Brahms: SYMPHONY NO. 1 IN C MINOR, OP. 68 MOORES SCHOOL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FRANZ ANTON KRAGER, DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRAS MONZER HOURANI, GUEST CONDUCTOR
Johannes Brahms
SATURDAY
February 20, 2016, 7:30 p.m.
Moores Opera House
photo | Akev/Zvonkovic Photography
A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
Moores School of Music
February 20, 2016 Dear Friends of the Moores School of Music, It is no secret to anyone in this audience tonight that Monzer Hourani has proven himself a true patron of the arts in the City of Houston. I could not be more pleased, therefore, that Mr. Hourani—a master builder but also an artist who cares deeply about classical music and the building of opportunities for the education of young people— has also chosen to commit himself as one of the most loyal friends of the Moores School of Music. I am happy to take this opportunity to convey my deepest thanks for his support of our students, our faculty, and our mission. I am grateful as well to all of you in the audience tonight for your attendance and your support of the Moores School. Please enjoy the concert, and please be sure to visit our beautiful campus again for another of the many compelling concerts on our current season. Sincerely,
Andrew Davis Director Margaret M. Alkek and Margaret Alkek Williams Endowed Chair
Moores School of Music Building • 3333 Cullen Boulevard, Room 120 Office: 713.743.3009 • Fax: 713.743.3166 • www.music.uh.edu
•
Houston, TX 77204-4017
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68 1
MONZER HOURANI GUEST CONDUCTOR Monzer Hourani attended The University of Texas at Austin where he earned degrees in Structural Engineering and Architectural Studies in 1969. In 1971, Mr. Hourani founded M. Hourani and Associates Consulting Engineers and was involved in engineering innovations of many building techniques and engineering concepts which have had a great impact on the construction and economy of the building industry in the U.S. Mr. Hourani has been involved in over 800 buildings nationwide. Mr. Hourani has several patented inventions, including an oil skimmer for major oil spills. His latest invention is the Hurricane Window Brace for hurricane forces over category 4 or 5. As the CEO and founder of Medistar Corporation, Monzer Hourani currently directs the successful operations of one of the most dynamic medical real estate development companies in the U.S. Mr. Hourani is involved in many charitable organizations.
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68 3
MOORES SCHOOL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FRANZ ANTON KRAGER, DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRAS MONZER HOURANI, GUEST CONDUCTOR
SATURDAY February 20, 2016, 7:30 p.m. Moores Opera House PROGRAM REMARKS Dr. Andrew Davis, Director, UH Moores School of Music Franz Anton Krager, Director of UH Orchestras Andrzej Grabiec, Professor of Violin, UH Moores School of Music
Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68 I.
Un poco sostenuto - Allegro - Meno allegro
II. Andante sostenuto III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso IV. Adagio - Piü andante - Allegro non troppo, ma con brio - Piü allegro
Reception in the Moores Opera House lobby
4 Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
PROGRAM NOTES
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68 by Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (b. 7 May 1833 in Hamburg – d. 3 April 1897 in Vienna), German composer and pianist, was a leading musician of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was highly influential in its rich musical life. In his lifetime, Brahms's popularity and influence were considerable, to the point that he is sometimes grouped with Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven as one of the “Three Bs” of classical music. Brahms composed for piano, chamber ensembles, symphony orchestra, solo voice, and chorus. As a virtuoso pianist, he premiered many of his own works and collaborated with some of the leading performers of his time, including pianist Clara Schumann and violinist Joseph Joachim. Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68, was first performed on 4 November 1876 in Karlsruhe, Germany, conducted by a friend of Brahms, Felix Otto Dessoff. It took the composer at least 21 [!] years to complete, with the first sketches dating from 1855. When Beethoven was 43 years old, he had already written 8 of his 9 symphonies. Mozart, at the same age, had written all 41 of his, since he was already dead for 8 years! Many composers wrote their first symphony at an early age: Mozart was 10, Mendelssohn was 15, Schubert was 16, Shostakovich was 19, and Dvorak was 24. By comparison, Brahms was a mature 43 at the time of the completion of his First Symphony. (It is interesting to note that his almost exact contemporary, Anton Bruckner, was in similar fashion a “late bloomer” at age 44, when he composed his Symphony No. 1 in 1868.) When he was 21, Brahms began sketching a symphony in D minor after first hearing Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, also in D minor. Some of this material was eventually developed into his Piano Concerto No. 1, while other material ended up in the German Requiem. It is evident that composing the symphony was a long and arduous process for Brahms. This lengthy period of work on the First Symphony probably was caused by a couple of factors: Brahms was highly self-critical and, in fact, destroyed many of his early works as unworthy; and, providing further pressure on his self-esteem, Brahms's friends and the musical public had come to see the composer as the rightful successor to Beethoven. Indeed, many expected Brahms to produce “the Beethoven Tenth Symphony” in short order! It is therefore not surprising that Brahms felt he could not readily fulfill these expectations in view of the monumental reputation of Beethoven. His awe of Beethoven and fear of being compared with the great master thus exacerbated the protracted genesis of his own first symphonic effort. By 1870, the symphony was very much in the midst of its birthing pains, and it was at this point that Brahms declared to his friends, “I will never compose a symphony!” Well, nevermind... The public had been eagerly awaiting Symphony No. 1 by Brahms, and was not disappointed. After attending the Vienna premiere in December 1876, the critic Eduard Hanslick said, “The symphony is so earnest and complex that it hardly lends itself to quick understanding,” but added that “...it is one of the most individual and magnificent works of the symphonic literature.” The symphony opens with a portentous slow introduction, in which several fragments of themes are presented. These form the basis for the main themes of the allegro first movement proper, in which the tunes are full of Sturm und Drang (storm and stress) – prominent, passionate, and stormy. However, the first movement closes with a coda in a calm C major, all passion exhausted for the time being. The slow movement andante sostenuto that follows is in the distant key of E major, and begins with a long melody at first on the violins, later taken over by the oboe. This movement is very much an instrumental Lied, or song, which rises to several soaring climaxes. Towards the end, the solo violin both shares the melody and adds its own distinctive variations. The allegretto fast movement is in the Classical ABA form: allegretto – trio – allegretto reprise. It continues the feeling of calm and respite from the passion and drama so far, with the movement ending in gentle tranquility. Brahms’s symphonic argument is resolved in the powerful finale. Like the first movement, it begins with a slow introduction prefiguring the themes that will form the basis for the movement. After a stormy C minor section, it moves to C major with a glorious horn melody. A solemn chorale on the trombones leads into the main allegro section, whose noble melody bears a passing resemblance to the "Ode to Joy" theme from Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. An accelerando towards the end is interrupted by a reprise of the trombone chorale, this time fortissimo in the full orchestra, finally driving Symphony No. 1 to an exultant C Major conclusion. In hindsight, we can see that the Symphony No. 1 in C minor made a significant impact on the symphonic repertoire as it established the foundation for Brahms as a symphonic composer in the distinguished lineage of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. John Proffitt Member, Board of Directors The Bruckner Society of America
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68 5
photo | TBS Photography
MOORES SCHOOL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FRANZ ANTON KRAGER, DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRAS FLUTES
VIOLINS
VIOLAS
VINCENZO LAI, Principal LILLIAN SCHMIDT
BRIAN HOWE, Concertmaster MATTHEW MADONIA, Associate Concertmaster KONRAD RUDOWICZ, Assistant Concertmaster JINGWEN XU, Principal Second JAMES WATTS, Assistant Principal Second SAMANTHA ARIZPE ARTURO BOHUCHOT ELENA BOKOVA JOSE CAMACHO NICO CARSWELL WYATT COLEMAN YANIS EBERHART TEHILLA HLORES CESAR FRANQUIZ SETH FREIFELD BRANDON GRISWOLD LUIS GUTIERREZ FONSECA SARA HOOK JAMES MASANOTTI TRACY MORGAN CHRIS NGUYEN KANYINSOLA OJO LABIB PALIS JONATHAN PAN MARK SANCHEZ SAQIB SHAHID MY-LINH TRAN LAURA VU RACHEL WARDEN
NINA BLEDSOE, Principal TAM DUONG, Assistant Principal HEATHER ALLEN EMILIE CATLETT KARA HERNANDEZ GREG LEWIS MEGHAN MILLER SHAYNA POWERS KYLE RIVERA MADELINE RODRIGUEZ
OBOES CELINA HAWKINS, Principal EMILY FAGAN
CLARINETS MATTHEW VANDERWORP, Principal JOSEPH LAMELL
BASSOONS NICK EVANS, Principal DIMA SAVITSKI
CONTRABASSOON RAVEN HOOD, Principal
HORNS JACOB WIGGINS, Principal CHRISTINA ACKERMAN ARRON GRIFFIN MATEUSZ JAGIELLO
TRUMPETS SAM SINGELTARY, Principal ANDREW MCCORMICK RYAN CHASTAIN, Assistant
VIOLONCELLI SONYA MATOUSSOVA, Principal SLAVA DOBRUSHKIN, Assistant Principal LINDSEY BAILEY GILBERTO HERNAN CAMPA OMAR ESCOBEDO FRANCISCO GARAY SHARON LIU ISABELLE MCMURRAY JONATHAN SEOH
CONTRABASSI GRACIE IBEMERE, Principal ALAN CABRERA, Assistant Principal KYRIE BOURESSA LAVELLE FLORENCE LEONARDO HERNANDEZ NICHOLAS PUCCIA
TENOR TROMBONES BENJAMIN NOBLES, Principal JOSE SALAZAR
BASS TROMBONE JASPER DAVIS, Principal
TIMPANI ZACHARY LUFTOP, Principal
6 Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
ORCHESTRA MANAGERS/LIBRARIANS (ORCHESTRAL CONDUCTING STUDIO)
KRIS CHAPMAN, General Manager, University Orchestras and Assistant, Moores Opera Center BAHA LEE, Manager, Equipment, University Orchestras CARLOS GUILLERMO JUNG, Manager, Library, University Orchestras
The Moores School Symphony Orchestra (MSSO), with over one hundred members, is conducted by University of Houston Director of Orchestras, Franz Anton Krager. As a major ensemble in the School of Music, the MSSO performs as a musical partner with many of the MSM’s departments and studios. The MSSO has been hailed by international artists and critics alike, as a student ensemble of professional quality and versatility. The MSSO appears regularly with world-class performing artists and has been featured at several Texas Music Educators Association conventions as well as at The Midwest Clinic in Chicago. The MSSO collaborates on a regular basis with the Moores Opera Center, Moores School Choruses, Houston Symphony Chorus, and the Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy. It is a leading ensemble in the area of new music as well as being an important repository for the standard literature. The MSSO enjoys frequent airing on “Houston Public Media Classical 91.7” and can be heard on compact disc on the Divine Art (Métier), MSR Classics, Albany, Newport, and “Surround-Sound Blu-Ray Audio” HDTT record labels. For further information, visit our website at www.music.uh.edu/orchestra.
SPECIAL THANKS Special thanks to Mr. Monzer Hourani for his generous support. The Moores School of Music Symphony Orchestra is grateful for the support of: University of Houston Board of Regents Renu Khator, University of Houston Chancellor and President Steven Craig, Interim Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Moores School of Music Andrew Davis, Director David Bertman, Associate Director Kristin Deville, Business Administrator Alan Austin, General and Artistic Director, Texas Music Festival Jill Bays-Purtill, Director of Marketing and Communications Tracy Ngo, Graphic Design Taylor Harrell, Director of Special Events Correan Barker, Assistant to the Directors Afshin Farzadfar, Recording Technician Thom Guthrie, Theater Manager, Moores Opera Center Jason Burton, Assistant Theater Manager Andrzej Grabiec, Professor of Violin Blake Wilkins, Director of Percussion and Undergraduate Studies Mark Barton, Division Chair of Brass and Woodwinds John Proffitt, The Bruckner Society of America
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68 7
MA D I S O N A R T I S T S E R I E S presents
Bryn Terfel
OPER AT IC SU PER STA R
BA S S -BA R I TON E
April
26 2016 Moores Opera House uh.edu/music
HOUSTON RECITAL DEBUT Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel demonstrates a mastery of song in the intimate acoustics of the Moores Opera House in his only Southwestern U.S. appearance this year. Pianist, Natalya Katyukova, joins this vocal legend in a program featuring works by Keel, Ibert, Schumann, Schubert, Welsh songs, and folksongs. Don’t miss Lang Lang, Madison Artist Series artist, on September 15, 2016! Tickets go on sale May 1, 2016.
8 Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
The University of Houston’s Moores School of Music is one of the premier comprehensive music schools in the nation. Its remarkable faculty of internationally recognized performers, composers, and scholars; outstanding student body; modern facility; and broad range of programs make the Moores School of Music the natural choice for nearly 600 students annually. The school’s commitment to academic excellence and the highest performance standards has ensured its role as a vital resource in the educational and cultural life of Houston and beyond. The Moores School of Music Society is a volunteer support organization that promotes community awareness and provides educational opportunities for students by funding scholarships and special projects. Moores Society members receive invitations to concerts and special events held throughout the year. For more information, email Taylor Harrell, taharrel@central.uh.edu.
photo | Akev/Zvonkovic Photography
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