JANUARY 2020

THE FOUR SEASONS JANUARY 17 – 19, 2020 MASTERWORKS #4: Juxtaposed with the ever-popular Four Seasons by Vivaldi, composed in the early 18th century, the exhilarating music of of Argentina (20th century) and Clarice Assad of (21st century), demonstrates the extraordinary versatility and breadth of symphonic music over the span of 300 years.

Alberto Ginastera, Argentina where he co-founded the League along with Brazilian of .vii But life in Argentina was , Heitor Villa- not without conflict for Ginastera. His Lobos, is considered open criticism of his own government and one of the most Argentinian President Juan Perón placed him important Latin at odds with Perón, who forced Ginastera’s American classical resignations at the National Military Academy composers. Ginastera and the National University of La Plata.viii was born in Buenos Ginastera did not regain his position at the Aires, Argentina in University until after Perón was removed from Alberto Ginastera 1916, and by the age power in 1955.ix of 18 years, he had already won first prize from the music society Únisono for his piano International interest in Ginastera’s music was composition, Piezas Infantiles.i Alberto’s on the rise in the late 1950s and the 1960s musical talents were evident from the age and several of his works were presented in of seven, when he began piano lessons.ii At premiere performances in the United States. age 12, he began formal study at the Williams Specifically, his Piano Concerto was performed Conservatory in Buenos Aires and within a in Washington, D.C., his Violin Concerto was few years of his admission to the National performed by the New York Philharmonic Conservatory as an undergraduate in 1936, under the direction of Leonard Bernstein, his music received national acclaim.iii Almost his Harp Concerto was performed by the immediately upon graduation, Alberto was Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene invited to join the faculty of the National Ormandy, and his opera, Don Rodrigo, was Conservatory and in 1940, his ballet music, performed by the New York City Opera.x The Panambi, was awarded his country’s national daring nature of some of Ginastera’s music prize.iv Ginastera’s notable students included was ground-breaking. In particular, the Argentinian composer (whose 1967 performance of his opera, Bomarza, in works include Libertango, performed by the Washington, D.C. raised eyebrows because HSO during the 18-19 season), who studied with of its unrestrained and sensational portrayal Ginastera in 1941.v of sexual violence. The opera was actually banned in Argentina until 1972.xi In 1942, Ginastera was awarded a Guggenheim In the early 1970s, the progressive rock band, scholarship to study in the Emerson, Lake & Palmer, brought Ginastera United States, but his trip to the world beyond symphonic music.xii was delayed until the end The group adapted the fourth movement of of World War II in 1945.vi his first piano concerto, and presented the Ginastera at Tanglewood He studied with Aaron under the title “Toccata”.xiii In Copland at Tanglewood, then he returned to 1973, as the group was recording the piece to

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be included in their began to compose and arrange music.xx On her upcoming new album, return to Brazil, Clarice found work composing Keith Emerson met and arranging for numerous well-known with Ginastera at his popular musicians. She left Brazil in 1998 to home in Switzerland study film scoring at the Berklee College of and played a recording Musicxxi and has enjoyed an international career of the arrangement that spans several decades. for him. Ginastera, who spoke almost no Today, at age 41, Assad is a Grammy-nominated English, responded, composer, pianist and vocalist. Described Ginastera and his second “Diabolico!” which by the San Francisco Chronicle as a “serious wife, Argentinian cellist Emerson took to mean triple threat,” Assad is a composer, performer, Aurora Nátola “awful”. Emerson was and band leader. She is fluent in Portuguese, about to scrap the project when Ginastera’s French and English and sings in all three wife intervened to explain that her husband languages, as well as Spanish and Italian.xxii fully approved. Ginastera She has released seven solo albums and has reportedly explained, appeared on or has had “You have captured the her works performed essence of my music, on another 30.xxiii Her as no one’s ever done work as both a popular before.”xiv The story is and classical artist is detailed in the liner notes now well-established. for the group’s album, Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s In 2016, Clarice and her “Brain Salad Surgery”.xv album, Brain Salad Surgery father released their joint album, Relíquia. Ginastera passed away in 1983 at the age of She has been the Relíquia, collaboration between 67, just as Brazilian composer Clarice Assad, Composer-In-Residence Clarice and Sergio Assad then a young child of five, was starting her own for the Albany Symphony and, off stage, works musical journey. Born in 1978 into a musical with young people in schools in both the family, Clarice is the daughter of guitarist United States and Brazil under her initiative, Sergio Assad, and her uncle is guitarist Odair Voxploration, which helps young girls gain Assad.xvi With the help of her father, Clarice confidence to express themselves freely.xxiv began to create music at age six. As a child, she sang jingles for radio and television and recorded tracks for pop star Luiz Caldas and others.xvii When Clarice was eight years old, her parents split up and her father, Sergio, left for Paris. Distraught by the loss of her father, Clarice abandoned music completely, JoinPlease join us! the Hartford but luckily, it was a temporary hiatus. “For Symphony Orchestra for so long,” she remembered, “I didn’t make any music at all because I connected it with him.”xviii The Four Seasons, January In time, she returned to music: “I realized I was 17 - 19, 2020, and along doing it for myself.”xix with one of the most well- known pieces in classical In 1993, Clarice, then music, experience the rich 15 years old, moved to France with her and textured sounds of younger brother, Ginastera and Assad, two Rodrigo, to live with of the most innovative and her father. Under her thrilling Latin American father’s guidance, she composers. studied piano and Clarice Assad with her father, improvisation and guitarist Sergio Assad THE FOUR SEASONS • JANUARY 17 - 19, 2020

WONDERING HOW THE MUSIC WILL SOUND? Try HSO’S Listening Guide, with links to the pieces you’ll hear on our concert stage – and more!

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons featuring Alexandra Conunova with the Orchestre International de Genève: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnDLlajMxyo Listen to Ginastera’s Variaciones Concertantes Op 23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWm3U_kPneg

Assad’s Suite for Lower Strings is featured on the Clarice composer’s Sound Cloud account: Assad https://soundcloud.com/clarice-assad/sets/suite- for-lower-strings To hear more of the works of Clarice Assad, we recommend: Sergio and Clarice Assad: hear father and daughter perform a popular Brazilian tune, Se Você Jurar, by Ismael Silva: Clarice and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G3rUDn9ams Sergio Assad Clarice Assad’s Concerto for Guitar and Chamber Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Soqd2BYqlI If you need more to become a real fan of Assad’s work, please enjoy her arrangement of Paul McCartney’s Blackbird for guitar quartet, scat singer and piano: Alberto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrsGZMcZw2g Ginasera

THE HSO’S MASTERWORKS SERIES IS SPONSORED BY: Did you borrow this Prelude? Get your own free copy! Whether you’re a ticket buyer, donor, curious about the music, or know someone who is, just send an email to rsovronsky@ hartfordsymphony.org. We’ll make sure you receive Prelude by email, in advance of each HSO Masterworks concert! REFERENCES v. iv. iii. ii. i. xxiv. xxiii. xxii. xxi. xx. xix. xviii. xvii. xvi. xv. xiv. xiii. xii. xi. x. ix. viii. vii. vi.

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https://www.nyties.com/1983/06/27/obituaries/alberto-ginastera-dead-at-67-leading-argentine- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alberto-ginastera-mn0000739363/biography https://www.nyties.com/1983/06/27/obituaries/alberto-ginastera-dead-at-67-leading-argentine- https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Ginastera-Alberto.htm https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Ginastera-Alberto.htm Ibid Ibid Ibid Ibid https://clariceassad.com Ibid https://soundsandcolours.com/articles/brazil/crazy-sweet-life-claric-assad-41039 Ibid https://clariceassad.com Ibid Ibid Ibid https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Ginastera-Alberto.htm Ibid https://www.newworldencylopedia.org/entry/Albert_Ginastera Ibid https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alberto-ginastera-mn0000739363/biography Ibid Ibid THE FOURSEASONS•JANUARY 17-19,2020 There isnorecording ofAssad’s Suite for Lower Strings . London Symphony Orchestra setyour pulseracing (NAXOS). but GiseleBen-Dor(once anHSOmusicdirector candidate, many years ago) andthe Ginastera’s dashingVariaciones Concertantes hassurprisinglybeenrarely recorded, old, theengineeringiseverything one could wishfor (DECCA). Martin intheFields,Ihave yet to hearit,andalthoughtherecording isnow fifty years Four SeasonsthanAlanLoveday assoloist, withNeville MarrinerandtheAcademy ofSt. If there hasever beenalovelier andmore charismatic recording ofVivaldi’s perennial Masterworks Concert. offers his recording recommendations ofselections featured inourupcoming Coleman Casey, HSO’s dearfriend,Director Emeritusandbeloved in-houseaudiophile, Want thebest recordings ofthepieces you’ll experience ontheconcert program?