UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY

ANDRE PREVIN Conductor

Thursday Evening, April 23, 1992 Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan

PROGRAM

Don Juan, Op. 20 ...... Strauss

Tod und Verklarung (Death and Transfiguration), Op. 24 ...... Strauss

INTERMISSION

Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 Beethoven Poco sostenuto; vivace Allegretto Scherzo: presto Allegro con brio

The University Musical Society extends thanks to Mr. Jim Leonard, Manager, SKR Classical, for this evening's Philips Pre-concert Presentation. The Dresden Staatskapelle appears by arrangement with Columbia Artists Management Inc., New York City. Activities of the University Musical Society are supported by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts. The box office in the outer lobby is open during intermission for tickets to upcoming Musical Society concerts.

Thirty-ninth Concert of the 113th Season 113th Annual Choral Union Series Program Notes (1864-1949) great success. In a letter to his father, the here was a time when the music composer wrote: "It sounded wonderful.. .No­ of Richard Strauss was the center where have I made a mistake in the orches­ of great controversy. At the end tration." Indeed, Strauss was called by the of the nineteenth century, when audience onto the stage five times, persisting the successors of Hector Berlioz, until the work was played once more. Even FranzT Liszt, and Richard Wagner were prob­ the staunch Brahmsian Hans von Billow ing the possibilities of new musical means and called it "a most unheard-of success." A year were discovering new potentials of poetic later, after the premiere, expressiveness in music, Strauss was in the he wrote to the composer: "Your most gran­ vanguard of the creative search. The tone diose Don Juan has taken me captive." poems Don Juan, Till Eulenspiegel, Also sprach The figure of the philandering Don Zarathustra, and Em Heldenkben were com­ Juan Tenorio of Seville has been the inspira­ posed before 1900, and the Salome and tion for many artists since the sixteenth Elektra appeared during the first decade of the century for treatment in various mediums, twentieth century. Although Strauss later from Tirso de Molina and Moliere, through chose to follow a more moderate course, Mozart and Da Ponte with their operatic leaving the more telling innovations to com­ collaboration for Don Giovanni, to Byron, posers such as Schoenberg and Stravinsky, he Balzac, and Bernard Shaw. For his inspira­ nevertheless created works in a variety of tion/Strauss chose the dramatic poetic treat­ forms that have established him as one of the ment of the Don Juan legend by the Austrian most significant composers of his time. Iron­ Nikolaus Lenau (1802-1850). In his retelling ically, many of the works that were the of the story, Lenau presents Don Juan as a subject of the most heated controversy have man engaged in a romantic, idealistic quest. since come to be recognized as the master­ Of his main character, Lenau said: "My Don pieces most representative of his genius. Juan is no hot-blooded man eternally pursu­ Strauss had already declared himself an ing women. It is the longing in him to find orchestral composer with the symphonic fan­ a woman who is to him the incarnate wom­ tasy Aus halien (1886) and the tone poem anhood and to enjoy in one all the women Macbeth (1886-8); it was Don Juan, however, on earth, whom he cannot as individuals that brought him international recognition possess. Because he does not find her, al­ for the first time. This was followed in the though he reels from one to another, at last same year by the tone poem Tod und disgust seizes hold of him, and this disgust is Verkldrung (Death and Transfiguration). the Devil that fetches him." After countless Both of these works showed ample evidence disillusionments, at the end, the Don allows of his precocious ability in handling large himself to be slain in a duel with the avenger forces to produce dazzling orchestral colors, of one of his amorous conquests. as well as a startlingly individual style and a Strauss never provided a synopsis of the gift for memorable melody combined with action in his Don Juan, as the work is really harmonic mastery. Furthermore, the com­ a psychological study more than a narrative plete mastery of the form itself the single- tale. Certain themes and motives, however, movement Romantic tone poem in carrying programmatic connotations, may be addition to all the aforementioned, helped to discerned throughout the work. Don Juan is establish the young Strauss's reputation as a introduced at the outset by three different mature and confident artist and one of the thematic elements that follow each other and foremost German composers of all time. keep recurring in the proceedings: the intro­ ductory upward flourish, representing his un­ Don Juan, Op. 20 quenchable ardor; a lyrical subject that RICHARD STRAUSS symbolizes his eternal longing; and a heroic he premiere of Don Juan took motive heard in the horns. Several of the place in Weimar on November protagonist's amorous exploits are represented 11, 1899, with the composer in brief musical episodes, and a few of the leading the Court Orchestra of women who succumb to the anti-hero's T that city; the performance was a charms and seduction are represented by lyrical themes, as in the extended solo passage those of an artist. The sick man lies in bed, for the oboe. Toward the middle, a new asleep with heavy irregular breathing; friendly theme for the horns asserts Don Juan's mas­ dreams conjure a smile on the features of the culinity. As all the themes are woven to­ deeply suffering man; he wakes up; he is once gether with astonishing orchestral colors and more racked with horrible agonies: his limbs complexity of contrapuntal texture, a climax shake with fever. As the attack passes and the is reached with a shattering dissonance, fol­ pains leave off, his thoughts wander through lowed by an abrupt pause. A brief coda of his past life. His childhood passes before him, stark orchestration signals Don Juan's last the time of his youth with its strivings and breaths on earth and reflects the closing line passions, and then, as the pains already begin of Lenau's dramatic poem: "The fuel is con­ to return, there appears to him the fruit of sumed, the hearth cold and dark." his life's path, the conception, the ideal which he has sought to realize, to present Tod und Verklarung, Op. 24 artistically, but which he has not been able (Death and Transfiguration) to complete, since it is not for man to be able RICHARD STRAUSS to accomplish such things. The hour of death approaches, the soul leaves the body in order his tone poem, Tod und to find, gloriously achieved in everlasting Verklarung, received its premier space, those things which performance on June 21, 1890, could not be ful­ filled here below." at the Eisenach Festival. After Close to 60 years later, Macbeth and Don ]uan, Strauss's according to his daughter-in-law, and shortly thirdT tone poem had special success with the before his own death, Strauss told her: "Funny composer's contemporaries, even if some ob­ thing, Alice, dying is just the way I composed jected to the boldness of the idea and its it in Death and Transfiguration." execution. The modernists and progressives of the time poured extravagant praise upon the work, while it was damned by the con­ Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 servatives and reactionaries. At a perfor­ LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) mance by the Berlin Philharmonic, "the prima dona [sic] [conductor, Arthur] Nikisch / am Bacchus incarnate, to give humanity wine to mistreated the piece in such a way" that the drown its sorrow... He who divines the secret of my composer was afraid of a fiasco; at the end, music is delivered from the misery that haunts the however, there was a thunderous ovation, world. and Strauss concluded in a letter to his father: Beethoven "Seemingly, the work cannot be suppressed." Indeed, the work quickly achieved the utmost hile Beethoven's Seventh prominence among Strauss's symphonic Symphony has no subtitle works. Incidentally, these controversies, or program, many musi­ which occurred with practically every work cians, musicologists, and of his, fueled the fire for Strauss's fame and critics have attempted to notoriety, making him rich at the same time findW an appellative or running story to this while he was still young. work. Composers Robert Schumann and The design of Death and Transfiguration Hector Berlioz both said that its music evoked is distantly related to sonata form, as it "the spirit of a rustic wedding." Richard 'contains a slow introduction, a symphonic Wagner went so far as to call it "The Apo­ allegro, and an epilogue, all of these sharing theosis of the Dance." This last view is the themes that return cyclically. Two basic leit­ most popular one among those who have motifs dominate in this work; one signifies attempted to define the emotional content of death, the other, victory. While the subject this work. Evidently the great Isadora Duncan is psychological, the music follows a realistic agreed with this perception; she danced to all scenario. What follows is Strauss's own ex­ but the first movement, and the Ballet Russe planation of the content: de Monte Carlo presented a dance version of "It was six years ago that it occurred to the entire work. French composer Vincent me to present in the form of a tone poem the D'lndy, however, disagreed, saying, "Noth­ dying hours of a man who had striven towards ing less than a pastoral symphony! The the highest idealistic aims, maybe indeed, rhythm of the piece has nothing of the dance about it." As for the composer himself, if he phony. Following the development of several had any extra-musical concepts in mind, he counter-melodies, the clarinet announces a never divulged his intentions. All we know new melody that dispels the somber mood is that he was very pleased with this work and preceding it. The opening theme returns as called it "a grand symphony in A, one of my the movement concludes. best works." The third movement, a scherzo marked Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 was writ­ Presto, is a charming example of lightness and ten in 1812, at the time when the Napoleonic grace. The main theme is full of humor and War was raging. (This fact has led some receives buoyant development. In the Trio, commentators to espouse the far-fetched the­ Assai meno presto, the violins hold a high ory that this event had some influence in the pitch against a pleasant melody said to be an conceptual content of the work.) The Sym­ old pilgrim chant of Southern Austria. The phony was premiered in Vienna the following first part of the scherzo is repeated, as is the year. The occasion was a benefit concert for hymn, leading to the coda and joyful conclu­ disabled Austrian and Bavarian soldiers who sion of the movement. tried to cut off Napoleon's retreat, but were In the Finale, the symphony reaches its defeated at Hanau. Beethoven himself con­ peak with an unceasing pulse and sense of ducted the performance, "hardly, perhaps," ecstatic joy. Both the first and second themes says Grove, "to its advantage, considering the are truly frenzied and contagious, forcefully symbolical gestures described by [Ludwig] driving to a remarkable coda of inimitable Spohr, since he was by then very deaf and invention. It is an exuberant climax to a work heard what was going on around him with of great power, beauty, and charm. great difficulty." Spohr's account of the event It is ironic that this joyful, sunny, and is interesting: impetuous whirl of motion, which many after "At this concert, 1 first saw Beethoven Wagner have called "The Apotheosis of the conduct. Often as I had heard of it, it Dance," was written during one of the darkest surprised me extremely. He was accustomed and most difficult periods in the composer's to conveying the marks of expression by the life. most peculiar motions of his body. Thus at a Notes by Edgar Colon-Hemdndez sforzando he tore his arms, which were before crossed on his breast, violently apart. At a piano he crouched down, bending lower the softer the tone. At a crescendo he raised About the Artists himself by degrees until at the forte he sprang up to his full height; and, without knowing ne of the oldest and most it, would often at the time shout aloud." highly regarded orchestras in Marked Poco sostenuto, the introduc­ the world, the Dresden tion to the first movement is of striking Staatskapelle (Dresden State beauty, yet based simply on the major scale, Orchestra) boasts a tradition as setting the stage for a movement of tremen­ proudO as that of Dresden, one of the great dous force and energy. The main body of the cultural centers of Europe. As a symphonic movement is marked Vivace and is built upon orchestra and the orchestra of the Dresden a sonata form. The main theme is ushered in State , the Dresden Staatskapelle is on the pitch of E, exchanged from one internationally renowned for its excellent instrument to another 61 times before finally interpretations of both the standard and con­ opening up to its full development. The temporary repertoire. The orchestra, which movement concludes with an elaborate coda, premiered many of the major works of Rich­ in which fragments of the main theme are ard Wagner and Richard Strauss, has been heard with its characteristic rhythm, steadily led by such important conductors as Karajan, growing from a pianissimo to a powerful fortis­ Bohm, Kempe, Reiner, Abbado, Ozawa, simo at the close. Temirkanov, and Rozhdestvensky. It has The march-like Allegretto, again with a toured throughout Europe, the former Soviet steady rhythm, provides a major contrast. Union, Japan, and the United States, where Originally, Beethoven had intended this it made its debut in 1979. The Dresden movement for the third "Rasumovsky" string Staatskapelle's extensive record catalogue in­ quartet, but rightly expanded it for this sym­ cludes works by Mozart, Beethoven, and Strauss on the Angel, Philips, Denon, and Deutsche Grammophon labels, among oth­ ers. Founded in 1548 as an ensemble of court choristers, the Dresden Staatskapelle originally provided music for such functions as banquets, church services, court festivals, masked balls, weddings, and funeral proces­ sions. Its first authenticated concert tour occurred in 1575, with a visit to the Reichstag in Regensburg. In the seventeenth century, the conductorship and touring activities of Heinrich Schiitz, the orchestra's fourth mae­ stro, brought the orchestra fame throughout Europe. Under his baton, the orchestra also introduced the first German opera, Schiitz's Dafne, beginning a long tradition of operatic premieres. By the early eighteenth century, the orchestra was clearly the continent's foremost ensemble. Beethoven noted, "It is generally said that the orchestra in Dresden is the best in Europe," while Jean Jacques Rousseau considered the group to be "the most com­ plete and best ordered ensemble" of the day. In the latter part of the century, the orchestra began presenting public concerts apart from those at court, and in 1858 after previously ndre Previn is perhaps unsuccessful efforts by Weber and Wagner America's best known and it introduced regular subscription concerts most versatile musician. A alongside charity performances and occa­ conductor of the world's most sional performances by virtuosi. Later, under esteemed orchestras, award- the baton of , the orchestra winningA composer of orchestral, chamber, enjoyed a close association with Richard stage, and film scores, pianist in chamber Strauss, premiering nine of his operas, includ­ music and , a prolific recording artist, and ing Salome, Ekktra, Der Rosenkavalier, and author and television host, Mr. Previn is Feuersnot. familiar to millions around the world. As the orchestra of the Dresden State In recent years, Mr. Previn has most Opera, the Dresden Staatskapelle maintains often appeared as conductor of the world's the Dresden tradition of Weber, Wagner, and most prestigious and most recorded orches­ Strauss, also performing a varied repertoire tras. An annual guest of the Vienna Philhar­ including works by Mozart, Beethoven, monic both in Vienna and at its summer Verdi, Puccini, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, home, the Salzburg Festival, Mr. Previn this Berg, Orff, Prokofiev, and contemporary year became the Conductor Laureate of the composers. Apart from performances with the London Symphony Orchestra, re-establishing Dresden State Opera, the orchestra's seasons his relationship with the orchestra of which include a full schedule of symphony and he was principal conductor for ten years. Over chamber music concerts, appearances at in­ the past 25 years, he has held the chief artistic ternational music festivals, and a number of posts with the special concerts for schools. (1985-89), Pittsburgh Symphony (1976-84), The Dresden Staatskapelle made its Royal Philharmonic (music director: 1985- Ann Arbor debut during the orchestra's first 88; principal conductor: 1988-91), London United States tour in 1979 and returned in Symphony (1969-79) and Houston Sym­ 1983, both concerts conducted by Herbert phony (1967-70), and toured with several of Blomstedt; this evening marks its third Ann them worldwide. As guest conductor, he has Arbor appearance. appeared on many occasions with other of the world's finest symphony orchestras, including A prolific recording artist with all those of Berlin, Boston, Chicago, and Phil­ major labels in symphonic, chamber music, adelphia, to name but a few. and jazz, Mr. Previn is especially well known As pianist, Mr. Previn enjoys perform­ for his interpretations of British and Russian ing and recording chamber music and has symphonic repertoire, including cycles of maintained an active concert life at such Vaughan Williams, Elgar, Rachmaninoff, festivals as Caramoor and the La Jolla Cham­ Shostakovich, and Prokofiev. Recent pro­ ber Music Festival, where he performs with jects include Strauss symphonic tone poems Emanuel Ax, Young Uck Kim, Yo-Yo Ma, with the Vienna Philharmonic, Die Viktoria Mullova, and Itzhak Perlman, Fledermaus with Kiri Te Kanawa, and the among others. With every orchestra of which nine Beethoven symphonies with the Royal he has been music director, he has initiated Philharmonic. chamber music programs with the orchestral In addition to this current tour with musicians, and in 1991, while on tour in the Dresden Staatskapelle, Andre Previn's Japan with the Vienna Philharmonic, he activities in the 1991-92 season include con­ performed a chamber music concert with the certs in London with the Royal Philharmonic orchestra's principals, the Musikverein Quar­ Orchestra, followed by a tour with that or­ tet. Recently, Mr. Previn has returned to one chestra to Hong Kong and Japan, and guest of his first loves jazz and has begun to conducting engagements with the Vienna record and perform again with jazz bass legend Philharmonic, , Ray Brown and guitarist Mundell Lowe. Pittsburgh Symphony, National Symphony As part of its Centennial celebration, Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, commissioned Andre Previn and Los Angeles Philharmonic, among oth­ to write a set of orchestral song settings with ers. Some special projects included a Carne­ words by for soprano Kathleen gie Hall Christmas holiday program in Battle. Honey and Rue, the result of their December 1991, followed by the world pre­ collaboration, was performed by Miss Battle, miere of the Hall's Centennial commission, with Andre Previn conducting the Orchestra Honey and Rue, that he wrote with Toni of St. Luke's, in January 1992. Morrison. In November 1991, Doubleday Mr. Previn moved as a child from his released Mr. Previn's early memoire, No native Berlin to California, where he studied Minor Chords My Early Days in Hollywood, composition with Joseph Achron and Mario chronicling Mr. Previn's years as composer, Castelnuovo-Tedesco and conducting with arranger and orchestrator, and music director Pierre Monteux. (It was also at this time that at the MGM Studio. Mr. Previn began his musical and personal Andre Previn has conducted eight con­ friendship with the great Hungarian violinist certs in Ann Arbor prior to the one this Joseph Szigeti, who imbued him with a life­ evening: two with the London Symphony long interest in chamber music.) As a teen­ (1973 and 1974), one with the Pittsburgh ager, Mr. Previn began to work in the Symphony (1981), one with the Royal Phil­ Hollywood film studios as conductor, ar­ harmonic (1987), and four with the Los ranger, and composer. Innumerable scores Angeles Philharmonic during the 1990 May and four Academy Awards later, he began to Festival, one of those also featuring him as concentrate his efforts on the symphonic orchestral piano soloist. world in conducting and composition. Among his compositions are a piano con­ certo, commissioned for and by Vladimir Ashkenazy (recorded with Mr. Previn and the Royal Philharmonic), which has also been recently played by Andre Watts and Horacio Gutierrez; a cello concerto, written for Yo-Yo Ma; a song cycle, written for British mezzo- soprano Dame Janet Baker; and a music drama Every Good Boy Deserves Favour on which he collaborated with playwright Tom Stoppard. Our passion for perfection is reflected in our love for the arts.

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Lufthansa Dresden Staatskapelle, Andre Previn, Conductor Giuseppe Sinopoli, Music Director Designate Sir Colin Davis, Conductor Laureate Eberhard Steindorf, Producer Wolfgang Burkmiiller, Orchestra Director Volker Wittig, Orchestra Supervisor

First Violins Cellos Horns Peter Glatte Jan Vogler Istvan Vincze Thomas Meining Joachim Bischof Erich Markwart Michael Frenzel Gerhard Pluskwik Andreas Langosch Christian Uhlig Friedrich Milatz Dieter Pansa Gustav Sandner Karl Eulitz Holger Steinert Johannes Muck Linhardt Schneider Eberhard Kaiser Hans Fischer Andreas Priebst Siegfried Biichel Bernward Gruner Trumpets Wilma Sattler Uwe Kroggel Kurt Sandau Volker Dietzsch Martin Jungnickel Peter Lohse Reinhard Krauss Johann-Christoph Schulze Bemd Hengst Johanna Mittag Gord Graner Jorg Kettmann Basses Jorg Fassmann Werner Zeibig Trombones Susanne Scholz Andreas Wylezol Gerhard Essbach Barbara Fritzsch Bernd Haubold Uwe Voigt Rudolf Dressier Christian Rolle Guido Ulfig Jiirgen Schmidt Hans Hombsch Second Violins Helmut Branny Reinhard Ulbricht Christoph Bechstein Tuba Heinz-Dieter Richter Fred Weiche Hans-Werner Liemen Frank Other Reimond Piischel Matthias Meissner Timpani/Percussion Wolfgang Wahrig Flutes Bernhard Schmidt Hans-Joachim Witzgall Johannes Walter Thomas Kappler Siegfried Pfeiffer Eckart Haupt Jiirgen May Horst Zimmer Cordula Brauer Stefen Seidl Karl Kobrich Siegfried Teubel Dirk Reinhold Christian Goldammer Wolfgang Roth Oboes Harps Giinter Friedrich Wolfgang Holzauser Vicky Miiller Stephan Drechsel Bernd Schober Astrid von Buck Jens, Metzner Bernhard Miihlbach Annette Thiem Wolfgang Klier Stage Technicians Hasnjochen Gopel Violas Clarinets Erhard Guttler Friedemann Jahnig Joachim Mader Frank Miiller Joachim Zindler Dietmar Hedrich Peter Scljikora RolfSchindler Travel Arrangements Willfried Hartung Gunther Scherel Gudula Holle Giinter Jahn Klaus Heinze Bassoons Matthias Neubert Wolfgang Liebscher Jiirgen Knauer Giinter Klier Winfried Berger Bernhard Rose Michael Schone Andreas Bortitz Uwe Jahn Andreas Schreiber Ulrich Milatz

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