St. Louis Symphony Program - Nov. 29-30 & Dec. 1, 2013

8/13/2019 St. Louis Symphony Program - Nov. 29-30 & Dec. 1, 2013

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CONCERT PROGRAMNovember 29-30, December 1, 2013

David Robertson, conductor

Joshua Bell, violin

SMETANA Vyehrad fromM vlast (c. 1872-74) (1824-1884)

SIBELIUS Violin Concerto in D minor, op. 47 (1903-04) (1865-1957) Allegro moderato Adagio di molto Allegro, ma non tanto

Joshua Bell, violin

INTERMISSION

DVOK In Natures Realm, op. 91 (1891) (1841-1904)

EINOJUHANI Lintukoto (Isle of Bliss) (1995) RAUTAVAARA

(b. 1928)

SMETANA Vltava (The Moldau) fromM vlast (1874)


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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

David Robertson is the Beofor Music Director and Conductor.

Joshua Bell is presented by the Whitaker Foundation.

Join David Robertson following the concert of Friday, November 28, for a Q&Asponsored by University College at Washington University professional andcontinuing education.

The concert of Saturday, November 29, is underwritten in part by a generous giftfrom Mr. and Mrs. Walter G. Shifrin.

The concert of Saturday, November 30, is underwritten in part by a generous giftfrom Mr. H. Chandler Taylor.

The concert of Sunday, December 1, is underwritten in part by a generous giftfrom The Honorable and Mrs. Sam Fox.

Pre-Concert Conversations are sponsored by Washington University Physicians.

These concerts are presented by Long Pharmaceuticals.

These concerts are part of the Wells Fargo Advisors series.

Large print program notes are provided through the generosity of DelmarGardens and are located at the Customer Service table in the foyer.


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FROM THE STAGEAllegra Lilly, Principal Harp, on Vyehrad from M vlast: The B-at, E-at, B

motif, played by the harp, is representative of The High Castle, Vyehrad.The castle is also represented by a minstrel singer, and the harp is his lyre. A

descending passage near the end of the piece represents the collapse of thecastle. When the theme returns, it is a memory of what it was before.

Vyehradcontains two elements reective of harp writing: big, rolledchords, which are interspersed with arpeggiated passages. Even more thanglissandi, these create a magical sound, a mystical element appropriate tothe piece.

David Robertson told me that my predecessor, Frances Tietov, played

this on her very rst program with the Symphony. Quite a part for yourrst time.

SCOTTFERG

USON

Frances Tietov, the Symphonys previous Principal Harp, joined the orchestra in 1970.


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TIMELINKS

1874SMETANAM vlastDavid Stanley crossesAfrica through the

Congo River basin

1891DVOKIn Natures Realm, op. 91New York CitysCarnegie Hall opens withTchaikovsky as guestconductor

1903-04SIBELIUSViolin Concerto in Dminor, op. 47Pierre and Marie Curiereceive Nobel Prize fordiscovery of radioactivity

1995EINOJUHANI

RAUTAVAARALintukoto (Isle of Bliss)Dayton Peace Accordbrings end to wars informer Yugoslavia

BEDICH SMETANAVyehradand Vltava (The Moldau) from M vlast

BECOMING BOHEMIAN To dene his countryscultural identity, Bedich Smetana rst had to ndhis own inner Bohemian. This invention of selfand country required both determination and awild optimism. The region that we know todayas the Czech Republic had not been independentfor centuries. The composer, whose rst language

was German, was not even uent in Czech untilhe was 40. But after working in Sweden for aboutve years, he returned to Prague in 1861, luredby rumors that a new venue offering Czech-language opera was about to open. He immersedhimself in the language and folklore of his home-land and then began creating a repertoire for theProvisional Theater. As its principal conductorfrom 1866 until 1874, he introduced more than

40 new works.In 1874 Smetana began to write M vlast

(My Country), a cycle of six symphonic poemsglorifying the landscape, mythology, history,and imagined future of his native land. Formany years, the region had been under Austriancontrol; although the concept of an independentBohemia seems prophetic in hindsight, it musthave struck many of Smetanas contemporaries

as faintly delusional. The rst work, Vyehrad(The High Castle),is a musical portrait of the royalpalace of Prague, the legendary seat of the earliestCzech dynasty. It begins with two harps playing adelicate arpeggiated pattern, and then soft brass,winds, and strings each introduce a brief motifthat represents the castle. This theme resurfacesin some of the following works, including Vltava(The Moldau), which celebrates the famous riverin Bohemia. The best-known piece in M vlast,Vltavadepicts both the sounds of the water andits course through the surrounding country-side. In his written preface, Smetana describesits progress through woods and meadows,through landscapes where a farmers wedding iscelebrated, the round dance of the mermaids in

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODIESBY REN SPENCER SALLER


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the nights moonshine: on the nearby rocks lookproud castles, palaces and ruins aloft.

A SAD, SUDDEN END Smetana was in the middleof composing Vyehradwhen he began to lose his

hearing. Despite several torturous and futile treat-ments, he was soon left with nothing but a con-stant rushing noise in his ears. Like Beethoven,he continued to write, becoming if anythingmore prolic. But sadly, the syphilis that causedhis deafness would destroy his memory as well,leaving him unable to work. He died in thePrague Lunatic Asylum in 1884, just ve yearsafter he nished M vlast. Born

March 2, 1824, Litomyl,Bohemia

DiedMay 12, 1884, Prague

First PerformanceMarch 14, 1875, in Pragueby the National TheaterOrchestra

STL Symphony Premiere

December 30, 1910, Max Zachconducting

Most Recent STL SymphonyPerformanceVyehrad: April 10, 1999, LiborPeek conductingVltava(The Moldau):April 13, 2008, Delta DavidGier conducting, in CapeGirardeau, Missouri

Scoring2 flutespiccolo2 oboes2 clarinets2 bassoons4 horns2 trumpets3 trombones

tubatimpanipercussion2 harps Vyehradharp Vltava (The Moldau)strings

Performance Timeapproximately 12 minutes

Smetana statue in Litomyl,Czech Republic


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JEAN SIBELIUSViolin Concerto in D minor, op. 47

STYMIED VIRTUOSO Before Jean Sibelius becameFinlands greatest composer, he wanted to be his

generations Joshua Bell. The odds were againsthim. Although he played violin as a child, he didnot begin formal lessons until he was 14. Theviolin took me by storm, he wrote later, andfor the next ten years it was my dearest wish, mygreatest ambition, to become a great virtuoso. At25, after years of study in Helsinki, Berlin, andVienna, he auditioned for a place in the ViennaPhilharmonic and was rejected.

He turned to composition instead. By 1903,when he started writing his only concerto, he hadabandoned all hope of being a star performer, buthe could still dazzle his wife, Aino, with bravuraturns at the violin while churning out themeafter theme for the work in progress. Sibeliuswas often drunk, and his domestic and profes-sional lives always seemed to be on the verge ofcollapse, but he spent hours composing. He hassuch a multitude of themes in his head that hehas been literally quite dizzy, Aino wrote in aletter. He stays awake all night, plays incrediblybeautifully, cannot tear himself away from thedelightful melodieshe has so many ideas that itis hard to believe it. After a disastrous premierein early 1904, Sibelius radically revised the con-certo, carving away its extraneously showy bits

to reveal the sinews beneath. Late the next year,Richard Strauss (yes, that Richard Strauss) con-ducted the debut of the version we know today.

THRILLING SYMPHONIST Dramatic, romantic,and uent in the idiomatic particularities of thefeatured instrument, Sibeliuss Violin Concertois by some accounts the most frequently per-formed and recorded concerto written in the

20th century. With its fearsome runs, doublestops, and nger acrobatics, it is a virtuososrite of passage. But it is more than a show-offsshowpiece. The sinuous, incantatory openingthemeSibelius wastes no time introducing itearly in the rst movementis a gorgeous melodyin its own right, one of many. The nervy energyof the Allegro moderato is followed by the lumi-nous, songlike Adagio, which juxtaposes tender

BornDecember 8, 1865,Hmeenlinna, Finland

DiedSeptember 20, 1957,Jrvenp, Finland

First PerformanceOctober 19, 1905, in Berlin;the German violinist KarlHalir was the soloist, andRichard Strauss conducted

STL Symphony PremiereDecember 7, 1934, Scipione

Guidi was soloist, withVladimir Golschmannconducting

Most Recent STL SymphonyPerformanceJanuary 22, 2012, ChristianTetzlaff was soloist, withDavid Robertson conducting

Scoring

solo violin2 flutes2 oboes2 clarinets2 bassoons4 horns2 trumpets3 trombonestimpanistrings



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woodwinds and bracingly dissonant brass. Thenale leaps and sprints through the works mostnotoriously tricky solo parts, but it also thrillssymphonically. With its dark orchestral texturesand powerful concision, the last movement reas-

serts the artistry of the symphonist even duringthe soloists most virtuosic feats.

ANTONN DVOKIn Natures Realm, op. 91

NATIONALISM AND NATURE, COUNTRY, ANDCOUNTRYSIDE Like his countryman Smetana,Antonn Dvok was a proud Bohemian whosepatriotism found its voice in the Romanticmusical nationalism of the 19th century. Anaccomplished musician, he was appointed prin-cipal viola of the newly founded ProvisionalTheater in 1862, and he remained with thatorchestra until 1871, performing in many con-certs that Smetana conducted. Although Dvok

shared the older composers dream of creatinga national repertoire that was characteristicallyCzech, he went about it differently, without allthe ideological fetters of the nascent BohemianNationalist movement. His impressive catalog13 operas, nine symphonies, three concertos, andcountless orchestral and chamber piecesrevealsa sensibility steeped in native folk traditions butultimately stateless. As demonstrated by his most

famous work, Symphony No. 9, From the NewWorld, U.S. landscapes could inspire him, too.For Dvok, love of country often dissolved intolove of countryside, an almost pagan reverencefor the natural world.

In Natures Realmnds the great nature com-poser at his most ecstatic and reverent. It beginsand ends with a pulsing, almost insect-like energy,a fecund throbbing. This procreative impulse

informs the mood of the piece, the sensuousdrift from anticipation to fulllment. Dvokspure woodwind colors and richly layered stringsperfectly evoke the cries of birds, the murmur-ing of woodland streams, the sighing of wind inthe trees. The piece may have been inspired bythe composers country home in Vysok, but itselemental beauties know no borders.

BornSeptember 8, 1841,Nelahozeves, Bohemia

DiedMay 1, 1904, Prague

First PerformanceApril 28, 1892, in Prague,Dvok conducted theorchestra of the CzechNational Theater

STL Symphony PremiereSeptember 27, 1974, Walter

Susskind conductingMost Recent STL SymphonyPerformanceJanuary 9, 2000, Jesus Lopez-Cobos conducting

Scoring2 flutes2 oboesEnglish horn

2 clarinetsbass clarinet2 bassoons4 horns2 trumpets3 trombonestubatimpanipercussionstrings



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NATURE, LIFE, AND LOVE In Natures Realmis therst of three thematically linked concert overturesDvok wrote before embarking to the UnitedStates in 1892. That spring he debuted the trilogyat a farewell concert in his beloved Prague; later

that year he brought it to New Yorks almost-newCarnegie Hall. Originally intended as a three-movement symphonic poem called Nature, Life,and Love, today the overtures (which includeCarnival and Othello) are seldom presented onthe same program.

EINOJUHANI RAUTAVAARALintukoto (Isle of Bliss)

SIBELIUSS SHADOW All Finnish composersmust contend with the long shadow of Sibelius.Einojuhani Rautavaara, for instance, studiedcomposition at the Sibelius Academy, and then,in 1955, when he was in his late 20s, was nomi-nated for a grant to study in the United States by

Sibelius himself, then 90. Comparisons to thegreat man are inevitable, and easy: Rautavaarashares his devotion to the natural world and anunwillingness to sacrice the pleasures of tonal-ity. Both composers have created a great deal ofunapologetically sensuous music.

NORDIC FANTASY Rautavaara described 1995ssingle-movement Isle of Bliss as an orchestral

fantasia and explained that he took inspirationfrom a Finnish poem, by Aleksis Kivi, about anisland paradise called Lintukoto, or Home of theBirds. Incidentally, within the borders of Finlandthere are 789 islands, many of which have noroad connection to the mainland. The piece begins with a sparkling sea-scape, in the tradition of Debussys La Mer orMendelssohns The Hebrides. Glittering harp

glissandi, rattling percussion, bright little wood-wind squalls: We are swooping down toward theisland, ying the way we always y in our dreams;we are drunk on shades of blue. It is the end of anexhausted era. As we descend, we cast long dis-sonant shadows. Then we hurtle back a hundredyears, to some velvety Late Romantic idyll, wherewe suck all the sweetness out of the 19th cen-turys last vibrato-kissed chord. This is ripeness,

BornOctober 9, 1928, Helsinki

First Performance

May 31, 1995, in Loha, Finland,Markus Lehtinen conductedthe Tapiola Youth SymphonyOrchestra

STL Symphony PremiereOctober 5, 2001, OsmoVnsk conducting theonly previous Symphonyperformance

Scoring2 flutes2 oboes2 clarinets2 bassoons2 hornstrumpettrombonetimpanipercussionharp

stringsPerformance Timeapproximately 11 minutes


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we think. This is Lotus-land. This is 1950s Hollywood in Technicolor, with ascore by someone who probably studied with Glazunov. But in accordancewith the bylaws of all enchanted isles, Homeric, Shakespearean, Tennysonian,Gilligan, time cant be put off forever. The orchestration darkens, grows turbu-lent. The rst theme circles back, feral. The clattery percussion returns, more

insistent than before. And nally the harp glissandionly now theyve shat-tered, Sibelian fragments ung at the silence.

A NOTE ABOUT RAUTAVAARA Now 85, the Helsinki-born composer has pro-duced an impressive body of work: eight symphonies, nine operas (on Vincentvan Gogh and Rasputin, among others), a dozen concertos, and countlesschoral, chamber, and orchestral pieces. He is best known for 1972s CantusArcticus,a concerto for birdsong and orchestra; like several of his other compo-sitions, it incorporates eld recordings.

Program notes 2013 by Ren Spencer Saller


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DAVID ROBERTSONBEOFOR MUSIC DIRECTOR AND CONDUCTOR

A consummate musician, masterful program-mer, and dynamic presence, David Robertson

has established himself as one of todays mostsought-after American conductors. A passionateand compelling communicator with an extensiveorchestral and operatic repertoire, he has forgedclose relationships with major orchestras aroundthe world through his exhilarating music-makingand stimulating ideas. In fall 2013, Robertsonlaunched his ninth season as Music Directorof the 134-year-old St. Louis Symphony. While

continuing as Music Director with St. Louis,in January 2014, Robertson assumes the postof Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of theSydney Symphony Orchestra in Australia. In 2012-13, Robertson led the St. LouisSymphony on two major tours: his rst Europeantour with the orchestraits rst Europeanengagements since 1998in fall 2012, whichincluded critically-acclaimed appearances atLondons BBC Proms, at the Berlin and LucerneFestivals, and at Pariss Salle Pleyel; and a spring2013 California tour which included a three dayresidency at the University of California-Davisand performances at the Mondavi Center forthe Performing Arts and venues in Costa Mesa,Palm Desert and Santa Barbara. Highlights of his2013-14 season with St. Louis include the record-

ing of a St. Louis Symphony co-commission, JohnAdams Saxophone Concerto. Nonesuch Recordswill release the disc featuring the concerto, alongwith the orchestras performance of Adams CityNoir, in 2014. In addition, Robertson and theSymphony just returned from a historic perfor-mance of Brittens Peter Grimesat Carnegie Hall. Robertson is a frequent guest conduc-tor with major orchestras and opera houses

around the world. In the 2013-14 season, inaddition to launching his rst year at the helmof the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, DavidRobertson conducted the U.S. premiere of NicoMuhlys Two Boys in a new production at theMetropolitan Opera.

David Robertson studiedhorn and composition

before turning to orchestralconducting.


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Joshua Bell most recentlyperformed with the

St. Louis Symphony inSeptember 2010.

LISAMARIEMAZZUCCO

JOSHUA BELLWHITAKER GUEST ARTIST

Often referred to as the poet of the violin, JoshuaBell is one of the worlds most celebrated violin-

ists. He continues to enchant audiences with hisbreathtaking virtuosity, tone of sheer beauty, andcharismatic stage presence. Recently named theMusic Director of the Academy of St. Martin inthe Fields, Bell is the rst person to hold this postsince Sir Neville Marriner formed the orchestrain 1958.

Equally at home as a soloist, chamber musi-cian, recording artist, and orchestra leader,

Bells 2013 summer highlights included per-formances with the Israeli Philharmonic andat Eastern, Brevard, Tanglewood, and MostlyMozart festivals. As the featured soloist he touredfor the inaugural season of the National YouthOrchestra of the U.S.A. with Valery Gergiev toNew York, Washington, D.C., London, Moscow,and St. Petersburg; with the Australian YouthOrchestra in Australia and Europe; and with theSan Diego Symphony to China. He performed aSouth American recital tour with pianist AlessioBax and a European tour with the Academy of St.Martin in the Fields. Bell recently performed asolo recital at Carnegie Hall. In 2014 Bell reunites with his belovedAcademy of St. Martin in the Fields, directingBeethovens Third and Fifth Symphonies and

recording the violin concertos of Bach. He will alsoperform the Brahms concerto with the legendaryVienna Philharmonic under the baton of PaavoJrvi, and the Sibelius with Gustavo Dudamelconducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic. AU.S. recital tour with Sam Haywood, a perfor-mance at the Kennedy Center with the NationalSymphony Orchestra, and dates with the LosAngeles Philharmonic round out the season.

Joshua Bell performs on the 1713 HubermanStradivarius violin and uses a late 18th-centuryFrench bow by Franois Tourte. He is an exclu-sive Sony Classical artist. For more information,visit joshuabell.com.


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MY INSTRUMENT:ALLEGRA LILLY, PRINCIPAL HARP

Even many orchestral musicians dontknow this: the pinky ngers are notused to play the harp. It may be theleast-known fact about harp playing. Itsbecause of the weakness and shortnessof those ngers. I used to play pianoquite a bit and my pinkies have com-pletely atrophied.

The other lesser-known fact is thatthe harp has pedals, many of them.They exist like black keys on the piano.There is a pedal for every note on thescale: DCBEFGA. There are three notchesfor each pedal: highest is at, middle is

natural, bottom is sharp. Although thisis more complicated than the ancientlyre, there was a chromatic harp that wasmade with two sets of strings that crossedin the middle. It weighed a ton.

Allegra Lilly

A BRIEF EXPLANATIONYou dont need to know what andante means or what a glockenspiel is toenjoy a St. Louis concert, but its always fun to know stuff. For example, what

are glissandi?

Glissando/Glissandi: its one of those things that you know what it is whenyou hear it, but you just didnt know it had a name; glissando (singular),glissandi (plural), from the Frenchglisser, to slide, its the sound you hearwhen ngers are run across piano keys or harp strings, but it is also relevantfor trombone and string instruments, see slurring (the musical kind, notthe rude kind)


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YOU TAKE IT FROM HEREIf these concerts have inspired you to learn more, here are suggested sourcematerials with which to continue your explorations.

Franz Kafka, The Castle&Vaclav Havel, To the Castle and BackOxford University Press & VintageTwo Czech castles of the 20th century,a history from which Smetana andDvok were spared

Glenda Dawn Goss, Sibelius: A

Composers Life and the Awakeningof FinlandUniversity of Chicago PressSibeliuss music, and silence, placedin political and social context

Alex Ross, Apparition in the WoodsGoogle: A Critic at Large: Apparition inthe WoodsRoss on Sibelius

Evasion Helsinkiondine.net search Composer RautavaaraA video produced by classiquenews on the rise of Finnish music, including aninterview with the composer

Read the program notes online atstlsymphony.org/planyourvisit/programnotes

Keep up with the backstage life of the St. Louis Symphony, as chronicled bySymphony staffer Eddie Silva, via stlsymphony.org/blog

The St. Louis Symphony is on


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DONOR SPOTLIGHTSIGMA-ALDRICH

What are Sigma-Aldrichs philanthropic ideals and priorities?

Sigma-Aldrich has four areas of focus for charitable giving: STEM Education,Scientic Research, Economic Development through Science, and CivicInvestments. Within these areas of focus, we concentrate our efforts on organi-zations our employees can partner with to increase the impact of what we doand to increase employee engagement in our endeavors.

How does the Foundations support of the Symphony fit into your community-wide funding strategy?Sigma-Aldrich knows the importance of giving back to the communities wherewe operate. These communities are home to our employees, our shareholders,and our customers. We see our support of the Symphony as an investmentthat makes St. Louis a more vibrant and culturally relevant community, whichis key in attracting the talent Sigma-Aldrich needs for its continued success.

What value does Sigma-Aldrich receive by supporting the St. Louis Symphony?Sigma-Aldrichs mission is focused on improving quality of life. We applied themanner in which the Symphony improves and enriches the lives of St. Louis

residents and visitors alike. St. Louiss cultural institutions are one of its great-est assets and we are proud to play a part in their continued success.

Why should other organizations support the St. Louis Symphony?Cultural institutions like the Symphony are businesses that generate economicactivity ranging from employment, to tax revenues, to tourism. But, they alsohave the unique ability to inspire us, to foster civic engagement, to improveconnectivity, and to shape the minds of the future. We think that it is vital thatwe support these organizations as we work to build a stronger community and

we encourage other companies to do the same.


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BOUTIQUE

WHEELCHAIR LIFT

BALCONY LEVEL(TERRACE CIRCLE, GRAND CIRCLE)

GRAND TIER LEVEL

(DRESS CIRCLE, DRESS CIRCLE BOXES,GRAND TIER BOXES & LOGE)

MET BAR

TAXI PICK UPDELMAR

ORCHESTRA LEVEL(PARQUET, ORCHESTRA RIGHT & LEFT)

WIGHTMAN

GRAND

FOYERTICKET LOBBY

CUSTOMER

SERVICE

POWELL HALL

LOCKERS

WOMENS RESTROOM

MENS RESTROOM

ELEVATOR

BAR SERVICES

HANDICAPPED-ACCESSIBLE

FAMILY RESTROOM

Please make note of the EXIT signs in the auditorium. In the case of an emergency,proceed to the nearest EXIT near you.

Documents

St. Louis Symphony Program - Nov. 29-30 & Dec. 1, 2013