The NaTioNal Philharmo Nic - Stageviewstageview.co/pageturn/books/tnp1_1617/tnp1_1617.pdf · The NaTioNal Philharmo Nic ... a score, amazes critics and audiences alike. Maestro Gajewski

at the Music Center at StrathmorePiotr Gajewski, Music Director & Conductor

The NaTioNal PhilharmoNic

WiNTer & SPriNG 2016 - 2017 ProGram

Color the Music A marriage of art and music for young artists and audiences ages 5-17

Great artists and musicians have inspired each other throughout history. VisArts, Montgomery County’s premiere center for the visual arts at Rockville Town Square, and the National Philharmonic, in residence at the Music Center at Strathmore, announce a vibrant partnership to spark creativity between the visual and performing arts.

Presenting• Kids Free Tickets*• Exhibitions• Artist Opportunities

For more information visitwww.visartsatrockville.org andwww.nationalphilharmonic.org.

* Young people 17 and under attend National Philharmonicconcerts free of charge.

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Welcome... to National Philharmonic’s winter and spring 2017 Strathmore musical offerings!

Three wonderful pianists perform a full spectrum of repertoire: first, by popular demand, Chinese virtuoso and the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition gold medal winner Haochen Zhang joins the Philharmonic and me for the melodious Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2 coupled with Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8. Then, in February, Brian Ganz presents his annual Chopin recital in a quest to perform the complete works of the Polish master. And finally, young Eric Lu, just back from his prize-winning bid at Poland’s International Chopin Piano Competition, performs the classical Piano Concerto No. 23 as part of an all-Mozart program that also includes the famous G Minor Symphony and the rarely heard Musical Joke, just in time for April Fools’ Day. On April 22 and 23, cellist and good friend Zuill Bailey caps his weeklong residency at the Philharmonic with performances of Bruch’s Kol Nidrei and Bloch’s Schelomo. Please also join Zuill and me for a Monday morning (April 17 at the Strathmore Mansion) discussion of this program that also includes Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.

Meanwhile, in March, I look forward to conducting Baltimore composer Jonathan Leshnoff’s oratorio Zohar, a companion piece to Brahms’ German Requiem. Commissioned by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and premiered last season in Atlanta, with repeat performances at Carnegie Hall, this will be Zohar’s first local performance and not to be missed.

And finally, join me and “a cast of thousands” for the great season finale, which includes Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and Orff’s Carmina Burana.

Enjoy!

Piotr Gajewski Music Director & Conductor

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RACHMANINOFF’S PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2017, 8 PMSUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2017, 3 PM

Haochen Zhang, pianoPiotr Gajewski, conductor

Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minorDvořák SymphonyNo.8inGMajor

POKÉMON SYMPHONIC EVOLUTIONSSATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2017, 7:30 PM

Presented by National Philharmonic & Princeton Entertainmentwith support by Strathmore

Pokémon:SymphonicEvolutionsisthemust-seevideogameconcertoftheyear.All-neworchestralarrangementsandcarefullytimedvisualsdrawfromrecentandclassicPokémonvideogames.

NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC CHAMBER PLAYERS AT POTTER VIOLINSSUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2017, 3 PM

Michael Hall, hornColin Sorgi, violinChoo Choo Hu, piano

Beethoven SonataforHornandPianoinFMajor, Op.17Szymanowski MythesforViolinandPiano,Op.30Lutoslawski Partita(1984)forViolinandPianoBrahms HornTrioinE-flatMajor,Op.40

BRIAN GANZ PLAYS CHOPIN: A YOUNG GENIUSSATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017, 8 PM

Brian Ganz, piano

Chopin 3Nocturnes,Op.9 PolonaisesinA-flatMajor,Op.Posth.; G-sharpminor,Op.Posth; andinC-sharpminor,Op.26,No.1 Introduction and Variations on a German Air (“Der Schweizerbub”),Op.Posth. MazurkainGMajor MazurkainDMajor,Op.Posth. MazurkainF-sharpminor,Op.6,No.1 12Etudes,Op.10

BRAHMS’ REQUIEMSATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017, 8 PM

Danielle Talamantes, sopranoNmon Ford, baritone National Philharmonic ChoralePiotr Gajewski, conductor

Leshnoff Zohar(DC-areapremiere)Brahms A German Requiem,Op.45

MOZART’S SYMPHONY NO. 40 IN G MINORSATURDAY, APRIL 1, 2017, 8 PM

Eric Lu, pianoPiotr Gajewski, conductor

Mozart A Musical Joke PianoConcertoNo.23inAMajor SymphonyNo.40inGminor

MUSICAL MUSINGS wITH THE MAESTROMONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017 10:30 AM-12 PM

The Mansion at StrathmoreCo-presented with Strathmore

ExploreMussorgsky’sPictures at an Exhibition,Bruch’sKol Nidrei andBloch’sSchelomowithNationalPhilharmonicMusicDirectorandConductorPiotrGajewski.

MUSSORGSKY’S PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITIONSATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017, 8 PMSUNDAY, APRIL 23, 2017, 3 PM Instrument Petting Zoo 2-2:30 pm

Zuill Bailey, celloPiotr Gajewski, conductor

Bruch Kol Nidrei,Op.47Bloch SchelomoMussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition

NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC 2017 CALENDAR

NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC 2017 CALENDARNATIONAL PHILHARMONIC SINGERS SPRING CONCERT SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017, 3 PM

Chevy Chase United Methodist Church

CARMINA BURANACo-presented with StrathmoreSATURDAY, MAY 20, 2017, 8 PM

Marlissa Hudson, sopranoRobert Baker, tenorPhilip Cutlip, baritoneStrathmore Children’s ChorusNational Philharmonic ChoralePiotr Gajewski, conductor

Makris AlleluiaTchaikovsky 1812 Overture(withchorus)Orff Carmina Burana

NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC CHAMBER PLAYERS AT POTTER VIOLINSSUNDAY, MAY 7, 2017, 3 PM

Colin Sorgi, violinClaudia Chudacoff, violinJaclyn Dorr, violaLori Barnet, celloRyo Yanagitani, piano

Ravel SonataNo.2forViolinandPiano (1923-1927)Janacek StringQuartetNo.1“Kreutzer Sonata”(1923)Korngold PianoQuintetinEMajor, Op.15(1921-1923)

4x4: EPHEMERAL ARCHITECTURES SUnDAY, JAn 22, 7:30 PM

Worlds collide! Ballet and juggling come together in collaboration between four jugglers and four ballet dancers. Sharing a stage and an ephemeral journey through time and space, these dancers and jugglers elevate both art forms. TICKETS $28–$68

JAZZ AT LInCOLn CEnTER ORCHESTRA WITH WYnTOn MARSALIS ALL RISE FRIDAY, FEb 24, 8 PM SUnDAY, FEb 26, 4 PM

An epic and inspirational jazz symphony featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, National Philharmonic, and a 150-person gospel choir. All Rise is a triumphant work that crisscrosses genres in 12 movements. TICKETS $65–$175

THE TEn TEnORSTHE POWER OF TEnMOnDAY, MARCH 13, 8 PM

With more than 90 million people worldwide witnessing their unmistakable charm, camaraderie, and vocal power, Australia’s The TEN Tenors are one of the world’s most loved classical-crossover groups. TICKETS $30–$85

AnnAPOLIS SYMPHOnY ORCHESTRA SUnDAY, MARCH 26, 3 PM

José-Luis novo, conductor James Ehnes, violin Known for his virtuosity and probing musicianship, violinist Ehnes joins the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra for an afternoon of Beethoven, Wagner, and Stravinsky. TICKETS $10–$30

REDISCOVERInG MERCY An EVEnInG WITH AnnE LAMOTT WEDnESDAY, APRIL 5, 8 PM Bestselling author Lamott uses spirituality, self-effacing humor and ruthless honesty to tackle life’s most challenging subjects. Alcoholism, motherhood, religion, bereavement: Lamott doesn’t sugarcoat the sadness, but tells her stories with honesty and compassion. TICKETS $30–$65

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Freepre-concertlecturesatStrathmorebyNationalPhilharmonicAssociateConductorVictoriaGauareoffered75minutesbeforeconcertsthroughouttheseason.Pleasechecknationalphilharmonic.orgforup-to-dateinformation.

SupportedbyJeanandPaulDudekforthePre-ConcertLectureSeriesFund.

COMInG UP AT STRATHMOREStrathmore.org

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SATURDAY, JAnUARY 28, 2017, 8 PM SUnDAY, JAnUARY 29, 2017, 3 PM

The national Philharmonic

Piotr Gajewski, Music Director and Conductor

Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2

Haochen Zhang, piano Piotr Gajewski, conductor

Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) Moderato Adagio sostenuto Allegro scherzando

Intermission

Symphony no. 8 in G Major, Op. 88 Antonin Dvořák (1841-1904) Allegro con brio Adagio Allegretto grazioso—Molto vivace Allegro ma non troppo

Weekend Sponsor: Ameriprise Financial Sunday Sponsor: Ingleside at King Farm

All Kids, All Free, All The Time is sponsored in part by Mrs. PatriciaHaywood Moore and Dr. Roscoe M. Moore Jr. and Dieneke Johnson.

The Music Center at Strathmore Marriott Concert Stage

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Piotr Gajewski, conductor

“Immensely talented and insightful conductor, whose standards, taste and sensitivity are impeccable,”

raves The Washington Post. Piotr Gajewski, a student and disciple of the late Leonard Bernstein, continues to thrill audiences all over the world with inspiring performances of great music. “His courtly, conservative movements matched the music’s mood. A flick of the finger, and a fanfare sounded. He held up his palm, and the musicians quieted. It was like watching a race car in the hands of a good driver,” reports The Buffalo News.

With one foot in the United States, as the Music Director & Conductor of the National Philharmonic at the Music Center at Strathmore, and the other in Europe, as the Principal Guest Conductor of the Silesian Philharmonic (Katowice, Poland) and frequent guest conductor of other orchestras, the jet-set maestro’s seemingly limitless repertoire, most conducted without a score, amazes critics and audiences alike.

Maestro Gajewski is one of a select group of American conductors equally at home in nearly all musical genres. A sought after guest conductor, a recent season saw him conduct Bach at the Northwest Bach Festival, Prokofiev with the South Florida Symphony and Copland in Jelenia Gora, Poland. While Gajewski freely admits that Mozart is perhaps his favorite composer, he ventures as far as Barry Manilow and beyond at Pops Concerts, and has led several dozen world premieres, including a recent one of the opera Lost Childhood by the American

composer Janice Hamer.A committed arts educator, Maestro Gajewski is the muscle behind National Philharmonic’s groundbreaking “All Kids, All Free, All The Time” initiative as well as the creation of summer institutes for young string players and singers, master classes with esteemed visiting artists, and a concerto competition for high-school students. Working with the local school system, Gajewski also established and conducts annual concerts for all Montgomery County second-grade students, some 12,000 each year!

In his native Poland, Gajewski has appeared with the Warsaw Philharmonic, the Krakow Philharmonic and with most other major orchestras. Since 2007, he has regularly served as the only American on the jury of the prestigious Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors.

Gajewski began studying piano at age four. After immigrating to the United States, he continued his studies at the Preparatory Division of the New England Conservatory; Carleton College in Minnesota; and at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, where he earned B.M. and M.M. degrees in orchestral conducting. His conducting mentors, in addition to Bernstein, with whom he studied at the Tanglewood Music Center on a Leonard Bernstein Conducting Fellowship, include such luminaries as Seiji Ozawa, André Previn, Gunther Schuller and Maurice Abravanel.

Maestro Gajewski’s many honors include Poland’s Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit bestowed on him by the President of Poland, and a prize at New York’s Leopold Stokowski Conducting Competition.

A true Renaissance man, when away from music Gajewski continues to play competitive soccer, holds a law degree and a license to practice law in two states, and from 2007-2011 served on his hometown (Rockville, Maryland) City Council.

Piotr Gajewski is represented worldwide by Sciolino Artist Management

Haochen Zhang, piano

Since his gold medal win at the Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009, 26-year-old

Chinese pianist Haochen Zhang has captivated audiences in the United States, Europe, and Asia with a unique combination of deep musical sensitivity, fearless imagination, and spectacular virtuosity. Haochen Zhang’s debut at the BBC Proms 2014 received rave reviews for his impressive precision, expressive and delicate playing, with Ivan Hewitt, from The Telegraph saying “He made the Allegretto dance with Mendelssohnian lightness and Lisztian diablerie, and played the melody of the Quasi Adagio with melting softness.”

His return to Fort Worth as part of the 2010–2011 Cliburn Concerts series was lauded by the Dallas Morning News as “the kind of program you’d expect from a seasoned master, served up with dazzling virtuosity where wanted and astonishing sophistication elsewhere” and hailed as one of the top 10 performances of 2010 by both the Dallas Morning News and Fort Worth Star-Telegram. His Boston debut under the auspices of the Celebrity Series met with high praise by audiences and

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critics, making the year-end lists as part of the Boston Phoenix’s top 10 classical music stories of the year. Boston Globe critic Matthew Guerrieri remarked that Mr. Zhang displayed “poetic temperament as much as technical power… [he is] a pianist with ample reserves of power whose imagination seems nonetheless most kindled by subtle delicacy.” In April 2013, Haochen made his debut in Munich with the Munich Philharmonic under the baton of the late maestro Lorin Maazel prior to a sold out four-city tour of China.

A passionate and insightful programmer, Mr. Zhang continues to cultivate his reputation through major performances and debuts every year. Highlights of the 2014-15 season included return invitations to perform with the Pacific Symphony, La Roque d’Antheron Festival in France, recitals in Paris, Tokyo and Beijing among others, as well as his debut with the LA Philharmonic with Xian Zhang, the Warsaw Philharmonic with Jerzy Semkow and Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken with Myung-Whun Chung. In the spring of 2015, Haochen was the soloist for a tour with the NDR Hamburg and Thomas Hengelbrock in Tokyo, Beijing and Shanghai.

Mr. Zhang is also an avid chamber musician, collaborating with such colleagues as the Shanghai String Quartet and is frequently invited to perform by chamber music festivals in the US. In past seasons, he has performed with orchestras such as The Philadelphia Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony, London Philharmonic, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra,

Singapore Symphony and Hong Kong Philharmonic. A prolific recitalist, in the U.S. Mr. Zhang has performed at Spivey Hall, La Jolla Music Society, Celebrity Series of Boston, CU Artist Series, Cliburn Concerts, Krannert Center, Wolf Trap Discovery Series, Lied Center of Kansas and UVM Lane Series, among others. International tours have taken him to cities including Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Tel Aviv, Berlin, Munich, Paris, Dresden, Rome, Tivoli, Verbier, Montpellier, Helsingborg, Bogota and Belgrade.

Mr. Zhang’s Cliburn Competition performances were released to critical acclaim by Harmonia Mundi in 2009. He is also featured in Peter Rosen’s award-winning documentary chronicling the 2009 Cliburn Competition, A Surprise in Texas. His complete competition performances are available on www.cliburn.tv.

Mr. Zhang is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he studied under Gary Graffman. He was previously trained at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the Shenzhen Arts School, where he was admitted in 2001 at the age of 11 to study with Professor Dan Zhaoyi.

Program notesPiano Concerto no. 2 in C minor, Op. 18Sergei Rachmaninoff(born April 1, 1873 in Semyonovo, Russia; died March 28, 1943 in Beverly Hills, California)

The composition of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, a work that forever established his popularity as a composer, straddled the major psychological crisis that followed the unsuccessful premiere of his First Symphony in 1897, a

fiasco that resulted mostly from Alexander Glazunov’s inept conducting. The poor reception of that work, for which Rachmaninoff had great regard and high hopes, plunged him into a severe depression that crippled his ability to compose. Rachmaninoff emerged from that dark episode only through a consistent regimen of hypnosis, administered by Nicolai Dahl, an internist in St. Petersburg who was studying and experimenting with hypnosis and was himself a musician. Rachmaninoff began daily visits to him in January 1900. Most of Dr. Dahl’s treatment consisted of a carefully controlled process of auto-suggestion, which included persistent repetition of stock phrases meant to convince Rachmaninoff of his ability to compose (specifically, a piano concerto), mingled with cultured conversation that helped cheer him up. Following the treatment, during a sojourn in the Crimea and Italy, Rachmaninoff was able to produce sketches of what would become his Piano Concerto No. 2, including some material that can be traced back to the 1890s. The second and third movements were finished by the fall of 1900 and premiered in December of that year. The following year, Rachmaninoff completed the first movement and the concerto premiered on November 9, 1901.

Rachmaninoff’s aesthetic was firmly rooted in Romanticism, and his reverence for tradition made him unusual in an era that was driven by a perpetual quest for innovation and experimentation. His enormous facility as a pianist (he received the highest marks ever awarded by the Moscow Conservatory), coupled with an innate talent for composing big, luscious, expansive and highly addictive melodies, ensured a sustained popularity for his music.

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This also has provoked ambivalent critical assessments of his music, as if an enduring popularity could not be indicative of musical excellence. Critical reception of his music, however, has come a long way from the prejudiced views found in the early 20th century.

The opening of the Piano Concerto No. 2 is one of the most memorable in the concerto repertoire. Deep, resonant chords follow one another in a sustained crescendo and a regular rhythm, punctuated by an ostinato in the bass. Interestingly, these chords are not in the primary key of the concerto (C minor), but in F minor. As the movement unfolds, the piano interacts with the orchestra through a continuous shift between its role as ensemble partner and as soloist, creating a tightly woven texture that is at once sumptuous and intimate.

The second movement, set in the distant key of E Major, is very lightly scored, eschewing the bigger gestures of the first movement in favor of a musical texture that sometimes resembles chamber music. The piano and the orchestra engage in a hushed dialogue that could be the musical equivalent of a salon conversation.

The exuberant finale contains Rachmaninoff’s most famous tune, one of those sinuous melodies that cannot be forgotten once one hears it. The tune is easily recognizable because it was employed by Buddy Kaye and Ted Mossman for their spectacularly famous song, “Full Moon and Empty Arms.” The appropriation of the melody was so complete, that those who do not know this Rachmaninoff concerto are often shocked to realize that the beloved melody actually originated as part of a classical work.

Symphony no. 8 in G Major, Op. 88Antonin Dvořák(born September 8, 1841 in Nelahozeves, Czech Republic;died May 1, 1904 in Prague, Czech Republic)

Dvořák embarked on the composition of his Symphony No. 8 in G Major buoyed by the enormous success of the Symphony No. 7, a work that marked a significant turning point in his career. Flush with the overwhelmingly positive critical reception of that work, Dvořák retired to his summer resort of Vysoká u Příbramě in Bohemia, where he composed and orchestrated the Symphony No. 8 in little more than two months, from August 26 to November 8,1889. He was in exceedingly high spirits, confident in his compositional skills, delighted by the beauty of the natural landscape around him, and fully immersed in memories of the traditional music and culture of his beloved country. All these elements found their way into the very fabric of the Symphony No. 8, a work that seems to evoke all the sights and sounds of the open air on a lush summer day. In addition, the work also celebrates Dvořák’s election to the Bohemian Academy of Science, Literature and Arts, and is therefore dedicated to the institution. It premiered on February 2,1890 in Prague, with Dvořák himself conducting.

Interestingly, the key relationship among the four movements does not include the dominant of the primary key at all. With the exception of the second movement (which is structured around the subdominant C minor and its relative major, E-flat Major), the other three movements are built around the G Major/G minor contrast, perhaps as a musical

analogue of the dialectic between potential sadness and ultimate happiness that is the aesthetic nexus of this symphony.

The symphony begins with a leisurely Allegro con brio that has more of the quality of an Andante. It is a movement replete with melodic inventiveness, from the famous bird-like melody in the flute to a plethora of “main themes” sprinkled throughout the movement. It is as if Dvořák wanted to capture the richly varied soundscape of a summer stroll through the landscape. It is important to note that several of these themes recur throughout the symphony, varied and transformed in ingenious ways, creating a musical kaleidoscope that mirrors the shifting stimuli of the natural world.

The second movement, in the key of C minor, echoes with references to Beethoven, but here Dvořák subdued any hint of tragedy by incorporating elements of fanfare and, most importantly, through the joyful turn of mood at the end of the movement. The third movement, like the first, abounds in melodic richness and is enlivened by the trumpet calls that, in the context of Bohemian traditional music, are an overt and exhilarating call for dance. This mood literally spills over into the last movement, a musical depiction of pure joy and happiness, so unrestricted in its exuberance that it is as if the music had achieved a life of its own and can no longer be subjected to intellectual control.

©James Melo, 2016

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SATURDAY, FEbRUARY 18, 2017, 8 PM

The national Philharmonic Piotr Gajewski, Music Director and Conductor

brian Ganz Plays Chopin:A Young Genius

Brian Ganz, piano

3 nocturnes, Op. 9 Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) No. 1 in B-flat minor No. 2 in E-flat Major No. 3 in B Major

Polonaise in A-flat Major, Op. Posth. Polonaise in G-sharp minor, Op. Posth. Polonaise in C-sharp minor, Op. 26, no. 1

Introduction and Variations on a German Air (“Der Schweizerbub”), Op. Posth.

Intermission

Mazurka in G MajorMazurka in D Major, Op. Posth.Mazurka in F-sharp minor, Op. 6, no. 1

12 Études, Op. 10 No. 1 in C Major No. 2 in A minor No. 3 in E Major No. 4 in C-sharp minor No. 5 in G-flat Major (“Black Key”) No. 6 in E-flat minor No. 7 in C Major No. 8 in F Major No. 9 in F minor No. 10 in A-flat Major No. 11 in E-flat Major No. 12 in C minor (“Revolutionary”)


The Music Center at StrathmoreMarriott Concert Stage

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brian Ganz, piano

Brian Ganz is widely regarded as one of the leading pianists of his generation. A laureate of the

Marguerite Long Jacques Thibaud and the Queen Elisabeth of Belgium International Piano Competitions, Mr. Ganz has appeared as soloist with such orchestras as the St. Louis Symphony, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Baltimore Symphony, the National Philharmonic, the National Symphony and the City of London Sinfonia, and has performed with such conductors as Leonard Slatkin, Marin Alsop, Mstislav Rostropovich and Piotr Gajewski.

The Washington Post has written: “One comes away from a recital by pianist Brian Ganz not only exhilarated by the power of the performance but also moved by his search for artistic truth.” For many years Mr. Ganz has made it his mission to join vivid music making with warmth and intimacy onstage to produce a new kind of listening experience, in which great works come to life with authentic emotional power. As one of Belgium’s leading newspapers, La Libre Belgique, put it, “We don’t have the words to speak of this fabulous musician who lives music with a generous urgency and brings his public into a state of intense joy.”

Mr. Ganz’s 2016 performance highlights include Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy in May with the Cathedral Choral Society at Washington’s National Cathedral, a recital for the WashingtonInternational Piano Festival in July,

Beethoven’s 4th Piano Concerto with the National Philharmonic in September, and a recital in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, in November. Mr. Ganz was particularly honored to have had the opportunity to collaborate with J. Reilly Lewis and the Cathedral Choral Society a few weeks before the conductor’s untimely death.

Mr. Ganz is on the piano faculty of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, where he is artist-in-residence, and is also a member of the piano faculty of the Peabody Conservatory. He is the artist-editor of the Schirmer Performance Edition of Chopin’s Preludes (2005).

Program notesFrédéric Chopin(born March 1, 1810 in Żelazowa Wola, Poland; died October 17, 1849 in Paris, France)

The village of Żelazowa Wola where Chopin was born, located 29 miles west of Warsaw, has a population of only 65 inhabitants, according to the official census of 2008. There is a kind of poetic justice in the fact that a composer of such universal and perpetually enduring appeal was born in such a modest and unambitious place. Chopin was never to see his home again, or his village, or his native Poland after he settled in Paris in 1831 following the overtaking of Poland by Russia, which happened while he was on a concert tour in Austria in 1830. Chopin was immediately divested of a home country and became one among thousands of Polish émigrés who were prevented from returning to their home country. He was able to travel to Paris only after an influential friend managed to secure a Russian passport for him. In Paris, where he spent the rest of his short life (after he

died, his sister took his heart to Poland as he had requested), he soon achieved renown as a highly successful teacher and salon performer, a composer who developed a style so private and so unique that his music is instantly recognizable all over the world and across all cultural backgrounds. With the exception of a handful of works for piano and orchestra, a sonata for cello and piano, several other chamber works and a few songs, his output comprises a wide range of works for piano solo, the titles of which offer an inventory of the new piano genres that began to flourish in the early Romantic period: nocturnes, impromptus, études, ballades, scherzos, waltzes, mazurkas, polonaises, and preludes.

Chopin was the composer of the intimate salon, of the highly nuanced musical gesture, of the small audience and the polite society. He was positively terrified of large crowds and had a lifelong hatred of the large concert halls, preferring to express his innermost feelings in a hushed and intimate manner. The exquisite beauty of his music, which on the surface is enlivened by an endless stream of filigree, ornamentation and subtle melodic inflections, is the outer dress of a world dense with intense emotions and agonized feelings. Composer Robert Schumann, one of the greatest admirers of Chopin’s music, summarized to perfection the aesthetic nature of Chopin’s music when he characterized it as “a cannon buried in flowers.”

Chopin’s piano style was—and remains—inimitable. He seems to have penetrated to the very essence of the piano, eliciting from it a variety of sound colors, textures, harmonies, melodies, and aching dissonances that were

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truly revolutionary. He is one of the few composers whose works can sustain an entire recital, as is clearly demonstrated by the proliferation of all-Chopin recitals throughout the world. Whenever and however such recitals are presented, there can be no question about the superb quality of the music and the transcendent aesthetic experience that greets the audience.

The three Nocturnes, Op. 9 are the earliest published works of Chopin in this genre that he perfected and made uniquely his own, after the model established by the Irish composer John Field (1782-1837). Chopin’s nocturnes wholly transformed a genre that was, until then, an agreeable form of salon music into a vehicle for deep and refined psychological expression. Each of the nocturnes in this set follows a particular musical form, but all of them are infused with Chopin’s gift for melodic beauty and inflection, as if the melody flowed effortlessly from a primeval source. Ornamentation, always of the most exquisite taste and refinement, is a hallmark of his nocturnes, and it can be heard to superb effect in the Nocturne No. 3. Nocturne No. 2, with its sustained accompaniment in triplets over which a melodic line of great beauty unfolds unperturbed, is not only one of Chopin’s most famous compositions, but also a classic work so well-known that it has seeped into all levels of popular culture.

The posthumous compositions in the program represent some of Chopin’s earliest works. The first of the two early Polonaises is a work of charming if modest musical substance and reveals a surprising command of technique, as it was written when Chopin was

only 11 years old. The second, composed about three years later, highlights the growth of the young composer’s technical ambition. With the first of the mature polonaises published in Chopin’s lifetime, that in C-sharp minor, Op. 26, No. 1, we see a leap in musical complexity and substance wedded to absolute technical economy.

The Introduction and Variations on a German Air (“Der Schweizerbub”) were composed in 1826 and published in Vienna in 1851. This type of work, which Chopin cultivated mostly in his earlier years, provided him with opportunities for perfecting his compositional technique in the manner of the classical vogue for sets of variations that explored all the melodic, harmonic and rhythmic potential of the base melody. As in all the posthumous works in this program, compositional mastery and profound musical insights are already evident, laying the groundwork for the supremely refined art of Chopin’s mature years.

The early Mazurkas, a genre towhich Chopin returned throughouthis life, date from his teens, thoughthe exact date of compositionof the second, in D major, isin doubt. The Mazurka in F-sharpminor, Op. 6, No. 1-- the first ofthe mazurkas Chopin chose topublish-- represents another largestep forward in musical value,though it was probably composedrelatively shortly after the work inD Major. The Op. 6, No. 1 piecedisplays a striking emotionaldepth while retaining the essentialcharacteristics of the dance. Thetwo dance genres on tonight’sprogram are the most overtlynationalist in Chopin’s oeuvre,reflecting typical dance formsof the court (polonaise) and thecountry (mazurka) of his nativePoland.

The set of twelve Études, Op. 10, marked one of the breakthroughs in Chopin’s career. Published in 1833 and dedicated to his friend Franz Liszt, the collection contains works that were composed as early as 1829, when Chopin was in his late teens. They are remarkable for their sheer technical brilliance, bravado, and variety, but most importantly for their unprecedented treatment of the piano etude as a genre. Before Chopin, the piano etude was primarily a drill exercise meant to develop specific techniques. Many of them were also charming and musically accomplished, but Chopin’s Études (not only the Opus 10 set, but also the later 12 Études, Op. 25 and the three “Moscheles” etudes) brought the genre to the level of high art. No one can fail to respond to the consummate artistry and the musical riches of these pieces: cascades of arpeggios with the brilliance of sunlight in No. 1; the fairy-tale sonorities and fiendish technical difficulty of No. 2; the tempestuous emotional outpouring of No. 4; the sustained introspection of No. 6; the unprecedented elasticity of the hands required to play No. 11; and the unbridled energy of No. 12, famously dubbed the “Revolutionary” etude, because Chopin supposedly composed it upon hearing of the invasion of Poland by the Russians. Collectively, the Études, Op. 10 (as well as the companion Opus 25 set) laid the foundation for a new school of piano playing that would, in time, influence the entire Romantic literature for the piano.

@James Melo, 2016

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SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017, 8 PM*


Brahms’ Requiem

Danielle Talamantes, sopranoNmon Ford, baritone

National Philharmonic ChoralePiotr Gajewski, conductor

Classical Conversation on Zohar with Cantors Laura Croen and Michael Shochet

Zohar (2015) Jonathan Leshnoff (b 1973)I. ZoharII. What is man?III. Twenty-two lettersIV. Tiferes, Shepherd BoyV. ZoharVI. Higher than High

Intermission

Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45 ( A German Requiem) Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)I. Selig sind, die da leid tragen (Blessed are they who bear suffering)II. Denn alles fleisch, es ist wie Gras (For all flesh, it is as grass)III. Herr, lehre doch mich (Lord, teach me)IV. Wie lieblich sind deine wohnungen (How lovely are thy dwellings)V. Ihr habt nun traurigkeit (You now have sadness)VI. Denn wir haben hie keine bleibende statt (For here we have no lasting place)VII. Selig sind die toten (Blessed are the dead)

Sponsor: Ingleside at King Farm



* Seating to end at 8:30 PM.

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Piotr Gajewski, conductor (For Piotr Gajewski’s biography, please see page 5.)

Danielle Talamantes, Soprano

“It’s not often that a fortunate operagoer witnesses the birth of a star!” noted a San Francisco review of

soprano Danielle Talamantes’ recent role debut as Violetta in La Traviata. This rising star had an exciting stage début in the 2014-2015 season as Frasquita in Bizet’s Carmen in a return to the Metropolitan Opera, as well as a return to the National Philharmonic for both Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Mozart’s Requiem and Exsultate Jubilate, which she also performed with the City Choir of Washington. Other engagements include a turn as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni at Cedar Rapids Opera and a “Canciones Españolas” concert at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC. Ms. Talamantes appears courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.

nmon Ford, baritone

A featured soloist on the four-time 2006 Grammy Award-winning album (including “Best

Classical Recording”), Songs of Innocence and of Experience (Naxos), and the Grammy Award-winning album Transmigrations (Telarc), Panamanian-American Nmon Ford enjoyed many successful débuts over the past

season, among them the role of Jochanaan (Salome) with Pittsburgh Opera and Opéra National de Bordeaux, and the title role of Ernest Bloch’s Macbeth at Chicago Opera Theater.

Recently Nmon performed Pizarro (Fidelio) with Cincinnati Opera, Brahms’ Requiem at Carnegie Hall with the Atlanta Symphony, Carmina Burana with the Atlanta and St. Louis Symphonies, an all-Gershwin concert with the Boston Pops, Scarpia (Tosca) with Madison Opera, and Zurga (Les Pêcheurs de Perles) at Michigan Opera Theater. After singing Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire (ONPL), he was immediately re-engaged by the ONPL for Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder and Fauré’s Requiem. Additional engagements include Shostakovich’s 13th Symphony with the Chicago Symphony at Ravinia and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Disney Concert Hall, Carmina Burana with the Pittsburgh Symphony, and Escamillo (Carmen) at Palm Beach Opera.

Nmon appeared at Teatro Comunale di Bologna in the title role of Pier Luigi Pizzi’s production of Don Giovanni, then appeared in the role of Escamillo (Carmen) at the Szeged Open-Air Festival in Hungary. In recent seasons he sang his first engagements at the Sferisterio Festival in Macerata, Italy in the title role of a new production of Attila and as Holofernes in a new production of Juditha Triumphans, preceded by Don Giovanni and the title role in The Emperor Jones at Teatro delle Muse di Ancona (Italy). He also performed as Scarpia in Tosca and the title role in Billy Budd at Hamburg State Opera, Escamillo at Palm Beach Opera, and Conte di

Luna (Il trovatore) at Virginia Opera. Nmon’s recordings include Vai DaCapo – Songs of Delight (Universal/Decca; Billboard Top 20, Classical and Classical Crossover), Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music (Concord) with Robert Spano and the ASO, and Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody (In-Akustik).

Program NotesEin deutsches Requiem, Op. 45Johannes brahms(born May 7, 1833 in Hamburg, Germany; died April 3,1897 in Vienna, Austria)

The position of Johannes Brahms in the history of Western music resembles in many ways that of Johann Sebastian Bach: Like the older master, Brahms was an encyclopedic composer, synthesizing in his works three centuries of musical practices and refashioning this venerable musical heritage into an individual style that successfully combines Classic and Romantic ideals, formal discipline with emotional intensity, academic rigor with structural experimentation. He is considered to be the successor of Schubert and Beethoven in the line of development of the Viennese Classicism, of Schumann and Schubert in the tradition of the German Lied, and of the Renaissance polyphonists in choral music. During his lifetime, the reception of his music suffered from misplaced expectations on the part of some critics; they failed to understand that Brahms’ primary motivation was not to rebel against the received tradition, but rather to enrich and expand it. The true measure of his legacy is now plain to see, and he is universally recognized as one of the towering figures in the development of Western music.

Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem,

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Op. 45, his longest and structurally complex composition, was for him a landmark work, both from a compositional and a personal perspective. Ein deutsches Requiem launched Brahms into a new, more mature and more confident stylistic phase, dispelling some of the nagging doubts and severe self-criticism that attended his earlier compositions. Personally, the work has been interpreted as a deeply felt response to two tragic events in Brahms’ life: the death of his friend and mentor Robert Schumann (1810-1856) and the death of Brahms’ mother, to whom he was very close. Although there is no concrete evidence of any autobiographical elements in the work, it seems plausible that these losses (approximately 10 years apart) led Brahms to focus his efforts on creating a work of transcendent beauty. It is important to bear in mind what may be the most distinctive aspect of Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem: Contrary to the traditional Requiem, it is not a lament for the dead, but a meditation on the possibility of bliss for the living. The work was composed between 1865 and 1868, but some of its germinal elements may be traced to 1854. It was originally planned as a six-movement piece, but as it evolved it was expanded into the seven-movement version that we know today, with a central movement around which the others are arranged symmetrically. Brahms himself compiled the libretto, drawing from several biblical texts to create a picture of humanity in its relation to the divine, but without any hint of religious denomination or affiliation. Rather, as has been pointed out frequently, it is a work informed by humanistic ideals, and as such, it transcends any partciular

religious doctrine. We know from Brahms’ correspondence that he went to great lengths to avoid any reference to the redeeming death of Christ, preferring instead to build a narrative that depicts a progression from suffering to comfort in which a sympathetic humanism provides the underlying tone. The title of the work does not carry any nationalistic associations, but refers simply to the fact that the text is in German, as opposed to the Latin of the traditional Requiem. This was not a new idea. Schumann himself had contemplated writing just such a work, and one cannot help imagining that, in embarking on his own project, Brahms was also paying tribute to his mentor.

The superb craftsmanship and compositional integrity of Ein deutsches Requiem have been recognized since it was first performed, though some critics and commentators at first took issue with its lack of Christian content. In fact, at the premiere of an earlier version of the work in Bremen, the composer and conductor Carl Reinthaler decided to include an aria from Handel’s Messiah that makes reference to Christ as the redeemer. It is to Brahms’ credit, however, that he was successful in conveying precisely the same notion of redemption without linking it to any specific creed. The symmetrical structure of Ein deutsches Requiem is deployed through a number of musical and textual devices. For instance, the thematic contents of the work are derived from a three-note motive that is enunciated by the soprano in the first choral entry, in the form F-A-B flat. As the motive courses through each movement, at different pitch levels, harmonic contexts, and rhythmic guises, Brahms deploys an aspect of

his compositional technique that was particularly influential on later composers (and which was singled out by Arnold Schoenberg as a hallmark of Brahms’ style): the technique of developing variation, in which the transformations of a musical motive are organically consequential for the overall structure of the work. Developing variation is therefore distinct from the type of embellishing variation that was common in the Classical period. In addition to this structural unity, Ein deutsches Requiem also shows textual symmetry in that the first and last movements, both of which deal with the notion of bliss and salvation, frame the other movements in a mirror-like structure that converges in the central movement. Even the first and last words of the work are the same: “Selig” (blessed). Musically and textually, the outer six movements fan out from the central fourth movement, which depicts a vision of the blessed in the heavenly realm. Collectively, these movements portray the journey of humanity in a path toward wisdom, knowledge and transcendence. It is no wonder that Brahms at one point expressed the desire to call the work “Ein menschliches Requiem” (A Human Requiem).

Zohar (DC-area premiere)Jonathan Leshnoff(born Sept. 8, 1973 in New Brunswick, New Jersey)

Over the past few years, the American composer Jonathan Leshnoff has garnered a string of substantial commissions from some of the most important orchestras and performing organizations in the United States, while some of his works have been performed by more than 50 orchestras worldwide. He boasts an impressive catalogue of works in a variety of genres,

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and the growing recognition of his oeuvre is a direct testimony to the position he occupies in contemporary American music. Zohar, which was a joint commission by Robert Spano for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, and the Deborah A. Kahn and Harris N. Miller Charitable Fund, is a profound and ambitious choral work that focuses on one of the pillars of Jewish mysticism. The core of the work is the exegesis of the Five Books of Moses, and each of its six movements presents a musical

meditation on a particular aspect of the textual tradition. The word “Zohar” itself means “splendor” or “radiance,” a concept that infuses all the mystical elements of the Jewish text. Leshnoff’s Zohar includes sections that make use of large sound masses that present the chorus in full; these are balanced by others in which the texture lightens to include lyrical settings for solo soprano or baritone. The personal nature of this work has been acknowledged by the composer himself, who views it as a profound meditation

on some of the central issues of Jewish tradition and mysticism. The pairing of Zohar with Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem in the same program does justice to the complementary nature of both works, an affiliation that was pointed out by Leshnoff himself. While, in his view, Ein deutsches Requiem “offers comfort to those grieving over the loss of a beloved,” Zohar is a “mystical embrace of life and the living.”

@ James Melo, 2016

I. Selig sind, die da Leid tragen,denn sie sollen getröstet werden.(Matthäus 5,4)

Die mit Tränen säen,werden mit Freuden ernten. Sie gehen hin und weinenund tragen edlen Samen, und kommen mit Freudenund bringen ihre Garben.(Psalm 126,5.6.)

II. Denn alles Fleisch, es ist wie Grasund alle Herrlichkeit des Menschenwie des Grases Blumen. Das Gras ist verdorretund die Blume abgefallen.(1. Petrus 1, 24)

So seid nun geduldig, liebe Brüder,bis auf die Zukunft des Herrn.Siehe, ein Ackermann wartet auf die köstliche Frucht der Erdeund ist geduldig darüber,bis er empfahe den Morgenregen und Abendregen. So seid geduldig.(Jakobus 5, 7)

Denn alles Fleisch, es ist wie Grasund alle Herrlichkeit des Menschenwie des Grases Blumen. Das Gras ist verdorretund die Blume abgefallen.

I: Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.(Psalm 126:5, 6)

II. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.(I Peter 1:24)

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath longpatience for it, until he receivethe early and latter rain.(James 5:7)

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.

Johannes brahmsEin deutsches Requiem, Op. 45

Text and Translation

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Aber des Herren Wort bleibet in Ewigkeit. (1. Petrus 1, 24. 25)

Die Erlöseten des Herrn werden wiederkommen,und gen Zion kommen mit Jauchzen;Freude, ewige Freude,wird über ihrem Haupte sein;Freude und Wonne werden sie ergreifen,und Schmerz und Seufzen wird weg müssen.(Jesaja 35, 10)

III. Herr, lehre doch mich,daß ein Ende mit mir haben muß.und mein Leben ein Ziel hat,und ich davon muß.Siehe, meine Tage sindeiner Hand breit vor Dir,und mein Leben ist wie nichts vor Dir.Ach wie gar nichts sind alle Menschen,die doch so sicher leben.Sie gehen daher wie ein Schemenund machen ihnen viel vergebliche Unruhe;sie sammeln und wissen nicht,wer es kriegen wird.Nun Herr, wes soll ich mich trösten?Ich hoffe auf Dich.(Psalm 39, 5-8)

Der Gerechten Seelen sind in Gottes Handund keine Qual rühret sie an.(Weisheit Salomos 3, 1)

IV. Wie lieblich sind Deine Wohnungen, Herr Zebaoth! Meine Seele verlanget und sehnet sichnach den Vorhöfen des Herrn; mein Leib und Seele freuen sichin dem lebendigen Gott. Wohl denen, die in Deinem Hause wohnen,die loben Dich immerdar.(Psalm 84, 2.3.5)

V. Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit; aber ich will euch wiedersehen, und euer Herz soll sich freuen,und eure Freude soll niemand von euch nehmen.(Johannes 16, 22)

Ich will euch trösten,wie einen seine Mutter tröstet.(Jesaja 66, 13)

Sehet mich an: ich habe eine kleine ZeitMühe und Arbeit gehabt

But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.(I Peter 1:24, 25)

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,and come to Zion with songsand everlasting joy upon their heads:they shall obtain joy and gladness,and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.(Isaiah 35:10)

III: Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.

Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreath; and mine age is as nothing before thee:verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.Surely every man walketh in a vain shew:surely they are disquieted in vain:he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.(Psalm 39:4-7)

But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,and there shall no torment touch them.(Wisdom of Solomon 3:1)

IV: How amiable are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee.(Psalm 84:1,2,4)

V: And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again,and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.(John 16:22)

As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you.(Isaiah 66:13)

Behold with your eyes, how that I have but little labour,

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und habe großen Trost gefunden.(Jesus Sirach 51, 27)

VI. Denn wir haben hie keine bleibende Statt,sondern die zukünftige suchen wir.(Hebräer 13, 14)

Siehe, ich sage euch ein Geheimnis: Wir werden nicht alle entschlafen, wir werden aber alle verwandelt werden; und dasselbige plötzlich in einem Augenblick, zu der Zeit der letzten Posaune.

Denn es wird die Posaune schallenu nd die Toten werden auferstehen unverweslich;und wir werden verwandelt werden. Dann wird erfüllet werden das Wort, das geschrieben steht. Der Tod ist verschlungen in den Sieg. Tod, wo ist dein Stachel? Hölle, wo ist dein Sieg?(1 Korinther 15, 51.52.54.55.)

Herr, Du bist würdigzu nehmen Preis und Ehre und Kraft,denn Du hast alle Dinge erschaffen,und durch Deinen Willen haben sie das Wesenund sind geschaffen.(Offenbarung Johannis 4, 11)

VII. Selig sind die Toten,die in dem Herrn sterben,von nun an.Ja, der Geist spricht,daß sie ruhen von ihrer Arbeit;denn ihre Werke folgen ihnen nach.(Offenbarung Johannis 14, 13)

and have gotten unto me much.(Ecclesiasticus 51:27)

VI: For here we have no continuing city,but we seek one to come.(Hebrews 13:14)

Behold, I shew you a mystery;We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet:for the trumpet shall sound,and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,and we shall be changed.

Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?(I Corinthians 15:51, 52, 54, 55)

Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power:for thou has created all things, and for thy pleasurethey are and were created.(Revelation 4:11)

VII: Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth:Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours;and their works do follow them.(Revelation 14:13)

1. "Zohar"(sung in Hebrew):Hamaskilim yazhiru k’zohar harakiyah

Translation: (not to be sung): The wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens. (Daniel 12:3)

(sung in English): Elijah opened, and said:Master of all Worlds,You are One, beyond all counting.You're higher than all that is high,

hidden from the most hidden,no thought can grasp You.

(Tikunei Zohar 17a) translation by Jonathan Leshnoff, who acknowledges the kind assistance of Rabbi Elchonon Lisbon with some points in this translation.

2. "What is man?"

G–d, Our Master, how mighty is Your name throughout the world.When I see Your heavens,the work of Your finger,

Jonathan LeshnoffZohar

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the moon and the stars,which You have made.G–d, Our Master,How mighty is Your name throughout the world.

What is man that You remember him?And sons of men that You recall them?Yet You find him worthy to stand before You.How mighty is Your name on earth?(Psalm 8: 2, 4-5, 10 translation by Jonathan Leshnoff)

3. "Twenty-two letters"

Aleph, beis, gimmel, daled, hey, vav...

These are the twenty-two lettersAnd with them, G–d created His universe.

Aleph, beis, gimmel, daled, hey, vav, zayin, ches, tes, yud, caf, lamed, mem, nun, samech, eyin, pay, tzadi, kuf, reish, shin, sav

These are the twenty-two letters...

(Sefer Yetzirah 6:6 translation by Jonathan Leshnoff)

4. "Shepherd Boy"

Shepherd boyCould not readKnew few wordsBut in his heart, a fire burned."Can I speak?Is He near?Will He hear?"To be close to G–d is what he yearned.

Quietly,He walks into the house of prayerSilently,He sits among the learned sagesSimple words he can't discern,Songs with tunes he hadn't heardUnbidden tears begin to flow,He rises up for he must go."Among the wise, I have no place,I cannot pray, nothing I can say."

Now he sits in the windswept field,Amongst the trees he sits alone."All I know is the Aleph Beis – Sacred letters – Can I atone? Can you reach to G–d's abode?Is He near? Will He hear?"

As he stands with arms stretched high. Golden letters from his mouth now flyTongues of fire leap up to the skyAnd carry letters within his cry"Aleph!Beis!Gimmel!Daled!"

The golden letters float up above And softly form to holy wordsCarried gently by archangelsOffered to G–d in purest love

Said G–d:"How sweet are his letters?How beloved is his prayer?My child, I am near, andYour prayer, I hear!"

(Based on a story in the name of the Ba’al Shem Tov, Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, retold by Robert Benedek. Used with permission of Robert Benedek.)

5. "Zohar"

(sung in Hebrew):Hamaskilim yazhiru

Translation: (not to be sung: The wise will shine)(Daniel 12:3)

(sung in English):Elijah opened:Master of all Worlds,You are One, beyond all counting.You’re higher than the most high,hidden from the most hidden.

(Tikunei Zohar 17a translation by Jonathan Leshnoff, who acknowledges the kind assistance of Rabbi Elchonon Lisbon with some points in this translation)

6. "Higher than High"

You are higher than all that is high,hidden from the most hidden,there is no thought that can grasp You.

(Tikunei Zohar 17a translation by Jonathan Leshnoff, who acknowledges the kind assistance of Rabbi Elchonon Lisbon with some points in this translation)

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SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 2017, 8 PM


Mozart’s Symphony No. 40

Eric Lu, piano Piotr Gajewski, conductor

Ein musikalischer Spass (A Musical Joke), K. 522 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Allegro Menuetto and trio Adagio cantabile Presto

Piano Concerto no. 23 in A Major, K. 488 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Allegro Adagio Allegro assai

Intermission

Symphony no. 40 in G minor, K. 550 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Molto allegro Andante Menuetto. Allegretto Finale. Allegro assai



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Eric Lu, piano

Eighteen-year-old pianist Eric Lu is rapidly building an international reputation as a young pianist

with enormous promise and a distinctive musical voice. Eric was the 1st prize winner of the IX Moscow International Chopin Competition for Young Pianists, and the US National Chopin Competition in Miami, Florida. Earlier achievements include 1st prize at both the XII Ettlingen International Competition in Germany (2010), and the Minnesota International e-Piano Junior Competition (2013).

In October 2015, at age 17, Eric won 4th prize at the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Competition in Warsaw, becoming one of the youngest laureates in the history of that competition. Described by the New York Classical Review as a musician of “exceptional musical sensitivity,” Eric Lu started piano studies in the Boston area, and then entered the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 2013. He currently studies under Professors Jonathan Biss and Robert McDonald, and is also a pupil of the renowned pianist Dang Thai Son.

Program NotesA Musical Joke

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart(born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria; died December 5, 1791 in Vienna, Austria)

Mozart’s life and career require no introduction. He is seen as the very embodiment of the Western musical tradition, a genius of unsurpassed skill and consummate taste, a composer of universal scope who created masterpieces in every musical genre available at his time, and an artist who elicited unanimous admiration among his fellow composers. Even Tchaikovsky, notorious for ranting against virtually everyone, held up Mozart as his artistic model. The three works in tonight’s program, all of them composed at the height of Mozart’s stylistic development, display the multifaceted nature of his genius.

Ein musikalischer Spass (A Musical Joke), K. 522 is a unique work in Mozart’s oeuvre. Completed on June 14, 1787, the work astounds by the intentional ineptitude in composition and in the handling of musical elements and techniques. It is clear that Mozart was poking fun at someone (or at something), but scholars have not been able to pinpoint who or what was in Mozart’s mind. The external layout of the work is perfectly ordinary, but within the piece Mozartcrams a bewildering repertoire of what not to do: wrong notes, impossible playing techniques, random harmonic progressions, clumsy orchestration, unorthodox scales, unresolved dissonances, lopsided musical phrases and much more. Surprisingly, the work requires absolute mastery on the part of musicians because, irrespective of its intentional clumsiness, it is very difficult to play. It is clear that in composing this piece, Mozart relished the opportunity to exercise his wit and contemplate musical impossibilities of the kind that he never had a chance to fully work out for his own pleasure.

He composed this piece as if he were throwing dice to randomly create musical sequences. In fact, the pre-composed sequences and individually numbered measures make compositional sense.

Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K. 488Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart is legitimately credited with having set the model for the piano concerto. His 27 works in this genre provided him with occasions for compositional experimentation and for bringing into instrumental music the superb dramatic skills that he deployed in his operas. In fact, one of the reasons why Mozart moved from his native Salzburg to Vienna was because there he would have opportunities to perform as a concerto soloist. It is no surprise, therefore, that many of his piano concertos were written for his own performances. The Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K. 488 is one of Mozart’s most sublime creations. It was completed on March 2, 1786 and was featured in a series of subscription concerts with Mozart himself as the soloist. Outwardly, the Piano Concerto No. 23 follows all the expected props of the classical concerto: It is written in three movements and orchestrated for the standard classical orchestra consisting of strings, one flute, and pairs of clarinets, bassoons and horns. However, as is often the case with Mozart’s works, the transparency and predictability of the external elements of his musical forms are only a framework that holds together an internal texture of infinite variety and inexhaustible richness of detail. For instance, Mozart treats the thematic exposition of the first movement as a protracted process in which each successive step reveals a new element. Thus, the

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first exposition by the orchestra is tonally static and stable; the second exposition, this time with the soloist joining the orchestra, is modulatory and includes important new material, such as a harmonically tense second theme, and a third theme that makes a surprise appearance against the prevailing expectations of a standard, two-theme sonata form. The second movement is one of the most beautiful that Mozart ever composed, and it has proved to be a favorite with modern choreographers who delight in its graceful, sinuous, elastic melodies as they translate them into body movements. It begins with a memorable phrase played on the piano alone (a rather unusual approach in Mozart’s time), which is then joined by the orchestra in tones that are often soft and intimate. In the contrasting central section, Mozart makes superb use of the flute and clarinet (especially the latter) to convey a playful and jovial mood that can seem to be infused by pure sunshine. The last movement, a rondo, deploys a great variety of key changes, unfolding a spontaneous musical form that is reminiscent of the opera buffa style of Mozart’s era.

Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 is the middle work in a trio of symphonies (Mozart’s last works in this genre) composed at an astonishing speed during just a few weeks in the summer of 1788. Even by the standards of Mozart’s legendary facility, the completion of three works of such majestic scale as the symphonies Nos. 39-41 in such a short time was truly exceptional. The Symphony No. 40 was completed on July 25, 1788, but there is no definitive evidence

that it was performed in any public venue during Mozart’s lifetime. Following his death, the public came to greatly admire the work.Its popularity remains undiminished today, and some scholars and musicians have come to embrace it as the very distillation of Mozart’s symphonic style. The first theme of the first movement is presented effortlessly, emerging after a few measures of an accompaniment figure that has an exquisite lilt and buoyancy, but in which there seems to be hidden an element of foreboding. The sonata form that unfolds from that highly memorable beginning is one of absolute perfection in the wealth of textures, thematic work and melodic richness. Throughout the movement, the flow of the music is oftentimes interrupted by unexpected accents and sudden shifts in dynamics, but these interjections never overwhelm the organic structure of the movement. The second movement, a graceful piece in 6/8 time, with gently woven counterpoint, suggests the elegance and refinement of the courtly atmosphere of the Enlightenment. But the minuet all of a sudden dispels these charms with a harsh, rhythmically asymmetrical motive. In spite of its title, the minuet has very little to do with the character one often associates with this dance form. Rather, it seems intent on subverting our expectations through a playful handling of rhythm, asymmetry and surprise. The fourth movement, like the first, is a model of classical equilibrium. The themes are structured according to the eight-bar phrase that was standard in the Classical period, but with Mozart one always gets far more than appears on the surface. Embedded throughout the movement is a rich tapestry of melodic and harmonic inflections, including a transitional

passage in which all the notes of the chromatic scale (except for G, the tonic of the symphony) are presented. This device undermines momentarily the perception of the key, and it exemplifies to perfection Mozart’s supreme skills in enlivening a musical structure through the manipulation of internal details. The Symphony No. 40 is often referred to as the “Great G minor” symphony, to distinguish it from an earlier work in the same key, the only two symphonies in a minor key among Mozart’s 41 works in this genre. Its ability to elicit wide-ranging responses and interpretations can be gleaned by juxtaposing two highly contrasting opinions: The composer Robert Schumann characterized it as possessing “Grecian lightness and grace,” while the scholar Charles Rosen saw in it “a work of passion, violence and grief.” The composer Johannes Brahms, a devoted collector of musical manuscripts, owned Mozart’s original score of this symphony, a manuscript that he considered to be the crown jewel of his collection.

@ James Melo, 2016

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SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017, 8 PM SUnDAY, APRIL 23, 2017, 3 PM

The national Philharmonic

Piotr Gajewski, Music Director and Conductor

Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition

Zuill Bailey, cello Piotr Gajewski, conductor

Kol Nidrei, Op. 47 Max Bruch (1838-1920)

Schelomo: Rhapsodie Hébraïque Ernest Bloch (1880-1959)

Intermission

Pictures at an Exhibition Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881) (orchestration by Maurice Ravel) Promenade—Gnomus (The Gnome) Promenade—Il Vecchio Castello (The Old Castle) Promenade—Tuileries Bydlo (The Ox Cart) Promenade—Ballet des Poussins dans Leurs Coques (The Ballet of Unhatched Chicks in Their Shells) Samuel Goldenberg und Schmuyle Limoges: Le Marché (The Market at Limoges) Catacombae (The Catacombs) La Cabane de Baba-Yaga sur des Pattes de Poule (The Hut of Baba-Yaga on Chicken’s Legs) La Grande Porte de Kiev (The Great Gate of Kiev)

Sponsors: Ameriprise Financial and Ingleside at King Farm



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Zuill bailey, cello

Zuill Bailey is an American classical cellist, soloist, chamber musician, recitalist, Artistic Director and teacher.

His distinctive combination of artistry, technical skill, and charisma has secured his place as one of the most sought after and active cellists today.

Mr. Bailey has appeared with the symphony orchestras of Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit, Indianapolis, Dallas, Nashville, Toronto, Minnesota, and abroad in Israel, Cape Town, Cuba and beyond. He has worked with conductors including Itzhak Perlman, Alan Gilbert, Andrew Litton, and James DePriest, among others, and is renowned for his collaborations in chamber music, with Leon Fleisher, Jaime Laredo, the Juilliard String Quartet, Lynn Harrell and Janos Starker, among others.

Under Telarc International, Zuill Bailey recorded the Bach Cello Suites and recently released a Britten Cello Symphony/Sonata CD, both of which immediately soared to the Number One spot on the Classical Billboard Charts. Other critically acclaimed recordings include his live performances with the Indianapolis Symphony of the Elgar and Dvorak Cello Concertos, and the “Brahms” complete works for cello and piano with pianist Awadagin Pratt. His newest release is the world

premiere recording of Nico Muhly’s cello concerto and Bloch Schelomo under the Steinway label.

Zuill Bailey was named a 2014 Johns Hopkins University Distinguished Alumnus and was awarded the Classical Recording Foundation Award for 2006 and 2007 for Beethoven’s complete works for Cello and Piano. The highly touted two-disc set with Simone Dinnerstein was released on Telarc worldwide. In celebration of his recordings and appearances, Kalmus Music Masters has released “Zuill Bailey Performance Editions,” which encompasses the core repertoire of cello literature.

Network television appearances include a recurring role on the HBO series “Oz,” NBC’s “Homicide,” A&E, NHK TV in Japan, a live broadcast and DVD release of the Beethoven Triple Concerto performed in Tel Aviv with Itzhak Perlman conducting the Israel Philharmonic. He has been heard on NPR’s “Morning Edition,” “Tiny Desk Concerts,” “Performance Today,” BBC’s “In Tune,” XM Radio’s “Live from Studio II,” Minnesota Public Radio, WFMT and RTHK Radio Hong Kong.

Mr. Bailey received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from the Peabody Conservatory and the Juilliard School, and performs on a 1693 Matteo Gofriller Cello, formerly owned by Mischa Schneider of the Budapest String Quartet.

In addition to his extensive touring engagements, he is the Artistic Director of El Paso Pro-Musica (Texas), the Sitka Summer Music Festival and Series, (Alaska), the Northwest Bach Festival (Washington), guest Artistic Director of the Mesa Arts Center

(Arizona), and Professor of Cello at the University of Texas at El Paso.

Program notesKol NidreiMax bruch(born January 6, 1838 in Cologne, Germany; died October 20, 1920 in Friedenau, Germany)

Max Bruch’s career developed through a series of appointments at various schools and performing organizations in Germany and later in England, during which he had a chance to explore his dual career as composer and conductor. Stylistically, Bruch was steeped in the long tradition of German Romanticism dating back to Brahms, a composer who clearly had a great impact on Bruch’s life. Throughout his life, Bruch nurtured an interest in the folk and traditional music of several cultures, and often made use of rhythms and melodies from other traditions in his works. It is in this vein that one should understand his Kol Nidrei, Op. 47, for cello and orchestra. The work was inspired by Bruch’s discovery of the Kol Nidrei Jewish melody, following his acquaintance with the Jewish cantor Abraham Jacob Lichtenstein. As with all his other works that make use of non-Western elements, Bruch never had any intention of writing Jewish music, and therefore the criticism that his Kol Nidrei lacks genuine Jewish sentiment is ultimately irrelevant. The work must be seen as an abstract composition that happens to be based on a traditional Jewish melody. In this regard, it is very different from Ernest Bloch’s Schelomo, which is included in tonight’s program. Completed in 1880 while Bruch was living in Liverpool, the work is articulated as a series of variations on two Jewish themes: a rhapsodic melodic line that

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emulates the voice of the cantor as he recites the Kol Nidrei during the evening service of Yom Kippur, and a second theme based on Isaac Nathan’s arrangement of “O Weep for Those That Wept on Babel’s Stream,” a setting of a verse from Lord Bryon’s collection Hebrew Melodies.

SchelomoErnest bloch(born July 24, 1880 in Geneva, Switzerland; died July 15, 1959 in Portland, Oregon)

Bloch had an eclectic musical education that brought him in contact with many prominent composers and musicians of his time. He had vowed to become a composer when he was only 10 years old, and he pursued this goal with unfailing discipline and devotion. The groundbreaking period in his career occurred around the time of World War I, when he became fully immersed in his Jewish identity and made it his mission to externalize his inner spiritual life through music. Later in his life Bloch commented on the inspiration behind all his works: “I hold it of first importance to write good, genuine music, my music. It is the Jewish soul that interests me, the complex glowing agitated soul that I feel vibrating throughout the Bible… It is all that I endeavor to hear in myself and transcribe in my music.” Schelomo: Rhapsodie Hébraïque for cello and orchestra is a consummate example of Bloch’s compositional philosophy. Composed in 1915-1916 and premiered on May 3, 1917 at Carnegie Hall, New York City, the roots of this work lie deep in the Bible, more specifically in the Book of Ecclesiastes. Bloch’s original intention was to compose a vocal work based on settings of verses from the Book of Ecclesiastes. He had settled on the text for the

work, but could not decide which language to use for his setting. A meeting with the cellist Alexander Barjansky, to whom Bloch showed some of the sections of the work, led to a complete transformation of the original project. Impressed by Barjansky’s technique and expressive powers, Bloch reconceived Schelomo as a rhapsody for cello and orchestra, in which the solo instrument takes over the role of the would-be singing voice in the original conception. The choice of the rhapsody as a musical form was carefully weighed by Bloch, who wanted to invest the cello line with a free, improvisational and highly declamatory character, as if the instrument were the mouthpiece for the wisdom of King Solomon (Schelomo in Hebrew), the putative author of the Book of Ecclesiastes. The work is structured in cyclic form, with several musical motives recurring in varied forms throughout its three interconnected sections. Each section is defined by a different handling of texture, rhythm, thematic content, and variation technique, with several of these devices being employed as a way to project the ideas and feelings in the original text. Therefore, parallel to the inherent musical structure, there unfolds in Schelomo a programmatic content that refers back to the biblical text. The many variations of the thematic material are meant to represent Solomon’s own thoughts and feelings as he contemplates the tenets of his spirituality and wisdom.

Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky(born March 21, 1839 in Karevo, Russia; died March 28, 1881 in St. Petersburg, Russia)

Mussorgsky was unquestionably the most individual, original and innovative Russian composer of

the late 19th century. In his short and tumultuous life, marked by poverty and loneliness, he managed to fashion a style that proved influential on many modernist composers, such as Debussy and Ravel. Undisciplined, self-taught, highly intellectual and prone to bouts of alcoholism, he left many of his most important compositions unfinished at the time of his death. Pictures at an Exhibition (or, to give its full Russian title, Kartínki s výstavki: Vospominániye o Víktore Gártmane) is an ingenious work of programmatic music, structured as an imaginary stroll through an art exhibition. Completed in 1874 for piano solo, the work soon became one of Mussorgsky’s most popular compositions. The variety of technical and expressive resources has made it an ideal display piece for pianists all over the world. The work consists of 10 musical tableaux, each one based on a painting by the artist and architect Viktor Hartmann, a friend of Mussorgsky’s who died tragically in 1873 at the age of 39. Mussorgsky’s work was inspired by a retrospective exhibition of Hartmann’s works at the Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg in 1874. Pictures at an Exhibition has a tightly organized narrative structure, with the individual numbers connected by the recurrence of an interlude (“Promenade”) that is changed and varied according to the particular mood or character of the pieces that precede and follow it. In this way, Mussorgsky solved the need for thematic coherence by connecting it with the requirement for pictorial expression. In order to do justice to these associations, Mussorgsky deployed a kaleidoscopic arsenal of melodic, rhythmic and harmonic devices, most of which have their roots in Russian folk music.

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Rhythmic asymmetry, unorthodox scales, coloristic harmonies and a perpetually varied treatment of the musical forms give the work a textural richness that never ceases to enchant. This very same richness proved irresistible to other composers, who were inspired to translate the vibrant sound palette of Mussorgsky’s original piano version into orchestral sounds. There have been numerous orchestral

arrangements of Pictures at an Exhibition, beginning already in 1886 and up to the latest documented version in 2012. None, however, has achieved a level of artistry and popularity equal to the version by Maurice Ravel, completed in 1922 for the conductor Serge Koussevitzky. Ravel was already renowned as a superb orchestrator and colorist, and his version stands out as a supreme orchestral work in and

of itself. The evocative power of instrumental color, the novel sonorities created through the delicate merging of timbres, and the flawless treatment of the technical and expressive resources of each instrument make Ravel’s orchestration a showcase of orchestral playing, just as the version for piano solo remains a tour de force for the pianist.

@ James Melo, 2016

ALL KIDS, ALL FREE, ALL THE TIMEKids7-17areFree!

Call301-581-5100orvisittheStrathmoreBoxOfficeinperson.

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SATURDAY, MAY 20, 2017, 8 PM


co-presented with Strathmore

Carmina Burana

Marlissa Hudson, sopranoRobert Baker, tenor

Philip Cutlip, baritoneStrathmore Children’s ChorusNational Philharmonic Chorale

Piotr Gajewski, conductor

Alleluia Andreas Makris (1930-2005)

1812 Overture (with chorus) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Intermission

Carmina Burana (Cantiones profana) Carl Orff (1895-1982) Fortuna imperatrix mundi (Fortune, Empress of the World)

I. Primo vere (Spring)

Uf dem Anger (On the Green)

II. In Taberna (In the tavern)

III. Cours d’Amour (The court of love)

Blanziflor et Helena (Blanchefleur and Helen)

Fortuna imperatrix mundi (Fortune, Empress of the World)



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Marlissa Hudson, soprano

Marlissa Hudson received her B.A. in music and sociology from Duke University and her

Master of Music (voice) from the Peabody Conservatory. While a student she performed such roles as the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro, Javotte in Manon, and the Second Woman in Dido and Aeneas. She has also performed the title role in Treemonisha with the Municipal Opera Company of Baltimore and the role of Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos with the Summer Opera Theatre Company. Ms. Hudson has been a soloist with the Baltimore Symphony Pops Orchestra and the Gateway Symphony Orchestra (St. Louis). Recently, she was the soprano soloist for Masterworks Chorale’s performance of Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass. She is the soprano soloist with the historic New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., and is scheduled to appear as Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly with the Municipal Opera Company of Baltimore.

Robert Baker, tenor

Tenor Robert Baker has been featured in more than 300 performances of 43 productions with the

Washington National Opera.

He has also sung 10 roles with the Washington Concert Opera. Recent career highlights include the role of Ishmael in the world premiere of Peter Westergaard’s “Moby Dick” at Princeton University (recorded for Albany Records), and his Metropolitan Opera debut in Prokfiev’s “War and Peace.”

He appears frequently with the National Symphony Orchestra. Baker was soloist on the Grammy Award-winning recording “Of Rage and Remembrance” by John Corigliano (BMI, 1996) and sang Triquet in the NSO’s presentation of “Eugene Onegin.” He appeared in “Peter Grimes” and “Turandot” with the Washington National Opera, “Carmina Burana” with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Handel’s “Messiah” with the Apollo Chorus in Chicago. Baker has sung with all the major choral organizations in Washington, D.C., starting with the Paul Hill Chorale in 1979, and continuing with Norman Scribner, Reilly Lewis, Robert Shafer, Donald McCullough, Gisele Becker, Tom Beveridge and Julian Wachner. Robert Baker is the director of performance studies at The George Washington University.

Philip Cutlip, baritone

Philip Cutlip has garnered consistent critical acclaim for his performances across North America

and Europe. His engagements in the 2016-17 season include Messiah (Minnesota Orchestra); Mozart’s Mass in C minor and Bruckner’s Te Deum (Oratorio Society of New York); Haydn’s

The Creation (Back Bay Chorale); and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (Portland Symphony Orchestra). Recent engagements included the title role in Don Giovanni (New York City’s Venture Opera); the title role in Sweeney Todd (Tri-Cities Opera); Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and the New York premiere of Merryman’s Jonah (Oratorio Society of New York at Carnegie Hall); Brahms’ Requiem with Winston-Salem Symphony; Messiah under Nicholas McGegan (Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra); and multiple roles in Weill’s The Road of Promise (New York’s Collegiate Chorale).

Program notesAlleluiaAndreas Makris(born March 7, 1930 in Salonika, Greece; died Feb. 3, 2005 in Silver Spring, Maryland)

Andreas Makris had a close and productive association with the National Philharmonic and was a personal friend of its conductor, Maestro Piotr Gajewski. He was introduced to music under strenuous circumstances, when his family was approached by a man who begged to trade his violin for some olive oil, which was part of the meager rations apportioned to families after World War II. The transaction accomplished, Makris began studying the violin and by age 13 was already composing music for the theater in Kilkis, Greece. He emigrated to the United States following his graduation from the National Conservatory in Salonika in 1950, and went on to develop important relationships with several major American orchestras. His association with the National Philharmonic, however, was by far the most productive. His Alleluia, composed in 1990, exists in two

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versions--for chorus and brass quintet, and for chorus and organ (or piano). It presents a modern setting of the traditional medieval chant, in which the word “Alleluia” (an expression of jubilation) is repeated several times under different pronunciations and contexts. In this, he remained faithful to the original character of the chant, a melismatic (and often ecstatic) chant that conveys unrestricted joy and gratitude. The longtime association between Makris and the National Philharmonic was marked by the establishment of the Andreas Makris Endowment to promote his music and to support the work of the National Philharmonic, which also maintains the Andreas Makris library.

1812 Overture (with chorus)Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky(born May 7, 1840 in Votkinsk, Russia; died Nov. 6, 1893 in St. Petersburg, Russia)

Known the world over for his magnificent orchestral music and ballets, Tchaikovsky was one of the main representatives of the Russian school of composition in the second half of the 19th century. His relationship to the nationalist ideals that informed the music of many of his compatriots, however, was indebted to many Western elements, which gave his works a more universal tint and style. The 1812 Overture, Op. 49, was composed in 1880 to commemorate the Russians’ victory in 1812 against Napoleon’s invading army. The work was part of a series of celebrations commissioned by Czar Alexander I, and Tchaikovsky was invited to compose the overture by his mentor, Nikolai Rubinstein. The music incorporates a host of national references (both to Russia

and to France), some of which are historically anachronistic but nevertheless contribute to the festive and celebratory nature of the work. The orchestra is exceptionally large, and includes a battery of cannons for special effects. Historically, the 1812 Overture has been adapted for use in other contexts. It was conducted by Tchaikovsky himself at the inauguration of Carnegie Hall in New York in 1891. In the United States, it has become a feature of Independence Day, beginning with a 1974 performance for July 4th by the Boston Pops, conducted by Arthur Fiedler. The version heard tonight is that of the American conductor Igor Buketoff, which includes choral parts for some of the sections.

Carmina BuranaCarl Orff(born June 10, 1895 in Munich, Germany; died March 29, 1982 in Munich, Germany)

Carl Orff’s secular cantata Carmina Burana (1937) is arguably the best known work of 20th century music. It has become ubiquitous in so many contexts—from film soundtracks, to car advertisements, to sports events and video games—that it has achieved the status of those works whose composer becomes synonymous with the piece itself. But Orff was not a one-work composer. He boasts an important corpus of works in several genres, in addition to developing one of the most influential pedagogical methods in history.

In his personal life, Orff was entangled with the creation of the Nazi regime in Germany, a phase of his career that remains hotly debated by scholars. It

is clear that he had direct ties to prominent members of the regime, and had a more than casual relationship to it. Following its very successful premiere in Frankfurt in 1937, Carmina Burana was immensely popular among members of the Nazi Party, This “scenic cantata” (as Orff called it) appeals to some of the most visceral and primal emotions in the listener, and it is not surprising that it would be appropriated as a vehicle for political and ideological propaganda.

Carmina Burana was conceived as the first work in a trilogy titled Trionfi (Triumphs), of which the second and third works are Catulli Carmina (1943) and Trionfo di Afrodite (1953). These last two have been almost completely forgotten under the dazzling popularity of Carmina Burana. Orff was inspired to compose the work after reading a series of secular (and often erotic and bawdy) poems written by defrocked monks and minstrels in the 11th-12th centuries. The manuscript containing these poems was discovered at the Benediktbeuern monastery in the Bavarian Alps and published by Johann Andreas Schmeller in 1847. Carmina Burana puts to music a total of 24 poems, some written in Latin and others in a very old form of German, covering a great range of subjects that would have been part of the lyrical repertoire of troubadours and minstrels in the Middle Ages: the fickleness of Fortune; the vagaries of love; drunkenness and ribaldry; gluttony; gambling; the coming and going of seasons; and the ordinary spectacle of life in general.

The work was written between 1935 and 1936, and it is clear that Orff was in a kind of white heat inspiration, given the

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swiftness and assuredness of the composition. In its final form, it is composed of five sections with a total of 25 movements. Within each section (or scene), the movements flow seamlessly from one to the next, thus creating an unbroken narrative. The five scenes in turn are subsumed under three larger sections, titled “Spring,” “In the Tavern,” and “Love.” A perusal of these sections offers a very good hint about the subject matter of Carmina Burana: not the restrictive and highly regimented atmosphere of a monastery, but the joie de vivre and delight of the senses as one experiences in full all the pleasures of the world. Musically, the work is a veritable compendium of several strands of 20th century music, with echoes of Stravinsky,

primitivism, neoclassicism, archaic references to Gregorian chant, massive percussion and highly original reinterpretations of the tradition of bel canto. The first thing that strikes the listener is the enormous variety of percussion instruments in the orchestra, which are magnificently fitted to the purposes of the work. In fact, much of the visceral power of Carmina Burana derives from the percussion and its driving sonorities. The use of the chorus is highly nuanced, as Orff moves back and forth between sections of great power and those in which the voices do not rise above the level of a whisper. Humming is also used as a technique, in sections in which the chorus assume the role of a knowing witness to the happenings

described in the texts of the solo songs. The arias for the soloists (soprano, tenor and baritone) are exceedingly difficult. More often than not, singers are required to perform way past the level of comfort that their voices can accommodate. The combination of all these features, coupled with rhythmic and melodic patterns of unfailing and immediate appeal, catapulted Carmina Burana to the level of popularity that it retains to this day. Orff himself was aware of the groundbreaking nature of the work as evidenced when he wrote to his publisher, Schott Music, that “everything I have written to date can be destroyed. With Carmina Burana, my collected works begin.”

@ James Melo, 2016

Andreas MakrisAlleluia

Text and Translation [The text consists of varied repetitions of the word “Alleluia”]

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky1812, Festival Overture in E-flat Major, Op. 49

Hymn at the beginning (God Preserve Thy People) Grant salvation to Thy people, Lord, and we pray Thee bless thine inheritance, O God. Grant victory to those who fight to save our righteous faith and our dear sacred land, and from all evil deliver us. Then the guardian of perfect grace, the cross will forever be. The cross will forever be. The cross will be, the cross.

Conclusion (God Preserve Thy People/God Save the Tsar). Grant salvation to Thy people, Lord, and we pray Thee bless thine inheritance, O God. Grant victory to those who fight to save our righteous faith and our dear sacred land. And we pray Thee bless thine inheritance, our dear sacred land, our sacred land. God save our sacred land. God grant us victory, victory against our foe! God save our sacred land! Give Us Peace!

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InTRODUCTIOn:FORTUnE, EMPRESS OF THE WORLD1. O Fortuna (Chorus): O Fortune, changing like the moon, always waxing or waning.2. Fortune plango vulnera (Chorus): Weeping, I lament fortune’s blows.

PART I In SPRInGTIME3. Veris leta facies (Small Chorus): Spring’s bright face greets the world.4. Omnia sol temperat (Baritone): The pure, bright sun governs everything.5. Ecce gratum (Chorus): See how the welcome sun brightens everything.

On THE LAWn6. Dance (Orchestra)7. Floret silva (Large and Small Chorus): The forest is in flower and leaf. Where is my old friend? Who will love me?8. Chramer, gip die varwe mir (Sopranos and Chorus): Shop¬keeper, give me the red color for my cheeks that the young man loves.9. Round Dance (Orchestra) and Songs (Chorus): The girls want no man all summer. Come, come my dear friend. Sweet rose-like mouth, heal me.10. Were diu werlt all min (Chorus): If the world were all mine, I’d give it all up to hold the Queen of England in my arms.

PART IIIn THE TAVERn11. Estuans interius (Baritone): I talk to myself with rage and bitterness. My soul is dead. I manage to save my skin.12. Olim lacus colueram (“Song of the Roast Swan,” Tenor and Male Chorus): Once I lived on a lake, now I am well done, roasted black, and served on a platter.13. Ego sum abbes (Baritone and Male Chorus): I am the Abbot of Cucany. Whoever joins me at dice after vespers loses his shirt.14. In taberna quando sumus (Male Chorus): When we are in the tavern, we gamble and drink. First, play for the wine; then drink to the prisoners; then to the living; fourth to the Christians; fifth, the departed faithful; sixth, vain women; seventh, rural soldiers; eighth, fallen brothers; ninth, dispersed monks; tenth, sailors; eleventh, quarrelers; twelfth, the penitents; thirteenth, travelers. Men, women, soldiers,

clerks, servants are drinking. The quick, the lazy, the white, the black, the steady, the wanderers are drinking. Men and women by the thousands are drinking.

PART III THE COURT OF LOVE15. Amor volat undique (Soprano and Chorus of Boys): Cupid flies everywhere.16. Dies, nox et omnia (Baritone): Day and night, everything is going badly.17. Stetit puella (Soprano): There stood a girl in a red tunic, like a rose.18. Circa mea pectora (Baritone and Chorus): Many are the sighs from my heart for your beauty.19. Si puer cum puellula (Sextet): When a boy and a girl are alone in a room, what happy intimacy.20. Veni, veni, venias (Double Chorus): Come, come, don’t make me die.21. In trutina (Soprano): Weighing love against chastity.22. Tempus est iocundum (Soprano, Baritone and Chorus): It is time for rejoicing, girls and boys, winter or spring.23. Dulcissime (Soprano): Sweetest boy, I give my all to you.

bLAnZIFLOR AnD HELEn24. Ave formosissima (Chorus): Hail to the most beautiful girl, precious gem, noble beauty.

FORTUnE, EMPRESS OF THE WORLD25. O Fortuna (Chorus): O Fortune, changing like the moon, always waxing or waning

Carl OrffCarmina Burana

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Violin 1Colin Sorgi*, ConcertmasterJody Gatwood, Concertmaster EmeritusOlga Yanovich*Leslie Silverfine*Lysiane Gravel- Lacombe*Brenda AnnaEva Cappelletti-ChaoClaudia ChudacoffShaundra CulattaDoug DubeLinda LeanzaJina LeeRegino MadridKris MillerJennifer RickardBenjamin ScottChristian Tremblay

Violin 2Henry Flory*, Principal Arminé Graham*Katherine Budner*

Jennifer Shannon*Cathy Stewart*Lisa CridgeAnne DonaldsonYevgeniy DovgalyukJustin GopalJune HuangLaura KnutsonJennifer LeeAlexandra MikhlinLaura MillerNing Ma Shi

ViolasJulius Wirth*, PrincipalJudy Silverman*, Associate Principal EmeritusLeonora Karasina*Mark Pfannschmidt*Jaclyn DorrPhyllis FreemanJim KellyStephanie KnutsenMargaret LangMaria MontanoJennifer RendeTiffany Richardson

Chris ShiehElizabeth O’Hara Stahr

CellosLori Barnet*, PrincipalTodd Thiel*Kerry Van Laanen*Barbara BrownApril ChisholmDanielle ChoJihea ChoiIsmar GomesKathryn HufnagleCatherine MikelsonBeth PetersonLauren Weaver

bassesRobert Kurz*, PrincipalKelly AliShawn AlgerBarbara FitzgeraldWilliam Hones Eduardo MalagaMichael RittlingMark Stephenson

Brian Thacker

FlutesDavid Whiteside*, PrincipalNicolette Oppelt*David LaVorgna

PiccoloDavid LaVorgna

OboesMark Hill*, PrincipalKathy Ceasar-Spall*Fatma Daglar

English HornRon Erler

ClarinetsCheryl Hill*, PrincipalCarolyn Alvarez- Agria*Suzanne Gekker

bass ClarinetCarolyn Alvarez- Agria

bassoonsErich Hecksher*, PrincipalRebecca Watson*

ContrabassoonNicholas Cohen

French HornsMichael Hall*, PrincipalMark Wakefield*Andrew DowningJustin DrewMargaret TungTony Valerio

TrumpetsChris Gekker*, PrincipalRobert Birch*, Robert and Margaret Hazen ChairJohn Abbrac- ciamentoBrent MadsenCarlton Rowe

TrombonesDavid Sciannella*, PrincipalJames ArmstrongJeffrey Cortazzo

TubaWillie Clark

Timpani & PercussionTom Maloy*, PrincipalAubrey AdamsTony AseroCurt DuerRobert JenkinsGerald NovakBill Richards

HarpRebecca Smith

KeyboardWilliam NeilJeffery WatsonTheodore Guerrant, Theodore M. Guerrant chair

ORCHESTRA OF THE NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC

SopranosJacqueline AndrosEmily A. BellMary Bentley*Jocelyn BondRosalind BreslowAnne P. ClaysmithAnn CoffmanNancy A. ColemanTaylor CortrightEileen S. DeMarcoLauren DrinkwaterLisa EdgleyElizabeth EversonMeg FlanaganSarah B. FormanCaitlin A. Garry**Stefanie GrayCarole L. HaasDenise R. HardingRoma HartLisa Wickman HarterK Henry

Julie HudsonJessica Holden KlodaCristina KosonenLauren KuhnJoanna LamRebecca Landes**Sarah LayerCarolyn Rodda LincolnLaila LindenAmanda Liverpool- CumminsSharon Majchrzak- HongMalina MarkovaGeorgina MarshallAnaelise MartinezKathryn McKinleySharon A. MerrickMuriel MoriseyAllison MosesSara W. Moses

Katherine Nelson- Tracey*Mary Beth NolanGloria NutzhornJuliana S. O’NeillLynette PosorskeLeila RaoKatharine RollerLisa RomanoTheresa RoysKatherine SchnorrenbergAnita SmallinCarolyn J. SullivanKatherine SzocikCathlin TullyEllen van ValkenburghSusanne VillemaretteCindy WilliamsMarta Naigzy Woodward

AltosHelen R. AltmanCarol BrunoEllen L. CarletonCarolyn ChuhtaJanet CrossenMelissa CulpSandra L. DaughtonDeirdre FeehanFrancesca Frey- KimMaria A. FriedmanJulia C. FriendAndrea FrischElizabeth Bishop GemoetsSarah GilchristLois J. GoodsteinJacque GrenningGlenda GroganStacey A. HenningJean HochronGinger Hunter

Sara M. Josey*Marilyn KatzIrene M. KirkpatrickMartha J. Krieger**Laurie LeeMelissa J. Lieberman*Corinne LoertscherEleanor LynchNansy MathewsMeg McCormickLee MitchellDanielle MorrisSusan E. MurrayDaryl NewhouseMartha NewmanNgozi OmenkaEbony Grace PhillipsPatricia PillsburyAnn E. Ramsey- MoorBeryl M. RothmanLisa Rovin

Jan SchiavoneNicole ShyongDeborah F. SilbermanLori J. SommerfieldCarol A. SternPattie SullivanBonnie S. TempleVirginia Van BruntChristine VockeSarah Jane Wagoner**Wendy J. WeinbergAngelina Wong

TenorsKenneth BailesJ.I. CanizaresColin ChurchGary R. CorrellPaul J. DeMarcoTimothy ElitharpRuth W. Faison**Don Jansky

NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC CHORALETheodoreGuerrant,accompanist

*=coreorchestramember

The musicians employed in this production are members of and represented by Washington, D.C. Federation of Musicians, Local 161-710 of the American Federation of Musicians.

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ORGAnIZATIOnS

Maestro Circle Ameriprise Financial Paul M. Angell Foundation Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Clark-Winchcole Foundation Ingleside at King Farm Maryland State Arts Council Montgomery County, MD Montgomery County Public Schools Schiff Hardin, LLP The State of Maryland The Wagner Society of Washington, DC

Concertmaster Circle Embassy of the Republic of Poland

Principal Circle Executive’s Ball for the Arts Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation Kolar Charitable Foundation of BuckelySander LLP Musician Performance Trust Fund

Philharmonic Circle MCYO Educational Partnership

benefactor Circle Christ Episcopal Church, donation of space Dallas Morse Coors Foundation Jim & Carol Trawick Foundation

Sustainer Circle Dimick Foundation Henry B. & Jessie W. Keiser Foundation IBM

Metro Washington DC Federation of Musicians

Patron American String Teachers’ Association DC/MD Chapter Gailes Violin Shop, Inc. Lashof Violins Potter Violin Company Washington Music Center

Contributor Brobst Violin Shop Violin House of Weaver

InDIVIDUALS

Gifts of $50,000+ Robert & Margaret Hazen for the Second Chair Trumpet Fund Mrs. Margaret Makris

nATIOnAL PHILHARMOnIC bOARD OF DIRECTORSbOARD OF DIRECTORSRabbi Leonard CahanDr. Ron CappellettiCarol Evans*Ruth FaisonDr. Bill Gadzuk*Ken Hurwitz*Dieneke JohnsonJoan Levenson

Dr. Wayne MeyerDr. Roscoe M. Moore, Jr.Matt Riddle*Lori SommerfieldSally SternbachDr. Charles TonerElzbieta Vande SandeCarla Wheeler

bOARD OFFICERS*Albert Lampert, Chair*Kent Mikkelsen, Vice Chair*William Lascelle, Treasurer*Paul Dudek, Secretary*Todd R. Eskelsen, Chair Emeritus

bOARD OF ADVISORSJoel AlperAlbert LampertChuck LyonsRoger TitusJerry D. Weast

*Executive Committee

SUPPORTERS OF THE nATIOnAL PHILHARMOnICThe National Philharmonic takes this opportunity to gratefully acknowledge the following businesses, foundations and individuals that have made the Philharmonic’s ambitious plans possible through their generous contributions.

Maestro Circle $10,000+Concertmaster Circle $7,500 to $9,999Principal Circle $5,000 to $7,499

Philharmonic Circle $3,500 to $4,999Benefactor Circle $2,500 to $3,499Sustainer Circle $1,000 to $2,499

Patron $500 to $999Contributor $250 to $499Member $125 to $249

As of November 1, 2016

Tyler A. LoertscherJane LyleMichael McClellanChantal McHaleWayne Meyer*Tom MilkeTom NessingerSteve NguyenGerald ParshallDrew RiggsJason SaffellDennis Vander Tuig

bassesRussell BowersWilliam BrownRonald CappellettiPete ChangRichard ChittyStephen CookClark V. CooperBopper DeytonCharles G. EdmondsPaul W. FosterJ. William Gadzuk

Robert GerardMike HiltonFilbert HongJohn IobstWilliam W. Josey**Allan K. KirkpatrickIan KyleJack LeglerLarry MaloneyIan MatthewsAlan E. MayersDavid J. McGoff

Kent Mikkelsen*John Milberg**Oliver MolesLeif NeveAlec PetkoffAnthony RadichHarry Ransom, Jr.Edward Rejuney*Frank RoysCharles SerpanScott SimonJason James Smoker

Charles SturrockDonald A. TrayerWayne R. WilliamsPaul Zoccola

* section leader** assistant section leader

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Gifts of $25,000 Ms. Anne Claysmith* for the Chorale Chair-Soprano II Fund Dale Collinson Family Jean & Paul Dudek for the Pre-Concert Lecture Series Fund Ann & Todd Eskelsen for the Chorale Music Fund Tanya & Albert Lampert for the Guest Artist Fund

Gifts of $15,000+ Mrs. Patricia Haywood Moore & Dr. Roscoe M. Moore, Jr. for the All Kids Free Fund Dieneke Johnson for the All Kids Free Fund Misbin Family Student Performance Fund

Maestro Circle Dr. & Mrs. Val G. Hemming Kenneth Hurwitz & Susan Weiss Dr. Robert Misbin

Principal Circle Mr. Edward Brinker and Ms. Jane Liu Mr. Robert Dollison Mr. & Mrs. John L. Donaldson Dr. & Mrs. John V Evans Mr. & Mrs. David Hofstad Ms. Dieneke Johnson, in honor of Johanna van der Zalm Mr. William A. Lascelle & Ms. Blanche Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Kent Mikkelsen* Robin & Paul Perito Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Riddle Ms. Lori J. Sommerfield* & Mr. Dennis Dullinger Dr. Theodora D. Vanderzalm, in honor of Johanna van der Zalm Ms. Carla Wheeler & Mr. Jeff Naimon

Philharmonic Circle Dr. Ronald Cappelletti* J. William & Anita Gadzuk* Dr. Robert Gerard* & Ms. Carol Goldberg Michael & Janet Rowan Mrs. Elzbieta Vande Sande, in memory of George Vande Sande, Esq.

benefactor Circle Mrs. Ruth B. Berman Mr. Steven C. Decker & Ms. Deborah W. Davis Dr. Lawrence Deyton* & Dr. Jeff Levi Mrs. Tanjam Jacobson

Mr. Philip M. John Mr. David Lee Dr. Wayne Meyer* David & Lottie Mosher Mr. and Mrs. William Pairo Sternbach Family Fund Mr. & Mrs. Royce Watson

Sustainer Circle Anonymous Mrs. Rachel Abraham Fred & Helen R. Altman* Rabbi Leonard Cahan Ms. Anne Claysmith* Mr. Erik Cudd Paul J. & Eileen S. DeMarco* Dr. Stan Engebretson Mrs. Marietta Ethier Dr. & Mrs. Joseph Fainberg Ms. Ruth Faison Mr. William E. Fogle & Mrs. Marilyn Wun-Fogle Dr. Maria A. Friedman* Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Gatwood Darren & Elizabeth Gemoets* Ms. Sarah Gilchrist* Mr. Barry Goldberg Dr. Joseph E. Gootenberg & Dr. Susan Leibenhaut Dr. & Mrs. Robert Hazen Dr. Stacey Henning* William W.* & Sara M. Josey* Ms. Joanna Lam,* in memory of Mr. Chin-Man Lam Mr. & Mrs. John R. Larue Mrs. Joan M. Levenson Mr. & Mrs. Eliot Lieberman* Dr. Susanne Lotarski Mr. Pardee Lowe, Jr. Mr. Larry Maloney* Mr. Winton Matthews, Jr. Mrs. Eleanor D. McIntire* Ms. Florentina Mehta Mr. Thaddeus Mirecki, in memory of Irene Mirecki Susan & Jim Murray* Mr. Thomas Nessinger* Ms. Martha Newman* Dr. & Mrs. Goetz Oertel Mr. Mark Ordan Mr. & Mrs. Jerome Pinson Mrs. Janice H. Schiavone* Mr. & Mrs. Steven Seelig Ms. Kathryn Senn, in honor of Johanna van der Zalm Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Stanley Ms. Carol A. Stern* Dr. & Mrs. Robert Temple*

Dr. Charles B. Toner & Dr. Cecile M. Toner United Way of National Capital Area Ms. Ellen van Valkenburgh* Drs. Jack & Susan Yanovski Mr. & Mrs. Bernard J. Young

Patron Anonymous Mike & Cecilia Ballentine Mrs. Michelle Benecke, in honor of Dr. Jeff Levi & Dr. Lawrence Deyton Catoctin Breeze Vineyard Ms. Yin-Ying Djuh Mr. John Eklund David & Berdie Firestone Dr. Renata Greenspan Mr. & Mrs. William L. Hickman Mr. & Mrs. James Hochron* Ms. Kathleen Knepper Mr. Joseph Kolar Ms. Martha Jacoby Krieger* Levin Family Foundation Ms. Jane Lyle* Mr. & Mrs. David McGoff* Dr. Elizabeth Marchut-Michalski Mrs. M. Elizabeth Moore Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Mountain David Nickels & Gerri Hall Mrs. Jeanne Noel Mr. W. Larz Pearson & Mr. Rick Trevino Dr. & Mrs. Manuel Porres Mrs. Dorothy Prats Dr. Michael Sapko & Ms. Kari Wallace Mr. Richard Taylor Mr. & Mrs. Robert Vocke* Ms. Krystyna Wasserman Mr. & Mrs. Charles Wilson Mr. Michael Wu

Contributor Ms. Ann Albertson Mr. & Mrs. Joel Alper Mr. Kenneth Bailes* Mr. Gary Block Mr. & Mrs. Gilbert Bloom Mr. & Mrs. Jerome Breslow John & Rosemary Buckley Dr. F. Lawrence Clark Ms. Patsy H. Clark Ms. Irene Cooperman Mr. & Mrs. Gary R. Correll* Dr. & Mrs. Gordon M. Cragg Ms. Margaret E. Cusack Mr. & Mrs. J. Steed Edwards Ms. Linda Edwards Ms. Ruth Faison* Ms. Dianne Favre Ms. Julia Friend*

33

Mr. Steven Gunby & Ms. Margaret Pearson Dr. & Mrs. John Helmsen Mr. & Mrs. Rue B. Helsel Mr. & Mrs. Bill Iwig Mr. & Mrs. Cord Jones Mr. & Mrs. Allan Kirkpatrick* Dr. Marcia D. Litwack Mr. Bruce MacLaury Mr. Jerald C. Maddox Mr. David E. Malloy & Mr. John P. Crockett* Mr. & Mrs. James Mason Mr. & Mrs. Robert McGuire Mr. Randy McVey Mr. & Mrs. David Mitchell* Dr. Oliver Moles, Jr.* Dr. Stamatios Mylonakis & Ms. Maureen O’Connor Dr. Ruth S. Newhouse Ms. Victoria J. Perkins Evelyn & Peter Philipps Dr. & Mrs. Joram Piatigorsky Mr. Julius Rosen Ms. Beryl Rothman* Ms. Lisa Rovin* Mr. J. Michael Rowe & Ms. Nancy Chesser Dr. & Ms. Marsha Rozenbilt Dr. Robert & Ruth Jean Shaw Ms. Andra Shuster Mr. & Ms. Robert Smith Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Spahn Ms. Sarah Thomas Mr. & Mrs. Grant P. Thompson Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Torchia Mr. Daniel Wacker

Member Anonymous Mr. & Mrs. Dan Abbott Mr. Jose Apud Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Baldwin Mr. Robert Barash Mr. & Mrs. Richard Bender Mr. John E. Bennett Mrs. Lois Berkowitz Ms. Maja Bresslauer Mr. & Mrs. Frederick Brown Ms. Katherine Budner Ms. Patricia Bulhack Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Cage Mr. John Cahill Ms. Sheila Cohen Mr. Alan T. Crane Mr. & Mrs. J. R. Crout Mr. Dean Culler Ms. Marilyn S. Davis Mr. Carl DeVore

Ms. Carla Durney Elville Center for the Creative Arts Mrs. Nancy A. English Mr. Daniel Faber Mr. & Mrs. Elliott Fein Mr. Dan Fenstermacher Mr. Richard Fidler Mrs. & Mr. Marlies Flicker Mr. & Mrs. Philip Forster Mr. Harold Freeman Ms. Else H. Froberg Mr. & Ms. Richard Furno Ms. Livia N. Gatti Mr. Bernard Gelb Mr. & Mrs. Mitch Green The Isidore Grossman Fund in memory of Bill Grossman Drs. William & Marlene Haffner Ms. Christine J. Hager Mrs. Janice Hamer Mr. Norman Hammer Mr. Scott Herman Dr. & Mrs. J. Terrell Hoffeld Mr. Myron Hoffmann Dr. Kenneth Holum Ms. Mary Hopkins Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Jacobson Mr. Robert Jordan Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Kaiz Dr. & Mrs. Meir Kende Ms. Amy Kim Ms. Rae King Dr. Mark A. Knepper & Dr. Cathy D. Knepper Mr. & Mrs. David Koff Ms. Dorothy Krass Mr. Dale Krumviede Mr. & Ms. George Laudato Mr. & Mrs. Paul A. Legendre Mr. John Legler Mr. & Mrs. Herbert J. Lerner Mr. & Mrs. Forbes Maner Mr. & Mrs. Warren Manison Ms. Anna Masters Mrs. Nancy C. May Mr. & Mrs. Michael McClellan* Mr. & Mrs. James F. McDermott Mr. & Mrs. Robert McGuire Mr. & Mrs. Curtis Menyuk Mr. & Mrs. Michael Merchlinsky Mr. Christopher Michejda Mr. & Mrs. James Mielke* Ms. Donna Mikelson Dr. Maria Miller Ms. Andra Miller, in memory of Joseph Weldon McClung Mr. & Mrs. Edward Mills Capt. William Moody & J. Cline-Moody

Mr. & Mrs. T. Lindsay Moore Ms. Stephanie Murphy Mr. Stephen Nordlinger Mrs. Margy Nurik Dr. Richard Z. Okreglak & Dr. Edwarda M. Buda Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Oldham Ms. Sima Osdoby & Mr. Arthur Katz Miss Dolores Patrizio Ms. Victoria J. Perkins Mr. & Mrs. Alan Peterkofsky Mr. Charles A. O’Connor & Ms. Susan F. Plaeger Mr. Laurence Posorske & Dr. Lynette H. Posorske* Mr. Mark Price, in memory of Dale Collinson Mr. & Mrs. Robert Provine Mr. & Mrs. James M. Render Audrey A. Ross Mr. & Mrs. Charles Rothwell The Sandler-Degerberg Family Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Philip Schachter Mr. & Mrs. Sydney Schneider Ms. Katherine Schnorrenberg* Mr. & Mrs. Charles L. Short, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Paul Silverman Mr. & Mrs. David Spaans Dr. & Mrs. Szymon Suckewer Mr. Brian Thiel Dr. Timothy Thompson Dr. Maria M. Tomaszewski Ms. Katherine Nelson-Tracey* Mr. & Mrs. Carl Tretter Trust for America’s Health, in honor of Jeff Levi Ms. Katya Vert-Wong Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Vogel Dr. & Mrs. William F. Wadsworth Ms. Mary E. Walsh Ms. Katharine Walvick Mr. David B. Ward Ms. Krystyna Wasserman Dr. Linda Werling & Mr. Mike Newton Ms. Kate Westra Ms. Joan Wikstrom Ms. Katherine Williamson Mr. Bruce Wolpe Mrs. Doris E. Wright Mr. Hans Wyss Ms. Katherine Yoder

*Chorale members

34

HERITAGE SOCIETYThe Heritage Society at the National Philharmonic gratefully recognizes those dedicated individuals who strive to perpetuate the National Philharmonic through the provision of a bequest in their wills or through other estate gifts.

Mr. Dan AbbottMr. David Abraham*Mrs. Rachel AbrahamMr. Joel AlperMs. Ruth BermanMs. Anne ClaysmithMr. Todd EskelsenMrs. Wendy Hoffman, in honor of Leslie SilverfineMs. Dieneke JohnsonMs. Joanna Lam

Mr. & Mrs. Albert LampertMrs. Margaret MakrisDr. Robert MisbinMr. Kenneth A. Oldham, Jr.Mr. W. Larz PearsonMs. Lori J. Sommerfield & Mr. Dennis DullingerMs. Carol A. SternMs. Elzbieta Vande SandeMr. Mark Williams*Deceased

nATIOnAL PHILHARMOnIC EnDOWMEnTThe National Philharmonic gratefully acknowledges the leadership contributions to the newly created National Philharmonic Endowment. With your vision for our future, we look forward to building successful artistic programming and music education initiatives.

Thank you for your generous support.Ms. Ann AlbertsonFred & Helen AltmanRobert B. Anderson*Mrs. Ruth BermanRabbi Leonard CahanDr. Ron CappellettiDale Collinson FamilyJean & Paul DudekAnn & Todd EskelsenDr. & Mrs. John V. EvansMs. Ruth FaisonPiotr & Tisha Gajewski and Hania Gajewska, in memory of Ryszard GajewskiDr. Robert Gerard & Ms. Carol GoldbergDr. & Mrs. Val G. HemmingMr. & Mrs. Ken Hurwitz

Dieneke JohnsonMr. & Mrs. Al LampertMr. William Lascelle & Ms. Blanche JohnsonMr. Greg Lawson & Mr. Sai CheungMrs. Joan M. LevensonDr. Lawrence Deyton & Dr. Jeff Levi Mr. & Mrs. Kent MikkelsenMr. Thaddeus Mirecki, in memory of Irene MireckiDr. Kenneth P. Moritsugu & Ms. Lisa R. KorySusan & Jim MurrayRobin & Paul PeritoMr. Charles Z. SerpanDr. & Mrs. Paul SilvermanDr. Hanna Siwiec & Mr. Spencer MeyerSternbach Family FundDr. Theodora Vanderzalm, in honor of Dieneke Johnson*Deceased

Piotr Gajewski, Music Director & ConductorStan Engebretson, Artistic Director, National Philharmonic ChoraleVictoria Gau, Associate Conductor & Director of Education

Leanne Ferfolia, PresidentKatie Tukey, Director of DevelopmentDeborah Birnbaum, Director of Marketing & PRKyle Schick, Operations and Production ManagerEliana Schenk, Orchestra LibrarianJennifer Lee, Orchestra Personnel ManagerLauren Aycock Anderson, Graphic Designer

nATIOnAL PHILHARMOnIC STAFF

For more information about the National Philharmonic’s Endowment and Heritage Society, please contact the Development Department at 301-493-9283, ext. 114.

35

IMPORTAnT InFORMATIOn5301 Tuckerman LaneNorth Bethesda, MD 20852-3385 www.strathmore.orgEmail: [email protected] Ticket Office Phone: (301) 581-5100 Ticket Office Fax: (301) 581-5101 Via Maryland Relay Services for MD residents at 711 or out of state at 1(800) 735-2258

TICKET OFFICE HOURSMonday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.Sixty minutes prior to each performance in the Music Center through intermission.

GROUP SALESFor information, call (301) 581-5199 or email [email protected].

TICKET POLICIESUnlike many venues, Strathmore allows tickets to be exchanged. Tickets may only be exchanged for shows presented by Strathmore or its resident partner organizations at the Music Center. Exchanges must be for the same presenter within the same season. Ticket exchanges are NOT available for independently produced shows. Please contact the Ticket Office at (301) 581-5100 for details on how to exchange tickets.

If a performance is cancelled or postponed a full refund of the ticket price will be available through the Ticket Office for 30 days after the original scheduled performance date.

All tickets are prepaid and non-refundable.

WILL CALLPatrons must present the credit card used to purchase tickets or a valid ID to obtain will call tickets.

TICKET DOnATIOnIf you are unable to use yourtickets, they may be returned for a tax-deductible donation prior to the performance. Donations can be made by mail, fax or in person by 5 p.m. the day of the performance.

MISPLACED TICKETSIf you have misplaced your tickets to any performance at Strathmore,please contact the Ticket Office for replacements.

CHILDREnFor ticketed events, all patronsare required to have a ticket regardless of age. Patrons are urged to use their best judgment when bringing children to a concert that is intended for adults. There aresome performances that are more appropriate for children than others. Some presenters do not allow children under the age of six yearsto non-family concerts. As always, if any person makes a disruption during a concert, it is appropriate that they step outside to accommodate the comfort and convenience of other concert attendees.

PARKInG FACILITIESConcert parking is located in the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro garage off Tuckerman Lane. At the end of each ticketed event in the Music Center at Strathmore, the exit gates to the garage will be open for 30 minutes to exit the garage. If you leave before, or up to 90 minutes after this 30-minute period, you must show your ticket stub to the stanchion video camera at the exit gate to exit at no cost. For all non-ticketed events, Monday-Friday, parking in the garage is $5.10 and may be paid using a Metro SmarTrip card or major credit card. Limited short-term parking also is available at specially marked meters along Tuckerman Lane. To access the Music Center from the Grosvenor- Strathmore Metro garage, walk across the glass-enclosed sky bridge located on the fourth level. Add: Valet Parking is $15 per vehicle for all public Concert Hall performances. Valet drop-off and pickup is located at the Circle Plaza entry to the Music Center at Strathmore at 5301 Tuckerman Lane.

PUbLIC TRAnSPORTATIOnStrathmore is located immediately adjacent to the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro station on the Red Line and is served by several Metro and Ride-On bus routes. See www.strathmore.org for detailed directions.

DROP-OFFThere is a patron drop-off circle off Tuckerman Lane that brings patrons to the Discovery Channel Grand Foyer via elevator. No parking is allowed in the circle, cars must be moved to

the Metro garage after dropping off patrons. Both main entrances have power-assisted doors.

GIFT CERTIFICATESGift certificates may be purchased at the Ticket Office.

COAT CHECKLocated in the Promenade across from the Ticket Office. As weather requires, the coat check will be available as a complimentary service to our patrons. If you would like to keep your coat or other belongings with you, please place them under your seat. Coats may not be placed over seats or railings.

ALLEGRO KITCHEnThe Café in the Promenade of the Music Center at Strathmore, operated by Ridgewells Catering, features a wide variety of snacks, sandwiches, entrees, beverages and desserts. It is open for lunch and dinner and seats up to 134 patrons.

FOOD & bEVERAGEThe intermission bars offer beverages and snacks on all levels before the show and during intermission. There are permanent bars on the Orchestra, Promenade and Grand Tier levels.

LOST AnD FOUnDDuring a show, please see an usher. All other times, please call (301) 581-5112.

LOUnGES AnD RESTROOMSLocated on all seating levels, except in the Upper Tier.

PUbLIC TELEPHOnESCourtesy telephones for local calls are located around the corner from the Ticket Office, off the Circle Plaza entry, and at the Promenade Right Boxes.

ACCESSIbLE SEATInGAccessible seating is available onall levels. Elevators, ramps, specially designed and designated seating, designated parking and many other features make the Music Center at Strathmore accessible to patrons with disabilities. For further information or for special seating requests in the Concert Hall, please call the Ticket Office at (301) 581-5112.

ASSISTIVE LISTEnInGThe Music Center at Strathmore is equipped with a Radio Frequency

Assistive Listening System for patrons who are hard of hearing. Patrons can pick up assistive listening devices at no charge on a first-come, first-served basis prior to the performance at the coatroom when open, or at the ticket taking location as you enter the Concert Hall with a driver’s license or other acceptable photo ID. For other accessibility requests, please call (301) 581-5100.

ELEVATOR SERVICEThere is elevator service for all levels of the Music Center at Strathmore.

EMERGEnCY CALLSIf there is an urgent need to contacta patron attending a Music Center concert, please call (301) 581-5112 and give the patron’s name andexact seating location, and telephone number for a return call. The patron will be contacted by the ushering staff and the message relayed left with Head Usher.

LATECOMER POLICYLatecomers will be seated at the first appropriate break in the performance as not to disturb the performers or audience members. The decision as to when patrons will be seated is set by the presenting organization for that night.

FIRE nOTICEThe exit sign nearest to your seat is the shortest route to the street. In the event of fire or other emergency, please WALK to that exit. Do not run. In the case of fire, use the stairs, not the elevators.

MUSIC CEnTER AT STRATHMORE GEnERAL InFORMATIOn

WARnInGSThe use of any recording device, either audio or video, and the taking of photographs, either with or without flash, is strictly prohibited by law. Violators are subject to removal from the Music Center without a refund, and must surrender the recording media. Smoking is prohibited in the building.

Please set to silent, or turn off your cell phones, pagers, PDAs, and beeping watches prior to the beginning of the performance.

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Documents

The NaTioNal Philharmo Nic - Stageviewstageview.co/pageturn/books/tnp1_1617/tnp1_1617.pdf · The NaTioNal Philharmo Nic ... a score, amazes critics and audiences alike. Maestro Gajewski