2014
35 N
R
A
N
Y
th
IVERSA
summer
sights
summer
sounds
Welcome, music lovers!
2014
IVER
th Y
35
N
R
A
N
SA
2014
35th Season Memories
35 throughout book th
FamilyFest!
pg. 6
Robert Weirich pg. 10
pg. 22
Bella Hristova pg. 46
pg. 64
pg. 60
It has now become part of local lore: the year was 1980, and Syracuse Symphony cellist Lindsay Groves and a group of Skaneateles music lovers decided to create a two-week music festival in town. Concerts were held upstairs at the old library and at Brook Farm, the private home of David and Louise Robinson. Guest musicians joined forces with area talent, including Lindsay, baritone David, and his daughters Eleanor and Claire. Performers lived, swam, rehearsed, sailed, and relaxed together at Brook Farm as lucky guests of David and Louise. Louise bravely and masterfully cooked three gourmet meals a day for them, and the musicians were in heaven. Cellist Steve Doane (who returns this summer to perform) still refers to those early days as “music camp for grown-ups!” Thirty-five years later the Festival has grown into a jewel in New York’s cultural crown and one of the country’s premier small summer music festivals. With four weeks of concerts and other events, the Festival brings outstanding live performances to over 7,000 listeners. We also now bring our offerings farther afield, presenting free community concerts and other outreach events in Syracuse, Fayetteville, Auburn, Rochester, and other area locales. Festival performances get broadcast in Central New York, Boston, and Canada and even across the country on the nationally syndicated show, “Performance Today.” Along the journey the Festival has brought hundreds of well-known performers to town. Names like Hilary Hahn, Eliot Fisk, Jeffrey Kahane, the Turtle Island Quartet, Alisa Weilerstein, and Imani Winds dot our past program books. We’ve designed arts-education projects that have been awarded grants from Chamber Music America, the New York State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and other private foundations. After twice awarding the Festival recognition for “Adventuresome Programming,” Chamber Music America will present its distinguished Acclaim Award to us this summer for the enrichment SkanFest has brought to the local community and region. We are personally so inspired by the Festival’s success story. None of it would have been possible without the forces that also supported and nourished us during our ten years as Artistic Directors: our Board of Directors; Executive Director Susan Mark and her staff; all of our donors and sponsors; stage manager Steve Frackenpohl and his crew; the wonderful Festival volunteers, host families for musicians, and dinner hosts; and of course you, our loyal audience. Thank you for embracing all of our talented performers young and old, for being willing to join us in experimenting with new ideas and programming, for venturing into sometimes uncharted territory, and most of all, for loving the music as much as we do. We’ve been privileged to be a part of SkanFest’s amazing story and will cherish the friends we’ve made here, and all the meaningful musical memories! Wishing the Festival and all of you continued good health, longevity, and much more wonderful music in the years to come.
Elinor Freer and David Ying Artistic Directors, Skaneateles Festival
Come join us!
1
Skaneateles Festival
2014
Board of Directors
Advisory Council
Administration
Dave Birchenough, President Doug Sutherland, Vice President George Bain, Treasurer Arleen VanRiper and Bill Mahood, Co-Secretaries Joyce Jowaisas Patti Carey John King Joan Christy Bill Mahood Edward Conan Amy Neumann Barb Connor Louise Robinson David Duggan Steve Frackenpohl Linda Roche Michael Tutor Koko Fuller Arleen Van Riper Joseph Grasso Jo Werner Dana Hall
Thomas Bersani Ellen Bifano Beth Boudreau Mary Cotter William Davis John DeFrancisco Michael P. Falcone Lindsay Groves Claire Howard Daniel Labeille Andy Latchem Sharon Magee Andrew Ramsgard David Robinson (1924-2006)
Susan Mark, Executive Director David Ying and Elinor Freer, Artistic Directors Steve Frackenpohl, Stage Manager Kathryn Magee, Executive Intern Jessica Boyce, Communications Manager Zach Driscoll, Assistant Stage Manager Chris Niebuhr, Assistant Stage Manager Outside the Box Business Solutions, Bookkeeping & Ad Sales Nancy Boyce, Graphic Designer & Media Buyer Keith Horner, Program Note Writer Tom Doser, Music Librarian
A Special Thank You to our 2013 Volunteers Miki Bangs Henry and Helga Beck Ann Marie Bergold Dave Birchenough and Carrie Lazarus Tom and Arlene Bloomer Mark Bostick Lee, Nancy, Eric and Jessy Boyce Lynn Brown Carol Bryant Judy Bryant Betsy Burton Corinne and Bill Buterbaugh Patti and Bud Carey Maryellen Casey and Bruce Keplinger Carol Stokes Cawley Joan Christy and Tom Bersani Victoria Clark
Linda Cline Dan Cochrane Susan Dailey Evan and Liz Dreyfuss Kim and Charley Driscoll Bill Eberhardt, Sherwood Inn Dan and Colleen Fisher Paul & Erika Fiutak Steve and Sandi Frackenpohl Pam Freeman Koko Fuller Marianne Gage Judy Gelston Alex and Donna Giambartolomei Mary Gomoll-Granicz David Graham Joe and Dom Grasso Georgina Gregory Dana and Susan Hall
Gay Hembach Katie Hess Tom Higgins Amy Heuber Don Hughes Joyce Jowaisas Mary Knepper Myron and Luba Kopchynsky Wendy and John Kopley Kay Kraatz Josephine Kress Craig Lindsey and the First Presbyterian Church Sharon, Marshall, Kathryn and Grace Magee Bill and Miki Mahood Peggy and John Manring Ellie McGaan Donna Merchant
Madonna and Jeff Meyer James and Nancy Mion Peter Moller Margaret Murray Richard Naughton Bob and Sally Neumann Jim and Patti Nocek, Anyela's Vineyards Beth Oddy Tim and JoDean Orcutt Jeff Paston Bob and Christine Pierce Mimi Purington Debbie and Greg Quick Daniel and Lisa Riordan Louise Robinson Anne Roth Carolyn Schwab
Sharon Slater Elaine Slater-Kogler Mona Smalley Carolyn Smith Peter and Elsa Soderberg Margaret Sovik Jan Sterling Don and Chacea Sundman Peggy Surdam Margaret Usdansky and Gustav Niebuhr Gail van der Linde Connie Walters Jo and Bob Werner Doug and Peg Whitehouse Sheryl Woodmansee
A special thanks to all the volunteers and cooks who made Summer Suite such a great success.
Acknowledgements Louise Robinson, Brook Farm – Concert Location & Hospitality Artist Pianos – Steinway Pianos Maryellen Casey & Bruce Keplinger, “Cybersolvers” – Webmaster Dave Birchenough & Carrie Lazarus; Maryellen Casey & Bruce Keplinger; Elizabeth & Evan Dreyfuss; Sue & Dana Hall; Koko Fuller; Sherwood Inn; Chacea and Don Sundman; and Festival Friends – Musician Dinners Joan Christy – Musician Dinners & Guarantor Reception
2
Programs and artists subject to change. © The Skaneateles Festival 2014
First Presbyterian Church – Concert Location Koko Fuller – Ticket Sales ChaseDesign – Brochure & Program Cover Skaneateles High School – Music Stands & Percussion Arthur Nick Smith – Piano Tuning Pete and Danette Davis – Photography
Many thanks to the generous Skaneateles residents who open their homes to the Festival’s visiting musicians.
Brook Farm
Built in 1902, Brook Farm is on the National Register of Historic Places and is privately owned. The house is available to musicians and staff only. Enjoy the concert and please carry-in/carry-out your picnic supplies.
#1 in Listings and Sales in #1 in Listings and Sales in Skaneateles Skaneateles After you enjoy the music, A Stop fter in oryou giveenjoy us a the call music, to discuss
Stop or give a Finger call to Lakes. discuss RealinEstate inus the Real Estate in the Finger Lakes.
Fun-filled music and movement classes for infants through kindergarteners, together with the adults who love them
Try a FREE class! Call 440-2547
Classes in Skaneateles, Camillus & Auburn
www.BluebirdMusicTogether.com
315-685-0111 315-685-0111 Make your Move. www.realtyusa.com Make your Move. www.realtyusa.com 28 E. Genesee Street Skaneateles, NY Street 13152 28 E. Genesee Skaneateles, NY 13152
3
Thank you to all the Skaneateles Festival Donors!
Gifts received as of July 26, 2014
Guarantor Society Roland and Tacie Anderson Artist Pianos George Bain Matthew Belanger, Faraci Lange. LLP Dave Birchenough and Carrie Lazarus Gwen and Bill Birchenough Ed and Debbie Brennan Patience Brewster and Holland Gregg Business Journal News Network Rick and Ann Capozza Maryellen Casey and Bruce Keplinger ChaseDesign
Joan Christy and Tom Bersani Clear Channel Media + Entertainment Barb Connor Bill and Donna Davis The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation Evan and Elizabeth Dreyfuss David Duggan and Lynn Cleary Penny Eger Eagle Newspapers Michael and Noreen Falcone Michael P. Falcone and Nicole Ruvo Finger Lakes Radio Group The Fletcher Foundation
Koko Fuller Donna Graber, Planning Sense David Graham Joseph and Marie Grasso Grossman St. Amour CPAs PLLC Donna Himelfarb Hiscock and Barclay The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Linda and Bruce Kenan Peter and Betsy McKinnell Bob and Sally Neumann Chris and Amy Neumann New York State Council on the Arts
NewsChannel 9 WSYR Onondaga County and CNY Arts Faye Panasci Doug and Judy Robertson Louise Robinson Carl Schramm and Ellyn Brown Jary and Julie Shimer Peter and Elsa Soderberg Donald and Chacea Sundman Doug Sutherland and Nancy Kramer WCNY Public Television & Radio Sieglinde Wikstrom WSKG Public Broadcasting
Colleen and Dan Fisher Franklin Properties Dr. and Mrs. Gianfranco Frittelli Dana and Susan Hall Tom and Gretchen Jeffers John and Maren King Paul and Elizabeth Koenig Andrea Latchem
David and Anne Lee Chris Lego and Jeff Shingleton Sharon and Marshall Magee John and Peggy Manring Dan and Kathleen Mezzalingua Jim and Julie Moore Andrew and Sherie Ramsgard, Ramsgard Architectural Dan and Linda Roche
Sutton Real Estate Testone, Marshall & Discenza, CPA’s James and Salli Tuozzolo Leah Weinberg and Paul Barron Welch Allyn WRVO Public Media
Robert and Nicolena Errico Patricia and Steven Ford Georgina Gregory Joyce and Robin Jowaisas Susan and Chris Lockwood John MacAllister and Laurel Moranz
Bill and Miki Mahood Susan Mark RealtyUSA Frank and Frances Revoir Foundation David Rubin and Tina Press Jack and Stephanie Rudnick
Dr. Frank C. Smith Paul and Mary Torrisi Arleen and Loren VanRiper Jack and Judy Varney Bob and Jo Werner Doug and Peg Whitehouse
David Driesen and Jeanne Otten Myron and Barbara Egtvedt Hamilton and Fran Fish Judith A. Fox Steven and Sandi Frackenpohl John V. Frank Mona and Coburn Freer Ron and Rose Ann Gay Steve and Anne Hahn Robert and Josephine Harris Scott Heinekamp Pamela Heintz Jim and Patty Hertz Sally Holben Jack and Ruth Howard Rob and Claire Howard
Louis Iannettoni Timothy and Lisa Izant Dr. Paul Karpinski Jackie Keady Mary Knepper Wendy and John Kopley Barbara Kotula Roger A. Krieger Joan and Ted Kuck David and Stacia Landsberg Marilyn Lerman William and Anne Lynn Clifford and Lucille MacBroom Scott MacRae Mr. and Mrs. James Marquardt John and Candace Marsellus Susan Martineau
Mark Martino Sean and Laura O’Keefe Nancy Oplinger and Richard Freeman Dr. and Dr. Fred Pestello Dick and Kim Poppa Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Potter Greg and Debbie Quick Raz Rahman Fritz and Phyllis Rohrlich Nick and Linda Rossi Al and Vicky Sabin Marilyn and James Seago Gary and Virginia Shanley Jean Shook and Chris Johnson Dr. Deborah Geer and Malcolm Skipton
Benefactor Mark and Lou Bitz Patti and Bud Carey CNY Eye Care Columbian Foundation Ed and Paula Conan Mary Cotter Sid and Suzanne Devorsetz Donald and Jean Eygnor
Gold Patron Henry and Helga Beck Bluebird Music Together Corinne and Bill Buterbaugh Coates Capital Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC Susan T. Dailey Guy and Nancy Easter
Patron Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood E. Bain Matteo and Rose Bartolotta Mary Bradly Denise and Steve Brady Mitchell Brodey Judith Bryant Edward Castilano Michael and Dorothy Cogswell Elet and John Callahan Nancy Collins Bob and Sue Congel Tim and Margie Creamer Alan Curle and Andrew London Cynthia Dietz Alan and Linda Dolmatch
4
Patron
(continued)
David and Deirdre Stam Jeffrey Stannard Jan Sterling Judith Stoikov and Richard Miller
Conrad Strozik John Sutter Frank and Rose Swiskey Jaime Tuozzolo Susan Keefe and Michael Tutor
John and Jean Vincent Richard and Ann Wasiewicz Suzanne and Walter Weitz Dr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Wickwire
Charles and Nancy Williams David Ying and Elinor Freer Dr. and Mrs. David P.W. Ying John and Carol Young
Stuart and Barbara Evans Bob and Kay Fagliarone Paul and Erika Fiutak David Fukes Thomas and Louise Gilhooley Gloria and Joshua Goldberg Kenneth Grant Bob and Val Gray William and Ann Griffith Agnes E. Griffith Roger and Estelle Hahn William and Karen Havens Bob and Peggy Hegel James and Arlene Hertzog Mary and Mark Hetrick Rich and Debbie Hole Joseph and Eleanor Hubbard Joan and Dick Huguley Dr. and Mrs. Peter Huntington Guy and Barbara Jamesson Barbara Kay Daniel and Virginia Kenney Stephen and Terry Kline Leslie Kohman Joseph and Gracia Koziol
Carol Krumhansl and Jeffrey Roberts Daniel and Grace Labeille Daniel and Marianne Larson Edward and Carol Lipson Anthony and Sandra Lombardo Gard Lorey, DDS and Sean Smith, DDS, PC Jennifer Loviglio and Paul Hartman James and Patricia MacKillop Cliff and Roberta Malzman Jill and Todd Marshall Loretta Marx Greg and Karen McGee Peggy and Bert Mersereau Margaret and William Murray Bruce and Margaret Osborne Dr. and Dr. Fred Pestello Eleanor Peterson RJR Associates Robert Van Gulick and Virginia Robbins Lawrence and Janet Ruston Shannon Ryan
Louis Green and Nanette Sable Milton Sack Bob and Lynne Scheer Herbert and Hillery Schneiderman Carrie and Chris Scholz Jon and Thelie Selzer Susan and Steven Shaw Elaine and Michael Shende Beverly and Doug Smith Margaret Sovik Dr. and Mrs. Ken Spitzer Wolfram Stahl Carol and William Stokes-Cawley Holly Strong Nancy E. Tiedemann Dr. Kevin Walsh Mark Watkins and Brenda Silverman Don and Mary Anne Winfield Carol Wixson Susan Wolstenholme Bob and Jeanne Young Joyce Zadzilka
Carol Delaney Kate DiDonato Starke Donnally Dorothy Fagerstrom Eleanor Filburn Brian Brundage and Pam Foresman Polly Gardner Aubrey and Carol Garlington Amandy and Wolfgang Geihe Alex and Donna Giambartolomei Josephine M. Gregg Brian and Maureen Harkins Louise Harpster Mary Louise Hartenstein David Harvey Bob Hiemenz
Doris Hill Perry and Dottie Howland Janet and Ralph Jurgensen Richard and Mary Lee Kokosa Elizabeth Kolodney and Barbara Sutton Myron and Luba Kopchynsky Alan Johnson and Lin Kroeger Claudia and Thomas Lambdin Edward and Karen Levene Rev. Frank Lioi Ed Little Peggy Liuzzi and David Michel Bob and Dee Maguire Margaret Merli Peter Moller Richard Moscarito Virginia Muggleton
David and Janet Muir JoDean and Timothy Orcutt Lynne Pascale Elizabeth Patton David and Judith Questo Tuni and Robert Rodormer Lisa Rosecrans Carol Rowehl and John Kahler Edith Schmitz Rosalind Schwartz Janet and Vito Sciscioli Terrance and Mary Frances Squires Chad and Diane Steckel Sal and Hope Strods Kendra and Don Witter Laura Yelinek
Contributor Eric Allyn and Meg O’Connell Anonymous Bernard and Lilan Asher Auburn Public Theater Karl Barth Ann Marie Bergold Dave and Pat Blackwell Barbara Bloom Cynthia Blume Jim and Karin Blute Bolt and Barbara Bolton-Smith Louise Bristol Dan and Theresa Brown Hal and Peggy Brown Charlie and Mary Buckley Andres and Monique Cardenes Curt and Joyce Carlson Stephen and Linda Chow Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Clark Phyllis Clark Rev. Becky and Kip Coerper Goodwin Cooke Paul and Gail Cowley Jed and Barbara Delmonico Starke Donnally Mohsen Emami
Member Aunt Louise’s Lake House Mary Ann Baner and Mary Alley Max and Laura Berube Walt and Pat Blackler Barbara and Dennis Bowen Bernie and Ona Cohn Bregman Carol Bryant Patricia Callahan Kathryn Carlson John and Lucia Cataldo Elaine Ceresko Jim and Sharon Cirincione Victoria Clark Ransford and Janice Cooper David and Lynne Curtin Dick and Claire Damaske
5
FUN at the Festival Educational & Behind the Scenes Events
FamilyFest and Workshops are sponsored by:
The Panasci Family and the Fletcher Foundation with additional support from Bluebird Music Together
FamilyFest! Cel-e-brate! (Good Times, C’mon) Wednesday, August 6, 11:00 AM • First Presbyterian Church Why do people turn to music when they want to celebrate something special? What characteristics of the music make it sound joyful or majestic? You’ll find out as Artistic Directors Elinor Freer and David Ying play some especially celebratory music for you. We’ll close the program by marking the Skaneateles Festival’s 35th year with a group performance of Happy Birthday. If you play an instrument, bring it along, or voices are also fine! Elinor Freer, piano, David Ying, cello
Meet the Globetrotting Shanghai Quartet Wednesday, August 13, 11:00 AM • First Presbyterian Church This internationally known string quartet is consistently praised for its passionate musicality, impressive technique, and multicultural innovations. They’ve also taken their music around the globe, performing in places like Poland, China, France, Armenia, and Korea. Come meet them and hear some music from around the world!
Open Workshops For Music Students Wednesday, August 20, 11:00 AM • First Presbyterian Church Open to students of all ages and abilities.* With: Elinor Freer, piano; Mimi Hwang, cello; Alan Kay, clarinet; Erin Keefe, violin *Please Note: Pre-registration is required – students interested in participating can find the registration form online at www.skanfest.org or call 685-7418.
Behind the Scenes Open Rehearsal Wednesday, August 20, 2:00 PM • First Presbyterian Church Get a sneak peek backstage as Festival performers rehearse for one of this week’s upcoming concerts.
Pre-Concert Chat Friday August 8, 7:00 PM • First Presbyterian Church Join musicians and Festival founders for a lively reminiscence and discussion of how it all began. 6
Please support our sponsors and advertisers. (See directory on page 78.)
Ways to Support YOUR Skaneateles Festival DONATE for Music Today Donate today and support the 2014 season. Your gift will be recognized in the next year’s program.
SPONSORSHIP for 2015 Sponsor a concert or musician for the 2015 season. Your gift of $1,500 or more can sponsor a musician or an entire concert in 2015. Your gift will be recognized in next year’s program and you will be invited to “meet the musicians.”
ENDOWMENT for the Future Your gift can provide beautiful music forever… when you donate to the Festival endowment fund.
PLANNED GIVING Forever... Become a member of The Brook Farm Music Society. Your planned gift can demonstrate your love of music and your continued commitment to the community that is the Skaneateles Festival.
Yes, I want to help the Skaneateles Festival.
o Donate for music today o Sponsorship for 2015 o Please contact me to discuss my gift options. Name ______________________________________ Address ____________________________________ City _______________________________________ State ____________________ Zip_______________
The Brook Farm Music Society
I would like to make a tax-deductible gift to the Skaneateles Festival at the following level (all donations received this summer are recognized in the following year’s program book): o Guarantor Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2000 and up o Benefactor Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1000-1999 o Gold Patron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $500-999 o Patron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $200-499 o Contributor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100-199 o Member . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $50-99
o Check enclosed. Make checks payable to: Skaneateles Festival o Charge my: o Visa o Mastercard Card # ___________________________________________________
Phone _____________________________________ Email: _____________________________________
Exp. Date ______ /_______
Security Code___________________
Signature ________________________________________________ E-Mail ___________________________________________________ (required for processing)
Mail to: Skaneateles Festival, 97 E. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, NY 13152 For more information call 315-685-7418 Donate online at: www.skanfest.org
7
week 1
Summer Suite
Wednesday, August 6 6:30-9:00 PM
8th Annual
Summer Suite
Join us at the magnificent lakeside home of
Ed and Debbie Brennan Enjoy gourmet food and drink, a performance by fantastic Festival musicians and an exclusive tasting by 1911 Spirits
Performers: Joseph Genualdi and Curtis Macomber, violin; Maria Lambros and Melissa Matson, viola; Steven Doane and Rosemary Elliott, cello
additional event sponsorship from:
Creekside Coffee Bar and Books Fins & Tails GarageEatz Gilda’s 8
The Gould Hotel Infused Joelle’s French Bistro Johnny Angel’s LakeHouse Pub
Mandana Inn Mark’s Pizzeria Skaneateles Mirbeau Pascale Pâtisserie
Please support our sponsors and advertisers. (See directory on page 78.)
Sherwood Inn Wildflowers Florist White Birch Vineyards
Marilyn Lerman enjoys last year’s Summer Suite with Elinor Freer and family.
World Class Music in a World Class Setting
Brook Farm · Picnic Saturdays
www.skanfest.org 9
week 1
Many Happy Returns
Thursday, August 7
8:00 PM First Presbyterian Church Opening Night
tonight’s concert is sponsored by:
Bill & Gwen Birchenough and Dave Birchenough & Carrie Lazarus
Program Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor, Op. 45
Joseph Genualdi, violin Robert Weirich, piano
STRAUSS
Andante in C for Horn and Piano, Op. posth., TrV 155
Stewart Rose, horn Robert Weirich, piano
WEIRICH
Steamboat Stomp for Horn and Piano
Stewart Rose, horn Robert Weirich, piano
GRIEG
Allegro molto ed appassionato Allegretto espressivo alla romanza Allegro animato
intermission
BRAHMS
10
String Sextet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 36 Allegro non troppo Scherzo: Allegro non troppo Poco Adagio Poco Allegro
Joseph Genualdi, violin Curtis Macomber, violin Maria Lambros, viola Melissa Matson, viola Steven Doane, cello Rosemary Elliott, cello
tonight’s guest sponsorships:
tonight’s media sponsor:
Steven Doane is sponsored by Mary Cotter Joseph Genualdi is sponsored by Bill Hecht Curtis Macomber is sponsored by Bruce Keplinger and Maryellen Casey Melissa Matson is sponsored by Jeff Shingleton and Chris Lego Steward Rose is sponsored by Columbian Foundation Robert Weirich is sponsored by the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation
Business Journal News Network The Skaneateles Festival is made possible in part by funding from Onondaga County and CNY Arts.
Program Notes
© KEITH HORNER, 2014
Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor, Op. 45 (1886) EDVARD GRIEG (1843-1907) “I am furious at not being a string player,” Edvard Grieg said to the violinist and composer Johann Halvorsen, a fellow Norwegian, in 1901. But, like Brahms and Bruch, Grieg made up for his lack of skill on the violin by seeking the counsel and friendship of professional violinists. He was aware of how far he had traveled over the course of his three violin sonatas: “They are representative of the three periods of my evolution – the first naïve and full of melodic ideas, the second nationalistic, and the third turning to much vaster horizons.” First performed by the renowned Russian violinist Adolph Brodsky and the composer himself in 1887, the Third Sonata was an immediate success. Grieg gleefully told a friend within three months of thethpremière: “Just think, the new sonata has already 35 sold about 1500 copies.” N
R
A
N
Y
2014
IVERSA
2014
35
19 80
th
The Skaneateles Festival opens for three weeks (8 concerts) at Library Hall
Drama and passion are explored throughout the opening movement, together with the sweet lyricism that is such a characteristic of Grieg’s melodic writing. The sonata opens powerfully, with an urgent, passionate theme rising from the lowest string of the violin. It soon evolves into a more vulnerable secondary theme over tremolo piano chords. The two themes are, in fact, related and this is indicative of the unity of material that underlines the entire work. The beautiful slow movement begins radiantly, high in the piano. The outer sections of the movement explore a mood of gentle nostalgia, enveloping a central playful intermezzo. The finale returns to the urgency of the opening movement, though the mood is mellowed somewhat by a noble, modal second theme. The music builds on the contrast between these two themes, ending triumphantly in a glorious coda.
Anonymous 4 makes their Festival debut before a capacity crowd at St. Mary’s Church.
Andante in C for Horn and Piano, Op. posth., TrV 155 (1888) RICHARD STRAUSS (1864-1949) Franz Strauss was already a renowned horn player when his son Richard Strauss was born. As principal horn of the Munich court orchestra, Strauss Snr. played in the premières of Wagner’s Tristan, Die Meistersinger, Das Rheingold and Die Walküre. But his tastes were stubbornly conservative and he did his best to pass on his loathing for Wagner the man to his son. Richard Strauss, however, was not to let Bavarian stubbornness limit his horizons. So if you love the later, lush romantic sounds of Der Rosenkavalier or Strauss’s massive orchestral tone poems, you’ll enjoy the occasional glimpses of the mature Strauss in this short Andante, written when Strauss was 24. The song-like movement was designed as the slow movement of an incomplete Sonata to mark the silver wedding anniversary of his parents. The score was not published until 1973.
Steamboat Stomp for Horn and Piano (1998) ROBERT WEIRICH Robert Weirich introduced this prizewinning show piece in one of his 1998 concerts, when the Skaneateles Festival was brand new. It’s a virtuoso, sassy, spicy, jazzy musical sandwich with a soft center.
String Sextet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 36 (1864-5) JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897) “I love you! I must see you again! But I cannot wear fetters.” With these words in a letter to the soprano Agathe von Siebold, the 25 year-old Johannes Brahms broke off their secret engagement. Brahms had almost daily contact with Agathe, two years younger than himself, over a two-month period in the summer of 1858. They exchanged letters which Agathe, a professor’s daughter from Göttingen, viewed as ‘the source of the deepest and 11
IT TAKES SKILL AND STRATEGY TO BRING EVERYTHING INTO
PERFECT HARMONY.
It’s time to start planning for the moment when your dreams take center stage. MassMutual Central New York can help you get there, with the comprehensive suite of MassMutual products, tools and services that has helped families and businesses reach their goals for 160 years. We can help you compose the future you deserve – call us today to learn how. To learn more, contact: Kathleen A. Totman, LUTCF, CLTC Financial Services Professional MassMutual Central New York 250 S. Clinton Street, Suite 300 Syracuse, NY 13202 315-727-3327 ktotman@financialguide.com www.massmutual.com/central-new-york
LIFE INSURANCE + RETIREMENT/401(K) PLAN SERVICES + DISABILITY INCOME INSURANCE + LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE + ANNUITIES
MassMutual Financial Group refers to Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. (MassMutual) and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. Local sales agencies are not subsidiaries of MassMutual or its affiliaed companies. Insurance products issued by MassMutual, Springfield, MA 01111 and its subsidiaries, C.M. Life Insurance Co., and MML Bay State Life Insurance Co., Enfield, CT 06082. CRN201501-168393 12
2014
purest joy.’ Brahms was even photographed wearing an engagement ring that summer, though it was never publicly acknowledged. Characteristically, Brahms worked out his feelings in music, not in words. Characteristically, too, it took him several years before the work came together on paper. It also took a melancholy return visit to Göttingen, once Agathe had fled the town of painful memories to become a governess in Ireland. Shortly afterwards, in September 1864, back at his summer retreat in Baden-Baden, Brahms composed the anguished, intense and revealing songs of his Op. 32. Within the month, he also completed the first three movements of the G major Sextet for two violins, two violas and two cellos, finishing the finale the following May. This was to be his Op. 36. At the time, Brahms told the singer Joseph Gänsbacher: “I have freed myself from my last love.” He did so literally, as well as figuratively, by including a particular sequence of notes in the opening movement by way of catharsis. It spells out the notes A-G-A-H-E (H being the German B natural) and ADE, the German word for ‘adieu’). The two words are a hidden, but nevertheless a very conscious ‘Farewell, Agathe’ that would have been immediately clear to Brahms’s circle of friends. The second movement is, somewhat unusually, a scherzo – a rather bittersweet scherzo. Its wildly contrasting middle section is a thigh-slapping ländler of great gusto.
IVER
Y
th
SA
2014
35
th
Not all concerts are at Library Hall this year– two Saturday concerts take place at Brook Farm, home of David and Louise Robinson
1 9 82
8/13Program 8/7 ProgramNotes Notes(CONTINUED) (CONTINUED)
35
N
R
A
N
The E minor Adagio that follows is a melancholy and subdued set of variations on another earlier theme, this time associated with a more persistent desire that Brahms held – his love for Clara Schumann. The finale of this magnificently sonorous, closely integrated Sextet returns to a more upbeat mood. The G major Sextet was the first work by Brahms to receive its première in the United States. It was given October 11, 1866 at the Mendelssohn Quintet Club in Boston. The European première followed in Zurich the following month. — Notes © 2014 Keith Horner. Comments welcomed: khnotes@sympatico.ca
PORT & COMPANY
CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
HOWARD A. PORT, C.P.A. TELEPHONE: 315-449-1200 FAX: 315-449-2650
5730 COMMONS PARK DR. EAST SYRACUSE, N.Y. 13057
Special thanks to the
First Presbyterian Church for their generous hospitality
13
week 1
Many Happy Returns
tonight’s concert is sponsored by:
Friday, August 8
Sieglinde Wikstrom
7:00 PM Pre-Concert Event (for ticket holders only)
8:00 PM First Presbyterian Church
Behind the Scenes Pre-Concert Event Join musicians and Festival founders for a lively reminiscence and discussion of the origins of the Skaneateles Festival.
Concert FRANÇAIX
String Trio
REINECKE
Trio in A minor for Oboe, Horn, and Piano, Op. 188
Allegretto vivo Scherzo Andante Rondo
Curtis Macomber, violin Maria Lambros, viola Steven Doane, cello
Peggy Pearson, oboe Stewart Rose, horn Elinor Freer, piano
Allegro moderato Scherzo: Molto vivace Adagio Finale: Allegro ma non troppo
intermission
SCHUMANN
14
Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44
Allegro brillante In modo d’una marcia: un poco largamente – Agitato Scherzo. Molto vivace Allegro, ma non troppo
Curtis Macomber, violin Joseph Genualdi, violin Maria Lambros, viola Rosemary Elliott, cello Robert Weirich, piano
tonight’s guest sponsorships:
tonight’s media sponsor:
Steven Doane is sponsored by Mary Cotter Elinor Freer is sponsored by Grossman St. Amour Joseph Genualdi is sponsored by Bill Hecht Curtis Macomber is sponsored by Bruce Keplinger and Maryellen Casey Steward Rose is sponsored by Columbian Foundation Robert Weirich is sponsored by the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation
NewsChannel 9 WSYR The Skaneateles Festival is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
The 2013 “Musical Nature Walk” at Baltimore Woods featured David Ying’s duet with daughter Alina.
Program Notes French composer Jean Françaix once said that he aimed to write music that was both Français, with an ‘s’ (i.e. distinctly French) and Françaix, with an ‘x’ (i.e. distinctly his own). He wanted his music to be “cheerful most of the time – even comical.” Maybe this philosophy helped him remain creative till the age of 85. He composed his first piece at the age of six and the fluency remained with him to the end of his life, underlining both the strength and weakness of his art. There was a serious side to his music, but you have to look hard to find it in a huge catalog. Françaix wrote the fastidiously crafted Trio for violin, viola and cello when he was 21 and still a student of the French composer Nadia Boulanger. Stylistically, the music shows the hallmarks that remained present in Françaix’s music throughout his life. The busy first movement is written with crystalline clarity, a moto perpetuo based on neoclassical gestures and patterns. The late Nicholas Slonimsky claimed that Françaix weaves the four-note pattern B-A-C-H into the viola part – only reversed – as a way of illustrating the slogan ‘Back to Bach’ which was prevalent at the time of composition. It may be true. Certainly the movement has all the conciseness and structural balance of neoclassicism at its best. The movement, like the third movement, is played muted throughout. The momentum continues in the second movement – a Scherzo whose wit invariably brings a smile to the face. Its comically rustic central trio section wickedly parodies gestures and mannerisms dear to lovers of the Viennese waltz. The beautiful
Y
N
N
R
A
JEAN FRANÇAIX (1912-1997)
2014
slow movement is built upon a haunting melody that th 35provides a cunning foil to the circles back on itself. It Rondo finale, which bursts upon us with 35 Festival receives award carnival-like exuberance. from NPR for Best Elegant and Regional Performance infectious in its good humor, the by a Large Ensemble Trio epitomizes Gallic sophistication, alternately tugging on the heartstrings, and then abruptly turning round and laughing at our vulnerability, like some character from the Italian commedia dell’arte. IVERSA
2014
th
1990
String Trio (1933)
© KEITH HORNER, 2014
Trio in A minor for Oboe, Horn, and Piano, Op. 188 (1886) CARL REINECKE (1824-1910) Like Françaix, German composer Carl Reinecke remained a prolific composer throughout a long life, with almost 300 compositions in his catalog. A contemporary of Brahms, Reinecke lived from the early years of Romanticism until its twilight years, when the innovations of the 20th century began to supersede romantic ideals. He composed in all the established forms of the day, including opera and other music for the stage, symphonies, concertos, and much vocal and chamber music. As a pianist, Liszt spoke highly of his “beautiful, gentle, legato and lyrical touch” 15
2014
– and much the same could be said of Reinecke’s compositions. Few of these compositions, however, remain in the repertoire, with the notable exception of a flute sonata subtitled Undine – for many years it has been his most frequently performed and recorded work. In his lifetime, Reinecke was best known as the long-time director of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in the period following the death of its founder, Felix Mendelssohn. Reinecke was also Professor of composition at the Leipzig Conservatory, building the reputation of the music school he eventually headed, to be the leading conservatory in Europe. In his teaching, as in his music, Reinecke saw himself as a guardian of tradition, mistrusting what was new and revering much that was familiar from the past. The Trio he wrote for oboe, horn and piano in 1886 at the age of 62 follows classical precedent in its four-movement musical structure, if not in its unusual yet attractive combination of instruments. Its opening movement is built around a graceful, lyrical theme first heard on the oboe, while the wistful mood Reinecke explores pays homage to Schumann. In the brief, animated scherzo second movement, oboe and horn punctuate the sustained piano texture with rapid-fire interjections. Both the slow movement and good humored finale show Reinecke’s gift for attractive melodic writing to advantage and make this infrequently performed work a welcome visitor.
N
Y
th
IVERSA
2014
35
th
1 9 82
8/8 Program Notes (CONTINUED)
35
R
A
N
Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44 (1842) ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Robert Schumann was the first to combine the string quartet – a medium he had just begun to explore – with the piano, an instrument that was seldom absent from his compositions. Mozart almost stumbled across the genre when he published a number of his piano concertos for soloist and four single strings. Schubert came close to
Grossman St. Amour CPAs Thanks the Skaneateles Festival for Providing 35 Years of World Class Music by the Lake! 315.422.1391 www.gsacpas.com 16
Hilary Hahn’s debut at the Festival at age 12. “Skaneateles was my first professional chamber music festival, and I’ve loved the place ever since.” –Hilary Hahn
8/13Program 8/8 ProgramNotes Notes(CONTINUED) (CONTINUED)
writing a piano quintet with his Trout Quintet, but dropped the second violin in favor of a double bass. Half a century earlier, Boccherini began to investigate the medium. No one, however, was to realize the potential of combining string quartet and piano with the success that Schumann brought to his only piano quintet. It went on to become his most popular chamber music composition and led directly to subsequent masterpieces by Brahms, Dvořák, Franck, Elgar and Shostakovich. 1842 was Schumann’s chamber music year. After writing his three string quartets in just five weeks in the spring, his health collapsed. So he spent part of the summer together with his wife touring Bohemian spas in search of a cure. Rejuvenated, he sketched out the music of his Piano Quintet in just five days. Two weeks later, on October 12, the full score was complete. Many revisions followed, including dropping the idea of a fifth movement. With the clarity of form reached in his final version of the work, Schumann was to achieve a success with the public that all too frequently eluded him. It is a highly unified work in which the various themes reappear and are transformed. The brilliant opening theme is presented in moods both turbulent and dreamy. A rather startling transformation of a theme comes about in the
second movement, as a stormy, intensely romantic central section evolves out of the solemn tread of the surrounding funeral march. Similarly, in the Scherzo third movement, after making brilliant play out of what would be to another composer plain old scales, Schumann teases out a theme of its first trio section from an upside-down version of the main theme from the opening movement. The crowning point of this contrapuntal mastery comes towards the end of the finale when the main theme of the movement is combined with the opening theme of the quintet as a double fugue, over 50 radiant, virtuoso measures. Throughout the Piano Quintet, Schumann’s piano writing strikes a wonderful balance between the intimacy of chamber music and the virtuosity of the piano concerto. The quintet was dedicated to Clara Wieck, who gave hundreds of performances in both public and private settings. One month after the ink was dry, she gave the very first private performance at the Leipzig home she shared with Robert. Then, early in January 1843, she gave the public première at the Leipzig Gewandhaus. From this point on, the Quintet has never left the repertoire. — Notes © 2014 Keith Horner. Comments welcomed: khnotes@sympatico.ca
GILDA'S Offering hand crafted artisan small pizzas, small plates and desserts. Draft and bottled craft beers, wine and sangria. (315) 685.7234 | GildasSkaneateles.com
Support Music in our Schools!
17
week 1
Many Happy Returns
tonight’s concert is sponsored by:
Holland Gregg & Patience Brewster
Saturday, August 9 7:30 PM Brook Farm
Fireworks Ensemble is sponsored by
Rain Location: Allyn Arena
FIREWORKS AT BROOK FARM
Fireworks Ensemble Sara Caswell, violin, Brian Coughlin, bass, Alex Hamlin, saxophone, David Mancuso, drums and percussion, Gyan Riley, guitar, Leigh Stuart, cello, Red Wierenga, piano and accordion TRADITIONAL (Navajo) BRIAN COUGHLIN CHARLES IVES TRADITIONAL (Missouri Valley) EDWARD MACDOWELL STEPHEN FOSTER DAVID HIDALGO & LOUIE PÉREZ SAM LI`A KALAINAINA, SR TRADITIONAL (Cajun) BILL MONROE AARON COPLAND
Spinning Song America The Housatonic At Stockbridge Shenandoah To a Wild Rose Ah, May Red Rose Live Always Kiko and the Lavender Moon Hi’ilawe Madeleine Bluegrass Breakdown Hoe-Down (from “Rodeo”)
intermission
LEONARD BERNSTEIN
Four Dances from “West Side Story”
MERCER ELLINGTON
Jumpin’ Punkins Honky Tonk Train Strings of Life Black Is The Color Of My True Love’s Hair Gideon Closing (from Glassworks) New Britain)
MEADE “LUX” LEWIS DERRICK MAY TRADITIONAL JAMES OLLIGES, JR. PHILIP GLASS JOHN NEWTON
1. Rumble 3. Mambo 2. Scherzo 4. Cool
Fireworks display to begin after performance. Fireworks Ensemble appears by arrangement with MCM Arts & Entertainment,www.mcmarts.com with additional support from
Jim & Salli Tuozzolo 18
tonight’s fireworks by: Pyrotenico
tonight’s media sponsor: Finger Lakes Radio Group
Please support our sponsors and advertisers. (See directory on page 78.)
A young fan is ready for the concert at Brook Farm!
19
week 2
East Meets West
These events are sponsored in part by:
David Duggan & Lynn Cleary
FREE Community Events
with additional support from the
Frank and Frances Revoir Foundation
Free Community Events with Music from China Wang Guowei, erhu, gaohu, banhu; Chen Yihan, pipa; Melinda Chen, yangqin; Melanie Chen, liuqin; Susan Cheng, daruan
The ensemble Music from China will captivate audience members of all ages with both traditional and contemporary Chinese music and instruments.
Part 1 Wednesday, August 13, 2:00 PM
Fayetteville Free Library 300 Orchard Street, Fayetteville
Part 2 Thursday, August 14, 2:00 PM
Schweinfurth Memorial Arts Center 205 Genesee Street, Auburn
today’s guest sponsorships:
Music from China is sponsored by Don & Chacea Sundman 20
The Skaneateles Festival is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
The Library remains true to its mission of providing free and open access to information as a lifelong learning center.
The Fayetteville Free Library began as a subscription reading room in 1906. In recent years, the Board of Trustees responded to the need for more space for the Library's growing collections and programs and for improved parking access. With the continued support from the local community, businesses, foundations and the State of New York, the FFL has executed a multi-phased plan designed to accommodate patrons of all ages with state-of-the-art technology, media collections, and program opportunities.
www.fflib.org
(315) 637-6374
A multi arts facility, located in Auburn, New York situated in the heart of the Finger Lakes. We offer exhibitions, art classes, gift shop and multi arts programs including music, film, folk arts, poetry, storytelling and more.
www.schweinfurthartcenter.org
(315) 255-1553
Cheryl Fries, 2013 Robinson Award winner is joined by Shawn Davern, Honorable Mention recipient.
21
week 2 concerts are sponsored in part by the generous donation of week 2
Penny Eger in memory of MJ Osborne
East Meets West
Thursday, August 14
8:00 PM First Presbyterian Church
tonight’s concert is sponsored by:
SKANEATELES FESTIVAL
DINING SPECIAL
Upon presentation of two Skaneateles Festival tic on the night of the event, The Sherwood Inn will offer 10% off your final dinner bill. Reservations (315) 685-3405.
Not Your Mother’s Chamber Music Concert Hits the Silk Road!
1-800-374-3796
Program will be presented without intermission. Please hold your applause until the end of the concert. HOVHANESS
Four Bagatelles for String Quartet, Op. 30
DEBUSSY
Adieux de l'hôtesse arabe (Farewell of the Arabian hostess) Jennifer Aylmer, soprano Rondel Chinois (Poem on a Chinese Scene)
CHEN YI
Fiddle Suite, for Erhu and String Quartet
Wang Guowei, erhu Shanghai Quartet
Nagoya Marimbas
Chris Jones, marimba Frank Cassara, marimba
from the Piano Quintet in C minor
Shanghai Quartet Elinor Freer, piano
BIZET
REICH BORODIN CUI KREISLER BERNSTEIN RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
Elinor Freer, piano
Dancing Reciting Singing Multimedia Video Animation Projection by Lampo Leong
Andante
Orientale, for Cello and Piano, Op. 50 No. 9 Tambourin chinois, Op. 3
David Ying, cello Elinor Freer, piano
‘What a Movie’ from Trouble in Tahiti
Jennifer Aylmer, soprano Elinor Freer, piano
from the String Sextet in A
Shanghai Quartet Virginia Barron, viola David Ying, cello
Rondo fugato: Allegretto grazioso Andante espressivo
today’s guest sponsorships:
Jennifer Alymer is sponsored by Donna Graber, Planning Sense Shanghai Quartet is sponsored by Doug Sutherland and Nancy Kramer David Ying and Elinor Freer are sponsored by Grossman St. Amour 22
Shanghai Quartet: Weigang Li, violin Yi-Wen Jiang, violin Honggang Li, viola Nicholas Tzavaras, cello
The Skaneateles Festival is made possible in part by funding from Onondaga County and CNY Arts.
Program Notes Four Bagatelles for String Quartet, Op. 30 (1966) ALAN HOVHANESS (1911–2000) When Claude Debussy and his fellow artists heard a Javanese gamelan in Paris at the 1889 World Exposition, it had a profound effect on their art. But the seeds were already sown in Debussy’s earlier Rondel Chinois, as we’ll hear in today’s concert. Several generations later, artistic and economic globalization has resulted in a very different world from that known by Debussy, Cui, Bizet and others. Chinese composer Chen Yi likens her composition to “thinking in Chinese, but writing in a Western idiom.” Sparks fly as cultures confront and embrace one another. Today, we’ll hear steps along this fascinating journey. Like other bagatelles, including those for piano by Beethoven, the four by American composer Alan Hovhaness briefly explore a single melodic idea or texture. In them we hear evidence of the pioneering American composer’s wide-ranging musical studies in Armenia,
Congratulations Bill Eberhardt, celebrating 40 years as owner of the Sherwood Inn and thank you for 35 years of supporting the Festival!
© KEITH HORNER, 2014
India, Japan, and Korea and surrounding countries. High soaring, sustained melodies, modal scales, repeated patterns, plucked strings and low drones add richness and depth to these miniatures. "My purpose is to create music, not for snobs, but for all people,” Hovhaness once said, “music which is beautiful and healing, to attempt what old Chinese painters called 'spirit resonance’ in melody and sound."
Adieux de l'hôtesse arabe (Farewell of the Arabian hostess) (1866) GEORGES BIZET (1838-1875) Farewell of the Arabian hostess is the most famous of around 50 songs by French composer Georges Bizet and it clearly comes from the pen of the composer who was to write Carmen. It’s an exotic and alluring setting of a poem by Victor Hugo from the collection Orientales, sung by a young Arabian woman whose lover, a handsome traveler, has deserted her. Bizet accompanies her sinuous and sensuous vocal lines with the drum beats of a dance.
Rondel Chinois (Poem on a Chinese Scene) (1881) CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Delicate vocal melismas color an exotic landscape in Claude Debussy’s early ‘Poem on a Chinese Scene.’ His
SKANEATELES FESTIVAL
DINING SPECIAL
Upon presentation of two Skaneateles Festival tickets, on the night of the event, The Sherwood Inn will offer 10% off your final dinner bill. Reservations (315) 685-3405.
1-800-374-3796
23
8/14 Program Notes (CONTINUED)
setting of an anonymous poem paints a picture of lush vegetation surrounding a lake on which a Chinese junk passes, containing a veiled, sleeping woman, who is carefully watched over. Debussy wrote the song at the age of 20 for the singer Marie-Blanche Vasnier, with th whom he had a long affair, and for whom he wrote more 35 than half of his entire song catalog. N
R
A
N
Y
2014
IVERSA
2014
35
1996
th
quartet plays mysterious textures to create the atmosphere, to express the parting sorrow in the poem.” The last movement, Singing, is virtuoso and rhythmically driven. The soloist now plays the high-pitched jinghu, with its higher, brighter sound.
Nagoya Marimbas (1994) STEVE REICH (B. 1936) “I was as influenced by Ghanian drumming, Balinese gamelan and Hebrew chant as I was by Bartók, Stravinsky, Pérotin and Bach,” American composer Steve Reich said at the time of his 70th birthday. Of these, it’s the Balinese influence that is immediately striking in the short duet Nagoya Marimbas he wrote in 1994. The piece was for a marimba duo from the Japanese city of Nagoya who specialized in Balinese gamelan music. By now, Reich had largely moved beyond the minimalism of his early years. Still, the out-of-phase effects of repeating patterns played by both marimbas in the duet recall some of his betterknown earlier works, while emphasizing melodic content.
Opening movement from the Piano Quintet in C minor (1862)
“The World’s Music” is the theme of the Festival. Programming includes the Gamelan Music of Bali, South Indian Drumming, and Samite of Uganda Fiddle Suite, for Erhu and String Quartet (1997) CHEN YI (B. 1953) One year after composing this Fiddle Suite in 1997, Chen Yi, born in Guangzhou, north-west of Hong Kong, began teaching at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, where she now continues as Distinguished Professor. Her student years included relocation to the countryside during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and her music is informed by this experience. The Suite, for instance, comes in versions for soloist with traditional Chinese instruments, with Western orchestra, or with string quartet. A different erhu is used for each of the three movements. Held in a vertical position on the lap, the erhu, as Chen notes, consists of a long, straight stem connected to a resonator which is covered on one side by a snakeskin or wooden sound board and open on the other (with decoration window). The lack of a fingerboard and a bow fixed between the two strings (near the bridge) are unique features of the instrument. The opening movement introduces a folk-like theme based on a seven-note modal scale. Its flowing melodic lines contrast with the string quartet sounds, which Chen says resembles a group of Chinese percussion instruments. The second movement is more mysterious, taking an 11th century poem as its starting point and featuring the lower sounds of the zhonghu. This, Chen says, “imitates the exaggerated 24 reciting voice in Chinese operatic style, while the string
ALEXANDER BORODIN (1833-1887) The youngest member of a group of nationalist composers known as Kutchka, The Mighty Handful, Russian composer Alexander Borodin’s day job was as a respected research chemist. Early in his career, in 1861, he found research
8/14 Program Notes (CONTINUED)
work in Italy in order to help his fiancée, a pianist, recuperate from tuberculosis. While there, both musicians played chamber music with other amateurs and Borodin wrote the most important chamber music composition of his early years, the Piano Quintet. Its opening movement, a rondo in which the opening theme recurs throughout, already contains the seeds of Borodin’s interest in Russian folksong – an interest which would blossom when the couple returned to Russia later that year.
Orientale, for Cello and Piano, Op. 50 No. 9 (1893) CÉSAR CUI (1835-1918) Russian composer César Cui, known for his sharp pen as a music critic as well as his music, thought big (11 operas) but flourished in the miniature – in his many songs, piano pieces and short chamber works. This much-arranged Orientale, Cui’s best-known piece, is colored by modal melodies that reflect landscapes well to the East of St. Petersburg. It started life as one of a set of 24 Preludes for violin and piano titled Kaleidoscope.
Tambourin chinois, Op. 3 (1919) FRITZ KREISLER (1875-1962) As the leading violinist of his time, Austrian-born, U.S.adopted violinist Fritz Kreisler made extended tours to the Far East – to China, Japan and Australia. But, for all his love of a tall story (and he told many), Kreisler’s short recital piece Tambourin chinois (Chinese tambourine dance) had its origins closer to home, in the operetta Apple
Check it out! Artist CDs available at the concession table.
Blossoms, that he co-wrote in 1919. The piece encloses lively outer sections based on open fifths and an Eastern scale (the pentatonic scale) with a sultry middle section whose tango-like rhythms wouldn’t be out of place in a dimly lit night club.
‘What a Movie’ from Trouble in Tahiti (1951) LEONARD BERNSTEIN (1918–1990) South Seas romance and the ‘island magic’ of a movie set in Tahiti are no substitute for true love for the troubled central characters Dinah and Sam in Leonard Bernstein’s one-act chamber opera Trouble in Tahiti. With words written by the composer himself and with characters based on his own parents, Dinah escapes her troubled relationship by picturing the images she has seen on the screen, only to be brought back to reality with more mundane matters.
Excerpts from the String Sextet in A (1876) NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov is well-known for his exotic symphonic suite Scheherazade in which he invites us to build up mental pictures from the tales Scheherazade recounts in the One Thousand and One Arabian Nights. But this most exotically Russian of composers reveals another side in his little-known chamber music. His Quintet for piano and winds was played at this festival four years ago. At the same time, the 31 year-old RimskyKorsakov wrote a sextet for two violins, violas and cellos, both works being intended for a competition held by the Russian Musical Society in 1876. He was proud of the spirited double-fugue second movement which combines a busy fugal subject with a broad, chorale-like melody. “I wrote it in the form of a very complicated six-part fugue and I find it very successful as to technique,” he later wrote in his Memoirs. The soulful slow movement is a gem, in which the first cello hangs on to a magnificent, song-like melody for 35 measures before it is wrestled away by both violins. The cello later restates its claim to the melody over what Rimsky-Korsakov proudly refers to as “ingenious accompaniment.” — Notes © 2014 Keith Horner. Comments welcomed: khnotes@sympatico.ca
315.685.0379 35 Fennell Street Skaneateles
25
week 2 concerts are sponsored in part by the generous donation of week 2
Penny Eger in memory of MJ Osborne
East Meets West
Friday, August 15
8:00 PM First Presbyterian Church
tonight's concert is sponsored by:
David Graham
Program Arr. YI-WEN JIANG
RAVEL
BRIGHT SHENG
Traditional Chinese Folk Songs
Shanghai Quartet: Weigang Li, violin Yi-Wen Jiang, violin Honggang Li, viola Nicholas Tzavaras, cello
Shéhérazade: Three Poems of Tristan Klingsor
Jennifer Aylmer, soprano Elinor Freer, piano
Hot Pepper for Violin and Marimba
Weigang Li, violin Frank Cassara, marimba
Miao Mountain Shepherd’s Song Harvest Celebration
Asie La flûte enchantée L’indifférent
intermission
RAVEL
Quartet in F
Shanghai Quartet
Allegro moderato - très doux Assez vif - très rythmé Très lent Vif et agité
Please join us in welcoming the musicians at a post-concert reception in Dobson Hall.
26
tonight's guest sponsorships:
tonight's media sponsor:
Jennifer Alymer is sponsored by Donna Graber, Planning Sense Elinor Freer is sponsored by Grossman St. Amour Shanghai Quartet is sponsored by Doug Sutherland and Nancy Kramer
WRVO Public Media The Skaneateles Festival is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
N
th Y
35
R
A
N
IVERSA
2014
35
1996
th
Festival featured in Bon Appetit Magazine. The article is called “Entertaining with Style – Dinner at the Concert.” Louise Robinson’s already famous cooking goes international (officially)
Program Notes Traditional Chinese Folk Songs
Miao Mountain Shepherd’s Song Harvest Celebration Arr. YI-WEN JIANG
Some years ago I developed the idea of arranging a few sets of Chinese folk songs along with popular music by various Chinese composers. I grew up with many of these pieces, and played some as solo works for violin and piano during the difficult days of the Cultural Revolution. Although their musical style is not structured or sophisticated, the pieces seem to be accessible and enjoyable for a general audience. The themes speak to the individual listener because they are expressive, direct and easily absorbed and understood. I asked myself: “Why not arrange them for string quartet, which is the form I love the most? That way I can play beautiful Chinese music again and also bring it to a wider audience with my group, the Shanghai Quartet. In Chinese folk music, there is a long tradition of imitating sounds from nature. Like many of China's minority nationalities, the Miao people have lived in the mountains south of the Yangzi River for most of their history, far from the noise and pollution of modern urban life. Miao Mountain provides a strong local flavor with a cheerful melody and lively imitation of birdsongs. In the beginning, the 1st violin imitates the sound of a traditional Miao instrument, the mouth flute, while the other strings play a soft tremolo. This suggests early morning sunshine penetrating the forest, and each player uses very distinctive techniques – trills, harmonics and slides – to represent
a multitude of different kinds of bird sounds. The main theme and the rhythm are of typical of a Miao dance, full of life and energy. The sharp contrast between the first and the middle section reflects a variety of personalities among a group of vigorous Miao dancers. The work was written by Chen Gang during the Cultural Revolution. This imaginative piece has been of great appeal to both refined and popular tastes in China since the 1970s. Shepherd’s Song is a popular folk song stemming from the Chinese autonomous region of Inner Mongolia. It was often played on a traditional two-stringed Mongolian instrument called a “Horse-Head Qin,” because there is a hand carved horse’s head on the top of the Qin instead of a scroll. There are several versions of this piece, including one by the famous Chinese composer Han-Kun Sha, who arranged “Shepherd’s Song” for violin solo with piano accompaniment. As the shepherd puts his cattle out to graze, the surroundings inspire him to express his love of nature and his feelings of nostalgia for his homeland. He sings, “White clouds are floating in the blue sky. Under the clouds there is a flock of snow white sheep.” The lyrical melody brims with deep emotion. The free rhythm and Dvorakian harmony in the lower strings’ arpeggio figures create a quiet, misty atmosphere, suggesting patches of soft clouds floating over meadows. The music reaches a passionate climax before subsiding again into an atmosphere of tranquility and peace. We in the Shanghai Quartet were very honored that Mr. Han-Kun Sha was in the audience for our performance of this piece in Shanghai in November, 2001. He was deeply moved and happy to hear his piece in a brand new form.
27
8/13 Program 8/15 Program Notes Notes (CONTINUED) (CONTINUED)
N
th Y
35
R
A
N
IVERSA
final song has a more 35 The Festival and Syracuse ambiguous sexuality as Opera co-produce Britten’s a young Noye’s Fludde featuring man of professional and commufeminine beauty nity musicians gracefully rejects the invitation of an admiring audience. In this voluptuous, highlycharged music, Ravel alludes to a melody from his own string quartet. 2014
Harvest Celebration is an original piece by violinist and composer Jing-Ping Zhang. He composed this piece for violin with piano accompaniment while he was a professor at the Nanjing Arts Institute. The work is one of my favorites, and I have always kept it in my solo repertoire as a wonderful encore piece. For centuries the majority of the Chinese population has lived off the land, so the harvest celebration, coming after a year of hard plowing and weeding, has always been one of the great events in people’s lives. Based on four short phrases, the violin tries to imitate the sound of the Suona — a double reed wind instrument with a very loud and high pitch, similar to an oboe — while drums, cymbals and gongs (suggested by the lower strings) are beaten boisterously. The rapid switches of meter and rhythm suggest the competitive improvisations typical of traditional Chinese celebrations. The music evokes images of the peasants singing and dancing with boundless joy. — Program notes by: Yi-Wen Jiang
Shéhérazade: Three Poems of Tristan Klingsor (1903) MAURICE RAVEL (1875-1937) Ravel’s songs from a century ago portray the East as remote and exotic, a place where the imagination can soar free from daily life. In 2014, Yi-Wen Jiang lives in New Jersey, performs in both the States and China, and happily marries both East and West in his music and arrangements. Bright Sheng, who has lived here for more than three decades, is the most prominent of what he refers to as the ‘Cultural Revolution generation.’ He frequently draws from an East-meets-West approach – or not. “I just write whatever excites me and makes the work sound good,” he says. The anonymous compendium of tales titled The Thousand and One Nights (or, often, The Arabian Nights) has inspired artists from Maurice Ravel and RimskyKorsakov to Proust and Rushdie. Robert Louis Stevenson said of this vast collection (some 10 to 15 volumes in total) that it “captivates in childhood and still delights in age.” Ravel was first drawn to its fantastic blend of the erotic and religious with an overture, composed while still a student. He even thought of turning it into an opera but dropped the idea in favor of a song cycle when a symbolist poet in the group with whom he socialized published a verse collection of one hundred oriental fantasies titled Shéhérazade. She is the central character in the narrative, the wife who spins the tales with cliffhanger conclusions each night, to keep her husband coming back for more. The first song offers a picture-postcard vision of the east, covering a vast landscape from Persia to India, to China, recounted in vivid detail to the curious when the traveler returns. Then Ravel provides a pair of shorter songs. In the first, an attendant slave girl imagines ‘The Enchanted Flute’ of the title like a lover’s kiss as it is played outside 28 the house as she sits inside, while her master sleeps. The
19 99
th
Hot Pepper for Violin and Marimba (2010) BRIGHT SHENG (B. 1955) Shanghai-born composer Bright Sheng has lived in the United States since 1982. “I am a mixture not only of Eastern and Western influences,” he says, “but of Tibetan and Chinese within the Eastern. Why shouldn’t my music reflect that?” Much of it does and it has brought Sheng recognition from both East and West. “All of my compositions somehow deal with Chinese culture, yet they synthesize Chinese and Western musical forms,” he says. Sheng’s interest in folksong developed during the Cultural Revolution, when he was sent to work as a pianist and timpanist in a music-dance company in Chinhai, the
WRVO Public Media salutes the
35th Annual Skaneateles Festival. WRVO’s 10 station network partners with performing arts organizations throughout our 20 county coverage area to keep the music playing in central and northern New York. WRVO Public Media has one of the largest listening auidences in upstate New York. With coverage from the Southern Tier northward to the St. Lawrence River valley and from the Finger Lakes eastward to Leatherstocking Country, nearly 100,000 unique listeners tune in weekly for NPR news and more. WRVO Oswego/Syracuse | WRVD Syracuse WRVH Clayton | WRVJ Watertown | WRVN Utica repeaters in Geneva, Hamilton, Ithaca, Norwich, North Watertown on iPad, iPhone, Android and online at wrvo.org
8/13 Program Notes (CONTINUED) 8/15
province that borders Tibet. His two-movement piece Hot Pepper incorporates a folk tune from Sichuan province, an area, as lovers of Chinese food will know, renowned for its hot spicy food. Sheng serves up the heat and fiery surprise of the tune after marimba and violin first slowly savor its flavor.
Quartet in F (1902-3) MAURICE RAVEL (1875-1937) When the French composer Vincent d’Indy first heard Maurice Ravel’s new quartet at its première in Paris on March 5, 1904, he said: “It is a piece worthy of any composer’s work at the end of a long career.” Ravel, however, was just 28 when he wrote the masterpiece that was to become a cornerstone of the quartet repertoire and one of the most popular of all quartets. He wrote it immediately before Shéhérazade and dedicated the piece to Gabriel Fauré, whom he considered his true mentor. Its roots, though, are intertwined with those of the D major quartet of César Franck, composed two decades earlier. And in between these two landmark works – the Franck and the Ravel – equally intertwined with both, lies a third masterpiece, the only quartet of Claude Debussy. Ravel, the youngest of the three composers, was enthusiastically absorbing the music of Debussy, 12 years his senior, when he began work on his string quartet. He went
to every one of the first 30 performances of Debussy’s revolutionary opera Pelléas et Mélisande and had the sound of Debussy’s earlier quartet so much in his head that some of its lifeblood carried over into his own piece. He borrowed the use of Eastern exoticism and modality of the harmony from Debussy. He also borrowed the richly scored textures and the idea of a pizzicato second movement. Both Ravel and Debussy followed Franck’s lead in using a single theme, transformed both melodically and harmonically throughout all four movements. With each appearance of the theme, Ravel makes subtle changes, using the thematic unity to bring about a constantly shifting sound world. Critics were quick to comment on the similarity of his quartet with that of Debussy. They divided themselves and the followers of the composers, into two polarized camps. From this point on, the relationship of these two revolutionary French composers was to grow uneasy. Nevertheless, when Fauré criticized Ravel’s finale as a failure, Debussy was magnanimous in the way he reassured Ravel: “In the name of the gods of music and in my name too, do not alter a thing in your quartet.” Years later, the American composer and critic Virgil Thomson called Ravel’s Quartet: “The classic ideal that is every Frenchman’s dream and every foreigner’s dream of France. It is the dream of an equilibrium in which sentiment, sensuality, and intelligence are united at their highest intensity.” — Program notes © 2014 Keith Horner. Comments welcome: khnotes@sympatico.ca
No trip to Skaneateles is complete without a visit to
DOUG’S FISH FRY 8 Jordan Street • Skaneateles, NY 13152 • 315.685.3288 29
week 2
East Meets West
week 2 concerts are sponsored in part by the generous donation of
Penny Eger in memory of MJ Osborne
Saturday, August 16 7:30 PM Brook Farm
tonight’s concert is sponsored by:
Jary & Julie Shimer
Rain Location: Skaneateles High School
Sounds of the Orient at Brook Farm Arr. GU GUANREN
Sanliu
YI JIANQUAN
Birds in the Forest
Wang Guowei, gaohu and ensemble
TRADITIONAL
The Warlord Doffs His Armor
Chen Yihan, pipa
Crescent Moon at Dawn
Wang Guowei, banhu and ensemble
Riding with the Wind
Wang Guowei, erhu and ensemble
Arr. LIU MINGYUAN orch. by WANG GUOWEI CHEN YAOXING
intermission
Chinese Fables (2002)
Wang Guowei, erhu Chen Yihan, pipa David Ying, cello Frank Cassara, percussion
ZHOU LONG
Chinese Folk Songs Suite
Shanghai Quartet and Music from China
MAO YUAN, LIU TIESHAN
Yao Dance
Shanghai Quartet and Music from China
CHEN YI
The Fox Profited by the Tiger's Might Master Dong Guo and the Wolf The Snipe and the Clam Lan Hua Hua Driving the Mules Jasmine A Single Bamboo Can Easily Bend
Music From China Wang Guowei, erhu, gaohu, banhu; Chen Yihan, pipa; Melinda Chen, yangqin; Melanie Chen, liuqin; Susan Cheng, daruan Shanghai Quartet Weigang Li, violin; Yi-Wen Jiang, violin; Honggang Li, viola; Nicholas Tzavaras, cello tonight’s guest sponsorships:
30
Music from China is sponsored by Don & Chacea Sundman Shanghai Quartet is sponsored by Doug Sutherland and Nancy Kramer David Ying is sponsored by Grossman St. Amour
tonight’s media sponsor: WSKG
Please support our sponsors and advertisers. (See directory on page 78.)
CMAcclaim Award Presentation The Festival is honored to be a 2014 recipient of this distinguished award recognizing artistic excellence and our role in building the community. Hilary Hahn’s 2013 concert breaks Brook Farm attendance record.
Program Notes
Courtesy of Music From China
Sanliu
Crescent Moon at Dawn
Arr. GU GUANREN
Arr. LIU MINGYUAN, orch. WANG GUOWEI
Sanliu, meaning “three-six,” refers to the musical structure in which various melodic phrases are separated by a recurring theme which also appears at the introduction and coda. This instrumental piece is a popular overture for tanci (also called pingtan), a narrative song genre native to the Suzhou area.
This Dongbei folk tune captures the moment before dawn breaks as the crescent moon hangs languidly in the sky. The strident sound of the banhu is characteristic of northern Chinese folk music.
Birds in the Forest
Riding with the Wind CHEN YAOXING
Nature comes alive through playful imitation and virtuoso performance on the gaohu in a Cantonese style composition.
Erhu solo of the 1970’s captures the undaunted spirit of the militia protecting the borders of the homeland. Special acoustical effects created through dramatic use of portamenti and bowing evoke the galloping of a cavalry on horse patrol.
The Warlord Doffs His Armor
Chinese Fables (2002)
TRADITIONAL
CHEN YI
A masterwork belonging to the “military” school of pipa music, Warlord is considered a counterpart to Ambush on Ten Sides, another epic work of this style. Both call on the virtuosity of the performer, using an array of pipa techniques to portray the sound and fury of the decisive battle between the kingdoms of Han and Chu in 202 B.C. This work focuses on the tragic suicide ensuing the defeat of the Chu warrior.
It's most inspiring when I learnt some of the most popular Chinese fables in my childhood. They are vivid and humorous, full of imagination, yet so profound in their logic. I used a mixed Chinese and western instrumental ensemble, including two bowing and one plucking instruments, with a group of percussion, to express my impressions of three favorite stories.
YI JIANQUAN
31
“Sometimes we musicians joke that we just come back for the food.” – Michelle LaCourse, viola
FANFARE
GET YOUR COPY NOW! This beautiful 3-ring binder book with stand is just $20. Get one for yourself and one for a friend. They make great gifts! Available to buy tonight at the concessions table, at the establishments listed, or online at skanfest.org 2014
N
Y
th
R
A
N
35
IVERSA
SALE
only $10 at Concession Table
The Crouse Institute for Robotic Surgery
da Vinci robotic gallbladder surgery.
One small incision. Minimal scarring.
Having gallbladder surgery has just become easier, faster and less painful than ever before. Crouse surgeons are the first – and only – in the area to use the most advanced technology for gallbladder removal. Minimally invasive single-site surgery using the da Vinci robotic system requires just one tiny incision. The result? Just one tiny scar, hidden in the navel. If you’re looking for virtually scarless surgery, choose single-site by the most trusted hands – at Crouse. Brian Anderson, MD Kenneth Cooper, DO Jeffrey DeSimone, MD Partners: CNY Surgical Physicians
crouse.org/singlesite
32
Proud to be the official hospital of SU Athletics.
2014
8/13 Program Notes (CONTINUED) 8/16
N
th Y
35
R
A
N
IVERSA
2014
In the second movement “Master Dong Guo and the Wolf,” I used the cello and the erhu to represent the soft-hearted scholar Dong Guo who narrowly escaped being eaten by a wolf whom he had helped to hide from a hunter. The pipa’s sound is sometimes charming and at times aggressive, reflecting the cunning of the savage wolf. The third movement, “The Snipe and the Clam,” features the percussion’s high register in a texture formed by the other instruments to imagine a grappling scene between the snipe and the clam, caught in each other’s bite. “If it doesn’t rain today or tomorrow,” said the snipe, “there will be a dead clam lying here.” “If I don’t set you free today or tomorrow,” retorted the clam, “there will be a dead snipe here too.” As neither would give way, a fisherman came and caught them both. [CY]
Chinese Folk Songs Suite ZHOU LONG Lan Hua Hua (Shaanxi) A village girl flees from oppression in feudal society.
35 Lights go out all over the northern US th
2 0 03
In the first movement “The Fox Profited by the Tiger's Might,” I used the erhu and pipa to represent the flaunting fox who borrows the tiger's fierceness by walking in the latter’s company, while the cello and percussion in low register support the image of the tiger.
and Canada. NYC mayor cancels all performances in the city. Not up here in Skaneateles. The concert goes on… a candlelit, roaring success.
Driving the Mules (Shaanxi) The Shaanxi folk style is steeped with the rustic lifestyle and rugged terrain of northern China. Jasmine (Jiangsu) The gentility and elegance of southern China are represented by the fragrant white flowers of the jasmine tea. A Single Bamboo Can Easily Bend (Hunan) The theme of strength in unity is reflected through various metaphors in the song.
Yao Dance MAO YUAN, LIU TIESHAN The opening pizzicato symbolizes the rhythmic beating of long drums of the Yao ethnic minority tribes to call participants to the dance. A lilting melodic theme followed by variations portray the swaying movement of the women dancers and the increasing excitement as the men join in. A change to triple meter introduces music for the solo dance and duet. The opening theme returns and ushers in an allegro section which builds to a rousing finale. The energy of the percussion section invokes the rhythm of long drums that accompany the dance celebration.
(315) 554-8194 • LakehousePub.com 6 West Genesee Street, Skaneateles 33
Congratulations on another wonderful
season of music!
volunteer The Festival is made possible by volunteers...
like you! We are always looking for help with concerts post-concert receptions food for musician dinners musician housing
Think Outside...
OutsidetheBox BusinessSolutions www.outsidetheboxbusinesssolutions.net
34
and more
If you are interested in helping, please visit the “Get Involved” section of our website
skanfest.org
Thank you David and Elinor for 10 years of magic by the lake! – from your friends and fans
35
Specializing in Skaneateles Lake Real Estate #1 Agent in Skaneateles Skaneateles Festival Board Member “In the Carriage House behind the Sherwood Inn”
Linda Roche
4 Hannum Street • Skaneateles
Licensed Assoc.. RE Broker
315-657-5353
(315) 685-2433 28 E. Genesee St. Skaneateles,NY
Proudly supporting the arts in the Central New York community
36
315-475-4101 / 800-724-3940 / www.midstateprinting.com
315-554-8061 Skaneateles
607-844-3597 Dryden
45
week 3
Gypsy Nights
Thursday, August 21
8:00 PM First Presbyterian Church
tonight’s concert is sponsored by:
Carl Schramm & Ellyn Brown and Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation with additional support from Faraci Lange, LLP
Program HAYDN
Piano Trio in G Major, Hob.XV:25, “Gypsy” Bella Hristova, violin
YUSTE
Vibraciones de Alma (Vibrations of the soul), Alan Kay, clarinet Ran Dank, piano for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 45
GOLIJOV
Andante Poco Adagio Finale: Presto ("Rondo, in the Gypsies' Stile")
Lullaby and Doina, for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello and Double-Bass
Mimi Hwang, cello Elinor Freer, piano
Bella Hristova, violin Phillip Ying, viola Mimi Hwang, cello Joanna Basset, flute Alan Kay, clarinet Edward Castilano, bass
intermission
KODÁLY
46
Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7
Allegro serioso, non troppo Adagio Maestoso e largamente ma non troppo lento: Presto
Erin Keefe, violin David Ying, cello
tonight’s guest sponsorships:
tonight’s media sponsor:
Ran Dank is sponsored by Donna Graber, Planning Sense Bella Hristova is sponsored by Roland and Tacie Anderson Mimi Hwang is sponsored by Faraci Lange, LLP Alan Kay and Edward Castilano are sponsored by Doug and Judy Robertson Erin Keefe is sponsored by the Grasso Family David Ying and Elinor Freer are sponsored by Grossman St. Amour
Business Journal News Network The Skaneateles Festival is made possible in part by funding from Onondaga County and CNY Arts.
A beautiful “Picnic Saturday” at Brook Farm.
Program Notes
This trio, written in London by Joseph Haydn and widely known as the ‘Gypsy Rondo.’ Trio, was announced in the Morning Chronicle of October 9, 1795 as one of “Three quite new Sonatas for piano, violin and cello, Op. 82, dedicated to Madame Schroeter.” Rebecca Schroeter, widow of the late music master to Queen Charlotte, is known to have taken piano lessons from Haydn, during his first visit to the English capital in the summer of 1791. She soon began to send intimate letters to her teacher. “In all likelihood, I should have married
N
Y
2014
A
Traditionally nomadic, the Romani (gypsy) people passed through many European lands in search of a place to settle. Their music reflects their travels and the enduring influence of folksong. In Spain, the music of the Andalusian Romani became popularized as flamenco. In the Balkans and Eastern Europe, the music we recognize as gypsy music drew from a wealth of Hungarian folksong and popular song of the day, varying widely from region to region. Today, we’ll hear how, for more than two centuries, classical composers have also drawn inspiration from the very same folksongs that color the gypsy style.
N
R
JOSEPH HAYDN (1732-1809)
Madame Schroeter if I had been single,” Haydn told one of his earliest biographers towards the end of his life, while showing him the letters he still kept in his possession. Like other accomplished amateur pianists of the rising th bourgeoisie, Rebecca Schroeter viewed the medium of 35 IVERSA
2014
35
th
2004
Piano Trio in G Major, Hob.XV:25, “Gypsy” (1795)
© KEITH HORNER, 2014
New Artistic Directors:
the husband and wife team of David Ying & Elinor Freer 47
8/21 Program Notes (CONTINUED)
the piano trio, with keyboard as the focal point of the music-making, as ideal drawing-room music. The structure of the G major Trio is unique. Its first two movements essentially serve as an introduction to the finale, which remains the dominant movement of the work. This is the dashing ‘Gypsy Rondo,’ famous in 101 arrangements for all manner of instruments. The melodies that Haydn weaves into the movement are not so much gypsy melodies as Hungarian dances. They are among the earliest known Hungarian verbunkos, or ‘recruiting dances.’ These were the lively dances played by the gypsy bands that were hired by Austrian officials to recruit peasant workers into the army. Once won over by the tearaway music and dancing, by the local Tokay wine and the splendid white uniforms of the Austrian officials, the workers had but to make their mark on a recruiting slip before they were whisked off to war. Haydn knew many of these East European folk-tunes and made much use of them in his music in the latter part of his life.
Vibraciones de Alma (Vibrations of the soul), for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 45 (publ. 1953) MIGUEL YUSTE (1870-1947) “I do not know harmony, but I have the melody and the harmony in my head. I imagine how it should sound, and
I try to write it,” Spanish composer Miguel Yuste told one of his clarinet students. For three decades at the beginning of the last century, Yuste was professor of clarinet at the Madrid Conservatory and taught many of the country’s leading clarinetists. Little has yet been written about the composer and just seven of a reputed much larger output of works have been posthumously published, none with a known date of composition. Unlike most of these publications, the 12-minute Vibraciones de Alma (Vibrations of the soul) was not written as a test piece and it fills a welcome niche in concert programming. Its outer sections are reflective and lyrical and surround a more turbulent development, full of idiomatic plunging arpeggios and wide leaps from the clarinet. A brief recitative passage for piano leads to hunting- like fanfares from the clarinet which, in turn, herald a contrasting, upbeat finale marked Allegro. It’s full of virtuoso figuration and melodic writing inspired by Spanish folk-song.
Lullaby and Doina, for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello and Double-Bass (2001) OSVALDO GOLIJOV (B. 1960) In his Lullaby and Doina, Argentinian-born composer Osvaldo Golijov explores the very close relationship between gypsy music, the folk music of the Balkans and that of the Middle East. His seven-minute concert piece started life in a film score he wrote for Sally Potter’s film The Man Who Cried. This is the life story of a Jewish
Are proud to sponsor Mimi Hwang and support world class music in the 2014 Skaneateles Festival! Rochester Office Faraci Lange, LLP 28 East Main Street, Ste 1100 Rochester, NY 14614 (585)325-5150 Buffalo Office Faraci Lange, LLP 350 Main Street, Ste 1709 Buffalo, NY 14202 (716) 248-3000
48
Personal Injury Attorneys at www.Faraci.com
2014
IVER
th Y
35
N
R
A
N
SA
8/21 Program Notes (CONTINUED) 2014
Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7 (1914) ZOLTÁN KODÁLY (1882-1967) Zoltán Kodály made folk-song the backbone of his life’s work and musical composition. As an ardent nationalist, even when the political dramas of 20th century Hungary led him to be out of favor with those in power, Kodály saw it as his mission to bring home the Hungarian musical heritage to Hungarians. He consciously allowed elements of folksong to percolate through to his own compositions.
35 Turtle Island Quartet makes their th
2005
woman Suzie and her love affair in Paris with Cesar, a Gypsy young man, which unfolds against a turbulent and tragic time for Gypsies and Jews during the Second World War. The piece opens with a series of short variations on a Yiddish lullaby from the film. These variations, often propelled by evocative and soulful writing for the clarinet, then fuse into what Golijov refers to as “a dense and dark doina (a gypsy slow, rubato genre) featuring the lowest string of the violas. The piece ends in a fast gallop boasting a theme that I stole from my friends of the wild gypsy band Taraf de Haïdouks.”
Festival debut performing “4 + Four” with the Ying Quartet. In 2006 both quartets win the Grammy Award for “Best Classical Crossover.”
“Individual originality can be rooted only in national originality,” he wrote in 1945. The innovative Duo for violin and cello was one of a series of chamber works Kodály wrote in the decade before 1920, when he was in his thirties. The two string instruments had been paired before – in the Brahms Double Concerto, for example – but never before on a sonata-like scale. Kodály’s technical challenges and ground-breaking sonorities were stimulated not only by his knowledge of the instruments (he was a cellist) but also by two young Hungarians, violinist Imre Waldbauer and cellist Jeno Kerpely. As members of a new quartet that eventually became famous as the Hungarian String Quartet, these musicians had spent countless hours preparing the première of Kodály’s First String Quartet. They gave the première of the Duo in Budapest in 1918 and Kerpely premièred Kodály’s fiendishly demanding Solo Cello Sonata in the same concert. Despite its substantial length, Kodály’s writing in the Duo is strictly disciplined and the form tautly controlled. The sonata-form opening movement is clearly rooted in Hungarian folksong. The melodies soar, passing seamlessly from one instrument to another, propelled by strong rhythms and generous rubato. The slow movement is more rhapsodic in mood, yet its main theme is presented in the form of a double fugue. The finale opens with an improvisatory section and a brief review of the theme of the second movement before launching into the exhilarating Presto where, if you close your eyes, you can imagine the two instruments sounding like a full string orchestra. — Notes © 2014 Keith Horner. Comments welcomed: khnotes@sympatico.ca
49
week 3
Gypsy Nights
tonight’s concert is sponsored by:
Friday, August 22
Sieglinde Wikstrom
7:00 PM Prelude Concert (for ticket holders only)
8:00 PM First Presbyterian Church
Prelude Concert Featuring this year's Robinson Award winner Erin Dowler POULENC
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano
Erin Dowler, clarinet Sar Shalom-Strong, piano
BEETHOVEN
Trio in B-flat Major for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano, Op. 11
Erin Dowler, clarinet David Ying, cello Elinor Freer, piano
Allegro tristamente Romanza Allegro con fuoco
Allegro con brio
Concert TELEMANN
Joanna Basset, flute Trio in D minor, for Flute, Violin and Continuo, ('Gypsy Sonata') (Essercizii Musici), Bella Hristova, violin Mimi Hwang, cello TWV 42:d10
Elinor Freer, harpsichord
Allegro Adagio Allegro Presto
RAVEL
Tzigane, for Violin and Piano
Erin Keefe, violin Ran Dank, piano
LISZT
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13 in A Minor, S. 244
Ran Dank, piano
intermission
BRAHMS
Piano Quartet in G minor, Op. 25 Allegro Intermezzo. Allegro, ma non troppo Andante con moto Rondo alla Zingarese. Presto
Erin Keefe, violin Phillip Ying, viola David Ying, cello Ran Dank, piano
Please join us in welcoming the musicians at a post-concert reception in Dobson Hall. tonight’s guest sponsorships:
Ran Dank is sponsored by Donna Graber, Planning Sense
Business Journal News Network
Bella Hristova is sponsored by Roland and Tacie Anderson
The Donald J. Grout Harpsichord, built by William Dowd, Boston 1988, is provided through the kind courtesy of St. Paul’s Cathedral, Syracuse, NY.
Mimi Hwang is sponsored by Faraci Lange, LLP Erin Keefe is sponsored by the Grasso Family 50
tonight’s media sponsor:
David Ying and Elinor Freer are sponsored by Grossman St. Amour
The Skaneateles Festival is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
The Robinson Award The Robinson Award is an annual scholarship prize awarded to a young musician who exemplifies the values cherished and embodied by David and Louise Robinson, Festival co-founders. Thirty-three years ago, David and Louise opened their hearts and their home to musicians, their families, and the audiences who come to hear them perform. Their lakeside home, Brook Farm, has been a gathering place and rehearsal space for musicians, and the performance venue for the Festival’s outdoor Saturday evening concerts, a tradition Louise has continued since David’s passing in 2006. Created in 2002, the award is given each year to a young musician whose character, musicianship, and community service reflect the values of David and Louise Robinson – enthusiasm and dedication to music of high quality.
David & Louise Robinson
2014 Winner Erin Dowler, Clarinet Erin Dowler is a 2014 graduate of West Genesee High School. She has been studying the clarinet for 8 years with Mrs. Martha Grener and Mr. Gerry Zampino. Throughout her musical career, Erin has participated in the NYSSMA All-State Symphonic Band (2012) and Wind Ensemble (2013), Syracuse Youth Orchestra, and the Onondaga All-County festival since seventh grade. At her last All-County Festival, Erin was awarded the OCMEA Scholarship. Along with the award, she got an opportunity to perform at the Everson Museum in June. Erin is also a member of the West Genesee Wind Ensemble, Chorale and Symphony, and has performed on stage and in the pit orchestra for the school musicals. Along with those activities, Erin is also a member of the West Genesee Wildcat Marching Band and captain of the Varsity Swim Team. This past fall, Erin was selected as The Post-Standard Athlete of the Week for her accomplishments of helping the swim team remain undefeated for four years and win three straight section titles, at the same time as leading the WG marching band to win a third straight New York State Championship, and a National Championship. Erin also qualified for the NYSPHAA State Swim Meet this past fall with her relay team. Erin plans on studying music education and clarinet performance at Ithaca College this fall.
Our thanks to those who have contributed to the Robinson Award
Anonymous Brenton and Mary Bradly Barb Connor Fletcher Foundation David and Louise Robinson Skaneateles Area Council for the Arts
Frank and Jan Smith Karl and Peggy Smith Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Spitzer Diane Walsh and Dick Pollak Suzanne Weitz Welch Allyn
If you would like to contribute to the Robinson Award Fund, please call 315-685-7418. 51
Program Notes
© KEITH HORNER, 2014
Trio in D minor, for Flute, Violin and Continuo, (‘Gypsy Sonata’) (Essercizii Musici), TWV 42:d10 GEORG PHILIPP TELEMANN (1681-1767) In his autobiography, Telemann, an exact contemporary of Bach, relished the music of the East European gypsies and wrote: “One can hardly believe what wonderful imaginative ideas these pipers and fiddlers have as they improvise. In only a week, a composer could be inspired for an entire lifetime.” Later composers have agreed wholeheartedly. Liszt felt gypsy music to be his heritage. Brahms used Hungarian gypsy music like paprika, to add spice to his music. And Ravel found inspiration in the gypsy style to produce some of the most demanding fiddle writing in the repertoire. “Give every instrument what it can bear, then the player has delight, and you have pleasure from it,” the ever-practical Georg Philip Telemann wrote. As a trained lawyer, Telemann blazed a trail for the professional composer and gained wide recognition. A pioneer in publishing who issued 43 collections from pewter plates he himself engraved, Telemann had subscribers throughout Europe among both professional and amateur musicians. His collections of instrumental music are substantial and were supported by an ability to play numerous instruments, including violin and flute – plus the original recorder line found in the manuscript of this D-minor trio sonata. The work follows the well-established pattern of the church
sonata, with alternating quick and slow movements. It’s in the second of the more animated movements, the folk-music inspired finale, that it’s possible to imagine tambourine and drum accompanying the more formal concert instruments. This is music that Telemann admired for what he described in 1739 as its “true barbaric beauty” and which he “clad in an Italian coat, with alternating Allegri and Adagi” movements.
Tzigane, for Violin and Piano (1924) MAURICE RAVEL (1875-1937) Although neither violinist nor gypsy, Maurice Ravel wanted to rise to the challenge of capturing the colorful tricks-of-the-trade of the gypsy fiddler in his showpiece Tzigane. Its inspiration lay in the gypsy fiddling of the Hungarian concert violinist Jelly d’Aranyi to whom it is dedicated. Two years before composition, Ravel had asked d’Aranyi to play gypsy music for him after a private concert – and she spent many hours doing so. He sought her advice on some of the virtuoso effects he was considering and described the resulting score as “a virtuoso piece in the style of a Hungarian Rhapsody.” The flamboyant writing for violin – a staple in tzigane (gypsy) music – also reflects Ravel’s close study of the 24 Caprices of Paganini. The original accompaniment was for the short-lived pianoluthéal, a piano with a damper and an auxiliary set of strings, which can be adjusted to provide cimbalon, celesta,
LUNCH $ MONEY - EDUCATIONAL CLASS/DISCUSSION VOUCHER I would like to attend the free Lunch $ Educational class checked below: MY LEGACY PLAN - WHAT I NEED TO KNOW IDENTITY THEFT - HOW TO PROTECT MYSELF FROM DIRECT THEFT, WEB-BASED THEFT & TAX FRAUD MEDICARE - CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLAN MY BUSINESS - HOW TO RUN IT SO I CAN LEAVE IN STYLE RETIREMENT TRAPS - HOW TO AVOID THEM RETIREMENT - HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?? NAME________________________________________ PHONE_______________________________________ 52
2014
8/22 Program Notes (CONTINUED)
N
th Y
35
R
A
N
IVERSA
2014
35
th
2006
and other effects. Like the traditional csárdás, Tzigane opens with a long, slow violin introduction (Lento, quasi cadenza) during which the violin ruminates in a virtuoso way on a number of themes. This leads to a rhapsodic friss (fast section) and whirlwind finale in which the violin sparkles with harmonics, pizzicatos (both hands), multiple-stops, octave passages and other fireworks.
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13 in A Minor, S. 244 (1846-53) FRANZ LISZT (1811-1886) Although German and French were his primary languages, Franz (Ferenc) Liszt was a passionate Hungarian nationalist. A return visit to his birthplace in 1839-40 led to six volumes of Hungarian National Melodies which gradually evolved into the Hungarian Rhapsodies – 15 of which he published 1851-3, with another handful some three decades later. At the time he mistakenly attributed the Hungarian qualities in the music to the Zigeuner, or gypsies and offended Magyar patriotism when he published his thoughts in a book on the subject. But the two become one and the same thing for Liszt in his A minor Rhapsody, in which he puts virtuosity at the service of musical expression. In it, Liszt recreates the sounds of the Hungarian gypsy bands, with their wild improvisatory fioriture of gypsy violin, cimbalom and clarinet. Slow, melancholy lassù melodies alternate with the more rapid friss, with its dizzying combination of exuberant, evershifting emotion and brilliant keyboard virtuosity. In the primarily melancholy opening section, Liszt rhapsodically muses on traditional melodies found in recently printed collections. A quick section then opens with a folk-song that the violinist Sarasate also featured in Zigeunerweisen, his best-known piece. Then comes a csárdás melody. It’s one of many composed Hungarian dances developed in the 1840s as distinctive Hungarian salon music – music that rapidly took on a life of its own as folk music, once the Hungarian roma assimilated and popularized the songs. Through all these melodies and more, Liszt weaves a virtuoso showpiece that is infused with improvisatory spontaneity and gypsy sentiment.
Piano Quartet in G minor, Op. 25 (1861) JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897) With its popular gypsy rondo finale, broad, thematically linked opening movement, thoughtful Intermezzo, and expansive slow movement, Johannes Brahms said that his youthful, energetic G minor Piano Quartet is the easiest of his chamber works to ‘hear at sight.’ The dark and sonorous opening movement is rich in musical inventiveness; many of its abundant themes are intricately connected. The somber octaves, with which the piano opens the quartet, are repeated, inverted and shifted around harmonically from one instrument to another, all within the opening few bars. Brahms shows how rich in potential
The season is dedicated to the memory of David Robinson, the unofficial “father of the Festival.” his themes can be. And so it goes throughout the expansive first movement where the music constantly surges towards ever increasing sonority and texture. One theme evolves into another, cumulatively building a vast structure, traveling from lean textures to symphonic opulence, from darkness to light, austerity to radiance. The second movement comes as a perfect foil to the sturm und drang of the opening. After originally giving it the title Scherzo, Brahms was persuaded to change this understated, muted movement, full of dark murmurs and veiled suggestions, to Intermezzo. Brahms told Clara Schumann that he thought of her in every bar while writing this movement. Clara, for her part, wrote: “It is a piece after my own heart … I can dream so gently. It is as if my soul were rocked to sleep on its sounds.” In the finale, the emotions become ever more unbuttoned in a movement that has been an audience favorite from the outset. Here, Brahms adopts the idea of a gypsy rondo finale, a tradition begun by Haydn in the G major Piano Trio that was played last night. Brahms develops boisterous, Magyar-flavored three-bar phrases and contrasts them with slower, sentimental episodes, in thirds. His friend, the great Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim, who had considerable success at the time with his own Concerto in Hungarian Style, praised the North German Brahms for his skill in writing music with a Hungarian flavor: “You have outstripped me on my own turf by a considerable track,” he wrote. — Notes © 2014 Keith Horner. Comments welcomed: khnotes@sympatico.ca
53
week 3
Gypsy Nights
tonight’s concert is sponsored by:
Peter and Elsa Soderberg
Saturday, August 23 7:30 PM Brook Farm
Rain Location: Skaneateles High School
Gypsy Nights at Brook Farm MOZART BARTÓK
DVOŘÁK SAINT-SAËNS
Overture: The Abduction from the Seraglio, K. 383 Six Romanian Folk Dances, BB 68 Joc cu bâtă (Stick Dance) Brâul (Sash Dance) Pe loc (Stamping Dance) Buciumeana (Hornpipe Dance) Poargă românească (Romanian Polka) Mărunţel (Quick Dance)
Romance in F minor, for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 11 Havanaise in E, for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 83
Bella Hristova, violin Bella Hristova, violin
intermission
TURINA DVOŘÁK
La oración del torero (The Bullfighter's Prayer), Op. 25 Czech Suite in D, Op. 39 Preludium (Pastorale): Allegro moderato Polka: Allegretto grazioso Sousedská (Minuetto): Allegro giusto Romance: Andante con moto Finale (Furiant): Presto
Eastman Chamber Players Robert Moody, conductor Violin 1 Shannon Nance Amy Christian Jeremy Hill Ainur Zabenova An-Chi Lin
54
Violin 2 Janet Ying Molly Werts Sonya Stith Williams Susan Spafford Viola Melissa Matson Marc Anderson Virginia Barron
Cello David Ying Lindsay Groves Mimi Hwang Bass Edward Castilano Flute Joanna Bassett Elizabeth Shuhan
Oboe Anna Petersen John Lathwell Clarinet Alan Kay Victoria Krukowski Bassoon John Hunt Greg Quick
Horn Alexander Shuhan Mary Hunt Trumpet Wesley Nance Timpani Andrea Venet Percussion Andrew Worden Connor Stevens
tonight’s guest sponsorship:
tonight’s media sponsor: WCNY Classic FM
Eastman Chamber Players are sponsored by Michael P. Falcone and Nicole Ruvo Bella Hristova is sponsored by Roland and Tacie Anderson Robert Moody is sponsored by George Bain
Please support our sponsors and advertisers. (See directory on page 78.)
The musician’s have a great view at Brook Farm concerts.
Program Notes Like the itinerant roma moving their gypsy life from region to region, country to country, even continent to continent, so too it is with the tunes, rhythms, dances and sounds of music. People and their music move from country to country, coloring and enriching the very life of a nation’s music. Tonight we’ll hear how Turkish sounds infuse Mozart’s music with an exotic element, how Bartók and Dvořák transform peasant dances to symphony orchestra, how a Spaniard distills the essence of Spanish music from gypsy sources, and how an English country-dance goes back and forth across an ocean.
Overture: The Abduction from the Seraglio, K. 383 (1782) WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791) Mozart’s hero in the two-act The Abduction from the Seraglio is Belmonte – for Viennese theater-goers of 1782, the latest in a long line of heroes who rescue their sweethearts from a Sultan’s harem. Given this familiarity with the story, Mozart goes all out to turn the Ottoman Turk servant Osmin into a figure of Falstaffian dimensions. Turkish music abounds in the overture – and, for the Viennese that meant piccolo flutes, triangle, cymbals and bass drum. “The overture is quite short,” Mozart wrote to his father. “It constantly alternates between piano and forte and at the fortes, the Turkish music breaks in every time … I believe nobody will be able to sleep through it.” The Abduction from the Seraglio (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) became Mozart’s most frequently performed opera and the only one he saw in print. It rapidly established itself as a classic of German opera, or singspiel as it was
© KEITH HORNER, 2014
then called. “All our efforts to keep singspiel modest and simple were doomed,” Goethe, then the artistic director of the Weimar Theater, said, thinking wistfully of the traditional German-language simple play with songs. “Die Entführung crushed them all!”
Six Romanian Folk Dances, BB 68 (1915) BÉLA BARTÓK (1881-1945) As a Hungarian, who had grown up in one of the regions kept isolated from mainstream Europe by the ruling Habsburgs, Béla Bartók was among the first to see real potential in the folksong of his own country. He transcribed his first folksongs in what was then Northern Hungary in 1904. Two years later, he started to collect Slovak folk music, and two years later added what eventually grew to be a collection of more than 3,500 Romanian folk melodies. On subsequent trips, he explored and meticulously notated or recorded the folk music of Bulgaria, Croatia, Ruthenia, Serbia, and even Turkey and North Africa. His orchestral Six Romanian Folk Dances of 1915 quickly became one of his most popular compositions. Its original title, Romanian Folk Dances from Hungary, was dropped after World War One, when the Treaty of Trianon remapped Transylvania. As was his practice, Bartók scrupulously identifies the type of folk melody and its origins in the score. He initially heard the first of the dances, Jocul cu bâta (Stick Dance) in Mesőszabad, Transylvania where it was played by two violins, saying that that it was a “young man’s solo dance — consisting of kicking the room’s ceiling!” There are seven of these short dances in all, divided into six
55
8/23 Program Notes (CONTINUED)
movements. The final movement, Mărunţel begins with a swirling fast dance from Belényes (Bihar), which soon launches into an even quicker dance of the same type from Nyágra (Torda-Aranyos).
Romance in F minor, for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 11 (1873/7) ANTONIN DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) A collection of Moravian Duets helped bring fame and fortune to the previously struggling Czech composer Antonin Dvořák. These unpretentious vocal duets, ideal for performance in the home, prompted a savvy music publisher to commission a set of Slavonic Dances from the unknown 37 year-old composer, encouraged by a testimonial from Brahms, but still eager that Dvořák find popular success with the public. Dvořák relished the idea and the spirit of Bohemian folk music was already in his blood when he came to put pen to paper. The collection was an immediate hit and his new publisher wanted more … and more. Always an industrious, efficient composer, Dvořák worked on new projects and also began to rifle through a large archive of unperformed music he had in his desk. From an unpublished F minor string quartet that he had written in 1873 (eventually published long after his death), he adapted the expressive slow movement, initially for violin and piano and, shortly afterwards, with an orchestral
56
accompaniment. This Romance in F minor, for violin and orchestra is a sweetly singing, gentle piece in which Dvořák is not afraid to reveal his more vulnerable side. Though modest in scale, the short work contains some of his most rewarding melodic writing.
Havanaise in E, for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 83 (1883) CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) The Havana-style country-dance known as the habanera led a nomadic, gypsy-like existence before French composer Camille Saint-Saëns wove a virtuoso showpiece around its graceful rhythms in his Havanaise in E, for violin and orchestra (habanera in Spanish) in 1883. The origins of the dance lay in the fashionable 18th century English contradanse (country-dance), exported to the Americas by the Spanish, then arriving in Cuba early in the 1800s with refugees from the Haiti rebellions. This social dance was soon transformed by black Cuban musicians into the syncopated rhythms of the contradanza habanera, still as a graceful dance performed by couples, as yet with none of the licentiousness of its subsequent relative, the Argentine tango. When re-exported back to Europe in the 19th century, the exotic character of the habanera attracted French and Spanish composers in particular, including Saint-Saëns whose favorite Havanaise skilfully balances wistful restraint with fiery brilliance.
2014
8/13 Program 8/23 Program Notes Notes (CONTINUED) (CONTINUED)
N
th Y
35
R
A
N
IVERSA
2014
JOAQUIN TURINA (1882-1949) While studying in Paris, the 25 year-old Seville-born Joaquin Turina was preached the doctrine of Spanish music by Albéniz and Falla, two of the most prominent Spanish composers of the 20th century. Perhaps they wished to counter the Parisian belief that the best Spanish music was really written by French composers – people like Debussy, Ravel, Chabrier and Bizet – while the Spanish composers remained in Paris studying sophisticated French music. In any case, the experience helped focus Turina’s mind towards his own country and, before long, his letters home began to speak of his decision to celebrate the spirit of Spain in his own music. The short La oración del torero (The Bullfighter’s Prayer), which he wrote in 1925, long after returning to Spain to live in Madrid, juxtaposes Spanish colors with more impressionist painting. Its more extrovert moments, with shimmering strings, high soaring violin, passionate rhetorical outbursts, and recitative-like declarations, are truly Spanish sounding. They conjure up images of the bullring, the proud, macho atmosphere with an excited crowd spoiling for action and blood. But there are more contemplative, introspective moments, too, with ambiguous shifting, chromatic harmonies. These reveal
35
th
2006
La oración del torero (The Bullfighter’s Prayer), Op. 25 (1925)
The Festival presents the Hyperscore Project – a revolutionary software program that allows participants with little or no formal musical training to compose music. that Paris at the turn of the century had left an indelible impression on the Andalusian composer. This is the language of Debussy which Turina uses to add color and subtlety to the most intimate thoughts and prayers of the bullfighter as he quietly prays before entering the ring. The Bullfighter’s Prayer is generally heard in Turina’s arrangement for string quartet or for string orchestra. The original work, however, was for the unlikely combination of four lutes.
Czech Suite in D, Op. 39 (1879) ANTONIN DVOŘÁK (1841-1904)
Become a member of the
The Brook Farm Music Society Honor
Our rich history
Preserve
Our world class music tradition
Sustain
Our future for many generations
With the first of his two sets of Slavonic Dances and the Three Slavonic Dances already in print, and more Moravian Duets and – eventually, more Slavonic Dances, too – on the drawing board, Antonin Dvořák’s success with the public at home and throughout Europe was in high gear by the time he came to write a new, ambitious orchestral piece with a national accent. This was the five-movement Česká suita (Czech Suite), whose music further develop Dvořák’s idea of basing his Slavonic Dances on Czech dances such as the dumka, furiant, kvapik, and skoná, rather than on specific folk melodies. At the same time, the score combines the European traditions of both Suite and Serenade. The sustained string and wind drones of its rustic opening movement evoke the Czech bagpipes known as dudy. The second movement is a Polka, a dance whose origins lay in the ballrooms of Prague and only later migrated North to Poland. Then comes a graceful sousedská, a close relative of the minuet, though here with a distinctive Czech feel. A gentle, understated Romance perfectly balances the closing furiant. This is an exuberant dance, the most developed of the collection, now reinforced by trumpets and percussion. — Notes © 2014 Keith Horner. Comments welcomed: khnotes@sympatico.ca
Planned Giving for the Skaneateles Festival 57
week 4
Encore!
tonight’s event is sponsored by:
Barb Connor & Doug Wood
Wednesday, August 27 FREE Community Event
5:30 PM Anyela’s Vineyards 2433 West Lake Rd., Skaneateles
SPECIAL EVEN T
Musical Happy Hour
Stop by after work for a sampling of world class music from members of ECCO. Enjoy great music along with breathtaking views of the lake. Adapt. Develop. Renew. Wishing the Skaneateles Festival a successful 33 rd season!
tonight’s guest sponsorships:
ECCO is sponsored by
Property management, brokerage and development at its best.
REFINED HISTORIC 58 PROPERTIES.
424.1111 www.suttoncos.com
P R o u D S P o n S o R o f t h e S k A n e At e l e S f e S t i vA l
spaces in Franklin Square.
221 W Division St, Syracuse, NY 13204 Leasing by Sutton Companies 315.424.1111
The Skaneateles Festival is made possible in part by funding from Onondaga County and CNY Arts.
The crowd enjoys a Musical Happy Hour at Anyela’s Vineyards.
2014
N
th Y
35
R
A
N
IVERSA
2014
35 1 9 9 0 Lucien Wulsin Award from AWA R D S
th
DOUG WOOD CONTRACTING & ARCHITECTURAL MILLWORK
WOODLLC.COM | 315.364.7070
National Public Radio’s “Performance Today” 1 9 9 2 Festival wins the ASCAP – Chamber Music America (CMA) Award for Adventuresome Programming of Contemporary Music at CMA’s annual meeting 1 9 9 8 CMA presents its Distinguished Service Award to David and Louise Robinson 2 0 07 Festival receives the “Special Recognition” for adventuresome programming of music written in the last 25 years from ASCAP – CMA 2 0 1 4 CMA Acclaim Award 59
week 4
Encore!
tonight’s concert is sponsored by:
Thursday, August 28
8:00 PM First Presbyterian Church
Dan & Colleen Fisher and Mark & Leokadia Bitz
ECCO Chamber Music Concert BOCCHERINI
Quintet in F for two Violins, Viola, Cello and Double Bass, Op. 39 No. 2, G. 338
Annaliesa Place and Nick Kendall, violins Maurycy Banaszek, viola Na-Young Baek, cello Tom Van Dyck, bass
Sonata in C for two Violins, Op. 56
Min-Young Kim and Karen Kim, violins
Allegro vivo, ma non presto Adagio ma non tanto – Menuetto Finale. Allegro vivo ma non presto
PROKOFIEV
Andante cantabile Allegro Commodo (quasi Allegretto) Allegro con brio
intermission
MENDELSSOHN
Adapt. Develop. Renew.
String Quintet No. 1 in A, Op. 18
Wishing the Skaneateles Festival a successful 33 rd season!
Allegro con moto Intermezzo: Andante sostenuto Scherzo: Allegro di molto Allegro vivace
J Freivogel and Diana Cohen, violins Melissa Reardon and Rebecca Gitter, viola Ken Olsen, cello
tonight’s guest sponsorship:
tonight’s media sponsor:
ECCO is sponsored by
Business Journal News Network
Property management, brokerage and development at its best.
REFINED HISTORIC PROPERTIES. 60
The Skaneateles Festival is made possible in part by funding from Onondaga County and CNY Arts.
424.1111 www.suttoncos.com
P R o u D S P o n S o R o f t h e S k A n e At e l e S f e S t i vA l
spaces in Franklin Square.
221 W Division St, Syracuse, NY 13204 Leasing by Sutton Companies 315.424.1111
Program Notes
LUIGI BOCCHERINI (1743-1805) “If God wanted to talk to men, he would use the music of Haydn; and if he wanted to listen to music, he would have that of Luigi Boccherini performed.” The words are those of the early 19th century French violinist Jean-Baptiste Cartier, a musician with a wide knowledge of the string repertoire of the day. Where Haydn would frequently inscribe his works in Latin with thanks to God, Boccherini
N
Y
2014
R
N
IVERSA
2014
35 Villa’s Vittles & Fiddles (later reth
2 0 07
Quintet in F for two Violins, Viola, Cello and Double Bass, Op. 39 No. 2, G. 338 (1787)
would dedicate an entire opus to the French nation, or to the music lovers of Madrid. Boccherini wrote for performers and his music aims to please. He was concerned with detail rather than grand statement. Chamber music was where Boccherini’s true calling lay and, as a virtuoso cellist,th he played much of it himself. Indeed, Boccherini 35 single-handedly invented the string quintet and wrote A
For 250 years, string quartets have been formed by bringing together just one combination of instruments: two violins, viola and cello. String quintets, on the other hand, bring more variety to the music-making. Adding a second cello not only permitted Boccherini to include himself among the players, it adds a tenor melody to the ensemble. Adding a double bass, as we’ll hear this evening, opens up the sound to that of a small orchestra. Adding a second viola (as in the Mendelssohn this evening) similarly enriches the sonority, as Robert Schumann once found: “The middle voices have more strength and vitality; the parts sound more like crowds; and if one heard four individuals in the string quartet, one now seems to confront an assembly.”
© KEITH HORNER, 2014
named Summer Suite) premieres at the home of Bill & Donna Davis. (successive hosts include: Henry & Helga Beck, Don & Chacea Sundman, Loren and Arleen VanRiper, Adam & Kim Weitsman and Louise Robinson)
more such works than any composer, earlier or later. Since there was a resident quartet at the Spanish court where he spent much of his working life, Boccherini designed the majority of his quintets for the quartet plus himself – in other words for two cellos. Later, when he was more dependent on the market place and on music publishers for his income, he explored the quintet texture with two violas. For three of his quintets he added double bass to the traditional string quartet, as we will hear today. In all, Boccherini’s catalog includes more than 100 string quintets and a similar number of string quartets, plus additional quintets with oboe, flute, guitar, or piano – about 100 additional chamber works in all. That’s not to mention many symphonies, concertos, and music for the stage and church. The F major Quintet he published in 1787 is the second of the three quintets with double bass, an instrument that his father played to supplement a modest life as a singer in his home town of Lucca, in Tuscany. The added sonority it brings to the ensemble is explored most exuberantly in the finale, a movement brimming with lively musical ideas in a characteristically Boccherini way. The opening movement is music designed to please and charm. It juxtaposes well-balanced, complementary phrases and generally follows the whim of the moment by repeating short phrases and proceeding with suavity – rather than vigorously developing thematic development in the manner of the Viennese classical style. The middle two movements are linked: the slow movement builds around a broad violin cantilena with pizzicato accompaniment and the minuet that follows is graceful, with a rhythmically lively middle section.
2013’s Musical Nature Walk at Baltimore Woods
61
8/28 Program Notes (CONTINUED)
Sonata in C for two Violins, Op. 56 (1932) SERGEI PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Sergei Prokofiev began work on his four-movement Sonata for two violins in the fall of 1932, in a farmhouse overlooking the Mediterranean. He was living in France at the time and was shortly to return home to the Soviet Union, after a decade of self-exile in Europe and the United States. He decided to write the sonata after hearing another composer struggle with the idea of an extended piece for two solo violins, ie. without piano accompaniment. It was a case of a bad composition giving birth to good ideas. “That’s not how it should be done,” he would say to himself while listening to the other composer’s music; “what’s needed is this or that.” In the resulting sonata, Prokofiev aims to make his two violins “interesting enough to listen to for 10 or 15 minutes without the audience tiring.” So, as with the best musical miniatures or short stories, Prokofiev’s score leaves the listener satisfied, but wanting more. The music often has an enigmatic feel. The eloquently soaring Andante cantabile is tautly written, revealing the virtues of clarity and brevity which Prokofiev was endeavoring to incorporate into his music at the time. The two violins develop a pair of themes and twice combine them. The propulsive second movement, with its rigorous development of a musical idea, is in Prokofiev’s distinctive scherzando vein. This was to become an integral part of his
music when he returned to live in the Soviet Union. The third movement is more intimate and lyrical. It’s a graceful minuet-like dance which skilfully conjures up sonorous textures as it soars ever higher, while leaving the option of using mutes to the performers. The finale is a miniature tone poem, contrasting a contrapuntal, energetically driven theme, sometimes reminiscent of a vigorous Russian folk dance, with a broad, lyrical melody and a glance back at the opening movement.
String Quintet No. 1 in A, Op. 18 (1826/32) FELIX MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Felix Mendelssohn wrote two string quintets, both adding a second viola to the string quartet. One, a remarkable and rather neglected work (though performed at this festival a few years ago), is dated July 8, 1845, making it a late work, composed when ill health had already started to be a concern. The earlier one, which we’ll be hearing today, comes from that remarkable period when the young composer, although just 17 and still a student at Berlin University, was already composing such perfectly formed masterpieces as the Octet and the overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The Quintet, completed at the end of May 1826, falls chronologically between them. In its opening movement, Mendelssohn includes the featherlight, rapidly repeated hushed chords and high violin writing that were so distinctive a feature of the Octet. Structurally, the movement follows classical precedent,
Wishing the Skaneateles Festival a successful 35 th season!
Adapt. Develop. Renew.
REFINED HISTORIC PROPERTIES. spaces in Franklin Square.
221 W Division St, Syracuse, NY 13204 Leasing by Sutton Companies 315.424.1111
Property management, brokerage and development at its best.
424.1111 www.suttoncos.com
62
P R o u D S P o n S o R o f t h e S k A n e At e l e S f e S t i vA l
8/28 Program Notes (CONTINUED)
adding a third idea towards the end of the first section (the exposition). As he intricately works out its musical ideas, Mendelssohn nods his head in the direction of Mozart. The first violin takes the lead in the Intermezzo that follows. Mendelssohn added this movement six years after completing the first version of the quintet upon hearing of the early death of his close friend and violin teacher Eduard Rietz, for whom he wrote the Octet. The Intermezzo acts as a slow movement. The absence of a slow movement in the first version of the quintet had been noted by both performers and composer after the first performance. “The players are crying out for one, and I find they are right,” Mendelssohn wrote at the time. The emotions of the Intermezzo are sincere and understated rather than sentimental and the movement is more of a memorial than funeral ode to Rietz (titled Nachruf in the original score). The brilliant Scherzo carries Mendelssohn’s distinctive thumbprint of dangerously exposed, follow-my-leader staccato string writing, with moto perpetuo momentum driving the movement forward. Curiously, this is the third movement to end pianissimo. The momentum continues in the exuberant finale: a vigorously contrapuntal movement of great sonority, with a contrasting, broad, choralelike second theme over a busy accompaniment. — Program notes © 2014 Keith Horner. Comments welcomed: khnotes@sympatico.ca
2013 Music Workshop
on...
ary Seas s r e iv n n A 0 2 Our
S R O H T AUand their compelling stories th
Scott Simon
Mark Bittmodan
Oct. 14, 2014
Nov. 5, 2014
or
NPR host & auth
author & fo columnist
Daniel Handler
Julia Alvareofz
Dec. 15, 2014
Mar. 31, 2015
t Series
Lemony Snicke
In the Time Butterflies
Mary RoacSthiff
Bonk, Gulp, &
Apr. 21, 2015
Erik Larsone
The Devil in th White City
May 19, 2015
Friends of the Central Library Ticket Information:
2014-2015 Lecture Series
Box Office (315) 435-2121 www.foclsyracuse.org | (315) 435-1832 (Available online at Ticketmaster.com after 9/1/14) 7:30 PM Performances at Crouse Hinds Theater–Mulroy Civic Center 63
week 4
Encore!
time for three is sponsored by:
Friday, August 29
Bob & Sally Neumann and Chris & Amy Neumann
7:30 PM Brook Farm
Rain Location: Skaneateles High School
Time For Three Ranaan Meyer, double bass, Zachary De Pue and Nicolas Kendall, violins The artists will perform works selected from the list below,and will announce the selections from the stage
Amazing Grace Ashokan Farewell Banjo Love Bach Double Black Bird Bradford Commission Chaconne in Winter Danny Boy Ecuador Firework Forget About it Hallelujah Hide and Seek Hungarian Dance No. 5 The Hymn In the Dressing Room Jerusalem’s Ridge Little Lion Man Norwegian Wood Of Time and Three Rivers Orange Blossom Special Queen of Voodoo Shenandoah Stillness is the Move Stronger Taszo Tango Thunder Stomp UFO With or Without You Wyoming 307
Traditional/Arranged by TF3 J. Ungar/Arranged by TF3 Meyer/Hackman/Kendall/De Pue J.S. Bach/Arranged by TF3 Lennon/McCartney Arranged by TF3 Kendall/De Pue/Meyer J.S. Bach/Arranged Hackman & TF3 Arranged by Meyer/Moose/Lily&Madeleine Meyer/Arranged by TF3 Katy Perry/Arranged by Hackman & TF3 Meyer/Arranged by TF3 Leonard Cohen/Arranged by TF3 Imogen Heap/Arranged by TF3 Johannes Brahms/Arranged by TF3 Kendall/De Pue/Meyer Meyer/Arranged by Meyer & Moose Bill Monroe Arranged by TF3 Mumford & Sons/Arranged Hackman & TF3 Lennon/McCartney/Arranged Hackman&TF3 Meyer/Arranged by TF3 Charlie Rouse/Arranged by TF3 Meyer/Kendall/Arranged by Moose Arranged by TF3 Dirty Projectors/Arranged by Hackman & TF3 Kanye West Arranged Hackman Moose & TF3 Kendall/Arranged by Moose Meyer/Arranged by TF3 Coldplay/Arranged by Hackman & TF3 U2 Arranged by Hackman & TF3 Meyer/Arranged by TF3
Time for Three appears by arrangement with IMG Artists LLC 152 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019 www.imgartists.com
with additional support from Donna Himelfarb
64
tonight’s media sponsor: Clear Channel Media + Entertainment Please support our sponsors and advertisers.
(See directory on page 78.)
Picnic and a concert at Brook Farm.
SPECIAL PRE-FESTIVAL EVENT OCTOBER 5, LE MOYNE COLLEGE OCTOBER 8-10, PALACE THEATER OCTOBER 11-12, LANDMARK THEATRE
65
week 4
Encore!
tonight’s concert is sponsored by:
Michael & Noreen Falcone
Saturday, August 30 7:30 PM Brook Farm
Rain Location: Skaneateles High School
F E ST I VAL FIN ALE WITH
ECCO JANÁČEK Arr. ECCO
Quartet No. 1 (The Kreutzer Sonata)
SIBELIUS
Canzonetta, Op.62a
GOLIJOV
Last Round
Adagio – Con moto Con moto Con moto Con moto (Adagio)
intermission
Serenade in C for Strings, Op. 48
TCHAIKOVSKY
Pezzo in forma di sonatina: Andante non troppo – Allegro moderato Waltz: Moderato. Elegy: Larghetto elegiaco Finale. Tema russo: Andante – Allegro con spirito
Adapt. Develop. Renew. East Coast Chamber Orchestra Violin
Violin
Diana Cohen J Freivogel Ken Hamao Nicolas Kendall
Karen Kim Min-Young Kim Maureen Nelson Annaliesa Place
Wishing the Skaneateles Festival a successful 33 rd season!
Property management, brokerage’s andguest development at its best. tonight sponsorship :
REFINED HISTORIC 66 PROPERTIES.
Maurycy Banaszek Stephanie Fong Rebecca Gitter Melissa Reardon
Cello
Bass Na-Young Baek Tom Van Dyck Efe Baltacigil Max Zeugner Kenneth Olsen Raman Ramakrishnan
tonight’s media sponsor:
Skaneateles Press – Eagle Newspapers The Skaneateles Festival is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
424.1111 www.suttoncos.com
P R o u D S P o n S o R o f t h e S k A n e At e l e S f e S t i vA l
spaces in Franklin Square.
Viola
221 W Division St, Syracuse, NY 13204 Leasing by Sutton Companies 315.424.1111
Program Notes
© KEITH HORNER, 2014
Tolstoy’s novella The Kreutzer Sonata provided Czech composer Leoš Janáček with the starting point for the first of his two string quartets. Its tale of passion, jealousy and chamber music is narrated by Pozdnyshev, a jealous and domineering husband, who, suspecting that his wife was having a love affair rather than a musical partnership with a violinist, is driven by jealousy to murder her with a dagger. Janáček identifies with the unnamed wife, rather than with underlying themes in Tolstoy’s polemical narrative: “I had in mind a poor woman, tormented, beaten, battered to death,” he wrote to Kamila Stösslová,
N
Y
2014
A
Literary inspiration lies behind the first two pieces in this evening’s Festival Finale; dance underlines the last two. In his first string quartet, Janáček brings inspiration full circle from Beethoven’s Kreutzer sonata via Tolstoy’s pen back to music again. In his short Canzonetta, Sibelius gives us one of his great melodies, first performed in the theatre, only later adapted in a suite for concert use. Then, Golijov’s music dances to the rhythm of the tango in his homage to Tangomeister Astor Piazzolla. And finally, Tchaikovksy’s music affirms its inspiration in the melodies and rhythms of the composer’s homeland.
N
R
LEOŠ JANÁČEK (1854-1928)
his confidante and would-be mistress. He wrote the quartet quickly to an informal commission from the Czech Quartet in 1923, adapting music from an unpublished piano trio based on the same literary source. The poignant, pleading opening theme of the quartet clearly characterizes the victimth (and also, apparently, suggests a Moravian folksong 35Janáček admired). This theme recurs like a motto, in that IVERSA
2014
35
th
2 01 0
Quartet No. 1 (The Kreutzer Sonata) (1923) arranged by ECCO for string orchestra
The first ever “Musical Happy Hour” at Anyela’s Vineyards
World Class Music by the Lake
Congratulations on the 35th world class season! Michael and Noreen Falcone 67
8/30 Program Notes (CONTINUED)
various guises throughout the quartet. The first movement is dominated by a more assertive theme, representing the overbearing husband. The scherzo-like second movement includes the rhythm of a polka and the introduction of the elegant musician Trukhachevski. In the third movement there is an allusion to Beethoven’s Kreutzer sonata, which was played by the lovers in Tolstoy’s story during a musical th soirée. 35 The finale opens with agitated music that represents N
R
A
N
Y
2014
IVERSA
2014
35
2 014
th
Happy 90th Birthday Louise Robinson!
Pozdynshev’s jealousy. As references to music from earlier movements recur, they are dominated by the poignant, pleading theme of the opening. It is a touching and powerful recollection of the wife as she lies dying.
Canzonetta, Op. 62a (1911) JEAN SIBELIUS (1865-1957) The short Canzonetta by Jean Sibelius is one of a quartet of concert pieces whose origin lies in incidental music the Finnish composer wrote in 1903 for a play by his brotherin-law Arvid Järnefelt. Originally titled Döden (Death), the Swedish-language play received more incidental music from Sibelius, including this Canzonetta, when revived in Finnish with the title Kuolema. The strings are muted throughout, enhancing the sustained melancholy mood of Sibelius’s long-breathed melody. Stravinsky vividly described this inspired melody as ‘Nordic Italianite.’
Last Round (1996) OSVALDO GOLIJOV (B.1960) “Macho, cool and dangerous” is the way the Argentineborn Osvaldo Golijov asks his musicians to play the opening movement of this 1996 diptych. Even the instrumentation and stage layout of the ensemble further an underlying feeling of confrontation. Two quartets face one another in a V formation, separated by a central double 68
bass, with the upper strings standing as in a traditional tango orchestra. Golijov’s musical language has been conspicuously wide-ranging, even eclectic over the past quarter century. In Last Round, however, the Argentine composer returns to his roots with an homage to his fellow countryman Astor Piazzolla – the widely acclaimed master of the urban tango. Golijov takes up the story: “Astor Piazzolla, the last great tango composer, was at the peak of his creativity when a stroke killed him in 1992. He left us, in the words of the old tango, ‘without saying goodbye,’ and that day the musical face of Buenos Aires was abruptly frozen… The macho attitude of the tangueros was reflected in Piazzolla’s pose on stage: standing upright, chest forward, right leg on a stool, his bandoneon [a small, distinctive button accordion-like instrument] on top of it, being by turns raised, battered, caressed. “I composed Last Round in 1996 … The title is borrowed from a short story by Julio Cortázar; the idea was to give Piazzolla’s spirit an imaginary chance to fight one more time (he used to get into fistfights throughout his life). The piece is conceived as an idealized bandoneon. The first movement represents a violent compression of the instrument and the second a final, seemingly endless opening sigh (it is actually a fantasy over the refrain of the song My Beloved Buenos Aires composed by the legendary Carlos Gardel in the 1930s). But Last Round is also a sublimated tango dance. The bows fly in the air as inverted legs in crisscrossed choreography, always attracting and
8/30 Program Notes (CONTINUED)
repelling each other, always in danger of clashing, always avoiding it with the precision that can only be acquired by transforming hot passion into pure pattern.”
Serenade in C for Strings, Op. 48 (1880) PYOTR IL’YICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) “This is a piece from the heart,” Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky wrote to his patron, “and so, I venture to say, it does not lack artistic worth.” The title of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade
Anyela’s V I N E Y A R D S
for Strings evokes memories of his idol, Mozart. And, with its clarity of texture and wealth of ingratiating melodies, Tchaikovsky certainly tips his hat to aspects of Mozart that he loved. At the same time, a Russian nationalist side is no less clearly stated. The introduction to the finale is based on a work song from the Volga river and the main theme of the same movement is in the rhythm of the lively Russian dance known as the trepak. This descending dance-like trepak theme is really the seed from which all four movements grow. A slow version of the same four notes is heard at the very beginning of the Serenade – here broad, magisterial and soulful. This is transformed into the elegant second theme of the same movement. The music then follows the pattern of the classical sonatina – heavy on grace, charm and restatements of the themes and lighter on development of motifs within the themes. Both the celebrated Waltz and the deeply-felt Elegy are subtly bound to the outer movements since their respective themes are again based on a rising version of the trepak theme. The finale appears to begin reluctantly, rising out of memories of the Elegy with the first of its Russian themes. In a grand climax, both the opening of the Serenade and the haunting theme of the Elegy return. With the connection between all the themes in the Serenade made clear, the unity of the work is complete. — Program notes © 2014 Keith Horner. Comments welcomed: khnotes@sympatico.ca
A Unique Finger Lakes Winery Sample the exceptional wines of Anyela’s Vineyards, the first commercial winery situated in the rolling hills overlooking beautiful and pure Skaneateles Lake. Anyela’s Vineyards selects vinifera grape varieties that are perfectly suited to our fertile soil, higher elevation, and cooler climate patterns not found on neighboring Finger Lakes. To protect our vines after fall harvest, we carefully remove them from the trellises and bury them in the rich earth to insolate the sensitive primary buds, which will become the fruit. In spring, we re-trellis them for maximum sun exposure and control our grape yield to cultivate the ripest, most flavorful fruit. Our location, along with three generations of viticulture experience, ensures that the fruits of our labor produce an array of unique quality wines that will delight enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike. 2433 West Lake Rd. Skaneateles, NY 13152 315.685.3797 anyelasvineyards.com
A LANDMARK RESTAURANT FOR OVER 50 YEARS
O A – D W – S B O D D B D
Specializin g in all the classic dishes we’ re along with famous for, fresh new menu items and banquet m enu.
315. 685 . 7798
1 9 3 7 W E S T L A K E R OA D , S K A N E AT E L E S , N Y
69
Musician Profiles Jennifer Aylmer, soprano American soprano Jennifer Aylmer has developed a sterling reputation for her beautiful voice, compelling stage portrayals, and impeccable musicianship. She is noted both for her significant opera performances and for her diverse concert and recital appearances. Highlights of her varied career include her Metropolitan Opera debut as Bella in the world premiere of Tobias Picker’s An American Tragedy and her performance as Papagena in Julie Taymor’s production of The Magic Flute, also for the Met. As a member of the Houston Grand Opera studio, she created the role of Amy in the world premiere of Mark Adamo’s Little Women. Jennifer has played over 40 leading roles with opera companies throughout the United States. She is sought after for performances of 20th and 21st Century works and has premiered many. Her concert and recital repertoire ranges from Mozart and Handel to the songs of Tin Pan Alley. Joanna Bassett, flute Joanna Bassett plays second flute and piccolo in the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. She began her orchestral career as a member of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and has performed with the Canandaigua Lake Music Festival, Skaneateles Festival, Tanglewood Festival Orchestra, and Chamber Music Rochester. Joanna was the founding president of the Rochester Flute Association; she continues in that role. She is a member of the Rochester Philharmonic League Board and was the initial program coordinator of Hochstein at Canandaigua, a resource for music and dance education in the Finger Lakes area. She is also active in the National Flute Association, where she has coordinated the Orchestral Audition and Masterclass Competition, chaired the Strategic Planning Committee, and been a member of the Board of Directors. Joanna studied with Walfrid Kujala at Northwestern University and with Bonita Boyd and Leone Buyse at the Eastman School of Music.
70
Frank Cassara, percussion A proponent of new and classic western and world percussion music, Frank Cassara has premiered many works with as many diverse groups. As percussionist for the Philip Glass Ensemble, he performed around the globe and recorded Glass' music and film scores. He played at major international festivals and recorded with Steve Reich and Musicians as well. Frank also toured extensively with the Newband/Harry Patch Ensemble, and can be heard playing Partch's instruments on five CD's. In addition, he has toured or recorded with groups such as Music From China,
the Manhattan Marimba Quartet, the Talujon Percussion Quartet, and the Erik Hawkins Dance Company. Frank plays principal percussion for New York City’s Riverside Symphony and played for Broadway shows Porgy and Bess, Lion King, 42nd Street, Frogs, and The Music Man, among others. He heads the percussion departments at Long Island University and Vassar College. Edward Castilano, bass String bass player Edward Castilano is a member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and an instructor at the Syracuse University Setnor School of Music. He played principal bass in the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra until its demise in 2011, and he appeared as soloist with that organization numerous times. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, he participated for six seasons in Gian Carlo Menotti’s Spoleto Festival in Italy and Charleston, South Carolina, where he made several appearances with the Lincoln Center Chamber Players. He has performed annually in the Skaneateles Festival since its inception in 1980. Additionally, Edward has appeared in concert with the Philadelphia, Savannah, and Spokane Symphonies.
S K A N E AT E L E S , N Y
(315) 712-4000 TheGouldHotel.com
Musician Profiles Ran Dank, piano Pianist Ran Dank deploys his brilliant technique with astonishing energy, intellect, and intensity, captivating audiences and critics alike. He has soloed with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Lincoln Center, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Orquesta de Valencia in Spain, among many others. He has played for the Hayes Piano Series at the Kennedy Center, the Chopin Festival in Warsaw, Poland, and Finland’s Mänttä Festival. As a chamber musician, he has performed at the Young Concert Artists Festival Week in Tokyo and the Seattle and Montreal Chamber Music Festivals. He is part of the clarinet, violin, and piano trio miXt. Ran won the Sander Buchman Memorial First Prize of the 2009 Young Concert Artists International Auditions. In addition to winning first prize at the Hilton Head International Piano Competition, Ran is a laureate of the Naumburg Piano Competition and the Sydney International Piano Competition. Steven Doane, cello A member of the Eastman School of Music cello faculty since 1981, Steven Doane has earned an international reputation both as performer and teacher. Formerly
principal cellist of the Milwaukee Symphony and the Rochester Philharmonic and a member of the Naumburg Award-winning New Arts Trio during the 1980s, Steven has since built a performance career as concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. In addition to numerous engagements in the United States, he travels frequently to the United Kingdom for recitals, clinics, and master classes. He has recorded for the Bridge, Pantheon, Daedmon, Gasparo, and Sony labels. Steven holds the Eisenhart Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Eastman School and the Piatigorsky Commendation for teaching excellence from the New England Conservatory. Appearances as guest teacher and performer have twice taken Steven to the Manchester International Cello Festival and, as guest artist and teacher, to most of the major music colleges in England. Eastman Chamber Players The Eastman Chamber Players is comprised of wind, brass, string and percussion players, most of whom are faculty, alumni or students of the Eastman School of Music.
Soul-stirring CONCERTS THAT MAKE YOU GLAD FOR MUSIC!
presenting world-class ensembles: the Dover Quartet the American String Quartet with pianist Anton Nel the Juilliard String Quartet, and more...
Seven concerts from September to May. $95, senior $75, students free
Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. at the newly-renovated H.W. Smith School 1130 Salt Springs Road (near LeMoyne College)
JUILLIARD STRING QUARTET
www.SyrFCM.org | sfcm00@gmail.com | (315) 682-7720
71
Musician Profiles ECCO (East Coast Chamber Orchestra) Founded in 2001, ECCO is a democratically run, self-conducted ensemble that combines the strength and power of a great orchestra with the personal involvement and sensitivity of superb chamber music. ECCO is comprised of some of today’s most vibrant and gifted young string players—soloists, chamber musicians, principals of major American orchestras, and Grammy award winners. ECCO members play with the symphony orchestras of Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, St. Louis, Seattle, and Boston, among others. Members also play with the Enso, Jasper, Johannes, Jupiter, Parker, and Ying Quartets, as well as the Horszowski Trio, Trio Cavatina, Sejong Soloists, Time for Three, Konomichi, and Chamber Music Society II. For a few concentrated periods of time each year, the members of ECCO meet for rehearsal, musical exploration, and performances. In 2012, ECCO celebrated its first decade with the release of its first commercial recording, a set of works by Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, and Geminiani. Rosemary Elliot, cello Rosemary Elliott teaches Cello at the Eastman School of Music and has an active performing schedule as chamber musician and recitalist. She is principal cellist of the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra in Ithaca, New York, and is a core member of that orchestra’s chamber music ensemble. Before coming to Eastman, she was a member of the cello staff at the Royal College of Music in London, where she performed regularly with several notable chamber orchestras. For 10 years, Rosemary has been a member of the performing and teaching staff at the Bowdoin International Music Festival in Brunswick, Maine. She has appeared at many chamber music festivals and workshops in the U.S., England, Scotland, and Ireland. Rosemary is artistic director of the Morning Chamber Music series at the Eastman School of Music. She is also a founding member of the Rochester-based cello quartet the Cello Divas.
72
Fireworks Ensemble Sara Caswell, violin, Brian Coughlin, bass, Alex Hamlin, saxophone, David Mancuso, drums and percussion, Gyan Riley, guitar, Leigh Stuart, cello, Red Wierenga, piano and accordion An amplified chamber band known as “the bridge between the contemporary classical ensemble and the mainstream popular audience,” Fireworks has led the charge to bring a fresh perspective on chamber music to a new generation of listeners. With a repertoire that includes Frank Zappa’s instrumental rock, dance music from around
the world, classic cartoon music, traditional Americana, and reinventions of 20th Century orchestral works such as Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Fireworks presents a distinctly American vision of chamber music. The ensemble tours throughout the United States each year and has appeared at venues ranging from Carnegie Hall and The Library of Congress to nightclubs such as New York City’s Le Poisson Rouge and Tonic. Passionate about education and outreach, Fireworks has participated in Chamber Music America’s Residency Partnership Program and Carnegie Hall’s Musical Connections program. It is currently ensemble-in-residence at the Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium. Joseph Genualdi, violin Joseph Genualdi is a professor of violin at The University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. He performs with the Chicago Chamber Musicians, which he helped to found in 1986 and directed for 17 years. He also travels widely to perform as soloist and in chamber music, as well as to lecture and guest teach in various settings. At age 22, Joseph became associate concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony. During his time in San Francisco he became a founding member of the Muir Quartet. With the Muir, then later the Los Angeles Quartet and the Chicago Chamber Musicians, he has performed extensively throughout North America and Europe. Joseph has recorded for the Music Master, Pickwick, EMI-Angel, Sony Classics, CRI, Summit, Albany, Naxos, and Cedille labels. His recording of the Frank Piano Quintet with the Muir Quartet and JeanPhillipe Collard was awarded the Grand Prix du Disque. Bella Hristova, violin Violinist Bella Hristova is a young musician with a growing international career as a soloist and recording artist. Her talent was recognized with a prestigious 2013 Avery Fisher Career Grant. Previous honors include first
Musician Profiles prize at the 2009 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and first prize at the 2007 Michael Hill International Violin Competition in New Zealand. Bella has performed with orchestras throughout the United States and across the world. She is also sought after as a chamber musician. In addition to performing at many music festivals, she is an Artist of the Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center. She has recorded two critically praised CDs of solo violin works. In the 2013-14 season, she performed world premiers of concertos written for her by David Ludwig and Anthony Richie. Originally from Bulgaria, Bella studied with Ida Kavafian and Steven Tenenbom at the Curtis Institute and with Jaime Laredo at Indiana University. Mimi Hwang, cello Cellist Mimi Hwang was a founding member of the Franciscan String Quartet, a first prize winner at the Banff International String Quartet Competition and winner of the top prize at the Evian International String Quartet Competition. She has performed with members of the Juilliard, Guarneri, Tokyo, Ying, and Colorado Quartets. She was a member of the Peabody Trio, winners of the
Keepyour yourfinger fingeron onarea areavisual visual Keep andperforming performingarts. arts. and
Naumberg Chamber Music Award. As a soloist, Mimi has performed with the Beijing Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra. She earned a Master’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor’s degree with distinction from the New England Conservatory of Music. Mimi is currently an assistant professor of chamber music at the Eastman School of Music. She is also co-artistic director of the Yellow Barn Music School and Festival’s Young Artists Program in Putney, Vermont. Christopher Jones, marimba Known as a fearless interpreter of contemporary classical music, marimba player Christopher G. Jones approaches all musical styles with one part humor, one part care, and two parts bravado. He continues to blur and break the boundaries between classical, contemporary, and experimental music with the A/B Duo. When he is not busy collaborating regularly with Ensemble Dal Niente, Third Coast Percussion, Anaphora Ensemble, and other acclaimed chamber ensembles, Chris can be found organizing an 18-hour performance of Satie’s Vexations for Make Music Chicago, building boats for a performance of Persephassa by Iannis Xennakis in New York City, or joining 98 of his colleagues in a performance of Inuksuit by John Luther Adams. Other recent performances have taken him to venues such as The Green Mill in Chicago, the Paris Conservatory, Musikhockschule of Stuttgart, and Carnegie Hall. Chris is a DMA candidate in Percussion Performance and Literature at the Eastman School of Music. Alan Kay, clarinet Clarinetist Alan R. Kay is co-principal clarinetist and former artistic director of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He also serves as principal clarinet with New York’s Riverside Symphony and Little Orchestra Society as well as the American Symphony and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He won the C.D. Jackson Award at Tanglewood, a
FINS AND TAILS LLC
GOURMET SEAFOOD STORE Delivering to Skaneateles every Wednesday and Saturday. (315) 446-5417 THOMAS FARMER MARGARET RINGLER
3012 Erie Blvd. E. Syracuse, NY 13224
73
Musician Profiles Presidential Scholars Teacher Recognition Award, Juilliard’s 1980 Competition, and the 1989 Young Concert Artists Award with the sextet Hexagon, later featured in the prizewinning documentary film Debut. Alan is a founding member of ensembles Windscape and Hexagon, and he appears regularly with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. In 2004, he taught at the Summer Music Academy in Leipzig, Germany; he currently teaches at the Manhattan School of Music, The Juilliard School, and Stony Brook University. A virtuoso player of wind repertoire, Alan has recorded with Hexagon, Windscape, the Sylvan Winds, Orpheus, and numerous other ensembles. Erin Keefe, violin Concertmaster of the Minnesota Orchestra, violinist Erin Keefe was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2006 as well as the 2009 Pro Musicis International Award. She was grand prize winner in the Valsesia Musica, Torun, Schadt, and Corpus Christi international violin competitions, and was silver medalist in the Carl Nielsen, Sendai, and Gyeongnam contests. Erin has appeared as orchestra soloist and recitalist across the United States, Austria, Italy, Germany, Korea, Poland, Japan, and Denmark. She has recorded for the Naxos, Onyx, CMS Studio Recordings, and Deutsche Grammophon labels. She performs regularly with the Brooklyn and Boston Chamber Music Societies and is an Artist at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Erin earned a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School and a Bachelor of Music degree from The Curtis Institute. She plays on a Nicolo Gagliano violin from 1732.
74
Maria Lambros, viola Violist Maria Lambros was a member of the renowned Ridge String Quartet, nominated for a 1993 Grammy Award for its recording of the Dvořák Piano Quintets with pianist Rudolf Firkusny. The recording won Europe's prestigious Diapason d'Or in the same year. Maria was also a founding member of the Naumburg Award–winning Meliora String Quartet. More recently, she was a member of the Mendelssohn String Quartet. She is currently the violist with the New York-based chamber ensemble La Fenice. A sought after collaborator, Maria has appeared with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Peabody Trio, and the Cleveland, Guarneri, Juilliard, Muir, Brentano, Borromeo, Colorado, and Orion Quartets, among others. Many contemporary works have been written for her, including a viola concerto, three viola sonatas, and
numerous pieces for viola with other instruments. Maria will join the faculty of the New England Conservatory in the fall. Lampo Leong, multimedia artist Lampo Leong, PhD, Central Academy of Fine Arts; MFA, California College of the Arts, is an internationally acclaimed artist and Professor at the University of MissouriColumbia. Leong’s work has been featured in more than 60 solo and 300 juried/curated group exhibitions worldwide and has received over 50 awards such as a Gold Medal at the Creative Quarterly international art competition in New York. His works can be found in more than ten museum and hundreds of corporate and private collections, for example, The Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, The Written Art Foundation in Germany, Macao Art Museum, Guangdong Museum of Art, and a 26-foot-diameter granite inset calligraphic medallion as public art in a San Francisco city park, as well as hundreds of reviews and publications, including the front covers for New Art International in New York and the Creative Genius: 100 Contemporary Artists in London.
2014-15 season highlights rd 43 season
Only the best & freshest new music on the planet . . . New music with film
7pm Friday Oct. 8 - Palace Theater, Syracuse
SAFETY LAST! (1923 silent film - romantic comedy) Premiere of music by Rob Deemer (w/ Syr. International FilmFest & LeMoyne C.) Commissions
3pm Sunday Nov. 2 - Hendricks Chapel, S.U.
SOUND PERSPECTIVES EAST & WEST Premiere of Zhou Tian’s commissioned Clarinet Quintet In conj. w/ Syracuse Symposium’s “Perspective” New music with dance
VISION OF SOUND, Feb. 7, 9, March 28, 29 Syracuse, Houghton College, Geneva & NYC Just plain great new music
Israel Prize winners past & present, & much more! FRESH INK Sundays at 2pm on WCNY-FM WJNY-FM, WUNY-FM “great performance” “really impressive”
www.WCNY.org
“awesome” “phenomenal” “magnificent”
“joyful . . . brilliant” “heavenly music”
Musician Profiles Curtis Macomber, violin Violinist Curtis Macomber is considered one of today’s most versatile soloists and chamber musicians. Recognized as a leading advocate of the music of our time, he has performed in hundreds of premieres, commissions, and first recordings of solo violin and chamber works. He was first violinist of the award-winning New World String Quartet from 1982 to 1993, and with them he made 14 recordings. A founding member of the Apollo Piano Trio, Curtis has been violinist of the Da Capo Chamber Players since 2007. He joined the Manhattan String Quartet in fall 2011 and is a member of the New York Chamber Soloists. He was for many years the violinist of Speculum Musicae. He has recorded for the Nonesuch, Koch, Bridge, Arabesque, Naxos, Musical Heritage, and Albany labels. Curtis has been a member of the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music since 1994 and of the Juilliard School since 1998. Melissa Matson, viola As a founding member of the Chester String Quartet (1978-83), violist Melissa Matson performed throughout the U.S. and won top chamber music awards at the Munich and Portsmouth (England) international competitions.
Melissa then joined the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) as principal violist as well as the faculty of the Eastman School of Music. She continues in both of these positions. Melissa has appeared as soloist with the RPO several times. She is a frequent performer with Chamber Music Rochester and the Skaneateles Festival. She is also a member of the newly formed Amenda Quartet whose “Project Ludwig” aims to study and perform all of the Beethoven string quartets. She is the artistic director of First Muse Chamber Music, also in Rochester. In addition to her teaching at Eastman, Melissa mentors the violists of the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Robert Moody, conductor Conductor Robert Moody has been music director of the Winston-Salem Symphony (North Carolina) since 2005, artistic director of Arizona Musicfest since 2007, and music director of the Portland Symphony Orchestra (Maine) since 2008. He served as associate, then resident conductor of the Phoenix Symphony (Arizona) from 1998 through 2006. In recent seasons, Robert has guest conducted the symphony orchestras of Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, Detroit, Seattle, Ft. Worth, San Antonio,
Open MOnday thru Saturday Bar OpenS at 4 p.M., we Seat fOr dinner at 5 p.M. phOne #: 637-8321 104 LiMeStOne pLaza 75
Musician Profiles Buffalo, Louisville and, in Europe, the Slovenia Philharmonic. He has appeared at the Santa Fe Opera, North Carolina Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, Brevard Music Center, Eastern Music Festival, PortOpera, and Oregon Bach Festival. Robert began his career as apprentice conductor for the Landestheater Opera in Linz, Austria. He has accompanied many of the world’s greatest musicians including Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Renee Fleming, Denyce Graves, Andre Watts, Nadja SalernoSonnenberg, Midori, Time for Three, and Chris Thile. Music From China Wang Guowei, erhu, gaohu, banhu; Chen Yihan, pipa; Melinda Chen, yangqin; Melanie Chen, liuqin; Susan Cheng, daruan Music From China celebrates 18 years of performing traditional and contemporary Chinese music for audiences throughout the U.S. and preserving this musical heritage among the Chinese American community. Founded in 1984 by executive director Susan Cheng, Music From China has been praised by the New York Times for “grace and virtuosity.” Artistic director Wang Guowei leads an ensemble of musicians trained in the most prestigious conservatories and national orchestras of China. As a strong proponent of Chinese new music, Music From China has performed more than 90 new works by 52 composers. Recognition for its work in new music was received from Chamber Music America and ASCAP with an Adventurous Programming Award in 1998. Music From China conducts arts-in-education programs in New York City and throughout the East Coast. Programs for the Chinese American community serve all age groups and include the spectacle of traditional Cantonese opera and training a Chinese youth orchestra.
76
Peggy Pearson, oboe Oboist Peggy Pearson is artistic director and oboist with the Winsor Music Chamber Series in Lexington, Massachusetts. She also performs with the Greenleaf Chamber Players, currently in residence at Purchase College. She is a member of the Bach Aria Group and is also solo oboist with the Emmanuel Chamber Orchestra. Peggy toured internationally and recorded extensively with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. In addition, she has appeared as principal oboist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. She was a founding member of two groups: the 1981 Naumburg Award winning Emmanuel Wind Quintet and the chamber group La Fenice. Peggy is an active exponent of contemporary music and has premiered numerous works, many of
2013’s Christmas Suite festivities. which were written for her. She is a winner of the Pope Foundation Award for Outstanding Accomplishment in Music. Peggy is currently on the faculties of the Boston Conservatory and MIT. Stewart Rose, horn A native of New York City, horn player Stewart Rose joined the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in 1981. He has been principal horn of the Orchestra of St. Luke's since 1983 and of the New York City Opera Orchestra since 1989. Stewart is a frequent guest with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and has performed as guest principal horn with other leading orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Saito Kinen Festival Orchestra. He has appeared at the Marlboro, Tanglewood, Mostly Mozart, Spoleto, Edinburgh, and Eastern Shore festivals and with the MET Chamber Ensemble and the Ensemble Wien-Berlin. He has made over 100 recordings of chamber music and orchestral literature for the BMG, SONY Classical, Deutsche Grammophon, and Music Masters labels. On the most
Musician Profiles recent recording, Stewart performs Mozart Concerti with pianist Jonathan Biss and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. The Shanghai Quartet Weigang Li, violin, Yi-Wen Jiang, violin, Honggang Li, viola, Nicholas Tzavaras, cello Renowned for its passionate musicality and impressive technique, the Shanghai Quartet melds the delicacy of Eastern music with the emotional breadth of Western repertoire. Formed at the Shanghai Conservatory in 1983, this quartet has worked with the world's most distinguished artists and regularly tours the major music centers of Europe, North America, and Asia. The Shanghai Quartet has a long history of championing new music and juxtaposing Eastern and Western sounds. It has premiered works by composers such as Krzysztof Penderecki, Chen Yi, Bright Sheng, Jeajoon Ryu, and Zhou Long. Its extensive discography includes more than 30 recordings, the most recent of which are the complete Beethoven String Quartets on Camerata. The group currently serves as quartet-inresidence at Montclair State University and ensemble-inresidence with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. Its members are visiting guest professors at the Shanghai Conservatory and the Central Conservatory in Beijing. Time for Three Ranaan Meyer, double bass, Zachary De Pue and Nicolas Kendall, violins What started more than a decade ago when a trio of friends at the Curtis Institute for Music played together for fun has evolved into Time for Three (TF3), a charismatic ensemble with a reputation for limitless enthusiasm and no musical boundaries. Performing music from Bach and Brahms to their own arrangements of the Beatles and Katy Perry, TF3 has performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall to Jazz clubs, European festivals, NFL games, and the Indy 500. Its YouTube anti-bullying video, Stronger, has inspired students around the globe. In 2009, the group
began a residency with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra that has since been extended and expanded. TF3 has commissioned works by Jennifer Higdon, Chris Brubeck, and William Bolcom as part of an effort to expand its unique repertoire for symphony orchestras. TF3’s first commercial CD, Three Fervent Travelers, remained in the top 10 on the Billboard Crossover Charts for more than 10 months. A second CD is due this year. Robert Weirich, piano Robert Weirich is one of America’s most sought-after piano teachers and has been on the faculty of the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance since 1998. His students have won top prizes in such important international piano competitions as the 1992 Naumburg (Awadagin Pratt) and the 2001 Van Cliburn (Stanislav Ioudenitch). Robert maintains an active performing career in musical centers throughout the United States, including Alice Tully Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Chicago’s Orchestra Hall. An active chamber musician, he has performed with violinists Hilary Hahn, Arnold Steinhardt, and Josef Gingold; cellists Nathaniel Rosen, Colin Carr, and Steven Doane; hornists William Vermeulen and Eric Ruske; and the Cassatt and Whitman String Quartets, among others. Robert was the artistic director of the Skaneateles Festival from 1990–99. During that period, the Festival won three Adventuresome Programming Awards from ASCAP/Chamber Music America. Phillip Ying, violin As violist of the Ying Quartet, Phillip Ying performs regularly across the United States, Europe, and Asia. He also teaches viola and is chair of the Chamber Music Department at the Eastman School of Music. In addition, the Ying Quartet has been Ensemble in Residence at Harvard University since 2001. Phillip recently won a Grammy Award for his work with the Ying and Turtle Island String Quartets, and he is a recipient of the Naumburg Award for chamber music. He has a vital interest in contemporary music. With the Ying Quartet, he has premiered many new works. He has recorded for the Telarc, Quartz, EMI, Albany, and Elektra labels. In addition to performing, Phillip is committed to presenting the arts in creative, unexpected, and diverse ways. He seeks to explore the educational and community-building potential of classical music in cities and towns across the United States.
77
Directory Thank you for supporting those that support the Festival. Art/Music/Theatre Lampo Leong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Caroline Manring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Robert Oddy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Rosamond Gifford Lecture Series . . . . . . . . . 63 Society for New Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Steward House Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Syracuse Arts.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Syracuse Film Fest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music . . . . . . . . 71 Automotive
Burdick BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Cruises
Midlakes Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Education
* Bluebird Music Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Educational Consultants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Engineering
C&S Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Financial
Americu Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42, 43 Genesee Capital Advisors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 * Donna Graber, Planning Sense . . . . . . . . . . . 52 * Grossman St. Amour, CPA, PLLC . . . . . . . . . 16 Outside the Box Business Solutions . . . . . . . . 34 Port & Company, CPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 * Testone Marshall Discenza CPA . . . . . . . . . . 68 Totman Financial Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Wells Fargo Advistor, LLC . . . . . . . . . . back cover Foundation
CNY Community Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Healthcare
Crouse Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 CNY Fertility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Hospice of the Fingerlakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Pacioreck Plastic Surgery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Retina Vitreous Surgeons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Upstate Cancer Center . . . . . . . . inside back cover Insurance
Parsons & Associates, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 R.G. Wright Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Interior Design/Contracting McGlynn Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Wood LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Legal
* Faraci Lange, LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 * Mackenzie Hughes LLP . . . . . . . inside front cover
Media
* Business Journal News Network . . . . . . . . . . 13 * Clear Channel Communications, Inc . . . . . . . . 65 * Finger Lakes Radio Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 * News Channel 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 * WCNY Public Television & Radio . . . . . . . . . . 56 * WRVO Public Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 * WSKG Public Broadcasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Preservation/Conservation
Westlake Conservators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Printing
Midstate Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Real Estate
* Franklin Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 RealtyUSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 RealtyUSA – Linda Roche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Select Sotheby’s Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 * Sutton Real Estate Company, LLC . . . . . . . . . 62
Retail
Artist Pianos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Country Ewe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Finger Lakes Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Imagine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 * Infused . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Lucky Goat Soap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 * Patience Brewster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Roma Tile & Marble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Skaneateles Nails & Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 White & White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 * Wildflowers Florist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Restaurant/Food * 1911 Spirits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 * Creekside Coffee Bar and Books . . . . . . . . . . 25 Doug’s Fish Fry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 * Fins and Tails LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 * GarageEatz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 * Gilda’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 * The Gould Hotel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 * Joelle’s French Bistro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 * Johnny Angel’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 * LakeHouse Pub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 * The Mandana Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 * Mark’s Pizzeria – Skaneateles . . . . . . . . . . . 72 * Mirbeau Inn & Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 * Pascale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 * Pâtisserie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 * Sherwood Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Tourism
Skaneateles Chamber of Commerce . . . . . . . . 36
Vineyard
78
* Sponsor
* Anyela’s Vineyards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 * White Birch Vineyards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Festival Fare MEMORABILIA ON SALE AT THE CONCESSION TABLE!
Fanfare Cookbook – SALE $10 Artist CDs Blankets Fleece Hats T-shirts Polo Shirts Sweatshirts Flashlights
79
A Christmas Suite
Concert Information All concerts are held in Skaneateles, August 7 – 30, 2014. Tickets can be ordered at www.skanfest.org or by calling (315) 685-7418. Saturday concerts at Brook Farm are held at 7:30 pm outdoors. Patrons may arrive as early as 6:00 pm and picnic on the lawn. Call (315) 685-7418 (or check skanfest.org) after 3:00 pm on Saturdays for rain location announcements. Rain Location: Skaneateles High School auditorium, 49 East Elizabeth Street Suggested items to bring: Lawn chairs, blankets & flashlights (chairs are provided in A seating only). Ticket exchanges may be made up to 24 hours prior to concerts. Unused tickets returned less than 24 hours before the performance will be acknowledged as a contribution to the Skaneateles Festival. Any unused ticket may be exchanged for a ½ price ticket to a Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music concert during their 2014-2015 Season (subject to availability).
SAVE THE DATE
Saturday, December 13, 2014 A collection of Christmas Stories and Music Reservations will be taken starting November 1st Hosted by
The Falcone Family
Presented by the
Skaneateles Festival
Doors open for all concerts 30 minutes prior to concerts.
A Christmas Suite
Cameras & recording equipment may only be used with the permission of the Skaneateles Festival.
Contributors – 2013
Please remember to silence all electronic devices. Please tell businesses listed in the program that you appreciate their support of the Skaneateles Festival. Skaneateles Festival 97 East Genesee Street Skaneateles, NY 13162 (315) 685-7418 • www.skanfest.org
80
The Falcone Family GUARANTORS
Anonymous The Brennan Family Hiscock & Barclay PATRONS
The Inns of Aurora Bill and Donna Davis Dan McCann – Five Seasons Florist Bob and Sally Neumann Andy and Sherie Ramsgard, Ramsgard Architectural Design Sherwood Inn
SUPPORTER
Henry and Helga Beck Joan Christy and Tom Bersani Coates Capital Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC Barb Connor Pascale Realty USA