ALEXAND ER PAVLOVSK Y, VIOLIN S ERG EI BRES LER, V I OLIN O RI KAM , V IO LA KYRIL Z LOTNIKOV, CE LLO
JERUSALEM QUARTET
D E N V E R
FRANZ JOSEF HAYDN
OCTOBER 7, 2015
String Quartet in G major, Op. 77, no. 1
Allegro moderato (1732-1809) Adagio Menuetto: Presto Finale: Presto BÉL A BAR TÓK String Quartet No. 5 (1881-1945) Allegro Adagio molto Scherzo: alla bulgarese Andante Finale: Allegro vivace
INT E RM ISSION
ANTONÍN ˇ ÁK DVO R
String Quartet in F major, Op. 96 “The American”
Allegro ma non troppo (1841-1904) Lento Molto vivace Vivace ma non troppo
THE JERUSALEM QUARTET “An absolute triumph. Their playing has everything you could possibly wish for.” —BBC Music Magazine The Jerusalem Quartet, hailed by The Strad as “one of the young, yet great quartets of our time,” makes its Friends of Chamber Music debut this evening. The quartet has garnered international acclaim for its rare combination of passion and precision and has won the admiration of audiences the world over, both in concert and on their recordings for the Harmonia Mundi label. ALEXANDER PAVLOVSKY
1st violin
SERGEI BRESLER
2nd violin ORI KAM
viola
KYRIL ZLOTNIKOV
cello
In the 2015-16 season, the quartet’s focus will be on Beethoven and Bartók, with recordings of both composers’ quartets to be released in fall and early winter, respectively. In January and February 2016, they will present a unique series in which they perform all six Bartók quartets and all six of Beethoven’s Op. 18 quartets over the course of four concerts in both Portland, Oregon, and New York. They will also perform Bartók’s quartets in Hamburg, Madrid, London, and Tel Aviv, and will collaborate with pianist/ conductor Andras Schiff for performances in London, Jerusalem, and at the Verbier and Salzburg Festivals. The Jerusalem Quartet is a record three-time recipient of BBC Music Magazine’s Chamber Music Award for their recordings of Mozart (2012), Haydn (2010), and Shostakovich (2007). The quartet’s recording of Schubert’s Death and the Maiden and Quartettsatz in C minor was featured as Editor’s Choice in the July 2008 edition of Gramophone, and was also awarded an ECHO Classic chamber music award in 2009. The quartet records exclusively for Harmonia Mundi. In 2003, they received the first Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award, and were part of the first-ever BBC New Generation Artists program between 1999 and 2001. The Jerusalem Quartet was formed while its members were students at the Jerusalem Conservatory of Music and Dance. They quickly found a shared commitment to the music that has not only endured, but has propelled them to the highest level of performance.
NOTES
Program notes ©Elizabeth Bergman Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) frequently published six string quartets together under a single opus number. However, his opus 77 quartets are only two in number and are his last works in the genre. He wrote the pair of works in 1799, when in his late sixties. Having served for three decades with the aristocratic Esterhazy family, he had achieved enough fame and influence to arrange two extended leaves of absence, which he devoted to highly profitable concert tours to London. Now secure both artistically and financially, Haydn came back to Vienna and settled into a happy partial retirement, composing occasionally for the Esterhazys, but no longer required to provide daily service. So the works of these years were written more for his own diversion than for that of his employers. At the time of the opus 77 quartets Haydn had a decade left to him and if his compositions were now becoming less frequent, it was less due to a lack of ideas than to a lack of deadlines. The two quartets would be published in 1802. The G major quartet (the other quartet of the opus 77 set is in F minor), like most of his works in the genre, offers upbeat folk-like melodies – the sort of tunes to which one could readily fit words or simple dance steps. The melodies fit deftly into appropriate structures, giving backbone to what might otherwise become a succession of pretty sounds. As often happens, the final movement is bustling with energy, with rhythmic fragments that build and grow. Although this quartet stands near the end of Haydn’s catalog of almost six dozen quartets, it manages to prove that he had not yet run out of new things to say in his music, or new ways to turn a musical phrase.
As a Hungarian and possessed of a graduate degree in Eastern European ethnomusicology, Belá Bartók (18811945) consciously set out to reflect his cultural musical roots in his own compositions. Appreciation of Bartók’s music is enhanced by an understanding of its Hungarian origin. The composer insisted that in true Hungarian folk music
HAYDN: STRING QUARTET IN G MAJOR, OP. 77, NO. 1
Last performed on our series April 22, 1970 (Amadeus Quartet)
BARTÓK: STRING QUARTET NO. 5
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Program Notes Continued
melodies tend to be based upon short musical fragments, as well as rhythms inspired by Hungarian speech rhythms. In addition, Bartók frequently employed repeated ostinatos of unchanging pitch. Those characteristics give Bartók’s music a curious energy unlike that inspired by other regions. Hungarian music is also distinguished by its unusual chords and scales, elements more closely related to music of the Far East and of medieval times than to most Western European music. It is this feature that makes Hungarian-inspired music sound just a bit dissonant to some listeners. One last distinction relates to traditional Hungarian instruments. The composer often asks for string instruments to be played with folk-like techniques. Moreover, in Hungarian folk music bagpipes are frequently used to provide a background drone. Another popular instrument is the cimbalom, a string instrument related to a hammered dulcimer. These features give Hungarian music its distinct sound.
Last performed on our series January 18, 2006 (Borromeo Quartet)
DVOˇRÁK: STRING QUARTET NO. 12 IN F MAJOR, OP. 96, “THE AMERICAN” 2
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Dating from 1934, and thus one of the last works Bartók wrote before exchanging German ally Hungary for New York City, the String Quartet No. 5 reflects these stylistic touches. The first and last movements are both brisk, with melodies related to one another in rhythmic patterns. Both the second and fourth movements are slow and similarly dark in mood. The third movement, around which the rest of the piece balances, is a Bulgarian-style scherzo based on folksong rhythms from that country. Overall, it is a carefully symmetrical work, beginning and ending with nervous energy, those restless movements followed and preceded by more restful music, with a dance-like nimble spirit in the center. In his String Quartet No. 5, Bartók constructed a well-planned musical arch that brings performers and listeners full-circle, covering a range of ideas and moods before bringing us back where we had begun. From late 1892 through early 1895, Bohemian-born Antonín Dvoˇrák (1841-1904), a self-declared “village fiddler” at heart, lived at 327 East 17th Street in New York City. He might never have come there at all, let alone lived there, had not he been recruited by the city’s National Conservatory of Music to become its director at a salary of $15,000 – twenty-five times what he was earning in Prague. So the country boy came to the biggest city he could imagine, and though the musical
experiences were satisfactory, summer vacations left him dreaming of the countryside. The homesick Dvoˇrák sought refuge in Spillville, Iowa, where, thanks to a large contingent of Czech immigrants, he could feel almost at home. There, deep in the American heartland, this Bohemian master composed some of his greatest works, including the Symphony No. 9, the String Quartet in F, and the String Quintet in E-flat. The String Quartet No. 12 was the first of these Spillville works. In his memoir of his father, Dvoˇrák's younger son Ottakar (1885-1961) told a vivid story of the work’s origin during a visit to Spillville’s Riverside Park: “Father, my friend Frank Kapler, and I went there. Frank and I got the idea to take simple fishing poles and try some fishing. We presumed Father would get some inspiration and that we would have a lot of time to fish. But it did not turn out that way. Father’s command was clear: ‘Well, boys, stop your fishing. We have to go back home.’ I was surprised that our walk in his favorite place was discontinued so quickly. When I protested, I received a short answer: ‘My cuff is already full of notes. I must hurry home to copy them down.’ That was the day my father started his String Quartet in F major, op. 96. Father started to write it on June 12th, and on June 16, the work was finished. I remember this so well because it is my favorite chamber work by Father.” Although the quartet uses no actual American songs, it does borrow the spirit of American folk music, exuding the hearty character of life in the outdoors. Those same harmonies and rhythms appear in some of the Bohemian folk music that the composer had known since childhood. Yet this quartet does begin to branch out from Dvoˇrák's earlier quartets in his treatment of these inspirations. Later, summing up all his works from these “American” years, the composer said, “I should never have written these works ‘just so’ if I hadn’t seen America.”
Last performed on our series December 3, 1997 (St. Lawrence Quartet)
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GOOD VIBRATIONS Communicating through Music
Sunday, October 25, 2:00–3:30 p.m.
DATE
SUNDAY, OCT 25, 2:00 - 3:30 P.M. LOC ATION
Join us for a family-friendly musical afternoon featuring Colorado Symphony violist Catherine Beeson and musicians from the Colorado Symphony. We’ll have refreshments and hands-on activities in the lobby following this interactive program — fun for all ages! Free to the Public
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Photo: Willie Petersen 4
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Denver School of the Arts 7111 Montview Blvd, Denver 80220 O R D E R BY P H O N E
303-388-9839 RSVP
BY OCTOBER 16
DATES
TUESDAY, OCT 13, 2015 7:30–9:00 PM
MOZART
TUESDAY, OCT 20, 2015 7:30–9:00 PM
BRAHMS LOC ATION
Hsing-Ay Hsu
PIANO SALON WITH HSING-AY HSU Join Steinway Artist Hsing-ay Hsu for two evenings to prepare for Richard Goode's October 21st recital featuring the music of Mozart and Brahms. Two geniuses settled in Vienna a century apart, each with a shared appreciation of form and counterpoint, yet with completely unique musical personalities. Come indulge in the luxurious textures of Brahms, and find out if listening to Mozart will really make you smarter! Deepen your appreciation of Richard Goode’s performance by engaging in active listening to the works of Mozart and Brahms. Ms. Hsu will challenge you with highlighted listening commentary and demonstrations with her Conscious Listening™ method. Ask questions in the intimate setting of Alix Corboy’s Cherry Hills home.
At the home of Alix Corboy, FCM board member Cherry Hills East of St. Mary’s Academy TICKETS
$30 single class $50 both classes O R D E R BY P H O N E
303-388-9839 O R D E R BY M A I L
Send a check to: Friends of Chamber Music 191 University Blvd #974 Denver, CO 80206 Include name of each participant, date(s) of each class you plan to attend, and email address for class confirmation. NOTE
Space is limited to a maximum of 14 participants with registrations accepted on a first come, first served basis.
DID YOU KNOW? Have you had the chance to visit FCM’s website lately? Here are a few things you’ll find: •A rtist and program information for all upcoming concerts, including links to purchase single tickets • P rogram notes and digital concert programs (available one week prior to each concert) • P rogram archives dating back to 1954 • I nformation on upcoming special events • E ducational opportunities for Denver Public Schools, sponsored by FCM • Board member biographies •V ideo clips of upcoming artists •O ther helpful information on venue, parking, and answers to other frequently asked questions Visit us today at friendsofchambermusic.com
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2015-2016
PIANO SERIES RICHARD GOODE
WED, OCT 21, 2015 | 7:30 PM “Every time we hear him, he impresses us as better than we remembered, surprising us, surpassing our expectations, and communicating perceptions that stay in the mind.” — G R A M O P H O N E PROGRAM:
Mozart: Piano Sonata in A minor, K. 310 Brahms: Six Klavierstücke, Op. 118 Mozart: Piano Sonata in F major, K. 533 Brahms: Four Klavierstücke, Op. 119
STEVEN OSBORNE
WED, FEB 24, 2016 | 7:30 PM “You could have heard a pin drop. Steven Osborne’s power over the hall was absolute…the atmosphere was spellbound.” — T H E D A I LY T E L E G R A P H
PROGRAM:
Schubert: Impromptus D.935, nos. 1 & 4 Debussy: Masques Debussy: Images, Book 2 Debussy: L’ile joyeuse Rachmaninoff: Études-Tableaux, selection
JEAN-EFFLAM BAVOUZET TUE, APR 19, 2016 | 7:30 PM
“Jean-Efflam Bavouzet is among the most generous and indefatigable of performers.” — T H E G U A R D I A N PROGRAM:
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Op. 78, Op. 90, and Op. 101 Ravel: Miroirs Debussy: Images, Book 1
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TO ORDER PIANO SERIES TICKETS:
O R D ER T HE EN T I R E SER I E S FOR ONLY $ 8 5
($65 for current Chamber Series subscribers) Call 303-388-9839 to order Single tickets $35 each ($40 for Richard Goode) $10 Students (25 years or younger) Visit www.friendsofchambermusic.com or Newman Center Box Office | 303-871-7720 www.newmantix.com
40 UNDER 40 Jill and Lee Richman, long-time FCM subscribers, have once again challenged our audience to help usher in a new generation of music lovers, insuring the future of Friends of Chamber Music for many more years to come. I T ’ S E A S Y TO PA R T I C I PAT E
• Identify a potential new subscriber (or two!) under 40 years old who would enjoy our 2015-16 Piano Series. • Invite them to become a part of the FCM family and let them know you’ll be paying for their subscription, which we’ll discount to $60 for all 3 concerts. The goal is 40 new subscriptions by the time we launch our 2015–16 Piano Series in October. If you are interested in purchasing one or more subscriptions for someone under the age of 40, call 303-388-9839. Diana Gatschet (right) with her 40 Under 40 sponsor, Jeremy Shamos
Thank you to the following Friends who have sponsored 40 Under 40 guests for our 2015–16 Piano Series. We look forward to thanking these sponsors and welcoming our new guests at a backstage reception following Richard Goode’s recital on October 21. Patsy and Jim Aronstein Lisa and Steve Bain Marianne Barr Christa Bell Janet and Henry Claman David Cohen Beth Cookson Joyce Frakes Paula and Stan Gudder Bill Juraschek Ellen Krasnow & John Blegen Evi and Evan Makovsky Rosemarie and Bill Murane Priscilla Press Lee and Jill Richman Laura Rogers Jeremy and Susan Shamos friendsofchambermusic.com
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THE FOLLOWIN G FRIENDS have made gifts in the last 12 months. Your generous support is invaluable in assuring our continued standard of excellence. Thank you! $25,000 + Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, Tier III $5,000 + Colorado Creative Industries $2,500 + Alix & John Corboy Cynthia & John Kendrick $1,000 + Anonymous Patsy & James Aronstein* Lisa & Steve Bain Bob & Cynthia Benson Howard & Kathleen Brand Henry & Janet Claman Bucy Family Fund C. Stuart Dennison Jr. Ellen & Anthony Elias Fackler Legacy Gift Robert S. Graham Celeste & Jack Grynberg Stephen & Margaret Hagood Michael Huotari & Jill Stewart Katherine Millett, in memory of Dr. Karl Arndt, a founder of Denver Friends of Chamber Music Frank & Pat Moritz Robert & Judi Newman Myra & Robert Rich Jeremy & Susan Shamos Marlis & Shirley Smith Patricia Somerville Herbert Wittow $500 + Jules & Marilyn Amer Linda & Dick Bateman Pam Beardsley Kate Bermingham Andrew & Laurie Brock Henry & Janet Claman Susan & Tim Damour, in honor of Lisa Bain Max & Carol Ehrlich Tudy Elliff Joyce Frakes 8
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Ann & Douglas Jones John Lebsack & Holly Bennett Kathy Newman & Rudi Hartmann McGinty Co. Mary Park and Douglas Hsiao Richard Replin & Elissa Stein Allan & Judith Rosenbaum Ray Satter Henry R. Schmoll Bobbi & Gary Siegel Ric Silverberg & Judith Cott Edie Sonn Chet & Ann Stern Sylvan Stoll Families* Marcia Strickland Walter & Kathleen Torres Sam Wagonfeld Andrew Yarosh* $250 + Amica Companies Foundation Truman & Catherine Anderson Anonymous Hannah Kahn & Arthur Best Theodore Brin David & Joan Clark David S Cohen Fran Corsello Kevin & Becky Durham Kathe & Michael Gendel George & Sissy Gibson Edward Goldson Larry Harvey David & Lynn Hurst Margie Lee Johnson Carol & Lester Lehman John & Terry Leopold Ann Levy Nina & Alan Lipner David & Lyn Loewi, in memory of Ruth Loewi Alex & Kathy Martinez Rex & Nina McGehee Robert Meade Bert & Rosemary Melcher Kirsten & Dave Morgan Rosemarie & Bill Murane John & Mary Ann Parfrey Eileen Price, in memory of Max Price
Ann Richardson and Bill Stolfus Ayliffe & Fred Ris Richard & Jo Sanders Alan & Gail Seay San Mao Shaw David & Patty Shelton Steven Snyder David Spira and Shirleyan Price Margaret Stookesberry Dick & Kathy Swanson Berkley & Annemarie Tague Norman Wikner & Lela Lee Joseph & Barbara Wilcox $100 + Barton & Joan Alexander Jim & Ginny Allen Anonymous Shannon Armstrong Dennis & Barbara Baldwin Jan Baucum Dell & Jan Bernstein Sandra Bolton Carolyn & Joe Borus Darrell Brown & Suzanne McNitt Joan & Bennie Bub Peter & Cathy Buirski Peter Buttrick & Anne Wattenberg Susan Lee Cable Bonnie Camp Nancy Kiernan Case Marlene Chambers & Lawrence Duggan Geri Cohen Anne Culver Stephen & Dee Daniels Tom & Mickey DeTemple David & Debra Flitter Judy Fredricks Herbert & Lydia Garmaier Donna & Harry Gordon Kazuo & Drusilla Gotow John S. Graves Gary and Jacqueline Greer Paula & Stan Gudder Pam & Norman Haglund Richard & Leslie Handler June Haun Richard W. Healy Eugene Heller & Lily Appleman David & Ana Hill
Joseph & Renate Hull L.D. Jankovsky & Sally Berga Stanley Jones Bill Juraschek Michael & Karen Kaplan Robert Keatinge Bruce Kindel Michael & Wendy Klein Roberta & Mel Klein Donna Kornfeld Ellen Krasnow & John Blegen Elizabeth Kreider Doug & Hannah Krening Edward Karg & Richard Kress George Kruger Jack Henry Kunin Richard Leaman Igor & Jessica Levental Judy & Dan Lichtin Theodor Lichtmann Charles & Gretchen Lobitz Ronald & Jeri Loser John & Merry Low Elspeth MacHattie & Gerald Chapman Evi & Evan Makovsky Roger Martin Myron McClellan & Lawrence Phillips Estelle Meskin Pamela Metz & Charlene Byers Rhea Miller Paul & Barb Moe Douglas & Laura Moran Marilyn Munsterman & Charles Berberich Betty Naster * Robert & Ilse Nordenholz Robert N. O’Neill Dee & Jim Ohi Jan Parkinson Desiree Parrott-Alcorn David S Pearlman Barbara Pollack Carol Prescott Sarah Przekwas Ralph & Ingeborg Ratcliff Gene & Nancy Richards Marv & Mary Robbins Herb Rothenberg, in memory of Doris Rothenberg Lorenz Rychner Hilary & Peter Sachs Charley Samson Donald Schiff, in memory of Rosalie Schiff John & Patricia Schmitter
Robert & Barbara Shaklee Susan Sherrod and Andrew Lillie Milton Shioya Nathan Stark Paul Stein Dan & Linda Strammiello Morris & Ellen Susman Decker Swann Cle Symons Malcolm & Hermine Tarkanian Margot K. Thomson Peter Van Etten Tom & Eleanor Vincent Eli & Ashely Wald Bill Watson Ann & Marlin Weaver Hedy & Michael Weinberg Jeff & Martha Welborn Carol Whitley Greta & Randy Wilkening * Ruth Wolff Jeff Zax and Judith Graham R. Dale Zellers Carl & Sara Zimet $50 + Lorraine & Jim Adams Charlene Baum Vernon Beebe Alberta & William Buckman Thomas Butler Richard & Gwen Chanzit Dana Klapper Cohen Jane Cooper Catherine C Decker Nancy & Mike Farley Janet & Arthur Fine John & Debora Freed Martha Fulford Robert C. Fullerton Barbara Gilette & Kay Kotzelnick Dr. and Mrs. Stanley Ginsburg Henry & Carol Goldstein Sandra Goodman Sanders Graham Carol & Jim Griesemer Barbara Hamilton Dorothy Hargrove Suzanne Kaller Leonard & Abbey Kapelovitz Daniel & Hsing-ay Hsu Kellogg John & Margo Leininger
Linda Levin Della Levy Arthur Lieb Ben Litoff & Brenda Smith Cherry Lofstrom Bill and Lisa Maury Loris McGavran Joanna Moldow Betty Murphy Mary Murphy Mari Newman Tina & Tom Obermeier Martha Ohrt Danielle Okin John Pascal Carolyn & Garry Patterson Romney Philpott Carl Pletsch Robert Rasmussen Margaret Roberts Yanita Rowan Cheryl Saborsky Kim Schumanf Jo Shannon Artis Sliverman Lois Sollenberger Steve Susman Robert & Beth Vinton Suzanne Walters Barbara Walton Lin & Christopher Williams, in honor of Kathy Newman’s 70th birthday Robert & Jerry Wolfe Karen Yablonski-Toll Jaclyn Yelich MEMORIAL GIFTS The following individuals made gifts in memory of Ronald Loser, a long-time subscriber who passed away in September. Bill & Adele Deline GYRO Club of Denver William Russell Jerry Seifert Marlis Smith
* Gift made to FCM Endowment
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UPCOMING CONCERTS C HAMBER SERIES
PIAN O SERIES
Leila Josefowicz, violin
Richard Goode
Brentano Quartet
Steven Osborne
Musicians from Marlboro
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet
Sunday, November 15, 4:00 PM Wednesday, January 13, 7:30 PM Wednesday, March 30, 7:30 PM
Antoine Tamestit, viola, and Shai Wosner, piano
Wednesday, April 27, 7:30 PM
Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio Wednesday, May 11, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, October 21, 7:30 PM Wednesday, February 24, 7:30 PM Tuesday, April 19, 7:30 PM ADVANCE SINGLE TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR ALL CONCERTS. Visit Our Website: www.friendsofchambermusic.com Or contact the Newman Center Box Office, 303- 871- 7720 www.newmantix.com
SPECIAL THANKS SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL FACILITIES DISTRICT (TIER III)
for supporting FCM’s outreach efforts through school residencies and master classes COLORADO CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
for providing general operating support for our season
COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO (KVOD 88.1 FM)
for broadcasting FCM concerts on its “Colorado Spotlight” programs ESTATE OF JOSEPH DEHEER ESTATE OF SUE JOSHEL
for providing lead gifts to the FCM Endowment Fund BONFILS-STANTON FOUNDATION
for sponsorship of FCM’s Piano Series and audience development programs in memory of Lewis Story
Gates Concert Hall • Newman Center for the Performing Arts • University of Denver
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