Milwaukee Symphony Musical Journeys WEEKLY STREAMING PROGRAMS Episode 4 Notes

RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Born 12 October 1872; Down Ampney, England Died 26 August 1958; London, England Flos campi Composed: completed 1925 First performance: 10 October 1925; London, England

Ralph Vaughan Williams was the most important English composer of his generation – that between Elgar and Britten – and a key figure in the revival of English music. His voluminous compositional output includes nine symphonies and other orchestral pieces, operas, songs, choral music, film and theatre music, and chamber music, as well as Christmas carols and hymn tunes. Among his best-known works are The Lark Ascending, Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, Fantasia on “ ==,” and the Symphony No. 1 (“A Sea Symphony”). Scored for solo viola, wordless chorus, and small orchestra, Flos campi (Flower of the Fields) is one of the most unusual pieces in Vaughan Williams’s catalogue. Completed in 1925, the same year that saw the composition of his oratorio Sancta civitas (The Holy City), its very title can be misleading: It has nothing to do with “buttercups and daisies,” as the composer once irritably explained. Rather, the reference is to the “Rose of Sharon” – as in, “I am the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley.” Taking verses for The Song of Solomon as his inspiration, Vaughan Williams created a free- flowing rhapsodic work that is exotic, evocative, and even erotic. The harmonic language and colorful instrumentation owe something to his teacher Maurice Ravel (1875-1937). It’s seemingly a subtle irony that RVW chose to use human voices instrumentally and to cast the viola – one of his favorite instruments – as the singer. He divided the piece into six sections, each headed by a quotation from the Latin Vulgate. Here are the English translations of those verses, along with a brief description of the music: 1. As the lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters... Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love. A bitonal duet for oboe and viola opens the work, then we hear a lush orchestral passage before the choir’s ardent first entry. Herbert Howells called this section a “rhapsodic prelude.” 2. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The soloist plays a long-breathed melody that is taken up by the choral voices in unison. Note the alluring use of harp and celesta. 3. I sought him whom my soul loveth, but found him not... “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him that I am sick of love.”... “Whither is my beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? Whither is my beloved turned aside? that we make seek him with thee.” The forlorn viola dialogues with the women’s voices. 4. Behold his bed [palanquin], which is Solomon’s, three score valiant men are about it... They all hold swords, being expert in war. A “moderato alla marcia,” presumably depicting the masculine Beloved. Composer Phillip Cooke likened this dance to “something like a 1930s film score of a medieval banquet.” Musical Journeys Episode 4 - April 17 PROGRAM NOTES Composed: Rhapsody onaThemeofPaganini,Opus43 Died 28March 1943;Beverley Hills,California 1April1873;Semyonovo,Russia Born SERGEI RACHMANINOFF 6. 6. 5. 5. put through theirpaces–withdistinctlysatisfyingreturns. its radiantandquick-witted best,andaffords theaudiencepleasure ofhearingapianist by concert-goersandprofessional musiciansalike.Itpresents Rachmaninoff’s latestyleat composer forthework’s premiere. Ithassincebecomeacentralrepertory piece,admired Leopold StokowskiandthePhiladelphiaOrchestra, ontourinBaltimore, joinedthe upside-down. most heart-on-the-sleevemusicRachmaninoff eversetdown,Paganini’s themeisturned appears inVariation 7,recurring inVariations 10,22,and24.InVariation 18,someofthe The “Diesirae”motif,from theGregorian chantmelodyintheMassforDead,first correspond tothefast-slow-fastlayoutofatraditionalthree-movement concerto: As severalwritershavepointedout,thevariationsessentiallyfallintothr figure.” Indeed,itisathemethateasily remembered, evenhummable. a repetition ofasimplybutimmediatelymemorablefour-note semi-quaver[16thnote] which itselfexpresses amusicalaphorism; and themelodiclineismadedistinctiveby progressionthe perfectcadence,literallyinitsfirsthalfandaharmonic inthesecond, Webber, etal.)workssowellforvariations:“Itenshrinesthatmostbasicofmusicalideas, explains whythistheme(alsoappropriated byBrahms,Liszt,Blacher, Lutoslawski,Lloyd ( c Violin Solo for Caprices variations. Thethemeistakenfrom thelastofNicolòPaganini’s (1782-1840)Twenty-Four implies alooselyorganized structure asetof24 –theworkfollowsadistinctlytautform: unsure that ofwhattocallhisOpus43.Thoughhesettledonthetitle“rhapsody”–aterm By thistimeinhiscareer, Rachmaninoff hadcomposedfourpianoconcertosandatfirstwas I begintoevaporate.It’s oftenmore thanIcanbearjusttoplay. Inshort,I’vegrown old.” completion oftheRhapsody In the1934-35seasonalone,heplayed69dates.aletterwrittennotlongafter 61-year-old masterspentmuchofhisenergy makingextensivetoursasaconcertpianist. dashing itoff inonlysevenweeksthesummerof1934.Atthispointlife, Romantic-era role ofpianist-composer. Itwasaworkhewrote forhimselftoperform, hisRhapsody on aWith Theme of Paganini unresolved. remains chord dissonant final the and word, last the has soloist the but duet, oboe/viola the of Howells). there’send, restatement a the Toward (Herbert longing” of fulfillment “Diatonic rhythm. dance earlier the beating drum aside with returns, section second ofthe polyphony modal The OPrince’s daughter. shoes, with thy feet are Return, return, O Shulamite. Return, return, that we may look upon thee... How beautiful thee... upon beautiful How wemay look that return, Return, OShulamite. return, Return, thy heart. upon aseal as me Set • • • • • • • • Coda (twomeasures) Variations 19-24(fast) Variations 12-18(slow) Variation 11(transition) ariations 2-10(fast) Theme (violins) Variation 1 Introduction First performance:  1805). InhisexhaustivebookonRachmaninoff, BarrieMartyn , heworriedaboutsuchagruelingschedule:“ShallIholdout? 1934 7 November1934;Baltimore, Maryland , Sergei Rachmaninoff harkenedbacktothe  ee groups that Musical Journeys Episode 4 - April 17 PROGRAM NOTES Composed: The RiteofSpring Died 6April1971;NewYork, NewYork 17June1882;Lomonosov,Born Russia IGOR STRAVINSKY first, polemics,then,praise, and,finally, thenecessaryclarification.” for thesamereasons asPicasso’s d’Avignon Demoiselles ‘contemporary’ music.Akind ofmanifestowork,somewhatinthesamewayand pr point ofreference toallwhoseekestablish thebirthcertificateofwhatisstillcalled century.” Pierre Boulez took thatastepfurther, servesasa Rite of Spring writing:“The even electrify–ustoday. Leonard calledit“themostimportantworkofthe20th Bernstein remains undiminishedinitsabilitytorouse Rite of Spring –and we doknowthatThe Though wemaynotknowforcertainwhatsetoff thatParisianaudience107yearsago, reference, bothmelodicallyandharmonically. Spring; thesamechord, though,operatesasanintegratedsonorityandprovides apitch harshness ofthepiece,asillustratedbypreviously mentionedchord intheAugursof usually are treated chromatically. Chromaticism anddissonanceoftencontributetothe These are combinedtocreate larger diatonicinthemselves, units and,thoughnormally Stravinsky sometimesdrew –saythescholarsfrom RussianandLithuanianfolkmusic. Was Frequently, itthemelody?Theharmony? The Rite meter changesinalmosteverymeasure; itbegins3/16,2/16,2/8,3/16. conductors. ThisisespeciallyevidentintheopeningbarsofSacrificialDance,wher continuously, acharacteristicthatcanstrikefearintheheartsofevenmost seasoned important rhythmicfeature isapparent inpassageswhosetimesignatures changealmost melodic fragments)withdifferent rhythmicvaluesandunequaltotaldurations.Afurther audacious treatment ofrhythm,Stravinsky often superimposesmultipleostinatos(repeated major chord) isrepeated overandover, itsaccentsshiftingunpredictably. Inanother in theAugursofSpring,whenasinglemassivechord (anE-flat-seventhchord atop F-flat like agiantpercussion instrument.Thatisnowhere more apparent thanthefamouspassage frequentlyWas treats Rite of Spring theorchestra ittherhythm?IthasbeensaidthatThe What wasitaboutthisworkthattriggered suchvisceral reaction? experience forhim, puttinghiminthehospitaltwoweeks. behaved withthe usualdecorum,butfirst-nightkerfufflehadbeenatraumatic was relieved inParisandLondonthatsummer, when,atperformances thoseinattendance “knock-kneed andlong-braidedLolitas”–astheywere byStravinsky’s music.Themaster Vaslav Nijinsky’s choreography –thecomposerlaterderided Nijinsky’s dancingmaidensas cultural history’s mostcherishedriots.Apparently, theaudiencewasjustasinfuriatedby – isenshrinedinallthemusictextbooksbecauseof scandalitcaused,surely oneof –29May1913;TheatreThe premiere desChamps-Elysees,Paris Rite of Spring ofThe ballet. postponed ayear. Thisallowedthecomposertoworkmore deliberatelyontherest ofthe obvious, however, thatthe workwouldnotbeready forthesummer, soitsproduction was of Spring Firebird Following The Firebird and criticsasThe converted toaballetscore atthe urging ofDiaghilev–was justaspopularwiththepublic life. Thefollowingyear, Petroushka his company’s 1910seasoninParis.Itsgreat successwouldalterthecourseofStravinsky’s Firebird The They were sacrificingher to propitiate thegodofSpring.” pagan rite:sageelders,seated inacircle, watchingayounggirldanceherselftodeath. a fleetingvision,whichcameascompletesurprise...Isawinmyimaginationsolemn Firebird Stravinsky wasinSt.Petersburg inthespringof1910,puttingfinishingtouchesonThe , whenhereceived Rite of Spring hisinspiration forThe in earnest; byearly1912thefirsthalfofscore inearnest; wasalmostcomplete.It First performance: hadbeencommissionedbytheBalletRusseimpresario Sergei Diaghilevfor ’s 13June1911premiere Rite inParis,StravinskybeganworkonThe hadbeen.

Program notes by J. Mark Baker. by J. notes Mark Program 1911-12 29 May1913;Paris,France –begunasaconcertpiece forpianoandorchestra, but utilizesshort,simplemotivesthat , ithasnotceasedtoengender, . Helaterwrote: “Ihad  obably e the