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TuneUp! New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concert® Saturday, February 3, 2007 elcome to the Young People’s Concerts! In the 19th century, a new generation of composers began taking music in exciting new directions. Unlike their predecessors in the 18th century, when elegance and refinement were all the rage, these ROMANTIC era composers were free, imaginative, passionate, and inspired by the natural and supernatural worlds. To intensify emotions in their music, Romantic musicians broke many of the Classical rules of composition. Melodies grew longer, dissonances became harsher, and the symphony swelled in size. So, what does Romantic music sound like? Well, since musical style was now determined freely by each composer, it could be brave, boisterous, mellow, or moody—developing an original, personal sound was the new craze! Read on to find out more. W ROMANTIC The Ages of Music T H E P R O G R A M : HECTOR BERLIOZ “March to the Scaffold,” from Symphonie fantastique MODEST MUSORGSKY/RAVEL “Limoges: The Marketplace,” from Pictures at an Exhibition RICHARD STRAUSS Waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier Suite JOHANNES BRAHMS “Un poco sostenuto – Allegro,” from Symphony No. 1 JEAN SIBELIUS Finlandia Alexander Mickelthwate, conductor Roy Abramsohn, host Thomas Baird, dancer Tomiko Magario, dancer Tom Dulack, scriptwriter and director funfact A NEW WAY OF SEEING: WHAT WERE THEY PAINTING IN THE 19TH CENTURY? ust as 19th century composers eagerly explored new possibilities in sound with the expansion of the orchestra, painters discovered new visual possibilities with their brushes and palettes. Romantic artists used a wide variety of pigments, made their brushstrokes visible, and emphasized color over structure—all to create more expressive works of art. Inspired by nature, many artists of this period painted landscapes. New technologies in painting equipment made it possible for artists to paint outdoors, leading to new representations of light and atmosphere. Look at this painting by the English artist J. M. W. Turner. Do you see how dramatically he depicts the sky? The formlessness of the clouds and intensity of the sunset aren’t very Classical, are they? What is the main subject of the painting? Is it “classically” balanced in the center? What other features of this painting make it Romantic? J The fighting “Temeraire” tugged to her last berth to be broken up, 1838. about the composers and their music… Hector Berlioz “March to the Scaffold,” from Symphonie fantastique (1803-1869) he first great French Romantic composer, Berlioz astonished people with his ability to tell stories and depict images through music. He developed his very own musical language with an unusual talent for orchestration (choosing instruments to create unique sounds). Berlioz fell madly in love with a popular Shakespearean actress, Harriet Smithson, after seeing her on stage in Hamlet. His obsession with Harriet, and her initial rejection of him, became the inspiration for his composition Symphonie fantastique. Three years after the premiere of the symphony, which Harriet attended, the two married! T n excellent example of a musician’s selfexpression, Symphonie fantastique (here “fantastic” means bizarre or out-of-thisworld) depicts an episode in the life of an artist. The artist (Berlioz himself) imagines seeing a woman (Harriet) with whom he falls in love; then he sees himself at a festive ball, then in the countryside. Thoughts of his beloved trouble him greatly—he is lonely and angry. Finally he envisions himself being marched to the scaffold, whereupon his death is celebrated by witches. Expansive melodies, heavy textures, and irregular phrasing evoke these wild images. A “Limoges: The Marketplace,” from Pictures at an Exhibition Modest Musorgsky (1839-1881) usorgsky was one of the “Mighty Five,” a group of Russian composers who sought to develop a distinctly Russian musical style. In addition to using elements of Russian folk songs to create his own sound, Musorgsky broke all the rules of composition: his music is rough and rugged and completely disregards formality. Often suffering from bad health and financial hardship, he believed that art should mimic the harsh realities of life and the human experience. M ictures at an Exhibition was inspired by a memorial exhibition of paintings and designs by Victor Hartmann, a close friend of Musorgsky. The movements of this piece each illustrate a different artwork or depict Musorgsky’s mood as he strolled from picture to picture at the exhibition. In “Limoges: The Marketplace,” Hartmann’s painting portrayed a busy French marketplace. Although the painting has been lost, we can practically see the hustle and bustle of the marketplace that Musorgsky recreates. Many of Musorgsky’s works are mostly known in versions that were revised or completed by other composers, and Pictures at an Exhibition is no exception. The version performed in this concert was orchestrated by the French composer Maurice Ravel; it was originally written for solo piano. Richard Strauss (1864-1949) ichard Strauss is considered the last great Romantic composer. Not to be confused with the great waltz composer Johann Strauss, Jr., Richard Strauss revolutionized melody and harmony. His musical language included expressive leaps in melody, and light textures contrasting with heavy dissonances and chromaticism. While some critics believe Strauss’s music was overly sentimental in style, his range of orchestral effects and his dramatic instincts were exceptional. R Johannes Brahms P Waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier Suite ichard Strauss’s most popular opera, Der Rosenkavalier (The Knight of the Rose), was also the composer’s favorite. In this comic opera, Strauss demonstrates his total mastery of the Viennese waltz. Strauss indulges the listener with glorious melody. The score for Der Rosenkavalier features well over 100 instruments— almost twice as many as Mozart required in The Marriage of Figaro! Strauss’s ingenious use of so many instruments produced a stunning range of color and a luxuriousness of sound that was, and still is, cherished by many. R (1833-1897) n contrast to many other Romantic composers, Brahms nurtured an appreciation of Classical form and balance.While his contemporaries were experimenting, he studied the music of his predecessors and brought new life to old forms. Brahms may have looked back in time for inspiration, but he achieved new heights of expression and complexity and has even been referred to as the “father of modernism.” As a perfectionist, he burned many of his early compositions and drafts because he feared they were inferior. Like one of his idols, Beethoven, Brahms was fond of nature and often walked in the woods outside of Vienna. I “Un poco sostenuto – Allegro,” from Symphony No. 1 rahms was so worried that his first symphony would not measure up to the great nine symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven that he spent nearly 14 years composing the work. The opening of the work is one of the most amazing and wellrecognized in all symphonic literature. Listen for the pulsating timpani strokes from the first beat. While this steady beat sounds simple, Brahms goes on to create very complex rhythmic variety and excitement. After the symphony's premiere, it received wide acclaim and one conductor referred to it as “Beethoven's Tenth.” B Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) Finlandia ean Sibelius, Finland’s leading composer, received worldwide acclaim for his works, which were inspired by Finnish myths and folklore. He composed mostly symphonic music which is richly varied—each work approached matters of orchestration and form in extraordinarily original ways. Sibelius felt so much pressure to produce more masterpieces after his celebrated Seventh Symphony that for the last 30 years of his life he stopped composing and would not even talk about his music. The New York Philharmonic YK PHOTO: CR AIG KOSH he New York Philharmonic is by far the oldest symphony orchestra in the United States, and one of the oldest in the world. It was founded in 1842 by a group of local musicians, and currently plays about 180 concerts every year. On December 18, 2004, the Philharmonic gave its 14,000th concert — a record that no other symphony orchestra in the world has ever reached. The Orchestra currently has 106 members. It performs mostly at Avery Fisher Hall, at Lincoln Center, but also tours around the world. The Orchestra’s first concerts specifically for a younger audience were organized by Theodore Thomas for the 1885–86 season, with a series of 24 “Young People’s Matinees.” The programs were developed further by conductor Josef Stransky, who led the first Young People’s Concert in January of 1914. The Young People’s Concerts were brought to national attention in 1924 by “Uncle Ernest” Schelling, and were made famous by Leonard Bernstein in the 1960s with live television broadcasts. T Thomas Baird C Alexander Mickelthwate ecognized as one of the most exciting, emerging talents on the musical stage today, Alexander Mickelthwate begins his tenure as Music Director of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra this season. Mr. Mickelthwate is Associate Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where he has served as Assistant Conductor for the past two years, appearing regularly at Walt Disney Concert Hall and at the Hollywood Bowl. Always striving to engage young people in music, he conducted more than 60 Young People’s Concerts with the Atlanta Symphony and organized an exchange between the Atlanta Youth Symphony and Berlin Youth Orchestra during the summer of 2003, hosting concerts in both cities. After winning a Peabody merit scholarship, Mr. Mickelthwate came to America from Germany to study at Baltimore’s Peabody Institute of Music with Frederik Prausnitz and Gustav Meier. Further studies took place with Seiji Ozawa, Robert Spano, and André Previn as a fellow of the Tanglewood Music Center and with Leonard Slatkin at the National Conducting Institute in Washington, D.C. R DIVEER Roy Abramsohn PHOTO: JOHN VAN meet the artists J omposers of the Romantic era began to draw inspiration from folk music, folk dances, poetry, art, and language. They created entirely new musical styles based on their own backgrounds and countries. This musical trend became known as Nationalism. Sibelius was a part of this nationalist movement in Finland. His work Finlandia was composed during a time when Finland was under Russian control. The impassioned patriotism of Finlandia defined, and also encouraged, the Finnish people's pursuit of independence. oy Abramsohn has been a pianist since the age of six and a professional actor for 20 years. As a music student in New York City, Mr. Abramsohn once had a job as an usher at Avery Fisher Hall so he could hear the Philharmonic for free! A graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, he originated the role of the concert pianist “Stephen” in the Pulitzer-nominated Old Wicked Songs at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, where he also played the dual roles of Harpo and Chico Marx in Groucho: a Life in Revue, taped live and airing on PBS. His stage credits include the Oregon Shakespearean Festival, Dirty Blond (Portland Center Stage), Lebensraum (Fountain Theatre, Los Angeles), Lewis and Clark Reach the Euphrates (Mark Taper Forum), Gunmetal Blues and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (San Jose Stage). Television/film credits include Strong Medicine, Without a Trace, Medium, Zooey 101, The Dukes, and a lead in Creepshow 3. R homas Baird is a period dance specialist who performs and teaches throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, and Japan. He is the co-director of Apollo’s Banquet, a New York City–based performance ensemble of period dancers and musicians. Mr. Baird is a regular guest lecturer at The Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music and is on the faculties of the Opera Division at SUNY–Purchase and the Mannes College of Music. He was the period-movement coach for the Broadway production of O’Neill’s A Touch of the Poet, and Lincoln Center Theater’s presentation of Sheridan’s The Rivals. In 2005 he made his choreographic debut at The Metropolitan Opera, providing period dances for the U.S. premiere of Franco Alfano’s Cyrano de Bergerac. T What’s coming up this season? Romantic music is certainly expressive! How does music change in the next Age of Music? The 20th century was music’s most explosive period of development ever! funfact Modern composers from Stravinsky, Debussy, and Bartók, right up to our own contemporaries, have created thrilling new worlds of sound. Come on MARCH 24 and find out where music is heading today! MUSICAL INVENTION T he 19th century was a thrilling time in music! Everything became BIGGER: the sound, the orchestra, the melodies, the emotions. Part of this was due to improvements in instrument technology and new methods of playing. Better instruments and technique meant more sonic possibilities! THE FLUTE n 1832, flutist and inventor Theobald Boehm created a brand new flute and continued to make improvements to it over the next four decades. The number of keys doubled from the time of Mozart and Haydn, and a new fingering system and "open holes" were introduced. These increased the volume and tone of the flute and made it easier to play in tune. I THE TROMBONE riginally called the "sackbut," the trombone was not introduced into the symphony until the beginning of the 19th century. During this time, the bell became wider, creating a larger and rounder sound. Romantic composers liked to use the trombone since its volume could depict a great range of emotion, including heroism and power. The size of the bore (the inner tube of the slide) was made larger to enhance performances of music by Brahms and Richard Strauss, in particular. O THE OCTOBASS nvented in Paris around 1850, the octobass was an extremely large double bass. It was so tall that it took two musicians to be played— one to bow and one to control the fingering of the instrument. The lowest note on the octobass was so low, it was below the range of human hearing! Hector Berlioz was a fan of the octobass and insisted that at least two of them be included in an orchestra for maximum effect. But, don't look for an octobass on the stage with any modern orchestra—the size and low range make them too difficult, and impractical, to play! I The Young People’s Concerts® and Kidzone Live! are made possible with generous support from the Rose M. Badgeley Residuary Charitable Trust, and The Theodore H. Barth Foundation. Tune Up! is made possible by an endowment in the name of Lillian Butler Davey.