04.26.2026 | Pacific Symphony with Carl St. Clair Program

Pacific Symphony

plays Haydn & Mendelssohn with Carl St.Clair cond., feat. Vitaly Starikov, piano

Sunday, April 26, 2026 | 3PM Soka Performing Arts Center at Soka University of America

PROGRAM

HAYDN

Symphony No. 88 in G Major Adagio - Allegro Largo Menuetto: Allegretto Finale: Allegro con spirito

MENDELSSOHN

Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25 Molto allegro con fuoco Andante Presto - Molto allegro e vivace

ABOUT THE PROGRAM Symphony No. 88 in G Major FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN

Born March 31, 1732, Rohrau Died May 31, 1809, Vienna Haydn spent thirty years as Kapellmeister to the Esterhazy family at their estates on the plain east of Vienna. If, as Haydn observed, that isolation forced him “to become original,” it also had the unfortunate effect of cutting him off from mainstream European musical life.

Only gradually did his extraordinary achievement with the symphony and string quartet become known to musicians across Europe. By the 1780s, when Haydn was in his third decade with the Esterhazys, his prince finally allowed him to accept commissions from outside, and suddenly he had many requests for symphonies. For a concert series in Paris, he wrote his Symphonies No. 82-87 (known as the “Paris symphonies”), and for his two trips to England he composed his final twelve symphonies (Nos. 93-104), inevitably known as the “London symphonies.”

Between these two great cycles, Haydn composed five individual symphonies, probably all of them written with Parisian audiences in mind. He wrote the first two, Nos. 88 and 89, in 1787, at exactly the same moment Mozart was composing Don Giovanni in Vienna. One of the violinists in the Esterhazy orchestra, Johann Tost, was about to visit Paris, and Haydn sent the manuscripts of these two symphonies along with him, asking him to see to their publication. And here things got messy. Apparently Tost began to

play fast and loose, throwing in a symphony by another composer and passing all three off as the work of Haydn, arranging deals of his own, and not forwarding any of the receipts. Back in Austria, Haydn got wind of this and fired off letters to friends in France suggesting legal action. The matter appears to have been settled satisfactorily: Tost and Haydn were soon on good enough terms that the composer dedicated three sets of quartets to the violinist.

The first of the symphonies Tost took with him to Paris, the Symphony No. 88 in G Major, has always been one of Haydn’s most popular–it was recorded several times in the 1930s, when audiences knew hardly any of Haydn’s symphonies, and it remains a favorite today of both performers and listeners.

When he wrote this music, Haydn was 55 years old and at the height of his powers. The Symphony No. 88 is compact (only about twenty minutes long), but it manages to be both very sophisticated and very appealing at the same time–there is something utterly infectious about this music. It also appears to have rushed out of Haydn at white heat: his biographer H.C. Robbins Landon reports that the manuscript is a mess, full of blots and mistakes– Haydn was desperately trying to get this music on paper as fast as it was occurring to him.

The first movement opens with a slow introduction full of grand and solemn chords. The music pauses, then steps out briskly at the Allegro as violins present a tune that seems almost childlike in its

ABOUT THE PROGRAM simplicity. But the wonder is what Haydn then does with this “simple” little tune. The entire movement grows out of this theme, and–rather than introducing new ideas–Haydn builds the entire structure here out of intervals, bits, and rhythms of this spirited opening idea.

The Largo takes us into an entirely different world. Not only is the tempo slow, but the gestures are broad and dignified, the sound unique: the main melody, for instance, is first presented as a duet between solo oboe and solo cello.

The movement unfolds as a series of repetitions of this noble theme, and Haydn gives it a subtly different color on each reappearance.

There are surprises along the way, including huge outbursts from the entire orchestra, full of the sound of timpani and trumpets, instruments that (strangely) had sat silent throughout the first movement. This Largo has attracted many admirers, including Brahms, who is reported to have said that he wanted his Ninth Symphony to sound like this movement.

The third movement brings another sharp change: after the poised dignity of the second movement, this is a rollicking minuet. The most striking feature here comes in the trio section, where oboes and violins sing an agreeable little melody over a drone from bassoons and violas.

This effect has led to a nickname for this symphony in German-speaking countries: Mit dem Dudelsack (“with the bagpipe”).

Haydn marks the finale Allegro con

spirito, and spirited it certainly is.

The principal theme feels like a first cousin to the main theme of the first movement, and this movement is just as infectious as the first, with its happy main theme used as the basis for a rondo. But once again Haydn slips in surprises. He separates reappearances of the rondo theme with some really brilliant passages for the violins, with both first and second violins playing in unison.

And along the way he throws in some deft canonic extension of his main theme. That sounds cerebral, but–at the movement’s breathless tempo–it’s all part of the fun.

In fact, this whole symphony is fun. It is no surprise at all that over the last two centuries audiences all over the world have loved this music.to offer a third before five powerful chords cut the movement off abruptly.

Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Opus 25 FELIX MENDELSSOHN

Born February 3, 1809, Hamburg Died November 4, 1847, Leipzig Mendelssohn made an extended visit to Italy in 1830-31, a visit that provided the inspiration for his Italian Symphony. While in Italy he also began thinking about a piano concerto and apparently composed the entire work in his head–when he journeyed to Munich, he set the concerto down on paper in three days. The first performance took place on October 17, 1831, in Munich with Mendelssohn as soloist. The score is dedicated to Delphine von Schauroth, a

ABOUT THE PROGRAM passing of the

romantic attachment 22-year-old composer.

The Piano Concerto No. 1 is both an innovative and a traditional work.

Mendelssohn very much disliked the intrusion of applause between movements, so he linked the three movements of this concerto with brass fanfares that would squelch any applause before it got started (fourteen years later, Mendelssohn would link the movements of his Violin Concerto for exactly the same reason). He also dispensed with the lengthy orchestral exposition of the classical concerto and brought the soloist into the work after only a seven-measure introduction.

While the Molto allegro con fuoco may not be full of fire, it is at least full of energy. The piano’s opening octave drop energizes the first theme, and that drop recurs throughout the movement. The second subject’s dotted rhythms keep the music pressing ahead, while the tranquillo third idea, for piano alone, is nicely lyric. This is not a movement that offers a musical dialogue between orchestra and soloist but rather one that keeps the focus on the piano, which plays virtually throughout.

Following the brass fanfare that concludes this movement, a brief and subdued cadenza leads to the Andante, where the principal idea is presented by the lower strings. The piano serves largely to decorate this theme, often with an almost baroque filagree of notes above the quietly lyric strings. The brass fanfare returns to launch the vivacious finale which, like

the opening movement, is full of virtuoso writing for the piano. An unusual feature of this movement is that its second subject is a variation of the first movement’s second theme, a rare example of thematic cross-reference in music during this period.

Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 may not be profound music, but it is exceptionally good-humored and spirited music, full of sparkle (the spirit of the incidental music to A Midsummer Night’s Dream is never far off) and ample opportunities for virtuoso piano-playing.

It was also a great success for its young composer, who both conducted and was soloist at the premiere. The performance was a gala benefit for the poor of Munich, and the concert was attended by King Ludwig, who led the applause and after the concert was introduced to the composer. In an excited letter home, Mendelssohn described the evening with boyish excitement: The whole thing was very animated and everything worked. The orchestra played wonderfully and the poor must have received a good whopping sum . . . [my concerto was] applauded long and loud. The orchestra accompanied well and the work itself was really mad: the audience really liked it.

They applauded to make me come out and take a bow, which is the custom here, but I was too modest and didn’t. During the intermission the King caught me by the arm, praised me highly and inquired about everything under the sun . . .

Program notes by Eric Bromberger © 2025.

ABOUT THE ARTIST PACIFIC SYMPHONY Pacific Symphony is the largest orchestra formed in the United States in the past 50 years and has earned national recognition for its adventurous programming, community engagement, and artistic growth. Founded in 1978, the Symphony has been led for 35 years

by Music Director Carl St.Clair, one of the longest-serving music directors of a major American orchestra.

In 2024, Alexander Shelley was named Artistic and Music Director Designate for the 2025–26 season and will begin his full-time tenure in the 2026–27 season, marking a bold new chapter in the Symphony’s artistic evolution.

With a purpose to lift the human spirit through the power of music, the Symphony is a pillar of the cultural landscape of Southern California, enriching lives and bringing communities together through creative and diverse programming. As the resident orchestra of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, the Symphony presents more than 100 concerts and events each year and a rich array of education and community engagement programs, reaching more than 300,000 residents of all ages.

CARL ST. CLAIR MUSIC DIRECTOR LAUREATE For more than 35 years, Carl St.Clair led Pacific Symphony, making him the longest-tenured American-born conductor of a major American orchestra. He was honored with

the lifetime role of Music Director Laureate in December 2025 during the orchestra’s 47th season, as well as inducted into the Orange County Hall of Fame by the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Under his leadership, Pacific Symphony has grown into the largest-budgeted orchestra founded in the past halfcentury, recognized nationally for its artistic, innovative programming, and community impact. St.Clair also helped catalyze the vision to build a 2,000-seat Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in 2006, the Symphony’s permanent home and one of the nation’s finest concert venues.

St.Clair has guided the Symphony through many landmark achievements. In 2018, he led its sold-out Carnegie Hall debut celebrating Philip Glass’s 80th birthday, which the New York Times praised as proof that Pacific Symphony is “a major ensemble!”

That same year, he conducted the orchestra’s first tour of China. Earlier, in 2006, he led the Symphony on its European debut, performing in nine cities across three countries, including Vienna, Munich, Cologne, and Lucerne, to capacity audiences and widespread acclaim. He also conducted the orchestra’s national PBS debut on Great Performances with Peter Boyer’s Ellis Island: The Dream of America. His artistic initiatives include the long-running American Composers Festival and Symphonic Voices, the orchestra’s acclaimed opera-in-concert series.

A champion of new music, St.Clair has commissioned and premiered

ABOUT THE ARTIST dozens of works. Recent highlights include the 2024–25 premieres of Viet Cuong’s Marine Layer and Adolphus Hailstork’s Piano Concerto No. 3 (“The Way Things Are”). In 2024, Pacific Symphony released the world-premiere recording of Sir James MacMillan’s Fiat Lux. Other notable commissions include works by Philip Glass, Michael Daugherty, William Bolcom, Richard Danielpour, John Wineglass, and Elliot Goldenthal.

His discography also includes collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma, Lukas Foss, and others.

Internationally, he was appointed Music Director of the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra in 2025 and holds honorary posts with the National Symphony of Costa Rica and Germany’s Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal. Earlier positions include General Music Director of Berlin’s Komische Oper and of the German National Theater and Staatskapelle in Weimar.

Equally committed to education, St.Clair has overseen the development of one of the country’s most comprehensive orchestra-based education networks, reaching more than 50,000 participants annually.

Pacific Symphony’s award-winning Class Act program, arts-X-press, Youth Ensembles, Heartstrings, and Symphony on the Go bring music to schools and communities across Southern California. He has also taught at Chapman University, the University of Texas, Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, and the USC Thornton

School of Music, where he has served for more than three decades as Artistic Leader and Principal Conductor of orchestral programs.

ABOUT THE ARTIST VITALY STARIKOV PIANO (SILVER MEDAL WINNER OF THE VAN CLIBURN COMPETITION) Vitaly Starikov, is a distinguished pianist whose artistry has graced some of the world’s most renowned stages, including the Sydney Opera House, Brussels BOZAR, and the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. His discography includes a CD of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 with Frank Braley and the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie. Vitaly’s collaborations with Hugh Wolff, LiWei Qin, Belgian National Orchestra and Sydney Symphony Orchestra underscore his profound musical insight. His artistry is celebrated on platforms such as medici.tv, ABC and SBS. Vitaly is is a laureate of top piano competitions including the Queen Elisabeth and Sydney International. He is a winner of the 26th Epinal Piano Competition.

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