September

Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868)

The Overture to La Scala di Seta is scored for one flute, two oboes, two clarinets, one bassoon, two horns, and strings (6 minutes).

Rossini, the leading Italian composer of the early 19th century, composed 38 operas within 19 years. He possessed a keen musical wit, a gift for melody, and a flair for stage effect. Rossini’s one-act comic opera La Scala di Seta (The Silken Ladder), written in 1812, features a profusion of misguided lovers, suitors, tutors, and secret trysts in a whirlwind of events and misunderstandings. In the overture’s six minutes of music, Rossini captures the opera’s entire plot, including romance, bumbling antics, finger-wagging, and a chorus of chuckles and laughter. The action revolves around the heroine, Giulia, secretly married to Dorvil, who welcomes him every night into her room by letting down a silken ladder (la scala di seta) from her balcony.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)

Sinfonia Concertante in E-Flat Major, K. 364 is scored for solo violin and viola, with an orchestra composed of pairs of oboes and horns, with strings (30 minutes).

The sinfonia concertante was the Classical period’s successor to the Baroque concerto grosso, and is a synthesis of the classical symphonic structure with the Baroque concerto treatment of multiple solo instruments. Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, K. 364 is considered, though not confirmed, to date from the summer of 1779, after his return home to Salzburg from a trip to Paris where the sinfonia concertante form was especially popular.

During his years in Salzburg, Mozart played violin and composed five concertos for the instrument. Once he moved to Vienna (1781), he put away the violin and neither played nor composed any more concertos for it, preferring to play the viola in the famous string quartet with his friend Joseph Haydn and other distinguished musicians.

It is assumed Mozart wrote the demanding solo viola part in the Sinfonia Concertante for himself, and he took care to ensure that it would make a brilliant effect. The part is actually written in the key of D, with instructions to tune the instrument one half step higher to E-flat “and perhaps a shade sharp” so that it would stand out more effectively against the orchestra. It is not known for whom he wrote the solo violin part.

The first movement, Allegro maestoso (Fast, majestic), is full of thematic substance and variety. The second movement, Andante (Flowing), is a poignant dialogue between the two soloists. The Finale. Molto vivace (Very lively) is filled with mischievous high spirits, using the wind instruments most effectively, and giving special prominence to the horns.

Jessie Montgomery (b. 1981)

Shift, Change, Turn is scored for one flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn and trumpet, with timpani and strings (12 minutes).

Montgomery was born and raised in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. She is a violinist in addition to a composer, and studied at the Juilliard School, New York University, and Princeton University. In 2019, the New York Philharmonic selected her as one of the composers for their Project 19, marking the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, granting equal voting rights for women in the United States.

Montgomery’s music interweaves classical music with elements of popular music and improvisation, creating an especially 21st-century American sound. Her music has been described as “turbulent, wildly colorful and exploding with life” (The Washington Post).

Her work Shift, Change, Turn was commissioned in 2019 by the Orpheus and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestras. She writes that “Shift, Change, Turn is my opportunity to contribute to the tradition of writing a piece based on the seasons, as change and rotation is something that we all experience as humans.”

Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953)

Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25, “Classical” is scored for pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, and trumpets, with timpani and strings (15 minutes).

Prokofiev wrote his first symphony in the summer of 1917, soon after his graduation from the St. Petersburg Conservatory. A relatively untroubled work, his Classical Symphony is 18th century in its form and 20th century in its idiom. Prokofiev wrote that “As soon as I began to progress in my work, I rechristened it the Classical Symphony, first, because it sounded much more simple, and second—out of pure mischief—‘to tease the geese’ [i.e., the academics who had attacked him for his modernity] and in the secret hope that eventually the symphony would become a classic.” With its impish humor, impeccable craftsmanship, and charming melodies, the Classical Symphony is like a breath of fresh air and has remained one of the composer’s most popular works.

The first movement, Allegro (Fast), is brilliant, playful, and full of good cheer. The second movement, Larghetto (A little slow), is relaxed but with a certain dignity until Prokofiev presents a long lyrical melody in the very highest stratosphere, mocking what we expect a warmly romantic theme to be. Prokofiev again surprises us in the third movement, Gavotte. Non troppo allegro (not too fast), where he replaces the expected courtly menuet with a heavy old country dance that features foot stamping and country bagpipes. About the Finale. Molto vivace (Very fast), Prokofiev remarked that it was “lively and blithe enough for there to be a complete absence of minor triads in the whole movement, only major ones … the only thing I was concerned with was that its gaiety might border on the indecently irresponsible.”

QUARTETTO DI CREMONA

NEW MEXICO MUSEUM OF ART | ST. FRANCIS AUDITORIUM

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23 | 3 pm

Cristiano Gualco, violin Paolo Andreoli, violin Simone Gramaglia, viola Giovanni Scaglione, cello

LUIGI BOCCHERINI

Quartet in C Major, G. 164

Allegro con spirito Largo Minuetto e Trio

GIUSEPPE VERDI Quartet in E Minor

Allegro Andantino Prestissimo Scherzo Fuga. Allegro assai mosso

Intermission

GIACOMO PUCCINI

Crisantemi, SC 65

OTTORINO RESPIGHI

Quartet No. 3 in D Major, P. 53

Allegro moderato Tema con Variazioni Intermezzo Finale

String Works Series

Concert Support | WESTAF (the Western States Arts Federation)

Quartetto di Cremona’s recordings are available on Audite, Ayriel Classical, Klanglogo, and Decca.

North American Representation Kirshbaum Associates Inc., New York, NY

Luigi Boccherini (1743–1805)

Quartet in C Major, G. 164 (14 minutes)

The Italian-born Boccherini achieved widespread fame in his day both as a virtuoso cellist and as a prolific composer. He wrote almost 100 string quartets and over 200 chamber works for various other instrumentations.

Boccherini’s String Quartet in C Major, G. 164 was published in 1761 as part of a set of six quartets dedicated to “Amateurs and Connoisseurs of Music.” This quartet, like the others in the set, contains three movements: a fast first movement, a slow middle movement, and a closing minuet. One trend during the late Classical period was to conclude a work with calm elegance meant to assuage any heightened emotions the listeners might have experienced, quite a departure from the exhilarating finales that today’s audiences expect.

Boccherini launches the spirited first movement (Allegro con spirito) with a forthright chord, followed by a gradual descent of sequences, with an undercurrent of pulsing repeated notes that lend energy and forward motion. He then introduces the minor mode and more sinuous lines before the merriness returns. The brief slow movement (Largo, broad) contains a wealth of ideas—melancholy chromaticism, gentle sighing leaps, paired triplets, and descending gestures answered by emphatic chords. The concluding minuet swings along, relying on loud-soft contrasts. After a more introspective middle section, the cheerful minuet returns to round off the movement.

Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901)

Quartet in E Minor (22 minutes)

Best known for his operas La Traviata, Falstaff, and Aida, the Italian Romantic composer Giuseppe Verdi is considered the preeminent opera composer of the 19th century. In the spring of 1873, while living out of a hotel room in Naples, Italy, Verdi found himself with some unexpected free time as the production of his opera Aida had encountered setbacks. During this downtime, Verdi wrote his first and only string quartet.

This quartet contains wonderful melodic ideas, skillful string writing, and, if one listens carefully, quotes from his operas. The first movement, Allegro (Fast), centers around a melancholy wisp of an idea. The second movement, Andantino (Flowing), contrasts graceful outer sections with an agitated middle section. The extroverted third movement, Prestissimo (Very fast), begins appropriately at a lightning speed and imparts an impish offkilter effect with many irregular phrase lengths. The contrasting middle section has the cello singing an expressive melody to light pizzicato accompaniment. Verdi shows off his contrapuntal prowess in the finale, Scherzo Fuga. Allegro assai mosso (Fast, with much motion). This is a gossamer fugue, however, not majestic nor weighty as we’ve come to expect. The composer himself labels it “Scherzo Fuga,” employing the term scherzo in its original meaning of a merry jest.

Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924)

Crisantemi, SC 65 (6 minutes)

Puccini was born into a Tuscan family of church musicians and it was expected that the young boy would succeed his father as the music director at the San Martino Cathedral, a position that had been held for four generations by a Puccini family member. After seeing a performance of Verdi’s Aida, the 15-year-old Giacomo was inspired to write opera, and ultimately became one of the world’s most successful and famous opera composers.

In the United States chrysanthemums (crisantemi) are usually regarded as cheerful flowers. However, in many Asian and European countries, chrysanthemums symbolize death. It is in this context that Puccini wrote Crisantemi, a dark-hued elegy written in response to the death (1890) of his friend, the Duke of Savoy. This work is based on two plaintive melodies. The first is restless, building its power from chromatic figures moving in contrary motion. The second is a mournful theme that sounds over accompanying pulsations. A brief return of the opening music closes the lament.

Ottorino Respighi (1879–1936)

Quartet No. 3 in D Major, P. 53 (32 minutes)

Respighi was born in Bologna, Italy, and studied violin, piano, and composition at the local music school. After a brief sojourn to Russia in 1900, where he played principal viola in the Imperial Opera Orchestra and studied composition with Rimsky-Korsakov, he lived most of his life in Rome. He is most famous for his colorful orchestral works, especially his tone poems (Fountains of Rome, Pines of Rome), though he also wrote operas, ballets, and chamber music, including eight string quartets.

The String Quartet No. 3 dates from 1904. The opening Allegro (Fast) begins with an uplifting main theme followed by a playful syncopated second theme, providing contrast with its leaps and silences. The highly chromatic slow movement unfolds as a moody theme and variations. The third movement Intermezzo opens with a tender introductory gesture that launches into a lightly scampering scherzo (joke). The finale, Allegro (Fast), features a galloping, almost frantic, main theme as if hurtling through a dark woods at night. The contrasting second theme provides a calming, hopeful respite. Respighi pulls us through the terror and the piece ends triumphantly.

NEW MEXICO MUSEUM OF ART | ST. FRANCIS AUDITORIUM

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30 | 3 pm

Adam Barnett-Hart, violin Brendan Speltz, violin Pierre Lapointe, viola Brook Speltz, cello with Susanna Phillips, soprano

JOSEPH HAYDN

Quartet in D Major, Op. 71, No. 2

Adagio—Allegro Adagio cantabile Menuetto. Allegro Finale. Allegretto

ARNOLD SCHOENBERG

Quartet No. 2 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 10

Mäßig Sehr rasch Litanei. Langsam Entrückung. Sehr langsam

Intermission

OTTORINO RESPIGHI

Il tramonto, P. 101

ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK

Selections from Cypresses

No. 1. I know that my love to thee No. 11. Nature lies peaceful in slumber and dreaming No. 9. Thou only, dear one

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL

Ogni vento ch’al porto lo spinga (from Agrippina) Da tanti affanni oppressa (from Admeto) Da tempeste il legno infranto (from Giulio Cesare)

String Works Series

Concert Support | WESTAF (the Western States Arts Federation)

Thank you to the New Mexico Museum of Art for their support of Pro Musica’s String Works Series.

Management for Escher Quartet | Arts Management Group, Inc., New York, NY Management for Susanna Phillips | IMG Artists, New York, NY