A Student Matinee Concert
Featuring the National Arts Centre Orchestra
Jean-Philippe Tremblay, Conductor
Holy Heart High School, St. John’s, Newfoundland
Tuesday, November 12, 2002
A Teacher’s Study Guide
National Arts Centre Orchestra
Student Matinee “Schubert’s Party”
Tuesday, November 12th, 2002 at 13:00
Holy Heart High School, St. John’s, Newfoundland
Did you know that Schubert was a party animal? This Viennese composer is best
known for his inspirational melodies written for voice, piano and orchestra. But he also
loved to party and had many friends who attended his famous musical soirées known as
Schubertiads! We're having one too - so come and join us! Conductor Jean-Philippe
Tremblay will lead the National Arts Centre Orchestra in a fun-filled concert featuring the
life, times and music of Beethoven's contemporary - Franz Schubert.
CONCERT PROGRAMME
Jean-Philippe Tremblay, conductor
Stephen Lush, narrator
Donnie Deacon, violin and conductor
Sean Rice, clarinet
Caroline Schiller, soprano
Philip Roberts, piano
Schubert
Symphony No. 3 in D major, 3rd movement
Schubert
Die Forelle
Caroline Schiller, soprano
Philip Roberts, piano
Schubert
String Quartet, “Death and the Maiden”
NACO string principals
Beethoven
Symphony No. 3, 1st movement
Schubert
Arr: Walter Fischhoff
Marche Militaire
With student recorders
Paganini
Arr: Winston Webber
Cantabile in D major
Donnie Deacon, violin
Rossini
Overture from The Italian Girl in Algiers
Weber
Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F minor, 1st movement
Sean Rice, clarinet
Schubert
Symphony No. 3, 4th movement
1
Programme Notes
FRANZ PETER SCHUBERT
Born in Vienna, January 31, 1797; died there, November 19, 1828
Symphony No. 3 in D major
Third movement: Menuetto vivace
In 1815, at the age of 19, Schubert produced an astonishing amount of music - nearly 200
compositions - including his Third Symphony. There are four movements to this half-hour-long
work, from which we will hear today the third and fourth. Like most symphonies of the time, it
requires pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets and timpani (drums), plus a full
string ensemble.
You will probably notice that it is mostly the violins that carry the melody lines. You will also
sense a strong rhythmic element that makes you want to tap your foot or even move your whole
body in response to the music. This is particularly noticeable in the third movement. The full
orchestra announces the thematic subject - not a real "theme" you can hum, but definitely
memorable for the rhythmic trick Schubert is playing with your ears. At first you will probably think
that the music begins right "on" the beat - after all, it does begin with a strong accent. But quickly
you will discover that the first note is an "upbeat," as is each of the following accented notes.
The contrasting central episode of this movement has a folklike flavor and is a true gem of
Schubertian grace. Two woodwind instruments are featured here, the oboe and the bassoon. The
oboe is the higher voice, the bassoon the lower.
2
FRANZ PETER SCHUBERT
"Die Forelle" (The Trout)
Schubert left the world a vast treasure trove of songs - over six hundred! - all written in the
short space of just 17 years, and all in addition to an enormous amount of other music as well.
Many of these songs rank among the most beloved ever written.
One of these in particular is a great favourite, a perfect creation called "Die Forelle" (The
Trout), which Schubert wrote at the age of 20. You can almost see the fish merrily splashing about
in the sparkling water. The piano part, as in most fine Lieder (German art songs), is far more than
just an accompaniment. It participates equally with the voice to provide a total musical picture of
great charm and appeal. The words are by Christian Friedrich Schubart (not Schubert!), an
eighteenth-century German poet. Schubert later used this melody as the basis for a theme and
variations movement in his Trout Quintet, written for violin, viola, cello, double bass and piano.
The Trout
I stood beside the brooklet
And watched the merry trout
As friskily it darted
Around and all about.
I stood upon the bank
Lost in a quiet dream
And watched the troutlet swimming
In that clear mountain stream.
An angler, rod held high,
Upon the other side
In stony silence standing
The lively trout espied.
Long may the water glitter,
The sheen unbroken lie,
That stony-hearted angler
Will lose his catch, thought I.
But suddenly the poacher
His patience spent, alas,
Stirred up the turbid water,
And all in a split flash
He, clasping, jerked his rod,
the trout was in the air,
And I with beating heart
Beheld her dangling there.
3
FRANZ PETER SCHUBERT
String Quartet No. 14 in D minor (Death and the Maiden)
First movement: Allegro
Schubert began his Quartet in D minor in early 1824 at the age of 27. The previous year
had brought him to the depths of despair and frustration. One of the reasons for his depression
was a prolonged stay in the hospital during which he came to the realization that his illness (most
certainly syphilis, for which no cure then existed) was probably fatal and that he had not long left to
live. The prevailing dark, somber and tragic mood of the D-minor quartet reflects this despondent
state of mind, and the composer's gloomy thoughts on life and death, the past and the future.
The quartet takes its nickname, "Death and the Maiden," from a song of the same title
Schubert had set seven years earlier to a poem by Matthias Claudius. Schubert borrowed the
song's opening passage, slightly modified, to serve as the basis of a set of variations for the
second movement.
The obsession with tiny repeated rhythmic figures we found in the finale of the third
Symphony returns in the first movement of this string quartet. The quartet opens with music of
great visceral impact, a full, chordal figure hurled forth in great anger by all the strings. The quick
triplet figure is heard almost continuously throughout the movement, either in the foreground or the
background. The second subject, in F major, consists of two connected ideas, both themes of
easygoing lyricism. One of the movement's most memorable passages is its coda (an extra
passage at the end), based on the opening subject. One writer, Brian Newbould, calls it music of
"aching grief ... the final sobs in a monumental tragedy."
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Born in Bonn, Germany, December 16, 1770; died in Vienna, March 26, 1827
Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55 (Eroica)
First movement: Allegro con brio
Beethoven wrote most of his Eroica Symphony in late 1803 and completed it in early 1804.
(Schubert would have been about six or seven at the time.) Originally the work was dedicated to
the great French military leader, Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon represented to Beethoven all that
was noble and glorious in the human race - a daring young man who had risen through the ranks
on his own initiative and powers, who had liberated men from tyranny, who had defied oppressive
governments, and who was espousing the battle cry of the French Revolution: "Liberté, Égalité,
Fraternité!" But when Beethoven learned that Napoleon had proclaimed himself Emperor (May,
1804), he withdrew the dedication. Some time later, when the work was published in 1806,
Beethoven inscribed the title "Sinfonia Eroica, Composed to Celebrate the Memory of a Great
Man." This great man might have been an ideal, non-existent hero, but more likely, it was the spirit
of heroism itself that interested Beethoven. To some people, the real hero of the Eroica is music
itself.
The Eroica is important musically as well as historically. In size and breadth, it far surpassed
anything of its kind previously written. Its harmonic language was highly advanced for its age. The
4
intensely strong rhythms and spiky dissonances disturbed many listeners at early performances. In
the first movement, Beethoven employed no fewer than eight motivic building blocks.
FRANZ PETER SCHUBERT
Marche militaire No. 1 in D major, arranged for string orchestra by Walter Fischhoff
No famous composer wrote more music for one piano - four hands than Schubert. The
medium attracted him throughout his life, beginning at the age of 13 when he wrote a little Fantasia
in G major. The Marche militaire in D major is the first of three published in 1826 as Op. 51. It has
been subjected to countless transcriptions and arrangements, for everything from accordion to full
symphony orchestra, for purposes ranging from the tearoom to the three-ring circus to the concert
hall. Whatever the medium, the form remains the same: a three-part structure consisting of similar
outer sections in a brisk military tone framing a central episode of more lyric character.
NICOLO PAGANINI
Born in Genoa, Italy, October 27, 1782; died in Nice, France, May 27, 1840
Cantabile, arranged for string orchestra by Winston Webber
Words like "dazzling," "stupefying," "incredible" and "unique" have largely lost their impact
today through an overdose of media hype. But no performer in musical history more deserved to
be regarded in these terms than Nicolo Paganini. This virtuoso exerted an absolutely magical,
mesmerizing effect on all who heard him, and not just the easily-swayed public. Nearly every great
composer of the era was similarly affected. Schubert, not a musician to be easily impressed by
mere showmanship, likened his playing to the singing of an angel. The stimulus that caused such
responses is simple to explain, for in his day (the early nineteenth century), Paganini surpassed
every other violinist in the history of music by light years in his technical wizardry, velocity,
intonation and arsenal of special effects.
But there was another, lesser-known side to Paganini. He was equally capable of writing
simple, charming little numbers like this Cantabile, a piece with a sweetly ingratiating melody such
as Schubert might have written. Originally composed for violin with guitar accompaniment, it was
not published until 1922, nearly a century after the composer's death.
5
GIOACHINO ROSSINI
Born in Pesaro, Italy February 29, 1792;
died in Passy (a suburb of Paris), November 13, 1868
Overture from The Italian Girl in Algiers
Some composers just seem to have it all - talent, precocity, fecundity, wealth, fame,
popularity, flair and wit. Schubert certainly had the first three, but Gioachino Rossini had them all.
Just consider: Within a one-year period, he saw the premieres of five - FIVE! - of his operas in
various important Italian theaters, including La Scala. The year was 1812, and Rossini was just 20
years old! (He was born five years before Schubert.) When Rossini drew the curtains on his
operatic career in 1829, at the age of 37, he held the distinction of being the world's most
celebrated composer, Beethoven having died two years previously.
Rossini's rich legacy of music is found today equally on the operatic stage and in the
concert hall. Although only a handful of his operas are performed with any regularity, at least a
dozen overtures are staples of the orchestral repertory, including that to L'Italiana in Algeri (The
Italian Girl in Algiers). Tribute to Rossini's genius and popular appeal also continues on a regular
basis through the use of his music in numerous radio and television commercials, films and
cartoons, probably to a degree unmatched by any other single composer.
What gives Rossini's music that magical, irresistible appeal, an appeal that transcends
distinctions between "classical" and "popular" music? Essentially what Rossini accomplished was
to make opera into pure entertainment as an end in itself - no political statements, no "big issues,"
no thought-provoking stories, nothing pedantic, nothing too heavily fraught with emotion. In
addition, there is often a good measure of humor, both musical and textual. But the core of
Rossini's musical genius lies in one word - melody, simple melody, and who among us does not
respond to a good tune?
L'Italiana in Algeri, Rossini's tenth opera, was first seen in Venice in 1813. It proved to be
such a success that within four years it could be seen in at least five different Italian theaters
simultaneously. It was the first of his operas to be presented outside of Italy, and was largely
responsible for spreading his reputation abroad. (Just compare Rossini's operatic success with
Schubert's lack of it!)
The story of this harem mix-up on the Barbary Coast takes place unmistakably in the world
of high comedy and irrepressible good humor. Rossini loves a good musical joke, and wastes no
time in startling his quietly expectant audience with a good kick in the pants and a loud guffaw just
moments into the overture. Following the mock serious slow introduction, Rossini allots important
themes to two of his favorite instruments, oboe and piccolo, who, here and elsewhere in Rossini's
music, are called upon to perform high-wire acts of stunning virtuosity.
6
CARL MARIA VON WEBER
Born in Eutin, Germany, December 18, 1786; died in London, June 5, 1826
Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F minor, Op. 73
First movement: Allegro
The early nineteenth century saw rapid developments in the design and construction of
many instruments. One of the greatest beneficiaries of this technical progress was the clarinet, for
which Carl Maria von Weber, a German contemporary of Schubert, wrote no fewer than seven
compositions between 1811 and 1816 featuring the instrument in concerto or chamber music. All
but one were written for the virtuoso Heinrich Bärmann. Both of Weber's clarinet concertos date
from 1811, and were commissioned by the King of Bavaria (today a region of southern Germany).
The concerto opens with a darkly serious subject. This serves as the sole melodic material
for the orchestral exposition, and recurs periodically throughout the movement, though it is never
played by the soloist. The soloist's lines are predominantly lyrical, but there are frequent
opportunities for virtuosic display as well.
FRANZ PETER SCHUBERT
Symphony No. 3 in D major
Fourth movement: Presto vivace
To close today's program, we will hear the finale (last movement) from the symphony
whose third movement opened the concert. Like the third movement, the finale too consists of
music of captivating rhythmic energy. It seems to skip along breathlessly, reflecting both lightness
and driving force. Notice how many times Schubert uses the same few rhythmic figures over and
over. Yet these never become boring, for Schubert knows the secret of how to keep the
momentum going, constantly varying the melodic and harmonic material with great effectiveness.
It all sounds so easy and natural, but only a genius like Schubert can make it so. Try listening to a
symphony by a second- or third-rate composer some day. You'll quickly notice the difference!
7
Meet the Conductor …
Jean-Philippe Tremblay
Apprentice Conductor, National Arts Centre Orchestra
Born in Chicoutimi in 1978, Jean-Philippe Tremblay is considered one of the most promising orchestra
conductors in Canada. In June 2001, he was one of eight conductors chosen from Canada and abroad to
participate in the National Arts Centre’s first annual Conductors Programme led by maestros Jorma
Panula and Pinchas Zukerman. This led to his appointment to the newly created position of Apprentice
Conductor of the NAC Orchestra, funded in part by the Canada Council for the Arts' Conductor-inResidence Programme, and in part through the
generous support and leadership of William and Phyllis
Waters, James and Margaret Fleck, and Sandra
Simpson - all of Toronto. In July 2002, Mr. Tremblay
became the first winner of the $10,000 Joyce Conger
Award for the Arts, which goes in support of his second
season with the NAC Orchestra.
Trained in viola, composition and conducting at the
Quebec Music Conservatory in Chicoutimi, the faculty of
music at the University of Montreal, the Pierre Monteux
School, and the Tanglewood Music Center as well as at
the Royal Academy of Music (London), his professors
included Seiji Ozawa, Robert Spano, André Previn,
Michael Jinbo and Claude Monteux. Mr. Tremblay has
also taken master classes under the direction of Sir
Colin Davis, Yuri Simonov, Daniel Barenboïm, Zdenek
Mácal and Michael Tilson Thomas and the New World
Symphony Orchestra. During the summer of 2000,
invited by Seiji Ozawa and Robert Spano, he became
one of the youngest Conducting Fellows at the
Tanglewood Music Center.
In 2002, he became the first Canadian selected to
participate in the National Conducting Institute a project of the National Symphony Orchestra and the
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, culminating in a concert with the
National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center on June 29.
Jean-Philippe Tremblay is the music director and conductor of the L'Orchestre de la francophonie
canadienne, an orchestra of young musicians which performed a series of 20 concerts in the National
Capital Region and the province of Quebec in honour of the IV Games of the Francophonie in July 2001.
In July 2002 the Orchestra continued with concerts in Quebec City and Montreal, and at the Domaine
Forget International Festival, and the National Arts Centre. He has led many orchestras in Quebec as well
as in the United States and England. In 1996 he founded the Société Cantus Firmus, a chamber
orchestra that has given a number of performances.
Mr. Tremblay first conducted the NAC Orchestra during the final concert of the Conductors Programme in
the summer of 2001. As Apprentice Conductor he led the Orchestra during three concerts in the 2001-02
season and will conduct at least three more in 2002-03.
8
Meet the Soloists …
Donnie Deacon
Principal Second Violin, National Arts Centre Orchestra
Donnie Deacon joined the National Arts Centre Orchestra as
principal second violin in September 2001, having just turned 22 the
same week.
Donnie Deacon was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He began to study
the violin at age 10 and was invited to join the Royal Scottish
Academy of Music at age 11. As a student of Serre Gibson, Mr.
Deacon won all of the Academy competitions and performed as
soloist many times with its orchestra, of which he was concertmaster
at age 13.
Mr. Deacon continued his studies at the Yehudi Menuhin School in
London with Natasha Boyarskaya, and Lord Menuhin himself.
Donnie finished his schooling at the prestigious Curtis Institute of
Music in Philadelphia with Jaime Laredo and Ida Kavafian.
As soloist, Mr. Deacon has performed all over the world with such distinguished orchestras as the Royal
Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, BT Scottish Ensemble, London
Soloists, Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia, Pablo de Sarasate Orchestra, and the Orchestra of the Curtis
Institute of Music.
Mr. Deacon premiered the Violin Concerto by the young Canadian composer William Rowson with the
Curtis Institute Orchestra in 2001. He performed the Canadian premiere of the same piece as guest
soloist with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra in May 2002.
Sean Rice
Guest Clarinetist
Sean Rice is a third year performance major currently studying clarinet
with Paul Bendzsa at Memorial University of Newfoundland. At
Memorial University, he plays with the Concert Band and also holds the
position of assistant principal clarinet with the Newfoundland Symphony
Orchestra. Additionally, Sean is a member of the Gusto Trio and the
Grenadillos Quartet.
In 2002 Sean was selected to perform in the CBC radio series ‘Up and
Coming’. In 2001, he received the Yamaha Rising Star Award and
played lead saxophone in the Yamaha All Star Jazz Band at Musicfest
Canada. In 2000, he competed in and won the Woodwind Category of
the Canadian Federation of Music Festivals National Music Festival.
Sean has also won back-to-back Rosebowls in the local Kiwanis Music
Festival. He received the Junior Rosebowl in 2000 and the Senior
Rosebowl in 2001. Sean has also received runner-up in the 2000 and
2001 Atlantic Debut Young Artists Competition and placed first in the
1999 and 2000 Provincial Music Festivals.
9
Caroline Schiller
Soprano
Caroline Schiller is a professor of voice and director of opera workshop
at Memorial University of Newfoundland. She has a Doctor of Music in
Voice Performance from Florida State University, a Master of Music in
opera performance from New England Conservatory, and a Bachelor of
Music degree from Mount Allison University.
Caroline Schiller’s work has spanned both opera and musical theatre
including her performances in the role of Christine in the original
Toronto cast of Phantom of the Opera. Her concert work includes
performances with the Boston Symphony Chamber Players and the
Montreal Symphony Orchestra. During her career, she has been
involved in the creation of contemporary operatic works at the Banff
Centre, taught and performed with the Charlottetown Festival, and
performed as a vocal fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center. She is a
former winner of the Canadian National Competitive Music Festival and
the International Young Singer of the Year Award.
Philip Roberts
Piano
Philip Roberts, 18, was awarded the "International Medal" for his 1st place
th
win on July 12 , 2002 of the Senior Instrumental Solo Class at the 56th
annual Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in front of an audience of
more than 4000. Philip is a piano performance major at Memorial University
in St. John's, Newfoundland where he studies with Prof. Timothy Steeves.
Philip has attended the Keyboard Festival at the Banff Centre three times
where he studies with Marc Durand of the University of Montreal. In 1998,
Philip was the Junior Rose Bowl winner at the St.John’s Kiwanis Music
Festival. In 2000, he completed the requirements for the Associate piano
performance diploma of the Royal Conservatory of Music. His orchestral
performances include Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Bath’s Cornish
Rhapsody and Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto Nr. 2. He is the 2001 winner of
the Debut-Atlantic - Royal Bank Award for Musical Excellence and has
been heard on CBC several times including national broadcasts as part of
this year’s CBC Up and Coming shows.
10
Stephen Lush
Actor / Narrator
Stephen Lush was introduced to the art of theatre by Montreal
teacher and choreographer, Jo Leslie. He has studied acting at
the neighbourhood playhouse in New York City. Stephen spent
six months in Prague, where he trained at the Charles
University dance center while assisting the administration of the
Czech National Ballet with international correspondences in
English.
Lush’ s diverse theatre history includes work in new dance,
classical theatre and the performance of original material. He
has worked with most of the professional theatre companies in
St. John's, Newfoundland including Rising Tide, RCA, the
Elysian Company, and the Newfoundland Shakespeare
Company. For over 100 episodes, Stephen has been the
creator and voice of Briany Newell, the narrator of CBC One's
Sunday Dinner heard every second Sunday on weekend am.
11
The Orchestra Family
12
For the purposes of the matinee performance, students should rehearse at a tempo of
quarter note = 68
13