augmentation*. dissonance musical sounds that create a feeling of tension by imposing a nonharmonic note or notes onto harmonic notes. The opposite of consonance. All music consists of the play between dissonance and consonance. divertimento [It., 'diversion'] in the second half of the 18th century, especially in Austria, typically, a light, secular instrumental work for a chamber music ensemble or soloist. 39th season 2014-15

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glossary dolce [It.] sweet dominant the fifth degree or note of a major or minor scale.* doppio [It.], double the speed. double canon a piece in which two melodic subjects, or ideas, are employed in canonical style (see canon*.) double counterpoint a method of counterpoint that consists of adding to an existing melody a second melody which will fit well either above or below the first idea. double fugue fugue* in which two subjects* are first given full and independent treatment, and then are combined contrapuntally* with one another. drone an instrument that plays a constant pitch or pitches; sustained tone in a piece of music, often played by such instruments as the bagpipe or hurdy gurdy, found most often in Renaissance music. dumky (pl. dumka) literally “to ponder.” (1) A Slavonic folk ballad from the Ukraine, alternating between moods of elation or despair. (2) Instrumental music involving sudden changes of mood between melancholy and despair. duple meter any meter in which there are two basic beats in a measure, such as 2/2 or 2/4. dynamics that aspect of music relating to degrees of loudness; dynamic markings. E embrouchure the use of facial muscles and the shaping of the the lips to the mouthpiece of a woodwind or brass instrument for purposes of creating a pitchspecific tone. episode in ronds* form music passages that alternate with the refrain. equal temperament a musical temperament or system of tuning in which the octave is divided into 12 semitones* of equal size. This method of timing was first used in Bach’s day. étude literally “study”; instrumental piece designed to improve a player’s technique. exposition first section in a fugue*, sonata*, symphony or concerto* movement, where a subject* or musical ideas/themes are first heard or exposed. F fantasy fantasia composition in no fixed forms wherein a composer may follow freely his or her imagination; may consist of multiple styles, moods, keys,* meters,* tempi* or forms. fermata a performance indication sign used in a composition directing the performer to stop or hold for an unspecified time, to be determined by the performer.

figured bass a bass part in which numbers provide the harmonic guidelines within which the performer is expected to improvise. finale the final movement of a sonata,* symphony,* concerto* or string quartet;* usually in a fast tempo.* fine the end. fioriture ornamental passages that are improvised or written out. fipple a constricted mouthpiece common to many end-blow flutes, such as the recorder. flautino [It.] a small flute which is played vertically; more similar to a recorder rather than a piccolo. forte loud. fortissimo very loud. fragmentation a compositional technique using only a part or fragment of a music idea or motif* for further development in a composition. fret a piece of material placed across the fingerboard or neck and under the strings of some string instruments, limiting the strings to be played at a specific pitch. frisch [Ger.], fresh, new. fughetta [It.] a short fugue.* fugue (adj. fugal) From the Latin for “flight;” in music, a composition in which three or more voices enter imitatively one after another, each giving chase to the previous voice which “flies” before it. A double fugue refers to a fugue with two themes or subjects often developed simulataneously. A triple fugue has three subjects. fugato a fugue-like passage occurring in a larger work or movement that is not in itself a fugue.* fuoco [It.] fire. G galante term used in 18th-century French music to describe a free or homophonic* style, as opposed to the strict, learned, contrapuntal style. gavotte [Fr.] a French dance of the 16thcentury court of moderate tempo* in duple meter* usually danced in a line or a circle. gesangvoll, gesang [Ger.], songfully, song. geschwind [Ger.], quick, swift. gigue a fast and usually final dance movement of a suite* of English origin and using some rhythmic multiple of triplets. giusto [It.] just, precise; an appropriate or usual tempo* for the type of piece at hand, or return to regular tempo after passage of a flexible tempo. glissando a continuous movement from one pitch* to another. This may be produced by a sliding movement on a string instrument

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or the slide of a trombone or sackbut, with all of the micro-intervals* (smaller than half or whole steps) contained in between the beginning and ending notes of the slide. On the piano, it is produced by a rapid succession of half* and/or whole* steps, played with the hand upside down on the fingernail giusto [It.] just, precise; an appropriate or usual tempo* for the type of piece at hand, or return to regular tempo after passage of a flexible tempo. grave slow or solemn. grazioso [It.] graceful. Gregorian chant named for Pope Gregory I, unaccompanied, monophonic* music cells, codified in the 8th and 9th centuries and used as the basis for compositions for the Catholic Church for several centuries. grosse fuga great fugue referring specifically to Beethoven’s final movement of the same name, included in his original Quartet No 13, Op 130. ground bass a pattern of notes, most often a melodic phrase with a consistent harmonic progression set in the bass, repeated over and over again with changing upper parts. Grounds are basically a series of continuous variations. In Italy, grounds were called basso ostinato,* or “obstinate bass.” H half steps the smallest interval* in use in most instruments of the western music tradition. There are twelve such intervals contained in an octave.* harmonics a tone produced on a stringed instrument by lightly touching a vibrating string at a given fraction of its length so that both segments vibrate. This creates a glassy sound. harmonic minor scale a type of minor scale* in which the third and sixth notes of the scale are each lowered a half step* from the major scale. harmony the relationship of tones when they sound simultaneously; also, any number of pitches sounded simultaneously, or a chord. harpsichord stringed keyboard instrument in prominent use from the 16th to 18th centuries, and revived since the 1880’s. Similar in shape to a grand piano, but in the harpsichord, the strings are plucked by a plectrum as opposed to being struck by a felt-covered hammer. homophony (adj. homophonic) music in which one voice, carrying the melody, is supported by an accompaniment which is far less important than the melody; as opposed to monophony* and polyphony*. hymn a song in praise of god(s) or heroes. hymnodist composer of hymns.

glossary I Impressionism an artistic movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries represented in music chiefly by Debussy and Ravel. The term describes the aesthetics and techniques of a group of composers who emphasized atmosphere and more intangible, flashy effects. Past rules of counterpoint and strict structures, meters and keys were replaced with new colors, more complex and ambiguous harmonies and structures that suggested a greater intimacy with the psychological. impromptu a title of a single-movement composition, characterized by an off-hand style, as if the result of sudden inspiration, but not necessarily of an improvisatory nature. The most famous of these were composed by Schubert and Chopin. innig, innigkeit [Ger.] heartfelt, intimacy. intermezzo (1) a 19th-century character piece; the term suggests a more casual style of composition; (2) same as 'interlude' or 'entr’acte.' A movement that comes in between two movements, and is usually meant to serve as a lighter refreshment to those movements*. interval distance between two pitches. invertible counterpoint a technique of contrapuntal* writing that allows the voices to change places (the higher becoming the lower and vice versa.) invention the name given by J.S. Bach to 15 short keyboard pieces, each in two parts and each developing from a single idea. The 15 companion three-part pieces are now known also as “inventions.” The term also appears in earlier music, implying creativity but with no particular musical characteristics. isorhythm In the 13th century, a repeated rhythmic pattern in the tenor part of a motet. K Kapellmeister the leader of a musical chapel, or court ensemble, which might provide both sacred and secular music. (Bach held this position at the court of Cöthen from 1717-1723.) key in tonal* music, the pitch relationships that establish a single pitch as a tonal center or tonic.* klavierstücke [Ger.] keyboard pieces. L ländler an 18th-century folk dance from Austria and southern Germany in slow ¾ time. langsam, langsamer [Ger.] slow, slower. larghetto slightly less slow than largo. largo [It., 'broad'] very slow tempo; considered the slowest tempo by some theorists.

laude non-liturgical religious song, of greatest importance in the 13th through 16th centuries, but in continual use through the 19th century. Usually composed in Italian or Latin, these songs were anonymous, monophonic*, and simple in style. legato, [It., from legare,‘to bind’] a directive indicating that notes should be played smoothly, without noticeable breaks between them. The opposite of legato is staccato.* leggiero [It., 'light'] (Leggierissimo 'very light') lento [It.] slow tempo. libretto the text of an opera* or oratorio.* lirone [It.] a bass, bowed string instrument developed in the 16th century. Held between the legs and usually fretted, with 9-14 melody strings and 2 drone strings. lute a European, plucked, string instrument with an oblong, rounded body, a flat soundboard featuring a rosette, and a short, fretted* neck with an angled pegbox,* sometimes even perpendicular to the neck. Six-course* lutes were standard after about 1600, but later Italian instruments had as many as fourteen courses.* M macaronic when the text of a vocal composition mixes the vernacular words with Latin words or Latinized words or words from one or more other foreign languages. Madrigal a secular vocal composition of the Renaissance and early Boroque eras. maestoso [It.] 'majestic.' Magnificat the canticle* of the Virgin, Luke 1:46-55, which begins “My soul doth magnify the Lord.” The Magnificat is part of the Office of the Vespers. marsch [Ger.] forward, march, off with you. Mass the central service of the Roman Catholic rites, deriving from a ritual commemorating the sacrifice of Christ, usually made up of several sections that fall into two categories: the Proper* and the Ordinary*. measure a way of dividing music into specific units of time set off by bar lines*; most often, with the same number of “beats.” mediant the third degree of the scale*, so called because it is midway between the first degree of the scale (the tonic)* and the fifth degree of the scale* (the dominant)*. Medieval music dates from the period of the Middle Ages, from about 500 until about 1430.

melismata in vocal music, the setting of a single syllable to be sung over several notes as opposed to its opposite, syllabic, in which each syllable of a text is set to a single note. melody succession of musical tones forming a line of individual significance and expressive value, as opposed to harmony (tones sounded simultaneously); thus, melody and harmony represent the horizontal and vertical elements of music. meno [It.] from Italian meaning 'no.' menuetto minuet. mesto [It.] sad, mournful. meter in a given composition or section, the basic pattern of regular pulses and accents found in each measure* and indicated by a time signature.* The rhythmic organization of a work. Middle Ages period of history from about 500-1430 A.D. Music notation began in Western Europe during the 9th century. Some forms of music from this period include plainsong,* the Mass,* motets,* and liturgical dramas. minimalism school or mode of contemporary music marked by extreme simplification of rhythms, patterns, and harmonies; prolonged chordal or melodic repetitions; often creating a trance-like effect. minor key a key which has a minor interval* between its first and third, sixth and seventh degrees or notes of a major scale. minuet [Fr. menuet, It. menuetto] a stately French dance of the 17th and 18th centuries, in triple meter* and moderate tempo*; often paired with another section of music called a trio*, and is often a movement of a Classical symphony, sonata or quartet. mit [Ger.] ‘with’. mode (adj. modal) scale; usually used to denote scales* used by churches in the Medieval and Renaissance periods. Each mode is based on a series of pitches, with different patterns of intervals. moderato [Fr. modéré] moderate tempo. modulate to change from one key to another within a music composition. molto much or very; used with such musical terms as allegro molto (very fast.) monophony (adj; monophonic) music consisting of a single voice* or line, for either one performer or an ensemble performing in unison*, such as in chant.* Most commonly found in music of the Middle Ages influenced by the chants* of Jewish synagogue music and the early Catholic Church. mosso [It.] moved, animated. 39th season 2014-15

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glossary motet (1) prominent type of composition of the 13th century, usually for three voices, often combining religious and secular texts; (2) an unaccompanied choral composition of the 15th and 16th centuries, contrapuntal*, usually for four or five voices*, generally with a religious text. motive [Fr. motif; Gr. Motiv] a brief melodic figure, too short to be called a theme, and often just a fragment of a theme, which may become the basis for an entire composition. A short musical gesture. moto ‘motion;’ con moto, ‘with motion,’ i.e. quickly. movement a complete and relatively independent part of a larger composition such as a sonata*, quartet*, concerto* or symphony.* Analagous to chapters in a book; although they can stand alone to some degree, they more significantly combine with and relate to each other producing a cohesive whole. mute, or sordino* a wooden device placed on the strings, used for reducing the volume and/or altering the tone color of an instrument. N nocturne [Fr. 'of the night;' It. notturno] Title used for certain instrumental works of the 19th and 20th centuries, suggesting night and usually quiet and meditative in quality. Often characterized by a lyrical melody with an arpeggiated accompaniment. non not. notturno (see nocturne.) novellette [Fr.; Ger.] a title given by Schumann to some of his character pieces. O obbligato [It., ‘obligated’] an accompanying* part that is of integral importance. It is not as important as the subject or melody, but has more independent character than an accompaniment.* octave the interval* made up of the first and eighth tones of a minor or major scale.* Seven diatonic scale degress apart. office distinct from the Mass*, these are the daily services of the Western Christian rites. opera a drama set to music, which consists of singing with arias and recitatives with orchestral accompaniment, and usually also comprising an orchestral overture* and an intermezzo.* opera buffa [It.] comic opera. opera seria [It.] serious opera. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the chief operatic genre.

opus (abbr. op.) method of cataloging a composer's works usually indicating the order in which a composer’s works were published; not necessarily an indication of the order in which they were written. oratorio an extended musical drama set to sacred text based on religious subject matter. Often scored for vocal soloists, choir and orchestra. orchestra see symphony. ordinary refers to the five Mass* texts, which remain the same for every liturgical service (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei.) organum a plainchant melody with at least one added voice to enhance the harmony, developed in the Middle Ages. ostinato a melodic and/or rhythmic motive or phrase that is repeated persistently throughout a work, often in the bass. overtone in acoustics, faint higher tones contained within every music tone. overture a composition intended as an introduction to a suite*, opera* or other dramatic work. Sometimes designated as a sinfonia or an introduzione (“introduction”.) P pantonic (pantonality) synonym for atonality*, Schoenberg preferred this term as indicating the combination of all keys rather than the absence of any key, but it is rarely used. partita (1) in the late 16th and 17th centuries, a variation, usually on a traditional melody, (2) in the late Baroque period and early Classical period, a type of multi-movement* instrumental suite*, whose movements* are based on dances that have become stylized and suitable only for listening. The most common movements in a partita are prelude*, allemande*, bourrée, sarabande*, minuet*, and gigue*, though other lighter movements may be included. passacaglia a continuous variation form, mostly from the Baroque, using basso with ostinato* formulas. Usually a piece of a deliberate character. passepied [Fr.] a French dance of the 17th and 18th centuries resembling a fast minuet.* It was usually in binary* form and in 3/8 or 6/8 time with continuous running movement. It became part of the18thcentury suite* as one of the optional dances. passamezzo antico an Italian dance in duple meter based on a specific Renaissance choral scheme popular from the mid-16th century to about 1650. passion music form that began in the Medieval period which depicts the Passion of the Christ (his crucifixion and resurrection.)

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pastorale a work of music or literature that represents or evokes life in the countryside. pathétique with great emotion. pedal point a sustained tone in the lower register, occurring under changing harmonies in the upper parts. pegbox a boxlike construction at the far end of the neck of a stringed instrument which houses ‘pegs’ or screws to which the strings are attached and which can be turned to tune the strings, either by tightening or lessening them. perpetuum mobile a composition in which rhythmic motion, often in a single notevalue in a rapid tempo, is continuous from beginning to end. pianissimo very soft. piano (1) the instrument; (2) a directive found in a score to indicate playing quietly. (The first pianos were called “fortepianos” meaning “loudsoft” because a performer could affect the volume of the note by altering the way the keys are struck as opposed to the harpsichord. piano trio (1) a trio consisting of piano, violin, and cello, (2) a work for such a trio. più more. pizzicato in music for bowed and stringed instruments, a directive to pluck, with the fingers or thumb, the strings for certain notes or passages of notes. plainsong (plainchant or chant) a sacred, unaccompanied vocal work with no harmony, only a single voice or multiple voices singing the same notes (in unison). poco little. poco adagio a little slower tempo. polka a moderately fast Bohemian dance that originated around 1830, and was popular throughout the 19th century. polonaise a festive, aristocratic Polish dance in triple meter,* in a moderate tempo with a strong emphasis on the first beat, usually performed as a processional with couples. polyphony music that simultaneously combines several lines of equal or almost equal importance; as opposed to monophony* and homophony.* polytonality simultaneous use of two or more tonalities or keys. prelude or praeludium [Lat.], or preaembulum [Latin] a piece or movement that precedes and introduces other movements of a larger work, such as in a partita* or suite.* prestissimo a tempo marking indicating a piece or section of a piece is to be played as fast as possible.

glossary presto a tempo marking indicating a piece or section of a piece is to be played very fast. programmatic music intended to express or depict specific images or stories, as opposed to representing more abstract ideas. proper those sections of the Mass* whose texts change according to the occasions in the Church calendar, as opposed to the ordinary. Q quartet (1) an ensemble comprised of four instruments or vocalists, or some combination of the two. The most common combination consists of two violins, a viola and a cello, which is known as a string quartet, a form founded by Haydn (2) a composition written for such instrumental/ vocal combinations. quodlibet [Lat.] “What you please.” A composition in which well-known melodies or texts are presented simultaneously or successively, the result being humorous and displaying technical virtuosity. R rallentando [It., abbr., rall.] gradually slowing down; same as ritardando.* rasch, rascher [Ger.], quick, quicker, sehr rasch, very quick recapitulation section of thematic restatement; usually the third and final section in a movement* of a sonata* form work. recitative [It.] a vocal style designed for the speech-like declamation of narrative episodes in operas*, oratorios* or cantatas.* relative key a key sharing the same key signature as another. Each major key has a relative minor and vice versa. Renaissance period in Western music, the period extending from approximately 1425 to 1600. ricercar [It., ‘to seek’] a type of late Renaissance and early Baroque instrumental composition. It usually refers to an early kind of fugue*, particularly one of a serious character in which the subject uses long note values. In the 16th century, the word ricercar could refer to several types of compositions, which mostly fell into two general types a predominantly improvisatory work and a sectional work in which each section begins imitatively, usually in a variation form. ripieno [It., ‘filled’] term used in Baroque music to denote the tutti (or concerto grosso) sections, as opposed to the solo (or concertino) group. ritardando [It., abbr. rit.] gradual slowing of tempo; same as rallentando.

ritornello [It., 'little return'] a short, recurrent instrumental passage. rococo a term from art that followed the Baroque period, used to describe the graceful and ornamented music of the 18th century. romanesca a song form popular in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, usually in triple meter, composed of a sequence of four chords with a simple, repeating bass providing the groundwork for variations and improvisation. Originating in Spain, it was most popular with Italian composers of the early Baroque period. Romanticism a period in European music history, usually considered to have spanned the early to late 19th century. rondeau one of the three standard poetic forms used for chansons in the 14th and 15th centuries that emphasized imagination and emotions over form and order. rondo form prominent in the Classical period in which a main theme alternates with contrasting episodes; one of the most common rondo patterns is ABACABA. S sarabande a slow, stately, highly ornamented Baroque dance whose historical origin is Spanish, in triple meter* and part of an instrumental suite consisting of several movements.* SATB initials for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass designating the voice ranges required to perform a particular piece of choral music. scale a schematic arrangement of notes in ascending and descending order of pitch, used as the basis for music compositions most notably from the 17th-20th centuries. scherzo [It., ‘joke,’ ‘game’] movement of a sonata*, symphony* or quartet* that replaced the minuet in the 19th century; usually written in a light, rapid style often with a contrasting trio* section. schnell, schneller [Ger.], ‘fast’, ‘faster’. scordatura also called cross-tuning, is an alternative tuning used for the open strings of a stringed instrument. sehr [Ger.], ‘very’. semitones see half steps.* semplice [It.] simple, without ornament. serenade a vocal or instrumental work intended for performance in the evening, and usually addressed to a lover, friend, or person of rank, and composed for a specific occasion. sforzando [It., 'forcing' pl. sforzandi ] an indication for a strong accent on a note or chord,* or a sudden loud dynamic change.

sonata composition for one or more instruments, usually in several movements;* takes on different forms in different periods of history. Most sonatas written in the 18th and 19th centuries contained at least one movement in sonata-allegro form. sonata-allegro a large-form movement in three parts: exposition, development and recapitulation. symbolized ABA’ (see diagram on page 125) Most commonly employed in sonatas, quartets, concertos and symphonies. sonatina [Fr. sonatine] a work with the formal characteristics of a sonata (see sonata-Allegro diagram on page 125), but on a smaller scale and often less technically demanding for the performer. sordino [It.] see mute.* sostenuto [It.] sustained, sometimes with the implication of a slowing tempo. sotto voce [It.] under the breath, in lowered tones, softly, as an aside. spiccato [It.] a fast, detached stroke in which the bow is dropped on the string and lifted again after each note. staccato literally “detached”; a manner of performance in which each note is shortened and separated from the notes that follow. The opposite of legato.* staff, stave (pl. staves) a group of horizontal lines, on which notes are placed to indicate pitch. The number of lines in a staff varied throughout many centuries, until a five-line staff was adopted to create a standard common to all composers and countries in the West. stop (pl. stops) refers to a string technique wherein a performer “stops” a string by pressing his finger on it at different places to produce a specific pitch. A string player may “stop” several strings at a time to produce a chord or cluster of sounds simultaneously. stretto [It., ‘squeezed together’] an imitative treatment in which a music idea that is in more than one voice or instrument, follows so closely in succession that each statement of the idea overlaps with the next creating greater stress or tension. string quartet (1) an ensemble comprised of two violins, a viola, and a cello, (2) a composition written for this combination of instruments. strophe (adj., strophic) units of text set to music and characterized by repetition of the same music for all of the strophes. sturm und drang [Ger., 'storm and stress'] A movement in late 18th-century German music that aimed to produce a powerful, even violent expression of emotion.

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glossary style gallant refers to an 18th-century style that was written in a more free, homophonic* style as opposed to the older, more strict style of employing counterpoint.* stücklein [Ger.], little pieces. subdominant the fourth scale degree of a major or minor scale.* subject a melody or melodic fragment on which a fugue* is based. submediant the sixth scale degree. suite an instrumental work comprised of different movements* with some element of unity, often performed as a single work. The piece’s unity may be derived from a common key, or from some thematic connections and overall form. A partita* is a particular kind of suite. sul ponticello [It. 'near the bridge'] the techniqe of playing near the bridge of a stringed instrument, impeding the vibration of the string to produce an unsettling sound. suspension a dissonance* which is created by holding a note from a previous chord, while the other notes of the chord* change to create a new chord in which the held note no longer belongs. The suspended note creates tension or dissonance*, until it is resolved by moving to a harmonic pitch or note that is part of the new chord. symphony (1) a large-scale, public composition usually based on sonata* form, usually in multiple movements* written for orchestra; (2) a large-scale instrumental ensemble intended for public performance. syncopation displacement of the normal accent by transferring it from a strong to a weak beat. Used throughout all classical music periods, it has been employed more aggressively in the 20th century by musicians in the “classical” and jazz fields. T tanto [It.] so much, too much. tardamente [It.] slow, slowly; slowing down. tempo (pl. tempi) speed at which a composition is performed; common tempo markings include (listed from slow to fast): largo, lento, adagio, andante, allegretto, allegro, vivace, presto, prestissimo. ternary form a movement with three sections. The first and third sections are identical or closely related, and the second is contrasting. An ABA form. terrace dynamics a technique applied when performing a sequence wherein the dynamic or volume level is louder for each statement of a sequence that usually rises in volume when the pitch rises and decreases in volume if the sequence is going down.

theme principal melody in a composition. theorbo a large bass lute, which was developed in the late 16th century especially for playing basso continuo*. It will have six courses* and seven or eight contrabass courses in a second pegbox attached to the first. timbre tone color. time signature the sign placed at the beginning of a composition or during the piece to indicate its meter.* It normally consists of two numbers: the top number indicates how many beats are in each measure*, and the bottom number indicates what type of note is worth one beat. tiorba [It.] see theorbo. toccata [It., “touch”] an instrumental composition, often featuring several virtuosic sections, designed to show off the player’s technical capabilities. tonal in Western music, the organized relationship of tones with reference to a definite key center or tonic,* and generally, a work written in a specific scale* or key.* tonic first degree, or pitch, of a major or minor* diatonic* scale.* tranquillo tranquil. transposition the rewriting or performance of music at a pitch other than the one in which it was originally written. transverse flute [It. traverso, Fr. traversière, Ger. Traversflöte] a term used until the middle of the 18th century to distinguish a side-blown flute from the end-blown recorder. tremolando or tremolo the fast, unmeasured repetition of a single note or alternation of two notes. triad a chord* consisting of three pitches, each pitch usually separated by the interval of a third or fourth (see chord.) trill (1) a fluttering or tremulous sound; warble; (2) in music, the rapid alternation of two tones either a whole or half step apart. triple counterpoint counterpoint into which a third melody is written. trio (1) composition for three performers; (2) The B section of an ABA form of a minuet* or scherzo*, usually in two parts, each of which is repeated. trio-sonata a sonata written for three instruments, usually two upper voices and one basso continuo*. triple meter any meter* in which there are three basic beats in a measure*, such as 3/4 or 3/8.

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triplet three notes of the same rhythmic value to be played/sung in the time normally occupied by one or two note(s) of the same value, thus making them faster. tromba [It.] trumpet. trope in the Roman Catholic liturgy of the 9th century and later, an addition, textural and/or musical, to the charts that had become standardized under Pope Gregory (c 600) or later . The simplest of these may be only a few words inserted within the original text of a section of the mass. Frequently long sentences or even entire poems would be placed between words of the original text. troppo too much (as in ma non troppo, ‘not too much’.) tutti [It., 'all'] in orchestral works, particularly concertos, a passage where the entire orchestral force resumes playing after a passage in which a soloist or small group of soloists (concertante*) are playing (see also concerto grosso* and ripieno*.) U unison (1) the interval formed by two statements using the same pitch; (2) simultaneous performance on the same pitch, or sometimes at one or more octaves.* V valse [Ger.] see waltz.* variation compositional technique in which musical ideas or themes are manipulated and repeated many times with various changes. vespers [Lat., 'evening'] a devotional service, part of the Divine Office, usually performed in monasteries and convents in the early evening. viola da braccia a 16th- and 17th-century bowed, string instrument played on the arm as distinct, from one played on or between the legs (da gamba.) viola da gamba a 16th and 17th-century bowed stringed instrument played on-or between the legs. virtuosic a term used to describe music that requires great technical capability on the part of the performer. vivace lively; indicates a tempo equivalent to or faster than allegro. voice (1) the human voice; (2) a single part or line in an instrumental composition.

glossary W walking bass a bass accompaniment that moves steadily in a rhythm contrasting to that of the parts played in the upper registers. It consists of unsyncopated* notes of equal value, using a mixture of scale tones, arpeggios*, and passing tones to outline the chord progression waltz a ballroom dance, always in triple meter*, but the tempo may range from slow to moderately fast; one of the best known of the 19th century Austrian/German dances. whole step an interval consisting of two half steps or semitones.* Z ziemlich [Ger., ‘rather’] ziemlich schnell ‘rather fast’. * denotes words that are defined in this glossary. Note: These definitions are taken from The New Harvard Dictionary of Music, edited by Don Randel; The New Oxford Companion to Music, edited by Denis Arnold; and The New Groves Dictionary of Music, edited by Stanley Sadie; with additional edits by The Friends of Chamber Music staff.

Abbreviations: AV. abbreviation for Asow Verzeichnis,the

K. abbreviation for Ralph Kirkpatrick’s

thematic catalog of Richard Strauss’s works by

chronological system of cataloging the works of

E.H. Mueller von Asow

Domenico Scarlatti.

BWV. abbreviation for Bach Werke Verzeichnis,

RV. abbreviation for Peter Ryom’s Verzeichnis,

the catalog of the works of J.S. Bach, developed

the definitive catalog for the works of Antonio

by Wolfgang Schmieder.

Vivaldi.

D. abbreviation for Otto Erich Deutsch’s thematic

SWV. Abbreviation for Schütz-Werke-Verzeichnis,

catalog of the works of Schubert.

the catalogue of music by Heinrich Schütz

Hob. abbreviation for catalogue of Haydn’s

TWV. abbreviation for Telemann Werke

works compiled by Anthony van Hoboken. The

Verzeichnis (Telemann Work Catalogue.) The first

number after Hob. indicates the musical form,

number after TWV indicates the general type of

and the number after the colon indicates the

medium, the letter after the colon is the key of

numbering within that type of work.

the particular work, and the following number is

HWV. abbreviation for Händel-Werke-Verzeichnis,

the numbering within that type of work

the modern-day thematic catalog of Handel’s

WoO abbreviation for Werk ohne Opuszahl

works compiled by Bernd Baselt.

(work without opus number), in the thematic

K. or KV. abbreviation for Köchel-Verzeichnis,

category of Beethoven’s works.

the thematic catalog for the works of Mozart first prepared by Ludwig von Köchel.

Composers' treble clefs (from top left, Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Brahms, Debussy, Ravel) -via Warner Classics & Erato

39th season 2014-15

125

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127

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