Hymnof Praise MASTER 10

Make a night of it... Park on-site, dine with us then come back and stay. Saturday MENDELSSOHN 21 September 7.30pm Symphony No 2, Lobgesang Federation Concert Hall Hobart 1 Sinfonia THE OLD WOOLSTORE Maestoso con moto – Allegro Johannes Fritzsch conductor maestoso e vivace – Maestoso con moto June Tyzack chorusmaster Scherzo: Allegro un poco agitato Lorina Gore soprano ARE PROUD PARTNERS Adagio religioso Stacey Alleaume soprano 2 Alles was Odem hat, lobe den Herrn Paul O’Neill tenor 3 Saget es…Er zählet unsre Tränen OF THE TSO TSO Chorus 4 Sagt es, die ihr erlöset seid WEBER 5 Ich harrete des Herrn ACCOMODATION | RESTAURANT | BAR | EVENTS Selections from Der Freischütz 6 Stricke des Todes…Wir riefen in der Overture Finsternis ‘Kommt ein schlanker Bursch gegangen’ 7 Die Nacht ist vergangen ‘Leise, leise, fromme Weise’ 8 Nun danket alle Gott SPACIOUS ROOMS ‘Wie? Was? Entsetzen!’ 9 Drum sing ich mit meinem Liede Duration 25 mins 10 Ihr Völker, bringet her dem Herrn FRIENDLY HOSPITALITY Duration 62 mins INTERVAL This concert will end at approximately PRIME LOCATION Duration 20 mins 9.45pm.

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11 Johannes Fritzsch recently held the June Tyzack became Chorusmaster of the Award-winning Australian soprano Lorina Australian-Mauritian soprano Stacey position of Chief Conductor of the Graz TSO Chorus in 2001 following a career in Gore completed her postgraduate voice Alleaume received the Dame Joan and Graz Philharmonic Orchestra, Sydney with and the Opera studies at the Australian National University Sutherland Scholarship for outstanding Austria. From 2008-2014 he was Chief in Canberra and at the National Opera Studio of the Sydney Conservatorium Australian operatic talent in 2016 and Conductor of the Queensland Symphony Studio in London. She has won numerous of Music. Under her direction, the TSO became a member of the Moffatt Oxenbould Orchestra; as Conductor Laureate, he prestigious opera awards, including two continues his relationship with the QSO. Chorus has given performances in Hobart Young Artist Program at Opera Australia. In Helpmann Awards (2017 and 2018) and a In 2017 he was appointed inaugural her first year as a young artist she made three and regional Tasmania, and through her Green Room Award (2018). She joined Opera Principal Guest Conductor of the Tasmanian initiative, collaboration with interstate Australia as a principal artist in 2008 and has role debuts at the Sydney Opera House: Symphony Orchestra. Johannes Fritzsch has resulted in performances with Sydney since performed Violetta (La traviata), Leïla Micaëla (Carmen), Leïla (The Pearl Fishers) has performed with many , (The Pearl Fishers), Amina (La sonnambula), and Alexandra Mason (The Eighth Wonder). both within Germany and internationally. Philharmonia Choirs, Victorian Opera, Further principal roles with Opera Australia These include: the Symphoniker Hamburg, Adelaide Festival Chorus, West Australian Musetta (La bohème), Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute), the Fiakermilli (Arabella), have included Violetta (La traviata), Flower Düsseldorfer Sinfoniker, Berlin Symphony Symphony Orchestra Chorus, and in Hong Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden and the Tytania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Maiden 1 (Parsifal), Valencienne (The Merry Kong with the WASO Chorus and Hong Sydney, , Tasmanian, Adelaide, Honey B (Bliss), Yum-Yum (The Mikado), Widow) and Fiorilla (Il Turco in Italia). She has Kong Philharmonic. She has devised and Despina (Così fan tutte), Oscar (A Masked Queensland and West Australian Symphony also toured with Opera Australia performing Orchestras and Orchestra . Opera directed cutting-edge a cappella TSO Chorus Ball), Marzelline (Fidelio), Woglinde (The the roles of Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, companies with which he has worked include: programs for a number of festivals, including Ring of the Nibelung), Roxana (King Roger) Pamina in The Magic Flute and Rosina in Saxon State Opera Dresden, Opernhaus in the Spiegeltent for Ten Days on the Island, and Marie (Wozzeck). For the State Opera Köln, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Komische Oper The Barber of Seville. In 2019 she debuted Mona Foma, Dark Mofo, Synaesthesia of South Australia she has performed Pip Berlin, Opera Bastille Paris, Graz Opera, the (Moby-Dick) and Ophelia in Brett Dean’s two roles with Opera Australia including and Synaesthesia+, and for the TSO, she Royal Opera Stockholm, Malmö Opera and Hamlet at the Adelaide Festival. In concert, Sophie in Werther and Gilda in Rigoletto. directed Bach’s St Matthew Passion. In 2017 Opera Australia in Sydney and Melbourne she has appeared as soloist with the Sydney She also covered the title role in Lakmé for (including Wozzeck, Don Giovanni, she facilitated a group of TSO choristers Philharmonia, Royal Melbourne Philharmonic, the Royal Opera House, Muscat. In July Carmen, Tosca, Rigoletto, and to participate in the Mitsingonzert in the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, London she made her European debut performing Der Rosenkavalier). In 2018, he conducted Berlin Philharmonie and, this year, in the Mozart Players, London Salon Ensemble, The Flying Dutchman for Hamburg State Gilda in the Bregenzer Festspiele and will Palau de la Musica, Barcelona. While on Opera North, Welsh National Opera, and the Opera, The Cunning Little Vixen for West perform Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro Tasmanian, Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland, Australian Opera, Don Giovanni for Opera tour, she conducted the TSO Chorus in a in October at the Sydney Opera House. She Adelaide, Canberra, and Darwin Symphony Queensland and made major appearances concert of Australian repertoire featuring a has enjoyed considerable success in vocal with Xi’an Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Orchestras. Recordings include Rodelinda commissioned work by Lisa Cheney. She is competitions winning the Waiariki Institute Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria highlights with , Yvonne responsible for the TSO surtitles which this of Technology New Zealand Aria in 2011 and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. He Kenny Strauss Songs (ABC Classics), and her year include Bach’s St John Passion and returns to Opera Australia in 2019 to conduct recordings with the TSO include A Toast to and taking first place in both The Sydney Salome, to Adelaide to conduct Vixen and Mendelssohn’s symphony- Symphony Melba, and Johann Strauss: Waltzes And Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship 2012 and the will lead concerts by the QSO and TSO. No 2, Lobgesang. Arias (ABC Classics). 2013 Herald-Sun Aria.

12 13 Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)

Der Freischütz Worried that he might lose his hoped- Overture for bride, Max allows himself to be led ‘Kommt ein schlanker Bursch astray by fellow forester Caspar, who gegangen’ practises the black arts. Summoning the help of the diabolical Samiel (an agent ‘Leise, leise, fromme Weise’ of the Devil), Caspar and Max forge Australian tenor Paul O’Neill has forged a The TSO Chorus was founded in 1992 to ‘Wie? Was? Entsetzen!’ magic bullets – bullets which never miss compelling international career in opera present concert performances of opera, and Carl Maria von Weber is probably best their target – at midnight in an eerie and houses and concert halls throughout Europe has since broadened genres to embrace known as the composer of ‘Invitation to sinister corner of the forest, the Wolf’s and Australasia. Most recently he sang Don masses, requiems and symphonies, as well the Dance’, a piano piece which gained Glen. Unbeknown to Max, Caspar’s days popularity in a version orchestrated on Earth are numbered, having forfeited José (Carmen) and Alfredo (La traviata) as sacred and secular a cappella works. With by Hector Berlioz. It was used as the his life and soul to Samiel. By inducting for West Australian Opera, Rodolfo (La Marko Letonja, the TSO Chorus returned to music for Le spectre de la rose, a ballet Max into his diabolical scheme, Caspar bohème) and Narraboth (Salome) for Opera its opera roots in performances of Gounod’s created by Michel Fokine in 1911 for hopes to win a reprieve and substitute the Ballet Russes and its two superstar Max’s life for his own. According to Australia, the title role in Faust for Theater Roméo et Juliette (2018), Bizet’s Carmen dancers Tamara Karsavina and Vaslav Caspar’s plan, the shooting trial will end Münster, Cavaradossi (Tosca) in both Perth (2017), and the Helpmann Award-winning Nijinsky (famously, the ballet ended with with Max’s death, the final bullet being and Magdeburg, and Pinkerton (Madama performance of Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde Nijinsky taking a leap through an open controlled by the evil Samiel. But in the opera’s concluding scene – the shooting Butterfly) throughout China. Other roles (2016). In addition to concerts with the window). Far more important to music history and to 19th-century opera in competition – good triumphs over evil have included: the Duke in Rigoletto with TSO, highlights include performances with particular is Weber’s opera Der Freischütz and Caspar, not Max, receives the fatal Opera Holland Park, Opera Australia, West the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, West (a literal translation of the title would bullet. Caspar expires cursing Heaven and Hell, and Max explains his dalliance Australian Opera, Karlsruhe State Theatre Australian Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide be ‘The Free-shooter’ which doesn’t make a great deal of sense, hence the with black magic to the assembled (and and Mainz State Theatre, and Turridu in Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria English preference for keeping the title shocked) crowd. As punishment for his Cavalleria rusticana, Cavaradossi, and Carlo and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. in German). Premièred in Berlin in 1821, transgressions, Max is given a year to restore his good name after which he will VII in Giovanna d´Arco for Theater Bielefeld. Under the direction of Chorusmaster June Der Freischütz was an instant success and brought Weber to the attention be free to marry Agathe. Der Freischütz He sang Don José at the Glyndebourne Tyzack, the TSO Chorus has established a of audiences in Germany and beyond concludes with a massed chorus in praise Festival; Laca in Jenu˚fa for Opéra de Lille and notable presence at Mona, with Festival of (Freischütz reached Australia with of God’s mercy. Graz Opera; the title role in Faust at Theater Voices and in regional Tasmania. In May, the performances in Sydney before the end The success of Der Freischütz can be of the following decade). Hagen and Mainz State Theatre; Radames Chorus presented a concert of Australian easily explained. As the plot summary should make clear, it’s an action-packed at the Opernfestspiele St Margarethen; the a cappella works in Barcelona and The opera’s plot is taken from a story in the Gespensterbuch, a multi-volume tale. The folk elements played well to Prince in at the Saarbrücken State participated in a Verdi Requiem Sing Along collection of German folk and ghost German audiences in the aftermath Theatre; Italian Tenor in Der Rosenkavalier with Simon Halsey conducting. The Chorus stories published between 1811 and of the Napoleonic wars, a time when German national identity was gathering for Berlin State Opera and Isepo in La will finish the year in collaboration with 1815 (precisely the same time that the Grimm brothers published their first pace. Additionally, the supernatural gioconda at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. WASO Chorus and Principal Conductor, collection of Children’s and Household elements – the staging calls for ghostly His concert appearances include Beethoven’s Asher Fisch, performing Verdi’s Requiem in Tales). Set in and around the Bohemian apparitions and spectacular special effects – together with the dark and Ninth Symphony with the Deutsche Perth. Concert highlights in 2019 with the Forest (which straddles the border regions of the Czech Republic, Germany mysterious forest setting resonated Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz and TSO include Bach’s St John Passion and and Austria), Der Freischütz mixes powerfully with the Romantic mindset. Beethoven Orchester Bonn; Verdi’s Requiem Mendelssohn’s Symphony No 2, Lobgesang. scenes from village life with supernatural All of this would count for nothing at the Konzerthaus Berlin; and Mendelssohn’s The TSO Chorus welcomes new members. elements. Max, a young forester, wishes were it not for Weber’s first-rate music, to marry his sweetheart Agathe, but and Haydn’s Orlando Paladino (both Interested choristers should contact the which displays folk-like tunefulness, Agathe’s hand is conditional upon psychological depth and emotional with the Berlin Philharmonic) under Seiji Chorus Coordinator on 03 6232 4421 or visit winning a shooting trial and Max’s clout. Added to that, Weber treats Ozawa and Nikolaus Harnoncourt. tsochorus.com.au for more information. marksmanship is less than perfect.

14 15 (1809-1847)

the orchestra as a fundamental part until, suddenly, a colossal C-major chord Lobgesang (Hymn of Praise) – The Lobgesang struck home immediately of the opera (a fact not lost on young (marked fortissimo) rings out, banishing Symphony No 2 in B flat, Op 52 to its audience’s hearts. Robert Schumann Richard Wagner). Rather than merely the forces of gloom. The remainder of 1 Sinfonia praised is as ‘absolutely perfect’. By the accompanying the singers, the the Overture is dominated by Agathe’s Maestoso con moto – Allegro time Mendelssohn conducted it later the orchestra contributes powerfully to the cheerful theme. maestoso e vivace – Maestoso same year at the Birmingham Festival (on overall mood of the drama by setting The three vocal excerpts selected con moto his sixth visit to England), the Lobgesang scenes, highlighting character, creating had become one of his most admired for this concert are all from Act II. Scherzo: Allegro un poco agitato atmosphere and building tension. ‘Kommt ein schlanker Bursch gegangen’ and performed works. Instrumental tone colour reaches its Adagio religioso (If a slim young man comes along) is The enthusiasm which greeted the peak in the celebrated Wolf’s Glen scene 2 Alles was Odem hat, lobe den sung by Agathe’s relative, Ännchen, Lobgesang is worth recording, because where the orchestra evokes the dark and Herrn who wishes to lift the spirits of her it suffered more than most in the eclipse gloomy forest and conjures up a series despondent friend. A perky song in 3 Saget es…Er zählet unsre Tränen of much of Mendelssohn’s music from of terrifying visions. Hand in hand with C major, Ännchen’s number includes 4 Sagt es, die ihr erlöset seid the late nineteenth century on. The Weber’s orchestration is his effective a wonderful part for obbligato . use of harmony and key. Mirroring the 5 Ich harrete des Herrn Lobgesang’s mixture of the vocal and Rather more complex is Agathe’s multi- 6 Stricke des Todes…Wir riefen in der the orchestral, of sacred and secular good versus evil oppositions of plot sectional number, ‘Leise, leise, fromme and character, Weber uses major keys Finsternis elements, made it hard to place when Weise’ (Softly, softly, pious ways). ‘Hope’ sacred oratorio, in decline, was relegated to symbolise good and minor keys to 7 Die Nacht ist vergangen is the key attitude underpinning this aria. to the concerts of amateur choral symbolise the turn to the dark side. It is the evening before the shooting 8 Nun danket alle Gott Furthermore, the chord of the diminished societies, while symphonic concerts rarely contest and Agathe hopes first of all 9 Drum sing ich mit meinem Liede seventh – an expressive and highly included singing, settling into a pattern that God hears her prayer and offers His 10 Ihr Völker, bringet her dem Herrn of overtures, concertos and symphonies. unstable chord in tonal music – protection. In the middle and closing is invariably used to suggest the section of the number, she hopes that Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang was composed Mendelssohn himself was conscious malevolent presence and/or influence her beloved Max will pay her a visit and for celebrations of the 400th Anniversary that in the Lobgesang he was inventing of the diabolical Samiel. dispel her anxiety. Looking out across the of the invention of printing by Johannes a genre, and wasn’t sure what to call it. These harmonic and tonal oppositions moonlit fields and forest Agathe spies Gutenberg. It was first performed under His friend Karl Klingemann helped him are apparent right from the start of the Max making his way. Her hope is turned Mendelssohn’s direction in St Thomas’ out by suggesting the title ‘Symphony- opera. The Overture, which is in first- to joy. But when Max arrives and tells Church, Leipzig, on 25 June 1840. Thus Cantata’ which is to be found in the movement sonata form, commences with Agathe and Ännchen that he has to leave Mendelssohn, Director of Leipzig’s first edition. The publication of the a slow introduction in the key of C major. for the Wolf’s Glen, the women express Gewandhaus Concerts and the city’s Lobgesang as Mendelssohn’s Second A quartet of horns suggests the timeless their horror, ‘Wie? Was? Entsetzen!’ leading musician, combined cultural and Symphony has not been helpful to it, simplicity of rustic life. But a shadow (How? What? Appalling!). The Wolf’s religious concerns. He chose his texts inviting comparisons with Beethoven’s falls across this idyll with the arrival of Glen, as the women explain, is a frightful from the Bible in Luther’s translation, Ninth (‘Mendelssohn ’), darker tone colours, tremolando strings, and haunted place, especially at night. which Gutenberg’s invention had done so whereas Mendelssohn’s purpose was ominous sounding timpani taps and They plead with Max to remain, but he much to propagate. The words emphasise different. Beethoven’s mighty first three unsettling diminished seventh harmonies. insists that he must go. He has told them the passage from darkness to light, a movements lead to a finale where We turn from C major to C minor and that he has to retrieve a stag which he motto of the Reformation. instruments alone seem inadequate to the composer’s purpose, but hear music of an agitated and troubled has shot but, as we know, the purpose Mendelssohn prefaced the 1841 Mendelssohn’s vocal sections are the character. The theme that accompanies of his visit is to meet Caspar and cast publication of the score with words from main point of the work, and the first three the change of tempo (Molto vivace) will the magic bullets. Dark forces are starting Martin Luther himself: ‘Above all, I should reappear in Act I when Max worries that to gather. like all the arts, in particular music, to be movements, all motivically connected with the vocal sections, point to and he is being ensnared by ‘dark forces’. Robert Gibson © 2019 of service to God, who gave and created A solo breaks through the gloom it all. Doctor Martin Luther.’ It was fitting introduce them. and, moving to the key of E-flat major, that the Lobgesang was performed in The very opening of the three movement we hear a cheerful theme associated the church where a century earlier the ‘Sinfonia’ which prefaces Mendelssohn’s with pure, good-hearted Agathe. Cantor was Johann Sebastian Bach, the Lobgesang is a ceremonious motto, Tonal instability characterises the middle musician Mendelssohn helped restore declaiming rhythm and notes to which section of the Overture leading to a to recognition as a great Protestant words will later be sung: ‘Alles was Odem return of the C minor ‘dark forces’ theme composer. hat, lobe den Herrn’ (Let everything that

16 17 hath breath praise the Lord). The motto is stanza with an elaborate orchestral played first by an instrument associated accompaniment. Another duet leads with religious music, the . It to a final chorus with fugal treatment, gains in urgency as it is reintroduced until the motto returns, played and throughout the agitated fast movement sung, to conclude the Lobgesang. which follows, returning (again on solo An imaginative performance of the trombone) to lead, through a recitative Lobgesang, to an attentive audience for clarinet, to the next movement. In today, can recapture Mendelssohn’s the Scherzo which follows, the motto is passionate creative intensity, which It feels great to rediscovered as a counterpoint, on the engendered music described by one oboe, to a melody for winds, of its recent interpreters, conductor punctuated by the Scherzo material. The Christoph Spering, as ‘sensitive yet be able to Adagio has been compared to the slow grandiose, in which there are many movement of Mendelssohn’s Scottish richly-faceted varieties of style, even clearly hear Symphony, itself an evocation of a quasi- though there is no straying from the religious and romantic atmosphere. This broad and general line’. leads directly into the first vocal section, by way of an impressive return of the Abridged from a note by David Garrett the sounds of opening motto on , horns, © 1998. and , with a pulsing and swelling The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra has life again accompaniment of strings, climaxing in performed the Symphony No 2, Lobgesang, once the entry of the chorus with a variant of before, with conductor Sebastian Lang-Lessing, the motto, and leading to a fugue on soloists Sara Macliver, Elena Xanthoudakis and - J. Howard, Sandy Bay the same theme. At this point we have Jaewoo Kim, and the TSO Chorus and Sydney Philharmonia Chamber Singers, in Hobart on reached one third of the total duration 3 August 2007. of the Lobgesang, another sign that the vocal sections are no mere finale. Visit mbhc.com.au today The first soprano soloist now enters, leading voices of the chorus. The tenor to book your free annual aria prefaced by a recitative displays the hearing test fluency which in Mendelssohn seems so easy, but is based on a complete appreciation of the rhythms and stresses of the German language. ‘Ich harrete des Herrn’, a duet for the solo sopranos, was rapturously received by Schumann. A note of angst now enters the work, remembering the darkness out of which God calls the wanderers, and leading to the dramatic summit of the Lobgesang, the dialogue with the watchman. The tension is resolved, thrillingly, with the entry of the solo soprano singing ‘the night is past’. As in the oratorio St Paul (1836), Mendelssohn now resorts to harmonising a well-known Lutheran chorale, ‘Nun danket alle Gott’, providing the second

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