Download Concerts of June 16-18, 2017 Michael Stern, Music Director Philippe

Concerts of June 16-18, 2017
Michael Stern, Music Director
Philippe Quint, violin
Prangcharoen
Phenomenon…the mysterious and unexplained (2004)
Barber
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, op. 14 (1940)
I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Presto in moto perpetuo
Philippe Quint, violin
Intermission
Rachmaninoff
Symphony No. 2 in E minor, op. 27 (1907)
I. Largo; Allegro molto
II. Allegro molto
III. Adagio
IV. Allegro vivace
Notes on the Program by Ken Meltzer
Narong Prangcharoen (b. 1973)
Phenomenon…the mysterious and unexplained (2004) 9 minutes
—Phenomenon, by Thai composer Narong Prangcharoen, “was inspired by mysterious
and unexplainable natural phenomena, such as the Aurora Borealis, the Bolides, and,
especially, the Naga Fireballs.”
—The composer further explains: “I am frequently fascinated by the forces of darkness
and brightness, of light in the dark, and I try to convey all of these energies.”
Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, op. 14 (1940) 25 minutes
—The Violin Concerto was the first major commission for the young American
composer, Samuel Barber.
—The soaring lyricism of the opening two movements, coupled with the virtuoso
fireworks of the finale, have made the Violin Concerto one of Barber’s most popular
works, for violinists and audiences alike.
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
Symphony No. 2 in E minor, op. 27 (1907) 60 minutes
—Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2, an immensely popular work during the Russian
composer/pianist’s lifetime, remains one of his most beloved creations.
— In four movements, the Rachmaninoff Second features rich orchestration and
passionate melodies, and is one of the finest Russian symphonies of the late-Romantic
era.
Narong Prangcharoen (b. 1973)
Phenomenon…the mysterious and unexplained (2004) 9 minutes
3 flutes (3rd doubling piccolo), 3 oboes, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons,
contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, bass trombone, tuba, timpani,
glockenspiel, xylophone, metal plate, mark tree, tam-tam, vibraphone, suspended
cymbal, snare drum, bass drum, 4 tom-toms, piano, and strings.
Thai composer Narong Prangcharoen wrote his orchestral work, Phenomenon, for the
Toru Takemitsu Composition Competition. Phenomenon received its premiere at the
Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, on May 30, 2004. Norichika Imori conducted the Tokyo
Philharmonic Orchestra.
In a preface to the score, the composer provided the following description of
Phenomenon:
PHENOMENON was inspired by mysterious and unexplainable natural
phenomena, such as the Aurora Borealis, the Bolides, and, especially, the
Naga Fireballs. The Naga Fireballs is an extraordinary phenomenon that
occurs annually at the end of Buddhist Lent in the area of the Mekong
River stretching over 20 kilometers between the Pak-Ngeum district and
Phonephisai district in the Nong Khai province of Thailand.
PHENOMENON expresses the atmosphere and sensations of such natural
phenomena.
The piece starts with the chaotic texture of people traveling to the Mekong
River to observe the Naga Fireballs. After that, it describes the fireballs
appearing at the bottom of the river, rising above the water, floating into
the sky, and then disappearing without falling back to the earth as the
normal fireballs. Legend describes that Nagas performed the fireballs to
celebrate the Lord Buddha as he returned to the earth from the second
heaven where he traveled to perform a sermon for his mother. This piece
is full of energy to represent both the celebration and the strong faith of
Nagas to the Lord Buddha and the people who traveled to observe the
Naga Fireballs.
I am frequently fascinated by the forces of darkness and brightness, of
light in the dark, and I try to convey all of these energies.
PHENOMENON is also an exploration of sounds within other sounds, and
in the use of moving notes within sustained notes. The surface of the
music is critical, and the distance between the instruments and dynamics
(crescendo and diminuendo) are the main factors that create atmosphere
and timbre. More explanation than this would betray “the mysterious and
the unexplained.”
—Narong Prangcharoen
Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, op. 14 (1940) 25 minutes
Solo violin, piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets,
timpani, snare drum, piano, and strings.
The Concerto for Violin and Orchestra was the first major commission for Samuel
Barber. Samuel Fels, a wealthy American businessman who served on the board of
trustees of Barber’s alma mater, the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, offered the
commission in the spring of 1939. Fels intended the Concerto to serve as a vehicle for
his protégé, the young Odessa-born violinist Iso Briselli.
Artistic disagreements arose between Barber and Briselli. And so, Iso Briselli did not
perform the premiere of the Barber Violin Concerto. That honor went to the renowned
American violinist, Albert Spalding. On February 7, 1941, Spalding, accompanied by
Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra, gave the first performance at the
Academy of Music.
Barber was dissatisfied with what he viewed as “an unsatisfactory climax in the (second
movement) and some muddy orchestration in the finale.” In 1948, Barber penned
revisions to the Concerto, which, in the composer’s view, made the work “much
improved.” The final version was published in 1949.
The soaring lyricism of the opening two movements, coupled with the virtuoso fireworks
of the finale, have made the Barber Violin Concerto one of his most popular works, for
violinists and audiences alike.
The Violin Concerto is in three movements. The first (Allegro) features two principal
themes, the first lengthy and flowing, the second having a decidedly Scottish flavor. The
lyrical slow-tempo second movement (Andante) includes a more agitated central
sequence. The finale (Presto in moto perpetuo) is a virtuoso tour-de-force for the soloist
from start to finish.
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
Symphony No. 2 in E minor, op. 27 (1907) 60 minutes
Piccolo, 3 flutes, 3 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4
horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, snare drum,
glockenspiel, and strings.
After the disastrous March 15, 1897 premiere in St. Petersburg of his First Symphony,
Sergei Rachmaninoff lapsed into a profound depression, and lost all confidence in his
abilities as a composer. In 1900, Princess Alexandra Lieven attempted to lift
Rachmaninoff’s spirits by arranging for him to visit Leo Tolstoy. But the encounters
with Tolstoy did little to buoy Rachmaninoff’s confidence. In fact, they only served to
heighten his feelings of inadequacy. After Rachmaninoff gathered the nerve to play one
of his compositions for Tolstoy, the author responded by inquiring: “Tell me, does
anybody need music like this?”
However, a breakthrough for Rachmaninoff occurred that same year. On the advice of
relatives, Rachmaninoff consulted Dr. Nikolai Dahl, a psychiatrist who used hypnosis in
the treatment of his patients. The consultations with Dr. Dahl were an extraordinary
success. Rachmaninoff experienced a tremendous resurgence of confidence and
immediately began to compose his Second Piano Concerto (1901), a work he dedicated to
Dr. Dahl.
Rachmaninoff even summoned the courage to attempt another Symphony. In the fall of
1906, Rachmaninoff and his family moved from their native Russia to Dresden. The
relocation offered Rachmaninoff the solitude he needed to devote himself entirely to
composition. In October, Rachmaninoff began his Second Symphony, and finished the
first draft of the score on New Year’s Day, 1907.
Rachmaninoff later refined the score of his Second Symphony and conducted its premiere
in St. Petersburg on January 26, 1908. The work’s favorable reception by the audience
and critics did much to vindicate Rachmaninoff after the humiliating premiere of his First
Symphony. The Second Symphony proved to be immensely popular throughout
Rachmaninoff’s life, and remains one of his most beloved orchestral works. The rich
orchestration and passionate melodies make it one of the finest Russian symphonies of
the late-Romantic era.
The Second Symphony is in four movements. The first begins with an extended slowtempo introduction (Largo), opening with a motif that will appear in various guises
throughout the work. The principal quick-tempo section (Allegro moderato) follows.
The second movement is a vibrant scherzo (Allegro molto), culminating with the brass’s
chorale transformation of the Symphony’s opening measures. The beautiful slow-tempo
third movement (Adagio) is based upon two melodies, presented at the outset. The finale
(Allegro vivace), recalling music from previous movements, propels to an exuberant
close.