Yale Philharmonia: Concertante

february 25 & 26, 2011

Concertante

20th-century music for chamber orchestra and soloists

yale philharmonia Shinik Hahm, conductor Yale in New York David Shifrin, artistic director Friday & Saturday, 8 pm Sprague Memorial Hall with Ransom Wilson, flute David Shifrin, clarinet Frank Morelli, bassoon music by Ernest Bloch Frank Martin Alberto Ginastera Richard Strauss

Robert Blocker, Dean

february 25 & 26, 2011

Concertante

20th-century music for chamber orchestra and soloists

ernest bloch 1880–1959

Concerto Grosso No. 1 for string orchestra with piano obbligato Jian Liu, piano

richard strauss 1864–1949

Duet-Concertino for clarinet and bassoon with string orchestra and harp Allegro moderato Andante Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo David Shifrin, clarinet Frank Morelli, bassoon

Intermission

frank martin 1890–1974

Ballade No. 2 for flute, string orchestra, piano, and percussion (1939, U.S. premiere) Ransom Wilson, flute

As a courtesy to others, please silence all cell phones and devices.

Photography and recording of any kind are strictly prohibited. Please do not leave the hall during musical selections. Thank you.

yale school of music

alberto ginastera 1916–1983

Variaciones concertantes I. Tema per violoncello ed arpa Kristan Toczko, harp James Kim, cello II. Interludio per corde III. Variazione giocosa per flauto Dariya Nikolenko, flute IV. Variazione in modo di scherzo per clarinetto Emil Khudyev, clarinet V. Variazione drammatica per viola On You Kim, viola VI. Variazione canonica per oboe e fagotto Kaitlin Taylor, oboe Meryl Summers, bassoon VII. Variazione ritmico per tromba e trombone Kyle Sherman, trumpet Ruben Rodriguez, trombone VIII. Variazione in modo di moto perpetuo per violino Xi Chen, violin IX. Variazione pastorale per corno Andrew Mee, horn X. Interludio per fiati XI. Ripresa dal tema per contrabasso Kristan Toczko, harp Nicholas Jones, double bass XII. Variazione finale in modo di Rondo per orchestra

philharmonia orchestra of yale

Shinik Hahm Conductor

Renata Steve Librarian

Adrian Slywotzky Assistant Conductor

Krista Johnson Managing Director

Roberta Senatore Production Assistant

Yang Jiao Assistant Conductor

1 – Performer in Strauss 2 – Performer in Martin 3 – Performer in Ginastera * – Principal Player

Violin 1 Xi Chen, concertmaster Sun Kyung Ban Laura Keller Edson Scheid Nayeon Kim Holly Piccoli

Flute Dariya Nikolenko* Cho-Long Kang

Violin 2 Soo Ryun Baek, principal Seok Jung Lee Geoffrey Herd Joo Hye Lim Hyun Sun Sul Tammy Wang Viola On You Kim, principal Amina Tebini Edwin Kaplan Eleanor James Min Jung Chun Cello James Kim, principal Shinae Kim Soo Jin Chung Neena Deb-Sen Double Bass Nicholas Jones, principal Michael Levin Aleksey Klyushnik

Oboe Kaitlin Taylor Clarinet Emil Khudyev* Wai Lau Bassoon Meryl Summers Horn Andrew Mee* Jamin Morden Trumpet Kyle Sherman Trombone Ruben Rodriguez Timpani John Corkill, 2, 3 Percussion Leonardo Gorosito, 2 Harp Kristan Toczko, 3 Maura Valenti, 1 Piano Jian Liu

philharmonia orchestra of yale

Assistant Joseph Peters Music Librarians Yeseul Ann Wai Lau Holly Piccoli Liesl Schoenberger Kaitlin Taylor Elizabeth Upton Sara Wollmacher Stage Crew Landres Bryant Paul Futer Michael Levin Brian Reese Ruben Rodriguez Hermelindo Ruiz Andreas Stoltzfus Craig Watson David Wharton

The Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale is one of America’s foremost music school ensembles. The largest performing group at the Yale School of Music, the Philharmonia offers superb training in orchestral playing and repertoire. Performances include an annual series of concerts in Woolsey Hall, as well as Yale Opera productions in the Schubert Performing Arts Center. In addition to its New Haven appearances, the Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale has performed on numerous occasions in Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York City and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The Philharmonia recently undertook its first tour of Asia, with acclaimed performances in the Seoul Arts Center, the Forbidden City Concert Hall and National Center for the Performing Arts (Beijing), and the Shanghai Grand Theatre.

The beginnings of the Yale Philharmonia can be traced to 1894, when an orchestra was organized under the leadership of the School’s first dean, Horatio Parker. The orchestra became known as the Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale in 1973, with the appointment of Otto-Werner Mueller as resident conductor and William Steinberg, then music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony, as Sanford Professor of Music. Brazilian conductor Eleazar di Carvalho became music director in 1987, and Gunther Herbig joined the conducting staff as guest conductor and director of the Affiliate Artists Conductors program in 1990. Lawrence Leighton Smith, music director of The Louisville Symphony Orchestra, conducted the Philharmonia for a decade, and upon his retirement in 2004, Shinik Hahm was appointed music director.

notes on the program

ernest bloch 1880–1959

Concerto Grosso No. 1 Although he was born in Switzerland in 1880, Ernest Bloch went on to become one of the most important teachers of composition in America in the early twentieth century. In 1916, he immigrated to America, where he took up a professorship at Mannes College of Music. In 1920, he was asked to be the first director of the Cleveland Institute of Music, and in 1925, he moved on to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. After spending much of the 1930s in Switzerland, he returned to the United States, where he taught at UC Berkeley from 1940 to 1952. Bloch retired to Agate Beach, Oregon, where he died in 1959.

Bloch’s music was often characterized by Jewish themes and subjects, as in his well-known Schelomo (1915-16) for cello and orchestra.

This is not true of the first Concerto Grosso (1925), which is written in a more abstract, neoclassical vein. The opening Prelude begins with powerful accents and rich sonorities in the strings, while the piano obbligato establishes itself as an important counterweight to the larger ensemble. The second movement, Dirge, makes use of solo strings for the first time, suggesting an affinity with the concerti grossi of earlier masters such as Corelli and Bach. The third movement, Pastorale and Rustic Dances, includes a traditional Swiss folk tune—a nationalistic element rare in Bloch’s writing. Finally, the last movement is an energetic fugue that strengthens the link between the concerti grossi of the Baroque period and Bloch’s modern reimagining of the form.

All program notes by Jordan Kuspa

notes on the program

richard strauss 1864–1949

Duet-Concertino for clarinet, bassoon, and strings The Duet-Concertino, written in 1947, was the one of the final completed works of Richard Strauss, post-dated only by the famous Four Last Songs. Like the late Oboe Concerto and the two Sonatinas for Winds, the work shows Strauss at his most Mozartian. Modest forces, singing melodies, and transparency of texture are the hallmarks of these late works.

The three-movement Duet-Concertino is structured much like a Classical concerto, following the traditional format of fast movement, slow movement, and rondo-finale. Somewhat unusually, the final movement is longer than the first two combined. This imbalance is hardly felt, however, as all three movements are of a predominantly lyrical character. The opening clarinet solo is comparable to the ravishing melodies of Der Rosenkavalier in its grace and beauty, while the bassoon soliloquy that begins the second movement is surely one of the loveliest passages for that instrument in the literature.

Strauss told conductor Clemens Krauss that the Duet-Concertino had a connection with Hans Christian Andersen’s story “The Swineherd,” in which a prince (here, the bassoon) attempts to woo a princess (the clarinet) by working as a swineherd at her father’s palace. However, he told the bassoonist Hugo Burghauser (the work’s dedicatee) a different scenario, in which a dancing princess (the clarinet) is startled by the unusual antics of a bear (the bassoon). When the princess ultimately dances with the bear, it is miraculously transformed into a prince.

notes on the program

frank martin 1890–1974

Ballade No. 2 for flute, string orchestra, piano, and percussion Frank Martin was, like Ernest Bloch, born in Switzerland. While Bloch left Switzerland and became an American citizen, Martin remained in Europe and became one of the foremost Swiss composers in history. The Ballade as a form clearly held great appeal to Martin, as he wrote several examples for various instruments. Others in his oeuvre include works for viola, cello, piano, flute, and trombone.

Yet Martin doesn’t use the term ballade (as many of his predecessors such as Fauré and Franck did) to mean an accessible, singing work.

Rather, Martin’s ballades are often gritty and harmonically complex. In this respect, perhaps a parallel can be drawn back to the ballades of Chopin, whose four examples for piano are certainly both rhapsodic and epic – which is how Maria Martin described her late husband’s work.

Maria Martin has written about the Ballade No. 2: In mid-2008 I discovered a previously unnoticed handwritten manuscript

by Frank Martin, entitled Deuxieme Ballade pour Flute et Piano ou Flute, Orchestre à cordes, Piano et Batterie. This is an arrangement of Martin’s Ballade for Saxophone and String Orchestra, Piano and Percussion, made by the composer. The original was written for Sigurd Rascher in 1938. It is not clear when this arrangement was made, although Frank Martin wrote ‘1938’ at the end of the flute part in the second Ballade. It is quite probable, however, that the arrangement for flute was not made until the autumn of 1939, the year in which the first Ballade for flute and the Ballade for piano and orchestra were composed.

After a private performance of the work in December 2008, the participants and audience were so delighted by the special qualities of this arrangement and the excellent treatment of the flute part that I felt called upon to publish the work. The first performance took place on August 31, 2009 as part of a Frank Martin project at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague.

notes on the program

alberto ginastera 1916–1983

Variaciones concertantes From an early age, Alberto Ginastera was recognized as one of the most important Argentinian composers. His early successes in his home country led to studies at Tanglewood with Aaron Copland, and to tours of the United States that included visits to music schools such as Juilliard, Columbia, and Yale. In 1948, he was instrumental in founding the Argentine section of the International Society for Contemporary Music, and he organized and directed the conservatory of music and theatre arts at the National University of La Plata.

At about this time, Ginastera’s signature blend of elements from folk music, avant-garde music, and classical formalism coalesced into a mature style. His String Quartet No. 1 (1948) is a prime example of the vigor of his musical imagination.

However, all was not smooth sailing for long. In 1952, Ginastera was forced to resign his directorship at La Plata due to his confrontations with the Juan Perón government. He would not regain the post until after Perón’s defeat in 1955, but the turbulent years in between these events were a time of great compositional activity. The Variaciones concertantes (1953) date from this period.

Structured as a theme with eight variations and two interludes, the Variaciones feature the various instruments of the orchestra as soloists in contrasting musical statements that highlight each instrument’s character. The violin variation is a rapid moto perpetuo, while the horn solo that follows is a lush pastoral melody that shows off the velvety tone of the horn’s middle and upper range. All these sections culminate in a wild rondo for full orchestra that draws upon the bountiful rhythmic energy of Ginastera’s Argentinian heritage.

artist profiles

shinik hahm conductor

A dynamic and innovative conductor, Shinik Hahm is the newly appointed chief conductor of the kbs (Korean Broadcasting System) Symphony Orchestra. Concurrently, he is a professor of conducting at the Yale School of Music, where he leads the Yale Philharmonia.

Recently, Maestro Hahm led the kbs Symphony on tour with concerts at the General Assembly of the United Nations, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center. His debut with the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw resulted in an immediate reengagement for the 2010 season. Hahm’s extensive work in China includes collaborations with the China Philharmonic Orchestra, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Shenzhen Symphony, and Shanghai Opera. He was named an honorary professor of Hwa Gong University in China.

In 2006 Hahm successfully completed his tenure as the artistic director and principal conductor of the Daejeon (Korea) Philharmonic Orchestra, with which he toured the U.S. and Japan. Hahm served as music director of the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra from 1993 to 2003 and was profiled on ABC’s World News Tonight for his role in rejuvenating the Abilene community. His leadership has been similarly vital to the Tuscaloosa Symphony, where he has been music director for ten years.

Similarly inspirational to young musicians, Hahm has led the Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale at Carnegie Hall and in Boston, Seoul, Beijing, and Shanghai. His Yale students have won top prizes in prestigious conducting competitions. Hahm has won the Gregor Fitelberg Competition for Conductors, the Walter Hagen Conducting Prize from the Eastman School of Music, and the Shepherd Society Award from Rice University. In 1995 Maestro Hahm was decorated by the Korean government with the Arts & Culture Medal.

artist profiles

frank morelli bassoon

Frank Morelli studied with Stephen Maxym at the Manhattan School of Music and later became the first bassoonist to be awarded a doctorate by the Juilliard School. He has made nine appearances as soloist at Carnegie Hall playing concertos, sinfonias concertantes, and even a solo ballad with the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band. He joined the Yale faculty in 1994. Morelli’s recent CD, Romance and Caprice, with pianist Gilbert Kalish, follows two previous solo CDs on MSR Classics: Bassoon Brasileiro with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and guitarist Benjamin Verdery, and Baroque Fireworks, with harpsichordist Kenneth Cooper and oboist Stephen Taylor. The American Record Guide raved, “The bassoon playing on this recording is a good as it gets.” The Orpheus CD Shadow Dances, which features Morelli, won a 2001 Grammy Award.

A prolific chamber musician, Frank Morelli has appeared with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center on numerous occasions.

He has participated in major music festivals including Norfolk, Marlboro, Banff, and Music@Menlo. He is a member of Festival Chamber Music and of the woodwind quintet Windscape, which is in residence at the Manhattan School of Music and with whom he has recorded two recent CDs. Mr. Morelli also serves on the faculties of the Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music, and SUNY Stony Brook. He is editor of Stravinsky: Difficult Passages for Bassoon and has several transcriptions for bassoon and woodwind quintet to his credit, published by Trevco Music. » www.morellibassoon.com

artist profiles

david shifrin clarinet

One of only two wind players to have been awarded the Avery Fisher Prize, clarinetist David Shifrin is in constant demand as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. He has performed with numerous major orchestras, including the Seattle, Houston, Detroit, and Denver symphonies, the Philadelphia and Minnesota orchestras, and orchestras in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Taiwan. In addition, he has served as principal clarinetist with the American Symphony Orchestra (under Stokowski) and the Cleveland Orchestra, among several others.

Mr. Shifrin has appeared in critically acclaimed recitals around the world, including at Alice Tully Hall, Weill Recital Hall, the 92nd Street Y, Library of Congress, and throughout Germany. His recordings (on Delos, DGG, Angel/EMI, Arabesque, BMG, SONY, and CRI) continue to garner praise as well as awards, and he has received three Grammy nominations. Mr. Shifrin continues to broaden the repertoire for clarinet and orchestra by championing the works of 20th- and 21st-century American composers including, among others, John Adams, Joan Tower, John Corigliano, Bright Sheng, and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. An artist member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center since 1989, Mr. Shifrin served as its artistic director from 1992 to 2004. He is also the artistic director of Chamber Music Northwest in Portland, Oregon. David Shifrin has been a professor of music at the Yale School of Music since 1987.

He has also served on the faculties of the Juilliard School, the University of Southern California, the University of Michigan, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the University of Hawaii. He is the artistic director of the Chamber Music Society at Yale and the Yale in New York concert series.

artist profiles

ranson wilson flute

Ransom Wilson was educated at the North Carolina School of the Arts and the Juilliard School, and continued his postgraduate studies as an Atlantique Scholar in France with Jean-Pierre Rampal. As flute soloist he has appeared with the Israel Philharmonic, the English Chamber Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, I Solisti Veneti, the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and the chamber orchestras of Nice, Stuttgart, Cologne, and the Netherlands. He is an artist member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

As a conductor, Mr. Wilson is the music director and principal conductor of Solisti New York, which he founded in 1981. He is music director of Opera Omaha and the San Francisco Chamber Symphony, as well as artistic director of the OK Mozart Festival in Oklahoma. He was honored by the Austrian government with the Award of Merit in Gold in recognition of his efforts on behalf of Mozart’s music in America, and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Alabama.

A strong supporter of contemporary music, Mr. Wilson has had works composed for him by Steve Reich, Aaron Jay Kernis, Ezra Laderman, Randall Woolf, Peter Schickele, Joseph Schwantner, John Harbison, Jean Francaix, Jean-Michel Damase, George Tsontakis, Tania LĂŠon, and Deborah Drattel. In 2007 he was appointed director of the symphony orchestra and teacher of conducting at the North Carolina School of the Arts. He joined the Yale faculty in 1991.

artist profiles

jian liu piano

Pianist Jian Liu has appeared on concert stages in China, Japan, Portugal, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United States, and with the Symphony Orchestra of the National Philharmonic Society of Ukraine, Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Scottsdale Symphony Orchestra, and Chandler Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Liu’s performances were broadcast by various radio and TV stations including KPHO in Phoenix and Suisse Romande Radio in Switzerland.

Since winning first prize at the Sixth Missouri Southern International Piano Competition in 1996, Mr. Liu has been honored at various national and international competitions, including the Third Horowitz International Piano Competition in Ukraine and the MTNA Chamber Music Competition in 2002.

Mr. Liu has been a featured artist alongside pianist Maria JoĂŁo Pires, cellist Jian Wang, clarinetist David Shifrin, Boston Symphony Orchestra cellist Alexandre Lecarme, and violinist Sarita Kwok. His artistry has taken him to some of the most prestigious concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall, and Rose Theater of Lincoln Center. Currently, Mr. Liu serves as a collaborative pianist at the Yale School of Music. In March 2011, Mr. Liu will join the piano faculty at New Zealand School of Music in Wellington, New Zealand, as an assistant professor.

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Kavafian-Schub-Shifrin Trio yale school of music Box Office · 203 432-4158 concerts & media Dana Astmann Monica Ong Reed Danielle Heller Richard Henebry

Tue, Mar 1 | 8 pm | Sprague Hall Tickets $20–30 | Students $10 Ani Kavafian, violin & viola; David Shifrin, clarinet; and Andre-Michel Schub, piano. Mozart: “Kegelstatt” Trio, K. 498; Schumann: Fairy Tales, Op. 132; Milhaud: Suite; Stravinsky: Suite from Histoire du Soldat.

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Wed, Mar 2 | 8 pm | Sprague Hall | Free Mozart: String Quartet E-flat Major, K. 428; Bridge: Three Idylls; Beethoven: String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 132. Sarah McElravy and Catherine Cosbey, violins; Eric Wong, viola; Felix Umansky, cello.

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Wed, Mar 23 | 8 pm | Sprague Hall Tickets $12–$22 | Students $6 Scarlatti: Four Sonatas; Chopin: Two Nocturnes, Op. 27, and Fantaisie in F minor, Op. 49; Joseph Schwantner: Palindromes; Ravel: Sonatine; and Ginastera: Piano Sonata.