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C M Y Uwe Grodd, Jenny McLeod and Eugene Albulescu Photo: Linda Ganus K 8.572671 8 572671bk McLeod:570034bk Hasse 25/6/11 11:53 AM Page 2

Jenny McLeod (b. 1941) Symphony Orchestra The Emperor and the Nightingale Narrator: Helen Medlyn • Flute solo: Kirstin Eade The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1946, is the country’s leading professional orchestra. It has an Rock Concerto Piano: Eugene Albulescu • Flute solo: Bridget Douglas establishment of ninety players and performs over a hundred concerts annually, touring within New Zealand and Three Celebrations for Orchestra offering its main symphonic programmes in and . Tours abroad have included concerts for the Beijing Olympic Cultural Festival, and earlier appearances at the BBC Proms, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, and the Jenny McLeod was born in 1941 in Wellington, New International Rostrum of Composers in Paris. In the 1996 Snape Maltings in England, and at the World Expo at Aichi in Japan. Pietari Inkinen was appointed Music Director Zealand, and studied in the 1960s with at Queen’s Birthday honours she was appointed an Officer of from January 2008, succeeding James Judd, who held the position from 1999 to 2007 and is now Music Director Victoria University of Wellington, then in Paris with the New Zealand Order of Merit, and in 2008 received the Emeritus. Other conductors who have worked with the NZSO include Xian Zhang, Alexander Lazarev, Dmitry Messiaen and in Cologne with Stockhausen. An early CANZ (Composers’ Association of New Zealand) KBB Sitkovetsky, David Atherton, Yan Pascal Tortelier and Edo de Waart. Soloists who have appeared with the orchestra avant-garde chamber work, For Seven, had some success Citation, for services to New Zealand music. recently include Lang Lang, Sa Chen, Lynn Harrell, Cho Liang Lin, Hilary Hahn, Vadim Repin, Yefim Bronfman, Simon over the years in Europe, Britain, the United States and The three pieces here were written in the mid-1980s, O’Neill, Steven Isserlis, Jonathan Lemalu and Dame . The NZSO has an extensive catalogue of CD New Zealand. Formerly Professor of Music at Victoria during a period when the composer (having rebelled recordings, mostly on the Naxos label. Over one million of these CDs have been sold internationally in the last decade University, Jenny McLeod has composed piano, vocal, against her avant-garde, and later primitivist, youth to the and they have received critical acclaim. www.nzso.co.nz choral, chamber and orchestral works, film and television extent of touring New Zealand in the 1970s with her own scores, as well as three large music-theatre ‘spectaculars’ pop band) had begun to write pop-influenced ‘classical’ for schools and amateurs – Earth and Sky (1968), Under music for classically trained performers. Part of a series of the Sun (1970), and the Wellington Sun Festival (1983) – concert and film commissions that followed, this is the an ‘outdoor harbour extravaganza’. McLeod has had a music of a composer who for a time refused to ‘grow up’, long association with the New Zealand Maori people (a declaring that writing and performing music should be number of her texts are wholly or partly in Maori) and was ‘enjoyable’. Though poignant touches can be found, those a pioneer mover in the nation’s later burgeoning in search of something deeper and darker must look Photo: Robert Catto biculturalism. She is also known for her work with the elsewhere in her work. The strokes here are bold, simple ‘tone clock’ theory, a chromatic harmonic theory and colourful, with clear-cut traditional or sectional formulated by the Dutch composer Peter Schat structures, uncomplicated development if any, popular (1935–2003) whom she first met in Kentucky in 1987. rhythms and marked dance elements. Exuberant, warm Her more recent output includes three song cycles to and tuneful, with descriptive, evocative titles underlining poems by iconic New Zealand writer the late , a more than occasional resemblance to her own film one of which (The Poet, for chamber choir and string scores, this is music for the young at heart, for ‘ordinary quartet) was chosen to represent New Zealand at the 2009 people’.

The Emperor and the Nightingale, for narrator and orchestra Commissioned in 1985 by the Wellington Regional was revised by the composer in 2010. The text was adapted Orchestra (now the Vector Wellington Orchestra) for a by the composer from Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy family concert under Sir William Southgate, as part of the tale The Nightingale, in the English version found in The 1986 New Zealand International Festival of the Arts in Yellow Fairy Book (1894) edited by Andrew Lang (1844- Wellington, The Emperor and the Nightingale has 1912) and translated by Leonora Blanche Alleyne Lang subsequently been performed by a number of New Zealand (1851-1933). regional and youth orchestras. The version recorded here

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Helen Medlyn Long ago, in a far-off land, there lived an Emperor. a long way to go.’ Helen Medlyn, a 2002 Arts Foundation of New Zealand Laureate, is a self-described His palace was the most splendid in all the world! After a while, they heard some frogs croaking. “Jill Of All Trades”, jazz chanteuse, actress, music theatre performer, narrator, classical In the Emperor’s garden, the loveliest flowers ‘That must be her!’ they cried. ‘How awesome! It sounds concert singer, voice-over artiste, opera diva and cabaret entertainer … sometimes, all were hung with silver bells, which tinkled as you passed. like distant bells!’ in the same performance. She takes major rôles in operas, oratorios, vocal symphonic Beyond the garden, a great forest stretched down to the sea. ‘No, those are frogs,’ said the little kitchen girl, ‘but soon works, musicals and plays, appears on the concert platform singing both classical and And there, high in the trees, lived a little gray bird – we shall find her.’

Photo: Helen Medlyn Broadway repertoire, and creates and performs her acclaimed cabaret shows with the a nightingale. And very soon they did. pianist Penny Dodd. In New Zealand, she is a popular and frequent guest artist with NBR New Zealand Opera, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Auckland Her song was so glorious that everyone who heard her was Everyone was full of wonder. ‘Oh, esteemed little Philharmonia Orchestra and the Auckland Theatre Company, and her overseas work astonished! nightingale,’ said the First Lord, ‘you are hereby invited to has included appearances with Opera Australia, State Opera of South Australia, Travellers wrote books, and poets wrote verses about her. the court this evening, where His Most Gracious Imperial Queensland Opera, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Chandos Symphony Orchestra The song of the nightingale was praised above everything Highness will be enchanted with your song.’ (UK), the Eugene Symphony Orchestra (USA) and the Malaysian Philharmonic else in the empire. Orchestra (Malaysia). But, do you know, the Emperor himself had never heard it! ‘My song sounds best out in the open, among the trees,’ said the little gray nightingale. Eugene Albulescu ‘What’s that? – a nightingale?’ he said, when the news But she went with them, because the Emperor wished it. Eugene Albulescu is an award-winning performer. He has worked with numerous reached him. major orchestras, including the Romanian National George Enescu Philharmonic, the ‘Here in my very own garden?’ At the palace everyone scurried and bustled, to prepare for New York Chamber Orchestra, as well as the Symphony, and has recently the great occasion. toured in the United States with the French Chamber Orchestra and the Barbizon He called his First Lord, a very grand fellow, The Emperor sat on his throne and the nightingale was Chamber Orchestra as soloist and conductor. His emergence on the international scene who only ever said “Pooh!” to anyone less important that given a golden perch. came in 1994, when his début recording (Albulescu Plays Liszt, MANU1446) earned dared to speak to him. The Emperor nodded kindly and the little gray bird began him the Grand Prix du Disque Liszt, adding Albulescu’s name to that of legendary ‘Find this nightingale,’ said the Emperor, ‘and bring her her song. recipients such as Horowitz and Brendel. Since then he has maintained a strong presence here this very night, on the international circuit, with performances in New York at BargeMusic, as well as or else you and the whole court shall be trampled underfoot The little bird’s song was so beautiful it brought tears to the Carnegie Hall, earning the praise of critics and audiences. after dinner!’ Emperor’s eyes. ‘You must sing to me every evening,’ he said, ‘and you Uwe Grodd ‘Ooh! Aah! Help!’ said the First Lord, and off he ran – shall stay at my court now, The New Zealand based German conductor and flautist Uwe Grodd is a Naxos upstairs, downstairs, and all over the palace, with your very own silver cage, Recording Artist and first gained worldwide recognition when he won First Prize at the and the rest of the court ran with him, and twelve servants to take you out for a walk every day’ Cannes Classical Awards 2000, for the ‘Best 18th Century Orchestral Recording’ with for nobody wanted to be trampled underfoot! – which wasn’t much fun for a nightingale, his CD of Symphonies by Johann Baptist Vanhal (8.554341), conducting the Nicolaus but she stayed because the Emperor wished it. Esterházy Sinfonia in Hungary. Two Gramophone Editor’s Choice distinctions followed At last they found a little kitchen girl who knew where the for première recordings of works by Hummel (8.557193 and 8.557845). Performance nightingale lived, And so months and years went by … then one day a large highlights in recent years have included a season of Handel’s opera Imeneo at the Halle and she led them into the forest. parcel arrived at the palace.

Photo: Godfrey Boehnke Godfrey Photo: Hunstein Don Photo: Festival in Germany and concerts with the Mexico City Philharmonic, including Richard Inside was a present for the Emperor – whatever could it be? Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben and Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony. Uwe Grodd is Associate On the way, they heard some cows mooing. Quickly they unwrapped it! Professor at the University of Auckland, New Zealand and Music Director of Auckland ‘Oh!’ they cried, ‘We have found her! What a wonderfully It was a clockwork bird! Choral and Manukau Symphony Orchestra. A graduate of Mainz University, he studied powerful song for such a small creature! All gold and silver and studded with diamonds and rubies with teachers of international repute, including André Jaunet, Robert Aitken, Manfred Of course, we have often heard her before!’ – and looking ever so much finer than the little gray Schreier and Sergiu Celibidache. www.uwe-grodd.com ‘No, that’s a cow,’ said the little kitchen girl. ‘We still have nightingale! 8.572671 6 3 8.572671 572671bk McLeod:570034bk Hasse 25/6/11 11:53 AM Page 4

It had a large key sticking out the side, so they wound it up! But the clockwork bird was quite silent. Rock Concerto for solo piano and orchestra And what do you think happened? It sang a little song! Then all at once, through the open window … yes, from far The Rock Concerto began life in 1986 as a (first) Rock held well in check, however, in the present recording). ‘Well, my goodness, this is even better than the away, Sonata for piano, a work with strong classical roots and in Though the music is newly composed, and its rhythmic nightingale!’ said everyone. the little gray nightingale had heard the Emperor’s cry and places of Lisztian difficulty, commissioned by the New language is very much of our own time (in a popular sense), The clockwork bird sang the same song thirty-three times had returned. Zealand pianist Bruce Greenfield for his gifted virtuoso it is also strongly impelled by the spirit of Beethoven without getting tired! There she sat, on a branch close by, singing her wondrous pupil the seventeen-year-old Eugene Albulescu. (Partly on (Mozart, Schubert, Liszt, Debussy, Gershwin …) – the They were all so delighted that they didn’t even notice the song. the strength of this score, the composer was invited in 1987 ‘distant friends’ referred to in the first movement. Another little nightingale fly quietly away out the window and back as an international guest composer to a ten-day contemp- friend was Charlie French, to whom the second, rather to her green trees … The Emperor’s heart beat faster and faster! orary music festival in Kentucky, hosted by the Louisville darker movement (scored for solo piano, strings and flute His blood began to flow and sing! Orchestra for its fortieth anniversary.) At Albulescu’s alone) is dedicated. Charlie was an Australian aboriginal And so every day now, the clockwork bird had to sing, Tears of joy fell down his cheeks as life returned to him! request, in 2009 she scored and revised the rock sonata as activist who shared our home in Wellington for a time and and all the court praised its marvellous skill. ‘Thank you, thank you, dear little bird,’ the Emperor cried. a piano concerto which he might also direct from the later succumbed, alas, as an early victim of Aids. The Bands took up the tune, paper boys whistled it, ‘How can I ever repay you? Please stay with me always, keyboard. headlong last movement is in rondo-sonata form, with a ladies waltzed to it, parades marched to it! and I will smash that useless clockwork bird into a thousand The first two movements are in sonata form, each Latino romp as its recurring rondo, a nursery-type second – until after years had passed, they all knew every note of pieces!’ complete with first subject, transition theme, and con- theme, and a development-cum-episode that starts in a its song by heart. trasting second group, with a classical-type development quasi-Iberian vein. Each movement has a coda (in the first ‘Don’t do that,’ said the little nightingale. ‘It did what it section, at the end of which there is also an opportunity for and last cases quite extended), and each may also be played Then one night as the Emperor lay in bed listening … could! an improvised cadenza (Albulescu’s idea, and an un- independently. the clockwork bird had broken down! But you cannot keep me prisoner in a cage – common feature of his performances – by his own desire What a calamity! the little singing bird must fly everywhere. The Emperor called in his doctor, But whenever you need me, I will come and sing to you Three Celebrations for Orchestra but of course he could do nothing. from this branch. Commissioned by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra this music blasting away on your car stereo’). Then he called in his Watchmaker, I will sing of joy and sorrow, I will sing to make you happy. for their fortieth anniversary celebration in 1986, the Three II. At the Bay refers to Pukerua Bay on the North Island who took the bird carefully to pieces and put it together again. For I love your heart more than your crown, and your tears Celebrations were first performed and toured by the New west coast north of Wellington, on a still summer’s day, and He wound it up. But nothing happened. of joy are all the reward I need. Zealand Symphony Orchestra under Hungarian conductor the composer’s idyllic terraced hillside garden, replete with ‘Sorry,’ said the Watchmaker. ‘It’s worn out.’ Now sleep, and grow strong again, János Fürst, and later toured again by the orchestra under native trees and ferns, and the slow surge and flow of the And I will sing you a lullaby.’ Japanese conductor Mishima Inoue. Again, each movement sea below. The Emperor was so sad, he took to his bed and became ill. may also be played independently. III. A & P Show evokes a typical kiwi Agricultural and And he lay there cold and pale and still for so long that all And the Emperor fell into a deep, calm sleep as the The composer had in mind various kinds of scene Pastoral fair, with sideshows, merry-go-round, ferris wheel the court thought he was dead. nightingale sang – familiar to New Zealanders: and other rides, displays of farm machinery, and They left him, and went away to choose a new emperor. all night long, she sang and sang. I. Journey through Mountain Parklands – the grandeur of competitions for baking and preserving, homegrown And at dawn, when he was strong and well at last, the southern snowy mountains (‘imagine breath-taking low- vegetables, prize animals, etc. – still a highlight of the year The moon shone down so silently. the little bird flew away. flying aerial vistas opening up from peak to peak, or driving for the average family in rural New Zealand. ‘If only someone would sing to me,’ thought the Emperor. through such a landscape, dwarfed by towering alps, with ‘Music! Music!’ he cried. ‘Precious little golden bird, sing, And when the servants came in next day, to bury their dead sing! Emperor, Jenny McLeod I gave you a splendid perch, he sat up and said, ‘Good morning!’ I hung jewels around your neck with my own hands. Sing! Music scores and parts by Jenny McLeod are available from the Centre for New Zealand Music (SOUNZ), PO Box 27347, Sing!’ Marion Square, Wellington 6141, New Zealand or via their website at www.sounz.org.nz or (e-mail) [email protected]

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