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alsomarkedthebeginningofaveryunusualrelationshipwiththeimmensely
wealthywidowNadezhdaFilaretovnavonMeck.Theyearpriorsheluredhim
withacommissionforhisfriendandviolinistYosifYosifovichKotek.Thena
secondcorrespondencefromvonMeckarrived:“Ishouldlikeverymuchtotell
youatlengthofmyfanciesandthoughtsaboutyou,”shewrote,“butIfeartotake
upyourtime,ofwhichyouhavesolittletospare.Letmesayonlythatmyfeeling
foryouisathingofthespiritandverydeartome.”Tchaikovskyrespondedthe
nextday:“Whydoyouhesitatetotellmeallyourthoughts?...PerhapsIknow
youbetterthanyouimagine.”
Forthenextthirteenyearstheyexchangedstreamsofcorrespondencebutnever
metinperson.Shedeposited500rublesinTchaikovsky’sbankaccountevery
month,whichallowedhimtocomposeatwill.However,therewasapricetopay
asvonMeckwasconsideredneuroticandoftendifficulttomanage,but
Tchaikovskyhandledhispatroncarefullyuntilshefinallyendedtheirrelationship
in1890.
ThefourthsymphonyandhisinvolvementwithvonMeckbeganatthesametime,
andthetwoweretightlyconnected.InhisletterstovonMeckheoftenreferred
toitas“oursymphony,”sometimesevenas“yoursymphony.”ByMayhe
completedmostofthepiece.“Ishouldliketodedicateittoyou,”hewrote,
“becauseIbelieveyouwouldfindinitanechoofyourmostintimatethoughtsand
emotions.”OftheSymphony,Tchaikovskyexplained:
Theintroductionistheseedofthewholesymphony,undoubtedlythecentral
theme.ThisisFate,i.e.,thatfatefulforcewhichpreventstheimpulsetowards
happinessfromentirelyachievingitsgoal,foreveronjealousguardlestpeaceand
well-beingshouldeverbeattainedincompleteanduncloudedform,hanging
aboveusliketheSwordofDamocles,constantlyandunremittinglypoisoningthe
soul.Itsforceisinvisible,andcanneverbeovercome.Ouronlychoiceisto
surrendertoit,andtolanguishfruitlessly.
Hewentontosuggestthatonatechnicallevel,“myworkisareflectionof
Beethoven’sFifthSymphony.Ihavenot,ofcourse,copiedBeethoven’smusical
content,onlyborrowedthecentralidea”referringtothesimilarityoftheopening
motivewhichbindstheentireworktogether.
Dr.Tueller
BYU-IDAHODEPARTMENTOFMUSIC
PRESENTS
SYMPHONYORCHESTRA
Dr.RobertTueller,Director
PyotrIlyichTchaikovsky1840-1893
FeaturingDr.DavidOlsen
MARCH30,2017,7:30PM
BARRUSCONCERTHALL
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3
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BYU-IDAHOSYMPHONY
NOTES
Dr.RobertTueller,Director
ElizabethCrawford,WoodwindSpecialist
Dr.MatthewMoore,BrassSpecialist
RememberedasDenmark’sgreatestcomposer,CarlNielsenwrotetheHelios
(Greeksungod)Overturein1903whilelivinginGreecewithhiswifewhowas
studyingclassicalart.TheOverturewasinspiredbyasunrisevisittothe
TempleofPoseidonatCapeSounion,adramaticpromontoryoverlookingthe
southofAthens.Inalettertoafriend,Nielsenbrieflyexplainedhistenminutetonepoem:“MyOverturedescribesthemovementofthesunthrough
theheavensfrommorningtoevening...andnoexplanationisnecessary.”
However,hedidincludeamorepoeticdescriptioninthescore:“Silenceand
darkness.Thesunriseswithajoyoussongofpraise.Itwandersonitsgolden
wayandsinksquietlyintothesea.”
ThemusicofGustavMahlergainedpopularityafterahalfcenturyofneglect
includingabaninmostofEuropeduringtheNaziera.Rediscoveredinthe
secondhalfofthecentury,hislargescale,romanticsymphoniesgained
widespreadpopularity–rivalingBeethovenintheamountofperformancesby
modernorchestras.Perhaps,themostexpressiveandbeautifulcompositions
arehisorchestralsongcycles.Mahler’stragicKindertotenleider–Songsonthe
DeathofChildren–isdrawnfromasetofpoemsbyFriedrichRückert(1788–
1866),whosufferedthelossoftwochildrentoscarletfever.WhenMahler
begancomposingtheworkin1901hehadnotyetmethiswife.Bythetime
hecompletedthecycle,in1904,hewasthefatheroftwoyoungdaughters.
HiswifeAlmawashorrifiedthatGustavwouldchoosesuchasubject,asthe
couple’ssecondchildMariawasbornduringthattime.
Icanunderstandsettingsuchfrightfulwordstomusicifonehadnochildren,
orhadlostthoseonehad.Moreover,FriedrichRueckertdidnotwritethese
harrowingelegiesoutofhisimagination:theyweredictatedbythecruellest
lossofhiswholelife.WhatIcannotunderstandisbewailingthedeathsof
children,whowereinthebestofhealthandspirits,hardlyanhourafter
havingkissedandhuggedthem.Iexclaimedatthetime,"Forheaven'ssake,
don'ttemptProvidence!"
GustavMahler'sfascinationwithRueckert'spoems,probablybeganmuch
earlier,andmayhavehadsomethingtodowiththedeathofhisbeloved
youngerbrotherin1874whohadthesamenameasoneofRueckert's
children,Ernst.However,afewyearslaterMahler’sdaughterMariawould
alsounfortunatelysuccumbtoscarletfever.
AlreadyconsideredtheleadingRussiancomposerofhisgenerationPyotr
IlyichTchaikovskybeganworkonhisfourthsymphonyin1877.Thatyear
Flute
MaddieChilds
StephanieMerrick
ClarissaTracy,piccolo
Oboe
LizzyHenderson
AanjaStringham
HannahWallis,englishhorn
Clarinet
BrennanJessee
DavidTorres
EthanTufts,bassclarinet
Bassoon
AliciaFalconbury
ElizabethCrawford
TerryJordan,contra
Horn
LizzShill
HeidiRichardson
JeffreyHadfield
AdamHeyen
Trumpet
KatherineHarvey
ConnerPack
TylerMcTavish
Trombone
RandallSmith
JosephPugh
TomFrancis
Tuba
IanWatson
Timpani
AdrianRosales
Percussion
JackEnsign
BrennanLoveless
EllieSieber
Harp
MatalynNelson
Celeste
EdwardPoston
ViolinI
RebeccaFagersten
CristaGuthrie
DavidTruscott
MattGardner
SarahBagley
McKenzieZenger
McKennaMotto
SamShumway
AnnieSmith
HaileyHinnen
ViolinII
KarlyLay
AndreGaspar
GretaHansen
AnnaRasmussen
LeahJeppson
MikaylaSchmidt
JuliannaOlsen
NathanHooper
MissyMcKenna
AmiraJones
AubreyGainer
MariahBozeman
Viola
CamilleNaillon
JosephArnesen
ElizabethBaird
DallinGreen
SpencerHunt
RebeccaIverson
BonnieMcDougal
MeliaYoung
CurtisAnderson
Cello
TaylorRhodes
SaraCerrato
SebastianFraser
CharlottePetersen
JacobPulsipher
JennaMedlyn
LeticiaWilson
Bass
NathanMay
JessicaHarris
JosephMecham
GabeDavis
PROGRAM
HeliosOverture,Op.17.............................................................................CarlNielsen
1865–1931
Kindertotenlieder...................................................................................GustavMahler
I.Nowthesunwillriseasbrightly
1860–1911
II.NowIseewellwhywithsuchdarkflames
III.Whenyourmotherstepsintothedoorway
IV.OftenIthinkthattheyhaveonlysteppedout
V.Inthisweather,inthiswindystorm
Dr.DavidOlsen,Baritone
Short,standingintermission
SymphonyNo.4inFminor,Op.36........................................PyotrIlyichTchaikovsky
I.Andantesostenuto-Moderatoconanima
1840–1893
II.Andantinoinmododicanzona
III.Scherzo:Pizzicatoostinato
IV.Finale:Allegroconfuoco
Dr.DavidOlsenteachesvoiceatBrighamYoungUniversity-Idaho,wherehealso
servesastheDirectorofVocalStudies.Anavidperformer,Dr.Olsenhas
performedinawidevarietyofstylesandvenues,frommusicaltheatretoopera,
barbershoptoacapellajazz.Someofhisrecentappearancesincludethetitlerole
inJuliusCaesar,JavertinLesMisérables,PapagenoinTheMagicFlute,theFather
inHanselandGretel,andthebaritone/basssoloistinBrahms’sGermanRequiem,
Mozart’sRequiem,andHandel’sMessiah.Otherprofessionalengagementsinclude
severalseasonswiththeUtahFestivalOperaYoungArtistprogram,appearingas
featuredsoloistwiththeTulsaSignatureSymphony,andrecordingwiththe
Boston-basedearlymusicensembleLaDonnaMusicale.Hehasalsobeenfeatured
asasoloistinmultipleworksfromtheBYU-IdahoSacredMusicSeries,including
RobertCundick’sGod’sEverlastingLoveandTheRedeemer,aswellasNewell
Dayley’sBringForthMyZion.Dr.Olsenreceivedhisassociate’sdegreefromRicks
College,hisbachelor’sdegreefromUtahStateUniversity,andhismaster’sand
doctoraldegreesfromtheUniversityofOklahoma.
TRANSLATION
I.Nowthesunwillriseasbrightlyasifnomisfortunehadoccurredinthenight.
Themisfortunehasfallenonmealone.Thesun-itshinesforeveryone.
Youmustnotkeepthenightinsideyou;youmustimmerseitineternallight.
Alittlelighthasbeenextinguishedinmyhousehold;Lightofjoyintheworld,be
welcome.
II.NowIseewellwhywithsuchdarkflamesyoureyessparkledsooften.
Oeyes,itwasasifinonefullglanceyoucouldconcentrateyourentirepower.
YetIdidnotrealize-becausemistsfloatedaboutme,wovenbyblindingfate-
thatthisbeamoflightwasreadytobesenthometothatplacewhenceallbeams
come.
Youwouldhavetoldmewithyourbrilliance:wewouldgladlyhavestayednearyou!
ButitisrefusedbyFate.Justlookatus,forsoonwewillbefar!Whattoyouareonly
eyesinthesedays-infuturenightsshallbestarstous.
III.WhenyourmotherstepsintothedoorwayandIturnmyheadtoseeher,
mygazedoesnotalightfirstonherface,butontheplacenearertothethreshhold;
there,whereyourdearfacewouldbewhenyouwouldstepinwithbrightjoy,asyou
usedto,mylittledaughter.
Whenyourmotherstepsintothedoorwaywiththegleamofacandle,
italwaysseemstomeasifyoucameinaswell,
slippinginbehindher,justasyouusedtocomeintotheroom!
Oyou,afather'scell,alas!tooquicklyyouextinguishthegleamofjoy!
IV.OftenIthinkthattheyhaveonlysteppedoutandthatsoontheywillreachhome
again.Thedayisfair-Odon'tbeafraid-Theyareonlytakingalongwalk.
Yes:theyhaveonlysteppedoutandwillnowreturnhome.
Odon'tbeanxious-thedayisfair.Theyareonlytakingawalktothosehills.
Theyhavesimplygoneonahead:theywillnotwishtoreturnhome.
We'llcatchuptothemonthosehills.Inthesunshinethedayisfair.
V.Inthisweather,inthiswindystorm,Iwouldneverhavesentthechildrenout;They
werecarriedoutside-Icouldsaynothingaboutit!
Inthisweather,inthisroaringstorm,Iwouldneverhaveletthechildrenout.
Iwasafraidtheyhadfallenill,butthesethoughtsarenowidle.
Inthisweather,inthiscruelstorm,Iwouldneverhaveletthechildrenout;
Iwasworriedtheywoulddiethenextday-butthisisnownoconcern.
Inthisweather,inthiscruelstorm,Iwouldneverhavesentthechildrenout;
Theywerecarriedoutside-Icouldsaynothingaboutit!
Inthisweather,inthisroaring,cruelstorm,theyrestastheydidintheirmother's
house:theyarefrightenedbynostorm,andarecoveredbythehandofGod.
Translationcopyright©byEmilyEzust,fromtheLiederNetArchive--
http://www.lieder.net/