St. Louis Symphony Extra - March 1, 2014

8/12/2019 St. Louis Symphony Extra - March 1, 2014

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CONCERT PROGRAMFebruary 28-March 2, 2014

Juanjo Mena, conductor

Benedetto Lupo, piano

GINASTERA Variaciones concertantes, op. 23 (1953) (1916-1983)

Tema per Violoncello ed ArpaInterludio per CordeVariazione giocosa per FlautoVariazione in modo di Scherzo per ClarinettoVariazione drammatica per Viola

Variazione canonica per Oboe e FagottoVariazione ritmica per Tromba e TromboneVariazione in modo di Moto perpetua per Violino

Variazione pastorale per CornoInterludio per Fiati

Ripresa dal Tema per ContrabassoVariazione finale in modo di Rondo per Orchestra

Performed without pause

RACHMANINOFF Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43 (1934)(1873-1943)

Benedetto Lupo, piano

INTERMISSION

ELGAR Enigma Variations

(1857-1934) (Variations on an Original Theme), op. 36 (1898-99)Enigma: Andante

Variation I. C.A.E.: Listesso tempoVariation II. H.D.S.-P.: Allegro

Variation III. R.B.T.: Allegretto Variation IV. W.M.B.: Allegro di molto Variation V. R.P.A.: Moderato Variation VI. Ysobel: Andantino

Variation VII. Troyte: Presto Variation VIII. W.N.: Allegretto Variation IX. Nimrod: Moderato Variation X. Dorabella Intermezzo: Allegretto Variation XI. G.R.S: Allegro di molto

Variation XII. B.G.N.: AndanteVariation XIII. *** Romanza: Moderato

Variation XIV: E.D.U. Finale: Allegro


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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Benedetto Lupo is the Essman Family Foundation Guest Artist.

The concert of Friday, February 28, is underwritten in part by a generous gift

from Mr. and Mrs. James L. Nouss, Jr.

The concert of Saturday, March 1, is underwritten in part by a generous gift fromCheryl and Larry Katzenstein.

Pre-Concert Conversations are sponsored by Washington University Physicians.

These concerts are part of the Wells Fargo Advisors series.

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


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FROM THE STAGEKristin Ahlstrom, Associate Principal Second Violin, on Elgars Enigma Variations:

Ive played Enigmaseveral times now, and I love that it is always a challenge.The rst time I played it (or even heard it) was in college, and I rememberhow absolutely clueless I was about how all the parts t together. That was areal learning experience for me as concertmaster! There is something techni-cally tricky about a lot of the variations, whether its the fast-and-furious 16thnotes of the bulldog swimming [Variation XI. G.R.S.], or the bow control andpacing of Nimrod, or simply just getting the feeling of the characters right.

Kristin Ahlstrom

DILIPVISHWANAT


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TIMELINKS

1898-99ELGAREnigma Variations(Variations on an OriginalTheme), op. 36

Great Britain rules as aworld colonial empire

1934RACHMANINOFFRhapsody on a Themeof Paganini, op. 43Louis Armstrong takes hisband to Paris

1953GINASTERAVariacionesconcertantes, op. 23Crick and Watsondiscover the structureof DNA

Nature provides many examples of myriad

variations of fundamentally uniform phenom-ena. Consider, for example, the many speciesof avian creatures that inhabit our planet. Theydiffer in shape, size, color and other details, yetthey all are distinctly and recognizably birds.Much the same can be said of most species, aswell as of rivers, mountains and other featuresof the natural world. Again and again, apparentdiversity is united by basic identity or, looking

at it another way, a singular fact assumes manydifferent forms.

We nd the same principle at work in music,most especially in the compositional procedureknown as theme-and-variations. This formatposes a unique creative challenge: to transforma melody in a variety of ways while still main-taining enough of its essence that the succes-

sive paraphrases (to use a literary metaphor) areheard as stemming from the same source. Overthe centuries, the theme-and-variations processhas inspired countless musicians. Beethoven wasespecially fond of it and cultivated it brilliantly.But Handel, Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Brahms,Copland, Schoenberg, and many other compos-ers used it protably.

Each of the three pieces on our program

employ theme-and-variations form. Togetherthey show how stimulating its rigors can be tocreative musicians, and how satisfying the resultsare to listeners.

THEMES, VARIATIONSBY PAUL SCHIAVO


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ALBERTO GINASTERAVariaciones concertantes, op. 23

ARGENTINE MASTER Several Latin Americancountries produced composers of interna-

tional standing during the last century. AlbertoGinastera, the most important musician yet toemerge from Argentina, consciously infused hisscores with the melodic and rhythmic inectionsof his homelands indigenous music. His earlyworks quoted Argentine folk melodies and nativedance rhythms. Later, he abandoned such overtnationalist references, allying himself with themid-century avant-garde.

But even while he experimented withadvanced compositional techniques during thelate 1950s and 60s, Ginastera did not lose touchwith the folkloric roots of his art. As he himselfnoted, even his most abstract music uses rhyth-mic and melodic motifs whose expressive tensionhas a pronounced Argentine accent. Composedin 1953, Variaciones concertantes is something

of a transitional work. It entails neither outrightquotation of Argentine folk melodies (though apronounced Argentine accent certainly charac-terizes many passages), nor a determined use ofadvanced musical idioms.

SHOWCASING DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS In thispiece, Ginastera uses the classical theme-with-variations procedure to feature different instru-

ments with each succeeding transformation ofhis musical subject. And he employs not only thetraditional decorative type of variation but alsothe more modern technique of evolving entirelynew material out of elements of the originalmusical idea.

The theme that engenders the work is pre-sented by solo cello with harp accompaniment. It

is an original melody, not derived from a folk tune,and it unfolds in a clear A-B-A form, with sub-dued music anking a more impassioned centralsection. The variations that follow are adequatelydescribed by their titles: Giocosa Variation forFlute; Scherzo Variation for Clarinet; DramaticVariation for Viola; Canonic Variation for Oboeand Bassoon; Rhythmic Variation for Trumpetand Trombone; Perpetual Motion Variation

BornApril 11, 1916, Buenos Aires

DiedJune 25, 1983, Geneva

First PerformanceJune 2, 1953, in Buenos Aires,Igor Markevitch conducting

STL Symphony PremiereOctober 19, 1956, HarryFarbman conducting

Most Recent STL SymphonyPerformance

April 30, 2006, Asher Fischconducting

Scoring2 flutespiccolooboe2 clarinetsbassoon2 hornstrumpet

trombonetimpaniharpstrings

Performance Timeapproximately 21 minutes


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for Violin; Pastoral Variation for Horn;Recapitulation of the Theme for Bass and Harp;and Final Variation in Rondo Form for FullOrchestra. Preceding both the utes variationand the Recapitulation are a pair of Interludes,

the rst for the string choir, the second for winds.In the rondo-form nale, a new version of thetheme recurs several times between far-rangingand brilliantly scored episodes.

SERGE RACHMANINOFFRhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43

A RUSSIAN MUSICIAN ABROAD During theearly years of the 20th century, three majorRussian composers emigrated to the West. IgorStravinsky gravitated to Paris, where he com-posed the ballet scores that made him famous.Sergey Prokoev led a peripatetic life, resid-ing in the United States, Germany, and Francebefore returning to his homeland in the 1930s.

And Serge Rachmaninoff came to America byway of Germany and Scandinavia. A superbpianist as well as a composer, Rachmaninoffenjoyed enormous success in this country,which he adopted as his homeland, eventuallybecoming a U.S. citizen.

Rachmaninoff composed his Rhapsody on aTheme of Paganiniduring a month of concentratedwork in the summer of 1934, and he appeared aspiano soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra inthe works premiere performance the followingNovember. This and subsequent presentationsin both America and Europe met with excep-tional success, and the work has remained one ofRachmaninoffs most popular compositions.

A CONCERTO IN VARIATION FORM The title

Rhapsody, which implies a kind of spontane-ous and loosely structured composition, is a mis-nomer that fails to credit the carefully plannedarchitecture of this music. Formally, the piecepresents a set of variations on a melody from theCaprice in A minor by the celebrated 19th-centuryviolin virtuoso Nicol Paganini. (This theme hasattracted a number of other composers, mostfamously Liszt, who transcribed it for piano as

BornApril 1, 1873, Oneg, nearNovgorod, Russia

DiedMarch 28, 1943, Beverly Hills,California

First PerformanceNovember 7, 1934, inBaltimore, the composerplayed the solo part,and Leopold Stokowskiconducted the PhiladelphiaOrchestra

STL Symphony PremiereDecember 14, 1934, SergeRachmaninoff was soloist,with Vladimir Golschmannconducting

Most Recent STL SymphonyPerformanceNovember 28, 2010, OlgaKern was soloist, with

Leonard Slatkin conductingScoringsolo piano2 flutespiccolo2 oboesEnglish horn2 clarinets2 bassoons4 horns

2 trumpets3 trombonestubatimpanipercussionharpstrings


PETERJ

OSLIN-

ARENA

PAL


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EDWARD ELGAREnigma Variations(Variations on an Original Theme), op. 36

A TANTALIZING MYSTERY The rst recorded

reference to Edward Elgars Enigma Variationsis found in a letter of October 24, 1898, writtenby the composer in humorous shorthand to hisclose friend August Jaeger:

I have sketched a set of Variations (orkestra) onan original theme: the Variations have amusedme because Ive labelled em with the nicknamesof my particular friendsyou are Nimrod. Thatis to say Ive written the variations each one to

represent the mood of the partyIve liked toimagine the party writing the var: him (or her)self and have written what I think they wd. havewrittenif they were asses enough to composeits a quaint idea & the result is amusing to thosebehind the scenes & wont affect the hearer whonose nufn.

Amusing in a typically English way andinnocent enough, it would seem. But Elgar, inten-tionally or otherwise, created with this work oneof the most tantalizing mysteries in music. Foralthough he freely divulged the identities of thefriends pictured in each of the 14 variations, hedesignated the original theme that sets the entirepiece in motion as simply Enigma. Elgars com-ments, provided in a program note for the worksrst performance, only deepened the mystery:

The enigma I will not explainits dark sayingmust be left unguessed ; further, through andover the whole set another and larger themegoes, but is not played. So the principal Themenever appears, even as in some late dramas thechief character is never on the stage.

Thus Elgar posed not one but two riddles:the dark saying represented in the single wordenigma, and the identity of the larger theme

that goes through the set. Elgar hinted thatthe latter was a well-known melody to which hisoriginal theme is a variant or counter-melody. Hisfriends tried to hit upon what this familiar tunemight be, offering up God Save the King andAuld Lang Syne. But the composer dismissedthese and other guesses, and its identity remainsa secret.

BornJune 2, 1857, LowerBroadheath, near Worcester,England

DiedFebruary 23, 1934, Worcester

First PerformanceJune 19, 1899, in London,conducted by Hans Richter

STL Symphony PremiereMarch 15, 1912, Max Zachconducting

Most Recent STL SymphonyPerformanceOctober 23, 2011, VasilyPetrenko conducting

Scoring2 flutespiccolo2 oboes2 clarinets2 bassoons

contrabassoon4 horns3 trumpets3 trombonestubatimpanipercussionstrings



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The programmatic nature of this themeits dark saying, as Elgar alludedto ithas proved an even more intriguing puzzle. Did it represent Elgar him-self? This seems unlikely, for he paints his own portrait in the nal variation,E.D.U. (a paraphrase of Edoo, his wifes nickname for him). More generalthemes have been proposed, among them friendship, religious devotionElgar

was a practicing Catholicand the trials and joys of musical creation.

THE ENDURING ENIGMAElgar never revealed the meaning of the enigma, andin all likelihood its true nature will never be known with certainty. Fortunately,this in no way diminishes the attractiveness of the Variations as music, and itis to the music itself, as distinct from its attending mysteries, that we shouldnow turn.

The enigma theme, which opens the set, begins and ends with halting

phrases built from brief fragments of melody in the key of G minor. Betweenthem is a more lyrical and continuous section in G major. The theme, then,reveals a clear A-B-A form, and this in turn shapes the variations that follow.Each has its own character and its own special charm. The crowning pieceof the set is the ninth variation, Nimrod, portraying August Jaeger. As aneditor at the London publishing house of Novello, Jaeger encouraged Elgar andchampioned his works long before they were fashionable. The deep friendshipthat grew between the two men nds reection in the moving strains of thisAdagio. Elgar recalls music from Nimrod, and also from C.A.E., in the nal

variation, his own.

Program notes 2014 by Paul Schiavo


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JUANJO MENA

Chief Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic in Man-chester, England, Juanjo Mena is one of Spainsmost distinguished international conductors.

Following a season conducting the sympho-

nies of Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Cincin-nati, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh, Mena returns toNorth America for a 2013-14 season that includesthe Houston Symphony Gala Season OpeningConcert with Rene Fleming and concerts withthe Cincinnati Symphony and violinist AugustinHadelich, and the Toronto Symphony with violin-ist Julian Rachlin.

Menas other activities this season includes a

BBC Philharmonic tour through Germany, Aus-tria, Hungary, Croatia, Turkey, and Spain andconcerts with the London Philharmonic, RoyalStockholm Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philhar-monic, Luxembourg Philharmonic, Helsinki Phil-harmonic, Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse,and Orquesta Sinfnica de Barcelona.

A guest of international festivals, Mena hasappeared at the Stars of White Nights Festivalin St. Petersburg, Russia, the Hollywood Bowl,Grant Park (Chicago), La Folle Journe (Nantes),and as a regular at the BBC Proms including twoseparate programs in the summer of 2013. Throughout Europe, Mena has appeared withthe Dresden Philharmonic, Munich Radio Orches-tra, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre Phil-harmonique de Radio France, Orchestre National

de Lyon, Oslo Philharmonic, Norwegian RadioOrchestra, Danish Radio Symphony, OrchestraFilarmonica della Scala, Orquesta Nacional deEspaa, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, and theBBC Scottish Symphony. Born in Vitoria, Juanjo Mena began hismusical training at the Vitoria-Gasteiz Conserva-tory (Basque Country). He studied compositionand orchestration with Carmelo Bernaola and

conducting with Enrique Garcia-Asensio at theRoyal Higher Conservatory of Music in Madrid,where he received the Prize of Honor. Awardeda Guridi-Bernaolo Scholarship, he pursued fur-ther conducting studies in Munich with SergiuCelibidache.

Juanjo Mena makes hisSt. Louis Symphony debutthis weekend.


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BENEDETTO LUPOESSMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION GUEST ARTIST

Benedetto Lupos 2013-14 season includes NorthAmerican appearances with the Domaine For-get International Festival, Columbus Symphony,

Nashville Symphony, and Louisiana Philhar-monic; recital performances in Vancouver B.C.,Bellingham, Washington, and Cincinnati; andinternational appearances with the OrchestraSinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, OrchestraSinfonica Siciliana, Orchestra Sinfonica Bari,Orchestre Philharmonique des Pays de la Loire,and Malaysian Philharmonic.

After winning the bronze medal in the 1989

Van Cliburn International Piano Competition,Lupo made acclaimed debuts with several majorAmerican orchestras, as well as chamber appear-ances with the Tokyo String Quartet. His NewYork City recital debut at Alice Tully Hall followedin 1992, the same year he won the Terence JuddInternational Award, which in turn led to hisdebut at Londons Wigmore Hall. Lupos recentNorth American performances include his Tan-glewood Festival debut playing Mozarts PianoConcerto No. 18, K. 456; Mozarts Piano Con-certo No. 27, K. 595 with the Los Angeles Philhar-monic; Bartks Piano Concerto No. 1 with theBaltimore Symphony; Schumanns Piano Con-certo with the Huntsville Symphony; ChopinsE-minor Concerto with I Musici de Montral; hisMostly Mozart Festival and subscription debut

with the Chicago Symphony; as well as appear-ances with the symphony orchestras of Calgary,Colorado, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Philadel-phia, Montreal, Oregon, San Antonio, Seattle,Utah, Vancouver, and Virginia.

Benedetto Lupo teaches at the Nino RotaConservatory in Italy, gives master classes aroundthe world, and has served on the jury of both theCleveland International Competition and the

Gina Bachauer Competition in Salt Lake City,from which he previously won second and thirdprizes, respectively. He is featured on the Emmy-award winning documentary Here to Make Music:The Eighth Van Cliburn International Piano Com-petitionand the seven-part series Encore! The FinalRound of Performances of the Eighth Van CliburnInternational Piano Competition, both for PBS.

CARLOC

OFANO

Benedetto Lupo mostrecently performed withthe St. Louis Symphony in

April 2006.


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PLAYING HARMONY:

KRISTIN AHLSTROM, ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL SECOND VIOLINOne of the great things about playingsecond violin is that we often get toplay harmony instead of the melody.Melodies can be pretty on their own, butusually what really makes them interest-ing and what shapes the phrasing of themelody is the harmony underneath.

Elgar gives the second violins and violassome heart-tugging harmonies to play,and that is really gratifying.

Kristin Ahlstrom

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

example, how often did Rachmaninoff perform with the St. Louis Symphony?

Rachmaninoff in St. Louis:As the sidebar to Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganinisays, Serge Rachmaninoff premiered the work in St. Louis only one monthafter its world premiere. Arguably the most revered pianist of his generation,Rachmaninoff performed on seven programs with the Symphony, from1920-1938. He played his rst three piano concertos (the First Concertoonce, the popular Second Concerto four times, the Third Concerto once),the Rhapsodyonce, and Beethovens First Piano Concerto in his nal concert

with the Symphony, on November 5, 1939. He played all his concerts at theOdeon Theater, until his nal performance at Municipal Auditorium, laterknown as Kiel.

DILIPVISHWANAT


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

ostinato.tripod.com/ginas.htmlPage devoted to Ginastera on the website ofFondacin Ostinato, an organization pro-moting and disseminating Argentine music,includes a detailed biography, works list,sound clips, and more

Tony Palmer, director

Rachmaninoff: The Harvest of SorrowDVDA documentary lm about Rachmaninoff

Michael Kennedy, The Life of ElgarCambridge University PressProbably the best of the many biographies ofthe English composer.

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

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

The St. Louis Symphony is on


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ST. LOUIS SYMPHONYYOUTH ORCHESTRA

Sunday, March 23 at 3pmFree, with $1 service feeSteven Jarvi, conductorGrant Riew, cello

WAGNER RienziOvertureELGAR Cello ConcertoTCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5

Presented by the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation, with additional

support provided by G.A., Jr. and Kathryn M. Buder Charitable Foundation.


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AUDIENCE INFORMATION

BOX OFFICE HOURS

Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm; Weekdayand Saturday concert evenings through

intermission; Sunday concert days12:30pm through intermission.

TO PURCHASE TICKETS

Box Ofce: 314-534-1700Toll Free: 1-800-232-1880Online: stlsymphony.org

Fax: 314-286-4111A service charge is added to alltelephone and online orders.

SEASON TICKET EXCHANGE POLICIES

If you cant use your season tickets,simply exchange them for another

Wells Fargo Advisors subscriptionconcert up to one hour prior to yourconcert date. To exchange your tickets,please call the Box Ofce at 314-534-1700 and be sure to have your tickets

with you when calling.

GROUP AND DISCOUNT TICKETS

314-286-4155 or 1-800-232-1880 Anygroup of 20 is eligible for a discount ontickets for select Orchestral, Holiday,or Live at Powell Hall concerts. Callfor pricing.

Special discount ticket programs areavailable for students, seniors, andpolice and public-safety employees.

Visit stlsymphony.org for moreinformation.

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Orchestra and Grand Tier Levels at acost of 25 cents.

Infrared listening headsets are availableat Customer Service.

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prohibited during the concert. Patronsare welcome to take photos before theconcert, during intermission, and afterthe concert.

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Age for admission to STL Symphonyand Live at Powell Hall concerts

varies, however, for most events therecommended age is ve or older. Allpatrons, regardless of age, must havetheir own tickets and be seated for all

concerts. All children must be seatedwith an adult. Admission to concerts isat the discretion of the House Manager.

Outside food and drink are notpermitted in Powell Hall. No food ordrink is allowed inside the auditorium,except for select concerts.

Powell Hall is not responsible for

the loss or theft of personal property.To inquire about lost items, call314-286-4166.

POWELL HALL RENTALS

Select elegant Powell Hall for your nextspecial occasion.

Visit stlsymphony.org/rentalsfor more information.


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BOUTIQUE

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St. Louis Symphony Extra - March 1, 2014