bell investment advisors presents STRAVINSKY AND SILVERMAN

IGOR STRAVINSKY FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016, 8 PM Symphony of PARAMOUNT THEATRE, OAKLAND I. (Psalm 38, verses 13 and 14) II. (, verses 2, 3, and 4) III. () Oakland Symphony Chorus Lynne Morrow, Director

SAMUEL BARBER Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24 Nicole Joseph, soprano James Toland Vocal Arts Competition – 2014 Winner

INTERMISSION

JOHN ADAMS The Dharma at Big Sur (Generously supported by The Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation) I. A New Day II. Sri Moonshine Tracy Silverman, electric

MAURICE RAVEL La Valse TRACY SILVERMAN, Season Media Sponsors: Oakland Magazine, KDFC, East Bay Express NICOLE JOSEPH, Season Guest Artist Accommodations provided by: Oakland Marriott City Center The 2015/16 season of Oakland Symphony is generously funded by the William and Flora Hewlett soprano Foundation; the California Arts Council, a state agency; the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; and the City Council and the City of Oakland’s Cultural Funding Program. MICHAEL MORGAN, music director and conductor

OAKLAND SYMPHONY 3 OAKLAND SYMPHONY OAKLAND SYMPHONY CHORUS

Michael Morgan, Music Director & Conductor Bryan Nies, Assistant Conductor

FIRST VIOLIN BASS Basma Edrees, Daniel Reiter, Bill Kalinkos, Steven Trapani Concertmaster Principal Principal Vivian Warkentin, Joseph Hébert, Diane Maltester Asst. Concertmaster Asst. Principal Ginger Kroft Scott Choate Patrice May Michelle Kwon Carla Picchi Rebecca Roudman Deborah Spangler Elizabeth Vandervennet Bill Kalinkos Ellen Wassermann, Emanuela Nikiforova Jeff Parish Ginger Kroft Principal Natasha Makhijani Paul Rhodes Kymry Esainko Hee-guen Song Elizabeth Struble Stephanie Bibbo Deborah Kramer, KEYBOARDS Dagenais Smiley STRING BASS Principal Kymry Esainko Darren Sagawa Patrick McCarthy, David Granger Keisuke Nakagoshi Oakland Symphony Chorus Tess Varley Principal Jarratt Rossini Carl Stanley, HARP Lynne Morrow, Chorus Director SECOND VIOLIN Asst. Principal CONTRA BASSOON Meredith Clark, he Oakland Symphony Chorus enriches our Bay’s finest , and a premier resource for continuing Liana Bérubé, Randall Keith Erin Irvine Principal Tcommunity through high quality musical performances education in the choral arts. The Chorus performs Principal Andy Butler Michael Steadman and educational workshops that raise appreciation regularly with its partners, Oakland Symphony and David Cheng, Andy McCorkle HORN and understanding of choral music, while providing Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra, as well as with a Asst. Principal Timothy Spears Meredith Brown, opportunities for people who love to sing. Established variety of other Bay Area . Candace Sanderson Principal Tyler Mack, Principal in 1958, Oakland Symphony Chorus is one of the East Adrienne Duckworth Eric Achen, Sergi Goldman-Hull Alice Lenaghan, Asst. Principal PERCUSSION SOPRANO Nanci Schneidinger* Nancy Lowenthal BASS Britt Schumann Helen Mehoudar Cecilia Huang Alicia Telford Ward Spangler, Barbara Berry Charlie Crane^* Principal Susan Chan Chung Taylor Katie Moore Adam Fishman Robert Donehew Amy Likar Alex Camphouse Principal Jooeun Choi Michelle Tremblay Mary Oram Sheldon Greene Alison Miller Stacey Pelinka Ross Gershenson Allen Biggs Nancy Cotteral Cynthia Webb- Sylvia Parker^ Don Howe Jory Fankuchen Laurie Campbouse Kumiko Ito Margaret Daly Beckford^ Melanie Reeves Bill Leong Matthew Oshida Kevin Neuhoff Jane English Gia White Annie Shun Kent Lewandowski Patricia Drury PICCOLO William Harvey, Jim Kassis Dolores Gilchrist Monique Stevenson David Lichtenstein Leslie Chin Principal Ellie Hahn ALTOS Loni Williams^* Shakir Mackey Leonard Ott PERSONNEL MANAGER Carol Henri Eva Arce Karl Malamud-Roam Tiantian Lan, John Freeman Carl Stanley Susan Hernandez Judith Berlowitz TENORS Bill Manley Becky Bob-Waksberg LaVora Copley Principal Robin May, Kale Cumings Barbara Howard- John Manzeck Johnson* Karenlynne Bradley Jim Hasler Michael Nathanson* Margaret Titchener, Principal Ari Micich LIBRARIAN Carol Hudson Rena David Stanley Hudson Jim Nelson Asst. Principal Jesse Barrett Paul Rhodes Mary-Jo Knight Lisa Friedman Bertie Jackson Joe Orr Betsy London Laura Reynolds TROMBONE Susan Lambert Renee Gistand Bernie Juat Harry Reppert David Gilbert Sarah Rathke Thomas Hornig, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Linda Manzeck Jane Goldman Curtis Lawler Ken Saltzstine^ Darcy Rindt Principal Seth Ducey Alice McCain Susanna Halliday Miller Arnold Lee+ Mark Slagle Patricia Whaley ENGLISH HORN Craig McAmis Laura Miller Margaret Hegg Robert McCree Calvin Wall Stephanie Railsback Denis Harper Kelly Morrison Natasha Hull-Richter Barbara Miller Bob Wehrman Katy Juneau Jewelz Moyer Karen Ivy Jan Myhre Linda Mrnak Amy Kessler Jerry Reynolds Donna Oliver Jeanne Korn Steve Schultz * Leaders Erica Peck Shirley Lindley Jim Stenson* + Coach Abbie Rockwell Linda Lipner Daniella Urban^* ^ Chorus Advisory Sarah Rozenwajn Theresa Lo Ted Vorster Committee Members

4 OAKLAND SYMPHONY OAKLAND SYMPHONY 5 GUEST ARTISTS PRE-CONCERT PERFORMER SARAH CARRICO, HORN arah Carrico has been playing for six Syears. She studies with Kevin Rivard, Principal Horn of the San Francisco Opera and Ballet Orchestras. Sarah is currently a member of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and has also played with the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra and Young People’s Symphony Orchestra. In her recent summers she has attended the Kinhaven Music School, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and the Horn Institute at the Interlochen Center for the Arts.

Sarah is a senior honors student at Clayton Valley Charter High School, where she is a member of the Wind Ensemble, runs cross country, and plays lacrosse. She has participated in the All State Honor Band and has twice been honored with Command Performance TRACY SILVERMAN, ELECTRIC VIOLIN NICOLE JOSEPH, SOPRANO ratings at the State California Music Education Association Solo and Ensemble Festival. Sarah’s goal is auded by the BBC as “the greatest living exponent of oprano Nicole Joseph received her Master’s and to study French Horn Performance in college and to Lthe electric violin,” Tracy Silverman’s groundbreaking SSpecialist Degrees in Voice from the University of build a career in the music industry. work with the 6-string electric violin defies musical Michigan, and her Bachelor’s Degree in Voice from Pacific boundaries. The world’s foremost concert electric Lutheran University. Opera credits include Gretel (Hansel violinist, Silverman was named one of 100 distinguished & Gretel ), Papagena (Magic Flute), Lauretta (Gianni PRE-CONCERT LOBBY PERFORMERS alumni by the Juilliard School. Schicchi), Susanna (Figaro), and Musetta (La Bohème).

Formerly first violinist with the innovative Turtle Island In the 2015-2016 season, Ms. Joseph is pleased to be String Quartet, Silverman has contributed significantly making her debut with Kentucky Opera as Beatrice to the repertoire and development of what he calls “21st in Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers. As a concert soloist century violin playing.” His work has inspired several in the Detroit area, Nicole has performed with Motor major concertos composed specifically for him, including City Lyric Opera, Flint Symphony, Oakland University, Pulitzer winner ’ The Dharma At Big Sur, Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings, and Southern premiered with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Great Lakes Symphony. Nicole has also performed with gala opening of Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2003 the McCall SummerFest, Siletz Bay Music Festival, and recorded with the BBC Symphony on Nonesuch Walla Walla Symphony, Portland Chamber Orchestra, Records with Adams conducting. Legendary “Father Victoria Bach Festival and the Rye Chamber Music of Minimalism” ’s electric , Series in New York. As a member of the Austin-based The Palmian Chord Ryddle, was premiered by Silverman choral group Conspirare, Nicole was a featured soloist with the Nashville Symphony in Carnegie Hall in on their 2015 Grammy award-winning recording 2012, and recorded by Naxos Records. Kenji Bunch’s Sacred Spirit of Russia, and was also heard singing to Embrace concerto was co-commissioned by 9 orchestras critical acclaim the role of Mary/Carrie Kipling in John and premiered by Silverman in 2014. Silverman’s 2014 Muehleisen’s Pietà. recording for Delos/Naxos Records, Between the Kiss with kindness and music. Oakland Spirit Orchestra’s and the Chaos, features the Calder Quartet collaborating In 2014, Ms. Joseph was the First Place Winner of the OAKLAND SPIRIT ORCHESTRA repertoire is its own unique mix of popular tunes, on Silverman’s 2nd electric violin concerto of the same world music, classical favorites, and jazz. The young inaugural James Toland Vocal Arts Competition and akland Spirit Orchestra is an ensemble that features title, and he is currently performing premieres of the full winner of a scholarship grant from the Career Bridges musicians of the Orchestra are not only playing music, Otalented kids from Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary, they are creating it, too. The kids construct their own orchestra version of Nico Muhly’s Seeing Is Believing, Foundation. She was also the Second Place Winner in Lafayette Elementary, West Oakland Middle School, commissioned by a consortium of five orchestras. the National Bel Canto Vocal Foundation Competition arrangements, write their own music, and improvise. Westlake Middle School, Oakland Community Charter, Oakland Spirit Orchestra’s founding director, Alison in 2009 and First Place winner in 2013, a Michigan Claremont Middle School, McClymonds High School, The Chicago Tribune’s John von Rhein hailed Silverman’s District Winner in the 2010 Metropolitan Opera Bailey Streich, is thrilled to introduce you to Oakland and Oakland School for the Arts. The aim of Oakland Spirit Orchestra and hopes you enjoy the show! “blazing virtuosity” and the New York Times’ Anthony National Council Auditions, Second Place Winner in Spirit Orchestra is to uplift the spirits of the world Tommasini admired his “fleet agility and tangy the 2013 Nicholas Loren Vocal Competition, a semi- expressiveness.” “Inspiring. Silverman is in a class of finalist and People’s Choice award winner in the 2014 VIOLIN Narali Bhakta BASS TRUMPET his own,” wrote Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times. American Traditions Competition, and a finalist in the Alishia Kelly Precious Durst Aquarius Gibson Ronald Ario Leilani Walker Dez’men Nelsen 2014 Harold Haugh Light Opera Competition. TROMBONE PIANO Sofia Parcia Nautica Reed-Gregg Otis Ward Jordan Miller Leeanna Seymore Joy Pope DIRECTOR Zalika Bryan DRUMS Alison Streich Emma Price SAXOPHONE Jeremiah Bennett Bre King CO-DIRECTOR CLARINET James MIller Aaron Gonzalez Rachel Repanshek Cristian Guido Amandla Davis

6 OAKLAND SYMPHONY OAKLAND SYMPHONY 7 PROGRAM NOTES PROGRAM NOTES

The impetus to finish the piece came from , the director of the Russian Ballet, who asked Ravel to compose another ballet for him. Ravel had already written Daphnis and Chloe for the Russian impresario.

By 1919 Vienna had become La Valse, subtitled “A Choreographic Poem.” Ravel provided stage directions in the score: “Drifting clouds give glimpses, through rifts, of couples waltzing. The clouds gradually scatter, and an immense hall can be seen, filled with a whirling crowd. The light of chandeliers bursts forth. An Imperial Court about 1855.”

Recalling the piece later, Ravel wrote: “I had intended this work to be a kind of apotheosis of the Viennese waltz, with which was associated in my imagination an impression of a fantastic and fatal kind of dervish’s dance.”

STRAVINSKY BARBER ADAMS However, Diaghilev found La Valse impossible to choreograph, much less finance. Ravel took this as a Symphony of Psalms Biographer Nathan Broder describes the work: “After so long in the background, surges up and takes over the criticism of his music. Five years later, impresario and a brief introduction the voice enters with a gently melody from the soloist. After a delicately cacophonous composer met in Monte Carlo. When Ravel refused (1882-1971) rocking melody whose sweetness is mixed with the shower of tintinnabulations from the harps, piano, Diaghilev’s handshake, Diaghilev challenged Ravel to quietly dissonant bitterness of nostalgia. The mood samplers and tuned cowbells, the tempo takes on a a duel. Fortunately, mutual friends intervened and the symphony of some length” was conductor Serge is suddenly disturbed by the ‘iron moan’ of a passing defined pulse…. The solo violin juggles a jazz-infused duel was cancelled. The two men never met again. “A Koussevitzky’s request of Stravinsky for the 50th street-car…. The tranquility of the evening returns, and melody that gradually expands in scope and tessitura. anniversary season of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. the child contemplates the stars and then the various This is ‘Sri Moonshine,’ a tip of the hat to Terry Riley, Since Diaghilev refused to perform La Valse as a ballet, Stravinsky’s publisher wanted “something popular,” members of his family. Here the music wells up into a not only the composer of In C and A Rainbow in Ravel introduced the work as a concert piece in specifically an orchestral piece without chorus. As passionate outburst at the words ‘By some chance, Curved Air, but also a master of Indian raga singing. in 1920. La Valse remained in the concert hall until Stravinsky put it, “I had had the psalm symphony here they are, all on this earth; and who shall ever tell 1928, when Ida Rubinstein, herself a former member idea in mind for some time, and that is what I insisted the sorrow of being on this earth.’ There follows a “The easygoing roll of the rhythm gives way to a more of Diaghilev’s company, produced the music as a ballet. on composing.” fervent prayer: ‘May God bless my people, my uncle, insistent throb, producing a dance-like effect like a That same year, Bronislava Nijinska choreographed it. my aunt, my mother, my good father, oh, remember gigantic, pulsing gamelan. The solo violin flies high Stravinsky planned “a choral and instrumental ensemble them kindly in their time of trouble; and in the hour and swoops down like a seagull moving in a windstorm. ~ Program Notes by Charley Samson, copyright 2016. in which the two elements should be on an equal footing, of their taking away,’ a prayer echoed by the full The brass instruments, so quiet and reserved at the neither of them outweighing the other.” For his text, orchestra. The rocking motif returns as the child is beginning of the piece, now fill the acoustic space with he chose three of the Psalms of David: parts of Psalms taken in and put to bed; there is a last climax as he great surging walls of resonance. Low tuned mark 38 and 39, and all of Psalm 150. yearns for an identity, and the work ends with a quiet the inner structure of the music as it vibrates over and orchestral postlude.” over on one enormous, ecstatic expression of ‘just B’.” The planned première with the Boston Symphony was postponed, so the first performance was conducted by in Brussels on December 13, 1930. The Dharma at Big Sur La Valse Six days later, Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony JOHN ADAMS (b.1947) (1875-1937) Orchestra gave the American première. he Dharma at Big Sur was commissioned for the t is not subtle—what I am undertaking at the Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24 Topening of Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. “Imoment,” Ravel wrote to a friend in 1908. “It is a The first performance was given by the Los Angeles Grande Valse, a sort of homage to the memory of the SAMUEL BARBER (1910-1981) Philharmonic, conducted by its music director, Esa- great Strauss. You know my intense sympathy for this Pekka Salonen, with electric violinist Tracy Silverman, admirable rhythm and that I hold la joie de vivre as noxville: Summer of 1915 was commissioned by on October 24, 2003. expressed by the dance in esteem.” The original sketches Ksoprano Eleanor Steber for a performance with Serge for Ravel’s homage to the younger Johann Strauss were Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra In his program note, Adams writes: “The Dharma at titled simply Vienna. on April 9, 1948. The text is from James Agee’s prose Big Sur is in two parts, each dedicated to a West Coast fragment, which Barber first encountered inThe composer who had been both a friend and an inspiration RAVEL Partisan Reader, and which later became the prologue to me, and Terry Riley. The first part, to the novel A Death in the Family. It describes a ‘A New Day,’ is a long rhapsodic reverie for the solo child’s thoughts while lying on the grass on a summer violin, an ‘endless melody’ that soars above the stillness evening, surrounded by his loved ones. of an orchestral drone with its quietly pulsating gongs and harps and distant brass chords…. The orchestra,

8 OAKLAND SYMPHONY OAKLAND SYMPHONY 9 TEXT AND TRANSLATION/LYRICS TEXT AND TRANSLATION/LYRICS Symphony of Psalms The dry and exalted noise of the locusts from all the One is my mother who is good to me. air at once enchants my eardrums. One is my father who is good to me. 1. (Psalm 38, verses 13 and 14) On the rough wet grass of the backyard my father and By some chance, here they are, all on this earth; Exaudi orationem meam, Domine, et deprecationem Hear my prayer, O Lord, and with Thine ears consider mother have spread quilts. and who shall ever tell the sorrow of being on this earth, meam. Auribus percipe lacrimas meas. my calling: hold not Thy peace at my tears. We all lie there, my mother, my father, my uncle, lying, on quilts, on the grass, in a summer evening, Ne sileas, ne sileas. Do not be silent. my aunt, and I too am lying there … among the sounds of the night. Quoniam advena ego sum apud te et peregrinus, For I am a stranger with Thee: and a sojourner, They are not talking much, and the talk is quiet, May God bless my people, my uncle, my aunt, sicut omnes patres mei. as all my fathers were. of nothing in particular, of nothing at all in particular, my mother, my good father, Remitte mihi, prius quam abeam O spare me a little, that I may recover my strength: of nothing at all. oh, remember them kindly in their time of trouble; et amplius non ero. before I go, and am no more. The stars are wide and alive, they seem each like a and in the hour of their taking away. smile of great sweetness, and they seem very near. After a little I am taken in and put to bed. 2. (Psalm 39, verses 2, 3 and 4) All my people are larger bodies than mine, … Sleep, soft smiling, draws me unto her: Expectans expectavi Dominum, et intendit mihi. I waited patiently for the Lord: and He inclined unto me, with voices gentle and meaningless like the voice and those receive me, who quietly treat me, Et exaudivit preces meas; et eduxit me de lacu miseriae, And heard my calling; He brought me out of the of sleeping birds. as one familiar and well-beloved in that home: et de luto faecis. horrible pit, out of the mire and clay: One is an artist, he is living at home. but will not, no, will not, not now, not ever; Et statuit super petram pedes meos: et direxit gressus meos. And set my feet upon the rock, and ordered my goings. One is a musician, she is living at home. but will not ever tell me who I am. Et immitis in os meum canticum novum, carmen And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even a Deo nostro. thanksgiving unto our God. Videbunt multi, videbunt et timebunt: et sperabunt Many shall see it and fear: and shall put their trust -James Agee in Domino. in the Lord.

3. (Psalm 150) Alleluia. Alleluja. Laudate Dominum in sanctis Ejus. O praise God in His sanctuary: Laudate Eum in firmamento virtutis Ejus. Praise Him in the firmament of His power. Laudate Dominum. Praise God. Laudate Eum in virtutibus Ejus Praise Him for His noble acts: Laudate Eum secundum multitudinem magnitudinis Ejus. Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Laudate Eum in sono tubae. Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet: Laudate Eum. Alleluia. Laudate Dominum. Laudate Eum. Praise Him. Alleluja. Praise God. Praise Him. Laudate Eum in timpano et choro, Praise Him with the drums and dance. Laudate Eum in cordis et organo; Praise Him with the strings and pipe. Laudate Eum in cymbalis bene sonantibus. Praise Him with the well-tuned cymbals. Laudate Eum in cymbalis jubilationibus. Praise Him with the loud cymbals. Laudate Eum, omnis spiritus laudet Dominum. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Alleluia. Alleluja. Laudate Dominum. Praise God.

Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24 It has become the time of evening when people sit A streetcar raising its iron moan: on their porches, stopping, belling and starting; stertorous; rousing and rocking gently and talking gently and watching raising again its iron increasing moan the street and swimming its gold windows and straw seats on and the standing up into their sphere of possession past and past and past, of the trees, the bleak spark crackling and cursing above it like of birds’ hung havens, hangers. a small malignant spirit set to dog its tracks; People go by; things go by. the iron whine rises on rising speed; A horse, drawing a buggy, breaking his hollow iron still risen, faints; halts; the faint stinging bell; music on the asphalt; rises again, still fainter, fainter, lifting, lifts, a loud auto; a quiet auto; faints forgone: forgotten. people in pairs, not in a hurry, Now is the night one blue dew. scuffling, switching their weight of aestival body, Now is the night one blue dew, talking casually, my father has drained, the taste hovering over them of vanilla, strawberry, now he has coiled the hose. pasteboard and starched milk, Low on the length of lawns, the image upon them of lovers and horsemen, a frailing of fire who breathes … squared with clowns in hueless amber. Parents on porches: rock and rock. From damp strings morning glories hang their ancient faces.

10 OAKLAND SYMPHONY OAKLAND SYMPHONY 11