Hebrides in
I. Lebhaft
II. Scherzo: Sehr mäßig
III. Nicht schnell
IV. Feierlich
V. Lebhaft
Robert SchumannPremiered June 1810, Beethoven’s Egmont consists of a set of ten pieces (including the Overture) for soprano, optional male narrator and orchestra. It is based on a 1787 play by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe which recounts the 16th century rebellion of Count Egmont against Spanish domination in the Netherland. Its subject being of particular relevance as the work was composed during the Napoleonic Wars.
The overture starts with strong chords and has an ominous quality that introduces the main theme. This is followed by the energetic exposition section in 3/4 time which depicts the fight of Count Egmont against the oppressors. After deviating to a minor key, followed by a recapitulation section, the work moves to the coda to portray victory. It grows from soft to loud, features a rumbling timpani and a triumphant fanfare in the brass finally ending in tonic chords. While the overture is programmatic, it can stand on its own. It even became the unofficial anthem of the 1956 Hungarian revolution.
Schumann’s music can be characterized by introspectiveness, deep emotion, tumult and playfulness, all of which can be found in this work. His symphonies hearken to quintessential German Romanticism, yet honour German Classical form. He composed “Rhenish” in 1850, after becoming music director in Düsseldorf, a city along the Rhine River. With it, he wanted to capture the spirit of the German Rhineland, the area which borders France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. He had developed a true new style, full of contrapuntal, rhythmic and harmonic dissonances. Written in five movements, the work is tied together with intervallic mottos (perfect 4ths and major 6ths).
The First Movement, Lebhaft, has a rousing primary theme and is followed by a more lyrical second theme introduced by the woodwinds. The Second Movement is a folkish Ländler set as a triple time Scherzo & Trio, ending with delightful harmonic crunches. The Third Movement is gentle and calm, evoking perhaps the beautiful Rhine countryside. Feierlich (Solemnly), the Fourth Movement, is an iconic part of this symphony. In the autograph manuscript,
Schumann had originally written “im Charakter der Begleitung einer feierlichen Ceremonie” (in the style of music incidental to a solemn ceremony), but scratched it out. Some sources say the movement was inspired by his visit to Cologne Cathedral. It conjures up a grandiose but solemn chorale, brought forth by the bassoons, horns and trombones. The Fifth Movement is a rousing duple meter rustic dance and fanfare, leaving the listener at the end breathless in its vivacity. Schumann himself premiered this symphony.
A 20 year old Mendelssohn’s three week trip to Scotland in 1829, served as a muse, of sorts, for his third symphony but he was most moved to create The Hebrides. In fact, so much so that he wrote the work’s first theme immediately, even sharing it with others through correspondence. While the work was completed in 1830, Mendelssohn later revised it for its premiere performance in London in May 1832.
This programme music depicts Mendelssohn’s experience, which he described as the oil (the engine of the steam ship he travelled on) and seagulls and dead fish. Further than that, it captures the constantly changing nature of Scotland’s Hebrides area (including Fingal sea cave) from storm to calm (loneliness and solitude). The work paints pictures of sea swell (with surges in the cellos and basses) and a storm (increased in tempo, turbulent oscillations). Of note, is the beautiful restatement of the second theme near the end with the first clarinet which is joined by the second clarinet providing a sense of calm. The storm starts up again leading to the end of the work.
Brazilian-born Danielle Lisboa leads an active career as an orchestral conductor, music educator and scholar, regularly conducting community and professional ensembles. Lisboa holds a doctorate in orchestral conducting from the Eastman School of Music University of Rochester. On arriving in Canada in 2008, she became Orchestra Toronto’s first apprentice conductor, was named assistant conductor two months later and shortly after was appointed the orchestra’s music director and conductor. During her tenure, Lisboa became known for her cutting-edge programming and public engagement. Her vision and dynamic leadership took Orchestra Toronto into new paths for outreach and youth initiatives, including the Marta Hidy Concerto Competition and the popular annual children’s concerts. Two years later she led Bellus Barbari, the Toronto Women’s Symphony Orchestra, in its inaugural Ontario tour.
Lisboa currently serves as Associate Professor of Music at Concordia University of Edmonton in the areas of conducting and music theory. Lisboa is former music director and co-founder of the Edmonton Metropolitan Orchestra and continues to maintain an active presence in the community with the Edmonton Philharmonic Orchestra in outreach concerts to local continuing care hospitals and schools.
Her current research interests encompass topics of women and leadership on the orchestral podium and analysis and transcription of sacred rituals of native peoples of Brazil with recent partnerships and publications in Portugal and Brazil. Lisboa reinstated the Concordia Symphony Orchestra as a new ensemble in fall of 2017. She spearheaded Concordia’s first operatic project, developed a summer string camp for youth, and a provincial concerto competition. Most recently, she led the Orchestral Training and Leadership workshop to mentor young conductors and orchestral players into leadership roles. Recent speaking engagements included a presentation on the status of the Maestra in today’s podium at the International Conductors Guild Conference in Valencia, Spain in January 2023.
Frank Ho
Allan Nelson
Daniel Graf
Arwen Bylsma
Raymond Leung*
Marie Krejcar
Natalie Tederoff**
Harold Steinbrenner
Song Gee
Nataliia Antepli
Darrell Soetaert
Anna Schultz
Alan Dunn
Joe Dupuis
John Fedor
Katarina Loutas**
Sharon Toronchuk
Robi Szabo
Ryan Hoffman
Frances Elgaard
BASS
Victor Sanchez Rodriguez
Dante Wright*
Jennifer Gregory
Rock Larochelle
OBOE
Stephanie Wong*
Natalie Dies
Douglas Ridgway
Yoko Ruigrok
Martin Grasdal
Ross McLean
Jasper Whitby
Catherine Labbe
Nancy Stepney
Heidi Schwonik
Fenton Corey
David Salmon
Ken Burns
Rodger Weir
Sunday, April 23 at 7 PM
Winspear Centre for the Arts
Come experience a one-of-a-kind sound blend of Eastern and Western instruments on the stage of the Winspear Centre. The concert “East Meets West” brings together the BC Chinese Music Ensemble of Vancouver and the Concordia Symphony Orchestra in a unique musical exchange of Oriental and Occidental tones.
The centerpiece of the program is the piano concerto Yellow River - a staple of Chinese culture. This new edition of the work, arranged for the “Bamboo and Maple Festival” by Mark Armanini, incorporates ten Chinese traditional instruments alongside its Western counterparts. They will be performed by the BC Chainese Music Ensemble chamber players and include the Dizi, the Sheng, the Yangqin, the Pipa, the Zheng, and the Erhu among others.
Tickets available at TIX on the Square ($20, $30, $50)
Saturday, March 25 2023 at 7 PM
Tegler Centre
Repertoire includes: Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 (CSO Nucleus strings), Mozart’s Flute Quartet, Beethoven’s Oboe Trio in C major, Brahms’ Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano in E-Flat Major, and Ravel’s Piano Trio in A minor, among other pieces.
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We commit to performing the work of living Canadian composers and underrepresented minorities and to promote talented local musicians and community groups in guest artist performances. The CSO concert experience is a reflection of Edmonton’s ethnic diversity. We are proud to champion promising Albertan virtuosi with a provincial level competition: The Concordia Concerto Competition for Youth.
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