Concerts of Thursday, January 8, at 8:00p, Friday, January 9, at 6:30p, and Saturday, January 10, 2015, at 7:30p. Asher Fisch, Conductor

Transcription

1 Concerts of Thursday, January 8, at 8:00p, Friday, January 9, at 6:30p, and Saturday, January 10, 2015, at 7:30p. Asher Fisch, Conductor Daniil Trifonov, piano Franz Liszt ( ) Les préludes, Symphonic Poem No. 3 (1848) Sergei Rachmaninov ( ) Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Opus 43 (1934) Daniil Trifonov, piano Intermission Richard Strauss ( ) Ein heldenleben (A Hero s Life), Opus 40 (1898) The concert of Friday, January 9, featuring the Rachmaninov and Strauss works, will be performed without intermission.

2 Notes on the Program by Ken Meltzer Les préludes, Symphonic Poem No. 3 (1848) Franz Liszt was born in Raiding, Hungary, on October 22, 1811, and died in Bayreuth, Germany, on July 31, The first performance of Les préludes took place in Weimar, Germany, on February 28, 1854, with the composer conducting the Weimar Court Orchestra. Les préludes is scored for piccolo, three flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, field drum, cymbals, bass drum, harp and strings. Approximate performance time is seventeen minutes. First ASO Classical Subscription Performances: December 19 and 20, 1957, Arthur Fiedler, Conductor. Most Recent ASO Classical Subscription Performances: May 11, 12 and 14, 2006, Roberto Minczuk, Conductor. Les préludes is the third of twelve Symphonic Poems written by Franz Liszt during the Hungarian composer, pianist and conductor s tenure at the Weimar court ( ). Liszt originally conceived of the work as an orchestral overture to a setting, for male chorus and piano, of Joseph Autran s cycle of poems, Les Quatres Éléments. Liszt composed the overture during the years However, Liszt finally abandoned the Quatre Éléments portion of the project, and concentrated upon revising his overture. It was then that Liszt received inspiration not from Autran s verse but from the epic poem, Les préludes, included in the 1823 collection, Nouvelles méditations poétiques, by Alphonse de Lamartine ( ). Liszt completed the work he now entitled Les préludes in 1854, and conducted its premiere in Weimar on the 28 th of February. Les préludes enjoyed great popularity during the composer s lifetime, and this thrilling symphonic poem continues to be one of Liszt s most- performed orchestral works. Liszt provided the following synopsis in the preface to the score of his Les préludes: What is our life but a series of Preludes to that unknown song, the first solemn note of which is sounded by Death? The enchanted dawn of every existence is heralded by Love, yet in whose destiny are not the first throbs of happiness interrupted by storms, whose violent blasts dissipate his fond illusions, consuming his altar with fatal fire? And where is it to be found the cruelly bruised soul, that having become the sport of one of these tempests, does not seek oblivion in the sweet quiet of rural life? Nevertheless, man seldom resigns himself to the beneficial calm that at first chained him to Nature s bosom. No sooner does the trumpet sound

3 the alarm, than he runs to the post of danger, be the war what it may, that summons him to its ranks. For there he will find again in the struggle complete self- realization and the full possession of his forces. Musical Analysis Les préludes opens with a slow introduction (Andante). After two pizzicato string chords, the violins play an arching sequence, the first of several manifestations of the work s central theme. The tension mounts, finally resolving into a majestic transformation of the theme by the winds and brass, to swirling accompaniment by the strings (Andante maestoso). The strings play a flowing melody (L istesso tempo), yet another transformation of the central theme, soon lovingly echoed by the solo horn. The horns and violas introduce the radiant, second principal theme, marked espressivo ma tranquillo. The calm is disturbed by an agitated figure in the cellos (Allegro ma non troppo), again a variant of the opening theme. This leads to a tempestuous episode, which serves as the opening of the work s development section. The mood finally calms, and a solo oboe heralds a sequence depicting the sweet quiet of rural life (Allegretto pastorale). The horns and violas reprise the second melody, soon combining with the work s principal theme. The thrilling, final sequence (Allegro marziale animato) concludes with the central theme, presented in its most heroic form. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Opus 43 (1934) Sergei Rachmaninov was born in Semyonovo, Russia, on April 1, 1873, and died in Beverly Hills, California, on March 28, The first performance of the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini took place in at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore, Maryland, on November 7, 1934, with the composer as soloist, and Leopold Stokowski conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra. In addition to the solo piano, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, orchestra bells, suspended cymbals, snare drum, triangle, cymbals, bass drum, harp and strings. Approximate performance time is twenty- four minutes. First ASO Classical Subscription Performance: March 31, 1956, Artur Rubinstein, Piano, Henry Sopkin, Conductor. Most Recent ASO Classical Subscription Performances: February 25, 26 and 27, 2010, Jon Kimura Parker, Piano, Mei- Ann Chen, Conductor. Paganini and Rachmaninov While the legendary Italian violinist Nicolò Paganini ( ) is acknowledged as one of the greatest virtuosos of all time, his compositions have not enjoyed a similar level of

4 adulation. Still, composers as diverse as Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms, Boris Blacher, Witold Lutoslawski and George Rochberg have all made Paganini s music the basis for their own compositions. One Paganini composition in particular the last of his 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Opus 1 has served as the inspiration for several works, including Sergei Rachmaninov s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Opus 43. In certain respects, it is ironic that the Russian composer, pianist and conductor would focus his attention upon Paganini and his music. While both were among the most accomplished instrumentalists of their respective eras, perhaps no two figures in music history have projected such diametrically opposed personas. Well before the age of the intense marketing efforts that attend many of the superstars in today s music industry, Paganini understood the value of publicity, particularly of the sensational variety. Paganini did little to stifle incredible rumors that he learned to play the violin on a single- stringed instrument while serving a prison sentence for murder, or that his unique talents resulted from a pact with the devil. In fact, Paganini encouraged these stories, and others, at every turn. The violinist s shoulder- length hair, and gaunt, black- attired figure, only served to reinforce the diabolical association. In public, Rachmaninov was as reserved as Paganini was flamboyant. Igor Stravinsky once described his friend as a six- and- a- half- foot- tall scowl. In his book The Great Pianists, Harold C. Schonberg begins his chapter on Rachmaninov (entitled The Puritan ) in the following manner: The tall, dour, lank, unsmiling figure of Sergei Rachmaninov, with its seamed face and head of close- cropped (almost shaved) hair invariably reminded the public of a convict on the loose. No audience ever saw him unbend, ever saw that sorrowful Russian face relax, ever saw the least crack in his gravity. On the other hand, Rachmaninov s friends and family knew a side of the musician s personality never divulged to the general public. Rachmaninov was, according to those close to him, a warm and generous man. Music critic Olin Downes recalled that Rachmaninov was also capable of what many never suspected: of uproarious humor. But, he once said to us, when I took my desk at the Imperial Opera House, as long as I was there, they never saw me smile! And laughed as he said it. The Rhapsody s Premiere The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Rachmaninov s final work for solo piano and orchestra, was completed in 1934 and premiered that same year in Baltimore on November 7. Rachmaninov was the piano soloist, performing with Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra. That Christmas Eve, those same musicians recorded the work for RCA. This invaluable historical document (think of what we would give for

5 recordings of Mozart, Beethoven or Chopin interpreting their own compositions!) remains available. Rachmaninov s famed prodigious technique, which allowed him to negotiate the most difficult passages with ease and clarity, is evident throughout the 1934 recording. Equally striking is a lack of the interpretive indulgences and excesses many assume to be integral to the performance of late- Romantic repertoire. In truth, Rachmaninov s taut, straightforward (and flawlessly executed) rendition of his Rhapsody is ideally suited to a work notable for its unity of construction, logical sequential argument, inexorable forward movement, and admirable partnership of soloist and orchestra. Musical Analysis While the term Rhapsody traditionally suggests a rather free- flowing piece, Rachmaninov s composition is, in fact, a tightly organized series of twenty- four variations on the principal theme of the Paganini Caprice No. 24. Although the Rhapsody is performed as a single continuous movement, it actually divides rather neatly into four sections: Variations I- XI constitute the opening fast portion (with cadenza), Variations XII- XV are a combination minuet and scherzo, Variations XVI- XVIII offer a slow interlude, and Variations XIX- XXIV constitute the lively, concluding portion. The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini teems with felicities that, at every turn, display Rachmaninov's skill and imagination as a composer. Take, for example, the work's opening measures, in which the first variation precedes the introduction of the theme itself! Rachmaninov s preoccupation with the ancient Dies Irae chant is well documented, and it is fascinating to see how the composer weaves this music into Variations VII, X, and XXIV. Certainly the inclusion of the Dies Irae ( Day of Wrath ), as well as the use of the bone- rattling col legno effects in Variation IX, inject a diabolical (Paganinian?) element into the Rhapsody. Even the unforgettable Andante cantabile melody in Variation XVIII is the product of a bit of compositional legerdemain, as it is derived from an inversion of the original Paganini theme. Rachmaninov believed that each musical piece contained what he termed the point, the work s culminating moment. In the Rhapsody, the point bursts onto the scene in the concluding variation, with the Paganini theme overwhelmed by a blazing account of the Dies Irae. Still, Rachmaninov, the inventive composer and private humorist, offers one last delightful surprise, as the Rhapsody ends not with the expected orchestral bang. Instead, the soloist teases with a hushed fragment of the Paganini theme. Ein heldenleben (A Hero s Life), Opus 40 (1898) Richard Strauss was born in Munich, Germany, on June 11, 1864, and died in Garmisch- Partenkirchen, Germany, on September 8, The first performance of

6 Ein heldenleben took place at the Museumsgesellschaft of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, on March 3, 1899, with the composer conducting. Ein heldenleben is scored for piccolo, three flutes, four oboes, English horn, E- flat clarinet, two clarinets, bass clarinet, three bassoons, contrabassoon, eight horns, two trumpets in E- flat, three trumpets in B- flat, three trombones, B- flat tenor tuba, bass tuba, timpani, small military drum, cymbals, suspended cymbals, tam- tam, triangle, bass drum, large tenor drum, two harps and strings. Approximate performance time is forty- five minutes. First ASO Classical Subscription Performance: March 10, 1965, Robert Mann, Conductor. Most Recent ASO Classical Subscription Performances: April 13, 14 and 15, 2006, Robert Spano, Conductor. In the summer of 1898, Richard Strauss, while vacationing in the mountain resort of Marquartstein, wrote: Since Beethoven s Eroica is so extremely unpopular with our conductors and hence rarely performed(!), I am filling a desperate need by composing a tone poem of substantial length called Hero s Life, which has no funeral march to be sure, but is yet in E- flat major with lots of horn sound, since horns are, after all, the thing for heroism. Thanks to the healthy country air, my sketch has progressed so well here that, if no special delay develops, I can hope to finish the work by New Year s. During the last decade or so of the nineteenth century, Strauss elevated the tone poem to new and dazzling heights. The composer often called upon immortal literary characters as the basis for such orchestral works as Macbeth (1888), Don Juan (1888), Also sprach Zarathustra (1896) and Don Quixote (1897). The question naturally arose as to what lofty personage would be the immortal Hero Strauss would portray in his newest work. The answer raised more than a few eyebrows. I do not see why I should not compose a symphony about myself; I find myself quite as interesting as Napoleon or Alexander, Strauss confided to his friend and admirer, Romain Rolland. Certainly there was historical precedent for music as a form of autobiographical expression Hector Berlioz s 1830 Symphonie fantastique being perhaps the most famous example. Further, Strauss s lampooning of his critics in Ein heldenleben is a direct musical descendent of Richard Wagner s humiliation of the pedantic Sixtus Beckmesser in his 1868 opera, Die Meistersinger. Still, the composer s generous self- assessment both in his comments to Rolland and in the grandiose music of Ein heldenleben seems highly at odds with a life that was remarkable for its lack of adventure and excitement. It is perhaps important to keep in mind that Strauss was a man with a keen sense of humor and the capacity to laugh at himself. A comment by Strauss also helps to place

7 Ein heldenleben in context: I think so strongly of Don Quixote and Ein heldenleben as being directly linked together that in particular Don Quixote is only fully and completely comprehensible when put side by side with Heldenleben. Clearly, the perceptions of a man who mistakes windmills for giants, and sheep and goats for enemy soldiers, do not comport with objective reality. But it is precisely the heroic strivings against all odds and reality that make Cervantes s knight- errant such an endearing character. And it is perhaps the aspiration in all of us to the heroic that allows the listener to thrill to the saga depicted so masterfully in Strauss s Ein heldenleben, despite its lack of confluence with the composer s actual existence. Richard Strauss completed the full score of Ein heldenleben on December 27, Although Strauss dedicated the work to conductor Willem Mengelberg and the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, the composer himself conducted the Museumsgesellschaft of Frankfurt- Am- Mein in the work s March 3, 1899 premiere. Strauss, in characteristic fashion, did not provide a detailed program for the initial performances of Ein heldenleben. There is no need for a program. It is enough to know that a hero is battling his enemies, Strauss told Rolland. Of course, Ein heldenleben, like any piece of great program music, may be enjoyed without knowledge of the extra- musical connotations. However, the composer did subsequently divulge the story line of Ein heldenleben to numerous friends and professional acquaintances. Musical Analysis While Ein heldenleben is performed as a single continuous work, it neatly divides into six sections. I. The Hero The work begins with a bold statement of the protagonist s wide- ranging main theme, followed by the introduction of numerous subsidiary themes associated with the Hero. The section builds to a grand climax. A dominant seventh chord, followed by a pause, create a heightened sense of drama and anticipation. II. The Hero s Adversaries Here, Strauss meets his critics, portrayed by a cacophonous series of motifs, played by the woodwinds and brass. The Hero responds with minor- key versions of his themes, but the critics are unmoved. Finally, a bold major- key statement by the brass indicates the Hero s temporary dismissal of his enemies. III. The Hero s Companion The Hero encounters his love interest, personified in the orchestra by the solo violin. Rolland inquired of Strauss about this section of Ein heldenleben: I asked Strauss about the hero s wife, who had intrigued the audience so greatly some found her a perverse woman, others a coquette, etc. He said: Neither one nor the other. A little of all that. It s my wife I wanted to show. She is very complex, very feminine, a little perverse, a little

8 coquettish, never like herself, at every minute different from how she had been the moment before. The mercurial characteristics of Strauss s wife, Pauline, are portrayed in an extended solo violin passage that poses enormous technical and interpretive hurdles. The Hero, personified by the orchestra, engages in conversation with his Beloved. Finally, a passionate love sequence ensues. As the music subsides, the cackling of the hero s adversaries is heard in the distance. The sound of trumpets summons the hero to battle against his enemies. Again, the music builds to a climax, with the briefest of pauses, just before the battle is joined. IV. The Hero s Deeds of War Over the din of drums and trumpet calls, the motifs of the Hero and his enemies collide in a passage of extraordinary violence and energy. Also present is the theme of the Hero s Beloved. Finally, a grand and further developed statement of the protagonist s main theme proclaims his victory. The Hero s identification with other larger- than- life characters is reflected by a quick succession of quotations from the composer s Don Juan and Also sprach Zarathustra. A short motif played by the tubas personifies a critic first heard in The Hero s Adversaries (but not during the battle sequence). The Hero defeats his remaining foe, and the music calms. V. The Hero s Works of Peace Over harp accompaniment, the bassoon and English horn offer a peaceful, canonic variation of the Hero s theme. In an extraordinary sequence, the Hero s reflections upon his achievements are depicted by a series of quotations from such Strauss compositions as the tone poems Don Juan, Also sprach Zarathustra, Tod und Verklärung, Don Quixote, Till Eulenspiegel, as well as the song Traum durch die Dämmerung. VI. The Hero s Retreat From the World The critic, again personified by the tubas, is unmoved, and disturbs the Hero s reverie. The Hero lashes back at his antagonist. Peace returns as the English horn, over timpani accompaniment, plays a flowing, lyrical variation of the protagonist s main theme. The music grows in ardor, but is interrupted by ghoulish reminiscences of the battle sequence. The Hero s wife, again personified by the violin, offers comfort, and engages in an extended duet with the horn. The trumpets intone a grand statement of the opening notes of the Hero s theme that ultimately form a majestic E- flat chord. A brief diminuendo brings the Hero s saga to a serene conclusion.