Concerts of Thursday, December 1, and Saturday, December 3, 2016, at
8:00p.
Laura Jackson, Conductor
Avi Avital, mandolin
Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936)
Antiche danze ed arie (Ancient Airs and Dances), Suite I (1917)
I. Balletto detto “Il Conte Orlando”
II. Gagliarda
III. Villanella
IV. Passo mezzo e Mascherada
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Mandolin Concerto in C Major, R.425 (rev. Gian Francesco Malipiero)
I. Allegro
II. Largo
III. Allegro
Avi Avital, mandolin
Avner Dorman (b. 1975)
Mandolin Concerto (2006)
I. Adagio religioso—Allegro—Andante—Presto—Adagio—Andante
II. Allegro
III. Meno mosso—Adagio
Avi Avital, mandolin
Intermission
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Opus 74 (“Pathétique”) (1893)
I. Adagio; Allegro non troppo
II. Allegro con grazia
III. Allegro molto vivace
IV. Finale. Adagio lamentoso
Notes on the Program by Ken Meltzer
Antiche danze ed arie (Ancient Airs and Dances), Suite I (1917)
Ottorino Respighi was born in Bologna, Italy, on July 9, 1879, and died in
Rome, Italy, on April 18, 1936. Suite I of the Ancient Airs and Dances is
scored for two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two bassoons, two horns,
trumpet, harp, harpsichord, and strings. Approximate performance time is
sixteen minutes.
These are the First Classical Subscription Performances.
Italian composer Ottorino Respighi is best known for his “Roman Trilogy.” The
three orchestral tone poems—Fountains of Rome (1916), Pines of Rome (1924),
and Roman Festivals (1928)—all feature huge symphonic forces, masterfully
deployed to portray the sights and life of the historic Italian city.
In the final decades of his life, Respighi also turned to music of the distant past
as the basis for his own compositions. Such works as the Concerto gregoriano
for Violin and Orchestra (1921), the Quartetto dorico (1924), the Concerto in
modo misolidio for Piano and Orchestra (1925), and Metamorphosen modi XII,
Theme and Variations for Orchestra (1929-30) are fine examples of Respighi’s
use of older (and even ancient) music to create new, contemporary-sounding
works.
The three Suites of Ancient Airs and Dances (1917, 1923, 1931) also reflect
Ottorino Respighi’s affection for the music of the past. Respighi’s Suites of
Ancient Airs and Dances are lovely orchestral arrangements of Italian and
French lute music from the 16th and 17th centuries. Respighi gathered most of
his material from lute pieces transcribed for the guitar and published by the
Italian musicologist, Oscar Chilesotti (1848-1916).
I. Balletto detto “Il Conte Orlando”— The elegant first movement (Balletto detto “Il
Conte Orlando”) is derived from a ballet by Simone Molinaro (1599).
II. Gagliarda— The second movement is a triple meter dance, a galliard, by
Vincenzo Galilei (155?).
The final two movements are by anonymous composers from the close of the
16th century.
III. Villanella— The villanella is an Italian street song that originated in Naples.
IV. Passo mezzo e Mascherada—Suite I of the Ancient Airs and Dances
concludes with a passo mezzo (tr. “half step”, a rapid-tempo dance) with an
intervening mascherada, a song sung at masked balls.
Mandolin Concerto in C Major, R.425 (ca. 1725) (rev. Gian Francesco
Malipiero)
Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice, Italy, on March 4, 1678, and died in
Vienna, Austria, on July 28, 1741. In addition to the solo mandolin, the
Concerto is scored for strings and continuo. Approximate performance
time is eight minutes.
These are the First Classical Subscription Performances.
Antonio Vivaldi originally trained for the priesthood, and was ordained in 1703.
However, Vivaldi suffered from an ailment he described as “strettezza di petto”
(“tightness of the chest”)—in all likelihood, asthma. As a result, Vivaldi later
recalled: “I said mass for year or a little more. Then I discontinued it, having on
three occasions had to leave the altar without completing it because of this
ailment.”
After Vivaldi left the priesthood, he began his association with Venice’s Ospedale
della Pièta, a home for orphaned girls that was renowned for its excellence in
musical education. Despite extensive travels throughout Europe, Vivaldi
remained affiliated with the Ospedale as a teacher, composer, and music director
for the better part of four decades.
Antonio Vivaldi’s compositions include numerous chamber works, sacred vocal
music, and operas. But it is in the realm of the concerto that Vivaldi exerted his
most profound influence. Vivaldi composed approximately 550 concertos in
which he explored a wide variety of instruments and instrumental combinations.
The C Major is the only known concerto by Vivaldi for solo mandolin.
Many of the techniques Vivaldi employed in his concertos, including R.425,
became a model for subsequent composers. They include the use of a threemovement (fast—slow—fast) structure, and the ingenious employment in the
outer movements of the ritornello—a recurring musical phrase that serves as a
unifying force.
I. Allegro—The first movement opens with the central ritornello that serves as the
foundation for numerous flights by the soloist. A final reprise of the ritornello
brings the movement to a close.
II. Largo—In the Concerto’s slow-tempo movement, the key shifts from C Major
to the relative A minor. The lyrical writing for the soloist features ascending and
descending dotted-rhythm passages.
III. Allegro—The Concerto’s finale returns to the key of C Major. The ritornello’s
ascending figures are echoed by syncopated descending passages.
Mandolin Concerto (2006)
Avner Dorman was born in Tel-Aviv, Israel, on April 14, 1975. The first
performance of the Mandolin Concerto took place at the Sala Barozzi,
Milan, Italy, on December 18, 2006, with Avi Avital as soloist, and the
Rostov State Theater Orchestra, conducted by Andrea Gottfried. In
addition to the solo mandolin, the Concerto is scored for string orchestra.
Approximate performance time is seventeen minutes.
These are the First Classical Subscription Performances.
One of my favorite things as a composer is to discover and explore
new instruments. When Avi Avital approached me to write a
concerto for him, my acquaintance with the mandolin was fairly
limited. I had used it in chamber pieces only twice before, and did
not know most of the repertoire for the instrument. As I got to know
the instrument better, I discovered its diverse sonic and expressive
possibilities.
The concerto’s main conflicts are between sound and silence and
between motion and stasis. One of the things that inspired me to
deal with these opposites is the Mandolin’s most basic technique—
the tremolo, which is the rapid repetition of notes. The tremolo
embodies both motion and stasis. The rapid movement provides
momentum, while the pitches stay the same.
The concerto can be divided into three main sections that are
played attacca:
1. A slow meditative movement with occasional dynamic outbursts.
The tremolo and silences accumulate energy which is released in
fast kinetic outbursts. The main motives of the piece are
introduced, all of which are based on the minor and major second.
2. A fast dance-like movement that accumulates energy leading to
a culmination at its end. The tremolo is slowed down becoming a
relentless repetition in the bass—like a heartbeat. The fast
movement is constructed much like a Baroque Concerto and a
Concerto Grosso. The solo and tutti alternate frequently and in
many instances instruments from the orchestra join the Mandolin as
additional soloists.
3. Recapitulation of the opening movement. After the energy is
depleted, all that is left for the ending is to delve deeper into the
meditation of the opening movement and concentrate on a pure
melody and an underlying heartbeat.
I would like to thank Avi Avital for his dedication and commitment
throughout the process of creating this piece; for many hours of
experimenting with unusual techniques; for introducing me to the
Mandolin’s vast repertoire, including Baroque Mandolin, Russian
folk music, Bluegrass, Indian music, Brazilian Jazz and AvantGarde; and for performing the piece with depth and virtuosity.
— Avner Dorman
http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/work/2197/35672
Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Opus 74 (“Pathétique”) (1893)
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in Kamsko-Votkinsk, Russia, on May 7,
1840, and died in St. Petersburg, Russia, on November 6, 1893. The first
performance of the “Pathétique” Symphony took place in St. Petersburg on
October 28, 1893, with the composer conducting. The “Pathétique”
Symphony is scored for piccolo, three flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two
bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, bass
drum, cymbals, tam-tam, and strings. Approximate performance time is
forty-seven minutes.
First Classical Subscription Performance: April 25, 1948, Henry Sopkin,
Conductor.
Most Recent Classical Subscription Performances: January 15 and 17,
2015, Marin Alsop, Conductor.
Tchaikovsky conducted the world premiere of his Sixth and final Symphony, the
“Pathétique,” in St. Petersburg on October 28, 1893. Nine days later, he was
dead, at the age of 53. For years, the accepted explanation of Tchaikovsky’s
demise, first advanced by his brother, Modest, was that the composer died as a
result of Russia’s cholera epidemic.
In recent decades, however, evidence has surfaced that Tchaikovsky may have
committed suicide, perhaps in order to avoid the public revelation of an illicit
relationship. In the fourth and final volume of his superb Tchaikovsky biography
(W.W. Norton and Co., NY, 1991), David Brown argues, in extensive and cogent
detail, the case for this theory.
Throughout his life, Tchaikovsky frequently suffered from depression, and, on at
least one prior occasion, attempted to kill himself. And the prevailing theory
among current scholars is that Tchaikovsky’s death was indeed the result of
suicide, in all likelihood, by arsenic poisoning.
“I frequently wept”
A consensus on this volatile issue is unlikely. Nevertheless, it is difficult to listen
to Tchaikovsky’s final Symphony and not sense the composer’s premonition of
his own demise. As Tchaikovsky confided to his nephew, Vladimir Davïdov, to
whom he dedicated the “Pathétique”:
Whilst I was on my travels I had an idea for another symphony, a
programme symphony this time; but the programme will be left as
an enigma—let people guess it for themselves. This programme is
so intensely personal that as I was mentally composing it on my
travels I frequently wept copiously.
Tchaikovsky originally sketched his “Pathétique” Symphony between February
16 and April 5, 1893. While on a conducting tour in London that May,
Tchaikovsky wrote to Davïdov: “I’m not only suffering from a melancholy for
which there is no word (there’s a place in my new symphony for where I think it is
well expressed), but from a hatred of strange people, and some undefined fear—
and the devil knows what else besides...”
In August, Tchaikovsky completed the orchestration of his Sixth Symphony.
Shortly thereafter, the Grand Duke Konstantin suggested that Tchaikovsky
compose a Requiem, based upon verses by the Russian poet, Alexey Apukhtin.
Tchaikovsky replied: “I am in some difficulty because of the fact that my last
symphony, that I have just written and is down for performance…is imbued with a
spirit very close to that which infuses the Requiem.”
It should also be noted that between the two World Wars, the following sketch by
Tchaikovsky was discovered among his papers:
The ultimate essence of the plan of the Symphony is LIFE. First
part—all impulsive passion, confidence, thirst for activity. Must be
short. (Finale—DEATH—result of collapse.)
Second part love; third disappointments, fourth ends dying away
(also short).
Whatever program Tchaikovsky intended for the Sixth Symphony, he chose a
unique path for its musical journey. Tchaikovsky’s Fourth and Fifth
Symphonies—both depictions of struggles with fate—conclude with rousing,
triumphant finales. However, Tchaikovsky informed Davïdov that, in the
“Pathétique”: “Formally there will be much that is new in this symphony, and
incidentally the Finale won’t be a loud Allegro but, on the contrary, a very slowmoving Adagio.”
“I take more pride in it than in any other of my works”
Tchaikovsky realized his departure from symphonic convention might well hinder
the work’s acceptance. As he admitted to Davïdov: “I shall consider it the usual
(thing) and unsurprising if this symphony is torn to pieces or is little appreciated;
it won’t be the first time (this has happened).”
Indeed, the premiere of the “Pathétique” (a nickname suggested by Modest
Tchaikovsky) was far from a triumph. The critics and audience—no doubt
bewildered by the work’s frequent morbid expression and unconventional
structure—offered a lukewarm reception. Still, Tchaikovsky maintained faith in
his new Symphony, and informed his publisher: “It’s not that it displeased, but it
produced some bewilderment. As far as I’m concerned, I take more pride in it
than in any other of my works.”
As previously noted, Tchaikovsky did not live to see the vindication of his final
Symphony. The composer’s funeral was held in St. Petersburg’s Kazan
Cathedral, the first time such an honor had been bestowed upon non-royalty.
The normal capacity of the Cathedral was 6,000. However, 60,000 people
applied for permission to attend the ceremony. 8,000 crowded into the Cathedral
for the service. The funeral procession ultimately made its way to Alexander
Nevsky Cemetery. Among the observers was Czar Alexander III, who was
reported to have said: “We have many dukes and barons, but only one
Tchaikovsky.”
In time, Tchaikovsky’s “Pathétique” has become recognized as the composer’s
symphonic masterpiece, a fitting summation of the life and career of Russia’s
most beloved composer. It is a work of extraordinary power, a Symphony that
presents a stunning array of emotions, cast in a bold, revolutionary format. For
his part, Tchaikovsky left no doubt as to his affection for the “Pathétique.” As he
wrote to Davïdov: “I definitely consider it the best, and, in particular, the most
sincere of all my works. I love it as I have never loved any of my other musical
offspring.”
Musical Analysis
I. Adagio; Allegro non troppo—The “Pathétique” Symphony opens with a
pensive, slow introduction (Adagio). The bassoon quietly intones a motif soon
incorporated by other members of the orchestra. The motif emerges as the
restless, initial theme of the principal Allegro non troppo, introduced by the
violins. The tension builds to a climax, as brass fanfares punctuate the central
theme. The mood gradually calms, leading to an Andante section, and the
strings’ presentation of the flowing, second theme. After a passionate
restatement of that theme, there is an extended diminuendo, with a descending
passage launched by the clarinet, fading to near silence.
An orchestral thunderclap shatters the fragile repose, launching the apocalyptic
development section (Allegro vivo). The tempest momentarily subsides, and the
brass gravely intones a quotation from the Orthodox Requiem: “With thy saints,
O Christ, give peace to the soul of thy servant.” The music builds to yet another
shattering climax, with fearsome interjections by the lower brass. Finally, the
storm concludes, leading to a truncated recapitulation that focuses upon the
beautiful second theme. A repetition of the clarinet solo leads to the closing
measures—a chorale for brass and winds, accompanied by pizzicato strings.
II. Allegro con grazia—Instead of the traditional slow-tempo movement,
Tchaikovsky substitutes a leisurely dance. The music is in the character of a
waltz. But the composer further departs from convention by casting the
movement in 5/4, rather than in triple meter. The curious metric twist imparts an
air of unease—even, perhaps, of disorientation. The cellos introduce the second
movement’s principal melody. The flute and strings present the central section’s
melancholy theme. The movement concludes with a varied reprise of the
opening “waltz,” and a brief coda that offers echoes of the central section.
III. Allegro molto vivace—The penultimate movement is a vigorous march. Over
a scurrying figure, initially played by the strings, the oboes offer hints of the
march tune. The jaunty march is finally introduced in complete form by the
clarinets. The march returns throughout, constantly gathering momentum.
Violent crashes of the bass drum and cymbals reinforce two massive fff
presentations of the central march. A stunning coda brings the movement to a
stunning close.
IV. Finale. Adagio lamentoso—Of all the innovations Tchaikovsky explores in his
“Pathétique” Symphony, it must have been the contrast between the preceding
march and the finale that most disturbed the audience attending the premiere.
Once the thunderous conclusion of the third movement subsides, the strings
initiate the finale’s mournful, opening theme. The horns announce the violins’
presentation of a descending melody. The melody, while in D Major, is
nonetheless tinged with sorrow. The melody gains ever-increasing urgency,
culminating in a furious descending passage, capped by a fff explosion. A
repetition of the opening theme leads to the ultimate struggle, but the sound of
the tam-tam (gong) confirms the tragic resolution. The final measures,
suggesting the beat of a failing heart, slowly resolve to silence.