2020 Cliburn Festival Program Book

Beethoven 2020 CLIBURN FESTIVAL:

at 250

FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 1, 2020

MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH SPONSORED BY

B e e th o ve n at 250 A revered musical revolutionary who propelled music and its capabilities into the modern era.

2020 Cliburn Festival Amegy Bank is proud to sponsor the 2020 Cliburn Festival and celebrate the genius and spirit of one of the world’s greatest composers: Beethoven on his 250th birthday.

Stop by and visit with an Amegy Banker and learn more about our commitment to the Ft. Worth arts community.

Fort Worth Headquarters 425 Houston Street Fort Worth, TX 76102

Hulen Banking Center 2718 South Hulen Street Fort Worth, TX 76109

Brandon Bledsoe 817-928-5111

Sarah Jackson 817-928-5101

James Day 817-928-5112

Travis Gallatin 817-928-5106 A division of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. Member FDIC Š 2020 Zions Bancorporation, N.A.

FESTIVAL INTRODUCTION

BY SANDRA DOAN

Beethoven stands as a singular, dazzling force in the history of music: a legendary behemoth whose genius propelled classical music into modernity and whose imprint on the entire music industry endures. Professional orchestras were created and the art of conducting refined for the repeated performance of his symphonies. His demand for a larger range, more resonance, and greater flexibility advanced the development of the modern piano. Concert halls were no longer built for amusing entertainment but as appropriate settings to showcase artistic greatness. Recording technology evolved for Beethoven: the first commercial LP was released in 1931 with his Fifth Symphony, and the first CDs were fixed at 75 minutes to accommodate his Ninth. Music became a force of drama, emotional power, human idealism, and sonic revelation.

More than that, though, his music stays relevant even as the world continues to change, reminding us of our universal humanity and aspirations. As he composed, the world was on fire around him: the social order was upended in France, the Austrian ruler quashed opposition and free press at home, Napoleon waged war on Europe, and Beethoven faced personal devastation brought on by the abuse from his father, the loss of his hearing, medical problems, rejection, and familial conflicts. Today, as we face similar struggles in a modern world, his music invites us to reject despair, to hope, to hold on to the beauty and heroism that still—and will always—exist.

The Cliburn pays homage to the iconic composer in 2020, on the occasion of his 250th birthday. We opened our Beethoven celebrations at Bass Hall in January with his five glorious concertos, and for Cliburn Festival, we examine his incredible oeuvre of music for solo piano, chamber ensembles, and voice.

FESTIVAL INTRODUCTION

BY SANDRA DOAN

BIOGRAPHY

Ludwig van Beethoven b. December 1770, Bonn, Germany d. March 26, 1827, Vienna, Austria

Beethoven versus the world

Beethoven was born in Bonn in 1770, into a family of musicians; his grandfather was the Kapellmeister in Cologne, but his father’s musical career never went further than being just a court musician. It seems he poured his failed ambition into his son and tried to promote Beethoven as the next child prodigy—the next Mozart. Though the childhood career did not take, Beethoven continued to study with a series of violin, keyboard, and composition teachers, each of whom he quit, claiming to know more. By age 10, he left school to concentrate solely on music, and by age 13 had his first professional appointment as an assistant organist.

During this time, Beethoven’s father descended into alcoholism, and the family was nearly destitute.

Beethoven’s ambitions and talents far exceeded his father’s, however, and in 1787, he made his way to Vienna, the world’s music capital, in hopes of meeting and studying with Mozart. Weeks later, he was called home, as his mother, with whom he had a close relationship, was dying. His father lost his job in disgrace shortly after, and Beethoven remained with his family in Bonn. It was not until Haydn passed through the city in 1790 and met the young composer that Vienna became a possibility again. Impressed by his early works, Haydn invited Beethoven to study with him in Vienna, and finally in 1792, the young composer made his way to the exalted city, never to return home.

A bright future

During those first years in Vienna, Beethoven developed a wide circle of friends and patrons, and began building a reputation as a virtuoso pianist with a new style of piano-playing. Patrons loved his passion and intensity, and critics praised his “unheard-of bravura and facility.” Everyone was taken by his brusque charm and energy. Unlike his predecessors, Beethoven managed to take control of his relationship with the aristocracy, regarding them as equals rather than employers to serve (all the while accepting their patronage). He made his public debut in Vienna in the spring of 1795, and began to tour Europe as pianist-composer. Within a few years, he matured into completing his first string quartets, violin sonatas, and symphony.

“It was only my art that held me back”

In 1801, his life took a turn; in a long letter to an old friend in Bonn, Beethoven mentioned his deafness for the first time. The next spring, on advice of his doctor, he moved to Heiligenstadt, a countryside town north of Vienna, to relax and relieve his ears. It’s here that crisis culminates. His hearing worsened, and to make matters worse, the Countess Giulietta Guicciardi’s parents objected to his marriage proposal. And so he wrote a desperate letter to his brothers, now known as the Heiligenstadt Testament, his last will and testament. His pain and struggle is clear: he despaired that his hearing would never improve and felt a growing social isolation and humiliation. But finally, he reaffirmed his life through a commitment to music: “I would have ended my life – it was only my art that held me back. Ah, it seemed to me impossible to leave the world until I had brought forth all that I felt was within me.”

The next years represent his middle period, often called the “heroic” period, as Beethoven grappled with human themes of struggle, assertion, and passion, while his compositional techniques and approach to form stretched boundaries.

A custody battle

In 1815, his attention had turned to his family. Though his brother had expressed desire to give Beethoven full custody of his son, Karl, when he died, the composer was granted shared custody with the boy’s mother, Johanna. Beethoven began a protracted fight then, for fulfilling his brother’s last wish. This played out over the next 12 years, in which Karl ran away several times to his mother, was pushed to pursue talents he didn’t have, enlisted in the military, attempted suicide, and was forced into religious instruction at the hospital. So focused was the composer on being a perfect “father” to Karl that he stopped writing music for two years, and only when the struggle became too much did he throw himself into composing again. From 1817 on, he began a terrific period of productivity; this late period saw the completion of some of his greatest and most profound works.

“Applaud, my friends, the comedy is over”

Beethoven’s health began to deteriorate in late 1826, after Karl was released from the hospital and a month before he left for military service. The composer spent his last days suffering in a shabby room, surrounded by friends and colleagues who tried to care for him. Thinking of his nephew, Beethoven saved their gifts, planning to leave as much as he could to Karl. He passed away on March 26, 1827.

The funeral took place three days later, with an estimated 30,000 people lining the streets in homage to the great composer.

KENNY BROBERG

piano

artist-in-residence

American pianist Kenny Broberg continues to build a reputation for “blazing intellect, impeccable technical skills, and the ability to build a strikingly imaginative and intelligent program.” His fresh interpretations are complemented by a natural, honest stage presence and “an almost miraculous array of tone qualities” (Theater Jones). The Minneapolis native first came to international attention when he captured the silver medal at the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition; he followed this with a bronze medal win at the 2019 International Tchaikovsky Competition, adding to his numerous prizes at the Hastings, Sydney, Seattle, and New Orleans International Piano Competitions.

Kenny has appeared with the Royal Philharmonic, Minnesota, Sydney Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestras, among others, collaborating with conductors Ludovic Morlot, Kent Nagano, Leonard Slatkin, Vasily Petrenko, Nicholas Milton, and Nicholas McGegan.

His subscription concert debut with the Minnesota Orchestra—stepping in for André Watts with Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto days before the performance in February 2018—was declared “a highly auspicious debut, marked by poise [and] technical brilliance” (Star Tribune). Other recent and upcoming highlights include his debut with the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra; residencies at the Montreal Symphony’s Festival Virée Classique, Rye Arts, Methow Chamber, Strings, and Sunriver Music Festivals; recitals in Houston, Denver, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis; and tours of Japan, Australia, Russia, and Italy.

He has been featured on NPR, WQXR, APM’s Performance Today, MPR, and ABC (Australia) radio. Several of his performances at the 2016 Sydney International Piano Competition were included on CDs released on the Universal Music Australia label. His solo debut album was released in August 2017 on the Decca Gold label, featuring one of his signature pieces, the Barber Piano Sonata, as well as works by Bach, Schubert, Chopin, and Franck.

The first musician in his family, Kenny started piano lessons at age 6, when he was first fascinated by his mother’s upright—a wedding gift from her parents.

He studied for nine years with Dr. Joseph Zins before entering the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree with Nancy Weems in 2016. He currently resides in Parkville, Missouri, under the guidance of 2001 Cliburn Gold Medalist Stanislav Ioudenitch at Park University.

Alongside his teachers, he is influenced by the recordings of Alfred Cortot, William Kapell, and Claudio Arrau.

A hockey and baseball athlete in high school, Kenny still enjoys watching and playing sports, in addition to listening to jazz and reading.

SEAN CHEN

piano

artist-in-residence

A “thoughtful musician well beyond his years” (The Republic), pianist Sean Chen shares his “alluring, colorfully shaded renditions” (The New York Times) with audiences around the world in solo, chamber recitals, and concerto performances.

After winning the 2013 American Pianists Awards, placing third at the 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, and being named a 2015 Annenberg Fellow, Sean is now a Millsap Artist in Residence at the University of MissouriKansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance.

He has performed with many prominent orchestras, including those of Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Kansas City, San Diego, Milwaukee, North Carolina, and Phoenix.

He has collaborated with such esteemed conductors as Leonard Slatkin, Michael Stern, Gerard Schwarz, Nicholas McGegan, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, and James Judd. Solo recitals have brought him to major venues worldwide, including Jordan Hall in Boston, the American Art Museum at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., the National Concert Hall in Taipei, Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Salle Cortot in Paris.

His CD releases include La Valse, a solo recording on the Steinway label, hailed for “penetrating artistic intellect” (Audiophile Audition); a live recording from the Cliburn Competition released by harmonia mundi, praised for his “ravishing tone and cogently contoured lines” (Gramophone); an album of Michael Williams’s solo piano works on the Parma label; and an album of flute, oboe, and piano repertoire with colleagues Michael Gordon and Celeste Johnson. Sean has also contributed to the catalog of Steinway’s new Spirio system.

A multifaceted musician, he also transcribes, composes, and improvises. Sean’s transcriptions of such orchestral works as Ravel’s La Valse and Mozart’s Overture to the Marriage of Figaro have been received with glowing acclaim, and his encore improvisations are lauded as “genuinely brilliant” (Dallas Morning News).

An advocate of new music, he has also collaborated with several composers and performed their works, including Lisa Bielawa, Jennifer Higdon, Michael Williams, Nicco Athens, Michael Gilbertson, and Reinaldo Moya.

Born in Florida, Sean Chen grew up in the Los Angeles area of Oak Park, California.

His impressive achievements before college combined with diligent schoolwork facilitated offers of acceptance by MIT, Harvard, and The Juilliard School.

Choosing to study music, Sean earned his Bachelor and Master of Music from Juilliard, meanwhile garnering several awards, most notably the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans. He received his Artist Diploma in 2014 at the Yale School of Music as a George W. Miles Fellow. His teachers include Hung-Kuan Chen, Tema Blackstone, Edward Francis, Jerome Lowenthal, and Matti Raekallio.

FILIPPO GORINI

piano

artist-in-residence

Since winning the first prize and audience prize at the Telekom-Beethoven Competition in Bonn in 2015, Italian pianist Filippo Gorini has enjoyed a steadily rising career. His concert appearances have drawn unanimous acclaim on many prestigious stages such as the Berlin Konzerthaus, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Munich Herkulessaal, Società del Quartetto di Milano, and the Samsung Concert Hall in Seoul.

Highlights of the 2018–2019 season included recitals in the Tonhalle Zurich, Louis Vuitton Foundation Paris, Amici Della Musica Florence, Meany Center for the Performing Arts Seattle, and Vancouver Playhouse, amongst others, and concertos with the Flanders Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jan Latham-Koenig on their UK and Benelux tour and with Orchestra Verdi of Milan with Claus Peter Flor. In 2019–2020, Filippo makes his debut in Salzburg with the Mozarteum Orchestra and returns to the United States for the Cliburn Festival.

Filippo’s debut disc featuring Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations, released in August 2017 on Alpha Classics, has garnered critical acclaim, including a Diapason d’Or Award and 5-star reviews on The Guardian, BBC Music magazine, Le Monde, and more. A new CD featuring Beethoven Sonatas, opp. 106 and 111 was released in January this year. Other awards include “Una Vita per la Musica - Giovani” of the La Fenice Theatre, the Young Euro Classic Award, and the Beethoven-Ring of Bonn.

Alongside his solo career, Filippo continues to perform as a chamber musician: in 2016 he performed at “Chamber Music Connects the World” in Kronberg, with Steven Isserlis, who later invited him to take part in the Chamber Music Seminars in Prussia Cove. In the upcoming season, he will collaborate with violinists Jonian Ilias Kadesha and Marc Bouchkov in international concert performances. He follows actively the world of contemporary composition and has played works by composers such as Stockhausen, Kurtág, Lachenmann, Gervasoni, and Lanza in the past season alone.

After graduating with honors from the Donizetti Conservatory in Bergamo and completing a postgraduate course at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Filippo continues his studies with Maria Grazia Bellocchio and Pavel Gililov, and is mentored by Alfred Brendel.

JONATHAN ONG & DOROTHY RO, violins ABIGAIL ROJANSKY, viola JONATHAN DORMAND, cello

VERONA QUARTET

artists-in-residence

Hailed by The New York Times as an “outstanding ensemble,” the Verona Quartet is dedicated to showcasing the art form of the string quartet and to elevating their music making to convey the poetic narrative of storytelling. The Quartet’s members represent four different nations (United States, United Kingdom, Singapore, and Canada), but their singular approach and unanimity of purpose in both musical and cultural cooperation has quickly earned the group a reputation for its “interpretive strength… robust characterization [and] commanding resonance” (Calgary Herald).

Since winning the 2015 Concert Artists Guild Competition, the Verona Quartet has established itself as one of the most sought-after string quartets of its generation, delighting audiences at venues worldwide including Wigmore Hall (London), Izumi Hall (Japan), the National Theatre (Abu Dhabi), Melbourne Recital Hall (Australia), and in New York City, at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. The 2019–2020 season will take the group on tours across North America, Asia, and South America. Concert highlights include performances at The Kennedy Center, Boston Celebrity Series, Library of Congress, and the 2020 Cliburn Festival: Beethoven at 250. The group currently serves as string quartetin-residence for the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle in Chapel Hill, NC. The Verona Quartet’s progressive approach to collaboration and programming includes numerous cross-cultural and interdisciplinary enterprises. Past projects have included a performance art installation with visual artist Ana Prvacki and an artistic exchange with traditional Emirati poets in the United Arab Emirates.

The Quartet also regularly champions, premieres, and commissions works from contemporary composers including Julia Adolphe, Sebastian Currier, Richard Danielpour, and Atar Arad, as well as Michael Gilbertson, whose Quartet (commissioned by the Verona Quartet and CAG) was named a finalist for the 2018 Pulitzer Prize in Music.

Among its many accolades, the Verona Quartet has been D’Addario Artists since 2017. In addition to being named by Musical America as “New Artist of the Month” in May 2016, the group won top prizes at competitions across four continents including the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet (London), Osaka International Chamber Music (Japan), and Melbourne International Chamber Music (Australia) Competitions. The ensemble is currently the quartet-in-residence at the New England Conservatory of Music’s Professional String Quartet Training program, under the mentorship of Paul Katz, and previously studied at The Juilliard School under the Juilliard String Quartet and David Finckel, as well as at Indiana University under the Pacifica Quartet.

The Quartet believes that the essence of storytelling transcends genre and so the name “Verona” pays tribute to William Shakespeare, one of the greatest storytellers of all time.

FEATURED ARTISTS

DAVID GROGAN BARITONE

American baritone David Grogan is an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Arlington. The Dallas Morning News hailed him as the “perfect Christus” after a performance of the St. Matthew Passion with the Dallas Bach Society. Acclaimed for a wide range and expressiveness, he has received praise for his “impressive vocal power... his rich emotive gift set the level for the other chief performers.”

David has performed as a soloist with Dallas-Fort Worth area arts groups such as the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Bach Society, Plano Civic Chorus, Texas Baroque Ensemble, Orpheus Chamber Singers, Texas Camerata, Fort Worth Baroque Society, and several universities. Recent performances include Elijah with the New Mexico Symphony, Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Arlington Master Chorale, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Plano Civic Chorus, the Brahms Requiem under Helmuth Rilling at Bass Hall, and appearances with the Houston Chamber Choir and Grace Songs, Inc. in Houston.

David holds Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music degrees from TCU, where he studied voice with Sheila Allen and pedagogy with Vincent Russo. His love of choral music was solidified under the tutelage of the late Ronald Shirey, who taught Grogan much of his musicality. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy in 2010 from the University of North Texas, where he studied voice with Jeffrey Snider, pedagogy with Stephen Austin, and worked closely with Lyle Nordstrom in the early music program. David’s dissertation was on the vocal pedagogy of Frederic W. Root, who was an American vocal pedagogue of the 19th century. A shorter version of the dissertation was published in the January 2010 Journal of Singing under the title, “The Roots of American Pedagogy.”

CHLOÉ TREVOR VIOLIN

Quickly becoming one of the most talked about and sought after musical ambassadors to Generation Z, violinist Chloé Trevor has combined her spirit for classical music and her passion for mentoring the youth of today to connect on a personal level with audiences in exciting and innovative ways. Silver medalist of the Ima Hogg Competition, critics have acclaimed Chloé for her “dazzling technique,” “excellent musicianship,” “huge tone,” “poise and professional grace,” and “bold personality unafraid to exult in music and ability.” She has appeared as a soloist with orchestras worldwide, including the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Latvian Chamber Orchestra, Slovak State Philharmonic, Plano Symphony, and the Knoxville Symphony. She made her New York concerto debut in 2013 and Avery Fisher Hall debut in 2014.

Dedicated to music education and outreach, Chloé regularly connects with students and teachers through interactive performances, masterclasses, and lectures, both in person and online. With an extensive and ever-growing following via social media, Chloé enjoys spreading her message of positivity and encouragement to hundreds of thousands of people on a daily basis in order to influence present and future generations of classical musicians. Summer 2018 marked the inaugural year of the Chloé Trevor Music Academy, an intensive two-week program for string players and pianists offering one-on-one instruction, chamber music coaching, masterclasses, orchestral training, and career guidance by the world’s premier soloists, teachers, and conductors.

Chloé was introduced to the violin at age 2 by her mother, Heidi Trevor Itashiki, Dallas Symphony violinist. She later studied with Arkady Fomin, Dallas Symphony violinist and artistic director of the New Conservatory of Dallas. Chloé has made numerous appearances on the concert stage with her father, internationally recognized conductor and teacher, Kirk Trevor. She completed her undergraduate degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music studying with David and Linda Cerone, and her graduate degree as a scholarship student at Rice University studying with Kenneth Goldsmith. Chloé plays on a Carlos Landolfi violin made in Italy in 1771 and a bow by Etienne Pajeot.

EIGHTH CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR PIANO COMPETITION for outstanding, non-professional pianists age

35

and older

MAY 24–30, 2020 I FORT WORTH, TEXAS van cliburn recital hall & bass performance hall

RALPH VOTAPEK, JURY CHAIRMAN 1962 CLIBURN GOLD MEDALIST

“A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC, AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO MAKE MUSIC, NO MATTER WHAT” —THE BOSTON GLOBE

3 THRILLING ROUNDS OF COMPETITION

FINAL ROUND WITH THE FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND CONDUCTOR DAMON GUPTON

TICKETS ON SALE NOW. CLIBURN.ORG I 817.212.4280

CLIBURN FESTIVAL: Beethoven at 250 Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Thursday, February 27, 2020 I 7:30 p.m.

OPTIMISM

written to express hopefulness in a darkening world

Sonata for Piano, Four Hands in D Major, op. 6 Allegro molto Rondo. Moderato Kenny Broberg and Sean Chen, piano Selected Scottish Songs, op. 108 “Sunset” “Oh! Sweet were the Hours” “Come Fill, Fill, My Good Fellow!”

David Grogan, baritone Jonathan Ong, violin Jonathan Dormand, cello Kenny Broberg, piano Sonata No. 3 for Piano and Cello in A Major, op. 69 Allegro ma non tanto Scherzo. Allegro molto Adagio cantabile – Allegro vivace Jonathan Dormand, cello Sean Chen, piano intermission Sonata No. 8 for Violin and Piano in G Major, op. 30, no. 3 Allegro assai Tempo di Minuetto, ma molto moderato e grazioso Allegro vivace Dorothy Ro, violin Filippo Gorini, piano Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, op. 110 Moderato, cantabile molto espressivo Allegro molto Adagio ma non troppo – Fuga. Allegro ma non troppo Kenny Broberg, piano Steinway & Sons is the official piano of the Cliburn.

This concert is being recorded. Please silence all electronic devices.

LIMITLESS

A COLLABORATIVE EXPLORATION CHALLENGING THE ROLES OF COMPOSER AND PERFORMER.

JENNIFER KOH violin

+

VIJAY IYER

piano & composer

SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2020 I 2:00 PM MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH TICKETS ARE $25 CLIBURN.ORG I 817.212.4280

PROGRAM NOTES

BY SANDRA DOAN

Beethoven’s most identifiable image is one of struggle, disappointment, and fury. But throughout his life, he ultimately had a message of OPTIMISM and joy, though—like for all of us—it changed color through his personal experience with life and history. His early years were marked by cheerfulness and youthful hope.

Time was not kind to the composer however; besides deafness, he suffered from painful medical problems, financial disarray, and personal disappointments. But he showed remarkable resilience, forever believing in the greatness of art, the worthiness of struggle, the beauty of nature, and the grace of the human spirit.

The Festival opens with a celebration of this spirit. We begin with a short, charming Sonata for Four Hands, written in 1797, during Beethoven’s bright new life in Vienna. Just five years later, on the precipice of personal crisis and the eve of his Heiligenstadt Testament, Beethoven wrote his Violin Sonatas, op. 30 in 1801–1802. The third sonata of the set belies his inner battle, instead reflecting the composer’s love of nature and his happiness in spending pleasant summer days in the quiet and beauty of the woods.

Only six years later, Beethoven’s deafness is virtually complete; he had given up is life as a virtuoso pianist and concentrated solely on composition. At the height of his powers and squarely in his “heroic” period, Beethoven completed the Third Cello Sonata in 1808. Like the other works of this period—the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, “Archduke” Trio, and Violin Concerto—the Cello Sonata No. 3 reflects the self-confident mood Beethoven seemed to be in; his creativity was flowing, he was stretching the bounds of technique and form for all instruments, and despite the deafness, he found joy in his music. The sonata is vigorous, dramatic, lyrical, and expansive. For the first time, the cello and piano are equal instruments, and Beethoven demands virtuosity from both players.

The composer held a lifelong interest in folk music; intellectually, they informed his melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic language, and emotionally they connected him with universal human impulses. No mere trifles, Beethoven’s Opus 108 Scottish Folk Songs are elevated folk songs settings, with rich texture, innovative harmonies, and variety.

And we close with the Sonata, op. 110—his penultimate piano sonata, written alongside the late quartets, Ninth Symphony, and Missa solemnis. Like many of Beethoven’s late works, the last piano sonatas reflect an inwardness and distillation of the composer’s experience in life and music. In just 19 minutes, this Sonata moves from a lyrical sympathy to mischievous humor to deeply felt despair and finally, the last movement pulls the listener to consolation, resurrection, and a joyful triumph.

TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS

Selected Scottish Songs, op. 108 “Sunset” Text by Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832) The sun upon the Weirdlaw hill, in Ettrick’s vale is sinking sweet; the westland wind is hush and still, the lake lies sleeping at my feet.

Yet not the landscape to mine eyes bears those bright hues that once it bore; tho’ Ev’ning, with her richest dye, flames o’er the hills on Ettrick’s shore.

With listless look along the plain, I see Tweed’s silver current glide, And coldly mark the holy fane Of Melrose rise in ruin’d pride.

The quiet lake, the balmy air, The hill, the stream, the tower, the tree, Are they still such as once they were, Or is the dreary change in me?

Alas, the warp’d and broken board, How can it bear the painter’s dye?

The harp of strain’d and tuneless chord, How to the minstrel’s skill reply?

To aching eyes each landscape lowers, To feverish pulse each gale blows chill: And Araby’s or Eden’s bowers, Were barren as this moorland hill.

PROGRAM TEXTS ANDNOTES TRANSLATIONS

BY SANDRA DOAN “Oh! Sweet were the Hours” Text by William Smyth (1765–1849) O! Sweet were the hours When in mirth’s frolic throng I led up the revels With dance and with song; When brisk from the fountain And bright as the day, My spirits o’erflow’d And ran sparkling away!

Wine! Wine! Wine!

Come bring me wine to cheer me, Friend of my heart!

Come pledge me high!

Wine! Till the dreams of youth Again are near me, Why must they leave me, Tell me, why?

Return, ye sweet hours!

Once again let me see Your airly light forms Of enchantment and glee; Come, give an old friend, While he crowns his gay glass, A nod as you part And a smile as you pass I cannot forget you, I would not resign, There’s health in my pulse, And a spell in my wine; And sunshine in Autumn, Tho’ passing too soon, Is sweeter and dearer Than sunshine in June.

TEXT AND TRANSLATIONS “Come Fill, Fill, My Good Fellow!”

Text by William Smyth (1765–1849) Come fill, fill, my good fellow!

Fill high, high, my good Fellow, And let’s be merry and mellow, And let us have one bottle more.

When warm the heart is flowing, And bright the fancy glowing, Oh, shame on the dolt would be going, Nor tarry for one bottle more!

My Heart, let me but lighten, And Life, let me but brighten, And Care, let me but frighten.

He’ll fly us with one bottle more!

By day, tho’ he confound me, When friends at night have found me, There is Paradise around me But let me have one bottle more!

So now, here’s to the Lasses!

See, see, while the toast passes, How it lights up beaming glasses!

Encore to the Lasses, encore.

We’ll toast the welcome greeting Of hearts in union beating.

And oh! For our next merry meeting, Huzza! Then for one bottle more!

CLIBURN FESTIVAL: Beethoven at 250 Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Friday, February 28, 2020 I 7:30 p.m.

TURNING POINTS

written in the telling moments of transition

Bagatelle in C Major, op. 33, no. 2 Bagatelle in C Major, op. 33, no. 5 Bagatelle in A-flat Major, op. 33, no. 7 Kenny Broberg, piano Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-flat Major, op. 27, no. 1 Andante Allegro molto e vivace Adagio con espressione Allegro vivace Filippo Gorini, piano String Trio in G Major, op. 9, no. 1 Adagio – Allegro con brio Adagio ma non tanto e cantabile Scherzo. Allegro Presto Jonathan Ong, violin Abigail Rojansky, viola Jonathan Dormand, cello intermission Piano Sonata No. 27 in E Minor, op. 90 Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen Sean Chen, piano String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, op. 135 Allegretto Vivace Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo Der schwer gefaßte Entschluß (Grave – Allegro – Grave ma non troppo tratto – Allegro) Verona Quartet Steinway & Sons is the official piano of the Cliburn.

This concert is being recorded. Please silence all electronic devices.

PROGRAM NOTES

BY SANDRA DOAN

On Friday night, we explore the TURNING POINTS in Beethoven’s compositional output. His career is divided into three periods: the first (to 1803) was devoted to mastering the Classical style of Mozart, Haydn, and Clementi; the second (1803–1815) is marked by the expansion of all forms and techniques, and a new emotional, heroic, expressive language; the final (1815–1827) saw a turn towards more intimate, personal expressions and greater experimentation with harmony and form, pushing the audience far beyond its comfort level.

The Bagatelles, op. 33 and Piano Sonata No. 13 were both written at the turn of the 19th century—as Beethoven began to experiment and work outside the norms of Classical form. The Bagatelles, or “trifles,” were more typical of his early style, but also his musical laboratory, where he experimented with technique, color, THE W O R Land D sound for the piano. Written just a year later, the Piano Sonata No. 13 was a radical IS LISTENING breakthrough. A “quasi una fantasia,” it was the first fantasy to be treated with a disciplined, multi-movement structure and the first sonata to break out of its traditional form. It is much more improvisatory in nature, with divisions between movements blurred.

Like his bagatelles, the string trio was Beethoven’s laboratory, and it seems he used them to test instrumental writing for the symphony and string quartet—two mediums that define his lifetime output. The three String Trios, op. 9, written in 1797, were his final set in this form. This gorgeous Trio represents some of the highest achievement in Beethoven’s first period: spontaneous yet organized, taut yet spacious, lyrical yet energetic. After the Opus 9 Trios were completed, he was ready to finish his first symphony and string quartet, and never returned to the string trio.

The Opus 90 Piano Sonata is considered Beethoven’s last middle-period sonata, but its emotional complexity, quick contrasts, and compactness of musical thought have more in common with the final five sonatas than his earlier work. Instructions for tempos and expression are given in German rather than Italian, indicating a turn to more personal, Romantic form.

The Opus 135 String Quartet was Beethoven’s last completed work, finished months before his death. The Quartet is traditionally grouped with his late great string quartets, but it departs from the monumental works preceding it, instead foreshadowing a new, simpler style and language. It is tight in structure, transparent in texture, humble in scale, unpretentious, witty. Much has been made of the final movement, titled “The Difficult Resolution,” and featuring two short motifs. The “Muss es sein?” (“Must it be?”) motif is answered by a joyful, affirmative, “Es muss sein!” (“It must be!”). Many theories abound: is it about facing life and accepting death? Destiny and submission? Beethoven’s private joke? In any case, Beethoven bids farewell with humor, joy, and affirmation.

CLIBURN FESTIVAL: Beethoven at 250 Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Saturday, February 29, 2020 I 2:00 p.m.

BELOVED

written to commemorate the immortality of great love

Piano Sonata No. 24 in F-sharp Major, op. 78 Adagio cantabile – Allegro ma non troppo Allegro vivace Sean Chen, piano Romance No. 2 in F Major, op. 50 Abigail Rojansky, viola Sean Chen, piano An die ferne Geliebte, op. 98 Auf dem Hügel sitz ich spähend Wo die Berge so blau Leichte Segler in den Höhen Diese Wolken in den Höhen Es kehret der Maien, es blühet die Au Nimm sie hin den, diese Lieder David Grogan, baritone Kenny Broberg, piano intermission Diabelli Variations, op. 120 Filippo Gorini, piano

Steinway & Sons is the official piano of the Cliburn.

This concert is being recorded. Please silence all electronic devices.

PROGRAM NOTES

BY SANDRA DOAN

Following Beethoven’s death in 1827, his assistant discovered a hidden drawer, containing pictures, money, and two now famous documents: the Heiligenstadt Testament (1802) and the 10-page love letter to his “immortal beloved” (1812), detailing his hopeless desire for the unnamed woman, and his resignation that their love would never be. The identity of the immortal beloved remains one of the great mysteries of classical music, particularly as he had strong relationships with many of the women in his life: pupils and admirers who championed his work.

Alas, despite Beethoven’s views that his noble spirit matched their noble birth, class differences stood in the way of any real recognition of romantic relationships or possibility of marriage. Nevertheless, from his earliest infatuations in youth to the “immortal beloved,” his relationships with women were marked by affection, respect, and passion. Saturday afternoon, we explore the works dedicated to and influenced by the BELOVED women of his life.

Beethoven’s Sonata No. 24 is a charming, short work for which the composer had considerable affection. After the storm of the “Appassionata” and “Waldstein” sonatas that preceded it, this sonata seems to be the work of a man who has finally exorcised his demons. It is light, intimate, lyrical, witty, and concentrated.

Beethoven dedicated it to his student, the Countess Thérèse von Brunsvik, who— along with her sister and cousin—may have been the “immortal beloved.” The Romance was likely written as a potential slow movement for an unfinished violin concerto. Its elegant melody coupled with a rich harmonic vocabulary create a simple and subtle beauty.

Beethoven dedicated two major works, An die ferne Geliebte, op. 98 and his Diabelli Variations, to the most likely “immortal beloved,” Antonie Brentano. An die ferne Geliebte (“To the distant beloved”) is considered the first major song cycle, set to six popular poems by Viennese physician Alois Isidor Jeitteles. It tells the familiar story of unrequited love. Finding himself in the place where he met his beloved, the poet finds comfort in song. (1) Nature itself is a soothing balm; (2) having found refuge, he asks the clouds, brook, birds, and breeze to take up his tears. (3) The poet falls into a beautiful fantasy, only to realize that (4) despite the beauty of spring, the season only brings him sadness. (5) He then resolves to make a gift of these songs to his beloved, as a witness to their love. (6) Following the poet’s leave, Beethoven comes full circle at the end, quoting the melody of his first song.

Beethoven also dedicated one of his greatest works to Antonie: the Diabelli Variations is considered his most adventurous work, one of the two greatest sets of variations in the history of piano music, alongside Bach’s Goldbergs, and among the 19th century’s most stunning virtuosic pieces. The simple waltz came from one of Beethoven’s publishers, Anton Diabelli, who hoped to publish

a collection of variations from the 50 greatest composers of the time. Beethoven, wishing to show his mastery, took the undistinguished theme and spun it into 33 miraculous variations, spanning a vast range of feeling: serious, cheerful, withdrawn and mysterious, nostalgic, suffering, exuberant, but above all, a witty and compassionate humor.

TEXT AND TRANSLATIONS

An die ferne Geliebte, op. 98

Texts by Alois (Isidor) Jeitteles (1794–1858) English Translation by Richard Stokes

Auf dem Hügel sitz ich spähend

I sit on the hill, gazing

Auf dem Hügel sitz ich spähend In das blaue Nebelland, Nach den fernen Triften sehend, Wo ich dich, Geliebte, fand.

Weit bin ich von dir geschieden, Trennend liegen Berg und Tal Zwischen uns und unserm Frieden, Unserm Glück und unsrer Qual.

Ach, den Blick kannst du nicht sehen, Der zu dir so glühend eilt, Und die Seufzer, sie verwehen In dem Raume, der uns teilt.

Will denn nichts mehr zu dir dringen, Nichts der Liebe Bote sein?

Singen will ich, Lieder singen, Die dir klagen meine Pein!

Denn vor Liebesklang entweichet Jeder Raum und jede Zeit, Und ein liebend Herz erreichet Was ein liebend Herz geweiht!

I sit on the hill, gazing Into the misty blue countryside, Towards the distant meadows Where, my love, I first found you.

Now I’m far away from you, Mountain and valley intervene Between us and our peace, Our happiness and our pain.

Ah, you cannot see the fiery gaze That wings its way towards you, And my sighs are lost In the space that comes between us.

Will nothing ever reach you again?

Will nothing be love’s messenger?

I shall sing, sing songs That speak to you of my distress!

For sounds of singing put to flight All space and all time; And a loving heart is reached By what a loving heart has hallowed!

TEXT AND TRANSLATIONS Wo die Berge so blau

Where the blue mountains

Wo die Berge so blau Aus dem nebligen Grau Schauen herein, Wo die Sonne verglüht, Wo die Wolke umzieht, Möchte ich sein!

Dort im ruhigen Tal Schweigen Schmerzen und Qual.

Wo im Gestein Still die Primel dort sinnt, Weht so leise der Wind, Möchte ich sein!

Hin zum sinnigen Wald Drängt mich Liebesgewalt, Innere Pein.

Ach, mich zög’s nicht von hier, Könnt ich, Traute, bei dir Ewiglich sein!

Where the blue mountains From the misty grey Look out towards me, Where the sun’s glow fades, Where the clouds scud by – There would I be!

There, in the peaceful valley, Pain and torment cease.

Where among the rocks The primrose meditates in silence, And the wind blows so softly – There would I be!

I am driven to the musing wood By the power of love, Inner pain.

Ah, nothing could tempt me from here, If I were able, my love, To be with you eternally!

Leichte Segler in den Höhen

Light clouds sailing on high

Leichte Segler in den Höhen, Und du, Bächlein klein und schmal, Könnt mein Liebchen ihr erspähen, Grüßt sie mir viel tausendmal.

Seht ihr, Wolken, sie dann gehen Sinnend in dem stillen Tal, Laßt mein Bild vor ihr entstehen In dem luft’gen Himmelssaal.

Wird sie an den Büschen stehen, Die nun herbstlich falb und kahl.

Klagt ihr, wie mir ist geschehen, Klagt ihr, Vöglein, meine Qual.

Stille Weste, bringt im Wehen

Light clouds sailing on high, And you, narrow little brook, If you catch sight of my love, Greet her a thousand times.

If, clouds, you see her walking Thoughtful in the silent valley, Let my image loom before her In the airy vaults of heaven.

If she be standing by the bushes Autumn has turned fallow and bare, Pour out to her my fate, Pour out, you birds, my torment.

Soft west winds, waft my sighs

Hin zu meiner Herzenswahl Meine Seufzer, die vergehen Wie der Sonne letzter Strahl.

Flüstr’ ihr zu mein Liebesflehen, Laß sie, Bächlein klein und schmal, Treu in deinen Wogen sehen Meine Tränen ohne Zahl!

To her my heart has chosen – Sighs that fade away Like the sun’s last ray.

Whisper to her my entreaties, Let her, narrow little brook, Truly see in your ripples My never-ending tears!

Diese Wolken in den Höhen

These clouds on high

Diese Wolken in den Höhen, Dieser Vöglein muntrer Zug, Werden dich, o Huldin, sehen.

Nehmt mich mit im leichten Flug!

Diese Weste werden spielen Scherzend dir um Wang’ und Brust, In den seidnen Locken wühlen. – Teilt ich mit euch diese Lust!

Hin zu dir von jenen Hügeln Emsig dieses Bächlein eilt.

Wird ihr Bild sich in dir spiegeln, Fließ zurück dann unverweilt!

These clouds on high, This cheerful flight of birds Will see you, O gracious one.

Take me lightly winging too!

These west winds will playfully Blow about your cheeks and breast, Will ruffle your silken tresses. – Would I might share that joy!

This brooklet hastens eagerly To you from those hills.

If she’s reflected in you, Flows directly back to me!

Es kehret der Maien, es blühet die Au

May returns, The meadow blooms.

Es kehret der Maien, Es blühet die Au, Die Lüfte, sie wehen So milde, so lau, Geschwätzig die Bäche nun rinnen.

Die Schwalbe, die kehret Zum wirtlichen Dach, Sie baut sich so emsig Ihr bräutlich Gemach, Die Liebe soll wohnen da drinnen.

Sie bringt sich geschäftig

May returns, The meadow blooms.

The breezes blow So gentle, so mild, The babbling brooks flow again, The swallow returns To its rooftop home, And eagerly builds Her bridal chamber, Where love shall dwell.

She busily brings

TEXT AND TRANSLATIONS Von kreuz und von Quer Manch weicheres Stück Zu dem Brautbett hieher, Manch wärmendes Stück für die Kleinen.

Nun wohnen die Gatten Beisammen so treu, Was Winter geschieden, Verband nun der Mai, Was liebet, das weiß er zu einen.

Es kehret der Maien, Es blühet die Au. Die Lüfte, sie wehen So milde, so lau; Nur ich kann nicht ziehen von hinnen.

Wenn alles, was liebet, Der Frühling vereint, Nur unserer Liebe Kein Frühling erscheint, Und Tränen sind all ihr Gewinnen.

From every direction Many soft scraps For the bridal bed, Many warm scraps for her young.

Now the pair lives Faithfully together, What winter parted, May has joined, For May can unite all who love.

May returns, The meadow blooms.

The breezes blow So gentle, so mild; I alone cannot move on.

When spring unites All lovers, Our love alone Knows no spring, And tears are its only gain.

Nimm sie hin den, diese Lieder

I sang for you, beloved

Nimm sie hin denn, diese Lieder, Die ich dir, Geliebte, sang, Singe sie dann abends wieder Zu der Laute süßem Klang!

Wenn das Dämmrungsrot dann ziehet Nach dem stillen blauen See, Und sein letzter Strahl verglühet Hinter jener Bergeshöh; Und du singst, was ich gesungen, Was mir aus der vollen Brust Ohne Kunstgepräng erklungen, Nur der Sehnsucht sich bewußt: Dann vor diesen Liedern weichet Was geschieden uns so weit, Und ein liebend Herz erreichet Was ein liebend Herz geweiht!

I sang for you, beloved; Sing them again at evening To the lute’s sweet sound!

As the red light of evening draws Towards the calm blue lake, And its last rays fade Behind those mountain heights; And you sing what I sang From a full heart With no display of art, Aware only of longing: Then, at these songs, The distance that parted us shall recede, And a loving heart be reached By what a loving heart has hallowed!

CLIBURN FESTIVAL: Beethoven at 250 Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Saturday, February 29, 2020 I 7:30 p.m.

HOMAGE

written as a salute to his greatest influences

Selected Goethe Songs “Mai Gesang (Mailied),” op. 52, no. 4 “Neue Liebe, neues Leben,” op. 75, no. 2 “Aus Goethes Faust,” op. 75, no. 3 “Sehnsucht,” op. 83, no. 2 David Grogan, baritone Filippo Gorini, piano String Quartet No. 1 in F Major, op. 18, no. 1 Allegro con brio Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato Scherzo. Allegro molto Allegro Verona Quartet intermission Twelve Variations on “Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen” from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, op. 66 Jonathan Dormand, cello Kenny Broberg, piano Finale from Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, op. 125 (“Ode to Joy”) (arr. Liszt/Chen) Sean Chen, piano

Steinway & Sons is the official piano of the Cliburn.

This concert is being recorded. Please silence all electronic devices.

PROGRAM NOTES

BY SANDRA DOAN

Beethoven was deeply engaged in the world around him: he admired and sought out the composers whose traditions he built upon, and studied the literary, philosophical, and political movements that rocked Europe at the turn of the 19th century. Saturday evening, we pay HOMAGE to these influences in his life.

Beethoven was immersed in Mozart’s music during his youth; he played his concertos and operas, and at one point was even worried he had plagiarized Mozart by mistake, so strong was his influence. By the time Beethoven returned to Vienna permanently in 1792, Mozart had passed away, but his influence can be seen throughout Beethoven’s work: He used the Piano Concerto, K. 491 as a model for his Third Concerto in the same key; quoted from Don Giovanni in the Diabelli Variations; and wrote four sets of variations on themes by Mozart, including these 12 on “Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen” from Die Zauberflöte, op. 66.

Beethoven did have the opportunity to study with Vienna’s other great master: Haydn. The student-teacher relationship did not go well. Haydn was extremely busy and not particularly attentive to his students; Beethoven was strong-willed and disliked heavy criticism. Despite these tensions, the two giants remained on relatively good terms, holding each other in mutual professional respect and even reverence, and Haydn’s influence is clearly heard in much of Beethoven’s music.

Haydn developed the string quartet, bringing to it form and structure; that form would be one of Beethoven’s primary mediums of expression. When he was finally ready to write his First String Quartet, Beethoven had absorbed Haydn’s wit, humor, and surety of form, but imbues it with his own voice.

The composer was also a student of literature and philosophy, and observer of history. As France worked to create a new republic built on Enlightenment ideals (Napoleon would later disappoint admirers when he consolidated his authority into a dictatorship), the Austrian Emperor became paranoid, sending spies to root out enemies and abolishing the free press. More upheaval would come for Austria with the Revolutionary Wars, followed by the Napoleonic Wars. Beethoven looked on these events with consternation, but kept distance from everyday political affairs.

He took a broader view, and was more concerned with moral behavior, freedom of thought and expression, individual responsibility, and universal brotherhood.

He was an admirer of Friedrich Schiller and Johann Goethe—both among the greatest German literary figures of the modern era—who led the “Sturm und Drang” movement exalting nature, feeling, and human individualism. These ideals clearly spoke to Beethoven’s inclinations as a composer as well.

Beethoven had studied and admired Goethe since his days in Bonn. In his first letter to the poet as he prepared to write Egmont, incidental music to Goethe’s play, Beethoven proclaimed, “I am only able to approach you with the greatest veneration [and] with an inexpressibly deep feeling for your glorious creations.”

By then, he had already set several of Goethe’s text to songs, a few of which we hear today. Also an admirer of Friedrich Schiller, Beethoven had planned to set Schiller’s poem An die Freude (“Ode to Joy”) since his youth, but did not find occasion to finish it until his monumental Ninth Symphony, with the “Ode to Joy” its centerpiece. The humanist idealism of the poem speaks to what we know of Beethoven today and is a joyful commentary on brotherhood and freedom.

The “Ode to Joy” movement we hear on Saturday is transcribed by Liszt and our pianist, Sean Chen.

THE BEST INVESTMENTS ARE THE ONES WE ALL APPRECIATE. Northern Trust is proud to support The Cliburn. For more than 125 years, we’ve been meeting our clients’ financial needs while nurturing a culture of caring and a commitment to invest in the communities we serve. Our goal is to help you find perfect harmony.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Jeff King 817-334-3210 northerntrust.com WEALTH PLANNING \ BANKING \ TRUST & ESTATE SERVICES \ INVESTING \ FAMILY OFFICE

PROGRAM NOTESBYBYSANDRA DR. SUSAN YOUENS PROGRAM TEXT AND NOTES TRANSLATIONS DOAN

Selected Goethe Songs

Texts by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) English Translations by Richard Stokes

“Mai Gesang (Mailied)”

“May Singing (Maysong)”

Wie herrlich leuchtet Mir die Natur!

Wie glänzt die Sonne!

Wie lacht die Flur!

How gloriously Nature gleams for me!

How the sun sparkles!

How the field laughs!

Es dringen Blüten Aus jedem Zweig Und tausend Stimmen Aus dem Gesträuch,

Blossoms burst From every bough And a thousand voices From every bush

Und Freud und Wonne Aus jeder Brust.

O Erd, o Sonne!

O Glück, o Lust!

And delight and rapture From every breast.

O earth, O sun!

O joy, O bliss!

O Lieb, o Liebe!

So golden schön, Wie Morgenwolken Auf jenen Höhn!

O love, O love!

So golden fair As morning clouds On yonder hills!

Du segnest herrlich Das frische Feld, Im Blütendampfe Die volle Welt.

You bless with glory The fresh field, In a mist of blossom The teeming world.

O Mädchen, Mädchen, Wie lieb ich dich!

Wie blickt dein Auge!

Wie liebst du mich!

So liebt die Lerche Gesang und Luft, Und Morgenblumen Den Himmelsduft,

O maiden, maiden, How I love you!

How you look at me!

How you love me!

The skylark loves Song and air, And morning flowers The hazy sky,

Wie ich dich liebe Mit warmen Blut, Die du mir Jugend Und Freud und Mut

As I with warm blood Love you, Who give me youth And joy and heart

Zu neuen Liedern Und Tänzen gibst.

Sei ewig glücklich, Wie du mich liebst!

For new songs And new dances.

Be happy always As in your love for me!

“Neue Liebe, neues Leben”

“New Love, New Life”

Herz, mein Herz, was soll das geben?

Was bedränget dich so sehr?

Welch ein fremdes, neues Leben!

Ich erkenne dich nicht mehr.

Weg ist alles, was du liebtest, Weg, warum du dich betrübtest, Weg dein Fleiß und deine Ruh – Ach, wie kamst du nur dazu!

Heart, my heart, what can this mean?

What is it that besets you so?

What a strange and new existence!

I do not know you any more.

Fled is all you used to love, Fled is all that used to grieve you, Fled your work and peace of mind – Ah, how can this have come about!

Fesselt dich die Jugendblüte, Diese liebliche Gestalt, Dieser Blick voll Treu und Güte Mit unendlicher Gewalt?

Will ich rasch mich ihr entziehen, Mich ermannen, ihr entfliehen, Führet mich im Augenblick, Ach, mein Weg zu ihr zurück.

Does the bloom of youth ensnare you, This dear figure full of charm, These eyes so kind and faithful With inexorable power?

When I try to hasten from her, Control myself, escape her, In a moment I am led, Ah, back to her again.

Und an diesem Zauberfädchen, Das sich nicht zerreissen läßt, Hält das liebe, lose Mädchen Mich so wider Willen fest; Muß in ihrem Zauberkreise Leben nun auf ihre Weise.

Die Verändrung, ach wie groß!

Liebe, Liebe, laß mich los!

And by this magic little thread That cannot be severed, The sweet and playful girl Holds me fast against my will; In her enchanted realm I must now live as she dictates.

Ah, what a monstrous change!

Love! Love! Let me free!

PROGRAM NOTESBYBYSANDRA DR. SUSAN YOUENS PROGRAM TEXT AND NOTES TRANSLATIONS DOAN “Aus Goethes Faust”

“From Goethe’s Faust”

Es war einmal ein König, Der hatt’ einen [großen Floh,] Den liebt’ er gar nicht wenig, [Als] wie seinen eig’nen Sohn.

Da rief er seinen Schneider, Der Schneider kam heran; [“Da, miß dem Junker Kleider Und miß ihm Hosen an!”]

There once was a king who had a large flea whom he loved not a bit less than his very own son.

He called his tailor and the tailor came directly; “Here - make clothing for this knight, and cut him trousers too!”

In Sammet und in Seide War er [nun] angetan, Hatte Bänder auf dem Kleide, Hatt’ auch ein Kreuz daran, Und war [sogleich] Minister, Und hatt einen großen Stern.

Da wurden seine Geschwister Bei Hof auch große Herrn.

In silk and satin was the flea now made up; he had ribbons on his clothing, and he had also a cross there, and had soon become a minister and had a large star.

Then his siblings became great lords and ladies of the court as well.

Und Herrn und Frau’n am Hofe, Die waren sehr geplagt, Die Königin und die Zofe Gestochen und [genagt,] Und durften [sie nicht knicken,] Und [weg sie] jucken nicht.

Wir [knicken] und ersticken Doch gleich, wenn einer sticht.

And the lords and ladies of the court were greatly plagued; the queen and her ladies-in-waiting were pricked and bitten, and they dared not flick or scratch them away.

But we flick and crush them as soon as one bites!

“Sehnsucht”

“Nostalgia”

Was zieht mir das Herz so?

Was zieht mich hinaus?

Und windet und schraubt mich [Aus] Zimmer und Haus?

Wie dort sich die Wolken [Um] Felsen verziehn!

Da möcht’ ich hinüber, Da möcht’ ich wohl hin!

What pulls at my heart so?

What pulls me outside?

And twists me and yanks me from this room and the house?

How the clouds there disperse around the cliffs!

I’d like to go there, I’ve very much like to go!

Nun wiegt sich der Raben Geselliger Flug; Ich mische mich drunter Und folge dem Zug. Und Berg und Gemäuer Umfittigen wir; Sie weilet da drunten; Ich spähe nach ihr.

Now ravens pass by in friendly flight; I mix with them and follow their course.

And mountain and ruin we circle in flight; she lingers below, and I peer after her.

Da kommt sie und wandelt; Ich eile sobald Ein singender Vogel [Zum buschigen] Wald.

Sie weilet und horchet Und lächelt mit sich: “Er singet so lieblich Und singt es an mich.”

Then she comes wandering; I hurry immediately, a singing bird, to the bushy wood.

She lingers and listens and smiles to herself: “He sings so nicely and he is singing for me!”

Die scheidende Sonne [Verguldet] die Höhn; Die sinnende Schöne Sie läßt es [geschehn].

Sie wandelt am Bache Die Wiesen entlang, Und finster und finstrer Umschlingt sich der Gang;

The departing sun gilds the heights; the pensive, fair lady, she lets it happen.

She wanders by the brook, along the meadows, and darker and darker twists the path;

Auf einmal erschein’ ich Ein blinkender Stern.

“Was glänzet da droben, So nah und so fern?”

Und hast du mit Staunen Das Leuchten erblickt; Ich lieg dir zu Füßen, Da bin ich beglückt!

At once I appear, a glittering star.

“What gleams up there, so near and so far?”

And when, with astonishment, you gaze upon this light, I will lie at your feet and be happy there!

PROGRAM NOTES DR. SUSAN YOUENS CLIBURN FESTIVAL: Beethoven at 250 PROGRAM NOTES BYBY SANDRA DOAN Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Sunday, March 1, 2020 I 2:00 p.m.

HERO

written to celebrate humanity’s triumph over struggle

Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, op. 13 (“Pathétique”) Grave – Allegro di molto e con brio Adagio cantabile Rondo. Allegro Kenny Broberg, piano Sonata No. 9 for Violin and Piano in A Major, op. 47 (“Kreutzer”) Adagio sostenuto – Presto Andante con variazioni Finale. Presto Chloé Trevor, violin Sean Chen, piano intermission Piano Trio in C Minor, op. 1, no. 3 Allegro con brio Andante cantabile, con variazioni Menuetto. Quasi allegro Finale. Prestissimo Dorothy Ro, violin Jonathan Dormand, cello Filippo Gorini, piano Largo – Allegro risoluto from Sonata No. 29 in B-flat Major, op. 106 (“Hammerklavier”) (arr. Plylar) Verona Quartet

Steinway & Sons is the official piano of the Cliburn.

This concert is being recorded. Please silence all electronic devices.

PROGRAM NOTES

BY SANDRA DOAN

We close the Festival with the most familiar Beethoven: advocate of the HERO. Though most associated with his middle period, Beethoven’s Enlightenment views of the importance of individualism, the heroism of human experience, and the possibilities of musical expression pervaded his whole body of work.

We open with the “Pathetique” Piano Sonata, written in Beethoven’s early years (1798), when he was still in his 20s. It is a clear break from his earlier work, filled with emotional power, intensity, and drama, a foreshadowing of what was to come in his heroic style, just four years later.

In 1803, after he had resolved to expand his musical language and form, Beethoven finished his monumental “Kreutzer” Violin Sonata. Vast in scope and dramatic range, it is a showpiece that displays distinct features of Beethoven’s heroic style: harmonic experimentation, grandiose scale and scope, emotionally charged drama. The violinist is finally elevated to equal the piano in both prominence and virtuosity. The grandness of the work itself and the technical superiority required of its players demanded a formal concert hall: the music itself is heroic, and so are its players.

Beethoven selected to publish his three Opus 1 Piano Trios as his formal introduction to the musical world: a coming of age and professional calling card.

They reflect his command of the Classical style, but—especially with the Third Trio in C Minor—it’s clear that a new, important, bold voice had entered the scene.

So modern was it that Haydn advised against publication of the C-Minor Trio, but Beethoven considered it his best, and the set proved to be a triumph. This Trio is the first indication of Beethoven’s propensity for drama and tension, with devices and musical language he would continue to explore in his middle and late periods.

Juxtaposed next to one of his earliest artistic statements, the “Hammerklavier” Sonata shows where he has gone over a lifetime of music. One of the most important works in all piano literature, its technical difficulty, emotional range, architectural scope, and extraordinary design are thrilling and breath-taking. No strangers to marketing, Beethoven’s publishers announced a work that “excels above all other creations of this master not only through its most rich and grand fantasy but also in regard to artistic perfection and sustained style, and will mark a new period in Beethoven’s pianoforte works.” Sunday afternoon, the Verona Quartet closes the Festival with a transcription of the last movement of the “Hammerklavier,” the great fugue. The unrestrained, outrageous Fuga a tre voci con alcune licenze (“Fugue in three voices, with some license”) is a monument to Beethoven’s sharp intellect, impeccable craftsmanship, and compassionate humanism.

A NEW STEINWAY EXPERIENCE HAS ARRIVED IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS Steinway Piano Gallery of Fort Worth, a family-owned and operated showroom, brings the legendary Steinway commitment of quality and customer satisfaction to the Fort Worth area. Located in Sundance Square across from Bass Hall, our showroom offers the finest collection of Steinway & Sons and Steinway-Designed Boston and Essex pianos set in a unique environment for an exceptional selection process.

STEINWAY PIANO GALLERY 501 Commerce St. Fort Worth, Tx 76102 T E L . (817) 665-1853 WWW.STEINWAYPIANOS.COM