Christopher Ramaekers, Guest Conductor
Sunday, November 20, 2016
3:00 PM
North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
For the Young … and Young at Heart
Suite from Peer Gynt............................................................................................................... Edvard Grieg
Morning Mood
(1843-1907)
Ace’s Death
Anitra’s Dance
In the Hall of the Mountain King
Violin Concerto No. 4..................................................................................Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
1. Allegro
(1756-1791)
Karisa Chiu, violin
Prize Winner, Bonnie & Lee Malmed Young Artists Competition 2016
INTERMISSION
The Moldau......................................................................................................................... Bedřich Smetana
(1824-1884)
Symphony #94............................................................................................................ Franz Joseph Haydn
Adagio; Vivace assai
(1732-1809)
Largo cantabile
Menuetto: Allegro molto
Allegro di molto
This concert is supported in part by
The Village of Skokie, Niles Township, and the Illinois Arts Council Agency
PROGR A M NOTES
Grieg – Peer Gynt Suite. No. 1
The first real genius of Norwegian national music was Edvard Grieg. Trained in Germany,
he returned home in 1862, but soon moved to Copenhagen, the center of Scandinavian
cultural life. There he met another young Norwegian composer with whom he resolved
to cultivate a specifically Norwegian musical idiom. Having recently encountered an
important collection of traditional folk music, he began to incorporate and assimilate
this into his music as a way of nurturing his nationalistic aspirations. This soon led to his
music being, for many, identical with folk music and led some to claim he was considered
simply an arranger of folk tunes, to which he countered: “Nothing is more incorrect than
the claim from certain critics that my originality is limited to my borrowing from folk
music. It is quite another thing if a nationalistic spirit, which has been expressed through
folk music since ancient times, hovers over my original creative works.”
In order to expand his musical experience and give his music broader international
appeal, Grieg traveled to Italy in 1870. There, his encounters with Liszt and the artistic
circles of Rome gave him fresh inspiration and confidence. In Rome, he also met the
great Norwegian playwright and poet, Henrik Ibsen, who immediately felt that Grieg
was an artist with unusual musical and intellectual capacities, and with whom he shared
similar artistic ideas. Their comradery and artistic simpatico led Ibsen to select Grieg
to compose music for a planned staging of Peer Gynt. Grieg accepted the task and
immediately set to work with great enthusiasm, though he soon realized that setting
Ibsen’s work to music was not as easy as he had anticipated. The dramatic poem was
part folk tale, part satire, part comedy, and part philosophical meditation, leaving the
composer somewhat befuddled. He wrote: “Peer Gynt progresses slowly and there is no
possibility of having it finished in time. It is a terribly unmanageable subject.” However,
as work continued, Grieg began to be drawn into the drama and, as his wife noted, “the
more he saturated his mind with the powerful poem, the more clearly he saw that he was
the right man for a work of such witchery and so permeated with the Norwegian spirit”.
The music was eventually completed and Peer Gynt was performed for the first time in
Oslo in 1876, with Grieg himself conducting the orchestra. The full score contained 26
individual pieces lasting well over 90 minutes but, owing to the music’s success, Grieg
later collected several of the most popular melodies into two small suites.
The movements Grieg chose for his suites bear no relation to the chronology of the
play. The popular “Morning” which opens the first suite has often conjured up images of
a Scandinavian sunrise, but it was written for Act IV of the play in which the hero, Peer
Gynt, finds himself in Africa. “Ase’s Death,” which follows, comes from the conclusion
of Act III, in which Peer’s mother dies alone on a mountaintop. “Anitra’s Dance” depicts
the graceful daughter of a chieftain with whom Peer becomes infatuated. Suite No.
1 concludes with “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” taken from Act II of the play and
meant to accompany Peer as he escapes from the royal hall of the mythical trolls of the
Norwegian uplands. Of this last piece – which was to become his most recognizable
composition – Grieg wrote: “I literally can’t bear listening to it because it absolutely reeks
of cowpies, exaggerated Norwegian nationalism, and trollish self-satisfaction!”
2
Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra
PROGR A M NOTES
c o n t.
Mozart – Violin Concerto No. 4
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s involvement with the violin began in childhood. At the
tender age of six he began studying with his father, Leopold, a fine violinist, respected
composer, and famous pedagogue who had only recently authored an extremely
influential treatise on violin playing. As a touring child prodigy, Wolfgang performed
on both violin and keyboard throughout Europe and, at the age of 13, was appointed
second concertmaster in the Archbishop of Salzburg’s court orchestra. Having thus
gained a great deal of practical experience as a violinist, Mozart soon felt ready to
compose for the instrument, bringing forth his first works for violin while still in his teens.
Although he continued to write music for solo violin throughout his career—sonatas,
sets of variations, serenades—the centerpiece of this output is the set of five concertos
he composed in the mid-1770s in Salzburg.
The first of these five concertos is a decidedly immature work, written while the
composer was still considering his concerto style and before he had fully developed
the range and expressive power of his later compositions. The remaining four were
composed within the span of several months in late 1775 and demonstrate a more
assured technique and substantial artistic development. Though the basic model for
each of these works is the old-fashioned Baroque concerto, in which a recurring ritornello
section for the entire orchestra is interspersed between the virtuosic meanderings of the
soloist, Mozart begins to modernize the form, forging a more cohesive union between
orchestra and soloist and imposing the characteristics of the emerging sonata form onto
his structures.
Compared to the first three concertos, the fourth, K218 in D major, is much expanded in
scale and is a more extroverted and exuberant work. It begins with an orchestral fanfare
that serves to highlight the initial entrance of the soloist – setting this up as a dramatic
moment. Properly prepared, we are then introduced to a variety of themes presented by
the violin. Gentle and spirited by turns, this constant flow of melodies unfolds in such a
way that the listener never quite knows what to expect. The second movement, Andante
cantabile, is essentially an aria for violin, and keeps the soloist busy almost throughout,
except for the very opening and closing measures. The flowing, soaring melody of
the main theme exploits the full range of the solo instrument in different octaves. A
contrasting theme, presented first with a lovely echo in the oboe, also ranges over three
octaves to utilize all the colors of the violin.
The final Rondeau (the French spelling is significant, suggesting a refined grace that was
swept away entirely in some of the boisterous rondos—with Italian spelling— in the later
concertos) alternates an elegant, stately theme in 2/4 time with a quick, spirited dance in
6/8. Each time the initial theme appears, it seems to get stuck, just before the cadence,
and only a burst of the 6/8 allegro can bring the musical sentence to conclusion. The
extended middle section of the movement, in gavotte rhythm, continues the “French”
feeling. The final return of the main theme brings the concerto to a close in whimsical
good humor with a fadeout to silence.
For the Young...and Young at Heart
3
PROGR A M NOTES
c o n t.
Smetana – The Moldau
Prior to the 19th century, Czechoslovakia, like many other peripheral nations, had not
developed its own uniquely indigenous musical style or means of expression. Though
the concert halls and opera houses of Prague played host to Europe’s finest virtuosos,
the music heard therein was not Czech but German, Italian, or French; and while Czechs
enjoyed a rich tradition of folk music, they had done little to cultivate a serious art music
of their own. That began to change when Bedřich Smetana and a handful of others,
including Dvořák, made a conscious determination to create Czech music for the Czech
people. For this they were known as nationalists.
Smetana’s nationalistic feelings ran deep, going beyond music. In his youth, he was
a member of an activist group/militia known as the Citizen’s Corps and took up arms
during the 1848 revolution, fighting alongside other radicals for political freedoms and
an end to Austrian oppression. Because of his activism, he often found himself shunned
by those in officialdom and struggled to have his music heard. Always a tireless promoter
of nationalistic ideas, he eventually grew to become a respected teacher, conductor, and
composer.
Though his greatest fame was based on his operas, Smetana’s most important
contribution to Czech nationalism is a cycle of six symphonic poems known collectively
as Má Vlast (My Homeland). Glorifying the people, land, legends, and customs of Bohemia,
Má Vlast is a veritable compendium of native folk tunes, folk dances, and culture. The
most well known of the six pieces is, undoubtedly, Vltava (usually known by its German
name, Die Moldau), depicting Bohemia’s main river and the various sights encountered
along its course. Completed in only a few weeks in late 1874, Smetana’s inspiration came
from his own recent boat trip down the Moldau. The journey is documented not only in
music but also in the following program provided by the composer:
The composition describes the course of the Vltava River (The Moldau),
starting from the two small springs, the Cold and Warm Vltava, to the
unification of both streams into a single current, the course of the
Vltava through woods and meadows, through landscapes where a
farmer’s wedding is celebrated, the dance of the mermaids in the night’s
moonshine: on the nearby rocks loom proud castles, palaces and ruins.
The Vltava swirls into the St John’s Rapids; then it widens and flows
toward Prague, past the Vyšehrad, and then majestically vanishes into the
distance, ending at the Elbe.
4
Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra
PROGR A M NOTES
c o n t.
Haydn – Symphony No. 94
In 1790, soon after Haydn’s lengthy employment by the Esterházy family had come to an
end, he was engaged by the impresario Johann Peter Salomon for a series of concerts
in England. Salomon had been attempting to lure Haydn to London for some time, but
to no avail. However, when Haydn’s lifelong patron, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, died the
composer was suddenly a free agent and available to accept Salomon’s offer. Upon
Haydn’s arrival in London in 1791 he was met with an enthusiastic reception but also
with rather daunting expectations. He was aware that he would now be composing and
performing for a paying audience rather than for his devoted benefactor Prince Nikolaus,
and that the approval of this new public would determine his success or failure. Thus, the
works he wrote were designed to please what has been described as “the most glittering
and sophisticated audience in Europe at that time.”
The concert series opened on March 11, 1791 at the Hanover Square Rooms. The
orchestra of about 40 was conducted by Salomon with Haydn seated at the pianoforte
which was placed center stage. Though Haydn had written six new symphonies for the
concerts, all of which were immediately well received, it was the Symphony No. 94 that
proved to be the most popular. It is one of the most original and vivid of the entire group,
and we see clearly the two opposing qualities that make these works so successful: the
virtuoso treatment of form and orchestration combined with extreme subtlety of musical
language.
Redefining Rehabilitation
on the North Shore
Your POST-ACUTE Care Leader
We are dedicated to an optimal transition from
the hospital, through rehabilitation, to home.
When you rehabilitate at an Alden Transitional
and Post-Acute Care Center, we help you
restore functionality so you can get back on
your feet, and home, as quickly as possible.
For the Young...and Young at Heart
5
PROGR A M NOTES
c o n t.
The work opens with a slow introduction whose casual melody and relaxed tempo
suggest a tranquil atmosphere, but this is quickly dispelled by the entrance of the
forceful allegro theme of the movement proper. This theme is to be the focus of one
of several clever innovations that kept Haydn’s music so fresh and innovative. The
movement is written in sonata form but with only one true theme, rather than the usual
two. The whole exposition is built on the melodic ideas contained within the single
theme. Although in most hands the result would have been monotonous indeed, Haydn
spins out every fragment of the melody, using surprising key changes and transitions to
hold the listener’s attention.
“The second movement was the happiest of this great Master’s conceptions. The surprise
might not be unaptly likened to the situation of a beautiful shepherdess who, lulled
to slumber by the murmur of a distant waterfall, starts alarmed by the unexpected
firing of a huntsman’s gun.” So wrote one critic of the Andante movement, in which an
unexpected fortissimo chord accented by the timpani interrupts the repeat of the main
theme, thus giving the entire work its nickname: “The Surprise Symphony.” The rumor,
now legend, that Haydn had written the famous chord to “wake up” the English audience
who fell asleep at his concerts became immediately so widespread that Haydn himself
had to refute it. “I was interested in surprising the public with something new, and in
making a brilliant debut, so that my student Pleyel, who was at that time engaged by an
orchestra in London and whose concerts had opened a week before mine, should not
outdo me. The first Allegro of my symphony had already met with countless Bravos, but
the enthusiasm reached its highest peak at the Andante with the Drum Stroke. Encore!
Encore! sounded in every throat.” Following the famous “surprise” come four variations
on the simple tune, each more compelling than the one before.
The third movement, as is typical of Haydn, sounds more like a rustic peasant dance than
the stately minuet of the French court. Its quick tempo and raucous melody, punctuated
by the timpani, show the composer at his jovial best. A rhythmically propulsive finale
brings the symphony to a rollicking close.
By Michael Vaughn, Ph.D.
No replication of text is allowed without the author’s permission.
Coming February 19, 2017
Shakespeare in Love
Musical masterpieces by Delius, Prokofiev, Liszt and Berlioz
that prove you don’t
have to be Shakespeare to feel in love!
6
Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra
K ARISA CHIU, VIOLIN
Violinist Karisa Chiu, age 17, is a Merit Scholarship recipient at the
Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program where she is studying
with Almita Vamos. She began playing the violin at the age of three
with her father Cornelius Chiu.
She is a winner of the 2016 Blount-Slawson Young Artists
Competition and a top prizewinner of the 2015 Cooper International
Competition. She is also a recipient of the prestigious Jerome and
Elaine Nerenberg Foundation Scholarship from the 2016 Musicians Club of Women
Scholarship Audition. She is a winner of many other competitions including the Skokie
Valley Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition, the Stanger Young Artists
Concerto Audition, the Montzuka Young Artists Competition, the Society of American
Musicians Competition, the Sejong Music Competition, the Chinese Fine Arts Society
Competition, the DePaul Community Music Concerto Competition and the American
Opera Society scholarship audition. She was also a two-time winner of the string
category of the Open Junior Division at the Walgreens’s National Competition. Karisa
was also one of the six finalists in the Crain-Maling Chicago Symphony Youth Concerto
Audition in 2014.
Karisa has been featured as a soloist with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, the
Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Northbrook Symphony Orchestra, the West Suburban
Symphony Orchestra, the Oistrach Symphony Orchestra, CSA Sinfonia, and the UIC
Symphony Orchestra. She will be a soloist with the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra later
this season. She has played in master classes given by renowned artists such as Ida
Kavafian, Pamela Frank, Mauricio Fuks, Joel Smirnoff, Ilya Kaler, Victor Dancenko and Dora
Schwarzberg.
As a chamber musician, Karisa has won many competitions, including first place at
the Discover Chamber Music Competition, the Gold Medal from the Saint Paul String
Quartet Competition, the Bronze Medal from the M Prize International Chamber Music
Competition, the Silver Medal from the Pearl G. Barnett Chamber Music Competition, and
the Honorable Mention prize from the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.
Karisa is currently homeschooled and enjoys biking and drawing in her spare time.
C H R I S TO P H E R R A M A E K E R S , G U E S T C O N D U C TO R
Christopher Ramaekers is currently Director of Orchestras at the
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Principal Conductor of the
Ravenswood Community Orchestra, and Associate Conductor of the
Chicago Composers Orchestra. Dr. Ramaekers has been Music
Director of the Orchestra of St. Vincent’s and the Hyde Park Youth
Symphony. The summer of 2016 marked his seventh summer as
Director of Orchestras at Camp Encore/Coda in Sweden, Maine. As a
guest conductor, he has appeared with the Kalamazoo Symphony,
Skokie Valley Symphony, Salt Creek Chamber Orchestra, Lake Forest Civic Orchestra,
ensemble dal niente, the Chicago Opera Vanguard, and internationally with the Berlin
Sinfonietta.
Dr. Ramaekers has held fellowships with the Allentown (PA) Symphony Orchestra and
the Peninsula Music Festival in Door County, WI. He was winner of the 2011 American
Prize in Orchestral Conducting and holds degrees from Western Michigan University and
Northwestern University.
For the Young...and Young at Heart
7
Join the
neighborhood
dinner party.
In our neighborhood, dinner is a time when friends get together to enjoy
engaging stories and culinary delights. At both our fine dining and casual
dining options, our chefs create meals that cater to all tastes. Residentinspired dishes and good friends create a dining experience that is
delicious and delightful. Schedule a visit today.
8
2323 McDaniel Avenue • Evanston, Illinois
847-563-4855 • www.threecrownspark.com
Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra
S K O K I E VA L L E Y S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A
Violin 1
Jeff Yang,
Concertmaster
Margarita Solomensky
Julian Arron
Iris Seitz
Wally Pok Hon Yu
Fran Sherman
Vitaly Briskin
Arianne Urban
Bass
Karl Erik Siegfried,
Principal
Kelsey Buffa
Jacob Nagler
Violin 2
Michael Kleinerman,
Principal
Bob Spitz
David Ratner
Alysa Isaacson
Gigi Fiore
Charles Evans
Polina Cafaro
Piccolo
Sandra Rowland
Viola
Bruno Vas DaSilva,
Principal
Michael Rozental,
Ass’t Principal
Jason Rosen
Lee Malmed
Michael Zahlit
Cello
Alyson Berger,
Principal
Nazgul Bekturova
David Cowan
Howard Miller
Bonnie Malmed
Mike Taber
Steven Turini
Marcia Chessick
Flute
Sherry Kujala,
Principal
Barbara Holland
Clarinet
Erin Meisner,
Principal
Irwin Heller
Oboe
Trish Wlazo,
Principal
Kelsey O’Brian
Bassoon
Beth Heller,
Principal
Jennifer Speer
Horn
Matthew Oliphant,
Principal
Paul Seeley
Laura Stone
Laurel Lovestrom
Trombone
Adina Salmansohn,
Principal
Tom Park
Bass Trombone
Antonio Portela
Tuba
Beth Lodal
Timpani
Barry Grossman
Percussion
Emily Saltz
Karen O’Brien
Harp
Phyllis Adams
Trumpet
Chris Haas,
Principal
Shannon Walsh
C H A I R E N D OWM E N T A N D S P O N S O R S H I P S
The Leo Krakow Community Endowment Fund – Concert
Elizabeth and E. Harris Krawitz Endowment – Concert
Harvey E. Mittenthal Fund – Mittenthal Award
Charles and Cyd Sandleman Chair Endowment – Assistant Concertmaster Chair
For the Young...and Young at Heart
9
2 016 -17 S V S O D O N AT I O N S
Sustaining: $2500+
Dr. Lee & Mrs. Bonnie Malmed
Niles Township
The Village of Skokie
Illinois Arts Council
Benefactor: $1,000 - $2,499
Roger & Carol Hirsch
Steven & Toni Rosen
Patron: $500 - $999
Steven Jay Blutza Ph.D.
Exelon Constellation Energy
Cheryl McIntyre
Ruth Sharps
Sponsors: $250 - $499
John Alberts
Laurel Lovestrom
Randy Micheletti
Adina Salmansohn
David and Christie Southern
Dr. Michael Vaughn
Maureen Wheeler
Clifford & Robin Wolf
Donors: $100 - $249
Moreen Alexander
Louis and Loretta Becker
Joan L. Chwalisz
Maurice & Ruth Ettleson
Ronald & Shirley Pregozen
David & Olga Georgiev Price
George Rimnac
Mr. & Mrs. Henry Rosenbaum
Friends: $25 - $99
Ada Barach
Marsha Brody
Sherwin Chapman
A. Caroline Dauner
John Goldman
Arlene Golub
Joseph D. Kramer
Lucille Kulwin
Rochelle Magid
Edward S. Merkin
Michael Modica
Sheldon Mostovy
Eleanor Parker
Susan & Pat Pastin
Judith Perlman
Cindy & Michael Rosen,
IHO Jason Rosen
Adina Salmansohn,
In memory of Lura Altschuler
Philip Schiffman
Carol Schreier
Rhoda & Larry Schuman
Dolores & Warner Stauss
Peter P. Thomas
Suzanne Tish
A Very Big Thank You
The members of the Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra
wish to express their grateful appreciation for your
generous donations. With your help, we provide
affordable live classical music to Skokie.
10
Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra
2 016 - 2 017 B OA R D O F D I R E C TO R S
John Alberts, President, Development & Executive Committee Chair
Steven Jay Blutza, Ph.D., Vice President & Operations Committee Chair
Randy Michelleti, Secretary
Maureen Wheeler, CPA, Treasurer & Chair of Finance Committee
Jermaine Ee, Communications Committee Chair
Cheryl McIntyre
Pamela Olson
Roger Hirsch
Ethel Mittenthal
Adina Salmansohn, Music & Personnel Committee Chair 
Dave Southern, Marketing & Audience Development Chair
Michael Vaughn, Ph.D., Programming Committee Chair
Directors Emeritus
Kathryn J. Canny, Past President
Karen L. Frost 
Bonnie Malmed 
Lee Malmed, Past President 
Honorary Board Members
Barbara Brown
Lucinda Kasperson
Thomas Rosenwein J.D.
Jack Shankman, J.D.
Valerie Simosko, Office Manager
Megan Volk, Orchestra Librarian
Office address: 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, IL 60077
Phone: 847-679-9501 x3014 SVSO Office
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.svso.org
 Denotes member of the orchestra
Did you like the concert today?
The concert you hear today was made possible by the
generous donors you see listed in our program. To find
out how you can contribute, please contact the SVSO
office or go to our website at www.svso.org
For the Young...and Young at Heart
11
12
Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra