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FALL ARRIVING 309b cameron street alexandria 703.548.2452
309b cameron street, alexandria 703.548.2452 donnalewisusa.com 2
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The Symphony Orchestra League of Alexandria presents
Reservations 703.548.7454 jring10@comcast.net 703.888.0367 annarussi@live.com www.alexsym.org
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Welcome from the Music Director Kim Allen Kluge Welcome to our 70th anniversary season! As we celebrate this landmark year, we are in the company of Dreamers and Visionaries — composers whose music has changed our world. These Dreamers and Visionaries strove to make the world a better place through their music. At the ASO, we share this dream and believe in the transformative power of the music we make together! We are so thankful to our loyal subscribers for joining us in what promises to be yet another extraordinary season. To you first time attendees, we embrace you and welcome you to our Alexandria Symphony Orchestra family — a family that treasures building community through our shared love for music of lasting value. I dedicate this season to the Dreamer and Visionary within us all!
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Sponsors of the 2013-2014 ASO Season With gratitude, we acknowledge the following foundations, corporations, and individuals for their sponsorship of our 2013-2014 season:
Alexandria Gazette Packet The Charles Delmar Foundation GEICO Global Printing, Inc. Mary and Daniel Loughran Foundation, Inc. New Target, Inc. Rotary Club of Alexandria Simpson Properties, LLC Unwined Guest Artist Sponsors Suzanne S. Brock Linda & Elliott Bunce Concerto Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Stewart Dunn Kay H. Logan Margaret & William O’Grady Hilton Mark Center is the official hotel of the 2013-2014 ASO season. 6
Harry Braswell, inc. C E L E B R AT I N G 3 0 Y E A R S I N A L E X A N D R I A & N O R T H E R N V I R G I N I A
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Harry Braswell, Inc. T: (703) 836-1776 www.harrybraswell.com
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2013-2014 Alexandria Symphony Orchestra Board of Trustees
Ronal Butler, President Linda Bunce, Vice President Anne Rector, Vice President for Finance Edward J. Stark, Vice President for Development Donnan C. Wintermute, Vice President for Board Development G. Jack Dover Loti Dunn Amy Furr, SOLA
Margaret Jones O’Grady Jeanne Warner Betty Quirk Judy Williams Liz Seccuro Margherita Woods, SOLA Catherine Thompson Advisory Board Sydney-Chanele Dawkins Alex Deringer Frank Fannon
Stewart Bartley Suzanne S. Brock Dr. John A. Bruno Carla Crawford Mollie Danforth
Dr. Bernard Murphy Alan Paez Tamara Saltonstall Elizabeth Siegel Robert Vincent
Trustees Emeritus
Dr. Joseph V. Braddock Mrs. Hanford M. Edsall, deceased W. Ward Lasley CDR Tom R. Downs (USN Ret.) Mr. Waller T. Dudley Mrs. Richard Reid Mr. James B. Singerling
Concerto Foundation Board of Trustees
Charles Ballou Miriam Browning Mary Ann Best Millard
Forrest Williams
ASO Administration
Frank J. Quirk Betty Quirk Thomas Sargeant
Jessica G. Wisser, Executive Director Pat Germann, Marketing and Development Director Ryan Jordan, General Manager Susan Kelly, Personnel Manager Craig B. Teer, Stage Manager
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Best Wishes to ASO for Another Great Season
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“Infusing Quality… Beyond Expectation” Ronal Butler ASO Board President
Best Wishes to ASO for a Great 2013-2014 Season
(703) 436-2063 office (703) 924-2624 fax
info@stratpaths.com www.stratpaths.com
Martha Lloyd, President
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History of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra The Alexandria Symphony Orchestra was formed in 1943 under the leadership and vision of Miss Neale Landen, a music teacher at George Washington High School. Initially an amateur group of about 40 musicians, the ASO sought to perform mostly impromptu concerts at a variety of venues around the city. The Symphony was officially incorporated on August 6, 1954 with an annual budget of around $1200. Dr. Wendell Margrave, director of the Washington Musical Institute, took over the baton in 1948 and led the group until the mid 1960’s. In 1966, as demand for a more formal programming schedule arose, the orchestra hired George Washington University professor Dr. George Steiner as Music Director. Under Steiner’s influence, the ASO introduced its first subscription series along with its Lollipop series of educational
ASO performers from the 1970’s
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George Steiner, former ASO Conductor
concerts, performing at Albohm Auditorium on the campus of T.C. Williams. During the 1980’s, in response to the growing need for volunteers, the Symphony Orchestra League of Alexandria (SOLA) was founded along with the Mary Graham Lasley Scholarship Competition. Following the retirement of Dr. Steiner, the ASO held an extensive national search for a new music director. Chosen for the position was award-winning Oberlin Conservatory of Music Valedictorian Kim Allen Kluge. Under Kluge’s direction during the 1990’s, the ASO became a professional orchestra. It rapidly developed a reputation of artistic excellence and innovative
programming through its highly successful concerts at the Kennedy Center. In partnership with the City of Alexandria, the ASO significantly expanded its programs and concerts in the schools and initiated the popular annual City Birthday Celebration outdoor concerts. In 2001, the ASO gave the inaugural concert at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Center, which became its new home. In the Schlesinger era, the ASO emerged as a leader of the Washington DC interarts movement, forging artistic partnerships with many of the region’s leading cultural institutions including The Smithsonian Institution, The National Gallery of Art, The Washington Ballet and The Shakespeare Theatre. Crossover concerts featuring visual art, dance, and film have come to symbolize Maestro Kluge’s efforts to engage the regional community in all avenues of artistic expression. During the Schlesinger era, the ASO has performed with many of the world’s leading musicians including Midori, Peter Serkin, Nadja Solerno-Sonnenberg, Richard Stoltzman, Garrick Ohlsson, Yefim Bronfman, Lynn Harrell and Branford Marsalis. The ASO is comprised of the finest profes-
sional freelance musicians in the Washington DC area, and regularly receives rave reviews from the Washington Post and other local newspapers.
Musicians warming up at Schlesinger Center
Moving forward into the new millennium, the ASO continues to make education a centerpiece of its mission. In 2003, the ASO introduced the Children’s Arts Festival featuring inter-arts activities, workshops and performances for young children. Maestro Kluge has held a variety of masterclasses in performance, conducting and composition throughout the DC region. He has also instituted sideby-side collaborations, in which local high school students perform with the professional musicians of the ASO. The ASO and SOLA proudly present the Mary Graham Lasley Scholarship Competition and the newly-founded Kluge Young Composer’s Competition, underscoring the Symphony’s commitment to nurturing young talent and creativity. 11
Jeanne Warner
Congratulates Maestro Kim Kluge and the Alexandria Symphony in its 70th spectacular season 703-980-9106 12
To Dream
October 5, 2013 at 8:00 pm Kim Allen Kluge, conductor Carlos Rodriguez, piano SCHÖNBERG Arr. Holcombe
“I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables
LISZT
Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major
Carlos César Rodríguez, piano
INTERMISSION TCHAIKOVSKY
Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 I. Andante – Scherzo II. Andante cantabile III. Valse: Allegro moderato IV. Finale: Andante maestoso
Program Notes Claude-Michel Schönberg (b. 1944)
“I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables Lauded by critics as one of the greatest musicals ever written, Les Misérables has become a standard of musical theater repertoire. Composed by Claude-Michel Schönberg, with lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, this adaptation of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel about the tribulations of the French Revolution is now the longest-running musical theater work in history, with over 48,000 professional performances worldwide. The Act I song “I Dreamed a Dream” tells of the despair and tragedy of a young woman, Fantine. Forced to work as a prostitute after being dismissed from her job, she longs for the day when she can provide a better life for her daughter. 13
Program 1 • October 5, 2013
This instrumental arrangement by Bill Holcombe is scored for flute, oboe, 2 clarinets, bassoon, 2 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba, 2 percussion and strings. It is approximately 4 minutes long.
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major As with many great artists who came before him, Franz Liszt’s journey from piano prodigy to serious composer was defined by a search for his own programmatic and structural musical style. Lacking an extensive background in composition, Liszt felt the need to experiment beyond the common structures of sonata form, as it did not suit his creative ambitions. He commonly drew from the ideas of semi-programmatic repertoire, from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony to Franz Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasy and Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. Liszt’s second piano concerto is one example of his exploration into single-movement structured works. He began drafting the work around 1839 but did not complete it for almost a decade, as he repeatedly rewrote several sections. At the 1857 premiere in Weimar, Germany, Liszt conducted Hans Bronsart von Schellendorf, one of his most renowned students, to whom the piece is dedicated. Liszt labeled the piece a Concerto Symphonique, in which the piano material displays common soloistic tendencies while at times blending with the orchestral color. The piece begins with the marking “adagio sostenuto assai,” or slowly and very sustained. It features a series of piano arpeggios backed by a light combination of sustained woodwinds and strings. Many theorists conclude that this section is the work’s true introduction, as the primary musical material is heard in its simplest form. A more recognizable concerto experience begins with the tempo marking “allegro agitato assai,” (quick and very agitated) where the piano and orchestra trade unison fragments of call and response.
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“Allegro moderato”(moderately fast) initiates the third section, which features a solo cello accompanied by light piano arpeggios reminiscent of the introduction. In the latter half of the section, cadenzas of varying length allow Liszt to exhibit the more delicate features of the piano.
Program 1 • October 5, 2013
A march-like flavor dominates the fourth and fifth sections, marked “allegro deciso” (quick and in a decided manner) and “marziale un poco meno allegro” (warlike and a little less quickly). They feature a strong shift in texture, as the interplay between the soloist and orchestra becomes less defined. Unison lines in the piano are mimicked frequently in the orchestra, but as in the second section, the piano is used as accompaniment as well as providing more dramatic concertolike interjections. The closing section, marked “allegro animato” (animatedly quick) seems more understated than the common Romantic Era symphonic finale. The piano goes unaccompanied for several sections, flanked only by lush interjections from the high strings and woodwinds. Liszt’s use of the broken chord technique lightens the texture, allowing the orchestra to dominate the thematic material while providing the piano significant space to be featured toward the end. The work is scored for solo piano, 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani and strings. It is approximately 21 minutes long.
Pyotr llyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Symphony No. 5 in E minor Written during the summer of 1888, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 was the third in a series of his most mature orchestral works, which include his Symphony No. 4, Violin Concerto in D Major, and the less critically acclaimed Manfred Symphony. Tchaikovsky struggled in his personal and professional life during this time — he felt exhausted and did not know if he had anything else to give creatively. The literal and figurative aspects of “fate,” along with the progression of “dark to light,” were common themes throughout this period, and Tchaikovsky felt his music needed to display a stronger programmatic element. Symphony No. 5 is cast in four movements, each connected by the recurring “motto” or “fate” theme featured in various permutations throughout the piece. Movement one opens with a solo clarinet playing the theme accompanied by strings. A more animated character dominates the rest of the 15
Program 1 • October 5, 2013
movement’s almost 16 minutes, as the material loosely stays within an E minor framework. Tchaikovsky uses strong variance in tempo, combined with the shifting of accents, to denote the piece’s development. The theme returns, accompanied by strings, and a slower tempo concludes the movement. The second movement begins in a mood much like the first ended. A horn solo enters, reminiscent of an operatic aria, and carries a lyrical melody over which the clarinet slowly interweaves its own material. A livelier theme interrupts the more somber tone as lush chords in the strings carry the movement to its conclusion. The third movement is a waltz, similar in nature to a Tchaikovsky ballet score. The theme is heard again, interrupting the material while staying within the light character of the movement. Low woodwinds and string pizzicatos carry the momentum as the full ensemble provides a sonorous conclusion. In the finale, the theme is transposed into a major key, adding layers of the evolution from “dark to light.” The power of the orchestra is heard as Tchaikovsky relies on the full complement of brass and woodwinds. The work ends with a series of triumphant E Major chords, a symbolic completion of the “dark to light” journey. The work is scored for 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani and strings. It is approximately 50 minutes long.
Program Commentary by Colleen Fay
Musicians have a funny relationship with the “real” world – composers especially. Why is that? The composer expresses those innermost feelings we all have through the unspoken medium of music. Yes, even when it’s coupled with words, the emotional content of music 16
is beyond the reach of language. This is a phenomenon that isn’t easy to understand in the best of times and is downright confusing to a person who has not felt the tug of that artistic impulse: it can’t be explained – it just is. The tug-o-war between the “ivory
Program 1 • October 5, 2013
tower” of the composer’s study and the real world of national and international conflict, and personal things as mundane as paying the bills, is as much a part of the artist’s and composer’s life as it is of yours and mine. Composers who try to live in the real world and who make a difference with their music win my heart every day. O.K., there; I’ve said it, expressed my own prejudice. You, of course, will make your own judgment, but I wanted to let you know where I stood. This is the passion that lies behind so much great music – first, the passion to change ourselves, then, the passion to change the world. I was blown away, as they say, in 1985 by the musical Les Misérables. I wanted to run out of the theater and do something, anything, to help make the world a better place. That’s how the music inspired me. Victor Hugo’s great novel was translated to the stage by the words and music by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, with that stirring English adaptation by Herbert Kretzmer. It came together with that overwhelming stage spectacle and reminded me of how often composers and their collaborators create works that inspire change. That’s where the genius lies. It’s
fascinating because writers as far back as Plato knew music could do that, but even after all these years it’s hard to explain. The song for me, and for so many people that embodies this phenomenon is “I Dreamed a Dream.” We may not know how music makes us want to change things for the better, we just know that it does. Sometimes it’s a composer and performer in the right place at the right time, one who has the ability to sweep people away with him and with the power of his music. That was Franz Liszt, who did it for almost all of the 19th Century. From his years as the young god of the piano, through his time as an incredibly gifted composer throwing all his innovations into his music, like his mighty Piano Concerto No. 2, he dominated music. Later, for the rest of his life, he acted as mentor and supporter of the next two – almost three – succeeding generations of performers and composers. You cannot think of the 19th Century in classical music without the monumental figure of Franz Liszt. The list of musicians whom he fostered reads like a who’s who of music well into the early 20th Century. When Franz List played, the earth moved. 17
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They didn’t like Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky or his music. They tried to ignore both, but they couldn’t. Young Russian composers were just emerging as a separate group, desperate to define the “Russian” in Russian music. Many Western Europeans imagined Russia as the untamed east, more Asian than European, more wild than civilized, or “neculturnyy” — uncivilized, literally un-cultured. Tchaikovsky was cultured to his fingertips and just as talented, worse yet, European to the bone. The problem was that he was so monumentally talented and his music so inspired that he simply could not
be ignored. European he may have been to every outward appearance, but his was a thoroughly Russian heart. For me, the core of his great Fifth Symphony is the heart-rending French Horn solo in the second movement. The entire work embodies, from first to last, an unnamed inner struggle, a sense of triumph over difficulty. Tchaikovsky couldn’t have known, conducting the St. Petersburg premiere of the Symphony No. 5 in 1888, that this piece would become that city’s symbol of struggle against relentless Nazi bombardment in 1941. The Russians won. The Symphony won. Tchaikovsky triumphed.
Carlos César Rodríguez, Pianist A musician of exceptional brilliance and versatility, Carlos César Rodríguez has gained recognition as a virtuoso pianist who not only generates unusual excitement in the Hispanic and Spanish repertoire but also displays an extraordinary flair for Mozart, the romantics and the avant-garde scores. Mr. Rodríguez has recorded for Omicron and Brioso labels and has won the highest critical acclaim for his CD of Spanish music, España en el corazón, distributed by Brioso Recordings. An expert on early instruments as well, Mr. Rodríguez was chosen by the Smithsonian to perform in its
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celebration of the 150th anniversary of the piano. Mr. Rodríguez has won acclaim moreover as music director of Mozart operas and Zarzuelas
Program 1 • October 5, 2013
(Spanish operas), and as composer/ arranger/improviser of ballets, Spanish dance scores, and Latin-Jazz/ Pop compositions. Carlos César Rodríguez made his recital debut in his native Venezuela at age 5 and made his orchestral debut as soloist at age 11. Soon after he arrived to the United States to continue his music studies, Mr. Rodriguez became finalist in the New York Philharmonic Young People’s Competition, and at age 21, he made his Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall debut. Mr. Rodríguez has performed in major venues such as the John F. Kennedy Center and the White House in Washington, DC; Merkin Hall and the Americas Society in New York City and the Royal Palace of Music in Salzburg, Austria. As collaborative artist, Mr. Rodríguez has worked with Jessye
Norman, Denyce Graves and Placido Domingo. Mr. Rodríguez earned his Bachelor’s degree with Clifton Matthews from the North Carolina School of the Arts, his Master’s degree from the Juilliard School of Music, with Joseph Kalichstein and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree, conferred summa cum laude, with Thomas Schumacher at the University of Maryland. Mr. Rodriguez has worked with Peter Feutchwanger in London and Alfons Kontarsky and Harmut Holl at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Currently, Mr. Rodríguez is a member of the piano faculty at the Levine School of Music and guest artist and coach for the Domingo/ Cafritz Young Artist Program with The Washington Opera.
MURPHY & ASSOCIATES CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS CONGRATULATES
THE ALEXANDRIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ON
70 INSPIRING SEASONS 3319 DUKE STREET 703-370-9100 19
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To Transform
November 16, 2013 at 8:00 pm November 17, 2013 at 3:00 pm Kim Allen Kluge, conductor Sarah Chang, violin GIACCHINO Arr. Datzman
Music from Up (2009)
BARBER
Adagio for Strings, Op. 11
COPLAND
Suite from Billy the Kid
Introduction: The Open Prairie – Street in Frontier Town – Mexican Dance and Finale – Prairie Night (Card Game at Night) – Gun Battle – Celebration (After Billy’s Capture) – Billy’s Death – The Open Prairie Again
INTERMISSION MUSSORGSKY
“Dawn on the Moscow River” from Khovantchina
BRUCH
Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26
Sarah Chang, violin I. Vorspiel: Allegro moderato II. Adagio III. Finale: Allegro energico
Program Notes Michael Giacchino (b. 1967)
Music from Up (2009) With credits in TV, film and video games, Michael Giacchino has established himself as one of the most versatile composers working in commercial entertainment today. Now a favorite of writer/director J.J. Abrams, Giacchino has recently been involved with films including Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013), Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011), Cars 2 (2011), Super 8 (2011) and Cloverfield (2008). 21
Program 2 • November 16-17, 2013
He began as an art and production student at the School for Visual Arts in New York City and later studied music at Julliard and UCLA. After working several jobs in publicity at Disney and Universal, Giacchino was hired as a producer for Disney Interactive in the mid-1990’s. In 1997, he was invited to write the score for the PlayStation game The Lost World: Jurassic Park, which would become one of the first video games to feature a full symphony orchestra. As a producer and later as a full-time composer, Giacchino became deeply interested in character development and its relationship to musical scoring. The 2009 animated feature Up tells the story of elderly Carl Fredricksen, whose long fascination with explorer Charles Muntz leads him on a magical adventure throughout South America. In discussing Up’s musical language, director Pete Docter said, “The emotional arcs of the characters, where they have been and where they are going, are all I wanted out of the score.” Giacchino wrote several distinct musical themes for the main characters, which would be slowly altered and combined as the story evolved. This arrangement by Andrea Gutzman features various themes from the movie and is scored for 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 3 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 4 trombones, tuba, timpani, 4 percussion, piano, celeste and strings. It is approximately 7 minutes long.
Samuel Barber (1910-1981) Adagio for Strings
In 1938, Arturo Toscanini, conductor of the newly formed NBC Symphony Orchestra, received an arrangement of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings. Toscanini, then perhaps the most recognizable and renowned classical musician in the United States, was not known as a strong advocate of American music, but he was very moved by the work’s honest simplicity. The piece was first performed that November on a radio broadcast, which historians agree garnered one of the most intense emotional responses ever from an American classical music audience. The work became a symbol of sympathy at a time when radical fascism began to escalate throughout Europe and in particular Italy, Toscanini’s home country. 22
Program 2 • November 16-17, 2013
The material is built upon a continuously ascending melody that evolves through the use of unusual time signatures, extreme dynamic shifts and varying orchestration. Many believe the work’s fluid and graceful nature was inspired by Barber’s love of vocal music, taught to him at a young age by his Aunt Louise. The piece’s familiarity has led to its inclusion in several iconic films, including Oliver Stone’s Academy Award-winning Platoon (1986) and David Lynch’s The Elephant Man (1980). It was also used to mark the deaths of such prominent figures as Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Albert Einstein. Within weeks after the attacks of September 11, 2001, it was estimated that Adagio for Strings was performed hundreds of times, including a notable performance during The Proms in London. The work remains popular today and was the most downloaded piece of classical music on iTunes in 2006. This arrangement is scored for string orchestra and is approximately 8 minutes long.
Aaron Copland (1900-1990)
Suite from Billy the Kid Historians agree that by the time he reached his mid-thirties, Aaron Copland was becoming the new voice of American classical music. Having long experimented with the musical flavor of his favorite contemporary composers, along with a diverse variety of world music idioms, Copland fueled the development of his own musical language with his strong interest in American stories and themes. One American story, Billy the Kid, became the focus of a ballet commissioned by noted New York dance enthusiast Lincoln Kirstein. Written in 1938, Billy the Kid was the first in a series of Copland’s most popular ballet works that included Rodeo (1942) and Appalachian Spring (1944). Billy the Kid takes its inspiration from the Western figure who became a touchstone for a variety of stories and myths about America following the Civil War. Copland used about two-thirds of the material from the original ballet for the suite, which has become a staple of modern symphonic literature. The piece opens with what many call a pure sense of musical “open23
Program 2 • November 16-17, 2013
ness,” in which Copland frequently uses perfect fourths, fifths and octave voicings to evoke the Western landscape. We imagine Billy as young boy, who, as legend states, witnesses his mother being shot during a drunken brawl and then vows revenge on those responsible. The music offers hints of conflict as Copland routinely adds biting accents that distort the work’s tonal center, often to contrast with the very static orchestration. As Billy grows up and begins his journey as an outlaw, the music starts to incorporate bits of folk music, a technique Copland also used in Rodeo and Appalachian Spring. The piece moves into a more somber mood with the excerpt subtitled “Card Game at Night,” where Copland gives solos to a variety of wind instruments, although never for an extended period. The tempo picks up in the next section, “Gun Battle,” where percussion and low brass accentuate the story of Billy’s capture and later escape from jail. One last quiet mood is evoked as Copland reorchestrates the previous material to foreshadow Billy’s final capture and death. The piece ends with a repeated chord sequence using the full orchestra, hinting at the pure musical “openness” of the beginning. The piece is scored for 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, 4 percussion, harp, piano and strings. It is approximately 21 minutes long.
Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881)
“Dawn on the Moscow River” from Khovanshchina Although born to wealthy Russian landowners, Modest Mussorgsky reflected a more working-class sensibility in his compositional identity. A talented child pianist, Mussorgsky never received any formal musical training, leading him to seek out and befriend many up-and-coming Russian artistic figures throughout his life. His friends introduced him to stories of a nationalistic and rebellious nature, several of which would become the subjects of Mussorgsky operas. The opera Khovanshchina is one such work. It tells the story of Prince Ivan’s rebellion against Peter the Great at a time of fragmentation and division within the Russian Empire. The piece was left partially completed at Mussorgsky’s death and would later be orchestrated by his colleague Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. 24
Program 2 • November 16-17, 2013
The prelude to Khovanshchina, subtitled “Dawn on the Moscow River,” is reflective of the Mussorgsky compositional style. The main material is based on long “folk-like” melodic phrases that are passed around and reorchestrated through several instrument sections. The high strings consistently interject with ascending fragments as the harp is used as accompaniment within the lightly orchestrated parts. The work is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, timpani, percussion, harp and strings. It is approximately 5 minutes long.
Max Bruch (1838-1920)
Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor A conductor, teacher, and composer throughout his life, Max Bruch has been closely associated with the Romantic era. A noted compositional traditionalist, Bruch remains closely linked in his music to that of Johannes Brahms, who strongly favored formulaic structure in his larger symphonic works. Bruch’s two most performed compositions, Violin Concerto No. 1 and Kol Nidrei, have become staples of traditional symphonic literature due to their combination of traditional forms, dynamic lyricism and virtuosic nuance. Violin Concerto No. 1 begins with a repeated chord sequence that leads into the first of two very short lyrical solo cadenzas. A moderato character precedes the second cadenza, as Bruch uses very light orchestration so as not to cover the violin. The material displays the violin in its most virtuosic form, utilizing multiple stop techniques and extreme higher register playing not normally heard throughout the early Romantic era. The movement ends with a series of cadenzas reminiscent of the opening, although longer and more dramatic in character. The second movement, marked “adagio,” is the longest part of the concerto, in which Bruch again uses light orchestration to feature the gracious tone of the violin. A more uptempo feeling initiates the final movement, a dance of sorts that uses the power of the full orchestra to accompany the soloist. A gradual accelerando, combined with high register playing in the solo violin, carries the movement to its forceful and energetic conclusion. 25
Program 2 • November 16-17, 2013
The piece is scored for solo violin, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani and strings. It is approximately 26 minutes long.
Program Commentary by Colleen Fay
Up (2009) was a charming Walt Disney/Pixar animated movie about a grumpy old man who’d wanted to see more of the world and who, through an amazing set of circumstances, had his dream fulfilled. But the charm of the movie and its “up-lifting” story aside, the movie is really about hope and change. The music of young film composer Michael Giacchino fills every frame of the movie with hope and longing in ways that the characters themselves don’t realize. As the enchanting story is being played out, the music is telling us, the viewers, that our dreams’ fulfillment is within our grasp if we but reach out and try for it. That’s why the music works so well and also why it won the Oscar® it so richly deserved. The ferment among young Russian composers engulfed Modest Mussorgsky. He may have been talented aristocratic amateur from the provinces, but even by the age of 20, Mussorgsky was immersed in the avant-garde of 26
Russian music in St. Petersburg. At the time, he was still a junior military officer, but he would soon resign his commission to devote his life to music. And in his short life – he died in his early 40s – Mussorgsky left an impressive list of compositions. Sadly, at the time of his death, the young composer was in the grip of alcoholism that severely impeded his work. The opera Khovanschina flowed from his pen, but it was fraught with difficulties despite some spectacularly gorgeous music. It has only been in the late 20th Century, a hundred years after its composition, that the opera has been performed world-wide. In the brief prelude “Dawn on the Moscow River,” the composer gives us a work charged with all the hope and expectation of the opera, no mere introduction, but really an immersion into the lives of the ordinary Russians torn between the lives they’d known and the new more progressive life. When composers reinvent themselves, it’s like diving into a
Program 2 • November 16-17, 2013
swimming pool without knowing if there’s any water. Aaron Copland was an established composer with a growing reputation as a “modern” composer: an advocate for the atonalism and dense harmonic textures that were much in vogue in the late 1930s. Therefore, his score for the ballet Billy the Kid came as a total surprise. Its music is based on clear western folk melodies with what came to be recognized as Copland’s spare harmonic and rhythmic structure. Audiences loved it as they did subsequent scores Rodeo and Appalachian Spring. These muscular, energetic and accessible scores illustrate that when he took that dive into the deep end there was a deep pool of an appreciative audience to receive his daring effort. Max Bruch is not a name that many audience members know, but in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, his romantic compositions were favorably compared with those of Mendelssohn and Brahms. His first Violin Concerto has continued in the repertoire due to its passionate sweep and verve. What sets this piece apart is that it wears its heart on its sleeve. From the very first measure to the last, the Violin Concerto is a sweeping statement of passion.
Bruch doesn’t advocate for one cause or another, but asks the audience members to unleash their own inner passions and to free themselves from artificial restraint. In that sense, the concerto is an implicit cry for freedom. In 1936, when the great conductor Arturo Toscanini heard the slow movement of Samuel Barber’s String Quartet, Op. 11, the maestro knew that this was a special piece of music. “You must arrange this for string orchestra,” was Toscanini’s advice to the 26 year-old Barber. He took that advice and thereby created a work of longing, passion, yearning, and the desire for fulfillment. Since that time, every orchestra worth its salt has made it part of their repertoire, and every audience has taken it to heart. How can there be so much encapsulated within so little? We can only point to things like Barber’s Adagio for Strings and say, “There, that’s what I mean. All that pent-up longing and desire. That’s music that moves peoples’ souls.” And it is the same whether you are hearing for the first time, or for the hundredth. Passion is passion, and Barber’s Adagio is what it sounds like. 27
Program 2 • November 16-17, 2013
Sarah Chang, violinist “Her gifts are at a level so removed from the rest of us that all we can do is feel the appropriate awe and then wonder on the mysteries of nature. The ancients would certainly have had Ms. Chang emerging fully formed from some Botticellian scallop shell.” -The New York Times Recognized as one of the foremost violinists of our time, Sarah Chang has performed with the most esteemed orchestras, conductors, and accompanists in an international career spanning more than two decades. Since her debut with the New York Philharmonic at the age of eight, Ms. Chang has dazzled audiences with her technical virtuosity and emotional depth. In the upcoming season, Ms. Chang’s appearances in North America will include the New West Symphony, Hawaii Symphony, Alexandria Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, Fresno Philharmonic, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Vancouver Symphony, Pacific Symphony and National Philharmonic. Her European engagements will take her to Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Turkey, while, in Asia, she will appear in concert in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing. Highlights from the 12/13 season included performances with the Cincinnati Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Ravinia Festival, Aspen Music Festival and the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. As a recital and chamber musician, Ms. Chang performs with such artists as Pinchas Zukerman, Yefim Bronfman, Leif
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Ove Andsnes, Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern, Wolfgang Sawallisch, and members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Ms. Chang’s most recent recording for EMI Classics - her 20th for the label - featured the Brahms and Bruch violin concertos with Kurt Masur and the Dresdner Philharmonie, and was received to excellent critical and popular acclaim. Her 2007 recording of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons attracted international commendation, with BBC Music Magazine stating: “She has never
Program 2 • November 16-17, 2013
made a finer recording.” She has also recorded Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1 and Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 live with the Berliner Philharmoniker under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle; Fire and Ice, an album of popular shorter works for violin and orchestra with Placido Domingo conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker; the Dvořák Violin Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra and Sir Colin Davis; as well as several chamber music and sonata discs with artists including pianists Leif Ove Andsnes and Lars Vogt. Along with Pete Sampras, Wynton Marsalis, and Tom Brady, Ms. Chang has been featured in Movado’s global advertising campaign “The Art of Time.” In 2006, Ms. Chang was honored as one of 20 Top Women in Newsweek Magazine’s “Women and Leadership, 20 Powerful Women Take Charge” issue. In March 2008, Ms. Chang was honored as a Young Global Leader for 2008 by the World Economic Forum (WEF) for her professional achievements, commitment to society and potential in shaping the future of the world. For the June 2004 Olympic games, she was given the honor of running with the Olympic Torch in New York, and that same month, became the youngest person ever to receive the Hollywood Bowl’s Hall of Fame award. Also in 2004, Ms. Chang was awarded the Internazionale Accademia Musicale Chigiana Prize in
Sienna, Italy. In 2005, Yale University dedicated a chair in Sprague Hall in Sarah Chang’s name. She is a past recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant, Gramophone’s “Young Artist of the Year” award, Germany’s “Echo” Schallplattenpreis, “Newcomer of the Year” honors at the International Classical Music Awards in London, and Korea’s “Nan Pa” award. In 2011, Ms. Chang was named an official Artistic Ambassador by the United States Embassy.
A Tradition of Service CELEBRATING 125 YEARS IN ALEXANDRIA
Fuel Oil n Boilers n Furnaces Air Conditioning n Heat Pumps Water Heaters n Gas, Oil, & AC Service 1200 DUKE STREET, ALEXANDRIA, VA 703-549-5700
www.tjfannonandsons.com In memory of Susan Dau Fannon, a proud supporter of the Symphony.
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To Be Passionate February 15, 2014 at 8:00 pm February 16, 2014 at 3:00 pm Kim Allen Kluge, conductor/piano
DEBUSSY
Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
PROKOFIEV
Suite No. 2 from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64 ter. INTERMISSION
WAGNER
Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde
NYMAN
Suite from The Piano (1993)
GERSHWIN
Rhapsody in Blue
Kim Allen Kluge, piano Kim Allen Kluge, piano
Program Notes Achille-Claude Debussy (1862–1918)
Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun At the age of 32, Debussy composed Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, drawing inspiration from the French poet Stéphane Mallarmé’s 1876 work “The Afternoon of a Faun.” The poem is a pastoral work about a faun daydreaming about beautiful nymphs. The faun plays a panpipe, which Debussy represented with a flute solo that opens the piece and continues as a solo part throughout the work. Debussy’s greatest musical influence was Richard Wagner, who inspired the composer’s use of chromaticism to evoke sensuality in this piece. The piece is approximately 10 minutes long and is scored for 3 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 harps, 2 crotales, and strings. 31
Program 3 • February 15-16, 2014
Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953)
Suite No. 2 from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64 ter. After spending years abroad in the United States and Paris, Sergei Prokofiev returned to the Soviet Union in his early forties with hopes of new lucrative commissions. He began the famous ballet Romeo and Juliet in 1936 on a commission from the Bolshoi Theatre. Originally, Prokofiev and collaborator Sergei Radlov rewrote Shakespeare’s famous story to include a happy ending, but this was met with sharp criticism throughout the Soviet artistic community. Under pressure, Prokofiev scrapped the concept, as well as cutting several “exotic dance” movements that were deemed lacking in traditional dance esthetics. The whole work was dropped from production and postponed indefinitely when performers complained about the rhythmic complexity, labeling it “un-danceable”. With the official ballet premiere on hold, Prokofiev used the material to develop a series of concert suites that could be played by a traditional symphony orchestra. The first movement, “Montagues and Capulets,” tells of the Ball where Romeo and Juliet first meet. The material is broad, but dance-like, with the violins and woodwinds carrying the main theme. A slower, ambiguous waltz interjects before the opening material returns again to close the movement. The second movement, “Child Juliet,” is lighter in character and features the high strings and woodwinds playing a repeated one-measure ascending and descending phrase. Prokofiev uses flutes to carry the main melodic material and muted strings to thicken the orchestration while not dominating the overall color. In the third movement, “Friar Laurence,” melodies in the tuba and bassoon accompany the young lovers to the chapel. The character of “Dance,” the fourth movement, is understated and serves as structural interlude. The strings vary between pizzicato and arco playing alongside a repeated pattern in the percussion creating a static, almost mechanical feel. In “Romeo at Juliet’s before parting,” the mood shifts several times. It opens slowly, with light but complex orchestration that features divided string parts that are overlapped with variety of woodwinds solos. The tone changes halfway, with dramatic fanfares in the brass and low strings that dissolve as Romeo leaves Juliet at her home. “Dance of the Antilles girls” depicts the bridesmaids as they lightly dance around the sleeping Juliet. The material features a solo violin trading lines with 32
Program 3 • February 15-16, 2014
its section while elements of the dance are accentuated by a single tambourine. The final movement, titled “Romeo at the grave of Juliet,” is less contrapuntal and features the full ensemble as Romeo learns of the death of Juliet. The ending features a unison string melody playing in the extremely high register along with one final statement from the low brass.
Wilhelm Richard Wagner (1813–1883)
Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde
The startling chromaticism and unresolved dissonance in Richard Wagner’s work – which are on display from the very first chord of the opera Tristan and Isolde – changed the face of classical music. Composers from impressionist Claude Debussy to film composer John Williams have cited Wagner as a significant influence, and Tristan and Isolde is sometimes said to mark the start of modern music. In 1849, Wagner fled from Germany as a political exile, re-establishing himself in Zurich and beginning his composition of the Ring cycle. By 1857, Wagner had no regular income and was having trouble finding interest in his new four-opera cycle. It was in this context that Wagner and his wife accepted an invitation from his friends Otto and Mathilde Wesendonck to move to their estate in Zurich. In search of lighter fare that might generate the interest of funders, Wagner interrupted his work on the Ring cycle to begin writing Tristan and Isolde. Wagner’s alleged affair with Mathilde fueled the passion and intensity of the work. Far from lighter fare, Tristan and Isolde became some of the most powerful, dissonant, and emotionally charged music of its time. After several failed attempts to stage the work, it was finally performed in its entirety in 1865 thanks to King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who settled Wagner’s debts upon ascending to the throne in 1864 and became Wagner’s ardent benefactor. Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde make up the “bookends” of the opera. The Prelude opens with the “Tristan chord,” one of the most famous chords in music history. The dissonance and lack of resolution in these first three bars suggest the yearning and desire suffered by the title characters. The Liebestod, or “love death,” is Isolde’s final 33
Program 3 • February 15-16, 2014
aria, which closes the opera. The concert version of these two pieces was arranged by Wagner himself, and it was first performed in 1862, several years before the premiere of the full opera. This piece is approximately 20 minutes long.
Michael Nyman (b. 1944)
Suite from The Piano (1993)
Michael Nyman is a celebrated British composer best known for his soundtracks – most notably, the soundtrack for Jane Campion’s 1993 film The Piano, which sold more than 3 million copies and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score. The Piano tells the story of Ada McGrath, who arrives from Scotland to an arranged marriage in nineteenth century New Zealand with her 9-year-old daughter and her piano. Ada’s new husband leaves the piano behind on the beach, arguing that there is no room in his small house. Because Ada is unable to speak, the piano itself becomes her means of expression for the outside world. In composing the music for the film, Nyman in effect created two separate soundtracks – first, the sound of the film itself; and second, the “voice” of Ada, inspired by Scottish folk and popular songs of the mid-nineteenth century. Nyman says of his artistic approach: It’s as though I was writing the music of another composer who happened to live in Scotland, then New Zealand in the mid 1850’s. Someone who was obviously not a professional composer or pianist. So there had to be a modesty about it.
George Gershwin (1898 –1937) Rhapsody in Blue
George Gershwin’s visionary style drew from the rich fabric of sounds he heard in his native Brooklyn, blending jazz rhythms, Latin music, and American popular songs into genre-straddling works that challenged classification. The Gershwin family purchased their first piano for George’s brother, Ira, when George was only 12 years old. A young prodigy, George 34
Program 3 • February 15-16, 2014
immediately took to the piano, and by 15 he had left high school to work as a “song plugger” in Tin Pan Alley. In 1919, his song “Swanee” became a smash hit for Al Jolson and launched him to fame. Working as a songwriting team, George and his lyricist brother Ira became prolific Broadway songwriters, and many of their songs became the era’s pop hits. On January 3, 1924, The New York Tribune announced that bandleader Paul Whiteman would be debuting a new “jazz concerto” by Gershwin on February 12. The announcement was news to Gershwin, who, as legend goes, first heard about the commission when Ira was reading the newspaper to him in a billiard hall. After a panicked phone call to Whiteman, Gershwin agreed to write a concerto for piano and jazz band. Since Gershwin was accustomed to working with a Broadway arranger, Whiteman offered the services of his own arranger, Ferde Grofé, who created the orchestrations from Gershwin’s two-piano score and instrumentation suggestions. In less than a month, with Grofé’s help, Gershwin had created Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself performed the piano part, which in the haste of composition had not been entirely written down and probably included quite a bit of improvisation. Rhapsody in Blue afforded Gershwin a chance to showcase the strengths of Whiteman’s band – and in some cases, the band members left their own mark on the work. For example, the opening 17-note glissando was written for clarinetist Ross Gorman, who was joking around in rehearsal by gliding all 17 notes together into a seamless ribbon of sound. Gershwin loved the effect, and this opening solo became an iconic part of the work. Whiteman premiered the piece at New York’s Aeolian Hall on a concert titled “An Experiment in Modern Music.” Billed as an educational concert, the evening had more than 20 pieces on the program. Rhapsody in Blue was performed near the end of the concert to a weary crowd, and the driving rhythms and bluesy melodies made it a sensation. An arrangement for full orchestra was published after Gershwin’s death – again, with the help of Grofé. The piece is approximately 16 minutes long. 35
Program 3 • February 15-16, 2014
Program Commentary by Colleen Fay
You don’t have to know the story or even who Tristan and Isolde were to “get” this music. Richard Wagner poured more passion into this music than almost anything else he wrote. The desire to spend every second together, to breathe the same air, to share every thought and every feeling with the beloved… these are present in the music with an intensity that is almost beyond description. And love like this is too intense, too perfect to last. In the opera, Tristan was escorting the Irish Princess Isolde to the court of her betrothed, his uncle King Marke. All Tristan had to do was to see that she got there safely. Of course it didn’t work out that way, and Isolde and Tristan drank a love potion and fell head over heels for each other. The rest, as they say, is history. But it’s Wagner’s music, first the Prelude that sets up the whole opera and then the “Love Death” music. Tristan is dying in Isolde’s arms; the two realize that their love can never be realized. It doesn’t get more passionate than this. Wagner uses a series of chords that heighten the tension – and the passion – and with each new iteration of the chords at a higher 36
pitch, the tension and passion increase. Every composer since has studied how Wagner emulated this perfect musical embodiment of human love. When Debussy composed Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, he had in mind a poem by his contemporary Stephane Mallarmé. Several years later, it was turned into a ballet that stirred controversy having little to do with the music. It sounds almost dreamy and serene, but under that surface lies a passion - a passion to move away from musical organization and strict rules of harmony. Instead, the piece seems to grow almost organically: obeying only its own rules. Debussy always charted his own course and never more so than in Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. Not only does the piece make its own rules, but those rules work as a template for the piece’s development. You first hear it in the absolutely iconic flute solo. In barely ten minutes of music, all the pent-up passion is expressed in this exquisite love letter from Debussy to his audiences for all time. In 1993, when the film The Piano was released, audiences didn’t
Program 3 • February 15-16, 2014
quite know what to make of it. Here was well known American actress Holly Hunter as a mute woman who communicated with the other characters entirely through her piano playing. Absurd as it seemed, this was the only mechanism Hunter’s character could use to communicate. What made the film fascinating was a score by British composer Michael Nyman. In the film, Hunter – an accomplished pianist – plays Nyman’s score of original piano pieces, adding a bit of realism to the film. The three way passion between her character, her husband and the free spirit of the farm manager, who eventually unlocks her silence, is palpable from the first frame. As viewers, we ask not is it going to explode, but when. And explode it does. Nyman’s score harkens back to romantic piano music of the 19th Century, but he cleverly imbues it with all the 20th Century tension boiling just below the surface. Australian director Jane Campion drew from her actors a combination of restraint and passion with all the force and energy of a powder keg on a short fuse. Michael Nyman’s score captures both tension and its release. The year is 1924 and all New York is drawn to a concert in Aeolian
Hall by Paul Whiteman’s Concert Band. It is a reflection of an ongoing discussion in the newspapers about “What is American Music?” All the ladies are attired in their finery, gentlemen in white tie and tails. Musical luminaries of the day like John Philip Sousa and Sergei Rachmaninoff are in the audience. Then, a young man steps on stage. He’s not yet 25 years old; his hair is already receding; he’s so thin that you’d almost not notice him, and he sits down at the keyboard. Whiteman raises his baton and the solo clarinetist begins an ascending wail with each rising note seamlessly blending into the one before it. Rhapsody in Blue has begun, and American music will never be the same. In those days, jazz was looked down upon in the way some people today view rap music and hip-hop. It wasn’t “proper” popular music; vulgar would have been a better term for it. Gershwin opened the door for many to the world of jazz. Sadly, Gershwin was felled by a brain tumor at the age of 38, but not before he had given the world some of its greatest popular songs, concert compositions, and the monumental opera, Porgy and Bess. Gershwin’s passion is found in every score he wrote, in every measure and in every note. 37
Maestro Kim Allen Kluge ASO Music Director Distinguished by his powerful conducting style and its dramatic impact, Maestro Kim Allen Kluge has been likened to the great poetic conductors of our time. The Washington Post hails: “Kluge’s sense of drama was evident...relentless pressure I associate with Arturo Toscanini.” The Alexandria Journal has lauded Mr. Kluge’s passionate style, commenting: “In its power, Kluge’s performance bore the hallmarks of the work of such mesmerizing conductors as Artur Nikisch and...Leonard Bernstein.” In 2012-2013, Maestro Kluge celebrated 25 years as Music Director of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra. During the season, Maestro Kluge led a historical performance at the National Gallery of Art in honor of the 100th anniversary of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring.” The Washington Post raved about this performance, noting: “Kluge is superb at high-voltage works like this — if you haven’t heard him conduct, you’re missing a great musical experience — and turned in a taut, visceral reading, perhaps the most exciting heard here in years.” 38
Maestro Kluge is a Valedictorian of Oberlin Conservatory of Music where he served as concertmaster of the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra and received the coveted Arthur Dann Award for Outstanding Pianist and the Pi Kappa Lamda Scholarship for Musical Excellence. Maestro Kluge pursued doctorates in Piano and Conducting from the University of Maryland and received a Conducting diploma from the Academia Musicale Chigiana in Siena. He participated in the prestigious Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Program where he studied with Seiji Ozawa, Roger Norrington and Sir Simon Rattle. In 2006, he garnered the Wammie Award
for Best Conductor given by the Washington Area Music Awards and he has appeared as guest conductor with the Sinfonietta de Paris, Les Solistes Parisiens, the Mannheim Chamber Orchestra, the Boston Pops Orchestra, and the Baltimore Lyric Opera. A passionate advocate for music and arts education, Maestro Kluge believes education should be integrated into every concert experience regardless of format or audience demographic. In 2003, Maestro Kluge founded the Children’s Arts Festival, as well as initiating Sunday matinee concerts. For Alexandria City Public School students, he has developed mentoring programs and side-by-side concerts – pairing aspiring young musicians with ASO professionals. This season, he will work closely with many of Alexandria’s music students through conducting instruction, master classes, workshops, and mentoring. Maestro Kluge is earning glowing acclaim as a composer. His recent commissions include Vocalise, a concerto written for and performed by Branford Marsalis; Haiku Suite, choreographed and performed by Bowen McCauley Dance at the Kennedy Center; score for silent film, A Christmas
Carol, commissioned by the National Gallery of Art; and Meibuki, a concerto written for the violinist Midori during the collaboration of her Orchestra Residencies Program with the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra in 2012. In collaboration with his wife, Maestro Kluge was commissioned by the National Gallery of Art to compose and perform chamber music to the silent films of Alice Guy-Blache in an historic retrospective, and he was commissioned by Virginia Bronze Handbell Ringers of Northern Virginia to write River Poem for orchestra, chorus, and bells, dedicated to the City of Alexandria. The husband and wife team continue to write scores for films in Hollywood and are in the process of composing an opera. Hear compositions by Maestro and Kathryn Vassar Kluge at www.kimallenkluge.com. Maestro Kluge’s creative work derives from his passion and conviction that people of different backgrounds can share the essence of their humanity through artistic expression. The common denominator in Kim Allen Kluge’s work is his desire to reach audiences in a visceral and thought-provoking manner, often through the juxtaposition of disparate styles or genres. 39
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To Change
March 29, 2014 at 8:00 pm March 30, 2014 at 3:00 pm Kim Allen Kluge, conductor Barry S. Hemphill, guest conductor Metropolitan Chorus of Arlington - Barry S. Hemphill, Director STEPHENSON
Fanfare for an Angel (2011)
JENKINS
The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace (1999) with Metropolitan Chorus
I. The Armed Man – L’Homme Arme II. Call to Prayers (Adhaan) III. Kyrie IV. Save Me from Bloody Men V. Sanctus VI. Hymn Before Action VII. Charge VIII. Angry Flames IX. Torches X. Agnus Dei XI. Now the guns have stopped XII. Benedictus XIII. Better is Peace
Program Notes James Stephenson (b. 1969)
Fanfare for an Angel (2011) In the fall of 2009, I had heard about a well-known trumpet teacher, Jeanne Pocius, doing a nation-wide lesson tour, and that she would be stopping in the Chicago area. Figuring it might be time to finally make a last-ditch effort to figure out exactly how to play the trumpet (once again, after a 2 year hiatus), I decided to get in touch with Jeanne to set up a lesson. Little did I know the event would have such a lasting significance. First, I’ll cut to the chase: no, I didn’t get any better at trumpet (through 41
Program 4 • March 29-30, 2014
no fault of her’s). The significance was on a much larger scale. I only spent an hour with her, as both of our schedules were tight, and then we parted ways. However, during that hour, I got to know someone on a different level than just trumpet playing. Jeanne is a special human being that cares deeply about people, and works tirelessly for the better of others. Such was the case when she was in Haiti on January 12, 2010, working with young musicians, teaching, and providing musical instruments to those otherwise not so fortunate. That Tuesday was also the day the massive and deadly earthquake struck the region. Jeanne was fortunate - she survived with “only” a broken arm and several deep bruises, having been the victim of a collapsed roof. Even with her injuries, she stayed in Haiti, working tirelessly to help others for days, with little or no food or shelter. She stayed there for 3 more months, dedicated to re-starting and re-organi zing her program in Haiti, before returning home to Boston - again just a short stay before returning once again to Haiti. Fellow trumpeters Mark Schwartz and Pat Shaner knew of Jeanne’s return to Boston on April 16th, and organized a surprise mass trumpet greeting for Jeanne right there at Logan airport. Wanting to help show support and respect for Jeanne, I asked if I could add a composed fanfare to the activities. And so with the help of Mark, Pat and Michael Anderson, and the many trumpeters who volunteered for the event, Fanfare for an Angel was born, dedicated to and inspired by Jeanne Pocius. Notes by composer James Stephenson, April 24, 2010 ©Stephenson Music, Inc. and the composer. Reprinted with permission. www.stephensonmusic.com
Karl Jenkins (b. 1944)
The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace (1999) Among the most performed works by a living composer today, The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace was written by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins. He studied music at the University of Wales, Cardiff, and the Royal Academy of Music, London, and received an honorary doctorate 42
Program 4 • March 29-30, 2014
from the University of Wales in 2006. In 2005, he was awarded the prestigious Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. Among his early awards as a jazz musician is a first prize from the Montreux jazz festival. Jenkins has composed extensively for advertising, and his classical credits include a harp concerto, a concertante, film scores, and other large and small works for various forces. His crossover group Adiemus has topped classical and pop charts around the world, gaining seventeen platinum or gold album awards. Commissioned by the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, England to commemorate the millennium, The Armed Man honors the passing of the 20th Century, “the most war-torn and destructive century in human history.” The Royal Armouries, the United Kingdom’s national collection of arms, armor, and artillery, promotes knife and gun crime prevention and raises awareness around resolving or avoiding conflict. Dedicated to the victims of the then-ongoing war in Kosovo, the Mass premiered on April 25, 2000, at Royal Albert Hall in London; the recording from its premiere was released on September 10, 2001, the day before the World Trade Center attacks. The Armed Man is a call for peace through exposure to the horrors of war. Jenkins combined a wide range of sacred and secular texts from around the world, all set within the framework of the Christian mass: sacred texts from the Bible, Koran and the Mahàbharata, a 6th century Hindu poem; secular texts by Malory, Dryden, Tennyson, Swift, Kipling, Togi Sankichi (a survivor of Hiroshima) and Guy Wilson, former Master of the Royal Armouries. In the words of Guy Wilson: The Mass begins with a marching army and the beat of military drums, the orchestra gradually building to the choir’s entrance, singing the 15th-century theme tune – The Armed Man. After the scene is set, the style and pace changes and we are prepared for reflection by first the Moslem Call to Prayer (Adhaan) and then the Kyrie, which pays homage to the past by quoting (in the Christe Eleison) from Palestrina’s setting of L’Homme Armé. Next, to a plainsong setting, we hear words from the Psalms asking for God’s help against our enemies. The Sanctus that 43
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follows is full of menace, and has a primeval, tribal character that adds to its power. The menace grows in the next movement as Kipling’s Hymn Before Action builds to its final devastating line “Lord grant us strength to die.” War is now inevitable. Charge opens with a seductive paean to martial glory, which is followed by the inevitable consequence – war in all its uncontrolled cacophony of destruction, then the eerie silence of the battlefield after the battle and, finally, the burial of the dead. Surely nothing can be worse than this? But think again. At the very centre of the work is Angry Flames, an excerpt from a poem about the horrors of the atom bomb attack on Hiroshima written by a poet who was there at the time and died in 1953 of leukemia brought on by exposure to radiation. But if we think that the obscenity of this mass destruction is new to our consciousness, we must reconsider as we listen, to the eerily similar passage from the ancient Indian epic The Mahàbharàta. From the horror of mass destruction the work turns to remember that one death is one too many, that each human life is sacred and unique. First the Agnus Dei, with its lyrical chorale theme, reminds us of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice and this is followed by an elegiac setting of some lines I wrote (to accompany one of the dramatic interpretations we use in the museum) about the feelings of loss and guilt that so many of the survivors of the First World War felt when they came home but their friends did not. Even the survivors can be hurt to destruction by war. The Benedictus heals those wounds in its slow and stately affirmation of faith and leads us to the final, positive, climax of the work. This begins back where we started in the 15th century with Lancelot and Guinevere’s declaration, born of bitter experience, that peace is better than war. The menace of the ‘Armed Man’ theme returns and vies for a time with Malory’s desire for peace. But time moves on and we come to our moment of commitment. Do we want the new millennium to be like the last? Or do we join with Tennyson when he tells us to “Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace?” It may seem an impossible dream, we may not have begun too well, but the Mass ends with the affirma44
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tion from Revelations that change is possible, that sorrow, pain and death can be overcome. Dona nobis pacem.
Program Commentary by Colleen Fay
If ever a title sounded like an implied contradiction, The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace certainly does. What was the composer thinking? And while we’re on the subject, who is this Karl Jenkins and why have I never heard of him? Well, back to the first question. The Armed Man is the title of an ancient folk song that was popular in many places in Europe in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. To the music historians, it’s a little better known by its French title, “L’Homme Armé.” The melody was so popular, in fact, that composers worked it into their compositions so that the audiences would hear something they recognized. The very first thing we hear is that very old folk song – at least six hundred years old – introducing a work that contains elements of the Catholic Mass as well as other texts advocating for peace. Karl Jenkins is steeped in both popular and classical music, and he has crafted a thoroughly modern work that is extremely melodic in nature. It comes with a noble pedigree. The Armed
Man harkens back to other great musical predecessors: Haydn’s great Mass in the Time of War, and even Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis. Each of these masterpieces were a composers’ plea for peace and understanding. Much closer to our own time is Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem, in which the composer interspersed elements of the Mass for the Dead with the poems of British poet Wilfrid Owen, who had died on the battlefield of World War I. Karl Jenkins has clearly learned from the masters without copying them. This is a perfect example of passionate music with a definite purpose in mind. Beautiful and touching though it is in so many places, it doesn’t let us off the hook. It places the responsibility squarely on our shoulders regardless of political persuasion, race, country or creed. If we want peace we all must work for it. It is not an airy dream, and it won’t happen by itself. The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace may inspire us, but we’ve got to be the ones to make peace happen. 45
Program 4 • March 29-30, 2014
Metropolitan Chorus of Arlington Established in 1966 and recognized in the U.S. Congressional Record, The Metropolitan Chorus makes its home in Arlington, Virginia. The Chorus provides Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia residents an opportunity to hear great choral works...and perform! Today, the 100-voice Chorus presents concerts featuring music of all ages, from the renaissance to the 21st century, with a strong emphasis on American composers. The Metropolitan Chorus regularly performs in venues throughout the D.C. area, including the Kennedy Center, Constitution Hall and the National Building Museum. They also join forces with other musical organizations for unique performances and to present several free concerts each year as a special service to the community.
Barry S. Hemphill, Director
Barry S. Hemphill has been the Artistic Director of The Metropolitan Chorus since 1977. A native New Yorker, Mr. Hemphill graduated from Manhattan School of Music in New York City where his specialties were conducting, theory, and voice. He is the son of Shelton “Scad” Hemphill who played first trumpet for Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong and Duke Ellington, among others, and he claims Billie Holliday as one of his babysitters. Mr. Hemphill has a wide variety of musical experience to his credit including conducting singing, composing and arranging for voice and instrumentation. He retired from the United States Army (U.S. Army Band & Chorus) in 1991, ending his career as Sergeant Major of the Chorus after nearly 23 years of service as baritone soloist and conductor. Upon retirement he was presented with the Legion of Merit -- awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. Mr. Hemphill has conducted the massively popular and annual Messiah sing at the Kennedy Center since 1994. This yearly Washington event attracts more than 3,000 amateur and professional singers worldwide. He also serves as an adjudicator and clinician throughout the United States. Since 1983, the First Presbyterian Church of Arlington has prospered under his direction, where a strong music program contributes to a growing congregation with significant community involvement.
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To Inspire
May 17, 2014 at 8:00 pm Kim Allen Kluge, conductor Anita Johnson, soprano Matthew Harding, trumpet MOLTER
Trumpet Concerto No. 1 in D Major
MOZART
“In quale… Mi tradi quell’alma ingrata” from Don Giovanni*
GOUNOD
“Air des bijoux” from Faust*
VERDI
“Ave Maria” from Otello*
BIZET
“Je dis, que rien ne m’épouvante” from Carmen*
Matthew Harding, trumpet
*Anita Johnson, soprano
INTERMISSION BEETHOVEN
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 I. Allegro con brio II. Andante con moto III. Scherzo – Allegro IV. Allegro
Program Notes Johann Melchior Molter (1696-1765) Trumpet Concerto No 1. In D Major Johann Melchior Molter was a German baroque composer and violinist. He was born near Eisenach, where he lived and was educated until the age of 21. He was appointed court Kapellmeister at Karlsruhe in 1772, and in 1734, Molter became Kapellmeister at the court of Duke Wilhelm Heinrich of Saxe-Eisenach. In 1747, he returned to Karlsruhe where he was employed by Margrave Carl Friedrich of Baden-Durlach, the son of his first employer. He died at Karlsruhe in 1765, one month prior to his 70th birthday. 49
Program 5 • May 17, 2014
After Molter’s return to Karlsruhe, he wrote three concertos for Carl Pfeiffer, the court trumpeter of the Margraves of Baden-Durlach. Trumpet Concerto No. 1 follows a typical Baroque call and response structure in the Allegro and Adagio processional movements, with the orchestra stating the theme, and the soloist responding with a shorter and more ornamented version of the theme. The closing Allegro offers a more united sound, with the trumpet emerging from the orchestral fabric for a few solo statements.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
“In quale… Mi tradi quell’alma ingrata” from Don Giovanni
In December 1786, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart presented his opera Le Nozze di Figaro in Prague to such success that he was immediately commissioned to write a new opera for the city based on the story of Don Juan. Beginning his project in the summer of 1787, Mozart and his librettist Lorenzo da Ponte drew extensively from Giovanni Bertati’s one-act libretto Don Giovanni, which premiered earlier that year, as well as Molière’s Don Juan, which first introduce the character of Donna Elvira. After a furious five-month writing process, Don Giovanni premiered to glowing reviews in October 1787. The production moved to Vienna in 1788, for which Mozart composed an “In quale… Mi tradi quell’alma ingrata,” written for the original Donna Elvira, Caterina Cavalieri, upon her demand for a piece that would showcase the full scope of her voice. Donna Elvira is described as “a lady from Burgos abandoned by Don Giovanni.” In Act I, heartbroken Elvira mourns the loss of Don Giovanni’s affection and vows to seek vengeance, thwarting the Don’s attempts at seducing other women throughout the act. At the opening of Act II, the Don sings a song of repentance and love to Donna Elvira as Leporello, his servant, impersonates the Don. Donna Elvira, admitting that she still holds feelings for the Don, mistakenly follows Leporello into the night. When Leporello removes his costume, Donna Elvira realizes the extent of the Don’s betrayal, and she sings “In quale… Mi tradi quell’alma ingrata,” or “that ungrateful wretch which betrayed me.”
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Program 5 • May 17, 2014
Charles Francois Gounod (1818-1893)
“Air des bijoux” from Faust
Faust is an opera in five acts by Charles Gounod with a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré. It debuted at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris in March 1859. The Paris Opera originally rejected Faust, on the grounds that it was not sufficiently showy. After its negative reception, revisions to the text occurred, including replacement of spoken text with recitative. Over the next three years, Faust toured through Germany, Belgium, Italy and England. The revised version of Faust was revived in Paris in 1862, and was a hit. In 1869, a ballet was inserted and this new version became the most frequently performed opera at the Paris Opera – it received its 2000th performance in 1937 – as well as a staple of the international repertory. “Air des bijoux,” or “Jewel Song,” is the show stopping coloratura aria performed by the character Marguerite in Act III. At the opening of the opera, Faust makes a literal deal with the devil, trading his soul to Méphistophélès for the fulfillment of his sensual desires. During the opera, the young villager Siébel courts Marguerite; however, Méphistophélès intervenes, leaving her a box of jewels from Faust next to flowers from Siébel. Marguerite is captivated by the jewels and sings “Air des bijoux” as a response to discovering and trying on the beautiful gift from her admirer, Faust.
Giuseppi Verdi (1813-1901)
“Ave Maria” from Otello Giuseppi Verdi’s Otello premiered in Milan in February 1887. This was the first opera composed by Verdi in almost sixteen years – Aida premiered in December 1871. Many believed Verdi had given up composing, and the enthusiasm at the opening of Otello was largely due to the long delay between works. The premiere at la Scala was one of the most reported events in Italian musical history, with critics from every European nation in attendance. While Verdi wrote additional pieces for the European tour of Otello, including a ballet score for the 1894 Paris Opera debut, the revisions were never incorporated into the Italian version and are rarely heard today. An opera in four acts, Otello left Verdi and his librettist Arrigo Boito 51
Program 5 • May 17, 2014
with the significant task of cutting a Shakespearian work of almost 3,500 words down to libretto of only 800. As a result, all the original scenes from Venice were removed, and the opera contains only one change of scene. “Ave Maria” is performed by the main female character Desdemona during the closing act of the opera. Desdemona, the beautiful and innocent wife of Otello, is pulled into the center of a sinister plan hatched by Iago, Otello’s ensign. As tensions mount due to Iago’s assertion of Desdemona’s infidelity, Otello’s anger cannot be contained. Act III ends with Otello’s proclamation that Desdemona will die that night due to her purported adultery, and as Act IV opens, Desdemona grieves the rejection of her husband in her bedchamber. She kneels and offers a prayer, “Ave Maria,” sensing it could be her final prayer.
Georges Bizet (1838-1875)
“Je dis, que rien ne m’épouvante” from Carmen Carmen premiered in March 1875, exactly three months before the death of composer George Bizet. A four-act opera written in the style of opéra-comique, in which musical numbers are separated by dialogue, the low-brow themes and violent ending of Carmen shocked the opening night audience at the Opéra-Comique who were used to more family-friendly fare. The true success of Carmen grew from a production in Vienna in October 1875, for which Ernest Guiraud adapted the dialogue into recitative. The international tour of Carmen inspired composers such as Brahms and Wagner, while Richard Strauss wrote: “if you want to learn how to orchestrate, don’t study Wagner’s scores, study the score of Carmen…Every note and every rest is in its proper place.” “Je dis, que rien ne m’épouvante” is performed by the character Micaëla, a peasant girl. In the opening act of Carmen, Micaëla delivers a letter to Don José from his mother. In the letter, Don José’s mother encourages him to return to their village and marry Micaëla. As he contemplates fulfilling his mother’s wishes, he encounters Carmen. Immediately taken with Carmen, Don José’s infatuation for her grows unhealthily throughout the opera. By Act III, Don José has deserted his military post for Carmen. As he despairs over his broken promise to his mother, 52
Program 5 • May 17, 2014
Micaëla appears and sings “Je dis, que rien ne m’épouvante,” a prayer for strength as she searches for Don José and attempts to return him to his dying mother.
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Symphony No. 5 in C minor
Ludwig van Beethoven began writing his Symphony No. 5 in 1804, completing the score during the spring of 1808. Beethoven conducted the first performance of the piece on December 22, 1808 at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna. By all accounts, the premiere was not a successful performance, with overtaxed musicians struggling through a monumental performance including the premiere of Beethoven’s Fifth and Sixth symphonies as well as performances of the aria “Ah, perfido,” the Gloria movement from the Mass in C Major, the Fourth Piano Concerto, the Fifth Symphony, the Sanctus and Benedictus movements of the Mass in C Major, and the Choral Fantasy. The time of the creation of the Fifth Symphony was one of intense activity for Beethoven. The four years during which the work was composed also saw the completion of many other works: Piano Sonatas, Op. 53, 54 and 57; Fourth Piano Concerto; Fourth and Sixth Symphonies; Violin Concerto; the first two versions of Fidelio; Rasumovsky Quartets, Op. 59; Coriolan Overture; Mass in C major, Op. 86; and Cello Sonata No. 3, Op. 69. In the fall of 1801, at age 30, Beethoven revealed the secret of his increasing hearing loss. In a letter from that time, Beethoven stated that he would “seize Fate by the throat; it shall not bend or crush me completely.” The Fifth Symphony presents a full-scale story about this struggle with “Fate”, from the famous C minor opening to the glorious C-major ending approximately 40 minutes later. As noted by Hector Berlioz, the Fifth Symphony, “emanates directly and solely from the genius of Beethoven. It is his own intimate thought that is developed; and his secret sorrows, his pent-up rage, his dreams so full of melancholy oppression, his nocturnal visions and his bursts of enthusiasm furnish its entire subject, while the melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, and orchestral forms are there delineated with essential novelty and individuality, endowing them also with considerable power and nobility.” 53
Program 5 • May 17, 2014
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is the preeminent example of the technique and content of the symphonic form. The overall structure is a carefully devised whole in which each of the movements carries the work toward its conclusion. The progression from minor to major – from conflict to resolution – is the true meaning of this Symphony. The triumphant and heroic nature of the final movement as the result of all that preceded it established a model for the symphonies of the Romantic Era. In addition, the psychological progression toward the finale is one of the most important legacies Beethoven left to his successors. The symphonies of Schumann, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Mahler find their roots in the Fifth Symphony, including the concepts of structure and engagement of the audience.
Program Commentary by Colleen Fay
In Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni, we learn that Don Juan was really awful to women. Donna Elvira lays it all out for us in her aria “In quale... Mi tradi quell’alma ingrata,” which is one part soliloquy and one part legal argument. She tells us what a bum that Don Giovanni is and, at the same time, that if he could ever get his act together and stop chasing every woman he sees, she might...she just might forgive him. It’s complicated. That’s the way human passions are: complicated. They run hot; they run cold. How could I have ever fallen for such a jerk? But when he looks at me that way, I just turn to jelly. If Donna Elvira were just to say those words, they would have a certain force, but when she sings them, she turns up 54
the temperature ten-fold. This is a woman you don’t want to get on the wrong side of, no matter how adorable you might think you are. In Charles Gounod’s opera Faust, the power of the music persuades the character. Marguerite, the object of Faust’s affection has a choice between the flowers left by Siébel, a young love-sick suitor, and a box of beautiful jewels which Méphistophélès as obtained as a gift for Faust to give Marguerite. Well, it’s no contest, and in the famous Jewel Song, or “Air des Bijoux,” Marguerite admires how the jewels flatter her beauty. It’s a case where the statements alone wouldn’t be persuasive, but the music carries the day; all the underlying strong feelings Marguerite has for Faust
Program 5 • May 17, 2014
he wrote his Fifth Symphony. Musical theorists from that time to the present have said, “But you can’t do that. It couldn’t possibly work.” Oh, but it does. Those four Verdi loved the works of famous notes dit-dit-dit-dah, we Shakespeare. His second wife all know them. Whether the name Giuseppina Strepponi, who had Beethoven means anything to been a renowned soprano in us or not, we know those notes. her younger years, nurtured her How on earth did Beethoven husband’s love for Shakespeare, manage to build an entire moveby reading the plays to him in ment on four notes, and the first English. While Verdi himself three of them on the same pitch? never mastered the language, his I don’t think there is a composer wife did and together they forged who could have done it besides a deep understanding and appreBeethoven. If there is a secret to ciation for the Bard’s greatest Beethoven’s talent, it must lie in characters. In Otello, Verdi adds a his amazing ability to develop, prayer for her that doesn’t appear expand, contract and manipuin the original play, but totally late musical elements so that expresses her anguish and resigthey accomplish two things. The nation that she has been unable first is that they take the piece to persuade Otello that she has further in a new direction that been faithful to him. With what the composer has charted and she knows will be nearly her last second they retain enough of their breath, Desdemona prays an Ave initial integrity that the listener Maria that would melt even a can recognize them for what they heart of stone. The genius of Verdi are: “children,” as it were, of that is that he begins and ends the original theme. It’s a maddening prayer in utter simplicity. The final skill because on its surface it notes of the violins feather out seems so sweetly logical, that is, as if they were carrying Desdeuntil you try to do it yourself. mona’s prayer to heaven. This is Few composers who followed the essence of passion of another Beethoven ever attempted it, and sort: interior and contemplative, I’m not aware of any who pulled equally strong, all but invisible. it off. But it reaches its zenith, its apotheosis, at least for me it does, Beethoven took the musical rule book and tore it in two. And then in that first movement of the Fifth are transferred to these beautiful objects through song. True, it’s the Devil’s work, but oh, so persuasive.
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Program 5 • May 17, 2014
Symphony. The key that makes it work, I believe, is in a document Beethoven had written shortly before composing the symphony. He wrote it while visiting the little Austrian village of Heiligenstadt, just outside of Vienna, it was in the form of a letter to his brothers Carl and Johann, but it was never mailed, and Beethoven kept it hidden among his possessions for the rest of his life. Overcoming his
despair at the deafness that had overwhelmed him, Beethoven wrote that he resolved to break with the past and compose a newer, bolder kind of music. This music would be filled with all the love he felt for mankind and the desire for freedom from tyranny. This was Beethoven’s passion and would imbue the Fifth Symphony, and everything else he wrote, for the rest of his life.
Anita Johnson, soprano Anita Johnson has more than twenty years of experience as a professional performing artist and music educator. She has had the distinct pleasure of performing at the White House for President and Mrs. Obama during a ceremony honoring Stevie Wonder with the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize and performing with Stevie Wonder at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. In addition, Ms. Johnson has performed with Luciano Pavarotti, Renee Fleming, Roberto Alagna, Barbara Bonney, and other operatic stars in productions at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, and several opera companies and symphonies across the United States, Germany, and Italy. Ms. Johnson has educated audiences about American music history through her one-woman shows entitled the Black Roots of Song, and ABC’S: American Black Composers’ Contributions to
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Our Musical Heritage©. She also created, directed, produced, and performed in a concert event of spirituals called He’s Got the Whole World in His Hand, and she enjoys visiting
Program 5 • May 17, 2014
universities and colleges as a visiting guest artist giving recitals and master classes. Ms. Johnson holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from the University of Southern California, a Master of Music in Voice Performance, and K-12 Music Certification from the University of Michigan
in Ann Arbor. She is a graduate of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. Currently she sings the title role on New World Records’ 2011 historic recording of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra.
Matthew Harding, trumpet Matthew Harding began his musical instruction at age 9. A 1992 graduate of Dartmouth High School in Dartmouth, MA, he earned his bachelor’s degree in music and a performers certificate from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. Matthew has completed one year of master’s-level study at Rice University in Houston, TX. He has studied with John Martin, Charles Geyer, and Armando Ghitalla. In 1998, Mr. Harding was offered a position with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band and was appointed the band’s solo cornetist in January 2000. In addition to his duties with “The President’s Own” Matthew is a member of the Washington Symphonic
Brass, the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, and the Concert Artist of Baltimore. He also performs as a substitute musician with the National Symphony Orchestra, Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” Mr. Harding spent a year with the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, FL, toured Japan with the Eastman Wind Ensemble, and performed at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, Chautauqua Music Center in New York, and Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. He also was a fellow for two summers at the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, MA.
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Claudia Chudacoff, ASO Concertmaster In addition to serving as concertmaster of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, the National Gallery of Art Orchestra, and the United States Marine Band White House Chamber Orchestra, violinist Claudia Chudacoff appears frequently as a soloist and chamber musician in the Washington and Baltimore areas. A member of both the Sunrise Quartet and the National Gallery of Art String Quartet, Ms. Chudacoff has also performed with the Contemporary Music Forum and National Musical Arts as well as in the Embassy Series and at the United States Holocaust National Museum. She is featured on a CD of chamber music by Erich Ko-
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rngold released by Albany Records, and she has been heard a number of times on American Public Media’s Performance Today.
Marilyn Cooley, Pre-Concert Chats Marilyn Cooley has been surrounded by great music all of her life. She grew up in a household where classical music was a part of every day, in recordings, on the radio, and in performance at home. "When I was growing up, my parents were much involved in classical music," says Cooley. "They were both pianists, and Dad also played the organ at church. So I was exposed to classical music at a very young age. Beyond the family, my main source of classical music was WGUC, the local public radio station in Cincinnati. The station introduced me to the breadth of classical music." Inspired by appearances at state competitions with her high school choir, Cooley chose to study music throughout her academic career. Following her undergraduate degree in music, she earned her Master of Music degree at Northwestern University, where she performed as chorister and soloist with the University Collegium Musicum, and specialized in music of the Renaissance and early Baroque. After serving as music announcer at WGUC in Cincinnati, and later as announcer and music director at Baltimore station WBJC, Cooley came to WETA in 1985 as the late night music announcer. She is now heard each weekday from 10:00am to 2:00pm on Classical WETA 90.9 FM.
About working in radio, she says, "It's fun for me to find something about the performers or the music that invites a conversation. Listeners sometimes come to think of radio personalities as their friends, and the radio station comes to feel like home. I enjoy that relationship, and the opportunity to bring to listeners the music that we all love."
A former animal care volunteer at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington and the primate and panda unit at the National Zoo, Cooley is a certified Healing Touch for Animals速 practitioner and owner of Nova Holistic Animal Care.
Marilyn Cooley leads a free pre-concert chat an hour before each ASO concert. The discussion is open to all ticket holders. Join the conversation by emailing your questions to askmarilyn@alexsym.org.
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Colleen Fay, Program Commentary Ms. Fay was the Head of the former Performing Arts Library at the Kennedy Center, a joint project with the Library of Congress. As Director of the library from 1978 to 1992, Ms. Fay fashioned it into an incomparable resource for information in the performing arts, film and broadcasting. Prior to her tenure at the Kennedy Center, she was a music librarian at the Library of Congress. Since 1986 she has been the music critic on Public Television’s arts panel program, “Around Town,” WETA-TV’s Emmy award-winning weekly television show devoted to the performing arts, visual arts, and motion pictures. Ms. Fay is also the Arts Editor and Contributing Editor to WAMU FM’s “Metro Connection,” a weekly radio program covering events in the Washington, D.C. area. Ms. Fay writes regularly for the Washington Opera Magazine, Washington Review and WETA Magazine. She has lectured regularly for the Washington Bach Consort since 1993 and gave a series of lectures for that organization in Germany in July, 2000. She has lectured on the music of Bach, Monteverdi and Mendelssohn, and on the subject of criticism itself at Mount Vernon College, the Folger Library, George Mason University, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the National Cathedral and the Kennedy Center.
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Ms. Fay is a former member of the Board of Directors of the American Composer Forum. She is also the Past-President of the Washington Area Performing Arts Video Archive. She is a current or former member of the Boards of several arts organizations in the Washington area. As a singer, Ms. Fay has appeared with the Washington Opera, the Wolf Trap Opera, and Summer Opera Theatre. Ms. Fay is also a composer whose works have been performed in churches and synagogues and on national television; her most recent work has been published by Augsburg-Fortress Press of Minneapolis. A recording of Ms. Fay’s compositions is supported by a grant from the D. C. Commission on Arts and Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Shaw & Sullivan, P.C and The Advisory Board Program® have been serving the Alexandria community for many years. We appreciate all the trust and confidence our clients have placed in us over those years. We would like to thank them for all our success. Services: • Tax Planning and Preparation • Financial Statements • Advisory and Business Structuring • Mergers and Acquisitions Dean C. Shaw, CPA 1221 Cameron Street Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 548-2776 www.shawcpa.com
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Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center We are pleased to share this performance with you and hope that the following information will be enhance your concert experience: • Complimentary concert parking is provided by the ASO in the Beauregard Street Garage, located across Campus Lane from the Schlesinger Center. We highly encourage all our patrons to park in this location, as parking is restricted on campus. • Our Will Call pickup and On-Site Box Office sales begin one and a half hours prior to the start of each performance the Lobby of the Schlesinger Center. • Restrooms and drinking fountains are available to the right of the Lobby on the first floor, and to the right of the Seminar Room on the second floor. • An elevator is available for your convenience and can be located around the corner from the restrooms. • Concessions are sold in the Lobby before the concert and during intermission – choose from a variety of wines, sodas, snacks and bottled water.
Schlesinger Center Seating Map SECOND FLOOR: Balcony (overhangs the Terrace)
GROUND FLOOR: Terrace (beneath the balcony) Upper Box Seats Box Seats (Main Floor)
Orchestra Right
Orchestra Center
STAGE
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Orchestra Left
Upper Box Seats Box Seats (Main Floor)
Education Programs Two important parts of the mission of the ASO are to foster a life-long appreciate of symphonic music and to strengthen arts education. Through masterclasses and workshops in local schools, performances in which students play side-by-side with ASO musicians, and the celebrated Children’s Arts Festival, Maestro Kluge and the ASO continue to inspire students of all ages!
TC Williams High School student with guest violinist Elizabeth Pitcairn
Arlington and Alexandria-area students on stage with ASO musicians
Maestro Kluge leads a masterclass with the TC Williams High School orchestra
Trying out the cello at the Children’s Arts Festival
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You’ve seen us on beach balls, on fans, on sunglasses. Proud suPPorter of the
Alexandria symphony orchestra.
When we’re not handing out useful supplies at ASO concerts, we specialize in: Print Communications Marketing Support Fulfillment & Distribution
703.751.3611 globalprinting.com
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Alexandria Birthday Celebration Concert 2013 On July 13, 2013, the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra performed a free pops concert at Oronoco Bay Park as part of the City of Alexandria’s annual Birthday Celebration. This concert was made possible by the ASO’s many generous supporters, including: Midge and Marlyn Aycock Amoret Bell Bunn Edward Caress Nancy Davenport Daniel and Mary Taylor Dosé Jeffrey Gathers John and Ann Glennon Teresa Guzman and Antonio Cafoncelli Mr. and Mrs. Donald M. Cohen James Hauhart Barbara and Stephen Hayes Pauline and Robert Hurd Margaret Jackisch Rev. Richard J. Jones Tamara Jovovic Edgar P. and Rosemary Kley Ruth Kupperschlag Karen Leider Suzanne and Dan MacDougall
Harriett McCune Robert and Vivian Miller Patrick and Marjorie Mulloy Marybeth Peters Herbert H. and Barbara Quarmby Nina Sebastian Alex and Ivy Sinaiko Eugene Steuerle Jack Sulser Alice Swalm Converse West Dorothy Wheeler Roger and Susan Willis Linda W. Windsor
Special thanks to Global Printing, Inc., corporate sponsor of the 2013 Alexandria Birthday Celebration 65
Concerto Foundation
Ensuring the long-term stability of the ASO The Alexandria Symphony Concerto Foundation was established in 2005 to create an endowment fund providing long-term financial support to the ASO. The Foundation’s goal is to build a significant capital fund, with the income from that fund providing annual income to the Symphony. The Foundation is a “supporting organization” under section 509(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and gifts made to the Foundation are tax deductible as charitable donations. As of the end of the first quarter of 2013, the fund had approximately $340,000 in assets. The following individuals contributed gifts of $5,000 or more to meet the $100,000 Challenge sponsored by Frank and Betty Quirk, which was completed in May 2007: Anonymous
Ruth Kotler
C. Maxine Baustian
Eva and Frank Manning
Suzanne S. Brock
Mary Ann and David Millard
Miriam and David Browning
Reae and Thomas Sargeant
Penny and Tim Bryan
Molly and Jim Singerling
Linda and Elliott Bunce
Ann and Roy Snyder
Agnes and Jack Dover Gerhard and Diana Dreo
Symphony Orchestra League of Alexandria (SOLA)
Loti and Stewart Dunn
Judy and Forrest Williams
Julie and Edward Dyson
Stuart and Robert Wineland
Anne and Caswell Hobbs
Susan and Allan Winn
A donation or bequest to the Alexandria Symphony Concerto Foundation will go toward insuring long-term support of the ASO. Gifts can be a specific dollar amount, a specific piece of property, a percentage of an estate, or all or part of residue of an estate. You can also name the Foundation as a contingent beneficiary if someone named in your will is no longer living. For more information on the Concerto Foundation or making a bequest, please contact Jessica Wisser, ASO Executive Director, at 703-548-0885.
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Symphony Orchestra League of Alexandria The Symphony Orchestra League of Alexandria (SOLA) is comprised of a dedicated group of volunteers who serve as a major source of financial support for the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra (ASO). The members of SOLA are integral to the success of the ASO by hosting a number of fundraising events throughout the year. Highlights of the upcoming season include “SOLA Uncorked�, a lovely wine, cheese, and chocolate tasting which will take place on October 23rd, and the Annual Symphony Ball and Auction to be held on March 8, 2014 at the Alexandria Westin. If you are not a member of SOLA, we would like to invite you to join us. In addition to our fundraising efforts, SOLA hosts a number of enjoyable social activities throughout the year, including General Meetings, a Holiday Party, and the annual Spring Luncheon at Belle Haven Country Club. In March 2013, SOLA and ASO will co-sponsor the 38th annual Mary Graham Lasley Scholarship Competition for college-level music students. If you would like more information about joining SOLA, please contact one of us. We welcome new members who wish to contribute toward the ongoing achievements of the ASO! Amy Furr SOLA Co-President whitenton.amy@gmail.com (703) 256-4868
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Margherita Woods SOLA Co-President marg.woods@cox.net (703) 960-7994
Symphony Orchestra League of Alexandria (SOLA) 2013-2014 Membership
Kate Armstrong Barbara Bankert Leef Smith and Paul Barnes Regina Begliutti Melvin Bergheim Shirley and Charles Bisselle Donna Blackburn Bertha and Joseph Braddock Suzanne Brock Miriam and David Browning Marcia and James Buchanan Hilda Burcher Ronal Butler Jan Campbell Jane Hughes Carlson Carolyn Carmack Susan Knighton and David Cavanaugh William and Teddye Clayton Harlene and William Clayton Donna Cramer Betty Cranwell Carola Czernik Mollie Danforth Rebecca Davies Tom Downs Malia DuMont Patricia and Gerard Engh Mary Ellen Feeney Amrita Frederick Muriel Freeman Yolanda and Lawrence Frommer Rosa Fullerton Amy and William Furr Rosann Garber
Patricia Gill Barbara Glover Sue and Martin Goodhart Lynn Donnelly Gorton Anna Graham Gila Harris Marjorie Harris Joan Higginbotham Ann and Michael Hobbs Margaret Hodges Joan and John Holden Jennifer Holt Pauline and Robert Hurd Monette Imlay Michael Ippolito and Elaine Macchio Erwin Jacobs Jon and Ann Corson Jaeger Barbara and Ted Jonas Shine Kang Ann Kavaljian Kim and Kathryn Kluge Jacque and Edward Knight Adron Krekeler and Rebecca Mahood Ruth Kupperschlag Pat Laane Ward Lasley Vola Therrell Lawson Karen Leider Mary Frances Lewis Doris Lindsey Jean Lindsey Isin Ludlow Marie Malone Eva Manning Rebecca Mathis Harriett McCune Cassie and Shawn McLaughlin Susan Montague Melinda Mount
Diane Murphy June and Bruce Nagler Margaret and William O’Grady Katharine Patterson Annmarie Pittman Tanya and Jack Pitzer Fran and Gant Redmon Helen and Richard Reid Jane and Carlyle Ring Audrey and Robert Routier Nancy Flaherty Rowe Jo-Ann and Robert Royer Anna Russi Ilona Savage Sara and Frederick Schieck Patricia Schmid Gladys Seisler Phyllis Sintay Ann and Roy Snyder Ann Spitler Emma-Jo and Robert Staton Linda Hill and Paul Steinmetz Susan and Paul Sticha Jennifer van Goethem Frances and James Vaughan Joan Vogel Sharon and Kenneth Walker Lisa Waller Trudie Williams Eleanor Wilson Cecily and Stephen Winchell Stuart Wineland Margaret Wohler Ruth Sing Wong Margherita Woods Susan Yonts-Shepard
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Emerging Artist Programs Kluge Young Composers
Competition
2014
The 2014 Kluge Young Composers Competiton (KYCC) celebrates the talent of orchestral composers age 18 and under who reside in Virginia. The winner receives a cash prize, and the winning composition receives its premiere with the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra.
The KYCC was established by the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra League of Alexandria in recognition of Maestro Kim Allen Kluge’s 25th anniversary as Music Director of the ASO. With this initiative, we proudly acknowledge Maestro Kluge’s outstanding accomplishments as a composer and his interest in community outreach, specifically the development of emerging musical talent. The deadline to enter the 2014 KYCC is December 20, 2013. For more information, visit www.alexsym.org/kycc or email kycc@alexsym.org.
Mary Graham Lasley Scholarship Competition Now in its 38th year, the Mary Graham Lasley Scholarship Competition, co-sponsored by the Symphony Orchestra League of Alexandria and the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, encourages college-level musicians to pursue classical music careers. Previous winners of this competition have performed with the ASO and international orchestras, and they have also pursued professional teaching and concert careers. The 2014 competition will take place March 23, 2014, on the Alexandria campus of the Northern Virginia Community College. An awards ceremony and reception will follow the competition. Visit www.alexsym.org for more information.
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Proud to Support the Mission of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra in their 70th Year of Service to Our Community Like great buildings, great companies stand on a strong foundation
Commercial Brokerage Property Management Real Estate Development Construction
P.O. Box 430 • Alexandria, Virginia 22313 • (703) 299-0029 • www.simpsondev.com
Become a corporate sponsor From restricted gifts to support ASO guest artists to program grants or gifts to underwrite the educational and outreach work of the Symphony, sponsors ensure that the Symphony reaches increased audiences year after year. Sponsorship packages are tailored to fit your specific needs. Examples of sponsorship benefits can include: • Recognition on signs in the concert hall lobby • Sponsored emails to ASO ticket buyers • Logo placement on the ASO website • Concert tickets • Customized private events Contact at Jessica Wisser 703-548-0885 or wisser@alexsym.org to request start creating your sponsorship package or to learn more. 73
David G. Speck, Managing Director-Investments Tristan M. Caudron, Managing Director-Investments Laurie J. Blackburn, Vice President-Investments Our nationally recognized team has more than 150 years of combined investment experience serving individuals, companies, and nonprofit organizations with investments, planning and portfolio management.
www.speckcaudron.com Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
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Member SIPC
2012-2013 ASO Supporters
(includes 2012-2013 contributions as of June 30, 2013) Foundations, Government, and Corporate Supporters Alexandria Commission for the Arts Theodore H. Barth Foundation, Inc. Concerto Foundation Connection Newspapers National Endowment for the Arts Global Printing, Inc. Harry Braswell, Inc. Mary and Daniel Loughran Foundation, Inc. Rotary Club of Alexandria Simpson Properties, LLC Symphony Orchestra League of Alexandria (SOLA) The Robert Alves Family Foundation Virginia Commission for the Arts Conductor’s Baton Circle (over $20,000) Suzanne S. Brock Conductor Circle ($10,000-$19,999) The Hon. & Mrs. John Warner Platinum Circle ($5,000-$9,999) Mr. & Mrs. Stewart Dunn Ronal Butler & Martha Lloyd Charles F. Holden Dr. & Mrs. William P. O’Grady Golden Circle ($2,500-$4,999) Mr. & Mrs. Stewart Bartley Anne B. Rector & Tim Allen Mr. & Mrs. Elliott Bunce Edward & Christine Lisa Brock & Craig S. Miller, Jr. Corcoran Stark Dr. & Mrs. J. Bernard Murphy Linda W. Windsor Donnan C. Wintermute 75
Patrons Circle ($1,000-$2,499) Amy & Larry Alberson Tom Bradley Ann D. Corson & B. Jon Jaeger Mollie Danforth & Steve Colangelo Gordon Jack & Agnes Dover CDR Tom R. Downs, USN (Ret.) Mr. & Mrs. Fred S. Dunning, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence J. Frommer Amy & William Furr Virginia Geoffrey & John Andelin Mr. & Mrs. Caswell O. Hobbs Margaret Hodges Mr. & Mrs. Frank Quirk Liz & Mike Seccuro Jim & Molly Singerling Mr. & Mrs. Allen Smith Catherine & Tim Thompson Mr. & Mrs. Forrest Williams Dr. & Mrs. Robert Wineland
Donors ($500-$999) Mr. Melvin L. Bergheim Miriam & David Browning Amoret Bell Bunn Mr. & Mrs. Hugh Campbell Nicholas F. & Victoria A. Coward Paul & Joanne Domson Diana & Gerry Dreo Mr. & Mrs. Edward Dyson Teresa Guzman & Antonio Cafoncelli Michael Ippolito & Elaine Macchio Mr. Phillip John COL & Mrs. Freeman Jones Margaret Kenna Janet King Jon & Lee Klousia Ruth Kupperschlag Ms. Karen Leider Chris & Maura Lindsay Mr. Roye Lowry Alan & Laura Paez Katherine Patterson Laura Peebles & Ellen Fingerman Mr. and Mrs. Gant Redmon Jennifer & James Rooney
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Nancy & Greg Saunders Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Sharp Fay Slotnick RADM and Mrs. Roy D. Snyder Currie Smith & Bruce Batten Marcia & David Speck Ms. Maureen Sullivan Katie & Hack Wiegmann Corinne Winburn
Sustainers ($100-$499) Patrick & Kim Anderson Leslie Ariail Mrs. Dewitt Armstrong, III Charles & Susan Ballou Margaret Batko Deborah Best Joan Bondareff Mr. David W. Briggs Raymond & Quincy Butler Gary & Mary Ashton Campbell Paul & Amelia Carew Carolyn Carmack Mrs. Evalyn Carter Samuel H. & Ashley E. Chamberlain Elise & Jay Darden Nancy Davenport Dr. & Mrs. John B. Davies Stanley & Thelma Deutch Daniel & Mary Taylor DosĂŠ Malia Du Mont Yvonne Duvall Marguerite Eastwood Mr. & Mrs. Samuel M. Ellsworth John P. & Courtney S. Elwood James Fleming & Sheila M. Onsrud Michael Fogarty Mrs. Maureen M. Franks Stevie & Gardner Gillespie Mr. & Mrs. Marion Goodyear Wiley & Caryl S. Grant Ana Green Joseph & Ann Guiffre Mr. Alvin Gustin Sally Guy & Thomas Brown Barbara & Stephen Hayes
Mrs. Marjorie A. Harris Mr. & Mrs. James Hauhart Celeste Heather Paul & Betty Heilig Jill & Phillip Herrington Richard & Kathleen Hobson Capt. & Mrs. Robert C. Hurd, USN (Ret.) Lindalyn L. Hutter Margo Jackisch Dr. Erwin Jacobs Elizabeth Johnson Rev. Richard J. Jones Tamara Jovovic Richard & Melissa Keiser Mr. & Mrs. Mark J. Kington Edward P. & Rosemary Kley Mr. & Mrs. Edward Knight Ellen Labelle Mr. & Mrs. David Lacey Mrs. Diane L. Lacy Mr. & Mrs. Phillip E. Lantz Robert Larke Mr. & Mrs. Thomas M. Lawler William & Elizabeth Livingston Mandy Locke & David Kiernan Kay H. Logan W. Pless & Mary P. Lunger Winnie MacFarlan Marion MacRae Eleanor & Bill Maguire Peter Seka & Jennifer Maloney Mr. & Mrs. John M. Maloney Ms. Marion Mangus Mary Carol Mason Mary McAuliffe Harriett McCune Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Meyer Mr. & Mrs. Bowman H. Miller Robert H. & Vivian E. Miller Temple Moore Chuck & Linda O’Connor Rowland & Verona Oliver Judy Parker Algis & Mary Penkiunas John Perkinson Marybeth Peters
Mr. Paul Phillips Geraldine Prefontaine Mr. & Mrs. Herbert H. Quarmby William & Candace Reeder Susan Montague-Reese Nicholas & Elizabeth Reynolds Mr. & Mrs. Carlyle C. Ring, Jr. Michaela Robinson Cheryl Satterthwaite Elizabeth S. Schepps Robert Schurr Robert & Barbara Seraphin Geoff & Melissa Sigler Alex & Ivy Sinaiko Tracey Somers Eugene C. Steuerle Jack Sulser & Sally Ann Green Alice L. Swalm Rachel Talay Elizabeth & Bradley Todd Mr. & Mrs. Richard Toye Mr. & Mrs. James W. Vaughan, Jr. Converse West Mrs. Dorothy Wheeler Mr. Rance Willis Mr. & Mrs. Roger Willis John & Pat Wilson Ruth Sing Wong Margherita Woods Madeleine Wyss Barbara Yentzer
Certified Public Accountants: Serving the accounting, tax and auditing needs of the Alexandria community for over 30 years.
703.642.2700 • www.kwccpa.com 5270 Shawnee Road, Suite 250 • Alexandria, VA
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Website Design & Development
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McGladrey proudly supports the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra. For information on our services, please contact Teresa Guzman at 703.336.6400.
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Program Book Order Welcome from the Music Director................................................5 Sponsors of the ASO 2013-2014 season.......................................6 ASO Board of Trustees...................................................................8 History of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra.......................10 Program 1: To Dream (October 5, 2013) ............................13 Biography: Carlos César Rodríguez, pianist..............................18 Program 2: To Transform (November 16-17, 2013)............21 Biography: Sarah Chang, violinist...............................................28 Program 3: To Be Passionate (February 15-16, 2014) .........31 Biography: Kim Allen Kluge, ASO Music Director..................38 Program 4: To Change (March 29-30, 2014)........................41 Biography: Metropolitan Chorus................................................46 Program 5: To Inspire (May 17, 2014) ................................49 Biography: Anita Johnson, soprano...........................................56 Biography: Matthew Harding, trumpet.....................................57 Biography: Claudia Chudacoff, ASO Concertmaster..............58 Biography: Marilyn Cooley, pre-concert chats ........................59 Biography: Colleen Fay, program commentary........................60 Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall information ....................62 ASO Education Programs............................................................63 2013 Alexandria Birthday Celebration.......................................65 Concerto Foundation....................................................................66 Symphony Orchestra League of Alexandria (SOLA)...............68 Emerging Artist Programs: • The 2014 Kluge Young Composers Competition.................71 • Mary Graham Lasley Scholarship Competition...................71 2012-2013 ASO Supporters..........................................................75 Concert programming and guest artists are subject to change.
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Index of Program Book Advertisers 1st Mariner Mortgage.............20 The Potter Violin Co...............80 Alexandria Gazette Packet.....67 Redmon, Peyton & Braswell....1 Alexandria Jaycees..................72
Restaurant Eve.........................72
Clarke & Sampson..................30
Savant Capital Management..40
Clyde’s.......................................74
Shaw & Sullivan, P.C.............. 61
Simpson Commercial CommonWealth One Real Estate Services.............73 Federal Credit Union...........70 Donna Lewis..............................2 SOLA Symphony Ball...............4 Donnan C. Wintermute............3 Speck-Caudron Investment Group of Wells Fargo GEICO......................................82 Advisors................................74 Global Printing........................64 StratPaths....................................9 Goodwin House.........inside front cover Thomas J. Fannon and Sons...29 Harry Braswell, Inc...................7 Jeanne Warner.........................12
Union Street Public House.....84 United Bank.............................72
King’s Jewelry...........................70 Unwined...................................79 Kositzka Wicks & Co..............77 Virginia Florist.........................48
Landmark Honda....................61 Virginia Kitchens.......................7 McGladrey LLP........................79 Wells Fargo.........inside back cover MetroStage...............................47 Milestone Productions...........79 Murphy & Associates.............19 N.E.T...........................................9 New Target, Inc.......................78 Old Town Dentistry................79
Please patronize the businesses that support the ASO.
Port City Playhouse................58 83
"Wherever the sh are, that's where we go." 121 South Union Street, Alexandria, VA www.unionstreetpublichouse.com | 703.548.1785 From an original work by John Carroll Doyle
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