Yale Philharmonia, Peter Oundjian, Oct 14, 2016

the philharmonia orchestra of yale

peter oundjian

Principal Conductor

October 14, 2016 • Friday at 7:30 pm Woolsey Hall

maurice r avel

Alborada del gracioso (1918)

carl nielsen

Concerto for Flute, CNW 42 I. Allegro moderato II. Allegretto un poco

Joanna Wu, flute Winner of the Woolsey Concerto Competition intermission

jean sibelius

Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 105

nikolai rimsk y-korsakov Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34 I. Alborada II. Variazioni III. Alborada IV. Scena e canto gitano V. Fandango asturiano

As a courtesy to others, please silence all cell phones and devices. Photography and recording of any kind is strictly prohibited. Please do not leave the hall during musical selections. Thank you.

Robert Blocker, Dean

prog ram ra m N nootes tes Pro

Maurice Ravel » 1875–1937 Alborada del gracioso (1918) Born to a Swiss father and Basque mother, Maurice Ravel grew up in Paris and studied piano and composition at the Conservatoire until 1903. Following Debussy’s death in 1918 he was widely regarded as the foremost French composer in his time. His work is known for its sense of proportion and balance and for its carefully crafted orchestration. He drew from several inf luences, including fin-de-siècle French art in the early 1900s, Impressionism, jazz, and classical composers. Ravel wrote “Alborada del gracioso” (“Dawn Song of the Jester”) in 1905 for solo piano as part of his Miroirs suite. He orchestrated the work in 1918.

It is one of his several works that displays his love of Spanish music that is rooted in his mother’s heritage. The work opens with several colorful gestures marked by incessant rhythmic ostinatos. A more subdued middle section juxtaposes a plaintive melody played by a solo bassoon against a new rhythmic ostinato played softly by the rest of the orchestra. After further activity, the work makes a free restatement of the opening material.

—David Heetderks

of the quintet’s members. Before his death, two of these works would be written, including the 1926 flute concerto heard tonight.

The first movement of this work is an example of Nielsen’s “progressive tonality.” It begins with a violin melody in E minor that creates dissonance as the cellos play in E-flat — referred to by Nielsen as a dissonance from the “gentler regions.” When the cellos finally resolve into G minor, the flute enters with the original violin material, still in the “wrong” key. This sort of harmony chasing permeates the movement with rapid harmonic progression and polytonal implications.

The Concerto begins as a lively dance with folk-like materials, bouncing chords, and a wandering diatonic harmony. A lyrical second theme begins and soon reappears in a more dramatic context, which leads to the first of two major cadenzas in the first movement— a series of improvisatory duets. The second theme resumes, and then a third follows over timpani before a dramatic development ensues.

New material is introduced even as the first theme is developed. The music rapidly shifts between dramatic and lyrical passages until the folk dance returns in minor and long bassoon chords announce a solo passage, the Carl Nielsen » 1865–1931 orchestral climax, and the largest cadenza.

Concerto for Flute, CNW 42 Before the orchestra returns, there is more conversation with other orchestra members.

Carl Nielsen, the Danish master whose symph- The orchestra returns with the second theme onies mark the musical middle ground between and closes tranquilly. those of Mahler and Sibelius, rarely traveled abroad and was virtually unknown in America The second movement is at a moderate tempo, until the 1960s. He is now remembered mainly and the flute is scored gracefully. As he was for his violin, clarinet, and flute concertos, composing this piece, Nielsen grew ill and which have become staples of the repertoire. completed it, under the pressure of a deadline, with a little march. After the premiere, however, Composer Robert Simpson, in his book Carl the Concerto was extended by including a Nielsen: Symphonist, says that, “of the three musical self-portrait: a trombone’s crass inconcertos ... in the long run it is perhaps the terruptions represent Nielsen as a trickster flute concerto that will achieve the greatest nemesis to the elegant soloist (Nielsen had popularity, for it has a ripe sense of fun with played the trombone in military bands since a deeply poetic insight into human character; childhood). This strange element adds a in many ways it is the richest and most original humorous indelicacy to the work, and closes concerto ever written for flute.” it with a wink.

— Adam Silverman The genesis of Nielsen’s flute concerto dates to 1921, when he overheard the Copenhagen Wind Quintet in the background of a phone conversation. He dedicated a quintet to that group in which he attempted to capture the performers’ personalities in the music, and soon decided to compose concertos for each

art ist p ro f i le s

Jean Sibelius » 1865–1957 Symphony No. 7, Op. 105 Jean Sibelius heard music in the stillness of a forest and the sway of a tree. So convinced he was of music being the kinetic energy of nature, he once lectured a class of Finnish students on the overtone series of a meadow, much to their bewilderment. The key of C major was a barren frontier for many composers in Sibelius’ lifetime; many found it to be “used up” in terms of expressive potential.

However, the key of C major’s associations with purity and nature paired well with Sibelius’ desires to capture the natural world in a symphony: Ralph Vaughan Williams said, “Sibelius is the only composer that could make C major sound fresh.” The trombone affirms C major at the first climax with a tune made of “natural” building blocks, thirds, fifths, and octaves.

With this theme, the trombone acts like an omniscient celestial guardian of stability. The Seventh Symphony takes formal inspiration from Sibelius’ Third and Fifth symphonies in that multiple movements combine into one giant whole. Though it was conceived in a multimovement plan, by consolidating a slow movement and scherzo with sonata form and rondo elements with a grand symphonic coda, he enacted a colossal fission in which such disparate parts transition seamlessly. In the very last bar, the arrival at C major appears like an eclipse, a moment of epic clarity in which a unison B falls behind the shadow of the earthly unison C. Sibelius’ reverence for the sublimity of nature conjures a sense of doom caused not necessarily by the landscape outside but rather by the one within — the caverns and mountains of the mind. The current of the Seventh Symphony is of a wind that can destroy villages but instead grooms the trees and propels the birds.

—Julia Clancy Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov » 1844–1908 Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34 Originally conceived as a fantasy for violin and orchestra on Spanish themes, Capriccio Espagnol grew into its present orchestral form during the summer of 1887. While still incorporating many virtuosic passages for the solo violin, Capriccio Espagnol is a thoroughly orchestral work that showcases Rimsky-Korsakov’s brilliant sense of instrumental color. Rimsky-

Korsakov emphasizes this point: “The change of timbres, the felicitous choice of melodic designs and figuration patterns, exactly suiting each kind of instrument, brief virtuoso cadenzas for solo instruments, the rhythm of the percussion instruments, and so on, constitute here the very essence of the composition … The Spanish themes, of dance character, furnished me with rich material for putting in use multiform orchestral effects.”

The first movement, Alborada, starts with the full orchestra, giving the sense of a boisterous scene. A clarinet solo then repeats the previous orchestral tune, underlaid with an energetic drone and embroidered with melodic pizzicato in the upper strings. After a repeat of the initial orchestral phrase, the clarinet resumes its solo, later joined in a duet with the solo violin. The poignantly lyrical theme of the beautifully set Seguidilla is first heard in the horns, then passed to the strings.

The English horn then varies the theme, occasionally being punctuated by a French horn.

The theme is further varied until a series of gently cascading and ascending runs in the flute heralds the return of the Alborada theme.

In the following movement, “Scena e canto gitano,” (“Scene and Gypsy Song”) a series of solos culminate with the orchestra playing the characteristic theme heard before in the solos. This theme is then dispersed throughout the orchestra in increasingly exciting fashion until the dramatic arrival of the Fandango Asturiano, which is punctuated by castanets.

The theme heard first in the upper winds is varied throughout as themes from other movements return and the entire orchestra accelerates to a thunderous close.

—Philip Ficsor

a rtt i st st Profi p rofiles Ar les

Peter Oundjian, principal conductor

Joanna Wu, flute

A dynamic presence in the conducting world, Toronto-born conductor Peter Oundjian is renowned for his probing musicality, collaborative spirit, and engaging personality.

Oundjian’s appointment as Music Director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) in 2004 reinvigorated the orchestra with numerous recordings, tours, and acclaimed innovative programming as well as extensive audience growth, thereby significantly strengthening the ensemble’s presence in the world.

He recently led the TSO on a tour of Europe which included a sold-out performance at Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw and the first performance of a North American orchestra at Reykjavik’s Harpa concert hall.

Winner of the 2016 Woolsey Concerto Competition, Taiwanese-American flutist Joanna Wu originates from central New York.

An emerging artist, she has given solo, orchestral, and chamber performances throughout the United States and Canada. An alumna of the Yale School of Music, she was recipient of the Thomas Daniel Nyfenger Prize and pursued her studies under the tutelage of Ransom Wilson. As a collaborator, she has performed alongside such musicians as David Shifrin, Frank Morelli, William Purvis, Stephen Taylor, and Barry Shiffman. Joanna previously studied with Walfrid Kujala and John Thorne at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music and has performed as a soloist with orchestras including the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Yale Philharmonia, and Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra.

An avid competitor, she has won top prizes from the National Flute Association Young Artist Competition, Musicians Club of Women, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra Instrumental Competition, and American Protege International Woodwind and Brass Competition. Joanna currently resides in Toronto, Ontario, and is a 2016 Rebanks Fellow at The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School.

Oundjian was appointed Music Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) in 2012. Under his baton, the orchestra has enjoyed several successful tours including one to China, and has continued its relationship with Chandos Records. This season, Oundjian and the RSNO opened the Edinburgh Festival with the innovative Harmonium Project to great critical and audience acclaim.

Few conductors bring such musicianship and engagement to the world’s great podiums — from Berlin, Amsterdam, and Tel Aviv to New York, Chicago, and Sydney. He has also appeared at some of the great annual gatherings of musicians and music-lovers: from the BBC Proms and the Prague Spring Festival to the Edinburgh Festival and the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Mozart Festival, where he was Artistic Director from 2003 to 2005.

Oundjian was Principal Guest Conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 2006 to 2010 and Artistic Director of the Caramoor International Music Festival in New York between 1997 and 2007. Since 1981, he has been a visiting professor at the Yale School of Music, and in 2013 he was awarded the school’s Samuel Simons Sanford Award for distinguished service to music.

Ab o u t Ya l e Philharmonia

The Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale is one of America’s foremost music-school ensembles. The largest performing group at the Yale School of Music, the Philharmonia offers superb training in orchestral playing and repertoire.

Performances include an annual series of concerts in Woolsey Hall, as well as Yale Opera productions in the Schubert Theater.

The Yale Philharmonia has also performed on numerous occasions in Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York City and at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The orchestra undertook its first tour of Asia in 2008, with acclaimed performances in the Seoul Arts Center, the Forbidden City Concert Hall and National Center for the Performing Arts (Beijing), and the Shanghai Grand Theatre.

peter oundjian Principal Conductor philharmonia staff

jeffrey m. mistri Manager roberta senatore Assistant Manager david yi Assistant Conductor

the philharmonia orchestra of yale violin i Dae Hee Ahn Sirena Huang Diomedes B. Saraza, Jr. Sophia Mockler Changhoon Bae Jung Eun Kang Bora Kim Suyoun Han TzuTi Chang Sarah Arnold Linda Lee Kyung Min Lee Renyu Martin Peh David Loke Kai-Yuan violin ii Marianne Di Tomaso Sissi Yuqing Zhang Rachel Ostler Manaka Matsumoto Hyunjae Bae Gaga Won Jiwon Sun Marina Aikawa Wynton Grant Moon Joo Kim Mevian Mecid Ji Soo Lee viola Danielle Burke Wei Peng Emily Brandenburg Josip Kvetek Thomas Duboski Alexandra Simpson Joyce Huang Yang Li Julia Clancy Joshua Newburger

cello Allan Hon James Rosamilia Mingyao Zhao Samuel DeCaprio Justin Park Yeji Yoo Eric Adamshick Jiyoung Choi

horn Luke Baker Antonia Chandler Reese Farnell 3 Matthew Gray Cody Halquist 2 Scott Leger 4 Valerie Sly Joshua Thompson 1

bass Kaden Hall Henderson Mariya-Andononiya Andonova Joshua DePoint Kohei Yamaguchi Luke Stence Erez Meyuhass

trumpet Ashley Hale Aaron Plourde 4 Jonathan Shadle Andrew Stadler 3 Theo Van Dyck 1

ute Felice Doynov 4 Benjamin Morency 1 Leo Sussman 3 oboe Lydia Consilvio 2 Timothy Feil 4 Noah Kay Michelle Nguyen 1 Winona V.R. Van Alstyne 3 Lauren Williams clarinet Giovanni Bertoni 1, 3 Jesse McCandless 2, 4 bassoon Francisco Joubert 4 Dillon Meacham 3 Hanul Park 1, 2

trombone Grant Futch 4 Eliud Garcia 2 Zachary Haas Hillary Simms Alexander Walden 3 William Wortley 1 tuba Joseph Guimaraes 1 Jacob Fewx 4 timpani Matthew Keown 2 YoungKyoung Lee 1 Kramer Milan 4 Se Um 3 percussion Matthew Keown YoungKyoung Lee Kramer Milan Dmitrii Nilov Se Um Georgi Videnov

harp Margaret Davis 1, 4 Shin Young Yu administrative assistant Valerie Sly music librarians Mariya-Andoniya Andonova Emily Brandenburg Sophie Cash-Goldwasser Antonia Chandler Allan Hon Bora Kim Laura Park Lauren Williams stage crew Lydia Consilvio Margaret Davis Thomas Duboski Reese Farnell Christopher Garwood Ashley Hale Nozomi Imamura Pall Quinn Kalmansson Matthew Keown Young Kyoung Lee Cheuk Yin Clement Luu Hillary Simms Andrew Stadler Se Um Georgi Videnov Principal on Ravel Principal on Nielsen 3 Principal on Sibelius 4 Principal on Rimsky-Korsakov 1

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Up co ming Events OCT 15

EZRA LADERMAN'S VOICES Faculty Artist Series

Ezra Laderman’s last completed work, Voices, with a libretto by former U.S. poet laureate Robert Pinsky and based on Dante’s Inferno, is given its world premiere on a program featuring the Argus Quartet, soprano Nola Richardson, tenor Gene Stenger, and baritone Isaac Bray Morse Recital Hall | Saturday | 7:30 pm

free admission OCT 16

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WENDY SHARP, violin Faculty Artist Series

School of Music faculty violinist Wendy Sharp performs works by Bach, Arthur Foote, YSM alumnus Kevin Puts, and YSM faculty composer Hannah Lash, with pianist Joel Wizansky Morse Recital Hall | Sunday | 3 pm

free admission OCT 18

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WORKS BY MARTIN BRESNICK Faculty Artist Series

In honor of School of Music faculty composer Martin Bresnick’s 70th birthday, the Yale Percussion Group, YSM faculty guitarist Benjamin Verdery, YSM alumnus Elly Toyoda, and pianist Lisa Moore perform Bresnick’s Joaquin is Dreaming, Bird as Prophet, Ishi’s Song, and Caprichos Enfaticos.

Morse Recital Hall | Tuesday | 7:30 pm

free admission

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