PROGRAM NOTES
PYOTR ILYICH
TCHAIKOVSKY
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 1878 (36’)
In the summer of 1878, still reeling from his failed marriage to Antonina Miliukova, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky left Russia to find respite in Switzerland. The disastrous union forced the composer to come to terms with his homosexuality, realizing it was an intrinsic part of his identity that would inevitably shape the rest of his career. Composing the Violin Concerto was a cathartic experience: he put all other music aside and finished the work in six weeks.
The original dedicatee was violinist Iosif Kotek, a close friend Tchaikovsky consulted throughout the compositional process. But when the composer asked Kotek to premiere the work, he refused, not wanting to elicit rumors regarding the nature of their relationship. Tchaikovsky then solicited the virtuoso Leopold Auer, who also declined. The composer finally persuaded the Vienna Philharmonic conductor, Hans Richter, to premiere the piece, with soloist Adolf Brodsky. Due to inadequate rehearsal time, the orchestra played timidly, resulting in a lackluster performance. Austrian critic Eduard Hanslick wrote a particularly harsh review, asserting that the concerto “confronts us for the first time with the hideous idea that there may be musical compositions whose stink one can hear.”
The work’s reception improved in the following decades when Leopold Auer returned to the piece and sought to make it his own; however, Auer’s version of the solo differed significantly from Tchaikovsky’s, with edits and cuts likely not approved by the composer. While this version was popular throughout the 20th century, innovations in instrument design and technical abilities have inspired violinists to return to the original, the version Bella Hristova will perform today.
The piece follows a typical Romantic concerto form in three movements. Both themes in the first movement are
characterized by their beguiling nature. The cadenza appears at the end of the development section, characterized by double-stops, rapid shifts, and other technical acrobatics. In the melancholic Canzonetta, the soloist utilizes a mute to achieve a delicate timbre. The finale is distinctly Russian, with a gritty initial theme, followed by a folk-dance theme with drone accompaniment.
FUN FACTS
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 is the only concerto for violin Tchaikovsky ever composed.
In 1866, Tchaikovsky was appointed a professor of theory and harmony at the Moscow Conservatory — now the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory — which is the second oldest conservatory in Russia.
Originally composed in 1814 and adopted as the U.S.
National Anthem in 1931, Francis Scott Key’s The StarSpangled Banner continues to serve as a moving tribute to the endurance of the American flag and the tenacity of America’s founders. But have you ever wondered what our anthem would sound like if it were composed today?
Originally written to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Key’s achievement, Jessie Montgomery’s Banner offers a fresh take on America’s song, paying homage to the original tune through musical quotation while acknowledging the country’s multicultural diversity in the 21st century.
JESSIE MONTGOMERY Banner
2017 (10’)
PROGRAM NOTES BY
HALEY NUTT, PHD
In addition to The Star-Spangled Banner, the work for solo string quartet and chamber orchestra draws on other patriotic tunes, including the Mexican National Anthem, Woody Guthrie’s This Land is Your Land, and James Weldon Johnson’s Lift Every Voice and Sing, commonly known as the Black national anthem.
The piece’s structure and rhythmic vitality are also grounded in American tradition: its sectional form, with contrasting sections loosely stitched together, reflects the structure of traditional marching band music, and the percussive pulses that underpin the last third of the piece mimic the cadence of a drum line chorus. Montgomery’s rich tapestry of musical sources bravely explores the contradictions between freedom and injustice that persist in our society, producing a poignant and socially conscious interpretation of the contemporary American experience.
FUN FACTS
Jessie Montgomery, a GRAMMY-nominated composer, violinist, and educator, was named Musical America’s Composer of the Year in 2023.
Banner is Montgomery’s attempt to answer the intriguing question, “What does an anthem for the 21st century sound like in today’s multicultural environment?”
IGOR STRAVINSKY
Suite from The Firebird
1919 (22’)
In 1909, the Russian impresario Sergei Diaghilev took a gamble on an inexperienced Igor Stravinsky, commissioning him to write a set of dance pieces for his ballet company,
Program Notes Sponsored by Corey Welch & Judy Diamond
the Ballets Russes. The music would be based on a story from old Russian folklore in which a beautiful, rare bird helps a heroic prince defeat an evil sorcerer. The ballet’s premiere the following June in Paris was a success, and the composition became Stravinsky’s first to garner international fame.
To capitalize on the work’s commercial viability, Stravinsky immediately redacted the full score and began to arrange an orchestral version featuring the most compelling musical moments from the ballet. The first suite of The Firebird was released in 1911 and the second suite, featured on today’s program, was published in 1919. A third version was completed in 1945.
The 1919 Firebird Suite illustrates Stravinsky’s compositional style on the cusp of a revolution. The composer’s rather conventional treatment of Russian folklore, combined with his evocative choices in orchestration, echo the approaches of his teacher, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. In the opening movement, the wickedness of the villain — Kashchei the Deathless — is personified by an ominous, chromatic melody in the low strings, supported by a rumbling bass drum. The atmosphere soon changes as the protagonist of the story, the Firebird, rushes in, its dazzling and radiant feathers epitomized by fluttering flourishes in the flutes, strings, and harp.
The “Princesses’ Khorovod” is the most Romantic, featuring a simple Russian folk-dance melody. The “Infernal Dance” is the suite’s climax, characterized by syncopated melodies, incessant ostinatos, and a vigorous energy that foreshadows the sound world of The Rite of Spring. The work concludes with a lush and expansive finale, rejoicing good’s reign over evil.
FUN FACTS
The Firebird ballet was Stravinsky’s first fulllength dramatic work.
Although Stravinsky established himself in Paris, he was born in 1882 in St. Petersburg, Russia, a city renowned for its rapid rate of industrialization and cultural development at the turn of the century.
WHEN WE LAUNCHED OUR HARMONY FROM DISCORD SERIES IN 2016 featuring music that transcends oppression, we were one of only a small handful of orchestras throughout the United States creating this kind of programming. Now, orchestras contact us and ask how they can do the same!
How did Harmony From Discord evolve from Yaniv’s brainstorm to the Mount Baker Theatre stage?
Harmony From Discord sponsors Carol & David Robinson felt called to action when they first heard Yaniv’s ideas and passion for featuring these works. They committed to supporting the series with a concert each season for three years, making the program possible and giving it a strong foundation from which to grow.
The response from you, our community, has been so overwhelmingly positive that we now weave Harmony From Discord works that amplify underrepresented voices throughout each season. Look for our Harmony From Discord graphic on our website and in our programs to spot works chosen with this in mind.
We remain honored and inspired by Carol and David’s enthusiastic “Yes!” to support Harmony From Discord. What might you say “Yes!” to, to help support and share the gift of music?
“Community radio powered by and for the people.
KMRE is a volunteer-powered community radio station. We love bringing local voices to the public airwaves.
We feature a variety of programs that reflect the diverse lives and perspectives of the people of Whatcom County and the San Juan Islands.
SUNDAY
SEPT 29, 2024
3:00 p.m.
VIOLIN I
Dawn Posey
The Garland Richmond & Richard Stattelman Concertmaster
Shu-Hsin Ko
Assistant Principal Concertmaster
Yelena Nelson +
Karen Visser +
Emily Bailey
Laura Barnes
David Bean
Gaye Davis + Irene Fadden
Matt Gudakov
Lenelle Morse §
Audrey Negro §
Sandra Payton
Krissy Snyder + John Tilley
Bill Watts
VIOLIN II
Yuko Watanabe
Principal 2nd Violin
Heather Ray
Assistant Principal 2nd Violin
Linnea Arntson
Judy Diamond
Kathy Diaz
Augustine Holman §
Elsa Jonson
Helen Koenig
Ben Morgan
Audrey Negro +
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Liza Varon +
Tasa Weaver
Joy Westermann
YANIV ATTAR
The Jack & Marybeth Campbell Music Director
VIOLA
Morgan Schwab
Principal Viola
Katrina Whitman +
Assistant Principal Viola
Eric Kean §
Acting Assistant Principal Viola
Lily Beagle §
Kacey Bradt
Sage Brock §
Valerie McWhorter
Jim Quist +
Corey Welch
CELLO
Samantha Sinai
The Phyllis Allport Principal Cello
Brian Coyne
Assistant Principal Cello
Omar Firestone
Abby Frankenfeld
Claire Furtwangler +
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Joe Sawyer +
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The Charli Daniels Principal Bass
Amiko Mantha
The Mark Tomko Assistant
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Waters Armstrong §
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The Marcela Berg & Michael Addison
Principal Flute
Gena Mikkelsen
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The Valerie McWhorter Principal Percussion
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