murray perahia in recital program book (1 nov) · pdf filemurray perahia in recital johann...

SPECIAL EVENT PREMIER PARTNER CREDIT SUISSE

Friday 1 November 2013

MURRAY PERAHIA IN RECITAL

SPECIAL EVENT PRESENTED BY

32S S88 Murray Perahia Special.indd 132S S88 Murray Perahia Special.indd 1 29/10/13 11:30 AM29/10/13 11:30 AM

Dvořák’s New WorldExplorations in Sound

BRITTEN Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes ZHAO JIPING Pipa Concerto† Premiere DVOŘÁK Symphony No.9, New World†

Joana Carneiro conductorWu Man pipa (Chinese lute)

MEET THE MUSIC PRESENTED BY AIM

Wed 30 Oct 6.30pmThu 31 Oct 6.30pm

TEA & SYMPHONY

Fri 1 Nov 11am†

Pre-concert talk by Kim Waldock (30, 31 Oct only)

Murray Perahia in RecitalAustralian Debut One Night Only

JS BACH French Suite No.4 BEETHOVEN Sonata in F minor, Op.57 (Appassionata) SCHUMANN Faschingsschwank aus Wien CHOPIN Impromptu No.2 CHOPIN Scherzo No.2

Murray Perahia piano


Fri 1 Nov 8pm

Sydney Opera House, Concert Hall

Pre-concert talk by David Larkin

War RequiemAshkenazy conducts Britten

BRITTEN War Requiem

Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor Dina Kuznetsova soprano Andrew Staples tenor Dietrich Henschel baritone Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Sydney Children’s Choir

MASTER SERIES

Fri 8 Nov 8pmSat 9 Nov 8pm

Pre-concert talk by Natalie Shea

Mahler and BruchAskenazy and Zukerman

BRUCH Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor MAHLER Symphony No.5

Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor Pinchas Zukerman violin

MASTER SERIES

Wed 13 Nov 8pm


Sat 16 Nov 8pm

Pre-concert talk by Roger Benedict

Sibelius And BrahmsAshkenazy and Zukerman

BRAHMS Double Concerto SIBELIUS Symphony No.5

Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor Pinchas Zukerman violin Amanda Forsyth cello

THURSDAY AFTERNOON SYMPHONY

Thu 14 Nov 1.30pm

TEA & SYMPHONY

Fri 15 Nov 11am

Pre-concert talk by Scott Davie (Thu 14 Nov)

OCTOBER – NOVEMBER

* Booking fees of $7.50 – $8.95 may apply.

SYDNEYSYMPHONY.COM or call 8215 4600 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

Tickets also available at sydneyoperahouse.com 9250 7777 Mon-Sat 9am-8.30pm Sun 10am-6pm

CLASSICAL

THE LEADING SCHOOL FOR TODAY’S MUSINDUSTRY

Jessica Cottis conductorWu Man pipa (Chinese lute)


WELCOME

Rob Stewart

Chief Executive Offi cerCredit Suisse Australia

Credit Suisse warmly welcomes you to this very special recital: the Australian debut performance of pianist Murray Perahia, here in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.

Many Australian music lovers – and especially fans of the piano – have been looking forward to this evening since it was announced last year. In fact, if the response the orchestra received is any indication, Australian music lovers have been looking forward to this debut appearance for many years.

In his 40-year career, Murray Perahia has acquired a reputation for his refi nement and poise in Classical and early Romantic repertoire. Whether he is playing Bach or Beethoven, Schumann or Chopin he brings out the spontaneity of expression and the clarity of vision in every piece.

We’re delighted to welcome Murray Perahia to Australia, bringing some of his favourite music to this iconic venue and to Sydney concert-goers, who are fi lling the concert hall tonight.

It’s a privilege to be here on this momentous occasion, and as Premier Partner we are proud to have played a part in making it happen. We hope you enjoy the performance.


Tonight’s recital will be recorded for later broadcast on ABC Classic FM.

Pre-concert talk by David Larkin in the Northern Foyer, 45 minutes before each performance.Visit sydneysymphony.com/talk-bios for speaker biographies.

Estimated durations: 15 minutes, 25 minutes, 20-minute interval, 24 minutes, 6 minutes, 10 minutesThe recital will conclude at approximately 10pm.

Murray Perahia in RecitalJohann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)French Suite No.4 in E fl at, BWV 815

AllemandeCouranteSarabandeGavotteMenuetAirGigue

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)Sonata No.23 in F minor, Op.57 (Appassionata)

Allegro assaiAndante con moto –Allegro, ma non troppo

INTERVAL

Robert Schumann (1810–1856)Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op.26 (Carnival Jest from Vienna)

Allegro (Sehr lebhaft)Romanze (Ziemlich langsam)ScherzinoIntermezzo (Mit grösster Energie)Finale (Höchst lebhaft)

Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)

Impromptu No.2, Op.36

Scherzo No.2, Op.31

special eventpremier partner credit suisseFriday 1 November | 8pmSydney Opera House Concert Hall

2012 season


6 sydney symphony

ABOUT THE ARTISTFE

LIX

BR

OE

DE

/ S

ON

Y C

LAS

SIC

AL


sydney symphony 7

In the more than 40 years he has been performing on the concert stage, American pianist Murray Perahia has become one of the most sought-after and cherished pianists of our time, performing in the major international music centres and with every leading orchestra. He is also the Principal Guest Conductor of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, with whom he has toured as conductor and pianist throughout the United States, Europe, Japan and South East Asia.

Born in New York, Murray Perahia started playing piano at the age of four, and later attended Mannes College where he majored in conducting and composition. His summers were spent at the Marlboro Festival, where he collaborated with such musicians as Rudolf Serkin, Pablo Casals and the members of the Budapest String Quartet. He also studied at the time with Mieczyslaw Horszowski. In subsequent years, he developed a close friendship with Vladimir Horowitz, whose perspective and personality were an abiding inspiration.

In 1972 he won the Leeds International Piano Competition, and in 1973 he gave his fi rst concert at the Aldeburgh Festival, where he worked closely with Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears, accompanying the latter in many lieder recitals. He was co-artistic director of the festival from 1981 to 1989.

In the 2013–14 season he appears in recital in Japan, and in February he will play the Schumann Concerto with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Bernard Haitink in Boston and Carnegie Hall, New York, before embarking on an American recital tour.

Murray Perahia PIANO

Murray Perahia has a wide and varied discography, which includes a 5-CD set of his Chopin recordings, Bach Partitas, and Beethoven’s Sonatas Opp. 14, 26 and 28. His recording of Brahms’s Händel Variations won the Gramophone Award in 2011 and he is the recipient of two Grammy awards for his recordings of the Chopin Etudes and Bach’s English Suites Nos. 1, 3 and 6.

He is currently working on an ambitious project to edit the complete Beethoven Sonatas for the Henle Urtext Edition. He has also produced and edited numerous hours of recordings of recently discovered masterclasses by the legendary pianist, Alfred Cortot, which led to an acclaimed recording, Alfred Cortot: The Master Classes.

Murray Perahia is an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music, and holds honorary doctorates from Oxford, Leeds and Duke universities. In 2004 he was awarded an honorary KBE by Her Majesty The Queen, in recognition of his outstanding service to music.

This performance at the Sydney Opera House is Murray Perahia’s Australian debut; next week he will appear at the Melbourne Recital Centre.

www.murrayperahia.com

Murray Perahia appears by arrangement with IMG Artists


8 sydney symphony

ABOUT THE MUSIC

Johann Sebastian BachFrench Suite No.4 in E flat, BWV 815AllemandeCouranteSarabandeGavotteMenuetAirGigue

How do we think of Johann Sebastian Bach? As the greatest of baroque masters, of course. As a devout Lutheran who composed cantatas and passions – sacred music of tremendous power. An organist capable of the spectacular Toccata and Fugue in D minor. The composer of the Brandenburg Concertos. Famously the father of 22 children, and the teacher of many young musicians.

It was likely as a teacher that Bach came to compose the French Suites (not his name for them). The earliest drafts date from 1722, although some movements may have been written earlier, and the set was completed by about 1725. Each one takes the form of a suite of characteristic dances, imported from the French court, with the allemande, courante, sarabande and gigue providing the core of the suite, augmented by other dances such as the gavotte and minuet. The infl uences here are Jean-Baptiste Lully and,

Keynotes

JS BACH

Born Eisenach, 1685Died Leipzig, 1750

In his lifetime Johann Sebastian Bach was renowned as an organist; in the century after his death his name was kept alive by enthusiasts, and then – spurred in part by Mendelssohn’s revival of the Matthew Passion – he gained new and enduring fame as a great master of the baroque era.

His career has been defined by three major periods of employment. In 1708, he became court organist in Weimar, but when he was passed over for a promotion, it was time to move on, and in 1717 Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen offered him a Kapellmeister post. It wasn’t an easy departure: the Duke of Weimar briefly placed him under arrest!

In Cöthen, where the young prince ‘loved and understood music’ and the orchestra was a fine one, Bach composed much instrumental music, including the Brandenburg concertos. In 1722 he applied for the post of cantor at the school attached to the Thomas Church in Leipzig. He wasn’t the town council’s first choice, but he won the job and spent the remaining 27 years of his life in Leipzig: teaching, performing, organising the musical life of the church and composing his great series of church cantatas.


sydney symphony 9

especially, François Couperin. Especially in the fourth suite, the style is tuneful and relatively simple in texture, approaching the popular style galant.

In other respects, however, the suites are not particularly French, and we may never know why F.W. Marpurg chose to label them so in 1762. Most obviously, the suites lack the majestic ouverture typically found at the front of French suites (the fi rst movement of the Keyboard Partita No.4 in D is a fi ne example). And, ironically, the dances in the English Suites are often truer to their French models. In the French Suite No.4, for example, the Courante is closer in feel to the lively Italian corrente than its more deliberate French cousin.

The fourth suite might lack an ouverture but the Allemande serves something of the same function, with its fl owing arpeggiated patterns bringing to mind Bach’s preludes. The Courante skips along in a distinctive style that is neither French nor Italian but, apparently, a Bach invention. The Sarabande adopts a sedate, walking bass line underneath an elegant melody – then the two hands unexpectedly swap places.

The Gavotte is the fi rst of the ‘optional’ dances. Its distinguishing characteristic is the two-count upbeat, here played in the right hand, although Bach disguises the rhythmic eff ect by immediately mirroring the melodic motif in the left. The tiny, graceful Menuet was added to the suite in later copies.

An air typically provides singable dance music – or danceable song – in the French tradition of opera-ballet, but in this rippling Air it’s the fi ngers that are dancing. The Gigue ( jig) by contrast is relatively sedate. Bach gives it weight and seriousness by writing it as a two-voice fugue with a hunting horn theme.

YVONNE FRINDLESYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA © 2013


10 sydney symphony

Keynotes

BEETHOVEN

Born Bonn, 1770Died Vienna, 1827

Between 1793 (Op.2) and 1822 (Op.111) Beethoven composed 32 piano sonatas. As a whole, they trace his career: the young composer learning from 18th-century models, the composer-virtuoso, then, as his increasing deafness forced him to withdraw from performing, the ‘heroic’ period with such masterpieces as the Waldstein and the Appassionata. Beyond that, are the so-called Years of Crisis, represented by the Hammerklavier, and the three late sonatas.

SONATA NO.23 APPASSIONATA

Beethoven considered his sonata one of his greatest, perhaps because of its powerful sense of thematic unity. Typically, he defies expectation, and an early reviewer recognised this when he praised the powerful effect of the tempestuous outer movements but admitted, almost apologetically, to preferring the theme and variations of the second movement.

The sonata was composed during 1804–06, a period when Beethoven was infatuated with the recently widowed Josephine Deym, and was dedicated to her brother, Count Brunsvik. But the ‘Appassionata’ nickname is not Beethoven’s – it is the legacy of an 1838 publication of the sonata as a duet, for which ‘passion’ might well have been a useful selling point.

BeethovenSonata No.23 in F minor, Op.57 (Appassionata)Allegro assaiAndante con moto –Allegro ma non troppo

Ferdinand Ries’s description of the genesis of the last movement of the Opus 57 sonata gives an apt insight into the fusion between composition and keyboard improvisation.

During a similar walk in which we went so far astray that [sic] we did not get back to Döbling, where Beethoven lived, until nearly 8 o’clock. He had been all the time humming and sometimes howling, always up and down, without singing any defi nite notes. In answer to my question what it was he said: ‘A theme for the last movement of the sonata has occurred to me’ (in F minor Op.57). When we entered the room he ran to the pianoforte without taking off his hat, I took a seat in the corner and he soon forgot all about me. He stormed on for at least an hour with the new fi nale which is so beautiful. Finally he got up, was surprised still to see me still there and said: ‘I cannot give you a lesson today. I still have work to do.

The subtitle Appassionata, so inextricably linked to this work, was not Beethoven’s but was added by a publisher in 1838 in an arrangement of the work for piano duet. Carl Czerny took strong exception saying that Beethoven considered it his greatest work before the Hammerklavier sonata (1817-18) and that the title would be more appropriate for the Sonata in E fl at, Op.7, because Beethoven was in a more passionate mood when he wrote it.

This second comment is distinctly odd on two counts. First, Czerny was only fi ve years old when Opus 7 was written, and since he fi rst met Beethoven at the age of ten, his ability to measure the passion of Beethoven’s mood during the composition of Opus 7 needs to be questioned on at least two counts. Second, if passionate moods provide an excuse for kitsch subtitles, Beethoven’s letters suggest that Opus 57 would probably qualify, since this was the period of his apparently unrequited infatuation with Josephine Deym (née Brunsvik), once put forward as the unidentifi ed ‘Immortal Beloved’ of Beethoven’s most famous letter (the Appassionata was eventually dedicated to Josephine’s brother, Franz). The period of its composition also coincides with his work on the opera Leonore (later Fidelio). The sonata was started in 1804 and, although not published until 1807, it


sydney symphony 11

appears to have been fi nished by 1806 in time for the autograph to be almost destroyed in rain storm on a trip home from Silesia after Beethoven had had a towering row with one of his patrons, Prince Lichnowsky. The autograph today still bears the evidence of rain damage.

Although Beethoven’s evaluation of the sonata, as reported by Czerny, would be justifi ed by the immense power of the work, which remains undiminished today despite its frequent exposure, it is interesting to note that all the sonatas which Beethoven is alleged to have called his ‘greatest’ at some stage or other (the Hammerklavier sonata, Op.106, and the fi nal three, Opp. 109, 110 and 111) share the quality of thematic unity and integration between their movements to a high degree. In the case of the Appassionata, the outer movements share many common features – characteristic harmonic moves particularly to the chord referred to in harmony textbooks as the ‘Neapolitan sixth’, small two-note motives especially those revolving around the notes D fl at and C, general moods of agitation and turmoil, and climaxes of tragic or catastrophic proportions in their closing pages. Indeed one could almost see the fi nale as a rewriting of the fi rst movement as though some kind of

The autograph score of Beethoven’s Op.57 sonata bears the evidence of rain damage – it was nearly destroyed in a storm during a journey in 1806.

‘[Beethoven] had been all the time humming and sometimes howling, always up and down, without singing any definite notes. In answer to my question what it was he said: ‘A theme for the last movement of the sonata has occurred to me.’FERDINAND RIES


Choosing the right piano can be extremely daunting.

advice you can trust, and a quality piano that will be

your family.

With Steinway trained staff and piano technicians, and a showroom full of quality pianos, we can make things simple for you.

exclusive new south wales & queensland agents451 willoughby rd willoughby nsw | (02) 9958 9888

www.themeandvariations.com.au


sydney symphony 13

COLE PORTER, LET’S MISBEHAVE (1927)

SATURDAY 23 NOVEMBER — PADDINGTON TOWN HALL

Break out the tux, put on your dancing shoes and join us for a night of revelry and entertainment to help us support Australia’s most talented young musicians at the SSO Roaring 20s Ball!

Tickets are available through the SSO Box Office 8215 4600.

For more information visit www.sydneysymphony.com/20sball

decisive realisation had been reached in the calm, prayer-like slow movement.

The notion that such close parallels developed through spontaneous improvisation as described by Ries above, provides a profound insight into Beethoven’s creative process and psychology. The slow movement itself is no less remarkable for its repose between such agitation. At the beginning one might almost think that the melody on which the variations are to be based is going to restrict itself largely to one note! Equally masterly is its gradual ascent over the whole movement, in more animated notes to its highest pitch, D fl at, which is then, almost literally torn down just at the fi nal cadence and thrown down into the abyss of the last movement.

© PETER MCCALLUM

Ferdinand Ries quotation from Beethoven Remembered: The biographical notes of Franz Wegeler and Ferdinand Ries, translated by Frederick Noonan (Arlington 1987, p.87).

Portrait of Beethoven by Isidor Neugass, probably completed in the same year as the Appassionata. It was intended to be sent to Josephine Deym and for a time was held in one of the Brunsvik castles.


14 sydney symphony

SchumannFaschingsschwank aus Wien (Carnival Jest from Vienna), Op.26

Allegro. Sehr lebhaft (Very lively)Romanze. Ziemlich langsam (Fairly slowly)ScherzinoIntermezzo. Mit grösster Energie (With the greatest energy)Finale. Höchst lebhaft (Most lively)

The many piano works of Schumann give us an intimate portrait of his personality, rich in the details of his inner life, in a way that shows the relationship between his life and work more than most other composers. Schumann was the quintessential Romantic composer who lived entirely for his art, and so much on the edge that towards mid-life he descended into a personal twilight, from which he rarely surfaced. He often expressed fears for his own sanity, fuelled by a family history of madness and suicide.

Schumann wrote for the piano in a distinctive virtuosic style that requires great pianistic skill, a quality he felt he himself lacked. In 1832 he experimented with a mechanical device to strengthen his weaker fi ngers, and it is suggested

Keynotes

SCHUMANN

Born Zwickau, 1819Died Endenich, near Bonn, 1856

Schumann was a child of Romanticism: his are creations vividly imaginative and deeply lyrical, and he was aligned with the literary concerns of the Romantic era. It’s no accident that he was a critic as well as a musician. At first he aspired to be a writer; he then pursued music under the guise of a law degree, eventually studying piano with Friedrich Wieck in Leipzig. Wieck’s star pupil was his daughter Clara, and she and Robert fell in love, eventually marrying despite Wieck’s objections. Along the way Schumann injured his hand, thwarting his performing hopes but leaving the way open for him to focus on composition.

CARNIVAL JEST

Carnival Jest from Vienna is the most important musical result of Schumann’s visit to Vienna in the winter of 1838–39. He didn’t return with riches, as he’d hoped, but he couldn’t fail ‘to derive stimulus and benefit from the city’. Four of the movements were composed in Vienna; the finale was added later. They are character pieces, but Schumann also saw them as a greater whole, describing the set as ‘a great Romantic sonata’. The ‘jest’ of the title probably refers to the quotation of the Marseillaise in the first movement. It was a risky joke, since the revolutionary anthem was banned in Vienna (and other places!) at the time.

Fasching, the Viennese Carnival

Carnival, Mardi Gras, Shrovetide… Whatever name it goes by, it’s the season of celebration and indulgence – one last fl ing before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. It’s a chance to run wild, bend the rules. Cole Porter would have said ‘anything goes’.

Goethe described the Carnival in Rome this way:…not really a festival given for the people but one the people give themselves…there are no fi reworks, no illuminations, no brilliant processions. All that happens is that, at a given signal, everyone has leave to be as mad and foolish as he likes, and almost everything, except fi sticuffs and stabbing, is permissible. …everyone accosts everyone else, all good-naturedly accept whatever happens to them, and the insolence and licence of the feast is balanced only by the universal good humour.

The Carnival spirit turns up in Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony, in overtures by Berlioz and Dvorák, in Stravinsky’s Petrushka, set in a Russian Shrovetide fair. Schumann was inspired by the Viennese Carnival, known as ‘Fasching’. In addition to the processions and street hi-jinks, the 19th-century Fasching had become a season of masked balls and dancing.


sydney symphony 15

that the use of this device completely ruined the playing abilities he had, although both he and Clara Schumann attributed the damage simply to excessive practice.

For pianists today who can meet his technical demands, it is more diffi cult to penetrate the poetic, literary and personal references which abound in his music. Schumann wrote many pieces celebrating the festive time of Carnival, and the Carnival Jest in Vienna on this program is one of the important ones. The time of Carnival, just before Lent in the Christian calendar, was and still is in many countries a time of exotic disguise, extravagant parties, dances and processions, jests and student pranks. A riot of loose behaviour – all of which would be redeemed by the penances and rigours of Lent.

This Carnival Jest was written after a visit in 1839 to Vienna, where Schumann had gone in hopes of establishing himself fi nancially. There are fi ve movements which, together, Schumann thought of as ‘a great Romantic sonata’, of which he had already written several.

The jest of the title is heard in the fi rst movement, where the Marseillaise appears. This was a dangerous jest at the time, since the government of Vienna had forbidden the playing of this revolutionary music, which wasn’t restored as the legitimate French national anthem until 1879. The second movement, Romanze, is wistful and the third, Scherzino, suggests a marionette march. The Intermezzo is a great outburst of intense passion, which seems perhaps to sit rather oddly with its neighbours. The suite comes to an end with a brilliant , fast and witty show of pianistic prowess – no injured fi ngers will be tolerated here.

STEPHEN MCINTYRE © 2002

Schumann in 1839, portrait by Josef Kriehuber


16 sydney symphony

Keynotes

CHOPIN

Born Zelazowa Wola, Poland, 1810Died Paris, 1849

Chopin grew up in Warsaw, where he was acclaimed as a teenage piano virtuoso, before heading to Vienna and then Paris in pursuit of a career. His temperament and his delicate constitution was not well-suited to the rigours of touring life and public concert-giving, but his innate elegance gave him entry to the fashionable soirees of Paris, and his fame grew on the back of performances for intimate circles and his many publications. Although he did write concertos and a few chamber works and songs, he composed almost exclusively for solo piano and in miniature, self-contained forms.

Frédéric ChopinImpromptu No.2, Op.36Scherzo No.2, Op.31

Frédéric Chopin was not only one of the greatest composers for the piano, he was also one of the greatest performers of his age. After a concert in the home of Lord Falmouth in London in 1848, the Daily News reported how his program of etudes, preludes, mazurkas, waltzes, a nocturne, the Berceuse and his Op.31 Scherzo ‘showed very strikingly his original genius as a composer and his transcendental powers as a performer’. The critic continued in his enthusiasm:

His music…is highly fi nished, new in its harmonies, full of contrapuntal skill and ingenious contrivance; and yet we have never heard music which has so much the air of unpremeditated eff usion. The performer seems to abandon himself to the impulses of his fancy and feeling, to indulge in a reverie and to pour out unconsciously, as it were, the thoughts and emotions that pass through his mind. He accomplishes enormous diffi culties, but so quietly, so smoothly and with such constant delicacy and refi nement that the listener is not sensible of their real magnitude. It is the exquisite delicacy, with the liquid mellowness of his tone, and the pearly roundness of his passages of rapid articulation which are the peculiar features of his execution, while his music is characterised by freedom of thought, varied expression and a kind of romantic melancholy which seems the natural mood of the artist’s mind.

This is the Chopin we know, and the Chopin modern pianists strive for: spontaneous and yet full of ingenuity; all diffi culties hidden from the listener in eff ortless expression.

The London program described in the Daily Mail would have been typical for Chopin: something substantial, such as one of his ballades or a scherzo, surrounded by shorter pieces, the dances and miniatures. Often he might group pieces to form items, not unlike the pairing in this recital with the impromptu functioning as a prelude to the drama of the popular second scherzo.

The word ‘impromptu’ suggests improvisation but also readiness (‘to be at hand’). The composed impromptus of Schubert and of Chopin are remarkable for their symmetrical three-part structures – the kind of simple but reliable design that might enable the improvising pianist’s free fl ight of fancy.

In Chopin’s Impromptu No.2 in F sharp major (composed in 1839) there is a further foundation for creative fancy in the distinctive use of ostinato, or underlying repetition. The opening six bars set out the ostinato theme: a simple two-


sydney symphony 17

voice idea, assigned to the left hand. As it freely repeats, Chopin develops increasingly elaborate melodic ideas above. This kind of repetition sets up a feeling of harmonic stasis, which in turn focuses attention on other elements of the music, especially the profusion of melodic variations. The central section of the three-part structure is a ‘deliberately strident’ march evoking the world of 19th-century French opera. The opening melody then returns, but the ostinato is transformed into rippling arpeggios, setting us up for the extraordinarily elaborate arabesques that follow.

For Chopin, this impromptu was experimental, representing his earliest foray into techniques that would emerge in his music of the 1840s, and he had his doubts about it. In a letter dated 8 October 1839 he wrote: ‘It is perhaps a stupid piece. I can’t tell yet, as I have only just fi nished it.’

About his second scherzo, composed in 1837, he had no such doubts, nor did his contemporaries. The Op.31 scherzo (in B fl at minor or D fl at major, depending on your analysis) quickly became one of his most popular works, ranking with the waltzes and nocturnes and the Ballade No.3, Op.47. In Warsaw it was even transcribed for orchestra.

Chopin inherited the scherzo tradition of Beethoven: a piece in triple time with a symmetrical three-part structure, a (very) fast tempo and a forceful character, but with just enough good-humoured energy to justify the label (literally a ‘joke’). In addition, the Beethoven scherzo belonged as a movement within a larger work, and Chopin included scherzos such as these in his mature sonatas.

Portrait by Delacroix

Chopin performing in the salon of Prince Radziwill (October 1829).


18 sydney symphony

‘Hats off, gentlemen – a genius!’ROBERT SCHUMANNINTRODUCES CHOPIN

BE THE FIRST TO KNOW.

Sign up to our free e-newsletter.www.sydneysymphony.com/staytuned

Chopin’s four stand-alone scherzos, however, were quite diff erent – suffi ciently new in conception to confuse not only his contemporaries but following generations. They preserve the triple metre and the lively tempo; the symmetrical design is there, although more complex; as is the forcefulness and energy. But the expressive range is greatly expanded – Chopin’s scherzos are no joking matter.

Above all, Chopin’s scherzos have become an exercise in extremes of contrast, and the opening of Scherzo No.2 off ers a clear demonstration: a subdued, furtive melodic fragment in the bass, a pause, fi erce chords in the treble. The scene is set for tension: between unison ideas and chords, between diff erent registers, between soft and loud. And above all between B fl at minor, in which key the scherzo clearly begins, and D fl at major, which is how it will end after a journey of alternations between these two tonal centres.

The often explosive surface contrasts catch the ear. No wonder the Daily News critic was struck by the impression of impulsiveness and freedom of expression. But, not unlike the impromptu, the whole is supported by a simple framework based on symmetry and repetition and perfectly judged drama.YVONNE FRINDLESYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA © 2013


sydney symphony 19

MORE MUSIC

MURRAY PERAHIA PLAYS…

BACH

Murray Perahia’s recordings of the Bach concertos (directing the Academy of St Martin in the Fields from the keyboard), have recently been assembled in a 3-CD set. SONY 782429

And while you won’t be able to fi nd the French Suites, he has recorded the English Suites (over two CDs) and the six keyboard partitas (also over two CDs).SONY 6022762 & 602772 (English Suites)

SONY 744361 & 722697 (Partitas)

BEETHOVEN

Murray Perahia’s recording of the Appassionata Sonata is currently available on the 73-CD celebration boxed set, Murray Perahia: The First 40 Years. An investment!SONY 191256

If you’d prefer the sonata on a single CD, it can be ordered as an ArkivCD from Arkivmusic.com with Beethoven’s Sonata No.7.CBS MASTERWORKS 42448

SCHUMANN

The celebration boxed set mentioned above also contains Schumann’s Faschingsschwank aus Wien. Or look for the live Aldeburgh Recital disc from 1991, which also includes music by Beethoven, Liszt and Rachmaninoff .SONY 46437

CHOPIN

In 2004, Murray Perahia’s 2001 recording of Chopin’s Op.10 and Op.25 Etudes was expanded to include the four impromptus from 1983. SONY CLASSICAL MASTERWORKS 92731

And, of course, there’s more Chopin in the First 40 Years collection.

Many more recordings by Murray Perahia on the Sony Classical and CBS Masterworks labels can be found at: www.murrayperahia.com/discography

Broadcast DiaryNovember

abc.net.au/classic

Saturday 9 November, 8pmwar requiemVladimir Ashkenazy conductorDina Kuznetsova, Andrew Staples, Dietrich Henschel vocal soloistsSydney Philharmonia ChoirsSydney Children’s ChoirBritten

Thursday 14 November, 1.30pmsibelius & brahmsVladimir Ashkenazy conductorPinchas Zukerman violinAmanda Forsyth cello

Saturday 16 November, 8pmmahler & bruchVladimir Ashkenazy conductorPinchas Zukerman violin

Thursday 28 November, 1.05pmwagner madnessNicholas Carter conductorJanet Webb fl uteHaydn, L Liebermann, Ledger, Wagner

Fine Music 102.5sydney symphony 2013Tuesday 11 November, 6pmMusicians, staff and guest artists discuss what’s in store in our forthcoming concerts.

Webcasts

Selected Sydney Symphony Orchestra concerts are webcast live on BigPond and Telstra T-box and made available for later viewing On Demand. Our current webcast:lior & westlakeVisit: bigpondmusic.com/sydneysymphony

We recommend our free mobile app, now optimised for the iPad, if you want to watch SSO live webcasts on your mobile device.


sydney symphony 21

SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAVladimir Ashkenazy Principal Conductor and Artistic AdvisorPATRON Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO

Founded in 1932 by the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra has evolved into one of the world’s fi nest orchestras as Sydney has become one of the world’s great cities.

Resident at the iconic Sydney Opera House, where it gives more than 100 performances each year, the SSO also performs in venues throughout Sydney and regional New South Wales. International tours to Europe, Asia and the USA have earned the orchestra worldwide recognition for artistic excellence, most recently in the 2012 tour to China.

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s fi rst Chief Conductor was Sir Eugene Goossens, appointed in 1947; he was followed by Nicolai Malko, Dean Dixon, Moshe Atzmon, Willem van Otterloo, Louis Frémaux, Sir Charles Mackerras, Zdenek Mácal, Stuart Challender, Edo de Waart and Gianluigi Gelmetti. David Robertson will take up the post of Chief Conductor in 2014. The orchestra’s history also boasts collaborations with legendary fi gures such as George Szell, Sir Thomas Beecham, Otto Klemperer and Igor Stravinsky.

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s award-winning education program is central to its commitment to the future of live symphonic music, developing audiences and engaging the participation of young people. The orchestra promotes the work of Australian composers through performances, recordings and its commissioning program. Recent premieres have included major works by Ross Edwards, Liza Lim, Lee Bracegirdle, Gordon Kerry and Georges Lentz, and the orchestra’s recordings of works by Brett Dean have been released on both BIS and Sydney Symphony Live.

Other releases on the Sydney Symphony Live label, established in 2006, include performances with Alexander Lazarev, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Sir Charles Mackerras and Vladimir Ashkenazy. In 2010–11 the orchestra made concert recordings of the complete Mahler symphonies with Ashkenazy, and has also released recordings of Rachmaninoff and Elgar orchestral works on the Exton/Triton labels, as well as numerous recordings on the ABC Classics label.

This is the fi fth year of Ashkenazy’s tenure as Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor.

JOH

N M

AR

MA

RA

S


22 sydney symphony

BEHIND THE SCENES

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Rory JeffesEXECUTIVE TEAM ASSISTANT

Lisa Davies-Galli

ARTISTIC OPERATIONS

DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC PLANNING

Peter Czornyj

Artistic AdministrationARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION MANAGER

Eleasha MahARTIST LIAISON MANAGER

Ilmar LeetbergRECORDING ENTERPRISE MANAGER

Philip Powers

Education ProgramsHEAD OF EDUCATION

Kim WaldockEMERGING ARTISTS PROGRAM MANAGER

Mark LawrensonEDUCATION COORDINATOR

Rachel McLarinCUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICER

Amy Walsh

LibraryAnna CernikVictoria GrantMary-Ann Mead

ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT

DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT

Aernout KerbertORCHESTRA MANAGER

Chris Lewis ORCHESTRA COORDINATOR

Georgia StamatopoulosOPERATIONS MANAGER

Kerry-Anne CookPRODUCTION MANAGER

Laura DanielPRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Tim DaymanPRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Ian Spence

SALES AND MARKETING

DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING

Mark J ElliottSENIOR SALES & MARKETING MANAGER

Penny EvansMARKETING MANAGER, SUBSCRIPTION SALES

Simon Crossley-MeatesMARKETING MANAGER, CLASSICAL SALES

Matthew RiveMARKETING MANAGER, WEB & DIGITAL MEDIA

Eve Le GallMARKETING MANAGER, DATABASE & CRM

Matthew HodgeGRAPHIC DESIGNER

Lucy McCulloughCREATIVE ARTWORKER

Nathanael van der Reyden

Sydney Symphony Orchestra Staff

MARKETING COORDINATOR

Jonathon Symonds ONLINE MARKETING COORDINATOR

Jenny Sargant

Box OfficeMANAGER OF BOX OFFICE SALES &OPERATIONS

Lynn McLaughlinBOX OFFICE SYSTEMS SUPERVISOR

Jacqueline TooleyBOX OFFICE BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR

John Robertson CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES

Karen Wagg – Senior CSR Michael DowlingKatarzyna OstafijczukTim Walsh

COMMUNICATIONS

HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS & SPONSOR RELATIONS

Yvonne ZammitPUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER

Katherine StevensonCOMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

Janine Harris DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER

Kai RaisbeckFELLOWSHIP SOCIAL MEDIA OFFICER

Caitlin Benetatos

PublicationsPUBLICATIONS EDITOR & MUSIC PRESENTATION MANAGER

Yvonne Frindle

DEVELOPMENT

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Caroline SharpenHEAD OF CORPORATE RELATIONS

Jeremy GoffHEAD OF MAJOR GIFTS

Luke Andrew GayDEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Amelia Morgan-HunnDEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

Sarah Morrisby

BUSINESS SERVICES

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

John HornFINANCE MANAGER

Ruth TolentinoACCOUNTANT

Minerva PrescottACCOUNTS ASSISTANT

Emma FerrerPAYROLL OFFICER

Laura Soutter

HUMAN RESOURCES

HEAD OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Michel Maree Hryce

M

REX

Li

A

D

Pe

ArAR

ElAR

IlRE

Ph

EdHE

KEM

MED

RC

Am

LiAnViM

O

D

AeO

CO

GO

KPR

LaPR

TPR

Ia

S

D

MSE

PeM

SiM

MM

EvM

MG

LuC

N

S

John C Conde ao ChairmanTerrey Arcus amEwen Crouch amRoss GrantJennifer HoyRory JeffesAndrew Kaldor amDavid LivingstoneGoetz Richter

Sydney Symphony Orchestra Board

Sydney Symphony Orchestra Council

Geoff Ainsworth amAndrew Andersons aoMichael Baume aoChristine BishopIta Buttrose ao obePeter CudlippJohn Curtis amGreg Daniel amJohn Della BoscaAlan FangErin FlahertyDr Stephen FreibergDonald Hazelwood ao obeDr Michael Joel amSimon JohnsonYvonne Kenny amGary LinnaneAmanda LoveHelen Lynch amDavid MaloneyDavid Malouf aoJulie Manfredi-HughesDeborah MarrThe Hon. Justice Jane Mathews aoDanny MayWendy McCarthy aoJane MorschelGreg ParamorDr Timothy Pascoe amProf. Ron Penny aoJerome RowleyPaul SalteriSandra SalteriJuliana SchaefferLeo Schofield amFred Stein oamGabrielle TrainorIvan UngarJohn van OgtropPeter Weiss ao HonDLittMary WhelanRosemary White

P


sydney symphony 23

06 Kirsty Hilton Principal Second Violin Corrs Chambers Westgarth Chair

07 Robert Johnson Principal Horn James & Leonie Furber Chair

08 Elizabeth Neville Cello Ruth & Bob Magid Chair

09 Colin Piper Percussion Justice Jane Mathews ao Chair

10 Emma Sholl Associate Principal Flute Robert & Janet Constable Chair

11 Janet Webb Principal Flute Helen Lynch am & Helen Bauer Chair

SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PATRONS

Maestro’s CirclePeter William Weiss ao – Founding President & Doris WeissJohn C Conde ao – ChairmanGeoff Ainsworth am Tom Breen & Rachael KohnIn memory of Hetty & Egon GordonAndrew Kaldor am & Renata Kaldor aoVicki OlssonRoslyn Packer ao

Penelope Seidler amMr Fred Street am & Mrs Dorothy StreetWestfield GroupBrian & Rosemary WhiteRay Wilson oam in memory of the late James Agapitos oam

Sydney Symphony Orchestra Corporate AllianceTony Grierson, Braithwaite Steiner PrettyInsurance Australia Grou pJohn Morschel, Chairman, ANZ

01 Roger Benedict Principal Viola Kim Williams am & Catherine Dovey Chair

02 Lawrence Dobell Principal Clarinet Terrey Arcus am & Anne Arcus Chair

03 Diana Doherty Principal Oboe Andrew Kaldor am & Renata Kaldor ao Chair

04 Richard Gill oam Artistic Director, Education Sandra & Paul Salteri Chair

05 Catherine Hewgill Principal Cello The Hon. Justice AJ & Mrs Fran Meagher Chair

Chair Patrons

01 02 03

04 05 06

07 08 09

10 11 For information about the Chair Patrons program, please call (02) 8215 4619.

David BluffKees Boersma Andrew BraggPeter BraithwaiteBlake BriggsAndrea BrownHelen CaldwellHilary CaldwellHahn ChauAlistair ClarkMatthew ClarkBenoît CocheteuxPaul ColganGeorge CondousJuliet CurtinJustin Di Lollo

Alistair FurnivalAlistair GibsonSam GiddingsMarina GoSebastian GoldspinkTony GriersonLouise HaggertyRose HercegPhilip HeuzenroederPaolo HookePeter HowardJennifer HoyScott JacksonJustin JamesonAernout KerbertTristan Landers

Gary LinnanePaul MacdonaldKylie McCaigRebecca MacFarlingDavid McKeanHayden McLeanAmelia Morgan-HunnPhoebe Morgan-HunnTaine MoufarrigeNick NichlesTom O’DonnellKate O’ReillyFiona OslerArchie PaffasJonathan PeaseJingmin Qian

Seamus R QuickLeah RanieMichael ReedePaul ReidyChris RobertsonBenjamin RobinsonEmma RodigariJacqueline RowlandsKatherine ShawRandal TameSandra TangAdam WandJon WilkieJonathan WatkinsonDarren WoolleyMisha Zelinsky

Justin Di Lollo – ChairKees BoersmaMarina GoDavid McKeanAmelia Morgan-HunnJonathan PeaseSeamus R Quick

MembersCentric WealthMatti AlakargasStephen AttfieldDamien BaileyMar BeltranEvonne BennettNicole Billet

Sydney Symphony Orchestra VanguardVanguard Collective


24 sydney symphony

PLAYING YOUR PART

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the music lovers who donate to the orchestra each year. Each gift plays an important part in ensuring our continued artistic excellence and helping to sustain important education and regional touring programs. Donations of $50 and above are acknowledged on our website at www.sydneysymphony.com/patrons

Platinum Patrons: $20,000+Brian AbelRobert Albert ao & Elizabeth AlbertGeoff AinsworthTerrey Arcus am & Anne ArcusTom Breen & Rachael KohnSandra & Neil BurnsMr John C Conde aoRobert & Janet ConstableMichael Crouch ao & Shanny CrouchJames & Leonie FurberDr Bruno & Mrs Rhonda Giuff reIn memory of Hetty & Egon GordonMr Andrew Kaldor am & Mrs Renata Kaldor aoD & I KallinikosHelen Lynch am & Helen BauerVicki OlssonMrs Roslyn Packer aoPaul & Sandra SalteriMrs Penelope Seidler amG & C Solomon in memory of Joan MacKenzieMrs W SteningMr Fred Street am & Mrs Dorothy StreetPeter William Weiss ao & Doris WeissWestfi eld GroupMr Brian & Mrs Rosemary WhiteKim Williams am & Catherine DoveyRay Wilson oam in memory of James Agapitos oam

Gold Patrons: $10,000–$19,999Doug & Alison BattersbyAlan & Christine BishopIan & Jennifer BurtonCopyright Agency Cultural Fund Edward & Diane FedermanNora GoodridgeMr Ross GrantMr Ervin KatzJames N Kirby FoundationMs Irene LeeRuth & Bob MagidThe Hon. Justice AJ Meagher & Mrs Fran MeagherMrs T Merewether oamMr John MorschelMr John SymondAndy & Deirdre Plummer Caroline WilkinsonAnonymous (1)

Silver Patrons: $5000–$9,999Stephen J BellMr Alexander & Mrs Vera BoyarskyMr Robert BrakspearMr David & Mrs Halina BrettMr Robert & Mrs L Alison Carr Bob & Julie ClampettEwen Crouch am & Catherine CrouchIan Dickson & Reg Holloway

Dr C GoldschmidtThe Greatorex Foundation Mr Rory Jeff esJudges of the Supreme Court of NSW J A McKernanR & S Maple-BrownJustice Jane Mathews aoMora MaxwellMrs Barbara MurphyDrs Keith & Eileen OngTimothy & Eva PascoeWilliam McIlrath Charitable FoundationMr B G O’ConorRodney Rosenblum am & Sylvia RosenblumEstate of the late Greta C RyanManfred & Linda SalamonSimpsons SolicitorsMrs Joyce Sproat & Mrs Janet CookeMichael & Mary Whelan TrustJune & Alan Woods Family BequestAnonymous (2)

Bronze Patrons: Presto $2,500–$4,999Mr Henri W Aram oamThe Berg Family Foundation in memory of Hetty GordonMr B & Mrs M ColesMr Howard ConnorsGreta DavisThe Hon. Ashley Dawson-DamerFirehold Pty LtdStephen Freiberg & Donald CampbellVic & Katie FrenchMrs Jennifer HershonGary LinnaneRobert McDougallRenee MarkovicJames & Elsie MooreMs Jackie O’BrienJ F & A van OgtropIn memory of Sandra Paul PottingerIn memory of H St P ScarlettDavid & Isabel SmithersMarliese & Georges TeitlerMr Robert & Mrs Rosemary WalshMr & Mrs T & D YimAnonymous (1)

Bronze Patrons: Vivace $1,000–$2,499Mrs Antoinette AlbertAndrew Andersons aoMr & Mrs Garry S AshDr Francis J AugustusSibilla BaerRichard and Christine Banks David BarnesMark Bethwaite am & Carolyn Bethwaite

Allan & Julie BlighDr & Mrs Hannes Boshoff Jan BowenLenore P BuckleM BulmerIn memory of RW BurleyIta Buttrose ao obeMr JC Campbell qc & Mrs CampbellDr Rebecca ChinDr Diana Choquette & Mr Robert MillinerMr Peter ClarkeConstable Estate Vineyards Debby Cramer & Bill CaukillMr John Cunningham SCM & Mrs Margaret CunninghamLisa & Miro DavisMatthew DelaseyMr & Mrs Grant DixonColin Draper & Mary Jane BrodribbMalcolm Ellis & Erin O’NeillMrs Margaret EppsPaul R EspieProfessor Michael Field AMMr Tom FrancisMr James Graham am & Mrs Helen GrahamWarren GreenAnthony GreggAkiko GregoryTony GriersonEdward & Deborah Griffi nRichard Griffi n amIn memory of Dora & Oscar GrynbergJanette HamiltonMrs & Mr HolmesThe Hon. David Hunt ao qc & Mrs Margaret HuntDr & Mrs Michael HunterIrwin Imhof in memory of Herta ImhofMichael & Anna JoelIn memory of Bernard M H KhawMr Justin LamMr Luigi LampratiMr Peter Lazar amProfessor Winston LiauwDr David LuisPeter Lowry oam & Dr Carolyn Lowry oamDr David LuisDeirdre & Kevin McCannIan & Pam McGawMatthew McInnesMacquarie Group FoundationMrs Toshiko MericHenry & Ursula MooserMilja & David MorrisMrs J MulveneyOrigin FoundationMr & Mrs OrtisDr A J PalmerMr Andrew C Patterson


sydney symphony 25

Learn how, with the people who know books

and writing best.

Faber Academyat ALLEN & UNWIN

T (02) 8425 0171

W allenandunwin.com/faberacademy

D O Y O U H A V E A S T O R Y T O

T E L L ?

To find out more about becominga Sydney Symphony Patron, pleasecontact the Philanthropy Officeon (02) 8215 4625 or [email protected]

Dr Natalie E PelhamAlmut PiattiRobin PotterTA & MT Murray-PriorDr Raffi QasabianMichael QuaileyErnest & Judith RapeeKenneth R ReedPatricia H Reid Endowment Pty LtdDr John Roarty oam in memory of Mrs June RoartyRobin RodgersLesley & Andrew RosenbergJulianna Schaeff erCaroline SharpenDr Agnes E SinclairMrs Judith SouthamMrs Karen Spiegal-KeighleyCatherine StephenJohn & Alix SullivanThe Hon. Brian Sully qcMildred TeitlerKevin TroyJohn E TuckeyIn memory of Joan & Rupert VallentineDr Alla WaldmanMiss Sherry WangHenry & Ruth WeinbergThe Hon. Justice A G WhealyMs Kathy White in memory of Mr Geoff WhiteA Willmers & R PalMr & Mrs B C WilsonDr Richard WingMr Robert WoodsIn memory of Lorna WrightDr John YuAnonymous (12)

Bronze Patrons: Allegro $500–$999Mrs Lenore AdamsonDavid & Rae AllenMichael Baume ao & Toni BaumeBeauty Point Retirement ResortRichard & Margaret BellMrs Jan BiberMinnie BiggsMrs Elizabeth BoonMr Colin G BoothDr Margaret BoothMr Peter BraithwaiteMr Harry H BrianR D & L M BroadfootDr Miles Burgess

Pat & Jenny BurnettEric & Rosemary CampbellBarrie CarterMr Jonathan ChissickMrs Sandra ClarkMichael & Natalie CoatesCoff s Airport Security Car ParkJen CornishDom Cottam & Kanako ImamuraDegabriele KitchensPhil Diment am & Bill Zafi ropoulosDr David DixonElizabeth DonatiThe Dowe FamilyMrs Jane DrexlerDr Nita Durham & Dr James DurhamJohn FavaloroMs Julie Flynn & Mr Trevor CookMrs Lesley FinnMr John GadenVivienne GoldschmidtClive & Jenny GoodwinMs Fay GrearIn Memory of Angelica GreenMr Robert GreenMr & Mrs Harold & Althea HallidayMr Robert HavardRoger HenningSue HewittIn memory of Emil HiltonDorothy Hoddinott aoMr Joerg HofmannMr Angus HoldenMr Kevin HollandBill & Pam HughesDr Esther JanssenNiki KallenbergerMrs Margaret KeoghDr Henry KilhamChris J KitchingAron KleinlehrerAnna-Lisa KlettenbergMr & Mrs Giles T KrygerThe Laing FamilySonia LalDr Leo & Mrs Shirley LeaderMargaret LedermanMrs Erna Levy Sydney & Airdrie LloydMrs A LohanMrs Panee LowMelvyn MadiganBarbara MaidmentHelen & Phil MeddingsDavid Mills

Kenneth Newton MitchellMs Margaret Moore oam & Dr Paul Hutchins amHelen MorganChris Morgan-HunnMr Darrol NormanMr Graham NorthDr Margaret ParkerDr Kevin PedemontDr John PittMrs Greeba PritchardMr Patrick Quinn-GrahamMiss Julie RadosavljevicRenaissance ToursDr Marilyn RichardsonAnna RoMr Kenneth RyanMrs Pamela SayersGarry Scarf & Morgie BlaxillPeter & Virginia ShawMr & Mrs ShoreMrs Diane Shteinman amVictoria SmythDoug & Judy SotherenRuth StaplesMr & Mrs Ashley StephensonMargaret SuthersThe Taplin FamilyDr & Mrs H K TeyMrs Alma Toohey & Mr Edward SpicerJudge Robyn TupmanMrs M TurkingtonGillian Turner & Rob BishopMr & Mrs Franc VaccherProf Gordon E WallRonald WalledgeIn memory of Denis WallisThe Wilkinson FamilyEvan Williams am & Janet WilliamsAudrey & Michael WilsonDr Richard WingateDr Peter Wong & Mrs Emmy K WongGeoff Wood & Melissa WaitesMrs Robin YabsleyAnonymous (24)

List correct as of 1 October 2013


26 sydney symphony

SALUTE

PREMIER PARTNER

Fine Music 102.5

MARKETING PARTNER

SILVER PARTNERS

executive search

THE LEADING SCHOOL FOR TODAY’S MUSIC INDUSTRY

PLATINUM PARTNERS

PRINCIPAL PARTNER GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra is assisted by the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra is assisted by the NSW Government through Arts NSW

EDUCATION PARTNER MAJOR PARTNERS

GOLD PARTNERS

REGIONAL TOUR PARTNERS


It’s an extension of my body…

already; I can see it, and I can hear it.’

For the first few years in the job, says Leah, there’s no amount of preparation that compares with the experience of repeating a piece, and what that brings to your bank of skills. ‘Although I heard the words many times as a younger professional about “needing experience”, I don’t think I quite understood what that meant, what experience really can bring.

‘Having been in the orchestra for over 15 years, I feel like I’ve reached a different point of reference. It’s not that the music still always feels fresh, but most pieces you just take a different approach to. The only pieces that will ever feel tired to me are ones that I really dislike. For everything else, I just try to change and hopefully improve my perspective each time.’

Pho

to: K

eith

Sau

nder

s

Like many of our musicians, Assistant Principal cellist Leah Lynn has a very close relationship with her instrument. ‘Most of the time, it’s like an extension of my body,’ she says, ‘it’s a comfortable and symbiotic relationship.’ Running around after three kids with her husband Richard, who plays double bass in the orchestra, sometimes leaves less than the ideal amount of time to practise. ‘If life has been busy and I’ve had too little time with my cello, the symbiotic sense is lost. It can feel like I’m holding some kind of strange “thing” – it can feel a bit alien.

A few years ago, the orchestra purchased a 1901 Vincenzo

Sannino cello, an acquisition made possible through our Instrument Fund; Leah was the very happy recipient of this magnificent Italian cello. ‘I’ve now got this new and expressive language of colour and timbre available to me. It has a sonority with which I can express myself so much better [than before].

‘The sound [of the Sannino] is just so close to my ideal sound, to what’s in my head. I think all music starts in the your head. When I was younger, I often thought – quite naively – that if I was to loose a sense, I would least mind losing my hearing, because I’ve got the music in my head

HELLO CELLOAssistant Principal cellist Leah Lynn is at one with her instrument.

ORCHESTRA NEWS | NOVEMBER 2013


Pho

to: K

en B

utti

Our Education Partner Tenix recently gave three aspiring young Australian musicians the chance to travel to Sydney for the inaugural Tenix Sydney Symphony Orchestra Experience Day. Seventeen-year-old Grace Halloway (right) made the trip from Kingsley in Perth to take part in a private bassoon

lesson with SSO principal Noriko Shimada (left). With Madeline Baker (clarinet) and Murphy Guo (piano) from Victoria, Grace also enjoyed lunch with the SSO’s Fellows, a personalised Sydney Opera House tour with our Assistant Conductor Jessica Cottis, and a concert by the orchestra.

‘I absolutely loved the sound of the Wagner tubas in the Orchestral Adventure concert,’ writes one concert-goer. ‘They look like a euphonium given the once-over by Salvador Dali!’Wagner tubas are the brainchild of Richard Wagner, who was searching for a bridge in the sound between the horns and trombones at the time of composing his Ring cycle.

SSO horn player Marnie Sebire is often called on to play this notoriously unwieldy instrument: ‘Let’s just say it’s “interesting” to play!’ Despite the name, Wagner tubas are normally assigned to the horn section, rather than tuba players; the shape of the instrument might be very different to the horn, but the mouthpiece used is identical.

‘Wagner tubas have a few inherent flaws; often the notes don’t “centre”. On the horn, we can move our right hand around in the bell to alter the intonation, but we lose that advantage when the bell is pointing straight up.’ Instead the player has to alter the shape of their embouchure. ‘We’re always lipping up or down to get the notes in tune.’

Few composers use the instrument – Richard Strauss in some of his symphonic tone poems, Stravinsky in The Rite of Spring, Wagner of course – but every orchestra will own a set of four. ‘We need the instruments there for us to practise on and keep familiar,’ says Marnie. The SSO is currently investigating the purchase of a new set, at a cost of about $40,000.

Challenges aside, Marnie says the sound of the Wagner tuba is one of the most honest and honourable. ‘They have a rich, warm and resonant sound. When you’ve got a good quartet playing, it’s something very special.’

Have a question about music, instruments of the inner workings of an orchestra? ‘Ask a Musician’ at [email protected] or by writing to Bravo! Reply Paid 4338, Sydney NSW 2001

Ask a MusicianEducation HighlightLove music. Will travel.

Kamikaze kookaburras. Cake and cookies from the Country Women’s Association. All in a day’s work for our SSO Fellows when they took to the road to join in the music-making at the Moorambilla Festival in September.

‘The festival’s a celebration of music which brings local communities together, and gives rural kids the opportunity to be involved in a large-scale musical event,’ says clarinet Fellow Som Howie. The heart of the festival was hosted at Coonamble, seven hours’ drive northwest of Sydney. ‘Some of the schools involved have only ten students enrolled, so without Moorambilla, it’s unlikely those kids would have the chance to sing in a large choir or music ensemble.’

Our Fellows, alongside other professional and amateur ensembles from Sydney, worked with local groups, sharing their passion and expertise. Events culminated in an enormous combined gala performance. Horn Fellow Brendan Parravicini found it a moving experience: ‘When we were accompanying the children’s choir, made up of hundreds of kids, I felt humbled to share in such a special occasion.’


Dancing with BrittenOur final set of concerts for the year offers ‘Variations on an English Theme’: music for the English, music by an Englishman, and music celebrating variation technique – sometimes all three at once!

And at the centre of the program is Britten’s Violin Concerto, which will also see the Australian debut of young Norwegian violinist, Vilde Frang.

Those who’ve heard Vilde Frang play know she’s a leading musician of her generation. She was discovered by Mariss Jansons at the age of 13, and last year made her debut with the Vienna Philharmonic at the Lucerne Festival, at which she received the 2012 Credit Suisse Young Artists Award.

It’s less well-known that she studied ballet for many years and dreamed of being a choreographer. Maybe it’s appropriate then that her current musical focus is the Britten – a concerto that ends with a Passacaglia, a massive set of dance variations.

The concerto begins with a sense of impending doom (it was composed in 1939) but also has a wonderful intensity to it. And the Passacaglia introduces the variation form that Britten loved so much (think Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra), making for an expansive and virtuosic finale. Ideal music for a violinist with dancing in her bones; ideal music for a violinist with multifaceted sound and a maturity that belies her youth.Variations on an English ThemeMaster Series11, 13, 14, December | 8pm

The Score

Pho

to: S

ussi

e A

hlbu

rg

JP ON THE VANGUARDPhilanthropy Focus

Pho

to: B

en S

ymon

s

‘The main thing is that people don’t know what they don’t know. If you say to someone who’s never seen the SSO, “Do you like this sort of music? Are you into it?” they’ll probably say “No”. But bring them to Vanguard – to a car park in Kings Cross, or a warehouse in Surry Hills – to witness the SSO playing our sort of music, and they walk away saying, “Wow. I really love that.” I haven’t brought anyone to Vanguard who hasn’t loved it and wanted to come back.’

In addition to the car park and the warehouse, Vanguard has hosted events in a basement and a brewery, and has raised over $45,000 to fund three year-long places in the SSO’s Sinfonia mentoring orchestra for talented young musicians.

‘We’re going to continue to push it, do new and creative things. The next one might be in an aircraft carrier,’ laughs JP, ‘or maybe we’ll launch the SSO blimp!’ Watch the skies…

Visit sydneysymphony.com/ vanguard for more information or contact Amelia Morgan-Hunn: [email protected] or (02) 8215 4663.

When Development Manager Amelia Morgan-Hunn was interviewed for her job in 2010 she pitched us the idea of ‘SSO Vanguard’. It got us excited, and needless to say, she got the job!

One of the first to join Amelia on this initiative was Jonathan Pease, ‘JP’ to everyone. With a 20-year background in marketing and advertising for the biggest guns in town, JP jumped at the chance to do something for the greater cultural good. ‘I love art. I love music. I think without art and music around you, everything becomes extremely transactional and boring. I don’t want to live in a world without either. When Amelia invited me to be involved, it was a no-brainer.’

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra Vanguard encourages young philanthropists to discover and enjoy classical music by taking it into unexpected spaces. ‘We want a new audience to fall in love with music,’ says JP. ‘And we’re doing that by taking the orchestra out of the Opera House, giving it a twist, and making it more relevant for a Gen X–Y demographic. These are people who don’t have a season pass, and who may never go to the Opera House for a performance.’

JP (Jonathan Pease) was one of the first to join the SSO’s Vanguard Collective.


PAPER PARTNER

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE TRUSTMr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair, Ms Catherine Brenner, The Hon Helen Coonan, Ms Renata Kaldor AO, Mr Chris Knoblanche , Mr Robert Leece AM RFD, Mr Peter Mason AM, Mr Leo Schofi eld AM, Mr Robert Wannan

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENTChief Executive Offi cer Louise Herron AM

Chief Operating Offi cer Claire SpencerDirector, Programming Jonathan BielskiDirector, Theatre and Events David ClaringboldDirector, Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggartDirector, External Affairs Brook TurnerDirector, Commercial David Watson

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSEBennelong Point GPO Box 4274, Sydney NSW 2001Administration (02) 9250 7111 Box Offi ce (02) 9250 7777Facsimile (02) 9250 7666 Website www.sydneyoperahouse.com

Clocktower Square, Argyle Street, The Rocks NSW 2000GPO Box 4972, Sydney NSW 2001Telephone (02) 8215 4644Box Offi ce (02) 8215 4600Facsimile (02) 8215 4646www.sydneysymphony.com

All rights reserved, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily refl ect the beliefs of the editor, publisher or any distributor of the programs. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication, we cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, or for matters arising from clerical or printers’ errors. Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright material prior to printing.

Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor: Email [email protected]

SYMPHONY SERVICES INTERNATIONALSuite 2, Level 5, 1 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010PO Box 1145, Darlinghurst NSW 1300Telephone (02) 8622 9400 Facsimile (02) 8622 9422www.symphonyinternational.net

All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address. Entire concept copyright. Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is prohibited. Title ‘Playbill’ is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited. Title ‘Showbill’ is the registered title of Showbill Proprietary Limited.

By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s consent in writing. It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of binding or cover than that in which it was published, or distributed at any other event than specifi ed on the title page of this publication 17189 — 1/011113 — 32S S88

This is a PLAYBILL / SHOWBILL publication. Playbill Proprietary Limited / Showbill Proprietary Limited ACN 003 311 064 ABN 27 003 311 064

Head Office: Suite A, Level 1, Building 16, Fox Studios Australia, Park Road North, Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410, Paddington NSW 2021Telephone: +61 2 9921 5353 Fax: +61 2 9449 6053 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.playbill.com.au

Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD

Managing Director Michael Nebenzahl Editorial Director Jocelyn Nebenzahl Manager—Production—Classical Music Alan Ziegler

Operating in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart & Darwin

PA

All Entproof

By to pubbinof t

ThTPlaAC

HeFoPOTeTE-

ChMaEdMa

Op

BRAVO EDITOR Genevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphony.com/bravo

SSO FAMILYFirst violinist Alexandra Mitchell and husband Charles welcomed daughter Chloe in September. She didn’t give her mum much time to recover from the rigours of Wagner before demanding her entry to the world. Brava Alex!

CONDOLENCESWe were saddened to learn of the death of Douglas Trengove, a horn player with the SSO for 42 years. In a Sydney Morning Herald review from 1962, he was praised for the ‘liquescent cut and curl of the passagework’ in Mozart’s Horn Quintet. Our thoughts are with Douglas’s wife Barbara, children Christopher and Caroline, and extended family and friends.

NEW CHAIR PATRONSWe’re delighted to announce two new Chair Patrons for the orchestra. The Principal Flute Chair (Janet Webb), is now supported by Helen Lynch AM & Helen Bauer. And Corrs

Chambers Westgarth have come on board to support the Principal Second Violin Chair (Kirsty Hilton). Our Chair Patrons program –formerly Directors’ Chairs – builds special relationships between our musicians and members of our community of supporters. For more information, call (02) 8215 4619.

STUDENT RUSHDid you know we offer student rush tickets to many of our concerts? Follow our Facebook page to find out where, when, and how many. Tickets are always strictly limited, but you’ll often spend no more than $15. Bargain!

FELLOWS ON FILMWhy does Brendan Parravicini call the SSO Fellowship program an ‘arranged marriage’? Get to know our 2013 Fellows through a series of short videos, created by Premier Partner Credit Suisse: bit.ly/5MinutesWithTheFellows

3 x 3August and September saw us present three world premieres in three weeks. John Adams’ Saxophone

Concerto, Mary Finsterer’s Double Bass Concerto, and Compassion by Lior and Nigel Westlake, were heard by more than 10,000 people, thanks to ABC Classic FM broadcasts and our webcast of the Lior-Westlake concert.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENTFly with Emirates and enjoy the SSO in flight! A selection of webcast performances – including our 2010 performance of Mahler’s Sixth Symphony with Vladimir Ashkenazy – can now be viewed on Emirates’ ice, which recently took out the award for best inflight entertainment system for the ninth year running in the Skytrax Awards.

CATCHING THE WORMOur 2014 Season Emirates Early Bird prize has been won by Mrs Margaret Harlow, an SSO subscriber for more than 17 years. Mrs Harlow (and a lucky travel partner) will fly Emirates’ luxurious business class to Dubai and enjoy five nights in the JW Marriot Marquis Dubai. Congratulations!

CODA


murray perahia in recital program book (1 nov) · pdf filemurray perahia in recital johann...

Documents