Concert II

Sunday, February 20, 2011, 7:00 p.m.

Rolling Hills Covenant Church 2222 Palos Verdes Drive North

Rolling Hills Estates

PROGRAM

Franz Frenzy

von Suppë Overture to The BeautifulGalathea

Haydn Cello Concerto No. 1Tamara Bohlin, Soloist

Reminiscences of theBerwaldNorwegian Mountains

Liszt Les Préludes

CONCERT DETAILS

Symphony Association members admitted at6:00. Center-section priority seating is reservedfor members at the Patron level and above.

Concert Preview by Maestro Berkson at 6:15.

General public admitted at approximately 6:50.

POST-CONCERT MEET THE PERFORMERS

After the concert, the audience is invited to

remain in the auditorium and meet informally

with our Conductor, Gary Berkson and with our

Soloist, Tamara Bohlin. The artists may make a

few remarks about themselves and their

program, and then the audience will have an

opportunity to ask questions.544-0320 if you have any questions about this event.

S y m p h o n y S o u n d sFebruary 2011 44 Season, Number 2 Editor: Kenneth Gashth

Gary’s Second Season

The second concert of MaestroBerkson’s second season has a rather unusual title: Franz Frenzy. A very

quick survey of the names of the composerswhose music was chosen for this concert willreveal that they all have the same first name. In addition to their names, the common factoramong them is their ability to write terrificmusic! While two of these composers shouldbe quite familiar to our audience, the othertwo may be less so. If your musical tastesextend into the area of light classics andcomic operas, then you know the music ofvon Suppé but I would venture to say that notmany are familiar with Berwald’s music.

GARY BERKSON AT DRESS REHEARSAL

We can look forward to a beautifullystructured and balanced concert of musiccomposed by four very talented peoplenamed Franz.

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Music Preview

Franz von Suppé (1819-1895)

During the nineteenthcentury, comic operas andoperettas were among themost popular forms ofmusical entertainment.These are sung dramaticworks of a light or comic

nature, usually with a happy ending. Theywere known variously as Opera buffa (Italy),Singspiel (Germany), Zarzuela (Spain) andViennese operetta. Of the hundreds of worksproduced, only a few are still performedtoday--such as The Barber of Seville(Rossini), Die Fledermaus (Strauss) and ThePirates of Penzance (Gilbert and Sullivan).

Surviving and still regularly performed, aremany of the overtures that were playedbefore the main work to let the audienceknow that it was time to stop milling aroundand to take their seats and quiet down

von Suppé composed about 1,485 worksincluding 30 operettas and 180 farces,ballets, and other stage works. It isinteresting to note that because of the lively,descriptive nature of his overtures they havebeen used as sound tracks in movies,cartoons and advertisements.

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Haydn was a prolific composer.The official catalog of his music,Hoboken-Verzeichnis, lists over750 works. Since Haydn wasemployed for a large part of his

life as a Kapellmeister for wealthy patrons,most of his music was for large and smallensembles (104 symphonies, 98 stringquartets, etc.) he produced few concertos. Infact, there are 37 concertos listed in thecatalog, of which seven have been lost andtwo doubtful. There are only two existingCello concertos.

The Concerto No. 1 for Cello and Orchestrawas written quite early in his career, aboutthe same time as his Symphony N. 6. It toowas lost for a long period until it was foundin 1961 in the Prague National Museum.Since then it has become an important partof the repertoire for the instrument.

Franz Berwald (1796-1868)

Born one year before Schubertand dying the same year asRossini, Swedish composerF r a n z B e r w a l d wa s acontemporary of two of the othercomposers in this concert, vonSuppé and Liszt. Although he

had very little formal training, he startedcomposing in his early twenties.Unfortunately, most of these early works,including a symphony, have been lost. Whathas survived are four symphonies, sixconcertos, including ones for piano andviolin, numerous short orchestral works(including one called Serious and CheerfulCrickets), dozens of chamber and choralworks, six operas and operettas and worksfor marching band. All four symphonies arecurrently available on compact disk as wellas many of his overtures, tone poems andchamber works.

The music of Berwald has strong classicalroots but many unpredictable touches whichmade it unpopular to the conservativeSwedish audiences and critics. Berwaldintroduced the "Nordic style" fifty yearsbefore it took hold in works of Sibelius andNielsen. It was not until the 20 century thatth

his music became widely performed. In1911, Carl Nielsen wrote of Berwald,"Neither the media, money nor power candamage or benefit good Art. It will alwaysfind some simple, decent artists who forgeahead and produce and stand up for theirworks. In Sweden, you have the finestexample of this: Berwald."

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Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Franz Liszt has been calledthe greatest pianist in theannals of music. He was alsoa prolific composer whobrought many innovations toclassical piano music.Composers in the middle ofthe nineteenth century gave

recitals of their own music but Lisztintroduced the music of many othercomposers into his solo performances andthus provided more independence tomusicians and raised the artistic level ofconcert performances.

Liszt had his first public performance at theage of nine and it was so startling thatseveral Hungarian magnates who werepresent at once assumed the financialresponsibilities of his further musicaleducation. He studied the piano for six yearswith Czerny, and theory and composition withSalieri and Randhartinger. His first publicappearance in Vienna (1 Jan., 1823) was anoteworthy event in the annals of music.Everyone who was present, includingBeethoven, acknowledged the presence of atrue musical genius.

The catalog of Liszt’s compositions listsalmost a thousand works of which 350 areoriginal compositions. The remaining onesare transcriptions for piano of his own worksor of songs, operas, chamber music andpieces for organ. Transcriptions andparaphrases play a special role in Liszt'sprofessional life. Unlike others pianists of histime, he never viewed transcriptions as toolsfor showing off his virtuoso abilities. Liszttranscribed work of others in order topromote music of not-very-well-knowncomposers and to enrich the field of pianotechniques. At the same time, he challengedhimself as a composer and performer whilecreating new transcriptions. In orchestraltranscriptions, he introduced new sounds toreflect the contribution of many instruments.In transcriptions of songs, Liszt aimed at

preserving a vocal line while creating aself-contained piano piece with richaccompaniment. In opera transcriptions hemanaged to describe characters and ideasin all their complexity based on just a smallfragment of an opera.

He was the first composer to use the termSymphonic or Tone Poem. This is a piece oforchestral music in a single continuoussection and it is intended to inspire listenersto imagine or consider scenes, images,specific ideas or moods, and not to focus onfollowing traditional patterns of musical form(e.g. sonata form). This intention to inspirelisteners was a direct consequence ofRomanticism, which encouraged literary,pictorial and dramatic associations in music.Musical works which attempt to inspirelisteners in this way are often referred to as“program music”, while music which has nosuch associations may be called “absolutemusic.” Although all thirteen of Liszt’s tonepoems are part of the repertoire, LesPréludes is the one that is heard most often.

Tamara Beliaeva Bohlin

The soloist for the Haydn Cello Concerto onthis evening’s program is, like manyprofessional musicians, a very well traveledindividual. She was was born and educated

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in Russia and was principal cellist with the StPetersburg Camerata between 1991 and1996. In 1997, she moved to Stockholmwhere she joined the Royal Court Orchestra,remaining there until 2008. During this time,she married Ragnar Bohlin, and when hewas appointed Director of the San FranciscoSymphony Chorus, she and her husbandmoved to Berkeley, California.

Tamara is now a member of the Gold CoastChamber players, and plays with the SanFrancisco Chamber Orchestra. She alsoteaches chamber music and cello at the SanFrancisco Conservatory of Music. In herspare time, she and her husband are raisingtwo musically talented sons who attendCrowden School of Music in Berkely. Tamaraalso finds time to enjoy gardening, hiking,and a cat named Cassidy.

STEVEN VANHAUWAERT PLAYING A CADENZA

Past Events: Final Concert

The first concert of the second season ofMaestro Berkson took place on November 7,2010. In this concert, Gary presented aprogram based on the audience preference survey conducted in November, 2009. Of thefour favorite composers, Gary choseGershwin, Mozart and Beethoven. As wehave come to expect, Gary’s pre-concert talkwas humorous, lively and informative.

The concert opened with a relativelyunfamiliar Gershwin piece called Lullaby forString Orchestra. This was followed by thePiano Concerto No. 22 by Mozart, playedbeautifully by Steven Vanhauwaert.

After intermission, Gary led the orchestra in aspirited rendition of the Number-OneFavorite-Piece from the survey, Beethoven’sSymphony No. 5. The audience showed itsappreciation of his choice and theperformance with an extended standingovation at the conclusion of the concert.

After the performance Symphony membersat the Patron level and above attended a

reception for Gary and Steven Vanhauwaertat the Rolling Hills home of Marion Ruth.

Join our Symphony Team -Become a Volunteer

The Symphony Association could notfunction without the help of volunteers. There are all sorts of opportunities whereyour talents could be used to help uscontinue to produce these concerts for thebenefit and enjoyment of our community.Some examples of these opportunitiesinclude helping us with mailings, ushering,intermission refreshments, receptions, themembership campaign, pre-concert set up,and maintaining files. This is only a partiallist, but it shows the diversity of tasks thatmust be done. If you have any questions orare ready to become a volunteer, pleasecontact Marion Ruth, Concerts CommitteeChair, (310) 541-4144. We are lookingforward to having you join us.

Matching Gift Programs Membershipcontributions also qualify for employermatching-gift programs. Call the PeninsulaSymphony Association office for details.

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Young Artists ShowcaseFebruary 27, 2011, 2 p.m.

ARMSTRONG THEATER

3330 CIVIC CENTER DRIVE, TORRANCE

The finalists in the Edith Knox PerformanceCom pet i t ion w i l l p lay w ith the iraccompanists in a full-dress stageperformance for professional judging. Thefirst-prize winner will be selected at the endof the program, and will perform as soloistwith the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra atour June 26 concert.

General Meeting of the PeninsulaSymphony Association

The Symphony Association’s annualmeeting is scheduled for Monday, March28, 2011. The Board meeting begins at7:30 p.m. and the annual membershipmeeting will begin at approximately 9:00p.m. (at the conclusion of the Boardmeeting).

All Symphony Association members areeligible to attend either or both meetings.

The primary item of business at the annualmeeting is the election of new Boardmembers for the 2011-2012 term. TheNominating Committee will present a list ofcandidates. Association membersattending this meeting may nominateadditional candidates and may also vote. Please call the Symphony Associationoffice (310-544-0320) if you plan onattending. This is necessary to ensurethat we will have sufficient capacity for allattendees. Details about the meetinglocation will be given when you call.

Concert IVThe Norris Foundation Concert

June 26, 2011, 7 p.m.Rossini Overture to Il signor BruschinoTBA Concerto chosen by

winner of the KnoxCompetition

Schubert Symphony No. 4, “Tragic”

Concert III

Once Upon a TimeMay 8, 2011, 7 p.m.

Humperdinck Prelude to Hansel andGretel

Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf Gail Eichenthal, Narrator

Gounod Funeral March of aMarionette

Tchaikovsky Selections from TheSleeping Beauty

Summer Pops ConcertJuly 24, 2011, 4:30 p.m.

An afternoon of familiar (and not so familiar)music by Duke Ellington, Leroy Anderson,Richard Rodgers, Max Steiner, AlfredNewman, and Morton Gould.

2010 - 2011 Schedule

All regular concerts are held at: Rolling Hills Covenant Church 2222 Palos Verdes Drive North Rolling Hills Estates

Friends of the Peninsula Symphony

Save the date: Friends members will beinvited to a Salon on Sunday, March 27th

from 3 to 5 PM. Steven Vanhauwaert, thesoloist at the opening concert this year, willperform in a private home.

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The "Celebrate Mozart" program completed it's January 2011 series of presentations to all 2ndgrade classes in the 10 Palos Verdes Peninsula Schools. Three schools are yet to bescheduled for this year. They are 15th Street School and Barton Hill in San Pedro and LomitaMagnet School. This musical enrichment program was started and funded by the Friends of thePeninsula Symphony.

The Friends of the Peninsula Symphony gathered at Giorgio's Italian Restaurant last October foran afternoon of music with the Richard Sherman Duo and members enjoyed great food, wineand a drawing for Welcome Prizes.

The "Celebrate Mozart" program completed it'sJanuary 2011 series of presentations to all second-grade classes in the ten Palos Verdes PeninsulaSchools. Three schools are yet to be scheduled forthis year. They are 15th Street School, Barton HillSchool in San Pedro and Lomita Magnet School. This musical enrichment program was started andfunded by the Friends of the Peninsula Symphony.

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Note from the Editor

Congress has re-authorized the provisionthat allows you to make a distribution fromyour IRA to the Peninsula SymphonyAssociation without having to pay tax on thewithdrawal. You may wish to donate part ofyour Required Minimum Distribution to theSymphony through increasing your currentmembership or as a much needed charitablegift.

Of course, only those of you who havereached the age where you have a RMDfrom your IRA can take advantage of this.You must donate to a qualified charity (weare one) directly from your IRA. This notonly benefits the charity but it reduces thetax burden for retirees who must add theRMD to their gross income.

For more information, please contact theSymphony office at 310-544-0320 or emailmusic.pensym@verizon.net.

Wish ListWe, like many non-profit organizations,seem to be constantly asking forcontributions and support. Your membershipdonations and gifts are what give us thefunds to provide the music you enjoy.Occasionally I hear requests for ways tosupport specific needs of the Symphony sowe are instituting a Wish List of some needs.

Here are some ideas: + Donations to pay for the rental or purchase of the music for a concert.+ Adopt one of the Principle chairs and donate to pay the salary for the musician inthat chair for a concert or a season.

We can also use a working laptop PC to useat the membership table at the concerts.

Please contact me if you want moreinformation: kgash@cox.net.

In MemoriamThe middle movement of theHaydn Cello Concerto will bededicated to the memory of

Mildred Marx

who passed away on January17, 2011, at the age of 92.

Mildred was a dedicated andlong-time supporter of theP e n i n s u l a S y m p h o n yOrchestra since its inceptionin 1967. She was the founderand first president of theFriends of the PeninsulaSymphony and she served as amember of the Board ofDirectors of the Symphony.

We will miss her charm, herwit, her enthusiasm, heradvice, and her friendship.

Non-Profit Org.

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Contact InformationAny questions or requests about the Peninsula Symphony, the Peninsula Symphony Association, Symphony Sounds, or the Friends of the Peninsula Symphony should be sent tothe Peninsula Symphony Association office (we will route your message to the appropriateperson):

The Peninsula Symphony Association Post Office Box 2602 Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274

The office is normally staffed from 9:00 to noon on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You maycall at any time (310-544-0320) and leave a message on our answering machine, but phonereplies will usually be made only during normal staffing hours. You can e-mail us atmusic.pensym@verizon.net. General information about the Symphony (current seasonschedule, etc.) can be found on our website (www.pensym.org).

Other Contacts are:

Peninsula Symphony Association President, Kenneth B. Gash 310-541-3516 kgash@cox.net Friends of the Peninsula Symphony, Anita Gash

310-541-3516 anitag1@cox.net

Music Director/Conductor, Gary Berkson conductor.pensym@verizon.net

Post Office Box 2602

Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274

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