Traverse Symphony Orchestra Winter/Spring Program 2014 by Traverse Symphony Orchestra

WINTER/SPRING PROGRAM 2013/2014

SEASON SPONSOR PROGRAM BOOK SPONSOR

GUEST SOLOIST AND CHORUS SPONSOR

nwbank.com Member FDIC

Performing Arts Series

tickets.interlochen.org • 800.681.5920

PIANIST JONATHAN BISS

Tuesday, January 14 7:30 p.m., Dendrinos Chapel $29 adult, $26 senior and $10 student Come and share an exceptional evening of Brahms, Chopin, Beethoven and more with American pianist Jonathan Biss. Widely regarded as “one of the most thoughtful and technically accomplished pianists of the younger generation” (BBC Music Magazine) the acclaimed pianist will make a special appearance at Dendrinos Chapel before taking the stage at Carnegie Hall.

JENNIFER KOH: BACH AND BEYOND Monday, May 5 7:30 p.m., Dendrinos Chapel $29 adult, $26 senior and $10 student

Universally praised for her ability to fuse a fiery intensity with classical poise and elegance, “fearless soloist” (The New York Times) Jennifer Koh will present a concert from her Bach and Beyond series that you won’t want to miss. Her nuanced, beautifully evocative three-part project aims to strengthen the connection between Bach’s timeless Six Sonatas and Partitas to our present world through a riveting and virtuosic journey, from historical solo violin works to new pieces by contemporary composers. 5

Hands bring the music to life and we read them like a score 2 Pianos. 4 Hands. sponsored by Hand Surgery of Northern Michigan With 19 years experience, ours is the only medical practice in Northern Michigan devoted exclusively to the care of the wrist and hand. Mark Leslie, M.D Paul Jacobson, M.D. Danielle Conaway, M.D.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re proud to support the musicians of the Traverse Symphony Orchestra and be able to provide services that allow their artistry to thrive.

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A Vibrant Performance It’s what moves us

Professional Liability Insurance & Risk Management Services ProAssurance Group is rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best å ProAssurance.com å 800.292.1036

HISTORIC by NATURE

Drive, bike or walk on over and explore Shops, Dining, Tasting Rooms, Trails and more: The Village at Grand Traverse Commons

SHOP

Artful gifts, fresh flowers, beauty products, hand- crafted jewelry, bikes, plus designer & specialty apparel.

TASTE

Some of the best foodie stops in Traverse City: fine dining, artisan food, coffee, sweets & ice cream, & award-winning local wines.

EXPLORE

Beautiful parks and hiking trails, with tax abated condos & available office suites! Call 231-883-4500!

WEST GRAND TRAVERSE BAY

SILVER

Hiking Trails

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W 11th Public Park

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37 ELMWOOD

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W FRONT

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Just over one mile from Downtown: W 11th St. at Cottageview Dr. , 2 blocks West of Division/US31, Traverse City Visit www.thevillagetc.com or call The Minervini Group: 231-941-1900

Supporting the arts and all of your advertising needs 231-946-3055 www.grandtraverseinsider.com 12

2 0 1 4 M A E ST RO R A F F L E T I C K ETS N OW O N SA L E !

PARIS

INCLUDES: • Round-trip airfare for two • Hotel accommodations for three nights • Tickets to the Paris National Opera performance of Roland Petit’s ballet “Notre-Dame de Paris” conducted by Kevin Rhodes between June 30 and July 16

Only 500 raffle tickets available at $125 per ticket. Call 231-947-7120 or visit traversesymphony.org/2014-maestro-raffle for more information. The winning ticket will be drawn at the Sunday, April 6 “Oboe Fanfare” performance.

Sponsored by

• Dinner with Maestro Rhodes

ASPIRE

to complete relaxation be

INSPIRED

by the scenic beauty

CONNECT

with friends at a Harvest Stomp

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Vineyard Bed & Breakfast An elegant estate styled in the manner of a Provence/Tuscan farmhouse in the heart of Northern Michigan Wine Country on Old Mission Peninsula 231-947-2214 â&#x20AC;˘ www.greyhareinn.com 14

Table of Contents Orchestra Roster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Biography: Music Director Kevin Rhodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Biography: Choir Director Jeffrey Cobb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Annual Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Civic Ensembles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Musician Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 PROGRAM: Saturday, December 14 & Sunday, December 15, 2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 PROGRAM: Sunday February 2, 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Program Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 PROGRAM: Sunday, April 6, 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Program Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 PROGRAM: Sunday, May 11, 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Program Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Connect with Your Symphony Follow us on Facebook and Twitter – we’ll keep you updated with current news, photos, video and conversation. We want to hear from you! facebook.com/traversesymphonyorchestra • twitter.com/yourTSO

Traverse Symphony Orchestra 300 E. Front St., Suite 230 Traverse City, MI 49684 231-947-7120 Phone 231-947-8118 Fax www.traversesymphony.org MEDIA SPONSOR

Kevin Rhodes, Music Director

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Thomas Haase, President J. Kermit Campbell, Immediate Past President Carla Lamphere, Vice President Patrick Kessel, Treasurer Karen Smith, Secretary

Marilyn Cerny Megan Kelto E. Thomas Maguire Marlis Mann Anna Price Cindy Ruzak Ken Weaver

TRAVERSE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA STAFF Krista Cooper Executive Director

Ruth Bernache Bookkeeper

Gary Gatzke Annual Campaign Manager

Lynne Tobin Director, Civic Chamber & Prelude Strings

Richard Jaissle Manager of Operations & Orchestra Personnel

Randy Averill Stage Manager

Kelsey Lauer Marketing Coordinator & Office Manager

MISSION A regional professional orchestra serving northern Michigan, creating educational opportunities and community enrichment through excellence in symphonic and other musical experiences.

ORCHESTRA ROSTER

VIOLIN Paul Sonner Concertmaster Elnora Toldo Milliken Founder’s Chair Steven Leonard Associate Concertmaster Ching-Wen Tseng Assistant Concertmaster Beth Weston Principal Judith M. Loveless Principal Second Violin Chair Leonid Surin Associate Principal Vita Cernoch Glenys Cowperthwaite Lorri Hedlund Leilani Kitler Eric Lawson Mary Miller Jacob Olbrot Valerie Palmieri Oxana Sourine VIOLA Mikhail Bugayev Associate Principal Judy Gienow Associate Principal Margaret Beck Joyce Beyette Karen Morrell Ann Schoelles CELLO Elizabeth Bert Principal Andrea Yun Associate Principal Jean Coonrod Anne Dickson Elizabeth Suminski Lynne Tobin

BASS Gary Gatzke Principal Zachary Sawyer Associate Principal Mary Demand Richard Jaissle Noah Krzan Susan McRae FLUTE/PICCOLO Nancy Stagnitta Principal Tess Miller OBOE/ENGLISH HORN Lynn Hansen Principal Michael Beery CLARINET/ BASS CLARINET Jeanmarie Riccobono Principal Charles and Dee Kelly Chair Andrew Sprung BASSOON Lauren Murphy Principal Genevieve Beaulieu HORN Robert Pavelek Principal Gene Berger Jeff Johnson Mary Beth Orr TRUMPET Robert Hicks Co-Principal Kenneth Larson Co-Principal Scott Sorenson

TROMBONE Thomas Riccobono Principal BASS TROMBONE George Bliss Principal TUBA Stephen Molnar Principal TIMPANI John Alfieri Principal PERCUSSION Robert Sagan Principal Guy Leslie PIANO Dorothy Vogel Principal HARP Joan Holland Co-Principal Sylvia Norris Co-Principal CONCERTMASTER EMERITUS Jack Bert Mr. Rhodes’ podium is a gift of Mr. Fred Zwemer. After the principal player, all string players are listed alphabetically.

Kevin Rhodes

Music Director

American conductor Kevin Rhodes has had an exceptionally varied career spanning concerts, opera and ballet across the globe, having conducted in 15 different countries with approximately 50 different orchestras. His work extends from the major opera houses of Europe to the concert stages of the U.S. He has collaborated with such diverse artists as Andre Watts, Nadja Solerno-Sonnenberg, Peter Serkin, Glenn Dicterow and Lorin Hollander in the classical arena while working with pops favorites such as Art Garfunkel and the Kingston Trio. One of the most highly sought after conductors of Europe’s major ballet companies, Rhodes has made an international name for himself conducting for the Paris Opera Ballet, the Vienna State Opera Ballet, the Ballet of La Scala, the Berlin State Opera Ballet, The Dutch National Ballet, The Stuttgart Ballet, The Basel Ballet, The Verona Ballet, The Ballet of Teatro San Carlo and many others. Many of Maestro Rhodes’ performances with the Paris, Vienna, Milan and Dutch companies have been filmed and made into movies, which have been seen throughout Europe on television and in the cinemas throughout the world. This season marks his thirteenth as Music Director of the Traverse Symphony Orchestra, during which time the orchestra has experienced an era of tremendous artistic growth, making the TSO one of the best orchestras in the state of Michigan. He

Jeffrey Cobb

assumed the post in 2001 after working exclusively for 10 years in Europe, where he led orchestras at the top opera houses in repertoire ranging from the operas of Richard Strauss,Verdi, Puccini, Massanet, Mozart, Smetena and many others to the major ballets of Prokofiev, Bartok and Tchaikovsky. Since the beginning of the 2001 season Rhodes has also served as Music Director of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra in Massachusetts, and since 2010 as Conductor of the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston. While now based in the US, Rhodes has also maintained an active guest conducting schedule in Europe. The 2013-2014 season sees Maestro Rhodes making his North American ballet debut with the New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center in Manhattan as well as returning to the Paris Opera for a production in Paris and a tour with the company to Tokyo. He will also lead concerts this fall with the Tacoma Symphony orchestra in Washington. Rhodes began his professional conducting career at the age of 16 in his hometown of Evansville, Indiana. He received his B.M. in Piano Performance from Michigan State University where he studied conducting with Maestro Leon Gregorian, and earned his M.M. in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Illinois under the tutelage of Paul Vermel.

NMC Choir Director

Jeffrey Cobb lives and works in Traverse City, Michigan. He holds a M.M. in Choral Conducting from Oakland University and a B.M. in Music Education from Western Michigan University. Jeffrey is currently the Director of Music Programs and Choirs at Northwestern Michigan College, Artistic Director of the NMC Children’s Choirs, and Director of Music at T.C. Central United Methodist Church. Jeffrey has held positions at Traverse City Central High School, Judson ISD in San Antonio, Texas; Parchment Schools in Parchment, Michigan; and the Leysin American School in Leysin, Switzerland. Choirs under his direction have toured throughout Michigan, Texas, Chicago, New York, Salzburg

and Vienna and have been invited to perform at State and National Conferences including the Michigan Music Conference, the Michigan Youth Arts Festival, and the ACDA National Convention. In addition to his work as a conductor, Jeffrey is also a regularly commissioned composer. His pieces have won several awards including honors from the Ithaca Choir Composition Contest, the New York Virtuoso Singers Choral Composition Contest, the Vanguard Premieres Choral Composition Contest, the Summit Chorale’s Composition Contest, the Outside the Bachs International Choral Music Competition, and the Composition Competition of the Chiayi City (Taiwan) International Band Festival. His choral works are published through G. Schirmer, Santa Barbara Music, Walton Music and Roger Dean Publishing. Jeffrey is also a sought after composer and arranger in other genres. His music can be heard on several television series, radio spots, and in television advertisements.

• 2-year Music Major curriculum Music Theory, Sight Singing and Ear Training, Class Piano • Private study in brass, wind, string, ercussion, piano, and voice • Ensemble include Chamber Singers, Grand Traverse Chorale, Canticum Novum, Concert Band, Vocal Jazz, and Jazz Band • New Audio Tech program – Apple-accredited coursework in sound recording, music production, and live sound For More Information: www.nmc.edu/music • (231) 995-1338

Celebrating our 23rd year of serving students in the Northern Michigan Community!

Children’s Choir

Come be a part of this award-winning organization! • Singers in our groups receive a rich musical education, learn proper singing techniques, and learn personal skills such as self-confidence, organization, time-management, and self-discipline. • Our 6 choirs (Prelude, Dolce, Bel Canto, Lyric, Ragazzo, and Cantus) serve students in grades K-9. For More Information: nmc.edu/childrenschoir • (231) 995-1700

ANNUAL CAMPAIGN Aspire. Inspire. Connect. The Traverse Symphony Orchestra is regarded as being among the finest regional orchestras in the country, characterized by uncompromising excellence and featuring fine area musicians, national guest artists and one outstanding music director. However, the Symphony’s vision has always extended beyond exceptional performances. The Traverse Symphony Orchestra is not just an orchestra. It’s an inspiring educational program engaging artists ages 8-80, it’s a leader among local arts organizations with a longevity lasting 60+ years, and above all, is the perfect way for you to connect with a unique arts community. The Symphony is dedicated to enriching the lives of those living in the Grand Traverse region and aspires to reach those living beyond our five-county region. Achieving that vision depends on resources, and in today’s funding landscape the future of the arts is more dependent than ever on support from individuals. If the Traverse Symphony Orchestra is to realize its extraordinary potential, we must secure sustainable funding. That’s where you can help! Consider making a contribution to the Symphony’s Annual Campaign to ensure the fiscal health and well-being of the Traverse Symphony Orchestra. With your help, the Traverse Symphony Orchestra can build on its unique tradition of world-class musicianship and life-changing education.

We rely on the annual gifts of many loyal patrons. Please help us reach our annual campaign goal of $265,000 by August 31, 2014. Pledge cards are available in the lobby, or you may donate online at www.TraverseSymphony.org. Thank you!

Thank You! A genuine thank you to all who support the Traverse Symphony Orchestra. Ticket Sales provide only 40% of the cost of putting on a concert. Your tax-deductible gift enables our Symphony to “take the stage.” The following gifts of $100 or more to the 2012-2013 Annual Campaign were received between September 1, 2012 and August 31, 2013.

MILLIKEN SOCIETY

$20,000+

Elaine Amacker Bridges

MAESTRO SOCIETY

$10,000-19,999

Kerm & Sallie Campbell Mr. Casey Cowell

Mrs. John G. Milliken

SONATA SOCIETY

$5,000-9,999 Nancy & David Hunter Joyce & George Kempton Tom & Gladys Maguire

Mrs. C. L. Harrison III Mrs. Agnes R. Hayden Laura P. Herman

GOLDEN BATON CLUB Bruce Barnes Jere & Gail Brown Al & Susan Cogswell Howard & Mary Cook Mr. & Mrs. Parker Field Karin Flint Dick & Marion Grout Thomas & Deborah Haase George & Barbara Kausler

$2,500-4,999

Dr. Charles & Dolores Kelly Richard & Sherry Koenig Molly & John Lien Marlis Mann & Tom Skinner Bill & Susanne Meserve Clarine Olson Anna Price Robert & Charlotte Streit Mr. & Mrs. Ronald H. Yocum

CRESCENDO CLUB Ed & Mary Arbut Ruth Bay Mr. & Mrs. Ross Biederman Rev. Ted Beiderwieden Richard & Susan Bingham Mr. & Mrs. Robert W. Bloom Kenneth & Ann Bloomquist Norton & Mary Lee Bretz Ken & Marilyn Cerny Mr. & Mrs. E. J. Collins Edward & Joyce Downing Sandra & Gary Drew Foster Family Foundation James & Lauri Gartner Miles & Joan Gerberding Robert & Joyce Gingras Jeffrey Goldman, MD Mr. & Mrs. Patrick J. Griffin Tim & Sally Hanley Jim & Diana Huckle

T. Michael & Joan Jackson Cindy & Jay Ruzak Susanne & William Janis Louis & Nancy Sanford Mr. & Mrs. Pat Kessel Bob & Elaine Schafer Joseph & Karen Kimmell Donald & Barbara Schwendemann Dr. Ann Kuenker Eleanor L. Shaw Carla & Ward Lamphere Ann E. Skory Marin Community Foundation Louis A. & Karen E. Smith Karl & Barbara Marsh Ms. Joanne Sprouse Felix T. Casillas & Charlotte M. Marx Drs. Jerry & Elizabeth Suminski Samuel & Karen Mitchell Charles & Linda Svec Anne & Bill Montgomery Jim Tarr Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Marjorie & Svend Teglhoj Eric & Amy Mueller Taffy & Bob Walker Mr. James Myles & Deb Quinn Judith & Kennard Weaver Bob & Diantha Naftali Morris & Ruth Williams Al & Maxi Neugebauer Nancy & Woody Wright Francis & Joell Newton ANONYMOUS Robert & Jacqueline Pool ANONYMOUS June Rengo Sherry Milliken Reum & Robert Reum

SYMPHONY FRIENDS $500 - 999 Mr. & Mrs. William Alldredge Mike & Jo Ann Allen Jackie Anderson Philip & May-Lis Andrus Sharon Bartone George & Sue Basta Otto & Kathy Belovich William Bradley Clyde & Dawn Buchanan Dr. & Mrs. David E Burke Ellen & Frank Clements Barbara Cochrane Steve & Sheri Constantin Krista Cooper Ed & Char Coquillard Gene Cortwright Maggie Duncan Harry & Sally Eick Mackenzie & Marcia Endo Moonyeen & Roger Fitch Len & Karen Franseen Clarence & Marlene Habermann John & Judith Herr Maxine Hodges Janet M. Kerr Dr. & Mrs. Robert Knode Mark & Roberta Lakin David & Julie Maxson Mr. & Mrs. John C. Pate Heather & Roger Perry Jack & Sue Putnam Sandy & Jim Richardson Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Rode

$1,000-2,499

$100-999

Rotary Charities of Traverse City Judy & Bob Steiner Chuck & Judy Stuart Herman & Laurie Thomas Mr. & Mrs. John Tobin R. M. Young Company

$250 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 499 George W. & Carolyn T. Anderson Mr. & Mrs. Tom Angus Bahle's of Suttons Bay Michael & Diane Bair Mr. Tim Baker Bruce Beebe & Nancy Yarbrough Donald & Carole Bell Liz Bert Mr. & Mrs. U. Binkert Barbara Bloomer & Kay Wentzel Gil & Anne Bogley Ms. Ellen Breining Warren & Marina Call Bill & Sandy Cartwright Mr. & Mrs. Robert Charlton Ms. Donna Chartier Mary Lou Coe Mr. & Mrs. Jerome Colligan Patricia Conlon Dr. Irene Danek Sherri & Graydon DeCamp Dennis DeLong Sue & Jock Denio Downtown Traverse City Association Dr. Arthur F. Dundon Bob & Sherri Fenton

Erika & Dennis Ferguson Bruce & Sue Finlayson Bob & Sandy Foote Harry & Rosemary Friend Anne & Adam Gahn Ellie & Gus Garrett Robert Gould Michael Kelly Mr. & Mrs. Robert Gregory Mr. & Mrs. Thomas J. Gross Sally Guzkowski Hagerty Management, LLC Valarie Handy Lynn Hansen Sondra Hardy & Jack Christensen Walter D. Herrick Ms. Connie Hoffman Bob Hood & Pat Gorney Robert B. Hopkins William Hosner Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Inman David Kaplan Lauren & Karl C Keinath Howard King & Liz Sayre-King Donna & Jerry Klinefelter Mr. & Mrs. Russell Knopp Mr. & Mrs. Ward Kuhn Susan Kuras Stanley & Margaret Leonard Ronald R. Lints DDS MS PC Laurie L. Lisuk Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Lobdell Carrol & Bonnie Lock Christy & David Marshall

P. Michael & Kathryn May Thomas J. Meaney Delbert & Sally Michel William & Diane Miller Ms. Penny Milliken James R. Modrall III Pat & Bob Nelson Mary & Bruce Nieuwenhuis James Olson Walter & Carlotta Orlandini Andrew Pappalardo Dr. & Mrs. Ed Reinert Ms. Ruth R. Richards David & Joan Robinson Tom & Marie Ronayne Craig & Mary Rosenberg Bill Ryan Mrs. Barbara Sander Mr. & Mrs. E.J. Sauter Stan & Martha Scarborough Mrs. Rebecca Schaafsma Don Schmuckal Wally & Pat Schroth Robert & Lorraine Schwarz Paul Shirilla Mrs. W.A. Siebenthaler Frank & Barbara Siepker Kathryn Myers Smith Susan K. Sporre Elfie Steigerwald Bruce Summers Mrs. Emily G. Todd Arthur & Beatrice Van Eck Dan & Marcia Varble Richard Walter Shirley Whall Daniel R White Bonnie Willings & Lou Colombo Jean Yeager Robert & Pauline Young Dr. Louis & Mary Jane Zako Peter & Diane Zirnhelt ANONYMOUS ANONYMOUS ANONYMOUS

$100 - 249 Ronnie Alff Mr. & Mrs. Merrill Almquist Pamela & Gordon Amidon Alison B. Arthur Neil & Carol Baerman Edward R. Bagley John & Dorothy Barker Bob & Anna R. Barron Hal & Sue Bay Ms. Edith Beck Mr. & Mrs. Robert Beidler Ms. Ruth Bernache Dr. J. G. Marc Bertrand Garth & Joyce Beyette Mr. John Blank & Dr. Paula Prevost-Blank Matthew & Shirley Bolin Joan Bowser Robert & Mary Ann Brinklow Donna Brunsma Cherie Buchbinder

Anthony & Helen Buday Neil & Mary Carter Diane Clark Judith Clark Ralph & Charlotte Collyer Jane Conard Glenys Cowperthwaite Deborah Dacey John & Ann Davey Arlene & Bob Dean John DeKorne Mr. & Mrs. Robert M. DeLonge Rita Dick Kathy & Mark Dixon Michael & Christine Casassa Dixon Cheryl Donakowski & Frank Misplon Robert & Nancy Doughty Mr. James Dulzo Mrs. Patricia Dutmers Bill & Linda Emmert Mr. Albert A. Evans Hugh & Betty Farber Dr. & Mrs. N.Curtis Force John & Bonnie Forsyth Ms. Karin Foster Larry & Mary Frank Martha & Lawrence Garber Gary Gatzke Doug & Shirley Gembis Ron & Jan Geschwendt Diane & Jim Gilbo Stephen & Lauran Gilbreath Karen & Marty Gluntz Michael & Chris Gravlin Greenleaf Trust Jerry Griffin Mr. & Mrs. E.N. Hadjisky Mr. & Mrs. Byron Hanson Don & Jeanne Harbold Cynthia W. Harrington Mr. Ben Henson Drs. John & Judy Hoeffler Marcia & Richard Hoehler Margaret Hollyday Ms. Arline L. Howe Ruth E. Hunter Ms. Karen Inman Claudia & Jim Jackson Karen & Milt Jacobi Brian & Jennifer Jaffe Louis Kemnitz & Pamela Whynot Jane & Richard Kiernan Jeffrey & Julie Kimpton Anne G. Kinzie Tom & Joan Knighton M. A. Koons Ms. Betty Koons Mrs. Judie Leece Ruth L. Leonard Jan & Bill Lewis John & Betty Lewis Karen Ludwig Charles & Evelyn Mack Peter R. & Anne H. Magoun Terry & Sarah Malone Lindsay Mang Bob & Betty Maynard Gloria McClay

Ellen & Jim McLean John & Nancy McNamara Kathryn A. Mead Helga B. Meeker Ms. Mary Merwin Mr. & Mrs. Robert Metric David L. Miles Jim & Nancy Mogle James & Donna Moore Dorothy Moroff Fran Mumma Fred & Carolann Newman Alice Nichols Dr. & Mrs. Patrick Oriel Jerry & Rita Palmer Dr. Elmer F. Peterman Erik L. Peterson Dr. & Mrs. William Phenix Mr. & Mrs. David M. Pohlod Cynthia & Roger Postmus Racqueteers Mr. & Mrs. W. Bruce Rogers Erik & Angela Saxon Dr. Frank Sayre Mr. & Mrs. Dave Schuler Jack & Karen Segal John H. Shook Catherine Sivits Dr. & Mrs. Laurence Skendzel Margaret Smedley Larry & Linda Sommerville Mrs. Angeline Sorenson Bruce G. Stevens Dr. & Mrs. Mack Stirling Alice & Tom Streeter Mr. & Mrs. Ben Tefertiller Mr. & Mrs. David Terrell Cliff & Mollie Thompson John & Sandra Thorne Lynne Tobin George Townsend Tom & Sue Trumbull Richard & Anne Tryon Mr. & Mrs. Robert E. Tucker, Jr. Rob & Peg Turney Dorothy R. VanderKlipp Ralph & Margaret von Walthausen Mr. & Mrs. Timothy Wade Bruce & Betsy Wagner Pam Wakefield Dick & Mary Walker Mr. & Mrs. Thomas J. Wall Harriet Wall & Vance Marshall Harvey & Marilyn Warburton Mr. Kevin P. Weber JoAnn Weirich Helen & William Wells Richard & Pamela Wentzel Robert Wilcox Maury Witteveen & Buff Stokes-Witteveen Martha & Roger S. Wood ANONYMOUS ANONYMOUS

Memorial Gifts Made between September 1, 2012 and August 31, 2013 In memory of Lee & Trudy Anderson Jackie Anderson

In memory of Lou Steigerwald Elfie Steigerwald

In memory of Jack Bay Ruth Bay

In memory of Dr. William Wagner Mrs. Jeanine Baker Mrs. Alice Beeker Gil & Anne Bogley Bill & Sandy Cartwright Mrs. Kay Christian Arlene & Bob Dean Karen & Marty Gluntz Ms. Barbara J. Goodell Michael & Chris Gravlin Hagerty Insurance Maureen Madion & Tim Tompkins Anna Marten Sharon & Tony Montagnese Bill & Dottie Prouty-Gordon Racqueteers Linda and Jim Scamehorn Eleanor L. Shaw Eric L. Shaw John & Lorann Siddall Dr. & Mrs. Gerald White

In memory of Lucile Cummings Bagley Edward R. Bagley In memory of Tom Bernache Ms. Ruth Bernache In memory of C.L. Harrison III Mrs. C. L. Harrison III In memory of Marvin C. Howe Ms. Arline L. Howe In memory of Wm. B. McConkey Jean Yeager In memory of Helen Milliken Ronnie Alff In memory of John Smedley Margaret Smedley In memory of Bonnie C. Tarr Jim Tarr

Honorarium Gifts Made between September 1, 2012 and August 31, 2013 Nancy & David Hunter Janet M. Kerr Phyllis Kidd Jeffrey & Julie Kimpton Richard and Sherry Koenig Kelsey Lauer Ms. Sally Lewis Tom & Gladys Maguire Lindsay Mang Marlis Mann & Tom Skinner Felix T. Casillas & Charlotte M. Marx Mrs. John G. Milliken Eric & Amy Mueller Fred & Carolann Newman Clarine Olson Robert and Jacqueline Pool Cynthia & Roger Postmus Mr. & Mrs. W. Bruce Rogers Rotary Charities of Traverse City Cindy & Jay Ruzak Kelley & Joe Sarafa Stan & Martha Scarborough

In honor of Harold Banta Joan Bowser In honor of Ed Downing Donna Brunsma Keith & Joanne Burnham Ken & Marilyn Cerny Mr. and Mrs. Robert Charlton Michael & Susan Chesney Al & Susan Cogswell Howard & Mary Cook Krista Cooper Ed and Char Coquillard Mrs. Patricia Dutmers Mr. & Mrs. Parker Field Ms. Jill Foerster Anne & Adam Gahn Mr. & Mrs. E.N. Hadjisky Grace H. Hanninen Mr. & Mrs. Byron Hanson Marcia & Richard Hoehler Ms. Arline L. Howe

In honor of Ed & Ann Kalat, Tom & Deborah Haase, George & Lyn Anderson & Ward & Carla Lamphere Taffy and Bob Walker

Mark & Ann Smith Mrs. Angeline Sorenson Charles & Linda Svec Jim Tarr Marjorie & Svend Teglhoj Mr. & Mrs. Timothy Wade Judith & Kennard Weaver Maury Witteveen & Buff Stokes-Witteveen Nancy & Woody Wright R. M. Young Company

In honor of Liz Sayre-King & Howard King Dr. Frank Sayre In honor of Marlis Mann & Tom Skinner Sandy & Jim Richardson In honor of Jean M. Yeager Alison B. Arthur In honor of Smith Haughey Rice and Roegge Greenleaf Trust

In honor of Nancy & David Hunter Mr. & Mrs. Logan Hardie Morris & Ruth Williams

Endowment Gifts Made between September 1, 2012 and August 31, 2013

Elnora Toldo Milliken Founderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Endowment Fund Dr. & Mrs. James Milliken

Musical Legacy Society All donors who have included the Traverse Symphony Orchestra in their estate plans are members of our Musical Legacy Society. Members of the Musical Legacy Society not only enjoy the Symphony today but also the warmth and pride that comes with knowing that their gift will sustain the orchestra for years to come. We will be happy to work with you and your estate attorney to identify the proper approach for your specific needs. For more information, contact Executive Director Krista Cooper at 231-947-7120 or kcooper@traversesymphony.org

New Donor Challenge The Traverse Symphony Orchestra has received a $150,000 grant from the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation to match gifts from new and lapsed donors totaling up to $50,000 each year for three years. The challenge provides the opportunity to financially sustain the Traverse Symphony Orchestra and encourage its growth. Year one was a success! Thank you to those who made it so. If you have never donated to the Symphony or itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a year or more, we ask you to please embrace this challenge and double the effect of your gift. The Dow Foundation has given a June 30 deadline to raise the second $50,000. Pledge cards are available in the lobby or you may donate online at www.TraverseSymphony.org. To our current supporters â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we need you as well! The matching funds received will be used to make your Symphony a more financially healthy and stable organization. Please help us keep it so with your annual contributions. Thank you!

Civic

Civic String Ensembles Recruit Young Adults No matter what the age, it’s possible to make music. A truly multigenerational orchestra, the Traverse Symphony Orchestra Civic String Ensembles recruits string musicians of all ages—including twenty-somethings. Meet a few of them below: SAM LIVESON: A violist in the Chamber Strings group, Sam moved to Traverse City from Ypsilanti last year to fill a position as a fieldworker for AMEC. In his spare time, he’s a member of the Traverse City Track Team and is looking forward to taking an English course on Shakespeare at Northwestern Michigan College in 2014. “In the orchestra, I enjoy the beautiful music and good people,” says Sam. “Their hard work and love for music is inspirational.” HEIDI BROWNING: A violinist in the Prelude Strings group and native to the area, Heidi first started playing in Civic three years ago and has played the violin for four years. She works at Simply Cupcakes and is completing a Web Developer Certificate from Northwestern Michigan College. “I absolutely love the opportunity it has given me, as an amateur violin hobbyist, to add my sound to something larger in a fun, learning-based setting,” says Heidi. PETE KINSEY: Originally from Chelsea, Mich., Pete currently attends the Great Lakes Maritime Academy and started playing the violin at the age of four. He joined Chamber Strings for the first time this fall. “I’m glad Traverse City has a Civic orchestra that provides the opportunity to play with others,” says Pete.” It is enjoyable to play music with others and Lynne makes every rehearsal exciting.” KELSEY LAUER: Currently the marketing coordinator and office manager for the Traverse Symphony Orchestra, Kelsey played the violin in middle school and high school. She picked it up again after starting at the TSO; this will be her third year in Civic playing with both the Chamber and Prelude Strings. “It’s wonderful to have a place to make music with people of all different ages,” says Kelsey. “The music is fun and people fabulous, and the occasional delicious snack doesn’t hurt, either!” Directed by Lynne Tobin, the Civic program welcomes string players of all ages and skills to two community string orchestras— Chamber Strings and Prelude Strings— that meet for weekly rehearsals and performances throughout the year. Civic Chamber Strings is an advanced group designed for players of all ages with a minimum of three years of experience, while Civic Prelude Strings members should have at least one year of experience and been introduced to note reading. To learn more about the Civic program or if you are interested in becoming a member, visit www.traversesymphony.org or call marketing coordinator and office manager Kelsey Lauer at 231.947.7120 ext. 7. Winter semester rehearsals began on Tuesday, Jan. 7 and run until the winter performance on Tuesday, March 18 at the City Opera House, which is free and open to the public.

Thanks to Education Programs sponsor

Musician Spotlight Dr. Eric Lawson Violin, viola, conductor Dr. Eric Lawson has had a varied career in performance and education. Past performances as a conductor, soloist and lecturer have taken him to Austria, Brazil, China, Germany, Romania and Scandinavia. Before returning to his home state of Michigan, he was most recently based in North Dakota where, in addition to serving as a violin instructor at Bismarck State College, Jamestown College, and the University of Mary, he was also Concertmaster of the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra and established the Bismarck-Mandan Youth Symphony. Other former academic appointments have included Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Central College in Pella, Iowa and the University of North Dakota where he founded the string program and the University of North Dakota Chamber Orchestra. This year, he founded a new string ensemble in Alpena, Michigan as well as the Alpena Symphony Orchestra String School of Music at Bingham Arts Academy. He also serves his community as a commissioner for Alpena County. Dr. Lawson lives in Ossineke, MI with his wife and their two daughters.

Dorothy Vogel Piano Dorothy Vogel has played piano and keyboard with the Traverse Symphony Orchestra for ten years. A faculty member at Northwestern Michigan College since 1996, Vogel also teaches on the piano faculty at Interlochen Arts Camp, maintains a large independent piano studio in Traverse City, Michigan, and has performed chamber music throughout the Midwest. Her degrees include a B.M. in piano performance from Oberlin Conservatory, an M.M. in piano performance from Western Michigan University, and a D.M.A. in Music Education from Boston University. Her research articles have appeared in the Journal of Historical Research in Music Education and American Music Teacher. Vogel previously served on the faculties of Hope College and Kalamazoo Valley Community College. She is married to TSO trumpeter and program annotator Scott Sorenson. When not performing or teaching, Dorothy is an avid reader of Nordic crime fiction and enjoys traveling with her husband.

Home for the Holidays SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14 AT 7:30PM AND SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15 AT 3 PM LARS HOCKSTAD AUDITORIUM TRAVERSE CITY

Kevin Rhodes, conductor NMC Grand Traverse Chorale - NMC Chamber Singers- NMC Children’s Choir Jeffrey Cobb, director Kate Botello, Narrator Christmas Festival Betelemehu 3 English Carols Shepherd’s Pipe Candlelight Carol Star Carol

Leroy Anderson Olatunji and Whalum/arr. Brooks a cappella Children’s Choir arr. John Rutter

Selections from The Nutcracker Suite March Russian Dance

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

P.I. Tchaikovsky

arr. Bill Holcomb

Kate Botello

Holy Night, Silent Night

Ruth Elaine Schram

– Intermission – White Christmas

Irving Berlin/ arr. Huff and Moss

Glory! Glory! Glory to the Newborn King traditional/ arr. Moses Hogan a cappella Chorale & Chamber Singers The Virgin Mary Had a Baby

traditional/arr. Mack Wilberg

A Christmas Carol Suite

Franz Waxman

It’s a Wonderful Life Suite

Dimitri Tiomkin

2 Songs from Home Alone Somewhere in my Memory Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas

John Williams

Christmas Sing-a-long Hallelujah Chorus

arr. Bob Cerulli G. F. Handel

CONCERT SPONSORS KEVIN RHODES AT THE PODIUM SPONSOR

CHORUS SPONSOR

The cost of purchase and rental of the 2013-2014 repertoire is underwritten by a generous gift from Elnora Milliken and the Milliken Family in Memory of Dr. John Milliken.

Traverse Symphony Orchestra’s 2013-2014 season is generously sponsored by Northwestern Bank. 31

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Fireworks! SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2014

CORSON AUDITORIUM

•

3:00 PM

INTERLOCHEN

Kevin Rhodes, conductor

Sabre Dance

Aram Khachaturian

The Barber of Seville: Overture

Gioachino Rossini

Meditation from Thaïs

Jules Massenet

Selections from Carmen Les Toreadors Intermezzo Danse Boheme

Georges Bizet

Ride of the Valkyries

Richard Wagner

Night on Bald Mountain

Modest Mussorgsky

Selections from Pictures at an Exhibition Promenade Ballet of the Unhached Chicks Hut on Fowl’s Legs The Great Gate of Kiev

Modest Mussorgsky/Ravel

Air on the G String

Johann Sebastian Bach

Rhapsody in Blue

George Gershwin Kevin Rhodes, piano

KEVIN RHODES AT THE PODIUM SPONSOR

CONCERT SPONSOR

The cost of purchase and rental of the 2013-2014 repertoire is underwritten by a generous gift from Elnora Milliken and the Milliken Family in Memory of Dr. John Milliken.

Traverse Symphony Orchestra’s 2013-2014 season is generously sponsored by Northwestern Bank. 35

Program Notes by Scott Sorenson

Aram Il’yich Khachaturian Born: June 6, 1903, Tbilisi, Georgia, Imperial Russia Died: May 1, 1978, Moscow

“Sabre Dance,” from Gayane (Moscow, 1942) Instrumentation: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, celeste, snare drum, suspended cymbal, tambourine, woodblock, xylophone, harp, and strings. Performance time: ca. 2:30

The especially attractive features of Khachaturian’s music are in its rootings in the national folk fountainheads of his country. The roots from which have sprung the composer’s creative endeavors rest in the captivating rhythmic diversity of dances of the peoples of Transcaucasia and inspired improvisations of Bards. Gayane as a whole and, specifically, its “Sabre Dance” perfectly illustrate these influences. Gayane was premiered in the city Molotov on December 9, 1942 during a visit from the Leningrad State Academy’s Kirov Theatre for Opera and Ballet. Khachaturian was awarded the Stalin Prize for his efforts

Khachaturian’s individuality reveals itself in . . . the natural and folk idiom of his music. Dmitri Shostakovich (1955)

Aram Khachaturian was born the son of an Armenian bookbinder. Unlike his musical contemporaries, Khachaturian showed no signs of artistic prodigiousness as a child. A self-taught pianist, his interest and talent in music was not observed or developed until the age of nineteen. Graduating from the Moscow State Conservatory in 1934 with a diploma in composition, Khachaturian immediately began to establish himself as a composer on both domestic and foreign fronts. He is best remembered for Serge Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Aram Khachaturian in 1940. his Piano Concerto (1936), Violin Concerto (1940) and the ballet Gayane (1942) from with this production. The ballet is set on a collective farm which the exciting “Sabre Dance” has been drawn. in the old Soviet Union. The simple plot centers upon Khachaturian’s compositional style is deeply found- Giko, a traitor to the Communist party, who joins with ed in the ethnic songs and dances indigenous to smugglers to set fire to the communal farm while his native Armenia. The noted Russian composer attempting to murder both his wife (Gayane) and daughDmitri Kabalevsky once offered his opinion on ter. Kasakov, in love with Gayane, saves the woman along Khachaturian’s music: © Traverse Symphony Orchestra, 2013. Program notes may not be reproduced without the written

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Program Notes by Scott Sorenson and percussion clearly suggest an influence from a fellow Russian composer of an earlier generation, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The “Sabre Dance” is marked presto (very fast) and is characterized by a repetitive percussive rhythm established at the outset. Over the past seventy years, this work has thrilled audiences across the globe and has achieved a prominent place in the orchestral repertoire.

with her child and the two are ultimately married. Khachaturian compiled three orchestral dance suites from Gayane. The well-known “Sabre Dance” appears near the end of the Third Suite. In the ballet, the sensational dance is presented as a movement in the final act. It evokes a whirling Kurdish folk dance where the performers display their skill with sabres. The large orchestra and colorful instrumentations featuring brass

Gioachino Rossini Born: February 29, 1792, Pesaro, Italy Died: November 13, 1868, Passy, France Teatro Valle to write the opera Torvaldo e Dorliska. The work was premiered the day after Christmas with moderate success, yet the enterprising Rossini already had his eyes on another project. Eleven days before the first performance, he signed a contract with the rival Teatro di Torre Argentina to compose an opera for their house. The management selected the libretto and the resulting production was titled L’inutile precauzione to distinguish it from classical Neopolitan composer Giovanni Paisello’s Il barbiere di Siviglia (1782). Rossini, already recognized for his seemingly inexhaustible font of inspiration, completed what would soon become his own Barber of Seville in less than three Gioachino Rossini in 1865. weeks.

Overture to The Barber of Seville (Rome, 1816) Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings. Performance time: ca. 7:15 I cannot help thinking that Il barbiere di Siviglia . . . is the most beautiful opera buffa there is. Giuseppe Verdi (1898) During the first half of the nineteenth century, Gioachino Rossini was easily Europe’s most celebrated operatic composer. He had carefully studied Mozart’s brilliant models and ultimately became a master of, particularly, the opera buffa (comic opera) style. Put more clearly, Rossini is usually considered the finest composer of these light-hearted, humorous, and tuneful works. Il barbiere di Seviglia, ossia L’inutile precauzione (The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution) is one of the greatest of all comic operas and, after two hundred years, is still frequently played on the modern stage. The Overture, a well-known symphonic concert opener, has its own comically unique beginning.

Opening night on February 20, 1816 was an absolute disaster! For starters, the audience was in a

In November of 1815, Rossini traveled from Naples to Rome where he had been commissioned by the

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Program Notes by Scott Sorenson real tiff over the fact that young Rossini had the audacity to use the same subject as their idol Paisello. During an early scene, a singer fell flat on his face and sung his aria through a nosebleed. Moments later, a cat wandered onto stage and tormented the cast with its claws. When tenor Manuel Garcia had finally tuned his guitar and was ready to perform, he spontaneously broke into a short recital of Spanish songs. Well, the audience went into an uproar and any chance of salvaging a positive first impression was lost. Rossini left at the interval and was too disgusted to return the following evening. Pity, because the laughable kinks had been worked out, the new patrons loved the production, and many of them went to Rossini’s residence afterward to applaud his triumph.

The Overture has a quirky origin as well and is equaled only by the mishaps that occurred in the opera’s premiere. Somehow, the original orchestral introduction was lost during the early weeks of performances. Rather than rewriting this portion of the score, Rossini decided to recycle an overture that he had previously used in the tragedies Aureliano in Palmira (1813) and also in Elizabeth, Queen of England (1815). So, for two centuries, the themes presented in the Overture that we commonly associate with The Barber of Seville bear no resemblance to the music heard in the opera. Very funny indeed! It really does not matter as both the Overture with its superb melodies and the opera itself have become beloved favorites of the orchestral and operatic repertoire.

Jules Massenet Born: May 12, 1842, Montaud, St. Etienne, France Died: August 13, 1912, Paris sents a significant contribution to French musical culture, it is notably in Manon (1884) and Thaïs (1894) where he reached the crowning point of his craft. Massenet strived to enchant his listeners with fluid music marked by strong elements of tenderness, melancholy, and striking passion. The opera Thaïs and the “Meditation” drawn from it provide an outstanding example of this ideal.

“Meditation,” from Thaïs (Paris, 1893-4) Instrumentation: solo violin and orchestra comprising 2 flutes, oboe, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, timpani, harp, and strings. Performance time: ca. 5:00 I have departed from this planet and . . . at last am living in the scintillating splendor of the stars, each of which used to seem as a million suns. Jules Massenet The name Jules Massenet does not often appear on symphonic programs. Despite the fact that he wrote a fair amount of chamber, orchestral, and choral music, his reputation rests primarily in the threedozen operas that came from his pen. While the collective corpus of Massenet’s operatic output repre-

Thaïs’ libretto is based upon French author

Original poster for the premiere of Massenet’s Thaïs (1894)

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Program Notes by Scott Sorenson August France’s 1890 novel of the same title. The adapted plot centers upon the controversial love relationship between the beautiful Thaïs, a hedonistic courtesan, and the Christian Cenobitic monk Athanaël. Set in fourth century Egypt, Athanaël attempts to persuade Thaïs to abandon her life of pleasure and find salvation through God. As the drama unfolds, it is apparent that the heroine is pure of heart and the holy man’s motives are rooted in human lust. At first Thaïs wishes to deceive and seduce the monk, but conversely falls in love with Athanaël and decides to pursue a religious life. Written for solo violin and small orchestra, the “Meditation” functions as an instrumental entr’acte between scenes in Act II. At this point in the story, Thaïs is reflecting upon her feelings for Athanaël, her

conversion to Christianity, and the possibility of following the ascetic into the desert. The “Meditation’s” refrain is repeated in Act III to accompany Thaïs’ death. Thaïs was premiered at the Paris Opéra on March 16, 1894. Initially, audiences could not fully appreciate its tender poetic beauty. It was only after numerous performances that the passionate melodies and atmospheric orchestrations began to gain favor in the eye of the musical public. Impressively, it remained in the Paris Opéra’s repertoire until 1956. The “Meditation,” on the other hand, has taken its place among the great violin encores and is frequently heard on concert stages throughout the world.

Georges Bizet Born: October 25, 1838, Paris Died: June 3, 1875, Bougival (near Paris)

Selections from Carmen (Paris and Bougival on the Seine, 1873-4) Instrumentation: 2 flutes (2nd doubling on piccolo), 2 oboes (2nd doubling on English horn), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, castanets, cymbals, snare drum, tam-tam, tambourine, triangle, harp, and strings. Performance time: ca. 10:00 Carmen is a masterpiece in every sense of the word . . . I am convinced that in ten years it will be the most popular opera in the entire world. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1876)

A year after the premiere of Georges Bizet’s Carmen, Tchaikovsky visited Paris and attended a performance of the opera. He was mightily impressed with the young French composer and absolutely correct in his assessment of the work. Carmen did, in fact, experience an almost contagious rise in popularity over the next decade with numerous productions being mounted in the great opera houses of Europe. Within a half-century of its composition, Carmen had been staged over three thousand times in Paris alone. New York’s Metropolitan Opera first offered it in 1884 and by 2011 had roughly one thousand performances to its credit. Along with Puccini’s La Bohéme and Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Carmen ranks as one of the most popular works in the operatic

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Program Notes by Scott Sorenson Carmen is a classic tale of seduction, love, betrayal, and murder . . . all of the necessary ingredients for a first-rate drama. Set in Seville, Spain and surrounding hills, the plot centers upon the downfall and ultimate ruin of the naïve soldier Don José. Seduced by the fiery and sensual gypsy Carmen, José leaves his childhood sweetheart Micaëla and deserts from his military duties. Subsequently, Carmen turns her affections from the Henri Lucien Doucet. Portrait of Celestine Galli-Marié love-struck Don José toward the glam- (mezzosoprano who created the role of Carmen), 1884. orous toreador Escamillo. Finally, consumed by passion and infatuation, Don José kills the beautiful temptress.

repertoire. However, its premiere and earliest beginnings were considerably more modest. In the autumn of 1872, Bizet received a commission from Paris’ Opéra-Comique to compose a full-length opera. With the initial rehearsals scheduled for October of 1873, Bizet began work on his new theatre piece in January of that year. By the summer he had completed the first act and probably had sketched more, but the project was suspended due to the difficulties in securing a mezzo-soprano for the lead role. Bizet resumed work on the opera early in 1874 and later, while staying at the artists’ colony in Bougival, finished Carmen . . . the score required 1200 pages of manuscript. This overabundance of music was, of course, revised and edited as time went on. Carmen was premiered on March 3, 1875 and received divided impressions from the audience and mixed reviews in the press. Composers Offenbach, Massenet, and Gounod were in attendance that evening and were split in their opinions as well. Charles Gounod complained that a melody of his was used in the third act, whereas Jules Massenet sent a congratulatory note to Bizet which read, “How happy you must be at this time – it is a great success.” The cool reception from the genteel opera aficionados in the hall stemmed mostly from the flamboyant sexuality of the lead character. Poet Théodore de Banville applauded Bizet in Le National for “presenting a drama with real men and women instead of the usual Opéra-Comique puppets.” On the other hand, Léon Escudier’s critique in L’Art Musical remarkably described the music as “dull and obscure . . . the ear grows weary waiting for the cadence that never comes.” Even so, Carmen was presented 48 times that opening season in Paris. Tragically, Bizet died at the age of thirty-seven one day after the 33rd performance. Following that, the opera was given in Vienna which soon led to a worldwide triumph. It is certainly a pity that Bizet did not live long enough to experience the acceptance and popularity of his masterpiece.

Today’s program will feature three movements drawn from the two Carmen orchestral suites. In order, the famous “March of the Toreadors,” the quiet and lyrical “Intermezzo” from Act III, and the wild and flamboyant Spanish-styled “Danse Bohême.” Because of their striking melodies, orchestral colors, and Spanish flavor, these excerpts from Carmen have long been favorites of the concert hall. The composer Richard Strauss advised, If you want to learn how to orchestrate, don’t study Wagner’s scores, study Carmen . . . It is sheer perfection. What wonderful economy, how every note is in its proper place.

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Program Notes by Scott Sorenson

Richard Wagner Born: May 22, 1813, Leipzig Died: February 13, 1883, Venice Wagner waited sixteen years for the first performance of Die Walküre at Munich’s National Theatre on June 26, 1870. Within six months he was already receiving requests to program “The Ride . . .” separately but forbade any such performance until the entire Ring had been heard. A year after the opera’s premiere, the French composer Georges Bizet described Wagner’s music in a letter of May 29, 1871 to his mother-in-law:

“The Ride of the Valkyries,” from Die Walküre (Zurich, 1854-56) Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, cymbals, snare drum, triangle, and strings. Performance time: ca. 5:00 Last request to my faithful artists! Distinctness!

It is the fate of great geniuses to be misunderstood by their contemporaries. Wagner is no friend of mine . . . yet I cannot forget the immeasurable enjoyment which I owe to this original genius. The charm of his music is inexpressible. Here are voluptuousness, tenderness, love . . . This man is the nineteenth German spirit incarnate.

Richard Wagner Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre is the second opera in his massive tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen. Written over a period of twenty years, the sheer scale of the epic Ring cycle makes it the most ambitious contribution to operatic literature by any composer. Loosely based on the Nordic Völsunga Saga and Poetic Edda of the 13th century, Das Rheingold (1854), Die Walküre (1856), Siegfried (1871), and Götterdämmerung (1874) follow the struggles of gods, heroes, and mythical creatures over three generations. “The Ride of Valkyries,” one of Wagner’s bestknown works, dramatically opens Act III of Die Walküre as the orchestral prelude.

All four operas were finally performed together from August 13-17, 1876 at the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth – an opera house designed by Wagner specifically for the purpose of staging the Ring. After that, he lifted his embargo on “The Ride . . .” and conducted it himself in London on May 12, 1877. On the operatic stage, “The Ride of the Valkyries” portrays the Valkyries, with their winged helmets and shields, assembling on their mountaintop after scouting a battlefield for fallen warriors. Wagner’s musical portrayal of this scene relies heavily upon the brass and woodwinds with the strings being given a more atmospheric role. Easily one of classical music’s greatest hits, “The Ride . . .” has impressed countless audiences with its sweeping intensity. Hold on to your hats!

In the spring of 1849, Wagner was forced to flee his Dresden home in the wake of the European Revolutions of 1848. Implicated by his political views, he absconded to Zurich with the help of Franz Liszt. It was here in Switzerland that the main theme of “The Ride . . . ,” the leitmotif Walkürenritt, was first written down in July of 1851. After three years of work on other portions of the Ring, Wagner returned to “The Ride . . . ,” and finished a preliminary draft in 1854. By the end of the winter in 1856, he had the entire opera fully composed and orchestrated.

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Program Notes by Scott Sorenson

Modest Mussorgsky Born: March 21, 1839, Karevo, Russia Died: March 28, 1881, Saint Petersburg barren mountaintop around the summer solstice, Mussorgsky made sketches for an opera in 1858. As he was still quite young and idealistic, the project was eventually abandoned, although the seed of a tremendous idea had begun to germinate. Two years later, another attempt was made in the form of a one-act opera based upon close acquaintance Baron Georgy Mengden’s play The Witches. These plans too were discarded, yet the possibility of creating a musical program depicting an orgy of dancing witches continued to grow. Finally, in 1867, Mussorgsky finished the first version of an orchestral piece he titled Saint John’s Night on the Bare Mountain. A short while later he wrote to fellow composer RimskyKorsakov:

Night on Bald Mountain (Minkino, Russia, 1867; rev. Nicolai RimskyKorsakov, 1886) Instrumentation: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, chimes, cymbals, tam-tam, harp, and strings. Performance time: ca. 10:45 Art is not an end it itself, but a means of addressing humanity Modest Mussorgsky The Witches’ Sabbath, with its Black Mass and Dance of Death, was a macabre and relatively popular subject that stimulated the imaginations of certain nineteenth composers. There is the final movement, “Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath,” in Hector Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique (1830). Franz Liszt (always fascinated by death) experimented with the notion in Totentanz (1849). Even modern schoolchildren are generally familiar with Camille Saint-Saëns Halloween fantasy Danse Macabre (1874). Rising to the surface of this cauldron of similar thematic material is Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky’s symphonic tone poem Night on Bald Mountain. From the vantage point of time and distance over the course of nearly one hundred and fifty years, it is clear that Mussorgsky’s score stands shoulder to shoulder with these others. However, its origins were as rough as its creator and decades would pass before the work earned the stamp of approval from the musical public. As a finished product, Night on Bald Mountain would require the assistance of another Russian genius, Nicolai RimskyKorsakov.

On the eve of St. John’s night, June 23, 1867, I finished St. John’s Night on The Bald Mountain, a tone picture containing the following episodes: 1. Assembly Of Witches, Hubbub and Chatter; 2. Satan’s Pageant; 3. Ceremonies in Honor of Satan; 4. Witches’ Dance . . . As regards plan and form the work is fairly novel . . . You do not know the Witches’ Dance yet. It is compact and glowing . . . The general character of the thing is warmth; nothing drags, all is firmly connected . . .you will hear and judge. Rimsky-Korsakov, along with noted composer Mily Balakirev, did listen to the piano reduction and because of its inherent flaws judged the work unsuitable for performance. Mussorgsky was devastated, withdrew his efforts from further consideration, and disappointedly shelved the manuscript. Other than reworking a portion of Saint John’s Night . . . for his unfinished comic opera Sorochintsy Fair (1880), Mussorgsky disregarded the music and never heard it played in his lifetime. Five years after Mussorgsky’s death of acute alcohol poisoning, Rimsky-Korsakov acquired the score to Saint John’s Night . . .which he reworked, reorchestrated, retitled, and even composed specific sections of the tone

Intrigued by Nicolai Gobol’s 1830 tale Saint John’s Eve that related a witches’ Sabbath believed to occur on a

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Program Notes by Scott Sorenson poem. Now known simply as Night on Bald Mountain, Rimsky-Korsakov refers to his labors in his 1909 autobiography Chronicle of My Life:

conducting. A note in the printed score, probably by Mussorgsky and edited by Rimsky-Korsakov, provides the program for Night on Bald Mountain:

When I started putting it in order with the intention of creating a workable concert piece, I took everything I considered the best and most appropriate out of the late composer’s remaining materials to give coherence and wholeness to this work.

A subterranean din of unearthly voices. Appearance of the Spirits of Darkness, followed by that of Tschernobog. Glorification of the Black God. The Black Mass. The Revelry of the Witches’ Sabbath, interrupted from afar by the bell of a little church, whereupon the spirits of evil disperse. Dawn breaks.

The eleven-minute piece was premiered in Saint Petersburg on October 15, 1886 with Rimsky-Korsakov

Modest Mussorgsky Born: March 21, 1839, Karevo, Russia Died: March 28, 1881, Saint Petersburg

Selections from Pictures at an Exhibition

cant blow to the development of intrinsic Russian art forms, promptly organized a posthumous showcasing of Hartmann’s works. It was this exhibit that inspired Mussorgsky to compose Pictures at an Exhibition.

(Saint Petersburg, 1867; orch. by Maurice Ravel, 1922) Instrumentation: 3 flutes (3rd doubling on piccolo), 3 oboes (3rd doubling on English horn), 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, alto saxophone, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, glockenspiel, rattle, snare drum, tam-tam, triangle, tubular bells, whip, xylophone, celesta, 2 harps, and strings. Performance time: ca. 12:00

During February and March of 1874, Viktor Hartmann, Costume Sketch several hundred of of Canary Chicks (for the ballet Hartmann’s water- Trilby by Yuli Gerber), 1871. This inspired Mussorgsky’s movement colors, travel sketch- “Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks.” es, costume designs, and architectural drawings were put on public display at the Academy of Fine Arts in Saint Petersburg. Mussorgsky selected several of Hartmann’s paintings from his own private collection and placed them on loan for the duration of the show. The composer attended the exhibition numerous times that winter and soon became inspired to

Sometime around 1870, the influential critic Vladimir Stasov introduced Mussorgsky to Russian architect and painter Viktor Hartmann. Over the next few years, Mussorgsky and Hartmann developed a deep friendship founded upon the ideal that Russian art should be distinctly nationalistic in character and serve as a reflection of the people and their cultures. Unfortunately, the artists’ close association came to an abrupt halt when Hartmann died of a brain aneurysm in August of 1873. Understandably, Mussorgsky was devastated by this tragic turn of events and the sudden loss of his friend. Stasov, who mourned the architect’s passing as a signifi-

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Program Notes by Scott Sorenson write a suite of piano pieces depicting his experiences in the gallery. Originally titled Pictures from an Exhibition – A Remembrance of Viktor Hartmann, the ten-movement (plus a recurring and varied “Promenade”) solo piano work provides a musical picture of Mussorgsky as he sadly walked through the rooms of the Academy examining his departed friend’s artwork.

Promenade: Stasov commented that in this section, Mussorgsky provided his own self-portrait as he “roved through the exhibition, now leisurely, now briskly, in order to come close to a picture that had attracted his attention, and at times, sadly, thinking of his departed friend.” Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks:

At the time of the exhibition, Mussorgsky was occupied with revising his operatic masterpiece Boris Godunov and waited until spring to begin composing Pictures . . . Impassioned by his grief, he composed with uncharacteristic speed and finished the manuscript on June 22, 1874. Mussorgsky dedicated the score to Stasov and sent an enthusiastic letter to the critic halfway through the compositional process:

Hartmann made costume sketches for Yuli Gerber’s ballet Trilby (1871). The exhibition catalog describes these drawings as “Canaries enclosed in eggs as suits of armor. Instead of a head-dress, canary heads, put on like helmets, down to the neck.” The Hut on Fowl’s Legs: The catalog lists this illustration as “Baba Yaga’s Hut on Hen’s Legs. Clock, Russian style of the 14th century. Bronze and enamel.” Baba Yaga was the child-eating witch of Russian folklore.

Hartmann is bubbling over just as Boris did. Ideas, melodies come to me of their own accord. Like a banquet of music, I gorge myself. I can hardly manage to put them down on paper fast enough. The transitions are good . . . So far, I think it is well turned.

The Great Gate at Kiev: Stasov wrote, “Hartmann’s sketch was his design for city gates at Kiev in the ancient Russian massive style with a cupola shaped like a Slavonic helmet.” This movement pos- Viktor Hartmann, Plan for a City sesses the same Gate in Kiev, 1869. This inspired Mussorgsky’s movement overpowering “The Great Gate at Kiev.” majesty of Kiev’s projected great gate (it was never built). As a final tribute to the memory of Viktor Hartmann, the “Promenade” theme rings out brilliantly one last time.

There is no evidence suggesting that Pictures at an Exhibition was ever performed during Mussorgsky’s lifetime. Apparently, the idea of orchestrating the half-hour keyboard suite never occurred to the composer. The first to do so was Mikhail Tushmalov, a student of RimskyKorsakov, in 1886. Significant others included Lucien Caillet and Leopold Stokowski in the 1930s. However, it is Maurice Ravel’s 1922 orchestration with which we are most familiar. This is the version we will hear on today’s program. Our tour through Mussorgsky’s tonal portraits of Hartmann’s paintings will be rather brief. Following the opening “Promenade,” we stop and view only three of the architect’s canvases: “Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks,” “Hut on Fowl’s Legs,” and “The Great Gate at Kiev.”

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Program Notes by Scott Sorenson

Johann Sebastian Bach Born: March 21, 1685, Eisenach, Germany Died: July 28, 1750, Leipzig

“Air on the G String,” from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068

and chorales as only the stern Calvinist psalms were heard in Leopold’s chapel. It was during this period that Bach wrote four of the six magnificent Brandenburg Concertos, a large body of chamber music, and the four orchestral suites. It is from the Third Suite in D major that the well-known “Air on the G String” has been drawn.

(Cöthen, ca. 1722-3/rev. Leipzig, ca. 1729-31) Instrumentation: string orchestra. Performance time: ca. 4:45 If one were asked to name one musician who came closest to composing without human flaw, I suppose general consensus would choose Johann Sebastian Bach. Aaron Copland In August of 1717, thirty-two year old Johann Sebastian Bach was offered the post of Kapellmeister in the court of Prince Leopold of Cöthen (today Köthen, about 30 miles northwest of Leipzig). Accordingly, Bach resigned his position as organist and composer to Duke Wilhelm of Weimar but met with formidable resistance from his patron. As punishment for his abrupt departure, Wilhelm sentenced the young composer to a month in prison. Bach dutifully served his time, was released in December, and embarked upon his newfound employment in Cöthen with inspired enthusiasm. The decade that Bach spent in Weimar witnessed a remarkable outpouring of, especially, organ pieces and other works for the Lutheran Church. In Cöthen, his attention would shift away from sacred music and more toward the secular realm. Prince Leopold was a Calvinist, had a passion for music, was a reasonable viola da gamba (a forerunner of the modern cello) player, and supported a modest orchestra. Now Bach’s responsibilities centered primarily upon creating instrumental music that would ‘please’ his benefactor. There was no need for cantatas

It is not precisely known when Bach composed the Third Orchestral Suite. Most scholars agree that, at the very least, compositional drafts of this substantial work were made in Cöthen and the final version presented around 1730 in Leipzig for the Collegium Musicum concerts. Regardless, the Third Suite is probably the most masterful of the four and shows the great Bach as an “entertainer” happily experimenting with the courtly French dance style introduced by Jean-Baptiste Lully. The six movements unfold as follows: Overture, Air, 2 Gavottes, Bourée, and Gigue. It is the brief second movement, “Air,” that has become one of Bach’s most famous pieces. The title, “Air on the G String,” originates from August Wilhelmj’s adaption for solo violin and piano published in 1871. Other than occasional renderings given during Bach’s lifetime, the Third Orchestral Suite quietly went into dormancy for about a century. It was Felix Mendelssohn who resurrected the masterwork for an 1838 concert where he conducted the Gwandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig. Donald Ferguson, past program annotator for the Minneapolis Symphony, described the music perfectly in a 1954 essay for the orchestra: This music takes even nobility for granted, and rises above it to a region for which there is no name.

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Program Notes by Scott Sorenson

George Gershwin Born: September 26, 1898, Brooklyn Died: July 11, 1937, Hollywood

Rhapsody in Blue (New York, 1924)

he recounted his initial inspiration to Issac Goldberg, his first biographer.

Instrumentation: solo piano with orchestra comprising 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 3 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, crash cymbal, glockenspiel, snare drum, suspended cymbal, tam-tam, triangle, and strings.

It was on the train . . .that I suddenly heard – even saw on paper – the complete construction of the Rhapsody . . . no new themes came to me, but I worked on the thematic material already in my mind, and tried to conceive the composition as a whole. I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America . . . by the time I reached Boston, I had the definite plot of the piece.

Performance time: ca. 16:30 There is only one important thing in music and that is ideas plus feeling. George Gershwin (1933)

Gershwin completed Rhapsody in Blue by lateJanuary and Grofé finished the orchestration on February 4. The premiere took place eight days later at New York City’s Aeolian Hall with musical greats such as Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff, Sousa, and Stokowski in the audience. With Gershwin at the piano improvising entire unwritten sections and Whiteman taking cues after solo passages to lead his jazz orchestra, Rhapsody was an opening night sensation. The New York Times called Gershwin “a new talent finding its voice,” while another critic regarded Rhapsody “as the foremost serious effort by an American composer.” In the years that followed, the piece experienced such enormous popularity that Grofé published a second orchestration for full symphony orchestra in 1942. This is the one that is most commonly heard and the one used in today’s performance.

A few days after New Year’s 1924, young George Gershwin was relaxing at Manhattan’s Ambassador Billiard Parlor on Broadway and 52nd when his brother Ira read an interesting item in the New York Tribune. The article, “What is American Music?” announced a Paul Whiteman performance on February 12 and advertised that “George Gershwin is at work on a jazz concerto.” Gershwin was rather shocked as he only vaguely recalled discussing the project with Whiteman the previous year. Now, with only five weeks remaining, he had a substantial piece to write for Whiteman and his Palais Royal Orchestra to be showcased in a concert billed as “An Experiment in Modern Music.” The Tin Pan Alley composer already had a dozen Broadway musicals along with Al Jolson’s blockbuster hit Swanee (1919) to his credit. This piece, however, had to be dramatically different – jazz, or at least jazz style, was to be legitimatized to a degree and brought to the concert hall. Since time was short, only a piano score was required of Gershwin and the task of orchestration would be given to Whiteman’s chief arranger, Ferde Grofé.

Gershwin was never fully able to cope with traditional musical forms so it is not surprising that Rhapsody in Blue, a comparatively early effort, has its structural shortcomings. Referring to the work’s lack of standard thematic development, Leonard Bernstein, who otherwise championed Rhapsody, said it was “not a composition at all [but] a string of . . . terrific tunes . . . stuck together with a thin paste of water and flour.” Regardless, this

Near the end of that first week in 1924, Gershwin quickly began to compose the work. Several years later

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Program Notes by Scott Sorenson “string of terrific tunes” has become an American orchestral favorite for the past nine decades. The piece opens with the jazz-styled clarinet glissando and eventually works its way toward the famous slow theme first presented by the orchestra and then the piano. From

there, this theme becomes the subject of a brilliant Allegro section which leads to a clever Coda where the original ideas are presented in reverse order. Rhapsody in Blue ends with a grandiose climax of theatrical proportions.

Planned Giving You have the opportunity to ensure that future generations are able to experience the Traverse Symphony Orchestra by including the Symphony in your estate plans. Become a member of the Musical Legacy Society by remembering the Symphony in your will, establishing an IRA charitable rollover and/or designating a portion of your retirement assets or life insurance policies. It’s easier than you think! With your help, the Traverse Symphony Orchestra will continue to aspire, inspire and connect with the Grand Traverse region for years to come. Please call the Traverse Symphony Orchestra administrative offices at 231.947.7120 to speak with Gary Gatzke, Annual Campaign Manager.

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Oboe Fanfare SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2014

CORSON AUDITORIUM

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3:00 PM

INTERLOCHEN

Kevin Rhodes, conductor James Roe, oboe

Arrival of the Queen of Sheba from Solomon Concerto for Oboe K 314 I. Allegro aperto II. Adagio non troppo III. Rondo: Allegretto

George Fredrick Handel

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

– Intermission – Symphony no. 4 in Bb Major, op. 60 I. Adagio – Allegro vivace II. Adagio III. Allegro vivace IV. Allegro ma non troppo

Ludwig van Beethoven

KEVIN RHODES AT THE PODIUM SPONSOR

CONCERT SPONSOR

GUEST SOLOIST SPONSOR

The cost of purchase and rental of the 2013-2014 repertoire is underwritten by a generous gift from Elnora Milliken and the Milliken Family in Memory of Dr. John Milliken.

Traverse Symphony Orchestra’s 2013-2014 season is generously sponsored by Northwestern Bank. 51

James Roe oboe James Roe has built a robust musical career with success as both a performer and an arts administrator. He is passionate about engaging audiences with innovative and thought-provoking concert experiences. Roe is well known to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and its audiences through his previous position as Acting Principal Oboe; in his new capacity as President & CEO, he will bring his administrative experience and diverse expertise to the Orchestra as it engages communities across New Jersey. Roe was previously Executive and Artistic Director of The Helicon Foundation, a subscription chamber music series in New York City that produces and presents original thematic programs on period instruments. Under his leadership, Helicon has experienced an expansion of its performance activities, doubling its concert schedule and audience, renewing commercial recording activities and successfully producing joint ventures with other arts organizations, including The Morgan Library and Museum. A hallmark of Roe’s success at Helicon has been audience engagement and loyalty. From 2011 to 2013, he served as Acting Principal Oboe of the NJSO, where he has been praised for his “superb playing” (The Star-Ledger) and “elegant solos” (Princeton Town Topics). He has also become known for his eloquent spoken introductions as an NJSO concert host, most recently at the East Coast premiere of Steve Mackey’s Stumble to Grace—an NJSO cocommission—and the Orchestra’s first College Night. Roe made his Lincoln Center concerto debut at the

2004 Mostly Mozart Festival, and in 2009 he performed Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Oboes in D Minor in Carnegie’s Zankel Hall with The Little Orchestra Society. He has been a member of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra and the Brooklyn-based chamber orchestra The Knights; he has appeared as guest-principal oboe with the American Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Houston Grand Opera, Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet, New York City Opera and Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Roe has been a member of Zéphyros Winds, a distinguished American chamber ensemble now in its 18th season. Zéphyros has been presented four times by Lincoln Center, including on the “Great Performers Series,” has appeared at major venues including Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, the Library of Congress, Dumbarton Oaks and the 2010 May Festival in Beijing, China, and has given master classes at The Juilliard School and Yale School of Music. In 2009, the Eastman School of Music invited Zéphyros to present its interactive educational concert as a part of the school’s community outreach program, “Music for All”. In addition to his work with Zéphyros, Roe has toured internationally as a guest artist with Imani Winds and has appeared with “An die Musik” in New York City. In demand as a writer and as a commentator on music and other areas of culture, Roe’s program notes have been used by the 92nd Street Y, Dallas Museum of Art, Eroica Classical Recordings, Merkin Concert Hall, The Morgan Library and Museum, Ravinia Festival and SONY Classical. In 2013, Baruch College published his essay on visual art for a special exhibition catalogue. He has given radio interviews in conjunction with live broadcasts of concerts, including an onstage interview at the Ravinia Festival with Fred Child for “Performance Today.” Roe attended The Juilliard School, where he earned a master’s degree. He holds a Bachelor of Music with High Honor degree from Michigan State University.

Program Notes by Scott Sorenson

George Frideric Handel Born: February 23, 1685, Halle, Germany Died: April 14, 1759, London

“Arrival of the Queen of Sheba,” from Solomon, HWV 67

Handel’s most well received creations. It was during the spring of 1748, in the six weeks from May 5-June 13, that he set about composing the oratorio Solomon from which the “Arrival of the Queen of Sheba” has been extracted.

(London, 1748) Instrumentation: 2 oboes, continuo, and strings. Performance time: ca. 3:15 What the English like is something that they can beat time to, something that hits them straight on the drum of the ear. George Frideric Handel In April of 1743, Handel suffered a second stroke. He had survived a debilitating one six years earlier. Still, during this period, he composed a half-dozen operas and an equal number of oratorios that included masterworks like Israel and Egypt, Samson, and Messiah. This time, however, his complete recuperation was in serious doubt. The months passed slowly for the older composer during his convalescence, but within the year he had resumed his craft and was back to writing oratorios. With his health still in question, the two years from 1744-6 saw five of these large-scale works for soloists, chorus, and orchestra come from Handel’s pen. By 1747, his condition had greatly improved and he responded with Judas Maccabaeus, a monument in the genre and one of

The three-act oratorio Solomon is based upon the biblical stories of Israel’s wise King Solomon. The drama in Act III is a depiction of the Queen of Sheba’s state visit to the king’s court in Jerusalem. Here, Solomon entertains the queen and dazzles her with the splendors of his kingdom. The lively “Arrival of the Queen of Sheba” is the opening sinfonia of the final act and is purely instrumental music anticipating the visiting monarch’s arrival. Thought to have been “borrowed” from an earlier unfinished project, the piece gives the musical impression of an Allegro movement from a Baroque concerto for two oboes and orchestra. It should be noted that the title is not Handel’s as the manuscript merely indicates “Sinfonia” at this point in the score. Solomon was premiered in London on March 17, 1749 at Covent Garden’s Theatre Royal. For Handel, it represents a complete restoration of his intellectual and artistic powers. A month later, Music for the Royal Fireworks was first heard in London’s Green Park. Clearly, Handel had made a full recovery from his infirmities.

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Program Notes by Scott Sorenson

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Born: January 27, 1756, Salzburg Died: December 5, 1791, Vienna

Concerto in C major for Oboe and Orchestra, K. 314 (Salzburg, 1777)

Munich, Augsburg, Mannheim, and ultimately Paris in an attempt to build his career. We also know from the letters sent between Mozart and his father (Leopold) that a concerto had been composed for Ferlendis and from this deduce its origin as being during the spring/summer of 1777. Interestingly, there is no evidence supporting the notion that Ferlendis actually performed the piece. Writing to Wolfgang in Augsburg, Leopold refered to the work in a letter of October 18th century cartoon allegedly 15: “. . . if you had a depicting Giuseppe Ferlendis for whom Mozart composed the copy of your oboe conC major Oboe Concerto. certo, Perwein [oboist in Prince von Öttingen-Wallerstein’s orchestra] might enable you to make an honest penny in Wallerstein.” Mozart did, in fact, possess the manuscript and, as his letter of November 4 revealed, put it to good use shortly after his arrival in Mannheim:

Instrumentation: solo oboe with orchestra comprising 2 oboes, 2 horns, and strings. Performance time: ca. 21:00 Mozart is the highest, the culminating point that beauty has attained in the sphere of music. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky For 137 years, Mozart’s oboe concerto was considered lost. He had composed the piece in 1777, heard performances of it the following year, and requested it for another occasion in 1783. Beyond that, the concerto was forgotten and quickly fell into oblivion with its whereabouts unknown. The score and its parts, along with any potential copies, had seemingly vanished. The written record was also silent. Letters, newspapers, court documents, and extant concert programs from the period all mentioned nothing. Musicologists eventually resigned themselves to the probable fact that the work had either been seriously misplaced, inadvertently destroyed, or was in the hands of someone who did not know its value. Then, in the early twentieth century, Mozart scholar Bernhard Paumgartner discovered something of great importance in Salzburg’s Mozarteum. Tucked away in a bundle of old music was a late eighteenth century double bass part that would shed significant light upon the questions surrounding the oboe concerto’s history.

. . . the oboist whose name I have forgotten [Friederich Ramm], but who plays very well and has a delightfully pure tone. I have made him a present of my oboe concerto, which is being copied in a room at Cannabich’s, and the fellow is quite crazy with delight. I played this concerto to him on the pianoforte at Cannabich’s and, although everybody knew that I was the composer, it was very well received.

In 1777, twenty-one year old Mozart was employed by Prince-Archbishop Collerado of Salzburg as composer and Konzertmeister of the court orchestra. The official records document that on April 1 of the same year, Italianborn Giuseppe Ferlendis was installed as the orchestra’s principal oboist. Mozart’s correspondence shows that he and his mother left Salzburg on September 22 en route to

Three months later, Mozart’s February 14, 1778 communication indirectly confirms the concerto’s approxi-

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Program Notes by Scott Sorenson mate date of composition and Ferlandis’ involvement:

over one hundred years later; but, for now, it is the second flute concerto in D major that is key to solving the puzzle of the missing concerto.

. . . Herr Ramm (by way of change) played for the fifth time my oboe concerto written for Ferlendis, which is making a great sensation here. It is now Ramm’s cheval de bataille [warhorse].

The last time we hear of the concerto is in February of 1783. Five years had passed and Mozart was now living in Vienna. An opportunity arose with the oboist in Prince Esterházy’s (Haydn’s patron) orchestra and Mozart needed the score. He sent Leopold a request on the 15th:

It is here in Mannheim that intrigue begins and retrospective clues surrounding the mysterious fate of the C major Oboe Concerto present themselves.

Please send me at once the little book which contains the oboe concerto I wrote for Ramm, or rather for Ferlendis. Prince Esterházy’s oboist [Anton Meyer] is giving me three ducats for it and has offered me six, if I will compose a new concerto for him.

In December, a month and a half after his arrival in Mannheim, Mozart was offered a commission to compose some concertos and quartets for wealthy Dutch amateur flutist Ferdinand De Jean. Thrilled with the news, Mozart informed his father on the 15th:

After that, the concerto quietly lay dormant until the early twentieth century.

The other day I went to lunch at Wendling’s as usual. ‘Our Indian,’ he said, meaning a Dutchman, a gentleman of means and a lover of all the sciences . . . ‘is willing to give you 200 gulden if you compose for him three short, simple concertos and a couple of quartets for the flute.’

In 1920, Mozarteum director Bernhard Paumgartner was rummaging through a box of music donated by Mozart’s eldest son, Carl Thomas. In it he found a parcel containing some original eighteenth century orchestral parts. The one for double bass was of particular interest in that it bore the title Concerto in C/Oboe Principale/2 Violini/2 Oboi/2 Corni/Viola/e/Basso/del Sigre W.A. Mozart. Stunned, Paumgartner realized he had discovered the lost oboe concerto of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He also noticed that with the exception of the key and a few minor differences, it was identical to the D major flute concerto. Further examination of the manuscripts determined conclusively that Mozart, pressed for time, had merely transposed the Ferlendis/Ramm concerto from C to D major and attempted to pass it off as an original flute concerto for Ferdinand De Jean. It seems reasonable to speculate that the rich Dutchman had become aware of Mozart’s deception, thus explaining De Jean’s unusual remittance of only 96 gulden. Mystery solved!

In mid-February, De Jean left for Paris and Mozart had yet to complete the commission. He had been romantically preoccupied with Aloysia Weber, the elder sister of his future wife Constanze, and understandably found less time for composition. Even so, two flute concertos (one of which was certainly K. 313 in G major and the other in D major) and three quartets were finished; however, De Jean only paid him for less than half of the agreed amount. Writing to Leopold on the 14th, Wolfgang explained the situation: De Jean is also leaving for Paris tomorrow and, because I have only finished two concertos and three quartets for him, has sent me 96 gulden (that is, 4 gulden too little, evidently supposing that this was the half of 200); but he must pay me in full, for that was my agreement with the Wendlings and I can send him the other pieces later. It is not surprising that I have not been able to finish them, for I never have a single quiet hour here.

The music, of course, is wonderful. It is melodious, expressive, and perfectly idiomatic to the instrument. The concerto highlights the oboe’s vague resemblance to the human voice from the lively opening Allegro aperto, through the aria-like Adagio non troppo, and finally to the entertaining and folk-like concluding Rondo. In the end, oboists reclaimed their missing concerto while flutists acquired a first-rate transcription. As for Mozart, this time around he was fairly reimbursed for his efforts.

One gets the impression that something was slightly askew with Mozart’s end of the bargain. Why would De Jean consider it forthright to compensate Mozart the odd figure of 96 gulden? After all, the young wizard had presented his benefactor with more than two-thirds of the requested music. This enigma would unravel itself well

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Program Notes by Scott Sorenson

Ludwig van Beethoven Born: December 17, 1770, Bonn Died: March 26, 1827, Vienna

Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Opus 60 (Grätz, near Troppau, modern

Adagio is easily one of the loveliest movements to come from Beethoven’s mind.

Czech Republic and Vienna, 1806) Instrumentation: flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bas-

Following Hungary and the hospitality of the Brunswick’s, Beethoven traveled to Grätz, Silesia, in what now is called the Czech Republic. There, he settled in for a extended stay at the summer castle of his Viennese patron Prince Carl von Lichnowsky. Not long after his arrival, Lichnowsky introduced Beethoven to his neighbor, Count Franz von Oppersdorff. The count had a great appreciation for the arts, employed an orchestra, and arranged for a concert of Beethoven’s music. After hearing the Second Symphony, Oppersdorff was so impressed that he commissioned Beethoven to write another. Oppersdorff’s offer was accepted and Beethoven set aside his sketches of the Fifth Symphony and immediately went to work on the Fourth. Most of the music was composed in September and October at Lichnowsky’s castle with the finishing touches being added to the score in Vienna upon his return later that fall.

soons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings. Performance time: ca. 34:00 There are and always will be a thousand princes, but there is only one Beethoven. Ludwig van Beethoven Beethoven kept himself busy in 1805 and 1806. These two years witnessed the premieres of the Eroica Symphony and opera Fidelio, as well as the completion of the Violin Concerto, Appassionata Sonata, Fourth Piano Concerto, Razumovsky String Quartets, and ultimately the Fourth Symphony . . . he was even hard at work on what would become one of his greatest monuments, the Fifth Symphony. Requiring a much deserved break from all this creative activity, Beethoven felt that a change of scenery would be beneficial and decided to spend the late summer and early fall of 1806 away from Vienna. This is where the story of the Fourth Symphony begins.

Beethoven only had to wait a few months before hearing the initial performance of his latest masterpiece. Dedicated to “the Silesian Nobleman Count Franz von Oppersdorff,” Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major was premiered in March of 1807 at the Viennese palace of Prince Franz Joseph von Lobkowitz. The occasion was a marathon private subscription concert in which Beethoven conducted his first three symphonies in addition to premieres of the Fourth Piano Concerto, the Coriolon Overture, along with the Fourth Symphony. Concerts were considerably longer in those days. Another year went by and the first public hearing of the new symphony took place on April 13, 1808 in Vienna’s Burgtheater.

In August, the great composer first visited his friend Count Franz von Brunswick at his ancestral estate in Martonvásár, Hungary. The Count had three sisters (Therese, Josephine, and Caroline) that Beethoven felt were all worth visiting too. Throughout most of nineteenth and twentieth centuries, a rumor circulated that Beethoven and Therese had become engaged at this time and the Fourth Symphony’s beautiful second movement was interpreted as an inspired declaration of love. Subsequent examination of Therese’s diaries reveal that there was nothing more than a deep mutual respect between them. Romantic musical prose or not, this

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Program Notes by Scott Sorenson Generations of music lovers have long made a clear distinction between Beethoven’s even- and odd-numbered symphonies. That is, the even-numbered ones represent a gentler and more relaxed side of the composer, while those with odd numbers show the defiant, “fistshaking,” Beethoven in the depths of his passions. In other words, the “feminine” versus the “masculine.” With the exception of the Pastoral (No. 6), the odd-numbered symphonies are programmed with greater frequency and, consequently, are considerably better known. One could say, to the comparative neglect of Nos. 1, 2, 4, and 8. Of these, the Fourth Symphony has probably suffered the greatest isolation . . . and most definitely not for musical reasons.

matic pages. An atmosphere of suspense is maintained until the Allegro vivace bursts forth in the proper key. The ensuing movement, another Adagio, is a graceful and expansive song which Beethoven appropriately indicated cantabile – in a singing style. The third movement, again Allegro vivace, is a scherzo more closely aligned with the familiar brusqueness of Beethoven. The “Trio” is heard twice and there is a small surprise from the horns in the final moments. With his characteristic abrupt dynamic contrasts and sudden offbeat accents, Beethoven brilliantly brings the work’s finale to it perfect conclusion. We will close with some insightful words on this subject written by Robert Schumann in his Gesammelte Schriften über Muzik und Musiker (Leipzig, 1854):

The Symphony in B-flat major is a work of astonishing power and freshness. Referring to the two colossal symphonies framing the Fourth, Robert Schumann described it as a “Greek maiden between two Norse giants.” Hector Berlioz’ impression of the score was that its “character is generally lively, nimble, joyous, and of a heavenly sweetness.” The symphony begins with a dark and somber thirty-eight measure Adagio in B-flat minor – not B-flat major! These are some Beethoven’s most dra-

Yes, love [Beethoven], love him well but never forget that he reached poetic freedom only through long years of study . . . Do not search for the abnormal in him, but return to the source of his creativity. Do not illustrate his genius with the Ninth Symphony alone, no matter how great its audacity and scope . . . You can do as much with his First Symphony, or with the Greek-like slender one in B-flat major.

Planned Giving Need assistance in navigating your estate plans? The Traverse Symphony Orchestra can help! For several years, the Symphony has had a Planned Giving Committee to help people with the large tax and estate administration expenses that too often occur in families. The committee is composed of volunteer estate planners, attorneys, insurance agents, and financial bankers, as well as Symphony staff. They are always available to help with future planning. Call the Symphony at 231.947.7120 for information.

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Dazzling Strings SUNDAY, MAY 11, 2014

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LARS HOCKSTAD AUDITORIUM

3:00 PM

TRAVERSE CITY

Kevin Rhodes, conductor Yevgeny Kutik, violin

Concerto for Violin in D major, op. 35 I. Allegro moderato II. Canzonetta: Andante III. Finale: Allegro vivacissimo

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

– Intermission – Symphony no.1 in C minor, op.68 Johannes Brahms I. Un poco sostenuto –Allegro-Meno allegro II. Andante sostenuto III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso IV. Adagio – Piu andante – Allegro non troppo, ma con brio – Piu allegro

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Yevgeny Kutik violin The Russian-American artist Yevgeny Kutik is hailed for his dazzling command of the violin and its repertoire, as well as a communicative immediacy that harkens back to the legendary Romantic masters. Yevgeny Kutik’s current season is highlighted by engagements as guest soloist with the symphony orchestras of Lima, Mankato, Springfield (MA) and Traverse City, as well as California’s North State Symphony and Florida’s Boca Raton Symphonia. Recent performances include guest soloist appearances with The Riverside Symphony in New York City, the Atlantic, Bozeman, East Texas, Greensboro, Juneau and Wyoming symphony orchestras, Germany’s Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock and WDR Radio Symphony Orchestra, Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra and the Tokyo Vivaldi Ensemble. With the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, Yevgeny Kutik gave the 2006 world-premiere performance of Ron Ford’s Versus, receiving praise from both The New York Times and The Boston Globe.. Mr. Kutik has appeared in recital in Chicago, Miami, New York City, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Montréal, Munich, Prague and Tokyo, while festival audiences have heard him at Verbier (Switzerland) and Ludwigsburg and Oberstdorf (Germany) Of special, personal significance, he participated in performances at the Krakow Opera House and Auschwitz-Birkenau for the 2012 annual International March of the Living observances. Yevgeny Kutik made his debut with Keith Lockhart and The Boston Pops in 2003 as the 1st Prize recipient of the

Boston Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition. He was also awarded a 2006 Salon de Virtuosi Grant as well as the 2006 Tanglewood Music Center Jules Reiner Violin Prize. Early in 2012, Marquis Classics released Yevgeny Kutik’s highly acclaimed debut CD - "Sounds of Defiance," featuring the music of Shostakovich, Schnittke, Pärt and Achron, selected nine months later for inclusion as one of the best violin albums of the year in “The 2012 Violinist.com Holiday Gift Guide.” During the same year, he was the featured soloist with the newly formed All-Star Orchestra, recording Joseph Schwantner’s Soliloquy for Violin and Orchestra - The Poet’s Hour for a national broadcast on PBS. A native of Minsk, Belarus, Yevgeny Kutik immigrated to the United States at the age of five. Shortly thereafter, he began violin lessons with his mother, Alla Zernitskaya, and continued with the late Zinaida Gilels. His other principal teachers have included Shirley Givens, Roman Totenberg and Donald Weilerstein. Mr. Kutik holds a bachelor’s degree (cum laude) from Boston University and a master’s degree from the New England Conservatory. Of special note, Yevgeny Kutik continues his close association with the United Jewish Federations of North America Speakers Bureau, annually performing throughout the United States to raise awareness and promote the assistance of refugees from around the world, a cause to which he is particularly dedicated. Yevgeny Kutik’s violin was crafted in Italy in 1915 by Stefano Scarampella, one of the finest 20th Century instrument makers. He makes his home in Boston.

Program Notes by Scott Sorenson

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Born: May 7, 1840, Kamsko-Votkinsk, Viatka, Russia Died: November 6, 1893, Saint Petersburg

Concerto in D major for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 35 (Clarens, Switzerland,

creativity. The fact that Tchaikovsky wrote the concerto in just eleven days with the finished product as brilliant as anything in the repertoire confirms his renewed sense of well-being.

1878) Instrumentation: solo violin and orchestra comprising 2

A few weeks after settling into his Swiss surroundings, Tchaikovsky received a visit from the young violinist Yosif Kotek, a former composition student of his at the Moscow Conservatory. Kotek had been in Berlin studying with the renowned violin virtuoso Joseph Joachim and arrived at his professor’s lodging with a suitcase full of scores. The weather was inclement and afforded the two musicians ample time to play through volumes of music. One piece in particular gave Tchaikovsky exceptional pleasure, Edouard Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole. Considered a violin concerto, the Russian master was enamored with Lalo’s work and soon set about writing his own concerto. A string of letters from Tchaikovsky to his brother Anatoli, written between March 18 and April 5, 1878, document the swift progress of the work:

flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings. Performance time: ca. 37:00 Inspiration is a guest that does not willingly visit the lazy. Peter Tchaikovsky Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto is as essential to violinists as his B-flat minor Piano Concerto is to keyboard virtuosos. Along with the efforts of, especially, Beethoven and Brahms, Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece in this genre is often considered the sine qua non of outstanding violin performance. Originally perceived as being impossible to play, over the past 135 years the work has evolved into one of the most popular and frequently recorded concertos for the instrument. The story of its inception and composition begins not at Tchaikovsky’s home city of Moscow, but in a Swiss village on the northeast shore of Lake Geneva.

All the morning I sat working at a violin concerto and became so keen that for the present I have put my sonata aside [G major Piano Sonata]. I want to take advantage of Kotek’s presence here. This is a new and difficult task for me but very interesting. [March 18] . . . Again I worked successfully. The concerto is taking shape – not too fast, but it is moving along. [March 20] . . . I have finished copying out the first part of the concerto, and in the evening I played it. Modest [Tchaikovsky’s brother] and Kotek are both delighted with it. [April 1] . . . Kotek has copied out the violin part of the concerto and we played it before dinner, to the complete satisfaction of composer and performer. Kotek, indeed, played it so well that it could have been performed at a concert there and then . . .In the evening I played the Andante which was not so well thought of as the first movement. I myself am not very pleased with it. [April 3] . . . I have written a new Andante with which my kind but severe critics are pleased. Kotek . . . plays it beautifully. [April 5]

In late February of 1878, Tchaikovsky traveled from Florence to the small resort town of Clarens, Switzerland. It was in Clarens, with its panoramic views of the lake and the Alps, that he spent six weeks emotionally recuperating from his failed marriage to Antonina Milyukova and happily composing the magnificent D major Violin Concerto. The sad tale of Peter Ilyich and Antonina is usually reserved for discussions surrounding the Fourth Symphony. Here, it should suffice to say that their union was an absolute disaster. No wonder, Tchaikovsky was homosexual and had naïvely felt that with Milyukova as his wife he could deflect rumors in this regard. Now, permanently separated (but never divorced) from his bride, the great composer was in a far better psychological state to resume his musical

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Program Notes by Scott Sorenson A date on the autograph score shows that the orchestration was completed on April 11. It had taken Tchaikovsky just three weeks to compose the piece (plus the unused second movement which would later open the suite for violin and piano Souvenir d’un lieu cher) and score it for full symphonic orchestra. However, the concerto’s premiere took far longer to materialize – nearly three years passed before the work received its first public performance.

evening, the audience’s reception of the concerto was as mixed as were the critics’ reviews the following week. Brodsky was applauded back to the front of the orchestra three times acknowledging his Viennese début as a soloist, yet there was a significant faction of concert-goers who loudly voiced their disapproval of Tchaikovsky’s efforts. Oskar Berggrün of the Morgen Post described the piece as “one of the most original and effective” of violin concertos. Unfortunately, it was influential critic Eduard Hanslick’s negative opinion published in the Neue freie Presse that is best remembered from this opening night performance:

Tchaikovsky had initially thought that the concerto’s dedication should go to Kotek. After all, it was his former pupil who had been involved during the intense creative process. Instead, to avoid any appearance of impropriety, Tchaikovsky decided to dedicate the thirty-five minute tour de force to his colleague Leopold Auer, concertmaster of Saint Petersburg’s Imperial Orchestra. The music had already been printed and Auer contracted as soloist for a March, 1879 showcasing when the circumstances abruptly changed. Upon examining the solo part, Auer declared the concerto “unplayable,” rejected it, and cancelled his involvement in the Violinist Adolph Brodsky (New York, ca. 1891) premiere. Many years later, Auer reflected on this in a 1912 issue of the Musical Courier:

Tchaikovsky is surely no ordinary talent, but rather, and inflated one . . . lacking all discrimination and taste . . . The same can be said for his new, long, and ambitious Violin Concerto. For a while it proceeds soberly and musically . . . soon vulgarity gains the upper hand and dominates . . . The violin is . . . tugged about, torn, beaten black and blue . . . We see a host of gross and savage faces, hear crude curses, and smell the booze. Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto confronts us for the first time with the hideous idea that there may be musical compositions whose stink one can hear. Known for his dislike of Russian art and program music, Hanslick’s prejudices finally caught up with him . . . he was clearly and absolutely wrong! Tchaikovsky, on the other hand, never forgot Hanslick’s lambasting and was able to recite the critique verbatim all the days of his life. Over time, the D major Violin Concerto has become one of Tchaikovsky’s most beloved compositions and one of the most enjoyed in the entire orchestral repertoire. From the romantic song-like character of the first movement, through the brief and melancholy Canzonetta, to the dynamic and energetic Finale, this music engages and captures the listener from start to finish. The great American violinist Joshua Bell summarized his impressions of the concerto in the liner notes of a recording with Michael Tilson Thomas and the Berlin Philharmonic:

When Tchaikovsky came to me one evening . . . and presented me with a roll of music, great was my astonishment on finding that this proved to be the Violin Concerto, dedicated to me, completed, and already in print. My first feeling was one of gratitude . . . On closer acquaintance with the composition, I regretted that the great composer had not shown it to me before committing it to print. Much unpleasantness might then have been spared us both.

The Tchaikovsky Concerto is often thought of as a big romantic concerto, which it is. It is extroverted, loud, and flashy. But the parts of it that are often neglected are the intimate moments. In fact, I think it is the most intimate, elegant, almost balletic warhorse I know.

Understandably, Tchaikovsky was upset with Auer and eventually rededicated the Violin Concerto to Adolph Brodsky who first played it with Hans Richter and the Vienna Philharmonic on December 4, 1881. That Sunday

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Program Notes by Scott Sorenson

Johannes Brahms Born: May 7, 1833, Hamburg Died: April 3, 1897, Vienna

Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Opus 68

feels to hear the tramp of a giant like Beethoven.”

(Vienna and Sassnitz, 1855-76) Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bas-

The following year, Brahms made an initial attempt to fulfill Schumann’s call. Soon, however, he became dissatisfied with the symphonic potential of his sketches and ultimately diverted them to the First Piano Concerto and the German Requiem. One year later, in 1855, Brahms made a fresh start on the work and over a period of months set

soons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, and strings. Performance time: ca. 45:00 The idea comes to me from outside of me – and is like a gift. I then take the idea and make it my own – that is where the skill lies. Johannes Brahms In 1853, when Brahms was merely twenty, Robert Schumann published an article in the widely distributed Neue Zeitschrift für Musik heralding the young composer as the one to silence the so-called “futurists (Wagner, Liszt, et al.)” and ultimately carry the mantle of Beethoven. Although Schumann’s writing style was overly poetic – even by nineteenth century stylistic standards – he was quite clear in predicting whom he thought would become the next musical Messiah:

Brahms in his study (1880s).

[A composer has appeared] who should reveal his mastery, not by gradual development, but should spring, like Minerva, fully armed, from the head of Jove. And now he has come . . . his name is Johannes Brahms. Schumann’s announcement continued by suggesting that Brahms set his sights on a symphony and other large scale works “point[ing] his magic wand to where the might of mass, in chorus and orchestra, lends him his power.” Clearly, the older composer had praised as well as challenged Brahms with his flowery language. Brahms took all of this to heart, especially the notion of a symphony and how this related to Schumann’s “Beethoven prophecy” for him. So much so, that Brahms would spend approximately two decades intermittently writing his first symphony . . . all the while in the shadow of Beethoven. Years later, Brahms lamented, “ You have no idea how it

down a first movement. This music he guarded with absolute secrecy and waited seven years before sending it to Clara Schumann (Robert’s widow and Brahms’s confidant) for her opinion. After receiving the manuscript in July of 1862, Clara sent a letter to Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim: The other day Johannes sent me – imagine my surprise! – the first movement of a symphony . . . that is rather strong, but I have become used to it. The movement is full of wonderful beauties, and the themes are treated with a mastery that is becoming more and more characteristic of him. It is all interwoven in a most interesting fashion and at the same time it bursts forth absolutely spontaneously. Ever mindful of Beethoven’s towering ghostly presence, Brahms was not to be rushed into completing his symphony. Another sketch, in the form of a postcard to Clara from Switzerland, survives from September, 1868.

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Program Notes by Scott Sorenson On the back of the card, Brahms jotted down the famous horn call of the closing movement and included the following greeting:

After this, Brahms himself conducted performances in Mannheim, Vienna, and Leipzig while continuing to make revisions on the score until its 1877 Simrock publication. In the years that followed its public unveiling, concert-goers remained respectful yet indifferent to the piece. It would take until the twentieth century for the C minor Symphony to be recognized as one of the great monuments of the orchestral repertoire.

Thus played the alphorn today: High in the mountains, deep in the valley, I greet you a thousand times over. As Brahms was in the habit of destroying his sketchbooks, we cannot know for certain how much progress was made on the work over the next six years. It would seem that it was fairly minimal. Finally, in 1874 after the success of the superb Haydn Variations, Brahms mustered confidence and resumed his work in earnest. After two more years of labor, he finished the symphony in September of 1876 at the resort town of Sassnitz off the northern German coast.

The First Symphony is a supreme masterpiece of emotional and technical contrast. From its rich thematic material, through its expansive formal and harmonic structures, to its elaborate contrapuntal devices, it is a work of sensual beauty as well as dramatic force. The two middle movements offer something fresh in symphonic form: with no Scherzo, they function as gentle moments of relief between the powerful opening Allegro and lengthy finale. One may also detect a mood of melancholy, certainly introspection, in the warmest of Brahms’s melodies and orchestrations. It is precisely this diversity in Brahms as a musician and as a human to which Leonard Bernstein refers in a 1982 television program about the composer:

Symphony No. 1 in C minor was premiered two months later on November 4, 1876 with Otto Dessoff leading the court orchestra at Karlsruhe, Baden. However, after twenty years of industry and thoughtful consideration, Brahms surely must have been disappointed in the opening night audience’s cool reception. Even the Viennese critic Eduard Hanslick, a strong supporter of Brahms, praised the work more for what it represented (a continuation of Beethoven’s traditions) rather than for its fundamental qualities:

Brahms was a man torn by oppositions, and it is exactly this conflict that enabled him to produce music of such glorious tension, music which speaks to us, bar after bar, work after work, in the instantly recognizable voice of Johannes Brahms.

Brahms seems too willing to sacrifice sensuous beauty to the cultivation of greatness and seriousness, severity and complexity . . . Often we would readily give up the most elegant contrapuntal devices (which lie buried by the dozens in Brahms’s symphony) for a bit of heart-warming sunshine.

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