Program - Lettuce - Vienna Boys Choir

SPECIALS

2018/19

LETTUCE WITH THE COLORADO SYMPHONY

2018/19 SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS:

COLORADO SYMPHONY CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, conductor LETTUCE, band Saturday, November 10, 2018, at 7:30 p.m.

Boettcher Concert Hall

Program to be announced from the stage

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

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PROGRAM 1

CLASSICS BIOGRAPHIES CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, conductor Australian conductor Christopher Dragon is in his fourth season as the Associate Conductor of the Colorado Symphony. For three years he previously held the position of Assistant Conductor with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, which gave him the opportunity to work closely with Principal Conductor Asher Fisch. Christopher works regularly in Australia and has guest conducted the Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and West Australian Symphony Orchestras. His 2015 debut performance at the Sydney Opera House with Josh Pyke and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was released on album by ABC Music and won an ARIA the following year. Christopher’s international guest conducting includes the Orquestra Sinfônica de Porto Alegre, the San Diego Symphony Orchestra and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. He has also conducted at numerous festivals including the Breckenridge and Bangalow Music Festivals, with both resulting in immediate re-invitations. At the beginning of 2016 Mr. Dragon conducted Wynton Marsalis’ Swing Symphony as part of the Perth International Arts Festival alongside Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at the Lincoln Center Orchestra. Christopher Dragon began his conducting studies in 2011 and was a member of the prestigious Symphony Services International Conductor Development Program in Australia under the guidance of course director Christopher Seaman. He has also studied with numerous distinguished conductors including Leonid Grin, Paavo and Neeme Järvi at the Järvi Summer Festival, Fabio Luisi at the Pacific Music Festival, and conducting pedagogue Jorma Panula.

LETTUCE, band Known for their incendiary live shows, extensive touring, die-hard fans, and massive two-decade career, Lettuce have brought a new vitality to classic funk, matching their smooth and soulful grooves with a hiphop-inspired urgency.

Comprised of a stellar group musicians — drummer Adam Deitch, guitarist Adam Smirnoff, bassist Erick "Jesus" Coomes, keyboardist and vocalist Nigel Hall, saxophonist Ryan Zoidis, and trumpeter Eric “Benny” Bloom — the members of Lettuce are highly sought after musicians who, together, continue to earn their name as masters of their craft. According to the band, it is a sense of unity that has much to do with the camaraderie that’s only intensified over the lifespan of the band. Formed in 1992, Lettuce was founded on a shared love of legendary funk artists like Earth, Wind & Fire, and Tower of Power. Blending together these talents in a sound distinctly their own, they have garnered praised by the likes of New York Times, NPR, Billboard, Consequence of Sound, Relix, and more.

Funk juggernauts Lettuce have been making their fans dance for 20 plus years. After headlining venues like Red Rocks, Capitol Theater and the Fillmore, the band of brothers are poised to get the crowd dancing and thinking at the same time. Their latest album Mt. Crushmore is a journey into the depths of psychedelic funky soul.

PROGRAM 2

C O L O R A D O SY M P H O N Y.O R G

SPECIALS

2018/19

VIENNA BOYS CHOIR COLORADO SYMPHONY

2018/19 SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS:

Sunday, November 11, 2018, at 2:30 p.m.

Boettcher Concert Hall

Wiener Sängerknaben Vienna Waits for You Oliver Stech, choirmaster Gregorian Chant Veni Sancte Spiritus (Come, Holy Spirit) Sequence for Whitsun Jacobus Gallus (~1550 - 1591) Confirma hoc Deus (Confirm this, oh God) Text: Psalm 68(67):29 Offertory for Whitsun for four voices a capella Georg Friedrich Händel (1685 – 1756) De torrente in via bibet (From the stream by the path he will drink) Text: Psalm 110:8 from: Dixit Dominus HWV 232; Arr. Oliver Stech Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809) Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes (The Heavens tell the glory of God), Text: Gottfried van Swieten (1733 - 1803) No. 13 from: The Creation, Hob. XXII:2; Arr. Oliver Stech Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809 - 1847) Ich harrete des Herrn (I waited for the Lord) Text: Psalm 40 from: Lobgesang (Song of Praise) MWV A 18

Tonight's Concert is Gratefully Dedicated to Dr. Martin Yussman PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

SOUNDINGS

2018/19

PROGRAM 3

SPECIALS

2018/19

Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828) Goldner Schein deckt den Hain (A golden sheen covers the bosk) D. 357 Text: Friedrich von Matthison (1761 - 1831) Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828) Widerspruch (Contradiction), opus 105/1 (D. 865) Text: Johann Gabriel Seidl (1804 - 1875) Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828) Der 23. Psalm (Psalm 23), opus 132 (D. 706) Text: Biblical John Mochnick (*1942) Ave Maria (Hail Mary) Traditional Spiritual Joshua fit the battle of Jericho Arr. Rollo Dilworth (*1970) — INTERMISSION — “New York – Medley” John Kander (*1927) Theme from New York, New York from the 1977 Martin Scorsese film Text: Fred Ebb (1928 -2004); Arr. Frank Metis Angela Hunte and Jane’t Sewell-Ulepic Sylvia Robinson, Bert Keyes, Shawn Carter, Alicia Augello-Cook, Al Shuckburgh Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down Arr. Ben Parry Billy Joel (*1949) Vienna Arr. Bomi Kim Folk Song from Upper Austria Es gibt schene Wasserl (There are beautiful waters) Arr. Gerald Wirth Folk Song from Carinthia Wia schean is, wann i siag die Sunn aufgehn (How beautiful it is to see the sun rise) Arr. Gerald Wirth PROGRAM 4

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Florian Maierl (*1985) Da Ådler (The Eagle) Hermann Leopoldi (1888 – 1959) Schön ist so ein Ringelspiel (Such a merry-go-round is wonderful) Text: Peter Herz (1895 – 1987); Arr. Bomi Kim Rudolf Sieczyński (1879 - 1952) Wien, du Stadt meiner Träume (Vienna, City of My Dreams) Opus 1 (1912) Arr. Gerald Wirth Josef Strauss (1827 – 1870) Feuerfest! (Fireproof ) Text: Rudolf Effenberger / Elke Wirth, Arr. Gerald Wirth French polka, opus 269 Josef Strauss (1827 – 1870) For Ever!

Text: Tina Breckwoldt, Arr. Gerald Wirth Fast polka, opus 193 Johann Strauss II (1825 – 1899) Wiener Blut (Viennese Spirits) Waltz opus 354 (1873)

PROGRAM IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Hotel Residenz Palais Coburg is the Vienna Boys Choir general sponsor. www.wsk.at www.viennaboyschoir.net

Exclusive Tour Management: Opus 3 Artists 470 Park Avenue South, 9th Floor North New York, NY 10016 www.opus3artists.com North American Press Representation: Kathryn King Media www.kathrynkingmedia.com

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PROGRAM 5

SPECIALS BIOGRAPHIES OLIVER STECH, choirmaster Oliver Stech became choirmaster of the Vienna Boys Choir in January of 2011. He has led the choir in numerous concerts, and on tours of Europe, Asia, South America, and the USA. Oliver is responsible for the concert and tour repertoire; he conducts choir and solo rehearsals and prepares the boys for the sung services at Vienna’s Imperial Chapel. In addition, he trains the boys for productions at the Vienna State Opera and at the Vienna Volksoper, and for performances of large symphonic and choral works. He has worked with conductors such as Christian Aming, Mariss Jansons, Fabio Luisi, and Franz Welser-Möst. Appearances on radio and television, sound recordings and film shoots are part of the choir’s routine. Oliver conducted the boys on the set of Curt Faudon’s films “Songs for Mary” (2013) and “Good Shepherds” (2017) – in Palestine, in Italy, and in Austria.

Oliver Stech was born in Waidhofen/Ybbs in Lower Austria in 1983. As a child, he received piano and singing lessons. Later, Oliver studied romance languages at the University of Vienna and piano, voice, conducting, and music paedagogy at the University of Music, focussing on choral and ensemble conducting.

Oliver is a singer himself: For him, the voice is an important means of expression. Oliver was a member of Chorus sine nomine, the World Youth Choir, and the supporting choirs of the Vienna State Opera and the Vienna Volksoper. Oliver sang at festivals such as Klangbogen Wien and the prestigious Baden-Baden Summer Festival. As tenor soloist, Oliver performs lieder, masses, oratorios, operas, and operettas. As a choir member, Oliver has travelled to Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Namibia, South Africa, and Spain. He has appeared under conductors like Bertrand de Billy, Placido Domingo, Alfred Eschwé, h.k. Gruber, Martin Haselböck, Kristian Järvi, Philippe Jordan, Fabio Luisi, and Georges Prêtre.

Oliver Stech began conducting while still a student. In 2008, he conducted Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas in two Lower Austrian castles. In 2006, he co-founded the voice ensemble uni-sono.

Uni-sono went on to win silver medals at the International Choir Competition in Bad Ischl and at Austria cantat in 2009. From 2009 to 2011, he led Chorus Discantus, an Austrian women’s chorus.

In 2009, Oliver was appointed Artistic Director of the “Youth Singing Week” in Lower Austria, and assistant to Heinz Ferlesch, the artistic director of the Vienna Singakademie – the resident choir of Vienna’s Konzerthaus. In 2010, he became a lecturer at the University of Music in Vienna.

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C O L O R A D O SY M P H O N Y.O R G

SPECIALS BIOGRAPHIES VIENNA BOYS CHOIR Boys have been singing at Vienna’s Imperial Chapel since 1296. In 1498, Emperor Maximilian I moved his court to Vienna, thus founding the Chapel Imperial, and the Boys Choir. Over the centuries, the court attracted musicians like Christoph Willibald Gluck, Antonio Salieri, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Anton Bruckner; Joseph Haydn, Michael Haydn, and Franz Schubert were themselves choir boys. Until 1918, the boys sang exclusively for the imperial court – at masses, celebrations, and on state occasions.

Today, there are 100 choristers between the ages of nine and fourteen, divided into four groups.

Between them, the choirs give around 300 concerts each year, attended by half a million spectators around the world. Since 1924, 2502 choristers have sung over 1000 tours in 98 different countries.

On Sundays, the Choir performs with the Vienna Philharmonic and the State Opera Chorus in the Imperial Chapel, as it has done for the last 520 years.

The Choir performs with major orchestras, conducted by the likes of Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Franz Welser-Möst, Simone Young. A highlight are appearances at the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert, most recently in 2016 under the baton of Mariss Jansons.

Since their first recording in 1907, the boys have recorded 377 shellacks, singles, LPs, and CDs – the latest, “Strauss For Ever”, to be released on Deutsche Grammophon in September 2018.

Numerous films and documentaries attest to the choir’s international appeal. Filmmaker Curt Faudon has produced four major films about the boys. “Good Shepherds” (2017) has them singing with Maasai warriors, Sami reindeer herders, and primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall.

300 boys and girls attend the Choir’s schools. A quarter of the schools’ alumni become professional musicians. The Choir’s education and singing tradition is listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in Austria. Professor Gerald Wirth is the choir’s president and artistic director.

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PROGRAM 7

SPECIALS PROGRAM NOTES Gregorian Chant / Procession Veni Sancte Spiritus (Come, Holy Spirit) Text: Stephen Langton (c. 1150 - 1228)

Da tuis fidelibus, in te confidentibus, sacrum septenarium.

Veni Sancte Spiritus is a Latin prayer asking the Holy Spirit for guidance and help. It was originally intended for the Whitsunday services, to commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit described as tongues of fire in the Acts of the Apostles 2.

Da virtutis meritum, da salutis exitum, da perenne gaudium.

The text is traditionally ascribed to Stephen Langton, one of the most influential theologians of his day.

Text Veni, Sancte Spiritus, et emitte caelitus lucis tuae radium.

Veni, pater pauperum, veni, dator munerum, veni, lumen cordium.

Consolator optime, dulcis hospes animae, dulce refrigerium.

In labore requies, in aestu temperies, in fletu solatium.

O lux beatissima, reple cordis intima tuorum fidelium.

Sine tuo numine, nihil est in homine, nihil est innoxium.

Lava quod est sordidum, riga quod est aridum, sana quod est saucium.

Flecte quod est rigidum, fove quod est frigidum, rege quod est devium.

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Translation Come, Holy Spirit, and send forth the heavenly rays of your light.

Come, father of the poor, come, giver of gifts, come, light of the heart.

Very best comforter, sweet guest/host of the soul, sweet comfort.

In labour, you offer rest, in heat, you offer relief, in tears, solace.

O most blessed light, fill the core of the heart of your faithful.

Without your divine power, there is nothing in man, nothing that is innocuous.

Wash what is unclean, water what is dry, heal what is wounded.

Bend what is inflexible, warm what is chilled, direct what goes astray.

Give to your faithful, those who trust in you, the seven sacred gifts.

Grant the reward of virtue, grant the salvation, grant eternal joy.

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SPECIALS PROGRAM NOTES Jacobus Gallus (~1550 - 1591) Confirma hoc Deus (Confirm this, oh God) Text: Psalm 68(67):29 Offertory for Whitsun for four voices a capella Gallus was born in Reifnitz, Carnolia (now Ribnica, Slovenia). His birth name was Petelin, which in Slovenian means ‘rooster’. As he traveled all over the Habsburg Empire, he used either the German - Handl - or the Latin - Gallus - form of his name, sometimes adding the adjective Carniolus, in reference to his home country.

Gallus was educated at the Cistercian monastery at Stična. He arrived in Austria as a teenager, singing first in the Benedictine Abbey at Melk and later with the Chapel Imperial in Vienna. It appears that some of his works were written for the Imperial choristers. Between 1579 and 1585, Gallus was Kapellmeister to the bishop of Olmütz (now Olomouc) in Moravia, before becoming the organist of the church sv. Jan na Zábradlí in Prague. In Prague, Gallus oversaw the systematic publication and printing of his works. His output was huge: more than 500 sacred and secular works are attributed to Gallus. He died in 1591.

Gallus’s music combines ideas and elements of the Franco-Flemish, German, and Italian Renaissance styles. Some of his chromatic transitions in particular hint at much later styles of music. Contemporaries admired his works for their beautifully woven counterpoint and compared him to Palestrina (1525 – 1594), high praise indeed, as Palestrina’s music was considered perfect.

Gallus differs from Palestrina in his use of rhythm. He deftly moves between double and triple meter, he uses word accents to change rhythm, and creates moments of emotional drama and suspense, effectively painting the words. His most notable work is arguably the six part Opus musicum, 1577, a collection of 374 motets that cover the liturgical needs of

the entire ecclesiastical year.

The Biblical psalm 68 (67) is attributed to King David. It describes a triumphal procession of Jahweh; his return to the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, surrounded by musicians, dancers, and priests. Verse 29, used in this motet, confirms God as almighty. The Hebrew original could be translated literally: “Take your power, God, as befits you – the Godpower, which you wield for our benefit from your temple in Jerusalem.” It would seem to indicate that God had a hand in restoring the temple. The verse goes on to say that kings – probably foreign kings - will bring gifts for the God of Israel, acknowledging Jahweh and thus proving that Jahweh protects his people. God can turn enemies into friends.

Text Confirma hoc Deus, quod operatus es in nobis a templo tuo quod est in Jerusalem.

Alleluia Translation Confirm this, oh God, what you have caused in us from your temple in Jerusalem. Hallelujah **** Georg Friedrich Händel (1685 – 1756) De torrente in via bibet (He will drink from the brook by the way) from: Dixit Dominus (The Lord Said unto My Lord) HWV 232 (1707) Text: Psalm 110:7 Handel wrote his setting of the Psalm 110 (Vulgate: Psalm 109) in 1707, during his three years in Italy. The composer was only 21; this is his earliest extant piece of sacred music. It may have been commissioned by Cardinal Carlo Colonna, and was likely performed in Rome as part of the Vespers for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel that same year, conducted by Handel himself.

The psalm is both a royal and a messianic SOUNDINGS

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SPECIALS PROGRAM NOTES psalm; its author is King David. The first line might better be translated as “The Lord said to my master”; “Lord” refers to God, “master” to the (priest) king. The text dates to the early period of the Kingdom of Israel, ca. 1000 BPE. language is archaic, and the violent imagery owes much to Ancient Near Eastern texts and culture. 2600 years on, Oliver Cromwell used it as a battle song - not what its authors had in mind.

The “master” or king in the psalm may be Melchisedek, Abraham, David, or the Messiah; in the Christian tradition, the text refers to Jesus. Psalm 110 is the most quoted text in the New Testament; Jesus himself cites it at his trial (Matthew 26:64). As a cornerstone of Christian theology, it has been set to music

by Victoria, Monteverdi, Charpentier, Scarlatti, Vivaldi, Pergolesi, and Mozart – among others.

Handel‘s setting of last verse, which the Vienna Boys Choir sing as part of this programme, is a hauntingly beautiful duet. While the subject of the verse could be the master or king mentioned elsewhere, the sentence might also refer to the “poor man” of psalm 109; a faithful who seeks solace in God. The words call to mind the passage in Psalm 23, “he leads me beside still waters.”

Text De torrente in via bibet propterea exaltabit caput.

Translation He will drink from the brook by the way, therefore he will lift up his head. **** Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809) Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes (The Heavens tell the glory of God) No. 13 from: The Creation, Hob. XXII:2 Text: Gottfried van Swieten (1733 - 1803) Arr. Oliver Stech

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During his stay in England, Joseph Haydn came across the oratorios of G.F. Handel.

This inspired him to write an oratorio of his own. In London in 1795, theatre impresario Johannn Peter Salomon handed Haydn a poem called “The Creation of the World”; upon his return to Vienna Haydn passed it to Gottfried van Swieten, who recast the text into a libretto, in German, with a – Germanic – English version. Van Swieten drew on several sources; the book of Genesis, the Biblical psalms, and John Milton’s Paradise Lost. Even in those days, there were copyright issues, and Salomon briefly threatened to sue over the unauthorized use of the anonymous poem. The subject matter was very much the subject of contemporary debate, in particular following the discoveries of Isaac Newton and William Herschel.

It took Haydn almost two years to complete the Creation; when asked about this, the composer replied that he had taken a long time because he hoped it would last a long time. For him, it was clearly an act and a demonstration of his own faith.

The first performance at Palais Schwarzenberg in Vienna was a private affair, admission was by invitation only. Outside, hundreds of people crowded into the streets to catch an impression or simply to be present, and 30 special police were hired to keep order.

The performance was quite the event and the evening a huge success, with audience members writing glowing tributes afterwards.

Among the performers were the boys of the Imperial Chapel.

The first truly public performance took place at Vienna’s Burgtheater on 19 March 1799 was sold out far in advance. According to a contemporary account, when the audience broke into spontaneous applause at the coming of “light”, Haydn meekly pointed upwards and said, “Not from me. Everything comes from up there!”

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SPECIALS PROGRAM NOTES The chorus “Die Himmel erzählen”, sung at the end of the fourth day of God’s handiwork, is in celebratory C major, showing the triumph of light over dark – this is the day on which God separates light from dark, and places celestial bodies in the sky to illuminate Earth.

The use of the plural “Heavens” goes back to the Hebrew plural shamayim used in the Bible, and the Ancient Near Eastern idea that the skys cover earth in layers, like the skins of an onion. The firmament, canopy, by contrast, is the particular layer of sky containing the stars; the “handiwork” in question. Choral passages alternate with the three vocal soloists; this is followed by a choral fugue and a final homophonic section. At the end of the piece, Haydn adds coda onto coda, perhaps signifying the layers of heaven, perhaps attesting to a firm belief that there is no end to God’s creation.

Text Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes Und seiner Hände Werk zeigt an das Firmament.

Translation The Heavens tell the glory of God And what his hands have created is reflected in the firmament. **** Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809 - 1847) Ich harrete des Herrn (I waited for the Lord) from: Lobgesang (Songs of Praise, 1839), MWV A 18 Text: Psalm 42 (German translation by Martin Luther) Felix Mendelssohn grew up surrounded by culture. His family was wealthy and generous with it. They travelled widely, and had a large house where they entertained many prominent visitors, among them Humboldt and Hegel. The Mendelssohns, members of the German-Jewish aristocracy, converted from Judaism to Christianity in 1816.

The family saw to it that the four children had every possibility to learn. Felix, the second child, studied piano with Ludwig Berger and theory and composition with Karl Friedrich Zelter. At the age of nine, he gave his first public recital, at the age of ten, he became a member of the Berliner Singakademie. He was eleven when his own first compositions were publicly perfomed. A year later, he met Goethe, Carl Maria von Weber and Cherubini.

Thereafter, he turned out sonatas, concertos, string symphonies, piano quartets and Singspiele which revealed his increasing mastery of counterpoint and form.

In 1829, at the grand old age of 20, he directed a pioneering performance of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion at the Berlin Singakademie (with a reported chorus of 600 singers): this one performance (an “event”) put Bach firmly on the repertoire list for choirs. Mendelssohn was also famous as a festival organiser, he was associated especially with Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Lower Rhine and Birmingham music festivals. In 1843, he founded the Leipzig Conservatory and managed to recruit Robert Schumann and Moritz Hauptmann as teachers. His death at the age of 38, after a series of strokes, was mourned internationally.

Mendelssohn’s compositions show influences of Bach, Handel, Mozart, and Beethoven.

He clearly liked to be inspired by his surroundings; his music often has literary, artistic, historical, geographical or emotional connotations; the underlying ideas are easily accessible. “Lobgesang“ was written in 1839 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Gutenberg‘s invention of printing. It is a cross between a symphony and a cantata. Ich harrete des Herrn, i.e. the fifth movement of Lobgesang, is a duet for two sopranos; the text is Martin Luther‘s translation of Psalm 40:2 and 40:5a. Psalm 40 is a personal prayer attributed to King David, expressing deep trust in God and giving thanks.

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SPECIALS PROGRAM NOTES Text Ich harrete des Herrn, und er neigte sich zu mir und hörte mein Flehn.

Wohl dem, der seine Hoffnung setzt auf den Herrn!

Wohl dem, der seine Hoffnung setzt auf ihn!

Translation I waited (in hope) for the Lord, and he bent down to me and heard my crying.

Blessed he, who puts his trust in the Lord.

Blessed he, who puts his trust in Him. **** Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828) Goldner Schein (Golden radiance), D 357 Text: Friedrich von Matthisson (1761 – 1831) Franz Peter Schubert was born in Lichtenthal now a district of Vienna - in 1797. His father, a teacher, gave him violin and piano lessons. In 1808, 11-year-old Schubert auditioned for the imperial court choir and was given one of two places in the choir – this makes him one of the most famous alumni of the Vienna Boys’ Choir.

Antonio Salieri, who was the Imperial Director of Music at the time, became his teacher.

Schubert loved the music; he did well at the choir school and wrote his first compositions there, but he complained about the food, or rather lack thereof. He wrote to his elder brother Ferdinand, begging for an apple or some money, because “it is hard to subsist on gruel and to wait for hours from one paltry meal to the next”.

In spite of his enormous talent Schubert was never able to live off his music; he had to eke out a meagre living from teaching. First he worked as an assistant teacher at his father’s school, later he taught music at the Hungarian estate of Count Esterházy.

Schubert wrote eight symphonies, six masses and chamber music. He is most famous for his lieder, he wrote more than six hundred songs on poems by Goethe, Heine, Shakespeare PROGRAM 12

and others. Schubert died at the age of 31, possibly of typhoid fever, or of the supposed treatment for the illness.

Friedrich Matthison studied theology and literature in Halle. Whilst a student, he became a freemason. A nomad at heart, Matthison travelled widely. He was employed as a private tutor to a number of aristocratic families; for three years, he was the travelling companion of Princess Luise of Anhalt-Dessau. Eventually, he was appointed theatre director in Stuttgart by the King of Württemberg, who ennobled him. Matthison was personable and kind, and well liked by anyone who met him. His poetry was much respected and admired by contemporary audiences and contemporary writers; Beethoven and Schubert set his texts to music. “Goldner Schein” is a fine example of Early Romantic poetry in Germany; the original poem has nine verses.

Text Goldner Schein deckt den Hain mild beleuchten Zauberschimmer der umbuschten Waldburg Trümmer.

Translation Golden glow bedecks the grove, and a magical luster casts a mild light over the ruins of a forest castle therein. **** Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828) Widerspruch (Contradiction) opus 105/1 (D. 865) Text: Johann Gabriel Seidl (1804 - 1875) “Widerspruch”, orginally written in 1826 for four part men’s chorus and piano, is the first in a group of four songs that make up opus 105.

All four poems are by Johann Gabriel Seidl, a prolific writer and man of many trades.

Seidl, seven years Schubert’s junior, read law, published poems, essays, scientific articles and reviews, some under a pseudonym, and he also wrote the words of the contemporary

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SPECIALS PROGRAM NOTES Austrian national anthem (“God save Franz, the Emperor”). Later in life he became a member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and keeper of the imperial coin and antiques collection.

It is a popular romantic device to use descriptions of nature to reflect emotions. In Widerspruch (contradiction), the speaker lives through a whole gamut of emotions, charging through the woods. The contradiction is clear right from the start, where the narrow clashes with infinity. Seidl uses first person narrative to include the reader in his universe, entice you into the poem, or the woods as it were.

There is a sense of wild freedom, intoxicating, overwhelming, and almost unbearable. When you arrive on an outcrop you find yourself on top of the world, you are able to overlook everything, drunk on nature. And in one fell swoop, the space and freedom become oppressive. The atmosphere changes to anxiety, a tightening in the throat (ach, wie beschränkt, wie eng, wird mir’s im Luftgedräng).

Clouds threaten out of the blue, the red of the evening sky appears on the verge of collapsing, and all you want to do is crawl into a small space, take shelter, revert to the innocence and smallness of childhood. The moment does not last: at the end, the narrator is back to the beginning, crashing through the woods, risking his heart. It is the contradiction of human existence.

Text Wenn ich durch’ Busch und Zweig brech’ auf beschränktem Steig wird mir so weit so frei, will mir das Herz entzwei.

Rings dann im Waldeshaus rücken die Wänd’ hinaus, wölbt sich das Laubgemach hoch mir zum Schwindeldach, webt sich der Blätter schier jedes zur Schwinge mir, dass sich mein Herz so weit sehnt nach Unendlichkeit.

Doch wenn im weitem Raum hoch am Gebirgessaum über dem Thal ich steh’ nieder zum Thale seh’, ach, wie beschränkt, wie eng, wird mir’s im Luftgedräng!

Rings auf mein Haupt so schwer nicken die Wolken her, nieder zu stürzen droht rings mir das Abendroth, und in ein Kämmerlein sehnt sich mein Herz hinein.

Wenn ich durch’ Busch und Zweig brech’ auf beschränktem Steig wird mir so weit so frei, will mir das Herz entzwei.

Translation When I crash through bushes and undergrowth On the narrow footpath The feeling of vastness and freedom Would tear my heart in two.

All around me, my house of wood, The forest’s walls expand And my chamber of leaves arches Upwards, high, transforming itself into a dizzying roof, The leaves weave as though They were each one a wing for me, And my heart yearns so far For eternity.

But when I stand in such vastness High on the edge of the mountain Above the valley Looking down into the valley Oh, how closed in, how tight Is my chest!

Around me, on to my head, The clouds crowd and nod down heavily, And around me the evening red Threatens to come crashing down And my heart yearns To creep away into a little room.

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SPECIALS PROGRAM NOTES Sind mir immerdar mein Trost.

When I crash through bushes and undergrowth On the narrow footpath The feeling of vastness and freedom Would tear my heart in two. **** Der 23. Psalm (Psalm 23), D 706 Text: Biblical The 23rd psalm bears the title “The good shepherd”, it is one of the most popular psalms of King David. The good (and just) shepherd is an epithet used for gods (and kings) throughout the Ancient Near East.

It was duty of the king or the city deity to provide for the people and keep them from harm, in the same way in which a shepherd looks after his flock: I shall not want. The last two verses describe a festive banquet, in fact the ultimate - funereal - banquet, and God himself anoints the believer – a gesture of hospitality extended in the Near East.

Schubert wrote this piece for formidable singer Anna Fröhlich (1793 - 1880) and her pupils in December of 1820. The aptly named Ms Fröhlich - the name means cheerful - had a way with words; her requests were not to be denied. The poetic German translation sung today is by philosopher Moses Mendelssohn (1729 – 1786), Felix Mendelssohn’s grandfather.

Text Gott ist mein Hirt, mir wird nichts mangeln Er weidet mich auf grüner Aue, Er führet mich zum frischen Wasser, Sein Wort erquicket meine Seele.

Er führet mich auf rechter Straße Um seines Namens willen.

Und wall‘ ich auch im Todesschattentale, so fürchte ich kein Unglück, denn Du bist bei mir.

Dein Stab und Deine Stütze PROGRAM 14

Du richtest mir ein Freudenmahl Im Angesicht der Feinde zu, Du salbst mein Haupt mit Öle Und schenkst mir volle Becher ein.

Mir folget Heil und Seligkeit In diesem Leben nach, Einst ruh‘ ich ew‘ge Zeit Dort in des Ew’gen Haus.

Translation God is my shepherd, I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my aching soul, He leads me on the right path To honour his name.

And though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil: For you watch over me.

Your rod and your staff Comfort me always.

You prepare a banquet for me Before my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil And fill my cup to the brim.

Goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life.

And I shall dwell forever In the House of the eternal God. **** John V. Mochnick (*1942) Ave Maria (Hail Mary) After studying music at Heidelberg College Conservatory, Indiana University and the University of Cincinnati, John Mochnick taught for thirty-five years at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL. He has distinguished himself as a choral and

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SPECIALS PROGRAM NOTES orchestral conductor. Upon retiring, Mochnick, who plays both piano and trumpet, formed his own jazz ensemble in North Carolina.

by Mahalia Jackson, by Elvis Presley, by Bing Crosby, and – in 2011 – by “Dr. House” Hugh Laurie.

Mochnick has published almost forty works for choir, and he has 29 original jazz compositions to his credit. His “Ave Maria” is a favourite with choirs. The Hail Mary is a Catholic prayer asking Mary to intercede on one’s behalf; it uses two quotes from the gospel of Luke.

The battle described in Joshua 6:15-21 is not certainly not historic; but the idea of bringing down fortified walls by blowing trumpets (or rather shofaroth) is not without charm. For the slaves, it would have been a metaphor for the escape from slavery, for achieving freedom.

Text Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.

Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.

Text Joshua fit the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho, Joshua fit the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down.

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.

Amen.

You may talk about your king of Gideon, you may talk about your man of Saul, there‘s none like good old Joshua at the battle of Jericho Chorus

Translation Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death Amen. **** Joshua fit the battle of Jericho Traditional Spiritual Arr. Rollo Dilworth “Joshua” is a traditional African-American spiritual, which originated among the slave population in the early 19th century. It was first published in two different song collections in 1882, M.G. Slayton’s Jubilee Songs, and Marshall W. Taylor’s A Collection of Revival Hymns and Plantation Melodies. It was first recorded in 1922 by Harrod’s Jubilee Singers.

Since then, it has been sung, among others,

Up to the walls of Jericho he marched with spear in hand, “Go blow them ram-horns” Joshua cried, “’cause the battle is in my hand.”

Chorus Then the lamb ram sheep horns begin a blow, trumpets begin a sound.

Joshua commanded the children to shout, and the walls came tumbling down.

Chorus

— INTERMISSION —

SOUNDINGS

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SPECIALS PROGRAM NOTES John Kander (*1927) Theme from New York, New York Text: Fred Ebb (1928 - 2004) Arr. Frank Metis This classic song was originally written for Liza Minelli, who sings it in Martin Scorsese‘s 1977 film “New York, New York” starring Minelli and Robert de Niro.

From 1978 on, Frank Sinatra sang it at practically all his concerts – the song has since become an unofficial anthem of the city that never sleeps.

Text Start spreadin‘ the news, I‘m leavin‘ today I want to be a part of it New York, New York These vagabond shoes are longing to stray Right through the very heart of it New York, New York I want to wake up, in a city that doesn‘t sleep And find I‘m king of the hill Top of the heap These little town blues are melting away I‘ll make a brand new start of it In old New York If I can make it there, I‘ll make it anywhere It‘s up to you, New York, New York I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps And find I‘m a number one, top of the list King of the hill, a number one These little town blues . . . **** Sylvia Robinson, Bert Keyes, Shawn Carter, Angela Hunter, Alicia Augello-Cook, Janet Sewell, Al Shuckburgh Empire State of Mind (Part II) Arr. Ben Parry

PROGRAM 16

Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down is a song by Alicia Keys, written for her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom. It was written in answer to Jay-Z’s hit “Empire State of Mind”, which featured Keys.

Keys’s version is highly popular, and features on the soundtrack of the 2010 film “Sex and the City 2”.

Text Ooh, New York Ooh, New York Grew up in a town That is famous as a place of movie scenes Noise is always loud There are sirens all around And the streets are mean If I could make it here I could make it anywhere That‘s what they say Seeing my face in lights Or my name in marquees Found down on Broadway Even if it ain‘t all it seems I got a pocketful of dreams Baby, I‘m from New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of There‘s nothing you can‘t do Now you‘re in New York These streets will make you feel brand new The big lights will inspire you Hear it for New York, New York, New York On the avenue There ain‘t never a curfew Ladies work so hard Such a melting pot On the corner selling rock Preachers pray to God Hail a gypsy cab Takes me down from Harlem to the Brooklyn Bridge Someone sleeps tonight with a hunger For more than from an empty fridge

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SPECIALS PROGRAM NOTES I‘m going to make it by any means I got a pocketful of dreams Baby, I‘m from New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of There‘s nothing you can‘t do Now you‘re in New York These streets will make you feel brand new The big lights will inspire you Hear it for New York, New York, New York One hand in the air for the big city Street lights, big dreams, all looking pretty No place in the world that could compare Put your lighters in the air Everybody say yeah, yeah In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of There‘s nothing you can‘t do Now you‘re in New York These streets will make you feel brand new The big lights will inspire you Hear it for New York. **** Billy Joel (*1949) Vienna (1977) Arr. Bomi Kim Billy Joel was born in the Bronx and raised in Oyster Bay. His father and paternal grandparents had fled Europe to escape the Nazis; his father Howard married a Jewish girl from Brooklyn. His parents split up when he was 8 years old; his father, a Classical pianist, returned to Europe and settled in Vienna.

His mother insisted on piano lessons for her son – she knew he was gifted. At school, he was bullied about his music, and Joel took up boxing to defend himself. He played gigs all over New York to help his mother make ends meet. As a result, he did not graduate from High School.

Years later, Billy Joel tracked down his estranged father in Vienna. He loved the city

and its genteel pace; Vienna was the place where he reconnected with his father, and a place where cultures and generations mixed.

Older people were very much part of the city’s cultural life; everyone seemed to have time. Billy Joel coined the phrase “Vienna Waits for You“, used in 2010 by the Vienna Tourist Board as a slogan. This brings to mind another saying, attributed to one Gustav Mahler, “When the world comes to an end, I shall move to Vienna. Everything happens fifty years later there.“ The song was first released on Joel’s 1977 album The Stranger. In 2008, Joel himself named it in a New York Times interview as one of his favourite pieces, a song about celebrating life at any age.

Text Slow down, you crazy child You‘re so ambitious for a juvenile But then if you‘re so smart, then tell me Why are you still so afraid?

Where‘s the fire, what‘s the hurry about?

You‘d better cool it off before you burn it out You‘ve got so much to do and Only so many hours in a day But you know that when the truth is told That you can get what you want or you get old You‘re gonna kick off before you even get halfway through When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

Slow down, you‘re doing fine You can‘t be everything you want to be before your time Although it‘s so romantic on the borderline tonight Too bad but it‘s the life you lead You‘re so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need Though you can see when you‘re wrong, you know You can‘t always see when you‘re right, you‘re right SOUNDINGS

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SPECIALS PROGRAM NOTES You‘ve got your passion, you‘ve got your pride But don‘t you know that only fools are satisfied?

Dream on, but don‘t imagine they‘ll all come true When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

Slow down, you crazy child And take the phone off the hook and disappear for awhile It‘s all right, you can afford to lose a day or two When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

And you know that when the truth is told That you can get what you want or you can just get old You‘re gonna kick off before you even get half through Why don‘t you realize, Vienna waits for you When will you realize, Vienna waits for you? **** Folk song from Upper Austria Es gibt schene Wasserl (There are beautiful waters) Arr. Gerald Wirth Alpine folk songs deal with people’s daily lives: herding, hunting, poaching, milking, carting, logging, dancing, loving and dying – things that are done everywhere around the world.

The Alps and the yodels simply add the local flavor.

There are certain characteristics that are easy to recognise. The melody is usually sung by the middle voice, and the exposed voices (high and low) twist around the melody. Many songs include yodels or joyful shouting similar to yodelling – yodels were used in the Alps to communicate across valleys.

style. The pace picks up in the chorus, which mentions Linz, the capital of Upper Austria.

Text: Es gibt schene Wasserl, es gibt kalte Brünn, es gibt saubre Dianderl in der Steiermark drin.

I pfeif auf die Wasserl, i pfeif auf die Brünn, ja weil i a Mühlviertler bin.

Geh Dianderl, bist launi? Geh, sei wieder guat, greif her auf mein Herzerl, wias hammerschlagen tuat.

Es hammert und schlagt ja nur allweil für di, geh, Diandl, sei gscheit und liab mi.

Draufgsangl: Drum san ma Landsleut, linzerische Buama, Kauf ma uns a Sträußerl, steck mas uns auf Hüaterl, drum san ma Landsleut, linzerische Buam.

Translation: There are beautiful waters, there are cold wells, There are shapely lasses in Styria.

I don’t care about the waters, I don’t care about the wells, Since I am from the mill district.

Come on, lass, are you cross? Come on, be good again, Touch my heart, how it beats like a hammer.

It hammers and beats just for you, Come on, lass, be clever and love me.

Chorus: That’s why we’re countrymen, young men from Linz, Let’s buy a bunch of flowers and attach it to our hats.

That’s why we’re countrymen, young men from Linz! ****

This song is a cross between a dance, a local song, and a love song. Traditionally, it would have been performed while dancing around the maypole, in the slow, measured “German” PROGRAM 18

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SPECIALS PROGRAM NOTES Wia schean is, wann i siag die Sunn aufgehn (How beautiful it is to see the sun rise) Folk song from Carinthia Arr. Gerald Wirth Text Wia schean is, wann i siag di Sunn aufgehn und die Vogalan in Wald, dö singan schen.

In der Maienzeit, ja wann der Kuckuck schreit, ja herts, ös Leitlan, des is mei Freid.

Jodler Wann der Gamsbock her übers Riegerl springt und die Sennarin so frohe Liada singt, in der Maienzeit, ja wann der Kuckuck schreit, da sagt die Sennarin, des is mei Freid.

Jodler Translation How beautiful it is to see the sun rise And the birds in the forest, they sing beautifully.

In May, when the cuckoo cries, Yes, listen, you guys, that is my pleasure.

Yodel When the mountain goat jumps across the fence, And the dairymaid sing jolly songs, In May, when the cuckoo cries, Says the dairymaid, that is my pleasure.

Yodel **** Florian Maierl (*1985) Da Ådler (The Eagle) Text: Paul Bremberger, Sebastian Schmid, Florian Maierl Florian Maierl was born in Styria. He studied music in Vienna and Helsinki, and now teaches at Mozarteum University in Salzburg. He has founded and conducted a number of choirs in Austria, among them Chorus Viennensis, the Vienna Boys Choir‘s men‘s chorus. Maierl is well known for his choral pieces, he writes sacred and secular music, with a penchant for

Alpine folk songs and the different styles of yodelling. „Da Ådler“ (The Eagle) is a modern, artful take on a yodel; a spoof which shows just what a yodel can do. The three voices seem to perform a vocal dance around each other. The text uses the syllables normally encountered in yodelling, “hui”, “du(i)”, lots of vowels with the odd sung l in between. However, if you read between the lines (and in Austrian dialect), there are real words, strung together as a joke. The “Adler” of the title (literally “eagle”) is a word for a person spreading manure on a field – literally. Or figuratively.

Ultimately, the yodelling grinds to a halt: The song pokes fun at itself.

Text Heit adl‘t i, du Dodl du, z‘wohl auf da Alm. Ob i di aba eh ahui, oda aba ned ahui, bei da Nocht.

Translation Today, I will spread manure, you pillock, probably on the alp.

But whether I will pick you up, or not, at night - who knows? **** Hermann Leopoldi (1888 – 1959) Schön ist so ein Ringelspiel (Such a roundabout is wonderful) Viennese Song Text: Peter Herz (1895 – 1987) Arr. Bomi Kim The Viennese song is a genre of music that evolved in the first half of the nineteenth century. Initially, the songs were anonymous, and they were circulated chiefly by the ‘man on the street’, often in bars and restaurants.

Some were printed on flyers. They were often rude and bawdy; some had political content.

Many Wienerlieder were pure escapism, telling stories of spring time and love and outings in the park. Death was also a popular theme, in SOUNDINGS

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SPECIALS PROGRAM NOTES keeping with the Viennese character.

The music is maudlin and melancholy; they use elements of the Viennese waltz, operettas, marches and Austrian folk music, especially yodels which are used to great effect.

Text Treten s’ ein, nur herein, größter Jux für groß und klein!

Jeder Schimmel neu lackiert, Werkel frisch geschmiert!

Eine Fuhr, eine Tour kostet 20 Groschen nur, eine Reise voller Spaß, ohne Reisepaß!

Jeder hutscht sich wie er kann, Vorwärts, gemmas an!

Schön ist so ein Ringelspiel! Das is a Hetz und kost net viel.

Damit auch der kleine Mann sich eine Freude leisten kann.

Immer wieder fährt ma weg und draht si doch am selben Fleck.

Man kann sagen, was man will, schön ist so ein Ringelspiel.

Translation Come in, come in, this is great fun for old and young!

Every horse has been freshly painted, and the machine has just been oiled.

One ride, one turn costs only 20 groschen, It is a fun trip, and you won’t need a passport!

Everybody rocks as much as he can, go on, let’s get going.

Such a roundabout is wonderful! It is fun and doesn’t cost much.

Everyone can afford this pleasure.

You depart again and again, and all without leaving.

Say what you will, such a roundabout is wonderful. ****

PROGRAM 20

Rudolf Sieczyński (1879 - 1952) Wien, du Stadt meiner Träume (Vienna, City of My Dreams) Opus 1 (1912) Arr. Gerald Wirth Sieczynski, a civil servant born and bred in Vienna, was also active as a writer and composer; he was the president of the Austrian composers’ association in the 1920s, 1930s and late 1940s. He has not many compositions to his name, but his opus 1 proved to be an international and enduring hit.

Wien, Wien, nur du allein – a serenade to the city of waltz - is arguably the most famous Wienerlied; it is the epitome of the terms Kitsch, Schmalz and Gemütlichkeit, for which there is no real English translation. It was written with a melancholy eye turned towards the past, and indicates perhaps that, to a certain extent, time stands still in Vienna.

Viennese intellectuals, among them Alfred Polgar and Karl Kraus, have all used lines from this song for sarcastic purposes – the song is instantly recognizable -, and in 1939, during the Nazi period, composer Arnold Schönberg changed the second line in a letter into “sollst stets von allen verachtet sein” (shall always be despised by all), keeping both the original rhyme and rhythm.

Text Wien, Wien, nur du allein sollst stets die Stadt meiner Träume sein, dort wo die alten Häuser steh’n, dort wo die lieblichen Mädchen geh’n, dort wo ich glücklich und selig bin, ist Wien, mein Wien.

Translation Vienna, only you shall be the city of my dreams.

Where the old houses are, where beautiful girls take walks, where I am happy and ecstatic: that is Vienna, my Vienna.

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SPECIALS PROGRAM NOTES Josef Strauss (1827 – 1870) Feuerfest! (Fireproof ) Text: Rudolf Effenberger / Elke Wirth, Arr. Gerald Wirth French polka, opus 269

Und der Amboss, der schreit auf!

Josef Strauss was the younger brother of the waltz king. He did not see himself as a musician: Josef was an engineer, and quite happy in his profession. He invented a street cleaning machine for the Viennese magistrate.

In 1853, his brother Johann suffered a nervous breakdown, and the entire family begged Josef to step in for his brother: the family depended on the concerts for their livelihood. Josef, who hated being the centre of attention, finally gave in and conducted the Strauss Kapelle whenever his brother was unable to do so.

So schlägt der Hammer auf den Amboss, auf das heisse und das harte Eisen.

Schlägt und klopft, dass die Funken fliegen, doch das heisse Eisenstück ist feuerfest!

Feuerfest – fireproof – was a slogan used by the Wertheim company in the mid - 1800s to advertise their safes. The company put its products to a number of spectacular fire tests: papers stored in a Wertheim safe emerged unscathed from a baking session in a kiln. In 1869, Wertheim built its 20 000th safe, and commissioned Josef Strauss to write the eponymous polka in celebration of the event.

Text Sagt der Amboss zu dem schweren Hammer: „Warum trifft mich denn dein Schlag so hart?

Lieber Hammer, schau, beacht’, bedenke, wir sind beide doch von gleicher Art.“

Schlag drauf mit aller Kraft, schlag mit dem Hammer drein!

Das Eisen muss behauen sein.

Am Werktag ist ein jeder Schmiedgesell verrusst, teufelschwarz hinein bis in das Fell.

Die Hände, Haare, auch das Gesicht sieht man voller Russ, voller Staub fast nicht.

Am Sonntag ist er sauber und rein, geputzt wie die grossen Herren fein.

Im neuen Rock, die Schuhe frisch gelackt, so tanzt mit dem Mädel er im Polkatakt.

Wie froh ist der Hammerschmiedgeselle wenn er den Hammer schwingt.

Leuchten seine Augen helle, wenn hell das Eisen klingt.

Mit Schwung wendet er das Eisen schnelle, damit es gut gelingt!

Hat er es fertig dann kommt schon ein neues dran, lustig fängt er wieder dann zu hämmern an.

Coda: Feuerfest! Klang! Klang! Klang!

Dieses alte Sprichwort las ich einmal, und es kommt mir klug und weise vor, aufgeschrieben, schön und fein verzieret über einer Schmiede Tor.

Translation Says the anvil to the heavy hammer “Why does your beating hit me so hard?

Dear hammer, please think about this, We are one of a kind.”

Und der Hammer sprach: „Wir beide sind ja von Eisen und von Stahl.

Klopf’ ich fest auf deinen Rücken, dann gibt es frohen Widerhall.“

I read this old saying once, and it seems very wise to me, it was engraved and beautifully adorned above a smithy.

Leuchtend rot und heiss erstrahlt es im Feuer, Blasebalg bläst ein.

Und der Hammer, der schlägt drauf!

The hammer said: “We are both made of iron, of steel.

If I hit your backside hard, SOUNDINGS

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SPECIALS PROGRAM NOTES There is a lovely echo.”

Bright red and hot (the iron) shines in the fire, the bellows blow air.

The hammer hits hard, The anvil screams in return.

Hit with all your might, Hit with the hammer.

The iron must be forged.

And the hammer hits the anvil, Hits the hot and hard iron.

Hits and beats so hard sparks fly, But the hot iron is fireproof.

On a work day, each apprentice is black with soot all over his skin.

Hands, hair, the entire face Obscured by soot and dust.

On Sundays, he is clean and bright as a button, turned out like a gentleman.

With a new coat, freshly polished shoes, He dances the polka with his girl.

How happy is the smith’s apprentice When he uses the hammer.

His eyes shine At the clanging sound of the iron.

He turns the iron over quickly, To ensure the best results.

Once he is done He takes the next piece, And begins to hammer again cheerfully.

Coda: Fireproof! Ding! Ding! Ding!

PROGRAM 22

Josef Strauss (1827 – 1870) For Ever!

Text: Tina Breckwoldt, Arr. Gerald Wirth Fast polka, opus 193 Josef Strauss was the younger brother of the waltz king. He did not see himself as a musician: Josef was an engineer, and quite happy in his profession. He invented a street cleaning machine for the Viennese magistrate.

In 1853, his brother Johann suffered a nervous breakdown, and the entire family begged Josef to step in for his brother: the family depended on the concerts for their livelihood. Josef, who hated being the centre of attention, finally gave in and conducted the Strauss Kapelle whenever his brother was unable to do so.

For Ever! was written for a charity ball in February 1866. Strauss had plans to travel to England, which might account for the English title, but the trip never came about. The little known, jolly polka was arranged for the Vienna Boys Choir in 2012 and given English lyrics. It has just been released by Deutsche Grammophon on the choir’s newest and eponymous album. **** Johann Strauss II (1825 -1899) Wiener Blut opus 354 Arr. Gerald Wirth Wiener Blut was written for and first performed at the court opera’s annual ball on 22 April 1873, by the opera’s own orchestra conducted by its composer. Strauss donated the composition and its proceeds to the court opera’s pension fund. Later editions bear a dedication to King Christian IX of Denmark, and Strauss reused the waltz in the eponymous operetta, which was discovered only after his death.

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SPECIALS PROGRAM NOTES Text Wiener Blut, Wiener Blut, lockt zum Tanz, macht das Herz frohgemut.

Freudig klingt, hoch beschwingt, unser Lied, das die Herzen bezwingt.

Jeder Mann, jede Frau, jedes Kind, ohn’ Unterschied, singt freudig mit das Walzerlied, selbst die Vögel im Wald, dass es hallt, singen mit Lust und Vetter Specht, der klopft den Takt dazu.

Die Mädchen, sie tanzen im Walzerschritt, sind ganz vergnügt und still beglückt, wenn die Burschen sich dreh’n im Dreivierteltakt und ein Herz das andere fragt.

Und die Schürzen, die Kleider, sie drehen sich bunt und sie wirbeln im Takt in der fröhlichen Rund, und ob alt oder jung, alles lachet und singt und die Herzen, sie schlagen, sie jauchzen so beschwingt.

Und vom Kahl’nberg über Nussdorf hin, übers ganze Wien mit dem Steffel drin, hörst du singen, hörst du klingen fein ein Lied, das lustig und frohgemut, s’ist Wiener Blut.

In den Strassen, den Gassen, dem Häusermeer, es freut dich so sehr, dein Herz klopft viel mehr, wenn Walzermusik von Lanner und Strauss von überall tönt heraus.

Das ist mein Wien, du allein lässt überglücklich uns nun sein, du meine Stadt, du mein Traum, bist für mich ein Blütentraum.

Translation Viennese spirits, make you want to dance, make your heart light; cheerful and fast, that is our song, drawing you in.

Every man, woman, child, without fail, sings along happily, even the birds in the forest sing loudly, with gusto, and cousin woodpecker keeps the beat.

The girls dance the waltz, completely happy and quietly content, as the boys dance in three four time, as one heart joins the other.

The aprons and dresses whirl by as colors, they whirl to the beat of the cheerful assembly, old and young, everyone is laughing and singing, hearts beating fast and rejoicing.

From Kahlenberg to Nussdorf, in all of Vienna with St. Stephen’s Cathedral in its centre, you hear singing, you hear music, a cheerful, joyful song that is Viennese spirit.

In the streets and alleys, in the houses, and you are happy, your heart beating fast, as waltzes by Lanner and Strauss are heard.

That is my Vienna, you alone make us deliriously happy, my city, my dream, you are a splendid dream to me.

I dance, I jump, I laugh, I sing, am forever cheerful and happy.

Ich tanze, ich springe, ich lache, ich singe, bin lustig und frohgemut immer, immerzu.

Notes (c) Tina Breckwoldt

SOUNDINGS

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