Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor
Saint-Saëns dedicated the concerto to fellow composer-virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate, who performed the solo part at the premiere in October 1880 in Hamburg.
Piano Concerto in A minor
Premiered in Dresden on 4 December 1845. It is one of the most widely performed and recorded piano concertos from the romantic period.
Overture No. 1 in D Minor
Emilie Mayer (1812 – 1883) is often called the “female Beethoven.” Her music was highly regarded in her own time, and is marked by inventive harmonies within the traditional Germanic forms. Over her career, Mayer composed eight symphonies, seven symphonic overtures, eight violin sonatas, twelve cello sonatas, seven string quartets, and six piano trios.
Mayer was born to a wealthy pharmacist in Friedland, Germany in May of 1812. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Mayer was encouraged to pursue music and composition by her family and male mentors, and not expected to solely be a wife and mother. Important regional composer Carl Loewe, said of Mayer that, “such a God-given talent as hers had not been bestowed upon any other person he knew,” and championed her work amongst his colleagues.
After relocating to Berlin in the 1850’s, Mayer became connected with influential musicians and patrons in the city’s concert scene. She traveled to Cologne, Munich, Leipzig, Halle, Brussels, Strasbourg, Dessau, and Lyon to oversee various performances.
The Overture D minor was written in 1850-55, after the premiere of her First and Second symphonies. It skews solidly romantic, beginning with a mysterious introduction in the lower strings. The following allegro section is marked by rhythmic sharpness, echo effects in the winds, and development of lyrical themes. Mayer’s compositional hallmarks of expressive harmonic shifts lead to surprises around every corner.
Symphony No. 2
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is one of the most iconic and beloved composers of the Romantic era, known for his emotionally charged music, lyrical melodies, and masterful orchestration. He has composed some of the most enduring works in the classical repertoire, including ballets like Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty, as well as symphonies, concertos, and operas. His music bridges Western European traditions and Russian folk elements, creating a uniquely expressive and nationalistic voice.
Tchaikovsky composed his Symphony No. 2 during a summer stay in Ukraine in 1872, and many of its themes are drawn from authentic Ukrainian folk songs. At the time, Ukraine was a part of the Russian empire and historically (and somewhat pejoratively) called “Little Russia.” The symphony was posthumously nicknamed the “Little Russian,” but in modern times this name is falling out of favor. The symphony was enthusiastically received at its premiere in Moscow. Tchaikovsky later revised the piece in 1879–80, modifying its orchestration and structure. The revised version premiered in 1881, and now is the one most often performed (and the version BBE is performing at this concert).
Tchaikovsky’s use of folk melodies in this symphony is both inventive and effective. He doesn’t merely quote these tunes; he transforms them through sophisticated orchestration and thematic development, integrating them seamlessly into the symphonic form.
The first movement (Andante sostenuto – Allegro vivo) opens with a haunting horn solo based on the Ukrainian folk song “Down by Mother Volga.” The slow introduction gives way to a vigorous Allegro, in which the opening theme is contrasted with other musical motifs, including a rising three-note motif and a fast seven-note passage. The development section expands on each of these, and is full of rhythmic energy and dramatic contrasts.
The second movement (Andantino marziale, quasi moderato) was originally written for his unpublished opera “Undine.” Beginning with timpani, it features a charming march-like theme, with contrasting dotted-note motifs. The lyrical middle section is introduced by the winds and is based on another folk song (“Spin, O My Spinner”), before returning to the opening march theme with instrumental embellishments.
The third movement (Scherzo: Allegro molto vivace) is a pungent display of orchestral color and rhythmic vitality. A whirlwind of motion, it features irregular phrases and heavily syncopated passages. While not based on any folk melodies, the playful trio section has a folk-like quality to it.
The symphony concludes with a massive last movement (Finale: Moderato assai – Allegro vivo) based on the Ukrainian folk song “The Crane.” Starting out in a grandiose setting, this simple tune is repeatedly embellished and transformed into an exuberant finale, featuring strings, winds, brass and percussion. A lyrical second theme offers a welcome contrast and as counter-thematic material. A jubilant coda brings this symphony to a triumphant climax.
Serenade in E-flat Major
As a child, Strauss devoted most of his free time and energy to music, and before leaving school he had already composed over 140 works. His father, Franz, was Principal Horn player of the Munich Court Orchestra, and he introduced him to the leading musicians of the day, including conductor Hans von Bulow, who became a strong supporter.
The Serenade in E-flat major, Op. 7, composed when Strauss was 17, echoes the style of a classical-era chamber piece, using character and instrumentation largely modeled after Mozart’s Serenade No. 11 in E flat; listeners are also reminded of Schubert and Schumann. Though the formal design may be classical, the melodic material showcases the exuberant, wide-ranging themes imbued with passion and soaring lyricism that Strauss would employ throughout his career.
The serenade has several distinct sections, including a gentle exposition; a lively development section, leading to a climax with triumphant horn phrases; an oboe cadenza; a further development section leading to another “orchestral” climax; and a tranquil conclusion.
Piano Concerto No. 2
Rachmaninoff was already a budding composer and pianist when he composed this concerto, one of his most famous and recognizable works, in 1901. The circumstances surrounding Rachmaninoff’s composition of this concerto are quite dramatic. After a disastrous 1887 premiere of his first symphony, Rachmaninoff fell into 3-year depression and stopped composing. At the urging of his family, Rachmaninoff sought help from Dr. Nikolai Dahl, a family friend and musician, to cure him of his depression. Dr. Dahl treated him for three months with hypnotherapy, and it worked. Rachmaninoff was able to resume composing, writing his celebrated Piano Concerto No. 2 in 1900-1901 (dedicating it to Dr. Dahl). This concerto firmly established Rachmaninoff’s reputation as a great composer and has since become one of his most popular works.
The opening Moderato begins with opening solo piano chords, after which the main theme is stated in unison by the upper strings and clarinet. A transition leads to a forceful cadence; a more sedate tempo (highlighting clarinets and violas) presages the second theme, introduced by the piano. A sudden chorale fanfare in the brass introduces the development section, with new five-note motifs introduced by the cellos/basses and flutes. After a thundering climax, the opening theme reappears in a stately march style. The coda accelerates quickly to a rousing finish, punctuated by the solo piano.
The ultra-lyrical Adagio sostenuto is one of the most recognized works in the concerto repertoire. It opens with a striking orchestral modulation from C Major to E Major, after which the piano enters with repeated triplet arpeggios. The singing main theme is introduced by flute and then shared with the clarinet, before being taken up by the piano and violins in turn. A development section features a counter-subject by the bassoon, followed by the violins and violas. After a faster section, with several piano cadenzas, the opening piano triplets recur, together with the main theme in the violins. The final coda features a sublime interplay between the piano, staccato flutes and clarinets, and a soaring melody in the strings, before resolving to the solo piano at the end of the movement.
The final Allegro scherzando movement begins with a spritely orchestral introduction. After a brilliant piano cadenza, the playful main theme is introduced by the piano. A slower piano passage introduces the second theme, played by violas and clarinets – nostalgic, with a touch of melancholy – one of the most famous themes Rachmaninoff ever wrote. A transition section featuring piano triplets leads to the development; a fugal section follows, taken up in turn by the violins, piano, violas, ‘celli and horns. The second theme is restated; after a further transition and development, a short piano cadenza leads right into a majestic restatement of the second theme. A final accelerando leads to a triumphant conclusion, with Rachmaninoff’s “signature” rhythmic flourish in the last measure.
A Night In The Tropics
New Orleans-born Louis Moreau Gottschalk was an American composer and virtuoso pianist. Born to a Creole mother and Jewish father, he was a child prodigy on the piano, leaving Louisiana as a teenager to study music in Paris. He spent much of his career touring South America and the Caribbean and was dubbed the “Chopin of the Creoles.”
As a composer, he was renowned for his eclectic blend of classical, Creole, Caribbean, and Latin American influences. His Symphony No. 1, titled “A Night in the Tropics” (“Nuit des Tropiques”), premiered in Havana in 1860. It is one of the earliest examples of an orchestral work by an American composer that integrates elements of Afro-Caribbean music and rhythm.
The piece may have been played at one of Gottschalk’s famous “monster concerts” that employed hundreds of musicians (sometimes as many as 600!) performing newly composed works. One version of the Night in the Tropics was scored for 150 musicians, including an orchestra, a band and extra percussionists. There is also a two piano rendition another version for a smaller orchestra.
The symphony is in two movements, of which we are performing the second movement, titled “Festa Criolla.” Based on the samba, it features syncopated and lively Afro-Cuban rhythms.
“Italian” Symphony
30 minutes. Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings.
The “Italian” Symphony is one of Mendelssohn’s most popular orchestral works. He began composing it while touring Italy in 1831, when he was 22 years old. He wrote to friends and relatives about enjoying the climate and art but disdaining the concert music. Musicologists have offered many interpretations of the symphony, linking the musical ideas to specific Italian cities and scenes. This is arguably his happiest symphony, and Mendelssohn once described the Symphony as “blue sky in A major,” referring to Italy’s famous azure skies.
The symphony opens with a burst of sound and energy with repeated notes in the winds and soaring melodies in the strings. Mendelssohn expertly winds melody after melody, never letting the intensity and drive wane. The second movement is reverent and dusky, with melodies in the oboes, bassoons, and violas. Throughout the movement, the lower strings walk a bass line, adding to the processional feeling. A major-key melody in the clarinet breaks through the fog and brings a moment of sunshine but surrenders to the original theme. The third movement, a classic minuet and trio, weaves the strings in a lush tapestry. A militaristic, yet bucolic, fanfare motif in the brass and bassoons provides contrast. The final movement, frenetic and energetic, is explicitly titled “Saltarello,” although it is also evocative of another folk dance, the tarantella. At every moment, it feels like the music will spin out of control! This is one of the few symphonies that begins in a major key and ends in a minor key. It is Mendelssohn at his best – sparkling, singing, and splendid.
Here’s a performance by Gustavo Gimeno and the Concertgebouworkest.
“Rosamunde” Overture
In 1823, Schubert was commissioned to compose music for a play called “Rosamunde, Princess of Cypress.” Nearing the deadline for completion, and without an overture written, he opted for repurposing his overture from an earlier opera, “Alfonso und Estrella.” But after his death, for unknown and confusing reasons, a publisher took an overture from yet another Schubert opera, “The Magic Harp,” and renamed it the “Rosamunde” overture.
The overture, in a modified sonata form, begins with a dramatic opening which then becomes lively and lyrical. Schubert borrowed from his own, earlier operatic work, “in the Italian style.”
Although a very prolific and successful composer in a short life — 600 vocal works, seven complete symphonies, sacred music, operas, piano and chamber music — his efforts to compose for the musical theatre were haphazard disasters. The collaborations with the libretti were poor and the performances were few. Fortunately, the “Rosamunde” Overture has survived and become one of his most popular works.
This is our performance of February 4, 2024. Audrey J. Edelstein conducts.
Totentanz
Franz Liszt was obsessed with death and religion and the themes of salvation and redemption. His fascination with the supernatural and the macabre led to rumors about him being a haunted or eerie figure. Some people believed that his virtuosic piano skills were the result of a pact with the Devil.
in 1838, when Liszt visited the Camposanto in Pisa, he was awed and inspired by “The Triumph of Death,” a monumental 14th century fresco. That work inspired his “Totentanz,” or “Danse Macabre,” a dramatic and virtuosic composition for piano and orchestra. Composed in 1849 (revised in 1853 and 1859), it is based on the medieval tale of people from all walks of life summoned to dance with death itself. The piece begins with a dark, ominous, and percussive introduction, and then the piano enters with a series of variations (e.g., pensive, fiery, playful, majestic) on the “Dies Irae” or “Day of Wrath” chant, a medieval plainchant used for centuries in the Requiem Mass for the dead, and used by many other composers, including Mozart, Berlioz, Verdi, and Rachmaninoff. (Liszt attended the first performance in 1830 of Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique, with the Dies Irae being a major theme of the last movement, “Witches’ Sabbath.”)
Throughout the piece, Liszt showcases his exceptional piano technique, with rapid runs, thunderous chords, and virtuosic passages. The music alternates between moments of intense fury and eerie calm, reflecting the contrasting emotions of mortality. As the piece progresses, the confrontation between the piano and orchestra intensifies, culminating in a thrilling and dramatic conclusion, where death ultimately triumphs over the living.
Liszt was known for his charismatic stage presence and showmanship. He was one of the first pianists to perform from memory, which was a groundbreaking practice at the time. He played a pivotal role in shaping the way the piano is performed and how music was composed for it during the Romantic era.